Whenever Hollywood needs an epic Japanese actor, they come knocking on the door of Hiroyuki Sanada. The 65-year-old thespian, now one of the most famous actors on the planet, first made his name in Japanese cinema before Tinsel Town came knocking and plucked him away for some of the most epic roles of the century. As we celebrate the legend and his unmatchable onscreen presence, let's tumble down memory lane into Hiroyuki Sanada 7 best movies of his entire career. It was hard to select seven films from a filmography that exceeds 40+ roles, but we did our best.
7. Mortal Kombat 2021
Fans had been clamouring for decades for a proper Mortal Kombat film adaptation after two lackluster adaptations in the 90s, and in 2021, New Line Cinema finally got the franchise right. Based on the popular action game, 2021’s Mortal Kombat sees Hiroyuki Sanada play Scorpion, a warrior who becomes an undead specter after seeing his wife and child murdered. Effortless translating one of the most iconic video game characters of all time onto the big screen, Sanada’s performance is easily the highlight of the film, with his iconic fight with Sub-Zero one of the coolest sequences to date. Sanada is set to return as Scorpion in the sequel that releases next year.
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6. Sunshine 2007
Danny Boyle’s 2007 science fiction feature Sunshine is a fantastic work of art that transcends boundaries. While fans might remember Cillian Murphy and Rose Byrne as the main leads, it was Hiroyuki Sanada’s Captain Kaneda who stole the show at the start. Stoic and ready to sacrifice everything for the mission, Kaneda ensured the mission survived long enough to deliver its payload to the sun. While this was one of the first Hollywood roles for Sanada, he more than made his mark in the limited screentime that he had, elevating Boyle’s science fiction feature in his own unique way.
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5. The Wolverine 2013
While 2013’s The Wolverine sits squarely in the middle as a quite average X-Men film, Sanada’s tragic performance in the film shines through the mediocrity. Sanada plays Shingen, the heir of a mega Japanese corporation that wants to use Wolverine’s regenerative abilities to heal its owner. Seeing his family legacy destroyed by the pursuit of mutants. Shingen engages in a fatal hand-to-hand duel with Logan. Although he manages to land some pretty great punches on Logan, Shingen is undone by hubris and then swiftly killed by Logan. Sanada made Shingen an intense, fearless mortal who manages to go toe to toe against one of the most powerful mutants in the MCU.
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4. John Wick 4
The greatest action movie franchise in recent memory was made more epic when Hiroyuki Sanada joined the final film as Koji Shimazu. Sanada’s Koji Shimazu is the owner of the Osaka Continental Hotel and an old friend of John Wick. With Wick’s war against the High Table arriving at his doorstep. Shimazu graciously offers his establishment and his support in favor of Wick as he effortlessly slices through goons himself, allowing John critical time to launch a counterattack. Sanada’s character was the highlight of the film, and this was no mean feat as the film was jam-packed with a cool and memorable supporting cast that did the script justice.
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3. The Last Samurai 2005
Tom Cruise and Edward Zwick’s sombre 2005 tale of the Samurai fighting against colonists was a profound film event in its own right. The Last Samurai sees US army veteran Algren (played by Cruise) joining forces with the Samurai (led by Ken Watanabe’s Katsumoto) against an oppressive warlord for a final stand in the face of irrelevance. Sanada plays Ujio here, a master swordsman and one of Katsumoto's most trusted followers. Initially showing the most disdain towards Algren during the latter's time in captivity, he later teaches Algren the art of sword fighting, coming to respect him as an equal, before a tragic fate befalls them all. The Last Samurai was lauded the world over, and Sanada’s brief supporting role here is one of the highlights of the Oscar-nominated film.
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2. Ring 1998
If you are into Japanese horror, you might have seen 1998’s Ring. The film that inspired the Niaomi Watts remake of the same name, Ring, co-stars Sanada as a college professor investigating a cursed videotape with his ex-wife. What begins as a straightforward investigation goes into some pretty dark places, and Sanada excels in bringing a grounded approach to the role, ultimately becoming one of the film’s strongest points. Ring also proved how Sanada could tackle any genre, and his masterful acting in a horror film proved that he would go on to do great things.
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1. Twilight Samurai 2002
Yogi Yamada’s Twilight Samurai is arguably the most profound samurai movie of the 21st century. A masterful Sanada plays a samurai widower here, retreating to help his family instead of his peers when his wife passes away. However, when a surprise opportunity comes knocking at his door, the quiet samurai must reluctantly jump back into his former life. This unconventional film flipped the script on what we all expected from a samurai epic. As human drama takes precedence over bloody sword fights, Sanada’s moving performance elevates the film even further. Twilight Samurai is Sanada’s greatest film and one of the greatest Samurai films of all time.
Let's be honest, films are subjective, and we know some of you have different Hiroyuki Sanada epics in mind. So don't be shy and let us know in the comments what your favourite Hiroyuki Sanada films of all time are.
