Akira Kurosawa: Every Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Nameless, intimidating, seemingly unstoppable and noble, Toshiro Mifune's iconic rōnin fills the screen like a looming shadow with every frame he gets, and backs up his mysterious allure with a gruff voice and unmatched fighting skills.

Yojimbo inspired an entire generation of Western films, and follows Mifune's deceptive antihero as he meddles in a small town's criminal warzone and instils fear into the hearts of his foes every step of the way.

A brutal action flick with an atmospherically jazzy score and some of the best shots of Kurosawa's career, Yojimbo is still better than many of the films it inspired, and its antihero protagonist remains the director's most memorable character.