In the face of an enemy, in the heart of one man, lies the soul of a warrior.

Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

Cast & crew

Edward Zwick

Director

Tom Cruise

Nathan Algren

Ken Watanabe

Moritsugu Katsumoto

Timothy Spall

Simon Graham

Tony Goldwyn

Col. Benjamin Bagley

Hiroyuki Sanada

Ujio

Koyuki

Taka

Shin Koyamada

Nobutada

Billy Connolly

Zebulon Gant

Togo Igawa

General Hasegawa

Shichinosuke Nakamura

Emperor Meiji

Masato Harada

Omura

William Atherton

Winchester Rep

Chad Lindberg

Winchester Rep Assistant

Scott Wilson

Ambassador Swanbeck

R

Ray Godshall Sr.

Convention Hall Attendee

Masashi Odate

Omura's Companion

John Koyama

Omura's Bodyguard

Satoshi Nikaido

N.C.O.

S

Shintaro Wada

Young Recruit

Shun Sugata

Nakao