If You Love Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Check Out These Similar TV Shows And Movies

Summary

• Shogun is a top live-action show about Medieval Japan with political intrigue and well-developed characters.
• Kill Bill is one of Tarantino’s samurai films, featuring amazing choreography and stylish violence.
• Marco Polo is an exploration of the 13th century, filled with drama, politics, and big battles.

If you enjoyed Assassin’s Creed Shadows and are captivated by that time period, or the one that followed it, there are more than a few good options of movies and TV shows that are worth watching.

Whether it’s the atmosphere or political intrigue of that time period, or the fascination with cool characters like samurais, shinobis, or the more modern yakuza, these movies and shows should hit the spot. Some are grounded and heavily inspired by real historical events, while others take creative liberties or a more stylized approach, but they all have great storytelling in common.

8

Shogun (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes: 99 Percent

Shogun is probably the best live-action TV show about Medieval Japan. It’s based on James Clavell’s novel of the same name and is a part of six such novels that focus on certain Europeans in various Asian countries. This particular story follows an English sailor named John Blackthorne who gets shipwrecked in Japan and ends up caught in a power struggle between Japanese warlords.

The story has a lot of political intrigue and the characters are all well-developed. The Portuguese Jesuits play a small role in the show’s narrative, and you can find them in Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s world as well as part of Yasuke’s backstory as well.

7

Kill Bill (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes: 85 Percent

Quentin Tarantino’s two Kill Bill movies are a love letter to classic samurai and martial arts films, a fact that the filmmaker has never been shy of in his interviews, nor subtle of in the movie itself. The story follows The Bride, played by Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction collaborator Uma Thurman, a former assassin who goes on a revenge quest.

The fights’ choreography is amazing and thoroughly entertaining. The second movie especially leans even more into Japanese influences, with sword fights and samurai duels. It’s very stylish and violent, and one of the best examples of Tarantino’s specific style.

6

Marco Polo (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes: 66 Percent

Marco Polo takes place in the 13th century and follows the adventures of the titular explorer, Marco Polo, as he ends up in the court of Kublai Khan. While it’s not set in Japan, it is somewhat reminiscent of the vibe of Shogun, with similar historical drama, politics, and some big battles.

The way the show explores the cultures and conflicts of the time period and setting makes it really worth watching. In the show, Marco feels like a stranger in a strange land, somewhat like Yasuke does in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Unfortunately, the show was canceled by Netflix after two seasons due to its high production costs, and it not being quite as much of a hit.

5

Tokyo Vice (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 89 Percent

Tokyo Vice is also one of the best TV shows about Japan, but this time in a modern setting. The show is based on real-life events and follows an American journalist, played by Ansel Elgort, who gets caught up in the world of the Yakuza while working for a Japanese newspaper.

The show greatly focuses on the relationships between the characters, as well as the dangers of investigative journalism, not to mention the darker and dangerous side of Tokyo’s criminal underworld. All of the cast members are fantastic, with some having even more expansive roles in the second season. It was executive-produced by Michael Mann, known for great crime-thrillers such as Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice, and you can see clearly his creative style and flair in the show.

4

The Last Samurai (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes: 66 Percent

The Last Samurai is a beautifully shot modern samurai film starring Tom Cruise as an American soldier who ends up fighting alongside the samurai in the late 1800s. While the movie does take some creative liberties, something that has been a topic of fan debate, it does a good job of showing the clash between old samurai traditions and the modernization of Japan.

It was directed by Edward Zwick, who’s most notable for directing Blood Diamond three years after this one. The movie has some good samurai battles and the historical depth and lore that make the setting so fascinating for fans of that time period. The action is great, and so are the performances, especially from Hiroyuki Sanada, who also starred in Shogun.

3

The Wolverine (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes: 71 Percent

The Wolverine is probably not what comes to your mind when you think of stories related to Feudal Japan, but the movie is a pretty solid choice if you want to see a mix of modern and traditional Japanese action. It was directed by James Mangold, who followed it up with the even-better 2017’s Logan.

The movie follows Wolverine several years after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand as he travels to Japan and ends up fighting against samurai assassins, ninjas, and Yakuza members. There’s a lot of cool swordplay with Logan’s claws and mutant abilities, and some nice intense action sequences, including one on top of a speeding train. It leans heavily into Japanese culture and aesthetics, which makes it feel somewhat different from other superhero movies.

2

Yasuke (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 93 Percent

If you want to see more of Yasuke, this Netflix anime series created by Studio MAPPA has you covered. However, it’s not grounded like Assassin’s Creed Shadows since it takes a lot of creative liberties and has magic and fantasy elements, including mechs.

The core story still revolves around Yasuke’s journey as a warrior in feudal Japan. The animation is pretty good, and the action scenes and visuals show a unique side of animated Japan. There’s also some over-the-top anime action which can make it stand out from other samurai stories, which tend to be more grounded and realistic.

1

Ran (1985)

Rotten Tomatoes: 96 Percent

While Seven Samurai might be Akira Kurosawa’s best movie, and for good reason, Ran deserves a lot of love too. It’s an adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear but set in feudal Japan, and follows a powerful warlord who decides to divide his kingdom among his sons, but it spirals into chaos.

The battle scenes are impressive, and the way the story unfolds feels epic. It’s got a bit of a slower pace compared to modern action films, and it might turn away some viewers because of that, but the cinematography and storytelling make it one of the best samurai films ever made, although Kurosawa already has plenty of those in his filmography.