Ninja Scroll: The Series

The original Ninja Scroll is a feature-length animated film written, directed, and originally conceived by Yoshiaki Kawajiri.

It was produced with animation support from Madhouse and released in Japan on June 5, 1993.

After its Japanese release, the film became especially well known overseas under the English title Ninja Scroll.

In North America, its home video release sold nearly 500,000 copies, and by 2014 total video sales across VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray had passed 900,000 units.

The work is often cited alongside Akira and Ghost in the Shell as one of the Japanese animated titles that helped drive the anime boom in the United States during the 1990s.

It also gained a strong reputation among filmmakers and artists for its intense action, striking imagery, and mature tone.

The franchise later continued with the 2003 television anime Ninja Scroll: The Series.

A later spin-off and pilot-style short project, Ninja Scroll BURST, was also created by Kawajiri.

Premise

The film follows Kibagami Jubei, a masterless wandering ninja-for-hire.

By chance, he rescues a female ninja named Kagero, and that single encounter drags him into a deadly conspiracy.

Kagero had been investigating a mysterious plague spreading through a village in the domain of Mochizuki.

Her unit was ambushed by a shadowy group of superhuman warriors known as the Devils of Kimon, leaving her as the sole survivor.

Because he intervenes, Jubei becomes their target as well.

He is then manipulated by the government spy Dakuan, who poisons him and offers the antidote only if Jubei helps uncover the enemy’s plot.

As the conflict deepens, Jubei is forced to confront an old wound from his past.

The leader of the enemy turns out to be Himuro Genma, the former superior Jubei believed he had already killed.

Story

At the start of the story, Jubei is introduced as a freelance swordsman and ninja with extraordinary skill.

He had recently been hired by a weak feudal domain for twenty pieces of gold to recover a treasured sword stolen from the shogun’s household.

Soon afterward, he encounters Kagero, a female ninja from the Koga group serving the Mochizuki domain.

She and her comrades had entered a village supposedly wiped out by disease, only to be massacred by the Devils of Kimon.

Jubei saves her, but doing so places him squarely in the path of the same enemies.

During the struggle, Dakuan traps Jubei into assisting an official secret investigation into a wider political plot.

The mystery leads to schemes involving gold, rebellion, and hidden ambitions tied to restoring the Toyotomi line.

Jubei learns that the conspiracy reaches far beyond a single village or clan.

At the center of it all stands Genma, a seemingly immortal enemy from Jubei’s former life in the Yamashiro clan.

Long ago, Genma engineered the destruction of Jubei’s own ninja group by turning comrades against one another.

Jubei had cut off Genma’s head and fled, believing that nightmare was over.

Instead, Genma survived through a terrifying technique of resurrection and now commands the Devils of Kimon.

The struggle becomes personal, brutal, and tragic.

Jubei ultimately fights not only for survival, but also for Kagero and for the ghosts of his past.

Jubei and Allies

**Kibagami Jubei**

Voiced by Kouichi Yamadera.

Jubei is the film’s protagonist, a wandering ninja who works for money and answers to no lord.

He is known for lightning-fast swordsmanship that slices through enemies like a whirlwind.

His cool demeanor hides a painful past and a strong personal code.

Formerly a member of the Yamashiro domain’s ninja corps, he was driven into exile after Genma’s scheme caused his comrades to kill one another.

He decapitated Genma and escaped, only to later discover that his old enemy had somehow survived.

Dakuan poisons him and forces him into the mission with the promise of an antidote and a reward of one hundred gold pieces.

As the story unfolds, Jubei refuses to treat Kagero as a tool, even when her unusual body seems to offer a way to save him.

**Kagero**

Voiced by Emi Shinohara.

Kagero is a female ninja of the Koga group serving the Mochizuki domain, where she normally acts as a poison taster for the lord.

Her body has become so saturated with poison that she is immune to toxins herself.

The cost is horrifying: any man who sleeps with her dies.

Because of this, she has grown emotionally distant and somewhat reckless with her own life.

She often clashes with Jubei, yet the two gradually develop mutual respect and unspoken affection.

Kagero is also highly capable in the field.

At one point, she uses drug-laced flower petals to counter a swarm of hornets sent by Mushizo.

As the plot closes in, she remains committed to duty, sending a message by bird to request help from the domain’s chief retainer.

Her final scenes reveal both vulnerability and emotional honesty that she had long kept buried.

**Dakuan**

Voiced by Takeshi Aono.

Dakuan is an elderly government spy disguised as a wandering monk.

He is crafty, manipulative, and very difficult to read.

Before involving Jubei and Kagero, he had already investigated Jubei’s history and Kagero’s unusual ability.

He uses trickery as readily as courage.

His bizarre techniques include stretching his body in unnatural ways and disguising himself as part of a tree branch.

Devils of Kimon

**Himuro Genma**

Voiced by Daisuke Gouri.

Genma is the leader of the Devils of Kimon and the central villain of the film.

He combines overwhelming physical power with speed and hand-to-hand combat ability that can rival or surpass Jubei’s swordplay.

Once the captain of the Yamashiro ninja group, he engineered betrayal among his own men.

Jubei had cut off his head in the past.

However, Genma mastered a resurrection technique that made him effectively immortal.

He can survive catastrophic wounds, reattach severed limbs, and revive even after appearing completely dead.

In the final conflict, his body becomes fused with molten gold and sinks into the depths of the sea.

**Tessai**

Voiced by Ryuuzaburou Ootomo.

Tessai wields a massive throwing weapon and can harden his skin like stone.

He destroys the Koga ninja unit serving the Mochizuki domain.

Immediately afterward, he attempts to assault Kagero and is unknowingly poisoned by touching her.

While fighting Jubei, his body begins to fail from the poison.

In panic, he is struck and killed by his own returning weapon.

**Shijima**

Voiced by Akimasa Oomori.

Shijima has a left hand modified into a monstrous claw called the Demon Claw.

He can move in and out of shadows and even manipulate corpses like puppets.

He attempts to use Kagero against Jubei but is ultimately defeated.

**Benisato**

Voiced by Gara Takashima.

Benisato is a seductive master of poisonous snakes.

She can shed her skin like a serpent to escape danger.

She was one of Genma’s lovers, which makes her a target of jealousy from Yurimaru.

After failing twice to kill Jubei, she is secretly executed with a thread-based attack.

Her death reflects the treacherous and unstable nature of the group itself.

**Utsutsu Mujuro**

Voiced by Norio Wakamoto.

Utsutsu Mujuro is a blind swordsman and one of the film’s most memorable duelists.

Despite his blindness, he moves through a bamboo grove with terrifying precision.

He uses sound, movement, and even reflected sunlight from his blade to overwhelm his opponents.

He comes very close to killing Jubei.

A chance interruption breaks his momentum, and Jubei finally defeats him.

**Yurimaru**

Voiced by Toshihiko Seki.

Yurimaru is a beautiful and elegant commander among the Devils of Kimon.

He is also one of Genma’s lovers, which deepens the group’s tangled rivalries.

He rejects the affection of Zakuro, causing her resentment to grow.

Yurimaru generates electricity from his body and uses steel wires to electrocute enemies.

He also uses those wires to communicate with Genma.

His attempt to kill Jubei goes disastrously wrong.

He is caught in one of Zakuro’s explosive traps and blown apart.

**Zakuro**

Voiced by Masako Katsuki.

Zakuro is a female explosives expert who manipulates fire and gunpowder.

She harbors bitterness after Yurimaru rejects her.

Her methods include using rats or even human bodies fitted with ignition devices.

During battle with Dakuan, she is drenched in oil.

Jubei ignites her, causing a violent explosion that also contributes to the sinking of the ship.

**Mushizo**

Voiced by Reizou Nomoto.

Mushizo is a grotesque figure who commands swarms of hornets and can shoot needles from his mouth.

The hump on his back is actually a giant hornet nest.

When he falls into water while fighting Jubei, the trapped insects tear through his own body trying to escape.

Jubei takes advantage of the opening.

He decapitates Mushizo before the insect master can recover.

**Dojin**

Voiced by Ichiro Nagai.

At the beginning of the film, he attacks Jubei with his followers and is quickly defeated.

**Masked Samurai**

Voiced by Osamu Saka.

He serves the shadow ruler known as the Dark Shogun and is swiftly killed by Genma.

**Hanza**

Voiced by Katsuji Mori.

Hanza is the leader of the Koga ninja group serving the Mochizuki domain.

Although he tries to leave Kagero behind when the group heads to investigate the plague village, he still shows concern for her safety.

He challenges Tessai, has both arms torn off, and is later turned into a human bomb by Zakuro.

**Genpachi**

Voiced by Yusaku Yara.

A member of the Koga group who is killed by Yurimaru during the village attack.

**Shinkuro**

Voiced by Junichi Sugawara.

Formerly a member of the Yamashiro ninja corps, he attacks Jubei under Genma’s manipulations and is killed.

**Sakaki Hyobu**

Voiced by Shuichiro Moriyama.

The chief retainer of the Mochizuki domain, murdered and replaced by Genma.

Principal Voice Cast

Kouichi Yamadera as Kibagami Jubei

Emi Shinohara as Kagero

Takeshi Aono as Dakuan

Daisuke Gouri as Himuro Genma

Ryuuzaburou Ootomo as Tessai

Akimasa Oomori as Shijima

Gara Takashima as Benisato

Norio Wakamoto as Utsutsu Mujuro

Toshihiko Seki as Yurimaru

Masako Katsuki as Zakuro

Reizou Nomoto as Mushizo

Ichiro Nagai as Dojin

Osamu Saka as Masked Samurai

Katsuji Mori as Hanza

Yusaku Yara as Genpachi

Junichi Sugawara as Shinkuro

Shuichiro Moriyama as Sakaki Hyobu

Katsumi Suzuki as Villager

Core Staff

Director, original creator, screenplay, and character concept: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Character design and animation director: Yutaka Minowa

Art director: Hiromasa Ogura

Assistant art director: Yoji Takeshige

Director of photography: Hitoshi Yamaguchi

Editing: Harutoshi Ogata and Yukiko Ito

Sound director: Yasunori Honda

Sound effects: Kenji Shibasaki

Music: Kaoru Wada

Recording and mixing: Tsutomu Asakura

Assistant director: Satoshi Nishiura

Assistant episode direction: Kenji Takemura and Hiroyuki Tanaka

Producers: Shigeru Kitayama, Masako Fukuyo, and Kazuhiko Ikeguchi

Production producer: Masao Maruyama

Production cooperation: Madhouse

Production: Animate Film

Produced by: Victor Entertainment, Toho, and Movic

Animation Staff Highlights

The film gathered an impressive team of animators and artists, including Hirotsugu Kawasaki, Takeshi Koike, Tensai Okamura, Hiroshi Hamasaki, Kumiko Takahashi, Koichi Arai, Yuzo Sato, Kenji Hiyama, Chiaki Konaka, and Naoyuki Onda.

Its richly painted backgrounds were contributed to by artists such as Masanori Kikuchi, Satoshi Kuroda, Akira Yamakawa, Katsushi Aoki, Yoshinori Hirose, Shinichi Uehara, and Kazuo Oga.

Music

The score was composed by Kaoru Wada.

The theme song was “Everyone Hears a Ballad in the Distance”, sung by Ryohei Yamanashi.

A soundtrack album titled Ninja Scroll Original Soundtrack was first released on May 7, 1993.

It was later reissued in a remastered edition on August 18, 2021.

The track list included pieces such as Prologue, Jubei, Devils of Kimon, Blood Wind, Kagero, Illusion, Demonic Shadow, In Search of the Wind, Pursuit, Sword Demon, Conspiracy, Rebirth, Deadly Battle, Epilogue, and the theme song.

Release Dates

The film premiered in Japan on June 5, 1993.

It later reached the United States on December 6, 1995.

Running Time and Format

The running time is 92 minutes.

The original language is Japanese.

Home Video Editions

The film was released on VHS on November 21, 1993.

A DVD edition followed on June 21, 2001.

Another DVD release appeared on December 17, 2003.

A Blu-ray edition was released on May 23, 2012.

The film won the Yubari Citizens’ Award at the 1993 Yubari International Adventure and Fantastic Film Festival.

Its influence continued to grow well beyond Japan.

It became especially famous abroad and was embraced by many artists and filmmakers.

Among those publicly associated with admiration for the film are the Wachowskis, Keanu Reeves, and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan.

The Wachowskis reportedly drew on the film while developing action scenes for The Matrix.

The John Wick series has also been said to reflect some of its visual staging and composition.

In 2008, Warner Bros. reportedly acquired the rights for a live-action adaptation.

The project was said to involve a script by Alex Tse and production through Leonardo DiCaprio’s company Appian Way together with Madhouse, but no completed film followed.

Ninja Scroll: The Series is a television anime sequel to the 1993 film.

It aired on WOWOW from April 14, 2003, to July 14, 2003, for a total of 13 episodes.

The series was based on the original concept by Yoshiaki Kawajiri but directed by Tatsuo Sato.

The tone remained rooted in period action and fantasy, while introducing a new long-form adventure.

Premise

The television series again features Kibagami Jubei as the central hero.

This time, he becomes involved with a strong-willed young woman named Shigure, who carries the necklace of the Priestess of Light.

Jubei, Shigure, the thief Tsubute, and Dakuan travel together while pursued by enemies from the Hiruko ninja clan and a new group called the Kimon clan.

The story revolves around dragon jewels, hidden lineages, and political intrigue.

Main Group

**Kibagami Jubei**

Voiced by Rikiya Koyama.

He remains the wandering swordsman at the center of the story.

Shigure

Voiced by Houko Kuwashima.

A headstrong young woman from a hidden mountain village who carries the necklace of the Priestess of Light.

Tsubute

Voiced by Romi Park.

A thief who meets Shigure and joins the journey.

**Dakuan**

Voiced by Joji Fujimoto.

The familiar wandering monk returns and again involves himself in dangerous secrets.

Hiruko Ninja Clan

Mufu

Voiced by Hideyuki Tanaka.

Leader of the Hiruko ninja clan.

Roga

Voiced by George Nakata in episodes 1 and 2.

A wolf-style ninja who steals the Dragon Jewel and gives his life trying to protect Shigure.

Mozuku

Voiced by Tamio Okada in episode 1.

A spider-style ninja who tries to persuade Roga but is killed by Ubume.

Nekome

Voiced by Rica Matsumoto in episode 2.

A cat-style female ninja who attacks Jubei in order to recover the Dragon Jewel.

Nubatama

Voiced by Mami Koyama in episode 3.

A female ninja who fights using extendable hair.

Byakuro

Voiced by Issei Futamata in episode 4.

A snake-style ninja who confronts Jubei while pursuing Azami.

Azami

Voiced by Aya Hisakawa in episodes 4 and 7.

A female ninja who controls trees and repeatedly becomes entangled with the Dragon Jewel.

She steals the jewel from Jubei, is repeatedly attacked by Foxfire, and is later mortally wounded by Bat.

Before dying, she entrusts the jewel to Jubei.

Nenmu

Voiced by Cho in episode 6.

A wandering assassin who uses poison and whose true body is an eyeball-like parasite capable of inhabiting others.

Dakatsu

Voiced by Toshihiko Nakajima in episode 8.

A ninja with unusually long earlobes who attacks using poisoned needles.

Zofu

Voiced by Yuuji Ueda in episode 9.

A swordsman carrying a self-aware parasite inside his body and searching for someone strong enough to kill it.

Rokai

Voiced by Kobuhei Hayashiya in episode 10.

A giant foreign-looking warrior who leaves the Hiruko village because he wants to see Shigure again.

Kairai

Voiced by Reiko Suzuki in episode 11.

An eerie old woman who attacks Jubei and his companions aboard a foreign ship.

Kimon Clan

Yamidoro

Voiced by Seizo Kato in episodes 2 to 4 and 8.

Leader of the Kimon clan in the television series.

Ubume

Voiced by Masako Katsuki in episode 1.

A fighter who manipulates fire and dies in battle against Jubei.

Goten

Voiced by Ryuuzaburou Ootomo in episodes 1 and 2.

A monstrous warrior who transforms into a giant tank-like machine.

Makai

Voiced by Nozomu Sasaki in episode 1.

A fighter who uses an umbrella as a weapon and is cut down instantly by Jubei.

Yadorigi

Voiced by Akio Suyama in episode 1.

Ubume’s son, who dies together with her.

Rengoku

Voiced by Mari Yokoo in episodes 3 and 8.

A nun-like woman with extendable arms and the older sister of Jashi.

Jashi

Voiced by Takehito Koyasu in episode 3.

A one-eyed swordsman with concealed weapons built into his arm.

Foxfire

Voiced by Norio Wakamoto in episodes 3 and 4.

An android-like fighter with a transparent core who controls butterflies.

Zanba

Voiced by Masuo Amada in episode 5.

A huge warrior whose sword seems to possess a will of its own.

Aizen

Voiced by Toshihiko Seki in episode 5.

A seductive male killer with a concealed firearm in his arm.

Bat

Voiced by Kazuki Yao in episode 7.

A bat-themed fighter who uses bats in combat.

Flying Monkey

Voiced by Mitsuru Madono in episode 10.

A monkey-like fighter who commands several subordinates.

Utsushie

Voiced by Rei Takano in episode 12.

A woman capable of copying her opponent.

Yagyu Clan

Yagyu Renya

Voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in episodes 11 to 13.

A one-eyed swordsman who leads the hidden Yagyu branch.

He begins as an enemy of Jubei but later becomes an ally.

His presence adds another layer of political tension to the series.

Yasubei

Voiced by Kiyoshi Kobayashi in episode 9.

A member of the Yagyu family who attempts to assassinate Shigure.

Gunbei

Voiced by Koichi Sakaguchi in episode 13.

A subordinate of Renya.

Other Series Characters

Dark Shogun

Voiced by Oji Hiroi in episodes 8, 12, and 13.

A hidden ruler manipulating events in order to seize both the jewel and the priestess.

Genza

Voiced by Tamio Oki in episode 1.

A villager who serves Shigure and dies trying to protect her.

Taroza

Voiced by Kenichi Sakaguchi in episode 1.

Another villager who dies defending Shigure.

Jiroza

Voiced by Yuki Yoshino in episode 1.

A third villager who also dies trying to save her.

Tatsunosuke

Voiced by Tomokazu Sugita in episode 5.

A thief who gets along well with Tsubute.

Yayoi

Voiced by Nana Mizuki in episode 5.

Tatsunosuke’s younger sister.

Sen

Voiced by Maria Kawamura in episode 6.

A traveler who helps care for Jubei after he is poisoned.

Takuma

Voiced by Kumai Motoko in episode 6.

Sen’s son.

Core Staff

Original creator and character concept: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Director: Tatsuo Sato

Series composition: Toshiki Inoue

Character design and chief animation direction: Takahiro Yoshimatsu

Mechanical design: Kunihiko Inoue

General supervision: Yutaka Kondo

Art directors: Shinichi Uehara and Yuji Ikeda

Color design: Osamu Mikasa and Yoshinori Horikawa

Director of photography: Seiichi Morishita

Editing: Masahiro Matsumura

Sound director: Yasunori Honda

Music: Kitaro

Producers: Atsushi Mizuno, Masaki Kobayashi, Kenichiro Zaizen, Miho Suzuki, Toshiya Harada, and Hiromichi Masuda

Animation production: Madhouse

Produced by: Ryuhogyoku Group, consisting of Amuse, Film Ring International, WOWOW, and Madhouse

Episode List

Episode 1

Hidden Village Massacre.

Script by Toshiki Inoue, storyboard by Tatsuo Sato, directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka, animation direction by Takahiro Yoshimatsu.

Episode 2

Departure.

Script by Toshiki Inoue, storyboard by Tatsuo Sato, directed by Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, animation direction by Yukihiro Kitano.

Episode 3

Lament of Twisted Love.

Script by Kei Murayama, storyboard and direction by Shin Itagaki, animation direction by Kazumi Inadome.

Episode 4

The Shattered Jewel.

Script by Nobuaki Kishima, storyboard by Shinji Aramaki, direction by Koji Aritomi, animation direction by Minoru Yamazawa.

Episode 5

Vajra Boy.

Script by Kei Murayama, storyboard and direction by Toru Takahashi, animation direction by Akinobu Kikuchi.

Episode 6

Shelter from the Rain.

Script by Shoji Yonemura, storyboard by Takuya Sato, direction by Tatsuyuki Nagai, animation direction by Yukihiro Kitano.

Episode 7

Bud.

Script by Yasushi Hirano, storyboard by Yumeo Kawai, direction by Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, animation direction by Makoto Takahoko.

Episode 8

Rengoku Ascends.

Script by Nobuaki Kishima, storyboard and direction by Hiroshi Hara, animation direction by Shinichiro Minami.

Episode 9

A Dragon in the Belly.

Script by Shoji Yonemura, storyboard and direction by Hiroyuki Tanaka, animation direction by Shigeru Fujita and Toshiyuki Kanno.

Episode 10

The Heart of Hiruko.

Script by Yasushi Hirano, storyboard by Seiji Mizushima, direction by Koji Aritomi, animation direction by Kim Ki-du.

Episode 11

Yagyu Renya.

Script by Kei Murayama, storyboard by Shin Itagaki, direction by Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, animation direction by Masafumi Yamamoto.

Episode 12

Dynasty Revival.

Script by Yasushi Hirano, storyboard by Masayuki Kojima, direction by Kenichi Kawamura, animation direction by Akinobu Kikuchi.

Episode 13

Under the Blue Open Sky.

Script by Yasushi Hirano, storyboard by Tatsuo Sato, direction by Mitsuyuki Masuhara and Hiroyuki Tanaka, animation direction by Kim Ki-du and Takahiro Yoshimatsu.

Home Video Releases

The series was released across four volumes on both VHS and DVD by Amuse Video.

Volume 1 was released on October 24, 2003, Volume 2 on November 21, 2003, Volume 3 on January 23, 2004, and Volume 4 on February 27, 2004.

Soundtrack

The television soundtrack, composed by Kitaro, was released on October 1, 2003.

Its title was Ninja Scroll: The Series Soundtrack – Ninja Scroll the Series.

Notable tracks included Jubei’s Theme, Sure Shot, All We Are, Peppercorn, Ninja Femme Fatale, Gales of Wind, Drifting Journey, Hikari, Only the Night, Itinerancy, Glory, Peaceful Village, and Shigure’s Theme.

Ninja Scroll BURST is a spin-off short-film project connected to a proposed new theatrical continuation of the original film.

It was described as part of a larger project tentatively titled Ninja Scroll: Kocho.

In April 2012, a new project related to the franchise was announced at Sakura-Con in Seattle.

As part of that announcement, a promotional digest for Ninja Scroll BURST, created by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, was shown.

The project later developed into plans for a theatrical film that would incorporate Ninja Scroll BURST.

Kawajiri completed a screenplay in May 2013, and storyboards were finished by December of the same year.

Even though the franchise had strong popularity abroad and potential partners in the United States, domestic Japanese production committee backing could not be secured.

Because of that, the project stalled despite materials being completed.

In March 2014, Madhouse publicly displayed some of the film’s production materials, including the screenplay and storyboards, as part of a promotional effort.

On December 6, 2014, all three short pieces of Ninja Scroll BURST were screened at Theatre Shinjuku during an all-night event celebrating the 30th anniversary of Kawajiri’s directorial career.

As of 2022, no further public update had been given on the proposed film Ninja Scroll: Kocho.

Ninja Scroll BURST has also not received a commercial home video release.