Last Samurai Standing trailer teases a Squid Game-like brutal game in the upcoming Netflix series

Netflix has released the action-packed trailer for its upcoming Japanese series Last Samurai Standing. Going by the footage, the show looks epic and grand, and might even remind you of Squid Game.

Set in 19th-century Kyoto, the series revolves around a group of former Samurai who have to battle it out with each other to claim a massive cash prize. A bloodshed ensues with swords, daggers, and arrows as the warriors fight for their survival in the brutal game.

Last Samurai Standing is based on Shogo Imamura’s Ikusagami novels and stars Junichi Okada in the lead role of Shujiro Saga. He also serves as a producer and action planner on the series.

Netflix has unveiled the official trailer of Last Samurai Standing

The Last Samurai Standing trailer teases a time in Japan when the Samurai age has come to an end. Owing to financial issues, warriors are forced to go to extreme lengths to feed their families. A former assassin named Shujiro Saga gets to know about a deadly game whose winner is going to win 100 billion Japanese Yen.

He decides to participate in the event to earn money and take care of his sick wife and child. 292 warriors gather in Kyoto for the game called Kodoku, where they have to snatch wooden tags from each other by killing their rivals. Meanwhile, the host announces that no rules apply in the game, and the warriors are left on their own.

Last Samurai Standing will premiere on Netflix on November 13, 2025. The show has been labeled as the streamer’s most ambitious project in Japan so far. The high production value is quite evident from the high-octane sequences seen in the trailer.

At the same time, the creators have physically choreographed the fight sequences with 292 actors and stunt coordinators instead of relying on VFX, which makes the show even more special. Talking about the battle royale scene featured in the trailer, Junichi Okada said in a statement to Variety:

“Every person on that battlefield was a cast member or part of the action team. We filmed through the night for days — it was exhausting but unforgettable.”

Apart from Okada, the show stars Yumia Fujisaki, Yasushi Fuchikami, Takaaki Enoki, Kaya Kiyohara, Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, Taichi Saotome, Takashi Sasano, Yuya Matsuura, Yuya Endo, Daisuke Kuroda, Mitsuo Yoshihara, Taiiku Okazaki, Kairi Jo, Yoshi Sakou, Satoru Matsuo, Toshihiro Yashiba, Wataru Ichinose, and Ryudo Uzaki.

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Michihito Fujii, Kento Yamaguchi, and Risa Yashiro have written the screenplay of the series, adapting Shogo Imamura’s Ikusagami novel series. Fujii and Yamaguchi also serve as directors on the show, along with Toru Yamamoto. The series has been produced by Office Shirous and Netflix.

All episodes of Last Samurai Standing will be released on Netflix on November 13, 2025.

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