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Capcom is so devoted to samurai authenticity with the new Onimusha, it went and licensed the face of Japan's most legendary actor

Onimusha: Way of the Sword got Toshiro Mifune.

www.pcgamer.com

Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune—best known for starring in films like Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo for director Akira Kurosawa—has been dead for nearly 30 years. But apparently that can't stop him from starring in a new videogame in the year 2026.

Since December Capcom has been teasing the revival of its early 2000s samurai action series Onimusha, and during today's PlayStation State of Play livestream it finally showed a bit of combat and some cutscenes focused on Onimusha: Way of the Sword's protagonist, who happens to be one of Japan's most famous historical figures, the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. And wouldn't you know it—Toshiro Mifune played Musashi in a trilogy of movies released in the 1950s. Capcom apparently decided he was still the man for the job, even 70 years later.

"In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Musashi is a fierce young samurai who, in a supernatural twist of fate, finds himself wielding an Oni Gauntlet and battling hordes of demonic Genma," Capcom detailed in a press release on Wednesday. And here's the confirmation: "Musashi’s face is modeled after Toshiro Mifune, the late, iconic Japanese movie star who portrayed Musashi in classic samurai films."

The official site offers a bit more color, explaining that Mifune's face was used as the model for Onimusha's Musashi while he's being voiced by actor Kenichiro Thomson. "The protagonist of this game is a fierce young samurai, constantly moving from one bloody and gritty fight to the next. To cement this image of a striking samurai, Capcom has turned to none other than the late, iconic Japanese samurai movie legend Toshiro Mifune to star as the face model for this rendition of Miyamoto Musashi."

 

[Sgt. Pinback]

Uh, we all know what authentic Japanese samurai look like, sweetie. It's 2025.

EDIT: Thank you for the gold!!!

 

[DavidGzz]

Guess they couldn't afford the real legend, Yasuke.

 

[Aenima]

I came too late for the real legenday samurai jokes. Damn it.

 

[CrustyBritches]

Hell yeah. Legendary actor.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

 

[Mister Wolf]

I'm used to the Vagabond and Baki Dou interpretations of Musashi. Interesting to see that this one doesn't take himself too serious. Day one of course.

 

[blacktout]

I'm not one of those guys that bitches about "digital necromancy" or whatever whenever they use a dead actor's likeness, but, as a huge fan of Mifune, I hate this. There's no way this is going to be worthy of his legacy.

 

[Kacho]

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

what they couldn't afford Tom Cruise?

 

[Puscifer]

They've been doing this since the first Onimusha lol

 

[Puscifer]

Oh God please let there be Japanese VA options that English VA is horrific

 

[VeganElduderino]

I really loved the humor in the new trailer

 

[Crayon]

Was Musashi even a samurai? I think he just liked to kill guys and paint flowers.

 

[Bernardougf]

A fucking japanese samurai ? How dare they

 

[Mibu no ookami]

One of my most anticipated games. Love that they are using Miyamoto Musashi as the main character and I love that they're modeling him based on Mifune. This is going to be a massive game. It's interesting that they didn't decide to try an use AI to recreate his voice.

 

[Saber]

Wikipedia Yasuke page will be triggered by this comment.

 

[Danjin44]

Oh God please let there be Japanese VA options that English VA is horrific

Of course gonna have JP VA, I would be surprised if doesn’t.

I wont be playing this game other than Japanese voice.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Oh God please let there be Japanese VA options that English VA is horrific

Hopefully they give us the option of Japanese VA outside of Japan. That's been hit or miss lately. I think it was so tone deaf to have this trailer in English and the VA they got for the role for the English dub is horrendous. Not sure why he has that accent...

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Onimusha is the franchise that had Jean Reno isn't it

 

[Mister Wolf]

Onimusha is the franchise that had Jean Reno isn't it

We will definitely get a remaster of that one next year.

 

[IAmRei]

It kind of let down to not see Takeshi Kaneshiro, but this Musashi is also cool I think

 

[peronmls]

This is nothing new. They did this with the original protagonist. Expect he’s a lot better and not another comically relief character this one. The gauntlet now talking is even worse.

 

[semiconscious]

i thought so:

 

[StereoVsn]

Uh, we all know what authentic Japanese samurai look like, sweetie. It's 2025.

what they couldn't afford Tom Cruise?

We need a brave Western studio to put both Yasuke and Tom Cruise into one game for the true Japanese experience in glorious Nippon that even a gaijin can understand!

On a more serious note, I love the movies and have most on Criterion Blu-rays, but feeling a bit ambivalent about this. Still, day 1 unless they f up PC launch.

 

[kiphalfton]

Fuck outta here yamanashi.

 

[Pejo]

I loved the parry system and the dismemberment/cutting in the trailer. If they can make that feel good to play, they've got a hit on their hands, in my opinion.

Looks to be the right blend of a capable protagonist, good combat, and bits of levity that aren't boiled down to the main character incessantly yapping to themselves some Marvel quip.

 

[MrA]

i thought so:

but did they get the second most recognizable

anyway
licensing Mifune's likeness is pretty awesome, the man was boss

 

[N0S]

Cant wait!

 

[Nankatsu]

Capcom's engine is truly on another level.

Game looked really good. And a japanese samurai? Madlads!

 

[tamago84]

they should throw a tom cruise and yasuke lookalike as a hidden boss

 

[MaxwellParrish]

Well, I must admit that I hadn't recognized him, and I just saw High and Low less than a week ago. Clearly here the protagonist is supposed to be younger than Mifune was when shooting that movie, but still...

 

[Rudius]

Uh, we all know what authentic Japanese samurai look like, sweetie. It's 2025.

Where is the vagina?

 

[TidusYuna]

what they couldn't afford Tom Cruise?

Put that katana down Tom.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Uh, we all know what authentic Japanese samurai look like, sweetie. It's 2025.

Perfectly sums up the difference between Capgods and jokers like Ubisoft

 

[Futaleufu]

Perfectly sums up the difference between Capgods and jokers like Ubisoft

Licensing the likeness of a dead actor isnt the win many people here think it is.

 

[MatrixReloaded101]

Perfectly sums up the difference between Capgods and jokers like Ubisoft

Looks like two different teams that are trying to tell two different stories to me...

Don't understand why everyone wants everything to be a copy/paste ... guess this is why everyone isn't creative.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Uh, we all know what authentic Japanese samurai look like, sweetie. It's 2025.

My absolute first thought.

 

[NeverYouMind]

They should not have bothered. With those outdated exaggerated facial animations and horrible voice acting this protagonist is the epitome of cringe. No need to disgrace a legend post-mortem.

 

[Thabass]

what they couldn't afford Tom Cruise?

This is lowkey one of my favorite Samurai movies.

 

[Zacfoldor]

Good can we get this guy back too:

 

[ManaByte]

what they couldn't afford Tom Cruise?

Obviously you never saw that movie. Tom Cruise wasn’t the Last Samurai. Ken Watanabe was.

 

[peek]

Naaaah this shit weird. Nope, not one bit. Always feels weird when they do this. Do it in movies too...

 

[Jaguar Victory]

Pump your brakes kid

 

[FeralEcho]

Obviously you never saw that movie. Tom Cruise wasn’t the Last Samurai. Ken Watanabe was.

So many people get that movie wrong it's baffling.

 

[SHAKEZ]

Capcom knows how to nail the gameplay, I'm also glad that they are trying something new with the combat instead of pushing for a souls gameplay.

 

[TGO]

Not the first time

 

[hemo memo]

what they couldn't afford Tom Cruise?

Amazing movie.

 

[Saber]

Don't understand why everyone wants everything to be a copy/paste ... guess this is why everyone isn't creative.

What part of AssCreed is exactly creative and not copy/paste?

 

[MatrixReloaded101]

What part of AssCreed is exactly creative and not copy/paste?

Telling the story of a black samurai is pretty interesting imo because we don't usually get that kind of story in video games.