Lone Wolf and Cub (1973)
"Kozure Okami"
Synopsis
Ogami Itto is a master swordsman who holds a position of high power in the Tokugawa Shogunate. Highly trusted by the Shogun, he serves as the official decapitator, assisting lords and samurai who have been ordered by the Shogun to commit seppuku. One day, Itto’s wife and members of his household are brutally murdered by a clan seeking to avenge their lord’s execution, which had been carried out by Itto. In the wake of the attack, two items are left in Itto’s home: his unhurt infant son, Daigoro, and a symbol meant to signify Itto’s betrayal of the Shogun. Disgraced by the false symbol, Itto is labeled a traitor and forced to forfeit his position. He becomes a ronin, wandering the country with his son, searching for the men who killed his wife, seeking to clear his name and avenge her death.
Network
Nippon TV
Episodes
My Son and My Sword for Hire
A noblewoman who was forced into prostitution after her fiancé and family were murdered at their wedding, asks Itto to kill the man responsible, a spurned former suitor.
Birds Have Wings, Beast Have Fangs / Fangs of the Wolf
Ogami Itto and his young son Daigoro arrive in a town known for its hot springs, but the entire village has been taken over by a gang of murderous bounty hunters.
Ikkou-Bashi Bridge
Poisoned after a surprise attack, Ogami must face a deadly gauntlet of Yagyu assassins in order to fulfill a promise made to a dying man who saved Daigoro.
The Assassin’s Road / Highway of Assassins
A meeting on the Assassin’s Road causes Itto to remember the events leading up to his wife’s murder, and why he chose to bring his son with him on his mission of vengeance.
Daigoro and Omatsu / The Lowly Maid
Multiple stories interweave as Daigoro becomes lost while seeking medicine for his father and is befriended by a young woman who is being sold into service by a loan shark.
Deflowering / Amya and Anema
When his father is delayed for multiple days after an assassination goes awry, a desperate Daigoro wanders off and falls into the hands of a ruthless gang of criminals.
The Guns of Sakai / The Sakai Rifle
Itto is hired to assassinate a gunsmith who has reportedly developed a repeating rifle, a weapon that could completely destabilize the balance of power in Japan.
The Shield and The Castle / The Castle Wall Attack
Itto accepts an assignment to stop a shipment of gold, assassinate a government official, kill an entire team of covert agents and prevent a small clan from being framed.
The Endless Six Paths / Six Roads to Infinity
As Lord Yagyu prepares to send his last and strongest son, Gunbei, to kill Itto Ogami, the events of Gunbei and Itto's previous duel are revealed.
Baby Cart on The River Styx
A scheming magistrate's plan places Itto in the middle of a war between two Yakuza families, one of which is lead by the daughter of the leader of the other.
The Deer Hunters
While the Yagyu set a trap for Itto, a group of con artists pose as Lone Wolf and Cub and a disgraced Samurai takes on the role of Ogami.
Ochiyo's Boat
As Itto waits for an opportunity to assassinate a sadistic Lord, he and Daigoro observe the life of a young boat woman who must sell herself to support the man she loves.
The Mysterious Pickpocket / No Betrayal
While Itto tracks down the killers of a young woman's entire family, Daigoro becomes caught up in a policeman's hunt for a notorious female pickpocket.
North to South, West to East
Itto accepts a job that will protect the location of a secret gold mine, but the task is complicated when a rival swordsman takes Itto's target's son hostage.
The Night of The Fang
Itto must deal with a well-wishing doctor and a group of shadow ninja when he's tasked with killing a group of assassins who're rgeting the Shogun's lover.
Cloud Dragon, Wind Tiger
Itto returns to a spot on the banks of the Shinobu River where he once executed the lord of a Clan, and faces a samurai he defeated in a duel four years earlier.
Asaemon the Beheader / Executioner Asaemon
Government officials convince Asaemon the Beheader, one of the few swordsmen in Japan with a level of skill close to Ogami’s, to kill Itto in combat.
A Meager, Peaceful Life / Half Mat, One Mat, Two And A Half Go Of Rice
Itto meets Sakon Shino, a beggar samurai who has given up killing for a life as a street performer. Shino urges Itto to give up his assassin life, for the sake of his son.
The 8 Gate Attack Formation
The Lone Wolf and Cub have their work cut out for them when a seemingly simple job turns into a deadly game of lies and intrigue.
The Chrysanthemum Inn
The Lone Wolf and Cub rescue a woman who has sold herself into prostitution in order to stage her revenge on her murdered brother’s evil fiancé.
Mercenary Swordsmen / The Crossing Guard
Desperate to keep their clan from being dissolved, the family of a murdered Lord fake the real killer’s murder and ask Itto to verify their false claim.
Bekinoji's Tragedy
Assassins from the Kurokuwa clan stage a non-stop series of attacks that lasts for days, slowly steering an exhausted Lone Wolf and Cub into a deadly trap.
Thread of Tears
Itto is hired to kill a samurai who has allegedly turned his men against Lord Norikatsu, but the true reasons turn out to be far more complex and deceptive.
Concealed Letter of The Yagyu / The Yagyu Letter
Ogami mysteriously joins a group of “the unclothed”, men with the unusual job of carrying people and baggage across a river where bridges and ferries are forbidden.
Daigoro's Song
After being thrown off a cliff during a battle with the Yagyu assassins, Daigoro searches for his now missing father while avoiding his family’s many enemies.
Drifting Shadow
Itto tries to follow the trail left by his missing son, Daigoro, while fighting off the forces of Lord Retsudo and his Yagyu assassins.
Cast
Details
Original Title
子連れ狼
Status
Ended
Seasons
3
Episodes
78
Production
Union Motion Picture Co, Ltd., Studio Ship
