Lone Wolf and Cub

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.

Genre: Action & Adventure

Director: Kazuo Koike

Cast:Kinnosuke Nakamura , Taketoshi Naitō , Katzutaka Nishikawa , Ryūnosuke Kaneda , Kōji Takahashi , Sato Takumi , Kei Satō , Setsuko Ogawa , Sally Mae

1Season 1

Season 1, Episode 1

April 8, 1973

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.

2Season 1

Season 1, Episode 2

April 15, 1973

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.

3Season 1

Season 1, Episode 3

April 22, 1973

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.

4Season 1

Season 1, Episode 4

April 29, 1973

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.

5Season 1

Season 1, Episode 5

May 6, 1973

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.

6Season 1

Season 1, Episode 6

May 13, 1973

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.

7Season 1

Season 1, Episode 7

May 20, 1973

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.

8Season 1

Season 1, Episode 8

May 27, 1973

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.

9Season 1

Season 1, Episode 9

June 3, 1973

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.

10Season 1

Season 1, Episode 10

June 10, 1973

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.

11Season 1

Season 1, Episode 11

June 17, 1973

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.

12Season 1

Season 1, Episode 12

June 24, 1973

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.

13Season 1

Season 1, Episode 13

July 1, 1973

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.

14Season 1

Season 1, Episode 14

July 8, 1973

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.

15Season 1

Season 1, Episode 15

July 15, 1973

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.

16Season 1

Season 1, Episode 16

July 22, 1973

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.

17Season 1

Season 1, Episode 17

July 29, 1973

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.

18Season 1

Season 1, Episode 18

August 5, 1973

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.

19Season 1

Season 1, Episode 19

August 12, 1973

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.

20Season 1

Season 1, Episode 20

August 19, 1973

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.

21Season 1

Season 1, Episode 21

August 26, 1973

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.

22Season 1

Season 1, Episode 22

September 2, 1973

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.

23Season 1

Season 1, Episode 23

September 9, 1973

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.

24Season 1

Season 1, Episode 24

September 16, 1973

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.

25Season 1

Season 1, Episode 25

September 23, 1973

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.

26Season 1

Season 1, Episode 26

September 30, 1973

Itto tries to follow the trail left by his missing son, Daigoro, while fighting off the forces of Lord Retsudo and his Yagyu assassins.

1Season 2

Season 2, Episode 1

April 7, 1974

With his three legitimate heirs dead, Retsudo Yagyu plots to impregnate his illegitimate daughter while sending her brother to fight Itto.

2Season 2

Season 2, Episode 2

April 14, 1974

In honor of a woman who saved his son’s life, Itto goes to assist a group of farmers who have been conscripted by the ruthless Lord Ichige and his brother.

3Season 2

Season 2, Episode 3

April 21, 1974

With no warriors left who are capable of beating Itto physically, the Yagyu resort to coercing a ninja to use the secret five prong technique against the Lone Wolf.

4Season 2

Season 2, Episode 4

April 28, 1974

Itto is hired by a Clan Lord to kill a spy who seduced and impregnated his daughter, while Daigoro befriends the woman’s now four year old son.

5Season 2

Season 2, Episode 5

May 5, 1974

To carry out an assassination, Itto must pose as a new head clerk… and to do that he must leave Diagoro alone in a cave during the middle of winter.

6Season 2

Season 2, Episode 6

May 12, 1974

Itto is betrayed by an employer and forced to spend many days on the run before he can return to Daigoro, forcing the three year old to fend for himself.

7Season 2

Season 2, Episode 7

May 19, 1974

While Daigoro suffers from an illness that distracts Itto, a group of desperate villages conspire to kill the Lone Wolf and Cub in order to pay off their taxes.

8Season 2

Season 2, Episode 8

May 26, 1974

A dogged Police officer tries to solve the mystery of why a Samurai’s daughter became a prostitute and hired Itto to kill a loan shark and his wife.

9Season 2

Season 2, Episode 9

June 2, 1974

A prospective employer sends 5 sword masters men in search of the Lone Wolf & Cub. To learn what the actual assignment is, Itto must find and slay all five.

10Season 2

Season 2, Episode 10

June 9, 1974

Itto faces an ethical dilemma when he is asked to assassinate a beloved local doctor who many believe to be a living incarnation of the Buddah

11Season 2

Season 2, Episode 11

June 16, 1974

Against the will of her clan, a woman hires Itto to kill three legendary guardsmen who are escorting her brother to Edo for trial.

12Season 2

Season 2, Episode 12

June 23, 1974

Genshichi Tsuji wishes to test the dedication of his three successors and hires Itto in secret to cut off their right arms.

13Season 2

Season 2, Episode 13

June 30, 1974

The authorities respond to a robbery and capture Itto. Giving a false name, he is quickly tried and sentenced. Why is he so willing to go to prison?

14Season 2

Season 2, Episode 14

July 7, 1974

The brazen criminal activities of those under a samurai’s employ can no longer be tolerated. To stop their reign of terror, Itto is hired to eliminate the gang’s leadership.

15Season 2

Season 2, Episode 15

July 14, 1974

Itto is hired to eliminate a man’s ex-fiancee, but there’s a catch: She must take her own life in penance.

16Season 2

Season 2, Episode 16

July 21, 1974

Jinza carries messages of such importance he is authorized to kill those who stand in his way. If Otoshi is so desperate to end his life, why would he spare her?

17Season 2

Season 2, Episode 17

July 28, 1974

Mamesho and his daughter, Chie, are on a journey. On their travels, they find themselves repeatedly crossing paths with Itto and Daigoro. Is this a sign of things to come?

18Season 2

Season 2, Episode 18

August 4, 1974

Itto and Daigoro come across a starving Kinpachi on the road. Daigoro offers him food, but could this act set off an unforeseen chain of events?

19Season 2

Season 2, Episode 19

August 11, 1974

One does not become an assassin without making enemies. That is the reality Itto faces when a lord issued orders that his life be taken.

20Season 2

Season 2, Episode 20

August 18, 1974

Conspirators hire Itto when an attempt on Lady Onami’s life fails. How will they execute their plan with her cunning wits and bodyguards in the way?

21Season 2

Season 2, Episode 21

August 25, 1974

Itto terminates a secret agent, but before the man dies, he asks the Lone Wolf for a request that will take the assassin to a village where only women live.

22Season 2

Season 2, Episode 22

September 1, 1974

The Mito clan have little recourse but to hire Itto to dispose of Mondo Bessho for his political views. But what will Itto do when the clan plans on killing him as well?

23Season 2

Season 2, Episode 23

September 8, 1974

The kojunin have a ritual where they bury their best swordsmen alive. For what purpose does this serve and what does it mean for those left behind?

24Season 2

Season 2, Episode 24

September 15, 1974

When Itto fails to return, Daigoro goes searching for his father. When an old woman comes to his aid, will she end up taking him in as her own?

25Season 2

Season 2, Episode 25

September 22, 1974

Itto saves the life of a young child by dismounting Lady Kanae from her stampeding horse. When he refuses to apologize for his actions, she vows not to forget the insult.

26Season 2

Season 2, Episode 26

September 29, 1974

Sayaka burns with hatred over the death of her brother, Shobei. When Retsudo orders her to take Itto’s life, she eagerly accepts the vengeful mission.

1Season 3

Season 3, Episode 1

April 4, 1976

Retsudo has powerful friends, including the Shogun himself. To deal with Itto once and for all, the Shogun places the Guards of the Black Gate under Retsudo’s command.

2Season 3

Season 3, Episode 2

April 11, 1976

The magistrate increases the reward for the Lone Wolf’s head when bounty hunters demand a higher price for such a dangerous target.

3Season 3

Season 3, Episode 3

April 18, 1976

A failed ambush plays right into Ryuza’s hands. Can Itto survive the bounty hunter’s “genuine hell”? Meanwhile, Torizo cross paths with Itto once again.

4Season 3

Season 3, Episode 4

April 25, 1976

Itto regularly accepts assassination requests, but rarely does he receive a cancelation. What does the Yagyu have to do with it and what is the extent of their influence?

5Season 3

Season 3, Episode 5

May 2, 1976

Osen is determined to escape a Yakuza-run brothel. Will an encounter with the Lone Wolf finally give her the chance she seeks?

6Season 3

Season 3, Episode 6

May 9, 1976

Believing that the Daijoji clan is acting under the orders of the Yagyu, Itto attempts to avoid needless bloodshed. But is that a luxury an assassin can afford?

7Season 3

Season 3, Episode 7

May 16, 1976

The Lone Wolf wanders, cutting down any bounty hunter in his path. Now, it is Akane’s turn. If she fails, her sisters must succeed in her place.

8Season 3

Season 3, Episode 8

May 23, 1976

An old woman finds a small boy trying to catch fish by the shore. She teaches him how only to discover the boy wanted to feed his sick father, who is known as the Lone Wolf.

9Season 3

Season 3, Episode 9

May 30, 1976

People always have a reason for their actions. Some desire to save others. Others desire to save themselves. As for Itto? There is only the grudge.

10Season 3

Season 3, Episode 10

June 6, 1976

The latest plan to ensnare the Lone Wolf involves restricting the number of bounty hunters sent after him.

11Season 3

Season 3, Episode 11

June 13, 1976

Legend tells of a flower that would bring happiness to any who picked it. However, can there be any happiness for Miyo?

12Season 3

Season 3, Episode 12

June 20, 1976

Sakai would rather sacrifice his lands than have his men senselessly cut down by the Lone Wolf in someone else’s crusade. It is precisely for that reason he must now die.

13Season 3

Season 3, Episode 13

June 27, 1976

Itto’s inevitable journey to Edo is nearing its end, but there are only a few routes left that he can take. His enemies know this and prepare...

14Season 3

Season 3, Episode 14

July 4, 1976

An intentional snub signals that The Shogun’s patience towards Retsudo is wearing thin. With only 10 days to kill Itto, Retsudo hatches a plan with an unlikely ally.

15Season 3

Season 3, Episode 15

July 11, 1976

Oshun and Abe prepare to snare Itto and Daigoro in their trap. They don’t care how far they have to go or whom they have to hurt!

16Season 3

Season 3, Episode 16

July 18, 1976

Abe learns the truth and takes matters into his own hands as Retsudo schemes. Meanwhile, Itto runs into a lordless samurai.

17Season 3

Season 3, Episode 17

July 25, 1976

Cornered and desperate, Abe flees from Retsudo’s wrath. The poisoner’s only hope? Assassinating Itto before his pursuer catches up.

18Season 3

Season 3, Episode 18

August 1, 1976

Itto and Retsudo’s paths will cross at the Haccho river. Will that be where their fates are finally decided?

19Season 3

Season 3, Episode 19

August 8, 1976

The floodgates are opened, and the city of Edo is in danger. In the face of such a catastrophic threat, two mortal enemies are forced to work together.

20Season 3

Season 3, Episode 20

August 15, 1976

Abe watches as Itto and Retsudo resume their duel, hoping the poison he applied to their swords will finish them off. What will the two do when they realize this treachery?

21Season 3

Season 3, Episode 21

August 22, 1976

Retsudo is summoned to face the shogun. Meanwhile, the bounty on Itto’s head may have been rescinded, but that doesn’t mean everyone will tolerate his presence.

22Season 3

Season 3, Episode 22

August 29, 1976

Itto waits while Retsudo is on trial. Meanwhile, the Grass starts mobilizing...

23Season 3

Season 3, Episode 23

September 5, 1976

No matter what Abe does, Retsudo somehow finds a way to foil his assassination attempts. Abe may have the upper hand for now, but Retsudo is a patient man…

24Season 3

Season 3, Episode 24

September 12, 1976

Itto and Daigoro’s paths cross with a man known as Bunshichi. What’s his reason for stealing all that money?

25Season 3

Season 3, Episode 25

September 19, 1976

The fate of the Yagyu and the Grass are intertwined; One cannot exist without the other. It is for that reason the Grass launches one, final attempt on Itto’s life.

26Season 3

Season 3, Episode 26

September 26, 1976

Itto has long straddled the line between life and death, but it is not a path one can follow forever. In the end, on which side of the line will Itto finally find himself?