Netflix Unleashes Thrilling First Trailer for What’s Sure to Be the Streamer’s Next Big Action Hit

Based on the manga series of the same name, Last Samurai Standing is led by Junichi Okada (From Up on Poppy Hill, Tales from Earthsea) as our hero, who must survive the slashing of samurai swords to save his wife and child. Last Samurai Standing is directed by Michihito Fujii (Shoutai, 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days), with the rest of the cast counting Yumia Fujisaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, Taichi Saotome, Yuya Endo, Taiiku Okazaki, and Kairi Jo among its ranks.

Last Samurai Standing is scheduled to debut on Netflix on Thursday, November 13, 2025, and you can check out both the trailer and newly revealed synopsis below.

One point per life. The curtain rises on an epic battle royale between brave warriors who lived through an uncertain era.

In the late 19th century during the Meiji period, 292 warriors, including Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada), gather at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto at nightfall, lured by the promise of a huge cash prize. Each given a wooden tag, they join a vicious game in which they must steal the tags of their fellow participants and reach Tokyo to win the prize money. Under the veil of night, the temple grounds are filled with unease and the presence of bloodthirsty warriors. When the signal is given to begin the game, the combatants launch into their relentless battle for survival.

Based on the footage, Last Samurai Standing has all the ingredients needed to make a streaming smash-hit. The intriguing elevator pitch (Samurai-meets-Squid Game) will clearly allow for all manner of action as Junichi Okada’s warrior fights his way through to the end. But, alongside this, the series will also seemingly reveal that, under the surface, there is something deeply universal about this 19th century battle royale and how far people will go to survive.

Jun’ichi Okada, who is also on board the series as a producer and action choreographer, has previously teased how Last Samurai Standing will bring “action, drama, social commentary, and entertainment” to international audiences.

“When Netflix executive producer Mr. Takahashi reached out to me, I was still acting in historical dramas. Back then, I was already thinking of ways to make this genre a hit, not just in Japan, but all over the world. I saw their potential for action, drama, social commentary, and entertainment, but I knew they could be taken further. That’s when I came across Imamura’s manga. It was written in a way that modern audiences could enjoy, and I was excited about the idea of adapting it.”