The Mysterious African Slave Who Became a Legendary Samurai Warrior
The story of Yasuke, who rose through the ranks to become Japan’s first foreign-born Samurai
Black Samurai, a live-action film starring Chadwick Boseman, was announced in early 2017. His untimely death in August 2020 has caused a delay in the project, but the fascination with an African Samurai remains. Yasuke, an anime based on the same person, was recently released on Netflix. In Japan, there are many mangas, video games, anime, and documentaries about Yasuke, Japan’s African Samurai.
But who is Yasuke and why is he such a cultural icon?
Behind the Hollywood movies, mangas, and anime is the inspiring true story of an African slave who became a Samurai warrior.
Yasuke arrived in Japan in the 16th century after being sold into slavery as a child. According to historian Lawrence Winkler, Japanese people were so enthralled by him that many died trying to climb over each other to catch a glimpse of this one-of-a-kind warrior.
He so impressed his masters with his skill that he soon became a Samurai, the first and only African to reach such a high rank. He was also the first man born outside of Japan to be accepted as a Samurai.
