28 years after his death, Onimusha: Way of the Sword has recast one of Japan's most legendary actors in one of his most iconic roles

News
By published

Toshiro Mifune posthumously returns to his role as Miyamoto Musashi

Onimusha Way of the Sword
(Image credit: Capcom)

At last night's PlayStation State of Play event, Capcom gave us a bigger look at Onimusha: Way of the Sword and its main protagonist. The lead character is none other than Miyamoto Musashi, one of Japanese history's most legendary swordsman, and in Onimusha his likeness is provided by a similarly legendary actor.

That actor is Toshiro Mifune, who appeared in many of Akira Kurosawa's most notable movies, including the likes of Seven Samurai, Rashomon, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo. Mifune died in 1997 at the age of 77, but not before cementing a legacy as one of Japan's - and the world's - greatest actors. He even previously portrayed Miyamoto Musashi in a trilogy of films directed by Hiroshi Inagaki.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword - 1st Trailer: Protagonist - YouTube Onimusha: Way of the Sword - 1st Trailer: Protagonist - YouTube
Watch On

This won't be the first time Capcom makes use of a late actor's likeness in the Onimusha series. The protagonist of Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, released for the PS2 in 2002, featured the likeness of Yusaku Matsuda, who died in 1989. That game is appropriately getting a remaster this year, currently set to launch on May 23, 2025.

The Onimusha series has also made use of living actors, including Takeshi Kaneshiro and French actor Jean Reno, to portray in-game characters. I guess we'll see what the rest of the Way of the Sword cast looks like ahead of its eventual launch in 2026 across PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.

Here are all the video game release dates you need to keep your eye on in 2025 and beyond.

Dustin Bailey
Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.