History Main / SamuraiCowboy

Compare StreetSamurai, TheGunslinger, {{Ronin}}.

The association between gunslingers and cowboys seems to have started with AkiraKurosawa, who used American [[TheWestern westerns]] as inspiration while making his famous samurai films. These films were then themselves remade as westerns. Since that time, the wandering gunslinger and traveling ronin have occupied a very similar space in media. Both are updates of the classic KnightErrant character, who [[WalkingTheEarth walks the earth]] to defend the weak.

Perhaps this resulted from a couple AkiraKurosawa films[[hottip:* :''{{Yojimbo}}'' and ''TheSevenSamurai'']] being remade into westerns[[hottip:* :''AFistfulOfDollars'' and ''TheMagnificentSeven'' respectively]], but could also just be some [[RuleOfCool finding the combination cool]]. Might also stem from certain parallels between {{ronin}} and the [[TheWildWest Old West]] [[TheGunslinger gunslinger]] (like LuckyLuke, TheLoneRanger, etc...), both WalkingTheEarth to defend the weak and what not (like a KnightErrant).

Perhaps this resulted from a couple AkiraKurosawa films[[hottip:* :''{{Yojimbo}}'' and ''TheSevenSamurai'']] being remade into westerns[[hottip:* :''AFistfulOfDollars'' and ''TheMagnificentSeven'' respectively]], but could also just be some [[RuleOfCool finding the combination cool]]. Might also stem from certain parallels between {{ronin}} and the [[TheWildWest Old West]] [[TheGunslinger gunslinger]] (like LuckyLuke, TheLoneRanger, etc...), both WalkingTheEarth to defend the weak and what not (like a KnightErrant). An overlap between two hero archetype that seem so close is only natural.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Manga}} and {{Anime}}]]
* Andy, the crazy cowboy from the "Cowboy Funk" episode of ''CowboyBebop'' decides to become a samurai (complete with katana) at the end of the episode, after Spike beats him.
* Gemini from ''SakuraWars: So Long, My Love'' is a cowgirl — right down to having a super-effective horse. She also carries a katana, and was trained by an exiled samurai.
* In the ''CaptainHarlock'' spinoff ''GunFrontier'', the Old West incarnation of Tochiro is one of these. He shows some traits of this in other entries in the franchise like ''CosmoWarriorZero''.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* The ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode [[VillainEpisode "Zuko Alone,"]] complete with a ShowdownAtHighNoon.

* Gemini Sunrise of Sakura Wars: So Long My Love

[[AC:{{Managa}} and {{Anime}}]]

* ''SukiyakiWesternDjango'' lives and breathes this trope
* ''RisingZanTheSamuraiGunman''
* ''RedSteel 2''
* Andy, the crazy cowboy from the "Cowboy Funk" episode of ''CowboyBebop'' decides to become a samurai (complete with katana) at the end of the episode, after Spike beats him.

* Gemini from ''SakuraWars: So Long, My Love'' is a cowgirl — right down to having a super-effective horse. She also carries a katana, and was trained by an exiled samurai.
* In the ''CaptainHarlock'' spinoff ''Gun Frontier'', the Old West incarnation of Tochiro is one of these. He shows some traits of this in other entries in the franchise like ''Cosmo Warrior Zero''

* The titular character from the ComicBook ''Ninja Viking Cowboy'' is this, plus a Viking.

* "SukiyakiWesternDjango" lives and breathes this trope

[[caption-width-right:270: [[RedSteel Konnichiwa, Pardner.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:270:Konnichiwa, Pilgrim.]]

* The upcoming ''The Warrior's Way'' deals with an Asian assassin who settles in the Old West and is ultimately tracked down by his past associates- essentially, it's [[CoolVersusAwesome Cowboys Versus Ninjas]].

Perhaps this resulted from a couple AkiraKurosawa films[[hottip:* :''{{Yojimbo}}'' and ''TheSevenSamurai'']] being remade into westerns[[hottip:* :''AFistfulOfDollars'' and ''TheMagnificentSeven'' respectively]], but could also just be some [[RuleOfCool finding the combination cool]]. Might also stem from certain parallels between Ronins and The Old West Gunslinger (like LuckyLuke, TheLoneRanger, etc...), both WalkingTheEarth to defend the weak and what not (like a KnightErrant). An overlap between two hero archetype that seem so close is only natural.

* Andy, the crazy cowboy from ''CowboyBebop'' decides to become a samurai (complete with katana) at the end of the episode, after Spike beats him.

* The crazy cowboy from ''CowboyBebop'' decides to become a samurai (complete with katana) at the end of the episode, after Spike beats him.

* ''RisingZanSamuraiGunman''

* Arguably ''TheGoodTheBadAndTheWeird'', being a remake/adaptation of ''TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'' set in Manchuria.

Examples:

Note that a cowboy moving to old Japan, or a samurai or kung fu master moving to the old west, does not count. This is about explicitly blending the two.

* Gemini from ''SakuraWars: So Long, My Love'' is a cowgirl - right down to having a super-effective horse. She also carries a katana, and was trained by an exiled samurai.

Perhaps this resulted from a couple AkiraKurosawa films[[hottip:* :''{{Yojimbo}}'' and ''TheSevenSamurai'' being remade into westerns[[hottip:* :''AFistfulOfDollars'' and ''TheMagnificentSeven'' respectively]], but could also just be some [[RuleOfCool finding the combination cool]]. Might also stem from certain parallels between Ronins and The Old West Gunslinger (like LuckyLuke, TheLoneRanger, etc...), both WalkingTheEarth to defend the weak and what not (like a KnightErrant). An overlap between two hero archetype that seem so close is only natural.

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