Rurouni Kenshin is among the most popular anime and manga series of the ’90s and early ’00s. For many, the story of a wanderer with a bloody past was their first contact with samurai anime, or perhaps, their introduction to anime in general. Whatever the case may be, there’s no denying that Nobuhiro Watsuki’s creation holds a special place in many fans’ hearts, and as it tends to happen with content we’re passionate about, watching the anime once and being done with it is simply not possible. Luckily, Rurouni Kenshi has more content to offer.
In 2012, fourteen years after the classic anime reached a conclusion, the franchise stepped back into the limelight with its first live-action movie, Rurouni Kenshin: Origins. From then on, three sequels were released over the years, before the story came full circle in 2021 with a prequel to the franchise.
Naturally, the fact that the movies’ release order doesn’t match the timeline of events can be confusing for some viewers, while others simply prefer to watch them in a way that guarantees maximum enjoyment. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of all the live-action Rurouni Kenshin movies and organized them chronologically.
Rurouni Kenshin live-action movies in chronological order
While watching the Rurouni Kenshin movies in their release order is totally fine, we’d recommend starting this marathon off with the 2021 prequel. This way, not only will viewers get to watch the story unfold in chronological order, but it will also make the final installment more satisfying.
- Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021)
- Rurouni Kenshin: Origins (2012)
- Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
- Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)
- Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)
The movies can currently be found available for streaming or purchase on Netflix, Funimation, and Apple TV.