![]() Itto is a master swordsman, able to handle overwhelming numbers of attackers. A flashback to two years prior reveals Itto's fall from stature and the death of his family at the hands of the villainous Retsudo (played here by Yunosuke Ito and, similar to James Bond's frequent film nemesis Blofeld, played by two other actors in the character's three other appearances) and the Yagyu clan, establishing their long-standing feud, which runs throughout the series. 'Sword of Vengeance' finds Itto and his three-year-old son Daigoro on the road with a "Son for Hire/Sword for Hire" sign. Released in 1980 to English-speaking markets, 'Shogun Assassin' was predominantly an edited and dubbed version of the second film, 'Baby Cart at the River Styx', with a bit of the first, 'Sword of Vengeance', to help flesh out the backstory. Six 'Lone Wolf and Cub' films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama as Itto and Akihiro Tomikawa as Daigoro were produced between 19, and they are all in this set from Criterion along with 'Shogun Assassin'. Itto and his young son Daigoro are forced to flee, becoming ronin who seek vengeance and making a name for themselves as assassins known as Lone Wolf and Cub. Running from September 1970 to April 1976, the series tells the story of Ogami Itto, formerly an executioner for the Tokugawa Shogunate until he was framed as a traitor by the power-seeking Yagyu clan, led by Retsudo. Lone Wolf and Cub is a world-renowned magna created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima.
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