Lone Wolf and Cub

Itto Ogami is one of the most famous swordsman in Japanese fiction.  The story originated in a manga (Japanese comic book) in 1970 by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. 

The story is about Itto Ogami, who is the official executioner for the Shogun.  The Yagyu family desires to hold his position.  So, what do they do?  They frame him.  Instead of committing seppeuku, Ogami escapes and declares that he will take revenge upon the Yagyu clan.  The individual stories revolve around two themes.  One, his battle with the Yagyu Clan.  Second, he needs to raise money to fight the Yagyus and restore the Ogami name.  He does this by hiring himself out as an assassin for 500 ryo (don't ask me to translate - only that was a lot of money). His nickname is Lone Wolf and Cub because the cub is his three year old son, Daigoro.

In addition to the manga, there is an incomplete English language adaptation by First Comics, and a complete one by Dark Horse Publishing. Several several screen adaptations have also been made.  Two of the best known screen adaptions are the Six movies in which Tomisaburo Wakayama plays the Ogami, and the television series which Kinnosuke Nakamura plays Ogami. 

There is a debate whether the films or the tv series are more enjoyable, but I like both adaptations.

Here is a trailer to the film theatrical version starring Tomisaburo Wakayama.