Who are the Hashira? Fans of Demon Slayer know well by now that the Hashira embody nine of the strongest swordsmen and elite members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Typically, the best way for a Demon Slayer to become ranked among the Hashira is to undergo strenuous training before defeating one of the Twelve Demon Moons, but obviously not every universe has that luxury.
Swordsmen that live in movie universes that exist outside of the world of Demon Slayer, for example, don't have the luxury of becoming Hashira when such terminology does not exist in their world. However, that shouldn't exclude fans from viewing certain swordsmen for their Hashira potential.
10 Nick Parker Has Blind Fury (Blade Runner)
The late Rutger Hauer is easily best remembered for his performance and preceding monologue in Blade Runner, but one of his more underseen gems comes in the form of Blind Fury, where Hauer is the main protagonist, Nick Parker, a blind Vietnam vet-turned-swordsman.
Throughout the movie, he tries to find an old friend kidnapped by the mob, and Parker is hunted and outmatched by mobsters with heavy artillery, but with nothing but a sword, Parker is able to outlast every single one of them until the very end.
9 Ghost Dog Is A Unique Hitman
Most hitmen who work for the mafia settle on using guns and silencers as their weapon of choice. Ghost Dog, played by Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, is no different, he uses his guns, but if he had his preference, he would walk around town wielding his signature sword.
Unlike most hitmen, Ghost Dog practices, studies, and upholds the code of the samurai, giving him a unique perspective on the world.
8 Machete Doesn't Need A Sword To Be A Swordsman (Machete)
The best swordsmen in cinema history are those who can improvise and implement just about any weapon at their disposal and use it as effectively as a sword. Danny Trejo's Machete is no different, as seen in this first movie when he engaged in a sword fight with Steven Seagal's Rogelio Torrez.
Except, Torrez was the only one wielding a sword, while Machete was wielding a machete, which obviously was not as long. Yet, Machete came out of that duel as the victor. Imagine how skilled he'd be if he did have a sword.
7 Zorro Was The Original Swordsman (Zorro)
No list about the best swordsmen is complete without the quintessential swordsman himself, Zorro. When most people hear the word Zorro, the image of Zorro pops into their head, regardless of whether they are imagining Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Douglas Fairbanks, or Tyrone Power.
That's the beauty of the character. Zorro can be seen through many actors and many mediums —even comics, TV shows, etc.
6 Obi-Wan Kenobi Has The High Ground (Star Wars)
In theory, Ben Kenobi may be a better swordsman than his younger self since he's wiser and has honed his skills by the time A New Hope rolls around, but his crowning moment as an old man is getting annihilated out of existence by Darth Vader (even if he does put up a fight).
Young Obi-Wan, however? In his heyday, Obi-Wan was at his most agile, aware, and most impressive. It was at this point in his life when Kenobi won battles against his toughest adversaries, including Darth Maul, General Grievous, and even his own Padawan, Anakin Skywalker.
5 Darth Vader Surpassed His Master (Star Wars)
In his heyday, Obi-Wan was able to defeat Vader when he was a much younger, brash Anakin Skywalker who let his emotions get the best of him.
In the time leading to their reunion, Anakin —now Vader— became faster, better, stronger, and wiser, thus mastering both sword mastery and The Force. That's why he was feared across the entire galaxy.
4 Luke Skywalker Naturally Progressed (Star Wars)
Luke Skywalker surely must have surpassed both his father and mentor as a swordsman. In their final duel, Luke nearly killed Darth Vader before coming to his senses.
Audiences never would have conceived that Luke could be so powerful, judging by his initial appearance in A New Hope, but across the span of the original trilogy, he was able to train hard enough to reach his peak in regards to mastering saber dueling and, of course, The Force. It's why he is held in high regard as a legendary Jedi Master during the sequel trilogy.
3 The Nameless Stranger Lives Up To The Hype (Yojimbo)
A legitimate argument can be made for Toshiro Mifune's protagonist in Yojimbo to be the most impressive, skilled sword wielder in all of cinema, and he doesn't even have a name. Yet, his reputation in both Yojimbo and Sanjuro precede him amongst the cast enough to live up to the hype whenever he unveils his katana.
For those unfamiliar with this man, think of a samurai version of Clint Eastwood's The Man with No Name from the Dollars trilogy. In fact, he's quite literally that, hence why Tohu filed a lawsuit.
2 Beatrix Kiddo Killed Bill (Kill Bill)
Speaking of nameless assassins, Beatrix Kiddo had built quite a reputation without a name of her own in Kill Bill Vol. 1 back when she was solely referred to as The Bride. The sequel affirmed her name as Beatrix Kiddo, but her most impressive outings came when she was still nameless.
In Vol. 1, equipped with nothing but a Hattori Hanzō sword and a yellow jumpsuit, Kiddo singlehandedly took down an army of 88 skilled killers in one flail swoop. That alone speaks to her namesake among the best swordsmen. Not to mention, she managed to kill each member of the Deadly Viper Assassin Squad, including the head honcho and title character, Bill.
1 There Is No Bride Without Lady Snowblood (Kill Bill)
Sometimes, as Beatrix Kiddo goes to prove, there is no better swordsman than a swordswoman and readers can't talk about Beatrix Kiddo without talking about Lady Snowblood, the former's main source of inspiration.
Much like The Bride in question, Lady Snowblood is a woman —the title character's real name is Yuki Kashima, played in an illuminating performance by Meiko Kaji— who made a list and was checking it twice in regards to seeking revenge against those who attacked her mother, father, and brother, killing the latter two.