'Think Shōgun meets Squid Game': Netflix's new samurai tournament series sounds like my next binge-watch

Shujiro Saga poised for battle at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto in Last Samurai Standing.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix has announced a new epic samurai series as part of its 2025 Japanese content slate.
The show is a cross between Shōgun and Squid Game, according to the Netflix Japan content head.
Last Samurai Standing revolves around samurai warriors battling it out for a huge cash prize.

Thanks to Netflix, I've found my next binge-watch after Squid Game season 3 ends with its new upcoming Japanese samurai battle series Last Samurai Standing.

Last Samurai Standing was announced as part of Netflix's Japanese content slate for 2025 and follows samurai warriors who compete for a huge cash prize. The new historical epic is gearing up to become one of the best Netflix shows, as Netflix Japan content head Kaata Sakamoto compared Last Samurai Standing to one of the best Disney Plus shows, Shōgun, and the streamer's biggest TV show ever Squid Game.

Sakamoto said to Variety: “When most people think about samurai, they think about this very glamorous period in Japanese history. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that, towards the end of the Edo period, the samurai lost a lot of their glamour and their power. Last Samurai Standing is about what would happen if these warriors – the toughest and best in Japan – all of a sudden became common people and had to fight for their lives. Think Shōgun meets Squid Game.”

What is Last Samurai Standing about?

Based on the novel Ikusagami by Shogo Imamura, Last Samurai Standing already has a resemblance to Shōgun and Squid Game based on its similar premise. The official logline reads: "In the Meiji period, at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto, 292 skilled warriors gathered at nightfall, lured by the promise of a huge cash prize. The rules are simple: whoever can steal the wooden tags distributed to each of them and reach Tokyo will win the prize money. Among them is Shujiro Saga, who enters the deadly game with one goal: to save his ailing wife and child."

Going off the plot, Last Samurai Standing has similarities to the record-breaking FX series Shōgun and Squid Game, which broke all kinds of records that even Stranger Things couldn't beat.

The series, which is set to premiere on the best streaming service in November 2025, also features Junichi Okada in the lead role as well as action choreographer and producer. That means it will debut after the next installment Squid Game is released.

Indeed, Squid Game season 3 is set to be released on June 27, and its first clip teases a new mini-game that'll have a big impact on Gi-hun and his fellow contestants. As for Shōgun season 2, the critically-acclaimed series is currently in development at FX studios, so there's plenty to binge-watch between Netflix and Hulu (or Disney Plus for international readers).

After graduating with a degree in Writing and Film Studies, Grace dived into the world of entertainment where she started writing all about the must-watch shows and movies at What To Watch. Now Grace is on her next writing adventure at TechRadar, where she uses her expertise to help readers keep up to date on the biggest TV shows and movies in the ever-changing world of streaming. If she’s not writing about her passion for entertainment, you’ll find her watching reality shows while feasting on chocolate.