It is Cult Faction’s sad duty to report that Hanzo the Razor himself, Sonny Chiba, has passed away at the age of 82 years old from a Covid-related illness. The sad news was broken by his agent.
Chiba garnered world-wide fame for his role as Hanzo the Razor in Sword of Justice (1972), The Snare (1973), and Who’s Got the Gold? (1974). Decades later he appeared as Hanzo the Razor’s descendent Hattori Hanzo in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies.
“An actor’s body should be full of emotions, whether it is happiness or sorrow, pain or joy, enraged or elated. You have to express yourself with your whole body. Japanese actors don’t normally do this. What I’m doing as an action star is what every actor should be doing. Action is drama. If we cannot make the audience laugh, smile or cry with us, we are not actors. That may be idealistic–but it’s true.”
Chiba’s career began in 1959 in Nana-iro kamen, known in the west as Seven Colour Mask, staring as Kotarô Ran aka Spectrum Mask. He has since appeared numerous times on the big screen and small screen in the likes of Drifting Detective: Black Wind in Harbor, Invasion of the Neptune Men, Man with the Funky Hat, The Escape, The Runaway, Yakuza G-men: Meiji ankokugai, Agent X-2: Operation Underwater, The Golden Bat, Gangster Cop, The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, The Streetfighter’s Last Revenge, Sister Street Fighter, Wolf Guy, Karate Warriors, Doberman Cop, Space Sheriff Gavan, Space Sheriff Sharivan, Space Sheriff Shaider, Aces: Iron Eagle III, Codename: Silencer, Battle Royale II, Kill Bill 1 and 2, and The Trusted Confidant.
STEALING. CHEATING. KILLING. WHO SAYS ROMANCE IS DEAD? In 1993, action movie supremo Tony Scott teamed up with a hot new screenwriter named Quentin Tarantino to bring True Romance to Read more
Meet the meanest and most lethal karate master ever to rule the streets. He's Sonny Chiba, one of the greatest martial arts actors to ignite the screen. In The Street Read more
The Revenge of Shinobi takes place three years after the first game, the criminal organization Zeed from the original game has since reformed and have renamed themselves "Neo Zeed". They Read more
From A Captive Planet Two Million Light Years Away, Came A Desperate Message From Space… Help Us! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC4v979_fQk On the verge of annihilation, Kido, the leader of the persecuted Jillucians, Read more
Uchu Kaisokusen, known as Invasion of the Neptune Men in the United States, is a science fiction/superhero film produced by Toei Company Ltd. (as "New Toei") in 1961. The movie stars Read more
Based on the novel by Ryo Hanmura, G.I. Samurai (aka Time Slip) follows the adventures of a modern-day (modern day being 1979) Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) team that accidentally Read more
In a time of economic disaster for wage earners, Hanzo discovers a conspiracy among high officials to "borrow" gold from the shogunate's treasury and loan it out to the destitute, Read more
Against the backdrop of the Edo treasury devaluing currency and driving many into poverty, Hanzo Itami enforces the law without regard to status. He shows inadequate respect to the treasurer, Read more
Hanzo is an incorruptible and unorthodox officer in Edo, as famous for his self-discipline and his love shaft as his sword. Against the backdrop of his magistrate's occasional rounding up Read more
The third and final installment of the Space Sheriff series focuses on Dai Sawamura, a college archaeology student who deciphers the figures on the Nazca Plain in Peru. Impressed by this feat, Read more
Following on from Space Sheriff Gavan came the second installment of the Metal Hero series: Space Sheriff Sharivan. Running from March 1983 through until February 1984, Sharivan was a direct sequel Read more
Space Sheriff Gavan was the first of what became known as the Metal Hero Series. It ran for 44 episodes between 1982-83. Earth is invaded by the criminal organization known Read more
Created by Kōhan Kawauchi (who also created Moonlight Mask), Seven Color Mask was the first superhero TV series by Toei Company Ltd.. It ran from June 3rd 1959 to June 30th 1960, with a total Read more
Brett Summers
Founded Cult Faction in 2014. Some would describe him as a teacher, writer, dream weaver, and visionary... some would not...
1 thought on “Sonny Chiba passes away aged 82”