Hattori Hanzo, legendary Japanese Samurai turned Ninja commander whose battlefield prowess and incontestable skill with a sword earned him the nickname Demon Hanzo. A figure from history that has been repurposed in a variety of modern popular culture from films to video games, but the true story of Hattori Hanzo remains the best. So, who was this legendary ninja, and what made him so special? Let’s find out together...

Here at Raconteur, we bring to life the greatest stories from history and mythology to both entertain and educate.

We are also on YouTube! For video versions of each story visit and subscribe https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU4yfCCgXTUYcSPI0_5rP9w/?sub_confirmation=1

Video version of this story - https://youtu.be/SABf66Q99bs

Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au

New stories weekly.

Thanks for listening!