Sword of the Stranger revolved around the Chinese Emperor’s quest for eternal life, brought about by the sacrifice of a young boy named Kotaro. After a harrowing opening sequence that depicts the boy escaping from a burning temple, the Chinese emperor sends forth his most elite soldiers on a joint mission with their unsuspecting Japanese neighbors to capture Kotaro.
Fortunately for the boy, he crosses paths with a retired mercenary named Nanashi, a man of impeccable swordsmanship, of whom he hires to protect him and his dog.