In the midst of Japan's Sengoku period, a young boy named Kotaro and his dog Tobimaru are on the run from mysterious Chinese warriors. They seek refuge in an abandoned temple, where they meet a skilled swordsman named Nanashi, who offers to protect them. As they journey together, Kotaro learns that Nanashi is haunted by a traumatic past and has vowed never to unsheathe his sword again. Despite this, Nanashi agrees to help Kotaro defeat the warriors who seek to harm him. As they face danger at every turn, Kotaro and Nanashi form a strong bond. But when they are ambushed by the Ming warriors, Nanashi reveals his incredible fighting skills and saves Kotaro's life. The Ming warriors' leader, Luo-Lang, is impressed by Nanashi's abilities and offers him a place among their ranks. Nanashi declines, stating that he only fights for the strongest. Meanwhile, the Ming warriors' true intentions are revealed: they seek to create an elixir of immortality using the blood of a prophesied child, none other than Kotaro himself. Lord Akaike betrays Kotaro and hands him over to the Ming, but Nanashi arrives just in time to save him. As the battle rages on between the Ming and Akaike armies, Nanashi faces off against Luo-Lang in an epic duel. Despite Luo-Lang's impressive skills, Nanashi emerges victorious and saves Kotaro from certain death. In the end, with their enemies defeated and their bond stronger than ever, Kotaro thanks Nanashi for his protection and asks him to join him on his journey. Nanashi accepts, and together they set out on a new adventure. This movie is a thrilling action-adventure that explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and redemption. With its fast-paced sword fights and stunning animation, it's a must-watch for fans of historical action movies!

Sword of the Stranger is currently unavailable to stream in USA on the streaming services we have in our catalogue

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as Sword of the Stranger include Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress, Mucha Lucha: The Return of El Malefico, 9, Batman: Under the Red Hood, The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea.

Sword of the Stranger was released in theaters on February 5, 2009.