* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Kingdom (Live-Action Film)
キングダム（実写映画）
A live-action film series based on Yasuhisa Hara's manga Kingdom. The first film, directed by Shinsuke Satō and starring Kento Yamazaki, was released in 2019, and sequels followed in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2026. Set in the late Spring and Autumn and Warring States period of China against the backdrop of Qin's unification of the realm, it is a large-scale historical spectacle featuring ancient Chinese weapons such as bronze jian and iron jian.
Description
Kingdom—A Historical Manga Depicting Qin's Unification of China and Its Live-Action Film Adaptation
Yasuhisa Hara's manga Kingdom is a historical epic that began serialization in Weekly Young Jump (Shueisha) in 2006. Set against the backdrop of the late Spring and Autumn and Warring States period in China and Qin's unification of the realm, it follows Shin (Li Xin), a boy orphaned by war, as he rises through the battlefield in pursuit of becoming a great general. Ying Zheng, the King of Qin who would later become the First Emperor, is also depicted as a major character. Its great appeal lies in how it intertwines two threads: Shin's rise story, from a mere servant to a general through accumulated military achievements, and the grand historical current of Ying Zheng's unification of China. It is one of the representative historical manga that vigorously portrays the wars, politics, and human drama of ancient China.
Live-Action Film—A Japanese Film Directed by Shinsuke Satō
The live-action film version is a Japanese film directed by Shinsuke Satō, with Kento Yamazaki playing the protagonist Shin and Ryō Yoshizawa playing Ying Zheng. When the first film was released in 2019, it drew a strong response, and sequels were produced in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In July 2026, the fifth film, Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen, was released. The series was not originally planned as a trilogy with a fixed number of films; rather, sequels were built up over time, supported by the popularity of the original work and the reception of the films. The film also drew attention for having Japanese actors portray ancient Chinese heroes and for depicting large-scale battle scenes in live action.
Ancient Chinese Weapons and Swords—The World of Bronze and Iron Jian
During the Warring States period of China, which is the setting of Kingdom, bronze jian and iron jian were used, as well as long-shafted weapons such as the mao (spear) and the ge (dagger-axe). Weapons with different purposes filled the battlefield, including the mao for thrusting and the ge for hooking and slashing. In depictions of sword fighting, many of these ancient Chinese weapons appear, supporting the power and sense of scale of group combat. Among them, the jian, a Chinese blade, is a weapon with a straight, double-edged blade that can be used for both thrusting and slashing, and its shape and manner of use differ in structure from the Japanese katana. In bringing ancient Chinese war spectacle to the screen, the distinct portrayal of these East Asian bladed cultures is an important point of interest.
Chinese Jian and Japanese Katana—A Comparison of East Asian Bladed Cultures
The Chinese jian depicted in Kingdom differs in structure, origins, and cultural background from the Japanese katana, which has a single edge with a curve and reflects a distinctive aesthetic in its polishing and mountings. By viewing side by side the sword culture of ancient China, centered on the double-edged straight jian, and the Japanese katana culture of the single-edged curved blade, the distinctive qualities of each become clearer, even though both are East Asian blades that developed in very different ways. Kingdom is an excellent entry point for learning about the bladed culture of ancient China and for turning attention to its differences from the Japanese katana.
Real Swords Featured
Sword of Goujian (King of Yue) (a bronze sword from the 5th century BCE, held by the Hubei Provincial Museum—a physical historical source close in time to the period in which Kingdom is set)
Bronze jian excavated from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (unearthed from the Terracotta Army pits, known for its excellent state of preservation)
See authentic Japanese swords
See authentic Japanese swordsThis page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.