Top 100 Best Samurai Quotes From The Ultimate Japanese Warriors

The Samurai were the warriors of premodern Japan. Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethical code of Bushido.

Strongly Confucian in nature, 'The Soul of Japan' strongly stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self-discipline, and respectful, ethical behavior. Many Samurai were also drawn to the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism. We've collected the best Samurai quotes here.

Samurai Quotes On Death, Loyalty & Learning

Here is a portion of great sayings by Samurai on death, loyalty, and learning.

1. "A samurai should always be prepared for death – whether his own or someone else’s." - Stan Sakai.

2. "Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death." - Uesugi Kenshin.

3. "Where life is more terrible than death, it is then the truest valor to dare to live." - Thomas Browne.

4. "Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love." - Morihei Ueshiba.

5. "Study hard and all things can be accomplished. Give up, and you will amount to nothing." - Yamaoka Tesshu.

'The Last Samurai' Quotes

Here are wise quotes for you on 'The Last Samurai' sayings.

6. "This is almost the most famous story The Last Samurai – Samurai story – in Japan." - Hiroyuki Sanada.

7. "Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day." - Sanskrit Proverb.

8. "I don’t get over the wonder of it, and ‘The Last Samurai’ was an extreme example of that. Every day when I went to the set, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing." - Tony Goldwyn.

9. "And against all the odds. She stood up like the last Samurai on the battleground. She raised up like high tides on the full moon.

She shined up like an Alpha Centauri. She ignited like tequila on the first sip. She is fierce like the alpha of the pack. And the whole world craved for her like the water on the Mars." - Survenya Sinnasamy.

Quotes By A Great Samurai Warrior: Musashi

Musashi is considered one of the greatest swordsmen in Japanese history. Let's have a look at a few of his quotes on life, courage, and war.

10. "I choose to live by choice, not by chance."

11. "You can only fight the way you practice."

12. "If there isn’t discipline, how can there be a true realization of an ideal?"

13. "One thousand days of lessons for discipline; ten thousand days of lessons for mastery."

14. "The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant."

15. "To win any battle, you must fight as if you are already dead."

16. "No fear, no hesitation, no surprise, no doubt."

17. "Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of man."

18. "You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain."

29. "Do nothing which is of no use."

20. "It may seem difficult at first but everything is difficult at first."

21. "Do not fear death."

22. "Do not regret what you have done."

23. "The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win. Otherwise, why be a warrior? It is easier to count beads."

Epic Samurai Quotes

Here is a collection of life-changing Samurai quotes. These sayings will inspire courage in you.

24. "Technique by itself is insufficient, and spirit alone is not enough." - Yamada Jirokichi.

25. "A samurai was essentially a man of action." - Inazo Nitobe.

26." I worshipped dead men for their strength, forgetting I was strong." - Vita Sackville-West.

27. "Sword and mind must be united." - Yamada Jirokichi.

28. "Self-respect is the fruit of discipline." - Abraham J. Heschel.

29. "We make war that we may live in peace." - Aristotle.

30. "The true meaning of the samurai is one who serves and adheres to the power of love." - Morihei Ueshiba.

31. "Everyone feels fear. What a samurai or warrior is, is what you do when you feel fear." - Enson Inoue.

32. "A samurai must remain calm at all times even in the face of danger." - Chris Bradford.

33. "The sword was a very elegant weapon in the days of the Samurai. You had honor and chivalry much like the knights, and yet it was a gruesome and horrific weapon." - Dustin Diamond.

34. "One mind, any weapon." - Hunter B. Armstrong.

35. "Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men." - Miyamoto Musashi.

Yamamoto Tsunetomo Quotes

Here is a list of Tsunetomo's sayings for you.

36. "The Four Oaths: Never be late with respect to the way of the warrior; be useful to the Lord; be respectful to your parents; get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of man."

37. "The way of the Samurai is found in death."

38. "Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness."

39. "In the eyes of mercy, no one should have hateful thoughts. Feel pity for the man who is even more at fault. The area and size of mercy are limitless."

40. "Matters of small concern should be treated seriously."

41. "A samurai will use a toothpick even though he has not eaten. Inside the skin of a dog, outside the hide of a tiger."

42. "There is nothing we should be quite so grateful for as the last line of the poem that goes, 'When your own heart asks.'"

43. "Singlemindedness is all-powerful."

44. "Continue to spur a running horse."

45. "The basic meaning of etiquette is to be quick at both the beginning and end and tranquil in the middle."

'The Way Of The Warrior' Quotes By Erwin

You must have heard about the war of ancient times. Here is a section of quotations by Erwin the warfighter.

46. "Greatness is not the absence of humility; it is the absence of apathy."

47. "Wisdom is the warrior’s greatest weapon. When you have wisdom, you are never unarmed, you are never defenseless, and you are never powerless. You need the skill to know how to shoot an arrow straight, but only wisdom can teach you how to never need to shoot it."

48. "There will never be peace on earth until there is peace in us."

49. "The warrior knows that their imagination is not a place to escape but to create."

50. "The fool lives to consume all they can take from the world. The wise live to create a better world."

51. "We will never know peace if we lose the present because we are trapped in the past and paralyzed by the future."

52. "Our worry will steal our peace, and when peace is missing, we find ourselves drowning in anxiety and crumbling under the weight of life’s pressures."

53. "The warrior is always first a servant… The warrior does not serve because they cannot lead; they know that a person cannot lead if they do not serve."

'The Soul Of Japan' Quotes From Bushido

'The Soul of Japan' quotes from Bushido will tell you the real meaning of art. Here are some quotes.

54. "Knowledge becomes really such only when it is assimilated in the mind of the learner and shows in his character."

55. "The sense of honor which cannot bear being looked down upon as an inferior power,—that was the strongest of motives."

56. "Beneath the instinct to fight there lurks a diviner instinct to love."

57. "The feeling of distress is the root of benevolence, therefore a benevolent man is ever mindful of those who are suffering and in distress."

58. "Chivalry is itself the poetry of life."

59. "Spiritual service, be it of priest or teacher, was not to be repaid in gold or silver, not because it was valueless but because it was invaluable."

60. "Dishonor is like a scar on a tree, which time, instead of effacing, only helps to enlarge." Mencius"

61. "You are to be proud of your enemy; then, the success of your enemy is your success also."

62. "Human life has sorrow; They who meet must part; He that is born must die;"

Samurai Quotes On Life

Combat is also a common theme in samurai sayings. This quote states, "Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men."Here are a few of the others like this.

63. "Observation and perception are two separate things; the eye that observes is stronger, the eye that perceives is weaker." - Miyamoto Musashi.

64. "Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world." - Miyamoto Musashi.

65. "It is good to face challenges in your youth. He who has never suffered will not sufficiently temper his character."- Yamamoto Tsunetomo.

66. "To practice Zen or the Martial Arts, you must live intensely, wholeheartedly, without reserve - as if you might die in the next instant" - Taisen Deshimaru.

67. "Their attitude towards life was that of those who always strive to be better, and they saw spirituality as the path to achieve greatness. " - Inazo Nitobe.

68. "The sword was a very elegant weapon in the days of the Samurai. You had honor and chivalry much like the knights, and yet it was a gruesome and horrific weapon."     - Dustin Diamond.

69. "Mental bearing (calmness), not skill, is the sign of a matured samurai. A Samurai, therefore, should neither be pompous nor arrogant." - Tsukahara Bokuden.

70. "I have a high art, I hurt with cruelty those who would damage me." - Archilocus.

71. "Master the divine techniques of the Art of Peace and no enemy will dare to challenge you." - Ueshiba.

72. "The ultimate warrior leaves no openings - Except in his mind." - Seishinkan ITP.

73. "The sword has to be more than a simple weapon; it has to be an answer to life's questions."   - Miyamoto Musashi.

74. "Master the divine techniques of the Art of Peace and no enemy will dare to challenge you." - Ueshiba.

75. "You might as well stand and fight because if you run, you will only die tired" - Vern Jocque-Sei Shin Kan.

Samurai Quotes On Honour

Look ate this collection of Samurai quotes on honor to help you get an understanding.

76. “The samurai code of honor affected every part of their lives.” ― Jim Ollhoff

77. “I dreamt of worldly success once.”  –Miyamoto Musashi

78. “The Way of the warrior (bushido) is to be found in dying.”  –Yamamoto Tsunetomo

79. “At the moment of victory, tighten the straps of your helmet.” –Tokugawa Ieyasu 

80. “There is even rhythm in being empty.”  –Miyamoto Musashi

81. “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.” – Miyamoto Musashi

82. “It’s actually the samurai spirit, which is ‘no fear and never give up.” ― Enson Inoue

83. “Generally speaking, the way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death.” ― Miyamoto Musashi

84. “A samurai should always be prepared for death – whether his own or someone else’s.” ― Stan Sakai

Short Samurai Quotes

These amazing short samurai quotes and captions will make your day.

85. . “The Samurai always has to rise and move on, because new challenges will come.” ― Lyoto Machida

86. “As a samurai, I must strengthen my character; as a human being I must perfect my spirit.” ― Yamaoka Tesshu

87. “A samurai must remain calm at all times even in the face of danger.” ― Chris Bradford

88. “Everyone feels fear. What a samurai or warrior is, is what you do when you feel fear.” ― Enson Inoue

89. “The word samurai translates to ‘those who served.’” ― Blake Hoena

90. “A samurai was essentially a man of action.” ― Inazo Nitobe

91. “My philosophy is the same as a Samurai: To hit without getting hit.” ― Lyoto Machida

92. “Be a Samurai. Because you just never know what’s behind the freaking sky.” ― Laini Taylor

93. “The true meaning of the ‘samurai’ is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.” ― Morihei Ueshiba

Historical Samurai Quotes

Check out this list of Samurai Quates which talk about their historical perspective.

94. “To a great extent, the story of a samurai has been the story of Japan during most of the past millennium, and it is surely premature to relegate the samurai tradition entirely to the past.” ― Stephen Turnbull

95. “Samurai were feudal lords who mostly ruled farmland. But as more and more people moved to larger cities, such as Tokyo, the samurai began to lose their influence and wealth.” ― Blake Hoena

96. “As the samurai’s influence grew, so did their status in Japanese society. They went from being professional soldiers to land-owning nobles. The most powerful of these lords were called daimyos.” ― Blake Hoena

97. “The samurai no longer exist. But even today, they capture our imagination with their skill, their loyalty, and their fearlessness.” ― Jim Ollhoff

98. “The word Samurai itself is a synonym as they are the great ferocious aristocratic warriors in the history of the country.” ― Sreechinth C.

99. “Knowledge becomes really such only when it is assimilated in the mind of the learner and shows in his character.” ― Bushido Code

100. “It is good to face challenges in your youth. He who has never suffered will not sufficiently temper his character.” ― Yamamoto Tsunetomo