Become Japan’s Greatest Swordsman: Miyamoto Musashi Awaits in Onimusha Way of the Sword

Capcom is dusting off Onimusha with a new game, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and letting you step into the sandals of Miyamoto Musashi. Yes, that Musashi. It is a dark-fantasy spin, but the vibe is still very Edo-era samurai combat. If you are wondering why Capcom reached for the most legendary swordsman in Japan instead of inventing someone new, there is a story there.

So, why Musashi?

Musashi is not just a name out of a history book; he is basically the blueprint for the wandering swordsman archetype. A lot of what we 'know' comes from legend and popular retellings, but the picture is consistent: a genius tactician, a pioneer with two blades, and the guy nobody could beat.

• According to lore, he honed a double-sword technique and never lost a duel — 62 wins, zero losses — against some of the most feared swordsmen of his time.
• He is considered a Kensei — Sword Saint — an honorary title reserved for the absolute elite.
• He founded the Niten Ichi-ryu style, the dual-wielding method people still study today.
• Stories also place him alongside the Tokugawa Army, reportedly through a friendship with a Tokugawa shogunate general. He is said to have fought at three pivotal conflicts: the Battle of Sekigahara, the Siege of Osaka, and the Shimabara Rebellion. In other words, front-row seat to Japan’s power shifts.
• Off the battlefield, he wrote — most famously the strategy guide The Book of Five Rings — and practiced calligraphy and ink painting like a pro. Swords and strokes.

Why Capcom put Musashi front and center

Fun bit of inside baseball: early on, Way of the Sword was going to star a nameless samurai. Capcom ditched that plan because, in their words, it does not exactly scream global appeal. In an interview with Automaton, director Satoru Nihei and producer Akihito Kadowaki were very up front about the pivot:

"To be completely honest, at the beginning of development, we didn’t plan to have Musashi Miyamoto as the protagonist. The main character was supposed to be a ‘nameless samurai.’ However, since we were aiming to expand to the global market, we wanted to make the most appealing parts of the game easier to convey. After consulting with Nihei, I came to the decision to borrow the name of the legendary Musashi Miyamoto."

Translation: if you are trying to sell samurai action to the world, you do not pick a blank slate. You pick the icon.

The Mifune of it all

Capcom did not stop at the name. They gave Musashi the face of the late Toshiro Mifune — basically Japan’s most iconic samurai actor. That is a savvy, slightly nerdy touch aimed right at film fans. It is also an emotional shortcut: you see Mifune, you feel 'mythic ronin' instantly. Between the dark-fantasy twist and the classic Edo combat feel, Capcom is clearly going for big, broad resonance here — and honestly, it might work.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is on the way, and you will be swinging steel as Musashi himself. You in?