Fans have spotted a recurring theme in the Hollywood movies of Hiroyuki Sanada and the actor knows it as well.

Hiroyuki Sanada, the captivating Japanese actor who has wowed audiences in films like Mortal Kombat and 47 Ronin, seems to have a hidden fingerprint on many of the characters he brings to life. Fans have begun to notice a recurring theme that pops up in a surprising number of his roles.
A still from Mortal Kombat

This surprising statistic seems to stand true in about four-fifths of his projects. A hint? It brings him to the same table as the legendary Sean Bean. It should surely be an easy guess now!

Hiroyuki Sanada Says His Character Does Not Survive Until The Very End

A still from Mortal Kombat
The one thing common between Sanada and Sean Bean is that their character often meet an untimely demise! While Sanada has delivered iconic performances throughout his career, a significant portion of his characters share a tragic fate – they don’t make it to the final credits.

Hiroyuki Sanada himself seems to find humor in this recurring theme. In a recent interview with AV Club, he was asked about how he kept dying at the hands of cool characters, to which he confirmed that things were pretty same during his time in Japan.

“Hiroyuki, one of my colleagues, Sam Barsanti, noticed how you kept dying in several of your projects at the hands of cool characters. Have you noticed that?” 

“Yeah, and even in Japan, I die in most of them. It’s maybe 80 percent of the time, even if I’m the good guy. But I like dying in a TV show or movie. It’s dramatic. Survival isn’t the only goal for me. I enjoy it.” Hiroyuki Sanada replied after a laugh

Of course, Sanada has played his fair share of characters who survive the story. But the sheer number of his characters who meet their demise has become a point of amusement for fans and even Sanada himself. Some speculate it adds a layer of tragic heroism to his roles, while some might joke that maybe he should start doing ‘Happier ever after’ roles instead.

2024 Might Break Hiroyuki Sanada’s Samurai Curse in Hollywood

A still from Shogun
Hiroyuki Sanada‘s rise to fame has made him Hollywood’s go-to guy for samurai roles. Redditor @jgpalanca noted how he has featured as a Samurai in a whopping five productions – The Last Samurai, The Wolverine, 47 Ronin, Westworld, and Mortal Kombat. But here’s a fascinating tidbit: none of his Samurai characters manage to survive in their films!

However, 2024 might finally break the curse. Sanada takes on the role of Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Hulu’s ongoing series, “Shogun,” based on the 1975 novel of the same name. If they stay true to the source material, this could be the first time Sanada’s Samurai survives until the very end.