John Wick 4’s Donnie Yen revives the blind hero from these key action movies

John Wick lives in a clandestine world populated with a never ending number of assassins, contract killers, and other criminals. These violent professional assassins and contract killers have been recognizable as both characters as well as as their on-screen counterparts as the series progresses. It has been possible to cast familiar faces and give many nods to the action movies of years past.

This is the latest entry John Wick, Chapter 4Donnie Yen, a martial arts star and current hitman of the martial arts, is the latest well-dressed ass-kicker to be chasing after the former hitman. Yen’s resume, which includes starring in such modern kung fu classics as Iron Monkey, HeroAny action fanatic will be excited to see the Ip Man trilogy and. Adding to that excitement is the fact Donnie’s character, Caine, is paying direct tribute to an enduring archetype of the genre with 75 years of history: This gun-toting, sword-brandishing adversary to John Wick is blind.

Where did the idea of the “blind warrior” originate in pop culture, and why does it continue to resonate with audiences? The concept first took root with a single fictional character— the blind Japanese swordsman Zatoichi. In 1948, Zatoichi was introduced as an obscure character in a story. Fast 15 years later, the character’s popularity grew and was made a major part of a 1962 movie adaptation. The Tale of Zatoichi. This film was so well received in Japan that it went on to make a total of 25 films, and more than 100 TV episodes. Shintaro Kutsu, who starred in the lead role, became a household name.

Image: Kadokawa Pictures

Katsu wasn’t the typical action star from that era. His round face, average height, and unimposing physicality seemed more suited to comedy or secondary roles than for a chanbara (the Japanese term for “sword fighting”) lead. He brought a sensitive, warm, and at times playful blue-collar presence to the Zatoichi character that was more “favorite uncle” than “noble samurai.” It was a perfect match of star and material.

Although the idea of Zatoichi seems simple, it is actually quite complex. The unassuming Ichi (“Zato” was a social title for blind men during the late Edo period, the lowest of four ranks; Zatoichi roughly translates to “Poor Blind Ichi”) is a jovial masseur who travels from village to village looking for work. He is not a troublemaker and does not reveal that he has a sharp blade, which he kept in his walking stick. When defending himself and others is necessary, he only shows his skilled swordsmanship. He is both a loving everyman and a guardian angel for the poor. Ichi’s disability, which at the time was thought of as a simple novelty to separate the film from so many other chanbara films in a crowded marketplace, likely spoke to a generation who had only recently moved forward from the devastation and tragedy of World War II. Zatoichi did not survive and was able to live with the setback, but he thrived on it and made it his defining strength.

Image from the Criterion Collection

Consistency was another key to the franchise’s success. Shintaro Katsu, who was at the center of every installment and anchoring all that occurred onscreen, was always there. The series was created by a rotating cast of creatives. Many of these writers and directors worked on several entries. They were able to maintain a consistent tone and a well-known story structure. During the course of every Zatoichi adventure, he invariably embarrasses locals who nefariously try to take advantage of his disability, discovers an injustice in need of addressing, makes vague references to a violent past he is trying to atone for, and squares off with multiple sinister adversaries after finding a way to confront them in a darkened area — “There, now it’s pitch-black. This makes it even. Come on if you are ready” — striking them down in rapid succession with lightning-fast sword attacks on his way to invariably righting whatever wrong is plaguing the people of the area. These are all elements that were in the Zatoichi first screen adventure. They are also present in subsequent installments to an varying degree.

Official sequels to the Zatoichi series were made in order to continue the franchise’s existence. Zatoichi: Darkness Is His AllyKatsu returned to the title role in 1989 after a ten-year hiatus. The same year also saw the debut of Katsu as the title role. Blind FuryOfficially licensed Hollywood movie remake of Zatoichi ChallengedThe 17th installment of the film series, opened in U.S. cinemas. It stars Rutger Hauer, a Danish actor, as Zatoichi, the stand-in for a blind Vietnam vet. He was shaved by the locals and regained his sight in the jungle.

Columbia Pictures

Blind FuryIt was able to successfully transfer the core concepts of the Japanese period story to modern America. It all comes together surprisingly well. It retains all the humanity, humor, and action of its source material and even climaxes with a thrilling one-on-one duel between Hauer and king of the ’80s ninja movie Sho Kosugi. Producers had an idea to transform Blind FuryThe film was eventually made into its own series but, despite receiving positive reviews and good box-office results, it would be remembered as a single production. It did become a mainstay on cable TV and in video stores, and eventually gained cult status.

2008’s Ichi is a gender-swapped reboot and a legacy sequel that follows a young blind woman (also known as Ichi) as she follows in her missing mentor Zatoichi’s sword-swinging footsteps as a champion of the oppressed. This is the most popular of Zatoichi’s efforts in recent years. Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman from 2003, written and directed by acclaimed cinematic auteur Takeshi “Beat” Kitano. This multi-award-winning film is often labeled as a “reimagining” of the series, but it is steadfast in its reverence for the structure and tropes established by the original. The story of Zatoichi (played by the director) who stumbles into war between rival yakuza groups and vengeful Geisha is easily paired with Shintaro Katsu entries without feeling out of place.

Image: Toei Animation/Crunchyroll

Because of the repetitions in a beloved, long-running series (and subsequent sequels), Zatoichi and his associated tropes were fully adopted by Japanese pop culture. Zatoichi homages became commonplace and were often seen in TV, movies, comics and games. Fujitora was a sidecharacter in the beloved pirate manga/anime series. One Piece, is directly modeled on the character and uses Shintaro Katsu’s very distinct likeness.

These homages, and in some cases, outright rip-offs were not limited to Japan. Unauthorized sequels were produced in Taiwan, starring low-vision characters and lookalikes. They also appeared in films about martial arts from Hong Kong.Master of the Flying GuillotineIndonesia (Buta: The Blind Warrior) during the series’ most popular years. Three years ago, South Korean movies were released. The SwordsmanThe Zatoichi visual language is heavily used in this film. It’s a period riff on the Taken films about a retired sword fighter, with very limited eyesight, who has to begrudgingly return to his violent ways to save his adopted daughter from human traffickers. The USA produced some fake-Zatoichis like this 1994 HBO TV movie Blind JusticeThis is where Civil War-era blind gunfighter from the Civil War is assigned to transport a child back home and protect them. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s at least partially inspired by the eighth Zatoichi film (1964’s Fight, Zatoichi, FightIchi also does the same in a movie called ‘The Last of Us All’.

This is the U.S.’s most well-known homage. Blindsided: The GameSince 2018, YouTube has made a free video called. The 45-minute film is from Black PantherClayton J. Barber (fight coordinator) and Eric Jacobus (martial artist/stuntman),God of WarOver 7 million people have viewed the video. It’s admittedly light on plot, with a fairly standard story of a blind martial artist who comes to the aid of a local neighborhood grocer who gets in too deep with loan sharks. You can feel the freshness of Zatoichi’s established tropes in this film, which is a kinetic and inventive Hong Kong-style style filmmaking. This stylistic choice in the short’s excellent fight design provides a tantalizing glimpse of what a bona fide Hong Kong action superstar Donnie Yen brings to the mayhem of John Wick: Chapter 4.

2010’s The Book of Eli is an excellent piece of sci-fi pulp that proves moving the elements of Zatoichi into wildly different settings doesn’t destroy what makes the stories resonate. The story follows a blind, wandering swordsman, Denzel Washington, on an improbable mission to a post-apocalyptic, Mad Max-esque wasteland filled with marauders and wannabe warlords. Yet, it doesn’t feel out of place. The Zatoichi series’ ideas are flexible enough to be used in many different genres.

The Apple TV prestige television series Check outThis theory is tested by totally inverting it. It places the story in an alternate future in which being born blind becomes the norm. The unprepared society will eventually fall and be relegated to more feudal states where vision and the past are a myth. Baba Voss, the tribal leader, discovers that his twins have the ability to see. He takes them along with him, his sword, on a trip across to protect them from any harm. It’s the most radical of all the nontraditional “blind warrior” properties, and yet it captures the spirit of Zatoichi exceptionally well with its more devolved setting and Momoa’s larger-than-life presence used in service of portraying a loving and devoted father. The action scenes are a lot more inspired by Shintaro Katsu’s work.

Image: Sony Pictures

The home invasion movie Don’t Breathe from 2016 also shows the flexibility of “blind warrior” tropes by repurposing them for maximum tension and dread in a horror setting, as Stephen Lang’s blind veteran chillingly turns the tables on a hapless trio of young thieves who have the misfortune of picking his home to rob in the middle of the night. This film by writer/director Fede Álvarez poses the question, “What if Zatoichi was the boogeyman?” Admittedly, it has more than one extremely questionable moment, but the film’s approach is unique. The sequel that followed five years later jarringly reframes Lang’s creepy villain as more of a typical antihero with an uninspired plot that involves him trying to rescue his young daughter from kidnappers. Álvarez returned to write the script for Don’t Breathe 2We chose to follow a Zatoichi-esque path.

Of course, while Zatoichi’s character is unquestionably influential, it isn’t the only source for the “blind warrior” archetype. The Norse myth depicting Odin blinding his eyes in order to acquire wisdom and perception, could provide some clues to how the initial glimmers of the concept were first seen. This tale is intended to convey the notion that knowledge is dependent on sacrifice. However, there are other interpretations. One is that vision can lead to blindness and that perception goes beyond seeing. It’s not that different from blind Master Po from the 1970s martial arts/Western hybrid TV series Kung Fu imparting wisdom to his young disciple, “Because a man can see, he does not look.”

The idea that removing a character’s ability to see can actually improve their ability to fight back is in itself a trope. It’s present in martial arts films like Bloodsport Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon, where performing tasks blindfolded is the final part of the heroes’ respective martial arts training. This is even seen in lighter comedy films such as Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (Sudden Death!).

Lucasfilm

This is where one of the most famous scenes in this natural world comes from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. When first teaching Luke Skywalker to use a lightsaber, Obi-Wan Kenobi encourages him to obscure his vision with a fighter helmet’s blast shield:

“I can’t even see… How can I fight?”

“Your eyes can deceive you. Don’t trust them.”

He implores Skywalker to “reach out with his feelings” and sense when the attack will come. Luke is able to trust Kenobi, and is successful. This is related to another literal interpretation of Odin’s Odin myth. The Norse god lost one eye in order to attain power.

There are numerous examples of this within pop culture, but to name just a few: Neo has his eyes destroyed in 2003’s divisive cyberpunk trilogy capper The Matrix RevolutionsAgent Smith was defeated in a fight, but he realized that his virtual control has been extended to include some influence over the real world. Kenshi of Mortal Kombat is another. While he’s a master martial artist, his skills are not enough to withstand the monsters, machines and demigods who populate the Battle between Earthrealms and Outworld. In his insecurity, he is tricked into opening an ancient tomb by the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung, who blinded him but also allowed him to inadvertently obtain an ancestral sword, known as Sentō, that granted him superhuman abilities like telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and the ability to “see” through the sword itself so that his lost eyesight would not affect him in the battle for the future of reality.

Image: Marvel Studios

But what are the modern myths about magic, other than superheroes? And no superhero fits the “blind warrior” criteria better than Marvel’s Daredevil, a comic book character who gained superhuman senses after losing his eyesight in a childhood accident involving strange chemicals. Stan Lee and Bill Everett had created this character in 1964. However, it was never well-regarded until Frank Miller (artist/writer) took over the creative direction. Daredevil away from being a typical Marvel superhero comic into more of a gritty, urban vigilante story heavily influenced by ’70s-era crime and martial arts movies. Ninja clans, mysterious martial arts masters, and deadly female assassins mix with gritty street-level crime and complex morality tales to make the Daredevil stories under Miller’s watchful eye drastically different from anything else under the Marvel banner at that time.

It was very popular so the character has been used in multiple media. These include a 2003 movie, and a Netflix show that ran for 39 episodes (2015-2018). Although the film starring Ben Affleck is widely criticized, the Netflix series, starring Charlie Cox, was equally well-written and well-acted. The fight scenes were particularly impressive considering their complexity and execution given the limited time frame for television production.

Murray Close/Lionsgate

Finally, we have the science fiction warrior monk Chirrut Îmwe of Rogue One: Star Wars Story.Donnie Yen’s first attempt to make a Zatoichi-like character. It is clear that he, a non-Jedi, has some control over the mysterious Force entity. He can shoot TIE fighters out of the air, dodge blaster fire and sense shifts in it. Maybe through his self-determination, belief, and effort (“I’m one with the Force; the Force is with me”) he forged that connection, despite his disability. That thought sums up so much of the eternal appeal of the “blind warrior” archetype.

It is our belief that, if faced with any kind of disability or obstacles in life, we can have the strength and perseverance to overcome them and thrive. From Shintaro Katsu’s humble Zatoichi first captivating Japanese audiences 60 years ago to Donnie Yen’s suave and dapper Caine exploding into the John Wick universe in the present day, these characters speak to that desire. The “blind warrior” archetype is a timeless symbol of personal fortitude and the unending potential of the indomitable spirit within us all.

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You can watch the entire Zatoichi film archive (1962-1973). The Criterion Channel.

Blind FuryIt is free to view with advertisements Crackle.

Blind JusticeYou can watch it online Classix.

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (2003) You can rent it on digital VOD platforms such as Apple Google Play.

Ichi(2008) can be purchased from Prime Video.

Book of EliYou can watch it online HBO Max.

Don’t BreatheIt is free to view with advertisements Tubi.

Check outYou can watch it online Apple TV Plus.

Daredevil It is possible to view it Disney Plus.