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Sonny Chiba

Actor

Sonny Chiba

Born January 23, 1939 in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, JapanDied August 19, 2021206 films

Sonny Chiba (born January 23, 1939 - August 19, 2021), also known as Shin'ichi Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fukuoka, Chiba played a variety of sports in high school, including baseball and volleyball. He also practiced gymnastics and participated at the National Sports Festival of Japan in his third year. When he was a university student, he learned martial arts, earning a black belt in Kyokushin Karate in 1965 and later receiving a fourth degree in 1984.

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Chiba's career began in the 1960s, when he starred in two tokusatsu superhero shows. In his first role, he replaced Susumu Wajima as the main character Kōtarō Ran/Seven Color Mask in Seven Color Mask (Nana-iro Kamen) in the second half of the series. However, his breakthrough role was in the 1974 film The Street Fighter. Before retiring, Chiba had also appeared in a number of English language American films, including Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift (2006).

Chiba died of COVID-19 complications at the hospital in Tokyo on 19 August 2021, at the age of 82.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Sonny Chiba, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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The best way into Sonny Chiba's work
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair posterFirst watchKill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair20118.1as Hattori HanzoA former assassin, known simply as The Bride, wakes from a coma four years after her jealous ex-lover Bill attempts to murder her on her wedding day.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 poster8.0Kill Bill: Vol. 12003Kill Bill: Vol. 2 poster7.9Kill Bill: Vol. 22004The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift poster6.6The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift2006Survive Style 5+ poster7.3Survive Style 5+2004The Street Fighter poster6.8The Street Fighter1974Battle Royale II: Requiem poster5.0Battle Royale II: Requiem2003Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima poster7.3Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima1973The Storm Riders poster6.5The Storm Riders1998

Filmography

206 films as actor
  1. 2024Bond of Justice: Kizuna Part II - JudgementJou
  2. 2023Bond of Justice: Kizuna Part I - EncounterJou
  3. 2018Shakespeare in TokyoCalligrapher
  4. 2017Shashin Koshien Summer in 0.5 Seconds
  5. 2017Yakuza: Domination of the Realm 4
  6. 2017Yakuza: Domination of the Realm 2
  7. 2017Yakuza: Domination of the Realm
  8. 2015Biohazard: The StageEzra Sennett
  9. 2015Take a ChanceMusashi
  10. 2015The Noise
  11. 2015Kanto Gangster Federation: Chapter 2
  12. 2014Kanto Gangster Federation: Chapter 1
  13. 2014Kabukicho High School
  14. 2014修羅の伝承 荒ぶる凶犬
  15. 2013Unification Of Japan 2Seizo Gonda
  16. 2013Don's Road 9
  17. 2013Unification Of JapanSeizo Gonda
  18. 2013Unification of Japan: Compilation I — Rise of Ambition
  19. 2013Don's Road 8
  20. 2013Don's Road 7
  21. 2013Don's Road 6
  22. 2012Sushi GirlSushi Chef
  23. 2012The Legend of Space Sheriff GavanSpace Sheriff Voicer
  24. 2012修羅の花道2
  25. 2012修羅の花道
  26. 2011Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody AffairHattori Hanzo
  27. 2009千年の松 完結編
  28. 2009Yakuza Legacy
  29. 2007OyajiRyudo Numata
  30. 2006The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo DriftUncle Kamata
  31. 2006Legend of Seven MonksGenryuu
  32. 2005New Shadow Warriors VI: The Final ChapterHattori Hanzo I
  33. 2005New Shadow Warriors V: Hattori Hanzo vs OnmyojiHattori Hanzo I
  34. 2005Sarutobi Sasuke and the Army of Darkness 4 - The Fire ChapterYagyu Jubei
  35. 2004Survive Style 5+Azama
  36. 2004New Shadow Warriors IV: Jiraika 2Hattori Hanzo I
  37. 2004Kill Bill: Vol. 2Hattori Hanzo
  38. 2004Sarutobi Sasuke and the Army of Darkness 3 - The Wind Chapter
  39. 2004Explosive CityOtosan
  40. 2003Kill Bill: Vol. 1Hattori Hanzo
  41. 2003New Shadow Warriors III: Jiraika 1Hattori Hanzo I
  42. 2003Battle Royale II: RequiemMakio Mimura
  43. 2003New Shadow Warriors IIHattori Hanzo I
  44. 2003New Shadow WarriorsHattori Hanzo I
  45. 2002Deadly Outlaw: RekkaYasunori Hijikata
  46. 2001Akumyoh 2
  47. 2001The Murder Corps: Road to Kansai Domination
  48. 2001The Murder Corps
  49. 2001Lonely Hitman: The Blue Wolf
  50. 2000Hakata Movie: Chinchiromai
  51. 2000Born to Be KingIchiro Kusakari
  52. 2000Legend of the Flying SwordsmanDagger
  53. 1998The Storm RidersLord Conqueror
  54. 1995Body CountMakato
  55. 1994Immortal CombatJiro 'J.J.' Jintani
  56. 1992The Triple CrossChiba
  57. 1992Iron Eagle IIIHorikoshi
  58. 1992Oda Nobunaga
  59. 1992Fighting FistSupt. Yamada
  60. 1991Yakuza Warfare
  61. 1991Saito Dosan: Rage of PowerMitsutsugu Akechi
  62. 1991Takeda ShingenTakeda Nobutora
  63. 1990Minamoto Yoshitsune
  64. 1990Shingo's Ten DuelsUmei Tamon
  65. 1990Seventeen Ninja
  66. 1989SenseiMakoto Ushiyama
  67. 1989Shogun's ShadowIba Shoemon
  68. 1989Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die
  69. 1989Iemitsu, Hikoza and Isshin Tasuke - A National Crisis: Edo Castle in DangerYagyu Jubei
  70. 1988Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special
  71. 1987Sure Death 4Bunshichi
  72. 1987TaikokiAkechi Mitsuhide
  73. 1986CabaretYakuza boss
  74. 1985The Last True YakuzaRyozo Kano
  75. 1984Space Sheriff Shaider: Pursuit! The Strange Kidnappers!Shaider (Voice)
  76. 1984Kotaro, An Audacious Karate BoySonny Sullivan
  77. 1984Space Sheriff Shaider: The MovieShaider (Voice)
  78. 1984The Awesome Circus BastardMaejima Daigaku
  79. 1983Legend of the Eight SamuraiInuyama Dosetsu Tadatomo
  80. 1983Kabamaru the Ninja BoyIga no Saizo
  81. 1982Ninja WarsShinzaemon Yagyu
  82. 1982Fall Guy
  83. 1981Kamikaze, the AdventurerDaisuke Kamikaze
  84. 1981Roaring FireMr. Magic
  85. 1981The Bushido BladePrince Ido
  86. 1981Samurai ReincarnationJubei Yagyu
  87. 1980Shogun's NinjaShiranui Shogen
  88. 1980Yagyu Abaretabi
  89. 1980VirusDr. Yamauchi
  90. 1980Tokyo Earthquake Magnitude 8.1
  91. 1980Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete SagaKatsutoshi Otomo
  92. 1979G.I. SamuraiLt. Yoshiaki Iba
  93. 1979The Resurrection of the Golden WolfMitsuhiko Sakurai
  94. 1979Dead Angle
  95. 1979Hunter in the DarkSamon Shimoguni
  96. 1978The Fall of Ako CastleFuwa Kazuemon
  97. 1978The Okinawa War of Ten Years
  98. 1978Message from SpacePrince Hans
  99. 1978Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan ConspiracyJûbê Yagyû
  100. 1977Black Jack: The Visitor in the EyeDrunkard
  101. 1977Golgo 13: Assignment KowloonDuke Togo (Golgo 13)
  102. 1977Truckster of Guts
  103. 1977Doberman CopJoji Kano
  104. 1977Japanese Humanity and Justice
  105. 1977Karate for LifeSensei Masutatsu Oyama
  106. 1977Hokuriku Proxy WarKanai Hachiro
  107. 1977Soul of ChibaMu Yun Tek
  108. 1977Japan's DonTsuneyoshi Sakota
  109. 1976The Great Okinawa Yakuza WarSeigou Kunigami
  110. 1976Jail BreakersWataru Kangi
  111. 1976The Rugby Star
  112. 1976Karate WarriorsShuuhei Sakata
  113. 1976The Machine Gun Dragon
  114. 1976Dragon PrincessKazuma Higaki
  115. 1975Karate Bear FighterMas Oyama
  116. 1975The Decisive Power of Aikido
  117. 1975New Battles Without Honor and Humanity 2: Head of the BossBartender (uncredited)
  118. 1975Detonation: Violent Riders
  119. 1975Karate BullfighterSensei Masutatsu Oyama
  120. 1975The Bullet TrainAoki