Toshirō Mifune (1920-1997) was one of the most celebrated and influential Japanese actors. Famous for his prolific collaboration with director Akira Kurosawa, he became the iconic face of samurai and rōnin. He embodied powerful characters, often wild or gruff, but always endowed with profound intensity and moral complexity.

His most memorable roles include the bandit Tajōmaru in *Rashomon* (1950), the strong-willed Kikuchiyo in *Seven Samurai* (1954), the noble General Washizu Taketoki in *Throne of Blood* (1957), and the astute rōnin in *Yojimbo* (1961) and *Sanjuro* (1962). His charismatic style and intense physicality made him a global icon, well beyond Kurosawa's cinema. He is considered one of the greatest actors in the history of world cinema.