Hattori Hanzo (Kill Bill)

Hattori Hanzō (played by Sonny Chiba) is a fictional character from the 2003 Quentin Tarantino film, Kill Bill Volume 1. He is a legendary swordsmith.

Kill Bill Vol. 1

In Kill Bill Volume 1, The Bride travels to Okinawa to get a katana sword from Hattori Hanzō. The Bride arrives at Hattori Hanzō's sushi shop and pretends to be a simple tourist. She then surprises him by asking to speak with him. Hanzō shows her his swords, though he has taken an oath to never make another one. However, Kiddo intimates to Hanzō that the man she is attempting to kill is Bill, his former student. He comes out of retirement for the month it takes to make the sword, and forges for her the best sword he has ever created. Kiddo uses the time available to practice her sword skills. When Bill later asks her how she got him to do this she tells him that she just dropped Bill's name and Bill admitted that that would do it, indicating Bill did something to gain Hanzō's intense hatred, enough for him to break his oath with God.

Trivia

• Quentin Tarantino stated in the supplementary material on the Kill Bill DVD that the character was named in tribute to Chiba's former role as Hattori Hanzō in Kage no Gundan, and that, while not stated on camera, the modern Hattori Hanzō is a descendant of the ancient one.

External links

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