Silver Samurai (Marvel)

Evil-doer

Full Name

Keniuchio Harada

Alias

Ken

The Silver Samurai
The Silver Shogun
Kenichiro Harada
Ishiro Tagara

Origin

Marvel Comics

Occupation

Crime lord

Mercenary (formerly)
Government operative (formerly)
HYDRA agent (formerly)
Prisoner of The Raft (formerly)
Leader of Big Hero Six (formerly)
Leader of Clan Yashida (formerly)
Member of Black Spectre (formerly)
Member of the Legion Accursed (formerly)

Powers / Skills

Leadership

Swordsmanship
Expertise in martial arts
Expertise in tactics
Mutant-Physiology:
Tachyon Field

Goals

Lead the Yashida Clan.

Free Jessica Drew from the Black Blade of Muramasa.
Prevent Everwraith from slaughtering innocents in Tokyo.
Defeat X the Unknowable (all succeeded).
Defeat Wolverine.
Defeat Elektra (both failed).
Help the Avengers defeat the Hand (succeeded).

Crimes

Murder

Assault
Attempted sororcide
Abandonment
Conspiracy
Stalking
Cheating
Organized crime

Type of Villain

Honorable Crime Lord

“	I've faced deadlier opponents in the training arenas of my youth!	„
	~ Silver Samurai on his past.

Keniuchio Harada, better known as the Silver Samurai, is the mutant illegitmate son of the former Japanese crimelord Shingen Harada and an antagonist from Marvel Comics, most commonly opposing Wolverine and the X-Men, Daredevil, and Spider-Man. He is also a former member of the hero team Big Hero 6.

In X-Men: The Animated Series, he was voiced by the late Denis Akayama, who also voiced Kunzite, while in X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel vs. Capcom 2, he was voiced by Yasushi Ikeda, making him the only Marvel character with a Japanese voice actor in the entire MvC series.

Biography[]

As a youth, Harada mastered the attendant disciplines of the medieval samurai and sought employment as a warrior for hire. He first worked for the criminal Mandrill and clashed with the blind hero Daredevil. Harada then served the Viper, an agent of the terrorist organization HYDRA, as her bodyguard. In that capacity, Harada battled opponents such as the costumed crimefighter Spider-Man, the martial arts master Shang-Chi, and the team of mutant trainee heroes the New Mutants.

Following his father’s death, Harada sought the leadership of Shingen’s Clan Yashida from his half-sister Mariko Yashida, but was opposed by the ronin Yukio and Mariko’s lover, the mutant adventurer Wolverine. Later, Harada worked with Wolverine to free American private investigator Jessica Drew from the influence of Black Blade of Muramasa, a sword mystically imbued with its creator’s madness. Wolverine himself fell under the sword’s spell, but managed to overcome his possession after which Harada took up the sword, finding himself worthy of its power.

After Mariko’s death, Harada claimed leadership of Clan Yashida and was briefly employed by the Japanese government as leader of their fledgling super-team Big Hero 6. Ultimately, his inability to lead Clan Yashida allowed the Mongolian crimelord Haan Kaishek to take control, and he allied with Wolverine to defeat the Kaishek’s. However, the disgrace of losing leadership was too great for Harada, and he returned to his mercenary ways.

Eventually falling into the service of Hydra once more, Harada was dispatched to battle the female ninja Elektra and was seemingly killed. Revealed to have survived, the Silver Samurai resumed his criminal career following an encounter with the mutant Blindspot. Allied with known terrorist Lady Deathstrike, Harada attempted to establish himself as the "Silver Shogun," leader of the Yakuza. He was also briefly a prisoner in The Raft as part of a super-villain stockpiling conspiracy, but he escaped and returned to Japan. Harada subsequently became a member of the Japanese Prime Minister's security cadre. During the course of his duties, Harada faced Wolverine, who cut off his hand in search of information on the Muramasa Blade.

Shin Haruda[]

After Haruda's death, his illegitimate son Shin, to whom was named after his grandfather, became the new Silver Samurai. Unlike his father, Shin is not a mutant. Instead Shin's Silver Samurai armor was designed as an exo-suit armor to which Shin personally operates.

In other media[]

X-Men 3 The Video Game[]

Silver Samurai makes an appearance as a boss in X-Men 3 The Video Game. He was one a servant of William Stryker but left him when he heard about the Master Mold. He's the master of Lady Deathstrike. After she retreated into Japan, Wolverine followed her. After he presumibly killed Deathstrike, Silver Samurai attempted to retreat while his hideout was set on fire, but Wolverine prevent his escape. Wolverine asked him what he knew about the Master Mold.

The Silver Samurai told him that it was a machine that created Sentinels; Robot that are designed to wipe out Mutants. He also told him that the Master Mold was heading to Hong Kong. Wolverine thought that the Samurai was one who activated the Master Mold. To get some answers, Wolverine attacked The Silver Samurai, but the Samurai teleported. After a long battle, Wolverine managed to defeat the Silver Samurai and rescue him from the burning building.

The Wolverine (2013)[]

Thewolverine-silver-samurai — Silver Samurai in *The Wolverine*.

Main article: Silver Samurai (X-Men Movies)

The Silver Samurai is the main antagonist of the 2013 film, and was a former Japanese officer whom Wolverine saved during the bombing of Nagasaki.

He was portrayed by Haruhiko Yamanouchi.

Hit-Monkey (2021-)[]

Silver Samurai serves as a supporting character in Season 1 of the 2021 animated series, Hit-Monkey.

Gallery[]

Navigation[]

Villains

Villains

Movies
X-Men: Brotherhood of Mutants (Magneto, Mystique, Sabretooth, Toad) | Pyro
X2: William Stryker Jr. | Lady Deathstrike | Jason Stryker | Brotherhood of Mutants (Magneto, Mystique, Pyro)
X-Men: The Last Stand: Brotherhood of Mutants (Magneto, Dark Phoenix, Pyro, Juggernaut, Multiple Man, Mystique) | Omega Gang (Callisto, Psylocke, Quill, Arclight, Avalanche, Spike, Glob Herman, Phat) | Archangel
X-Men: First Class: Hellfire Club (Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Azazel, Angel Salvadore, Riptide) | William Stryker Sr. | Magneto | Mystique
X-Men: Days of Future Past: Trask Industries (Bolivar Trask, William Stryker Jr., Sentinels) | Magneto | Mystique | Toad | Horsemen of Apocalypse (Apocalypse)
X-Men: Apocalypse: Ashir En Sabah Nur/Horsemen of Apocalypse (Apocalypse, Magneto, Psylocke, Archangel) | Dark Phoenix | Mystique | William Stryker Jr. | Blob
X-Men: Dark Phoenix: Dark Phoenix | D'Bari (Vuk, Jones) | Brotherhood of Mutants (Magneto, Selene Gallio) | Mystique
The New Mutants: Demon Bear | Essex Corp (Cecilia Reyes) | Reverend Craig | Smiley Men

Marvel Anime: X-Men
Hellfire Club (Mastermind, Emma Frost) | U-Men (Sublime)

Legion
Legion | Shadow King | Oliver Bird | Time Eaters

The Gifted
Sentinel Services (Jace Turner, Ed Weeks) | Trask Industries (Roderick Champell) | Ted Wilson | Hellfire Club (Fenris, Reeva Paype, Frost Sisters, Rebecca Hoover) | Benedict Ryan

Villains

Movie
Kingpin | Bullseye | Wesley Welch | Jose Quesada | Falon

Video Games
Kingpin | Bullseye | The Hand (Kirigi)

See Also
Elektra Villains

Villains

Movie
The Hand (Kirigi, Typhoid Mary & Tattoo)

Villains

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Spider-Man: Homecoming: Bestman Salvage (Vulture, Tinkerer, Shocker #1, Shocker #2 & Randy Vale) | Mac Gargan | Aaron Davis
Spider-Man: Far From Home: Mysterio's Crew (Mysterio, William Ginter Riva, Victoria Snow, Gutes Guterman, Janice Lincoln, Doug, & Shanice) | Elementals (Molten Man, Hydro-Man, Sandman, & Elemental Fusion) | Skrulls (Talos) | Obadiah Stane
Spider-Man: No Way Home: Earth-96283 (Green Goblin, Sandman & Doctor Octopus (His Tentacles)) | Earth-120703 (Electro & Lizard) | Sadie Deever | Venom | Mysterio

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Daredevil: Born Again: Kingpin

Villains

Villains

Movie
Robert Callaghan/Yokai | Alistair Krei | Mr. Yama

Vs. Villains

Tatsunoko Universe
Berg Katse | Boyacky | Doronjo | Tonzura | Sosai X

Nintendo Universe
Metal Face

Sony/PlayStation Universe
Cole MacGrath

Original Generation
Ultron Sigma