Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Afro Samurai
open-in-new
<p><i>Afro Samurai</i> (アフロサムライ, <i>Afuro Samurai</i>, stylized as <i>ΛFΓO SΛMUΓΛI</i>) is a <a href="/facts/Japanese_language/EEv485a5">Japanese</a> <i><a href="/facts/Seinen_manga/7j7hk7C1">seinen</a></i> <i><a href="/facts/D%C5%8Djinshi/e87ptIA9">dōjinshi</a></i> <a href="/facts/Manga/DPkkyHos">manga</a> series written and illustrated by <a href="/facts/Mangaka/ymH4dbUL">manga artist</a> <a href="/facts/Takashi_Okazaki/HfM6M5Hk">Takashi Okazaki</a>. It was originally serialized irregularly in the <a href="/facts/Avant-garde/6ofnXfo4">avant-garde</a> <i>dōjinshi</i> <a href="/facts/Manga_magazine/DPkkyHos">manga magazine</a> <i><a href="/facts/Nou_Nou_Hau/h0uY0YUu">Nou Nou Hau</a></i> from November 1998 to September 2002. Inspired by Okazaki's love of <a href="/facts/Hip_hop_music/0lsHpwAD">hip hop</a> and <a href="/facts/Soul_music/y68RPFIa">soul music</a>, it follows the life of Afro Samurai, whose father and the owner of the No. 1 headband, was killed by a gunslinger and the owner of the No. 2 headband. Afro sets on a journey for revenge. </p><p>The <i>Afro Samurai</i> <i>dōjinshi</i> was adapted into an <a href="/facts/Anime/d5j1by0m">anime</a> <a href="/facts/Miniseries/J7KVThLr">miniseries</a> by <a href="/facts/Gonzo_(studio)/hqDvjw2S">Gonzo</a> in 2007, along with the <a href="/facts/Television_film/gsGGUltR">television film</a> sequel <i><a href="/facts/Afro_Samurai:_Resurrection/kSFppXch">Afro Samurai: Resurrection</a></i> in 2009, both of which starred <a href="/facts/Samuel_L._Jackson/GNzU91F4">Samuel L. Jackson</a> as the title character. The anime received two <a href="/facts/Emmy/M6GvMDJc">Emmy</a> nominations for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation and Outstanding Animated Program, which it won. After the release of the anime series, Okazaki remade the original <i>Afro Samurai</i> <i>dōjinshi</i> into a two-volume manga. <a href="/facts/Tor_Books/vmeK5N80">Tor Books</a> and <a href="/facts/Seven_Seas_Entertainment/wm8D0C8k">Seven Seas Entertainment</a> licensed the title and published it under their new <i>Tor/Seven Seas</i> imprint for a <a href="/facts/North_America/djNjCQIl">North America</a> exclusive release. In addition to the miniseries, <i>Afro Samurai</i> has been adapted into two <a href="/facts/Afro_Samurai_(video_game)/fTCr09Ab">video games</a>. For the television series and film, two soundtracks by <a href="/facts/RZA/wNmYeG9B">RZA</a> of <a href="/facts/Wu-Tang_Clan/3QlsPoqm">Wu-Tang Clan</a> and a profile book were released in Japan. </p>