Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) duels the samurai Akazuka (Jushiro Konoe) in the climax of Zatoichi Challenged (1967), the seventeenth film of the 26-film series.
This duel was one of the longest of the longest one-on-one fights in the series. Zatoichi and Akazuka were good friends and had great respect for each other, but - as usual in the Zatoichi films - circumstances forced them to opposing sides.
What also makes this duel so outstanding is that both actors were excellent swordsmen themselves.
The Rutger Hauer film, Blind Fury (1989), is loosely based on Zatoichi Challenged, albeit set in modern times.














