The Legend of the Kuzuri: Genre and the Myth of the Japanese Superhero in The Wolverine

In James Mangold’s 2013 superhero film, The Wolverine, Logan—The Wolverine—lies next to a young Japanese princess, Mariko. Mariko turns to Logan, and tells a story:

“When I was a little girl, I had nightmares. I'd wake up and run to my parents. My father would get angry. ‘Go back to bed. Face your fears.’ My grandfather was different. He told me stories about Kuzuri, his friend, who he met at the bottom of a well. He said the Kuzuri was magical and saved his life. He said Kuzuri would save me, too, as I slept in my bed”

The story is meant to comfort Logan. He is, after all, this mythical Kuzuri, which translates to Wolverine in Japanese. But Logan is a mutant, cast out by most of American and global society, and has seen his fair share of mutant oppression throughout his life of immortality. Mariko’s story therefore only further disconcerts him, and raises a question for both Logan and for viewers as to how a superhero seen so undesirably in one space, can be made into a myth in another. The answer lies in the film’s use of genre, and ability to connect generic elements with those that define the myth of a uniquely Japanese superhero. Mangold incorporates elements of the samurai genre into a definitively superhero film in order to illustrate how a superhero such as the Wolverine can develop into a mythical hero, or perhaps more broadly, how a mythical hero can develop within a particular cultural context. Both visual and narrative elements indicate the significance of the samurai genre in The Wolverine, and ultimately position Wolverine as the mythical hero at the center of this generic innovation. However, one must first understand what defines the myth of the superhero, and what may contribute to a uniquely Japanese version.

To be described as a myth, one must be representative of a universal, and often supernatural, reality. A mythic hero has the capacity to reveal a certain truth about our reality, and does so via supernatural or unworldly means. A mythic hero’s abilities must exceed those of an everyday man, and contribute to a revelation or confirmation of this universal truth. It is therefore unsurprising that Italian literary critic Umberto Eco identifies Superman in his discussion of the myth of the superhero. Superman is essentially omnipotent in his abilities, clearly rendering him a supernatural force of some kind, and protects Metropolis according to a strict moral code. Eco notes that a “mythic character embodies a law, or a universal demand, and therefore must be in part predictable and cannot hold surprises for us” (109). A hero such as Superman therefore cannot waver in his moral stance, despite having more than enough power to do so. Still, Eco pairs the myth of the superhero with the idea of “civic consciousness,” explaining that, despite having the capacity to positively reshape sociopolitical and socioeconomic dimensions, mythic superheroes utilize their powers for civic good within a confined space. Eco more specifically casts the superhero’s duty as an attempt to protect private property from criminal forces, often representative of the criminal underworld or an alien evil. These various ventures of the mythic hero, however, ultimately operate independent of time. The myth surrounding a superhero relies upon public knowledge of his or her story, and any future iterations of the hero’s escapades still do not take away from the substance of the myth.

Eco’s text helps establish the standards for the myth of the superhero, but we must next understand what a Japanese myth may look like in particular, and how that translates to 2013’s The Wolverine. Cultural anthropologist Anne Allison’s analysis of the Power Rangers franchise will be particularly helpful in making this specification. Allison reaffirms much of what Eco has to say about the myth of the superhero, but also adds that the myth is “concretely shaped by the times and places in which it circulates in popular culture” (95). Therefore, it is only natural that a superhero myth would develop unique to Japanese culture. The myth that director Mangold builds around Wolverine is markedly different from the one Allison identifies in Toei Studios’ Power Rangers franchise, but still maintains key components. Allison emphasizes the fact that the Power Rangers are cyborgs, technologically enhanced and therefore representative of a postwar Japanese willingness to “welcome technology into [the] workplace, consumer lifestyle, and subjectivity” (95). The myth in The Wolverine sacrifices the technological focus of tokusatsu properties such as Power Rangers for the more traditional focus of samurai cinema. Still, what remains is the Japanese concept of societal collectivism, and attitude towards the rise of global capitalism. While on the surface, Wolverine’s individualism and loneliness render him a clear example of a Western superhero, the film pairs him with the samurai genre to establish him as a uniquely Japanese mythic hero.

The influence of the samurai genre is most clearly seen at the end of the film, where Wolverine battles the film’s main antagonist, Silver Samurai. Interestingly, much of the film, and this scene in particular, works to draw comparisons between a samurai’s sword and Logan’s adamantium claws. As the Silver Samurai swings at Logan with its robotic katana, Logan defends himself with his claws, which glimmer against the dark backdrop as a closeup underscores their sword-like shine. The shot’s emphasis on the claws is especially notable considering Silver Samurai’s robotic suit is also made of adamantium, indicating Mangold’s insistence upon highlighting Wolverine’s claws as both visually and narratively significant. As the battle reaches a climax, Silver Samurai is revealed to be Ichiro, Mariko’s grandfather and the CEO of Yashida Corporation, a Japanese technology conglomerate. Mariko soon arrives to stab her grandfather, allowing Wolverine to recover from a disadvantaged position and defeat his enemy. He tears apart the Silver Samurai suit, with rapid cuts underscoring the moment. He then lifts Ichiro up by his claws, and tosses him off a cliff. Ichiro’s screams are quickly overshadowed by the mechanical clunking of the suit against the rocks below. The film’s ending can thusly be read as an indictment of Japanese emphasis on technology, as the robotic antagonist is defeated, and is revealed to be the CEO of a major technology corporation. The scene establishes Wolverine as a Japanese myth, in line with contemporary attitudes towards global capitalism, but perhaps also indicting Japanese emphasis on technology. Conventions of the samurai genre establish Logan, and not the seemingly more aptly named Silver Samurai, as the true samurai of the film, but it is Logan’s other qualities that propel him to mythic status.

In Logan’s earlier conversation with Mariko, he tells her a story of his own: “Your grandfather called me a ronin, a samurai master. He said I was destined to live forever, with no reason to live.” Logan admits that he agrees with Ichiro’s assessment, and while the diagnosis troubles him, it ultimately moves him closer to mythic status. Visual emphasis on his claws makes it clear that Wolverine is a samurai of sorts, but his attitude towards death moves him beyond a typical samurai and makes him a mythic hero. In his book on samurai cinema, film critic Paul Galloway explains that the “central and organizing principle of bushido was the focus on and preparation for death,” with bushido referring to the samurai way of life (12). It stands to reason that Logan, a samurai who cannot prepare for a death that will never come, must be elevated to mythic status as he adopts a life of superheroism and civic consciousness throughout his life of immortality. While we as viewers understand that Logan has his own internal conflicts that bring him back down to the level of man, The Wolverine makes it clear that a hero like Wolverine has the capacity to circulate as myth in a cultural context such as Japan. The hero’s dedication to civic good is underscored at various points throughout the film, including a moment in a small Japanese town when Logan helps a group of men who need help clearing a fallen tree. Like Ultraman and other notable Japanese heroes, Wolverine is called upon in such instances, and does not seek out such heroics. This idea of calling upon the hero further establishes Wolverine’s superhero myth as uniquely Japanese; he is a hero whose civic consciousness is to serve the collective, and rarely the individual. The film’s very final scene depicts Logan boarding a plane to leave Japan—as well as his new love interest, Mariko—and return to relative obscurity. This ending is misleading, however, as Wolverine has not been pulled into this conflict on his own terms and is not returning to a life of privacy. His relative obscurity is fleeting, as a mid-credits scene forces him to return to action alongside Magneto and Professor X. As a mythic superhero, Wolverine cannot live life as a man, but rather as a hero who can be called upon by those who need him.

It is possible that The Wolverine also marks a turning point for Logan, one in which he accepts his duty and his identity as a mythic superhero. We can surmise that this is the case based off of an earlier scene in the film, a battle between Logan and Shingen that truly marks Logan’s status as both samurai and mythic hero. Several quick cuts, accompanied by sound effects of Logan’s claws clashing with Shingen’s swords, make it clear that we are watching a samurai battle. Shingen wears traditional samurai armor, but it is almost impossible to distinguish his fighting style from that of Logan, who is shirtless for the duration of the fight. Shingen lands numerous successful strikes on Logan, but Logan obviously heals immediately after each blow. Eventually, in total disbelief, Shingen asks Logan who he is, and Logan responds: “the Wolverine.” Although simple, this line of dialogue is essential to developing the hero as myth. Throughout his onscreen appearances, Logan acknowledges his Wolverine title only on occasion, and it feels especially surprising here, as every moment in the film leading up to this one suggests that Logan is hoping to move beyond a life as the Wolverine. But the significance of these words goes beyond Logan’s own personal affirmation of the Wolverine as myth; they also connect to a key component of the Japanese mythic superhero. Japanese society maintains a strong belief in animism, which takes inspiration from Shinto—a Japanese religion—and refers to the idea that all beings have a distinct spiritual essence. One can easily connect Logan’s superhero alias—and perhaps more importantly, his embrace of such an alias—with the Japanese emphasis on animism. Animism plays a key role in several tokusatsu properties, including Power Rangers, establishing it as an essential part of any Japanese superhero myth. The Wolverine confirms Logan’s animistic connection via humor as well, as a scene depicts Mariko bringing Logan to a doctor, who is revealed to be a veterinarian student. Logan extends a hand of gratitude, but the student jumps back, afraid of Logan’s ferocious tendencies. As Logan embraces his animalistic connection, Japanese society observes it as well, rendering him a uniquely Japanese myth.

The myth of the superhero can come in many different forms, but it is safe to say that the myth surrounding any hero is shaped by its cultural context. In the case of The Wolverine, Logan becomes a uniquely Japanese myth by way of generic innovation. The film recalls conventions of the samurai genre, establishing Logan as a samurai in his own right, and then as a mythic hero as well. The sequel to The Wolverine was 2017’s Logan—also directed by Mangold. The finale to the Wolverine trilogy brings an end to the Wolverine mythos, and similarly experiments with genre, primarily incorporating elements of the western. Logan’s death at the end of the film establishes his story as legend, shifting the myth of Wolverine outside of any clear temporality, just as Eco requires for any mythic hero. Wolverine’s story can therefore live on both in the diegesis and in our world as a means of revealing truths within our society. One might argue that Mangold establishes the Wolverine as myth in order to contrast Japanese collectivism with the American individualism that the hero had been associated with in films and comic books of past. Nonetheless, Mangold’s work makes it clear that superheroes, via their possession of capabilities beyond that of the everyday man, can speak to truths of the human condition that other characters simply cannot. And perhaps the myth of the Wolverine tells us to accept ourselves, and come to terms with the roles life has carved out for us. Logan assures Mariko early in the film that he has killed the Kuzuri, but his words at the end of the film suggest a change of heart: “I’m a soldier,” he begins. “And I’ve been hiding too long.”

Allison, Anne. "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The First Crossover Superheroes." Millenial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination (2006).

Eco, Umberto. "The Myth of Superman." The Role of the Reader (1962).

Galloway, Patrick. Warring Clans, Flashing Blades: A Samurai Fillm Companion. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press, 2009.

The Wolverine. Dir. James Mangold. Perf. Hugh Jackman. 2013.