15 Best Skyrim Samurai Mods

Because anime and manga are becoming more and more popular, Japanese culture can be found everywhere.

Still, this isn’t the first time something from Japan has gotten a lot of attention on this side of the pond.

Samurai films were like Western movies for the Japanese, and they made the Samurai famous in the West before World War II.

I’m the kind of Samurai nerd who plays Skyrim with a Katana even though he has more powerful weapons, but after a while, that’s just not enough.

Thanks to modding, I can finally be a Samurai and kill enemies in the name of my lord like I always wanted to.

Let me show you some of the best Skyrim mods I’ve been using for my own Samurai adventure.

15. Akaviri Samurai House

This mod adds a Japanese-styled starter shelter located near the entrance to Riverwood. It includes various samurai weapons and armor, as well as Japanese-themed spells, consumables, and miscellaneous items.

The shelter also includes furniture such as a bed, dresser, cabinet, and workstations. Additionally, there are special furniture items with a ninja and cute Hello Kitty theme.

The mod also features a forge and sharpening wheel, as well as a Shinto altar and a Table of Creation.

14. Samurai Blades Helmet

This mod replaces the mesh for the Blades Helmet in Skyrim to make it resemble a more samurai-like design. It adds a crescent moon shape to the helmet, inspired by samurai helmets.

The mod is compatible with the vanilla version of the helmet and any other texture mods. The mod author noticed that something was missing from the original design and decided to add this element.

They also removed the dragon wing on the helmet to make space for the crescent moon shape.

13. Samurai Clan Pack

This mod adds standalone armor and weapons inspired by six different historical samurai clans.

Additionally, there is a special armor set in honor of Musashi Miyamoto, a legendary swordsman.

The armor sets may have flashy colors but are designed to fit the Skyrim game environment.

If players prefer a more classical samurai armor, they can check out the Samurai Genji Armor included in the mod.

12. Samurai Killmove

This mod replaces a vanilla killmove animation in Skyrim with a samurai-inspired animation. The default replacement animation corresponds to VioLens 1hm (Bash, Trip, Slash) section, but players can replace it with any other killmove animation.

However, players need to know which current killmove will be replaced and correspond to which VioLens custom section.

The mod may also replace some killmoves with body cut effects, but the corresponding VioLens custom section is unknown. The mod author recommends following their VioLens setting to enjoy the mod.

11. Akaviri Samurai Estate

This mod adds a player estate resembling an Akaviri or samurai estate near Riverwood, designed for players playing as a samurai character or allied with the Blades.

The estate includes a main house, bathhouse, dojo, crafting stations, and a shrine, with three NPCs maintaining the grounds.

A key to enter the estate can be found in a secret room in the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, along with a deed and letter from Delphine.

10. Samurai Akechi Armor Pack

If you don’t have the right Samurai armour, you’re just a random person with a sword.

The Samurai Akechi Armor Pack gives your Dragonborn everything he needs to be a Ronin.

This includes a Katana, a Nodachi, extra blades to hang from your hips and back, and a full suit of Samurai armour with a skull mask and a dark look.

9. Samurai Way Weapon Set

The blade is the only thing that makes a Samurai good.

And before we’re done with this ranking, we’ll look at a few Katana mods.

This Samurai Way Weapon Set has three different Japanese-style blades of different lengths. There is the one-handed Dragon Katana, the shorter Dragon Tanto, and the long Dragon Dai-Katana, which requires two hands.

Like traditional Katanas, you only need iron, some leather strips, and a tiny bit of gold for the handle to make these weapons.

It’s a great way to put those skills to use that you’ve been working on for weeks by carefully gathering metal ingots and carrying them to the nearest forge for a hard-core power-leveling session.

8. Odachi

If you’ve ever played Team Ninja’s Nioh, you know the Odachi – a colossal Samurai blade only the strongest, most skilled warriors know how to use correctly.

These blades are so long, they need an extra-curved edge reminiscent of a crescent moon. This makes them hard to wield – but a hero like the Dragonborn should have no issue getting used to it.

I have trouble picturing anything cooler than a Samurai-clad Dragonborn laying waste to scores of bandits and monsters with this.

It’s big enough to even out the playing field against trolls and giants.

7. Reiko Samurai Armor

The Akechi Samurai Armor is badass for sure.

But it’s also a little bit sinister and not so accurate to the image most of us have of these legendary Eastern swordsmen.

Those of you hunting for a more traditional look will love the Reiko Samurai Armor – a high-quality armor made of layered plates of black-lacquered iron tied together just like historical Japanese armor.

The included Wa Mask is perfect for intimidating your enemies with the face of a demon, and the horns on the Kabuto helmets give these a tiny bit of Skyrim flavor.

6. Haladoon’s Samurai Sword Collection

I love immersive mods that weave their additions into Skyrim’s gameplay rather than just making them pop out of thin air.

Haladon’s Samurai Sword Collection achieves this by introducing remarkably powerful unique Katanas that’ll give you an edge in battle – if you’re willing to put in the time and effort needed to forge them.

I mean, how many Daedra Hearts do you have just laying around?

But don’t worry – once you do craft them, you’ll be delighted with the result.

There are sinister black blades, shiny silver ones, and some that seem impossible in real life, like a jade-cut edge.

5. The Crimson Samurai

Historical Samurai warriors were known to wear masks of demons and other fearsome creatures to intimidate their foes. In a world like Skyrim’s, they might have gone the extra mile and actually made a pact with Daedra.

The Crimson Samurai is a somewhat overpowered armor that’ll make the wearer nigh-invulnerable to regular combat methods.

A giant may still bounce you off the ground and far into the skies, but you’re almost indestructible otherwise.

The armor is dark and sinister looking, with ominous red runes and intricate ornaments shining bright on the black iron plates and leather.

With it, you’ll be some sort of Akaviri Daedric Prince.

4. Hattori Hanzo Katanas

The Hattori Hanzo name is linked to Samurai swords thanks to a 16th-century Samurai & Ninja who made a name for himself fighting under Ieyasu Tokugawa.

His tactical brilliance and combat prowess made him a legend – and perhaps these Hattori Hanzo blades will help your Dragonborn achieve the same.

What I love so much about these Katanas (other than their high-quality detailed blades) are the handles and sheaths, which look quite traditional and almost ceremonial – precisely the kind a high-ranking Samurai would have worn while out on official business.

3. Akaviri Martial Arts

Once you’ve chosen the blades that best fit your Tamrielic Samurai, they’ll need to learn the correct way to wield them.

Katanas are fine blades capable of cutting a man in half in a single swing – but they’re also brittle.

Wield them incorrectly, and you’ll find yourself with a fruit knife.

The Akaviri Martial Arts mod adds all-new one-handed weapon animations that’ll help your character wield their Eastern blades the right way – and look utterly badass in the process.

This will make your character look skilled and lightning-fast like a boss in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

If you’re partial to heavier weapons, check out this two-handed Katana animation too.

2. Samurai City Guard

We’ve taken a look at many ways you can bring some Samurai flavor to your character’s skillset and looks, but how about the environment?

After all, it would be weird if you were the only Samurai in the entire province.

Did you come from another dimension or something?

The Samurai City Guard mod will make every hold’s capital look like Japan during the Tokugawa Shogunate, by replacing the guards’ boring old medieval gear for stylish Eastern garb.

And one thing I love about this mod is how the less wealthy holds and low-ranking soldiers wear footsoldier armor, while more affluent holds and higher-ranking officers have full-fledged Samurai armor.

1. Blades Samurai Armor & Kimonos V2

Variety is the spice of life – even for Samurai.

And I always favor mods that give you a lot to discover with just a single download.

Blades Samurai Armor & Kimonos is an excellent add-on for Skyrim that goes above and beyond just giving you one or two suits of armor.

With this installed you get a whole wardrobe of Samurai period clothing and equipment, including Kimonos, regular footsoldier armor, and more.

There are even flags to show your lord’s allegiance and all-new Akaviri weapons ranging from Katanas to Japanese-style longbows.

Of course, there are also badass suits of Samurai armor – including one made exclusively for the Dovahkiin you’ll have to earn by completing a challenging quest.