Sonny Chiba
Known for Acting · 238 credits
- Born
- 1939-01-23
- Died
- 2021-08-19
- Place of birth
- Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
- Also known as
- Shinichi Chiba · Sadaho Maeda · Sonny Chiba
Biography
Sonny Chiba (born January 23, 1939 - August 19, 2021), also known as Shin'ichi Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fukuoka, Chiba played a variety of sports in high school, including baseball and volleyball. He also practiced gymnastics and participated at the National Sports Festival of Japan in his third year. When he was a university student, he learned martial arts, earning a black belt in Kyokushin Karate in 1965 and later receiving a fourth degree in 1984.
Chiba's career began in the 1960s, when he starred in two tokusatsu superhero shows. In his first role, he replaced Susumu Wajima as the main character Kōtarō Ran/Seven Color Mask in Seven Color Mask (Nana-iro Kamen) in the second half of the series. However, his breakthrough role was in the 1974 film The Street Fighter. Before retiring, Chiba had also appeared in a number of English language American films, including Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift (2006).
Chiba died of COVID-19 complications at the hospital in Tokyo on 19 August 2021, at the age of 82.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Sonny Chiba, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
TV Shows (27)
Key Hunter
1968
as 風間洋介
Samurai Banners
2007
Wind and Cloud
2002
as 雄霸
Space Sheriff Gavan
1982
as Space Sheriff Voicer
Space Sheriff Sharivan
1983
as Voicer (in flashback)
Shadow Warriors
1980
as Hattori Hanzō
风云争霸
2004
as 东方青木 / 东方白石
Layout
2021
Yagyu Jubei Secret Quest
1982
as Yagyu Jubei
Nanairo Kamen
1959
as Kotaro Ran
The Yagyu Conspiracy
1978
as Yagyu Yubei
Shotgun Marriage
2001
as Ittetsu Kotani
Yagyu's Secret Quest
1980
as Yagyu Jubei
Robot Detective
1973
as Keitarō Shinjō
Team Astro
2005
as Shuro
Messenger of Allah
1960
as Detective Goro Narumi / Messenger of Allah
The Bodyguard
1974
Yume ni Mita Hibi
1989
as Sekimoto Shinsaku
Late Night Salute
1986
Seiryuu Densetsu
1996
Notes on Tokugawa Villainies
1992
as Matsudaira Tadateru
Blazing Dragnet
1975
Oda Nobunaga
1989
Juujiro
1978
Takeda Shingen
1991
as Takeda Nobutora
Tokugawa Ieyasu
1988
Daihijôsen
1976
Movies (211)
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
2011
as Hattori Hanzo
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
2003
as Hattori Hanzo
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
2004
as Hattori Hanzo
New Shadow Warriors VI: The Final Chapter
2005
as Hattori Hanzo I
New Shadow Warriors III: Jiraika 1
2003
as Hattori Hanzo I
Orders from Hell
1964
The Storm Riders
1998
as Lord Conqueror
Here Because of You
1964
All Rascals
1962
New Shadow Warriors II
2003
as Hattori Hanzo I
Gang vs. G-Men
1962
King of the Gang
1967
Fearful Witch
1962
New Shadow Warriors IV: Jiraika 2
2004
as Hattori Hanzo I
Oda Nobunaga
1992
Yakuza Legacy
2009
Judo Hall Demon
1964
North Sea Chivalry
1967
Shakespeare in Tokyo
2018
as Calligrapher
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
2006
as Uncle Kamata
Love School
1962
Night Bitch
1966
as Tatsuo Otsuki
Battle Royale II: Requiem
2003
as Makio Mimura
The Bushido Blade
1981
as Prince Ido
The Bullet Train
1975
as Aoki
Samurai Reincarnation
1981
as Jubei Yagyu
Message from Space
1978
as Prince Hans
New Shadow Warriors V: Hattori Hanzo vs Onmyoji
2005
as Hattori Hanzo I
Iron Eagle III
1992
as Horikoshi
Sushi Girl
2012
as Sushi Chef
Ninja Wars
1982
as Shinzaemon Yagyu
Kabamaru the Ninja Boy
1983
as Iga no Saizo
Born to Be King
2000
as Ichiro Kusakari
G.I. Samurai
1979
as Lt. Yoshiaki Iba
Legend of the Eight Samurai
1983
as Inuyama Dosetsu Tadatomo
Survive Style 5+
2004
as Azama
Shogun's Ninja
1980
as Shiranui Shogen
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
2001
The Fall of Ako Castle
1978
as Fuwa Kazuemon
Shogun's Samurai
1978
as Jûbê Yagyû
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima
1973
as Katsutoshi Otomo
Shogun's Shadow
1989
as Iba Shoemon
Violent Street
1963
Return of the Street Fighter
1974
as Takuma Tsurugi
The Street Fighter's Last Revenge
1974
as Takuma Tsurguri
The Street Fighter
1974
as Takuma Tsurugi
Hunter in the Dark
1979
as Samon Shimoguni
The Murder Corps
2001
Karate Warriors
1976
as Shuuhei Sakata
Terror Beneath the Sea
1966
as Ken Abe
Virus
1980
as Dr. Yamauchi
Dragon Princess
1976
as Kazuma Higaki
The Murder Corps: Road to Kansai Domination
2001
The Bodyguard
1973
as Naoto Kiba
Deadly Outlaw: Rekka
2002
as Yasunori Hijikata
A Kamikaze Cop
1970
as Hayata Shiro
Immortal Combat
1994
as Jiro 'J.J.' Jintani
Roaring Fire
1981
as Mr. Magic
The Golden Bat
1966
as Dr. Yamatone
Fall Guy
1982
New Battles Without Honor and Humanity 2: Head of the Boss
1975
as Bartender (uncredited)
Sister Street Fighter
1974
as Seiichi Hibiki
The Executioner II: Karate Inferno
1974
as Ryuichi Koga
Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon
1977
as Duke Togo (Golgo 13)
The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf
1979
as Mitsuhiko Sakurai
Wolf Guy
1975
as Akira Inugami
The Executioner
1974
as Ryuichi Koga
Unification Of Japan 2
2013
as Seizo Gonda
Doberman Cop
1977
as Joji Kano
The Horrible Obsessions
1972
as Haruo Kikuchi
Yagyu Abaretabi
1980
Hokuriku Proxy War
1977
as Kanai Hachiro
Dead Angle
1979
Karate Bear Fighter
1975
as Mas Oyama
Kamikaze Cop, Marihuana Syndicate
1970
as Hayata
The Triple Cross
1992
as Chiba
修羅の花道2
2012
Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder
1972
as Gosuke Himuro
Japan's Don
1977
as Tsuneyoshi Sakota
Body Count
1995
as Makato
Prison Walls of Abashiri 4
1965
The Decisive Power of Aikido
1975
Drifting Detective: Tragedy in the Red Valley
1961
as Goro Saionji
Tokyo-Seoul-Bangkok Drug Triangle
1973
as Tatsuya Wada
The Machine Gun Dragon
1976
Yakuza Warfare
1991
The Killing Machine
1975
as Doshin So
Legend of Seven Monks
2006
as Genryuu
Kamikaze, the Adventurer
1981
as Daisuke Kamikaze
Sure Death 4
1987
as Bunshichi
The Last True Yakuza
1985
as Ryozo Kano
Karate for Life
1977
as Sensei Masutatsu Oyama
Explosive City
2004
as Otosan
The Noise
2015
Wandering Ginza Butterfly: She-Cat Gambler
1972
as Ryuji
Fighting Fist
1992
as Supt. Yamada
Black Jack: The Visitor in the Eye
1977
as Drunkard
Drifting Detective: Black Wind in Harbor
1961
Minamoto Yoshitsune
1990
Sushi Girl: A Documentary
2013
as Self
The Kamikaze Guy
1966
as Mitarai Ken
Kotaro, An Audacious Karate Boy
1984
as Sonny Sullivan
Cabaret
1986
as Yakuza boss
Karate Bullfighter
1975
as Sensei Masutatsu Oyama
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga
1980
as Katsutoshi Otomo
Invasion of the Neptune Men
1961
as Tachibana - Scientist / Space Chief
Bodyguard Kiba 2
1973
as Naoto Kiba
Sarutobi Sasuke and the Army of Darkness 3 - The Wind Chapter
2004
Memoir of Japanese Assassinations
1969
as Sho Onuma
Game of Chance
1966
as Bungo Endo
Kamikaze Cop, No Epitaph to Us
1971
as Shiro Hayata
Delinquent Boss: Wolves of the City
1969
as Mitsuo Fujiki
The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze
1968
Tetsuro Tamba's Great Spirit World: What Happens When You Die
1989
Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special
1988
Classmates
1967
as Second Sublieutenant Hanzawa
Man with the Funky Hat
1961
Oyaji
2007
as Ryudo Numata
Gang Loyalty and Vengeance
1963
Biohazard: The Stage
2015
as Ezra Sennett
About Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba (born January 23, 1939 - August 19, 2021), also known as Shin'ichi Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fukuoka, Chiba played a variety of sports in high school, including baseball and volleyball. He also practiced gymnastics and participated at the National Sports Festival of Japan in his third year. When he was a university student, he learned martial arts, earn… With 238 credits spanning from 1959 to 2024, Sonny Chiba has appeared in 211 films and 27 TV shows.
Fans searching for Sonny Chiba movies, Sonny Chiba filmography, or the latest projects starring Sonny Chiba can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Sonny Chiba Movies
- Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2011) — as Hattori Hanzo
- Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) — as Hattori Hanzo
- Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) — as Hattori Hanzo
- New Shadow Warriors VI: The Final Chapter (2005) — as Hattori Hanzo I
- New Shadow Warriors III: Jiraika 1 (2003) — as Hattori Hanzo I
Where to Watch Sonny Chiba Films
Most Sonny Chiba movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Sonny Chiba, check our movies catalogue and browse page.