
Sonny Chiba
Known for Acting · 237 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)

Wind and Cloud
2002
as 雄霸

Samurai Banners
2007

Shadow Warriors
1980
as Hattori Hanzō

Space Sheriff Gavan
1982
as Space Sheriff Voicer

Key Hunter
1968
as 風間洋介

Team Astro
2005
as Shuro

Space Sheriff Sharivan
1983
as Voicer (in flashback)

Nanairo Kamen
1959
as Kotaro Ran

风云争霸
2004
as 东方青木 / 东方白石

Yagyu Jubei Secret Quest
1982
as Yagyu Jubei

Robot Detective
1973
as Keitarō Shinjō

Layout
2021

Shotgun Marriage
2001
as Ittetsu Kotani

Yagyu's Secret Quest
1980
as Yagyu Jubei

Daihijôsen
1976

The Yagyu Conspiracy
1978
as Yagyu Yubei

Takeda Shingen
1991
as Takeda Nobutora
Oda Nobunaga
1989

Notes on Tokugawa Villainies
1992
as Matsudaira Tadateru

Yume ni Mita Hibi
1989
as Sekimoto Shinsaku

The Bodyguard
1974
Seiryuu Densetsu
1996
Tokugawa Ieyasu
1988

Juujiro
1978

Messenger of Allah
1960
as Detective Goro Narumi / Messenger of Allah

Late Night Salute
1986
Blazing Dragnet
1975
Movies (210)

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

The Storm Riders
1998
as Lord Conqueror

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
2006
as Uncle Kamata

The Bullet Train
1975
as Aoki

Battle Royale II: Requiem
2003
as Makio Mimura

Survive Style 5+
2004
as Azama

Virus
1980
as Dr. Yamauchi

Shogun's Shadow
1989
as Iba Shoemon

Shogun's Ninja
1980
as Shiranui Shogen

Born to Be King
2000
as Ichiro Kusakari

The Bushido Blade
1981
as Prince Ido

Samurai Reincarnation
1981
as Jubei Yagyu

Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima
1973
as Katsutoshi Otomo

Shogun's Samurai
1978
as Jûbê Yagyû

The Street Fighter
1974
as Takuma Tsurugi

Iron Eagle III
1992
as Horikoshi

Four Sisters
1962
as Shinkichi Hayami

Sister Street Fighter
1974
as Seiichi Hibiki

Japan's Don
1977
as Tsuneyoshi Sakota

The Street Fighter's Last Revenge
1974
as Takuma Tsurguri

Fall Guy
1982

Dead Angle
1979

G.I. Samurai
1979
as Lt. Yoshiaki Iba

Message from Space
1978
as Prince Hans

Unification Of Japan 2
2013
as Seizo Gonda

Legend of the Eight Samurai
1983
as Inuyama Dosetsu Tadatomo

Yakuza Eiga, une histoire du cinéma yakuza
2009
as Himself

Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon
1977
as Duke Togo (Golgo 13)

Memoir of Japanese Assassinations
1969
as Sho Onuma

Kotaro, An Audacious Karate Boy
1984
as Sonny Sullivan

Sarutobi Sasuke and the Army of Darkness 3 - The Wind Chapter
2004

Return of the Street Fighter
1974
as Takuma Tsurugi

Don's Road 9
2013

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka
2002
as Yasunori Hijikata

Tale of Japanese Burglars
1965
as Lawyer Ohki

The Escape
1962

Human Torpedoes
1968

The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf
1979
as Mitsuhiko Sakurai

Legend of Seven Monks
2006

Sushi Girl: A Documentary
2013
as Self

The Okinawa War of Ten Years
1978

Hunter in the Dark
1979
as Samon Shimoguni

New Battles Without Honor and Humanity 2: Head of the Boss
1975
as Bartender

Bond of Justice: Kizuna Part I - Encounter
2023
as Jou

The Great Okinawa Yakuza War
1976
as Seigou Kunigami

Sure Death 4
1987
as Bunshichi

The Fall of Ako Castle
1978
as Fuwa Kazuemon

Shingo's Ten Duels
1990
as Umei Tamon

Cabaret
1986
as Yakuza boss

Roaring Fire
1981
as Mr. Magic

Explosive City
2004
as Otosan

Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder
1972
as Gosuke Himuro

Karate Bear Fighter
1975
as Mas Oyama

The Last Kamikaze
1970
as Captain Mishima

Dragon Princess
1976
as Kazuma Higaki

Fighting Fist
1992
as Supt. Yamada

The Executioner
1974
as Ryuichi Koga

Doberman Cop
1977
as Joji Kano

The Last True Yakuza
1985
as Ryozo Kano

The Decisive Power of Aikido
1975

Bodyguard Kiba 2
1973
as Naoto Kiba

Sushi Girl
2012
as Sushi Chef

Drifting Detective: Tragedy in the Red Valley
1961
as Goro Saionji

The Executioner II: Karate Inferno
1974
as Ryuichi Koga

Black Jack: The Visitor in the Eye
1977
as Drunkard

Body Count
1995
as Makato

Takeda Shingen
1991
as Takeda Nobutora

The Legend of Space Sheriff Gavan
2012
as Space Sheriff Voicer

The Machine Gun Dragon
1976

Taikoki
1987

Sarutobi Sasuke and the Army of Darkness 4 - The Fire Chapter
2005
as Yagyu Jubei

Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga
1980
as Katsutoshi Otomo

Ninja Wars
1982
as Shinzaemon Yagyu

Minamoto Yoshitsune
1990

Truckster of Guts
1977

Bond of Justice: Kizuna Part II - Judgement
2024
as Jou

Amazing Masters of Martial Arts
1985
as Self

Wolf Guy
1975
as Akira Inugami

Organized Violence
1967

Gang Loyalty and Vengeance
1963

Invasion of the Neptune Men
1961
as Tachibana - Scientist / Space Chief

Game of Chance 2
1967

Jail Breakers
1976
as Wataru Kangi

The Bodyguard
1973
as Naoto Kiba

Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences
1972
as Toru Ibuki

The Killing Machine
1975
as Doshin So

Immortal Combat
1994
as Jiro 'J.J.' Jintani

Karate for Life
1977
as Sensei Masutatsu Oyama

The Noise
2015

A Kamikaze Cop
1970
as Hayata Shiro

South Pacific Waves Are High
1962

Japanese Humanity and Justice
1977

Game of Chance
1966
as Bungo Endo

Space Sheriff Shaider: The Movie
1984
as Shaider (Voice)

Man with a Funky Hat: The 20,000,000 Yen Arm
1961

Terror Beneath the Sea
1966
as Ken Abe

Hokuriku Proxy War
1977
as Kanai Hachiro

Karate Bullfighter
1975
as Sensei Masutatsu Oyama

The Golden Bat
1966
as Dr. Yamatone

Gang vs. G-Men
1962

13 Steps of Maki: The Young Aristocrats
1975
as Kenichi Hyuga

The Kamikaze Guy
1966
as Mitarai Ken
Street Fighting Man: An Interview with Sonny Chiba
2019
as Self

Sensei
1989
as Makoto Ushiyama

Abashiri Prison: Duel in the South
1966

Prison Walls of Abashiri 4
1965

The Navy
1963
as Takao

The Horrible Obsessions
1972
as Haruo Kikuchi

Masaaki Hatsumi: Living Ninja Legend
2016

The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze
1968

Mid-August Commotion
1962
as Dr Omori

Karate Warriors
1976
as Shuuhei Sakata

Code of Ruffians
1965

Hakata Movie: Chinchiromai
2000

Iemitsu, Hikoza and Isshin Tasuke - A National Crisis: Edo Castle in Danger
1989
as Yagyu Jubei

Legend of the Flying Swordsman
2000
as Dagger

Space Sheriff Shaider: Pursuit! The Strange Kidnappers!
1984
as Shaider (Voice)

Seventeen Ninja
1990
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 237 credits spanning from 1959 to 2024, Sonny Chiba has appeared in 210 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
- The Storm Riders (1998) — as Lord Conqueror
- The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) — as Uncle Kamata
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.