You will hardly make headway in life if you are not a fighter. Life, as we all know it is a battle for the toughest. It’s not a walk in the park. You need as much physical and mental toughness as a warrior to brace it all.
In moments where you feel your agility towards life is dwindling, remember these samurai quotes. Decades back, samurai or bushi as they were called were warriors of pre-modern Japan. They fought with weapons such as bows, arrows, spears, and guns.
During those days, samurai were so powerful and feared. Between 1603-1867, they formed the ruling military class that later on became the highest-ranking social caste of the Edo period. So, whether you are fighting a physical or mental war, their quotes below will surely bring out the true warrior in you.
81 Famous Samurai Quotes To Bring Out The True Warrior In You Click To TweetDisclaimer: Please note that some of the links are affiliates and will come at no extra cost for your end. However, I may earn a commission should you choose to purchase through the affiliate links provided. With these funds, it helps fund this blog and every expense incurred, ensuring that I can continue to provide valuable content such as this to you free of charge. Please be assured that I only recommend products that are worthy and benefiting to you. Thank you for reading through.
Action plan on how to use your favorite quotes effectively
- Print it – Print your favorite quote onto paper and stick them up at obvious places around your house, like your bed frame, desk, dressing mirror, refrigerator or microwave.
- Desktop or mobile wallpaper – Type or work out a simple design (use Canva.com to make designing effortless) for your desktop or mobile wallpaper. Change it from time to time for empowering variations.
- Workplace / worktop – Frame your favorite quote up and place them so by your desk. Not only do you get inspired after each read, your colleagues might too.
- Pocket-size cut outs – Compile a list of your favorite quotes in wallet-size fittings. Keep them in your wallet or at the back of your pocket wherever you go. That way, you get to read through them conveniently wherever you go.
- Accelerate further – To this day, I am still constantly learning through paid educational platforms to improve my personal development and professional growth. Even though nowadays, multiple resources can be freely found online, but it’ll take a tremendous amount of effort and time to find what works. I know so and have been joining a premium, life-changing learning program called Mindvalley. It connects me to the world’s best teachers and community and I’ve been on their program since 2019. So yes, I know the programs taught inside work.
81 Famous Samurai Quotes To Bring Out The True Warrior In You
- “Honour may not win power, but it wins respect. And respect earns power.” – Ishida Mitsunari
- “Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death. – Uesugi Kenshin
- “A warrior is worthless unless he rises above others and stands strong in the midst of a storm.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.” – Sun Tzu
- “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.” – Miyamoto Musashi
- “See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body.” – Yagyu Munenori
- “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” – Archilochus
- “Without Knowledge, Skill cannot be focused. Without Skill, Strength cannot be brought to bear and without Strength, Knowledge may not be applied.” – Alexander the Great
- “The Samurai always has to rise and move on, because new challenges will come.” – Lyoto Machida
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Best Samurai quotes on life to keep
- “Civilize the mind but make savage the body.” – Mao Zedong
- “I’m not a fighter, but in my mind I’m fighting every day. ‘What’s new? What am I doing?’ I’m fighting myself. My soul is samurai. My roots aren’t samurai, but my soul is.” – Masaharu Morimoto
- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
- “Master the divine techniques of the Art of Peace and no enemy will dare to challenge you.” – Morihei Ueshiba
- “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu
- “The way of the Samurai is found in death.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “Some Warriors look fierce, but are mild. Some seem timid, but are vicious. Look beyond appearances; position yourself for the advantage.” – Ming-Dao Deng
- “The undisturbed mind is like the calm body water reflecting the brilliance of the moon. Empty the mind and you will realize the undisturbed mind.” – Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi
- “The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one and it would not be a wasted life.” – Ken Watanabe
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Famous Samurai quotes to have and remember
- “As a samurai, I must strengthen my character; as a human being I must perfect my spirit.” – Yamaoka Tesshu
- “Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of Man.” – Miyamoto Musashi
- “I have a high art, I hurt with cruelty those who would damage me.” – Archilochus
- “Mental bearing (calmness), not skill, is the sign of a matured samurai. A Samurai therefore should neither be pompous nor arrogant.” – Tsukahara Bokuden
- “If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.” – Sun Tzu
- “Where life is more terrible than death, it is then the truest valor to dare to live.” – Thomas Browne
- “It’s actually the samurai spirit, which is ‘no fear and never give up.” – Enson Inoue
- “A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams.” – Nabeshima Naoshige
- “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” – Sun Tzu
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Samurai quotes on honor and strength
- “Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.” – Albert Einstein
- “The no-mind not-thinks no-thoughts about no-things.” – Gautama Buddha
- “A samurai must remain calm at all times even in the face of danger.” – Chris Bradford
- “Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.” – Sun Tzu
- “There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “A samurai should always be prepared for death – whether his own or someone else’s.” – Stan Sakai
- “The dance of battle is always played to the same impatient rhythm. What begins in a surge of violent motion is always reduced to the perfectly still.” – Sun Tzu
- “The uncomfort zone is very important for us… To feel uncomfortable is important to strengthen your spirit. Like the samurai says, if you feel comfortable you must search for the discomfort, don’t look only for the easy way.” – Lyoto Machida
- “Ultimately, you must forget about technique. The further you progress, the fewer teachings there are. The Great Path is really NO PATH.” – Morihei Ueshiba
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Samurai quotes on death and suffering
- “The Samurai is the first to suffer anxiety for human society, and he is the last to seek personal pleasure.” – Morihei Ueshiba
- “I dislike death, however, there are some things I dislike more than death. Therefore, there are times when I will not avoid danger.” – Mencius
- “Everyone feels fear. What a samurai or warrior is, is what you do when you feel fear.” – Enson Inoue
- “It is the very mind itself that leads the mind astray – of the mind, do not be mindless.” – Takuan Soho
- “My mentality is like a samurai they used to train every day, work on their technique to make themselves better, almost perfect, perfection is impossible but every day you get closer and that’s what I want . Every day I want to get better than I was the day before. I want to use every second of my life, every time I have in my life to make me a better fighter. It’s more than a job it’s a way of living.” – Georges St-Pierre
- “A hug from a samurai girl is warmer than a heap of blankets and more meaningful than a pile of words.” – Sandy Fussell
- “Never quit, you have to resist to the utmost. ‘Til you drop, like a Samurai.” – Carlson Gracie
- “This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai: if by setting one’s heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. his whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.” – Sun Tzu
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More Samurai quotes on fear
- “Once the will is resolved, one’s spirit is strengthened. Even a peasant’s will is hard to deny, but a samurai of resolute will can sway ten thousand men.” – Yoshida Shoin
- “One finds life through conquering the fear of death within one’s mind. Empty the mind of all forms of attachment, make a go-for-broke charge and conquer the opponent with one decisive slash.” – Takenaka Shigekata
- “It is a wretched thing that the young men of today are so contriving and so proud of their material posessions. Men with contriving hearts are lacking in duty. Lacking in duty, they will have no self-respect.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “My mentality is that of a samurai. I would rather commit seppuku than fail.” – Elon Musk
- “THE ART OF PEACE does not rely on weapons or brute force to succeed; instead, we put ourselves in tune with the universe, maintain peace in our own realms, nurture life, and prevent death and destruction. The true meaning of the term samurai is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.” – Morihei Ueshiba
- “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” – George Washington
- “If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.” – Sun Tzu
- “I am the scroll of the poet behind which samurai swords are being sharpened.” – Lester Cole
- “I look at the Samurai because they were the artists of their time. What I think struck me when I read Bushido is compassion. ‘If there’s no one there to help, go out and find someone to help.’ That hit me, because I try to lead my life like that.” – Tom Cruise
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Best Samurai quotes on victory and defeat
- “For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.” – Sun Tzu
- “SHUCHU RYOKU – Focus all your energy to one point.” – Gozo Shioda
- “When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it will not do to think about going at it in a long roundabout way. One’s heart may slacken, he may miss his chance, and by and large there will be no success. The Way of the Samurai is one of immediacy, and it is best to dash in headlong.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “If you learn to lead your life strategically and strongly, you can overcome the opposition. But running away, you never overcome anything. The pathway to enlightenment is for the warrior, the samurai.” – Frederick Lenz
- “The sword was a very elegant weapon in the days of the samurai. You had honor and chivalry much like the knights, and yet it was a gruesome and horrific weapon.” – Dustin Diamond
- “To practice Zen or the Martial Arts, you must live intensely, wholeheartedly, without reserve – as if you might die in the next instant.” – Taisen Deshimaru
- “What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.” – Sun Tzu
- “The person who practices an art is an artist, not a samurai, and one should have the intention of being called a samurai.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.” – Sun Tzu
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More Samurai quotes on war to be inspired
- “My philosophy is the same as a Samurai: To hit without getting hit.” – Lyoto Machida
- “My mentality is like a Samurai: They used to every day work on their technique to make themselves almost perfect. Because perfection is impossible, but every day, you get closer to perfection.” – Georges St-Pierre
- “In the words of the ancients, one should make his decision within the space of seven breaths. It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break through to the other side.” – Jim Jarmusch
- “One who was born in the house of a warrior, regardless of his rank or class, first acquaints himself with a man of military feats and achievements in loyalty….Everyone knows that if a man doesn’t hold filial piety toward his own parents he would also neglect his duties toward his lord. Such a neglect means a disloyalty toward humanity. Therefore such a man doesn’t deserve to be called ‘samurai’.” – Takeda Shingen
- “Every country in the world loved the folklore of the West–the music, the dress, the excitement, everything that was associated with the opening of a new territory. It took everybody out of their own little world. The cowboy lasted a hundred years, created more songs and prose and poetry than any other folk figure. The closest thing was the Japanese samurai. Now, I wonder who’ll continue it.” – John Wayne
- “It is bad when one thing becomes two. One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all Ways and be more and more in accord with his own.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “The Way lies at hand yet it is sought afar off; the thing lies in the easy yet it is sought in the difficult.” – Mencius
- “You must concentrate upon and consecrate yourself wholly to each day, as though a fire were raging in your hair.” – Taisen Deshimaru
- “I used to think that to become free you had to practice like a samurai warrior, but now I understand that you have to practice like a devoted mother of a newborn child. It takes the same energy but has a completely different quality. It’s compassion and presence rather than having to defeat the enemy in battle.” – Jack Kornfield
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Samurai quotes on strength and being courageous
- “In the Kamigata area, they have a sort of tiered lunchbox they use for a single day when flower viewing. Upon returning, they throw them away, trampling them underfoot. The end is important in all things.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “Samurai culture did exist really, for hundreds of years and the notion of people trying to create some sort of a moral code, the idea that there existed certain behaviors that could be celebrated and that could be operative in a life.” – Edward Zwick
- “All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.” – Sun Tzu
- “Unless you do your best, the day will come when, tired and hungry, you will halt just short of the goal you were ordered to reach, and by halting you will make useless the efforts and deaths of thousands.” – George S. Patton
- “Not to borrow the strength of another, nor to rely on one’s own strength; to cut off past and future thoughts, and not to live within the everyday mind… then the Great Way is right before your eyes.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “A samurai is a total human being, whereas a man who is completely absorbed in his technical skill has degenerated into a ‘function’, one cog in a machine.” – Yukio Mishima
- “A samurai will use a toothpick even though he has not eaten. Inside the skin of a dog, outside the hide of a tiger.” Yamamoto Tsunetomo
- “I love tattoos. And mine symbolise who I really am. I have a Samurai on my left arm. At a subconscious level, I connect to this warrior and model myself on his discipline, skills and honour. There is also a tribal tattoo and a Chinese symbol of faith. I have seen a lot of people getting tattoos just because it’s a trend.” – Virat Kohli
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Which of these Samurai quotes is your favorite?
A warrior is known for his ability to put their lives in line for what they believe in. Warriors never throw in the towel no matter how tough the battle is; no matter how tired they are. They brace up and fight till the end.
You might say to yourself, “Oh, I don’t think I have such ability”, “I am too weak to fight”, “I can never win”. Remember this; a warrior’s greatest weapon is his mind. So, the moment you tell yourself you cannot win, you wouldn’t. But tell yourself that no matter what, you will fight till the end and win, then so shall it be. The battle starts from the mind.
We believe that by reading and digesting these samurai quotes, you will develop a warrior mindset and learn to raise despite the setbacks, failures, and challenges life throws at you.
Which of the above samurai quotes was your favorite? Let us know in the comment section below.
