Legend of the Five Rings
Legend of the Five Rings is a beloved shared game world set in a fantastical reimagining of feudal Japan. In L5R, the cinematic action of Akira Kursosawa’s samurai films meets the heroic fantasy of The Lord of the Rings. Rival samurai clans compete for prestige in the imperial capital and for glory on the battlefield, all while trying to fend off a demonic invasion from the corrupted lands beyond the empire’s borders. Seven heroes must rise, or the realm of Rokugan will fall.
The saga began in 1995 with a collectible card game that did something unprecedented: the winners of the card game’s tournaments helped shape the story to come, deciding who would live, who would die, and who would rise to become the new emperor. The epic legend that unfolded in the card game has been called “the greatest story in gaming,” and now it’s being retold in more detail than ever before across a series of novels, board games, art books, comic books, video games, and more. Wandering ronin, samurai lords, scheming courtiers, mystical spellcasters, and warrior monks must embark on epic quests and win desperate battles against the forces of evil, lest their realm be conquered by a corrupted god and his legion of demons, monsters, and undead.
Audience:
• Anime & Manga Fans: With its lush illustration style and Japanese aesthetics, fans of anime and manga will be drawn to the IP’s martial arts, magic, romance, and supernatural monsters.
• Epic Fantasy Fans: Fans of fantasy worlds such as Dungeons & Dragons, Game of Thrones, and The Lord of the Rings will recognize goblins, ghosts, and evil wizards as well as clashing armies,
palace intrigue, and forbidden lore.
• Samurai Cinema Fans: Wandering swordsmen, plucky peasants, and vicious warlords along with
castles, nobles, bandits, and shinobi all come together in Legend of the Five Rings.
Key Facts:
• The original Legend of the Five Rings card game was first published in 1995 and inspired multiple board games, roleplaying games, art books, novels, and a graphic novel in the years since.
• The 2017 edition of the card game was translated into multiple languages, including Chinese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish, representing a global audience.