Pray for Death

Pray for Death

Year: 1985

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Gordon Hessler

Action

Akira Saito, a Japanese businessman, lives in Tokyo with his Japanese‑American wife Aiko and their two sons, Takeshi and Tomoya. When Aiko gets the chance to teach the boys about their American heritage, the family moves to Houston, Texas, where they run a restaurant. Their fresh start quickly turns perilous as unexpected trouble erupts.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Pray for Death (1985)

Trace every key event in Pray for Death (1985) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Akira decides to move to America to start a new life

Akira Saito, a salaryman from Yokohama, agrees to relocate his family to the United States at his wife Aiko's insistence, hoping to give their two sons a fresh start. He resolves to leave behind the shadows of his ninja past and live openly as a civilian. The decision sets in motion a long separation from the temple's guarded secrets.

years before moving to the United States Yokohama, Japan
2

Past betrayal leads to a deadly showdown at the temple

Years earlier, Akira's brother Shoji, raised and trained by Koga, disguises himself to steal from the temple. Akira confronts and kills Shoji in combat, a deed that weighs on him. Afterward, Koga admonishes him to guard the temple's secrets and reminds him that the shadows cannot be fully left behind, even offering a ninja helmet as a reminder.

years before Ninja temple, Japan
3

Koga commands Akira to keep the ninja secrets

In the wake of the engagement with his brother, Koga forces Akira to swear never to reveal the temple's secrets and to carry the helmet as a constant reminder of his vow. He warns that Akira can never fully escape the shadows that trained him. This oath casts a long shadow over Akira's future choices.

years before Koga's dojo/temple
4

Family plans to emigrate and start anew in Houston

The Saitos leave Japan and establish a life in Houston, where they buy Sam Green's closed restaurant and apartment. They begin operating as Aiko's Japanese Restaurant and set about building a peaceful future for their sons Takeshi and Tomoya. The move marks the start of a life far from the ninja world that once shadowed them.

shortly after moving to the United States Houston, Texas, USA
5

Daly's covert ploy and the hidden necklace

Daly, a corrupt cop working for mobster Mr. Newman, breaks into the cigar store area of Sam Green's building and hides the Van Adda necklace in a white box under loose floorboards. He later reconsiders and decides to double-cross the mob, taking the necklace for himself.

the day after sale closes Cigar store area, Sam Green's building, Houston
6

Willie murders Sam Green after the necklace disappears

Newman's enforcer Limehouse Willie discovers the necklace is missing and assumes Sam Green is fleeing with it. He follows Green's luggage to his car and brutally kills Green, even though no necklace is found. This murder seeds suspicion that the Saito family knows something.

the following day Sam Green's property, Houston
7

Abduction of Tomoya after a store confrontation

The next day, Tomoya and Takeshi go to a local store and are confronted by bullies who target Takeshi's bicycle. Tomoya, with his red belt in karate, defends his brother, but Willie abducts Tomoya during the melee, leaving Takeshi with a broken nose.

the day after sale closes Local store, Houston
8

Akira follows the clues and tracks a left-handed thief

Willie demands the necklace from Akira, who then examines the cigar store for clues. He finds a broken door lock, loose floor boards, and a grey thread from a left-handed Daly's suit, implicating a left-handed thief in the jewelry theft.

the same day Cigar store, Houston
9

Confrontation at Pier 25 and a perilous escape

Akira goes to the pier, boards one of the ships, and is restrained by Willie and his men. Using his ninja skills, he escapes with Tomoya, slipping away under cover of darkness after a tense confrontation.

the same day Pier 25, Houston
10

Police involvement and dead-end evidence

At the precinct, Akira identifies Willie from mug shots with Lt. Anderson's help, but Anderson can do little without solid evidence. Daly and Trumble are present, and the case stalls while Newman plots to eliminate the Saitos.

the next day Police precinct, Houston
11

Attack on the Saito apartment and hospital consequences

Newman's thugs attack the Saito apartment as Akira and the boys attempt to escape; the ensuing pursuit leads to chaos, and Tomoya is placed on life support while Aiko is bruised and kept under observation in hospital.

soon after the attack Saito apartment; hospital
12

Aiko is murdered by Willie in the hospital

Willie infiltrates the hospital and murders Aiko, a devastating blow that solidifies Akira's resolve to reclaim his past. Anderson and his men intervene to stop Willie from finishing Tomoya, but Willie escapes in the ensuing confusion.

the night of the hospital attack Hospital
13

Akira embraces ninjutsu again and forges a new blade

Grief-stricken, Akira relocates the boys to a warehouse, performs ritual preparations, forges a new ninja-to blade, and, donning the helmet from his father, returns to the shadow world he vowed to leave behind.

after Aiko's death Warehouse, Houston
14

Massive assault on Newman’s mansion

In full ninja garb, Akira storms Newman’s mansion and massacres Newman and his henchmen. Willie escapes but is hunted down; the climactic duel ends with Willie impaled by a buzzsaw, begging for death as Akira walks away.

climax Newman’s mansion
15

Final grave visit and detective’s wary warning

Akira and his sons visit Aiko's grave, where Detective Anderson hints that the assailant might have been a ninja and asks to report if Akira sees one. Akira denies it, while Takeshi quips that the detective has watched too many ninja movies; Anderson leaves a shuriken as a sign, suggesting the ninja could still exist.

final sequence Aiko's grave

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:28

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Pray for Death Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Pray for Death

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