Prisoner of War

John Wright and Sergeant Gabriel finally seize a moment of chaos when Allied aircraft bomb the Japanese prison camp. The sudden destruction throws Colonel Ito into a murderous frenzy, ordering his men to fire on every captive. In the pandemonium the two nurses, Theresa and Ana, hand the prisoners knives and flares, and the POWs rally together. Captain Collins, despite his broken ankle, battles the lieutenant Endo and briefly gains the upper hand before being cut down by Ito’s gunfire. Wright confronts Ito in the camp’s courtyard; the colonel draws his sword, but Wright’s mastery of the forbidden martial art disables him, leaving Ito humbled and defeated. Before Wright can finish the fight, Gabriel drags him toward a battered glider the Allies have managed to drop in, and with the help of the overhead forces they manage to launch it, escaping the inferno of the camp.

Years later, Wright travels to Tokyo, intent on finding the man who once commanded his torment. He discovers that Ito’s dojo is now run by the colonel’s son, a young swordsman who initially scoffs at the British officer’s intrusion. When Wright demands answers, the son orders his students to attack, but they are quickly overwhelmed. In a final, quiet exchange, the son reveals that his father died long ago and hands back the Victoria Cross that Ito had taken during the war—fulfilling the old man’s promise to return it if Wright ever came seeking it. The son then begs Wright to demonstrate the forbidden technique that once terrified his father; Wright obliges, delivering the move that closes the circle of vengeance and honor. This final confrontation ties together the war’s brutality with a personal reckoning, leaving Wright’s quest for justice both resolved and strangely unfinished.

Last Updated: October 13, 2025 at 19:19