The Outsider

In 1954, Nick Lowell, a former U.S. Marine captain, is the sole non-Japanese inmate in an Osaka prison. He saves a yakuza named Kiyoshi from being hanged, earning the Shiromatsu clan's debt. They arrange for Nick's early release and bring him to the Shiromatsu HQ, where his new path begins.

Nick is released to the Shiromatsu and offered a job. American businessman Anthony Panetti refuses to negotiate with the Shiromatsu and instead pursues a deal with the Seizu. In a burst of anger, Nick smashes Panetti with a typewriter, forcing him to reconsider.

A group of Seizu clan members arrives from Kobe to intimidate the Shiromatsu at their nightclub. Nick confronts them with a bottle in hand and nearly triggers a shootout, but the Seizu retreat under pressure.

Kiyoshi befriends Nick, giving him a luxurious apartment and a suit. He entrusts Nick with driving his drunk sister Miyu home after a party, and Nick spends the night with her, deepening his ties to the Shiromatsu. Nick also commits to the clan by getting a matching irezumi tattoo.

The aging Shiromatsu patriarch resists adapting to the post-war economy, letting rival yakuza press for advantage. Nick's role begins to expand as the clan faces these mounting tensions.

Kiyoshi sends Nick alone to handle a black market weapons deal at a harbor with a treacherous soldier. When Nick arrives, he finds a dead man and is ambushed by four Seizu members trying to steal the cash. He fights back, killing two Seizu members before returning with the money.

To prevent a war with the Seizu, Nick and Kiyoshi perform yubitsume, severing their fingertips as a formal apology. The severed digits are sent to the Seizu patriarch, who accepts the gesture and the peace offering.

Nick is taken to a countryside temple where he becomes a full member of the Shiromatsu through an initiation ceremony. The rite formalizes his status within the clan and cements his allegiance.

During a sumo contest, the two families meet to discuss the situation. The Seizu patriarch tries to retire the Shiromatsu by absorbing them, but the Shiromatsu patriarch refuses the offer, escalating tensions between the clans.

Lieutenant Paulie Bowers, a US Marine on leave who knew Nick's past, tries to blackmail him. He lures Nick back to his apartment and slashes his neck, killing him.

The next morning, Nick learns Miyu was assaulted by her former lover Orochi, and that she is pregnant. Nick informs Kiyoshi, who entrusts him with protecting Miyu and presents him with a daishō, symbolizing his new responsibilities. The events lead to burying Bowers' body with the Shiromatsu.

A few days later, Nick and Kiyoshi accompany the Shiromatsu patriarch to a tailor shop, where the patriarch is strangled by an attacker. In the ensuing ambush, Kiyoshi is shot dead as they attempt to escape, signaling the clan's deepening crisis.

The Seizu gain the support of Orochi, betraying Shiromatsu and triggering open war. The Seizu patriarch calls for peace talks at the harbor, but Orochi murders the Shiromatsu patriarch by stabbing him in the back while they embrace, and a sniper wounds Nick.

Nick travels to the Seizu dojo with Kiyoshi's sword, demanding a chance to confront Orochi. Orochi refuses to fight a gaijin and returns the sword, but Nick uses the moment to cut Orochi's throat, avenging his patriarch. The Seizu patriarch tells Nick to leave as the feud continues elsewhere.

With Orochi defeated, Nick returns to a secure apartment where Miyu is under guard. The yakuza bow reverently as Nick is acknowledged as the new head of the Shiromatsu clan, and he embraces Miyu, sealing his leadership and his commitment to her safety.