Wicked Priest (1968) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1968 · 90 mins · Japanese

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Directed by

Kiyoshi Saeki

Starring

Masako Araki, Kenjirô Ishiyama, Keiko Tsushima, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Masaru Shiga, Bunta Sugawara

Set in Japan’s Taishō era, a warrior‑monk monastery fractures into rival factions. Chief Abbot’s protégé Shinkai intervenes in a brawl between a rival priest and thugs, earning exile. Now dubbed the “Karate Priest,” he repeatedly clashes with his nemesis Ryotatsu, flouting every clerical rule—fighting, gambling, courting women. His reckless path culminates in a violent showdown against a yakuza gang backed by corrupt priests, with Ryotatsu awaiting the final test.