Lone Wolf and Cub

Lone Wolf and Cub was a Japanese manga series that’s like the godfather of all manga. Created by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, this bad boy hit the scene back in 1970 and changed the game.

Now, picture this: Ogami Ittō, the shōgun’s executioner, gets screwed over by the Yagyū clan. Accused of some serious nonsense, he’s forced to become an assassin. But he’s not alone. Oh no, he’s got his three-year-old son, Daigorō, riding shotgun. Together, they’re out for revenge, and they’re known as “Lone Wolf and Cub.”

Lone Wolf and Cub influenced everything you can think of—books, comics, films, TV shows, video games—you name it. It’s the OG of the “man protecting a child on a dangerous journey” trope. Lone Wolf and Cub, man, it's the stuff of legends.