ronin
n. countablen. a Japanese samurai who no longer has a master or a lord to serve. In modern stories, it often describes a person who is independent and has no fixed home.
n. a masterless samurai in feudal Japan, typically due to the death of their lord or the loss of their status. In contemporary contexts, it often refers to a person who is independent, unaffiliated, or lacks a fixed social structure.
The movie tells the story of a ronin searching for a new purpose.
In many classic Japanese films, the ronin serves as a moral center, often choosing to help the poor despite having no home or family.
The archetype of the ronin has been adapted into countless modern narratives, representing the existential journey of a person who must find meaning outside of traditional social hierarchies and institutional loyalty.
From Japanese 浪人 (rōnin), in turn from Middle Chinese 浪人 (MC langH nyin, “dissolute, wasteful, unrestrained + person”).