Kurosawa follows the events of Macbeth although Kurosawas Washizu Taketoki is arguably less evil than Macbeth. As with the play the main character''s comrade is killed when he is perceived as a threat to the throne only to return as a ghost. There is no Macduff character in this picture; hence Washizu does not meet his end in a duel. Instead he is shot by his own archers and stumbles forward before being shot in the neck. He slowly descends the stairs and dies collapsing dramatically on the fog-soaked ground.