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You can stream Zatoichi in Desperation (1972) on Criterion Channel with a subscription.

After accidentally causing the death of an old lady, Zatoichi tries to do right by buying the lady’s daughter’s freedom from a brothel - but this causes more problems than solves them.

Zatoichi attempts to settle a heavy debt by purchasing a young woman's freedom, only to find himself caught in a web of escalating violence. This entry trades typical wandering for a desperate, guilt-driven mission that tests the blind swordsman's moral limits.