A samurai was a member of Japan's warrior class who served noble lords during medieval times, roughly from the 1100s to the 1800s. These highly trained fighters followed a strict code of honor called bushido (meaning “the way of the warrior”), which emphasized loyalty, courage, and self-discipline.

Samurai were skilled swordsmen who spent years mastering combat techniques, particularly with their iconic curved swords called katana. But they weren't just fighters: many samurai studied poetry, calligraphy, and tea ceremony, believing that a true warrior should develop both martial skills and cultural refinement.

The samurai class officially ended in the late 1800s when Japan modernized its military, but their influence remains powerful in Japanese culture. When someone today shows exceptional discipline, loyalty, or dedication to mastering a difficult skill, you might hear them compared to a samurai.