Roman Legionaries and Samurai Warriors are two of the most infamous historical warriors, and many people have speculated about how they would fare in combat against each other. In order to understand who would win in this fight, one needs to know their training and equipment.

Profile of a Roman Warrior

The Roman Legionary were the core of the Roman army, and allowed the small Italian state to expand to the point where it controlled all of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. A Roman Legionary was a professional solider that served for 25 years. They trained constantly, and were required to march dozens of miles while carrying double their regular equipment load.

In combat, a Roman Legionary wore an armor made out of banded plates of iron. This was supplemented with chain mail and leather, and each legionary wore a helmet with check guards. The legionaries fought with two javelins that were designed to pierce a shield and carry through to the person behind it. They fought with a short sword called a gladius, which was used in a stabbing fashion inside of tight formations. Each soldier carried a rounded square shield that was close to half the height of man. This offered them excellent protection, and would hide where a blow from the soldier's short sword would come from.

Profile of a Samurai Warrior

A Samurai Warrior, at the height of their power, fought principally on horseback. They were the elite soldiers of the warlords that controlled Japan, and were lifelong soldiers. They were equipped with armor made out of laminated wood and fabric. Some samurai wore strong silk shirts that had been adopted from Korean soldiers.

The Samurai's principle weapon was the spear, and they would also fight with a bow while on horseback. A skilled samurai could fire a dozen arrows in under a minute while riding his horse as full speed.

When dismounted, a samurai would fight with a curved sword that was made out of folded steel. The swords was very strong, flexible, and used in a slashing motion. The swords was very agile, and equally useful while mounted or dismounted.

Combat between a Samurai and Legionary

In combat, a legionary will win against a samurai. The average samurai and legionary are both career soldiers that train constantly. The large shield carried by the legionary will prevent the samurai from landing a mortal blow. Meanwhile the shield will disguise the samurai, which will allow for the legionary to strike from an unknown position against the samurai. As the roman soldier gets closer, the longer sword carried by the Samurai will become less effective, and the short Gladius should have no problem piercing the armor of the samurai.