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Blood does represent sacrifice, but sacrifice doesn't always have to end in death.

You never see nanashi injured except when he gets him arm stabbed, and no other injuries have been mentioned in-anime.

From what I've seen in anime, main characters never suffer injuries/discovery of new injury offscreen

Well, I like to draw manga and I know how complex it can be especially when it comes to anime. There is a lot of work goes into movies and they cut hot all the stuff they don't want.

So this leads me to think about things that happen during the move that dictate whether he dies or not at the end...although it can be argued my opinion is that he lives. And of course I'll mention why..

the reason he initially helps the kid is to get the little jade treasure. Or is it, hehe. We all know about his past. But none the less the treasure is his payment/ reward and is a big part of the movie.

Next is the poison and the dog. This very well could be echoed in the end with nanashi.

Next you see his body is covered in wounds and scars from old battles...he still lived on.

At the end you see the tip of nanashi's sword break off during the fight (now used by his enemy). This is important because if the sword had a tip it would push past the treasure. Next as final blows are drawn the treasure (his reward) saves him. Yes he is hurt but stands up afterwards and looks confidant although you see after he was holding back the pain a little.

So scripting all this throughout the story would be a waste of time and money if he was dying in the end. the treasure is a gift of life from the kid in a way. And him saving the kid redeemed his past in hi eyes. So he left the past behind...this was suggested by him throwing away his sword and by the blood on the tracks in the snow.

The kids expression is odd, but he may only fear for nanashi's death.

Just a few of my thoughts :D

His wounds didn't look entirely lethal.. but I have seen even stupider wounds then that kill people instantly in anime before that made no sense.. Personally I think hes a goner simply because..well..everyone died far to easy at the end, so he probably fell off that horsey.

Two things I want to point out:
-He says "It feels like I'm walking on top of the clouds", possibly symbolising the journey to heaven.
Could've just been conversation though.
-A hawk was seen following them, perhaps a sign that he was nearing death.
Though...hawks don't scavenge as far as I know. And there aren't any vultures in Japan.
Overall, based on other people's points, don't think he died.

this is a stretch but hawks can represent freedom, almost all birds do because of the flight of fancy trope

Him dying isnt just him dying, its him finally becoming free of the past that has haunted him for his whole life, Hes made up for the sins he has committed and is finally at peace even if it meant death.

What makes me think this is that every single person involved with his past had died too, its similar to a certain show in the top 30 on this site who character died in similar circumstances

Nanashi Died... basis? Its a Samurai anime... Its the way of the samurai. "Live by the sword & die by the sword". Kotaro did however made it through. Just by the anime showed itself, that facial expression at the end, and everything he been trough with nanashi. He's not going to die of that easily.

Let's face it, any other ending and the movie wouldn't have been as great. it leaves a great impression, spurring the imagination of the viewer taking the whole movie to the next level. Instead of knowing, you're hoping, wishing, thinking what will happen after. truly a masterpiece. 10/10

Same could have been said for another certain character thats gone through way worse than nanashi yet he didnt exactly survive

Obviously i cant say who as evne mentioning the series gives it away so the key word is

"..........bang......."

If you saw the series you would know which im refering to, either way the point is even the toughest characters main or not arent exactly invincible, in fact the rule pretty much is bad ass anime anti hero mortallity rate at 98%

From what I've been hearing the blood drops on the snow is more of symbolism. Where as before he had to dye his hair black and you'd see the black dye drip off when he washed his hair in an earlier scene the blood represents his 'red hair' so now he has his freedom and no longer has to hide his true-self.

Really tough to say if he lived or died though. The 'compensation' he got for being the kid's bodyguard did 'save' his life in that moment, but it doesn't mean it completely saved it .

Like others have said going to a foreign country, walking on clouds, etc. could be another show for his passage to the afterlife. It actually has a lot more things showing that he obtained his freedom and is passing to the next life versus he lives. Then they went on to say that they couldn't see the next town either.(Is positive though and says it should be close by.)
I think seeing the blood drops kind of made me think in the end he died though. Judging from the time between that fight and the sunrise in the end-scene if he was still bleeding he'd probably bleed out at that point. Then Kotarou's sad expression before galloping on kind of says it too.

They left it open for both sides to be content I suppose. If it were a happy ending people might have thought it be cheesy like others said earlier, but it looks like they didn't want to completely perish the thought of him surviving either. It just leans more towards him dying then him surviving.

I loved it either way.

I think he died, the whole fact that he died just goes better with the movie IMO and if we're going to talk on if he should've died or not then he should've....he had deep cuts all over his body so even if he doesn't die immediately he'll die from loss of blood.

Also considering the time period they're probably wasn't much they could do for all the blood he lost for him to live he would've probably needed a transfusion.

edit: Woops and I forgot to mention that kids face at the end hint's that he died.

after ready all this, and my own considerations i think he lives..

if he would die, there has to be much more blood on the snow..

Koutaro's "payment" saved his life, what was the point of showing that if not? Not only was he stabbed with a half broken sword, the item took the most lethal part of the blow as well.

Nanashi lives.

i'd like to believe he lives, as others have pointed out, the sword used to stab him had no tip due to it breaking off and due to that, the jade crystal was able to absorb most, if not all of the impact, as we see it fall its not sliced cleanlly, its snapped/shattered as if struck by....the end of a broken sword. add to that, there was nearly no blood on his sword compared to the other sword which was stained red

and the ending i felt was him finally feeling redeemed for his past, theres no reason he should die. i interpret it as him finally being able to rest, hes just covered a distance on foot that some of those guards didnt think their horses would even be able to cover (the guard mentions it as they ride the shortcut) then hes been nearly crushed by a falling building, killed countless elite samurai then had a battle with someone of comparable skill, and he did get quite a few superficial wounds as well as a more serious one to the arm (which is probably what left the blood at the end) of course hes going to be tired. but alas, he doesnt close his eyes at the end and the kid seems pretty confident in asking him what hell do once his injuries heal.

I know that this is an old thread, but I've recently finished watching this movie and I am also clueless whether he dies or not. If I had to pick, I would've chosen death, for a few reasons.

1. Considering his previous act in the past where he killed 2 (possibly more) innocent people and because of that he felt reluctant to go into battle and draw his sword, since he committing that one despicable act, he lost a part of his humanity.

2. In order to retain his humanity, he offers to help a child by being his bodyguard. Of course this is just a thought, but this would've made it a bit stronger as a film. We may never know whether the character died or not, but I just like to think he
surived. Considering that the dog made it, while it was poisoned. Or the 'blood drops' could have been his hair losing its color, as mentioned earlier.

During my first two viewings of the movie I never noticed the blood at the end, but having taken notice of it this third time I quickly jumped to the conclusion that he died.

However, after giving it some more thought I think the blood is a kick back to when Nanashi saved Tobimaru. At the start of the movie Nanashi was the one saving them but after his prolonged fight his life was left in Kotarous hands. This not only shows how they've come full circle but it also show's that Kotarou has matured after his journey.

It's also very likely that what we see at the end isn't blood at all but is rather his hair dye coming off symbolizing him freeing himself from his past.