Begin your anime samurai character with a basic oval or round head shape.
Create evenly spaced eyes that are smaller than typical anime eyes. Because the samurai character is serious, the eyes should be more realistic. Use ovals with centered pupils and very little glare to create this look.
Draw in heavy eyebrows, a small button or "V" nose and a horizontal slit for the mouth. The facial features should only take up two-thirds of the face.
Draw shaggy or long hair, covering the top one-third of the samurai's face. Typically, there is no separation at the crown between bangs and the back of the hair for male characters, so keep the hair as one unit on the head, no matter if it is long or short.
Add a robe with a front-tied sash for your samurai. This robe should be loose-fitting and long, ending just above the ankle. The front of the robe should range from slightly open to completely exposing the chest, depending on the muscular structure of your samurai.
Define chest and ab muscles with wide "U" shapes. Graphic novel samurai characters will have much more muscle definition than cartoon anime samurai, who should have next to none.
Place the sandaled feet of your samurai at shoulder width apart while standing, as this denotes the manly warrior stance of a fighter. If in motion, your samurai's feet can be in a kicking position, with perfect angles and flexibility.
Add your samurai sword last. Whether in hand or tucked into the sash of the robe, the sword is paramount when drawing this type of anime character. Be sure to use horizontal lines to hatch the handle of the sword, and place light marks on an exposed sword to add drama. This can be done by simply using the negative space to create an asterisk shape denoting a glint of light on the sword tip or blade.