Usagi Yojimbo is heavily influenced by Japanese cinema; it has included references to the work of Akira Kurosawa (the title of the series is derived from Kurosawa's 1961 film Yojimbo),[citation needed] as well as to icons of popular Japanese cinema, such as Lone Wolf and Cub, Zatoichi, and Godzilla.

The books are primarily episodic, with underlying larger plots which create long extended storylines, though there are some novel-length narratives.

Stan Sakai accepted an offer to move his warrior rabbit to Fantagraphics Books where he appeared in several issues of the new anthropomorphic anthology series Critters.

[12] Sakai originally planned for Usagi and other characters to be human in stories explicitly modeled after the life of Miyamoto Musashi.

However, once as Sakai was idly doodling, he drew rabbit ears tied in a topknot on his proposed hero and was pleased by the distinctive image.

[14] Sakai expanded on the idea of a rabbit samurai and his world took on an anthropomorphized cartoon nature, creating a fantasy setting which suited his dramatic needs with a unique look he thought could attract readers.

The fourth is IDW Publishing, (volume four, 31 issues), which also republished select Fantagraphics story portions as Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics.

Sakai has experimented with formats for Usagi Yojimbo, such as when he published the color story "Green Persimmon" first as twelve separate 2-page chapters serialized in Diamond Comic Distributor's monthly catalog Previews.

He has also serialized two short stories in a comic strip format in the tabloid-size promotional publication Dark Horse Extra.

[16] The comics version also makes several pun references to Sergio Aragonés' Groo the Wanderer, in whose publication Sakai was also involved.

In addition, Sakai created a limited spin off series called Space Usagi, who first appeared in Amazing Heroes 187.

In 2024, Boom Studios and Dark Horse Comics published a one-shot crossover featuring Usagi meeting the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

He and Gen showed up again in episodes 1 and 22–23 of season 3 for a Christmas party and a continuation of the second-season storyline (which prominently featured his world and characters), respectively.

[23] He appears in the fifth season (which is titled Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) in the episodes "Yojimbo", "Osoroshi no Tabi", and "Kagayake!

[26] Production companies Atomic Monster and Dark Horse Entertainment are also partnering with Gaumont, with Mumbai-based studio 88 Pictures handling the CGI animation.

[31] A Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo video game was released for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC in 1988 by Firebird.

[32] Usagi appears as a playable character in the Dimension Shellshock downloadable content for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, released on August 31, 2023.

A project for an animated television series, Space Usagi, was cancelled following the failure of Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars.

The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles's Little Tokyo presented an exhibit entitled "Year of the Rabbit: Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo from July 9 through October 30, 2011.

Gen, the rhino bounty hunter, was inspired by the characters made famous by Toshiro Mifune in the samurai films Yojimbo and Sanjuro.