The samurai downfall first started 1700's, but it got into full swing a century later, in 1820. Technology made it so that the whole purpose of a warrior who was highly disciplined became obsolete. Primitive guns would cut the samurai down in battle, while the ones who lived would kill themselves because their friends and their army was defeated. Entire armies would be destroyed at once because the samurai were normally the only ones who could survive such a slaughter, but they would kill themselves.

Another aspect of the downfall of the samurai was respect. People just lost respect for the samurai, and nobody wanted to be a samurai. The current ones would either get old or they would lose a battle and commit suicide.