Hattori Hanzō
Hattori Hanzō | |
|---|---|
| 服部 半蔵 | |
| Leader of Iga Ninja | |
| In office 1557–1597 | |
| Preceded by | Hattori Yasunaga |
| Succeeded by | Hattori Masanari |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hattori Masanari 服部 正成 c. 1542 Mikawa Province (now Iga-chō, Okazaki, Aichi) |
| Died | January 2, 1597 (aged 54-55) Edo, Musashi province |
| Relations | Hattori Yasunaga, 1st-Hanzō (father) Hattori Masanari, 3rd-Hanzō (son) |
| Nickname | Oni no Hanzō (Demon Hanzō) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Matsudaira clan Tokugawa clan |
| Battles/wars | |
Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵; c. 1542 – January 2, 1597) or Second Hanzō, nicknamed Oni no Hanzō (鬼の半蔵, Demon Hanzō), was a famous samurai of the Sengoku era, who served the Tokugawa clan as a general, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. He is often a subject of various portrayals in modern popular culture.
Hanzō was known as an expert tactician and a master of sword fighting, and was included in cultural sobriquet as one of Tokugawa's 16 divine generals (Tokugawa jūrokushinshō).
He became known as the Second Hanzō. He would later earn the nickname Oni no Hanzō (鬼の半蔵, Demon Hanzō) because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations; this moniker also distinguished him from Watanabe Hanzō (Watanabe Moritsuna), who is nicknamed Yari no Hanzō (槍の半蔵, Spear Hanzō).