Honda Tadakatsu
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Honda Tadakatsu (本多忠勝, 1548 – December 31610), also called Honda Heihachirō (本多平八郎), was a general in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
A native of Mikawa Province in Japan, he lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods. Ieyasu promoted him from daimyo of the Ōtaki han (100 000 koku) to the Kuwana han (150 000 koku) as a reward for his service. In addition, his son Tadatomo became daimyo of Ōtaki. In 1609, he retired, and his son Tadamasa took over Kuwana. His other son, Tadatoki, married the granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Senhime. Tadakatsu became increasingly estranged from the Tokugawa shogunate (bakufu) as it evolved from a military to a civilian political institution. Oda Nobunaga praised him "Samurai in Samurai". Moreover, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was praised him "Honda Tadakatsu in the east and Tachibana Muneshige in the west". His hourse is Mikuniguro. The spear of his patronage Tonbo-Giri" is one of the "Three Great Spear of Japan".
Tadakatsu the General
Honda Tadakatsu is generally regarded as one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's finest generals, and he fought in almost all of his master's major battles. He gained distinction at the Battle of Anegawa (1570), helping in the defeat of the armies under the Azai and Asakura clans along with Tokugawa's ally, Oda Nobunaga. Tadakatsu also served at Tokugawa's greatest defeat, the Battle of Mikatagahara (1572), where he commanded the left wing of his master's army, facing off against troops under one of the Takeda clan's more notable generals, Naito Masatoyo. Although that battle ended in defeat, Honda Tadakatsu was one of those Tokugawa generals present to exact vengeance upon the Takeda at the Battle of Nagashino (1575). Honda commanded a rank of musketeers as the combined Oda/Tokugawa forces annihilated Takeda Katsuyori's army, partly thanks to the skilful use of ranked muskets, firing in cycling volleys - the first example of this highly-effective tactic that the world had seen.Honda Tadakatsu was present at the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), where Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces were able to defeat the "Western" alliance of Daimyo under Ishida Mitsunari, finally allowing Tokugawa to assume control of the country, bringing the Sengoku era to a close.
Tadakatsu seems to have been a colourful figure, around whom a few legends have sprung up - it is often said that of all the battles in which he served, he never once received a wound. His helmet, famously adorned with deer antlers, ensured that he was always a recognisable figure on the field of battle.
Tadakatsu in popular culture
Honda Tadakatsu is featured in a minor role in Akira Kurosawa's movie about the decline of the Takeda clan, Kagemusha.Honda Tadakatsu is a playable character in Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends (voice credited by seiyuu Akio Ohtsuka in Japan). In the game, it is revealed that historically he had a daughter named Inahime, who is also playable. Due to the presence of his historical weapon Tonbogiri as a Created Officer's weapon, he wields another large spear instead. It is unknown if he will once again wield the Tonbogiri in the second installment of the game. Gameplay-wise, albeit a little slow, Tadakatsu packed a tremendous power and defense, along with excellent horseback combat skills. His moves can easily clear crowds, and his overall fighting ability (power plus range, with versatility) is likened to the Lu Bu character of the Dynasty Warriors series. And just like Lu Bu, Tadakatsu is the only character to possess a special theme song whenever he fights the player.
He also plays a leading role in Koei's strategy battle game Kessen, which centres around the Sekigahara campaign and Tokugawa Ieyasu's rise to power. He also features, albeit less prominently, in Kessen 3, as an "allied" unit who appears in certain battle.
Honda Tadakatsu appears in the video game Onimusha 3 as a bonus character, however in the story, he died at the near ending which create a time paradox to the real history.
Honda Tadakatsu is playable in Sengoku Basara as an unlockable character. In this Capcom game, he is a giant mechanical warrior who fits the legends attributed to him. He relies more on the power of his normal attacks rather than his Boost Attacks, which consists of mostly stats-enhancing skills. In Devil Kings, Honda Tadakatsu is renamed as Iron Ox.
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