Born in Okazaki, Mikawa (modern-day Aichi Prefecture), Honda Tadakatsu, also known as Heihachiro, was one of the esteemed quartet of generals, alongside Ii Naomasa, Sakai Tadatsugu, and Sakakibara Yasumasa, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Tadakatsu's name carries a clever pun, as "Tada" can mean "just," and "katsu" signifies "win." Hence, his name could be translated as "Just Win!" — an apt name for any samurai.
As a trusted confidant of Ieyasu and a brilliant strategist, he stood by Ieyasu's side during pivotal battles such as Okehazama, Anegawa, Mikatagahara, Nagashino, Komaki Nagakute, and, of course, Sekigahara. One of Honda Tadakatsu's most remarkable feats occurred in 1584 during the Komaki Campaign. While Ieyasu left to confront Toyotomi troops at Nagakute, Tadakatsu observed Hideyoshi leading a sizable force in pursuit. With just around 30 mounted samurai, he daringly confronted Hideyoshi's forces, facing overwhelming odds of 50 to 60 to 1 across the Shonai River. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, astonished by Tadakatsu's audacity and valor, ordered that he and his men remain unharmed.
Oda Nobunaga hailed Honda Tadakatsu as a "samurai among samurai." Similarly, Toyotomi Hideyoshi once remarked that among samurai, there were "Honda Tadakatsu in the east and Tachibana Muneshige in the west." Takeda Shingen also commended Honda, stating that "the only things above Tokugawa Ieyasu are his helmet and Honda Tadakatsu."
Honda Tadakatsu's distinctive black armor, with its deer antler-fitted helmet, was a recognizable sight on the battlefield. Despite the helmet appearing heavy and unwieldy with its thick antlers mounted on top, they were actually made of lightweight paper mache covered in lacquer. The reason for adorning deer antlers wasn't merely to enhance his intimidating presence but stemmed from a significant experience following a decisive battle.
The story goes that after the Battle of Okehazama, Tadakatsu led the 19-year-old Ieyasu back to Okazaki Castle. Following days of heavy rain, the rivers were swollen. While searching for a way to cross, a stag deer traversed the shallows, guiding Tadakatsu. Interpreting this as an auspicious sign, Tadakatsu adopted the deer's imagery to further guide and serve his lord, Ieyasu, an undertaking he fulfilled with bravery and honor throughout his life.
At the age of 57, Honda Tadakatsu participated in the Battle of Sekigahara, commanding a mere 500 samurai on the battlefield. During a charge on the Shimazu clan's war camp, Tadakatsu's horse was brought down by a volley of arrows, but he remained unscathed. Pausing briefly to offer a prayer for his fallen horse, he then seized the reins from one of his captains and resumed fighting.
Tadakatsu is often referred to as "The Warrior who surpassed Death itself" as he never suffered a significant wound, despite engaging in over 55 battles. He passed away in Edo in 1610, having inadvertently cut his hand while woodcarving. Observing his own blood flow from the wound, he considered it an omen and willed himself to pass away at the age of 63 several months later.
See also
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Matsudaira Ietada
Matsudaira Ietada, also known as Tomomo-no Suke, was the eldest son of Matsudaira Koretada, the head of the Fukozu branch of the Matsudaira clan. Ietada was born in 1555 at Fukozu Castle. When he reached adulthood (for samurai children this age range was between 11 and 17), the Fukozu-Matsudaira clan was under the authority of Tokugawa Ieyasu and commanded by Sakai Tadatsugu. In the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, Tadatsugu’s unit, which included both Ietada and his father, took part in the assault on the fort on Mount Tobigasu-yama. During the fighting, Koretada was killed, and twenty-year-old Ietada became the new head of the clan.
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Matsudaira Tadaakira
Tadaakira was the fourth son of Okudaira Nobumasa, a vassal of the Tokugawa clan, and his mother was Kame, the eldest daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1588, Tadaakira was adopted by Ieyasu and received the Matsudaira family name; at that time, he bore the name Kiyotada.
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Mashita Nagamori
Nagamori possessed remarkable diplomatic and administrative talent while remaining a brave warrior. He is believed to have come from the village of Mashita in the province of Owari, which today is part of Aichi Prefecture. He was a vassal of Oda Nobunaga and later served Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In the Battle of Komaki–Nagakute in 1584, Nagamori took at least two enemy heads. Later, he was entrusted with overseeing major public construction projects, including the reconstruction of Fushimi Castle and the building of the large Sanjō and Gojō bridges in Kyoto.
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Magara Jurōzaemon Naotaka
Magara Jurōzaemon Naotaka was a vassal of Asakura Yoshikage from the province of Echizen, and very little is known about his life, including even the exact year of his birth. Magara gained his renown through his heroic death at the Battle of Anegawa in 1570. In this battle, the combined forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu confronted the armies of Asai and Asakura, with Ieyasu taking command of the left flank and fighting against the Asakura forces. After crossing the shallow Anegawa River, which separated the two armies, Tokugawa’s finest generals — Honda Tadakatsu and Sakakibara Yasumasa — launched an assault on the headquarters of Asakura Kagetake, the commander-in-chief of the Echizen army. The attack by Honda Tadakatsu was so swift that Kagetake found himself almost completely surrounded by enemy troops.
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Kusunoki Masashige
Kusunoki Masashige was, without exaggeration, a genius of guerrilla warfare. If not for this talented commander, Emperor Go-Daigo would likely have failed not only to ascend the throne, but even to put up any real resistance against the powerful Hojo clan.
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Kobayakawa Takakage
Kobayakawa Takakage was rightfully considered one of the most intelligent men of his era. Even Kuroda Kanbei, the celebrated strategist famed for his cunning—about whom people said he could outwit even a fox—admitted that Takakage was his equal in intellect, and at times even surpassed him. After the death of his father, Mōri Motonari, Takakage effectively governed the Mōri clan for many years while serving as advisor to his nephew, Mōri Terumoto.
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Kira Chikazane
Chikazane, the son of Kira Chikasada and the nephew of the famous daimyō Chōsokabe Motochika, was married to his cousin, Motochika’s daughter. From a young age he showed great talent and promise, but his character was marked by a quick temper and a tendency toward sharp, sometimes aggressive behavior.
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Kyōgoku Takatsugu
From the very beginning of his career, Takatsugu served under Oda Nobunaga and was married to Nobunaga’s niece, which secured him a strong position at court and close ties to one of the most powerful clans of the era. However, the events of 1582 drastically changed his fate. When Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled against Nobunaga and treacherously killed him at the Honnō-ji Temple, Takatsugu sought to take advantage of the ensuing chaos to strengthen his own standing. He launched an attack on Nagahama Castle in Ōmi Province, hoping to expand his territories. The assault, however, was repelled, and soon after, Mitsuhide was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces at the Battle of Yamazaki, leaving Takatsugu without allies or support.
