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{{ | {{Quote|They've told you stories about Oni Hanzo. But have they told you the story of my childhood? The best shinobi warrior, long before I reached your age. The pride of my family. A prodigy one day, and a demon the next. Both paths taught me the same lesson. Nothing lasts forever. Some things die slowly, like trees. And some die quickly, like samurai.|Hattori Hanzō to Fujibayashi Naoe, 1581.|Assassin's Creed: Shadows|Traditions}} | ||
{{Character Infobox | {{Character Infobox | ||
|name = Hattori Hanzō | |name = Hattori Hanzō | ||
|native = | |native = | ||
|image = ACM Hattori Hanzo render.png | |image = ACM Hattori Hanzo render.png | ||
|birth = 1542<ref name="ACM Cards">''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Cards (Memories)|Cards]]: Hattori Hanzo</ref><br> | |birth = 1542<ref name="ACM Cards">''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Cards (Memories)|Cards]]: Hattori Hanzo</ref><br>[[Mikawa]], [[Japan]] | ||
|death = 1596<ref name="ACM Cards"/> {{c|aged c. 54}}<br>[[Tokyo|Edo]], Japan | |death = 1596<ref name="ACM Cards"/> {{c|aged c. 54}}<br>[[Tokyo|Edo]], Japan | ||
|species = [[Human]] | |species = [[Human]] | ||
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==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
===Early life=== | ===Early life=== | ||
Born in 1542 in the | Born in 1542 in the [[Mikawa|Mikawa Province]] of [[Japan]], Hattori Hanzō was the son of the samurai [[Hattori Yasunaga]].<ref>{{WP|Hattori Hanzō}}</ref> He later became a vassal of the ''[[daimyō]]'' Tokugawa Ieyasu, and a ninja trained in [[Iga]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Shinobi Warfare]]</ref><ref>''[[Echoes of History]] – Shadows'' – Episode 6: The Tensho Iga War</ref> | ||
===Meeting Fujibayashi Masayasu=== | ===Meeting Fujibayashi Masayasu=== | ||
In 1560, a teenage Hanzō was apprenticed to the legendary ''[[Ninja|shinobi]]'' [[Momochi Sandayu]], who saw great potential in the young man but also feared his arrogance and callousness. While passing by a village in Iga, Hanzō and his mentor witnessed two corrupt [[samurai]] threatening the villagers and demanding tribute. Immediately jumping into action, Hanzō assassinated one of the samurai, saving [[Fujibayashi Nagato|Fujibayashi Masayasu]], a farmer who had attempted to fight off the attackers but found himself overwhelmed.<ref name="InM Ch1">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga | In 1560, a teenage Hanzō was apprenticed to the legendary ''[[Ninja|shinobi]]'' [[Momochi Sandayu]], who saw great potential in the young man but also feared his arrogance and callousness. While passing by a village in Iga, Hanzō and his mentor witnessed two corrupt [[samurai]] threatening the villagers and demanding tribute. Immediately jumping into action, Hanzō assassinated one of the samurai, saving [[Fujibayashi Nagato|Fujibayashi Masayasu]], a farmer who had attempted to fight off the attackers but found himself overwhelmed.<ref name="InM Ch1">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]</ref> | ||
[[File:ACSH InM - Masayasu vs Hanzo.png|thumb|240px|left|Masayasu and Hanzō preparing to fight]] | [[File:ACSH InM - Masayasu vs Hanzo.png|thumb|240px|left|Masayasu and Hanzō preparing to fight]] | ||
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===The Kakushiba ''ikki''=== | ===The Kakushiba ''ikki''=== | ||
{{Quote|I did not care for her idealist foreign creed. All I wanted was her. The things I did to impress her. But she chose Nagato. A lower-ranked jizamurai. The pain and the shame were unbearable.|Hanzō to Fujibayashi Naoe, regarding Tsuyu, 1582.|Assassin's Creed: Shadows|The Meaning of the Blade}} | {{Quote|I did not care for her idealist foreign creed. All I wanted was her. The things I did to impress her. But she chose Nagato. A lower-ranked jizamurai. The pain and the shame were unbearable.|Hanzō to Fujibayashi Naoe, regarding Tsuyu, 1582.|Assassin's Creed: Shadows|The Meaning of the Blade}} | ||
During their training together, Hanzō and Masayasu were able to put their differences aside and develop a more amicable relationship. Sandayu also introduced both of them to the Assassin [[Alvaro Catarribera]] and his apprentice, [[Tsuyu]],<ref name="InM Ch2">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga | During their training together, Hanzō and Masayasu were able to put their differences aside and develop a more amicable relationship. Sandayu also introduced both of them to the Assassin [[Alvaro Catarribera]] and his apprentice, [[Fujibayashi Tsuyu|Tsuyu]],<ref name="InM Ch2">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]</ref> who informed them about their [[Assassin-Templar War|conflict]] with the [[Templars|Templar Order]] and enlisted their help to stop the spread of Templar influence in Japan.<ref name="InM Ch3">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]</ref> Hanzō and his fellow ninja thus became allies of the Brotherhood and shared their knowledge with them, teaching the Assassins new skills and techniques.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – History of the Assassins in Japan</ref> | ||
[[File:ACSH Tsuyu with Sandayu, Nagato and Hanzo.png|thumb|250px|Hanzō, Sandayu, and Nagato swearing to Tsuyu's creed]] | [[File:ACSH Tsuyu with Sandayu, Nagato and Hanzo.png|thumb|250px|Hanzō, Sandayu, and Nagato swearing to Tsuyu's creed]] | ||
In time, Hanzō, Masayasu – who became known as Fujibayashi Nagato – and Sandayu all joined the Kakushiba ''ikki'', the brotherhood founded by Catarribera and Tsuyu,<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Meaning of the Blade]]</ref> which the latter assumed control of following her mentor's departure.<ref name="Secrets of the Blade">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Secrets of the Blade]]</ref> Hanzō and the others swore an oath to [[the Creed]] to protect the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan]], which Tsuyu had been entrusted with, and hid the artifacts within a ''[[kofun]]'' in [[Izumi Settsu]].<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> | In time, Hanzō, Masayasu – who became known as Fujibayashi Nagato – and Sandayu all joined the Kakushiba ''ikki'', the brotherhood founded by Catarribera and Tsuyu,<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Meaning of the Blade]]</ref> which the latter assumed control of following her mentor's departure.<ref name="Secrets of the Blade">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Secrets of the Blade]]</ref> Hanzō and the others swore an oath to [[the Creed]] to protect the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan]], which Tsuyu had been entrusted with, and hid the artifacts within a ''[[kofun]]'' in [[Izumi Settsu]].<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> | ||
In 1565, Hanzō had a son, [[Hattori Masanari]], who was also trained as an Assassin.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Cards (Memories)|Cards]]: Hattori Masanari</ref> However, Hanzō was never able to accept the fact that Tsuyu had fallen in love with Nagato and started a family with him. Out of jealousy, he left the Kakushiba ''ikki'' and became a [[mercenary]], gaining notoriety as "''[[Oni]] Hanzō''" | In 1565, Hanzō had a son, [[Hattori Masanari]], who was also trained as an Assassin.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Cards (Memories)|Cards]]: Hattori Masanari</ref> However, Hanzō was never able to accept the fact that Tsuyu had fallen in love with Nagato and started a family with him. Out of jealousy, he left the Kakushiba ''ikki'' and became a [[mercenary]], gaining notoriety as "''[[Oni]] Hanzō''".<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> | ||
Filled with rage and believing that her new family had weakened Tsuyu, Hanzō betrayed his old allies by selling information on the location of the Imperial Regalia,<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> unknowingly to the [[Shinbakufu]], a group founded by the deposed [[Ashikaga shogunate|Ashikaga]] ''[[shōgun]]'', [[Ashikaga Yoshiaki|Yoshiaki]], as a means of regaining his power.<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Man Behind the Mask]]</ref> Immediately regretting his actions, Hanzō contacted Tsuyu to inform her that the regalia's location had been compromised, and joined her and other Assassins as they fought the Shinbakufu to protect the artifacts; however, most of the Assassins were killed, with only Hanzō, Tsuyu, and Sandayu surviving.<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> | ===Fight for the Sword=== | ||
In parallel with their correspondence with Oda Nobunaga, the Japanese Assassins established an alliance with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and together they formed a plan to retrieve a [[Swords of Eden|Sword of Eden]] and aid Ieyasu in conquering the land.<ref name="ACM Cards"/> Hanzō, loyal to his lord, worked closely with [[Chaya Shirōjirō Kiyonobu]], who often acted as a contact on Ieyasu's behalf.<ref name="Mori Motonari">''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Mōri Motonari (memory)|Mōri Motonari]]</ref> | |||
In 1571, on Ieyasu's orders, Hanzō [[Assassination|assassinated]] the ''[[daimyō]]'' [[Mōri Motonari]], a strong opponent of Ieyasu's ally [[Oda Nobunaga]], in order to allow Nobunaga to conquer the Mōri clan's lands.<ref name="Mori Motonari"/> Two years later, after the Tokugawa and Oda forces fought the Takeda clan at the {{Wiki|Battle of Mikatagahara}}, Hanzō and Ieyasu's vassal [[Honda Tadakatsu]] entered [[Takeda Shingen]]'s camp.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Cards (Memories)|Cards]]: Mochizuki Chiyome</ref> Shingen was killed during the ordeal, and Hanzō retrieved the Sword of Eden from him.<ref name="ACM Cards"/> | |||
[[File:ACSH Decline of the Kakushiba ikki.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Hanzō's actions led to the decline of the Kakushiba ''ikki'']] | |||
Sometime after, he returned to Iga, hoping his exploits would impress Tsuyu, only to find that she and Nagato had a daughter, [[Fujibayashi Naoe|Naoe]]. Filled with rage and believing that her new family had weakened Tsuyu, Hanzō betrayed his old allies by selling information on the location of the Imperial Regalia,<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> unknowingly to the [[Shinbakufu]], a group founded by the deposed [[Ashikaga shogunate|Ashikaga]] ''[[shōgun]]'', [[Ashikaga Yoshiaki|Yoshiaki]], as a means of regaining his power.<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Man Behind the Mask]]</ref> | |||
Immediately regretting his actions, Hanzō contacted Tsuyu to inform her that the regalia's location had been compromised, and joined her and other Assassins as they fought the Shinbakufu to protect the artifacts; however, most of the Assassins were killed, with only Hanzō, Tsuyu, and Sandayu surviving.<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> | |||
After Tsuyu entrusted the jewel ''{{Wiki|Yasakani no Magatama}}'', which she had managed to protect from the Shinbakufu, to Nagato, she left to search for the other two regalia, but never returned. Hanzō looked for her in vain, and secretly kept watch on Nagato and Naoe, out of the shame he felt for dooming the Kakushiba ''ikki''. Occasionally, he would sing Tsuyu's favorite song on the ''{{Wiki|Xun (instrument)|tsuchibue}}'', to maintain the illusion that Tsuyu was alive and the one watching over her family.<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> | After Tsuyu entrusted the jewel ''{{Wiki|Yasakani no Magatama}}'', which she had managed to protect from the Shinbakufu, to Nagato, she left to search for the other two regalia, but never returned. Hanzō looked for her in vain, and secretly kept watch on Nagato and Naoe, out of the shame he felt for dooming the Kakushiba ''ikki''. Occasionally, he would sing Tsuyu's favorite song on the ''{{Wiki|Xun (instrument)|tsuchibue}}'', to maintain the illusion that Tsuyu was alive and the one watching over her family.<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade"/> | ||
Five years later, on 19 April 1578,<ref>{{WP|Uesugi Kenshin}}</ref> Hanzō assassinated another rival ''daimyō'', the Templar [[Uesugi Kenshin]].<ref name="ACM Cards"/> | |||
In September 1581, Hanzō returned to Iga to warn Fujibayashi Nagatao, Momochi Sandayu, and the other members of the [[Iga ikki|Iga ''ikki'']] that Oda Nobunaga's forces were planning an [[Tenshō Iga War|invasion]] of the region. He promised them Ieyasu's protection if they swore loyalty to his lord, but they refused. While the ''shinobi'' prepared for the defense of their land, Hanzō followed Nagato to a nearby outpost occupied by Nobunaga's army, where he encountered | ===Conflict with the Shinbakufu=== | ||
{{Quote|Lord Nobunaga will be here by nightfall with more soldiers than Iga has ever known. He brings his full might. Koga's as well. If you doubt me, go to Hijiyama Castle. You will find Kogan spies there awaiting Lord Nobunaga's signal. I offer Iga the protection of my Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. The odds are too great for Iga to survive. Surely, you realize this.|Hanzō to his former Iga ''ikki'' members, 1581.|Assassin's Creed: Shadows|Traditions}} | |||
[[File:ACSH Traditions 6.jpg|thumb|250px|Hanzō returning to Iga after many years]] | |||
In September 1581, Hanzō returned to Iga to warn Fujibayashi Nagatao, Momochi Sandayu, and the other members of the [[Iga ikki|Iga ''ikki'']] that Oda Nobunaga's forces were planning an [[Tenshō Iga War|invasion]] of the region. He promised them Ieyasu's protection if they swore loyalty to his lord, but they refused. While the ''shinobi'' prepared for the defense of their land, Hanzō followed Nagato to a nearby outpost occupied by Nobunaga's army, where he encountered Naoe. He saved the girl from an ambush by an enemy swordsman and formally introduced himself before trying to convince the young ''shinobi'' to abandon Iga, claiming that if she failed to do so she would die. However, Naoe refused as she was distrustful of him.<ref name="Traditions">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Traditions]]</ref> | |||
When Nagato arrived shortly after, Hanzō handed him a letter revealing that the Shinbakufu were after the Jewel that Nagato was safeguarding on Tsuyu's behalf. Nagato and Naoe subsequently went to recover the artifact so they could protect it, and Hanzō | When Nagato arrived shortly after, Hanzō handed him a letter revealing that the Shinbakufu were after the Jewel that Nagato was safeguarding on Tsuyu's behalf. Nagato and Naoe subsequently went to recover the artifact so they could protect it, and Hanzō tried to warn them that they were walking to their doom, but his pleas were ignored.<ref name="Traditions"/> That would be the last time Hanzō and Nagato ever saw each other, as later that night, the Shinbakufu killed Nagato and stole the artifact, while Nobunaga's forces conquered Iga.<ref name="The Onryo Samurai">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Onryo Samurai]]</ref> | ||
In June 1582, word reached the Tokugawa that [[Akechi Mitsuhide]] planned to [[Honnō-ji incident|betray]] his lord Nobunaga, who possessed the Sword of Eden. Hanzō stayed with Ieyasu to ensure his lord's safety, and tasked another Assassin, the monk [[Yamauchi Taka]], to travel to [[Honnō-ji]] and retrieve the Sword from Nobunaga. Taka succeeded in his mission and brought the Sword to the [[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Assassin]] [[Liu Yan (Chinese Brotherhood)|Liu Yan]], who took it with her to [[China]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Oda Nobunaga (memory)|Oda Nobunaga]]</ref> | In June 1582, word reached the Tokugawa that [[Akechi Mitsuhide]] planned to [[Honnō-ji incident|betray]] his lord Nobunaga, who possessed the Sword of Eden. Hanzō stayed with Ieyasu to ensure his lord's safety, and tasked another Assassin, the monk [[Yamauchi Taka]], to travel to [[Honnō-ji]] and retrieve the Sword from Nobunaga. Taka succeeded in his mission and brought the Sword to the [[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Assassin]] [[Liu Yan (Chinese Brotherhood)|Liu Yan]], who took it with her to [[China]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Oda Nobunaga (memory)|Oda Nobunaga]]</ref> | ||
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==Behind the scenes== | ==Behind the scenes== | ||
Hanzō, 半蔵, is a Japanese name combining the characters 半 (''han'', meaning "half, middle, odd number, part-, semi-") with 蔵 (''zou'', meaning "own, possess, storehouse"). Hattori, 服部, is a common Japanese surname meaning "clothing guild". | Hanzō, (半蔵), is a Japanese name combining the characters 半 (''han'', meaning "half, middle, odd number, part-, semi-") with 蔵 (''zou'', meaning "own, possess, storehouse"). Hattori, 服部, is a common Japanese surname meaning "clothing guild". | ||
Although the cards in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' say Hanzō died in 1596, historically, he succumbed to an unspecified illness on 2 January 1597. The discrepancy may arise from the fact that the 22-volume ''{{Wiki|:ja:寛政重修諸家譜|Kansei Chōshū Shokafu}}'' (寛政重修諸家譜), a genealogical record of important samurai commissioned by the Tokugawa clan in 1812, records his death date as 4 November 1596, which differs from what is written on his gravestone at the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[temple]] {{Wiki|Sainen-ji (Shinjuku)|Sainen-ji}} and accepted by the Hattori clan, as the contemporary lunar calendar used then notes his death was on the 14th day of the 11th month of the {{Wiki|Keichō}} era, or, 2 January 1597 CE using the Gregorian calendar.<ref name="Wiki"/> | Although the cards in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' say Hanzō died in 1596, historically, he succumbed to an unspecified illness on 2 January 1597. The discrepancy may arise from the fact that the 22-volume ''{{Wiki|:ja:寛政重修諸家譜|Kansei Chōshū Shokafu}}'' (寛政重修諸家譜), a genealogical record of important samurai commissioned by the Tokugawa clan in 1812, records his death date as 4 November 1596, which differs from what is written on his gravestone at the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[temple]] {{Wiki|Sainen-ji (Shinjuku)|Sainen-ji}} and accepted by the Hattori clan, as the contemporary lunar calendar used then notes his death was on the 14th day of the 11th month of the {{Wiki|Keichō}} era, or, 2 January 1597 CE using the Gregorian calendar.<ref name="Wiki"/> | ||
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ACMemories icon 1.png|Hanzō close-up | ACMemories icon 1.png|Hanzō close-up | ||
HanzoShadows.png|Hanzō as he appears in ''Assassin's Creed: Shadows'' | HanzoShadows.png|Hanzō as he appears in ''Assassin's Creed: Shadows'' | ||
ACSH InM - Hattori Hanzo.png|A young Hanzō in ''Iga | ACSH InM - Hattori Hanzo.png|A young Hanzō in ''Tales of Iga'' | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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*''[[Echoes of History]] – Shadows'' {{Mo}} | *''[[Echoes of History]] – Shadows'' {{Mo}} | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga | **''[[Claws of Awaji]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga]]'' | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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{{ACSH}} | {{ACSH}} | ||
{{ACSHInM}} | {{ACSHInM}} | ||
<!--[es:Hattori Hanzō] | |||
[fr:Hattori Hanzō] | |||
[it:Hattori Hanzō] | |||
[pt-br:Hattori Hanzo] | |||
[ru:Хаттори Хандзо] | |||
[zh:服部半藏]--> | |||
[[Category:1542 births]] | [[Category:1542 births]] | ||
[[Category:1596 deaths]] | [[Category:1596 deaths]] | ||
Latest revision as of 05:51, 1 June 2026
- "They've told you stories about Oni Hanzo. But have they told you the story of my childhood? The best shinobi warrior, long before I reached your age. The pride of my family. A prodigy one day, and a demon the next. Both paths taught me the same lesson. Nothing lasts forever. Some things die slowly, like trees. And some die quickly, like samurai."
- ―Hattori Hanzō to Fujibayashi Naoe, 1581.[src]-[m]
Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵, 1542 – 1596) was a vassal for Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last of feudal Japan's three great unifiers (三英傑). A famous samurai and ninja, Hanzō was also a Master Assassin of the Kakushiba ikki, the Japanese branch of the Assassin Brotherhood.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Early life[edit | edit source]
Born in 1542 in the Mikawa Province of Japan, Hattori Hanzō was the son of the samurai Hattori Yasunaga.[2] He later became a vassal of the daimyō Tokugawa Ieyasu, and a ninja trained in Iga.[3][4]
Meeting Fujibayashi Masayasu[edit | edit source]
In 1560, a teenage Hanzō was apprenticed to the legendary shinobi Momochi Sandayu, who saw great potential in the young man but also feared his arrogance and callousness. While passing by a village in Iga, Hanzō and his mentor witnessed two corrupt samurai threatening the villagers and demanding tribute. Immediately jumping into action, Hanzō assassinated one of the samurai, saving Fujibayashi Masayasu, a farmer who had attempted to fight off the attackers but found himself overwhelmed.[5]
Masayasu, awed by Hanzō's reputation and skills, pleaded to be trained as a shinobi, but Hanzō harshly refused, dismissing him as an unfit farmer and suggesting he would be better off serving a local daimyō. However, Sandayu, not caring about Masayasu's status, was willing to give the young farmer a chance to prove himself and suggested a sparring contest between Masayasu and Hanzō.[5]
During their fight, Hanzō quickly gained the upper hand and managed to throw Masayasu down a small cliff. He then began to boast about his skills while insulting Masayasu, only to be interrupted by a young girl, Chiyo, who insisted that Masayasu was a hero who had protected their village from harm.[5]
An annoyed Hanzō grabbed Chiyo and threatened her by saying that, if they were on the battlefield, he would not hesitate to kill her, as it was not uncommon for innocents to perish during wartime. Terrified, Chiyo began to cry, which motivated Masayasu to come to her aid. Using underhanded tactics, he managed to defeat Hanzō, impressing Sandayu, who decided to train Masayasu as a shinobi.[5]
The Kakushiba ikki[edit | edit source]
During their training together, Hanzō and Masayasu were able to put their differences aside and develop a more amicable relationship. Sandayu also introduced both of them to the Assassin Alvaro Catarribera and his apprentice, Tsuyu,[6] who informed them about their conflict with the Templar Order and enlisted their help to stop the spread of Templar influence in Japan.[7] Hanzō and his fellow ninja thus became allies of the Brotherhood and shared their knowledge with them, teaching the Assassins new skills and techniques.[8]
In time, Hanzō, Masayasu – who became known as Fujibayashi Nagato – and Sandayu all joined the Kakushiba ikki, the brotherhood founded by Catarribera and Tsuyu,[9] which the latter assumed control of following her mentor's departure.[10] Hanzō and the others swore an oath to the Creed to protect the Imperial Regalia of Japan, which Tsuyu had been entrusted with, and hid the artifacts within a kofun in Izumi Settsu.[9]
In 1565, Hanzō had a son, Hattori Masanari, who was also trained as an Assassin.[11] However, Hanzō was never able to accept the fact that Tsuyu had fallen in love with Nagato and started a family with him. Out of jealousy, he left the Kakushiba ikki and became a mercenary, gaining notoriety as "Oni Hanzō".[9]
Fight for the Sword[edit | edit source]
In parallel with their correspondence with Oda Nobunaga, the Japanese Assassins established an alliance with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and together they formed a plan to retrieve a Sword of Eden and aid Ieyasu in conquering the land.[1] Hanzō, loyal to his lord, worked closely with Chaya Shirōjirō Kiyonobu, who often acted as a contact on Ieyasu's behalf.[12]
In 1571, on Ieyasu's orders, Hanzō assassinated the daimyō Mōri Motonari, a strong opponent of Ieyasu's ally Oda Nobunaga, in order to allow Nobunaga to conquer the Mōri clan's lands.[12] Two years later, after the Tokugawa and Oda forces fought the Takeda clan at the Battle of Mikatagahara, Hanzō and Ieyasu's vassal Honda Tadakatsu entered Takeda Shingen's camp.[13] Shingen was killed during the ordeal, and Hanzō retrieved the Sword of Eden from him.[1]
Sometime after, he returned to Iga, hoping his exploits would impress Tsuyu, only to find that she and Nagato had a daughter, Naoe. Filled with rage and believing that her new family had weakened Tsuyu, Hanzō betrayed his old allies by selling information on the location of the Imperial Regalia,[9] unknowingly to the Shinbakufu, a group founded by the deposed Ashikaga shōgun, Yoshiaki, as a means of regaining his power.[14]
Immediately regretting his actions, Hanzō contacted Tsuyu to inform her that the regalia's location had been compromised, and joined her and other Assassins as they fought the Shinbakufu to protect the artifacts; however, most of the Assassins were killed, with only Hanzō, Tsuyu, and Sandayu surviving.[9]
After Tsuyu entrusted the jewel Yasakani no Magatama, which she had managed to protect from the Shinbakufu, to Nagato, she left to search for the other two regalia, but never returned. Hanzō looked for her in vain, and secretly kept watch on Nagato and Naoe, out of the shame he felt for dooming the Kakushiba ikki. Occasionally, he would sing Tsuyu's favorite song on the tsuchibue, to maintain the illusion that Tsuyu was alive and the one watching over her family.[9]
Five years later, on 19 April 1578,[15] Hanzō assassinated another rival daimyō, the Templar Uesugi Kenshin.[1]
Conflict with the Shinbakufu[edit | edit source]
- "Lord Nobunaga will be here by nightfall with more soldiers than Iga has ever known. He brings his full might. Koga's as well. If you doubt me, go to Hijiyama Castle. You will find Kogan spies there awaiting Lord Nobunaga's signal. I offer Iga the protection of my Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. The odds are too great for Iga to survive. Surely, you realize this."
- ―Hanzō to his former Iga ikki members, 1581.[src]-[m]
In September 1581, Hanzō returned to Iga to warn Fujibayashi Nagatao, Momochi Sandayu, and the other members of the Iga ikki that Oda Nobunaga's forces were planning an invasion of the region. He promised them Ieyasu's protection if they swore loyalty to his lord, but they refused. While the shinobi prepared for the defense of their land, Hanzō followed Nagato to a nearby outpost occupied by Nobunaga's army, where he encountered Naoe. He saved the girl from an ambush by an enemy swordsman and formally introduced himself before trying to convince the young shinobi to abandon Iga, claiming that if she failed to do so she would die. However, Naoe refused as she was distrustful of him.[16]
When Nagato arrived shortly after, Hanzō handed him a letter revealing that the Shinbakufu were after the Jewel that Nagato was safeguarding on Tsuyu's behalf. Nagato and Naoe subsequently went to recover the artifact so they could protect it, and Hanzō tried to warn them that they were walking to their doom, but his pleas were ignored.[16] That would be the last time Hanzō and Nagato ever saw each other, as later that night, the Shinbakufu killed Nagato and stole the artifact, while Nobunaga's forces conquered Iga.[17]
In June 1582, word reached the Tokugawa that Akechi Mitsuhide planned to betray his lord Nobunaga, who possessed the Sword of Eden. Hanzō stayed with Ieyasu to ensure his lord's safety, and tasked another Assassin, the monk Yamauchi Taka, to travel to Honnō-ji and retrieve the Sword from Nobunaga. Taka succeeded in his mission and brought the Sword to the Chinese Assassin Liu Yan, who took it with her to China.[18]
Later life[edit | edit source]
After Nobunaga's death, his vassal Toyotomi Hideyoshi became his master's successor. Hideyoshi later defeated Ieyasu, who then pledged loyalty to the Toyotomi. Chaya Shirōjirō Kiyonobu tried to secretly set up a trade route to bring supplies to Ieyasu, a task which Hanzō aided by eliminating one of the patrolling Toyotomi kashira.[19]
It was during this time that Hanzō again encountered Fujibayashi Naoe after she had successfully recovered the stolen Jewel upon eliminating the Shinbakufu. Hanzō presented her the second Imperial Regalia – the mirror Yata no Kagami – recovered by Ieyasu from the Templars, and confessed his role in the Shinbakufu's attack on the Kakushiba ikki, prompting a furious Naoe to attack him. After defeating him, Naoe decided to show Hanzō mercy and invited him to help her search for Tsuyu and achieve redemption for his past actions. Hanzō accepted and swore loyalty to Naoe and the Assassins.[9]
In the 1590s, Hanzō was tasked with assassinating the Japanese Templar Mochizuki Chiyome, a female ninja who had formerly worked for Takeda Shingen. Based on intel retrieved from Kiyonobu, Hanzō tracked her down to her residence in Shinano, where he assassinated her.[20]
Hanzō was ultimately killed in a fire[21] by his rival Fūma Kotarō [citation needed] in 1596,[1] in the Tokugawa capital of Edo.[22]
Personality and traits[edit | edit source]
An arrogant youth, Hanzō had a low opinion of low-born individuals, believing the opportunity of becoming a shinobi should be reserved for those of reputable status or background. He also showed disrespect for those older than him, and could be easily irritable.[5]
Skills and equipment[edit | edit source]
Hanzō was an expert in hand-to-hand combat and was proficient in the use of the kunai.[5] Aside from the ninja arts, Hanzō was also trained as a samurai, and his knowledge of sōjutsu (槍術, lit. "art of the spear") made his yari skills legendary even during his lifetime.[1]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
Hanzō, (半蔵), is a Japanese name combining the characters 半 (han, meaning "half, middle, odd number, part-, semi-") with 蔵 (zou, meaning "own, possess, storehouse"). Hattori, 服部, is a common Japanese surname meaning "clothing guild".
Although the cards in Assassin's Creed: Memories say Hanzō died in 1596, historically, he succumbed to an unspecified illness on 2 January 1597. The discrepancy may arise from the fact that the 22-volume Kansei Chōshū Shokafu (寛政重修諸家譜), a genealogical record of important samurai commissioned by the Tokugawa clan in 1812, records his death date as 4 November 1596, which differs from what is written on his gravestone at the Buddhist temple Sainen-ji and accepted by the Hattori clan, as the contemporary lunar calendar used then notes his death was on the 14th day of the 11th month of the Keichō era, or, 2 January 1597 CE using the Gregorian calendar.[22]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Full body art of Hanzō -
Hanzō in his ninja attire -
Hanzō without his hood -
Portrait of Hanzō -
Hanzō using a spear -
Hanzō close-up -
Hanzō as he appears in Assassin's Creed: Shadows
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A young Hanzō in Tales of Iga
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Memories (first appearance)
- Echoes of History – Shadows (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga
References[edit | edit source]
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