Bessho Harumasa: Difference between revisions
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==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
===Life as a retainer=== | ===Life as a retainer=== | ||
During the {{Wiki|Siege of Miki|Siege of Miki Castle}} from 1578 to 1580,<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Database: The Siege of Miki Castle]]</ref><ref name="Database2">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Database: Bessho Nagaharu]]</ref><ref name="Database"/> | During the {{Wiki|Siege of Miki|Siege of Miki Castle}} from 1578 to 1580,<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Database: The Siege of Miki Castle]]</ref><ref name="Database2">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Database: Bessho Nagaharu]]</ref><ref name="Database"/> Harumasa was a retainer under [[Bessho Nagaharu]].<ref name="A Voice in Anger">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[A Voice in Anger]]</ref> When Nagaharu lost to [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi|Hashiba Hideyoshi]] and then committed ''[[seppuku]]'' alongside his wife and brother for the lives of their soldiers,<ref name="Database2">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Database: Bessho Nagaharu]]</ref><ref name="Database"/> Harumasa saw the fall of the Bessho clan and vowed vengeance. Instigating the flames of rebellion, Harumasa gained a following among the people and fought against the occupation of the [[Oda clan]].<ref name="Database3">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Database: Bessho Harumasa]]</ref> | ||
===Joining the Shinbakufu=== | ===Joining the Shinbakufu=== | ||
Harumasa's plan to rebel against the Oda occupation eventually led him to join the [[Shinbakufu]], who in return supported his war efforts to | Harumasa's plan to rebel against the Oda occupation eventually led him to join the [[Shinbakufu]], who in return supported his war efforts to take over [[Miki Castle]] from the Oda clan. Adopting the moniker of "The Ox", Harumasa participated in the group's search for the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan|Imperial Regalia]] protected by the [[Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins|Kakushiba ''ikki'']]. However, he knew very little of what the {{Wiki|Magatama|last box}} contained and fulfilled his promise just out of obligation.<ref name="Broken Horn"/> | ||
In September 1581, Harumasa left Harima for the first time and joined his fellow Shinbakufu members during Nobunaga's [[Tenshō Iga War|invasion]] of [[Iga]] to find the regalia's jewel. The group arrived at [[Katano Castle]], where fellow member [[Ido Yoshihiro]] obtained the jewel after stealing it from the [[Mihata Kofun]]. However, the ''[[ninja|kunoichi]]'' [[Fujibayashi Naoe]] [[Assassination|assassinated]] Yoshihiro, recovered the box, and ran from the castle.<ref name="The Onyro Samurai">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Onryo Samurai]]</ref> | In September 1581, Harumasa left Harima for the first time and joined his fellow Shinbakufu members during Nobunaga's [[Tenshō Iga War|invasion]] of [[Iga]] to find the regalia's jewel. The group arrived at [[Katano Castle]], where fellow member [[Ido Yoshihiro]] had obtained the jewel after stealing it from the [[Mihata Kofun]]. However, the ''[[ninja|kunoichi]]'' [[Fujibayashi Naoe]] [[Assassination|assassinated]] Yoshihiro, recovered the box, and ran from the castle.<ref name="The Onyro Samurai">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Onryo Samurai]]</ref> | ||
Naoe attempted to escape with it, only to be ambushed and crippled by [[Yaita Wakasa]] and [[Wada Koretake]], who reclaimed the box for the Shinbakufu. Just as Naoe's father [[Fujibayashi Nagato|Nagato]] came and pushed back the pair, the remaining Shinbakufu members, including Harumasa, arrived. Ordered by their [[Horse|mounted]] [[Ashikaga Yoshiaki|leader]] to kill Nagato and secure the box, Harumasa went to attack Nagato but was swiftly countered. | Naoe attempted to escape with it, only to be ambushed and crippled by [[Yaita Wakasa]] and [[Wada Koretake]], who reclaimed the box for the Shinbakufu. Just as Naoe's father [[Fujibayashi Nagato|Nagato]] came and pushed back the pair, the remaining Shinbakufu members, including Harumasa, arrived. Ordered by their [[Horse|mounted]] [[Ashikaga Yoshiaki|leader]] to kill Nagato and secure the box, Harumasa went to attack Nagato but was swiftly countered. Nagato was ultimately mortally wounded, and the Shinbakufu departed with their prize, leaving the Fujibayashi for dead.<ref name="The Onyro Samurai"/> | ||
===Wartime in Harima=== | ===Wartime in Harima=== | ||
In late June 1582, | In late June 1582, following Nobunaga's death during the [[Honnō-ji incident]], Harumasa immediately took over Miki Castle from Hideyoshi. Along with his second-in-command, "[[The Tsuno]]", he raised an army from any locals willing to fight for their home, including warriors as young as children. He later traveled to the [[Tanjosan Myoyoji Temple]], where his men had taken all the monks hostage, along with former Bessho general [[Nakamura Tadashige]], who had left the temple following Nagaharu's defeat years prior.<ref name="A Voice in Anger"/> | ||
When Tadashige demanded to know who was responsible for his and the monks' arrest, Harumasa introduced himself and gave them all an ultimatum: rejoin the fight for Harima or die at his hands. Soon after, Fujibayashi Naoe, who had survived the events in Iga, and her ally [[Yasuke]], a former retainer of Nobunaga, arrived to rescue Tadashige and the monks. However, they barely missed Harumasa, who left beforehand<ref name="A Voice in Anger"/> and returned to Miki Castle.<ref name="A Voice in Anger"/> | |||
Eventually, Harumasa's control over Harima began to waver as Naoe and Yasuke gained additional allies, including former Bessho clan [[samurai]] [[Koshiro]] and his fellow conscripts,<ref name="Brothers in Arms">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Brothers in Arms (Shadows)|Brothers in Arms]]</ref> as well as the [[merchant]] [[Hiromichi]], who agreed to sneak Naoe into Miki Castle.<ref name="Of My Enemy">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Of My Enemy]]</ref> | |||
===Death=== | ===Death=== | ||
When Naoe and Yasuke, along with Koshiro and his conscripts, launched their [[Assault on Miki Castle|assault]] on Miki Castle, Naoe took down gunmen to allow Yasuke and the conscripts to attack. Yasuke made his way through the castle grounds and was soon confronted by Harumasa, the Tsuno, and | When Naoe and Yasuke, along with Koshiro and his conscripts, launched their [[Assault on Miki Castle|assault]] on Miki Castle, Naoe took down gunmen to allow Yasuke and the conscripts to attack. Yasuke made his way through the castle grounds and was soon confronted by Harumasa, the Tsuno, and their men. While Harumasa condemned Yasuke's presence and former allegiance to Oda Nobunaga, Yasuke challenged Harumasa to a duel. Harumasa accepted, but the Tsuno insisted that he face Yasuke instead, allowing his lord to retreat to the main courtyard. The Tsuno was eventually struck down by Yasuke, while Naoe and Koshiro saved the other conscripts before leading them to safety.<ref name="Broken Horn"/> | ||
Harumasa | With most of his forces defeated, Harumasa was confronted by Yasuke and Naoe and made his last stand. However, he proved to be no match for them and was eventually dealt a fatal blow. Naoe then attempted to [[Interrogation|interrogate]] the dying Harumasa about the box stolen for Iga, but the latter admitted that he knew nothing about it and had only helped the Shinbakufu in order to repay the military support provided by the group's leader, "The Tatsu".<ref name="Broken Horn"/> | ||
While Naoe was | While Naoe was frustrated with Harumasa's lack of answers, Yasuke asked him who the Tsuno was. Harumasa only responded that his warrior had died once during the massacre at Tanjosan, and had now died a second time as the Tsuno. When Naoe and Yasuke revealed that they would offer Harumasa's surviving men the freedom to choose their own fate, he responded that this choice was pure cowardice in times of war. Having heard enough, Naoe signaled Yasuke to execute him, and the samurai proceeded to decapitate Harumasa, who was grateful for receiving a warrior's death. Before leaving Miki Castle, Naoe and Yasuke recovered a ''[[kanabō]]'', the [[Daybreak's Fury]], from Harumasa's personal effects.<ref name="Broken Horn"/> | ||
==Behind the scenes== | ==Behind the scenes== | ||
Bessho Harumasa is a character created for the 2025 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]''. He is portrayed by [[Andrew Kishino]], who also provided the voice of [[Heiji]] and other additional characters.<ref>{{Imdb|name/nm1873559|Andrew Kishino}}</ref> | Bessho Harumasa is a fictional character created for the 2025 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]''. He is portrayed by [[Andrew Kishino]], who also provided the voice of [[Heiji]] and other additional characters.<ref>{{Imdb|name/nm1873559|Andrew Kishino}}</ref> | ||
===Etymology=== | ===Etymology=== | ||
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==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery position="center" widths="180" captionalign="center"> | <gallery position="center" widths="180" captionalign="center"> | ||
ACSH Bessho Harumasa CA 1.jpg|Concept art of Bessho Harumasa | |||
ACSH Bessho Harumasa CA 2.jpg|Concept art of Harumasa | |||
ACSH Bessho Harumasa in Harima Concept.jpg|Concept art of Harumasa in Harima | |||
ACSH Bessho Harumasa 1.png|Bessho Harumasa | ACSH Bessho Harumasa 1.png|Bessho Harumasa | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
Revision as of 17:05, 8 November 2025
Bessho Harumasa (別所 治正; died 1582), also known as The Ox, was a Japanese warrior who served as a retainer to the Bessho clan alongside Nakamura Tadashige during the late 16th century. Following the fall of Miki Castle, which served as the Bessho's clan stronghold, Harumasa sought to regain control of Harima and joined the Shinbakufu to gain the manpower to do so.[1]
Biography
Life as a retainer
During the Siege of Miki Castle from 1578 to 1580,[2][3][2] Harumasa was a retainer under Bessho Nagaharu.[4] When Nagaharu lost to Hashiba Hideyoshi and then committed seppuku alongside his wife and brother for the lives of their soldiers,[3][2] Harumasa saw the fall of the Bessho clan and vowed vengeance. Instigating the flames of rebellion, Harumasa gained a following among the people and fought against the occupation of the Oda clan.[5]
Joining the Shinbakufu
Harumasa's plan to rebel against the Oda occupation eventually led him to join the Shinbakufu, who in return supported his war efforts to take over Miki Castle from the Oda clan. Adopting the moniker of "The Ox", Harumasa participated in the group's search for the Imperial Regalia protected by the Kakushiba ikki. However, he knew very little of what the last box contained and fulfilled his promise just out of obligation.[1]
In September 1581, Harumasa left Harima for the first time and joined his fellow Shinbakufu members during Nobunaga's invasion of Iga to find the regalia's jewel. The group arrived at Katano Castle, where fellow member Ido Yoshihiro had obtained the jewel after stealing it from the Mihata Kofun. However, the kunoichi Fujibayashi Naoe assassinated Yoshihiro, recovered the box, and ran from the castle.[6]
Naoe attempted to escape with it, only to be ambushed and crippled by Yaita Wakasa and Wada Koretake, who reclaimed the box for the Shinbakufu. Just as Naoe's father Nagato came and pushed back the pair, the remaining Shinbakufu members, including Harumasa, arrived. Ordered by their mounted leader to kill Nagato and secure the box, Harumasa went to attack Nagato but was swiftly countered. Nagato was ultimately mortally wounded, and the Shinbakufu departed with their prize, leaving the Fujibayashi for dead.[6]
Wartime in Harima
In late June 1582, following Nobunaga's death during the Honnō-ji incident, Harumasa immediately took over Miki Castle from Hideyoshi. Along with his second-in-command, "The Tsuno", he raised an army from any locals willing to fight for their home, including warriors as young as children. He later traveled to the Tanjosan Myoyoji Temple, where his men had taken all the monks hostage, along with former Bessho general Nakamura Tadashige, who had left the temple following Nagaharu's defeat years prior.[4]
When Tadashige demanded to know who was responsible for his and the monks' arrest, Harumasa introduced himself and gave them all an ultimatum: rejoin the fight for Harima or die at his hands. Soon after, Fujibayashi Naoe, who had survived the events in Iga, and her ally Yasuke, a former retainer of Nobunaga, arrived to rescue Tadashige and the monks. However, they barely missed Harumasa, who left beforehand[4] and returned to Miki Castle.[4]
Eventually, Harumasa's control over Harima began to waver as Naoe and Yasuke gained additional allies, including former Bessho clan samurai Koshiro and his fellow conscripts,[7] as well as the merchant Hiromichi, who agreed to sneak Naoe into Miki Castle.[8]
Death
When Naoe and Yasuke, along with Koshiro and his conscripts, launched their assault on Miki Castle, Naoe took down gunmen to allow Yasuke and the conscripts to attack. Yasuke made his way through the castle grounds and was soon confronted by Harumasa, the Tsuno, and their men. While Harumasa condemned Yasuke's presence and former allegiance to Oda Nobunaga, Yasuke challenged Harumasa to a duel. Harumasa accepted, but the Tsuno insisted that he face Yasuke instead, allowing his lord to retreat to the main courtyard. The Tsuno was eventually struck down by Yasuke, while Naoe and Koshiro saved the other conscripts before leading them to safety.[1]
With most of his forces defeated, Harumasa was confronted by Yasuke and Naoe and made his last stand. However, he proved to be no match for them and was eventually dealt a fatal blow. Naoe then attempted to interrogate the dying Harumasa about the box stolen for Iga, but the latter admitted that he knew nothing about it and had only helped the Shinbakufu in order to repay the military support provided by the group's leader, "The Tatsu".[1]
While Naoe was frustrated with Harumasa's lack of answers, Yasuke asked him who the Tsuno was. Harumasa only responded that his warrior had died once during the massacre at Tanjosan, and had now died a second time as the Tsuno. When Naoe and Yasuke revealed that they would offer Harumasa's surviving men the freedom to choose their own fate, he responded that this choice was pure cowardice in times of war. Having heard enough, Naoe signaled Yasuke to execute him, and the samurai proceeded to decapitate Harumasa, who was grateful for receiving a warrior's death. Before leaving Miki Castle, Naoe and Yasuke recovered a kanabō, the Daybreak's Fury, from Harumasa's personal effects.[1]
Behind the scenes
Bessho Harumasa is a fictional character created for the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows. He is portrayed by Andrew Kishino, who also provided the voice of Heiji and other additional characters.[9]
Etymology
Harumasa (治正) is a Japanese given name, comprised of the characters 治 (haru) "govern, regulate, administer, reign" or "cure" and 正 (masa) "correct" or "justice".[10][11]
The surname Bessho (別所) is from the clan of the same name, a cadet branch of the Akamatsu clan.[12] It is comprised of the characters 別 (be, betsu, bechi) "different, seperate, another" and the suffix 所 (-sho) "place".[13][14]
Gallery
-
Concept art of Bessho Harumasa -
Concept art of Harumasa -
Concept art of Harumasa in Harima -
Bessho Harumasa
Appearances
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Broken Horn
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Database: The Siege of Miki Castle
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Database: Bessho Nagaharu
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – A Voice in Anger
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Database: Bessho Harumasa
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Onryo Samurai
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Brothers in Arms
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Of My Enemy
- ↑
Andrew Kishino at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑
治 on Wiktionary
- ↑ 正 on Wiktionary
- ↑
別所氏 on Wikipedia
- ↑ 別 on Wiktionary
- ↑ 所 on Wiktionary