Akechi Mitsuhide

Akechi Mitsuhide (明智 光秀; 10 March 1528 – 2 July 1582) was a general under the daimyō Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period of Japan. He is best remembered for his rebellion against Nobunaga, leading an attack against his lord at the Honnō-ji temple in June 1582, which resulted in the daimyō's death.

Secretly, Mitsuhide's rebellion came as a result of his affiliation with the Shinbakufu, a group that sought to overthrow Nobunaga and restore the Ashikaga shogunate. Mitsuhide served the group under the alias The Two-Faced, and was influenced to betray Nobunaga by the Templars, who financed the Shinbakufu's operations and took two of Mitsuhide's children, Hosokawa Tama and Akechi Mitsuyoshi, to ensure his loyalty.

Following Nobunaga's death, Mitsuhide and his co-conspirators were hunted down by the Kakushiba ikki, culminating in Mitsuhide's defeat at the Battle of Yamazaki after failing to raise enough support to his cause, and his death at the hands of Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke.

Biography

Early life

Akechi Mitsuhide was born on 10 March 1528 at Tara Castle in Mino Province to Akechi Mitsutsuna and Omaki no Kata. He was betrothed to Tsumaki Hiroko in 1545, and fathered at least three children with her: a daughter named Tama, a son named Mitsuyoshi, and a second daughter.

Originally serving Asakura Yoshikage, Mitsuhide later entered the service of Oda Nobunaga as a retainer and gradually rose in the ranks to become one of his lord's most powerful and influential generals. He fought in multiple campaigns in Tamba and other regions, and was rewarded for his loyal service by being granted the fief of Sakamoto Castle near Lake Biwa.

In 1579, when Nobunaga attacked Hatano Hideharu at Yakami Castle for breaking his surrender to the Oda clan, Mitsuhide sent his mother to Yakami as part of a hostage exchange. However, when Hideharu brazenly requested an audience with his rival, Nobunaga killed him, an act which made the Hatano clan execute Mitsuhide's mother in retaliation. Holding Nobunaga responsible for his mother's death, Mitsuhide began to resent his lord, something the Templars Nuno Caro and Duarte de Melo soon took notice of and planned to use to their advantage, as Nobunaga's ambitions to unify Japan posed a threat to their plans.

On March 8, 1581, Mitsuhide was present in Kyoto at the time Christian Jesuits were seeking an audience with Nobunaga. He personally approached Fathers Alessandro Valignano and Luís Fróis to inform them that Nobunaga wished to see them, before adding that his lord was requesting their African servant, Diogo, join them. Valignano protested the request, insisting that Diogo did not speak Japanese, but Mitsuhide made it clear that Nobunaga was not to be turned down.

During the audience, Mitsuhide sat at Nobunaga's side as Valignano made his request for his free movement of his priests through Japanese lands. Nobunaga then took particular interest in Diogo, noting the black man observing every threat in the room. Mitsuhide then ordered all of Nobunaga's retainers and the Jesuits out of the room so the daimyo could speak with Diogo in private. Having been told by Mitsuhide that Diogo understood the Japanese language better than the Christians, Nobunaga spoke with him. Mitsuhide continued to sit silently as Nobunagan re-invited the Christians back in to grant their request, before requesting Diogo being transferred into his service in exchange.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Memories (first mentioned)
• Echoes of History – Shadows (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Shadows (first appearance)