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Hattori Hanzō

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"Those who cling to life, die; those who defy death, live."
―Hattori Hanzō.[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 member of the Kakushiba ikki, a sub-group of the Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins.

Biography

Early life

Hattori Hanzō was a vassal of the daimyō Tokugawa Ieyasu, and a ninja trained in Iga.[2][3] Aside from the ninja arts, Hanzō was also trained as a samurai, and his skill with the yari was legendary.[1] In 1565, he had a son, Hattori Masanari.[4]

When the Assassins caught wind of the Templars' expansion into Japan, they sought to recruit new allies. The Brotherhood inducted ninja like Hanzō, from whom they in turn learned new skills and techniques.[5]

Fight for the Sword

The Assassins eventually formed an alliance with Ieyasu, and together they formed a plan to retrieve the Sword of Eden and aid Ieyasu in conquering the land.[1] Hanzō worked closely with Chaya Shirōjirō Kiyonobu, who often acted as a contact on Ieyasu's behalf.[6]

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.[6] 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.[7] Shingen was killed during the ordeal, and Hanzō retrieved the Sword of Eden from him.[1]

Five years later, on 19 April 1578,[8] Hanzō assassinated another rival daimyō, the Templar Uesugi Kenshin.[1] 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 killed Nobunaga during Mitsuhide's attack and brought the Sword to the Chinese Assassin Liu Yan, who took it with her to China.[9]

Later life

"I bemoan the fact that our relation has come to an end, just when it was becoming profitable for me. Enjoy what little remains of your life, ninja."
―Kiyonobu to Hanzō, 1590s.[src]-[m]

After Nobunaga's death, his vassal Toyotomi Hideyoshi became his master's successor. Hideyoshi later defeated Ieyasu, who then pledged loyalty to the Toyotomi. 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.[10]

In the 1590s, Hanzō was tasked with assassinating the Japanese Templar Mochizuki Chiyome, a female ninja who had formerly worked for Shingen. Based on intel retrieved from Kiyonobu, Hanzō tracked her down to her residence in Shinano, where he assassinated her.[11]

He was ultimately killed in a fire[12] by his rival Fūma Kotarō in 1596[1] in the Tokugawa capital of Edo.[13]

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".

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.[13]

Gallery

Appearances

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Assassin's Creed: Memories – Cards: Hattori Hanzo
  2. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Shinobi Warfare
  3. ↑ Echoes of History – Shadows – Episode 6: The Tensho Iga War
  4. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories – Cards: Hattori Masanari
  5. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories – History of the Assassins in Japan
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Assassin's Creed: Memories – Mōri Motonari
  7. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories – Cards: Mochizuki Chiyome
  8. ↑ Uesugi Kenshin on Wikipedia
  9. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories – Oda Nobunaga
  10. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories – Ashigaru Kashira
  11. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories – Mochizuki Chiyome
  12. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories – Last Days of the Taikō
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Hattori Hanzō on Wikipedia

Characters
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Characters
Assassins
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Shinbakufu
Sanzuko Ippa
Minor targets
The Betrayers (Fujichika Nakayama • Endo Tomoyasu • Itakura Shigezo • Masatoshi Nakahara • Sato Genta • Sato Katsubei • Usami Yoshiko) • The Butterfly Collectors (Gamemaker • Kacho • Mucho • Richo • Shucho) • The Corrupt Daikan (Endo Riku • Gamo Morinari • Ise Asuka • Isshiki Mansaku • Izumi Bunzo • Okudaira Toshizo) • Genzaburo's Soldiers (Akane • Genzaburo • Shishimaru • Shin-no-suke • Yasokichi) • The Godai Shinobi (Kaji • Akira • Azai Jukei • Kazumi • Rokkaku Yoshimitsu) • The Hunters of Kyonyo (Inumaru • Kamakichi • Shishi-o • Toro • Tsuchi-Gumo) • The Iron Hand Guild (Ginroku • Kanta • Kin-no-suke • Tamao • The Iron Hand) • The Kabukimono (Big Sueki • Chief Cuckoo • Corrupt Blade • Ember • Ghost General • Grave Dancer • Laughing Man • Peacock) • Kurai Eikyou (The Akiyama Agent • The Blacksmith Agent • The Katsuragi Agent • The Tsutsui Agent • The Messenger) • Nobutsuna's Students (Asari Nobutane • Hozoin In'ei • Marume Nagayoshi • Nagano Saemon • Sanada Masatoyo • Yagyū Munetoshi • Yuki no Kata) • The Pirate Alliance (Kage • Little Kappa • Lopo Cruz • Oni-yuri • Sen) • The Seta River Killers (Gaspar • Ermigo • Trader • Exterminator • Builder • Contractor • Collector • Stalker • Tormentor) • The Silver Smugglers (Enju • Fernam Moreno • Takeru • Mai • Nycollaao de Castel Branco • Shinji • Yoshisada) • The Twisted Tree (Takahashi Goro • Takahashi Ichi-Hime • Takahashi Inoshichi • Takahashi Jiro • Takahashi Saburo • Takahashi Shiro • Takahashi Taro) • The Winter Raiders (Akumu • Hayate • Sobei • Jinbei • Yasha) • The Yamabushi Imposters (The Clifftop Yamabushi • The Forest Yamabushi • The Mountain Yamabushi • The Pathway Yamabushi • The Pond Yamabushi • The River Yamabushi • The Shadow Yamabushi • The Valley Yamabushi • The Village Yamabushi) • The Yokai (Ao Andon • Daitengu • Kappa (Kappa Taku • Kappa Rei) • Makuwauri no Bakemono • Oshiroi Babā • Suika no Bakemono • Taka Nyudo • Yuki-onna)
Mythic Beings
Others
Animus EGO user • The Eagle • Ego • The Guide | Akechi Mitsuyoshi • Aoi • Aoki Ujimasa • Asajiro • Bessho Nagaharu • Luís Fróis • Fujita Juro • Furuta Tanji • Fuyu • Gamo Yoshimitsu • Gennojo • Genpaku • Hatakeyama Yoshimasa • Hori Hidemasa • Hosokawa Fujitaka • Imai Sōkun • Imai Sōkyū • Ise Sadatame • Ishikawa Goemon • Kanō Eitoku • Kamiizumi Nobutsuna • Kennyo • Konishi Yukinaga • Konatsu • Kumabe Ujiie • Kuroda Yoshitaka • Kyonyo • Mamushi • Matsu • Mayu • Meiran • Mitsumune • Mori Ranmaru • Murakami Norimasa • Nakamura Tadashige • Nene • Niwa Nagahide • Norimune • Oda Nobukatsu • Oda Nobunaga • Ōta Gyūichi • Otama • Rin • Samemaru • Satoko • Shibata Katsuie • Shindo Hiroshii • Shin'nyo • Shōtei • Sorin • Suzu • Tetsuo • Tokubei • Tokugawa Ieyasu • Tatsugoro • Tominaga • Tomita Nobutaka • Toyotomi Hideyoshi • Ukita Hideie • Ujimasa • Yakichi • Yamamoto Masakatsu
Factions
Assassins (Kakushiba ikki) • Templars (Abstergo Industries (Sentinels) | Japanese Rite (Sanzoku Ippa) • Portuguese Rite • Roman Rite) • Shinbakufu • Japanese clans (Akiyama • Akechi • Bessho • Fukui • Niwa • Oda • Rokkaku • Sengoku • Takahashi • Takeda • Tokugawa • Toyotomi • Tsutsui • Ukita) • Japanese confederations (Iga ikki • Ikkō-ikki • Koga ikki) • Japanese subcultures (Ashigaru • Kabukimono • Rōnin • Samurai • Shinobi • Sōhei • Yamabushi) • Minor factions (The Butterfly Collectors • Godai Shinobi • Iron Hand Guild • Kurai Eikyou • Pirate Alliance • Seta River Killers • Winter Raiders) • Jesuits • Portuguese Empire
Locations
Japan (Awaji (Sumoto • Yura) • Harima (Aga • Himeji • Miki • Takasago) • Iga (Hijiyama • Ichinomiya (Aekuni Shrine Town) • Mibuno Vale) • Kii (Mount Kōya • Negoro-ji • Saika • Shingū) • Ōmi (Azuchi (Azuchi Castle) • Hachiman • Lake Biwa (Chikubushima) • Nagahama • Ōmizo • Ōtsu • Sakamoto • Shiotsu) • Izumi Settsu (Amagasaki • Katano • Osaka • Sakai • Takatsuki • Tomiko's Homestead) • Tamba (Fukuchiyama • Kameyama • Miyazu • Tada • Takeda • Yakami) • Wakasa (Obama • Tsuruga) • Yamashiro (Kyoto (Honnō-ji) • Shōryūji • Ujitawara • Yamazaki) • Yamato (Asuka • Katsuragi • Kōriyama • Nara Heartland (Tōdai-ji) • Takatori • Uda Matsuyama • Yoshino))
Events
Terms and concepts
Animus (Anomalies • Database • Genetic memory • Hub • Memories • Rifts) • Crafting • Kakurega • Oni • Activities (Hidden Trails • Horse Archery • Kata • Kofun • Kuji-kiri) • Collectibles (Kamon • Tea sets • Sumi-e • Kano Paintings) • Imperial Regalia • Skills (Assassination • Eagle Vision • Freerunning • Eavesdropping • Leap of Faith) • Wardrobe (Naoe • Yasuke)
Weapons and tools
Blunt weapons (Kanabō) • Bow • Firearms (Teppō) • Grappling hook • Hidden Blade • Kusarigama • Polearms (Naginata • Yari) • Shinobi Tools (Kunai • Bells • Makibishi • Nightingale floor • Shuriken • Smoke bombs • Tezutsu) • Short blades (Tantō) • Staff (Bō) • Swords (Katana)
DLC

Characters
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Locations
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Sengoku period (Siege of Kaminogō Castle)
Terms and concepts
Weapons and tools

es:Hattori Hanzō fr:Hattori Hanzō it:Hattori Hanzō pt-br:Hattori Hanzo ru:Хаттори Хандзо zh:服部半藏

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