Bessho Harumasa

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.

However, Harumasa's ambitions were short-lived when the Kakushiba ikki members Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke fought against his army with the help of opposing conscripts and former Bessho general Tadashige. After thwarting his plans to gain control of Harima, Naoe, Yasuke, and their allies led an assault on Miki Castle, where they confronted and killed Harumasa, ending his rebellious cause.

Biography

Life as a retainer

During the Siege of Miki Castle from 1578 to 1580, Harumasa was a retainer under Bessho Nagaharu. When Nagaharu lost to Hashiba Hideyoshi and then committed seppuku alongside his wife and brother for the lives of their soldiers, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 and returned to Miki Castle.

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, as well as the merchant Hiromichi, who agreed to sneak Naoe into Miki Castle.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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".

The surname Bessho (別所) is from the clan of the same name, a cadet branch of the Akamatsu clan. It is comprised of the characters 別 (be, betsu, bechi) "different, seperate, another" and the suffix 所 (-sho) "place".

Gallery

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  Concept art of Bessho Harumasa
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  Concept art of Harumasa
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  Concept art of Harumasa in Harima
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  Bessho Harumasa

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Shadows