Takenaka Shigeharu

, who was also known as Hanbei (半兵衛), was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. Hanbei was the castle lord in command of Bodaiyama Castle. His father was Takenaka Shigemoto, a local samurai.

Biography Shigeharu was born in 1544 as the son of Takenaka Shigemoto, the lord of Ōmidō Castle in the Ōno District of Mino Province and a retainer of the Mino-Saitō clan.

In 1556, Shigeharu had his first battle at the Battle of Nagaragawa. He allied with Saitō Dōsan, and replaced his father as the commander in chief against Saitō Yoshitatsu.

In 1560, after the death or retirement of Shigemoto, Shigeharu succeeded him as head of the family and became the lord of Bodaisan Castle.

In 1561, after the death of Yoshitatsu, Shigeharu served Yoshitatsu's son and heir, Saitō Tatsuoki, who took over at the age of thirteen. Tatsuoki, however, indulged in a decadent lifestyle and did not pay attention to affairs of governance. As a result, in 1564, Shigeharu joined the Mino Triumvirate in attacking Tatsuoki at Inabayama Castle, killing Saitō Hida-no-kami and causing Tatsuoki to flee. Later, Shigeharu returned the castle to Tatsuoki and went into seclusion.

In the mid-19th century, Shigeharu's descendant Takenaka Shigekata served as commander of the Tokugawa forces in Fushimi at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi.

Popular culture He is a playable character in Pokémon Conquest (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan, with his partner Pokémon being Pikachu and Raichu.) He is also a playable character in Samurai Warriors 3, Samurai Warriors 4, Samurai Warriors 5, Warriors Orochi 3, and Warriors Orochi 4. A young female version of Takenaka Hanbei appears in the anime The Ambition of Oda Nobuna, which includes female versions of many Sengoku period figures. He appears in the Sengoku Basara anime series and game. His weapon of choice is a linked sword and darkness based attacks. In Anime, however, he contracted tuberculosis and dies after dueling with Kojuro Katakura. His nickname, Hanbei, is used in the video game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Hanbei serves as an important ally to players in the 2020 video game Nioh 2. As with history, he dies mid-game from his illness during a siege. Despite this, he continues to guide the protagonist Hide from the afterlife.