Honda Tadakatsu

Lore & Background

Born in 1548 in present-day Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Tadakatsu rose from the Anjō fudai family to become Ieyasu's most trusted warrior. At age 14 in 1561, he refused a trophy kill offered by his uncle, charging the enemy alone to secure his first kill by his own hand. His loyalty was absolute; when radical Ikkō-ikki rebels broke out from their Jōdo Shinshū faith, Tadakatsu abandoned that sect for Jōdo-shū to remain loyal to Ieyasu. He fought alongside allies like Sakai Tadatsugu and Torii Mototada to suppress the rebellion. During one such conflict recorded in the *Ietada nikki*, 200 soldiers led by him were ambushed by 200 rebels under Sakai Tadanao, forcing a rout. By June 1564, he defeated Hachiya Sadatsugu for the vanguard command at Yoshida Castle, defeating the garrison while Sadatsugu was killed by Masanori Kawai.

In Their Own Story

In 1570 at the Battle of Anegawa, Tadakatsu faced a turning point when the Asakura army pushed back the Tokugawa left flank. While Ieyasu panicked, Tadakatsu rode alone against an approaching 10,000-strong force. This daring charge prompted Ieyasu to counter-attack, saving his general and securing victory. Later reports mention a single combat duel with giant Asakura warrior Magara Naotaka, cut short only by the enemy's retreat. Years later in 1572 at Hitokotosaka, Takeda forces led by Yamagata Masakage and Baba Nobuharu encircled him. His antler helmet and Tonbo-giri spear became legendary as he staved off charges and broke through with Naitō Nobunari. Even during the devastating Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573, where Ieyasu was overrun, Tadakatsu organized the retreat alongside Sakakibara Yasumasa, blocking Oyamada Masayuki's forces to ensure their master's safe withdrawal.

Reader's Guide

Tadakatsu's career peaked at the Battle of Nagashino in 1575. Leading a rank of musketeers, his units faced Yamagata Masakage, who was killed by Takeda soldiers firing in cycling volleys. When Naitō Masatoyo broke through with 24 men to reach Ieyasu's camp, Tadakatsu, Yasumasa, and Osuga Yasutaka blocked the path. Takeda chronicles record him engaging Masatoyo's frontline personally until the corps was annihilated; Masatoyo himself was captured. A retainer named Kaji Masamichi later took the heads of Yamagata Masakage and Baba Nobuharu as prizes. Following this, he helped capture Suwahara Castle. In 1582, after Ieyasu's perilous journey through Ochimusha-gari bandit raids, Tadakatsu fought alongside retainers like Sakai Tadatsugu to repel attackers until reaching friendly Kōka ikki territory. That same year, he received command over 60 members of the Asari clan formerly serving the defeated Takeda.

Did You Know?

• Honda Tadakatsu participated in exactly 57 military campaigns throughout his life without ever suffering a single wound.
• At age 14, he refused to take credit for an enemy kill made by his uncle and instead charged the enemy ranks to make his own trophy.
• During the Battle of Anegawa, he rode alone against a 10,000-strong Asakura army, prompting Ieyasu to counter-attack.
• At Nagashino in 1575, he personally engaged Naitō Masatoyo's forces on the frontline to prevent them from reaching Ieyasu's main camp.
• In 1582, following the Honnō-ji Incident, Tadakatsu fought through Ochimusha-gari bandits while escorting Ieyasu back to Mikawa.