Hattori Hanzo lived from 1541 to 1596 and is considered one of Japan's most famous samurai and ninja. He was the son of Hattori Yasunaga and married into the Matsudaira clan (later known as Tokugawa). Accordingly, he was loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, his entire life.
Hattori Hanzo: The first time on the battlefield
Hanzo fought his first battle in 1557, aged just 16, when he took part in the attack on Uzuchi Castle in Mikawa. The attack was led by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Even at this age, he was able to impress with his outstanding performance on the battlefield. He subsequently took part in the battles of Anegawa (in 1570) and Mikatagahara (in 1572).
The "Demon Hanzo"
His impressive skills on the battlefield earned him the nickname "Oni no Hanzō" ("The Demon Hanzo"). This was not only a tribute to his fighting skills, but also served to better distinguish him by name from another Tokugawa ninja, Watanabe Hanzô.
His greatest deed
Hattori Hanzo's most important and greatest deed came after the death of Oda Nobunaga in 1582, when Tokugawa and his protectors were near Ôsaka and received the news of Oda Nobunaga's murder just in time to avoid being captured by Akechi Mitsuhide's troops. However, this did not mean that they were out of danger. Their destination of Mikaw was still a long way off at this point and they knew that Akechi's troops would be systematically searching the surrounding area for them.
However, Hanzo had an idea of how they could escape the troops. He suggested that they should take the route through Iga Province, as he knew the samurai living there well. The sumarai there should also be well-disposed towards Ieyasu, as he had previously protected the survivors of Nobunaga's bloody invasion in 1580.
Honda Tadakatsu then sent Hanzo ahead to sound out the situation. And as hoped, the Iga men not only agreed to lead Hanzo's troop onto the road, but also escorted them the whole way. Thanks to Hanzo, Tokugawa and his followers were able to return to Mikawa safely and unharmed.
The legend of Hanzo's death
Hanzo died at the age of 55. Although there is no evidence, it is suspected that he was killed by ninja from the Fūma clan. Legend has it that the leader of the clan, Fūma Kotaro, lured Hanzo into an ambush and then killed him with the help of his men.
What is a Hattori Hanzo sword?
Hattori Hanzo was not a swordsmith, so there is no original Hattori Hanzo katana sword. Quentin Tarantino borrowed the name Hattori Hanzo for his Kill Bill film series and created a new, fictional character based on it.
The Hanzo Hattori from Kill Bill
In Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill, Sonny Chiba plays the well-known weaponsmith "Hattori Hanzo", who is known for making the "best swords in the world". In the film, Hanzo had actually given up swordsmithing as his conscience no longer allows him to make deadly tools. However, he is persuaded to make one last sword for Kiddo (the bride), played by Uma Thurman, as she was attacked by Bill, a former pupil of Hanzo's. Hanzo makes the sword and presents it in a solemn ceremony.
The Hattori Hanzo known from the film is therefore a fictional character who has taken up the myth of the real Hattori Hanzo and brought it to the cinema. The popular actor Sonny Chiba, who played Hattori Hanzo, sadly died of Covid-19 in 2021.
Hattori Hanzo products from our shop
Text source: http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Hattori_Hanzo
