Hanzō Hattori

Hanzō Hattori (服部 半蔵) is one of the starting characters in Samurai Warriors. He is the leader of the Iga clan and is loyal to Ieyasu Tokugawa. Like his common portrayal in fiction, he is a ninja rather than the historically accurate general. In the first game, he's 28 years old.

Samurai Warriors
Hanzō is a gloomy and mysterious man who often compares himself to a shadow. He carries out his lord's will through covert activities. The first game emphasizes him assassinating Shingen during his lord's retreat at Mikatagahara. He shares a rivalry with Shingen's servants, Yukimura and Kunoichi; the latter is more of a competition to see who is the better ninja. He escorts his lord's escape through Iga and secretly infiltrates Ueda Castle for information. His final act is to assassinate Hideyori Toyotomi at Osaka. In his upper path ending, he kills Yukimura.

In Samurai Warriors 2, he relatively remains the same except that he shares a rivalry with Kotaro and, to a lesser extent, Nene. As opposed to ending the Toyotomi line with Hideyori, he is ordered to stop it earlier with Hideyoshi's death.

Warriors Orochi
In both games, Hanzō is Ieyasu's steadfast servant in battle. He is available from the start. In Warriors Orochi 2, when Zuo Ci appears, he tells Hanzō that despite him being loyal first to his lord, that he must do what must be done to help the land. Next, in the Battle of Saika Village, Hanzō comes to assist Wei Yan in his fire attack and the two find respect in each other.

Kessen
Although he is dead in the first Kessen (as the focus takes place after his death), his legacy continues in a young kunoichi named Okatsu. She is supposedly one of Hanzō's descendants. In the third game, he is a recruitable unit for Nobunaga's army. He is still a ninja and he isn't affiliated with the Tokugawa clan. He leads the best ninja unit in the game.

Voice Actors

 * Kim Strauss - Samurai Warriors (English)
 * David Walpole - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Takaya Kuroda - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "Vanish."
 * "Darkness made flesh..."
 * "Hi Hanzō! This battle is our chance to see who's the better ninja. You? Or me!"
 * "Your very existence insults my profession."
 * Nene and Hanzō; Samurai Warriors 2 Empires

Historical Information
Hattori Hanzo Masanari was the fifth son of Hattori Hanzo Yasunaga, born in the year 1542. He became the leader of Iga's Hattori Hanzo family. He was actually a samurai general but is often associated as being a ninja since he was often seen commanding them in battle.

Like his father before him, Masanari was loyal to the Matsudaira family's heir, Matsudaira Motoyasu (later known as Tokugawa Ieyasu). He distinguished himself in several campaigns, some of which include the battles at Kakegawa Castle, Anegawa, and Mikatagahara. His first battle was when he was 16 and he fought during the siege of Udo Castle. At the time, he commanded seventy Iga ninja. He eventually earned the nickname "Demon Hanzo" (鬼半蔵) for his fierce fighting style.

In 1579, Ieyasu's eldest son, Matsudaira Nobuyasu, was convicted of treason against Oda Nobunaga and ordered to commit seppuku. Masanari was ordered to be his second in the ritual (where he would mercifully decapitate the one cutting his stomach). However, once he was brought to the appointed site at Futamata Castle, Masanari burst into tears and cried, "I cannot turn my blade against my lord's own blood!" Once Ieyasu learned that Masanari was unable to bring his sword down on his son, he exclaimed, "Even Demon Hanzo is unable to strike the head of his master's child!"

After Akechi Mitsuhide slain Nobunaga at Honnoji in 1582, he set his sights on Ieyasu. At the time, Ieyasu was at a port in Osaka and was surrounded by only ten subordinates. He was forced to flee to his homeland but had to pass through Iga, which was known for its treacherous terrain. Masanari was principle for serving as Ieyasu's guide and commanded 500 ninja guards to ensure his lord's safe passage to Mikawa. For his distinguished service, he was awarded 8,000 koku and 200 vassals. Ieyasu also began to employ more Iga ninja with Masanari as their leader.

Masanari continued to serve his lord at Komaki-Nagakute and died on December 23, 1596 due to natural causes. He was buried near the Shinjiku Ward in Tokyo. Hanzo-mon in Tokyo is named after his family and they once prospered there.