Overview
Mitsuhide Akechi is a major historical figure of Japan's Warring States era. He served as an officer under the powerful warlord Nobunaga Oda and famously lead a coup against him. On June 21, 1582, Akechi's forces surrounded Nobunaga, who was resting within Honno-ji, a temple in Kyoto. The temple was set on fire, and Nobunaga perished inside.
After Nobunaga's assassination, Akechi worked to seize the deceased warlord's power. However, upon learning of his death, Hideyoshi Toyotomi pushed his soldiers into a forced march and caught up to Akechi within two weeks. The two engaged their forces at Yamazaki, and Akechi was routed and killed.
In Video Games
Samurai Warriors
In the Samurai Warriors series, Akechi is depicted as a noble swordsman who is at first deeply loyal to Nobunaga. However, his faith is shaken when he feels that his lord's tactics are too cruel, and rebels against him. Depending on the perspective of the player character, the player may be tasked with either aiding Mitsuhide in his rebellion or thwarting it and rewriting history.
Kessen III
In Kessen III, Akechi is the primary antagonist. Though he first appears as an ally of Nobunaga, he eventually betrays him and attempts a coup. However, Nobunaga survives the attempt on his life and ultimately returns the favor by defeating Akechi in the final battle.
Other Games
Though he does not appear in the series himself, Mitsuhide is the father of Samanosuke Akechi, the protagonist of the original Onimusha: Warlords and Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. In these games, Samanosuke's primary adversary is Nobunaga, who in this story was initially killed much earlier in his life only to be resurrected and possessed by a demon.
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