16 Facts About Shibata Katsuie

Shibata Katsuie or Gonroku was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period.

Shibata Katsuie served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought in the 1575 Battle of Nagashino and 1577 Battle of Tedorigawa.

Shibata Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobuhide and later Oda Nobuyuki.

In 1547, he fought at the Battle of Kanoguchi against the Saito clan and, in 1548, Shibata Katsuie took part in the second Battle of Azukizaka against Imagawa clan.

In 1556, when control of the Oda clan was contested, Shibata Katsuie initially supported his lord, Nobuyuki, against his elder brother Oda Nobunaga.

Shibata Katsuie was defeated at the Battle of Ino, and, in the aftermath, Nobunaga had his brother executed.

Shibata Katsuie then pledged his services to Nobunaga, earning his praises.

In late 1568, Shibata Katsuie pardoned by Nobunaga, along with Hosokawa Fujitaka, Hachiya Yoritaka, Mori Yoshinari and Sakai Masahisa attacked Iwanari Tomomichi at Shoryuji Castle.

Shibata Katsuie eventually won via an all-out attack, forcing the Rokkaku to retreat.

In 1573, when Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who was protected by the Mori clan, built an anti-Nobunaga network, Shibata Katsuie fought against Yoshiaki's forces in various places including Omi Province and Settsu Province as a powerful military commander of the Oda army.

Shibata Katsuie commanded the right wing among the three groups along with Sakuma Nobumori.

Later in 1582, after the death of Nobunaga, in a meeting at Kiyosu Castle to determine Nobunaga's successor, Shibata Katsuie initially supported the choice of Samboshi, Nobunaga's grandson.

Shibata Katsuie then allied with Oda Nobutaka and Takigawa Kazumasu against Toyotomi Hideyoshi who was allied with Oda Nobukatsu.

In 1583, Shibata Katsuie sent his nephew Sakuma Morimasa to besiege Takayama Ukon and Nakagawa Kiyohide at Shizugatake.

Shibata Katsuie was defeated and retreated back into Echizen, all the way to Kitanosho Castle, which was taken in 3 days.

Shibata Katsuie is a playable character in Koei Tecmo's Samurai Warriors 2: Empires and all subsequent Samurai Warriors, the Warriors Orochi games, and Sengoku Basara 4.