Top 10 Important Samurai Battles 

Number 4 with the "Daring raid of Okehazama" one interesting point is that the sword that Imagawa was using to defend himself from the two samurai was a prized sword given to him by Takeda Kagetora as a gift for alliance. The sword end up in Nobunaga hand as his favorite sword... where it later was found in Honnoji after his assassination and given to Hideyoshi where it was later given to the Tokugawas. The sword is still on display in museum.

Sekigahara had the potential to decimate Japan as a whole, whether you like the results or not, I truly believe the fact that it ended the way it did, is divine intervention.

Covering the Battle of Sekigahara and Siege of Osaka, you bring back memories of Kessen. Specifically when Lord Kobayakawa defects at Sekigahara and Lord Mori refuses to join the battle. Ishida Mitsunari, "Mori, Anko and Kikawa! Why don't they move?! Are they Afraid?! Have they lost their nerve?! Lord Kobyakawa has defected? He is Lord Taiko's nephew...this is impossible, this cannot be!!!" Sanada Yukimora, "I WANT IEYASU'S HEAD! I SHALL HAVE IT TODAY!" Tokugawa Ieyasu, "Impressive...this welp of Sanada's!"

Brooo! I love your videos!! Keep up the amazing work!!

Very good series, and this list is spot on. Nagashino is important on a technical level but mirrors what others were also coming to conclude at the same time, but Dan-no-ura and Sekigahara were far more important to the overall course of history.

Sekigahara is No 1. Because it set in stone the destiny of feudal Japan and immortalized the Tokugawa dynasty. It was also a staging post for Musashi Miyamoto, the renowned swordsman who became famous for defeating all opponents in tournaments. He fought against the Tokugawas at Sekigahara and was injured,and became a ronin and bandit until his prowess with the sword eventually found him fame.

How about a “Top Ten Imjin War Battles” list? (I’d include the Battle of Chungju, the Battle of Yongin, both Sieges of Jinju, the Battle of Hansando, the Battle of Ichi, the recapture of Pyeongyang, the Battle of Byeokjegwan, the Siege of Haengju and the Battle of Myeongnyang).

Ok, This is Epic But, what about the droid attack on the wookies?

Not necessarily my most favourite but some of my favourites include Yamazaki and Shizugatake. Like what if the traitor Akchi Mitsuhide won or what if Shibata Katsui won. I am personally a fan of Toyotomi Hideyoshi or Hashiba Hideyoshi as he is sometimes known as. His victories at the battle of Yamazaki and the battle of Shizugatake shaped the rest of the Sengoku Jidai. Nagashino is also one of my favourites, largely because of how it shaped Smaurai warfare and how it crippled the Takeda. But ofcourse, the number one shall and will always be, the battle of Sekigahara, the mighty clash between Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu that shaped Japan for the rest of its existence.

For me #1 is Sekigahara. #2 and #3 would be Siege of Osaka(Summer) and Mikatagahara where Ieyasu would had probably died if events happened differently thus changing the future shoganate. Sekigahara would not had happened if Shingen's forces didn't mistakenly thought that the opened gates were a trap and actually stormed Hamamatsu killing Ieyasu.

Sekigahara probably by far was one of the most interesting battles to date. You had one of the largest feudal armies ever to have appeared in a single location, most of the surviving war heros and leaders of the sengoku period. the fates of both sides ended up hinging on a man who was torn between familial ties and oaths on either sides. Numbers and members of the battle alone made it epic. How and why it would play out the way it did made the battle dramatic and emotional as well. its little wonder why its been romanticized and dramatized over the centuries

How about theJōkyū War? It was the first war in which the Samurai defeated the Emperor.

I kind of like Sekigahara and the siege of Osaka castle .

I got 9 out 10 (I didn’t get toba-fushimi)

wooooOOOOOOOO!!!

We all knew it was gonna be sekigahara

from the sengoku jidai which pretty much an era rule by militarism and the emperor is always a puppet . and the Meiji era it's pretty much back into the power of the emperor royal family but then WW2 it's kinda militarism again ?

Where do you get the artwork of the battles ?

Is it limited to samurai battles in Japan?

You need to put chapter markers in a 30 min video.

Can you do a video on the life as a everyday citizen of these times

I think kojiro sasaki and mushashi duel should be in the top 10

ODA Nabonaga is the Goat Samurai Warlord Daimyo 🙌 Yoritomo is overrated without Yoshitsuni Do the all the work..To put him into the throne..but Sekigahara for me is not the Goat Samurai battle.. Depiction decided the Battle..not bravery and Tactical

I agree the Sekigahara is #1. Otherwise, it wouldn't be the final stage on Sengoku Basara 3.

That story of Sanada Yukimura charging Ieyasu and almost killing him reminds me of the Kenshin and Shingen’s speculated encounter at Kawanakajima somewhat. Also reminds me of a moment in the Battle at Bosworth Fields in 1485 when Richard III made a desperate failed charge with his guard towards Henry Tudor.

While Nagashino certainly was a really important battle, I completely agree that both Dan-no-ura and even more so Sekigahara were even more important. You really can't top Sekigahara, *every* Samurai met there to duke it out and end this war once and for all (yes I know Osaka, but you know what I mean).

Great video! I definitely agree that Sekigahara was the greatest, most important battle in Japanese history. Another battle I'd say was really important was Komaki-Nagakute. I feel like history could have been vastly different if Ieyasu had been defeated militarily. Were he to lose, he would probably be executed, and even if he survived, I don't think he would have amassed so much power like he did in our timeline, possibly not having enough power to oppose the Toyotomi after Hideyoshi's death. I feel like Komaki-Nagakute was the battle that first really showcased how powerful the Tokugawa was, as a clan that could not be taken lightly, not even by Hideyoshi. Honno-ji was really important too, but I guess it's not really a battle like the others, hence why it's called an "incident" instead.

What Japanese historical books might you recommend?

Sekigahara is definitely going to be number 1. Ill be back after the video lol EDIT: told you 🤣

I think Nagashino is overrated in importance, largely because the "guns beat cavalry" legend was not nearly as impactful in reality. I'd drop it down to the bottom of the list. Nobunaga was already on track to dominate by that point. Kawanakajima might be important to the mythos of Kenshin and Shingen but it didn't have any particular effect on the political landscape. I'd knock it off the list entirely and replace it with Itsukushima, which IMO is the battle that reshaped Western Japan during the Sengoku Jidai and the battle I consider the twin to the Siege of Kawagoe in the effect it had. The Mori victory at Itsukushima knocked the age-old Ouchi clan out of dominance and led to the Mori's control of western Honshu, which had far reaching effects into both Kyushu and central Japan. The Mori would also have an effect on future important events like Sekigahara and the Meiji Restoration.

My fav battles are Anegawa, Sekigahara and Tedorigawa

My favorite battle is dan no ura i feel the battle is legendary because of the story of it the tale of Heike for example it shows the tragedy of the battle with the Tiara being destroy and also having the battle showed in Kwaidan which I’m watching on HBO Max and it’s a fantastic film with the battle being sad but also haunting.

I would rank the Battle of Yamazaki higher on the list due to its influence on Japanese millitary strategy. After Yamazaki, the Idea of Tennozan, or forcing a decicive victory instead of a war of attrition became the standard strategy for the Samurai. Battles like Sekigahara were waged with the idea of an all out final battle in mind, mirroring the idea of tennozan. Even after the Edo period, the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy would draw up battle plans with the idea to have one large scale decisive battle, which worked well for them in the 1st Sino-Japanese War, and the Russo-Japanese War but was what brought their downfall in WW2 with the attack on Pearl Harbor and their defeat at Midway.

Sekigahara and okehazama where nobunaga crushed Imagawa and changed the course of senkoku jidai. These days when we beat another samurai, we take a selfie with their smiley head and post it on fb. Never realized hideyori put up stiff resistance. Always assumed he’s a pushover. Juz Been to Osaka last yr

Attack on Udo castle and Battle of Komaki and Nagakute. Sir please review the movie "The Last Samurai "

Your videos keep amazing me with their quality. Keep up the good work!

I think that Shiroyama also deserves a place here as it is solely responsible not only for the true end of the Samurai era but also the transformation of Bushido into japanese society as a whole. It is a question if Japan would even go full Imperial expansion or see all other around itself as inferior if not for the after effects of the Shiroyama.

I have Sekigara as #1. I liken Nagashino to Agincourt in Europe and call Nagashino the “Agincourt of Japan.” Like Agincourt, Nagashino was innovative, but it wasn’t super decisive and the feats performed there could only be repeated under very strict circumstances. So it would be a very difficult battle to repeat.

"Historian Stephen Turnbull also argues that the sheer distance between the Eastern Army positions and that of Kobayakawa, far out of range of arquebuses and likely too far for a shot to even be heard, makes the "story about Ieyasu ordering ‘cannon-shot’ into his ranks" to force Hideaki's hand very unlikely. Furthermore, Yūichi Goza explains that the story of Ieyasu shooting at Hideaki's location comes from secondary sources from the Edo period, suggesting it may have been the result of dramatization and embellishment from pro-Tokugawa shogunate historiography to aggrandize Ieyasu's success in Sekigahara."

Love your stuff! Really looking forward to seeing how you will handle the Imjin war. I feel like that whole conflict in itself could cover at least several dozen videos if not more. Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Manchus all fighting each other duking it out over the fate of Korea and East Asia as a whole.

個人的に小牧・長久手の戦いがないのが意外。秀吉と家康の直接対決であり、この戦によって豊臣家は天下統一へ大きく前進し、徳川家も存続を許されたという面では、関ヶ原よりもよっぽど天下分け目の戦だと思う。

Nimber 3 should be okehazama, because this was one of the greatest strategist battles. And siege of ishiyama honganji shold be on the list.

At one point, I was obsessed with the Battle of Nagashino. The build up and the battle itself is just so fascinating.

My first introduction to a lot of these historical figures was the Sengoku Musou (Samurai Warriors) games, and I always find it interesting when hearing about Akechi MItsuhide from a purely historical perspective, because for whatever reason those games romanticized him a great deal, made his motives seem noble, while in pure history I generally hear him simply referenced as a traitor.

Imagine an alternate history where Eastern Coalition won agaisnt Ieyasu during Sekigihara..

I love how high placed you have Dan no ura, one of my favorite Samurai battles of all time!

Excellent narration and good choice of ranking. Your video evoked what I have learned of the history of samurai warfare.

I agree with you. When we are talking about important’s, and how many and casualties. But my favorite battle is, and always will be the, 4th battle of kawanakajima. The Epic clash between the tiger and the dragon.

I wish when the times to cover Osaka you would take the time to cover the other four of the Osaka Five too. They deserve more credit than people (you included) are giving them. Yukimura didn't do everything by himself.

I like to imagine that if Mitsunari won, the Japan we know today would be very different. Instead of upholding the pacifism, Japan probably would've joined the colonialism trend and became aggressor way before Meiji. They indeed failed in Korea. But the islands in Pacific were still defenseless. It's also very possible they had industrial revolution decades ahead. But that also mean they won't make anime/entertainment like today, which actually upholds the pacifism spirit they inherited for centuries of isolation. So I don't know either which side to choose if I have a time machine.

I agree that sekigahara is one of the greatest and most important battle in the sengoku jidai period. But for an interesting what if scenario is the battle of anegawa. If the azai asakura alliance won that day (they techically do since the oda were forced to retreat but still), there would be no 3 great unifiers of japan. And different than nagashino or okehazama where the 3 were present, the battle of anegawa is the closest one to killing all of them.

I think something is missing here, let me explain, Kawanakajima!!, how is that left out?, Takeda Shingen fought Uesugi Kenshin 5 times, while 4 were more skirmishes than anything the 4th battle was a do or die, 5 battles in 11 yrs, imagine if there had only been 3 in 5 yrs, we saw what Shingen did to a combined force of Oda and Tokugawa Samurai, the Oda contingent were totally wiped out, and Ieyasu had to be forced of the battle field by his own men, other wise he would have been killed, had Shingen not died from a respiratory illness, most likely TB, he would have gone on and defeated Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen was the only one capable of taking on and beating their alliance, if that had happened there would have been no Nagashino and no Sekigahara, it would have changed the entire face of japan today, although Shingen still lived in the Tokugawa Shogunate, Ieyasu took a lot of Shingens laws, and management and incorporated it in his Shogunate, many of Shingens relatives went over to the Tokugawa and fought at Sekigahara, Shingens line did not die out after Nagashino, like many people say, these very people believe the sniper version to the death of Shingen, and we know that to be false, with any rumor coming from the Tokugawa, there is written text stating that Shingen died from a respiratory illness, when we talk about the unification we must start to include Shingen, and not forget what he did at Mikatagahara..

Another awesome video! I agree with most of your choices and the explanations were well thought-out. By the way, any chance you'd review samurai graphic novels like Lone Wolf & Cub, 47 Ronin or Usagi Yojimbo?

The 4th Battle of Kawanakajima will be the winner for me. I also like the Battle of Itsukushima when Motonari Mori and his sons defeat Harukata Sue in a very clever strategy.

Your videos relax me

Sekigahara and siege of Toba Fushimi remain the most important battles followed by Dan no ura . Nagashino was important as in strategy used but its outcome didn’t have far reaching consequences , in my opinion Okehazama siege of Odawara castle Battle of Shizugatake rank higher than glorified circus called battle of Khawanakajima!

What an Epic Episode! love it

shit like bannerlord 2 on xbox lol

It's really difficult to objectively rank all of these, but we think you did a good job (as always). And yes we agree, Sekigahara stands as the most significant samurai battle. Cheers.

Great ranking! Love that Yamazaki was on the list. Had Mitsuhide won, other local allies around such as the Hosokawa and Tsutsui may have joined the Akechi.

I like your approach

Nice video.

Oda Nobunaga: I’m a moron Imagawa Yoshimoto: You’re too easy, I’ll run you out of town, moron! Oda Nobunaga: Your head is mine, pompous fool! Imagawa Yoshimoto: I thought you’re a moron! Oda Nobunaga: It’s just a gimmick that I made to make you idiots drop your guard and make yourselves open for me to kill

Hello. I love the Sengoku jidai, and I have seen several images in which Oda Nobunaga does not wear an emblem of his clan on his clothes, but rather that of the Toyotomi clan. Why? Greetings.

This is, in my opinion, the best and most nuanced samurai information channel on RU-vid. It is possibly my favorite RU-vid channel period.

Parts of the takeda clan is still living to day so NO the basted nobunaga did not kill all of the Takeda ther are thos how are grandchildren to the great takeda shingen

The naval battle of Hakodate 1869, the last samurai battle, is very important.

Wow, Good stuff!

love to see a Bakumatsu series

Top 1 was not in question because like its literally one of the most epic clashes I was not even suprised you choosed it for top 1

Ive been playing Samurai Warriors 4-II and its awesome 😮

All those Battles r nothing compared to any battles of ww 1 and ww 2😂

I haven't seen the video full yet but I vote for Okezahama as the number 1.

I believe, the most important battle in the history of Japanese samurai is definitely Jokyu-no-ran. 1192, Minamoto Yoritomo established the first samurai regime in Japanese history at Kamakura. But still, Yoritomo himself was a direct descendant of imperial monarchy. After a few decades, Yoritomo got killed by an accident, falling from a horse meanwhile he was hunting wild games, to train his officers in the field. Then Hojo clan which was the clan of the wife of Yoritomo slaughtered his son and grandsons all together, exterminated the lineage of Yoritomo himself. So now, Hojo clan became the first ruler of entire Japan who has no legitimate pedigree linkage with the Imperial family. That was even more revolutionary than the establishment of the first samurai regime in Kamakura. Then 1221, Gotoba-joko(the father and the regent of the emperor)declared an imperial order to punish Hojo Yoshitoki. So all colleagues and samurais who organized Kamakura regime were seriously trembled, fearing the sacred imperial order. Because, before that in Japanese history, nobody won nor survived fighting against sacred imperial monarchy. Until that era, Japanese people seriously believed that if you fight against sacred imperial banner, your eyes would get blinded by holy power and you would fall into hell eternally. So, Hojo clan was supposed to be perished fighting against holy imperial army. But, miraculously Hojo clan and the Kamakura samurais won against imperial banner. That was really epochal and revolutionary phenomenon in whole Japanese history. So first time in Japanese history, Hojo regime who has no legitimate pedigree linkage with imperial family won the battle against holy imperial order and the holy banner. So I rank Jokyu-no-ran the most important battle in the whole samurai history in Japan. BTW, Hojo clan was also the savior of Japan who defeated the notorious invincible Mongolian army at 1274 and 1281. But Hojo clan doesn't have got respect and recognition which they should have deserved because after all, they had dared fighting against holy imperial banner. Even nowadays, that means a big sin in Japanese moral standard.

As long as he's honest and the believes in what he is doing God will see him through this

Anyway God will see him through this

Yep, I agree with your ranking, and Sekigahara topping it is reasonable, you don't have many battles in world history with aproximately 160000 warriors in just one place. However, I would put Siege of Osaka higher, because it drew even more warriors than Sekigahara, and although the Tokugawa were already the shoguns by that point, they wouldn't keep the supremacy on the land by 2 centuries if Yukimura had succeeded in killing Ieyasu (and it ALMOST could happen).

『武士道と云うは死ぬ事と見付けたり』😌

I would change Okehazama and Nagashino in place, because without Okehazama there wouldn't be the Battles of Nagashino, Yamazaki, Sekigahara and many others. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu wouldn't be a thing without the Battle of Okehazama. Otherwise, a good list.

for me Sekigahara for being the jumping off point for the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Osaka Campaign, both battles, for the birht of the legend of Yukimura Sanada, and to establish the hold of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Okehazama, Oda Nobunaga challenging fate itself and coming out the victor.

What about musashi vs yoshioka? That set the precedent of invincibility and what's more important than that. I man who can kill 70 with guns. With guns. At least 1 musashi battle should've made top 10 because invincibility based on enlightenment is the goal of every soul and yes, shaped Japan

battle of komaki-nagakute should be on the list. the only battle between two unifier, toyotomi and tokugawa. also make the tokugawa becomes second most powerfull and untouchable by toyotomi hideyoshi

There's something so romantic about the battle of Dan-no-ura, samurai leaping to their deaths into the waves below as a final gesture of defiance against the Minamoto. Almost the exact same thing happened during the last stand of the Song dynasty against the victorious Mongols at Yamen.

26:31 Don’t know if you’ve played Nioh 2, but in its dlc where the player goes back in time to the Genpei war, there’s enemy yokai that just so happen to be crabs with faces on their backs, just like what’s described here.

I'm so sad ! I've not seen Torii Mototada in the previous samurai ranking and there's no mention of the battle of fushimi castle in this video ! :)

Okehazama may be the most important since its the trigger for Japan unification and nobunaga rise.

100!!!

But will you be talking about the Star Wars?

You rank Sekigahara higher than Osaka. But was Sekigahara really that decisive if the Tokugawa had to face the Toyotomi faction again 15 years later? What if Hideyori had won and/or even killed Ieyasu? Wouldn't his faction rule Japan or were the Tokugawa too firmly established at that point?

I mostly rate battles based on tactics, impact, background and story. Rating battles based on importance is a different case I guess. I'm listing most important ones based on its impact chronologically. 10-Battle of Dan-no Ura: Obviviously. Fall of Taira and shifting of power. 9-Mongol Invasion: There are too many what if scenarios if Mongols succeded. 8-Siege of Kamakura: I don't know if this one has a specific name but Hojo Clan's downfall is another power shifting. Ashikaga's rise was eventual in my opinion. 7-Onin War: The battle caused fracture. Because of uncertainty, it mostly overlooked but all that battles especially in Kyoto is really important. I just imagine how big cultural impact of Kyoto's destruction. 6-Siege of Kawagoe: The battle shaped eastern Japan. It is one of my favorite because of tactics, story and impact. It trigerred many events like rise of Kenshin and even Shingen in some extent. If Uesugi destroyed Hojo, I guess they were became big threat for Imagawa and Takeda and not gave them free movement chance maybe destroy them as well. Another many what if scenarios 5-Battle of Miyajima: That one shaped western Japan. Mori clans survival had long lasting effects, even you can say this battle effect Boshin War. Destruction of Mori opens many possibilities. I guess Ouichi continues fighting against remnants of Kikkawa and Kobayakawa, after that Amago eventually joins the fight. It would be either Amago tooks Mori's role later Sengoku period or Ouichi dominates Western Japan and considering they had influence over Kyushu, Ouichi could be the one dominated Kyushu as well and became biggest power against Nobunaga maybe even took their place. 4-Battle of Okehazama: Another obvivious choice, how Nobunaga rised from this battle makes it important enough. Bu still what if Imagawa won and reached Kyoto is still interesting senario. 3-Battle of Nagashino: This is the battle maybe has the most impact because of tactical importance. That's my favorite battle because of all the background, story, tactics and its impact. And best stage in Samurai Warriors games. 2-Battle of Komaki and Nagakute: Tokugawa holds his ground. That is probably showed Tokugawa is the next after Hideyoshi. He just proved how he is a big power and major played. If Tokugawa fall in this battle, everything changed drastically. 1-Battle of Sekigahara: Last obvivious choice. We know results of this battle. In this case what if scenarios makes it interesting as well. Honorable mentions: Battle at Mount Shigi, first big major conflict if it was count as samurai battle. I actually should put it number 11, afterall it shaped Japan religiously. Without Soga's rise, buddhism probably never hold a ground in Japan. Hogen rebellion: Downfall of Fujiwara. Heiji rebellion: Beginning of Taira and Minamoto rivalry. 4th Battle of Kawanakajima: If one killed the other one, winning one most likely united Japan. Battle of Anegawa: Nobunaga's important victory. Battle of Mikatagahara: What if Shingen didn't fight with Tokugawa and continued his campaing Siege of Osaka: What if Tokugawa lost. Bashin War: What if Shogunate won.

Very interesting! I personally can't wait until you cover the Imjin War b/c it's one of the few wars Japan fought with another country. The clash between Korea, Japan and China is cool with a handful of great battles and sieges at large scales of tens of thousands if not up to one hundred thousand. Major figures like Yi Sunshin, Kato Kiyomasa, Gwon Yul, Li Rusong, Kobayakawa Takakage, Ukita Hideie, Gwak Je-u and many others shine during this war. Excited for it

ขอบคุณค่ะ

i'm coming for you Shingen.

村长打架而已

Nagashino an important battle in world history? No. Japan was off in its own little corner. How much difference did it make which gang of samurai unified the country (sooner or later it would be unified)? From the world's point of view, none. You can pretty much say the same about Sekigahara.