Line #37 UsefulNotes/HattoriHanzo


1	[[quoteright:298:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hattori_hanzo_2.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:298:The legendary ninja? He looked like another {{Samurai}}...[[note]]Don't worry, he's just concealing his ninja status, that's what a ninja does.[[/note]]]]
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4	If UsefulNotes/SarutobiSasuke is the UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi of [[{{Ninja}} ninjas]], then Hattori Hanzo (服部半蔵) was definitely the UsefulNotes/YagyuJubei of {{ninja}}s and the TropeMaker for SamuraiShinobi.
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6	Put it simply, Hanzo can be considered the first Japanese ninja, although [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot his actual profession was a front-line soldier and he preferred to ride into battle with a spear]]. Born Hattori Masanari, he was loyal to his lord UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu. He made his officially debut in the battle of Anegawa, at the tender age of 16, and [[RedBaron earned himself the nickname]] ''Oni no Hanzo''.[[note]]Devil Hanzo[[/note]] He was a master of Iga ninjutsu, and before his official debut, he served Ieyasu under the shadows as a backup force against the Imagawa, rescuing Ieyasu's first wife and son from an Imagawa remnant right after his declaration of independence (which would prove tragic, as said son and wife ended up having being ordered to be executed because of rumors of them conspiring with the Takeda, but even then, there was a famous story about how 'Even Devils can shed tear', [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry no wait, not that one]], based on how even Hanzo, after being ordered to do so, [[EveryoneHasStandards still can't bear to shed the blood of his lord]] and had someone else do the job).
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8	Later on, after the defeat at Mikatagahara, Hanzo participated in one of Ieyasu's greatest survival gambits. As the Tokugawa forces retreated to Hamamatsu, there were only five retainers left, including Ieyasu. He managed to trick the Takeda into thinking he had a trap in the castle to stop their advance, then sent Hanzo and his ninja friends to cause chaos in the Takeda camp, finally convincing [[UsefulNotes/TakedaShingen Shingen]] that the Tokugawa ''definitely'' has a trap and they had to retreat (though in fact, they didn't).
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10	His biggest accomplishment was during Ieyasu's perilous journey crossing the Iga village after fleeing from UsefulNotes/AkechiMitsuhide's forces after Mitsuhide killed UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga. Using his ninja connections, Hanzo proceeded to secure a path for Ieyasu to arrive safely in his domain.
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12	His cause of death is unclear. According to myth, he was lured into a naval battle against UsefulNotes/FuumaKotaro and died when his ship was burned down. Historical records, however, say that he died of sickness shortly before Ieyasu took control of the land. Hanzomon (literally, "Gate of Hanzo") in Tokyo is named after him and is allegedly where he is buried.
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14	While his name isn't used as often as Sasuke's in the world of fiction, Hanzo remains a popular figurehead of {{Ninja}} these days, despite his actual profession stated above. [[SamuraiShinobi No one seems to notice that "ninja" was actually a side job for Hanzo.]]
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16	----
17	!!Examples:
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19	[[foldercontrol]]
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21	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22	* In ''Manga/SamuraiDeeperKyo'', Hanzo is featured, [[spoiler:however, it turns out this "Hanzo" is the actual UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu, who's also good with ninjutsu and guises himself as Hanzo, while having one fat lard to act like Ieyasu.]] Voiced here by Creator/HideyukiHori.
23	* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Hanzo was the leader of the Rain Village and is a hyper-paranoid bastard, orchestrating Pain's StartOfDarkness, and [[spoiler:subsequently [[KarmicDeath getting himself killed by Pain]]]].
24	* Hanzo's descendents are clanhead figures in ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}''. The main Hanzo (Hanzo the first, aka Masanari) badassness is [[InformedAbility informed]], but he ''is'' the one who implements the whole Koga/Iga truce. His son/succesor Hanzo the Fourth aka Masahiro and his nephew and adoptive son Kyouhachirou also appear: Masanari does his best to monitor the Kogas and the Igas as the truce is broken [[spoiler:and by the end he's one of the few survivors in this particularly cruel series]], while Kyouhachirou can more than keep pace with the dueling ninjas enough to bring back reports without a scratch [[spoiler:and lives to tell as well.]]
25	* Also in ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' there's a ninja named Hanzo who was looking for the Hunter license to find a scroll.
26	* [[GenderFlip Genderswapped]] into a NinjaMaid in ''Literature/SamuraiGirls''
27	* Hattori Junko from ''Literature/DemonKingDaimao'' comes from a [[BadassFamily ninja family]].
28	* A ninja named Hattori Hanzo appears in the UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga Tournament arc in ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'' as a secondary character. He looks like the traditional ninja and is one of the 8 strongest.
29	* Another {{gender flip}} occurs in ''Anime/BattleGirlsTimeParadox'', where Hanzo is a NerdGlasses-wearing ninja who assists Ieyasu from the shadows, though sometimes going overboard (i.e. burning down the stage).
30	* Hanzo is just one of the many historical figures appearing in ''Manga/BillyBat''.
31	* Hanzou from ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'' is heavily implied to come from a prestigious Ninja family by Kuruwa (a female Ninja).
32	* Hanzo serves as [[BigBad Ieyasu's]] [[TheDragon right-hand ninja]] in ''Manga/Brave10''. He disappears for awhile after Oukatsu perishes, but it's later revealed that [[spoiler:he has his own agenda of ruling Japan from the shadows, effectively making him the primary BigBad as Ieyasu is largely ineffectual.]] He has his own band of dark ninjas, the Iga Grotesque Five, including [[spoiler:[[TheMole the Brave of Ice, Anastasia]], and at the climax he tries to drive Isanami into despair so he can claim her power of darkness... which (un)fortunately [[EvilIsNotAToy kills him outright when he attempts to control it]] in the anime. In the manga, he survives, but gets turned into a popsicle by Anastasia for {{revenge}}, only to return in the sequel and [[HeelFaceTurn join]] the Braves in place of Benmaru. It was a controversial decision by Yukimura and [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor everyone is rightfully suspicious of him]], but he's one of the [[DoomedByCanon handful]] that survives 'til the end.]]
33	* Hanzo also appears in ''Literature/TheAmbitionOfOdaNobuna'', once again being Ieyasu's ninja. Funny thing, he's voiced by [[Creator/TakahiroSakurai the same guy]] who voiced Hanzo in ''Manga/Brave10''
34	** Of special note about this Hanzo, though, is that he's one of very few named characters that is male, which is especially notable as every other named daimyo or daimyo underling in the series is either female or a villain with the exception of him, "Hideyoshi", and Saito Dosan. [[spoiler:This actually makes the situation during the retreat when he and Zenki attack Yoshiharu more tense than it normally would be since up to that point...well, those three are a good half the male cast on their own in a CastHerd of close to 2 dozen.]]
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37	[[folder:Fanfiction]]
38	* Hanzo (or at least, a descendant who bears his name) appears as a recurring ally to the Cures in ''Fanfic/FutariWaPrettyCureDragon''. [[JustForFun/OneOfUs He is also an unapologetic Star Wars fan]] and demonstrated a working model of a lightsaber on a variety show in one episode. In official artwork by the author, he's deliberately drawn to look like Creator/SonnyChiba (who has played Hanzo in a few films), and it's stated in-universe that Hanzo starred in ''[[Creator/IkkiKajiwara Bodyguard Kiba]]'' [[CelebrityParadox in the role of, guess who, Sonny Chiba]].
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41	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
42	* ''Film/KillBill'': The master katana maker of the 21st century shares the name of Hattori Hanzo.
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45	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
46	* A Japanese Creator/{{Netflix}} series ''House of Ninjas'' is about the Tawaras, a modern-day family of shinobis who are descended from Hattori Hanzo. Their family cat is even named Hanzo. They're nemeses with the Fuma clan, a rival clan of shinobis whose leader is given the name of Fuma Kotaro. The current Fuma Kotaro is the nineteenth to that title.
47	* A Japanese TV series called ''Kage no Gundan'', localized to ''Series/ShadowWarriors'', features several Hattori Hanzos, each descended from a previous one, and all played by Creator/SonnyChiba. This is mostly important to Americans because ''Film/KillBill'' features Chiba reprising his role as yet another Hanzo descendant: This one is [[TheBlacksmith a swordsmith]] that can make swords that can cut down Gods; he runs a sushi bar in Okinawa as a cover, but once The Bride finds and confronts him upon one of his disciples (Bill), he comes out of retirement and forges her a sword.
48	* At the end of the 2010 Christmas episode of ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', Eliot gets a Hanzo Sword as a present from Nate and Sophie.
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51	[[folder:Theatre]]
52	* ''Theatre/MusicalToukenRanbu'' does not feature Hanzo as he was killed in an ambush, but the Touken Danshi that stands in for him (Ishikirimaru) takes up an advisor role for Ieyasu and practically raises him and Ieyasu's son. He doesn't much get into fights himself, and is clearly haunted by the bloodshed in war he's met with.
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55	[[folder:Video Games]]
56	* Hattori Hanzo is a character in ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'', as a badass ninja. Said game also features UsefulNotes/YagyuJubei as his friend. His legacy somehow lived on to the modern era as well, there has been two characters in the ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' that is 'emulating' his fighting style: Nagase from ''Maximum Impact 2'' (she downloaded his style to use for herself), and Bandeiras Hattori from ''XIV'' (said to be a distant descendant, with Brazilian ancestry)
57	* He also appears in ''Warrior's Rage''. [[spoiler:But it's actually one of his sons, believed to be Shinzou (the boy who was used as Amakusa's SoulJar in the first two games).]]
58	* And previously, there's also Hattori Hanzo from ''VideoGame/WorldHeroes'' as a young ninja with AnimeHair who [[ToBeAMaster just wants to be the best fighter ever]].
59	* Hattori Hanzo is also a character in ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' naturally serving under Ieyasu (and whichever faction Ieyasu happens to be serving at the time). He's portrayed as a stereotypical ninja, dressed all in black (or at least dark blue) and armed with various ninja tools and techniques like smoke bombs, shuriken and duplication techniques. He also plays the role of Foil for the other three ninjas in the game: GenkiGirl Kunoichi teases him and tries to get him to lighten up, the motherly Nene wonders if he really needs to be so serious all the time, and BloodKnight Fuuma Kotaro doesn't understand why he wants to help Ieyasu forge peace and order when the chaos of wartime is so much fun. He also occasionally displays traits of a DeadpanSnarker, but more often is the ComicallySerious, even when compared to the already serious Honda Tadakatsu.
60	** Consistently, he's been portrayed through voice via Creator/TakayaKuroda. In later games, in nod to his actual role as a general he wears more heavy armor and becomes somewhat less-ninja-like in his designs.
61	* Hanzo appears as an elite officer for the Tokugawa in ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara 3''. He's also acquirable as a bodyguard to spot hidden enemies.
62	* Hanzo is the final boss in ''VideoGame/AlexKidd in Shinobi World''.
63	* In ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'', the leader of the Rokakku village (where Kasumi resides) is named "Hanzo".
64	* Kenji/Mukuro from ''VideoGame/RedEarth'' is based on Hanzo.
65	* In ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', [[{{Ninja}} Scorpion's]] real name is Hanzo Hasashi.
66	** Interestingly enough, in the non-canon webseries ''WebVideo/MortalKombatLegacy'', his (previously unnamed) son is known by the name Jubei.
67	* Hanzo from ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' is loosely based on Hattori Hanzo.
68	* ''VideoGame/TotalWarShogun2'' features clan Hattori (formerly a special edition bonus, now available as DLC) a great clan whose [[GangOfHats hat]] is Stealth- most of their units have 'Iga-ryu Ninjitsu,' allowing them to temporarily become hidden in the open, or harder to detect when otherwise hidden; they also have improved success chance for Ninja agent actions.
69	* Saizo Hattori from ''VideoGame/PowerInstinct'' is a subversion, since his first name comes from Saizou Kirigakure.
70	* In ''VideoGame/{{Inindo}}: Way of the Ninja'', he appears as one of the more powerful recruitable characters.
71	* Hanzo appears as a warlord in ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest'', serving under Nene of the ninja-themed Viperia kingdom. He specializes in ghost types, with Spiritomb as his starter and the Gengar line as his perfect link.
72	* Hanzo's clan is a playable faction in ''VideoGame/ShogunTotalWar'' via DLC.
73	* [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Hanzou]] the ninja is a playable character in ''VideoGame/ShiningForce''.
74	* In the ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' series, the ninja school that the main protagonists attend is named after Hanzo. Hanzo also happens to be still alive in the 21st century, but it might simply be a case of NamedAfterSomeoneFamous. Additionally, the lead character, Asuka, is his granddaughter, but since she starts off nowhere near as talented as he was, she feels somewhat overwhelmed by his legacy. Nevertheless, she greatly wants to prove herself worthy of the family name and trains hard to attain that goal. Hanzo himself appears occasionally, and although he sometimes expresses minor disappointment at Asuka's progress, he loves her all the same and encourages her when he can.
75	* In the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' series, Hattori Hanzō was an Assassin.
76	* Hattori Hanzo is one of the key JidaiGeki historical figures who appear in ''VideoGame/{{Nioh}}'', assisting protagonist William, even occasionally conversing with the Englishman in fluent English, provided by Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa. However, this Hanzo is ''not'' Masanari, but rather his grandson. Furthermore, the title of ''Oni no Hanzo'' belongs to this character's father: MeaningfulName ensues when Hanzo's father [[spoiler:returns as a literal ''oni'' in the form of a Giant Toad]]. Masanari, on the other hand, was featured in ''VideoGame/Nioh2'', since it took place during his active days (the era of UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga) and distinguished with his trait of smoking from a pipe. [[spoiler:The Giant Toad also smokes with a pipe.]]
77	* Hanzo is [[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous the namesake]] of the demon ninja hero appearing in ''VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang''. To compliment Hattori's nickname 'Devil Hanzo', this Hanzo is given a demonic sword (Ame no Habakiri) housing a demon that can devour neutral creeps. While his ninjutsu leers more into dark mysticism, his gameplay is surprisingly ninja-like in a manner of 'hide and seek': Hanzo must find a safe hiding spot while unleashing a demonic phantom to wreak havoc on his enemies while he controls it from afar, and being spotted by an enemy is the worst thing that can happen to him and must be avoided.
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80	[[folder:Western Animation]]
81	* In the ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats 2011}} [=ThunderCats (2011)=]]]'' episode "The Duelist and the Drifter," a [[UltimateBlacksmith legendary swordmaker]] makes his self-appelled Sword of Hattanzo, later sought after by the best swordsman in the land.
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Context UsefulNotes / HattoriHanzo