[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

I forgot all about this thread!
There were so many! I'll be editing this post soon with some more.

Okay! more famous samurais. I like this one:

Sanada Yukimura, 1567-May 7, 1615 was a Japanese samurai, second son of the Sengoku period Daimyo, Sanada Masayuki. His proper name was Sanada Nobushige, named after Takeda Shingen's younger brother Takeda Nobushige, who was a brave and respected warrior.

Sanada Yukimura was called "A Hero who may appear once in hundred years", and Shimazu Tadatsune called him the "number one soldier in Japan."

He was the second son of Sanada Masayuki. He was married to Akihime a foster-daughter of Otani Yoshitsugu. They had two sons, Daisuke and Daihachi, and several daughters.

In 1575, the Battle of Nagashino claimed the lives of two of Sanada Masayuki's elder brothers. Masayuki, previously serving Takeda Shingen and Takeda Katsuyori, as a retainer, who inherited the Sanada clan and left for Ueda Castle. Yukimura also went, taking the Sanada name as well.

1582: Oda-Tokugawa forces had destroyed the Takeda clan. The Sanada surrendered to Oda Nobunaga, but, after the Incident at Honnōji, became free, drifting between stronger daimyo such as the Uesugi clan, the late Hōjō clan, and the Tokugawa clan. Eventually, the Sanada clan became a vassal of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

During this period, Hideyoshi treated Yukimura with extreme care and hospitality. Hideyoshi's fondness is shown by the fact that Yukimura was given the right to use the surname of Toyotomi Clan.

The Sanadas retreated to and fortified Ueda Castle. When Tokugawa Hidetada marched a large army on the Nakasendō the Sanadas resisted and were able to fight back Hidetada's 40,000 men with only 2,000. However, it took much longer to take the castle than was expected. Hidetada lost focus and never showed up on the battlefield during the Battle of Sekigahara where the main force was awaiting the arrival of his crucial army.

Because of this, Tokugawa Ieyasu wanted to execute the Sanadas, but, because of Nobuyuki's contribution to his own cause, they were spared and instead exiled to Kudoyama in Kii Province. Masayuki died there. Twelve years later, as the relations between the Toyotomi clan and Tokugawa shogunate soured, the Toyotomi clan started to recruit ronin in preparation for war. Yukimura escaped from Kudoyama and entered Osaka Castle to answer the call.


Sanada Yukimura at Sanko Shrine, located just south of Osaka castle. During the Winter Siege of Osaka, Sanada Yukimura built fortifications along the south of Osaka Castle at its weak points. From there, he defeated the Tokugawa forces approximately 30,000 men with groups of 6000 arquebusiers.