Shingen Takeda

> *"This is an age of chaos. The only way we know to quell such unrest is with brute force! But if such actions spawn such terrible beasts…"*
> - Shingen Takeda
>
>

Shingen Takeda is one of the Daimyō featured in Demon Chaos. He appears in the game as the head of the Takeda Clan and ruler of Kai Province.

## Description

Shingen appears as Daimyō of Kai Province in the middle of a long conflict with Kenshin Uesugi of the Uesugi Clan. Shingen is seen in full battle armour and wields an iron war fan in battle.

## Personality

Shingen appears very proud of the power of his forces, and takes on the Demon forces with enthusiasm. He shows respect toward Kenshin Uesugi, forming an alliance when faced with the Demons. He is thankful towards Aoi and Inugami for trying to fulfil their duties.

## Plot

### Kawanakajima (July, 1562)

After gathering his army to battle Kenshin Uesugi at Kawanakajima, Shingen finds himself overrun by Demons. At the arrival of Kenshin, Shingen remarks at how the Gods have decided that Kenshin shall live another day, and orders his men to focus their bloodlust at the Demons instead of the battle between the two clans. Kenshin in turn orders his men to support Shingen, forming a temporary alliance between the bitter enemies.

### Inakomaba (April, 1573)

After defeating the Tokugawa forces, Shingen sets out for Owari in order to battle Nobunaga Oda. Just as his forces are about to meet Nobunaga head-on, Shingen falls seriously ill, and he and his men are forced to retreat for Shinano. En route, a horde of Demons surrounds him at Komaba. Shingen and his son, Katsuyori, try to fight a retreat through the Demon horde, but are quickly overwhelmed. Just as Shingen resigns himself to his fate, Inugami and Aoi appear to aid him. Katsuyori urges for a path to be made so that Shingen can escape safely. Eventually a path is cleared, allowing him to escape for Shinano.
When the battle is over, Shingen reflects on how the battles with his enemies has led to the spawning of the Demon forces. He thanks Aoi profusely for performing her sacred duty and commands that the Takeda banner should one day be flown across the nation, if only to put an end to the unrest of war. He then passes away, surrounded by his son and soldiers.

## True History

Takeda Shingen was the born on December 1st, 1521, the son of Nobutora Takeda, leader of the Takeda clan, and daimyo of the province of Kai. In 1536, at the age of 15, he was instrumental in helping his father win the Battle of Un no Kuchi against Genshin Hiraga.

At some point in his life after his coming of age ceremony, Shingen decided to rebel against his father. He finally succeeded in 1540, and successfully took control of the clan. For their help in this rebellion, an alliance was formed between the Imagawa and the Takeda clans.

Shingen's first act was to gain a hold of the area around him. His goal was to conquer Shinano Province. A number of the major warlords in the Shinano region marched on the border of Kai Province, hoping to neutralize the power of the still-young Shingen before he had a chance to expand into their lands. However, Shingen was able to win a quick victory, which set the stage for his drive into Shinano lands that same year.

After conquering Shinano, Shingen faced Kenshin Uesugi of Echigo. The feud between them became legendary, and they faced each other on the battlefield five times in the Battles of Kawanakajima. The conflict between the two that had the fiercest fighting, and might have decided victory or defeat for one side or the other, was the fourth battle, during which Kenshin's forces cleared a path through the Takeda troops and Kenshin engaged Shingen in single combat. Both lords lost many men in this fight, and Shingen in particular lost two of his main generals, Kansuke Yamamoto and his younger brother Nobushige Takeda.

After the fourth battle of Kawanakajima, the Takeda clan suffered two internal setbacks. Shingen uncovered two plots on his life, the first from his cousin Shigemasa Suwa (whom he ordered to commit seppuku), and the second, a few years later, from his own son Yoshinobu Takeda. His son was confined to the Toko temple, where he died two years later; it is not known whether his death was natural or ordered by his father. After this incident, Shingen designated his fourth son, Katsuyori Takeda, as the successor of the Takeda Clan until Katsuyori's son came of age.

In 1563, allied with Ujiyasu Hōjō, he captured Matsuyama Castle in Musashi Province. He then moved against the Hojo by attacking Hachigata Castle then engaged in the Siege of Odawara (1569). He successfully withdrew after the Battle of Mimasetoge.

After Yoshimoto Imagawa's death in a battle against Oda Nobunaga in 1560, Shingen had started to plan an invasion of Suruga, a territory now controlled by Yoshimoto's son Ujizane. Shingen and Ieyasu Tokugawa came to terms and occupied the former Imagawa territory. They both fought against Ujizane. Shingen finally secured Suruga Province in 1569.
Upon securing Takeda control over Suruga, northern Shinano, and western Kōzuke, Shingen moved to challenge the Oda-Tokugawa alliance, leading a formidable force of over 30,000 into the latter's territories in Tōtōmi, Mikawa, and Mino in 1572.

When Takeda Shingen was 49 years old, he engaged and defeated Ieyasu Tokugawa's forces in the Battle of Mikatagahara. Shingen then stopped his advance temporarily due to outside influences, which allowed the Tokugawa to prepare for battle again. He entered Mikawa Province, but soon died in the camp. Some accounts say he succumbed to an old war wound, some say a sniper wounded him earlier, and some accounts say he died of pneumonia.