Hanbei serves as the brilliant strategic mind behind Hideyoshi's rise to power. Best known for his tactical genius, he's basically the brains of the Toyotomi operation—while Hideyoshi handles the big-picture ambitions, Hanbei makes sure the plans actually work. The two have a genuine friendship that goes beyond their military partnership, which is kind of rare for that era.
What makes his story compelling is that he's secretly dealing with a serious illness the whole time. He keeps it hidden because he's committed to helping Hideyoshi achieve his vision of unifying and stabilizing Japan during this chaotic period. For Hanbei, the cause matters more than his own health—he wants to see the Toyotomi secure their future before anything happens to him. It's that kind of dedication that earned him respect even among people who didn't necessarily support his side.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
