History UsefulNotes / AkechiMitsuhide

* Yet another {{gender flip}}ped version appears in ''Literature/TheAmbitionOfOdaNobuna'', who's voiced by Creator/SayuriYahagi. She of course, is lovey-dovey towards Nobuna (the female version of Nobunaga in that universe), but starts to turn tsundere for the stand-in of Hideyoshi [[spoiler:([[MurderTheHypotenuse which may theoretically complicate things in the future...]])]] This portrayal is also notable for using the Kashima Shintou-Ryuu of kenjutsu. [[spoiler:The Hideyoshi stand-in is an accidental time travel from the modern era who knows how things ended historically, and is desperately trying to figure out a way for both Nobuna (his LoveInterest) ''and'' Mitsuhide (one of his closest friends) to survive the unification wars.]]

* In ''VisualNovel/IkemenSengoku'', Mitsuhide is actually not the one who attempted to assassinate Nobunaga at Honno-ji due to either [[ForWantOfANail the butterfly effect]] of the time-traveling main character and Sasuke altering history or them being sent to [[AlternateHistory a historical timeline different from their original one]], but is still a shifty, [[PsychoticSmirk perpetually-smirking]] schemer suspected in several game routes of plotting with Nobunaga's enemies to backstab him. [[spoiler:However, he never truly betrays Nobunaga with every case of him appearing to have betrayed him turning out to be him being a FakeDefector who only pretended he was on the enemies' side to get more information on them or lure them into a trap, making it possible for him and Nobunaga to be both portrayed sympathetically enough to be viable love interests for the main character]].

To at least solidify his rule, Mitsuhide resorted to drastic and ruthless thing, hunting down any descendants of Nobunaga and killing them, and in addition almost ended the life of UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu, one of Nobunaga's staunchest allies, when he was isolated far from his home. Unfortunately for Mitsuhide, Ieyasu had UsefulNotes/HattoriHanzo in his entourage and they slipped Mitsuhide's attention by sneaking through the Iga province with Hanzo's guidance.

* Mitsuhide appears in a villainous portrayal in the Japanese scenario of ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII''.

[[LongTitle Akechi Hyuga no Kami Mitsuhide]] (or "Jubei" for a more well-known nickname) was one of the most trusted vassals of UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga. He had served other lords before joining the Oda at the recommendation of Nohime, his childhood friend and Nobunaga's wife. He was talented in arts, excelled in warfare, and was generally a great guy. Too bad for him Nobunaga was a BadBoss. Mitsuhide suffered insults here and there, ranging from getting yelled at in front of guests to being called "kumquat head". He was also a devout Buddhist and was very troubled when he saw Nobunaga [[KickTheDog burning down Buddhist temples (and everyone inside) on Mt. Hiei]]. He tried to endure this all, but he finally snapped after an incident where his mother was killed during a hostage situation gone awry. At this point, Mitsuhide no longer trusted in Nobunaga.

* Yet another {{gender flip}}ped version appears in ''LightNovel/TheAmbitionOfOdaNobuna'', who's voiced by Creator/SayuriYahagi. She of course, is lovey-dovey towards Nobuna (the female version of Nobunaga in that universe), but starts to turn tsundere for the stand-in of Hideyoshi [[spoiler:([[MurderTheHypotenuse which may theoretically complicate things in the future...]])]] This portrayal is also notable for using the Kashima Shintou-Ryuu of kenjutsu. [[spoiler:The Hideyoshi stand-in is an accidental time travel from the modern era who knows how things ended historically, and is desperately trying to figure out a way for both Nobuna (his LoveInterest) ''and'' Mitsuhide (one of his closest friends) to survive the unification wars.]]

While he was not a very prominent daimyo, Mitsuhide remains a popular figure in JidaiGeki, partly because he single-handedly defeated the single greatest power of his time, and partly because to this day no one really knows why. [[DatedHistory Recent historical and documentary discoveries]], however, [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation are beginning to suggest]] his actions were in fact [[TheLastStraw long-in-coming]], and that events in the lead-up to Honno-ji were in fact premeditated and intentional.[[note]]The evidence being pointed to here are a stash of letters claimed to be written by Mitsuhide, which include, among others, a) [[https://rekishinihon.com/2014/10/19/letters-suggest-shikoku-warlords-link-to-16th-century-honnoji-incident/ correspondence with the Chosokabe of Tosa]], who were enemies of Nobunaga; b) [[https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170912/p2a/00m/0na/009000c correspondence immediately after Honno-ji to his former master Ashikaga Yoshiaki]], [[UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod the deposed shogun]], which means his actions were on his behalf.[[/note]]

* In ''Anime/NobunagaConcerto'' he is in fact the real Oda Nobunaga, who, being sickly and breaking under all the pressure placed on him, escaped from his former life and gave up his name and title to Saburou (a high-school student who had just timeslipped into the Sengoku period, and happened to look exactly like Nobunaga). Later on he returns as Akechi Mitsuhide to help Saburou, and the two of them carry out the historical Oda Nobunaga's actions, with Mitsuhide being responsible for the more controversial ones. Unlike most Mitsuhide incarnations, he worships his lord (seeing Saburou as having saved him and the Oda clan from certain ruin), and has vowed to live only for him. Of course, the Honnoji Incident is still a few years in the future... Voiced here by Creator/YuukiKaji.

** 2020 was the first time he is explicitly given center-stage, with ''Kirin ga Kuru'' (麒麟がくる), portrayed by Hiroki Hasegawa. The series portrays Mitsuhide (frequently referred to by his personal nickname "Jubei") as a man whose life has been saddled by ConflictingLoyalty for most of his life (to his compatriots in Mino, to the Ashikaga shogunate and Imperial Court he was taught to venerate, and to Nobunaga himself--who he sees as the only person capable of uniting the country). Without much power or influence to effectively do what he wants, [[VillainsActHeroesReact he has been trapped]] to either stand by, struggle futilely in either keeping warlords in truce, or [[JustFollowingOrders follow orders that leave him]] with SurvivorGuilt. The title of the series itself (literally "awaiting the Kirin") is a metaphor for his lifelong desperation--seeking for peace to come when the warring country never gives it a chance. All of these eventually make him snap past the DespairEventHorizon--which leads to the Honno-ji Incident.

* Understandably, whenever the {{Creator/NHK}}'s annual Taiga Drama covers the UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod (particularly the Oda-Toyotomi side of things), Mitsuhide will be a major supporting character. 2020, however, is the first time he is given center-stage, with ''Kirin ga Kuru'' (麒麟がくる), portrayed by Hiroki Hasegawa.
** The series portrays Mitsuhide (frequently referred to by his personal nickname "Jubei") as a man whose life has been saddled by ConflictingLoyalty for most of his life (to his compatriots in Mino, to the Ashikaga shogunate and Imperial Court he was taught to venerate, and to Nobunaga himself--who he sees as the only person capable of uniting the country). Without much power or influence to effectively do what he wants, [[VillainsActHeroesReact he has been trapped]] to either stand by, struggle futilely in either keeping warlords in truce, or [[JustFollowingOrders follow orders that leave him]] with SurvivorGuilt. The title of the series itself (literally "awaiting the Kirin") is a metaphor for his lifelong desperation--seeking for peace to come when the warring country never gives it a chance. All of these eventually make him snap past the DespairEventHorizon--which leads to the Honno-ji Incident.

[[LongTitle Akechi Hyuga no Kami Mitsuhide]] (or Akechi "Juubeh" Mitsuhide for a more well-known nickname) was one of the most trusted vassals of UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga. He had served other lords before joining the Oda at the recommendation of Nohime, his childhood friend and Nobunaga's wife. He was talented in arts, excelled in warfare, and was generally a great guy. Too bad for him Nobunaga was a BadBoss. Mitsuhide suffered insults here and there, ranging from getting yelled at in front of guests to being called "kumquat head". He was also a devout Buddhist and was very troubled when he saw Nobunaga [[KickTheDog burning down Buddhist temples (and everyone inside) on Mt. Hiei]]. He tried to endure this all, but he finally snapped after an incident where his mother was killed during a hostage situation gone awry. At this point, Mitsuhide no longer trusted in Nobunaga.

* Understandably, whenever the {{Creator/NHK}}'s annual Taiga Drama covers the UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod (particularly the Oda-Toyotomi side of things), Mitsuhide will be a major supporting character. 2020, however, is the first time he is given center-stage, with ''Kirin ga Kuru'' (麒麟がくる).

*** Mitsuhide stars in ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest'' via another Koei proxy (via his ''Warriors'' incarnation), as one of the warlords fighting for control of the Ransei region. His initial partner Pokémon is Lapras, but he can later acquire [[OlympusMons Articuno]]. In the main story he is a loyal servant of Nobunaga, but in his own special episode he decides his lord has gone too far and, of course, turns on him, even at one point quoting the aforementioned famous line.

Mitsuhide's reign came to an end in merely 13 days after Nobunaga's death; one of the letters he sent to demand subjugation was intercepted by Hideyoshi's men, who informed Hideyoshi what happened while he was in the middle of campaign against the Western Mouri clan. He put the campaign on halt, and blitzed his way back to the capital, reaching Yamazaki in enormous speed and defeating the unprepared Mitsuhide in battle there. Mitsuhide retreated [[KarmicDeath but was killed by a group of peasants]]. There were rumors that Mitsuhide didn't die, but instead retired, and later resurfaced as an influential monk named Nankoubou Tenkai.

* Creator/{{Capcom}} did also give him a better role in ''VideoGame/Onimusha3DemonSiege'', where he gets a cameo (and despite being voiced by Creator/NorioWakamoto [[PlayingAgainstType of all people]]). He becomes playable in one of the games too.

*** For his aforementioned ''Warriors'' portrayal, he's voiced in Japanese by Creator/HikaruMidorikawa (including the soft reboot (5) despite almost everyone else getting recast, the producers stated that [[CastingGag it's doubles as a pun ever since he landed the role the first time]] because the first kanji of Mitsuhide (Mitsu) is similar to the kanji of Hikaru (光)), who also [[RoleReprise reprises]] for the ''VideoGame/KessenIII'' portrayal (so have fun comparing Midorikawa doing sympathetic Mitsuhide and realistically antagonistic Mitsuhide). Funny enough, just like the above ''Sengoku Basara'' portrayal, in the third games of their respective home series, Creator/VicMignogna dubs both portrayals of Mitsuhide in English (though for the Kessen one, he's voiced by the veteran Creator/CamClarke).