Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen.
Yoshitsune and Benkei defending themselves in their boat during a storm created by the ghosts of conquered Taira warriors. Yoshitsune was only 15 when he defeated the notorious bandit leader.
Yoshitsune perished after being betrayed by the son of a trusted ally.Įarly life The fight between Ushiwakamaru and the bandit chief Kumasaka Chohan in 1174. He is considered one of the greatest and the most popular warriors of his era, and one of the most famous samurai in the history of Japan. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles that toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo consolidate power. 1159 – June 15, 1189) was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods.
