Ii Naomasa and the Red Devils

Ii Naomasa (1561–1602) was one of the most famous samurai of the Sengoku period, serving under the daimyō Tokugawa Ieyasu, future Shogun of Japan. He was famous for his participation in battles such as Odawara (1590) and Sekigahara (1600), where he led the attack alongside Matsudaira Tadayoshi, son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Curiously, this first attack was supposed to be led by the daimyō Fukushima Masanori and not Naomasa, who justified himself by saying that he was simply escorting Tadayoshi on a reconnaissance mission of the enemy lines. Naomasa and his men charged against Ukita Hideie's troops, opening a deep breach in their lines before retreating hastily. In the illustration, we see Naomasa charging alongside his men, with their red lacquered armour, which is why they were known as the "Red Devils".