Yasuke: 10 Mind-Blowing Historical Facts From The Netflix Anime

Warning for descriptions of historical suicide.

Seppuku, or harakiri, was ritual suicide by disembowelment that was a well-known practice reserved for samurai, usually in order to take control of one's own death and avoid capture by the enemy. Seppuku among the wives and female family members of samurai was also practiced, though it involved cutting the arteries of the neck.

The kaishakunin was the samurai's second, expected to end their suffering through partial decapitation after they made the cut.

In the series, Oda Nobunaga commits seppuku in the opening scene, killing himself in Honnō-ji temple with Yasuke as his kaishakunin. Historically, Oda Nobunaga did indeed die by seppuku in Honnō-ji after being betrayed by his general, Mitsuhide. However, some details were changed for the series.

According to accounts, Nobunaga's kaishakunin was not Yasuke, but his lover and page, Ranmaru, who also set fire to the temple and died protecting Nobunaga's remains. Yasuke was, however, present for Nobunaga's death, some sources indicating he may have ensured Nobunaga's remains were not taken, but supposedly surviving the encounter.

Seppuku is also traditionally committed with a short blade, though Nobunaga appears to use a long blade in the series.