Torii Suneemon

Torii Suneemon (birth year unknown–1575) was an ashigaru (foot soldier) who served the Okudaira clan, celebrated for his extraordinary loyalty during the Battle of Nagashino. In 1575, as武田 Katsuyori's siege of Nagashino Castle dragged on and supplies neared exhaustion, Suneemon slipped out under cover of darkness to seek reinforcements from Oda and Tokugawa forces in Okazaki, successfully obtaining their commitment to send relief. On his return journey he was captured by Takeda troops and threatened with death unless he told the castle garrison that no help was coming. Instead he called out to the defenders that reinforcements were on the way, and was crucified for his defiance. His dignified end became a lasting symbol of samurai loyalty in the Sengoku age; a wooden statue near the Nagashino Castle ruins still commemorates him today.