This is about the medieval legendary character; for modern characters, see Usui Sadamitsu (disambiguation)

Usui Sadamitsu (disambiguation)

Usui Sadamitsu may be:* Usui Sadamitsu, traditional female warrior & politician character described, several centuries later, within c. 1000 historical settingsModern fictional characters:...

.

was a warrior of the mid-Heian period

Heian period

The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

. His official name was .

According to Otogizōshi

Otogizoshi

refers to a group of approximately 350 Japanese prose narratives written primarily in the Muromachi period . These illustrated short stories, which remain unattributed, together form one of the representative literary genres of the Japanese medieval era.-Overview:This type of short prose narrative...

 stories compiled several centuries later, Sadamitsu was a retainer

Retainer

Retainer may refer to:* Retainer , a person, especially a soldier, in the service of a lord in the late Middle Ages** Retainer sacrifice, the sacrifice of a human servant* Retainer...

 of the Japanese legendary hero Minamoto no Raikō. Sadamitsu is known as one of The Four Guardian Kings

The Four Guardian Kings

Shitennō , a Japanese term normally referring to the Buddhist Four Heavenly Kings, is also applied to particularly famous or loyal retainers, in groups of four, to certain of Japan's most famous legendary and historical figures....

 under Raikō. Alternatively, in Konjaku Monogatari he is listed as one of three retainers to Raikō. Following the Tale of the Ground Spider within the tale of Raikō, Sadamitsu personally protected Raikō when he was suffering a mysterious ailment. Sadamitsu is also depicted in artwork and kabuki

Kabuki

is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...

plays.
At times Sadamitsu is depicted as female in most media.