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Born in 1561 as the posthumous heir of Ii Naochika of Totomi. With his father murdered and the Ii clan near extinction, he was discovered and taken into service by Tokugawa Ieyasu. One of Ieyasu's most beloved generals, combining valor and strategy, he commanded an elite cavalry unit clad entirely in red—the "Red Guards of Ii"—inheriting the tradition of Yamagata Masakage's red-armored Takeda unit. At Sekigahara in 1600 he served as vanguard of the Eastern army, but was shot by a fleeing Satsuma warrior after the battle and died of the wound in 1602 at age 42. Counted among the Four Tokugawa Generals, he was granted 120,000 koku at Omi Hikone. Hikone Castle, with its original donjon, is a National Treasure.

A commander combining fierce fighting spirit with calm judgment. Known for absolute loyalty to Ieyasu and compassion toward his men. His gratitude at being discovered and elevated by Ieyasu from a young age is said to have been the root of his loyalty.

The Red Guards of Ii remained the symbol of the Hikone domain throughout the Edo period. Hikone Castle, with its original donjon, is a National Treasure, and as the home of the mascot character Hikonyan it draws large numbers of visitors today.