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Born in 1539 as heir to a Mikawa warrior. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu from childhood, sharing the hardships of Ieyasu's years as a hostage, and became one of Ieyasu's most trusted senior retainers. In 1600, before Sekigahara, Ieyasu entrusted him with the defense of Fushimi Castle. Knowing he had too few men to hold, Mototada chose to die for his lord's cause. He held out for about 11 days with roughly 1,800 men against Ishida Mitsunari's force of approximately 40,000 before the castle fell on August 1, 1600. He took his own life at age 61. His death greatly inspired morale among the Eastern army. Ieyasu afterward had the blood-stained tatami installed as ceilings in Kyoto temples—the famous "blood ceilings"—which remain pilgrimage sites to this day.

An embodiment of absolute loyalty to his lord and fearless bushido spirit. He prioritized duty and honor over rational calculation—an old-style warrior—while also combining battlefield bravery with leadership ability.

His stand at Fushimi was lauded by the Tokugawa regime as the foundation of the Eastern army's victory. Blood ceilings from Fushimi remain at Genkoan, Yogenin, Hosen-in, and other Kyoto temples, drawing visitors who come to honor his loyalty to this day.