Said to have been born into the Shibata family of Owari (Aichi) (birth year debated). Little is known of his youth.
As a senior retainer of Nobunaga's brother Nobukatsu (Nobuyuki), he fought Nobunaga over the succession at Ino and lost, but was pardoned through the mediation of Nobunaga's mother.
When Nobukatsu plotted against Nobunaga again, Katsuie informed Nobunaga. Nobukatsu was killed, and Katsuie thereafter served Nobunaga loyally.
When Nobunaga escorted Ashikaga Yoshiaki to Kyoto, he distinguished himself in the vanguard. His fierce fighting earned him the name "Demon Shibata".
Besieged by the Rokkaku at Chōkōji castle in Ōmi and cut off from water, he reportedly smashed the remaining water jars to rouse his men, sallied out and won.
After suppressing the Ikkō uprising in Echizen, he was entrusted by Nobunaga with most of the province and built Kitanoshō castle (Fukui). He is also said to have confiscated peasants' weapons in a sword hunt.
As commander for the Hokuriku he faced Uesugi Kenshin. Beaten by Kenshin at the Tedorigawa, he nevertheless pushed on into Kaga, Noto and Etchū.
The Honnō-ji Incident struck as he was taking Uozu castle in Etchū, and he was too late to fight Akechi Mitsuhide. At the Kiyosu Conference Hashiba Hideyoshi took the lead. Afterward he married Nobunaga's sister Oichi.
Defeated by Hideyoshi at Shizugatake, he returned to Kitanoshō castle. There, under siege, he took his own life together with Oichi; her three daughters were sent out of the castle.
Akechi MitsuhideUesugi KenshinAshikaga YoshiakiNiwa NagahideToyotomi HideyoshiMaeda ToshiieToyotomi HidenagaOichi
Imai SōkyūTakeda ShingenSue Harukata (Takafusa)Sen no RikyūMiyoshi NagayoshiTakigawa KazumasuHachisuka MasakatsuSakai Tadatsugu
People of the Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.