Born the fourth son of Takeda Shingen. His mother was a daughter of the Suwa of Shinano, whom Shingen had destroyed.
As heir to his mother's Suwa line, he became lord of Takatō castle in Shinano.
After the death of his elder brother Yoshinobu, he was called to Kōfu and became the Takeda heir.
Shingen died during his westward campaign and Katsuyori succeeded him. Shingen reportedly asked that his death be kept secret for three years.
He captured Takatenjin castle in Tōtōmi, which even his father had failed to take, bringing Takeda territory to its greatest extent.
Besieging Nagashino castle in Mikawa, he was crushed by the Oda-Tokugawa coalition. Checked by massed guns and palisades, he lost many veterans from his father's day, such as Yamagata Masakage and Baba Nobuharu.
In the succession struggle after Uesugi Kenshin's death he allied with Uesugi Kagekatsu, which broke his alliance with the Hōjō and multiplied his enemies.
He began building a new castle, Shinpu, in Kai. Meanwhile he failed to relieve Takatenjin, besieged by the Tokugawa; its fall cost him his retainers' trust.
His kinsman Kiso Yoshimasa defected to the Oda, and Oda-Tokugawa armies invaded Kai. As betrayals multiplied, Katsuyori took his own life with his wife and son at the foot of Mount Tenmoku, and the Takeda fell.
Takeda ShingenUesugi KenshinUesugi KagekatsuTakigawa KazumasuOda NobunagaOda NobutadaSanada Masayuki
Furuta OribeTakenaka Shigeharu (Hanbei)Azai NagamasaKuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei)Mogami YoshiakiOichiSanada MasayukiAsano Nagamasa
People of the Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.