Yasuke: Di ogbonge African samurai

Almost 500 years ago, one tall African man land for Japan. E go later become di first foreign-born man to achieve di status of samurai warrior, and e also be di subject of two feems wey Hollywood dey produce.

Dem call am Yasuke, di man na warrior wey reach di rank of samurai under di rule of Oda Nobunaga - one powerful 16th Century Japanese lord wey be di first of di three pipo wey unify Japan.

No be small tin im arrival for Kyoto, di capital at dat time for 1579, cause, sotay pipo bin climb over one anoda to see am, according to sabi pesin ontop history Lawrence Winkler, some pipo die afta dem crush dem to death as dem dey hustle to see im face.

Inside one year, Yasuke shaparly join di upper warrior class of Japan, di samurai. E no too tey too before im sabi speak Japanese well-well, dey ride with Nobunaga for battle.

"Im height be 6 shaku 2 sun (roughly 6 feet, 2 inches (1.88m)... e black, and im skin be like charcoal," im fellow samurai, Matsudaira Ietada, bin describe am for im diary for 1579.

Di average height of Japanese man dat time for 1900 na 157.9m (5 feet 2 inches) so Yasuke go don tall pass most of di Japanese pipo for di 16th Century, time wen pipo dey generally shorter because of bad nutrition.

Making of a warrior

Records of Yasuke date or di kontri wia dem born am no dey. Most historians say im come from Mozambique but some don suggest oda kontries like Ethiopia or Nigeria.

Wetin pipo sabi na say, Yasuke land Japan with one Italian Jesuit, Alessandro Valignano, to do one inspection tour, im appear for history wey dem record only between 1579 and 1582.

Some sabi pipo say im be slave, but e dey hard to conclude.

Floyd Webb and Deborah DeSnoo, filmmakers wey dey do di documentary on im life, believe say tok say im be slave na just tok-tok.

"E for dey impossible for Yasuke to rise to di rank of samurai in just one year without warrior background," Ms DeSnoo tok.

Samurais dey most time start dia training from childhood.

Im padi-padi with di warlord

E no too tey wen Yasuke land Japan wen e meet Nobunaga and im generate interest for am, di feem makers dem say dis wan happun as a result of im conversation skills.

Yasuke bin don already sabi speak small Japanese and di two men flow well-well, according to sabi pesin Thomas Lockey, wey don write book ontop Yasuke.

According to Mr Lockey, Yasuke entertain Nobunaga with tori from Africa and India, where Mr Lockey believe say Yasuke bin don spend some time before e go Japan.

Yasuke totori French-Ivorian writer Serge Bile sotay im write book about di warrior.

"Na part of di mystery wey surround am. Na why e dey totori me," e tell BBC.

Di legend live on

Nobunaga begin like Yasuke, like am sotay im treat am like family - di African dey among selected group of pipo wey im allow to siddon chop with am.

"Nobunaga hail Yasuke strength and stature, e describe im might like dat of 10 men," Ms DeSnoo says.

Wen Nobunaga make Yasuke samurai, dem bin never tink am say pesin wey no come from Japan fit become samurai. Later, oda foreigners too go begin collect di title.

As di first foreign-born samurai, Yasuke fight important battles togeda with Oda Nobunaga.

Yasuke also dey dia on dat fateful night wey one of Nobunaga generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, betray and put fire for di warlord palace , trap Nobunaga inside one of di rooms. Nobunaga take im own life through di performance of seppuku, wey be suicide ritual.

Before e kill imself, e ask Yasuke to comot im head and take im head and sword to im son, according to historian Thomas Lockley. Dis na sign of great trust.

Di legend of Yasuke end small time afta dis event, for 1582. Di fall of Nobunaga for di hands of di disloyal general lead to di banishment of di first black samurai, maybe back to im Jesuit mission for Kyoto.

Although im fate and di last years of im life no clear, Yasuke continue to dey live on for di mind of many Japanese wey grow up with di award-winning children tori book Kuro-suke (kuro wey mean "black" for Japanese) wey Kurusu Yoshio write.

Di book, wey act Yasuke life, end wan kain: afta Nobunaga kill imself, dem carry Kuro-suke (Yasuke) go one temple wia im cry and also dream of im parents for Africa.

Entertainment industry newspaper Variety report for May say Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman go play Yasuke inside one feem wey dey come soon.

E go be di second Hollywood feem wey dem go do ontop di life of Yasuke.

For 2017, Hollywood studio Lionsgate announce say dem dey do feem ontop di life of di black samurai.

Nearly 500 years later, Yasuke ogbonge life still dey totori and inspire people.