RELIGIOUS FIGURE
Benkei
1155 - 1189
Benkei
Saitō Musashibō Benkei (西塔武蔵坊弁慶, 1155–1189), popularly known by the mononym Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (sōhei) who lived in the latter years of the Heian Period (794–1185). Benkei led a varied life, first becoming a monk, then a mountain ascetic, and then a rogue warrior. He later came to respect and serve the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, also known as Ushiwakamaru. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Benkei has received more than 1,372,723 page views. His biography is available in 30 different languages on Wikipedia. Benkei is the 659th most popular religious figure (up from 662nd in 2019), the 95th most popular biography from Japan (down from 89th in 2019) and the 4th most popular Japanese Religious Figure.
Benkei is most famous for being a warrior monk who protected the emperor from his enemies.
Memorability Metrics
1.4M
Page Views (PV)
64.84
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
30
Languages Editions (L)
4.95
Effective Languages (L*)
2.91
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES
Among religious figures, Benkei ranks 659 out of 3,187. Before him are Basilios Bessarion, Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía, Pope Constantine, Pope Benedict IV, Evagrius Ponticus, and Menno Simons. After him are Romanos the Melodist, Je Tsongkhapa, Paulo Miki, Olaus Magnus, Empress Meishō, and Louis de Montfort.
Most Popular Religious Figures in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsBasilios Bessarion
1403 - 1472
HPI: 64.99
Rank: 653
Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía
1510 - 1572
HPI: 64.98
Rank: 654
Pope Constantine
664 - 715
HPI: 64.96
Rank: 655
Pope Benedict IV
860 - 903
HPI: 64.89
Rank: 656
Evagrius Ponticus
345 - 399
HPI: 64.89
Rank: 657
Menno Simons
1496 - 1561
HPI: 64.86
Rank: 658
Benkei
1155 - 1189
HPI: 64.84
Rank: 659
Romanos the Melodist
490 - 556
HPI: 64.81
Rank: 660
Je Tsongkhapa
1357 - 1419
HPI: 64.79
Rank: 661
Paulo Miki
1564 - 1597
HPI: 64.76
Rank: 662
Olaus Magnus
1490 - 1557
HPI: 64.75
Rank: 663
Empress Meishō
1624 - 1696
HPI: 64.74
Rank: 664
Louis de Montfort
1673 - 1716
HPI: 64.71
Rank: 665
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1155, Benkei ranks 4. Before him are Isaac II Angelos, Alfonso VIII of Castile, and Niketas Choniates. After him are Henry the Young King, Ottokar I of Bohemia, Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi, Kilij Arslan II, Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus, Peter II of Courtenay, Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia, and Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamatera. Among people deceased in 1189, Benkei ranks 4. Before him are Henry II of England, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and William II of Sicily. After him are Gerard de Ridefort, Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony, Humbert III, Count of Savoy, Emperor Shizong of Jin, and Frederick, Duke of Bohemia.
Others Born in 1155
Go to all RankingsIsaac II Angelos
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1204
HPI: 69.77
Rank: 1
Alfonso VIII of Castile
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1214
HPI: 66.02
Rank: 2
Niketas Choniates
HISTORIAN
1155 - 1217
HPI: 65.88
Rank: 3
Benkei
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1155 - 1189
HPI: 64.84
Rank: 4
Henry the Young King
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1183
HPI: 64.66
Rank: 5
Ottokar I of Bohemia
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1230
HPI: 64.33
Rank: 6
Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi
PHILOSOPHER
1155 - 1191
HPI: 63.36
Rank: 7
Kilij Arslan II
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1192
HPI: 62.79
Rank: 8
Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1196
HPI: 57.98
Rank: 9
Peter II of Courtenay
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1219
HPI: 57.09
Rank: 10
Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1217
HPI: 56.88
Rank: 11
Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamatera
POLITICIAN
1155 - 1211
HPI: 54.33
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1189
Go to all RankingsHenry II of England
POLITICIAN
1133 - 1189
HPI: 75.02
Rank: 1
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1159 - 1189
HPI: 68.84
Rank: 2
William II of Sicily
POLITICIAN
1153 - 1189
HPI: 65.71
Rank: 3
Benkei
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1155 - 1189
HPI: 64.84
Rank: 4
Gerard de Ridefort
POLITICIAN
1141 - 1189
HPI: 63.38
Rank: 5
Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony
POLITICIAN
1156 - 1189
HPI: 60.89
Rank: 6
Humbert III, Count of Savoy
NOBLEMAN
1136 - 1189
HPI: 59.07
Rank: 7
Emperor Shizong of Jin
POLITICIAN
1123 - 1189
HPI: 56.93
Rank: 8
Frederick, Duke of Bohemia
POLITICIAN
1142 - 1189
HPI: 56.69
Rank: 9
In Japan
Among people born in Japan, Benkei ranks 95 out of 6,245. Before him are Joe Hisaishi (1950), Tadamichi Kuribayashi (1891), Kōbō Abe (1924), Kūkai (774), Emperor Itoku (-553), and Prince Shōtoku (574). After him are Empress Go-Sakuramachi (1740), Naoto Kan (1946), Akira Suzuki (1930), Paulo Miki (1564), Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835), and Empress Meishō (1624).
Others born in Japan
Go to all RankingsJoe Hisaishi
MUSICIAN
1950 - Present
HPI: 65.24
Rank: 89
Tadamichi Kuribayashi
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1891 - 1945
HPI: 65.22
Rank: 90
Kōbō Abe
WRITER
1924 - 1993
HPI: 65.02
Rank: 91
Kūkai
LINGUIST
774 - 835
HPI: 64.98
Rank: 92
Emperor Itoku
POLITICIAN
553 BC - 477 BC
HPI: 64.86
Rank: 93
Prince Shōtoku
POLITICIAN
574 - 622
HPI: 64.84
Rank: 94
Benkei
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1155 - 1189
HPI: 64.84
Rank: 95
Empress Go-Sakuramachi
POLITICIAN
1740 - 1813
HPI: 64.83
Rank: 96
Naoto Kan
POLITICIAN
1946 - Present
HPI: 64.82
Rank: 97
Akira Suzuki
CHEMIST
1930 - Present
HPI: 64.78
Rank: 98
Paulo Miki
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1564 - 1597
HPI: 64.76
Rank: 99
Fukuzawa Yukichi
PHILOSOPHER
1835 - 1901
HPI: 64.75
Rank: 100
Empress Meishō
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1624 - 1696
HPI: 64.74
Rank: 101
Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES In Japan
Among religious figures born in Japan, Benkei ranks 4. Before him are Kane Tanaka (1903), Dōgen (1200), and Nichiren (1222). After him are Paulo Miki (1564), Empress Meishō (1624), Abe no Seimei (921), Sen no Rikyū (1522), Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659), Mikao Usui (1865), Dom Justo Takayama (1552), and Ikkyū (1394).
Kane Tanaka
1903 - 2022
HPI: 67.14
Rank: 1
Dōgen
1200 - 1253
HPI: 66.24
Rank: 2
Nichiren
1222 - 1282
HPI: 65.96
Rank: 3
Benkei
1155 - 1189
HPI: 64.84
Rank: 4
Paulo Miki
1564 - 1597
HPI: 64.76
Rank: 5
Empress Meishō
1624 - 1696
HPI: 64.74
Rank: 6
Abe no Seimei
921 - 1005
HPI: 64.18
Rank: 7
Sen no Rikyū
1522 - 1591
HPI: 61.91
Rank: 8
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
1659 - 1719
HPI: 61.45
Rank: 9
Mikao Usui
1865 - 1926
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 10
Dom Justo Takayama
1552 - 1615
HPI: 60.48
Rank: 11
Ikkyū
1394 - 1481
HPI: 59.82
Rank: 12