He contributed to the Azai clan's position as the warring lords of Kitaomi, and his alliance with Nobunaga ODA led to the heyday of the Azai clan, but he later disagreed with Nobunaga, lost the ensuing battle with the Oda army and finally his suicide marked the end of the Azai clan.
浅井氏を北近江の戦国大名として成長させ、織田信長と同盟を結ぶなどして浅井氏の全盛期を築いたが、のちに信長と決裂して織田軍との戦いに敗れて自害し、浅井氏は滅亡した。