However, Masanori FUKUSHIMA, who was the commander of the East Army during the Battle of Sekigahara admired him with the comment, 'Only the legitimate grandchild of Nobunaga could do it' upon seeing Hidenobu's well-prepared armament for the prelude in the Battle of Sekigahara, along with the tactic he took and his attitude when he surrendered ("Kaisei Mikawago Fudoki" (Foundation of the Tokugawa clan)).
しかし、関ヶ原前哨戦では積極的に軍備を整え、岐阜城攻防戦で取った戦術や敗北時の振る舞い、敵将として戦った福島正則が「さすが信長の嫡孫也」と秀信を称えている（『改正三河後風土記』）。