The description as above is based on the stories in later periods including "Gikeiki," and Benkei as his historical existence is only mentioned in the paragraph of the year 1185 of "Azuma Kagami" that has his name as one of the members of Yoshitsune and Yukiie's party as they left Kyoto.
以上は、『義経記』を中心とした後世の物語を基にしたもので、史実の弁慶については、『吾妻鏡』文治元年の条で都落ちした義経・行家一行の中に弁慶の名がある以外は、ほとんど明らかではない。