The first Tokugawa heavy tanks were designed by the DCMS Procurement Division and manufactured at numerous sites throughout the Draconis Combine during the First Succession War. By the 31st century, the number of firms manufacturing the design had dwindled to one-Buda Imperial Vehicles of Luthien. To remedy this situation, Gunji-no-Kanrei Theodore Kurita commissioned Bulldog Enterprises of Proserpina to produce Tokugawas. Shortly after the Combine's defeat of the Clans on Luthien, Buda and Bulldog began a joint research project to create an improved Tokugawa which resulted in the Tokugawa II in 3053.
         That design served the Dragon well until the Jihad began to shatter high tech industries that the Tokugawa II relied upon. With those technologies being shifted to maintain the BattleMech forces, Coordinator Kurita ordered Buda to design a more easily-maintained Tokugawa. He died before his vision became reality, and in honor of him the first Tokugawa III to come off the line in 3070 was named the Theodore Kurita. It has guarded his tomb ever since.

         Star Slab Glaze laser-reflective armor boosts the design's protection levels compared to older Tokugawas, but is easy to build on most any industrialized world. A Nissan 220 fusion unit powers the Tokugawa III. This compact power plant enables the Tokugawa to carry an impressive arsenal of weapons systems, which includes a trio of Argra 3L medium lasers. These lasers provide effective firepower at short range. The design's arsenal also features a turret-mounted Ayukawa "Slapper" SRM unit and a Shigunga unguided-missile launcher in the nose.
         But perhaps the most impressive weapon the vehicle carries is the SarLon MaxiCannon that can fire a diverse range of ammunition. Capable of threatening any BattleMech or combat vehicle ever created, this effective cannon can be fired in any direction and makes the Tokugawa III a tank to remember.

         The Tokugawa III saw heavy action during the Jihad, and the vast majority of Tokugawa Is and IIs were refitted to this standard during that time. They were the workhorse tank of the Draconis Combine in its desperate war for survival against the Word-aligned pirates, raiders, and even the rare Word assault force. Most of them were lost to orbital bombardment, along with the facilities they protected, but when granted a chance to shoot their enemies, they did well. Deployed throughout the Draconis Combine, many were left behind when central control of the outlying regions collapsed. They can be seen throughout the Draconis Rifts, in varying degrees of repair.