Sasaki Kojirō In Fiction
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Many significant Japanese historical people of the
Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
appear in works of popular culture such as
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
,
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
, and
video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
. This article presents information on references to several historical people in such works.


Akechi Mitsuhide

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...
is featured in various fictional works, mostly as a villain. *He is the protagonist of 2020
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
''
Kirin ga Kuru Awaiting Kirin is a 2020 Jidaigeki, Japanese historical drama television series starring Hiroki Hasegawa as Akechi Mitsuhide, a samurai and general during the Sengoku period. The series is the 59th NHK taiga drama, premiering on January 19, 2020 ...
'', portrayed by
Hiroki Hasegawa , nicknamed , (born March 7, 1977, in Tokyo) is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. Trained as a stage actor at the Bungaku-za after graduating from Chuo University, he first began to appear on Japanese TV in small roles in 2008, and t ...
. *He is featured in
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
's ''
Onimusha is a series of action-adventure video games developed and published by Capcom. It makes use of the historic figures that shaped Japan's history, retelling their stories with supernatural elements. Most of the games are of the action-adventure ...
'' as Samanosuke Akechi's uncle/relative, as well as '' Onimusha Tactics'', as a playable character. *Mitsuhide is one of the playable characters in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series. He wields a
katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
, using techniques from the sword school of
Iaido , abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sport ...
. The first game depicts him having a very close relationship with
Mori Ranmaru , also known as Mori Naritoshi (森 成利), was a samurai retainer to the Oda clan. He was son of Mori Yoshinari, and had 5 brothers in total, from the province of Mino Province, Mino. He was a member of the Mori clan (Genji), Mori Clan, descen ...
, while in the second he is closer to Oda Nobunaga. He also appears in the ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'' spin-off series as a starting character in the "Samurai"/"Sengoku" story lines, as well as the spinoff series '' Samurai Warriors Katana''. *He is featured as a playable character in ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'', where he is portrayed as a sadistic
psychopath Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality Construct (psychology), construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with boldness, bold, disinhibited, and egocentrism, egocentric traits. These traits are often ma ...
who wields dual
scythe A scythe (, rhyming with ''writhe'') is an agriculture, agricultural hand-tool for mowing grass or Harvest, harvesting Crop, crops. It was historically used to cut down or reaping, reap edible grain, grains before they underwent the process of ...
s, and enjoys killing his opponents. His counterpart in ''
Devil Kings ''Devil Kings'', known in Japan as , is a 2005 video game for the PlayStation 2, developed and published by Capcom. It is the first installment in the ''Sengoku Basara'' franchise. The game's theme song for the Japanese version is "Crosswise" by ...
'' is known as the "Reaper". He appears in ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'' in a new costume as well as a mask concealing his mouth, under a new name of "
Tenkai was an influential Japanese Tendai Buddhist monk of the Azuchi-Momoyama and early Edo periods. He achieved the rank of ''Daisōjō'', the highest rank of the Tendai priesthood and was an influential advisor to various Shoguns, including To ...
". *Mitsuhide plays a part in
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
's video game ''
Demon Chaos ''Demon Chaos'' known in Japan as , is a video game co-developed by Genki and Now Production for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) home game console. The game was published by Genki in Japan on November 24, 2005 and by Konami in PAL regions in 2007. It is ...
''. *In
Eiji Yoshikawa was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as ''The Tale of the Heike'', ''Tale of Genji'', ''Water Margin'' and ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', m ...
's novel ''Taiko ki'' (released in English as ''Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan''), Mitsuhide is emotionally abused by Nobunaga, who calls him by the nickname "
kumquat Kumquats ( ), or cumquats in Australian English, are a group of small, angiosperm, fruit-bearing trees in the family Rutaceae. Their taxonomy is disputed. They were previously classified as forming the now-historical genus ''Fortunella'' or plac ...
head". *In Koei's video game ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'', he is portrayed as an ally turned main villain through the game; this is because Oda Nobunaga is portrayed as the hero and unifier of Japan. *In ''
Hikaru no Go is a Japanese manga series based on the board game Go (game), Go, written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The production of the series' Go games was supervised by Go professional Yukari Umezawa. It was serialized in Shueis ...
'', a character named Yuki Mitani plays Mitsuhide in a school play. *In the manga series ''
Tenjho Tenge , also written as ''Tenjo Tenge'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Oh! great. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Ultra Jump'' from July 1997 to August 2010, with its chapters collected in 22 volumes. ...
'', the character Sōhaku Kago initially went by the name Akechi Mitsuhide, and killed Oda Nobunaga by
decapitation Decapitation is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and all vertebrate animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood by way of severing through the jugular vein and common c ...
. He then faked his death and became the High Buddhist priest called Tenkai, manipulating the Tokugawa from within. *In the
James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was a British and American writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best known for his ''Asian Saga'' nov ...
historical novel ''
Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
'', the character of "Akechi Jinsai" is a
pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...
of Mitsuhide. *Akechi Mitsuhide is one of few captains who have non-generic faces in the
eroge An ''eroge'' (, ''eroge'', or , ''erogē'', ), also called an H-game, is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. The term encompasses a wide variety of Japanese games containing erotic content across multiple genres. The first ''eroge'' were crea ...
'' Sengoku Rance''. He can be replaced with his daughter
Hosokawa Gracia , usually referred to as , (1563 – 25 August 1600) was a member of the aristocratic Akechi family from the Sengoku period. Gracia is best known for her role in the Battle of Sekigahara; Ishida Mitsunari attempted to take her hostage to s ...
, after doing two of his events using Rance's satisfaction points. *In the anime series '' Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox'', Mitsuhide is portrayed as a gender-switched version of himself, played by
Eri Kitamura is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She was previously affiliated with Early Wing, but is now a freelancer. She is known for voicing prominent roles in anime and games such as Sayaka Miki in '' Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', Saya Otonashi in ...
. *In the anime series ''
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is a Japanese light novel series written by Mikage Kasuga and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. It was adapted into an anime television series animated by Madhouse and Studio Gokumi that aired from July to September 2012. Sentai Filmworks has ...
'', Mitsuhide is portrayed as a female protagonist serving Oda Nobuna. *In '' Drifters'', he appears as a member of the Ends voiced by
Sho Hayami , known professionally as , is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer. He is mainly known for his smooth, deep voice. He has played a wide range of characters from kind-hearted heroes ( Father Remington, Maximilian Jenius, Nicholas D. Wolfwood ...
. *In '' Pokémon Conquest'' Mitsuhide appears as a warlord, with Lapras as his partner and later Articuno. *Mitsuhide is a playable character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Mitsuhide is a playable character in the visual novel game ''Ikemen Sengoku; Romances Across Time'', produced by Cybird. He is voiced by
Shunsuke Takeuchi is a Japanese voice actor and singer affiliated with 81 Produce. He won the award for Best Rookie Actor at the 10th Seiyu Awards. His roles include Producer in ''The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls'', Alexander Yamato in '' King of Prism'', Juuza H ...
. *In the manga series ''
Hyouge Mono is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by . It was serialized in the manga magazine '' Weekly Morning'' from 2005 to 2017 and collected into 25 volumes by publisher Kodansha. ''Hyouge Mono'' won an Excellence Prize for manga at ...
'', Mitsuhide is portrayed as a sympathetic and tragic character. *In ''
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is a Japanese manga series by Una Megurogawa. It has been serialized in Tokuma Shoten's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Comic Zenon'', as well as the webmagazine ''Web Comic Zenyon'', since June 2014 and has been collected in ten ''tankō ...
'', Mitsuhide is reincarnated in modern-day Japan as a
chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of subtribe Tamiina. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks are classified as four genera: '' ...
nicknamed "Lis". *In ''
Yasuke was a samurai of African origin who served Oda Nobunaga between 1581 and 1582, during the Sengoku period, until Nobunaga's death. According to historical accounts, Yasuke first arrived in Japan in the service of Italian Jesuit Alessandro Val ...
'', he is depicted largely negatively, as the protagonist was a loyal retainer to Oda Nobunaga. *In the visual novel game and anime series ''
Sengoku Night Blood was a Japanese free-to-play otome game, developed as a collaboration between Marvelous Entertainment, Kadokawa, and Idea Factory's Otomate. It was released in Japan on May 29, 2017, for Android and iOS devices. A 12-episode anime television s ...
'', Mitsuhide is featured as a playable character, where he is portrayed as a vampire, who is a kind, gentlemanly thinker in the Oda army, and mainly serves as an information relayer and reporter to Oda Nobunaga. He is voiced by
Nobunaga Shimazaki is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production. He won the Best Rookie Actor Award at the 7th Seiyu Awards and the Best Actors in Supporting Roles at the 15th Seiyu Awards. Biography On January 1, 2023, Shimazaki announced on Twitter ...
. *He appears as an antagonist briefly in
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
before changing his name to Tenkei and becoming a supporting character after betraying Oda Nobunaga during the Honnō-ji Incident, where Nobunaga dies. **He also appears as a supporting character in
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
where his original identity is unknown until late in the game. His guardian spirit is a half tortoise-half snake spirit, representing balance of light and darkness. *He appears as a non-playable character in ''
Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese gacha game, gacha mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity (game engine), Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon' ...
'' as a Caster-class Servant, especially in the GUDAGUDA events. He expresses extreme hate against Toyotomi Hideyoshi.


Azai Nagamasa

*
Azai Nagamasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period known as the brother-in-law and enemy of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa was head of the Azai clan seated at Odani Castle in northern Ōmi Province and married Nobunaga's sister Oichi in 1564, fathering ...
makes appearances as a general in the Main Campaign and in various historical battles and historical campaigns in the strategy game '' Shogun Total War''. *Nagamasa is a featured playable character in the video game series ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'', which depicts him as an honorable man who will stop at nothing to ensure that his notions of justice are enforced. He is depicted with his traditional
kabuto ' (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors that, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in History of Japan#Medieval Japan (118 ...
helmet and carries a lance as his weapon of choice. He is also present in the spinoffs '' Samurai Warriors Katana'' and ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
''. *Nagamasa is a
non-player character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
in ''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
'', along with Oichi, but becomes playable in the expansion ''Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes''. He wields a long sword and carries a shield with him. He is portrayed as a justice-loving man and his army is just like him. **In the anime version of
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
, Nagamasa is killed when Mitsuhide Akechi's arquebus corps shoot through him to kill Masamune Date. *Two of the captains who have generic faces in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'' are named where they take the names "Azai Nagamasa" and "Asai Nagamasa". *Nagamasa is a
boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...
in the game ''
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
'' as he grows jealous of his brother-in-law, Oda Nobunaga and betrays him after becoming corrupted by using the Spirit Stones (Amrita). His boss form is human with bird-like wings and uses a sword and the water element. His guardian spirit is a two-headed bird.


Chōsokabe Motochika

*Motochika is a playable character from '' Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends'' onwards, where he wields a
shamisen The , also known as or (all meaning "three strings"), is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument . It is played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually b ...
, sports a
Glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...
-inspired appearance, and refers to himself as "The Bat King", due to Nobunaga historically referring to him as a "the bat who refuses to fly away from its home". He also appears in ''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
'', ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', and '' Samurai Warriors 2 Empires''. *In '' Total War: Shogun 2'', he is the
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
of the Chōsokabe Clan. *Motochika appears in the anime and video games ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'' as a sea-faring pirate and is loved by his crew, who calls him "Aniki" (Big Brother). His ability was fire-based and armed himself with a ship anchor spear fastened with a chain. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Dewott and later Samurott.


Date Masamune

*The helmet of
Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...
was an inspiration for the costume of
Darth Vader Darth Vader () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was first introduced in the original film trilogy as the primary antagonist and one of the leaders of the Galactic Empire. He has become one of the most iconic villain ...
of the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' trilogy. *Date Masamune has been featured in several video games including
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's video game '' Kessen'' series (where he is a relatively minor officer), and '' Inindo: Way of the Ninja'' as the daimyō of the Rikuchu province. *In ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'', Date Masamune is depicted as a young and hot-headed ruler who chaotically interrupts the battles of other warlords, usually attacking multiple armies at once. His weapon in the first game is a pair of
bokken A ''bokken'' (, , 'wood', and ''ken'', '(double-edged) sword') or ''bokutō'' (, , 'wood', and ''tō'', '(single-edged) sword') is a Japanese wooden sword used for training in kenjutsu. It is usually the size and shape of a ''katana'', but is so ...
; in the second, he wields a western-style sabre and a pair of pistols. Masamune also appears in the related series ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
''. *In the manga series ''
Samurai Deeper Kyo ''Samurai Deeper Kyo'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from May 1999 to May 2006, with its chapters ...
'', Date Masamune (referred to in the series by his childhood name, Bontenmaru) is a member of the Shiseiten and former follower/rival of the main character Kyo. In the series, he is depicted as a tall, muscular, and physically imposing man with a heart of gold. Like his historical version, he wields a wooden sword as his primary weapon and can perform incredible feats of swordsplay with it, but is an even stronger fighter when unarmed. As a member of the Shiseiten, he goes by the name "Bontenmaru". *In the anime series '' Yoroiden Samurai Troopers'', the character Date Seiji is a descendant of Date Masamune. Seiji wears his hair covering one eye, and is at one point asked by Hashiba Touma if he does so because he is related to the One-Eyed Dragon. *Capcom's highly successful hack-&-slash series ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'', includes Date Masamune as one of the main characters. In ''Basara'', a distinguishing trait of Date Masamune is his usage of Japanese-style English, or
Engrish ''Engrish'' is a slang term for the inaccurate, poorly translated, nonsensical or ungrammatical use of the English language by native speakers of other languages. The word itself relates to Japanese speakers learning r and l, Japanese speaker ...
. Masamune is portrayed as a brazen young lord bent on having fun while conquering the country, dressed in blue and black with a tsuba as an eyepatch over his right eye as well as the historically accurate golden arc on his
kabuto ' (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors that, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in History of Japan#Medieval Japan (118 ...
. He is also known in-game by his nickname, the One-Eyed Dragon (Dokuganryu). He is also depicted in a constant rivalry relationship with
Sanada Yukimura , also known as , was a Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period. He was especially known as the leading general on the defending side of the Siege of Osaka. Yukimura was called "A Hero who may appear once in a hundred years", "Crimson D ...
, although there is no clear historical record to suggest such a relationship ever existed. He was shown having 6 Katanas which he uses simultaneously. *Masamune also appears in the strategy game '' Shogun: Total War'' as a general in the Uesugi army but not until later in the game (around 1580). He also appears as the leader of the Date Clan in the Samurai Warlords Mod (aka the Shogun Mod) for ''
Medieval Total War ''Medieval: Total War'' is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics computer game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Activision. Set in the Middle Ages, it is the second game in the ''Total War'' series, following on from the ...
''. *He is also one of the Leaders (a class of
Samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
) in '' Throne of Darkness''. *Date Masamune was also the main subject of the Japanese network
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
's
taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
''
Dokuganryū Masamune is a 1987 Japanese historical television series. It is the 25th NHK ''taiga'' drama. The broadcast received an average viewer rating of 39.7 percent in the Kanto area with the highest viewing rating of 47.8%. The drama was adapted from the novel ...
'' (One-eyed Dragon, Masamune) in 1987, starring
Ken Watanabe is a Japanese actor. He is best known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in ''The Last Samurai'', for which he was nominated for the Academy Awa ...
as Masumune. To-date, this series is the highest rated NHK Taiga drama. *In the
Thomas Harris William Thomas Harris III (born September 22, 1940) is an American writer. He is the author of a series of suspense novels about Hannibal Lecter. The majority of his works have been adapted into films and television, including '' The Silence o ...
's novel ''
Hannibal Rising ''Hannibal Rising'' is a psychological horror novel by American author Thomas Harris, published in 2006. It is the fourth and final novel in Harris's series and the first novel in chronological order of the novels of Thomas Harris centered aro ...
'',
Hannibal Lecter Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a character created by American novelist Thomas Harris. Lecter is a cannibalistic serial killer and former forensic psychiatrist; after his incarceration, he is consulted by FBI agents Will Graham and Clarice Starling ...
's aunt,
Lady Murasaki was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court in the Heian period. She was best known as the author of ''The Tale of Genji'', widely considered to be one of the world's first novels, written in Japanese between abou ...
, is said to be a descendant of Date Masamune. It is one of Masamune's swords that Lecter uses to commit his first murder by killing a butcher named Paul Momund for insulting Lady Murasaki because she is Japanese. *In '' Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties'', Daimyō Date Masamune is available as a daimyō unit. In the game, he is available with Shogunate wonder, only for Japanese civilization. Daimyōs can receive shipments and train troops, while they are a powerful hand cavalry unit. They also provide an attack boost to nearby troops. *In the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'', the youkai king of Oushuu is Dokuganryuu Masamune. "Dokuganryuu" is "One-Eyed style" and also the nickname of
Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...
, "One-Eyed Dragon". *Masamune also makes an appearance in several smaller manga series such as ''Brave 10'' and ''Neo Dragoon'', as he is a popular figure within Japanese history and culture. *Date Masamune also appears in '' Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox'' as a gender-switched version of his real-life self *A hat similar to the Kabuto worn by Date Masamune is obtainable in ''
Team Fortress 2 ''Team Fortress 2'' (''TF2'') is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation in 2007. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video g ...
'', called the "Samur-Eye". It is wearable by the Demoman, who is also missing an eye. *In the recent video-game spin-off anime series, '' Sengoku Paradise Kiwami'', Date Masamune is dressed in purple outfit instead of blue. *In the ''
Young Samurai ''Young Samurai'' is a series of martial arts/action-adventure stories written by Chris Bradford, set in 17th century Japan, following the exploits of an English boy, Jack Fletcher, as he strives to be the first gaijin samurai. Introduced by Pu ...
'' book series the ninja Dokuganryu is based on Date Masamune. *In the manga Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga, Masamune is reincarnated in modern-day Japan as a French bulldog named "Boo". His voice actor, Kakihara Tetsuya also sang the opening song 「リターン乱世独眼竜」 "Ritān Ransei Dokuganryuu", which is related to his nickname 'Dokuganryuu'. *Professional wrestler DJ Nira wrestled as Masamune for the
Dramatic Dream Team is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name is an initialism of Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's original name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was even ...
promotion on February 10, 2013. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Rufflet and later Braviary.His Warrior skill, ''One-Eyed Dragon'', refers to his historical nickname. *In ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'', Masamune is a central antagonist of the first DLC expansion, ''Dragon of the North''. He becomes an ally to the player in the other DLCs, ''Defiant Honor'' and ''Bloodshed's End''. He uses dual swords, along with wind and water elements. His 2 guardian spirits are a one-eyed dragon and a fish-human hybrid. *Masamune is a playable character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Masamune is a playable character in the visual novel game ''Ikemen Sengoku; Romances Across Time'', produced by Cybird.


Hattori Hanzō

* Hattori Hanzō appears in various movies, including ''Shadow Warriors (1980)'', ''Goemon,'' ''Shinobi: Heart Under Blade'', and ''Castle of Owls''. * Hattori Hanzō and characters inspired by him are also featured in various manga and anime series, including ''Basilisk, Naruto, Brave 10, Samurai Deeper Kyou, Oda Nobuna no Yabou, Tenkaichi Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen, Ninja Hattori-kun, Hunter x hunter,'' and ''One Piece.'' * Hattori Hanzō is an NPC and boss in ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'' series. * Hattori Hanzō is a playable character in ''
Samurai Shodown ''Samurai Shodown'', known in Japan as is a fighting game series by SNK. The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in the genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat. Plot The stories in the series take place i ...
'' series. * In Sengoku Basara, ''Hattori Hanzō'' is a bodyguard NPC. * In
The Battle Cats is a free-to-play tower defense game, tower defense video game developed and published by Japanese developer PONOS Corporation for iOS and Android (mobile device platform), Android, originally released in Japan under the name . ''The Battle Cats ...
, Hattori Hanzō can be unlocked through the Rare Cat Capsules during the Sengoku Wargods Vajiras gacha event as an Uber Super Rare unit. * Hattori Hanzō is a playable character in ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' video game series.


Honda Tadakatsu

*
Honda Tadakatsu , also called Honda Heihachirō (本多 平八郎) was a Japanese samurai, general, and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) a ...
appears in numerous Japanese
jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, crafts ...
that show the rise of the Tokugawa to power. He is a minor role in
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
's movie ''
Kagemusha is a 1980 epic jidaigeki film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is set in the Sengoku period of Japanese history and tells the story of a lower-class petty thief who is taught to impersonate the dying ''daimyō'' Takeda Shingen to dissuade oppos ...
.'' *Honda Tadakatsu also appears in the video game '' Kessen'' and in the ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series, in which he is in almost every way the equivalent of Lu Bu of the ''
Dynasty Warriors is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy '' Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' series, based upon the Chinese novel of ...
'' series: extremely powerful, with his own theme music which plays when he is engaged in battle by the player character, and trying to fight him alone usually results in death. *In ''
Onimusha 3 ''Onimusha 3: Demon Siege'', released in Japan and Europe as , is a 2004 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third game of the ''Onimusha'' series and was released for the PlayStation 2 in April 2004, and later por ...
'', he is one of Akechi Samanousuke's allies in defeating Oda Nobunaga. *In ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'', he appears to be part machine and wield a giant drill. An unspeaking giant, Tadakatsu moves by way of jet packs in his armor, and is extremely hard to defeat. *Tadakatsu appears in ''
Samurai Warriors Xtreme Legends is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, released ...
'' and ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', as well as the spinoff games ''Samurai Warriors Katana'' and ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
''. *Honda Tadakatsu is one of the five
raccoon dog ''Nyctereutes'' (Greek: ''nyx, nykt-'' "night" + ''ereutēs'' "wanderer") is a genus of canid which includes only two extant species, both known as raccoon dogs: the common raccoon dog (''Nyctereutes procyonoides'') and the Japanese raccoon do ...
captains of the Tokugawa clan ruled by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the raccoon dog youkai, in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance''. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Metagross and later Dialga. *Tadakatsu appears as a minor character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Tadakatsu appears as a supporting character in ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'', first fighting William while being infected by Amrita and later aiding his lord in later campaigns. He uses a spear and the earth element. His guardian spirit is a deer. **He also appears in the sequel ''
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
'', once again as a supporting character, a sparring partner for the player in some missions. He uses a spear and the lightning element, with his guardian spirit remaining as a deer. * Tadakatsu is a supporting character in the light novel and manga series '' Sengoku Komachi Kurōtan'', serving as a potential romantic interest for the main character.


Hosokawa Gracia

As a samurai wife or other invented roles,
Hosokawa Gracia , usually referred to as , (1563 – 25 August 1600) was a member of the aristocratic Akechi family from the Sengoku period. Gracia is best known for her role in the Battle of Sekigahara; Ishida Mitsunari attempted to take her hostage to s ...
frequently appears as a character in Japanese historical fiction, both novels and drama. One website lists her as a character in over 40 stage dramas, movies, TV dramas (etc.) from 1887 to 2006. She is also frequently referred to in popular writing or talks on the history of the period. *A work that has been translated into English is
Ayako Miura was a Japanese novelist. She published over eighty works of both fiction and non-fiction. Many of her works are considered best-sellers, and a number have been remade as feature-length films. Her debut novel, ''Hyōten'' (氷点, "Freezing Poin ...
's novel, ''Hosokawa Garasha Fujin'' (English title: ''Lady Gracia: a Samurai Wife's Love, Strife and Faith''), which follows history fairly closely. *
James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was a British and American writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best known for his ''Asian Saga'' nov ...
used Gracia as the model for the character of Mariko in his novel ''
Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
'', which was later adapted for television as a
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
. Elements of Mariko's story follows Gracia's quite closely, although the manner of her death is different and the two characters do not fundamentally have anything in common. *A very heavily fictionalized Gracia also appears in
Futaro Yamada was the pen name of , a Japanese author. He was born in Yabu, Hyogo. In 1947, he wrote a mystery short story and was awarded a prize by the magazine . He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist. He wrote many ninja (忍法帖 ''Nin ...
's novel ''
Makai Tensho is a historical fantasy novel by Futaro Yamada. It was serialized in Osaka Shimbun newspaper between December 1964 and February 1965 under the title ''Oboro Ninpōchō''. It is a tale in which Mori Sōiken resurrects other dead historical figu ...
'', as a sidekick to
Amakusa Shirō Tokisada , which means "Heaven's Grass," is a series of islands off the west coast of Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. Geography The largest island of the Amakusa group is Shimoshima Island, Amakusa, Shimoshima, which is 2 ...
. *In the video game '' Kessen'', there is a cut-scene depicting Gracia dying heroically because her religion (Christianity) forbade her to commit suicide. *Gracia is her father
Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...
's replacing general in the
eroge An ''eroge'' (, ''eroge'', or , ''erogē'', ), also called an H-game, is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. The term encompasses a wide variety of Japanese games containing erotic content across multiple genres. The first ''eroge'' were crea ...
'' Sengoku Rance'', after doing two of Mitsuhide's events using Rance's satisfaction points. *Gracia is among the playable characters included in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's '' Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends'' and ''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
''. *She is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with her partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Gothorita and later Gothitelle.


Imagawa Yoshimoto

*As a young man,
Imagawa Yoshimoto was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the Sengoku period. Based in Suruga Province, he was known as ; he was one of the three ''daimyō'' that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He died in 1560 while marching to Kyoto to become Shogun. He ...
is a playable character in the
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
action game '' Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends'', as well as in ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'', an action-strategy game. Both games depict Imagawa as a childish dandy, although Samurai Warriors takes this to an extreme by giving him a
kemari is an athletic game that was popular in Japan during the Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura period (1185–1333). It resembles a game of keepie uppie or hacky sack. The game was popular in Kyoto, the capital, and the surrounding Kinki (Kansai reg ...
(a Japanese kickball), which he uses as a weapon (though he used a generic sword in the original ''Samurai Warriors'' game). In ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', Yoshimoto is only mentioned and shown impaled to death within his palanquin by Nobunaga's spearmen. However, in '' Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends'', Yoshimoto is given an updated appearance and additional moves. He also appears in ''
Samurai Warriors 3 is a hack-and-slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Samurai Warriors'' series. The game was released in Japan in December 2009 and internationally in 2010 by Nint ...
'', '' Samurai Warriors Katana'', ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'', and
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
. *Yoshimoto is also featured as an unplayable character in the Japanese video game ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'', as well as the sequel (he becomes playable in '' Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes''). In the anime, he was portrayed as a coward, weak and a pathetic leader that uses his men as scapegoats to save himself, but he was killed by Oda Nobunaga. *In the translation of '' Path of the Assassin'', a Dark Horse Comics translation of ''Hanzo no Mon'', which focuses on
Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
and Hattori Hanzō's perspectives, Yoshimoto is viewed more positively (perhaps ironically, compared to Nobunaga) and even decides during the Okehazama campaign to replace Ujizane with Ieyasu (then Matsudaira Motoyasu) as his heir, though dying before doing so. *Imagawa Yoshimoto is the name of the man who has disguised himself as the Hanny King who rules a province full of haniwa in the
eroge An ''eroge'' (, ''eroge'', or , ''erogē'', ), also called an H-game, is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. The term encompasses a wide variety of Japanese games containing erotic content across multiple genres. The first ''eroge'' were crea ...
'' Sengoku Rance''. *He also appears briefly in the short manga ''Kacchu no Senshi Gamu'' by
Yoshihiro Takahashi is a Japanese Mangaka, manga artist. He writes under a pen name in which his first name ''Yoshihiro'' is spelled out in hiragana (よしひろ). Takahashi was born on September 18th, 1953, in Higashinaruse, Akita, a village in the Tōhoku region ...
. *Yoshimoto appears as a gender-switched character in '' Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox''. *In
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
, he was portrayed as a coward general that attacks with puny force, retreating further and using his subordinates as decoys by raising them as the same rank. He is also shown with facial make-up, carrying a folded fan and moving like a kabuki performer. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Pineco and later Forretress. He was portrayed as an innocent dandy who likes the game Pokémari, which is based on
kemari is an athletic game that was popular in Japan during the Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura period (1185–1333). It resembles a game of keepie uppie or hacky sack. The game was popular in Kyoto, the capital, and the surrounding Kinki (Kansai reg ...
. *He is a non-playable character in '' Inazuma Eleven GO 2: Chrono Stone''. *In ''
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is a Japanese manga series by Una Megurogawa. It has been serialized in Tokuma Shoten's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Comic Zenon'', as well as the webmagazine ''Web Comic Zenyon'', since June 2014 and has been collected in ten ''tankō ...
'', Yoshimoto is reincarnated in modern-day Japan as a Dachshund nicknamed "Gilbert". *Yoshimoto is a playable character in the Japanese version of the visual novel game Ikemen Sengoku; Romances Across Time, produced by Cybird. He has been added to the English version but is as yet not playable. *He appears as a
boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...
in ''
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
'' as the first human boss due to the player helping Oda Nobunaga in his campaign to unite Japan. He uses a naginata and dual swords, along with the lightning element. He spirit guardian takes the form of six-tusked elephant.


Ishida Mitsunari

*The story of
James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was a British and American writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best known for his ''Asian Saga'' nov ...
's novel ''
Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
'' is based on the strife between
Ishida Mitsunari was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi–Momoyama period of the 16th century. He ...
(called Ishido in the novel) and Tokugawa (Toranaga) over the Taiko's son,
Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who united all of Japan toward the end of the Sengoku period. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's sec ...
. *He was portrayed by
Hiro Kanagawa is a Japanese-Canadian actor and playwright based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has appeared in numerous high-profile films and television series shot in the Vancouver area, including ''The X-Files'', ''Smallville'', ''Caprica'', ''Godzil ...
in the 2008 BBC docudrama ''
Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album ''Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile (The Beach Boys album), Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned ...
'', centering on the
Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...
. *Mitsunari also appears as one of the main characters of
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's '' Kessen''. He is the first of three commanders under the Toyotomi forces depicted opposing
Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
. Whether or not he survives the Battle of Sekigahara and defeats Ieyasu depends on the Player's actions. *Mitsunari is a villain in '' Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties'' campaign. In the Japanese campaign, players must kill him in order to win and unify Japan. *He appears in Koei's ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', as a cold and sarcastic man who, despite his devotion to his lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, alienates many of his peers with his attitude. He also appears in the sequel with an updated character design and a closer friendship to Kato Kiyomasa, and in the spin-off series, '' Samurai Warriors Katana''. *In Capcom's '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'', Mitsunari is the host of the Genma Cladius and serves as a major antagonist for most of the game. *Mitsunari is the lead character in Koei's DS game ''Saihai no Yukue''. *In the Japanese eroge ''Sengoku Hime'', the character "Ishida Futanari" is a parody of Ishida Mitsunari *Mitsunari appears in Capcom's ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'', as a man with white hair wielding a
katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
, able to slash his foes with inhuman speed and uses
Iaido , abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sport ...
. He shows an immense hatred towards Tokugawa Ieyasu for the death of his mentor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, although in Sengoku Basara: The Last Party, he hates Date Masamune more than Ieyasu, blaming him for his mentor's death. *Mitsunari also appears in the Goemon movie. He is a retainer to Lord Hideyoshi but secretly has his own ambitions to overthrow his master. He was killed at Sekigahara by Goemon which prompts his army to retreat. *In the Strategy game Shogun 2 Total War, he is one of the generals in the Sekigahara Historical Battle *Professional wrestler
Danshoku Dino , better known by his ring name , also spelled Danshoku Dieno, is a Japanese professional wrestler. Dino has spent most of his career competing for DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where he plays an overly exaggerated homosexual character. His ring name ...
wrestled as Ishida Mitsunari for the Dramatic Dream Team promotion on February 10, 2013. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Pawniard and later Bisharp. He is straightforward and cold, but is actually a good person and never forgets a favor done for him. He has a friendship with the other two warlords Kiyomasa and Masanori. The trio are depict as pre-teens in the game. *Mitsunari is a playable character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Mitsunari is a playable character in the visual novel game ''Ikemen Sengoku; Romances Across Time'', produced by Cybird. *Mitsunari is one of the primary antagonists in ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'', having allied with Edward Kelley in order to gain power to fend off the Tokugawa forces. He uses a sword and the wind element. His guardian spirit is a fox.


Izumo no Okuni

Unlike her role in history,
Izumo no Okuni was a Japan, Japanese entertainer and miko, shrine maiden who is believed to have invented the theatrical art form of kabuki. She is thought to have begun performing her new art style of () theatre in the dry stream bed, riverbed of the Kamo ...
's appearances in fiction often portray her as a fictional , a capable fighter skilled with weapons and magic. *She is a playable character in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series as a fighter using a parasol. As the game portrays her having a flirty personality, she is the cause of competition between Maeda Keiji and Ishikawa Goemon. In ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', she is a special character who is unlocked by clearing the
Sugoroku (literally 'double six') refers to two different forms of a Japanese board game: ''ban-sugoroku'' (盤双六, 'board-sugoroku') which is similar to western tables games like backgammon, and ''e-sugoroku'' (絵双六, 'picture-sugoroku') which i ...
game. She additionally appears in the
spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...
series ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
''. *In the manga and anime ''
Samurai Deeper Kyo ''Samurai Deeper Kyo'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from May 1999 to May 2006, with its chapters ...
,'' she is initially a
foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...
for the main character, Mibu Kyoshiro, but later becomes a spy for
Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
. However, her true allegiance is shown to be to Onime no Kyo (Demon Eyes Kyo), as she is in love with him. *Okuni is a playable character in the
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
's video game '' Onimusha Tactics''. She fights with a spear and can use healing magic. She is also mentioned as a close friend to Jubei Yagyu in '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'', where she is described as being a great dancer and fighter. According to the game's comic tie-in ''"Night of Genesis"'', she is also a long-standing friend of Tenkai Nankobo. *Okuni also appears as a character in the
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
's
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
''Musashi''; however, in this series she remains a performer and does not have any fighting skills. *Okuni makes a small appearance as a little girl in ''
Ōkami is a 2006 action-adventure game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for PlayStation 2 in 2006 in Japan and North America, and in 2007 in Europe and Australia. After the closure of Clover Studio a few months afte ...
'' singing about the Water Dragon. *The courtesan and geisha Kiku from
James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was a British and American writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best known for his ''Asian Saga'' nov ...
's novel ''
Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
'' is based on Okuni. *She is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with her partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Larvesta and later Volcarona. *She appears in videogame
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
. The protagonist meets and assists her in two sub missions, and she returns the favor by helping them get inside Hideyoshi castle.


Katakura Kojūrō

*In series with Date Masamune,
Katakura Kojūrō was the common name of the head of the Japanese Katakura clan, who served as senior retainers to the Date clan. Following the Date clan's move into Sendai han, they were granted holdings at Shiroishi Castle (12,000 ''koku'' in total), which the ...
has appeared as a character in fiction. He appeared in the video game ''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
'', as second in command to Date Masamune, but is often depicted at times as a swordsman meeting his equal and showing a superior tactical ability to Date, although respecting Masamune's superiority. *Kojuro is the name of Dokuganryuu Masamune's car in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance''. *Kojurou is often in any series where Date Masamune is present, though he may sometimes be a generic character. *Kojuro is a playable character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Kojuro also makes an appearance in the video game
Samurai Warriors 4 is a 2014 hack and slash game by Koei Tecmo for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita, and the sequel to ''Samurai Warriors 3''. Unlike past ''Samurai Warriors'' games, this one only has Japanese voice overs. A revised version of the ...
as a playable character. He is depicted as a wise man that acts as a clear voice of reason, who holds huge loyalty towards his lord
Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...
. *He is briefly mentioned in
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
due to passing away from an illness and leaving behind his son
Katakura Shigenaga was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. The son of Katakura Kagetsuna, Shigenaga was the second man to bear the common name Kojūrō. His name was originally Shigetsuna; however, to avoid conflict with th ...
. He gives Date Masamune his guardian spirit, a fish-man hybrid.


Kobayakawa Hideaki

*
Kobayakawa Hideaki (1577 – December 1, 1602) was the fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada and a nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was gained the rank of ''Saemon no Kami'' (左衛門督) or in China ''Shikkingo'' (執金吾) at genpuku and held the court title of ...
appears as a unique
non-player character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
in ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
''. He is portrayed as a young, cowardly glutton, and as a result carries a pot and pair of wooden spoons to use as weapons. He is made playable in the upcoming expansion, Sengoku Basara 3:Utage. *Portrayed by
Louis Ozawa Changchien Louis Ozawa Changchien (born October 11, 1975) is an American actor best known for his role in the films ''Predators'' (2010), '' The Bourne Legacy'' (2012), and '' Jack Ryan'' (2023). Early life and education Changchien was born in Queens, New ...
in the 2008 BBC docudrama series ''
Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album ''Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile (The Beach Boys album), Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned ...
''. *In Sengoku Basara: The Last Party, he tricks multiple generals to go to Sekigahara under the guise of Tokugawa Ieyasu's invitation, but is discovered by Ieyasu himself, who plays along with his plans. *In ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'', Hideaki is presented as a vainglorious and cowardly lord who participates in the battle of Sekigahara on the Ishida side, but is later convinced by William to defect to the opposing side. He guardian spirit is a bat.


Komatsuhime

*In her role in the video game ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'',
Komatsuhime (1573 – March 27, 1620) was a female warrior (''onna-musha'') during the Azuchi-Momoyama period and early Edo period. Born the daughter of Honda Tadakatsu, she was adopted by lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, before marrying Sanada Nobuyuki. She is d ...
goes by her childhood name, Ina. She wields a long bladed bow, and is depicted as a proud daughter of
Honda Tadakatsu , also called Honda Heihachirō (本多 平八郎) was a Japanese samurai, general, and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) a ...
with strong tomboyish tendencies. Inahime is also in the spinoff game '' Samurai Warriors Katana'', and the crossover games ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'' and ''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
''. *She is a playable character as Ina in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with her partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Prinplup and later Empoleon.


Kuroda Kanbei

*In his role in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's ''
Samurai Warriors 3 is a hack-and-slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Samurai Warriors'' series. The game was released in Japan in December 2009 and internationally in 2010 by Nint ...
'' video game,
Kuroda Kanbei , also known as , was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku through the early Edo period. Renowned as a man of great ambition, he succeeded Takenaka Hanbei as a chief strategist and adviser to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kuroda became a Christia ...
is chief strategist of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, feared by many for his demonic look. He later goes on to serve Tokugawa Ieyasu. His weapon is a magical orb. *He appears as a playable character in
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
's ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
''. He appears as a convict with his hands cuffed together and chained to a giant metal ball, which doubles as his weapon. According to the game he was a Lieutenant under the Toyotomi banner, and tried to seize some power from him in a failed coup. He is locked up in the mines of Ishigakibaru and is often under Yoshitsugu Otani's control. *In ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'' he is a playable retainer that serves with Hideyoshi against the Mori. *Kanbei is portrayed by
Junichi Okada is an actor, fight choreographer and a former member of Japanese boy band V6. Career Music career In the summer of 1995, Okada participated in ''Johnny's Pre-School'', part of the NTV program . He passed the audition and joined Johnny & ...
, a member of V6, in the 2014
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
''
Gunshi Kanbei is a 2014 Japanese historical drama television series and the 53rd NHK ''taiga'' drama. The series was broadcast from January 5 to December 21, 2014, and ran a total of 50 episodes. The drama depicts the life of Kuroda Kanbei (played by Junich ...
''. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Lampent and later Chandelure. His appearance resembles a ghost. *Kanbei appears as a supporting character, alongside his son Nagamasa, in 2017's ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
''. His guardian spirit is a dragon. *In ''
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is a Japanese manga series by Una Megurogawa. It has been serialized in Tokuma Shoten's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Comic Zenon'', as well as the webmagazine ''Web Comic Zenyon'', since June 2014 and has been collected in ten ''tankō ...
'', Kanbei is reincarnated in modern-day Japan as a Toy Poodle nicknamed "Charlie". *Briefly appears in videogame
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
as an ally of Tenkai.


Kyōgoku Maria

*
Kyōgoku Maria or (1543 – August 20, 1618) was a Japanese noble lady and religious leader from the Sengoku period to the early Edo period. She was the second daughter of Azai Hisamasa as well as Azai Nagamasa's elder sister and the mother of Kyōgoku ...
, the older sister of Azai Nagamasa, is depicted in Capcom's ''
Sengoku Basara 4 is the fourth main installment of the ''Sengoku Basara, Sengoku BASARA'' video game series, developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in Japan on January 23, 2014. An expanded version of the game for the Play ...
'' video game as a
sorceress A sorceress is a female practitioner of sorcery (disambiguation), sorcery. Other uses include: Film * Sorceress (1982 film), ''Sorceress'' (1982 film), a fantasy film directed by Jack Hill * Sorceress (1987 film), ''Sorceress'' (1987 film) releas ...
with the ability to manipulate her sleeves in combat and use her charm to deceive enemies. * She appears in Koei's '' Samurai Warriors 4: Empires'' as a unique NPC that can be playable if selected. However, she is not considered a true playable character.


Maeda Matsu

*Matsu is depicted in Capcom's ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'' video game series as a woman who wields a
naginata The ''naginata'' (, , ) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades ('' nihontō''). ''Naginata'' were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei ( ...
as her weapon, is able to summon animal
familiars In European folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars (strictly familiar spirits, as "familiar" also meant just "close friend" or companion, and may be seen in the scientific name for dog, ''Canis familiaris'') were believed ...
, and has a close relationship with her husband, Toshiie. *Matsu had also been featured within a TV drama shown by NHK called ''Toshiie to Matsu'', depicting her relations with Toshiie, and thus making her a primary figure of romantic fame. *Although not a real playable character, Matsu is also a bodyguard in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'' under the "Lady Samurai" class.


Maeda Toshiie

*
Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又左 ...
appears as a playable character in '' Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends'', wielding a serrated sword and two spears. He is also present in''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
''. *His ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'' portrayal implies that he serves the Oda clan off screen, but he officially serves the Toyotomi clan to repent for their shortcomings. His story mode depicts him as a
dysfunctional family In psychology, abnormality (also dysfunctional behavior, maladaptive behavior, or deviant behavior) is a behavioral characteristic assigned to those with conditions that are regarded as dysfunctional. Behavior is considered to be abnormal when i ...
man, with a close relationship with his wife Matsu and their "nephew" Keiji, where the first two-story modes tell on their unusual methods to support one another. He also uses fire-based techniques and summoning animals. His body is scarred due to his battles with wild animals. *The 2002
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
''Toshiie to Matsu'' (利家とまつ~加賀百万石物語~) was based on the story of their lives together. Maeda Toshiie was played by
Toshiaki Karasawa (real name Kiyoshi Karasawa (唐澤 潔 ''Karasawa Kiyoshi'')) is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play ''Boy's Revue Stay Gold'' in 1987. He specializes in theatrical action sequences such as swordplay and f ...
, and Matsu by
Nanako Matsushima is a Japanese actress and model. She is best known for starring in the horror film ''Ring'' (1998) and the drama series '' A Story of Love'' (1997) and '' I'm Mita, Your Housekeeper.'' (2011). The latter's final episode reached a viewer rating of ...
. Karasawa later made a special appearance as the same character in the 2006 NHK Taiga drama ''Komyo ga Tsuji'' (功名が辻) (episodes 39 and 40). *Maeda Toshiie is one of the few captains who have non-generic faces in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance''. He can transform into
Maeda Keiji , better known as or Keijirō (慶次郎), was a Japanese samurai lord of the Sengoku period through early Edo period. He was the nephew of Maeda Toshiie and Maeda Matsu. In legends and fictions, he is one of the most celebrated ''kabukimono'' ...
after doing two of his events using Rance's satisfaction points. *Maeda Toshiie (Inuchiyo) is a playable character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
.


Maeda Toshimasu

Toshimasu (often depicted under the name of Keiji or Keijirō) is often portrayed as somewhat of a
prank A practical joke or prank is a trick played on people, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. The perpetrat ...
ster and is often dubbed crazy, or
kabukimono or were gangs of samurai in feudal Japan. First appearing in the Azuchi–Momoyama period (between the end of the Muromachi period in 1573 and the beginning of the Edo period in 1603) as the turbulent Sengoku period drew to a close, were ei ...
, by others for his wild ways. For example, it is shown/mentioned in a few video games that he filled his uncle Toshiie's bath with cold water, a feat the historical man was well known for. *He is a playable character in the ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series and is usually one of the strongest enemies to defeat. His weapon is a two-pronged spear, similar to a
sasumata The is a polearm used by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. Description and use Although some sources place the origin of the sasumata in the Muromachi period, most sources discuss its use in the Edo period. In Edo period J ...
. He also appears in ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
''. *Maeda Keiji debuted as a playable character in ''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
''. This version of the character wields a giant
Ōdachi An or is a type of traditionally made used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The Chinese equivalent of this type of sword in terms of weight and length is the '' miaodao'' or the earlier ''zhanmadao'', and the Western battlefield equival ...
and has a pet monkey named Yumekichi. He is old friends with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and helps defeat the man in his ending. He appears in ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'' as the representative of both the Uesugi and Maeda clans. *Keijiro also appears in '' Onimusha Blade Warriors'' as well as the first ''
Onimusha is a series of action-adventure video games developed and published by Capcom. It makes use of the historic figures that shaped Japan's history, retelling their stories with supernatural elements. Most of the games are of the action-adventure ...
'' game, under the name Yumemaru (a little boy that Princess Yuki takes care of). *Maeda Keiji is also a secret playable character in ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'' through loading a ''Samurai Warriors'' data file from the memory card. *A manga series loosely based on Keiji's life illustrated by
Tetsuo Hara is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for co-creating the post-apocalyptic martial arts series ''Fist of the North Star'' (1983–1988) with writer Buronson, which is one of the best-selling manga in history with over 100 million copies ...
(of ''
Fist of the North Star is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' for 245 issues published from 1983 to 1988 and initially collected in 27 volumes ...
'' fame) was produced titled '' Keiji''. *In the NHK television drama series ''Toshiie to Matsu'', Maeda Keijiro is depicted by the actor Mitsuhiro Oikawa. *Maeda Keiji is
Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又左 ...
's transformation in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'' after doing two of Toshiie's events using Rance's satisfaction points. *Maeda Keiji appears as a minor character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. Additionally, Keiji's famed horse,
Matsukaze is a play of the third category, the woman's mode, by Kan'ami, revised by Zeami Motokiyo. One of the most highly regarded of Noh plays, it is mentioned more than any other in Zeami's own writings, and is depicted numerous times in the visual ...
, appears in a number of games and movies as well. *Matsukaze is a ridable horse in the ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' and ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'' game series. *The jetbike Keiji rides in the ''
Vasara Vasara (Finnish for hammer) can refer to: * Jussi Vasara (born 1987), Finnish footballer * Mika Vasara (born 1983), Finnish shot putter * Vesa Vasara (born 1976), Finnish footballer and coach * Vasara, Estonia, village in Viiratsi Parish, Viljandi ...
'' game series is said to be the model "Matsukaze 1000".


Matsunaga Hisahide

*
Matsunaga Hisahide Matsunaga Danjō Hisahide (松永 弾正 久秀 1508 – November 19, 1577) was a ''daimyō'' and head of the Yamato Matsunaga clan in Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. He has historical reputation as one of , a nickna ...
is featured as a character in ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'' and '' Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes'', in which he is depicted as a man of treachery who enjoys any course of action that would subsequently present to him a greater sum of pleasure. He takes a primary role in
Katakura Kojūrō was the common name of the head of the Japanese Katakura clan, who served as senior retainers to the Date clan. Following the Date clan's move into Sendai han, they were granted holdings at Shiroishi Castle (12,000 ''koku'' in total), which the ...
's and
Maeda Keiji , better known as or Keijirō (慶次郎), was a Japanese samurai lord of the Sengoku period through early Edo period. He was the nephew of Maeda Toshiie and Maeda Matsu. In legends and fictions, he is one of the most celebrated ''kabukimono'' ...
's stories. Hisahide was announced as one of 14 characters to be made playable in the upcoming expansion to Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes *He appears in ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'' as a purchasable Bodyguard under the "Fire Ninja" class. He later appears in ''
Samurai Warriors 4 is a 2014 hack and slash game by Koei Tecmo for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita, and the sequel to ''Samurai Warriors 3''. Unlike past ''Samurai Warriors'' games, this one only has Japanese voice overs. A revised version of the ...
'' as a playable character. *In ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'', William can interact with the ghost of Hisahide who refers to himself as Danjo. His guardian spirit is a spider. **He also appears in
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
as a supporting character where he continues to support the player as Dango due to blowing himself up after betraying Oda Nobunaga and destroying himself, his teapot, and his castle rather than surrendering to Nobunaga. His guardian spirit remains as a spider. *In
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is a Japanese manga series by Una Megurogawa. It has been serialized in Tokuma Shoten's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Comic Zenon'', as well as the webmagazine ''Web Comic Zenyon'', since June 2014 and has been collected in ten ''tankō ...
, Hisahide is reincarnated in modern-day Japan as a Chihuahua nicknamed "Whip".


Miyamoto Musashi

*In the
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
anime and game, he was shown to be mischievous, using stones, an oar and a wooden sword to fight. *He also appears in
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
as a rival of
Sasaki Kojirō was a Japanese swordsman who may have lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods and is known primarily for the story of his duel with Miyamoto Musashi in 1612, where Sasaki was killed. Although suffering from defeat as wel ...
and wields two
Daishō The —"large and small"—is a Japanese term for a matched pair of traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan. The etymology of the word ''daishō'' becomes apparent when the terms ''daitō'', ...
s. *He appears as the late adoptive father of
Miyamoto Iori was a samurai during the Edo period of Japan. Iori was an adopted son of legendary ronin Miyamoto Musashi. Early life Iori was the adopted son of Miyamoto Musashi. He was adopted at the age of 11 by the master swordsman in 1623, when his adop ...
in Fate/Samurai Remnant. An alternate female version of Musashi was also introduced as a Saber/Berserker class servant in
Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese gacha game, gacha mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity (game engine), Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon' ...
and latter appears in Fate/Samurai Remnant. *He appears in
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
as a supporting character in a couple of missions. In game he is still a young samurai who is practicing his swordsmanship on yōkai.


Mōri Motonari

*He (along with
King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...
) was the basis of Hidetora Ichimonji in the
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
film ''
Ran RAN may refer to: * Radio access network, a part of a mobile telecommunication system * Rainforest Action Network * Ran (gene) (RAs-related Nuclear protein), also known as GTP-binding nuclear protein Ran, a protein that in humans is encoded by t ...
''. *Motonari has also made an appearance in video games such as
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
's ''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
'' as a playable character who is relatively inconsiderate to his subordinates, abandoning them if they are below his standards and employing other means that can be deemed cruel. Motonari wields a large wheel as his weapon, which possesses an outer-layer of blades. He is the only character who can inflict damage on his own men in combat. *Motonari also appears in ''
Samurai Warriors 3 is a hack-and-slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Samurai Warriors'' series. The game was released in Japan in December 2009 and internationally in 2010 by Nint ...
'', wielding a crossbow mounted to his arm. He comes out of retirement to help Japan fight off the threat of Oda Nobunaga. *Motonari is the main protagonist of the
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
36th drama ''Motonari''. *Motonari is one of the lords in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance''. He has been cursed by a
yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and Spirit (supernatural entity) , spirits in Japanese folklore. The kanji representation of the word comprises two characters that both mean "suspicious, doubtful", and while the Japanese name is simply ...
named Daidaara, the player can ask for Sakamoto Ryouma's information after recruiting her to lift his curse. His three daughters' names: Mōri Teru, Kikkawa Kiku and Kobayakawa Chinu are based on historical Motonari's three sons:
Mōri Takamoto was a ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of Aki Province during Japan's Sengoku period. He was the eldest legitimate son of Mōri Motonari. Biography Born in the Tajihi-Sarugake Castle in 1523. Takamoto was sent to Suō Province as a hostage of Ōuchi ...
,
Kikkawa Motoharu was the second son of Mōri Motonari, and featured prominently in all the wars of the Mōri clan. He became an active commander of the Mōri army and he with his brother Kobayakawa Takakage became known as the “Mōri Ryōsen", or “Mōri's T ...
, and
Kobayakawa Takakage was a samurai and daimyō (feudal military lord) during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the third son of Mōri Motonari who was adopted by the Kobayakawa clan and became its 14th clan head. He merged the two branches of ...
. *The board game ''
Shogun , officially , was the title of the military aristocracy, rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor of Japan, Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, exc ...
'' features Mōri Motonari as one of the daimyōs to choose. *Motonari also appears in the strategy game '' Pokémon Conquest'', where he is the warlord of the Ransei Region's Greenleaf Nation and is accompanied by a Snivy, who may evolve into a Servine. *In the video game League of Legends Yorick Mōri has characteristics that are references to Mōri Motonari.


Mori Ranmaru

Ranmaru has appeared as a character in fiction and has appeared in several video games (such as ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'', ''
Onimusha is a series of action-adventure video games developed and published by Capcom. It makes use of the historic figures that shaped Japan's history, retelling their stories with supernatural elements. Most of the games are of the action-adventure ...
'', ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'' and the ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series) in which he is usually portrayed as having a feminine or androgynous appearance, which may lead to confusion of his gender by other characters. He is also depicted as truly loyal to Oda Nobunaga, who in return praises Ranmaru for his skills (and possibly his beauty) in battle. *In ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'', Ranmaru is depicted as Nobunaga's most loyal bodyguard, where he wields a nodachi. *''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'' portrays a different appearance for Ranmaru as a young, boyish, and eager archer in his early teens who seeks recognition from Nobunaga. He is portrayed as childish, seeking only Kompeitō as a reward from his master in his endings. *The eroge '' Sengoku Rance'' portrays him as a girl, Ranmaru. She is one of the loyal retainers of Oda Nobunaga. She is in love with Shibata Katsuie, also Oda's retainer. *The character Ranmaru Morii's name in '' Perfect Girl Evolution'' is a nod to the historical Ranmaru. *Mori Ranmaru is one of the main characters in a manga oneshot by Inui Miku, Akatsuki no Fumi, where he is portrayed with slightly feminine features. *Akihiro Hino has stated that the character Kirino Ranmaru in ''
Inazuma Eleven GO is an association football-themed media franchise created by Level-5. The franchise began with the release of ''Inazuma Eleven'' in 2008, with the game series selling over 8 million copies worldwide by 2016. In addition to video games, the franc ...
'' was based on Mori Ranmaru. *The anime Nobunaga the Fool portrays Ranmaru as a secret identity that's given to the character Jeanne Kaguya d'Arc by Nobunaga *A female version of Ranmaru appears in Gaim's portion of Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle. She is an attendant who served under Nobunaga and the OOO Army and when both Nobunaga and Bujin OOO fall to the hands of Bujin Gaim, she is forced to escape with Kaito Kumon/Armored Rider Baron. Later on, she is saved by bandits by Kaito and she makes him the new lord of the OOO Army which is renamed the Baron Army and recruits remnants of armies who were defeated by Bujin Gaim. She accompanies him to Ieyasu castle where the final battle takes place. She is last seen celebrating the defeat of Bujin Gaim which causes the return of rain to her world. She is portrayed by Mao Ueda. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Riolu and later Lucario. He is portrayed with feminine appearance in the game, including joining the beauty contest held in the Ransei region due to being mistaken for a girl. He is shown as extremely loyal to Nobunaga. *Ranmaru appears as a minor character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Ranmaru appears in the Netflix ONA series ''
Yasuke was a samurai of African origin who served Oda Nobunaga between 1581 and 1582, during the Sengoku period, until Nobunaga's death. According to historical accounts, Yasuke first arrived in Japan in the service of Italian Jesuit Alessandro Val ...
'' as a retainer, and implied lover, of Oda Nobunaga.


Naoe Kanetsugu

*
Naoe Kanetsugu was a Japanese samurai of the 16th–17th centuries. The eldest son of Higuchi Kanetoyo, Kanetsugu was famed for his service to two generations of the Uesugi ''daimyōs''. He was also known by his court title, Yamashiro no Kami (山城守) or ...
is the star of Yuji Takemura's manga ''Gifu Dodo Naoe Kanetsugu: Maeda Keiji Tsukigatari'' ( 義風堂々 直江兼続 -前田慶次月語り-) *Kanetsugu is the protagonist of the 2009
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
''
Tenchijin is a 2009 Japanese super historical drama television series, and the 48th taiga drama of NHK. It aired every Sunday from January 4 to November 22, 2009, spanning 47 episodes.It is an unusual Taiga Drama as the final episode will be broadcast as e ...
''. *Naoe Kanetsugu was featured as a playable character in ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', wielding an ornate sword and paper charms, portrayed as originally serving Uesugi Kenshin at the Battles of Kawanakajima and Tedorigawa, then serving Hideyoshi and later the Western Army against Tokugawa Ieyasu, though being concerned with justice and honor primarily. Kanetsugu also appears in ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'', a crossover between ''Samurai Warriors'' and ''
Dynasty Warriors is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy '' Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' series, based upon the Chinese novel of ...
'', usually alongside
Kenshin Uesugi , later known as , was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (magnate). He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period ...
. *The female character Naoe Ai from the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'' is based on him. She is the strategist of Uesugi Kenshin. *Kanetsugu briefly appeared in the anime television series of ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'', only to be defeated by
Honda Tadakatsu , also called Honda Heihachirō (本多 平八郎) was a Japanese samurai, general, and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) a ...
in a comical fashion. *In ''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
'', he appears as a generic officer of the Uesugi army who constantly claims to be invincible. He appears again in ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'', but has Kanetsugu's trademark helmet with the large kanji "Ai" ("love"). *Appearing in a semi-fictional biography as the main protagonist of the historical manga Gifuu doudou Naoe Kanetsugu by
Tetsuo Hara is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for co-creating the post-apocalyptic martial arts series ''Fist of the North Star'' (1983–1988) with writer Buronson, which is one of the best-selling manga in history with over 100 million copies ...
. *In KissxSis, he was shown as one of Keita's teacher's fetish, Japanese samurai generals. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Kadabra and later Alakazam. He appears as a warlord who is warmhearted and dutiful, and honors love and justice very much. *Kanetsugu appears as a minor character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
.


Nene

* Nene is a playable character within the ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series and acts as an ultimate replacement of
Kunoichi is a Japanese term for . In popular culture, it is often used for female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu (''ninpo''). The term was largely popularized by novelist Futaro Yamada in his novel in 1964. Although kunoichi have appeared in numerou ...
. She is also present in the spinoffs '' Samurai Warriors Katana'' and ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
''. *Nene appears in flashbacks in ''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
'' in Keiji's story. It is implied that her husband killed her to achieve power, which is confirmed in the second season of the anime. *Nene is a major character in Eiji Yoshikawa's novel ''Taiko ki''. *She is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with her partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Golbat and Crobat. She has a motherly personality in-game.


Nōhime

Unlike her role in history,
Nōhime , also known as was a Japanese woman from the Sengoku period to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. She was the daughter of Saitō Dōsan, a Sengoku Daimyō of the Mino Province, and the lawful wife of Oda Nobunaga, a Sengoku Daimyō of the Owari Prov ...
is usually portrayed as a
femme fatale A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...
, in line with the traditional villainous portrayal of her husband, Nobunaga Oda. *Her role in ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'' depicts a beautiful and kind-hearted woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her husband's unity of the land, despite the fact that Nobunaga never cared about her. She wields a pair of guns (Ebony and Ivory from ''
Devil May Cry is a science fantasy action-adventure game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante (Devil May Cry), Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invas ...
''), but her charge/prime attacks unleash a whole variety of gun weaponry. *In '' Onimusha 3: Demon Siege'' she goes by the name of 'Vega Donna' and has been transformed into a demon woman to join her husband. *''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' depicts Nōhime as the "Viper's Daughter", a
sadist Sadist can refer to: * A person with a high level of everyday sadism, a personality trait characterized by enjoyment of hurting others * A person with sadistic personality disorder, an obsolete clinical term for people who enjoy the suffering of o ...
who wields a pair of retractable claws and bombs. She is also present in ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'' and ''
Samurai Warriors 3 is a hack-and-slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Samurai Warriors'' series. The game was released in Japan in December 2009 and internationally in 2010 by Nint ...
'', as well as the spinoffs '' Samurai Warriors Katana'', ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'', and ''Warriors Orochi 2''. *A different view of Nōhime is presented in the game ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
.'' Under her childhood name of Kicho, she is presented as a chaste and innocent princess. *Nōhime was portrayed by Japanese actress
Miki Nakatani is a Japanese actress and singer who began her professional career as a member of the girl group Sakurakko Club. Nakatani focused on acting after her departure from the band, making her debut on the popular television drama '' Under the Same R ...
in the 1998 film ''Oda Nobunaga'', and by
Haruka Ayase better known by the stage name , is a Japanese actress who started her career as a model in the year 2000. She has since become a leading actress in television and film. Career 2000–2004: Early career Ayase was invited by a friend to parti ...
in the 2005 sci-fi film '' Sengoku Jieitai 1549'', and the 2023 historical fiction film, ''The Legend and Butterfly''.
Emi Wakui is a Japanese actress. She has won three Japanese Academy Awards: the 1994 Best Actress award for her performance in ''Rainbow Bridge (Niji no Hashi)'', and the 1992 awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Newcomer for her performance as Sei ...
played Nōhime in the 2006
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
drama ''Kōmyō ga tsuji''. *In the eroge Sengoku Rance, Oda Nobunaga Kazunosuke's deceased wife's name is "Kichou", other popular name of Nouhime. *She appears alongside Oda Nobunaga in the manga ''Sengoku Strays''. *She is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (''Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan''), with her partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Misdreavus and Mismagius. *Nohime is an unlockable Stigmata in the 2016 mobile game ''
Honkai Impact 3rd ''Honkai Impact 3rd'' is a 2016 free-to-play 3D computer graphics, 3D action role-playing game developed and published by miHoYo (with publishing outside mainland China under MiHoYo#Cognosphere (HoYoverse), Cognosphere, Trade name, trading as HoY ...
'' made by
miHoYo MiHoYo Co., Ltd. is a Chinese Video game development studio, video game development and publishing company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Shanghai. The company is best known for developing the ''Honkai'' franchise, ''Tears of Themis'', '' ...
. *In ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'', her soul is transformed by antagonist
Edward Kelley Sir Edward Kelley or Kelly, also known as Edward Talbot (; 1 August 1555 – 1597/8), was an English Renaissance occultist and scryer. He is known for working with John Dee in his magical investigations. Besides the professed ability to se ...
into a
yuki-onna is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore that is often depicted in Japanese literature, films, or animation. She may also go by such names as ''yuki-musume'', cited by (雪娘, "snow daughter"), ''yukihime'' (雪姫, "snow princess"), ''yuki- ...
and is fought as a boss. She uses a naginata and the water element (in the form of ice). Her guardian spirit is a butterfly. ** In ''
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
'', she is met by the protagonist and Tokichiro alongside her husband, Oda Nobunaga. During the burning of Honnoji Temple, she stays with Nobunaga and the two die together. She was told by her father Saito Dosan to kill Nobunaga if he proved to be a fool but she fell in love with him and decided to help in his ambition to unify Japan. Her guardian spirit remains as a butterfly.


Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
has appeared in a number of works across various media. *
Eiji Yoshikawa was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as ''The Tale of the Heike'', ''Tale of Genji'', ''Water Margin'' and ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', m ...
's historical novel ''Taiko Ki'' *Novel and anime series '' Yōtōden'' *Novel ''The Samurai's Tale'' by
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. *
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's novel ''
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'', the character Goroda is a
pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...
of Nobunaga. *In the illustrated novel series ''
Samurai Cat Samurai Cat ( Miaowara Tomokato) is the main character in a series of books by Mark Rogers. To accompany the anachronistic satire, almost every page in each book has a picture painted by Rogers, depicting the events described on that page. Each ...
'' as the boss of the main character Miaowara Tomokato, who goes on a quest of revenge to avenge Nobunaga's death by a group of enemies. *Film and television dramas: **
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
's film ''
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'' (1980), portrayed by
Daisuke Ryu Daisuke Ryu (Japanese: 隆大介, Korean: 장명남, Jang Myeong-nam, hanja: 張明男; 14 January 1957 – 11 April 2021) was a Japanese actor of Korean descent. He won the Japanese "best new actor" Blue Ribbon Award for his performance as the ...
. **Nobunaga's life and exploits were the subject of
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
's 30th
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, ''信長 Oda Nobunaga'' (1992), portrayed by
Naoto Ogata is a Japanese actor. Biography Naoto was born as the second son of Ken Ogata. He made his debut in the film ''Yūshun Oracion'' in 1988. Ogata landed a lead role in the 1992 Taiga drama ''Nobunaga King of Zipangu'', he played the role of Oda No ...
. **'' Sengoku Jieitai 1549'' (2005), portrayed by
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. In the film Nobunaga is killed by time-travellers. **''
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'' (2009), portrayed by Kōji Kikkawa. **'' Goemon'' (2009), portrayed by Hashinosuké Nakamura. **''
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'' (2013), portrayed by
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. **''
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'' (2014), portrayed by
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. **''MAGI Tensho Keno Shonen Shisetsu'' (2020), portrayed by Kōji Kikkawa. **''
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'' (2023), portrayed by
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. **'' Kubi'' (2023), portrayed by
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. *Anime and manga series: **'' Drifters'' **''
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'' **''
Nobunaga Concerto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ayumi Ishii. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's '' Monthly Shōnen Sunday'' since May 2009, with its chapters collected in twenty-two volumes as of February 2022. A ten-episode ...
'' **''
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'' ** ''Nobunaga no shinobi'' **''
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is a Japanese manga series by Una Megurogawa. It has been serialized in Tokuma Shoten's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Comic Zenon'', as well as the webmagazine ''Web Comic Zenyon'', since June 2014 and has been collected in ten ''tankō ...
'', wherein he is reincarnated as a Shiba Inu in modern-day Japan. **''
Yasuke was a samurai of African origin who served Oda Nobunaga between 1581 and 1582, during the Sengoku period, until Nobunaga's death. According to historical accounts, Yasuke first arrived in Japan in the service of Italian Jesuit Alessandro Val ...
'' opens with the battle of Honno-ji, and features Nobunaga heavily in flashbacks. *Manga series: **''
Tail of the Moon is a Japanese '' shōjo'' manga series written and illustrated by Rinko Ueda. The series began serialization in ''Margaret'' magazine in 2002 and ran until 2007. The individual chapters have been collected into fifteen ''tankōbon'' volumes by ...
'' **'' Kacchu no Senshi Gamu'' ** Tsuji Kunio's historical fiction ''The Signore: Shogun of the Warring States''. **'' Nobunaga no Chef'' *Anime, as a female character: **'' Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox'' **''
Sengoku Collection :'' The names of characters based on historical figures are listed family name first. The names of other characters and all staff and cast members are written in standard English order.'' was a mobile social networking game created by Konami, ...
'' **''
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is a Japanese light novel series written by Mikage Kasuga and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. It was adapted into an anime television series animated by Madhouse and Studio Gokumi that aired from July to September 2012. Sentai Filmworks has ...
'' *In music:
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of the Japanese pop group
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wrote and performed a song titled "1582" which is written from the perspective of Mori Ranmaru at the Incident at Honnouji. *The VOCALOID producer Utata-P created a Hatsune Miku song under the title "Not a Dream... Not a Lie... A Happy Scene Before My Eyes" which details a resurrected Oda Nobunaga speaking from a kitten through a girl. *In the
eroge An ''eroge'' (, ''eroge'', or , ''erogē'', ), also called an H-game, is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. The term encompasses a wide variety of Japanese games containing erotic content across multiple genres. The first ''eroge'' were crea ...
'' Sengoku Rance'' *Stage action and anime adaptation of '' Nobunaga the Fool'' *Video games: **''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'' **''
Ninja Gaiden II is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the sequel to the 2004 title ''Ninja Gaiden'', making it the second 3D title in the series of the same name, and was releas ...
'' **''
Ninja Master's is a ninja-themed 2D fighting game produced by ADK and originally released in 1996 for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. ''Ninja Master's'' was the sixth and final fighting game produced by ADK, following the four games in the ''World Hero ...
'' **''
Maplestory ''MapleStory'' () is a free-to-play, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game, developed by South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, published by var ...
'' **'' Inindo: Way of the Ninja'' **''
Atlantica Online ''Atlantica Online'' is a free-to-play (F2P) 3D computer graphics, 3D Tactical role-playing game, tactical massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by NDOORS Corporation. The game is currently published bValofe The game' ...
'' **''
Onimusha is a series of action-adventure video games developed and published by Capcom. It makes use of the historic figures that shaped Japan's history, retelling their stories with supernatural elements. Most of the games are of the action-adventure ...
'' **''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' and its spinoff ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'' **''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'' (and its anime adaptation) - Described as a literally demonic and heartless general. Uses a sword, shotgun and darkness-based attacks. **As a playable character and the main villain in '' Pokémon Conquest''. **''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'' as boss in the late game after being revived by Edward Kelley. He uses a sword and all elemental types due to his guardian spirit, a peacock. **''
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
'' as a supporting character where the player helps him in his campaign to unite Japan. He later dies during the Honnō-ji Incident. He uses a sword and all elemental types. He has 2 guardian spirits, a peacock (from the first game) and a panther. **''
Soulcalibur is a fighting game franchise developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. There are a total of seven main installments and various media spin-offs, including music albums and a series of manga books in the ...
'' **'' Shogun: Total War'' **'' Total War: Shogun 2'' **'' Throne of Darkness'' **''
Nobunaga's Ambition is a series of turn-based grand strategy role-playing simulation video games developed and published by Koei (now Koei Tecmo). The original game was one of the first in its genre, being released in March 1983 in Japan. ''Nobunaga's Ambitio ...
'' series **''
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'' **'' Age of Empires II: The Conquerors'' **''
Inazuma Eleven GO is an association football-themed media franchise created by Level-5. The franchise began with the release of ''Inazuma Eleven'' in 2008, with the game series selling over 8 million copies worldwide by 2016. In addition to video games, the franc ...
'' **''
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'' *In the parody manga ''Koha-Ace'', and later the mobile game ''
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'', Oda Nobunaga is featured as a female Archer, Berserker and Avenger-class Servant. *There are four versions of Nobunaga Oda in ''
Kamen Rider The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until ''Kamen Rider Decade, Decade'' and except Thailand), is a Japanese superhero fiction, superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by ...
'' series: **A version of Nobunaga appears in ''Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle''. In it, Nobunaga is the Lord of the OOO Army. He meets Kaito Kumon/Armored Rider Baron when Bujin Gaim attacks Honnō-ji with a Greeed Army, and ultimately sacrifices himself to allow Kaito and Ranmaru to escape. Nobunaga is portrayed by Hiroaki Iwanaga, who previously portrayed Akira Date in Kamen Rider OOO. **Nobunaga previously appears in ''Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider OOO & Double feat. Skull: Movie War Core'', although this Nobunaga is revealed to have been a clone with the appearance and memories of the original. **Nobunaga also appears in ''Kamen Rider Ghost'' as one of the 15 heroic souls and an alternative form for Kamen Rider Specter. **In ''Kamen Rider Zi-O the Movie: Over Quartzer'', Nobunaga is depicted as a cowardly womanizer, and Geiz Myoukoin/Kamen Rider Geiz ends up taking his place in the Battle for Nagashino, acting as the proper historical figure of Nobunaga. In the same movie, there is also a reference to the ancestry of ''Kamen Rider Drives protagonist Krim Steinbelt as a nod to his actor Chris Peppler being one of Mitsuhide Akechi's descendants. *Nobunaga is a playable character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Nobunaga is a playable character in the visual novel game''Ikemen Sengoku; Romances Across Time'', produced by Cybird. *In '' Samurai Cats'', which depicted many Sengoku era warriors as cats, Nobunaga is known as Nobunyaga Oda. This version also appears in a crossover ''
Warriors All-Stars ''Warriors All-Stars'', is a hack and slash video game by Koei Tecmo. It is a Crossover (fiction), crossover based on the long-running ''List of Warriors video games, Warriors'' series, featuring an array of cast taken from various titles owned by ...
''


Oichi

*
Oichi was a female historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She is known primarily as the mother of three daughters who became prominent figures in their own right – Yodo-dono, Ohatsu
was portrayed by the actress Tanaka Misato in the 41st
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
''Toshiie to Matsu'', broadcast in 2002. *Oichi has made appearances in the video games '' Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny'', ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'', ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'', and ''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
''. She is usually depicted as a beautiful, chaste, and loyal woman, although her relationship with her brother Nobunaga usually becomes rebellion, due to her romantic involvement with her husband, Azai Nagamasa. She is also known as "Ichi". *She was depicted in ''Samurai Warriors'' as a young peppy teen who loves both her brother and her husband to the point that she wants them no longer to fight. She wields a
kendama The is a traditional Japanese skill toy; nowadays, it is considered a skill sport or competitive discipline. It consists of a handle (''ken''), a pair of cups (''sarado''), and a ball (''tama'') that are all connected together by a string. On o ...
. In ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', she has matured, and her relationship with Nobunaga has dissolved due to her involvement with Nagamasa. She also appears in ''
Samurai Warriors 3 is a hack-and-slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Samurai Warriors'' series. The game was released in Japan in December 2009 and internationally in 2010 by Nint ...
'' with an updated character design and a new weapon in the form of large, interconnected bladed rings. She is also in the spinoff games '' Samurai Warriors Katana'', ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'', and ''Warriors Orochi 2''. *''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
's'' version of Oichi is a gloomy, soft-spoken woman who wields a dual-bladed naginata (which can also be split in two). She worries constantly for her husband (who seems to be slightly irritated by it). As she is the blood sister of Nobunaga, it is implied that she is a
witch Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...
, with demonic hands evil laughter. She was voiced by
Mamiko Noto is a Japanese actress and singer. Some of her prominent anime roles include Kotomi Ichinose in ''Clannad'', Rin in '' Inuyasha'', Kotori Monou in '' X'', Aoi Kannazuki in '' Kaitō Tenshi Twin Angel'', Durandal in '' Honkai Impact 3rd'', Ishm ...
. In ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'', she appears without her naginata, instead using her demonic hands as weapons. *The gunner mercenary in
Atlantica Online ''Atlantica Online'' is a free-to-play (F2P) 3D computer graphics, 3D Tactical role-playing game, tactical massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by NDOORS Corporation. The game is currently published bValofe The game' ...
is based on Oichi, referencing her brother's claim to fame by using gunners in the battle of Nagashino. *Oichi was named Oyu in '' Onimusha 2'', in which she works with Yagyu Jubei, Saika Magoichi, Ekei Ankokuji, and Fuma Kotaro in defeating her brother. Oyu is also in '' Onimusha Blade Warriors''. *She is a character in ''
Nobunaga's Ambition is a series of turn-based grand strategy role-playing simulation video games developed and published by Koei (now Koei Tecmo). The original game was one of the first in its genre, being released in March 1983 in Japan. ''Nobunaga's Ambitio ...
'', a game series similar to ''
Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...
''. *She is a character in ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'', in where she looks the closest to her traditional paintings of her. *She is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with her partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being
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and Wigglytuff. She helps the player during the first story line. *Oichi appears as a minor character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Oichi appears as a minor character in
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
where she is married to Azai Nagamasa, who dies after being corrupted by the Spirit Stones. She remarries to Shibata Katsuie then commits seppuku after his death from using the Spirit Stones to protect her and her daughter, Yodogimi. Her guardian spirit is a nine-tailed fox.


Ōtani Yoshitsugu

*
Ōtani Yoshitsugu was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through the Azuchi-Momoyama Period. He was also known by his court title ''Junior Assistant Minister of Justice'' or . He was born in 1558 to a father who was said to be a retainer of either Ōtom ...
is a playable character in
Samurai Warriors 4 is a 2014 hack and slash game by Koei Tecmo for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita, and the sequel to ''Samurai Warriors 3''. Unlike past ''Samurai Warriors'' games, this one only has Japanese voice overs. A revised version of the ...
. His appearance with a white mask was inspired by his exploits at Sekigahara. He is
Ishida Mitsunari was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi–Momoyama period of the 16th century. He ...
's loyal friend. *Yoshitsugu has made an appearance as a masked samurai of the Western army in '' Kessen''. *Yoshitsugu is also a character in Koei's video game ''Saihai no Yukue''. He is covered with bandages, due to his leprosy. *Yoshitsugu is a minor character in James Clavell's tale Shogun where he appears as a leprous Christian Daimyō called Onoshi. *Yoshitsugu is a character in
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
who rides a floating chair with orbs as weapons. *He also appeared in Sengoku Basara: The Last Party as Mitsunari's aide and lieutenant. *Yoshitsugi is a secondary antagonist in ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'', where he introduces Edward Kelley to Mitsunari and during the battle of Sekigahara fuses with his Guardian Spirit to fight William. He uses dual swords and the wind element. His guardian spirit is a butterfly-human hybrid.


Saitō Dōsan

*
Saitō Dōsan , also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤 利政), was a Japanese samurai lord and daimyo during the Sengoku period.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809. He was also known as the f ...
makes an appearance in the eroge ''Sengoku Hime''. *He also appears in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'' as the female head of the Saito clan, "Aburako Dousan". After being crushed by the Ashikaga clan, she wanders around Mamushi Oil Field, which is a pun on Dōsan's nickname "". Aburako Dousan can be recruited after recruiting her retainers, the "
Mino Triumvirate The was commanded by three Japanese samurai generals serving Saitō clan during the Sengoku Period. * Ujiie Naotomo also known as Ujiie Bokuzen * Andō Morinari also known as Andō Michitari * Inaba Yoshimichi also known as Inaba Ittetsu They ha ...
", through using Rance's satisfaction points. *Dōsan appears as a supporting character in ''
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
''. He is also revealed to be the protagonist's father. He recognizes the protagonist as his son but does not tell him prior to his death. His guardian spirit is a white viper.


Ōtomo Sōrin

*
Ōtomo Sōrin , also known as Fujiwara no Yoshishige (藤原 義鎮) or Ōtomo Yoshishige (大友 義鎮), was a Japanese feudal lord (''daimyō'') of the Ōtomo clan, one of the few to have converted to Catholicism. The eldest son of , he inherited the Funa ...
appears in ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'' as a non-player character and is playable in later games. He is a young man who leads a religious cult devoted to Xavi.


Sanada Masayuki

*
Sanada Masayuki was a Japanese Sengoku period lord and ''daimyō''. He was the head of Sanada clan, a regional house of Shinano Province, which became a vassal of the Takeda clan of Kai Province. Along with his father and brothers, Masayuki served the Taked ...
is a major character in the 2005 movie '' Azumi 2: Death or Love''. *Masayuki, played by
Masao Kusakari is a Japanese actor and model. Biography Masao Kusakari was born in Fukuoka Prefecture to a Japanese mother Sueko from Yukuhashi, and an American father Robert H. Tolar from Tar Heel, North Carolina, a USAF mailman who was deployed to Tsuiki ...
, is also a major character in the 55th NHK Taiga Drama ''
Sanada Maru The was a small fortification attached to Osaka castle. It is famous for being impregnable and playing a key role in defending the castle in the winter of 1615. Later, it was forcefully destroyed despite being exempt from the reconciliation con ...
''. *He is also a non-playable character in the ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' and ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'' video game series. He becomes playable in '' Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada''. *He also appears as a playable unit in '' Kessen''. *He appears in
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
's
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
spinoff Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den. He was known as "Magician" of Sengoku in the game. *Masayuki appears as a minor character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
.


Sanada Yukimura

*
Sanada Yukimura , also known as , was a Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period. He was especially known as the leading general on the defending side of the Siege of Osaka. Yukimura was called "A Hero who may appear once in a hundred years", "Crimson D ...
appears in numerous films, including the
musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...
'' Brave Records of the Sanada Clan'' (1963), where he is played by
Minoru Chiaki was a Japanese actor who appeared in eleven of Akira Kurosawa's films, including ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''Throne of Blood'', and ''The Hidden Fortress''. He was also one of Kon Ichikawa's favorite actors. He attended, but did not grad ...
of ''
Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai action film directed by Akira Kurosawa from a screenplay co-written with Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni. Taking place in 1586 in the Sengoku period of Japanese history, it follows the story of a villag ...
'' fame as a rather ineffectual leader. *In the game
The Battle Cats is a free-to-play tower defense game, tower defense video game developed and published by Japanese developer PONOS Corporation for iOS and Android (mobile device platform), Android, originally released in Japan under the name . ''The Battle Cats ...
,
Sanada Yukimura , also known as , was a Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period. He was especially known as the leading general on the defending side of the Siege of Osaka. Yukimura was called "A Hero who may appear once in a hundred years", "Crimson D ...
is an Uber Super Rare unit that can be obtained from the rare cat capsule in the Sengoku Wargods Vajiras. *Yukimura/Nobushige is the main character in the 55th NHK
taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
''
Sanada Maru The was a small fortification attached to Osaka castle. It is famous for being impregnable and playing a key role in defending the castle in the winter of 1615. Later, it was forcefully destroyed despite being exempt from the reconciliation con ...
'' (2016) and is portrayed by Sakai Masato. *Sanada Yukimura is a major character in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series, usually depicted on the game cover or manual. He is also in the spinoffs '' Samurai Warriors Katana'' and ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
''. *Akimine Kamijyo's popular anime and manga series ''
Samurai Deeper Kyo ''Samurai Deeper Kyo'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from May 1999 to May 2006, with its chapters ...
'' has Sanada as a main character. He is depicted as a lighthearted, beautiful trickster with a love of battle, wine, women, and almost supernatural prowess as a tactician. He had a notable admiration for the then-late
Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...
. *In
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
's series ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'' he is traditionally one of the main characters. He serves under
Takeda Shingen was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...
alongside
Sarutobi Sasuke is a ninja who appears in kōdan narrative art and fictional writings. The nickname is generally believed to have been concocted sometime between the Meiji to the Taishō periods. Some argue he is based on real live personages, such as and . ...
and has a major rivalry with
Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...
. He wields two
yari is the term for a traditionally-made Japanese blade (日本刀; nihontō) in the form of a spear, or more specifically, the straight-headed spear. The martial art of wielding the is called . History The forerunner of the is thought to be a ...
spears. In ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'' Yukimura becomes the commander of the Takeda forces after Shingen falls ill. Soichiro Hoshi provides Yukimura's voice in the games and anime.
Kouhei Takeda is a Japanese actor, entertainer, and model. He is best known for his roles as Kohei Kitahanada in Fuji TV's ''Hanazakari no Kimitachi e/Ikemen Paradise'' drama, Otoya Kurenai and Kazumi Sawatari in TV Asahi's tokusatsu series ''Kamen Rider Kiva ...
plays him in the Live Action TV Drama. *In the popular anime and manga series ''
Prince of Tennis is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from July 1999 to March 2008, with its chapters collected in 42 volumes. Viz Media licensed t ...
'', Japan's #1 school Rikkai Daigoku's captain is named Seiichi Yukimura, and their vice-captain is named Genichiro Sanada. Likewise, Echizen Ryoma, who defeated the two forementioned players, shares his last name with the commander whose troops killed Sanada Yukimura. *Sanada Yukimura appears in his own anime called ''Sanada Juyushi Special'' (together with his brother Angelo Sanada), directed by Shimizu Keizo. *Sanada Yukimura was portrayed by comedian Gino Jinnai in the movie '' Kamen Rider Den-O: I am Born!''. His Braves also made a cameo in the movie. *In the anime series ''
Musashi Gundoh is a Japanese anime television series, based on an unused story by Monkey Punch. It premiered in Japan on the satellite station BS-i on April 9, 2006, and was also set to be broadcast across Japan by the anime satellite television network ...
'', the voice of Sanada Yukimura is played by
Sayaka Kinoshita is a Japanese voice actress. She is the official Japanese dubbing voice for Kristen Stewart, especially in '' The Twilight Saga'' series. Filmography Television animation *'' Blue Dragon'' (2007-2008) – Valkyrie *'' Net Ghost PiPoPa'' (2008) ...
. *In the manga series ''
Tenjho Tenge , also written as ''Tenjo Tenge'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Oh! great. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Ultra Jump'' from July 1997 to August 2010, with its chapters collected in 22 volumes. ...
'', he appears during a flashback taking place days before the summer siege of
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
castle. *Sanada is one of the three playable characters in the videogame ''
Vasara Vasara (Finnish for hammer) can refer to: * Jussi Vasara (born 1987), Finnish footballer * Mika Vasara (born 1983), Finnish shot putter * Vesa Vasara (born 1976), Finnish footballer and coach * Vasara, Estonia, village in Viiratsi Parish, Viljandi ...
''. *Yukimura is one of the main characters in the manga series "
Brave 10 ''BRAVE10'' is a manga series by Kairi Shimotsuki, serialized in Media Factory's ''Comic Flapper'' from 2006 to 2010. The series was resumed on June 15, 2011, and retitled ''Brave 10 Spiral'', better known as ''Brave 10 S'', serialized in ''M ...
", drawn by Shimotsuki Marlin. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Charmeleon and later
Charizard Charizard ( ), known in Japan as , is a Pokémon in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' franchise. Created by Atsuko Nishida, Charizard first appeared in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' ( ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' in Ja ...
. He is brave and very loyal to his lord Shingen. *In the anime series ''
Girls und Panzer , abbreviated as ''GuP'' or ''Garupan'' , is a Japanese franchise created by Actas. It depicts a competition between girls' high schools practicing tank warfare as a sport. The series was directed by Tsutomu Miz ...
'', the gunner of Team Hippo, Kiyomi Sugiyama, calls herself Saemonza, Yukimura's nickname. She also wears his ''mon'' of three columns of two coins as a headband. *In the video game ''
Super Mario Odyssey is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An installment in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat—as they journey across various kingdoms to save Prince ...
'', Mario can obtain a suit of samurai armor and helmet with a design similar to that of Yukimura's helmet, featuring antlers and his six-coin ''mon''. *Yukimura is a playable character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Yukimura is a playable character in the visual novel game ''Ikemen Sengoku; Romances Across Time'', produced by Cybird. *Yukimura is a primary antagonist in the video game ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
's'' second and third DLC expansions, ''Defiant Honor'' and ''Bloodshed's End''. He commands the forces sieged in the Osaka Castle, defending
Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who united all of Japan toward the end of the Sengoku period. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's sec ...
from the Tokugawa forces. He later dies at the end of ''Bloodshed's End''. He uses a spear and both fire and wind elements. His two guardian spirits are a horse and a butterfly-human hybrid. *In ''
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is a Japanese manga series by Una Megurogawa. It has been serialized in Tokuma Shoten's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Comic Zenon'', as well as the webmagazine ''Web Comic Zenyon'', since June 2014 and has been collected in ten ''tankō ...
'', Yukimura is reincarnated in modern-day Japan as a Corgi nicknamed "Marutarou".


Sasaki Kojirō

*
Sasaki Kojirō was a Japanese swordsman who may have lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods and is known primarily for the story of his duel with Miyamoto Musashi in 1612, where Sasaki was killed. Although suffering from defeat as wel ...
is featured in Japanese author
Eiji Yoshikawa was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as ''The Tale of the Heike'', ''Tale of Genji'', ''Water Margin'' and ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', m ...
's epic historical fiction novel about
Miyamoto Musashi , was a Japanese swordsman, strategist, artist, and writer who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 62 duels. Miyamoto is considered a ''Kensei (honorary title), kensei'' (swo ...
, '' Musashi''. He and Musashi each have separate parallel plotlines and various sub-plots before they intertwine, with the pair's famous duel the climax and final chapter of the novel. **Sasaki Kojirō is portrayed by
Kōji Tsuruta , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor and singer. He appeared in almost 260 feature films and had a unique style of singing. His daughter, Sayaka Tsuruta, is an actress. Career Born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Tsuruta was raised ...
in two installments of the ''
Samurai Trilogy The ''Samurai Trilogy'' is a film trilogy directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshiro Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto and Kōji Tsuruta as Kojirō Sasaki. The films are based on '' Musashi'', a novel by Eiji Yoshikawa about the famous duelist ...
'' of films, based on Yoshikawa's novel. He is featured in '' Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple'' and '' Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island'', the latter centered on his battle with Musashi. **The birth and growth of Sasaki Kojirō is featured in ''
Vagabond Vagrancy is the condition of wandering homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants usually live in poverty and support themselves by travelling while engaging in begging, waste picker, scavenging, or petty theft. In Western ...
'' by
Takehiko Inoue is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for the basketball series ''Slam Dunk'' (1990–1996), and the ''jidaigeki'' manga '' Vagabond'', which are two of the best-selling manga series in history. Many of his works are about basketball, I ...
, a manga based on Yoshikawa's novel, though in it, Kojirō is portrayed as being deaf. **Yoshikawa's novel is also the basis of the 42nd
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
of the same name from 2003. The NHK serial retains the novel's plot structure, developing parallels between the lives of Sasaki and Musashi and thus rendering Sasaki a major character, portrayed in the show by Matsuoka Matsuhiro. *In the game ''
Brave Fencer Musashi is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1998 for the PlayStation home console. The game involves real-time sword-based combat in a 3D environment; it also features segments of voiced over dialogue and role-pla ...
'', the title character's sworn rival was named after Kojirō; in '' Musashi: Samurai Legend'', the main villain is Gandrake (Ganryū). *In the manga ''
Wangan Midnight is a Japanese racing manga series written and illustrated by Michiharu Kusunoki. It was first serialized in Shogakukan's '' Big Comic Spirits'' in 1990, but was later serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Young Magazine'' from 1992 to 2008. ...
'', Gen Sasaki is named after Sasaki Kojirō, as they share the family name, Sasaki. *In the manga '' Shūmatsu no Valkyrie'', Sasaki Kojiro is the third fighter from humanity's side, fighting the God Poseidon. *In the manga by
Masami Kurumada is a Japanese manga artist and writer, known for specializing in fighting manga featuring bishōnen and magical boys. He is the founder of the manga studio Kurumada Productions or Kurumadapro for short. He achieved fame as the creator of popula ...
, '' Fuma no Kojiro'', Sasaki Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi are main characters. An anime version of Fuma no Kojiro was released in 1992. *Kojirō appears as the main spirit in the manga ''Kensei Tsubame'' (剣聖ツバメ ''lit.'' Sword Saint Tsubame), a story about kendo practitioners who become possessed by the spirits of many famous Japanese swordsmen. The protagonist, who is possessed by Kojirō, is named Tsubame Kamoshita. His name is probably a reference to Kojirō's technique. *In ''
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
'', the Japanese name of James (of
Team Rocket is a fictional crime syndicate in the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Team Rocket is a primary antagonist in the original ''Pokémon'' video games ''Red'', ''Green'', and ''Blue'', as well as in the long-running ''Pokémon'' anime TV-series. In the ...
) is Kojiro. Additionally, James's partner Jessie's Japanese name is Musashi, a reference to
Miyamoto Musashi , was a Japanese swordsman, strategist, artist, and writer who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 62 duels. Miyamoto is considered a ''Kensei (honorary title), kensei'' (swo ...
. *In the visual novel and anime series ''
Fate/stay night ''Fate/stay night'' is a Japanese visual novel game developed by Type-Moon. It was first released for Microsoft Windows, Windows on January 30, 2004. The story takes place over three distinct routes: ''Fate'', ''Unlimited Blade Works'' ...
'', the Servant
Assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
introduces himself as Sasaki Kojirō. However, it is debated whether his true identity is actually Sasaki, as he claims that he only took Kojiro's name. In episode 18 of the anime,
Saber A sabre or saber ( ) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the Early Modern warfare, early modern and Napoleonic period, Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such a ...
recognizes
Assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
as Kojiro.
Assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
then claims Kojiro is but a fake name and that the person called Sasaki Kojirou does not exist; he is but a character with a fabricated past that has been made into a master swordsman inside people's memories, however, it is later proven that at least a person known as Sasaki Kojiro exists in the universe due to said appearing in '' Fate/Samurai Remnant''. *In ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'' and '' Samurai Warriors 2: Empires'' by
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
, Kojiro appears as an enemy officer and an unlockable bodyguard, but not a playable character. Kojiro is a playable character in '' Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends'', with his own Story Mode, focused mainly on pursuing and fighting Musashi. His skin color is bone white (possibly as white face paint), and he is depicted as an evil minded and bloodthirsty fiend who claims to give his enemies a "beautiful end". He also appears in ''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
''. *In
Gosho Aoyama is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series ''Case Closed'' (''Detective Conan'', 1994–present). As of 2017, his various manga series had a combined 250 million copies in print worldwide. Educational background Aoyama was tal ...
's ''
Yaiba ''Yaiba: Samurai Legend'' (stylized as ''Y∀IBA'') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1988 to December 1993, with ...
'', Sasaki Kojiro was revived from his death after the final battle with Miyamoto Musashi, Yaiba's teacher. He was brought to life by Yaiba's nemesis Onimaru in an attempt to defeat Yaiba. However, he ultimately joins Yaiba and the gang. He is depicted as a complete womanizer and playboy, and even has a radar for beautiful woman. His appearance in this series was almost entirely comedic. *In ''
Dr. Slump is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from February 1980 to September 1984, with the chapters collected in 18 volumes. The series ...
'', Arale, Gatchan, and Taro used the "Time Slipper" to travel to the day of Musashi's duel with Kojiro. It states that Musashi was late for the duel over a two-day game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Kojiro is shown waiting impatiently for Musashi, and is left waiting after Musashi goes with Arale to the future. * Kojiro's Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Reversal/Turning Swallow) technique is used by
Shusuke Fuji ''The Prince of Tennis'' manga and anime series has a large cast of Character (arts), fictional characters created by Takeshi Konomi; many have appeared in the musical and film adaptations. The cast of the series is largely made up of the membe ...
in ''
Prince of Tennis is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from July 1999 to March 2008, with its chapters collected in 42 volumes. Viz Media licensed t ...
'', and by Sanada Kazuki in '' Fighting Spirit''. The technique is also featured in ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' Trading Card Game as the card "Swallow Flip", as well as in
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
game series as the move "Aerial Ace". It is also the signature technique for the character Seraphim in "
Is This a Zombie? , also known as for short, is a Japanese light novel series by Shinichi Kimura, with illustrations by Kobuichi and Muririn. Since January 2009, 19 volumes have been published by Fujimi Shobo under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint. There ...
". *The sword Monohoshizao appears in '' Soul Blade'', the first game of the popular ''
Soulcalibur is a fighting game franchise developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. There are a total of seven main installments and various media spin-offs, including music albums and a series of manga books in the ...
'' series of fighting games. It is an extra weapon for Heishiro Mitsurugi (who is based on Miyamoto Musashi), but it is simply named "Kojiro's sword". It later became an alternate weapon for Yoshimitsu in the third part: ''
Soulcalibur II is a 2002 fighting game developed and published by Namco. It is the third installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of weapon-based fighting games as the sequel to ''Soulcalibur'' (1998). Originally intended to be released on Sega's NAOMI arcad ...
'' where it is described as a sword that was used by the renowned Japanese swordsman named Kojiroh Sasaki. In ''
Soulcalibur III is a 2005 fighting game developed and published by Namco as a sequel to ''Soulcalibur II'' (2002) and the fourth installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2 and was followed by an improved arcade ...
'', it appears as an alternate weapon for the bonus character
Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...
, a counterpart to Mitsurugi. *Kojiro is an unlockable character in the Ubisoft/Genki game '' Sword of the Samurai'', which also has Ganryu Island as a selectable arena. *Akane Takeda, from the visual novel '' Hanachirasu'', develops Kojiro's Tsubame Gaeshi technique to counter Igarasu Yoshia's Hiru-no-Tsuki, which is an attack in which Igarasu launches himself overhead to attack the back, thus Akane literally "Cuts a swallow from flight."


Shibata Katsuie

*
Shibata Katsuie or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He was retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought ...
's army plays a major role in the 1953 classic film ''
Ugetsu monogatari is a collection of nine supernatural tales first published in 1776. It is the best known work of Japanese author Ueda Akinari. Largely adapted from traditional Japanese and Chinese ghost stories, the collection is among the most important w ...
''. *Shibata is a playable general in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'' in which he is clad in black 'Oni' armour. He appears as a
non-playable character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
and unlockable bodyguard in ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', although the ''Empires'' expansion made him a fully playable character. In '' Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends'', he uses a pair of hand-axes instead of a spear, making him a fully fledged unique character. He is also present in '' Samurai Warriors Katana'' and ''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
''. *He is portrayed in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'' as a children's lover so that Rance thinks he is a
lolicon In Japanese popular culture, is a genre of fictional media which focuses on young or young-looking girl characters, particularly in a sexually suggestive or erotic manner. The term, a portmanteau of the English-language phrase " Lolita co ...
. He will eventually become Ranmaru's husband after completing Ranmaru's events. His feelings about Kōhime, Oda Nobunaga Kazunosuke's younger sister, may be a pun of Shibata being the second husband of
Oichi was a female historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She is known primarily as the mother of three daughters who became prominent figures in their own right – Yodo-dono, Ohatsu
, younger sister of the true
Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
. *Katsuie appears in
Sengoku Basara 4 is the fourth main installment of the ''Sengoku Basara, Sengoku BASARA'' video game series, developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in Japan on January 23, 2014. An expanded version of the game for the Play ...
as a low-rank vanguard under the Oda force. In the past he tried to rebel but failed, resulting in despair to the point that he's even losing emotions. *He is also a character in the anime
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is a Japanese light novel series written by Mikage Kasuga and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. It was adapted into an anime television series animated by Madhouse and Studio Gokumi that aired from July to September 2012. Sentai Filmworks has ...
as a female protagonist serving Oda Nobuna. *Katsuie appears as a minor character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *He appears in
Nioh 2 is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. It was released by Sony Interactive Entertainment outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. It is a prequel to '' Nioh'' (2017). Versions ...
as a supporting character and later into a boss after using the Spirit Stones. He is racist against yōkai and thus the protagonist (as they are a human-yōkai hybrid) but grows to respect the protagonist based on the player's actions. He uses dual hatchets and the fire element. His guardian spirit is a boar. *He appears as a non-playable character in ''
Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese gacha game, gacha mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity (game engine), Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon' ...
'' and as a Berserker-class Servant, especially in the GUDAGUDA events.


Shima Sakon

*
Shima Sakon , also known as Shima Tomoyuki and Shima Katsutake, was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku period. His nickname was (Shima Nearby on the Left). Sakon eventually left the service of the Hatakeyama clan, Tsutsui Junkei, Toyotomi Hidenaga an ...
is a playable character in ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'', where he is portrayed as a former servant of
Takeda Shingen was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...
and wields an oversized falchion. He also makes vague impersonations of
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
, which are seen on his sideburns and his quotes ("Thank you. Thank you very much.", "Sakon... has left the battlefield."). He also appears in the spinoffs '' Samurai Warriors Katana'', ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'' and ''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
''. *He also appears in the '' Kessen'' series. *Sakon appears in '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'', where his mind is twisted and brainwashed by Ophelia, one of the Genma Triumvirate. Tenkai Nankobo uses his purification skills to free Sakon of the evil mind-altering. *''Sakon'' is a manga series loosely based on Sakon's life, illustrated by
Tetsuo Hara is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for co-creating the post-apocalyptic martial arts series ''Fist of the North Star'' (1983–1988) with writer Buronson, which is one of the best-selling manga in history with over 100 million copies ...
. He survives Sekigahara and is ordered by his lord to disrupt a plot set by
Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
's
kagemusha is a 1980 epic jidaigeki film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is set in the Sengoku period of Japanese history and tells the story of a lower-class petty thief who is taught to impersonate the dying ''daimyō'' Takeda Shingen to dissuade oppos ...
. *In the manga ''
Tenjho Tenge , also written as ''Tenjo Tenge'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Oh! great. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Ultra Jump'' from July 1997 to August 2010, with its chapters collected in 22 volumes. ...
'' authored by
Oh! Great , known professionally as Oh! great, is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series '' Tenjho Tenge'' (1997–2010) and '' Air Gear'' (2002–2012). In 2006, ''Air Gear'' earned him the Kodansha Manga Award in the '' shōnen'' categ ...
, a character is directly named after him, Sakon Shima. *Sakon is playable in
Sengoku Basara 4 is the fourth main installment of the ''Sengoku Basara, Sengoku BASARA'' video game series, developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in Japan on January 23, 2014. An expanded version of the game for the Play ...
as a cheerful young man who enjoys gambling and his flirtatious look. He serves under Ishida Mitsunari. *Sakon appears as a minor character in the social romance sim ''Samurai Love Ballad'' (天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad) produced by
Voltage (company) Voltage Inc. is a Japanese developer and publisher of interactive story apps, such as visual novels and otome games, for iOS and Android devices. They also previously developed games with their San Francisco based subsidiary Voltage Entertainmen ...
. *Sakon appears as a secondary antagonist in ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
'', being a loyal servant of Mitsunari who survives the battle of Sekigahara and is later present at his master's execution. He uses a spear and the lightning element due to his guardian spirit, a lion-like creature. Later in the game he uses the wind element and gains the guardian spirit of his master, a fox.


Shimazu Yoshihiro

*
Shimazu Yoshihiro was the second son of Shimazu Takahisa and the younger brother of Shimazu Yoshihisa. Traditionally believed to be the 17th head of the Shimazu clan, he was a skilled general during the Sengoku period who greatly contributed to the unificatio ...
appears in the Koei game '' Kessen''. *He also appears in Capcom's ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
'', where he wields a giant sword and is a drunkard. In the game's sequel, ''
Sengoku Basara 2 is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a Live action, live action show, and numerous Radio drama, drama CDs, light novels, manga, and ...
'', he is determined to duel Honda Tadakatsu to determine who is stronger. *Yoshihiro is present in Koei's ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
''. While still portrayed as an old man, he wields a giant mallet and has a rivalry with Tachibana Ginchiyo. He also appears in the spinoffs ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'' and ''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
''. *In the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'', the four brothers of Shimazu family are Yoshihisa, Kazuhisa, Toshihisa and Iehisa. While Yoshihisa, Toshihisa, Iehisa really were Yoshihiro's brothers, the second brother, Kazuhisa's name may be the reference of
Shimazu Katsuhisa was head of the Shimazu clan in Japan. He was adopted father of Shimazu Takahisa (son of Shimazu Tadayoshi was a ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of Satsuma Province during Japan's Sengoku period. He was born into the Mimasaka Shimazu family ( ...
, Yoshihiro's father Takahisa's adopted father. *He was mentioned by Haruo Niijima in '' Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple'' when Niijima was trapped and planned to use the method Shimazu used to charge through the Ragnorok's surroundings. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Gurdurr and later Conkeldurr.


Suzuki Magoichi

In most of his fictional portrayals,
Suzuki Magoichi , better known as , ( – ) was the name given to the leader of the Saika Ikki. He is famous for arming his troops with arquebuses and donning the Three-legged crow, yatagarasu as his family crest. There were three people known as Saika (S ...
is often referred to his more common name, Saiga Magoichi. *In '' Onimusha 2'', Saika Magoichi is a calm musketeer trying to protect Saiga village from Nobunaga's army. He feels indebted to the women of the village because his mother died at a young age, so the women raised him. He is also present in '' Onimusha Tactics'', '' Onimusha Blade Warriors'', and '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams''. *Magoichi is also a playable character in the ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series, wielding in all installments a musket with underbarrel bayonet. Magoichi is laid back and dressed in a trench coat. He also appears in the spinoff ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
''. *
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
also depicts him in the ''
Nobunaga's Ambition is a series of turn-based grand strategy role-playing simulation video games developed and published by Koei (now Koei Tecmo). The original game was one of the first in its genre, being released in March 1983 in Japan. ''Nobunaga's Ambitio ...
'' series (in particular installments XI and XII) and in ''
Taikou Risshiden is the most recent title in the Japanese video games, Japanese video game series ' produced by Koei. It was released on PC and PlayStation 2 in 2004 followed by PlayStation Portable in 2009. The first title of the series was released on NEC PC-9 ...
'' (in particular V). He also appears as an enemy general in ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
''. *He is also a hidden playable character in Visco Games' arcade
shoot 'em up Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs) are a Video game genre, subgenre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain typ ...
''Vasara 2'', and is the grandfather of the female Saiga Magoichi in the original game, ''
Vasara Vasara (Finnish for hammer) can refer to: * Jussi Vasara (born 1987), Finnish footballer * Mika Vasara (born 1983), Finnish shot putter * Vesa Vasara (born 1976), Finnish footballer and coach * Vasara, Estonia, village in Viiratsi Parish, Viljandi ...
''. *Two of the captains who have generic faces in the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'' are named they take the names "Saiga Magoichi" and "Saika Magoichi". *Magoichi appears in ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'', appearing this time as a woman named Saika Magoichi (or Lady Saika in historical records). This version of Magoichi carries a set of revolvers and other firearms at her disposal. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Grovyle and later Sceptile. He also appears as a womanizer in this game.


Tachibana Ginchiyo

*
Tachibana Ginchiyo was head of the Japanese Tachibana clan and onna-musha during the Sengoku period. She was a daughter of Tachibana Dōsetsu, a powerful retainer of the Ōtomo clan (which were rivals of the Shimazu clan at the time). Because Dosetsu had no ...
appears in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series of video games, debuting in ''
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'' as the first female character to wield a sword. In reference to her father ''
Tachibana Dosetsu The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...
'' her attacks are centered on lightning; one of her special abilities is to summon a lightning storm, or augment her sword with a lightning attribute. She is also a character in the spinoff games '' Samurai Warriors Katana'', ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'', ''
Warriors Orochi 2 ''Warriors Orochi 2'', known in Japan as , is a 2008 video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to ''Warriors Orochi'', a crossover video game of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' series. ...
'', and ''
Warriors Orochi 3 ''Warriors Orochi 3'', originally released as in Japan, is a 2011 hack and slash video game developed by Tecmo Koei and Omega Force for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the fourth installment of the crossover series ''Warriors Orochi'', a co ...
''. *Ginchiyo also appears in Koei's ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'' as a hidden character, voiced by
Naomi Shindō is a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production. She is best known for her voice roles as Shizuru Fujino ('' Mai-hime'') (as well as her alternate universe counterpart, Shizuru Viola in '' Mai-Otome''), Jane Diethel in Shaman King, ...
. *A woman who inherits the name Tachibana Gin appears in ''
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere ''Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere'' is a Japanese light novel series written by Minoru Kawakami and illustrated by Satoyasu. The series is set in the distant future when Japan has been conquered by other countries and divided up into feud ...
'' wielding two dual sword weapons as well as four large cross shaped artillery weapons. *She is a playable character in a sidequest in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with her partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Shinx and later Luxio or Luxray. *Ginchiyo appears as a supporting character, alongside her husband, in 2017's ''
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game outside Japan on PlayStation consoles. A port to Windows including all downloadabl ...
''. Her guardian spirit is a dog which joins her husband's guardian spirit to form a paired dog spirit, showing the love and partnership of her and her husband.


Tachibana Muneshige

*
Tachibana Muneshige , was a Japanese ''samurai'', known in his youth as Senkumamaru (千熊丸) and alternatively called Tachibana Munetora (立花宗虎 or 立花統虎), during the Azuchi–Momoyama period and an Edo-period ''daimyō''. He was the eldest biol ...
appears in
Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its historical simulation games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based o ...
's ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series of video games. He debuted in ''
Samurai Warriors 3 is a hack-and-slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Samurai Warriors'' series. The game was released in Japan in December 2009 and internationally in 2010 by Nint ...
'', wielding a sword and shield and is shown to have a peculiar relationship with his wife. The Tachibana fight together with Mouri Motonari to protect Japan from Oda Nobunaga's threat. *In the eroge '' Sengoku Rance'', he, along with his adopted father (also father-in-law) Tachibana Dousetsu, are generic-faced captains. *In ''Sengoku Hime'', his fathers Tachibana Dousetsu and Takahashi Shouun are gender-swapped and they are major generals of the Otomo family. *He appears in ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'' as a loyal (but troubled) retainer to the Otomo. He wields a set of
katar The katar is a type of push dagger from the Indian subcontinent. The weapon is characterized by its H-shaped horizontal hand grip which results in the blade sitting above the user's knuckles. Unique to the Indian subcontinent, it is the most fam ...
with chainsaws on them and is depicted to be a large, solid man. *A man who inherits his name appears in ''
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere ''Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere'' is a Japanese light novel series written by Minoru Kawakami and illustrated by Satoyasu. The series is set in the distant future when Japan has been conquered by other countries and divided up into feud ...
'' and wields a gunblade for the fictional country of Tres España. *He is a playable character in '' Pokémon Conquest'' (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
being Starly, Staravia, and Staraptor. *Muneshige appears as a supporting character, alongside his wife, in 2017's ''Nioh''. He uses a sword and the lightning element. His guardian spirit is a dog which joins his wife's guardian spirit to form a paired dog spirit, showing the love and partnership of him and his wife.


Takeda Shingen

The 1988
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
Taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...
television series ''
Takeda Shingen was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...
'' is a fictionalized account of
Takeda Shingen was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...
's life with
Kiichi Nakai is a Japanese actor. His name was given by Yasujirō Ozu. His father, Keiji Sada, also a movie actor, died when Nakai was only two years old. Nakai started his acting career while he was still in university and was awarded the Rookie of the Ye ...
in the title role. His life is also dramatized in NHK's 46th Taiga drama '' Fūrin Kazan''.
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
's 1980 film ''
Kagemusha is a 1980 epic jidaigeki film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is set in the Sengoku period of Japanese history and tells the story of a lower-class petty thief who is taught to impersonate the dying ''daimyō'' Takeda Shingen to dissuade oppos ...
'' was also inspired by his life; it brought the musket-wound theory to public attention outside Japan. Takeda Shingen appears in
Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commandin ...
's historical film ''
Samurai Banners is a Japanese samurai drama film released in 1969. It was directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and is based on the novel ''Furin kazan'' by Yasushi Inoue. Plot Yamamoto Kansuke (Toshiro Mifune) is a general of warlord Takeda Shingen ( Nakamura Kinno ...
'' (風林火山 ''Furin Kazan''). *He also appears in the epic film '' Heaven and Earth''. The film's title is a reference to Takeda Shingen's famous quote, "In heaven and earth, I alone am to be revered". *In the science-fiction film '' Sengoku Jieitai'', in English also known as ''Time Slip'' and ''G.I. Samurai'', a group of
JSDF The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense wi ...
soldiers take on his forces. In this instance, he is killed in personal combat by the unit's leader, 2nd Lieutenant Iba. *He is a playable character in the ''
Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, releas ...
'' series by Koei. He is also a character in ''
Kessen III is the third and final ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga. Historical background The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals tha ...
'', '' Samurai Warriors Katana'', and the ''
Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox se ...
'' games. *He is a playable character with a very large staff axe in ''
Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...
''. In ''
Sengoku Basara 3 ''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'', he is rarely seen due to his sickness. *Takeda Shingen is the main character in the
NES The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
game ''Shingen the Ruler'', and his conquests are also portrayed in the video game, ''
Takeda is a Japanese name, Japanese family name.1990 Census Name Files