is a PlayStation 2

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

 video-game produced by Koei and is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga

was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...

.

Historical background

The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories and portrayals that depict him as a villain or demon, Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga

was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...

 is depicted in a more virtuous and ultimately tragic light, making Kessen III rather unusual in relation to other video games based in the same era. It is a heavily fantasized and romanticized depiction of his life, although unlike games such as the Samurai Warriors

Samurai Warriors

is the first title in the series of video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based loosely around the Sengoku period of Japanese history and it is a spinoff of the Dynasty Warriors series...

series it goes into more specific historical details. For example, the existence of the Ashikaga shogunate

Ashikaga shogunate

The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...

 and Nobunaga's relationship is covered herein but completely omitted from the Samurai Warriors games.

The game paints a positive picture of Nobunaga's life, and then enters a "What If" scenario showing what might have happened if he had survived the betrayal by Akechi Mitsuhide

Akechi Mitsuhide

, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji...

. It describes Nobunaga regaining his power base, and then defeating Shogunate

Shogun

A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...

 forces led by the Akechi clan

Akechi clan

The is a branch of the Toki clan, which is descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Akechi clan thrived around the later part of the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Akechi became the head , soryo of the Toki after the Toki fell to the Saitō clan in 1540. The Akechi denied to be under Saito ...

 and other clans of Western Japan on the shores of Kyūshū

Kyushu

is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

, with Nobunaga presumably becoming the new leader.

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Ieyasu

 was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara  in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...

 is in this game, presented as Nobunaga's mild mannered and dedicated ally, but is shown flying into a rage when he learns that Nobunaga survives his betrayal, believing that he was going to carry out Nobunaga's destiny. Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

 is also shown, under the name of Hideyoshi Hashiba

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

. His unlikely charisma inspires his troops after he is wrongly told of Nobunaga's death, which leads his friend to comment, "Maybe he would be the one to unite Japan, if Lord Oda was dead."

The game also lets you fight battles against other notable daimyo

Daimyo

is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...

, like Uesugi Kenshin

Uesugi Kenshin

was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...

 and Takeda Shingen

Takeda Shingen

, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...

.

There is a certain level of inaccuracy, due not only to the fantasy element, but also due to the appearance of Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi

, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age...

, who hadn't yet been born when Nobunaga committed seppuku

Seppuku

is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...

.

Gameplay mechanics

Kessen III refines the mechanics of the previous games even further while introducing new core elements. The flow of the game begins with the player selecting a mission from those available on the map. After being briefed on the mission's details, the player then selects which units to bring into the battle before issuing basic marching orders. During the battle itself, the player is in control of an individual unit and can switch between friendly units at any time, while the other units are controlled by artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...

. Battle commences when friendly and enemy units encounter one another and unit health is measured by the number of troops remaining in the unit. Troops also have specific skills related to their particular type (cavalry, spearmen, ninja, etc.) and officers can learn powerful special skills and abilities such as defensive strategies or attack magic that can turn the tide of battle.

All officers have access to a special skill called "Rampage." When used, the action zooms in around that officer, and the player enters a short, timed mini-battle against troops from an enemy unit. During a rampage, the player can earn bonus experience, gold, and restore lost troops to the unit by picking up the proper items dropped by defeated soldiers. After 100 soldiers are defeated, the enemy unit's officer appears, and if the player can defeat him/her, the officer under the player's control may receive even further bonuses.

Battles end when the primary objective has been achieved. These objectives may include wiping out all enemy units, destroying a specific target, escorting a unit to a particular location, or making an escape. Grades on performance in battle are given at the end of each stage, and are based on how many enemy officers were defeated, the number of friendly officers were kept in battle, and the effective use of troop skills. Better grades yield items that can be used to outfit friendly officers, or gold to buy such items from merchants between battles. Battles are typically lost when Nobunaga's unit is defeated, time runs out, or a special mission requirement could not be completed.

Cinematics

The storyline of Kessen III is very detailed and makes frequent use of cinematic sequences rendered using both the games own graphics engine and Full motion video. These sequences are typically played at the start and end of each chapter, before and after battles, and during special events that take place during the course of a fight.

Main characters

• Oda Nobunaga
  Oda Nobunaga
  was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
  
   - The heroic protagonist.
• Akechi Mitsuhide
  Akechi Mitsuhide
  , nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji...
  
   - A mysterious savior turned enemy.
• Lady Kicho
  Nohime
  also Kichō or Lady Noh, was the wife of Oda Nobunaga, a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. Her proper name was Kichō, but since she came from Mino Province, she is most commonly referred to as Nōhime . She was renowned for her beauty and cleverness.Nōhime's father was the...
  
   - Princess of Mino Province
  Mino Province
  , one of the old provinces of Japan, encompassed part of modern-day Gifu Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mino Province bordered Echizen, Hida, Ise, Mikawa, Ōmi, Owari, and Shinano Provinces....
  
   and Nobunaga's bride.

Nobunaga's forces

• Toyotomi Hideyoshi
  Toyotomi Hideyoshi
  was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
  
   - Originally a peasant named 'Kinoshita Tokichiro', he eventually becomes one of Nobunaga's most loyal officers.
• Tokugawa Ieyasu
  Tokugawa Ieyasu
   was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara  in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
  
   - Nobunaga's
  Oda Nobunaga
  was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
  
   loyal friend, the daimyo of the Tokugawa Clan
  Tokugawa clan
  The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
  
  .
• Honda Tadakatsu
  Honda Tadakatsu
  , also called Honda Heihachirō , was a Japanese general of the late Sengoku through early Edo period, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings along with Ii Naomasa, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Sakai Tadatsugu. - Biography :A native of Mikawa Province in...
  
   - The greatest warrior of the Tokugawa .
• Mori Yoshinari
  Mori Yoshinari
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period and the head of the Mori family, who served the Saitō clan. The Saitō were the lords of the Mino province. When the Saitō clan were overthrown by the Oda clan Yoshinari and his family became retainers of Oda Nobunaga....
  
  , Mori Ranmaru
  Mori Ranmaru
  , born Mori Nagasada , was the son of Mori Yoshinari, and had 5 brothers in total, from the province of Mino. He was a member of the Mori Clan, descendants of the Seiwa Genji....
  
  , Mori Nagayoshi
  Mori Nagayoshi
  was an officer under the Oda clan following Japan's 16th-century Sengoku period, and the older brother of the famous Mori Ranmaru.Nagayoshi was known to have such a bad temper and to be particularly ruthless in battle that he came to be known as the "Devil." Nagayoshi's efforts for Toyotomi...
  
   - a family of loyal retainers to Nobunaga who serve him following their predecessor's death.
• 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 father was Maeda Toshimasa. He was the fourth of seven brothers. His childhood name was "Inuchiyo" . His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as...
  
   - A retainer who served under Nobunaga since the beginning. He acts as a comical kabukimono
  Kabukimono
  or appeared in Japan, between the end of the Muromachi era and the beginnining of the Edo period, . Kabukimono is often translated into English as 'strange things' or 'the crazy ones', believed to be derived from kabuku meaning 'to slant' or 'to deviate'...
  
  .
• Kuroda Kanbei
  Kuroda Kanbei
  , other name Kuroda Kanbei , was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods. Renowned as a man of great ambition, he was a chief strategist under Toyotomi Hideyoshi.-Early Life:...
  
   - A retainer who served under Hideyoshi.
• Hachisuka Koroku - Hideyoshi's longtime friend.
• Niwa Nagahide
  Niwa Nagahide
  , also known as Gorōzaemon , was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku through Azuchi-Momoyama periods of the 16th century. He served as a retainer to the Oda clan, and was eventually a daimyo in his own right....
  
   - A reserved, careful retainer of Oda. Often referred as 'Potato Samurai' by Toshiie.
• Shibata Katsuie
  Shibata Katsuie
  or was a Japanese military commander during the Sengoku Period who served Oda Nobunaga.-Biography:Katsuie was born in the Shibata family, a branch of the Shiba clan . Note the differences between , , and the .Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobukatsu...
  
   - Former traitor to Oda who defects back and becomes one of Nobunaga's loyal retainers.
• Araki Murashige
  Araki Murashige
  was a retainer of Oda Nobunaga, and daimyō of Itami Castle during the late Sengoku period of the 16th century in Japanese history, in what is now Itami city in Hyōgo Prefecture....
  
   - At First an Oda Officer but was really helping the Mouri clan
  Mori clan
  The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
  
   from the start.
• Takigawa Kazumasu
  Takigawa Kazumasu
  , also known as Sakonshōgen , was a samurai retainer to Oda Nobunaga, and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi, during Japan's Sengoku period. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa and later served Nobunaga alongside Kazumasu and Toshimasu's adopted uncle, Maeda Toshiie.Originally from...
  
   - A Shibata officer who joined with Oda after Katsuie was defeated.
• Inaba Ittetsu - Former member of the Mino Triumvirate
  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...
  
   and former retainer of Saitō Tatsuoki
  Saito Tatsuoki
  was a daimyo in Mino Province during the Sengoku period and the third generation lord of the Saitō clan. He was a son of Saitō Yoshitatsu, and a grandson of Saitō Dōsan. He was also a nephew of Oda Nobunaga's first wife, Nōhime, herself a daughter of Saitō Dōsan....
  
   now under Nobunaga.
• Takenaka Hanbei
  Takenaka Shigeharu
  , who was also known as Hanbei , was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. He initially served the Saitō clan of Mino province, but later plotted an uprising and took over the Saitō clan's castle at Mount Inaba. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was so impressed by this tactic that he...
  
   - A master strategist comparable to Zhuge Liang
  Zhuge Liang
  Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
  
   of Three Kingdoms-era China.
• Hattori Hanzō
  Hattori Hanzo
  , also known as , was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of modern popular culture.-Biography:...
  
   - An Iga Ninja who serves Oda (Historically he serves the Tokugawa).
• Taigen Sessai
  Sessai Choro
  ' , also known as Taigen Sessai, was a Japanese abbot and mountain ascetic . He was the uncle of Imagawa Yoshimoto, and served him as military advisor and as commander of Imagawa's forces, despite his lack of any formal battle training or experience.Sessai aided his nephew in consolidating the...
  
   - Once an officer of Imagawa Yoshimoto
  Imagawa Yoshimoto
  was one of the leading daimyo in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was one of the three daimyo that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He was one of the dominant daimyo in Japan for a time, until his death in 1560....
  
   but betrayed him to join Nobunaga.
• Yamanaka Shikanosuke
  Yamanaka Yukimori
  , also known as Yamanaka Shikanosuke or Shikasuke , was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served as a retainer to the Amako clan. Born under a crescent moon, he is known as the samurai of the crescent moon.-Further reading:...
  
   - A Man who was rescued from the Mouri clan
  Mori clan
  The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
  
   by Nobunaga and offered his services to Oda.
• Nankobo Tenkai
  Tenkai
  was a Japanese Tendai Buddhist monk of the Azuchi-Momoyama and early Edo periods. He achieved the rank of Daisōjō, the highest rank of the priesthood....
  
   - A Buddhist man from Shoryuji Castle
  Shoryuji Castle
  is a castle in Nagaokakyō, Kyoto, Japan.-History:This castle was constructed in 1339 by Hosokawa Yoriharu, a major samurai commander under Ashikaga Takauji, the founder of the Ashikaga shogunate....
  
   and joined up with the Oda after he accepted Yoshino's offer of recruitment.
• Ishikawa Goemon
  Ishikawa Goemon
  was a semi-legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor. Goemon is notable for being boiled alive along with his son in public after a failed assassination attempt on the civil war-era warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A large iron kettle-shaped bathtub is now...
  
   - A thief who was once having a connection to the Takeda and joined Oda in his hopes of being rich.
• Shima Sakon
  Shima Sakon
  , also known as , was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku period. Shima eventually left the service of the Tsutsui, and eventually joined Ishida Mitsunari under the banner of the Uesugi Clan...
  
   - A Matsunaga retainer that later joined the Oda forces.
• Tōdō Takatora
  Todo Takatora
  was a Japanese daimyo of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through Edo period. He rose from relatively humble origins as an ashigaru to become a daimyo...
  
   - Former officer of Azai Nagamsa who later joins the Oda forces.
• Kani Saizo
  Kani Saizo
  , also known as Kani Yoshinaga , was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku era through early Edo era, who served various lords before coming into the service of the Tokugawa clan. Saizō was originally a vassal of the Saitō in Mino province. When Saitō Tatsuoki was defeated by Oda Nobunaga, Saizō...
  
   - Formerly an officer of Matsunaga Hisahide
  Matsunaga Hisahide
  Matsunaga Hisahide was a daimyo of Japan following the Sengoku period of the 16th century.A companion of Miyoshi Chokei, he was a retainer of Miyoshi Masanaga from the 1540s. He directed the conquest of the province of Yamato in the 1560s and by 1564 had built a sufficient power-base to be...
  
   like Shima Sakon before him he joined Oda to conquer the world.
• Kaisen Joki
  Kaisen Joki
  Kaisen Joki , a Buddhist priest originally from the Mino Province.It is not truly known if he is related to the Toki clan. Following the rise of power to Saito Yoshitatsu, Joki fled to the Owari Province. Then Joki went from Owari to the Kai Province. There Joki met Takeda Shingen and Shingen was...
  
   - Former advisor of Takeda Shingen
  Takeda Shingen
  , of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
  
   and now worked for Oda after Shingen died.
• Fukushima Masanori
  Fukushima Masanori
  was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku Period to early Edo Period who served as lord of the Hiroshima Domain. A retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he fought in the battle of Shizugatake in 1583, and soon became known as one of Seven Spears of Shizugatake which also included Katō Kiyomasa and...
  
   - Friend of Kato Kiyomasa
  Kato Kiyomasa
  was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo period.-Origins and early career:Kiyomasa was born in Owari Province to Katō Kiyotada. Kiyotada's wife, Ito, was a cousin of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mother. Kiyotada died while his son was still young...
  
   and he joined Oda after seeing Hideyoshi for the first time.
• Katō Kiyomasa
  Kato Kiyomasa
  was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo period.-Origins and early career:Kiyomasa was born in Owari Province to Katō Kiyotada. Kiyotada's wife, Ito, was a cousin of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mother. Kiyotada died while his son was still young...
  
   - Friend of Fukushima Masanori
  Fukushima Masanori
  was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku Period to early Edo Period who served as lord of the Hiroshima Domain. A retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he fought in the battle of Shizugatake in 1583, and soon became known as one of Seven Spears of Shizugatake which also included Katō Kiyomasa and...
  
   like his friend before him he joined Oda.
• Tachibana Ginchiyo
  Tachibana Ginchiyo
  was the head of the Japanese clan of Tachibana during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. Ginchiyo was the daughter of Tachibana Dōsetsu, retainer of the Ōtomo . Because Dosetsu had no sons, he requested that Ginchiyo be made family head after his death...
  
   - An admirer of Kicho who joins Nobunaga.
• Omatsu
  Maeda Matsu
  [known in Japan as o-Matsu no Kata ] was a Japanese woman of the 16th century. She was the wife of Maeda Toshiie, who founded the Kaga Domain. Matsu had a reputation for intelligence; she was skilled at both literary and martial arts...
  
  - A pious women who joins Nobunaga's forces if Toshiie takes the field.
• Yagyū Munetoshi - A officer for Matsunaga who joined with Oda to help him take down Ashikaga.
• Tsukahara Bokuden
  Tsukahara Bokuden
  was a famous swordsman of the early Sengoku period. He was widely regarded as a kensei . He was the founder of a new Kashima style of fencing, and served as an instructor of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Ise provincial governor Tomonori Kitabatake....
  
   - An Ashikaga officer who joined with Oda.
• Miyamoto Musashi
  Miyamoto Musashi
  , also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age...
  
   - A Mouri Officer until he was stopped dead in his track from escaping from Kizukawaguchi
  Battles of Kizugawaguchi
  The two were fought during Oda Nobunaga's attempted sieges of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji in Osaka. The Hongan-ji was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, mobs of warrior monks, priests, and farmers who opposed Oda's rule. He ordered one of his admirals, Kuki Yoshitaka, to organize a blockade against...
  
   with Terumoto Mori
  Mori Terumoto
  Mōri Terumoto , son of Mōri Takamoto and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, fought against Toyotomi Hideyoshi but was eventually overcome, participated in the Kyūshū campaign on Hideyoshi's side and built Hiroshima Castle, thus essentially founding Hiroshima.Terumoto was a...
  
   by Nobunaga and joined with him to help take out the Osaka sects.
• Date Masamune
  Date Masamune
  was a regional strongman of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyo in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai...
  
   - The One-Eyed Dragon of Ōshū who once helped Ujimasa Hojo
  Hojo Ujimasa
  was the fourth head of the late Hōjō clan, and daimyo of Odawara.Ujimasa commanded in many battles, consolidating his clan's position, and retired in 1590. His son Hōjō Ujinao became head of the clan and lord of Odawara, but later that year they failed to hold Odawara against the forces of Toyotomi...
  
   kill Tokugawa but then allied with The Oda clan
  Oda clan
  The was a family of Japanese daimyo who were to become an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the spotlight soon after, several branches of the family would continue on as daimyo...
  
   his retainers also rebelled against Hōjō.
• Maeda Toshimasu
  Maeda Toshimasu
  , better known as ' or Keijirō , was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku Period through early Edo Period. Toshimasu was born to the Takigawa Clan of Owari, originally the son of Takigawa Kazumasu. He was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, the older brother of Maeda Toshiie. Toshimasu served under Oda...
  
   - Keiji is a character only available to those who own Samurai Warriors
  Samurai Warriors
  is the first title in the series of video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based loosely around the Sengoku period of Japanese history and it is a spinoff of the Dynasty Warriors series...
  
  . He is a wild yet strong warrior.
• Inahime (Ina) - Daughter to Honda Tadakatsu and a skilled archer. She is only available to players who own Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends.
• Fūma Kotarō - Who was said to be the killer of Hattori.
• Sassa Narimasa
  Sassa Narimasa
  , also known as Kura-no-suke , was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku through Azuchi-Momoyama period. He became a retainer of Oda Nobunaga in 1550 and was granted Etchū Province as a reward for helping Shibata Katsuie fight the Uesugi clan. After Nobunaga's death, in 1584 he joined Tokugawa Ieyasu...
  
   - A ronin who joined Oda.
• Ōtani Yoshitsugu
  Otani Yoshitsugu
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period though Azuchi-Momoyama Period. He was also known by his court title, . He was born in 1559 to a father who was said to be a retainer of either Ōtomo Sōrin or of Rokkaku Yoshikata. He become one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's followers...
  
   - A man who joined Oda after being rescued from the Asakura forces.

Other forces

• Ashikaga Yoshiaki
  Ashikaga Yoshiaki
  was the 15th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573. His father, Ashikaga Yoshiharu was the twelfth shogun, and his brother, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was the thirteenth shogun....
  
   - The 14th Ashikaga Shogun
  Ashikaga shogunate
  The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...
  
   and main villain.
• Mōri Terumoto
  Mori Terumoto
  Mōri Terumoto , son of Mōri Takamoto and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, fought against Toyotomi Hideyoshi but was eventually overcome, participated in the Kyūshū campaign on Hideyoshi's side and built Hiroshima Castle, thus essentially founding Hiroshima.Terumoto was a...
  
   - The Mōri clan
  Mori clan
  The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
  
   daimyo who aids Yoshiaki.
• Saitō Tatsuoki
  Saito Tatsuoki
  was a daimyo in Mino Province during the Sengoku period and the third generation lord of the Saitō clan. He was a son of Saitō Yoshitatsu, and a grandson of Saitō Dōsan. He was also a nephew of Oda Nobunaga's first wife, Nōhime, herself a daughter of Saitō Dōsan....
  
   - A relentless enemy of Nobunaga and relative of Kicho.
• Matsunaga Hisahide
  Matsunaga Hisahide
  Matsunaga Hisahide was a daimyo of Japan following the Sengoku period of the 16th century.A companion of Miyoshi Chokei, he was a retainer of Miyoshi Masanaga from the 1540s. He directed the conquest of the province of Yamato in the 1560s and by 1564 had built a sufficient power-base to be...
  
   - a daimyo who regularly defies and belittles Nobunaga's ambition.
• Azai Nagamasa
  Azai Nagamasa
  was a Daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japan. His clan, the Azai, were located in northern Ōmi Province, east of Lake Biwa. He was both the brother-in-law of Oda Nobunaga, starting in 1564, and one of Nobunaga's enemies from 1570-1573. Nagamasa and his clan were utterly destroyed by Oda...
  
   - The Azai Clan daimyo, husband to Nobunaga's sister Lady Oichi
  Oichi
  or a female historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She is known primarily as the mother of three daughters who married well -- Yodo-dono, Ohatsu and Oeyo....
  
  .
• Takeda Shingen
  Takeda Shingen
  , of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
  
   - The Takeda Clan daimyo.
• Uesugi Kenshin
  Uesugi Kenshin
  was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
  
   - The Uesugi Clan
  Uesugi clan
  The was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from the Fujiwara clan and particularly notable for their power in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods ....
  
   daimyo, like Takeda Shingen he is shown as a placid military genius.
• Oda Nobukiyo - Cousin of Oda Nobunaga
  Oda Nobunaga
  was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
  
  .
• Uesugi Kagekatsu
  Uesugi Kagekatsu
  was a daimyo during the Sengoku and Edo periods of Japanese history. The son of Nagao Masakage and husband of Uesugi Kenshin's elder sister, Aya-Gozen. After his father died, he was adopted by Kenshin....
  
   - Nephew of Uesugi Kenshin
  Uesugi Kenshin
  was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
  
   and close friend of 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 daimyo. He was also known by his court title, Yamashiro no Kami or his childhood/adolescent name, Higuchi Kanetsugu .Kanetsugu served first as...
  
  .
• 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 daimyo. He was also known by his court title, Yamashiro no Kami or his childhood/adolescent name, Higuchi Kanetsugu .Kanetsugu served first as...
  
   - Retainer of Uesugi Kenshin
  Uesugi Kenshin
  was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
  
   and later Uesugi Kagekatsu
  Uesugi Kagekatsu
  was a daimyo during the Sengoku and Edo periods of Japanese history. The son of Nagao Masakage and husband of Uesugi Kenshin's elder sister, Aya-Gozen. After his father died, he was adopted by Kenshin....
  
  .
• Baba Nobufusa - Retainer of Takeda Clan.
• Yamagata Masakage
  Yamagata Masakage
  was one of the 24 generals of the Takeda clan. He was famous for his red armour and skill in battlefield, and was a personal friend of Takeda Shingen. He was the younger brother of Obu Toramasa who was also a retainer of Shingen leading the famous "red fire unit"...
  
   - Retainer of Takeda Clan.
• Sanada Masayuki
  Sanada Masayuki
  was a Japanese Sengoku period daimyo. He was the third son of Sanada Yukitaka, a vassal daimyo to the Takeda family in Shinano province. He is known as a master strategist. Sanada Nobuyuki and Sanada Yukimura were his sons.-Biography:...
  
   - Retainer of Takeda Clan.
• Takeda Nobukado
  Takeda Nobukado
  was a samurai commander of the late Sengoku period of Japanese history. He was a brother of Takeda Shingen, and one of his 'Twenty-Four Generals'. Nobukado commanded the Takeda central company in the Battle of Nagashino, as an adviser under Katsuyori....
  
   - Retainer of Takeda Clan.
• Naitō Masatoyo
  Naito Masatoyo
  ' also known as was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. As one of Takeda Shingen's most reliable generals, he fought in many of the Takeda clan's battles. Masatoyo was the second son of Takeda Nobutora's senior retainer, Kudō Toratoyo. He was first called Kudō Sukenaga...
  
   - Retainer of Takeda Clan.
• Anayama Baisetsu - Retainer of Takeda Clan, later betray his clan to the Tokugawa
• Momochi Sandayu - The leader of the clan of Iga
  Iga-ryu
  Iga-ryū 伊賀流 is a historical school of ninjutsu. It became one of the two most well-known ninja schools in Japan, along with the Kōga-ryū. The Iga-ryū originated in the Iga Province in the area around the towns of Iga and Ueno...
  
   ninja, from where Hattori Hanzō
  Hattori Hanzo
  , also known as , was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of modern popular culture.-Biography:...
  
   came from.
• Isshiki Fujinaga - Member of the Ashikaga Shogunate and was always around Yoshiaki.
• Hosokawa Fujitaka
  Hosokawa Fujitaka
  was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period. Also known as '. Fujitaka was a prominent retainer of the last Ashikaga shoguns. When he joined the Oda, Oda Nobunaga rewarded him with the fief of Tango. His son, Hosokawa Tadaoki, went on to become one of the Oda clan's senior generals.After the...
  
   - A member of the Ashikaga Shogunate forever loyal to them.
• Asakura Yoshikage
  Asakura Yoshikage
  ) was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, who ruled a part of Echizen Province.Born in Ichijodani Echizen, Yoshikage ascended to the head of the Asakura clan in 1548. He proved to be adept at political and diplomatic management, markedly demonstrated by the Asakura negotiations with the...
  
   - The Asakura Clan daimyo and the ally of Azai Nagamasa
  Azai Nagamasa
  was a Daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japan. His clan, the Azai, were located in northern Ōmi Province, east of Lake Biwa. He was both the brother-in-law of Oda Nobunaga, starting in 1564, and one of Nobunaga's enemies from 1570-1573. Nagamasa and his clan were utterly destroyed by Oda...
  
  
• Akechi Hidemitsu
  Akechi Hidemitsu
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. A senior retainer of Oda Nobunaga's vassal Akechi Mitsuhide, he served Mitsuhide until the latter's death in 1582 at the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.-Early Life and Family:...
  
   - Retainer of the Akechi and Mitsuhide's relative.
• Saitō Toshimitsu
  Saito Toshimitsu
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. Once a retainer of Inaba Ittetsu, he later joined Akechi Mitsuhide. Oda Nobunaga became extremely angry when hearing of this event, and would have killed him if not for Mitsuhide's intervention. Toshimitsu was also vital for the Akechi action at...
  
   - Retainer of Saitō Tatsuoki, later serve Mitsuhide after the death of Tatsuoki.
• Takeda Katsuyori
  Takeda Katsuyori
  was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku Period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was the son of Shingen by the , the daughter of Suwa Yorishige...
  
   - Son and heir of Takeda Shingen
  Takeda Shingen
  , of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
  
  .
• Hōjō Ujimasa
  Hojo Ujimasa
  was the fourth head of the late Hōjō clan, and daimyo of Odawara.Ujimasa commanded in many battles, consolidating his clan's position, and retired in 1590. His son Hōjō Ujinao became head of the clan and lord of Odawara, but later that year they failed to hold Odawara against the forces of Toyotomi...
  
   - The Hōjō clan daimyo.
• Miyoshi Nagayuki - The Miyoshi clan daimyo.
• Miyoshi Masayasu - Retainer of Miyoshi Nagayuki, always agree to whatever Nagayuki said.
• Iwanari Tomomichi
  Iwanari Tomomichi
  was a Japanese samurai of the 16th century. Also known as Ishinari Tomomichi , he was a retainer of the Miyoshi clan, and held the title of Chikara-no-suke...
  
   - Retainer of Miyoshi Nagayuki.
• Imagawa Yoshimoto
  Imagawa Yoshimoto
  was one of the leading daimyo in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was one of the three daimyo that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He was one of the dominant daimyo in Japan for a time, until his death in 1560....
  
   - The Imagawa Clan daimyo.
• Honganji Kennyo - The head of the Hongan-ji.
• Chōsokabe Motochika
  Chosokabe Motochika
  was a Sengoku period daimyo in Japan. He was the 21st chief of the Chōsokabe clan of Tosa Province . He was the son and heir of Chōsokabe Kunichika and his mother was a daughter of the Saitō clan of Mino Province....
  
   - The Chōsokabe clan
  Chosokabe clan
  The was a Japanese samurai clan of the Sengoku period, that controlled Tosa Province , and later Shikoku Island. The clan is sometimes also known as...
  
   daimyo who aids Yoshiaki.
• Shimazu Yoshihiro
  Shimazu Yoshihiro
  was the second son of Shimazu Takahisa and younger brother of Shimazu Yoshihisa. It had traditionally been believed that he became the seventeenth head of the Shimazu clan after Yoshihisa, but it is currently believed that he let Yoshihisa keep his position....
  
   - The Shimazu clan
  Shimazu clan
  The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
  
   daimyo who aids Yoshiaki.
• Gonzalo Méndez de Canço
  Gonzalo Méndez de Canço
  Gonzalo Méndez de Canço was a Spanish Admiral and the seventh Governor of Florida , but he was best known for having introduced the cultivation of corn from Florida to Asturias, which turned out to be very important to that province.-Early life:Gonzalo Méndez de Canço y Donlebún was born in 1554...
  
   - A Spanish general who aids Yoshiaki.

Major battles

• Okehazama (1560)
  Battle of Okehazama
  The took place in June 1560. In this battle, Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period.-Background:...
  
  
• Inabayama
  Mount Kinka (Gifu)
  , also known as Kinkazan, is located in the heart of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and rises to a height of . Previously called Mt. Inaba , it has long served as the representative symbol of Gifu. It stands along the Nagara River, creating bountiful nature within the city...
  
   (1567)
• Anegawa (1570)
  Battle of Anegawa
  The 1570 came as a reaction to Oda Nobunaga's sieges of the castles of Odani and Yokoyama, which belonged to the Azai and Asakura clans. It was also referred to as the Battle of Nomura by the Oda and Azai clans and the Battle of Mitamura by the Asakura clan.As warriors sallied forth from the...
  
  
• Odani (1573)
• Nagashino (1575)
  Battle of Nagashino
  The ' took place in 1575 near Nagashino Castle on the plain of Shitaragahara in the Mikawa province of Japan. Forces under Takeda Katsuyori had besieged the castle since the 17th of June; Okudaira Sadamasa , a Tokugawa vassal, commanded the defending force...
  
  
• Fall of Matsunaga (1577)
• Kizukawaguchi (1577)
  Battles of Kizugawaguchi
  The two were fought during Oda Nobunaga's attempted sieges of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji in Osaka. The Hongan-ji was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, mobs of warrior monks, priests, and farmers who opposed Oda's rule. He ordered one of his admirals, Kuki Yoshitaka, to organize a blockade against...