List of Samurai Warriors characters

This is a list of characters who appear in the "hack and slash" video game Samurai Warriors.

Samurai Warriors
Unique Non Player Characters:
 * Nagamasa Azai,
 * Hideyoshi Toyotomi,
 * Yoshimoto Imagawa,
 * Ieyasu Tokugawa and
 * Kennyo Honganji.

Goemon Ishikawa (石川五右衛門)
Goemon, is a professional thief whose goal is to steal the "Plover Urn" from Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Although Goemon is a kabukimono (a rogue samurai) and a braggard, he is also a Robin Hood figure who feels a personal duty to keep the peace in his hometown, Kyoto and steal from the rich to give to the poor. He admires the dancing priestess Okuni and follows her as would a bodyguard. Ishikawa has strength and toughness, but he is rather slow in both movement and attacking. His weapon is the "Kai-basara", a single-handed mace. It doubles as a flail and a cannon mounted on his back. His attacks are direct and predictable, consisting of simple clobbering, flailing and smashing actions with his mace and blasts of his cannon. His Musou attack involves him bending forward, continuously loading his cannon (also at a low speed) to blast everyone around him. Goemon was removed starting in Samurai Warriors 2, but he appeared in that game's mini game, Sugoroku.

Hanzō Hattori (服部半蔵)
Hanzō is a ninja in the service of Ieyasu Tokugawa. He is loyal to Ieyasu and will kill anyone who threatens him. Hanzō describes himself as a 'shadow'. In the first game, Hanzō aided Ieyasu in his quest for independence, eliminating anyone who can prevent his rise, such as the Imagawa and the Toyotomi clan. The second game has him being portrayed as the leader of Iga ninja while still assisting Ieyasu. He also has a rivalry with Kotarō Fūma. In the third game, he is still the leader of the Iga ninja with fellow ninja and Hideyoshi's wife Nene aided him in his operations. When the Tokugawa and the Toyotomi's conflict arise, Nene regrets for have to side in the opposing side as she wants to see a perfect world with Hanzō, though he dismisses her claims. After saving Nene from Kotarō during one of Hideyoshi's invasion, he faces him while Nene cheers for him. However, Hanzō has to fight and kill Nene later on when she becomes the leader of several of Hideyoshi's loyalists after his death. Later, he goes on to live a peaceful life, as Nene had envisions him to.

Hanzō's weapon is the yari (spear/lance) and a kusari-gama (chain & sickle) called the "Chained Dragon." Typical of the ninja, Hanzō has good running and attacking speed. He has an agile fighting style and ninjutsu skills making him a formidable opponent. In some of the games, Hanzō is one of the few characters able to cross the "ninja path", being a ninja himself.

Keiji Maeda (前田慶次)
Toshimasu served under Oda Nobunaga. During the Nagashino he disagreed with Nobunaga's mass use of rifles against the Takeda Cavalry and afterwards, he became a wanderer. (He later joins the Uesugi forces). In keeping with the historical figure on which his character is based, Toshimasu is always seen riding his horse, Matsukaze. The horse is his companion. Toshimasu's personality is very relaxed. He has a close friendship with Yukimura and Kanetsugu Naoe and a romantic relationship with the Priestess Okuni (more so in SW1 than 2). Toshimasu has a wild fighting style. He sees battle as exciting and fun. His weapon is a two-pronged spear (similar to a sasumata) called the "Divine Mandible". Although armed with a spear, he fights like a halberdier (akin to Zhang Fei in Dynasty Warriors) as his moves are mainly swings and hacks rather than stabs. Toshimasu is strong enough to carry his spear with one hand and this gives him good attacking speed and range. All of his sets of moves end with a buoyant "Ha-ha!". Matsukaze compensates for Toshimasu's slow running speed. In Samurai Warriors 2, Toshimasu rescues Yukimura Sanada from Oda riflemen at Nagashino and helps the Uesugi forces escape at Hasedo. Although Toshimasu is the series' equivalent to Lu Bu in Dynasty Warriors, in SW2 this position is taken by Tadakatsu Honda.

Kenshin Uesugi (上杉謙信)
Kenshin is an avatar of Bishamonten who lives only to fight. He is a stoic warrior also known as "Dragon of Echigo" and "God of War". Kenshin sees Shingen Takeda as a devine nemesis. He has nothing but respect for Shingen and treats any battle with him as sacred. Kenshin loves to drink sake and he prays to Bishamonten at the start of every battle. Kenshin's weapon is a large seven-bladed sword called "Frozen Flame". He uses the sword to make broad slashes and hacking movements. Kenshin can also throw exploding "shikigami" and he can create giant phantom doubles of himself.

Kunoichi (くのいち)
Kunoichi is a female ninja in the service of the Sanada and Takeda clans. She is a non-historical character based on the Sanada Ten Braves who accompanied Yukimura Sanada. Another possibility is that the character is based on "Anayama Kosuke", a woman who posed as a man. Kunoichi is mischievous and sarcastic and she is fond of making casual insults. She will taunt her enemy or flirt with them. In Samurai Warriors, she is first tasked to guard her master, Yukimura at the orders of Yukimura's lord Shingen Takeda. When Shingen dies, she decides to follow Yukimura ever since, assisting him in his battles and protecting him from his enemies such as Ieyasu Tokugawa. Kunoichi is removed in Samurai Warriors 2, though she does appear in the "Sugoroku" mini-game, where she can steal the player's gold during gameplay. She returns in Samurai Warriors 3 where she solely follows Yukimura. She had developed feelings for him, but she is struggling it with her duties as a ninja. She also forms a rivalry with Kai, a member of the army of Ujiyasu Hōjō, whom she hates being compared with. After Ujiyasu died, he entrusts Kunoichi with the protection of Kai.

Kunoichi's weapon is a pair of kunai (throwing knives). She is noted to be the fastest character of all Samurai Warriors characters and this feat is best utilized with her attacks. She attacks rapidly and can deal high damage despite her relatively low attack power. Like Hanzō, she is a ninja and can access the special "ninja path" in the first game.

Magoichi Saika (雑賀孫市)
Magoichi is a leader of a mercenary group. He bears a grudge against Oda Nobunaga, whom he assassinates. Magoichi has an unconventional friendship with Hideyoshi Toyotomi and (later in the game) with Masamune Date. Magoichi is a cheerful womanizer who flirts with many of the female characters. His weapon is a musket with an oversized bayonet called "Marksman's Pride". He fires the gun in various "fancy" ways. He has moderate strength and speed. In SW2, Magoichi offers his services to Nobunaga even though Magoichi despises him. Magoichi befriends Gracia (Mitsuhide's runaway daughter), after rescuing her from soldiers. He also saves her from Mitsunari Ishida.

Masamune Date (伊達政宗)
Masamune is a young (eleven or twelve year old), ambitious ruler of the Date clan. He aims to rule all the land. He is called the "One-Eyed Dragon" because his right eye is missing. With typical teenage arrogance, Masamune regards everyone around him as "Idiots," "Imbeciles" and "Losers". The other characters tease him for his youth and his annoying ways. For example, he has a habit charging in unexpected and uninvited into battles between other clans, attacking both sides. Masumane is a close friend of Magoichi Saika. His weapons are a pair of bokken (wooden swords) called "Botenmaru" (a reference to his childhood nickname). Masamune has a high rate of attack and moderate range. In SW2, Masamune is fifteen or sixteen. His weapons are a western-style saber and a pair of pistols, collectively known as "Manhunter." He has a Musou attack which involves him shooting wildly into the surrounding crowds with his pistols. He bitterly opposes Kanetsugu Naoe, whose values of love and righteousness conflict with Masamune's ambitions of personal gain. However, Masumane has garnered respect and clout and his lust for power is replaced by a desire to change and improve Japan. His ambition is to open Japan to foreign trade and to explore other lands. Masumane will appear in the third installment, with minor costume changes (to the appearance of a young adult).

Mitsuhide Akechi (明智光秀)
Mitsuhide is a vassal of Oda Nobunaga and a mentor and friend to Ranmaru Mori. He is one of Nobunaga's most loyal and trusted retainers but is proud and easily swayed and has his doubts about Nobunaga. Later, he disapproves of Nobunaga's methods and rebels against him at Honnō-ji. The fight he has with Nobunaga in the burning temple is one of the iconic moments of the series. (He serves under Nobunaga for only one stage before assassinating him). Mitsuhide's weapon is a katana called "Guilded Talon" and later he wields a battōjutsu. He defeats Hideyoshi Toyotomi at the Battle of Yamazaki and later he defeats Ieyasu Tokugawa. In SW2 he is not associated with Mori and he does not serve the Saito Clan of his native Mino. He is selfless, noble and unwaveringly loyal, desiring only peace for Japan. In fact, in SW2, Mitsuhide decides at the last minute that he cannot assassinate Nobunaga and puts down his weapon. However, Nobunaga is then shot by Magoichi Saika, leaving Mitsuhide to be blamed for Nobunaga's death.

Nō (Nōhime) (濃姫)
Nō is the wife of Oda Nobunaga. In Samurai Warriors, her father Dōsan Saitō had arranged her marriage with Nobunaga, with the promise that she will assassinate him later on. However, she continues to procrastinate as she gradually develops love for him, adopting a wait-and-see tactic; saying that only "she" will be the one to kill him. Her decision to assist her husband in eliminating her old clan however, proves to be surprising and motivates her sister-in-law, Oichi in doing the same. When she is eventually given the chance to assassinate Nobunaga, she instead lets him live out of her satisfaction in making her husband helpless. In Samurai Warriors 2, she instead becomes a faithful and loyal wife to Nobunaga; even though they are considerably more distant. She also appears younger and less mature. Nō has no story in the original Samurai Warriors 3, though the Xtreme Legends and Z expansion gives her one. In it, she is pitted in an arranged marriage and an assassination plot against Nobunaga, as in the first game. Likewise, she is hesitant in doing it, even impressing Nobunaga who eventually knows about it. After she assists her husband in eliminating her old clan, she felt that she has no meaning in this world that she would like to live in hell. She ruthlessly cuts down enemies to accept the darkness in her mind until eventually Mitsuhide Akechi's revolt in Honnō-ji makes her thanking him for giving her a satisfactory end. She tries to commit suicide when she is trapped in the burning temple, but Nobunaga stops and tells her that he is willing to stay so they could go to hell together.

Nō's weapon is a pair of claws which she hides in her sleeves. However, she often starts her attacks with kicks and occasionally, with bomb-throwing. Due to this, her attacks are short-ranged and best suited for one-on-one attacks. Nō's fighting style is serious and almost sadistic. For example, Nō laughs hysterically before throwing a knife into Yoshimoto Imagawa's back.

Nobunaga Oda (織田信長)
Nobunaga is a powerful warlord who seeks to unify and rule Japan. Due to his cunning, his ruthlessness and his habit of burning rebellious cities to the ground, killing innocent civilians, he is considered very evil. In the Honnoji incident, Nobunaga declares to Akechi Mitsuhide that he is the man to give Japan absolute justice and to do so he will take life without hesitation. Nobunaga stands out as a demon king whose nature imbues the glowing, humming mystical sword that he wields. This appearance has led to some game reviewers to jokingly refer to him as Darth Vader, inadvertently reinforced by Nobunaga being the only character to use an overtly supernatural power, a "Force push". Nobunaga has ambition and a resolute and unscrupulous way of thinking. For example, his slaughter of the Ikko rebels is known for its infamy. Nobunaga's wife is No; Oichi is his sister and Nagamasa Azai is his brother-in-law. Unlike the historical character, Nobunaga does not disdain Nōhime but instead treats her with the etiquette given to any typical retainer (other than some remarks about their dual relationship). Meanwhile, he belittles others. For example, he calls Toyotomi Hideyoshi, "monkey". The only exceptions to this belittling are Mori Ranmaru, (his bodyguard) and later, Akechi Mitsuhide. Nobunaga's weapon is a two-edged straight sword called "Demon Regalia" which is imbued with dark energy. In contrast, in the related video game series, Warriors Orochi, Nobunaga is a heroic general whose ferocity and legend as "the Demon King" belies the fact that he fights to free the land from the titular villain of the series. Here, Nobunaga is a main protagonists and the mastermind of Orochi's defeat. (Of course, this may be so that he can conquer the land himself at some later date). When Cao Cao is missing, his son is under Orochi's control and Liu Bei and Sun Jian are prisoners, Nobunaga personally leads a Resistance force without hesitation. Nobunaga is often mistaken for Cao Cao.

Oichi (お市)
Oichi is the sister of Oda Nobunaga and the wife of Nagamasa Azai who she loves dearly. In the first game, she is portrayed as a cheerful fifteen year old teenager with plenty of pep. At first, she aids her brother in his battles. Later, she decides to marry Nagamasa Azai with some words from her sister-in-law, Nō. However, she is forced to fight her brother due to her position in later years. She is given the option to continue opposing her brother in regards to her husband's seat or make her brother and husband reconcile. The second game attempts to give her a maturer look and personality. She is loyal to Nagamasa after marrying him, and gives distrust to his alliance with her brother. When her brother does defy, she decides to assist her husband rather than her brother, though she is eventually sent back to Nobunaga due to Nagamasa's critical position and regretfully has to fight and kill Nagamasa as per his wish. In the third game, she begins by helping her brother in his battles before meeting with Nagamasa and decides to marry him when they fall in love. They share their dream to create peaceful country, but many warlords, including her brother oppose Nagamasa's position. With their victory over them, they agree to give their consent and she and Nagamasa enjoy their newfound peace.

In Samurai Warriors and Samurai Warriors 2, her weapon is a kendama (a ball and cup). To emphasize her maturity, she switched her weapon to a pair of dual chakrams in Samurai Warriors 3.

Okuni (阿国)
Okuni is a travelling miko who seeks funds for her shrine, known for founding the Kabuki. Okuni is unwaveringly polite and kind and always has a compliment for everyone she meets. She uses aristocratic and noble speech, saying things like "Pshaw" and "For shame". In Samurai Warriors, Okuni travels around the world along with Goemon Ishikawa; her friend and partner, mainly to stop the wars or performs dance to raise funds. She has a romance with Keiji Maeda while visiting a city, though she does flirt with other male characters during her travel. She goes home to repair the Izumo Shrine after raising enough funds, but not before reuniting with Keiji. She has no personal story mode in Samurai Warriors 2, rarely appearing in other character's stories where she is harsher, less forgiving, and her romantic outlook has shifted to flirtation only. In the original Samurai Warriors 3, she is not given a story, though she receives one in the Xtreme Legends expansion or the Z version. She stays true as a priestess, traveling around the world to help people who are destined to die to "live to their fullest" before guiding them when they die and granting them peace. These people include those who lived in the state of war, such as Hanbei Takenaka and Yukimura Sanada. In her ending, she leads the dead through Izumo to their final resting place and disappears with them when they arrive at a Torii, implying her as some sort of personification of death.

Her weapon is an umbrella. Her fighting style resembles the dances frequently used in Kabuki theater. She mainly spins her umbrella as a main form of attack, or she can use it in tandem with her physical attacks such as kicks. She also can use it as a parachute. Her attacks have long reach due to the size of the umbrella, but it is typically weak and she has to delay her attacks to open and close the umbrella.

Ranmaru Mori (森成利)
Mori is the apprentice of Oda Nobunaga. The historical character was young and androgynous and in the game, his appearance and voice are very feminine. Mori has an intimate friendship with Mitsuhide. His weapon is a nodachi called "Iron Vengeance". In SW2 Mori is only available in free mode. He has some unique stages such as The Siege of Odani Castle and Honnoji. He is not close to Mitsuhide. Rather, he is loyal to Nobunaga and his clan.

Shingen Takeda (武田信玄)
Takeda is a military strategist and leader of the Takeda clan, known as the "Tiger of Kai". He is a cheerful old man who laughs a lot. Kenshin Uesugi is his nemesis. Takeda's weapon is a dansen uchiwa (strategist's fan) called "Heaven's Sign". The name alludes to an incident when Kenshin storms Shingen's camp during the Kawanakajima campaign.

Yukimura Sanada (真田幸村)
Sanada is the standard "Samurai" character. He is loyal, a warrior and a gentleman. His progress in the game follows the corresponding historical character. Together with Kunoichi, Sanada is th SW1 cover character. Sanada is a vassal to Shingen Takeda. After Takeda's death, he joins Hideyoshi Toyotomi and fights against the Tokugawa forces. Sanada's weapon is a jumonji yari (spear) called the "Dragon's Tail". He dies in a battle with Ieyasu. There is a hint of romance with Kunoichi. In SW2, in his dream stage, he saves Ishida Mitsunari at Sekigahara. In fact, he is friends with Keiji Maeda, Kanetsugu Naoe, and Mitsunari Ishida.

Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends
Unique non player characters
 * Nagamasa Azai,
 * Ieyasu Tokugawa
 * Kennyo Honganji.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi (豊臣秀吉)
(SW XL), (SW 2) Toyotomi is one of Oda Nobunaga's closest generals. He becomes the unifier of Japan. Toyotomi is friends with Magoichi Saika. His nickname, "Monkey" is due to his strange looks and large sideburns. In battle, Okuni mistakes Toyotomi for a monkey. Although Toyotomi is married to Nene, he is a womanizer, playful and perverse. For example, he asks Nene to deliver a concubine called Chacha to him before a battle. He has many concubines such as Kaihime. On several occasions, Oichi calls him 'rodent' due to his unwanted advances. For example, in SW1 cutscene, Toyotomi spies on Oichi and Nagamasa through his telescope. In SW2, when he is encouraging Oichi to leave Nagamasa, Toyotomi says, "Maybe you and I can get to know each other better, hm?". Despite his infidelity, Toytomi is serious about unifying Japan and turning it in to a "world where everyone can laugh". Toyotomi's weapon is a bo staff that doubles as a sansetsukon called "Simian Sansetsu". It gives him good range to compensate for a lack in strength. His Musou attack plays on his nickname "Monkey": he is able to jump about vigorously and pommel others with each landing. (An alternate costume design, in-game, depicts Toyotomi in the rough guise of Sun Wukong, complete with a monkey-like facial makeup design.)

Ina (Inahime) (稲姫)
Ina is the daughter of Tadakatsu Honda. Her husband is Nobuyuki Sanada and her brother in-law is Yukimura Sanada. In Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends, she is mentored by her father in becoming a warrior in the battlefield, protecting their lord Ieyasu Tokugawa. She is teased by Kunoichi for her dedication to the life as a warrior, but Ina proves her wrong by cutting her bow strings and they become friends. During an assault of Mitsuhide Akechi, she can choose to give in to bloodlust and slays anyone in the path of her lord or carefully controls her actions in battle, which can net different results. She becomes an experienced warrior and continues serving Ieyasu in Samurai Warriors 2. She assists him to unite the country by slaying his enemies, such as the Toyotomi. Her Samurai Warriors 3 appearance tries to emphasize her connections with the Sanada family as well as her relationship with her brother-in-law, Yukimura Sanada.

Her weapon is a bladed bow and arrow. She fights alternatively with her slashing with her bow in melee and shooting arrows in range. Her arrows have weak attacks compared to her slashes, and she is best suited to fight in range.

Tadakatsu Honda (本多忠勝)
Tadakatsu is the father of Ina. He is a loyal general in the service of Ieyasu Tokugawa. He tries to ease Tokugawa's pain caused by the deaths of his previous generals. Tadakatsu is a mighty, intelligent warrior and his name strikes fear into virtually all of the characters in the game. He is said to have returned from all his past battles unscathed. (In the game, the player is ordered to target him first or avoid fighting with him at all and when he appears, the music becomes more intense). Tadakatsu's weapon is a very large spear. It gives him a long attack range. Historically, Tadakatsu's weapon was a Tonbogiri (which is his fourth weapon in SW2). He is SW's equivalent to Dynasty Warriors' Lu Bu: the most renowned warrior of the Three Kingdom era of China.

Yoshimoto Imagawa (今川義元)
Yoshimoto is an eccentric daimyo (feudal lord) who likes to play kemari (a popular ball sport) in Kyoto. Yoshimoto is very wealthy but childish in nature. He has a comical appearance with grey skin and tiny eyebrows on a small face. The other characters find his appearance comical or disgusting. His weapon is a katana and kemari ball called "Noble Kemari". Yoshimoto isn't in SW2 but is in SW2XL where he gets bored and lonely and decides to rule Japan.

Samurai Warriors 2
Unique non player characters:
 * Katsuie Shibata,
 * Kojirō Sasaki.

Ieyasu Tokugawa (徳川家康)
Tokugawa is an ally of Nobunaga who desires to unify Japan. In SW1, he is a non player character. He is an enduring and patient man. He values the lives of his men. For example, in SW2, after the Battle of Mikatagahara when he barely escapes with his life, he is found in his castle weeping for the men he left behind. His weapon is a spear with a hidden cannon called "Quake Maker".

Mitsunari Ishida (石田三成)
Mitsunari is a vassal of Hideyoshi Toyotomi who leads the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara. He is good friends with Sakon Shima, Yukimura Sanada, Kanetsugu Naoe and Keiji Maeda. He is a determined, snobbish and cold-hearted man who believes that battles are won through reason alone. However, this changes when he befriends Kanetsugu, Yukimura, and Sakon as they make him realize that he needs the support of other people to win battles. His weapon is an iron fan called the "Golden Frill".

Kanetsugu Naoe (直江兼続)
Kanetsugu is the Karō(house elder/advisor) of the Uesugi clan under Kenshin. Kanetsugu loyally serves the Uesugi family for two generations, from Kenshin Uesugi to Kenshin's son, Kagekatsu. Kanetsugu follows a philosophy of love and justice. He fights in the name of honor, love and righteousness. After the death of Kenshin, he joins Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Kanetsugu is good friends with Mitsunari Ishida, Yukimura Sanada, Keiji Maeda and Sakon Shima. In SW2, Kanetsugu and Masamune Date are opponents because of their different values although Masamune does respect Kanetsugu as an accomplished general. He also has differences with Hattori who expresses a philosophy of shadows. Kanetsusu regrets the loss of his men because of the differences. For example, he says, "I will not let my men die at the hands of these unjust scoundrels". Kanetsugu's weapon is a Taoist sword and o-fuda (paper charms) called "Evil's Bane". With them, he can generate purple force fields and laser beams. Kanetsugu will appear in SW3 with minor costume changes. He is made a vassal of the Uesugi by Aya Gozen.

Kotarō Fūma (風魔小太郎)
Kotaro is a ninja in the service of the Hōjō clan. He is a cover character for SW2. Kotaro has bluish gray skin, ink-colored facial tattoos, bright blue eyes and long, bright red braids that are blown around in every direction like fire when he moves. Kotaro is a "lord of chaos". He ambushes and tricks players regardless of their allegiance. On joining a battle, he says, "What fools these mortals be." His weapon is a pair of clawed gauntlets called "Thorns of Peril", which give him the ability to stretch his arms. (In a cutscene, at the start of his story, he is seen diving off a mountain into the mist). Kotaro is also clairvoyant. In his second chapter he predicts Nobunaga's death by ominously saying that he does not wish to interfere with Nobunaga's demise in a sea of fire, alluding to his assassination at Honno-ji.

Musashi Miyamoto (宮本武蔵)
Musashi is the creator and master of Niten Ichi-ryū and the rival of Kojiro Sasaki. He is a bold, loud and brash young man. (Ieyasu refers to him as 'a boy' during their in-game encounter at Sekigahara). Musashi fights to improve his swordsmanship and reputation and hopes to see his sword protect people. He is a friend of Yukimura Sanada. At the Battle of Sekigahara, he joins the Western forces and continues to fight for the Toyotomi family at Osaka. Musashi's weapon, based on the historical figure, is called "Mastery & Vision". It is a katana in his dominant hand and a wakizashi in the other. His fourth stage weapon represents a carved oar that the historical character used in his legendary duel with Kojiro Sasaki.

Nagamasa Azai (浅井長政)
Nagamasa is a daimyo of the northern Ōmi Province. He is married to Oichi. In SW1 he was a non-player character. The first four stages of Nagamasa's story is a dream. In the last stage, he joins the Oda (which his historic character did not). Nagamasa is a noble and moral man who believes in love and honour (his words during a musou attack). He is brave and kind. He is torn between his great love for Oichi, his allies, the Asakura and Oda Nobunaga who is his brother in law. Nagamasa commits suicide because of these tensions. Nagamasa's weapon is a jousting lance.

Nene (ねね)
Nene is a kunoichi and the wife of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, known for her loyalty to her husband even at the dire state. In Samurai Warriors 2, she helps her husband to avenge his lord Nobunaga Oda after Mitsuhide Akechi betrayed him at Honnō-ji and later prevents other lords from overthrowing her husband's position after he becomes the new ruler of Japan. Again in Samurai Warriors 3, she helps her husband and "children" to oppose their enemies. She also has a close friendship with Hanzō Hattori, a fellow Iga ninja who greatly inspired her.

Nene has a strange maternal personality throughout the game, often punishing "Naughty children" (enemy generals) and refers to her husband's retainers (notably Mitsunari Ishida, Kiyomasa Kato and Masanori Fukushima) as her children. Her maternal personality is evident in her alternate ending, where she ends the Battle of Sekigahara by defeating all of the generals and later lectures them on how to make a peaceful world. she does this with the help of Okuni and her nephew Hideaki Kobayakawa. Hideaki fears Nene 'more than musket fire' so he does not defect to the Tokugawa. Nene becomes jealous of women who are close to Hideyoshi and those who are his enemies. She claims to do everything for her husband but she does have a selfish desire for fame and power. For example, she says to Okuni, "When these wars are over, I will be the most powerful woman in Japan! What do you think of that?"

In her debut, she is considered as a replacement to Kunoichi, a fellow ninja who was removed in that game (later returned in Samurai Warriors 3). As such, she has the same weapon as her (a pair of kunai) and shares many of her techniques such as the invisibility technique.

Sakon Shima (島左近)
Sakon is an elite general in the service of Ishida Mitsunari. His military skills rivals those of Tadakatsu Honda. Sakon is a former servant of Shingen Takeda. Sakon becomes Mitsunari's loyal retainer when Mitsunari says he wants a general who fights for justice and not just for money. Sakon's Sakon is a free-spirit who tends to be blunt, self serving and a womanizer but despite this, he is passive. Sakon's weapon is a two-handed falchion called "Wrecking Blade".

Ginchiyo Tachibana (立花誾千代)
Ginchiyo is the daughter of Dosetsu Tachibana. She is married to Muneshige Tachibana. After her father dies, Ginchiyo becomes head of the clan and carries a grudge against the Shimazu clan for killing her family. Ginchiyo has the characteristics of a samurai but maintains her femininity. She is often praised for her beauty as well as her skill in battle. Ina, who strives to be a warrior, sees Ginchiyo as a role model and is attracted to Muneshige. Ginchiyo's weapon is a serrated sword called "Heaven's Bite". Ginchiyo can also command lightening.

Yoshihiro Shimazu (島津義弘)
Yoshihiro is a daimyo of Satsuma and is the head of the Shimazu clan, rivals of the Tachibana clan. Yoshihiro enjoys fighting for its own sake, especially when the odds are against him. His weapon is a large hammer called "Beast Crusher".

Gracia (ガラシャ)
Gracia is the naive, curious and adventurous daughter of Mitsuhide Akechi. She is married to Tadaoki Hosokawa. She runs away from home and befriends her unlikely mentor, Magoichi Saika. Her weapons are bracelets that allow her to fight with her hands and give her various magical powers.

Katsuie Shibata (柴田勝家)
Katsuie is a general who serves Nobunaga Oda. In SW2 he was a unique non player character. In Samurai Warriors 2: Empires, Katsuie became a playable character. He has a close relationship with Toshiie Maeda. Katsuie's. He uses it with a mix of move sets typical of Yukimura, Keiji, Tadakatsu, and Yoshihiro's. In Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends, his weapon changes to two poleaxes.

Kojirō Sasaki (佐々木小次郎)
Kojirois a skilled swordsman and Musashi Miyamoto's most famous rival. He has bone white skin and wears red garments and his long black hair braided into a ponytail. Kojiro is a sadistic psychopath who loves to fight and kill (in a 'beautiful end') his strong opponents. (He vows to give Musashi a 'fabulous death'). Kojiro sees weak opponents as waste. Kojiro's weapon is a nodachi. In SW2, Kojiro was a unique non player character and bodyguard. In Samurai Warriors 2: Empires, he becomes playable. In the Xtreme Legends edition he wields a summoned 'ex-dimensional' broadsword.

Motochika Chōsokabe (長宗我部元親)
Motochika is a daimyo of the Chōsokabe clan. He is a rebel who claims to hear the voices, 'Who can't be heard' and chooses to fight for the Toyotomi forces to ride the 'tides of history'. During the battle of Kyushu, he loses his son, Nobuchika. Motochika's weapon is a shamisen (Japanese guitar).

Toshiie Maeda (前田利家)
Toshiie is a young general who serves and greatly respects Katsuie Shibata. He goes on to serve Hideyoshi Toyotomi in the hope of making a name for himself. Toshiie's weapon is a large sword. Toshiie was a unique non player character in SW2 and is to appear in SW3.

Samurai Warriors 3
Unique non player characters:
 * Aya Gozen
 * Masanori Fukushima.

Kiyomasa Kato (加藤清正)
Kyomasa is one of the Toyotomi generals who sided with Ieyasu during the Battle of Sekigahara. He did this because of disagreements with another Toyotomi general, Mitsunari Ishida. He is the best friend of Masanori Fukushima and sees Mitsunari Ishida, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Nene as his family, having been raised by the latter along with the other two as her sons. He wields a scythe. Originally, Kyomasa was a non player character.

Kai (Kaihime) (甲斐姫)
Kaihime is a warrior princess of the Hojo clan. Kai is a feisty girl. She fancies Yukimura Sanada which causes friction with Kunoichi. Kai becomes Toyotomi Hideyoshi's concubine. Kaihime's weapon is a whip-sword.

Kanbei Kuroda (黒田勘兵衛)
Kanbei is Hideyoshi's main strategist. Although being a Christian, he is an eerie man with magical powers. His weapon is floating ball imbued with magic.

Ujiyasu Hōjō (北条氏康)
Ujiyasu is leader of the Hojo clan in the early part of the Sengoku era. He fights Shingen Takeda then later fights alongside the Takeda and Uesugi armies. His weapon is a sword-cane.

Muneshige Tachibana (立花宗茂)
Muneshige is married to Ginchiyo Tachibana. His weapon is a western-style sword and shield.

Hanbei Takenaka (竹中半兵衛)
Hanbei is the main strategist of the Saito clan. He later sides with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His weapon is a compass with blades which he uses like a Yo-yo.

Motonari Mōri (毛利元就)
Motonari is the head of the Mōri clan. He has a humorous relationship with Hanbei Takenaka and Kanbei Kuroda. Monotari wears a crossbow on his arm. It can fire three arrows simultaneously.

Takamaru (鷹丸)
Takamura is a samurai sent into Murasame Castle. He is a guest character from Nazo no Murasame Jō in addition to the seven new characters.

Aya (綾御前)
'Aya is the older half-sister of Uesugi Kenshin. Her weapon is a magic staff.

Masanori Fukushima (福島正則)
Masanori is a loyal general of the Toyotomi clan and one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake. He is one of the many generals who join the Eastern Army prior to Sekigahara. His weapon is a double edge kanabo.

Bodyguards in Samurai Warriors 2
Further reading: Bodyguards (Samurai Warriors)

Some of the bodyguards are those famous in the Sengoku Period who have appeared in Samurai Warriors 2.

Samurai

 * Ashikaga Yoshiteru (足利 義輝) - the 13th Ashikaga Shogun.
 * Anayama Kosuke (穴山 小助) - one of Sanada Ten Braves, He is sometimes a female in fiction.
 * Hoshina Masatoshi (保科 正俊) - a samurai serving Takeda clan.
 * Kamiizumi Nobutsuna (上泉 信綱) - a samurai who created Shinkage-ryū.
 * Ryūzōji Takanobu (龍造寺 隆信) - a warlord of Ryūzōji clan.
 * Takahashi Shōun (高橋 紹運) - a retainer of Ōtomo clan with Tachibana Dosetsu.
 * Tozawa Moriyasu (戸沢 盛安) - had a friendship with Oda Nobunaga, later surrendered to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
 * Yagyū Sekishūsai (柳生 石舟斎) - a samurai of Shinkage-ryū, grandfather of Yagyū Jūbei.
 * Yamanaka Shikanosuke (山中 鹿之介) - a retainer to the Amako clan.
 * Sasaki Kojirō (佐々木 小次郎)
 * Shibata Katsuie (柴田 勝家)

Lady Samurai

 * Kai (甲斐) - one of Hideyoshi's wives, appears as a playable character in Samurai Warriors 3.
 * Koma (駒) - Masamune's cousin, Hideie Ukita's concubine, and one of Hideyoshi's adopted daughters.
 * Maeda Matsu (前田まつ) - the wife of Maeda Toshiie.
 * Nana (菜々) - Chōsokabe Motochika's wife who was also known as Fujin Motochika.
 * Oura Inu (大浦戌) - Tamenobu Tsugaru's wife and Oura Tamenori's daughter.

Ninja

 * Fujibayashi Nagato (藤林長門守) - one of the three heads of the Iga ninja school.
 * Kashin Koji (果心居士) - a fictional illusionist who confronted Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, Yoshihiro and other daimyo with his sorcery.
 * Momichi Tamba (百地丹波) - an Iga ninja who was also known as Sandayū Momoji. He secretly joined forces with Saika Magoichi to end Nobunaga and targeted his son, Oda Nobukatsu.
 * Ninokuruwa Isuke (二曲輪 猪助) - Rumored to be a Fūma shinobi who was personally taught by Fūma Kotarō.
 * Sarutobi Sasuke (猿飛 佐助) - one of Sanada Ten Braves.

Kunoichi

 * Gamō Tiger (蒲生 虎) - One of Gamo Ujisato's younger sisters and Ieyasu's aunt.
 * Katō Tsune (加藤 安) - Okumura Nagatomi's wife.
 * Konishi Maria (小西 マリア) - Konishi Yukinaga's sister and Sō Yoshitoshi's wife.
 * Mochizuki Chiyome (望月 千代女) - a Takeda's kunoichi, a woman who created a kunoichi group.
 * Usui (碓氷) - one of Sakai Tadatsugu's wives.

Musketeers

 * Igasaki Dojūn (伊賀崎 道順) - an Iga ninja who served Yoshikata Rokkaku and Ieyasu. His family name is also spelled as Iganosaki though it's possible that he could be Yazaemon Kido.
 * Inadome Sukenao (稲富 祐直) - a professional gunner who served Hosokawa Tadaoki and was present at Garasha death.
 * Kakei Jūzō (筧 十蔵) - one of Sanada Ten Braves
 * Sugitani Zenjūbō (杉谷 善住坊) - a man of unknown origin who sniped Nobunaga during the battle of Kanegasaki.
 * Tanegashima Hisatoki (種子島 久時) - sixteenth head of the Tanegashima and a Shimazu vassal.

Archers

 * Kōshōshō (小少将) - Asakura Yoshikage's concubine who gave birth to their son, Aioumaru. She was one of Saitohyo Bushoryo's children.
 * Kyōgoku Tatsuko (京極竜子) - Kyōgoku Takasugi's daughter and Takeda Motoaki's wife.
 * Tsuru (鶴) - Legendary warrior and shrine priestess from Ohmishima, Ehime Prefecture. She was married into the Ōuchi family and fought together with her brother and lover on the field.
 * Yamanouchi Chiyo (山内千代) - Yamauchi Kazutoyo's wife.
 * Yoshioka Myorinni (吉岡妙林尼) - Yoshioka Kagamiokuro's wife and one of Ōtomo Sōrin's vassals.

Monks

 * Honinbō Sansa (本因坊 算砂) - a Nichiren Buddhist monk since his early days, Sansa was also a master of Go, Shougi, and other strategic table games.
 * Ishin Sūden (以心 崇伝) - one of the influential members of Rinzai Buddhism. He is also known as Sūden, Konchi-In Sūden, or the "Prime Minister in Black Robes".
 * Kaisen Shōki (快川 紹喜) - also known as Kaisen Jōki, he was a monk of the Rinzai sect in Zen Buddhism.
 * Nankōbō Tenkai (南光 坊天海) - a famous monk, some folks claim he actually was Akechi Mitsuhide.
 * Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭) - a major figure in the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.

Shrine Maidens

 * Aya (綾) - Uesugi Kenshin's older sister, appears in Samurai Warriors 3 and Become playable in its expansion.
 * Ikeda Itoko (池田 糸子) - Nakagawa Kiyohide's daughter and Ikeda Toshitaka's wife.
 * Ise (伊勢) - Beautiful woman who is said to have romantic relations with Kenshin.
 * Ōno Otsū (小野 お通) - One of the early practitioners of the Jōruri art form, she is also said to have been one of Nobuyuki's concubines.
 * Sayuri (小百合) - Narimasa Sassa's legendary concubine (sometimes said as wife).

Sumos

 * Aochi Yoemon (青地 与右衛門) - a professional sumo wrestler (rikishi) who also impressed Nobunaga.
 * Kumakawa (熊若) - a Kai shinobi who was eventually hired by Takeda Shingen.
 * Miyoshi Isa (三好 伊三) - one of Sanada Ten Braves.
 * Miyoshi Seikai (三好 晴海) - one of Sanada Ten Braves.
 * Namasue Mataichirō (鯰江 又一郎) - possibly a former Rokuro vassal.

Fire Ninja

 * Katō Danzō (加藤 段蔵) - a shinobi who once tried to serve Uesugi Kenshin.
 * Kirigakure Saizō (霧隠 才蔵) - one of Sanada Ten Braves.
 * Matsunaga Hisahide (松永 久秀) - a warlord.
 * Mochizuki Rokurō (望月 六郎) - one of Sanada Ten Braves.
 * Ōno Ginpachirō (小野 銀八郎) - one of Hachisuka Koroku's subordinates who excelled in pyrotechnics.