Line #229 VideoGame/WayOfTheSamurai


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/way_of_the_samurai.png]]
2	''Way of the Samurai'' is a WideOpenSandbox series set in historic Japan. So far there have been four games:
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4	* ''Way of the Samurai'', released for the Platform/PlayStation2 in 2002.
5	* ''Way of the Samurai 2'', released for the [=PlayStation=] 2 in 2004.
6	* ''Way of the Samurai 3'', released for the Platform/PlayStation3 and the Platform/{{Xbox 360}} in 2008 in Japan. The game was released in the US on October 20, 2009. The game finally made its way to PC via Steam in March of 2016, courtesy Ghostlight.
7	* ''VideoGame/WayOfTheSamurai4'', released on the [=PlayStation=] 3 on March 3, 2011. Released in the US on August 21, 2012 by Creator/XSeedGames as a digital download title on the Platform/PlayStationNetwork, and in Europe on October 5, 2012 by Creator/NipponIchi. There was also a 2015 PC port published by Ghostlight via Steam.
8	* ''Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story'', released for the [=PlayStation=] 4, Platform/NintendoSwitch, and PC via Steam on February 20, 2020. A {{Spinoff}} from the main series made by Creator/SpikeChunsoft, that works more like a dungeon-crawling {{Roguelike}} unlike any title prior.
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10	There was also a GaidenGame released for the [=PS2=] in 2005, ''VideoGame/SamuraiWestern'', which was a more action-centered game that amounted to ''Way of the Samurai'' [-[[RecycledINSPACE IN]] [[TheWildWest THE WILD WEST!]]-]
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12	Each game follows the same basic plot: a wandering ronin arrives in a village that is in the middle of a vicious conflict between various factions. The ronin may choose to align with any of the factions, play them against each other for their own ends, try to help the villagers caught in the middle, or simply go about their days without taking sides. Depending on your actions, the plotline branches and changes accordingly, and there are [[MultipleEndings plenty of endings]] to be found, ranging from taking a position of power to leaving the village in ruins to having your journey cut short.
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14	As the name implies, the games revolve heavily around fighting (though each game offers at least one route you can perform a PacifistRun on), mainly with swords (though other weapons, mostly spears, are available in the later games... and were treated like 'side stance swords' in [=WotS2=]). Each game boasts a wide selection of weapons; however, the player only begins with a single sword to their name, and can only carry a limited amount of weapons with them. Weapons can usually be stored though an in-town service or completing a playthrough, and can be selected as your starting weapon during [[NewGamePlus your next game]].
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16	Way of the Samurai also allows a certain amount of CharacterCustomization, mostly in the vein of VirtualPaperDoll: you have a variety of heads, bodies, and accessories to choose from.
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18	Unrelated to ''VideoGame/SamuraiWayOfTheWarrior''.
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20	----
21	!!Way of the Samurai contains examples of:
22	* AbilityDepletionPenalty: In the first three games, each of the player's swords has its own heat meter that increases when the player uses attacks or blocks enemy attacks and decreases when the player avoids using the sword. If the heat meter fills up, one segment of it will be removed, limiting the amount of attacks that can be done or blocked in quick succession. If all segments are removed, the sword will break, leaving the player with what effectively amounts to a blunt knife. Enemy weapons also have their own invisible heat meters, so a player can trick them into breaking their own weapons.
23	* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: The third game is set in the [[JidaiGeki Sengoku]] era, and as a result [[NewerThanTheyThink predates]] the titular "Way of the Samurai" (today known as Bushido).
24	* AnachronismStew: Non-canon, but one of your available accessories in the second game is a (non-functioning) wearable set of night vision goggles and a back-mounted minigun. [[MST3KMantra Don't ask.]]
25	** The third game gives you what is essentially a cyber-samurai outfit, complete with TronLines. The DLC weapon also included matching parts to build a cyber-samurai themed sword.
26	** One of the possible reasons why Way Of The Samurai 3+ never got an English release is due to your ability to dress up your companions well beyond stretching the constraint of disbelief. Dressing Osei in a bridal gown or [[TheStoic Itsuse]] in a gothic lolita dress? Yep, it's there. In short, the game seems to stop taking itself seriously and started [[PanderingToTheBase pandering to the otaku base]].
27	* AndYourRewardIsClothes: One of the most common rewards is unlocking more ways to dress up your samurai.
28	* AntiVillain: For all his KnightTemplar tendencies, Chief Kuroha in the second game is deeply traumatized about [[KickTheDog how many people he screwed over to maintain order in Amahara]]. Indeed, in the Magistrate route's final moments, [[spoiler:he commits seppuku over his perceived transgressions]].
29	** In the fourth game, Kotobuki Hikaru, despite being blindly loyal to the BigBad Kinugawa, feels utmost remorse whenever he has to fight you, and in one ending, giving the order to shoot you. [[spoiler:He eventually comes around in the Golden Ending.]]
30	%%* AnyoneCanDie
31	* ArmorIsUseless: Your HP is not tied to what you wear, so you can wear accessories that make you look like you're wearing a full tatami gusoku, and it won't make a lick of difference. Ditto for the female knights in the fourth game; they are no tougher than samurais wearing clothes, despite wearing plate armors.
32	* ArtisticLicenseHistory: In 4, a map of the world is visible in the foreign school. One prominent mistake is that Alaska is [=IDed=] as part of the United States, rather than the Russian Empire, which it belongs to until 12 years after the game is set.
33	* AwesomeButImpractical: The "Battotsu" skill found in side-stance swords in the second game. Sure, it is the single most damaging move at 350 attack power, but on unupgraded swords, it takes 3.5 bars out of the maximum of 5 bars of heat. This means that, improperly used, the sword can only survive a maximum of 6 continuous uses before it completely breaks and is irreparable.
34	** On a more general note, some very awesome-looking swords are this trope. The Murasame's (from the second game) tendency to have negative values for defense makes it very impractical to use unupgraded. Then again, unless you know what you are doing, most unupgraded swords are this.
35	** The lack of unblockable/guard breaker moves and counterattacks on the third game's Dual Ninja Sword Stance is firmly in this territory.
36	* AxCrazy: Josui Tamagawa, the military commander in 1. The story never shows him before he's already played his hand in securing Rokkotsu Pass, where he flatout wants to kill everyone because he despises samurai. Of course, he also doesn't mind tying up the innocent Suzu to some cows so that they'll ''tear her in half'' for no good reason but his own sick kicks.
37	** Kyojiro in the second game is a pure BloodKnight, fighting with a serrated blade to inflict as much agony as possible and trailing the player if they catch her interest. She'll even [[spoiler:[[MurderTheHypotenuse kill Kasumi]]]] for making sure she has your undivided attention.
38	* BadassBoast: [[OneManArmy I am the wind...and the wind you cannot kill]].
39	* BadBadActing: 2's English voice acting seems to be an attempt to invoke "cheap English dub of a Japanese made samurai film". It ''sort of'' works once you realize it's intentional.
40	* BaldOfEvil:
41	%% * Fujimori Shuzen in the third game.
42	** Kai Kobato, the Yakuza job broker in the fourth game, is this. He is also [[spoiler:one of the Yakuza Quartet, subverting the trope]].
43	* BareFistedMonk: It's possible to play out this character archetype rather well in WOTS 3, once you've collected all the technique scrolls. Except on one-hit kill mode.
44	** Comes back in the fourth game. Mastering the required skillsets become a necessity due to the GoldenEnding involving the NoGearLevel.
45	* BarehandedBladeBlock: Appears as both a mini-game (that can grievously harm or even kill you if you mess up) and an obtainable skill in Way of the Samurai 3.
46	* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Subverted to all hell in the fourth game. The Three Kinugawa Sisters might be very gorgeous, but all of them are [[TheChessmaster schemers]] in their own right and are unrepentantly sadists. On a lesser note, [[spoiler:Akemi]] is a Shogunate ninja that's working against you.
47	* {{BFS}}: Some swords, particularly the Murasame, Kanesada, and the Izumo-no-Hashira from the second game, are '''long'''.
48	** Not to mention the DLC weapons in the third game. That thing is basically [[Franchise/FinalFantasy Buster Sword]] replica.
49	** The Western Claymores in the fourth game are also very, very long by katana standards.
50	* TheBlacksmith: In the first two games, he upgrades and repairs your weapons, and in the second, he can also apply titles to some of them that increase their stats. In the third, he can also make you a sword or spear out of found/bought weapon parts. In the fourth, there are two, and the better one must be unlocked via a sidequest.
51	* BigBad: Josui Tamagawa in Wots 1, Hanzaemon and Chief Kuroha (depending on your side, often both, but especially Hanzaemon, due to not fighting you only in a handful of DownerEnding paths that don't get that far) in Wots 2, Shuzen Fujimori in Wots 3, and Kinugawa Onsen in 4.
52	* BittersweetEnding: The 'With Itsuse' ending in the third game.
53	** In the first game, your PC's actions are lost to history unless you get the worst ending, which is bittersweet in and of itself.
54	** The Fevered Spirits ending in the fourth game. You laid down your life alongside the Prajnas and nobody remembers your deeds, but some remember the passion from your actions and people of the future long for the [[TitleDrop fevered spirits]] that the group came to symbolize later.
55	** [[spoiler:Narrowly averted]] in 4's Golden Ending. [[spoiler:Your character seemingly dies in battle with Kinugawa, when the black ship explodes, and the narration implies that he's considered a national hero even though nobody knows his name... but a scene afterwards shows that he survived, and Laura running to embrace him.]]
56	* BoringButPractical: In the third iteration, you can just spam the block button until the mooks attack you, opening the way for the OneHitKill chain. Just remember to [[PressXToNotDie press the right button]] [[HeKnowsAboutTimedHits to kill your opponent.]]
57	** A good deal of appraisal titles don't seem to do anything except reduce heat from your moves. If your sword is of the "high-power, high-heat" variety, though, it is massively practical.
58	** The fourth game includes "Perks" that are tied to fighting styles. These range from eating or drinking faster, reduced vitality depletion, or even reduction in damage taken, both general damage and specific anti-style perk. These are all really boring, and incredibly useful when used together in a custom stance.
59	* BossRush: Going for certain endings in the third game can get you killing your way through ''five'' named characters, although the "Rush" is sort of stretching it due to the MultiMookMelee in-between.
60	** Certain choices in the fourth game land you on this, ''within the first 10 minutes of the game''. You fight Akagi, Melinda, and Kotobuki all after the other. God help you if you just started, although highly unlikely.
61	* BreakableWeapons: The only exception is in Way of the Samurai 3, where if a weapon is leveled up to the maximum (level 50), it becomes an [[UnbreakableWeapons unbreakable weapon]]. Getting your weapon appraised to Unbreakable in the fourth game also does it.
62	* BreakingTheFourthWall: In the 3rd game, enemies will very rarely drop a blue book called "Way of the Samurai". If you look at it in your inventory, it says that it's the game's manual. (You can't do anything with it, though, aside from selling it for money.)
63	* BullyingADragon: The townspeople of Omiki Town in 3 will run at you and kick you for a piddling five to ten points of damage if you're hated by the town. Chances are very good that to reach that point, you will have a sword that is already liberally stained with the blood of the townspeople of Omiki. Non-combat [=NPCs=] have a miserly amount of HP, so killing someone is often just a matter of two or three slashes...and yet they'll come up to take their kicks at you anyway.
64	* ButThouMust: Generally {{Averted}}; one exception is ending 12 of the 2nd game, where you can't refuse the offer to kill Hanzaemon (you can quit before the cutscene, but you can't say no).
65	* CainAndAbel: ''Samurai Western'' uses this as the main plot-driver. Protagonist Goujirou Kiryuu's elder brother Rando has discarded family and honor and left Japan to become an outlaw in the American west, so Goujirou chases after him for a showdown.
66	* CanonImmigrant: In the third game, it is possible for you to fight [[spoiler:Zaji]], who is a character of a semi-related Acquire-developed game, Shinobido: Way Of The Ninja.
67	* ChainedToARailway: In the first game, this could happen to ''you'' if you ask Tsubohachi to "Join him" when he knocks [[PluckyGirl Suzu]] unconscious and starts carrying her off. Tsubohachi is so [[WhatTheHellHero disgusted]] that he and his goons tie you to the local train tracks. Luckily, Kitcho and Chelsea (who are opposed to Tsubohachi's boss) happen to be nearby and let you loose.
68	** YetAnotherStupidDeath: If/when you find yourself tied to the train tracks, you can repeatedly refuse your would-be-rescuer's offers to untie you; eventually they'll leave... and leave you tied to the train tracks -- cue GameOver... -- which is also a minor example of GameplayAndStorySegregation, as being hit by the train at any other point in the game will do damage, but will not be instantly fatal.
69	*** Probably justified in the fact that the impacts you have normally with a train involve getting smashed on the side. This involves having dozens of tons of very heavy steel travelling potentially a couple hundred miles an hour running over you, which is far less survivable.
70	** In the fourth game, if you lose the first skirmish with the Prajna members at the harbor and then choose to beg for your life, they'll be so disgusted that they'll chain you to the carriage tracks in Little Britain. It's possible for Dojima to rescue you, but only if a) he isn't the blacksmith and b) you're willing to give up the weapons you currently have with you. A small mercy this time is that if you aren't rescued, you're only run over by a horse and carriage, instead of by a train (it still kills you, though).
71	* CharacterCustomization: Just barely (pick a head, pick a body, and you're done), but it's there. The 2nd and 3rd games have accessories that your character can wear. The fourth game finally gets around to a more robust system; allowing the player to change their face/gender/age, hair, clothes (tops, bottoms, and whole-body), footwear, and accessories. Beating the GoldenEnding also lets you change your character's height and weight.
72	* ChainmailBikini: The final clothing option in the 2nd game.
73	* CherryTapping: Throws and kicks, at least in the third game, do the least amount of damage, even on Instant Kill, where they do 10HP as opposed to everything else's 9999 damage. If you're really bored, try throwing and kicking an opponent into submission.
74	* ChivalrousPervert: The second game's Danpachi, a kind and just town guardsman who also happens to be noted by several {{NPC}}s to be quite the playboy despite being married with kids.
75	* ClothingDamage: The third game's Shameful Slash. Slash a girl in such a way that the hem of their kimono falls off. A point in a mission and required to hire a certain ally.
76	* ContinuityCameo: A secret code that can be entered in Way of The Samurai 2 allows you to play as any NPC in the game. All of them are fully rendered and fully voiced, including NPC sprites for your trainer in the first game, Kenji (your old protagonist model), Dona Dona, and Suzu.
77	** The third game really becomes an exercise of ContinuityPorn where the choice of heads include Kenji and Mifune (default male protagonist of the second game), with matching outfits to boot. Your trainer in the first game is now a legitimate NPC in the game, affectionately called [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Sensei]]. Lastly, a plot-important NPC in the second game, [[spoiler:Kasumi]], is now a recruitable NPC in-game, with a heavy dose of lampshading.
78	** And of course, every game has a blacksmith called Dojima. The third game has ''two'' of them. The fourth game even has an entire subquest for him.
79	** The fourth game marks the triumphal return of Sensei. Not only does she have her own subquest (and Trophy!), you can even Night Crawl her.
80	** More than characters, ''weapons'' have cameoed in nearly every subsequent game. From the first game: Binetsu (Chelsea's), Ippatsumaru (Tsubohachi's), Dai-Kuronama (Tesshin's), Samehada-tou (later Samehadamaru, Karibe's), and Zangetsu (Hyuga's). From the second game, Oborozukiyo (Mutou's), Zannkimaru (Hanzaemon's), Biteikotsu (Kyojiro's), and Kansei (Kasumi's). Even your starting weapon in the first game, Mediocre Sword, survived as Chuyo-Tou in 2, and Moderate Blade in 3, although with nerfed moveset.
81	* ContinuityNod: Tons in the second game: You will occasionally encounter "Traveler" type [=NPCs=] that either predict the end of the samurais in Rokkotsu Pass (setting of the first game) to a particular NPC who is hearing-challenged and tells of his plan to build an inn in Rokkotsu Pass. Others include a young girl who spouts advice much like your female swordmaster in the first game.
82	** [=XSeed=]'s hilarious translation has the third default template described as "Heavily resembles the main character from the previous ga--er, from years past".
83	* TheCutie: Sayo in the second game, Osei in the third, and Laura in the fourth.
84	* DanceBattler: Dona Dona's fighting style incorporates, amongst others, a headspin maneuver and the Saturday Night Fever pose as attacks! The style is finally recreated with Jackson Swordfighting style in the fourth game, and it's just as deadly.
85	* DefrostingIceQueen: Itsuse in the third game fits this to a tee. Sadly, she is still too preoccupied with killing Shuzen for her and the main character's relationship to go anywhere. The last part may, however, have been RetConned in Way Of The Samurai 3 Plus.
86	* DenserAndWackier: There was humor before, but 4 introduces wildly colorful outfits for everyone, bizarre characters and minigames like surviving kinky punishment torture. Not to mention the entire schtick about Night Crawling which, due to its wackiness, comes off as rather tasteful, all things considered.
87	** ''Katana Kami'' is this to the series in general, thanks to the numerous returning characters providing a light crossover feeling, LighterAndSofter story that's mostly about rescuing Dojima's daughter from debt collectors, and delving into a supernatural and ''literal'' Debt Dungeon filled with monsters and warriors to overcome.
88	* DifficultButAwesome: When it was first introduced in [=WoTS2=], Fencing Stance (later Draw Stance in 3) swords are basically this. They have very few combo moves, accumulate heat faster by design which necessitates exploiting enemy openings, and since they sheath the sword after every move, opens up for a counter attack from the enemy. However, most of the moves are also lightning fast, very high damage, and more often than not, most swords have a very nasty unblockable attacks. The Zannkimaru, wielded by the second game's BigBad (and reappears in 3), is an iaijutsu [[{{BFS}} zanbato]], giving it a large range advantage.
89	** Bare-handed style is this. While the biggest drawback is your inability to block and low damage moves, since all of your attacks are of "melee" type, all of your attacks are also unblockable. In the true spirit of the trope, one moveset is a difficult-to-execute counterattack that seemingly does no damage, but in reality does a BarehandedBladeBlock that generates about ''three bars'' (out of a maximum of five) of heat to the enemy's sword. Exploit the AI's eagerness to rapidly retaliate and you can break an enemy's sword in four or less counterattacks, greatly evening out the odds. Of course, fights are still going to be long, drawn-out affairs, but hey.
90	* DirtyCop: Inokashira of the first game and Yasuno of the second, both of whom are also {{Dirty Coward}}s. Incidentally, both of them are {{exp\|y}}ies of each other.
91	* DiscOneNuke: The Short Green Onion "blade" in the third game, which gets a whopping +35 attack and defence via a title[[note]]Organic[[/note]] if you get it to level 10. While it won't carry you through the game, it'll be more than enough to let you get used to the combat system and allow you to survive fights you otherwise wouldn't.
92	* DownerEnding: Considering the games' MultipleEndings, some endings can be this, like 2's [[spoiler:Bad Sayo ending]], which is required for the PacifistRun. On another note is 3's ending 4 and ending 6, titled "Death of Sakurai Clan" and "A Song of Defeat", respectively.
93	** To top all of the {{Downer Ending}}s, in the fourth game, you die from being [[spoiler:boiled alive]] and nobody mourns you.
94	* TheDragon: At least one per faction.
95	** The first game has BattleButler Shiretoko for the Kurou Family, RebelliousRebel Karibe for the Akadama Clan, and [[spoiler:[[{{Ninja}} Hyuuga]]]] for the Meiji Government Army.
96	** The second game gives us PsychoForHire Kyoujirou for the Aotou Gang, and KnightTemplar Mutou for the Magistrate's Office. Meanwhile, The player-character can optionially ''become'' TheDragon for FallenPrincess Kasumi during her Aotou Gang sub-route.
97	** ''Western'' has Rando Kiryuu, protagonist Goujirou's wayward elder brother who has discarded the Way of the Samurai and is acting as TheDragon for BigBad Goldberg.
98	** In the third game, Fujimori's forces have Kirie, a weasel-faced ninja with an inferiority complex up the wazoo.
99	** In ''4'', the sickly-looking Kogure Jinrai for the Prajnas, proud female knight Melinda de Cameron for the Foreigners and master of the drunken fist kung-fu Moro Shigeru for the Constables. Kotobuki Hikaru himself later becomes the dragon for Kinugawa Onsen. You can become one yourself if you side with either Akagi and Kogure, J.J., Laura and Melinda or Kinugawa and Kotobuki as a Co-Dragon[[note]]in the latter's case, [[spoiler: if you do not object to the main goal of the BigBad, that is. Which is featured in one specific ending]][[/note]].
100	* DragonLady: Lady Murasaki in the first game. Kasumi in both 2 and 3. The Kinugawa sisters in 4.
101	* DragonTheirFeet: In 2, this can happen with [[spoiler:Kyojiro]], [[PlayerPunch with devastating consequences]] if left unattended.
102	* DualWielding: First appeared in Way of the Samurai 2 with special pairs of dual-wield-only swords. In Way of the Samurai 3, however, if you find and use the "Dual Wield Scroll", you can dual wield using any two swords you have. There's also a separate "Dual Wield Ninja Scroll" that lets you dual wield any two ninja swords.
103	** Due to separation of swords and swordfighting, you can now dualwield any swords in regular or ninja dualwield. Yes, even two [=BFSes=].
104	* DudeWheresMyRespect: MASSIVELY averted. Do enough jobs for any factions in the game, and members of said faction will practically bend over backwards for you, if not outright hero-worshipping you (and heavy flirting from the girls). The third game also has this if you decide to [[KlingonPromotion depose Genjuro]], then they literally bow to you wherever you go, doubly so if you have earned their respect beforehand. Similar occasion when you decide to take control of Aoto Gang in the second game with the blessing of every member.
105	* EscortMission: There is one in the fourth, which involves escorting a lecturer to the language school, or, if the school is open, escorting him out. The NPC tells you to just run through while they're distracted, but the enemies immediately lock on to your escort, who may then run away into some corner you can't see and thus die without you being able to do anything about it. And then, when that happens, if you had wanted to actually succeed at the mission, you can look forward to loading the last file you saved, because the game won't let you retry.
106	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Instant-Kill difficulty mode. Every Attack does [[{{Cap}} 9999]] damage, except kicks/throws, which deal 10.
107	* ExplosiveOverclocking: You ''can'' try to upgrade your sword past its upgrade limit five times. There is always a risk of it getting broken during the way though. See SaveScumming entry below.
108	* {{Expy}}: The second game likes to do this. A fight broker in the second game, named Kotsubo, is basically a [[Film/AustinPowers Mini-Me]] of the first game's Tsubohachi (lampshaded by the MeaningfulName, which means "Little Tsubo"). Also, the previous major character, Tesshin, is now Tessho, the Dojo Master. Aside from the name change, nothing about them is different, even down to his iconic sword, the Dai-Kuronama.
109	* FaceHeelTurn: An option in several story paths allows you to do this against your allies up to that point, especially if you've been carefully playing all the sides. The most notable example is in the first game's GoldenEnding path, [[spoiler:where you can accept Tamagawa's offer to [[WeCanRuleTogether side with him]] at the ''very last fight'', walking away with the worst ending in the game as your former allies are crushed. The closing epilogue states that [[LaserGuidedKarma you get assassinated years later for this betrayal.]]]]
110	* FallenPrincess: Kasumi in the second game is the daughter of the Aotou Gang's previous leader, making her technically a MafiaPrincess too. The fallen part comes in that she is every bit as chivalrous as her father and despises Hanzaemon, the current de facto leader, for turning her father's organization into a gang of {{Yakuza}}.
111	** Princess Sakurai Shizuru of the third game is forced underground after her entire clan went under and her father, the head of the Sakurai clan, was defeated. She now goes under the name of [[spoiler:Osei]].
112	* FeaturelessProtagonist: TheHero (or DesignatedHero, or AntiHero, or what have you) of each game. The fourth game's manual even lampshades it in the description to the image of the default protagonist: "You! Or at least, one possible variation of you."
113	* FlowerMotifs: The [[MeaningfulName Sakurai Clan]]. Whenever an NPC talks about "cherry blossoms blooming", rest assured, they're talking about the Clan. The Clan's seal is also of a sakura symbol. One conversational choice in one of the inklings with Shinnousuke explicitly links the two.
114	* ForcedLevelGrinding: If you don't spend a good chunk of time (sometimes NG+ cycles are needed for hard mode) getting a good weapon and upgrading it, fights will be ''very'' hard if not impossible thanks to your crap damage and defense.
115	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Its odd that [[spoiler: Akemi]] asks you to help the town against the Prajna in the beginning of the game, and then you see that's she's pretty chummy with Kogure and Akagi. [[spoiler: Its because she's a shogunate spy and plotting actively against the Prajna.]]
116	* FunnyForeigner: The first game has Donald Donatelous, AKA 'Dona Dona', a foreigner with an afro who [[HeroicWannabe wants to be a samurai]]. Basically serves as PluckyComicRelief, though he may well prove a better hero than ''your'' 'hero'...
117	** ''Western'' has an inversion, where [[TheHero Goujirou Kiryuu]] is treated as a FunnyForeigner by the locals... Including town sheriff Donald, who is implied to ''be'' Dona Dona before setting off to Japan.
118	** Dona Dona returns in Way of the Samurai 3... only this time it's {{D\|istaffCounterpart}}ONNA Donatelous, Donald's ancestor (since W.O.T.S. 3 is set far before the original). She's a fairly good partner and carries a pretty nice unique sword, but if you let her move in with you she'll randomly steal swords from your safe if you leave her there alone for long periods of time.
119	** The second game has these as NPC's! They have outrageous voices and most of them talk to you in [[TranslationConvention broken English]].
120	* GameBreakingBug: The third game, in the US version at least, hangs upon entering the Records section if a forged weapon still in your possession is your most-used weapon. Irritating when you forge weapons that put the special ones to shame and need to check what you need for OneHundredPercentCompletion. Infuriating when you've forgotten which titles you need for that [[LastLousyPoint Last Lousy Achievement]].
121	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: You can use other people's swords against them in NewGamePlus for a MirrorBoss.
122	** Also, some of the endings in ''3'' involve [[spoiler: you getting cornered by foes, and your character dying in battle or at the very least failing to defeat them all... Even though in gameplay, thanks to the "chain kill" mechanic, you can slaughter through an entire horde unscathed. Looks like the protagonist simply [[ForgotAboutHisPowers forgot he could do that]].]]
123	* GoodOldFisticuffs: You can put away your sword and go through the entire 3rd game and the 4th as an empty-handed martial artist.
124	* GoldfishPoopGang: Inokashira and Jose in the first game, the Aotou Three from the second game.
125	* GoldenEnding: Point-wise, ending "1" is treated as the best in all games.
126	* GorgeousGaijin: Chelsea of the first game and Nami of the second, both of whom are blondes with impressive figures wearing {{Fanservice}}-y clothing. Nami is both blonde and blue-eyed, with noticeably whiter skin than the rest of the cast. Apparently, her full name is Nami van Basten, making her half-Dutch.
127	* GreaterScopeVillain: In the 3rd game, Nobunaga Oda. (Fitting, since the game takes place in the Sengoku era). He never appears in person, but his shadow looms over the setting, Shuzen explicitly intends to fight him in order to take over Japan, and various endings [[AndTheAdventureContinues have the players go on to fight his forces after the events in Amana.]]
128	%%* GreyAndGrayMorality
129	* GuideDangIt: Getting all 2[[spoiler:2]] endings in Way of the Samurai 3. The game suggests that there's 21 after you get any one of the endings (slots 22 to 28 at this point being the 7 different credits sequences). The game also does not tell you how to get a specific ending, unlike the titles. The secret ending? [[spoiler:kill everyone with no regard to your Samurai Point total afterwards.]]
130	** The GuideDangIt part is that there's a very specific order to [[spoiler:who you kill and when... otherwise you'll accidentally trigger one of the other endings.]]
131	** The GoldenEnding for [=WotS=] 4, as well as certain scenes for each storyline.
132	** On a more minor note, the MultiMookMelee that happens most of the time in Way of the Samurai 4 is an example. The game certainly never tells you that unlike past titles, leaving the area to rest, replenish your health, and resupply on items and then returning to the mission area will not reset progress. Instead, you will continue where you left off. Convenient, huh?
133	* HarderThanHard: Harakiri difficulty mode.
134	* HeartwarmingOrphan: 2's CuteMute Sayo.
135	%%* HelloInsertNameHere
136	* HeroicSacrifice: Many endings from each game have this. The aptly named "Death of A Samurai" ending in the third game is basically this.
137	%%* HeroicWannabe: Dona Dona.
138	* HideYourChildren: The ''Way of the Samurai 3'' manual explicitly notes that any NPC can die... except for children and animals. 2 also follows this, though Sayo may die in some ending paths.
139	* HyperactiveMetabolism: Eat a rice ball, restore 200 HP. Eat a radish, restore 600 HP! Samurais apparently possess ''amazing'' stomach acids.
140	** Semi-averted in [=WotS=] 4. Eating food recovers energy. Energy is used to regenerate your health.
141	* IAmSpartacus: Occurs in the True End of the third game.
142	* IdenticalGrandfather: The trope that allows Dojima the blacksmith to appear in all four games, given that the first is set in 1878, the second and fourth in the 1850s just before Commodore Perry sailed to Japan, and the third in the late 1500s at the start of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
143	* IaijutsuPractitioner: One sword style (Draw/Fencing) allows this. See Difficult But Awesome above.
144	** Kogure is one hell of a practitioner in the fourth game.
145	* ImprobableInfantSurvival: Except for Sayo in 2, who [[spoiler: may get killed during the festival if she sustains too much damage or any damage on higher difficulties. This becomes problematic if [[PsychoForHire Kyojirou]] targets the player, due to her wild attacks that can easily get Sayo caught in the crossfire.]]
146	* InfinityPlusOneSword: Thanks to the smithing and leveling-up system in the third game, you can make your own +200 attack +200 defense sword [[SerialEscalation (or more!).]] This, along with LevelGrinding your weapon to have infinite durability, makes the game laughably easy.
147	** In the fourth game, the damage is capped at 500. But with the addition of Charms, you can craft weapons that quickly regenerates Vitality while standing still, give you a chance to avoid death, or even flat out multiplies attack powers of certain attacks.
148	* InLoveWithYourCarnage: Kyojirou in the second game. No matter what side the player is on, she'll insist that s/he is like her and craving blood, which makes them two peas in a pod.
149	* JidaiGeki: In all three flavors, no less!
150	* KatanasAreJustBetter: Despite immediate cries of the obvious, the trope is played straight and inverted in several ways. It is played straight in the sense that the rare, non-katana weapons that have cropped up, i.e. spears, claws (Yasuno's Kobyoso in the second game), and if you really want to be pedantic, ninja swords (some of them, seeing that most ninja swords are made of undiluted awesome), are not much better than regular katanas. Inverted with the ninja sword examples and the rare Western straight swords that come up every so often, such as the second game's Excalibur/Niitakayama, and one of the ContinuityCameo swords, Binetsu, which is a single-handed fleuret. The DLC Weapons package in the third game also brings the Plush Set parts, which can be made into a European-style sword that can be wielded any way possible, and loaded with moves from a katana style swordfighting. Lampshaded by the Samurai Sword in the third game, apparently an ''American'' imitation of a katana that somehow is ''still'' better than the average ones.
151	** WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter: Excepting the Bokuto in the second game, any Wooden Katanas are expected to be badasses in their own right, particularly when upgraded. Barring the third game's [[SetSwordsToStun Blunt]] mode, every single wooden katanas can kill just as well as their sharper brethren. Dual-wielding Wooden Katanas in the third game is not only possible, but so much made of awesome due to Dual Sword Stance's inherently awesome and useful moveset. It is essentially double dose of undiluted awesome and badass.
152	* KarmaMeter: The implicit, invisible variation.
153	* KickTheDog: In contrast to the AntiVillain Amahara Magistrates of 2, the Amahara Magistrates of 4, despite claiming to share the same peace at any cost goal, are much more villainous. This is made clear by one of their leadership [[BadBoss kicking an underling]] to get him out of the way at one point.
154	* KingIncognito: [[spoiler: Who would have thought that the homeless man under the tracks is one of the Four Samurai Lords?]]
155	* KnightTemplar: The Magistrate's office in the second game, especially its leader Kuroha and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Goushirou Mutou. In the route in which the player joins them, s/he becomes one as well. They do however, have a very good reason: a combination of the new Aoto Gang, the circulation of the designer drug Soma, and threats from Bakufu government to forcibly take control of the usually independent Amahara.
156	** An unexpected example in the third game: [[spoiler:Shinnosuke]] doesn't really care ''who'' leads Sakurai Clan, he only wants it to be revived, at all costs. Even if it means supporting the player who [[spoiler:kills Osei]].
157	* LadyMacbeth: Princess Araragi in the third game.
158	* LargeAndInCharge[=/=]FatBastard: Genjuro of the third game's Ouka Clan.
159	* LargeHam: "I am the ruler of the realm of Amana, '''FUJIMORI SHUZEN!'''"
160	* LethalJokeItem: The third game includes a [[ImprovisedWeapon gardening hoe]] named "My Hoe" and a [[ImprobableWeaponUser friggin' LEEK]] as weapons. Both can perform the game's new mook insta-kill move. Also, if you take the hoe to get a title appraisal, its unique title is "You're". That's right -- [[IncrediblyLamePun "You're My Hoe"]].
161	** The leek in particular is notable, as it becomes a genuinely good weapon once it hits level 10 and you have it apprised. In fact, it's more than enough to carry you until you find someone with a weapon you want.
162	* LevelUpAtIntimacy5: Minor example in the third game. Raise the affection of your partner and you can ask them to stay at your home, with some benefits (or drawbacks) that they bring.
163	* LimpAndLivid: Kyojiro's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkvOnEwpC5k#t=4m54s moveset]], if not her stance. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD_PcuRquFI Applies to you]] if you pick up her sword in WOTS 2 or 3.
164	* TheMole: [[spoiler:Hyuuga]] in the first game, [[spoiler:Kusaburou the medicine peddler and Chiyo, alias Oboro, Dr. Genan's assistant]] in the second. All three are {{Ninja}}, and the latter two, when encountered at night, imply that the player is ''supposed'' to be one as well and needs to be killed because s/he isn't acting as ordered.
165	** [[spoiler:Shinnosuke]] in the third game is a heroic mole, and it's possible for the player to join him in this role.
166	** [[spoiler:Akemi]] in the fourth game. It is possible to uncover the deception and actually rescue your mates before the trap is sprung.
167	* MagikarpPower: The impossibly hard to get Reikon-kudaki from the second game is a ''wooden sword''. Although it comes with a nice defensive power, it also has a massive -130 attack ''or less''. If you know what you are doing (with a good deal of SaveScumming), you ''can'' make it into a wooden sword with attacks well into the triple-digits, [[InfinityPlusOneSword while keeping its originally high defense]].
168	** Any sword in the fourth game, given enough upgrades, can be this, since there is no limit on upgrading other than the hard Strength cap of 500. All you need is some metals to keep the thing going.
169	** Guns in the fourth game are very powerful. But their tendency to break after every 10 shots or so makes them terribly impractical, especially in addition to their DoubleUnlock properties. That is, unless you're patient enough (and have enough money) to repair them every time it breaks. If you repair a whopping ''200,000'' points of Durability [[labelnote:]]for perspective, an average sword has around 500 Durability points[[/labelnote]], then the gun can be Appraised [[labelnote:]]one-time unique upgrade by attaching a title to it[[/labelnote]] to make it literally unbreakable. Sure, every other sword can benefit from that title as well, but an Unbreakable-appraised gun is an extremely powerful weapon in your inventory.
170	* ManipulativeBastard: Princess Araragi, oh so very much. Her MO is basically "seduce the most potential person to be the one man that can unite Japan and bear his child, whomever it may be, at ''any'' costs." Her second ending has you spare Shuzen out of self-restraint, [[spoiler:only to be shivved by her for your trouble]].
171	** The Kinugawa Sisters are this times three. They literally ask you to either prevent the Hospital from opening or to force it to close, essentially playing bandits on their behalf.
172	* MomentKiller: Osei's route has the [[AlmostKiss closest the series has ever done to a kiss scene]]...only to be interrupted by Kota. He immediately took notice of it and teased the heck out of Osei for it.
173	* MookChivalry: Played very straight and explicitly noted in the first game's tutorial. Even the most dishonorable groups of yakuza thugs will only ever come at you one at a time, should they surround you. Just like an old Samurai film.
174	* MovingAwayEnding: This is pretty common in the many endings the games in this series have to offer, due to [[WalkingTheEarth the nature of the protagonists as Ronin]]. The most prominent is probably Setting Off To Distant Lands in [[VideoGame/WayOfTheSamurai4 the fourth instalment]], where the protagonist leaves Japan to head to Britain with the ambassadors, after building up a bond with them. The player can also choose to subvert this by jumping off the ship and returning to town so they can go on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against the BigBad.
175	* MultiMookMelee: Several, in every game.
176	* MultipleEndings: Tons of them. The 3rd game by itself has ''twenty-one'' seperate listed endings (though to be fair, most of them are just variations on a theme) and [[spoiler:a secret one for killing every permanent NPC in the game in one run, which is harder than it sounds considering [[GuideDangIt what triggers over half of the endings.]]]]
177	* NewGamePlus: The more times you play through, the more you unlock for later runs. You can also save weapons that you completed the game with, as well as ones that you've put in your 'sword vault' and start with them during a later runthrough.
178	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: In the second game, go ahead and [[VideoGameCaringPotential help the poor mute girl learn to read and write]], thereby giving her an effective way to communicate with other people beyond simple miming and drawing. Such a shame that [[spoiler:her inability to communicate is what made her so valuable as an unwitting courier for the local criminals. By simply teaching her to communicate, you've turned her from a perfect asset into a dangerous witness to their myriad crimes]]. Following the route through to its ultimate conclusion without being swayed leads to [[spoiler:what is probably among the bloodiest endings in the game, as you cut your way through both the Aoto Gang Headquarters and the Magistrate's Office to save her]].
179	* NoGearLevel: One fight in the path to the GoldenEnding in 4.
180	* NonIndicativeDifficulty: Harder difficulties give extra Samurai Points and make enemies drop better swords.
181	* NonLinearSequel: All except for 4 to 2, which takes place in Amahara some years afterwards, and even then the story connections are fairly loose.
182	* ObviouslyEvil: Kinugawa has a skull necklace hanging on him. [[SarcasmMode I'm pretty sure you can trust him.]]
183	* OnceAnEpisode:
184	** You always start as a ronin, wandering into a town named "Am__________."
185	** There's always a GoldenEnding that unites the factions that are fighting in the game.
186	** A Dojima will always be the blacksmith.
187	** The [[RedOniBlueOni chaotic/anti-government faction would be colored red and the order/government faction is blue.]]
188	* OneHitPointWonder: In the second and third game, '''Everyone''' (sans children and animals) on Instant-Kill difficulty. Learn to battle effectively extremely quick, or get the jump on them, preferably with a long sword for better reach.
189	* OptionalBoss: A random foreigner in the 2nd game with {{Excalibur}} can be fought if you visit the sword informant with a very high relationship with the townspeople and is tougher than any foe on the current difficulty. Sousuke Nakamura in the same game is never fought in any ending, but can be attacked in the magistrate headquarters for a decent fight. Completing enough quests for either the Aoto Gang or Magistrates gives you a quest to kill the opposite broker, who has high health and a unique sword. Defeat the inevitable assassin out to get you afterwards, and you discover that [[spoiler:your own job broker hired for the assassin]]. Naturally, you have the choice to fight him as well.
190	* PacifistRun: 2 awards you with a special ranking for getting an ending (rather than dying or retiring) without killing anyone. [[spoiler:Sayo's path and letting her die during it]] is the only one that can be achieved with this.
191	** The third game, with the addition of SetSwordsToStun feature, awards you a custom title "Harmless Samurai".
192	* PlayerDataSharing: ''3'' and ''4'' have the option to let other players' characters "cameo" in other players' game sessions as NPC ronin. ''4'' in particular allows players to kill cameo ronin and steal their custom swords for their own use.
193	* ProperlyParanoid: Very likely, your first experience going to the Magistrate in the second game is of [[KnightTemplar Mutou]] threatening an innocent-looking medicine peddler for being a spy. [[spoiler:Not only he really is a spy, he's also a ninja, and one that you can fight to boot]].
194	* PoisonMushroom: Rotten rice balls, which are easily confused with regular rice balls save for their discoloration. Averted in the 3rd game, as rotten rice balls are labeled as such and are a sickly shade of green, and is actually useful for healing outside combat, given that it only gives an unpleasant temporary status effect. In the fourth game, its temporary unpleasant status effect is making you consume more Vitality than normal, but that's it.
195	** Occurs literally in the first game. Mushrooms could heal up to 600 points of health, or damage you up to 150 points. The third game has literal poison mushrooms, which are easily avoided as they are labeled as such. The fourth game's poison mushroom only reduces your Spring Harvest gauge increase, but still increases it by 50 when consumed nonetheless.
196	* PowerCopying: Movesets are tied to swords, meaning that killing a foe and taking his sword (plus some practice) allows you to take their fighting style. This is double subverted in the fourth game, as while it seems with separation of swords and fighting style means you cannot do this anymore, major [=NPCs=] drop their sword as well as their style.
197	%%* PsychoForHire: Kyojirou Kagenuma
198	* PunnyName: Uepon, Dekoreita, and Erebeita in the third game. One sells weapons, one sells decorations (ie, accessories), and one offers you the ability to skip travel on a particularly tall castle, an NPC elevator. [[SarcasmMode Who would've thought, eh]].
199	** The British characters in the fourth game. Laura Rita, the British Ambassador to Japan, has her last name translated as Lita (as in Lolita, based on her clothing). Count Jet "J.J." [[LeeroyJenkins Jenkins]], a thrill-seeker who goes out of his way during the Foreigners Storyline to have the player show him the more dangerous sides of life in Japan. And finally Captain Melinda de Cameron, who's last name is phonetically the same as the Japanese word "dekameron", which means "large melons"; her last name was blatantly translated as "Megamelons" in the US release. Of the three, J.J.'s name is the only one unchanged.
200	* PurelyAestheticGender: The ability to use a female character is always an unlocked option (except in the Japan-only Way Of The Samurai 3 Plus, where one is usable by default). One of the extreme examples where female characters are still "he", able to stay at brothels (with only women staff) and flirt with various girls. Indeed, the only change beyond visuals is a change of grunts and a ''single'' NPC addressing the PC as "young lady" (the sword informant, who you can ''still'' ask on a date). The most hilarious of course, is if the PC goes to the bathhouse. Even if the PC is a she, she goes to the men's bath, and the bath owner will tell you off if you try to go to the gender appropriate section.
201	** May or may not be averted in the same game. Level enough good reputation amongst Aoto gang members, and one of the lowlies actually start hitting on you, and you can respond to his affections (although you can't really do anything with it). The poor sod actually asks to go to an inn with you. The question is whether this is meant to be a GayOption or a response for female [=PCs=].
202	** Most dialogues in four refer to you in gender-neutral terms in Japanese. However, Melinda and the Narrator will still refer to you as a man.
203	* RareCandy: The third game's Golden Egg. Sold in the shop for 6000 Yen (an equivalent of at least 10 jobs' pay), but also given from unmarked sidequests. All it does, however, is restore all your HP, which is useless in early gameplay. That is, until your HP starts hitting 7K plus, in which case it becomes massively practical and collectable. Also, a certain merchant would like to trade some stuff for your golden eggs.
204	* RandomDrop: Some swords are just ''that'' rare. Sometimes, they aren't even worth your time, but you need it anyway for that LastLousyPoint. The Kakitsubata from the third game is this, being dropped only by one middle-game mission NPC on Instant Kill difficulty, with a low chance to drop to boot.
205	** With the separation of swords and styles, enemies may or may not drop their unique styles. Sometimes, they have more than one. Frustration ensues.
206	* RashomonStyle: A lesser, single-player variant. You are guaranteed not to be able to piece together the bigger picture of the overall plot unless you play multiple playthroughs with different point of views. Sometimes, even the littlest of choices lead to very different consequences.
207	* RealMenWearPink: Magistrate Sousuke Nakamura of the second game has a flamboyant appearance, uses feminine language and is hinted to be CampGay, but is one of the most difficult opponents in the game (utilizing a top-stance sword which can juggle-lock you to death) should you happen to [[BewareTheNiceOnes piss him off]]. It's a good thing the player is never actually ''required'' to fight him.
208	* RedOniBlueOni: Yuma and Shinnosuke in [=WotS=] 3. Combined with CainAndAbel.
209	** Akagi and Kogure in the fourth game. Lampshaded by Akagi ''Reddo'' and the Prajna headband, which says "Akagi chose the color. If Kogure had chosen it, it would've been blue."
210	* TheRival: No matter what the player's alligeance is in the first game, Tsubohachi will ''always'' feel this way about him.
211	* RuleOfFunny: Why else would there be a tuna-wielding cat girl companion in the third game? Not to mention the accessories, and the often very sarcastic flavor texts on low-end swords.
212	** The sound effects for the fourth game's Night Crawling is fully up in hilarious territory.
213	* RummageSaleReject: Make your own! (in the 2nd game you could only wear one accessory at a time, in the 3rd game you could wear whatever you wanted as long as the total weight of all the random crap you're wearing is under 100 kilograms.) Doubly so in the third game where the accessory editor lets you modify the placement, size, and angle of any accessory. Same with 4, but items now have weight, so you may not have all 10 slots occupied.
214	* SaveScumming: Dojima in the second game can, potentially, increase both attack and defense characteristics of a sword, doubly so (literally, it adds the current upgrade counter and the maximum upgrade counter and applies it to attack/defense) after you've gone past the upgrade limit. The problem is, the upgrades have only a small chance of both attack and defense benefiting from the upgrade (as opposed to attack up, defense down, and vice-versa) not including the ever-present danger of Dojima ''breaking'' your sword. Thankfully, the game includes a soft reset button combination.
215	** The soft reset is removed from the fourth game's US/EU versions, but its use has decreased other than getting back to an earlier plot point if you messed up instead of upgrading blues.
216	* SetAMookToKillAMook: Oh so very much. Part of the fun is to kick a person from one faction, have them running with their sword drawn in view to an armed person of another faction (or otherwise neutral), get that other person to intercede, and watch the chaos unfold from afar. Not only it is tremendously fun (what was a duel can devolve into a free-for-all), it is also a good choice to avoid unnecessary combat.
217	** The fourth game has less of this however; most NPC combatants are more than happy to draw their sword...and promptly sheath it again. If there is any "Duelist" NPC around though, expect a brawl. Not to mention if any of your previous player characters are on the same map.
218	* SetSwordsToStun: Happens in the third and fourth game. You can even set ''guns'' to stun, however the hell that works.
219	** NonLethalKO: Required for two different kinds of HundredPercentCompletion in the third game: One title requires 30 of these (another requires all of the other ones), and one of the Samurai Point bonuses allows you to use the model of any NPC you've Knocked Out as opposed to killed. [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential Nothing stops you from killing someone that's out cold]].
220	* SexyDiscretionShot: In the second game, choosing to side with FallenPrincess Kasumi will lead you into this as she demands you to "make her a woman", before the final confrontation. All that is shown is that your PC hugs her topless body (while she is showing her newly-tattooed back), regardless of the PC's sex.
221	** Taken to hilarious heights in the fourth game's "Night Crawling" mechanic. A successful "conquering" nets you a scene of your character ''jumping'' on the girl with sound effects ranging from [[NoodleIncident horse neighing, stabbing sounds]] and [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything fireworks]] heard in the background.
222	* SheIsAllGrownUp: Sayo in ''4'', who appears as a special unlockable DLC character. She apparently became a beautiful (although {{Moe}}), skilled ninja swordswoman.
223	* ShopliftAndDie: Try stiffing the blacksmith (or outright attack him when he's walking around at night), and he'll attack you directly; other shopkeepers may either attack or call for help.
224	** The third game has a different take on it. The four major merchants in the game (barring the combat-capable Blacksmiths) have bodyguards with them. Which is a shame, since [[VideogameCrueltyPotential killing them after concluding a transaction means you get to rob your money back]].
225	** Averted in the fourth game. Stiffing them will cause them to call the Constables which will attempt to arrest you. Establishment merchants (restaurants, mostly) have bodyguards. The blacksmith will still try to kill you himself, however.
226	* ShoutOut: Manji-Kabura is a reference to the InfinityPlusOneSword in ''VideoGame/ShirenTheWanderer'', which was known as Kabra's Blade in localizations of the series. The merchant who sells it even has Shiren's nice hat! Kabura Sutegi was in ''Shiren'' as well, called Kabra Reborn in localizations, and was an even better sword which you got when you took the time to temper Kabra's Blade to its limit.
227	** Chunsoft (the developers of the ''Mystery Dungeon'' series which ''Shiren'' was part of) would later merge with Spike (the Japanese publishers of this series) to become Spike Chunsoft.
228	** The fourth game has a martial arts move called the Miyagi, which looks like an iconic stance from Film/TheKarateKid.
229	** In the fourth game as well, you fight a ninja named [[Franchise/{{Naruto}} "Madara,"]] complete with a mask with one eye.
230	** In the third game, one of the outfits [[AndYourRewardIsClothes you can unlock]] is a white and grey kimono that looks ''very'' similar to the one worn by [[WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack good ol' Jack]]. Good thing ''this'' one won't be reduced to shreds after your first fight, though.
231	* SideQuest: The jobs that you can do in the 2nd and 3rd games. Unique in that you don't get to choose what jobs you do, they're given to you randomly (which can result in doing the same job three times in a row, if you're unlucky.)
232	** The fourth game revamps this such that nearly any interactable NPC can give you a simple side job, ranging from courier, telling messages, item destruction, to assassinations.
233	* SimpleYetAwesome: Some obtainable swords are very user-friendly. Think Kubirabasara, the first dual-wield sword you see (being wielded by Danpachi). The above mentioned high heat attacks (and styles that suffer from it in general) get fixed rather well if you apply the "god" title to the sword in question, which halves heat consumption.
234	** The Dual Sword Stance, owing by the virtue of it not tied to any sword, meaning you can pick any random two swords (or [[CherryTapping two sticks/leeks]]) and it will be powerful. Also the existence of at least two guard-breaker moves and a single counterattack makes it very awesome and ''very'' practical.
235	* TheSocialDarwinist: The BigBad of the third game, Fujimori Shuzen, firmly believes in that only the strong should rule the weak. In a rare case of someone practicing what he preaches, he almost always commits seppuku when defeated nonlethally, proclaiming the player to be stronger than him, and that he should remove himself from the picture as a result.
236	* TakeYourTime: Although the first four days in Amihama are important since Story Events are tied to time of day, 4+ days are of less consequence since it's close to the climactic event for most part. This allows shenanigans such as waiting until Day 7 (where most vendors sell all of their stuff, mostly clothing or accessories), which is 2 to 3 days longer than your planned story-wise last stand, say.
237	* TimeKeepsOnSlipping: In the first game, you have about three days to make a difference... or not. The second game gives you seven to nine days in Amahara to do as you please (some plot branches allow you to extend your stay). 2 also gives you more time periods: Early Morning, Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Late Night. The third game subverts it, as none of the main storyline events are dependent on time outside of time of day. The fourth game has a unique take as the time of day does not move at all even when doing jobs aside from sleeping or participating in Story Events. See TakeYourTime entry above.
238	* TitleDrop: After defeating the "wild dog" who has Excalibur in 2, he says that your way is the way of the samurai.
239	* [[DoubleUnlock Triple Unlock]]: In 4, getting a gun or a rifle is not enough to use it; you must first spend Samurai Points to buy a pistol/rifle certification, and then obtain the weapon, and ''then'' defeat the NPC that carries a fighting style corresponding to that weapon (either pistols or rifle). Although getting the pistol and pistol style is easy enough (the same NPC drops it and his is the only pistol style (making it the default one), and you can fight him in the majority of the routes), getting the rifle style is a bit more involved because the NPC can only be fought in a certain route, in a certain day. He also does drop the unique rifle, but more often than not, you need to spend at least two playthroughs just getting them separately. This is also on top of how difficult it is to actually use the weapon on a regular basis; see Magikarp Power entry above.
240	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: In ''4'', somehow nobody cares what attire you're wearing, whether in or out of cutscenes. Even if you're skimping around town in nothing but your ''undergarments''.
241	** Similarly, nobody in ''3'' will bat an eye at a samurai clad in futuristic armor complete with glowing TronLines and a pair of high-tech [[GogglesDoNothing goggles]].
242	* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: The motto of Kuroha and Mutou in the second game. Goldberg of ''Western'' also spouts lines that are very similar.
243	* VideogameCaringPotential: Exemplified with the second game's Sayo route. Talk about heartwarming TearJerker...
244	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Oh yeah. Along with VideoGameCrueltyPunishment...
245	** In one of the events for the Magistrate, you are invited for a tour of Kinugawa's torture chamber, showcasing the Human Waterwheel, complete with a hostage. If you so wish, you can turn the wheels yourself.
246	%%* VirtualPaperDoll
247	* [[WackyAmericansHaveWackyNames Wacky Brits Have Wacky Names]]: In ''4'', the main characters of the British faction assisting Ambassador Laura consist of a Count Jet Jenkins, and Laura's fully-armored bodyguard, Melinda Megamelons. However, the only true one with an outrageous name is J.J., as Melinda's last name was translated as such for the sake of the joke that "de Cameron" is phonetically the same as the Japanese word "dekameron", which means "large melons".
248	* WalkingTheEarth: The player is always this before (and usually after) arriving on the scene.
249	* WhatTheHellHero: Act out of line and you'll get called on it, whether you're betraying your allies, slaughtering someone who [[KnightTemplar has good intentions]], or just being a general scumbag.
250	* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: The supposedly British foreigners in the 4th game have remarkably (exaggerated) American accents when the small nuggets of English in the game are uttered. It's very noticeable in J.J.'s "Good night, baby!" line and the generic foreign male swearing "God damn!" if upset.
251	* WorthyOpponent: Strangely enough, BigBad Fujimori Shuzen from the third has shades of this. Indeed, he likes you better if you don't suck up to him and actually make clear about your intention to murder him, in which case he simply laughs and accepts you as his underling.
252	* {{Yandere}}: Kyojiro, for the protagonist. [[spoiler:And she'll go so far as to MurderTheHypotenuse to get his attention.]]
253	* {{Yakuza}}: The Kurou family in the first game (Tsubohachi in particular) act the part, while the second game's Aotou Gang started out as a Myth/RobinHood-esque band of chivalrous ronin who devolved into this when their previous leader died.
254	** Played to heck with the third's Ouka Clan. While they looked like your average yakuza, a good half of them genuinely believes in the restoration of the destroyed Sakurai Clan and really are an honorable bunch of people. Unfortunately, their leader, Genjuro, and the other half of Ouka Clan are really just in it for themselves and the booze.
255	** Due to Patriots vs. Foreigner storyline emphasis on the fourth game, the Yakuza in this game does what they do best: running gambling dens and contracting assassinations, when not involved in gang warfare. Although they are not involved with the main storyline, they in fact make up a subplot regarding Four Samurai Lords and Yakuza Quartet, collectively known as Amihama Eight. The entire Amihama Eight subquest is a whole storyline unto itself, culminating into an all out war against invaders attacking Amihama itself.
256	* YouAllLookFamiliar: Lampshaded in 3, where an NPC in Castle Amana claims that people who live in the area have very dominant genetics, causing them all to look similar.
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Context VideoGame / WayOfTheSamurai