Characters / Samurai Warriors 5

Samurai Warriors Main Character Index
Samurai Warriors | Samurai Warriors 2 | Samurai Warriors 3 | Samurai Warriors 4 | Samurai Warriors 5

New Characters

Toshimitsu Saitō

Voiced by: Shogo Sakata

Born: 1537
Died: 1583

A general who once served the Saitō Clan and a distant relative to the ruling Saitō family. He was kicked out over misconduct and brought under the service of Mitsuhide Akechi. From that moment on, he became Mitsuhide's right-hand man and devoted his life to serving him.

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• Battle Butler: His basic concept. He's a samurai butler, faultlessly devoted and polite, with his jinbaori resembling a formal European jacket complete with a Classy Cravat, and unique attacks that feature a courteous bow before or after obliterating several dozen enemies in a single attack.
• Blow You Away: Toshimitsu's element for his unique moves is Wind.
• Flat Character: His devotion to Mitsuhide is his main character trait. His character interactions are only with those Mitsuhide have associated himself with.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Sets himself up as a decoy during the Battle of Yamazaki for Mitsuhide, and ends up dying by Kanbei's hands.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The polite, cool-headed blue oni to Shikanosuke's red.
• Undying Loyalty: To Mitsuhide Akechi, he acts as a right-hand man and dies in the battle of Yamazaki like his master does.

Mitsuki

Voiced by: Marika Kouno

Born: N/A
Died: N/A

A Koga ninja who was raised to believe she is the daughter of Nobunaga Oda. A fictional character, not based on anyone in history.

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• Composite Character: Along with being the Oda version of Kunoichi, Mitsuki also shares some traits with Gracia, at least in regards to her hotheadedness and being close to Mitsuhide, despite not being his actual daughter.
• Fiery Redhead: Very hot-blooded and energetic, to Kazuuji's annoyance. It's mused by Nobunaga that she is nothing like her actual father Nobuyuki.
• Good Old Fisticuffs: Mitsuki's preferred weapon is a pair of knuckles, which she shares with Yasuke.
• Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Inverted, she fights with a pair of knuckles while Kazuuji is using hand cannon.
• Historical Character's Fictional Relative: The fictional daughter of Nobuyuki, which makes her Nobunaga's niece.
• Internal Reveal: Eventually gets it cleared up her real father is Nobuyuki, and also that Nobunaga had him killed. However, she doesn't receive the context of it either because the source of that information is from Sandayū, who was manipulating her.
• Ms. Fanservice: Despite the story treating her as Everyone's Baby Sister, she's the primary provider of female fanservice in this game. Her skintight Spy Catsuit with its large hip cutouts is incredibly revealing compared to the other female characters' robes and kimonos, and her introductory cutscene is extremely heavy on the Male Gaze.
• Not Actually His Child: Mitsuki isn't Nobunaga's daughter, but his deceased brother Nobuyuki. While it's established by the aftermath of her introductory battle, she herself doesn't know the truth until Sandayū spills the beans.
• Original Character: Koei's own creation and not anyone who existed historically. Her role is loosely similar to Nobusumi Tsuda historically.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The energetic red oni to Kazuuji's blue.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Nobunaga notes that of what she's inherited, she has her real father's face, but the opposite of his personality.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Mitsuki is basically the Oda version of Kunoichi and Nene. There's also a lesser extent with Kotaro, being red-haired gauntlet-wielding shinobi who cause havoc, albeit with different motives in mind.
• Tagalong Kid: After (re)joining the Oda clan. Her boundless energy perplexes Nobunaga and his retainers, some of whom view dealing with her as babysitting duty.
• Tritagonist: Can be considered this for Mitsuhide's path as she gets more focus and development in that than Nobunaga's and becomes Mitsuhide's last remaining ally after Toshimitsu's death until his own.

Kazuuji Nakamura

Voiced by: Ryohei Arai

Born: ????
Died: 1600

A Koga ninja who was a part of the Rokkaku Clan. Once his Clan fell, he was rescued from annihilation by Hideyoshi and joined his enemy, the Oda. He also had a friendship with Mitsuki as they grew up together.

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• Guns Akimbo: Kazuuji's unique attacks have him bring out another cannon from out of nowhere to increase his firepower.
• Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Inverted. Kazuuji fights with a hand cannon while Mitsuki uses a pair of knuckles.
• In the Hood: Kazuuji's hood is almost always up, only taking it off in more relaxed settings. It also manages to hide a long, inexplicably blond ponytail behind him.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The dour blue oni to Mitsuki's red.
• Shotguns Are Just Better: Kazuuji's preferred weapon of choice introduced by his debut is a cannon, which is basically a blunderbuss that can shoot three different types of ammunition depending on which charge attack it used before. He shares this weapon with Hisahide and Magoichi.
• The Rival: Becomes one with Magoichi in their bond event over which group, the Koga or the Saika, have the better gunners.

Shikanosuke Yamanaka

Voiced by: Yohei Azakami

Born: 1545
Died: 1578

A valiant warrior of the Amago who resisted the Mōri in the west to the very last. After the Amago Clan's defeat, Skianosuke would later meet Mitsuhide and work with him to try and restore the Amago Clan to its former glory.

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• A Day in the Limelight: Shikanosuke gets the spotlight alongside Magoichi in the second DLC mission, Battle for the Legendary Hot Springs.
• Animal Motifs: Deers. The character for "Shika" means deer, and he's referred to as the "Deer of Amago" by Motonari due to his wild, uncompromising nature. Also serves as a Mythology Gag since he was given a deer antler helmet after his elder brother Yukitaka died.
• Deuteragonist: For Mitsuhide. Though he does not get that much screentime due to his house imprisonment, Shikanosuke drives the rest of Mitsuhide's side of the story with his restoration of Amago and rivalry with the Mōri.
• Dual Wielding: Shikanosuke wields a pair of katana as his weapon of choice, which he shares with Ieyasu.
• Friendly Rivalry: Deliberately invoked. He and his friend, comrade, and mentor Mitsuhide decide to form one of these in order to develop their martial skills to new heights, and while their competition is fierce, it's always good-natured and respectful.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: Shikanosuke is his legal alias, but unlike other characters, he's never referred to by his real name, Yukimori.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Shikanosuke eventually slays Motonari for all the trouble he has given him, but ends up getting shot by a random mook not long after, leaving his dream to restore the Amago Clan unrealized. One could even argue that it's not victory at all, with the Amago completely eradicated and the Mōri still going strong even until decades later.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The tenacious, hot-headed red oni to Toshimitsu's blue.

Sena

Voiced by: Haruka Terui

Born: ????
Died: 1579

The niece of Yoshimoto Imagawa and the eventual wife of Ieyasu Tokugawa. She was eventually caught colluding with the Takeda and on account of these treasonous actions, Nobunaga ordered Ieyasu to execute both her and her son.

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• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Historically, and in most adaptations, the marriage between Ieyasu and Sena was reputedly purely political and they were reported to not get along with each other. In this game, both genuinely loved each other, to the point that Ieyasu can't bring himself to just order her to commit suicide or even kill her, forcing Sena to do the deed herself for his sake.
• Blow You Away: Sena's associated element is wind.
• Heroic Sacrifice: With Ieyasu on the verge of taking the blame for their son Nobuyasu's betrayal, Sena promptly yanks the blame away from him so he can continue living for her sake. She even went so far as to slit her throat herself once it was clear Ieyasu can't go through with killing her.
• Historical Hero Upgrade: The real Tsukiyama did collude with the Takeda, along with her son. The game treats the collusion as a machination of Sandayū, and once Nobuyasu dies, she takes the blame for her son's inadvertent betrayal and taking Ieyasu's place by dying in his stead.
• Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense: Along with being the niece of one of the most influential warlords of Japan, Sena's also initially rather detached from the ongoing struggles of the time.
• Statuesque Stunner: Is noted to be rather tall, like her uncle. This becomes a quiz point in the third DLC mission, where she's among Ieyasu and Katsuyori as to who's the tallest. The answer's her.

Yasuke

Voiced by: Paddy Ryan

Born: 1556
Died: ????

An African man who served as Nobunaga's retainer until his death. Despite being a foreigner, he has mastered the Japanese language.

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• Composite Character: Fills Ranmaru Mori's role to an extent. Unlike Ranmaru, Yasuke makes it past the Honnoji incident.
• A Day in the Limelight: He's the main character of DLC Mission 6, wherein he asks Kenshin for training on becoming a better warrior along with Ieyasu.
• Dishing Out Dirt: Yasuke's associated element is Earth.
• Dread Lock Warrior: Wears his hair in essentially a dreadlock topknot.
• Gentle Giant: He's large and appears imposing, but is very polite and courteous.
• Good Old Fisticuffs: Like Mitsuki, Yasuke uses knuckles to fight.
• Gratuitous Foreign Language: His Japanese is very good, but he'll often thank people with the Portugese, "Obrigado."
• Last Episode, New Character: Yasuke makes his appearance in the last chapter of the story, and acts as Nobunaga's new right-hand man after his falling out with Mitsuhide. It's also consistent with history since Yasuke was only in Nobunaga's service for a year.
• Smarter Than You Look: He considers himself a simple man, but he also impresses Mitsuhide with his explanations of family crests and knowledge of kanji.
• Token Minority: He's the only notable African man in Japan during the era of Nobunaga.
• Truth in Television: There was a historical Yasuke who was under Nobunaga's service.

Sandayū Momochi

Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda

Born: 1512
Died: 1581?

Leader of the Iga ninjas. He became good friends with Hideyoshi, who looked up to him as a big brother.

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• Animal Motifs: Wasps. His armored appearance evokes one, and at one point, he uses wasps as a means to escape from Hanzō.
• Blood Knight: While not immediately apparent, Sandayū does enjoy a good fight. His "one hundred kills" quote even mentions him "bathing on the blood of his enemies."
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: In his hypothetical mission, once Nobunaga retreats from the Iga, Sandayū turns on Hisahide despite being the one who helped him; his hatred for the warrior class running too deep.
• Disney Villain Death: He's eventually defeated by the Tokugawa and finished off with a shuriken from Hanzo before falling off a cliff. However, a wasp is later shown flying away, implying a potential survival.
• Evil All Along: It eventually comes to light that Sandayū was the one behind the various uprisings against Nobunaga, ultimately culminating in Honnoji.
• Evil Costume Switch: Downplayed. Sandayū's outfit when he turns against Nobunaga isn't so much a switch, but rather him putting on his full uniform.
• Freudian Excuse: His family was killed by warriors, and Sandayū nursed an immense grudge for the warrior class ever since. His founding of the Iga ninjas were born from that hatred.
• Highly-Visible Ninja: While he gets a pass in his normal outfit to an extent, the amount of gold of his armored look is a bit much to even blend in with peasantry.
• Older Than They Look: Historically, Sandayū is 22 years older than Nobunaga and is already in his mid-40s when he's first introduced and was around 70 when the Honnoji occurred.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: It's subtle but his eyes have a slight tint of red, and he loves to set things on fire everywhere he goes. His eyes then glow red when he's fully armored.
• Stock Ninja Weaponry: Sandayū's weapon of choice is the kusarigama, which he uses to great effect.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: While not obvious at first, Sandayū is one to Kotarō Fūma as a villainous-looking ninja, at least once Sandayū turns his back on Nobunaga.
• Walking Spoiler: Suffice to say, not all is what it seems with Sandayū once it gets to the later chapters.

Returning Characters

Due to the nature of this title, many of the returning characters have vastly different designs, personalities and roles which essentially makes them new incarnations of themselves.

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Nobunaga Oda

^{Click here to see his matured look} 

Voiced by: Nobunaga Shimazaki

The head of the Oda Clan who would be known as one of the three unifiers of Japan during the Warring States period. In his younger years, he's known as the "Fool of Owari" due to his hotheadedness and brash actions. As he pursues his goal to reform the country, he puts aside his compassion and eventually becomes "the Demon King".

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In the previous games, he's already the Demon King and doesn't experience much angst. In the fifth game, Nō's death changed him into the Demon King. Likewise, the deterioration of his friendship with Mitsuhide is more emphasized.
• Armored Villains, Unarmored Heroes: Downplayed. While he does wear armor during his early years, his matured and more ruthless self dons a fuller, Nanban-style set, similar to his previous incarnations.
• BFS: Initially, Nobunaga's preferred weapon is an odachi. During the Honnoji incident, Nobunaga wields it once more.
• Broken Pedestal: By the end of the game, he's this for Mitsuhide. Despite their friendship, Nobunaga's increasing ruthlessness over the years eventually becomes too much for Mitsuhide to bear, eventually leading up to the Honnoji incident.
• Demon King Nobunaga: Heavily downplayed at the start as it begins with the young, brash Nobunaga before he earned his reputation.
• The Hero: Of 5 as a whole. The story is primarily focused on Nobunaga's rise to fame and eventual downfall at Honnoji.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Moreso than the previous iterations, 5 shows Nobunaga's growth from a young hero surrounded by more powerful clans into the feared Demon King who nearly had Japan in his entire grasp.
• Katanas Are Just Better: After Okehazama, the katana becomes a second preferred weapon for him, due to him claiming the Sōsan Samonji from Yoshimoto. Uniquely, the Samonji cannot be dismantled or crafted until after the story is completed.
• Master of None: Of a sort. Unlike other characters, Nobunaga's Weapon Mastery for all weapons start at F, the lowest grade, reflecting that he's the first playable character. Of course, this can be very easily rectified.
• Mythology Gag: Nobunaga's younger appearance in SW5 takes some strong cues from his Rank I appearance in Pokémon Conquest.
• Playing with Fire: Associated with the fire element. While they're a regular color in his youth, his matured self's flames are purple.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Chooses to exile Yoshiaki to avoid the inevitable hostility that would come from killing the Shogun.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Basically what causes him to become the "Demon King". After Nō is killed by Magoichi, he then proceeds to completely change his focus from "uniting the land" to avenge her. First, he defeats the Azai and the Asakura, followed by burning down Mt. Hiei, then ousting Yoshiaki from power, eventually embarking and completing his path to become the feared Demon King.
• Start of Darkness: While being forced to order Nobuyuki to commit suicide as punishment for his "rebellion" against him had set him on the path forward, the death of Nō took a much harder toll on Nobunaga's psyche. By Chapter Five, he's eventually earned his famed reputation as the Demon King.
• Talk to the Fist: When he first met Mitsuhide during the Defense of Mino, Nobunaga interrupts his introduction by immediately taking a swing at him. When they meet again years later at another battlefield, Nobunaga does the exact same thing, which Mitsuhide muses on how he hasn't changed one bit since then.
• Technicolor Fire: Unlike his youthful version's conventional flames, the matured Nobunaga's flames are purple, reflecting the Demon King he has become.

Mitsuhide Akechi

^{Click here to see his matured look} 

Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa

One of Nobunaga's trusted retainers. Initially, he used to be the Saitō Clan's retainer until he serves Nobunaga to the fullest in order to achieve his goal to unify Japan.

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• Adaptation Expansion: As Mitsuhide is the deuteragonist of this title, 5 also explores more of his service prior to the Oda. This includes his refuge with the Asakura after his previous lords burned down his castle after Yoshitatsu overthrew Dosan. This also includes fictional excursions with the Amago and Uesugi clans.
• An Ice Person: Contrasting Nobunaga, Mitsuhide's element is ice.
• Bottomless Magazines: Like other firearms in the series, Mitsuhide is capable of firing a lot of bullets from a normally single-shot matchlock without reloading.
• Deuteragonist: Second only to Nobunaga when it comes to character focus in 5. His battle at Yamazaki, thirteen days after the death of Nobunaga, is the last actual historical battle that the game portrays.
• Firing One-Handed: Several of Mitsuhide's moves with his matchlock have him use it one-handed alongside his tachi.
• I Have Many Names: Mitsuhide is also known by his other name, Jūbei. In the English translation, he's referred to as "Mitsuhide Jūbei Akechi".
• Katanas Are Just Better: Retains the katana as his weapon choice, albeit with a revamped moveset. He shares this weapon with Nobunaga, Nagamasa, Yoshiaki, Nobuyuki, and Takakage.
• Master Swordsman: Out of the six playable characters who use katanas, Mitsuhide is 5's poster boy for the weapon; his unique attacks emphasize his unmatched speed and skill. Even when he switches to his Sword and Gun, he can still pull off some impressive moves with his tachi.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The steadfast, traditionalist blue to Nobunaga's red.
• Silver Fox: The matured Mitsuhide has grey long hair, but still retains a youthful visage.
• Sword and Gun: Once the Time Skip happens in Chapter 5, Mitsuhide gains a second preferred set of weapons in the form of a tachi and a matchlock carbine.
• We Used to Be Friends: As the game goes on, his friendship with Nobunaga slowly collapses as Mitsuhide begins to have doubts about Nobunaga's brutal conquest. By then, this leads to his betrayal at Honnoji.

Nō

Voiced by: Yukiyo Fujii

Daughter of Dosan Saitō who sent her to be betrothed to Nobunaga.

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• Adaptational Personality Change: Unlike her previous self, who was a very sadistic individual who formed an Unholy Matrimony with Nobunaga (which isn't even covering the fact that she still wanted to kill him), this Nō is an emotionless, subservient woman with no greater ambitions in life who finds her world turned upside down after marrying Nobunaga.
• Animal Motifs: Butterflies, like her previous incarnation.
• Cynicism Catalyst: Her death changes Nobunaga into becoming a colder and more ruthless warlord bent on dominating the country with brute force.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Initially a cold and stoic individual, she warms up over time towards her new husband.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: Unlike previous titles, Nō dies before the Honnoji Incident, protecting Nobunaga from a gunshot meant for him by Magoichi.
• Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Contrasting Nobunaga's odachi, and her brother Yoshitatsu's hammer, this version of Nō uses a bow to fight.
• I Have Many Names: Nō is also referred to by her real name, Kichō.
• Morality Chain: Towards Nobunaga. Her death and his subsequent desire to avenge his wife is what eventually causes Nobunaga's descent into ruthlessness.

Hideyoshi Hashiba

Voiced by: Yūto Uemura

One of Nobunaga's retainers who would eventually become one of the three unifiers of Japan. He came to serve Nobunaga with the aid of Toshiie Maeda.

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• Uncatty Resemblance: While slightly less monkey-like compared to his previous iteration, he has noticeably large ears.
• Younger and Hipper: He's portrayed at a much younger age than previous installments.

Ieyasu Tokugawa

Voiced by: Ryōta Ōsaka

Son of a minor daimyo that governed Mikawa. He was initially a hostage of the Imagawa Clan until Nobunaga captures him and eventually becomes his vassal and one of the three unifiers of Japan.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In the previous games, Ieyasu's personal life was rarely mentioned. In the fifth game, the inclusion of Sena sheds light on the tragedy where he has to make a difficult decision to execute his son and wife.
• Cannot Kill Their Loved Ones: Upon learning that Sena is responsible for their son's betrayal, Ieyasu refuses to execute her. Sena chooses to commit suicide instead to spare him the pain of forcing himself to kill her.
• Dual Wielding: In this game, Ieyasu's preferred weapon is a pair of katana, which he shares with Shikanosuke.
• I Have Many Names: Ieyasu is also referred to by his childhood name, Takechiyo.
• Offing the Offspring: Is forced to do this to his son, Nobuyasu. This is the first time the incident is shown in any significant detail and was not an easy choice for Ieyasu to make.
• Younger and Hipper: This version of Ieyasu is a young man whose appearance is akin to that of Ranmaru Mori's. It's also truer to history since he was a young child when he served under the Imagawa, though the look stays even after a Time Skip on since he does not have an alternative model, making it a bit jarring even when Nobunaga ages.

Katsuie Shibata

Voiced by: Eiji Takemoto

One of the Oda clan's retainers serves under Nobunaga's younger brother, Nobuyuki. He's also called "Demon Shibata".

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• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Katsuie in this title cares about Oichi so much that he willingly serves the Azai when Oichi goes over to them. This is the opposite of his previous incarnations and even history, where he was a stalwart of the Oda and detested the Azai.
• Dub Name Change: Instead of "Devil Shibata", Katsuie's moniker is instead translated as "Demon Shibata".
• Fanservice Pack: One of the more significant recipients. Compared his wrestler-like, brutish appearance in previous games, this Shibata is a handsome, middle-aged Hunk in a more flattering outfit.
• Exact Words: Nobunaga ordered Katsuie to protect Oichi, of course, Katsuie extended his "protection order" even when Oichi swore to defend the Azai against the invading Oda forces.
• I Have Many Names: Katsuie is also referred to by his other name, Gonroku.

Yoshimoto Imagawa

Voiced by: Kenji Nomura

The great daimyo who ruled Suruga and Totomi. He considers Nobunaga as a nuisance.

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• Adaptational Badass: Contrary to previous depictions, Yoshimoto is significantly more imposing and serious in this installment.
• Adaptational Intelligence: He's a much more competent commander this time, and this shows especially at Okehazama. His main camp is still set up in the gorge where an ambush would be easy, but he actually deliberately placed it there to set up a counter ambush with Hanzo disguised as him. This camp was also a decoy while his real main camp is at a castle.
• Adaptational Jerkass: Yoshimoto is a lot more unpleasant and arrogant than in previous installments.
• Adaptational Villainy: Unlike his previous incarnation who is childish and carefree person, this Yoshimoto is very much more evil and callous villainous tyrant that doesn't shown of humor anymore and instead to take over the territories in his plan.
• Cool Helmet: This Yoshimoto wears a gold-colored helmet modeled after Kanmuri, a type of hat usually worn by noblemen.
• Gold-Colored Superiority: He wears a gold-colored armor and is one of the most influential figures in his region.
• Jerkass: Yoshimoto is a highly arrogant warlord who sees everyone outside of his clan as beneath him. He especially doesn't like Nobunaga due to seeing him as nothing more than the Great Fool that more than earned that reputation.
• Large and in Charge: A lot larger than other characters, and he was the biggest obstacle in Nobunaga's path of unification.
• Not His Sled: In this game, when he gets ambushed at Okehazama, he is surprised, but unrattled, and tells his troops to compose themselves. It's then revealed that this was actually Hanzo acting as a Kagemusha, and the whole thing was a trap for Nobunaga, while the real Yoshimoto was commanding from a different location.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Arrogant as he may be, he can still be reasoned with, will listen to good advice, doesn't hold grudges, and doesn't treat his men badly.
• Starter Villain: As usual, he's the first major obstacle in Nobunaga's storyline. This time, he's also far more antagonistic.

Nagamasa Azai

Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya

Head of the Azai clan who marries Nobunaga's sister, Oichi. He is a righteous and brave young man who is trusted by his retainers.

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• Implausible Hair Color: Retains his blond hair in this iteration. Though, he does have a chonmage worn at the back of his head.
• Katanas Are Just Better: Nagamasa wields a katana in lieu of a lance in this iteration.
• Shock and Awe: His Musou attack features him charging his katana with a lightning bolt, and then swinging the weapon to cause a burst of electricity upon his foes.

Oichi

Voiced by: Ai Maeda

Nobunaga's sister and Nagamasa's wife.

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• Genki Girl: Highly reminiscent of her incarnation in 1.
• Paper Talisman: This iteration of Oichi uses talismans in the form of origami as her preferred weapon, which she shares with Kanbei.
• Younger and Hipper: Becomes something akin to her original portrayal in the first Samurai Warriors game, in both age and personality.

Toshiie Maeda

Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi

One of the Oda clan's retainers who is a good friend to Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. He's known to be the "Mighty Spear Mataza" due to his bravery in the battlefield.

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• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Toshiie is presented as a close friend to Nobunaga in the early portions of the game, while the two had no major interactions in previous installments, outside of Toshiie faithfully following Nobunaga's orders in battle.
• Boisterous Bruiser: He's The Big Guy for the Oda, a legendary warrior who dives into the fiercest fights in the fiercest battles with boundless (and extremely loud) enthusiasm.
• Composite Character: Possesses a bit of his nephew Keiji's traits, since Toshiie too was a kabukimono in his youth. His kabuki-style pose in his Musou Art is reminsicent of Keiji's mannerisms as well.
• Japanese Delinquents: Though nowhere near as blatant about it like Masanori, this Toshiie's design is loosely based on a bosozoku, if his short-sleeved, flame-embroidered longcoat, speech patterns, and his Boisterous Bruiser personality is any indication.
• Large Ham: A flamboyant Boisterous Bruiser who's all about big muscles, big weapons, and a big personality.

Tadakatsu Honda

Voiced by: Chikahiro Kobayashi

The Tokugawa clan's retainer. He is Ieyasu's loyal friend and right-hand man.

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• Adaptational Personality Change: This Tadakatsu is far brasher and hot-headed, as opposed to his previous incarnation. In a sense, this Tadakatsu fills the role of the red oni that Naomasa left behind.
• Adaptational Wimp: Tadakatsu is younger in this installment, and as such, he has yet to earn the military fame his previous incarnation has. To put things in perspective, not only is he one of the first officers Nobunaga fought within the Oda campaign to little fanfare, but he also lacks a unique moveset and his theme (though this goes for most of the characters in 5).
• I Have Many Names: Tadakatsu is also known by his other name, Heihachirō. Sometimes, the "Rō" of his name is omitted.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Between Ieyasu's two retainers, Tadakatsu is the headstrong red oni to Hanzō's blue.

Hanbei Takenaka

Voiced by: Umeka Shoji

The Saitō Clan's strategist and a mentor to Kanbei. He became Hideyoshi's chief advisor after recognizing his potential to unify Japan.

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• Improbable Weapon User: Hanbei's weapon of choice is a bladed war drum that can create sound orbs, which also react to Hanbei swinging the drum and creating sound waves that damage the enemy. He's also unique in that he's the only character with it as his Preferred Weapon.

Kanbei Kuroda

Voiced by: Masaya Takatsuka

A strategist who served under Hideyoshi and is also Hanbei's student. He eventually became Hideyoshi's chief adviser after Hanbei's death.

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• Younger and Hipper: In contrast to his appearance from the previous games, Kanbei is portrayed as much younger since he was Hanbei's apprentice then.

Motonari Mōri

Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa

A great daimyo and strategist who governs the entire Chugoku region.

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• Adaptational Jerkass: Because Shikanosuke Yamanaka is a central character to Mitsuhide's story, Motonari is portrayed as a far more calculative and cold menace to be Shikanosuke's archenemy compared to his previous earnest historian incarnation.
• Age Lift: This version of Motonari looks much closer to the age he was during the events portrayed, being a bearded, older man in contrast to his inexplicably youthful appearance from the previous games.

Takakage Kobayakawa

Voiced by: Hiroshi Okamoto

Motonari's third son and a strategist in his own right.

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• Adaptational Jerkass: Alongside Motonari, Takakage is a far more arrogant individual.
• Hidden Depths: Still enjoys reading and would rather live in peaceful times.

Hisahide Matsunaga

Voiced by: Kouji Ishii

A great daimyo from Yamato who would invade the shogun's palace to create his ideal world. He's a very cunning and treacherous man who had an interest in Mitsuhide due to his talent.

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• Adaptational Heroism: A low bar to achieve compared to the over-the-top villainy of his previous incarnation. This Hisahide aligned himself with the Oda to create his ideal world. His rebellion is played far more as a tragedy than a battle between evil masterminds.
• It's All About Me: Ultimately his talk of his "Ideal World" mostly means a world where he comes out on top and is fickle enough to turn on anyone to achieve said goal.
• Mad Bomber: Downplayed compared to his previous incarnation, but this Hisahide still likes to throw explosives around like there's no tomorrow. His death by explosion, though not shown, is implied to have happened anyways, albeit with less theatrics.
• Verbal Tic: Much like how his previous iteration is obsessed with the word "Fate", this version is constantly talking about his "Ideal World".

Shingen Takeda

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada

A great daimyo from Kai. He's known as the "Tiger of Kai" who has a powerful army of horseback riders. He is Kenshin's rival.

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• Adaptational Badass: As a consequence of not having any of the Sanada Clan as notable members of the Takeda in this installment, along with being much more youthful than his previous appearance, Shingen pretty much runs the clan on his own, with Katsuyori and Motonobu following behind.
• Adaptational Jerkass: Unlike his previous incarnation of a caring and fun uncle who somewhat hides his genius, this Shingen is very much aware that he is one of the greatest minds of his era, he not only flat out tells Katsuyori that he can't surpass him, but he looks down on everyone he attacks, regarding Ieyasu as a "whelp".
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: With his rivalry with Kenshin, instead of a friendly game of wits, Shingen detests Kenshin's righteousness and sees him as an obstacle to be crushed.
• Age Lift: Portrayed as a young, rugged leader of his clan as opposed to his elderly, wisened portrayal in previous installments.
• Dead All Along: By the time Nobunaga crushes the Takeda in Nagashino, Shingen had already died before that. The Shingen fought there was a Kagemusha.
• Why Couldn't You Be Different?: Outright tells this to Katsuyori, saying that he is not good enough to uphold the Takeda legacy should Shingen pass away.

Kenshin Uesugi

Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu

A great daimyo from Echigo. He's known as the "God of War" who pursues the path of righteousness.

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• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: This incarnation of Kenshin has interactions with Mitsuhide, which is not only completely ahistorical, as the two never met, but they also didn't have any interaction in any of the past games of the series.
• BFS: Kenshin wields an odachi, like Nobunaga.
• Composite Character: This Kenshin possesses Kanetsugu Naoe's stalwart passion for justice and righteousness, who's not present in this installment.
• Cool Helmet: This Kenshin wears a tall, white helmet modeled after Eboshi, a type of hat usually worn by noblemen, as opposed to the monk's hood worn by his previous incarnations.
• Hot-Blooded: In many stages, Kenshin appears to be filled with genuine joy at being on the battlefield, especially when butting heads with Shingen, laughing uproariously when his rival manages to pull a fast one on him.
• Pretty Boy: This Kenshin has a pretty face instead of his look in previous installments.

Magoichi Saika

Voiced by: Hiroshi Isobe

The leader of the Saika Renegades who openly opposes Nobunaga. He's a mercenary who's willing to take any request.

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• Adaptational Jerkass: This Magoichi is a lot more cold and standoffish than his more well-intentioned previous incarnation. He also doesn't fight for the peasant's sake but whoever contracts him. Once the Ashikaga fall, he moves on to whoever will employ him.
• The Heavy: Magoichi and the Saika mercenaries act as the muscle of the shogun and is the far more substantial threat of the two.
• Nominal Hero: This Magoichi is more interested in killing Nobunaga than protecting the peasants. Getting the kill is what matters to him.
• Only in It for the Money: Magoichi is a mercenary through and through. He only goes as far as his abilities and current employer's wallet can handle and will drop the job if it proves more trouble than it's worth.
• Shotguns Are Just Better: Magoichi's preferred weapon is the cannon, which he shares with Kazuuji and Hisahide.

Hanzō Hattori

Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda

Retainer of the Tokugawa clan and a former member of the Iga ninjas.

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• Awesomenessby Analysis: Is the only person to quickly catch on to Sandayu's schemes and realize his former master has been deliberately sabotaging the Oda and setting up rebellions.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Still has his scars where they are from previous Samurai Warriors installments, which had been previously well-hidden by his masks in 3 and 4.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: Due to Tadakatsu being less experienced than previous incarnations, as well as the eventual fate of Sena, Hanzo has been retooled as not only Ieyasu's bodyguard but also his advisor. He had cautioned his lord about Nobunaga, acted as a double at Mikatagahara, and even spirited his lord through Iga in the aftermath of Nobunaga's death.
• The Quiet One: Averted, unlike his previous incarnations, this Hanzō is very talkative and advises his lord on and off the battlefield.
• Stock Ninja Weaponry: This version of Hanzō has the ninjato as his preferred weapon. The weapon also comes with shurikens he can throw at his disposal.

Supporting Characters

These characters are, while playable, can't be picked in story mode and lack EX-attacks and a musou art of their own.

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Katsuyori Takeda

Born: 1546
Died: 1582

The son of Shingen Takeda, famed for his disastrous defeat at Nagashino. A sincere young man, he both respects and fears his father. He would eventually become the head of the Takeda family, battling with all of his might to protect his family name, which his father had worked so hard to build up over the years. He was previously a main playable character in Spirit of Sanada.

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• Costume Evolution: Since his design was based on the one from Spirit of Sanada, his armor also gets some touch-ups, like his sode getting properly attached to his armor instead of hanging on... somehow.
• Demoted to Extra: Compared to his appearance in Spirit of Sanada, Katsuyori is significantly less important.
• Gameplay and Story Integration: Katsuyori's leveling grid is identical to his father's, but worse, with no double-strength skill slots and no ultimate skill. He really can't measure up to Shingen.
• I Have Many Names: Katsuyori is also referred to by his other name, Shirō.
• Sucksessor: As with previous titles. Shingen doesn't believe Katsuyori has what it takes to lead the Takeda in his stead. Katsuyori's disastrous management of the clan post-Nagashino proves him right, as it leads to Motonobu's death and many betrayals to the Oda, with Katsuyori eventually dying at Mt. Tenmoku.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Desperately seeks the approval of his father, who doesn't think very highly of him.

Nobuyuki Oda

Born: 1536
Died: 1557

Nobunaga's younger brother. In contrast to his brother, he is a very calm and modest young man. While he admonishes Nobunaga for his recklessness on a daily basis, he respects him and occasionally goes into battle with him to provide support.

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• Pretty Boy: Nobuyuki possesses a much gentler visage than his brother. It was also noted that Mitsuki inherited said visage, if not his personality..
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue Oni to Nobunaga and Oichi's red, as he was noted to be more straight-laced than his brother, and the fact that Oichi is a lot more carefree than the two combined.
• Seppuku: He all but insists it outright to his brother that he must die this way, and follows through with it once Nobunaga reluctantly orders him to do so.
• Small Role, Big Impact: It was Nobuyuki's death that allowed Nobunaga to continue forward with his ambition. He's also Mitsuki's real father, whom Toshiie would send to be raised by some of his relatives after Nobuyuki killed himself.
• Zero-Approval Gambit: Nobuyuki deliberately gathered those discontent with Nobunaga's repeated gambles in an effort to keep them from defecting for real. Once they lost, Nobuyuki then proceeds to basically sacrifice himself for Nobunaga's cause at his own insistence, just to quell any further attempts at rebellion. Despite the fact that it was necessary, Nobunaga was not happy with the solution in the slightest.

Dōsan Saitō

Born: 1497
Died: 1556

The Viper of Mino. Arranged a political marriage between his daughter, Nō, and Nobunaga. Betrayed by his son Yoshitatsu at Nagaragawa and struck down.

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• Advertised Extra: In the beginning cutscene for the game, he is given equal standing to Motonari Mōri, Kenshin Uesugi, Shingen Takeda and Yoshimoto Imagawa as famous daimyo that Nobunaga will have to overcome on his journey. His role in the story is minimal compared to the other figures, and unlike other supporting characters, he doesn't get a playable appearance within the story mode itself.
• Karmic Death: He gets into power by usurping the Shugo Toki Yorinari and later usurped and killed by his own son Yoshitatsu.
• Stealth Mentor: Serves as one to Nobunaga. While he initially dismisses him as an impetuous fool, he ends up impressed by him. Everything he does to Nobunaga are all tests to see whether the young Fool of Owari has the bite to back up his bark. After Nobunaga proves himself, Dosan attempts to hand off rule of Mino to him.

Yoshitatsu Saitō

Born: 1527
Died: 1561

Dōsan Saitō's son. Due to his arrogance, he is not well-liked by his family, and Dōsan is quite cold to him as well. When he sees that Dōsan begins to support Nobunaga more than him, his discontent begins to grow. This will culminate in a chilling betrayal and patricide before he stands as the formidable opponent for Nobunaga to conquer and begin his expansion.

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• The Big Guy: He is noticeably huge compared to other unique officers. His character bio notes he was like this in real life as well, standing at 6'5".
• Big Bad Wannabe: He thinks he is a threat comparable to Yoshimoto, even laughing at Nobunaga for retreating from him at Muraki yet refusing to engage against Yoshimoto himself.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Yoshitatsu makes sure his son Tatsuoki escapes safely from the Saitō's demise.
• Hate Sink: Yoshitatsu is one of the most deplorable characters of the game. If his condescending attitude towards Nobunaga wasn't bad enough, his patricide of Dōsan and further driving out Mitsuhide and other Dōsan loyalists from his clan sets the audience up to detest him (although from a political standpoint this makes a lot of sense and completely justified as you don't want people loyal to your political enemy to work for you, because they may try to sabotage your work at best or stage a rebellion and/or assassinate you at worst).
• Patricide: Does this to Dōsan to take over the clan.
• Pet the Dog: Despite being generally unpleasant otherwise, he has a soft spot for his half-sister Nō. He doesn't particularly care that Nō chose to fight against him, saying that she can do as she please, even sparing some words of encouragement.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Of a sort. Despite being a brute otherwise, Yoshitatsu is not completely unreasonable if given a sound explanation. Hanbei notes that he would be far more bearable if he was able to control himself on the battlefield as well.
• Smug Snake: While he is a competent commander, grossly overestimates his own abilities and believes Nobunaga will never be a threat.

Yoshiaki Ashikaga

Born: 1537
Died: 1597

The 15th Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate. After gaining help from Nobunaga and arriving at the capital, he became a shogun after his older brother Yoshiteru was murdered. While he conducts himself as a member of the shogunate family, his cowardly side emerges in the face of danger.

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• Authority in Name Only: He tried to prevent that by getting rid of Nobunaga before he got too powerful. Ultimately, it didn't work out for him.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Despite his timid looks, the displaced shogun ends up causing Nobunaga many problems during his ascent to power.
• Dirty Coward: He is constantly sniveling and whining, spends the entire stage he's fought hiding in a fort before trying to run away, and even tries to throw Fujihide—the only guy who is loyal to him and not just the shogunate—under the bus when caught. He descends into a shivering mess in one cutscene at just the thought of being harmed.

Yoshikage Asakura

Born: 1533
Died: 1573

The great daimyō of Echizen. Even during the turbulent times of the Sengoku period, he is known as a pacifist who is greatly against fighting. His goal is to keep Echizen as a peaceful place and has no interest in ruling the country. During Mitsuhide's period as a nomad, he welcomed him as a guest samurai and worked with him for a period of time.

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• Adaptational Heroism: Unlike the previous incarnation of Yoshikage, who was notoriously a coward, this incarnation avoids battles to keep his domain from suffering.
• Pacifist: Doesn't like engaging in wars unless necessary and would rather focus on developing his domain, something that the historical Yoshikage did quite successfully.

Fujihide Mitsubuchi

Born: ????
Died: 1574

Yoshiaki Ashikaga's chief retainer. An exemplary warrior who supports the young Yoshiaki. While he is courteous to everyone, he cannot tolerate any enemy of the shogunate family. He has been friends with Mitsuhide ever since he started working with Yoshikage Asakura.

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• Hypercompetent Sidekick: Seemingly handles almost all of Yoshiaki's daily affairs, he handles all the strategies and commanding of Yoshiaki's forces. He also hires Magoichi to take out Nobunaga, sensing the young lord to be a future threat.
• It Has Been an Honor: His last words are telling this to Yoshiaki.
• Undying Loyalty: Protects the shogunate to his last breath.

Motonobu Okabe

Born: 1527
Died: 1581

A seasoned military veteran who served the Imagawa. He highly honors loyalty and will do anything to allow his lord to be victorious. Eventually, he would serve Takeda and stand in the way of the Oda and Tokugawa families for many years.

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• Defiant to the End: Motonobu's opinion of Nobunaga doesn't sway even after he becomes the Demon King. He's also the only one who still calls Nobunaga 'The Great Fool.'
• The Remnant: Portrayed as the last soldier of the Imagawa, even when joining the Takeda. This is most evident at his final stand in Takatenjin, where the Oda vows to wipe off the Imagawa from the face of the earth.

Motoharu Kikkawa

Born: 1535
Died: 1586

Motonari Mōri's second son. His entire family honors military prowess above all else. He works to support his family alongside his resourceful brother Takakage Kobayakawa. He loves taking part in battles and always anticipates taking on strong foes. A fierce rival of Shikanosuke Yamanaka, who would allegedly execute him after his surrender.

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• Brains and Brawn: The Brawn to Motonari and Takakage's Brains. Unlike most examples of the trope, Motoharu is quite intelligent himself, it's just Motonari and Takakage are smarter.
• The Brute: The more physically capable member than the rest of his family, who like planning behind the scenes. In battle, he's always covered by a red aura enhancing his strength.
• The Rival: To Shikanosuke Yamanaka. Has some Truth in Television as Motoharu allegedly had Shikanosuke killed after his surrender to the Mori.

Terumoto Mōri

Born: 1553
Died: 1625

Motonari Mōri's grandson. He is set to succeed his father, who passed before his time, as the head of the Mōri family. He greatly respects Motonari, his grandfather who raised him, and works daily to be a great head of the family like him.

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• Morality Chain: For the Mori clan, they take good care of him and want him to be sheltered away from the harsh realities of war.
• Tagalong Kid: He has yet to gain control of his clan fully. Even after Motonari's death, both Takakage and Motoharu still guide the young leader and handle most of the affairs for him.