Nioh/Nioh 2 Main Character Index
Main Characters | Guardian Spirits | Other Characters | DLC Characters | Enemies and Bosses
Main Characters | Guardian Spirits | Other Characters | DLC Characters | Enemies and Bosses
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Nioh
Senji Tome
- Voiced by: Sayaka Kinoshita
- Ambiguously Related: With Senji Toyo from Nioh 2. They're both Muramasa's granddaughters, but it's never specified if they're sisters or cousins.
- The Blacksmith: As a descendant of the legendary Senji Muramasa, Tome forges and upgrades William's armor and weapons. Fortunately, unlike her ancestor, her creations aren't Evil Weapons.
- Eyepatch of Power: She lost her eye in a smithing accident when she was younger, but that doesn't stop her from forging William's gear.
- We Buy Anything: Players can sell accessories, armor, crafting materials, items and weapons to her for cash.
Senji Muramasa
- Voiced by: Yohei Tadano
A descendant of the legendary weaponsmith Muramasa and the grandfather of both Senji Toyo and Tome.
- Expy: Of the same-named blacksmith/shopkeeper from the modern Ninja Gaiden trilogy.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: Per the character encyclopedia, the swords he forged were held to be the greatest aside from Gorō Masamune's, but according to popular legend, were cursed to drive their wielder insane with bloodlust. In-game lore hints that it's because he uses Amrita in the forging process.
Matsunaga Hisahide
- Voiced by: Shigeru Chiba
Also known as the Spider, he was a retainer of Nobunaga until he betrayed him which eventually led to his death when Nobunaga attacked his castle. However, his spirit would live on inside his precious tea kettle.
- Affably Evil: In his teahouse, Hisahide is friendly to William, even though it's obvious he is a very sinister person for having betrayed Oda Nobunaga on numerous occasions.
- Ambiguously Human: Hisahide reputedly committed suicide by blowing himself up to prevent Nobunaga from obtaining the "Hirogumo" teakettle, but the game doesn't make it clear if Danjo is truly Hisahide's ghost or he became something else prior to his supposed death.
- Animal Motifs: Spiders - his Guardian Spirit is Itokuri, a purple-colored arachnid, while his prized teakettle becomes the Yōkai "Juro-Gumo".
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Hisahide murdered his master and killed a Shogun, even betrayed Nobunaga multiple times.
- Eldritch Location: It's implied the teahouse exists in a Void Between the Worlds.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Hisahide openly and joyously calls himself a corrupted and sinful being, but even he is repulsed by the Amrita.
- Evil Laugh: When he calls William as a simpleton, his voice distorts slightly and he lets out a menacing laugh as the eyes on his cape glow red.
- Eyes Do Not Belong There: The upper part of his cape resembles a spider's head, the eyes of which glow ominously when William views his memories.
- Laughably Evil: In the 2, though he is generally the same as he was in 1, facing him on the battlefield brings out an entirely different side of him. One that tends to laugh at Hide a lot, especially upon defeating them. He's also a bit goofier than most fights in the game, fighting primarily with bombs that are often comically larger than the standard size. One of his attacks is even to rush Hide down and grab them before slam dunking a bomb right in their face for massive damage.
- Mad Bomber: Not normally, but when facing Hide in combat, the majority of his attacks are throwing different variety of bombs out, including poison and paralysis bombs. He has a Desperation Attack involving throwing out nearly a dozen poison and paralysis bombs to cover most of the arena in clouds of poison and paralysis. And he even has a special attack that involves tackling Hide before spiking a giant bomb right in their face.
- You Can See Me?: When he appears after William slays the Juro-Gumo, he is surprised William can see him.
- Wicked Cultured: Besides his well-known love of tea, Hisahide also collected numerous treasures and artifacts from across Japan besides the Hirogumo, even sneaking into a temple his army was going to attack in order to rescue the treasures in its tearoom.
Kuroda Nagamasa
- Voiced by: Hiroshi Tsuchida
- Adaptational Wimp: Historically, Nagamasa lived to be a great successor to his father, Kanbei, and even was the one who defeated Shima Sakon. However, in the game proper, he more or less becomes a Butt-Monkey, prone to amusing mishaps at his expense.
- Animal Motifs: Bulls - his Guardian Spirit is the giant, blue Fuse-Ushi, while his unique armor set is called the "Raging Bull", with the helmet sporting a pair of curved ox horns.
- Badass Cape: His armor set comes with a classy gray cape that matches it's overall color scheme.
- Butt-Monkey: The game treats him as such; the first time he's seen, he's been captured by the Yōkai "Hino-Enma". Later appearances have him losing his clan's sacred sword (twice) and being Eaten Alive by an "Onryoki" only to be saved by William.
- Cool Helmet: His aforementioned helmet that sports a pair of curved ox horns. In the side mission "Kuroda's Determination" however, he wears a different one called "Ichi no Tani", whose design is inspired by the famous Battle of Ichi-no-Tani from the Genpei War.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Nagamasa gets captured by a Hino-Enma and loses his clan's greatest treasure twice (and both times William has to retrieve it himself). However, among Ieyasu's allies, Nagamasa is a powerful combatant and a capable politician like his father.
- Nice Guy: Described as a big-hearted man, Nagamasa eagerly thanks William for saving him from the Hino-Enma. He also gives Ishida his haori during the latter's execution just to provide him a little comfort.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: According to a secondary entry in Kanbei's character profile, he doesn't frequently mention how much he loves Nagamasa. However, he does and is proud of him for his accomplishments.
Kuroda Kanbei
- Voiced by: Yohei Tadano
- Cool Old Guy: Being an elder hasn't dulled his wit and authority. Kanbei also helps out William by repairing the Liefde for him to travel to the mainland.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Kanbei's practically seen and experienced the horrors of the Warring States Period since its inception, from suffering via Nobunaga's rampage to being imprisoned under Hideyoshi's tyranny.
- Scars Are Forever: His most noticeable feature is the explicit burn scar across his face, something inflicted upon him during Nobunaga's reign.
- So Proud of You: Nagamasa doesn't realize it, but Kanbei's sincerely proud of him as his son, and deeply regrets that in his old age he might not get to see his own son's rise to glory.
Torii Mototada
- Voiced by: Yosuke Akimoto
- Animal Motifs: Birds - Torii itself sounds similar to tori, which simply means bird. On top of that, his helmet features a pair of bird wings, while his hizayoroi is adorned with a waistcape made of large feathers. Finally, his Guardian Spirit is a sparrow which hides its true form - Suzaku. As a bonus, this all matches a popular Japanese proverb: "A skilled hawk hides its talons."
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Nioh initially treats him as though he's a crotchety old man, with his Guardian Spirit simply being a dinky little sparrow. However, he's one of Ieyasu's longest and most trusted allies, sacrificing himself at Fushimi Castle to buy time for Ieyasu to mobilize his troops for the Battle of Sekigahara, much to Ieyasu's reluctance, even revealing the true form of his Guardian Spirit - Suzaku.
- Grumpy Old Man: Mototada's immediately skeptical of William's abilities, despite the fact a foreigner has Hanzo's approval and William was able to discern that the "Ieyasu" he meets is a fake. Mototada even calls out Hanzo for potentially telling William that Ieyasu frequently uses body doubles. Subverted when he makes his Last Stand at Fushimi Castle against Mitsunari's army.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Stays at Fushimi Castle in order to divert Mitsunari's attention away from Ieyasu while taking out as much of his demonic army as he can.
Ii Naomasa
- Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama
- Animal Motifs: Tigers - Enko is his Guardian Spirit; furthermore, Naomasa's original name "Toramatsu" contains the word "tora" meaning "tiger" in Japanese. Finally, as the Enko is affiliated with Blood Knights, Naomasa will occassionally challenge William as a Duel Boss in side-missions.
- Face of a Thug: Despite his ferocity in battle and immense collection of scars, Naomasa was legendary for his chivalry and politeness. Demonstrated when he meets William for the first time - whereas Mototada is wary of the foreigner, Naomasa happily lends his assistance and tasks William with side-missions.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Naomasa's face is heavily covered with battle scars.
- Red Is Heroic: Being allied with Ieyasu, he's firmly on the Tokugawa's side and William's; furthermore, his "Red Demon" armor set is nothing short of being absolutely crimson from top-to-bottom.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Naomasa was historically slain by Shimazu Yoshihiro, who made a valiant escape after breaking through an enemy siege while mortally wounding Naomasa in the process. You end up playing this very event in the game, but instead of Naomasa being fatally wounded, you meet up with him later just barely holding on to life.
Honda Tadakatsu
- Voiced by: Tesshō Genda
- Animal Motifs: Stags - Tadakatsu's helmet is adorned with deer antlers, and his Guardian Spirit Shin-roku is a stag (see Healing Factor below).
- Blood Knight: It's implied in his character entry in the encyclopedia Tadakatsu has lost the desire to fight against Ieyasu's enemies because most of them are dead at this point in history. However, William's appearance has stirred something in his heart again that allows Tadakatsu to come back into the fold.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: After Kelley takes over Edo Castle, Tadakatsu is influenced by the Amrita crystals to fight off intruders.
- Dual Boss: With Muneshige in an optional side-mission of New Game Plus.
- Healing Factor: One legend of the Warring States Period was that Tadakatsu managed to get through his entire bloody, hectic career without a single significant wound (as opposed to Ieyasu's other great general Naomasa who collected them like stamps). Nioh justifies this by giving him rapid Hit Point regeneration via Shin-roku. To be clear, the nature of Guardian Spirits in Nioh doesn't diminish his skills - it just means that rather than being good enough to escape a thousand battles without injury, Tadakatsu was good enough that he impressed the embodiment of nature itself into lending him a hand.
- Historical Beauty Update: It may seem odd that being depicted as a plain-faced old man is a step up for Tadakatsu, but according to contemporary paintings, he was stunningly ugly, with a huge nose, thick lips, and tiny, piggy eyes. Nioh gives him the second-biggest makeover, surpassed only by Kelley.
- Honor Before Reason: After William frees the Brainwashed Tadakatsu, the latter is so ashamed he got caught off-guard so easily he wants to commit Seppuku, but William assures him the fault lies with Kelley.
- Old Soldier: His glory days are behind him, and that scary-looking armor now conceals a slightly pudgy old man, but he's still one of the greatest Samurai alive, and can utterly demolish his opponents with his spear, all thanks to his epitaph of the "Strongest in the East".
- Optional Boss: It's actually possible to skip Tadakatsu entirely, in the most absurd way possible: when you reach the end of the sewer, there'll be a locked door with a man behind it who'll open the door if you bring him... Dung Balls. You never find out why the guy wants them.
- Puzzle Boss: Living up to the man of legend, Tadakatsu is practically Nigh-Invulnerable when players fight him for the first time, as his Hit Points keep regenerating. Players don't need to physically defeat him - instead, they must destroy the Amrita crystals in the arena that are brainwashing him.
- Undying Loyalty: Like his Real Life counterpart, Tadakatsu serves Ieyasu to the very end, even narrowly committing Seppuku in order to preserve his honor for allowing Edo Castle to fall to Kelley.
- The Worf Effect: In 2, you can run into him having a hard time against the revenant Magara Naokatsu, just to show how much of a threat this enemy is.
Ishida Mitsunari
- Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai
- Asian Fox Spirit: Mitsunari's Guardian Spirit, Izuna, takes the shape of a white fox, contrasting Ieyasu's tanuki-based Guardian Spirit.
- Bald of Evil: His hair is cut in the traditional chonmage style underneath his helmet.
- Face Death with Dignity: Mitsunari accepts his defeat by the Tokugawa gracefully and awaits his public execution with no complaint.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: As the war continues, Mitsunari makes increasingly amoral, desperate decisions, such that not even Ieyasu would consider taking, just to hold on to anyone he has left. Much of Ieyasu's forces are understandably aghast by how far gone he's become.
- Kick the Dog: Knowing he has lost the Battle of Sekigahara and, more importantly, is about to lose his beloved general Shima Sakon, Mitsunari sacrifices 300 of his soldiers for Kelley to use and create an abomination.
- One-Winged Angel: Mitsunari is violently turned into a Yōkai by Kelley in order to stall William.
- Pet the Dog: Just before he is executed, Nagamasa cloths Mitsunari with his haori, thinking he is cold.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: He knows he's on the losing side, most of the country's remaining warriors and warlords are aligned with Ieyasu, and public opinion of him is at rock-bottom. Knowing all this, he simply decides to accept Kelley's dark sorcery at face value, reckoning he has nothing left to lose.
- Unwitting Pawn: He thinks that Edward Kelley is a resource he can use, unaware that the alchemist' manipulation are bigger and better than his own.
Shima Sakon
- Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara
- Dual Wielding: During his appearance in Bloodshed's End, he uses his master's Guardian Spirit, Izuna alongside Kara-jishi.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Shows up in a cutscene very early in Chapter 2, where he briefly meets William's gaze while his Guardian Spirit roars at William, foreshadowing their later conflict.
- Graceful Loser: Seems almost enthusiastic after being beaten, initially offering his head to William as a way for him to become a lord before settling with giving away his spear. Played with when William correctly guesses Sakon is actually stalling for time so that Mitsunari can escape Sekigahara.
- Friendly Enemy: Sakon treats William with courtesy and respect whenever they meet, despite the two of them belonging to opposing sides in the war.
- Shock and Awe: His unique spear and Guardian Spirit are lightning-themed, and he has a unique move with the spear that entails leaping up and crashing down in a bolt of lightning.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Sakon historically died during or shortly after Sekigahara. See What Happened to the Mouse?.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Sakon is last seen fighting off skeletons at Sekigahara, but is not mentioned afterwards. He makes a final appearance as part of the crowd watching Mitsunari's execution in the base game, and is then fought in the third DLC as a "mysterious samurai", with the only indication of his identity being his choice in Guardian Spirits and that defeating the Samurai advances you towards clearing Shima Sakon-related achievements.
Otani Yoshitsugu
- Voiced by: Kenyū Horiuchi
- Animal Motifs: Moths; his Guardian Spirit "Janomecho" is, in stark contrast to other Spirits, a Cute Monster Girl with moth antennae and a cape resembling moth wings. After Yoshitsugu turns himself into a Yōkai as a Duel Boss, he gains similar physical features to Janomecho.
- Dual Wielding: Uses dual katana as his weapons.
- The Faceless: Zigzagged; Yoshitsugu Will always wear a cloth mask over his face in the story, but averted if players use his character template for Co-Op Multiplayer, to which they can designate whether he keeps it on or off.
- One-Winged Angel: Willingly subjects himself to Kelley's sorcery off-screen and turns into a Yōkai when his position is overrun at the Battle of Sekigahara.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Since Mitsunari is at a military disadvantage, Yoshitsugu brings in Kelley into their inner circle, believing a foreigner may give them an upper hand against the Tokugawa.
- White Mask of Doom: Not for his enemies, but himself - Yoshitsugu suffered from leprosy, and his mask was typical attire for those inflicted with the disease during that era.
- Your Days Are Numbered: In his dialogue with Sakon, he mentions he doesn't have long to live if Mitsunari doesn't defeat Ieyasu in time.
Tachibana Ginchiyo
- Voiced by: Shizuka Itō
- Bus Crash: Ginchiyo has passed away during the time of between Sekigahara and the Siege of Osaka Castle, where Defiant Honor and Bloodshed's End take place.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: When Ginchiyo muses the possibility of Muneshige being seduced by his concubine Yachiko, her handmaidens are visibly unnerved, sensing the mere notion subtly infuriates her. In a side-mission, she asks for William's help in finding a gift for her husband in a haunted ruin, giving an old charm they recover to Yachiko. This causes Okatsu to wonder if she intends some mischief.
- Iron Woobie: She's Secretly Dying and, since she's infertile, is forced to accept her husband taking a concubine in order to produce an heir and keep the clan alive. She hides her grief well, though she confides her pain to William at one point.
- Lady of War: Not only is Ginchiyo an Action Girl perfectly capable of combat, she will accompany William in some missions, decked out in realistic Samurai armor.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: Ginchiyo wants to have children, but due to her severe illness she was rendered incapable of doing so. This is the reason she begrudgingly accepts her husband's mistress Yachiko.
- Pink Is Feminine: Her Guardian Spirit is the bright pink-colored Shiba puppy, one half of the Paired Raiken Guardian Spirit, in stark contrast to her stern air of authority.
- Sadistic Choice: Was forced into one by Hideyoshi: enter an affair with him while her husband was away at war, or shame her clan by refusing a Daimyo, and be forced to commit Seppuku (and, it's hinted, cause Muneshige to be forced to do the same.) She chose the former, and it led to a miscarriage that cost her ability to have children and, eventually, her life.
- Shoot the Shaggy Dog: She accepted Hideyoshi's Sadistic Choice to enter an affair with him, for the purpose of preserving her Lord and husband's honor, and to survive to bear him an heir. The affair leads to her miscarrying Hideyoshi's child, leaving her infertile and dying anyway, so not only are her remaining days numbered, but she can't give Muneshige a son either, so she's forced to accept him taking a concubine in order to father an heir and keep their clan alive.
- Shock and Awe: True to her historical inspiration, her weapon is the unique katana Raikiri, which always arcs with electricity when it's taken out of its sheath.
- Silk Hiding Steel: Even while in her finery, she maintains an intimidating presence that unnerves her handmaidens. However, she shows her softer side around her husband.
- You See, I'm Dying: Not only has she lost the ability to have children, she's Secretly Dying. However, she is happy to be able to fight alongside her husband, for the sake of the people they govern. This likely references how she historically died at the age of 34, which by modern standards is depressingly young; and just a mere two years after the Battle of Sekigahara.
Tachibana Muneshige
- Voiced by: Eiji Hanawa
- Badass in Distress: Despite his apparent strength and epitath of the "Strongest in the West", Edward Kelley holds him hostage in the Daizaifu catacombs.
- Blood Knight: If his desire to duel William in a side-mission is any indication, Muneshige enjoys a good fight.
- Bow and Sword in Accord: Along with his astonishing swordsmanship, Muneshige will frequently attack with his bow, specifically performing a dodge before shooting three arrows.
- Dual Boss: In New Game Plus, one optional side-mission pits William against him and Tadakatsu at the same time.
- Honor Before Reason: Even though William saves his skin from Kelley, out of service to the Toyotomi clan, he refuses to join forces with the Tokugawa against Mitsunari, a vassal of Hideyoshi.
- Lightning Bruiser: Pun very much intended - Muneshige strikes fast with a katana, has exclusive iai techniquesnote , and can infuse his weapon with lightning-based onmyōdō magic. Finally, he can summon his Guardian Spirit - the teal-colored Shiba puppy who inflicts the paralysis status effect if players are hit by it.
- Renaissance Man: Not only is Muneshige a master of Taisha-ryu swordsmanship and archery, he partakes in many, many arts. Tea ceremony, calligraphy, incense, poetry, Noh theater, flute, Buddhist sculpturing, and even bow crafting!
Saika Magoichi
- Voiced by: Yasuyuki Kase
- Animal Motifs: Crows - His Saika mercenaries were known as the "Crows of Saika", his Guardian Spirit Yatagarasu is a great crow, and during his bossfight he grows great black crow's wings to fly, dodge, and teleport around.
- Badass Longcoat: His haori stands out with its design, featuring several coattails that hand past the knees. This look can be your's too, if you so choose.
- Blow You Away: Upon summoning his Guardian Spirit, Yatagarsu, the three-legged three-eyed crow will hurl jets of wind currents at players. Becomes Playing with Fire in the second game.
- Did You Just Romance Cthulhu?: Possibly. One mission ends with Willaim rescuing him from a Hino-Enma who isn't interested in killing him like all her other male victims. Despite insisting that he's glad William killed her, he'll somberly ask if he can have the hairpin she drops, leaving it ambiguous as to what exactly was going on between him and the yokai.
- Gun And Sword: Dual Wields a katana and a musket rifle.
- Hired Guns: Magoichi and his Saika troops are frequently encountered as enemies, being hired by William's foes.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Hinted at in his spirit division cutscene, where he reveals to William that Yatagarasu’s powers were forced on him by his father.
- Legacy Character: Saika Magoichi is not his real name, but rather an alias adopted by each leader of the Saika clan, with this one simply being the latest iteration. In Nioh 2, the Saika Magoichi of that time even half-jokingly offers the title to Hide after they defeat him in a duel.
- Power Gives You Wings: Yatagarsu grants Magoichi flight capabilities via the Spirit's wings.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Saika troops are ultimately mercenaries; they don't swear loyalty to any party. In this case, though, each of their appearances puts them on the side William is opposing, meaning he always shows up as an enemy.
- Teleport Spam: Yatagarasu also grants Magoichi the ability to teleport throughout Duel Boss arena, which has an added effect of breaking enemy target lock.
- Weaksauce Weakness: Magoichi can be easily knocked down if players manage to hit him while he's airborne with, say, a rifle.
Yasuke
- Voiced by: Richie Campbell
- Ascended Extra: He has a bit more of a role in the 2, which is a prequel that takes place while Nobunaga is alive. He even fights along side you during one mission.
- Anti-Villain: He has no interest in Kelley's machinations, just wanting to see his lord Nobunaga once more.
- Bears Are Bad News: His Guardian Spirit is the now-extinct Atlas Bear and he uses it to great effect during his battle.
- BFS: Yasuke wields an odachi as a secondary weapon, before busting out his signature axe. Interestingly, if you receive said sword for yourself, it will take the form of a normal katana due to odachi not being usable until the Dragon of the North expansion.
- Black Vikings: Subverted; like most of the other characters in Nioh, Yasuke is Truth in Television - there really was an African Samurai.
- Exclusive Enemy Equipment: Zigzagged with his odachi. It can be obtained by players, but only as a katana, since odachi were not introduced proper until DLC. Sadly, even with the DLC, there is no way to obtain the proper odachi form of his weapon.
- Foreshadowing: During the Honnouji level an Amrita memory has someone mention a "giant."
- Mighty Glacier: Pretty slow for a human-type enemy even when he uses his faster sword, but he and his Guardian Spirit hit like a truck and he's pretty durable.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: By his own admittance, Yasuke's only goal in life is to serve Nobunaga, who rescued him from slavery. His loyalty led him to being talked into helping Kelley try to resurrect Nobunaga.
- One-Scene Wonder: Shows up exactly once, near the end of the penultimate level, as a major boss, complete with unique Guardian Spirit and backstory cutscene.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: He's primarily referred to ingame by his epithet of the "Obsidian Samurai."
- Shock and Awe: His Atlas Bear is lightning-themed, and several of his attacks invoke the element as well.
- Red Baron: The "Obsidian Samurai"; even after The Reveal of who he is, the character encyclopedia still uses this title in favor of his name.
- Undying Loyalty: To Nobunaga since he freed Yasuke from slavery and made him a Samurai, so much that he's willing to allow Kelley to take his body and resurrect his master.
- You Shall Not Pass!: Nobunaga orders Yasuke to defend his remains from enemy capture as Honnoji burns to the ground. In the sub-mission "The Warrior", Yasuke was able to pull Nobunaga's corpse from the temple's main hall before it would eventually collapse from the flames, renewing his vow to faithfully defend his departed lord.
Kikkawa Hiroie
- Voiced by: Shigeru Nakahara
- Animal Motifs: Mice - his Guardian Spirit is the Hi-nezumi, he's a meek and unassuming man who yet possesses many talents.
- Foil: To his (adopted) cousin Hideaki - Hiroie is loyal to a fault and has a massive inferiority complex, while Hideaki is a self-serving man who can easily betray his masters and puts on an easy-going face to revel in chaos.
- Inadequate Inheritor: He considers himself to be a poor heir to the duo of strategists known as Nioh.
- Undying Loyalty: His reverence towards the Mohri clan is boundless.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Hiroie wants to be just as good of a strategist as his late father, Motohari, and desperately seeks his grandfather Motonari's approval.
Kobayakawa Hideaki
- Voiced by: Kōki Miyata
- Animal Motifs: Bats - his Guardian Spirit is the Aya-Komori, and his helmet has flaps resembling bat ears. Like his historical counterpart and the Spirit, Hideaki of Nioh is a schemer (see Opportunistic Bastard below).
- Dropped a Bridge on Him
- It Amused Me: Doesn't necessarily care which side of the war will be the victor; he simply wants to "play the jester and shake things up".
- Opportunistic Bastard: Hideaki waits to see whether the Tokugawa or Toyotomi at the Battle of Sekigahara will have the upper hand before entering the fray. Subverted when William decides to scare him into fighting for Ieyasu after firing cannons from the Liefde near his outpost. This ends up forcing Hideaki to turn his troops against the Toyotomi, rendering the battle almost completely in favor of Ieyasu.
- Wild Card: Played with - he tricks Ieyasu and Mitsunari into thinking he's fighting for their respective sides until he's forced to choose one by William.
Tenkai
- Voiced by: Takayuki Sugou
- The Faceless: Like Yoshitsugu, Tenkai wears a cloth mask over his face, but averted following The Reveal.
- Goggles Do Something Unusual: Tenkai's glasses allow him to see aratama clearly.
- Historical In-Joke: It's something of a common theory that "Lord Tenkai" may have actually been Akechi Mitsuhide after faking his death and going into hiding, rather than dying as historically believed. Although historical evidence points otherwise, it's this interpretation that the game rolls with.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Because Nobunaga was starting to become overambitious with the power of Amrita crystals, Mitshuhide assassinated his lord, knowing it would stain his honor permanently for the rest of his life. On the other hand, part of the reason why he ended up adopting this belief was that he was being manipulated by Tokichiro.
- Our Mages Are Different: He is a veteran Onmyōdō mage.
- Secret Identity: "Tenkai" is an alias - his true identity is Akechi Mitsuhide, the man who betrayed Nobunaga, leading to the latter's death at Honnōji Temple.
- Still Got It: Tenkai tasks William with a side-mission at Honnōji Temple, which turns into a Duel Boss against him decked out in full Samurai regalia as Mitsuhide. Rather than lock players down with onmyōdō magic, he does a commendable job of simply fighting the old-fashioned way of using a katana.
- That Man Is Dead: After his betrayal of Nobunaga and being spared by Hide later on, now as Tenkai, Mitsuhide asks Hide to fight him as himself. After Hide defeats him, he states that his previous self has now been put to rest, and he is now just Tenkai.
- Telepathy: When visiting the ruins of Honnoji Temple, William notices aratama gathering around Tenkai and surmises he has a connection to the place. Tenkai telepathically states there's things he's not told him, but not to worry. It's Foreshadowing to his true identity.
Fuku
- Voiced by: Risa Shimizu
- Apologetic Attacker: The "Nue" encountered at the Daizaifu shrine is her Familiar; after William defeats it, Fuku apologizes for the trouble it caused.
- Cuteness Proximity: She's quite fond of the kodama, calling them "adorable" when she receives a message from them asking for William's help.
- Hartman Hips: Her hips are very large and her outfit is meant to emphasize them. This is best seen in the cutscene after the Yuki-Onna boss fight.
- Naughty Nuns: Her outfit shows quite a bit of her shoulders and thighs, and a little bit of Sideboob.
- Our Mages Are Different: As Tenkai's apprentice, Fuku is an Onmyōdō mage-in-training, charged with protecting the Daizaifu catacombs from further intruders. She also provides William with advanced onmyōdō magic techniques.
- Shock and Awe: Her favored familiar is the Nue, a giant chimaera that surges with electricity and can call down bolts of lightning.
- The Reveal: Although Fuku seems to be an Original Generation, the character encyclopedia states she is based on the historical Lady Kasuga, the woman who supposedly convinced the historical Kobayakawa Hideaki to join Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara.
Ryunoshin
- Cloud Cuckoolander: The first time William can meet him, he offers to open a secret passage through the castle... for thirty dungballs. No explanation is given, only an achievement.
- Stewed Alive: He stews a Kappa thief alive. It's unknown if he tried the soup afterwards.
Shinmen Takezo
- Voiced by: Ryuichi Kijima
- Martial Arts Headband: Wears a bright red one, which he gives to William after the latter saves him at Sekigahara post-battle while single-handedly fighting Yōkai.
- The Reveal: He's a young, inexperienced, but still extremely-talented Miyamoto Musashi.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Ashikaga Yoshiteru comments that his skill is rather unpolished, yet he was able to hold his own against multiple yokai before William appears to assist.
- Young Future Famous People: Although nearly all characters William meets is already an accomplished historical figure, Takezo is still at the beginning of his path.
Marume Nagayoshi
- Voiced by: Shirou Saito
- Carry a Big Stick: His signature weapon is more or less a just a slab of wood the size and shape of a baseball bat. Being counted as a sword, though, he's no less efficient for it.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: Narume is your instructor for in the Mastery course for the Odachi, introduced in the Dragon of the North expansion. Turns out, he can use that weapon better than he can use his stick.
- Large Ham: He's pretty much the loudest of the instructors, laughing his head off in his excitement and satisfaction of sparring with William.
- Martial Arts Headband: Wears a white one with some plating on the front.
- Signature Laugh: "Kah-kah-kah!!!"
Ashikaga Yoshiteru
- Voiced by: Takanori Hoshino
- Authority Equals Asskicking: He used to be a shogun, and he's really proficient with dual blades.
- Dual Wielding: The master of the dual blades, according to the information he took up this set up when he fought his last battle, so that he had at least one sword per hand.
- Long-Dead Badass: He was killed by Hisahide Matsunaga several decades ago, yet his spirit lingers on teach William his techniques with dual blades.
- Master Swordsman: According to the text unlocked ingame, Yoshiteru was so skilled he managed to discover new techniques during his own Dying Moment of Awesome.
Yagyu Sekishusai
- Voiced by: Tetsuo Kanao
- Master Swordsman: The teacher of the Katana arts, able to teach William some extremely useful moves to use in combat.
- Old Master: At the age of 70, he is known as one of the best, if not, the best swordsman of his time. Furthermore, defeating Sekishusai in the dojo allows William to learn the highest tier of katana skills in the game.
- Stroke the Beard: Does this in his victory animation if players are defeated.
Hozoin Inei
- Voiced by: Mutsumi Sasaki
- Reluctant Warrior: Despite being known as a fierce warrior in his youth, later in life, Inei started to ponder the righteousness of using violence at all. However, he's willing to take up the spear again to spar with William.
- Old Master: Head of the Hozoin temple and the inventor of the Hozoin spear technique. As with Sekishusai, besting Inei unlocks the strongest spear skills for purchase.
- Stroke the Beard: Just like his friend and fellow pupil Sekishusai, upon defeating players.
Sakata Kintoki
- Voiced by: Mutsuaki Kanuka
- Animal Motifs: Despite not having a Guardian Spirit, Kintoki has some bear-like qualities. His armor is adorned with a number of bear skins, and his signature axe has a pair of bear claws chained to it.
- Big Damn Heroes: Shows up to reinforce William during the fight with the super-powered Onryoki.
- Big Fun: He's a really large man with a cheerful demeanor.
- Boisterous Bruiser: He's also quite loud and enthusiastic about how much he enjoys the fight.
- God Was My Copilot: While William is struggling with beating a souped-up, gigantic Onryoki, this guy shows up out of nowhere to help out. Turns out he was actually long-dead, but since the battle was taking place on the border of the Yokai Realm, he was able to show up to lend a hand.
- Long-Dead Badass: He died a long time ago, yet he still shows up to aid William and test his prowess with an axe.
Shisenin Kosen
- Voiced by: Hiroshi Iwasaki
- Epic Flail: A master user of the Kusarigama, just as Hozoin, Sekishusai, Yoshiteru and Kintoki were with their respective weapons of choice.
- Long-Dead Badass: He dwells in the underworld, coming up to the surface to spar with William.
- Mask Power: Hides his face behind a yellow mask and is one of the strongest users of the Kusarigama.
Oda Nobunaga
- Voiced by: Kou Shibusawa (1), Kazuhiko Inoue (2)
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Downplayed with Nouhime. Historically, the two of them didn't really love each other, with Nobunaga favoring his concubine, Kitsuno, because it was suspected that Nouhime was sterile. In Nioh and Nioh 2, they love each other dearly.
- Age Lift: Nobunaga in 2 was not nearly as old looking when he died as he looks in 1, he didn't have a single grey hair on his head compared to his appearance as a ghost that is almost nothing but grey hair. Can ghosts age?
- Ascended Extra: Since the second game is a prequel, we get to see more of the young Nobunaga.
- Back from the Dead: Resurrected by Kelley in an attempt to have him Reforged into a Minion, but Nobunaga refuses to comply and returns to the afterlife after fighting William.
- Badass Cape: His armor includes a black and gold cape.
- Battle Couple: Fights alongside the Yuki-Onna, the spirit of his wife in a New Game Plus side-mission.
- Blasphemous Boast: In his monologue, he compares his return from the dead as the "Second Coming" of the Western God.
- Cool Sword: In reference to his open-minded approach to western culture, his katana sports a sligtly more pronounced and larger pommel, as well as a bona-fide longsword hilt in lieu of a tsuba, making it a hybrid of katana and broadsword. Interesting enough, Imagawa Yoshimoto used similar swords in 2.
- Demon King Nobunaga: Described by Kelley as the most brutal overlord in Japan who ordered mass exterminations of his enemies. Zigzagged in that his reputation as a warlord is not completely undeserved, since he did commit horrific atrocities and became overambitious with the use of Amrita in his conquest of Japan, which resulted in his assassination. However, Nobunaga is also shown to have noble traits, such as rescuing Yasuke from slavery, and his wife Lady Nō was utterly devoted to him. After his duel with William, he promptly returns to the afterlife, feeling his aim to conquer the land has been inherited by his vassal-warlords who came after him and that something indestructible should not exist.
- The Dreaded: Decades after his death, Nobunaga still casts a long shadow over Japan with many characters showing fear towards his actions in life. Kelly was planning on using this reputation to his advantage by resurrecting him to act as his minion. Too bad Nobunaga wasn't interested.
- Dual Boss: An optional quest in New Game Plus forces William against Nobunaga and the Yuki-Onna at the same time. Another pits you against him and Yasuke.
- Elemental Powers: Uses a variety of all the elements in the game during his boss fight via Spell Blade from Tengen Kujaku. In 2, both his spirits are now aligned with Fire.
- Expy: Having the white peacock, Tengen-Kujaki, as a Guardian Spirit and being a well-known conqueror makes him comparable to Lord Shen.
- Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: After knocking his Hit Points pass a certain threshold, Nobunaga automatically overpowers and disarms William, only to spare him at the last moment.
- Just Toying with Them: He has no intention of killing William; Nobunaga simply wants his resurrection to not be a complete waste of time.
- Light Is Not Good: Manifests as a celestial figure whose white peacock Guardian Spirit spreads out its fan to resemble angelic wings, but subverted because Nobunaga is a Noble Demon who isn't interested in forcing Japan through another Civil War to rebuild something whose time is past.
- Never Trust a Trailer: The opening cinematic indicates Nobunaga is a major antagonist in Nioh, except players are near the tail-end of the Warring States Period in Japan between Ieyasu and Mitsunari (pre-Battle of Sekigahara), when the historical Nobunaga is already dead for decades. It's Subverted when Kelley has him resurrected at the tail end of the game, and he serves as a major boss, but is then Double Subverted when it turns out that, after a half-hearted battle against William, Nobunaga decides he actually doesn't WANT to be alive again, and goes back to the underworld without a struggle. So while he is built up as a major antagonist, ultimately he has no real impact on anything, save completely ruining Kelley's plans through his indifference.
- Panthera Awesome: In his youth, he had the fire Guardian Spirit Hiyobishin, a massive black panther with powers over fire.
- Power Echoes: After his rebirth, Nobunaga comes back with a sinister reverberating voice.
- Pet the Dog: His saving of the aforementioned Yasuke from slavery, as well as his loving treatment of his wife Lady Nō. His refusal to return to his ambitions of conquest could also arguably count; he believes his legacy was inherited just fine by his two former vassals, and he doesn't like the idea of an immortal like himself continuing the bloodshed while being unstoppable, believing that ending the conflict between said two vassals is the only way to a lasting peace.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Played with - Nobunaga, upon resurrection, speaks to William, "Foreigner, you have caught me in a VERY bad mood." This line is actually being directed to Kelley, with whom Nobunaga is quite unhappy for bringing him Back from the Dead against his will.
- Slave Liberation: Having taken a liking to Yasuke, Nobunaga saved him from a life of slavery and made the man a Samurai.
- Silver Fox: At 47 years-old (at the time of death), Nobunaga already had a full head of grey hair, but his appearance in Nioh may have something to do with his resurrection and alchemic empowerment by Kelley.
- So Proud of You: Part of his refusal to return to the world of the living is that he believes his ambition lives on just fine in his two warring vassals, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. When William relays word of this to Ieyasu, he's touched that his former lord thinks as much.
- Unwanted Revival: After entertaining himself by sparring with William, he muses a second coming would be entertaining, but ultimately returns to the afterlife, refusing to be Kelley's puppet.
- Worthy Opponent: After sparing William and defying Kelley, Oda gives a brief nod to the former before departing, stating the fight was entertaining.
The Mastermind (Unmarked spoilers!)
Sir John Dee
- Voiced by: Timothy Watson
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: After losing, Dee doesn't get a word in before William shuts him up via Eye Scream, but his expression and body language makes it apparent he was about to try to talk his way out of it.
- Ambition Is Evil: The old man wants control over Europe, and then the world beyond, and he doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. His Yokai form, Hundred Eyes, is described as 'an embodiment of wicked ambition, utterly devoid of humanity'.
- Big Bad: While Kelley is The Heavy of the game, his orders came directly from Sir Dee.
- Body Motifs: Eyes - Sir Dee prides himself on being the all-seeing eyes of England; exemplified when Eyes Do Not Belong There emerge on his body and he transforms into a multi-eyed monstrosity called "Hundred Eyes".
- Cruel Mercy: Because he's arrogant and proud of his "all-seeing eyes", rather than kill him, William slices his eyes out.
- Evil Brit: A historical Englishman and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, whose aim is greater than simply defeating the Spanish.
- Evil Old Folks:From his appearance, it is quite clear that he is quite old and is heartlessly willing to let countless people die in order to satisfy his ambitions and lust for power.
- Evil Chancellor:He is a royal advisor, as well as the right hand of Elizabeth I and the true main villain of the entire story. It is implied that he actually orchestrated Elizabeth's death when it became clear that she was strongly opposed to using Amrita and to ultimately consolidate his power.
- Eye Scream: William slices out his remaining eyes after their fight.
- Eyes Do Not Belong There: In his human appearance, Sir Dee has an extra set of eyes on his forehead, but it only gets worse when he transforms.
- Faux Affably Evil:He's quite polite, reserved, and pleasant, but that doesn't hide the fact that he's also one of the most vile and disgusting villains in the game.
- Greater-Scope Villain: For most of the game: Kelley answers to him, but for the most part the latter has complete autonomy and goes about fulfilling his mission as he sees fit while Dee sits comfortably in his study, scheming. He's confronted at the very end of the game, when William finally manages to corner him.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: He intended to torture William to death, as well as the others, for knowing too much about Amrita and orders Kelly to kidnap his guardian spirit Saoirse. As a result, William escapes and then follows Kelly to Japan, which leads to William ruining all of Kelly and Dee's plans and killing Kelly himself. And then he finds out about Dee’s involvement in everything and tracks him down and as a result Dee loses his eyes, strength, power and influence, and at the same time his dream of England’s domination of the world. Good job John Dee!
- The Kingslayer: Not stated outright, but it's strongly implied that Dee arranged the queen's sudden death as the final step in his scheme to secure control.
- Lackof Empathy:He doesn't care at all how many people have to die if it means he gets to control and rule the entire world.
- The Man Behind the Man: Sir Dee sent Kelley to Japan to collect Amrita after news about the island nation having a large stockpile of it reaches England.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: He wants Amrita to make England the dominant country in the entire world and seems to genuinely care about his country despite his vile crimes. However, it becomes clear that he only cares about his own power, wanting to secretly control England and greatly expand his power, at the same time it is hinted that he killed Queen Elizabeth I only because she did not agree with his intentions to seize Amrita for himself , as well as to expand his own power, emphasizing that John Dee is only concerned with his own power and control over the world.
- One-Winged Angel: Turns into an Eldritch Abomination with many eyes.
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: In contrast to Kelley, Sir Dee is quiet and even-tempered, not even raising his voice when William draws his katana on him. This doesn't mean he's even slightly better than Kelley.
- Walking Spoiler: Although Sir Dee was foreshadowed in the prologue level, he doesn't truly become relevant until William decides to head back to England, guided by his Magic Compass, to confront the person responsible for the events of Nioh, at the tail end of the game.
- We Can Rule Together: He asks William to join him in using the power of Amrita to Take Over the World.
- What Happenedtothe Mouse?: After William cuts out his eyes, he is never seen or mentioned again. It is implied that his actions eventually became known to England and he was arrested for his crimes.
- He Knows Too Much: He imprisoned virtually all those involved in the first phase of the Amrita project at the Tower of London and then tortured them to death for knowing too much about Amrita.
Nioh 2
Senji Toyo
A blacksmith and granddaughter of Senji Muramasa, much like Tome from Nioh.
- Ambiguously Related: With Senji Tome from Nioh. They're both Muramasa's granddaughters, but it's never specified if they're sisters or cousins.
Azai Nagamasa
- Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu
- Adaptational Villainy: Nagamasa usually held either equal or higher moral high ground when compared to Nobunaga in other portrayals. But in this game, he willingly filled his army with dangerous youkai and turns into a half-youkai himself. Though he's revealed to have been manipulated with Kashin Koji.
- Alas, Poor Villain: Despite him given the Adaptational Villainy, the game effectively portrayed him as a victim of manipulation due to his own feeling of inadequacy (despite Oichi advising him otherwise), and in the end, revealed that his love for Oichi is still genuine and asks Hide to protect her in his stead. Oichi would still cry for him, and even Tokichiro ran out of uplifting things to say in terms of his death.
- An Ice Person: Thanks to the powers of Hiyokucho.
- Dramatic Irony: When you meet him in the Interim near the end of the game, he notes that he hasn't seen Oichi anywhere there, so he thanks you for keeping your promise to keep her safe. This is, of course, a chapter after Oichi's suicide from the death of her second husband after her first husband and brother had both died.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: His dying monologue implies that he loved Oichi dearly.
- Green-Eyed Monster: During the Hiyokucho's spirit division, he mentions his initial envy of Nobunaga's achievements and how being in his shadow drove him into abusing the power of Amrita, and being possessed by Kashin Koji.
- Honor Before Reason: Despite being married to Oda Nobunaga's sister, and having seen first-hand the rise of the Oda clan, when forced to choose between joining them or sticking with the Asakura clan, he chooses the latter simply because that alliance had existed for longer. This leads to his defeat and death.
- Last Request: Shortly before succumbing to his wounds, he asks Hide to protect Oichi in his stead.
- One-Winged Angel: Transforms into a winged half-yokai Oni to fight Hide in his castle.
Hachisuka Koroku
- Voiced by: Kenta Miyake
- Adaptation Species Change: This Koroku is a water yokai while the historical Koroku was a human.
- Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: There was a historical figure named Hachisuka Koroku who served as a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whose clan controlled the water transport on the Kiso River. However, the actual Koroku was part of the Hachisuka clan instead of the Kawanami and, obviously, a full-blooded human.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: In "The High-Spirited Demon", Tokichiro's resurrection causes him and all his friendly yokai allies to go berserk and attack the Ieyesu forces.
- Dying as Yourself: Regrets falling to the protagonist while under the influence of Otakemaru, and can only leave for the afterlife once he loses the fight with his mind clear.
- Epic Flail: His weapon is a Kusarigama.
- Expy: Of Aquaman, of all things.
- Half-Human Hybrid: He has Yokai blood, and a careful look at his body reveals that he has a kappa-like shell and scale-covered arms.
- Making a Splash: As a descendant of water yokai, he has control over water.
Imagawa Yoshimoto
- Voiced by: Ryūsei Nakao
The daimyo of the Imagawa clan. He's best known for his defeat at the hands of Oda's forces during the battle of Okehazama.
- Adaptational Wimp: Averted massively. For once, Yoshimoto is not portrayed as a buffoon, but rather as a fearsome and powerful Samurai, which is more accurate to his historical self.
- Blood Knight: He's encountered on his seat, waiting for people to cut up to pieces and relishes the chance of cutting Hide into sashimi.
- Body Paint: Despite looking made up like a Heian-era noblewoman
and having been frequently caricatured in other previous portrayals of him, this particularly rendering only helps put him in the Uncanny Valley and sell how much of a threat he is. - Bow and Sword in Accord: Makes heavy use of his bow, going for either a conal Multishot or a Rain of Arrows. Both are, of course, electrified. His gear set, the Master Archer set, emphasizes this, alongside Shock and Awe.
- Dual Wielding: Wields the dual blade Sozasamonji Matsukurago, small katana with a unique longsword-like hilt.
- Graceful Loser: Upon defeat, he goes on a speech about how his time is up. Afterwards he readies himself for execution and yells at the player to finish the job before he changes his mind.
- Honorable Elephant: His guardian spririt, Rokugezo, is a white, 6-tusked elephant.
- Light Is Not Good: He's dressed in golden armor, and wields the guardian Spirit Rokugezo, a buddhist mount... but is a dangerous, bloodthirsty samurai.
- Scary Teeth: As part of his nobleman look, Yoshimoto has blackened his teeth through ohaguro. It can mean many things, but it was usually done to protect the teeth and, due to how the color black represents loyalty in the Japanese culture, to show one's loyalty to their spouse, or in a samurai's case, their lord and clan.
- Shock and Awe: His main Burst attack is to summon Rokugezo to pummel the player with lightning, then follow up with one of several attacks. His arrow attacks are also electrified.
- Wake-Up Call Boss: He's the very first human boss after facing Youkai, and he doesn't disappoint. Also has the same effect meta-wise. By this point, you would be thinking that Imagawa Yoshimoto would be a wimp like every other incarnations you encountered in other series. He'll gladly prove you wrong, this is your wake-up call to not underestimate Yoshimoto again.
Maeda Toshiie
- Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama
- Animal Motifs: Dogs, as seen with his childhood name Inuchiyo (Inu means dog), his initial rivalry with the monkey-themed Hideyoshi and his canine Guardian Spirit.
- Hot-Blooded: Toshiie is characterized as very gung-ho and eager to fight.
- Undying Loyalty: To Shibata Katsuie. He even fights Hide to buy Shibata enough time.
Miyoshino
- Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue
- Canon Character All Along: She initially seems to be an original character created for the game, but the First Samurai DLC reveals she is none other than Suzuka Gozen, the younger sister of Otakemaru.
- Good Parents: From what little we see of her, Miyoshino was a gentle mother who was willing to protect her child at any cost.
- Horned Humanoid: She has a pair of small yokai horns which she hides with her headdress.
- Interspecies Romance: With Saito Dosan.
- Mystical White Hair: Her hair is snow white underneath her headdress.
- Retired Badass: She was once the famous warrior and former bandit Suzuka Gozen.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: She's killed off in the opening cutscene. Hide gets to learn more about her when in the Interim, as well as fighting alongside her in the "First Samurai" DLC.
Oichi
- Voiced by: Mie Sonozaki
- Driven to Suicide: She kills herself after seeing her second husband, Shibata Katsuie, die.
- Trauma Conga Line: She loses her husband, her brother and sister-in-law, and then her second husband all within a relatively short amount of time. Oichi has it rough.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: Like her historical counterpart, Nioh 2's Oichi is wise, polite, stunningly beautiful, and loyal. She was incredibly faithful to her husbands Nagamasa and later Katsuie, grieving both of their deaths and even taking her own life following the latter's.
Saito Dosan
- Voiced by: Kazuhiro Yamaji
- Adaptational Badass: Prior to his becoming Saito Dosan, a former monk and merchant turned daimyo like his historical counterpart, he was originally a leader of the Sohaya clan dubbed by his title "Mumyo".
- Heroic Sacrifice: Makes a suicidal charge against a horde of Yoshitatsu's Abberant Soldiers in order to buy Hide time to escape his palace.
- Parents Know Their Children: Oddly Averted. Dosan only comes to realize who Hide is after they show to him their wakizashi that had their name engraved upon it. This is in spite of the fact that Dosan had been raising Yoshitatsu, Hide's identical twin sibling, for years and yet never makes the connection that Hide might be his child as well.
- Retired Badass: Played with. Dosan's a retired yokai hunter, but he's still Daimyo of Mino Province who's known for his ruthless tactics which earned him the nickname the "Viper of Mino". Even when about to face imminent death, Dosan shrugs it off and takes up arms for one last time in order to give Hide a chance to escape.
- Sedgwick Speech: Shortly after ordering Hide to flee, Dosan faces the incoming horde of yokai with his final words being: "So I get to cut down yokai again... Who would have thought it?"
- Together in Death: Is shown waiting for Miyoshino as she prepares to pass on from the Interim.
Saito Toshimitsu
- Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama
- Adaptational Villainy: Subverted. Historically, Toshimitsu had a case of Undying Loyalty after he joined Mitsuhide. In this game, however, he's kind of a Treacherous Advisor and Toxic Friend Influence, manipulating Mitsuhide and later Tokichiro to eventually betraying Nobunaga, and then attempting to backstab Mitsuhide during Yamazaki. The subversion comes from how in the end, he did all those because he was possessed by Kashin Koji, his last request before dying being the protection of Mitsuhide.
- BFS: Carries around a massive Otachi vaguely resembling a nagamaki, proportion-wise.
- Last Request: Having regained his senses shortly before being stabbed to death by Tokichiro and his men, he requests Hide to flee and protect his lord Mitsuhide.
- Magic Knight: Is an accomplished Onmyōdō practitioner who also wields a massive odachi to deadly effect.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Displays these whenever scheming or otherwise inciting chaos as a result of being possessed by Kashin Koji. Even Mitsuhide, a powerful onmyōji and a capable warrior in his own right, steps back and draws a weapon in alarm at the sight.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Is violently gutted by Tokichiro, stabbed twice more by Tokichiro’s spearman, and at last finished off with a spear plunged through his heart.
- Unfinished Business: Cannot move on from the Interim until he knows the world has been made safe for his daughter, revealed to be Fuku from the first game.
Saito Yoshitatsu (Spoilers)
- Alas, Poor Villain: Turns on their father, leading to his death. Nevertheless, the character illustrations note that Yoshitatsu’s own death by corruption was a “truly miserable way to go.”
- Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Instead of being a human like their historical counterpart, Yoshitatsu is Hide's long lost identical twin, making them half yokai.
- Foil: Gameplay wise to Hide. Of the three Guardian Spirits you choose to start the game with, Yoshitatsu will inherit the other two. Additionally, they are able to transform into both of their subsequent Shiftling forms.
- Foreshadowing:
- Them being Hide's twin sibling is foreshadowed quite a bit. After Dosan's death, Yoshitatsu gains an entry within the game's encyclopedia that reveals their in-game model which depicts them in full armor. While nothing special on its own, the partial gaps on their helmet reveals their face somewhat and when zoomed in it becomes blatantly obvious that they share the exact same features the model that players create for Hide.
- Even prior to that, if playing as a female Hide then mission texts in Chapter 1 will actually refer to Yoshitatsu with feminine pronouns.
- Historical Gender Flip: If playing as a female Hide then Yoshitatsu becomes female as well.
- Oddly Shaped Sword: Carries around a katana whose tip takes an odd, flame-like shape unsuited for a weapon.
- Possession Burnout: Is possessed by Kashin Koji until the corruption within consumes them. By the time Kashin Koji vacates their body, all that’s left of Yoshitatsu is a dark liquid oozing from their empty armor.
- Separated at Birth: They're the protagonist’s twin sibling. While Hide was taken and raised by their mother, Yoshitatsu was left behind to be raised by their father. The two of them aren’t aware of each other’s existence until they clash at Inabayama.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Yoshitatsu is Hide's twin yet they only appear twice in the game, and the second time is an optional rematch battle.
Shibata Katsuie
- Voiced by: Tsutomu Isobe
- Animal Motifs: The Boar: Katstuie is brutal, direct and ferocious and eager to fight. His guardian Spirit is Inosasao, a sacred boar. He finally transforms into a massive boar-like Ogre when Hide confronts him and Oichi in the burning Kitanosho Castle.
- Ascended Extra: In the first game, William could encounter his revenant in Azuchi Castle, located near the elevator to Nobunaga's chamber. In the second game, he's part of the supporting cast.
- Boisterous Bruiser: He's always eager to rush into combat.
- Cool Old Guy: One of Nobunaga oldest and strongest retainers.
- Dual Wielding: Like his Samurai Warriors counterpart, Katsuie employs twin hatchets to shred the enemies of his lord to pieces.
- Fantastic Racism: Has a profound hatred of the "damned yokai" to the degree that he resents Tokichiro's use of them in the Hideyoshi Army, and Hide for being a half-yokai Shiftling. In the mission "The Shiftling's Wise Judgement", he voices his refusal to work alongside Koroku and the Kawanami nigitama, even bringing a band of his own troops to exterminate them.
- Full-Boar Action: As mentioned in Animal Motifs, he has a boar theme, reflecting both his ferocity and his pig-headed stubbornness, and his yokai form only exaggerates this. His massive Amrita tusks are both deadly weapons and exploitable weak points.
- One-Winged Angel: In his final battle he transforms into a huge, armored ogre with a whole Field of Blades on his back and massive tusks.
- Playing with Fire: Katsuie wields a fire Guardian Spirit, as a Yokai boss he summons fiery boars to trample Hide.
- Shoot the Shaggy Dog: How his transformation into a yokai plays out. He intended it as a Heroic Sacrifice; a last, desperate effort to protect Lady Oichi after being mortally wounded himself. He succeeds, but his transformation leaves him incapable of recognizing friend from foe, forcing the protagonist to fight and ultimately kill him. Before he dies, Katsuie thanks the protagonist and tells them to save Oichi... who walks onto the scene and promptly commits suicide upon seeing her husband's lifeless body.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Is this with the Hideyoshi duo, despite being fellow retainers of Nobunaga. While he absolutely despises Tokichiro, Katsuie begrudgingly respects Hide for their ability to fight with their own strength.
- Together in Death: With Lady Oichi, even if Hide spares his life.
- You Shall Not Pass!: His boss battle with Hide in Shizugatake.
Takenaka Hanbei
- Voiced by: Yūya Uchida
- Blessed with Suck: The power of his guardian spirit grants him some measure of precognition, but the future he sees features his own death by illness at a very young age.
- Blood from the Mouth: His spirit division cutscene portrays him coughing into a hand streaked with bright red blood.
- Incurable Cough of Death: Weakly coughs his way through his introductory cutscene. He experiences an abatement of symptoms when Tokichiro uses a spirit stone to purge his guardian spirit of corruption, but by the start of the mission Pervading Waters the cough has returned in full force. The moment Hide is victorious in defeating the final boss of the area, Mumyo appears to inform them that Hanbei has died.
- The Smart Guy: Is a renowned tactician, with Shibata Katsuie flat out calling him “the brains of the operation.”
