Masamune Date

Masamune Date is a character who debuts in Samurai Warriors. He is the young and ambitious ruler of the Date clan. He earned the nickname "One-Eyed Dragon" (独眼竜, Dokuganryu) due to losing sight in one eye when he was a child.

In Samurai Warriors, he is 14 years old and his height is 140 cm (4'7"), making him the youngest and shortest character in the game. His height in Samurai Warriors 2 and the newest title is 174 cm (5'9"). He's symbolized by the kanji for "revolt" (乱) and "dragon" (竜).

Samurai Warriors
Masamune is the prideful leader of the Date family. After he unites Oshuu, he sets his sights on uniting the whole land under him, starting with Echigo, Shinano, and Kai. Interrupting Kawanakajima and defeating both Kenshin and Shingen, he proceeds onwards towards Owari. During the time of his arrival, Nobunaga and Yoshimoto are at odds in Okehazama. Slaying Yoshimoto, his ambitions to wrestle power away from him amuses Nobuanga. Though Masamune claims Owari and Mikawa, the Oda regroup and face the Ikko Rebels at Ise. The young lord corners his rival but the elder's calm indifference to his efforts stuns him from dealing the finishing blow. Taking Ise with ease, Nobunaga uses the opportunity to reclaim Owari from the Date's control. Isolated, Masamune decides to retreat towards Mikawa and is stuck between the Nobunaga and Shingen at Nagashino.

Should Masamune randomly target any force he sees, his troops will tire from the campaigns. As he heads back to his homeland to give them time to rest, he decides to have one last hurrah by facing Shigen and Kenshin at Odawara Castle. Routing both leaders, he finally decides that he will give in for now yet swears a future comeuppance. Years later, he is seen carrying a golden cross and humbly surrendering to Hideyoshi. Unimpressed by Hideyoshi's quick forgiveness, Masamune declares his renew ambitions for conquering the land.

If Masamune consistently defies Nobunaga, he will want to prove that he is more than a mere boy to the conqueror. Routing both the Oda and Takeda, he resumes his march back to the capital only to Nobunaga already stationed at Honnōji. Caught between Mitsuhide's betrayal, he orders his men to stay alive as they first defeat the traitor. While dealing with the Akechi army, Nobunaga retreats from the main temple and his reinforcements lead by Hideyoshi and Keiji arrive. Trapping the Date army within the flames, the enemy commander declares that the enemy is at Honnōji. Slaying Nobunaga to prove that he is worthy of leading the land, Masamune unifies Japan. As his nervous aide asks what their next conquest will be, the young lord corrects him by saying that a pure reliance on strength solves nothing. He remarks that he wants use his new power to show the world the benefits of seeking new alternative solutions.

Like Oichi, Masamune matures into a young man in Samurai Warriors 2. By the time he unifies Oshuu, he realizes he is no match against Hideyoshi and surrenders in the hopes to keep his homelands. His participation in the siege of Odawara Castle keeps his reputation favorable and his seat in Oshuu intact. In response to Hideyoshi's death and realizing that Ieyasu will be the land's next ruler, Masamune decides to assist the pursuit at Hasedo before Kanetsugu can regroup. Slaying Kanetsugu and Keiji, Masamune wins a victory for Ieyasu and is promoted to a Senior Lord. Feeling the need to further prove himself, he decides to suppress pirates nearby.

Pleased by his efforts, Ieyasu allows him to join the front at Osaka Castle. During the battle, he convinces Magoichi, who is intent on protecting Hideyoshi's dream, to join him in the vision for a new world. Questioning his own position in the world after facing Yukimura's unabashed determination, Masamune gains the strength to make his own ambitions a reality. Rather than lead his troops home, he directs them towards Mikatagahara to challenge Ieyasu for the right to rule the land. With Japan in his hands upon Ieyasu's death, he explains his future plans to see other countries with his comrade, Magoichi. At the moment, he just wants to enjoy the new peace under his command.

His dream mode explores his possible participation at Sekigahara for the Eastern Army. His allies are shocked when Hideyori takes to the field and many of the former Toyotomi generals defect. Staying loyal to the east, Masamune defends Ieyasu and the remaining eastern generals.

Already friends with Magoichi at the start of the third title, they work together to unite Oshuu under his command. However, they were unable to prevent the death of his father, which haunts him in his dreams. To not make his father's death in vain, Masamune swears to keep winning his campaigns. Joining his friend in the Sanada call for mercenary aid in an attempt to alleviate his grief, he makes his acquaintance with Yukimura, Keiji, and Kanetsugu at Ueda Castle. Whilst there, Kanetsugu makes it abundantly clear that he despises Masamune, as he merely deems that the latter unjustly killed his parent for power. Even so, Kanetsugu speaks in his favor to counter Kanbei's suspicions of his surrender to Hideyoshi at Odawara Castle, recognizing that Masamune desires to protect his home rather than face annihilation.

With Ujiyasu's death, the land as it peace with Hideyoshi's vision. Masamune, lauding the idea that everyone can smile in the new era, decides to use this chance as a second shot at conquering the land by rioting in Oshuu. Facing the Toyotomi suppressive forces lead by Kaihime, he is frustrated to hear the resistance has little support for his vision of a land that can support itself. Deciding to relent for the good of his vision, he carries a golden cross as he confronts Hideyoshi in person in the capital. Proving his innocence against Kanbei's incriminating evidence, his antics conversely bemuse Hideyoshi, who deems him fit for his dragon nickname. His formal meeting with Hideyoshi stops his recklessness for the time.

After Hideyoshi dies of illness, unrest within the Toyotomi ranks spreads. It escalates so much that Kiyomasa, Masanori, and others cause a riot against Mitsunari in the capital. The men Masamune met at Ueda Castle move to his assistance. Still in Kanetsugu's debt from Odawara, he and Magoichi decide to help the isolated general escape to Ieyasu's mansion for safety. Using his alliance with Ieyasu for his dream, he challenges the Uesugi army at Hasedō. A defeated Kanetsugu has no regrets and expects Masamune to kill him to end everything. Instead, Masamune tells him that a greater world lies beyond the land of peace that Ieyasu desires, declaring that he will keep fighting to see it a reality.

Warriors Orochi
Masamune is first called forth by Ieyasu to defend Edo Castle under attack by Orochi's army. Confident that they can win with his help, Masamune assists by personally riding out and launching several ambushes with his men. Foiled at every turn, Masamune becomes infuriated with each failure. Finally facing Orochi personally as they near the main keep, he is struck with the darkness that surrounds the Serpent King upon his defeat. The same darkness distorts Masamune's inner doubts into a reverent belief that humanity can never win against Orochi. Therefore, he becomes one of Orochi's loyal followers, rising up in ranks to eventually be Orochi's secondary right-hand man.

During Shu's Gaiden stages in Warriors Orochi, Masamune continues to serve Orochi until he is confronted by his old friend Magoichi. Defeated, he tells his former friend that his life is free for the victor to decide. Magoichi decides to spare him and Masamune ends up joining the Shu army to defeat Orochi.

In the second game, Masamune is disgusted at how the other lords continue to squabble with one another after Orochi's passing. Believing that Orochi's control over him is temporary, Shingen and Kanetsugu try to convince him to join their coalition. However, Masamune refuses as he believes that Orochi's reign is the only true rule and assists Kiyomori's efforts. Once Orochi is resurrected, he quickly returns to his lord's side without hesitation.

His Dream Stage is shared with Sima Yi and Mitsunari. Together they ward off the Coalition Army with their strategies. Warriors Orochi Z gives him two additional dream scenarios. One stage teams him with Keiji and Orochi at Bai Di Castle, as they engage in a mock battle amongst the other half of the early Orochi forces lead by Da Ji. Masamune's personal task in the battle is stopping Zhuge Liang's sorcery within the Stone Sentinel Maze. The other dream stage has him teamed with Himiko and Benkei at Mikatagahara. He joins the duo to save Da Ji from being taken away by Wei and Wu, although he isn't particularly happy with the deed. He warns Benkei about trusting Da Ji and supplies the manpower for the ally main camp.

Kessen
Masamune makes an appearance in the first Kessen as the shaky ally for Ieyasu. He is famed for his prized cavalry unit and his army of adept riflemen. In spite of their alliance, Masamune boldly declares that he will betray Ieyasu in the ally camp. If the Eastern forces performs poorly, he will live up to this promise. Otherwise, he makes a very solid yet reluctant unit.

He also appears as a powerful yet minor enemy general in Kessen III. He can become a NPC ally for Nobunaga if he thinks the odds are in his favor. He leads a massive cavalry unit and appears alongside Kojuro Katakura.

Development
Masamune shares many of his design elements with Oichi; they both change at the same rate and are closely tied to one another. For the first title, he was designed to counter the cuteness of the Japanese girl (Oichi) with the "gutsy boy" and "spoiled brat" motif. They strove to make Masamune ambitious but not too deadly. His choice of weaponry was jokingly chosen for originality and to avoid the ethical issue of a child killing/being killed.

He is considered to be a completely different entity in the sequel and is one of the two most changed characters from the original. His newer design aimed to recreate his historical nickname as a man of the Date or "dandy" (伊達者, Datemono), giving a stronger impact for his ambition and craftiness. His charm point is the golden dragon that now decorates the back of his mantle. Since his guns required a new rigging technique, the producer and director are particularly proud of his new fighting style.

Masamune is best associated with the staff by particular sound effects made by his weaponry. The sound of his wooden swords hitting someone ("bon bon") became a sort of inside joke with the development team. In the second title, it was his sword slashing ("baza baza") and his revolvers firing ("pari pari").

Personality
Masamune is an impulsive leader who is boldly arrogant of his abilities, believing himself to be superior to everyone around him. He deems others to be incompetent and often flings the line "Idiots!" or "Imbeciles!" to friend and foe alike. An independent thinker, he rarely listens to his vassals' advice and marches to his own rhythm. Though labeled as an upstart by his enemies, he is actually quite clever and is capable of turning the tides of the battle with his plots. He desires to explore the world and make a new society where numbers can rule. He values his wits, personal material wealth, and power, easily crushed when someone else surpasses him in these aspects. Though in the first game his lust for power and respect blinds him to all else, he sincerely cares for the future of Japan and matures in his following appearances. He is willing to bow down to others if it means keeping his ambitions alive.

Though he puts up a tough front, Masamune appreciates it when people praise him. His way of showing it, however, isn't exactly conventional as he may respond by yelling an insult to his listener or treating them coldly. He is good friends with Magoichi in his newer appearances, as both men value guns; both believe that their firearms are the weapons of the future and money. In the Warriors Orochi series, he has a strong loyalty to Orochi though it's likely due to Orochi's mystical powers that contorts his view of the serpent king.

Due to their contrasting beliefs, he shares mutually antagonizing ties with Kanetsugu. Masamune bluntly deems him to be a hypocrite who uses morals as an excuse to lead men into war. He isn't a fan of Kanetsugu's self-righteous nature and can't stand his preachings for very long. In Samurai Warriors 3, the two become slightly more friendly towards each other but their distaste for one another remains.

Voice Actors

 * Skip Stellrecht - Samurai Warriors (English)
 * Clinton Lee Pontes - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Darrel Guilbeau - Warriors Orochi (English)
 * John Murphy - Kessen (English)
 * Nobuyuki Hiyama - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Ryōtarō Okiayu - Kessen (Japanese)
 * Kota Nemoto - Kessen III (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "Allies!? Imbeciles! We crush them both! Onward! The real battle shall begin now!"
 * "That's right, stand in my way if you want to get sliced in half!"
 * "Imbeciles!! Know your place!"
 * "I have conquered Japan! Wooo!"
 * "You never had a chance!"
 * "Victory!"
 * "You think you're brave, huh? I think you're dumb!"
 * "Outta my way! Imbeciles!"
 * "This fight is all mine."
 * "I'll show the way!"
 * "Even the heavens are awed by the power of the Date!"
 * "Such incredible power...! You, you must be...!"
 * "Don't just stand there like a dunce! Protect the village!"
 * Peasant and Masamune; Samurai Warriors 2


 * "Ah, an ill-tempered boy; here to help me carry all this gold home!"
 * "Hey, I am an ill-tempered man! Wait, I mean...Argh!"
 * Okuni and Masamune; Samurai Warriors 2


 * "Argh!! Won't you ever shut up about honor, Kanetsugu?! I can hear you even when you're not around. It's like you're in my head!"
 * "This is indeed a good sign. If the principles of honor have penetrated even your thick skull... Then a world in which honor is revered above all cannot be far behind!"
 * "Great. A whole country of Kanetsugus. Just kill me now..."
 * Masamune and Kanetsugu; Samurai Warriors 2 Empires


 * "Masamune, I have served you for a long time. And I have found that you are a man of ambition and cunning deviousness. However, I see now that this was your way of staying true to your dream... A noble dream of joining our land in true unity."
 * "Hey...! Don't you try to sweet-talk me! You're just saying that 'cause you know I've always... wanted... to be appreciated by you..."
 * Yukimura and a sobbing Masamune; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "Your pathetic parlor tricks won't work against me!"
 * "Ah, did I hear right? Is there a human that thinks he can stand against our might?"
 * Masamune and Taigong Wang; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "I...kill...you!"
 * "Disappear."
 * "Is that really the extent of your vocabulary?"
 * Wei Yan, Hanzō Hattori, and Masamune; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "There is no doubt my cavalry will ultimately determine the victor here! Katakura! After we finish this battle with Mitsunari, we should take hold of the land and perhaps ally ourselves with Spain!"
 * Masamune before the war council; Kessen

Ground Moveset

 * undefined,(undefined),(undefined): Masamune crouches and crosses his boken in front of him. He fires a dragon shaped wave of energy that travels in front of him. He fires two more with each button press.
 * ,undefined,(undefined),(undefined),(undefined): An upward diagonal swipe with both boken that launches his opponent into the air. He hops up to bap them six times with his boken, swinging three times with each sword in his hand. He ends the combo by firing a burst of dragon-energy towards the ground.
 * ,,undefined,(undefined),(undefined),(undefined): A downward slash with both boken. He then slices as he rises, moving his swords from an inwards to outwards motion. As his opponent is stunned, he leaps forward and hits three times with each of his swords. He finishes with a horizontal swing with both swords.
 * ,,,undefined,(undefined),(undefined): A horizontal attack with with both swords that cuts to his right. He hops upwards with a rising slash from both swords, sending any opponents hit by the blow flying. As he crouches from his landing, he summons a wave of dragon-energy to circle around him.


 * ,undefined: Plummets to pierce the ground with both boken, creating a shockwave.
 * ,: One-two overhead slices.
 * Masamune crouches with his swords poised at his sides and bombards foes with dragon shaped waves. In his true Musou version, he ends the motion with three overhead slashes.

Ground Moveset

 * undefined,(undefined),(undefined): Fires with a single gun, shooting three bullets simultaneously in front of him. Follows with a dashing slice. Hops into the air vertically, twisting his body to shoot with both guns five times.
 * ,undefined,(undefined),(undefined): Upwards diagonal cut that launches foes into the air. Shoots aerial foes with both of his guns before performing a jumping slash to cut them back down.
 * ,,undefined,(undefined),(undefined): A turning kick followed by a dashing slice forward. As he recovers, he brings out both guns and shoots to his sides, sending four blue waves of energy.
 * ,,,undefined,(undefined),(undefined): Turning slash followed by a series of cuts to his front. Finishes by hopping into the air, spinning as he shoots both guns at once.
 * ,,,,undefined: (Xtreme Legends only) Brings out both of his guns and shots a spray of bullets with each one, hitting enemies on his sides.


 * ,undefined: Plummets to plant sword into the ground, creating a shockwave.
 * ,: Brings out both guns to fire and fires them one at a time. Can be repeated multiple times until he lands, changing the tempo of his jump slightly.
 * Dashing : Leaning horizontal slash.


 * Masamune stands still and fires a barrage of bullets in a 180 degree motion in front of him. His level 3 musou includes diagonal laser beams. In his true musou version, he repeats the last part of his C4 three times.
 * R1 + : Masamune shoots his pistols, beginning with his right and then shifting to his left hand. Can kill enemy generals.
 * R1 + undefined: Masamune twirls his guns and taunts the enemy. Lowers their defense while increasing their attack. Enemies under the afflicted status will be surrounded by red sparkles.

Mounted Moveset

 * ,undefined: A harsh downwards swipe that launches enemies in range.
 * ,,undefined: Overhead chop that stuns.
 * ,,,undefined: Brings out both of his guns. Fires an spray of bullets to his right and then his left.
 * ,,,,,,: Slices to his right six times before he brings out one of his guns. He shoots a short spray of bullets, surrounding his right and front sides.

Same attacks excluding his C5 and Level 3 Musou. His R1 attacks have also changed:
 * Warriors Orochi
 * ,: An airdash that makes him temporarily invincible. Masamune leans forward slightly to propel himself forward.
 * R1: Jumps into the air with both guns ready. Spiraling as he twists his body to face the ground below, he shoots with both guns multiple times until he prepares for his landing.
 * direction + R1: Readies both guns and then canonballs himself forward. As he spins, he rapidly shoots with both guns until he loses momentum and lands.

Samurai Warriors
In Samurai Warriors, Masamune fights with two wooden training swords (boken) and can shoot dragon shaped laser beams from his eye patch. His attacks are fairly fast and broad with certain swings covering his blind spots. His combos are easy to execute and he attacks fairly well from horseback. Drawbacks in this version include; poor reach (fixable to an extent with the right skills) and weak damage potential, both on and off a horse. His musou is useful for crowd clearing but not as effective one-on-one.

He is armed with a Spanish-style saber and two pistols in Samurai Warriors 2. In this game, he can deftly switch between his two weapons. His stats emphasize his abilities on horseback. Drawbacks for him now are; minor setup lag on some key charge moves, slightly lower damage output, and a very narrow hit box on his pistol fire. These issues however, are mostly resolved by his final weapon which fixes his range and quickens his musou recovery - to allow him maximum potential when using his best asset: his musou attack.

Masamune's strongest element is ice. In both games, his musou in greatly improved with the use of this element on his weapon, in particular, Samurai Warriors 2 takes this to almost ridiculous efficiency.

Warriors Orochi
Similar to all of the characters inducted into the Warriors Orochi series, his attack speed is accelerated.

Samurai Warriors 3
Stage to clear for Unique Weapon - Battle of Hasedou

Trivia

 * While it's not known if he will revert to his younger self in other titles, Masamune does become a child once more in the first drama CD for the Samurai Warriors series.