Nobuyuki Sanada

Nobuyuki Sanada is the fifth head of the Sanada family. He is Masayuki's eldest son, Yukimura's older brother, and Ina's husband.

Before his playable Samurai Warriors appearance, he was a generic NPC since the first title. He is voted as the fifth most popular character according to the Samurai Warriors 4 poll. In the first character popularity poll for Sengoku Musou Shoot, he was voted to third place with players. This counterpart two character image songs titled Ouju ga Gotoku and Omoi Uta.

Role in Games
In the Samurai Warriors series, the non-playable Nobuyuki often appears on the Tokugawa side during the siege of Ueda Castle. He is usually listed under as one objectives in the stage during Yukimura's story mode. The brothers, tied to their respective duties, apologize and bravely face one another. Though enemies, they still recognize one another as family. When Ina is first introduced, Yukimura respectfully calls her "sister".

During Tadakatsu's story mode in Samurai Warriors 2, the Tokugawa army attack Ueda Castle with Ieyasu as the main commander. At this time, Nobuyuki is still serving his family and is acting as one of the castle's defenders. He boldly challenges Tadakatsu to face him, which impresses the latter. After Nobuyuki's defeat, Tadakatsu remarks that he is an honest man and considers marrying him to his daughter.

He appears in the third title to again defend Ueda Castle from Ieyasu's siege. The bravery demonstrated by him and his family lands him in a favorable light by the Tokugawa invaders. Nobuyuki also leads the defense of Numata Castle against the Sanada.

Nobuyuki is one of the unique generals who appears in 100man-nin no Sengoku Musou. An easy-going gentleman who is often seen smiling, he strives to live up to his father's expectations whilst fondly supporting his younger brother. Though somewhat pacifistic, he won't hesitate to arm himself for battle.

His playable counterpart is Shingen's favorite disciple. He has spent his entire childhood training with Yukimura under the cherry trees of their home, dreaming to someday live up to the Sanada name and to always protect Yukimura. The brothers begin their career serving the Takeda like their forefathers and fight for Shingen and Katsuyori at Kawanakajima, Suruga, Mikatagahara, Nagashino, Katsugayama Castle and Mount Tenmoku. Their fighting capabilities impress Nobunaga enough to permit them to keep their samurai prestige under the Oda. Honnōji provokes Ujiyasu's invasion towards the center. The brothers defend Kazumasu Takigawa, the Oda vassal in charge of Kai, at Kanagawa but fail to completely drive back the Hōjō army. Their father, Masayuki, decides to have the family return to their home, Ueda Castle, after they are relieved of Oda servitude. The Sanada prove their tenacity against Ieyasu's invasion, thus leading to Nobuyuki's political marriage to Ina. The Tokugawa and Sanada's submission to the tycoon, Hideyoshi, leads to their obligation to support the Toyotomis at Oshu and Oshi Castle.

Early within these campaigns, Nobuyuki realizes that Nobushige's death has greatly affected Shingen's emotional state. Shingen forces himself to keep with his conquests in his brother's memory, yet Nobuyuki feels he could never bring himself to follow his lord's example and wishes to avoid suffering the same feeling. As he motivates himself to protect his younger brother, the elder Sanada brother questions the meanings of death. When he witnesses the Tokugawa retainers sacrificing themselves for Ieyasu's escape, Nobuyuki asks Shingen for guidance and learns from his elder of Ieyasu's leadership and empathy. Respecting their departed lord's advice and memory, Nobuyuki ponders the Tokugawa lord's unfaltering justifications for unification during his duties.

The destruction of the Takeda and Oda has Nobuyuki discover that stability is the most imperative quality needed for surviving the era of wars; he draws from his experiences to deem Ieyasu as the most logical candidate for protecting the Sanada's future. Mitsunari's vision and his friendship with Yukimura from his observations at Oshi Castle causes Nobuyuki to worry that his brother would die for a lost cause. He therefore wishes to decline Mitsunari's letter for assistance for the Sekigahara campaign, an act which Yukimura thinks betrays their family's samurai integrity. Unable to convince his brother to join Ieyasu during the second siege of Ueda Castle, Nobuyuki regretfully stays true to his own resolve to protect their family's future. He prevents Yukimura from slaying Ieyasu at Osaka Castle and, despite his best efforts, experiences his greatest fear when his brother rushes to his death. Nobuyuki mournfully swears to live and protect the cherry blossoms –the flowers of Yukimura's life– after the battle's conclusion.

His role after the Takeda's demise is further explored in the expansion, and he shares the storyline with both Yukimura and Ina. Starting off, Nobuyuki is seen spying on the Tokugawa forces, before meeting and fighting Ina. The two withdraw and prepare for the battle the next day, after hearing Yukimura's shouts. With the Sanada successfully defeating the massive Tokugawa army, Ieyasu proposes a political wedding between Nobuyuki and Ina, which he accepts.

Later on, after allying themselves with the Toyotomi, Nobuyuki, with his brother and wife, assist in the siege of Odawara Castle, successfully slaying Ujiyasu, and unifying the land. The peace was short-lived as Hideyoshi died shortly after, and his retainers were split with Mitsunari leading one side, and Ieyasu leading the other. Nobuyuki chooses to side with the Tokugawa, putting him in direct opposition to Yukimura.

Against his requests, Hidetada attacks Ueda Castle instead of immediately heading for the decisive battle at Sekigahara. This leads Yukimura to defend the castle fiercely, as well as stalling the necessary supplies. Defeating his brother, Nobuyuki decides to spare Yukimura, and heads to Sekigahara.

There, they are able to assist, and turn the tide against Mitsunari, leading to his demise, and the fall of the Western Army. Ina then visits Yukimura to give him his sentence to exile. Soon after though, tensions flare between the Toyotomi and the Tokugawa, leading Ieyasu to besiege Hideyori at Osaka Castle. Nobuyuki correctly guesses that Yukimura has also joined in with the doomed defense, and slays him in his final charge against Ieyasu. After the battle, he and Ina mourn Yukimura together.

Development
Koinuma commented that Nobuyuki was adapted into a playable character since he was in high demand with Samurai Warriors fans online. He hopes Nobuyuki's introduction can be used to create more depth and background for the Sanada clan since Yukimura is the main protagonist of the series. From start to finish, he was a difficult character for the developers to design and create. Designers noted that Nobuyuki originally shared the same hair color as Yukimura; they didn't have their eureka moment for his design until they gave him silver hair. His hairclip is meant to be a rearrangement of his historical helmet. The main theme for his character is sibling conflict.

Personality
Unlike his rash younger brother, Nobuyuki is a pragmatic warrior with damning intuition. As the future leader of his clan, he seeks to always maintain his family's integrity with dutiful and stunning perfection. The commanders of the era have supreme trust in his tactics and reputation. Yet Nobuyuki privately broods over the repercussions of his decisions, unable to determine whether his actions are truly just. If he feels something will endanger his lord or loved ones, however, Nobuyuki seeks to extinguish his ties to it at once. He gradually chooses to detach his feelings from his judgment to focus on the logical conclusions of his actions. Nobuyuki speaks with an orderly, diplomatic lingual in the Japanese script to contrast his brother.

Nobuyuki adores his younger brother and is always stressing himself to protect him. He chastises his brother's recklessness and rejoices Yukimura's deeds with open if formal praise. At the same time, Nobuyuki suffers from an inferiority complex, feeling that his brother's indomitable warrior spirit far outclasses anything he could accomplish. Unable to let go of their happier and simpler childhood, Nobuyuki subconsciously wishes to remain as his brother's reliable idol through his actions. He chooses to hide his personal weaknesses from Yukimura to avoid worrying him.

Ieyasu's perceptions for the future is the first to intellectually challenge him, compounding his inner dilemma regarding the war and leadership. Later in the era, Nobuyuki gradually respects Ieyasu and Ina for their devotion to him. When Ina catches onto his anxieties, he appreciates his wife's unspoken emotional support for him.

Character Symbolism
In the Samurai Warriors series, he is symbolized by the kanji for "receptiveness" (寛) and "heart" (心) and by cherry blossom petals.

His default weapon is named after yin-yang. Nobuyuki's rare weapon can be interpreted in one of two ways. The first two characters can be translated as "sun and moon". The alternate reading can be "dawning sun". When paired with the two characters which follow it, it figuratively means he will guard the new age to honor the memories of those who have perished. Either meaning is meant to contrast the short-lived warrior image seen in Yukimura's symbolism. From a historical perspective, an elderly Nobuyuki was respected by his younger peers in the Edo period as one of the few surviving veterans who lived and fought during the Warring States period, a time which was so alien and distant to them.

His DLC weapon alludes to Hataki no Tsurugi, a legendary archaic sword in Japanese history. Both it and the Seven Star Blade was allegedly given to Kudaranomiko from Chinese envoys during the Asuka period. Hataki no Tsurugi was kept within the imperial palace and entrusted to loyal vassals to the emperor. It is argued to have been a spiritual or ritual sword, a Chinese sword, or a curved long sword. The sword was lost, recovered by the court during the Heian period, and remains lost to this day. Nobuyuki's heirloom could be referring to the story of his own banners. He is reported to have had them assembled in a different manner than his brother and father to distinguish himself on the field by using black cloth and golden paint for their clan's code of arms. His sons later rode under the same flags at Osaka Castle, which led to another story about them. Nobuyuki using banners with the Sanada emblem may also be a historical reference to him having the right to use them. Despite what folklore and fiction says, Nobushige (Yukimura) did not historically use the six coins during his final stand at Osaka Castle since his meager rank as an exile and outlaw did not give him the right.

Voice Actors

 * Jason Moran - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Tony Oliver - Warriors Orochi (English-uncredited)
 * Takeshi Kusao - Samurai Warriors 2 (Japanese)
 * Shinichi Yamada - Samurai Warriors 3 (Japanese)
 * Daisuke Ono - Samurai Warriors 4 (Japanese)
 * Jun Shikano - Samurai Warriors 4, as a child (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also Nobuyuki Sanada/Quotes


 * "I'll hold the enemy here!"
 * "I still think Yukimura should have been higher, but he is higher than me in the rankings. That's worth celebrating. Let bygones be bygones and focus on what's important. ...That's all I need."
 * "I wonder how the audience feels as I race against Yukimura today..."
 * "Ina, you may be the daughter of Tadakatsu Honda... I apologize that I cannot show you any favors. Please forgive me if I treat you in a way unbecoming of your situation. I am rudely fashioned and have not the poet's tongue."
 * "As you say, I am a warrior. Please deal with me as you would any other soldier. Besides... I know that my father would respect a man... A man such as yourself, Lord Nobuyuki, of unembellished sincerity."
 * Nobuyuki and Ina; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "What reckless folly! You fight a war you cannot win!"
 * "No matter what you say, I shall remain. I won't hold back, even against a lovely maiden such as yourself."
 * "Wha-! Please don't think you can tease me so! Women are led astray by lewd men like you! I, Ina, shall deliver punishment unto you!"
 * "Ina, you said? Even your name is exquisite."
 * "!? Un-Unacceptable! I'll never forgive you!"
 * "I was just praising you, but now you're angry with me... Why are you like this?"
 * Ina and Nobuyuki; 100man-nin no Sengoku Musou

Charge Moveset

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 * ,, , undefined, (undefined): Charges through with a slash and makes a tornado with his sword.
 * ,, , , undefined, (undefined): Slashes rapidly in front of himself, and makes a wave of fire.

Hyper Moveset

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 * Running + :
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 * Rapidly slashes sword while standing in place. He then makes a wind tunnel, then finishes with a shockwave.
 * (Ultimate/Kaiden):
 * Rage Attack/Musou Gokui effect: Wind element added to his attacks. Activates Ultimate/Kaidan Musou if is used. Poses if the effect ends without activating Ultimate/Kaidan Musou.
 * Rage Attack/Musou Gokui effect: Wind element added to his attacks. Activates Ultimate/Kaidan Musou if is used. Poses if the effect ends without activating Ultimate/Kaidan Musou.


 * Spirit Cancel:
 * Deadlock Attack & Mighty Strike: Slashes to the right then spins and does a downward swing.
 * R1:
 * Awakened Skill effect (4-II only):

Mounted Moveset

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Rare Weapon Acquisition

 * Stage: The Ōsaka Campaign (Tokugawa Army - Legend of the Sanada)

Gallery
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