Yoshitsugu Ōtani

Yoshitsugu Ōtani is Mitsunari's loyal friend who agreed to help him at Sekigahara. Though he was stricken by leprosy by the time the battle begins, he carries out his promise until his defeat. Historically, he was too frail to move by his own strength but this isn't true for his game appearances.

In Saihai no Yukue, his height is 178 cm (5'10") and he is 27 years old. He likes to enjoy calm locations while gently warming himself in the sun, and his favorite food is salted konbu.

Samurai Warriors
Yoshitsugu appears as a generic general during some of the Toyotomi battles and at Sekigahara. During Kojiro's version of Osaka Castle, his son vows to avenge him.

Warriors Orochi
He is a minor general who is often seen serving in any army with Mitsunari. During the dream mode version of Xia Pi, he defends the water gate. If Mitsunari arrives to help him before the enemy officers heading towards it are defeated, he will say a special quote for his friend.

Kessen
In Kessen, he is called "Otani" and acts as a low-keyed general for the Western army. He is dressed in white attire and has a mask to cover the lower part of his face. He calmly asks his comrades to understand his friend's brash nature. In battle, Otani leads an archery or firearms unit with a small battalion of footmen to protect his men. He is one of the better support units at Sekigahara. If the Toyotomi army consecutively wins their battles, Otani lives to see Ieyasu's end. Losing at any other part in the game will usually result in his death. Like Sakon, he may live past Mitsunari's death if their commander suddenly loses the battle at Edo.

He appears as an optional unit for Nobunaga's army in Kessen III. Yoshitsugu can join if the Oda army talks to the villagers and avoids killing innocents in their showdown with the Asakura. He is a ronin who has a good rifle proficiency and has good relations with Sakon; the two will perform better if they form a unit together.

Saihai no Yukue
He is Mitsunari's best friend in Saihai no Yukue. A composed and quiet individual, he lost one of his eyes to his illness and is nearly blind. However, Mitsunari gave him the strength to live and he is willing to use the remainder of his life for his friend. He is a blunt and intelligent adviser for Mitsunari, often steering his friend away from brash and idiotic ideas. Since he says little about his own personal thoughts on the battle, some of the Western Army generals find it hard to trust Yoshitsugu. Though he will joke about his friend's abilities, he sincerely believes in Mitsunari and earnestly works to see their justice served.

When Kobayakawa betrays the Western Army, Yoshitsugu swears on his life to stop him. During this time, he advises his lord to focus on the defense with Konishi and Ukita. Though Mitsunari will save his friend from Kobayakawa, Yoshitsugu feels that his life is ending and requests to stay on the field. As his last wish, he asks his friend to not help him in his fight against Kobayakawa's reinforcements, lead by Tōdō. Surrounded by eight troops, he dies while lying against a tree and wishing the best for Mitsunari. After his death, Tamaki hands Mitsunari a letter he wrote, which tells his dispirited friend to stop being depressed and to never lose sight of his goal. Yoshitsugu's sacrifice and parting words continues to inspire Mitsunari's actions until the end of the game.

Voice Actors

 * Brooke Burgess - Kessen (English)
 * Kouji Haramaki - Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Kaneto Shiozawa - Kessen (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "Lord Otani, what is it that inspires you to have such faith in the man?"
 * "Mitsunari and I have bonds built of time."
 * "Out of obligation?!"
 * Shimazu and Otani before Sekigahara; Kessen


 * "Yoshitsugu, do you think we can claim victory somehow?"
 * "Mitsunari, it is not about the possibility of winning. Victory is infallible. As the army's commander, you should be the one believing this the most."
 * Mitsunari and Yoshitsugu; Saihai no Yukue

Personal Info
Ōtani Yoshitsugu has been romanticized in poetry and fiction as Ishida Mitsunari's heroic and talented friend since the Edo Period. It is said they have been good friends since their early days working with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, each respecting the others' judgment and character. A particularly famous episode between them occurred during a tea ceremony at Osaka Castle in 1587. An ill Yoshitsugu drank from the tea bowl traditionally passed among the attendees but left an embarrassing spot of pus after his mouthful. Keeping true to the ceremony, he was forced to pass it on to others. The attendees shied away from their traditional gulp and respectfully moved it along the line. When it came to Mitsunari, he drank the entire contents without faltering and commented that the tea was superbly delicious. Yoshitsugu was touched by his friend's gesture, commonly said to have lead to his determination to fight for the Western army. There is also a legend of the two being romantically involved with one another due to their close ties, sometimes argued to have started due to this event.

While the tea ceremony incident was recorded by people actually alive during the time period (Kamiya Sōtan and Tsuda Sōgyū being among them), the subject of their actual friendship is under speculation. To be more precise, Yoshitsugu himself is put under eye of skepticism. Stories from the Edo Period will appraise Yoshitsugu as a honorable and talented retainer since his youth, but nothing in historical records offers details to support their claims. His father is said to either have been Ōtani Yoshifusa (retainer to Hideyoshi) or Ōtani Moriharu (a vassal of the Ōtomo family) since they both shared the same family name. Both men are of unknown origin and have little recorded for them beside a few notes and their names. It is often said that he was born in Ōmi Province; his mother was one of Kōdai-In's maids and was how Yoshitsugu became favored by Hideyoshi. However, if one is to believe his father was Moriharu, this defenestrates the story entirely since Yoshitsugu was also said to have only joined Hideyoshi after departing from the Ōtomo family in his late twenties. Since little is known about either Ōtani clans to completely verify the stories, Yoshitsugu's first meeting with the Taikō is a mystery.

The unknown sections of his life creates a twenty or thirty year gap often filled with stories and rumors. Among those put into question is his bonds with Mitsunari, since legends will proclaim they knew each other since they were serving under Hideyoshi in their youth. Stories commonly state Yoshitsugu was only a year older than Mitsunari, but speculation has been arising that he was actually much older or younger than his friend due to the mixed accounts of his roots. His age is at odds with the tales created for their relationship -romanticized to have occurred due to their close ages- and adds more mystery to Yoshitsugu. The contradictions have been so confusing that a rather radical theory has been emerging with a small portion of believers for their friendship. This story argues Yoshitsugu had died of his illness within a year of contracting it and that the Yoshitsugu at Sekigahara was actually a heavily ailed Hideyoshi in disguise. While an interesting concept, it needs to prove Hideyoshi had somehow survived his historically accepted death date and adds more fuel to the debate. In any case, speculation over whether the two men truly considered one another friends continues to this day.

He is not accredited with an official wife, but he supposedly fathered three sons and one daughter. His second son died with him at Sekigahara while his other two argued male offspring either fell with the Toyotomi family at Osaka Castle or lived past the wars in seclusion. Yoshitsugu's daughter was Sanada Nobushige's first wife. A purposed folktale states Yoshitsugu had one concubine prior to Sekigahara, who went insane with grief after his death. While it's unknown if the claim holds any merit, Tsuda Sutezō of the Byakkotai was rumored to have been one of his descendants.

Other Names
In the event that Yoshitsugu was born under Yoshifusa, there is a popular story regarding the origin of his childhood name, Keimastu (桂松 or 慶松). Before his son was born, Yoshifusa lamented his luck with children and wished for a male heir. One day, his wife decided to pray before a shrine dedicated to Hachiman Daibosetsu in their land. As she uttered her desires for a boy, a pine tree was cut before the shrine and fell before her. She plucked a portion of the fallen branches and ate it for good luck. When she gave birth, Yoshifusa was happy to see his first son. Grateful for the god's answer, he named his child after the plant.

His first legal alias was Heima (平馬), which was given to him during his early services with Hideyoshi. He was either given this name for his leadership of the cavalry at Harima or in recognition of his service at Miki Castle. A few years later, temple printings associate him with having the alias Kinosuke or Norinosuke (紀之介). He has also been argued to had his name changed to either Ōtani Gyōbu (大谷刑部) or Ōtani Yoshitaka (大谷吉隆). Gyōbu reportedly was given as a respectful link to the Genji family or in honor of Yoshitsugu's higher rank at the time. Yoshitaka was either his actual given name in history or an alternative nickname.

When Yoshitsugu fell ill with leprosy, he was popularly described to have looked dreadfully pale, which lead to his nickname "White Face" (白頭). Legends state the name may have been also caused since he covered his face with a white mask, a typical attire when stricken with the disease.