Yoshihiro Shimazu

Yoshihiro Shimazu debuted as a playable character in Samurai Warriors 2. He is one of the four prominent leaders of the Shimazu clan. He earned the nickname, "Devil Shimazu" (Hanja: 鬼石曼子), during Hideyoshi's attempt to invade Korea. He's symbolized with the words "smash" (砕) and "devil" (鬼).

Samurai Warriors
Yoshihiro is an old war veteran who wants to feel thrill in battle. He's quite the daredevil and loves to fight for the losing side. His battle cry is "Chesto!", which is a common yell to raise morale. During the invasion of Kyushu, he fights with his older and younger brothers, Toshihisa and Iehisa, to defend their eldest brother, Yoshihisa. The brothers' strategies are known as Tsuri no Buse (釣り野伏せ) in the Japanese script. Despite their plans to surrender, they still want a chance to go out in a blaze of glory. Prior to Sekigahara, he revoked his leadership of the clan to his nephew, Toyohisa, to spare them suffering if he failed to win. To his surprise, Toyohisa and his men came with him and he leads the "Shimazu Devils" into battle.

In the past, Yoshihiro killed Ginchiyo's father and several members of the Tachibana clan in combat. Though they're allies in the Western Army, she's antagonistic to him and frequently tells him various death threats. Yoshihiro admires her tenacity and gives her the chance to get her revenge whilst they're in a battle to defeat Ieyasu. He defects and charges through both the Eastern and Western armies at once. In his ending, he defeats her and is sadden that he can't mourn for such a worthy adversary. He is then restless in the following age of peace.

His dream stage is a "what-if?" scenario of Yoshihiro's historical inactivity in Sekigahara. He waits until the Western Army is nearly defeated and then charges out to battle to change the odds in their favor.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Yoshihiro is a starting character for the Shu forces. Along with Xing Cai and Zuo Ci, he helps break Zhao Yun from prison. He also helps Ginchiyo who begrudgingly allies with them.

In Warriors Orochi 2, he befriends Huang Zhong and the two warriors compliment one another.

Kessen
Shimazu appears in Kessen as one of the starting generals for the Toyotomi army. He is on ill-terms with Mitsunari before Sekigahara and fights with a small and very reluctant army. Aside from this battle, he has a fearful cavalry unit. He is proud of his heritage, often yelling that his opponents will feel the wrath of his homeland. Though he will participate in battles following Mitsunari's death, he will not be one of the units to defend Osaka Castle.

Saihai no Yukue
In Saihai no Yukue, Yoshihiro is a battle veteran who starts as a loyal general for the Western Army. He constantly wears a stern expression and speaks with simple yet bold declarations. Mitsunari has a hard time understanding his true intentions, especially after he found a letter of surrender in the Shimazu camp. Yoshihiro later bluntly explains that he is only looking out for his safety of his people. Since Mitsunari is not a Shimazu, he sees no reason to help him. However, once Mitsunari proves that he is willing to bet his life on winning, Yoshihiro agrees to wholeheartedly assist him. It's convenient for both men since the Shimazu army were moments before charging through the Eastern Army anyways. When Toyohisa sacrifices himself, Yoshihiro reminds their leader to honor his nephew's notions and proceed to victory. He acts as one of the last main generals who changed history. In the last battle, he defeats Naomasa, Kobayakawa, Tadakatsu and Ieyasu in one blow.

He carries around a big cat which he affectionately calls, "Oni Bontan". Oni Bontan usually expresses the same emotions that Yoshihiro does.

Development
Despite initial beliefs to the contrary, Yoshihiro was actually developed after Ginchiyo and made specifically to be her opposite in both age, body type, and weaponry. To make him contrast with the first game's cast, he was designed to be the "white haired old man" character. As the only other character originating from Kyushu, they strove to make a gigantic strong man who truly fits his historical nickname. He was given a hammer since the producer thinks it fits with the "sturdy old man" image.

Voice Actors

 * Mark Skoda - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Mark Acheson - Kessen (English)
 * Hisao Egawa - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Daisuke Gōri - Kessen (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "Hammer time!"
 * "Satisfaction comes first!"
 * "They sure don't make enemy officers like they used to."
 * "Yoshihiro... you're taking... a cat...? Onto the battlefield...?"
 * "Of course. With her honed instincts, this cat will let us know when the enemy's about to attack. And she's the prettiest little kitty in the whole world! Yes she is!"
 * "He's right, you know. It is a very pretty cat."
 * Ina, Yoshihiro, Ginchiyo; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "They call me Devil Shibata!"
 * "I am the Devil Hanzō..."
 * "I am known as Shimazu the Devil!"
 * "Hmm... We require... a thesaurus..."
 * Katsuie, Hanzō, and Yoshihiro; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "Do you think it wise to spill the blood of your brethren all because of your pig-headedness?"
 * "Wise? Ha! I never consider the wisdom of battle! It simply must be fought -and so must be enjoyed."
 * Motochika and Yoshihiro; Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends


 * "They shall feel the wrath of Satsuma!"


 * Shimazu agreeing to attack; Kessen

Personal Information
Though never designated as his family's leader, Shimazu Yoshihiro was considered as a valued asset for the Shimazu clan and was a man of ferocious caliber. He was favored by his brothers and grandfather, each one of them praising his loyalty to their family. During his youth, he was known to have amazing stamina as he sustained five deep arrows wounds to his armor and still fought with tenacious vigor. His bravery and honest character continued to impress several men, including Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Fukushima Masanori. It is said that his older brother was often compared to Yoshihiro and was treated coldly in comparison, some going as far to praise Yoshihiro as "the seventeenth clan head". While Yoshihiro had a great deal of accomplishments, it's currently unknown if he was actually ever considered as a valid candidate for the clan's leadership. To avoid confusion it's generally accepted that he was made the clan's leader in name only, giving the power of his clan to his brother, Yoshihisa.

Yoshihiro is also believed to have been a loving family man. He treated his horse, Hizatsuki Kurige, very well and only rode this steed into battle. While he was away during the Korean campaign, he constantly wrote letters to his family. In one letter to his wife, he wrote:

"During these three years that I spent in the front lines at Korea, my mind keeps thinking that it's for the Shimazu family and its children. But, when I think of the possibility of the children learning of my death, I can't hold back my tears. You have many children beside you so, if I perish, I want you to live and always be with them. If you can grant this wish, I will gladly write to you 10,000 more times."

After his return from Korea, he became a cultured man who enjoyed tea ceremonies, I Ching, and different aspects of Sinology. He also migrated forty Korean pottery makers and they passed their techniques to different parts of Satsuma. Their influence paved a revolution for the providence's pottery. He had four brothers, one wife, one concubine, and seven children.

Early Years
He was born as Shimazu Takahisa's second son. His mother was one his father's concubines known as Sezo Fujin. After he visited the shogun, Ashikage Yoshitaka, he was bestowed with the honored name, Yoshitaka. When he came into adulthood, he was renamed Yoshihiro. He experienced his first battle when he was 19 when accompanied his father to the Ōsumi Province at Iwatsugi Castle. They faced several Kyushu generals from the Gendoin, Kamou, Hishikari, and Irikin clans. Yoshihiro succeeded in decapitating the Kamou's leader, Norikiyo, but suffered serious wounds in the process.

In 1560, to save Shimazu Tadachika from Itō Yoshisuke's abuse, Yoshihiro was adopted into the Itō family and sent to Obi Castle. Two years later, however, the families lost respect for one another. The purpose behind his adoption was abandoned and the two armies clashed. He was then sent to the Kitahara clan, who donned him as one of their clan's honorary generals. When more defectors from the Itō clan migrated over, Yoshihiro moved to Iino Castle. In 1566, the Itō army began to march to his location. With his brothers, Yoshihisa and Toshihisa, Yoshihiro fought a brave resistance against him. After each side suffered great losses, the Itō army withdrew.

Although they were enemies, Yoshihiro never forgot the kindness he experienced with his adoptive family and integrated a design of the Itō crest for his code of arms. He is said to have done this during these years.

Expanding Power
Serving under his elder brother, Yoshihiro continued to show bravery against the Itō forces during the Battle of Kizakibaru in 1572. The battle was fought in an effort to expand the Shimazu family territory. Itō Sukeyasu, who received reinforcements from three sides, split his army of 3,000 into two separate battalions in an effort to surround Yoshihiro and his family. To retaliate, Yoshihiro's wife and fifty volunteers took shelter in another castle while he lead an attack from Kakutō Castle. His enemy tried to corner him with a fire attack, but one his trusted generals spotted the spark and reported the incident. Wanting to stump his foe at intelligence, Yoshihiro sent spies familiar with the local region to report on the situation. Learning the general geography of the land, he gathered 160 from his 300 men under his command. Sukeyasu's army chose to also perform a night raid on Kakutō Castle around this time. Though the Shimazu troops were able to surprise their foes, there were heavy casualties on both sides due to the young and inexperienced soldiers dragged into the conflict. The confusion was enough to demoralize Sukeyasu's troops and they fled from the castle.

Yoshihiro chose to not immediately pursue them since a report of 500 enemy soldiers was said to have been stationed and ready for them near Mount Suwa. When the Sukeyasu's troops were resting near a river, however, Yoshihiro sprung an ambush from his artillery and personally rode on a chestnut colored horse into the surprised enemy army. He dueled and slayed three generals in his charge, forcing the Itō army to make a battered retreat up Mount Suwa. Yoshihiro was already ready for this move and, when his foes progressed up the hills, he signaled another ambush with his spies in the area. Stopping his enemy in their tracks, he trapped them from their rear with the remainder of his 300 men. The enemy army was ultimately stumped by this strategy and their resistance collapsed with 500 survivors (mainly composed of the ones who did not have a chance to march into the battle). Sukeyasu was killed by a stray bullet whilst trying to escape the chaos. Although it was a victory for Yoshihiro, it was also a bloody scene for both sides, and it is said that it took four months to give proper burials to the deceased in the field. The particular formation used by Yoshihiro in this conflict later became his family's famous trademark and feared tactic, Tsuri no Buse (literally: "Hidden Fishing Field"). To summarize the tactic's use in later battles, the army is split into three formations and placed in three different locations. One army waits in the center and lures the enemy to attack them (otherwise known as "fishing"). When the middle army sees the chance, the two other squadrons are signaled to surround the enemy from two directions (usually the left and right).

Yoshihiro distinguished his reputation as a brave general after the battle. After the Itō clan was suppressed, he also took part in The Battle of Mimikawa, which lead to a crushing defeat for the Ōtomo family and the annihilation of their troops in modern day Kijō, Miyazaki. Taking the place of his older brother, Yoshihiro lead the Shimazu offensive against them and significantly decreased his enemy's territories. In 1587, Hideyoshi was in the midst of his Kyushu Campaign and reinforced the Ōtomo clan. The Shimazu family decided to eventually surrender during the Battle of Nejirozaka, in which they faced a massive army of 80,000. It is said that Yoshihiro opposed the decision, fighting valiantly against several enemies and pressing for a do-or-die resistance. He only agreed to the idea once his brothers gradually laid down their arms and offered one of their children as a hostage.

Serving Hideyoshi
He had been a willing and a skillful general for Hideyoshi. On both 1592 and 1597 of the Seven-Year War, Yoshihiro set his foot on the Korean peninsula and successfully carried out a series of battles. On 1597, working together with Todo Takatora, Katō Yoshiaki and Konishi Yukinaga, Yoshihiro defeated Won Kyun's navy. At the Battle of Sacheon (泗川) in 1598, facing Ming army counting 37,000, Yoshihiro defeated them with only 7,000 soldiers. Shimazu troops under Yoshihiro were called "Oni Shimazu (literal translation-Shimazu demons or Shimazu ogres)" by Ming. Based on the superstition that the shape of cat's pupils told the exact time of day, Yoshihiro was said to have brought seven cats with him on the field in an effort to correct his judgment on time.

On the final battle of the war, the Battle of Noryang, Yoshihiro's objective was to cross the Noryang Strait, link up with Konishi and retreat to Japan. Most of the 500 ships under his command were destroyed or captured by the Joseon and Ming navies under Admiral Yi Soon Shin. However, an estimated 150 to 200 of his ships managed to limp back to Japan. Upon his return, Yoshihiro was awarded for his services since Yi Soon Shin was killed by his army.