Katsuyori Takeda

Katsuyori Takeda is the twentieth head of the Takeda clan and Shingen's fifth known son. He is an experienced general, possibly one of the Takeda Twenty-Four Generals, and Shingen's successor. In spite of his early accomplishments, he is popularly known for being the loser at Nagashino and bringing ruin to his clan.

Before his playable Samurai Warriors appearance, he was a generic NPC since Samurai Warriors.

His Nobunaga's Ambition counterpart is forty-eighth place in Gamecity's character popularity ranking for 2015. The Nobunaga no Yabou 201X poll for 4-star officers puts him in sixty-fourth place. He placed fiftieth in the Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi poll for most favorite father.

Samurai Warriors
Katsuyori appears in both games at Nagashino. In the first game, he orders his men to quickly claim Nagashino Castle and fortify their army's escape route. Yukimura begs him to reconsider their offensive tactic but Katsuyori is confident in their victory. He orders his men to charge in between the reloading rifles and is surprised to see the cavalry continue to suffer casualties. After losing many key officers, Katsuyori orders a full-scale retreat. Yukimura offers to claim victory by taking Nobunaga's head. If he takes too long doing this task, Katusyori will tell him to abandon the assault and pull back.

In Samurai Warriors 2, he is one of the units who tries to capture the fleeing Ieyasu. Impetuous and aggressive, he rides into battle to prove his family's heritage. At Nagashino, his orders remain the same as the first title. When his army loses ground, he tries to retreat from the field. He needs to be defeated in order to claim victory. In Yukimura's story, he needs to be defended during his escape.

Though he doesn't die at Nagashino, the games often say that the Takeda clan ends following this battle. Katsuyori is also seen in the stage "Fall of the Takeda" alongside Masayuki Sanada.

The fourth title's narrative describes him as someone who is desperately trying to protect the Takeda name. Wishing to fulfill his dead father's dream of reaching the capital, he attacks Ieyasu and pins his foe at Nagashino. He is forced by different circumstances to flee for his life. The Oda version is due to the Takeda's crumbling formations; the Takeda version has them fall for Ieyasu's ruse and his forced to flee due to Hanzō's infiltration of the main camp. Katsuyori pulls the Takeda forces back to Kai.

Kagetora calls for his assistance for the siege of Katsugayama Castle due to their family alliance. Katsuyori abides to it until Kagekatsu's strength impresses him. He and the Sanada siblings then return to the field to assist the older Uesugi brother.

In the last days of the Takeda, Katsuyori tries to get help from Iwadono Castle, but finds out it had surrendered to the Oda. With no other choice, he flees to Mt. Tenmoku with his remaining followers. At the summit of the mountain, he encounters riflemen, and makes one last stand before being shot to death.

During the Spirit of the Sanada, he acts as one of his father's lieutenants and is a good friend of Masayuki. He follows his father loyally throughout the Takeda's campaigns, but is grief-stricken at Shingen's sudden passing. Following his father's final words, "to protect the Takeda", Katsuyori zealously expands to capture Takatenjin.

In his overeagerness to protect the Takeda name, he orders his troops to attack Nagashino Castle, despite many of his retainers, including Masayuki and his brothers, showing concern over Nobunaga leading numerically superior reinforcements. Despite a strong attack, the Tokugawa successfully hold the line for the arrival of the Oda. Still confident in the strength of his cavalry and ignoring Masayuki's advice, Katsuyori engages the Oda and Tokugawa with many loyal retainers losing their lives to the enemy riflemen. Thanks to Masayuki, Katsuyori is barely able to escape the pursuit troops and returns to Kai to count the dead. He also apologizes to Masayuki for ignoring his advice and the deaths of his brothers. He realizes too late that what his father meant was not to protect their family name, but the retainers that had served their clan loyally.

After briefly involving himself in the Uesugi's succession crisis, the Oda begin their invasion of Kai, and the Takeda, still reeling from the losses at Nagashino, are unable to defend against the invaders. While Nobushige suggests to go to the newly-built Iwadono castle, Masayuki insists on leaving for Ueda instead. Katsuyori chooses Masayuki's side, and requests Masayuki to leave for his domain in order to make preparations.

Once Masayuki leaves, however, Katsuyori, not wanting to involve the Sanada further with the Takeda's inevitable demise, chooses to go with Nobushige, where he is eventually betrayed and meets his end. His death is later reported by Kunoichi, who also delivers his final letter of apology to Masayuki and to explain his actions.

Katsuyori's role in 5 has been scaled down, and he retains his roles at his father's side during their battles at Kawanakajima and Suruga. During Mikatagahara, he senses that something has agitated his father, and his father warns him that the Takeda is only at its peak under Shingen, and no other. Following his father's advice, Katsuyori uses a body double when his father passes away and engages the Oda forces at Nagashino.

After his defeat, he receives a letter from Nobuyasu Matsudaira with an invitation into Mikawa. Katsuyori attempts to seize the opportunity against the Tokugawa forces, but he is forced to retreat while Ieyasu kills his son for treason. With his last gamble failing miserably, the Takeda are repeatedly beaten from all sides by the Oda and Tokugawa forces with retainers questioning Katsuyori's competence.

The final straw would come at Takatenjin Castle where Katsuyori's inability to send help to Motonobu Okabe leads to mass desertions. He initially attempts to defend Shinpu Castle, but the defection of his retainers eventually leaves him trapped at Mt. Tenmoku after being barred from Iwadono Castle, and he is finally slain by Nobunaga and Ieyasu.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Katsuyori serves as Shingen's replacement officer during the final battle at Koshi Castle in the Samurai storyline. He is also one of Sakon's substitutes in the sequel.

Kessen
Katusyori is first seen serving by his father's side in Kessen III. Following his father's death, he becomes the clan's hot-headed leader. The Takeda vassals secretly belittle him behind his back. Disregarding his father's wish to build a defense, he focuses on harassing Ieyasu and Nobunaga. After he loses Nagashino, Katsuyori continues to defy Nobunaga until he loses most of his clan. He commits ritual suicide to apologize to his father in the afterlife. Finishing Katsuyori is optional for Nobunaga as his death will happen whether or not he chooses to fight him.

Nobunaga's Ambition
During the ''Dokii! Himedarake no Neko Senki scenario in Nobunyaga no Yabou'' it is emphasized that his mother, Suwa-nyan, married Harunobu and gave birth to Katsuyori for her lone ambition to someday revive the eradicated Suwa clan. Katsuyori is treated coldly by her and never sees his mother smiling. The grown heir later witnesses his father passing away to illness. He decides to inherit Mikeda leadership in honor of his father's last wishes.

While he tries to lead with integrity, his intimacy with his wife from the Oda family and his outsourcing aid for Kagedora severely limits his attempts to expand. Once his end is near, Katsuyori requests for his Hōjō wife, Nyagami-no-Kata (Sagami-no-Kata), to return to her family. He is moved when she prepares the final rites for herself by cutting off her hair and reciting her death poem. The Mikeda's fall happens off screen in this story and the aftereffects ripple throughout the east.

Guruguru Dungeon Nobunyaga has Katsuyori appear in the Uesugi legacy event. He assists Kagedora to honor their pact. His sister, Kikuhime-nyan (Kikuhime), suddenly presents the protagonist to him before the Mikeda reach Echigo. He learns the protagonist is an envoy for Kagekyatsu and orders for his/her swift demise. Kikuhime-nyan hushes the order and asks him to consider an alliance with Kagekyatsu. Katsuyori protests but is strong-armed by his sister to authorize a marriage alliance between her and Kagekyatsu. Conceding to Kikuhime-nyan, he places the Mikeda's involvement in her hands and grants them safe passage back to Kagekyatsu's base.

Geten no Hana
Though he is already dead by the time Geten no Hana takes place, he is mentioned by name in select events. Nagashino remains a crowning achievement for Nobunaga in this continuity. Kanbei voices his interest in the Oda's strategy in Yumeakari and wishes to study it for his interests.

Personality
Young and passionate, Katsuyori is someone that actively admires his father and wishes to prove himself as a worthy follower and successor to his father's talent. This goes to a point where, despite being the clan's inheritor, he is willing to put himself in danger to achieve victory. In his debut, Katsuyori was balanced by the more pragmatic Masayuki, who found exasperation and respect for his young lord's attempts to help their cause.

The death of his father, however, causes Katsuyori to abandon reason for pride, and the catastrophic defeat at Nagashino is a harsh wake-up call that leads to Katsuyori filling with pessimism and regret. In the fifth installment, Katsuyori remains more level-headed after his father's demise but is more particularly broken by the defection of his retainers.

Character Symbolism
Katsuyori is symbolized by the kanji for "straight" (直) and "penetrate" (貫).

His default weapon is called Kikuchi Senboyari references an ancient spear of the Kikuchi clan. According to legend, the original spear was used during the battles of Hakone-Takenoshita between the Kikuchi clan and the newly established Ashikaga shogunate in the Nanbokucho period. The Ashikaga led an army of 3,000 and were on the verge of crushing the Kikuchi army of 1,000. Pushed to a wall and forced to improvise new defenses, Kikuchi Takeshige cut a long pole of bamboo and carved it so that it could accommodate his personal dagger. He ordered the rest of his men to do the same, and these one thousand makeshift spears turned the tide of the battle to their favor. The spears' ingenuity and effectiveness were so revolutionary they were immediately copied for widespread use. Historians cast doubts on the spears' mythological influence to the battle and practices for warfare, but the Kikuchi Senboyari play was passed down through song and traditional Japanese dances in Kyushu.

Otegine his first rare spear for the third title. It was crafted by swordsmith Gojo Yoshisuke during the Muromachi period. According to legend, it gained its name for its characteristic scabbard and was the longest spear of the Three Great Spears. Because of its length of plus 2 meters, it was hard to carry and not too many people could use it. Regrettably, the original was lost in a fire during the fighting in WWII. Reconstruction efforts for the treasured spear have been a work in progress.

Ningen Mukō is his DLC rare weapon. It is a cross spear once wielded by Naritoshi's older brother, Mori Nagayoshi. Said to have been crafted by Izuminokami Kanesada, Nagayoshi wielded the spear during the Battle of Ise-Nagashima. Using it to gather twenty-seven heads from the battle, he was praised by Nobunaga for the deed. The characters found in its name, "ningen" and "mukō", were written on both sides of the spear's bladed tip. It means the spear can cut through people as if they had no bones, slicing through them effortlessly. Ningen Mukō ties into Nagayoshi's reputation for his "demon-like battle prowess": he was said to have had a rough exterior and was feared by many.

The gift that Katsuyori will give in Spirit of Sanada is a peach which references his final resting place, Shinpu Castle. Katsuyori was the lord of the castle and he was the one to burn it to the ground in the face of his defeat. He was posthumously enshrined near the castle remains. One of the stops that is close to his shrine has peach blossoms blooming in the spring.

Voice Actors

 * Kirk Thornton - Samurai Warriors, Kessen III (English)
 * Jason Moran - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Kai Taschner - Samurai Warriors (German)
 * Takeshi Kusao - Samurai Warriors 2~3 (Japanese)
 * Hiroshi Okamoto - Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada, Samurai Warriors 5 (Japanese)
 * Hisao Egawa - Kessen III (Japanese)
 * Hisayoshi Suganuma - Nobunaga's Ambition Online (Japanese)

Live Action Performers

 * Nishi Taihei, Taku Aoiyama - Nobunaga no Yabou -Enbu-
 * Yūki Tomotsune - Butai Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi Fuyu no Jin Oudou Shikkou ~Kiko no Shiroshio Hen~

Quotes

 * "You will regret facing me when you are in the afterlife!"
 * "Forgive me, Father; I have brought shame to our family."
 * "Why? Why can we not defeat them?! The cavalry should be able to reach the enemy while they reload!"
 * "If one musket can fire while another reloads, then continuous fire could be achieved."
 * Katsuyori and Nobunaga; Samurai Warriors


 * "Father! Katsuyori is proud to be at your service! I will serve your banner at any cost!"
 * "Ah, Katsuyori, I am looking forward to witnessing your prowess. Just don't let that hot blood of yours get the better of you."
 * Katsuyori and Shingen; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "But, my lord! Lord Shingen said that we mustn't face the Oda forces yet!"
 * "The enemy is cowering in fear of our strength! That is why they are building defenses. And look at this rain! Their guns are useless to them. Ha! Lord Shingen, Lord Shingen, I'm sick of hearing it! If you are so scared, you can rest your old bones while the rest of us win glory!"
 * Refusing to listen to Baba at Nagashino; Kessen III

Rare Weapon Acquisition

 * Stage: Shingen's March to the Capital - Battle of Mikatagahara

Historical Information
Katsuyori succeeded to his mother's Suwa clan and gained Takatō Castle as the seat of his domain. After his elder brother Takeda Yoshinobu died, Katsuyori's son Nobukatsu became heir to the Takeda clan, and he took charge of the family after his father's death. He fought Ieyasu Tokugawa at Takatenjin in 1574 and captured it, earning him the support of the Takeda clan. In 1575, he suffered a terrible loss at Nagashino, in which he lost a large part of his forces as well as a number of his generals. Katsuyori incurred the wrath of the Hōjō clan by helping Uesugi Kagekatsu against Uesugi Kagetora. He lost Takatenjin in 1581 and this led clans like Kiso and Anayama to withdraw their support. His forces were destroyed by the combined armies of Oda Nobunaga and Ieyasu at Temmokuzan in 1582, after which Katsuyori and his son committed suicide.