Ujiyasu Hōjō

Ujiyasu Hōjō is a new playable character featured in Samurai Warriors 3. He has been a non-playable character in the series since Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends.

Known as the "Lion of Sagami", he is the third head of the Hōjō family. A fearsome warrior, he is also a cunning man who was said to have matched Shingen and Nobunaga's level of intelligence. He is famous for his strategies that defeated Shingen and Kenshin. He is Ujimasa Hōjō and Kagetora Uesugi's father.

His height in Samurai Warriors 3 is 193 cm (approximately 6'4").

Samurai Warriors
Since he purely gained his lands from his previous successors, Ujiyasu starts his story being called "the fool of Sagami" by his enemies in Samurai Warriors 3. When the Uesugi troops near Kawagoe refuse to listen to peace talks and taunt Ujiyasu, he uses their confidence against them and rouses his army for a night raid. After he leads a frontal assault on the surprised Uesugi army, he reunites with Tsunashige Hōjō to confront the enemy commander. Shingen and Yoshimoto appear on the field to stop him, but he ultimately succeeds. With his victory, Ujiyasu escalates his reputation. To protect his people, he decides to defeat Yoshimoto in Suruga while simultaneously driving back his other rivals, Shingen and Kenshin.

Ujiyasu soon becomes one of the main powers in the Kantō region. When Kenshin tries to conquer the area once more, Ujiyasu resists him at Odawara Castle. After Yoshimoto passes away at Okehazama, Shingen attacks the Hōjō. Overly confident in their victory, Ujiyasu's sons assemble in Mimasetōge to prevent Shingen's advance. Their father joins them later in the encounter to make sure that their plan actually succeeds. Thanks to him, they are able to locate the daimyo's true location on the field and claim victory. Following the conflict, Ujiyasu asks Shingen's reasons for going to war and the latter states his ambitions to rule the land. While Ujiyasu scoffs at the vision, he allows his rival to live as Ujiyasu is confident that he, Shingen, and Kenshin can always cancel the other's abilities.

With the trio on equal terms, they decide to unite their strengths to bring peace to Kantō and follow their respective ambitions. Wanting to live beside his people, Ujiyasu is content to guard Kantō in the other two daimyos' absence. Some time after their agreement, Masamune and Ieyasu attempt to invade his home and take it for themselves. As Ujiyasu resists them during the struggle, Kunoichi and Aya appear to his aid and Kantō is defended. Ujiyasu spends his spare time quietly fishing until Kunoichi and Kai arrive with a letter from Shingen. He reads it privately back at the castle, as it informs him that Shingen is now the land's ruler.

Nobunaga's Ambition
Appearing in the series since the third title, Ujiyasu is a mighty daimyo with healthy ties to the imperial court in the series. When his father doesn't appear in the games, he is the strongest daimyo within the Kanto region. He may not have as much fighting power as Kenshin or as much intelligence as Shingen in each game, but Ujiyasu's political power outweighs them greatly. Although he shines in political and internal affairs for his domains, Ujiyasu may expertly lead foot soldiers into war if needed. With an abundant number of resources initially at his disposal, players know him best as the ideal daimyo for first time players throughout the series. Alternatively, he is also identified as the first ideal target to crush before too much time passes. He is one of the chosen daimyo to be granted a death poem in the newest title.

Within the online adaption, Ujiyasu is a level 70 daimyo who rules within Musashi, Sagami. Proud of the tiger, the Hōjō family seal, he wants to prove that he is better than Kenshin or Shingen. Depicted as a passionate man of war, Ujiyasu expects the same undaunted zeal from his retainers. He considers any who oppose his family as hopeless fools who cannot fathom his integrity in the slightest. When he fights in battle, Ujiyasu has abilities that decrease the spell casting abilities of his enemy party or aims to decrease their morale. If pushed, he can also perform his instantaneous killing sword strike against a single opponent.

Tendou has him as one of the stars in the original scenario, Mitsu Tomoe and Rokumon Sen. When players choose to play the Hōjō clan's scenario, they are first entreated to a flashback of Ujiyasu's childhood. Ujitsuna is seeing a rifle for the first time and Ujiyasu yelps in surprise when his father shoots it. The nearby vassals jeer that the child's reaction is one for a coward and tease him for it. Ujitsuna chides the retainers to keep their commentary in check, stating that even a coward has the potential to become the lord of the land. Instead, Ujitsuna takes pride of his son's weary nature and tells Ujiyasu to never lose sight of whatever he desires. Back in the present, Ujimasa reports of the Uesugi and Takeda spreading rumors that Ujiyasu is a coward. Rather than be ruffled by the insult, Ujiyasu tells his son to practice forbearance and take time to learn their two enemies.

He has three special events as he make his progress against the other clans, personally speaking during the fall of the Sanada, Takeda, and Uesugi clans. When Ujiyasu's forces destroys the first named family, Yukimura charges from the wreckage of the castle to cut the Hōjō lord down. Ujiyasu easily deflects the youth's spear and his vassals use the opening to detain Yukimura. Asking the brave general's name, he is impressed that Yukimura lived up to the Sanada's famed reputation of fighting to the last man. Therefore, when his vassals ask what to do with their prisoner, Ujiyasu orders them to let the hero go unharmed. Although he knows Yukimura might continue to hunt for his head, he is confident he can beat him back each time.

In the Takeda's case, Ujiyasu has Shingen brought before him. Shingen is surprised to see the "coward" before him and remarks the Hōjō lord to be a true hero. Even with the compliments, however, the Hōjō lord admits to being a real coward since he admits his tendency to flee from any danger but those that threaten his life. His comment amuses Shingen who professes his respect for the "brave coward". When the Uesugi fall, Kenshin personally confronts Ujiyasu after the fall of his/her castle. He/She then demands to know Ujiyasu's definition of honor and his desires from decimating other provinces. The victor responds he wants unification in the Hōjō name, granting future peace and stability to the common man. Kenshin strikes with his/her blade once to test Ujiyasu's resolve, but, when he/she sees the lord not falter, he/she accepts his/her defeat. He/She warns that if Ujiyasu ever strays from his words, he/she will be there to once again draw his/her blade against him.

After uniting the Kanto region in his family name, Ujiyasu has no further plans of expanding. Instead, he wants to repair and rebuild his country's new boundaries and fortifications. He expresses his concerns of properly supporting his various subordinates and the common folk, listing several affairs that need attending. His retainer, Tsunanari, responds it feels as though they are running away from conflict, which Ujiyasu agrees. He wants the land they have to last for centuries or millenniums as a peaceful one untouched by war.

Personality
Ujiyasu is a master of war and a crafty general who aims to seize complete supremacy of the Kantō area. He is rowdy and reckless, showing no fear at all when faced with dire situations. Although seemingly fearless and brazen, he is really a compassionate man who can easily understand and empathize the words of his countrymen, whether they are common man or soldiers.

Regarding his rivals, Kenshin and Shingen, he respects both of them, despite throwing degrading insults at the latter.

Character Symbolism
Within the Samurai Warriors series, he is symbolized by the characters "unadulterated" (粋) and "lion" (獅) and dark flames.

All the names for Ujiyasu's armaments refer to him concealing a weapon. A blade is hidden with his Normal types, fire with his Power, and night for his Speed types. Both of his unique weapons are named Kaijotō, which is said to be a type of shikomizue crafted by the swordsmith, Amakuni. Kaijotō is attributed to be one of Kenshin's legendary swords, said to have been given to him by the monk, Seiin, after Kenshin had entered the capital. The sword was crafted with the teachings of Shingon Buddhism in mind.

Both of his Unique weapons are named after deities in the Japanese creation myth, Amenotokotachi and Kuninotachi. Amenotokotachi is the last deity born to form Kotoamatsukami, or the formations of the universe. As a lone god, he has no physical shape and forms the equilibrium of the heavens itself. Before Amenotokotachi took its position, Kuninotachi was manifested to form the very soil of the earth and is the one who stabilized it. Although described as genderless and without a particular form, Kuninotachi is sometimes identified as a male god. Both Amenotokotachi and Kuninotachi are regarded as deities that formed the universe as we know it, although Amenotokotachi isn't as celebrated since its mentions in mythology are scant. Both are regarded as polar opposites whom are destined to have an adjacent yet distant relationship with one another. It ties into the traditional belief of people and deities coexisting with one another throughout East Asia.

Voice Actors

 * Kyle Hebert - Samurai Warriors 3 (English-uncredited)
 * Unshō Ishizuka - Samurai Warriors 3 (Japanese)
 * Mugihito - Nobunaga's Ambition Online (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "They call me the Lion of Sagami. You don't want to find out why!"
 * "Feel my wrath! Run on home now!"
 * "Does it feel good to pound on an old man?!"
 * "That trespasser... He will regret setting foot on my territory."

Ground Moveset

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 * Repeatedly shoots and reloads with his cane.
 * (Ultimate/Kaiden): Turns and throws a bomb behind him.
 * (Ultimate/Kaiden): Turns and throws a bomb behind him.


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Mounted Attacks

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Fighting Style
His cane sword is capable of multiple uses. He can use the bottom of his cane to fire bullets and he can manipulate his sword to use as a lance. Ujiyasu doesn't completely rely on his weapon, however, as he can perform physical attacks such as various headbutts and jumping elbows. He also uses explosives during his special attacks and Musou.

Historical Information
Upon his father's death in 1541, a number of the Hōjō's enemies sought to take advantage of the opportunity to seize major Hōjō strongholds. Ogigayatsu Tomosada tried unsuccessfully to take Edo Castle, and a few years later, in 1545, an army led by Ashikaga Haruuji and Uesugi Norimasa besieged Kawagoe Castle. Hōjō Tsunashige, the stepson of Ujiyasu's brother Tamemasa and son-in-law of Ujitsuna, was outnumbered 3,000 to allegedly 80,000, and Ujiyasu led a relief force of 8,000 soldiers. Ujiyasu slipped a samurai past the enemy lines to inform Tsunashige of the enemy's approach, and made use of ninja to learn of the enemy's strategy and attitude. Using this intelligence, he led a night attack against the Ashikaga/Uesugi force. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Hōjō army defeated the besiegers because, under Ujiyasu's orders, they were not bulked down by heavy armor, and were not slowed down by seeking to take heads. This battle proved the end of the Ōgigayatsu Uesugi line and destroyed the prestige of Norimasa of the Yamanouchi Uesugi clan as the Governor-General of Kantō region, until Uesugi Kenshin, who had subsequently been adopted by Norimasa, assumed the post in 1561.

Hōjō Ujiyasu expanded the Hōjō territory, which now covered five provinces, and managed and maintained what his father and grandfather had held. He took Kōnodai in Shimousa Province in 1564 following a battle against Satomi Yoshihiro. Towards the end of his life he saw the first major conflicts between his own clan and Takeda Shingen, who would become one of the greatest warlords of the period. As a response to Hōjō's intervention in his invasion of Suruga Province, Shingen came into Musashi Province from his home province of Kai, attacking Hachigata and Takiyama Castles, where Ujiyasu's sons repulsed them. However, despite the intact castles behind him, Shingen pressed on to the Hōjō central home castle of Odawara, burning the castle town and withdrawing after three days. Two of Ujiyasu's seven sons fought Takeda at the battle of Mimasetoge in 1569, ending the first of the Takeda campaigns against the Hōjō.

Subsequently, Ujiyasu managed to make peace with Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, the most powerful adversaries of Hōjō, letting his seventh son be adopted by childless Kenshin and accepting the fait accompli of Shingen's reign over Suruga. Ujiyasu died in 1571, passing on the Hōjō domains to his eldest son Ujimasa in a relatively favourable situation.

Trivia

 * Ujiyasu was among the characters highly requested by Japanese fans.