Keiji Maeda

Keiji Maeda (前田 慶次, Maeda Keiji) is a character introduced in Samurai Warriors. He premiered as the Samurai Warriors equivalent to Lu Bu but this position was taken by Tadakatsu Honda in the following game. As with Ina, he is also a bonus character in Kessen III if the memory card has a Samurai Warriors save file.

Akin to his historical counterpart, he is always seen riding his horse and companion, Matsukaze. In the first game, he's 25 years old. His symbolic items are the kanji for "chivalrous" (豪) and "tiger" (虎).

Samurai Warriors
In Samurai Warriors, Keiji is a wild man who loosely served under Oda Nobunaga. He became a wanderer after the Battle of Nagashino, where he felt outdated by Nobunaga's mass use of rifles against the Takeda cavalry. He continues to wander the land and participates in brawls wherever he goes. Hearing of the great god of war, Kenshin, Keiji decides to storm Odawara Castle to intercept and look for him. Unfortunately, he arrived before Kenshin, so he decides to pass the time by storming the castle himself, and winds up wiping out the Hojo by the time Kenshin arrives. Keiji finds Kenshin praying to his fallen enemies, and becomes even more impressed by Kenshin's "class". In his shorter story ending, he enters the Uesugi forces only to have a peaceful yet boring country to defend. He wonders if this is his real path in life.

In his true ending, he continues to chase after Kenshin, seeking a job. Kenshin proposes a test: he'll consider Keiji if he proves himself a true samurai and takes on the entire Uesugi Army by himself. Keiji gains aid from an unlikely band of comrades from his former scuffles. His rag-tag team includes Okuni, Goemon Ishikawa, Magoichi Saika, and Yukimura Sanada. Although Keiji insists on fighting solo, Kenshin alters the deal, claiming that a true samurai protects those who have faith in him. Learning that his comrades are more important than strength, Keiji seems pleased with the result, dispite not getting into Kenshin's employ.

In Samurai Warriors 2, he wanders the land after he served the Oda clan. He spots Mitsunari's flight at Kyoto and decides to stick up for the fleeing Western Army. His exploits were noticed by Kanetsugu Naoe and he's hired to fight for the Uesugi cause. After they suffer a staggering defeat from the Date forces, Keiji makes a stand at Hasedo and insures the safety of the fleeing Uesgui troops. When they learn about Mitsunari's execution, Keiji stops Kanetsugu from following his lord into the afterlife and inspires him to lead a surprise assault on Edo castle. When they succeed, Keiji says that he might wander again while he scatters the remaining Tokugawa resistance.

In his dream stage, he has a showdown with the most feared man of the east, Tadakatsu Honda. Yukimura and Kantesugu reinforce his charge through the Tokugawa and Date troops. Once he defeats Ieyasu, he is given the privilege to fight Honda and is donned the greatest warrior in the land when he wins.

Warriors Orochi
During Orochi's scenario, Keiji is one of the fierce defenders at Odawara Castle. He charges into battle and meets Orochi. After his defeat, he decides to join the serpent king's army, supposedly on his own will. Wondering about his leader's intentions, he continues to question his allies about their image of him. Regardless of his feelings on the manner, he continues to serve Orochi in Warriors Orochi. However, in one of the Gaiden stages, he eventually grows bored of fighting half-spirited armies and challenges Lu Meng and company to prove their worth to him. When the Wu forces fully unite against him, he is amused by their courage and agrees to join their cause.

In Warriors Orochi 2, Keiji continues to serve the resurrected Orochi. In his dream stage, he teams up with Lu Bu and Tadakatsu to save Liu Bei and defeat Orochi. Keiji implies that his intentions are to finally grant the serpent king peace.

Kessen
Keiji appears as a wild unit for the Toyotomi side in Kessen. Although he leads a small army of 3,000 men, he has an amazing amount of stamina and will charge through larger armies with relative ease. He's somewhat rare as he'll only appear in the last stage at Edo or Sekigahara.

Development
Keiji was designed to look like the strongest character and visually beats the original cast in height. His charismatic "lion's mane" hairstyle and tiger fur were made to emphasize his strength and "wild nature". His first design took some inspiration from Tetsuo Hara's interpretation of Keiji from the Hana no Keiji series. These key concepts were kept for his redesign but the designers jokingly lament that he isn't supposed to be the mightiest character.

Personality
Keiji is a fun-loving brawler who doesn't give a hoot about rules or laws. He enters campaigns with unabashed confidence, often thinking that every battle is one big and crazy party. His most gifted trait is his ability to live life as it comes, never worrying what others think of him and treasuring his own personal values. Although Keiji was historically a patron of the arts, he quickly gets bored with Okuni's dance in her Samurai Warriors ending.

While others may see him as a simple wild man, he does have some code of personal ethic and will stand for the common people. He feels that fights should be fought fairly and doesn't condone killing or involving innocent bystanders. He also admires bravery and often feels compelled to stick up for the underdogs. His role in Warriors Orochi seems to contrast his personality but, in actuality, he emphasizes with Orochi's personal strife and seeks to help him.

In select conversations in Empires, it's revealed that he's also infamous for his pranks against his uncle, Toshiie. He states that his uncle's high-and-mighty attitude unnerves him and he uses these mostly harmless tricks to let off some steam.

Appearance
His Samurai Warriors alternate outfit has him shaved bald and dressed in monk-like clothing. His upper vest is decorated with a golden octopus design. His second color scheme in Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends changes his hair black and tints his clothing red. This could be an allusion to Capcom's version of Keiji in the Sengoku Basara series.

Voice Actors

 * Steven Blum - Samurai Warriors (English)
 * Steve Szczepowski - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Michael Benyear - Kessen (English)
 * Yuji Ueda - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Kazunari Tanaka - Kessen (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "Ha! There goes another one!"
 * "Let's go crazy!"
 * "This was fun! Catch you later!"
 * "Alright! Let's go spill some guts!"
 * "Don't make it too easy for me!"
 * "Ah, a rumble in the Capital. This is great!"
 * "Helping these poor fellas could cost me my life. Ain't I heroic?"
 * "Sure, being a pirate has its allure, but killing pirates? That's the life for me!"
 * "I wonder if we're gonna survive this... Ohh, I love the suspense!"
 * "Why are tigers strong?... Because they're born that way!"
 * "This battle's gonna go down in history. Hey, I wonder if I will too?"
 * "Aww man, I'm not gonna die here am I?"
 * "Sorry for the hassle."
 * "Yeah, I hear ya. To tell you the truth, I don't actually think I'm crazy. I think I'm perfectly normal, and it's the rest of the world that's wrong in the head."
 * "Keiji, you're up!"
 * "Alright! In the name of our creepy snake overlord guy!!!"
 * Masamune Date and Keiji in Warriors Orochi


 * "So, who will join me in the dance of combat?"
 * Keiji initiating a duel; Kessen

Ground Attacks

 * ,undefined: Jumps down making a shockwave
 * ,: Swings downward

Samurai Warriors 2
Moveset remains relatively the same. His horse musou is the same as other characters in that his horse will do a high speed charge through enemies. Like all characters, he also has a Level 3 Musou effect where he's surrounded by several ground shockwaves. He gains a few new techniques.
 * ,,,,undefined: (Xtreme Legends only) Keiji emits a whirlwind around him.
 * His musou actions remain the same. During the level 3 version, various ground explosions will emit around him.
 * R1 + : Lunges forward with his free hand, nabs his opponent, and throws them after he gains a spinning momentum.
 * R1 + undefined: Whistles for his horse. Cannot be used in-doors.
 * Personal Skill: Reversal. When Keiji is hit, tap undefined for an immediate counter. Cannot be used when he's knocked over or stunned.

Warriors Orochi
Loses his C5, personal skill, and Level 3 Musou. Gains a different R1.
 * R1 - Stomps the floor and creates a shockwave around him. Gains a boost in attack speed.

Personal Info
Maeda Toshimasu was known as a wild man who acted as a bizarre kabukimono. He was infamously known for his brazen dances and unabashed behavior. On the other hand, he was also a stalwart general who possessed unmatched bravery on the field. His ferocity in battle and his well toned physique earned him respect by his allies. While his armor can still be seen today, it's unclear if he was the giant that legends state he was. Though a mild troublemaker, he was also known to be a compassionate man. A story says that there were three adults and two children who arrived from their travels to Kyoto. However, the parents were heavily stricken with disease and could scarcely move. They entrusted their servant to take the children away to safety. Toshimasu gave them a merciful glance yet was powerless to aid them. He candidly recorded in his diary, "I wept for the parents' sorrow." Years after his death, Arai Hakuseki described him as "a hero who doesn't hide from the world" in his Hankanfu publication.

Despite his unorthodox manners, Toshimasu also had an affectionate love for the arts. During his leisure, he composed poetry (particularly haiku) and painted portraits. He especially liked writing and kept a diary of his adventures as "Maeda Keijiro" during October and November in 1601. This book was published and continues to serve as a historical text for readers today. Though Toshimasu is presented in a third-person narrative, he is genuinely considered to be the actual author of the book. His written work is often the basis for many of the legends and myths surrounding him. Abbreviated passages from the book can be read in Japanese here.

Toshimasu was married to Maeda Yasukatsu's daughter. They had one son and three daughters. His son, Masatora, served Maeda Toshitsune. His daughters were married into the Toda and Hojo clans. Stories say that he also had a second son but, if he did exist, his name isn't mentioned in historical records.

Other Names
Toshimasu was supposedly known by a large variety of names during different parts of his life. During his time as a young adult, he was called Soubei (宗兵衛), Keijiro (啓次郎 or 啓二郎 or 慶二郎), and Keiji (慶二). The names he received when he reached manhood also include Toshihiro or Toshioki (利大), Toshisada (利貞), and Toshitaka (利卓). According to Ozaki Tomomichi, he was also known as Takuto (卓利). When he reached his elderly years, he was then known as Gokuzou-In Hyosai (穀蔵院飄戸斎) and Ryuzaiken Fubensai (龍砕軒不便斎). The history surrounding these other names match strongly with Toshimasu's life though historians wonder if he was actually renamed multiple times or if these other names are informal nicknames. The alternative spelling of his name Keiji (慶次) was popularized due to the Hana no Keiji comic series. To separate fictional adaptations under his Keiji name, his historical counterpart is usually called the name he was consistently known for in adulthood, Toshimasu.

Life and Death
Toshimasu was born during a relatively unknown year and from an unknown background. Evidence suggests that he was supposedly one of Takigawa Kazumasu's sons. Yet others suggest that he may have been the son Kazumasu's nephew or one of his cousins, Masauji or Mashige. If this scenario is true, speculators reason that Toshimasu may have had a younger brother since his mother had another child when she remarried. Though not as popular, a few stories say he was born in the Toda clan. Whatever his origin may be, he was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa (Toshiie's older brother) and lived at the modern day Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya.

In 1567, his foster father retired on Nobunaga's orders. According to Murai Shigenori's writing's, Nobunaga reasoned that since Toshihisa was childless (without a legitimate son) and sickly, his adopted son should have a lower status. During this time, Toshimasu is said to have been a vassal of the Takigawa family or Hayashi Hidesada. Since his brother was in a weakened condition, Toshiie chose to adopt Toshimasu when he inherited Owari-Arako Castle. Rumors say that Toshiie and Toshimasu frequently clashed with one another but it's unclear if they bickered as much as the stories say. In 1581, he took a large sword, embedded it with the treasured seal of his home, and left to visit Atsuta Shrine. He apparently didn't leave his home but he is often portrayed as abandoning it around this time in different mediums. The Ichi-Mu-An Fūryūki stated that he served Kazumasu and, though it is a fictional novel, Sanada records say that Keiji predicted the Incident of Honnoji and fled from Kazumasu's residence.

During the year 1581, Toshimasu made a reputation for himself under his uncle while participating in conflicts within Noto Province. He was rewarded with 5,000 koku. During the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute three years later, Toshimasu came to Sassa Narimasa's rescue when he was attacked at Suemori Castle. He continued to help his uncle in the Siege of Odawara Castle. When Toshihisa passed away in 1587, Toshimasu sent his son into the Maeda family's service. Either after Toshihisa's death or in 1590, relations between him and Toshiie grew sour. He fled from the Maeda family without taking his wife or child. After his escape, he resided in Kyoto.

As a rounin, he frequently exchanged letters and poems with the local artists in the area, one of which is said to include Furuta Shigenari. He indulged himself in the arts and became frequently mentioned in folksongs and poems in the area where he lived in. He is recorded to have sponsored plays and dances during his time in the city. A popular story says that he was called to meet Toyotomi Hideyoshi at Osaka Castle and the two men entertained one another with their antics. Sometime later, Naoe Kanetsugu favored him and invited him into the Uesugi service. He was presented with 1,000 koku and was distinguished during the years 1598 and 1600 as Kanetsugu's yoriki. He served valiantly during the Keicho-Dewa Conflict in the latter year between the Uesugi and Date armies. He is best known for serving as the rear guard for Kanetsugu's escape at Hasedo Castle, facing thousands of warriors while ensuring his master's safety.

When the Uesugi surrendered, Toshimasu took his payment and left the clan. From here, the stories regarding his fate differ from one another. According to their records, he took to hermitage and resided in a temple in the Yonezawa Domain. Kanetsugu wrote that during his time of seclusion, he continued his pursuit of the arts and made a poem that was considered a national treasure (though this is debated). He lived there the rest of his years and died on June 4, 1612. Based on this account, the locals have established a shrine in 1980 to honor his remains in the area. The other historical record writes that after the Sekigahara conflict, Toshimasu's eccentric behavior was at odds with the Uesugi so he left to serve Maeda Toshinaga at the Kaga Domain. He died due to illness in 1605. It is written that a grave stone was carved for him but it doesn't exist today.

In modern times, his life is celebrated each year in April and June at the shrine area in Yonezawa, Yamagata. The forest temple, which was funded by Kanetsugu on the anniversary of Keiji's passing, is named "Keiji Shimizu". Recently, a tea ceremony took place on June 5, 2009 to honor Toshimasu's passing as well as Kanetsugu's life in the Taiga drama, Tenchijin. According to legend, Toshimasu liked tea and the waters nearby the shrine.

Trivia

 * The pachislot calls him the "ultimate kabukimono", a stereotype that the creators actually tried to avoid during Keiji's creative process.