Nagamasa Azai

Nagamasa Azai first appeared in Samurai Warriors as a unique generic who has his own in-game cutscenes and quotes. He became a playable character in Samurai Warriors 2. He is the daimyo of the Azai clan and his family's ally is the Asakura clan. Through a political marriage with Oichi, he also became an ally of Nobunaga.

In Samurai Warriors, his age is 25 years old. He's symbolized by the characters for "benevolence" (仁) and "believe" (信).

Samurai Warriors
Nagamasa is the lord of Bizen and Odani Castle. In Samurai Warriors, he is supportive of his young wife and often apologizes for any grief he may cause her. During her lower path ending, he openly states his wish for her to not fight her own family. She replies that it is inevitable and runs away from his embrace. In Oichi's true ending, he also appears regretful for betraying his brother.

In the second game, he strongly believes in love and honor. When he is forced to betray Nobunaga, he becomes conflicted between honoring his family's trust with the Asakura and his alliance with the Oda clan. In a dream, he sees the possible scenario where he successfully defeats Nobunaga and rules Japan with Oichi faithfully beside him. When he awakes, a soldier informs him that he is at Kanegasaki, moments before his pursuit of the fleeing Nobunaga. Thanks to this dream, he decides to first fulfill his duty to the Asakura by capturing Nobunaga. When he is successful, Nagamasa stays true to his ties with the Oda clan and defeats the Asakura. After their victory, Oichi is worried about him betraying his ideals. Nagamasa assures her that he is fine as Oichi is the one he truly wants to protect.

His dream stage is a continuation of his story mode. Nagamasa becomes a trusted ally of Nobunaga and assists his lord's final unification of Japan. The battle takes place at Sekigahara and Nagamasa defeats many officers to protect Nobunaga and Oichi. Nobunaga continues to look forward to the youth's accomplishments.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Cao Pi finds Nagamasa's independant resistance force at Chen Cang, headed up by himself, Oichi, and Gan Ning. He fights and defeats them all, Nagamasa asking for death in face of defeat, Oichi and Gan Ning doing the same. Cao Pi instead recruits them for his war against Orochi, promising that if death comes, it will be in battle against the Serpent King. In Wei's sixth Gaiden stage, Nagamasa is sent, along with Oichi and Gan Ning, to Nan Zhong, aiding Tadakatsu Honda's army.

Kessen
Nagamasa appears in Kessen III as the polite yet skillful youth who marries Oichi. He is dressed in the proper etiquette of the setting and has the traditional topknot hairstyle. Although allied with Nobunaga, he provides no military support and is first seen in battle as an enemy at Kanegasaki. When Odani Castle is engulfed in flames, both him and Oichi are still inside. Though they both planned to die together, Nagamasa entrusts his wife and daughter to return with Hideyoshi Hashiba. He is last seen walking into the castle's burning wreckage.

Development
His design in both games was made to emphasize his youth and good looks. His first coat design represents his faithful yet flawed trust in his brother-in-law. In the second game, it was adorned with magpies to additionally represent his love for Oichi. His overall design remained the same in the sequel and is slightly modified to make him "Oichi's knight". The designers joke about the anachronism of his image but they think it helps enforce his role in the games.

Personality
Nagamasa is seen to be a romantic at heart, as seen in all of his incarnations that he appears in. His actions and treatment to others are similar to those of a Medieval knight, probably the cause of the lance he wields in Samurai Warriors 2. Nagamasa also cherishes both love and honor, becoming a conflicting plot in Samurai Warriors 2.

His love for Oichi is seen usually as close and loving unlike the other couples that were hinted in the games. In Samurai Warriors, his and Oichi's relationship was concentrated on a partner-in-crime approach, as Oichi is still a young teen at the time. It was in Samurai Warriors 2 and in Kessen III that they become dramatically romantic to one another that, despite Oichi being an Oda, she and Nagamasa would rebel unquestionably against Nobunaga.

Even though a romantic, Nagamasa is very innocent to the point that people consider him as stupid, as seen in some quotes in Samurai Warriors 2 and some of his events in Samurai Warriors 2: Empires.

Voice Actors

 * Skip Stellrecht - Samurai Warriors (English)
 * Jason Moran - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Darrel Guilbeau - Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Michael Gough - Kessen III (English)
 * Takayuki Sasada - Samurai Warriors (Japanese)
 * Hiroshi Kamiya - Samurai Warriors 2 and Warriors Orochi series, Kessen III (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "Faith shall lead the way forward!"
 * "In battle, one must heed to one's beliefs."
 * "In the name of all that is good and right!"
 * "You mangy curs that prey on the innocent! Face me!"
 * "Lady Nō, if I may make a suggestion. A woman of your beauty and stature should not dress the way you do. It's not right. It's... It's sinful."
 * "You think this dress is sinful? You should see what I'm wearing underneath..."
 * "C-can I? Please...?"
 * Nagamasa and No; SW2 Empires


 * "Raw and inexperienced though I am... You may count on me, dear Grandfather, to give my utmost for you cause!"
 * "My grandson! O brave and noble fruit of my loins! I am delighted to see you in the ranks of my army!"
 * Hideyori and Nagamasa; SW2 Empires


 * "Huh? Ichi? You will forgive me? Then I have no regrets. I will fight! With a wife like you at my side, I will conquer the world!"
 * Nagamasa before fighting his brother-in-law; Kessen III


 * "Nagamasa Azai. Why couldn't you master the chains that bind you?"
 * Nobunaga's thoughts regarding Nagamasa's betrayal; Kessen III