Yoshikatsu Mōri

Yoshikatsu Mōri is a minor vassal of Oda. He is best remembered for his role during the battle at Okehazama, as he was the warrior who slayed and claimed the head of Imagawa Yoshimoto.

Role in Games
Yohikatsu appears at Okehazama, slowly fighting his way down towards Ieyasu Tokugawa. On the Imagawa side of the fight, Yoshikatsu joins Koheita Hattori and Masatsuna Yanada in performing the fient attack on the Imagawa front lines. At Honnōji, Yoshikatsu works with Hidekatsu Fukutomi to lock down Nijō castle against Mitsuhide Akechi's forces. Both officers must be defeated before Nobutada Oda can be slain.

In the Nobunaga's Ambition series, Yoshikatsu first appeared in Tenshouki, during the Okehazama event. Yoshikatsu was one of Oda's vassals who attacked Yoshimoto Imagawa's main camp. He is joined by Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Katsuie Shibata. Yohikatsu only fought for this event, not properly joining the Oda forces. Yoshikatsu serves as a full officer in Tendou.

Historical Information
Mōri Yoshikatsu was first known as Mōri Shinsuke, and is believed to have originated from the Owari Province. However, the exact origins are unknown. Shinsuke began his service under Oda Nobunaga, the leading theory being one of his pages. Nobunaga eventually appointed Shinsuke as one of his samurai cavalry. During the battle of Okehazama, Shinsuke followed Hattori Kazutada in assaulting the personal tent of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Kazutada and first charged Yoshimoto with yari, only for Yoshimoto to deflect it and slash him across the leg. Shinsuke rushed to Kazutada's aid and cut Yoshimoto's head clean off. Shinsuke presented Yoshimoto's head to Nobunaga, who rewarded him with a larger stipend and a new name, Yoshikatsu. Yoshikatsu also changed his personal name to Shinzaemon.

Yoshkatsu was selected to serve as part of Nobunaga's elite mounted guard, the Black Cloak Horsemen under Sassa Narimasa. Another battle Yoshikatsu partisipated in was in 1569 at Okawachi Castle against the Kitabatake. However, administration as a bureaucrat is where Yoshikatsu shined. He belonged to the Shaku-gen Mawari banshū (尺限廻番衆) and left behind letters and legal letters he signed.

In 1582, he served under Oda Nobutada in the Kōshū Campaign. When the incident at Honnōji, Yoshikatsu was stationed at Kyoto and when he saw the flames engulfing Honnōji, he rushed to defend Nobutada at Nijō. He died fighting alongside Nobutada.