Masamune Date

Masamune Date is the seventeenth head of the Date clan. In spite of facing an infamously traumatizing childhood, he rose to prominence as the most dominate ruling power in Ōshū. He is reputed as one of the wisest figures of the time era, biting back his ambitions to stay as one of the wealthiest independent rulers of his time. After his death, Masamune's famous nickname became the "One-Eyed Dragon" (独眼竜, Dokuganryū) also used for Li Keyong.

In Gamecity's Sengoku Musou 3: Empires and Sengoku Musou Chronicle 2nd character popularity polls, Masamune placed fifth with Samurai Warriors fans. According to the Sengoku Musou Seiyuu Ougi 2012 Aki questionnaire, he placed eighth for the character fans would want as a lover and second for fans' ideal co-op partner for playing Samurai Warriors. For the Samurai Warriors 4 poll, he placed thirteenth. The first character popularity poll for Sengoku Musou Shoot has him at tenth place. He won fifth place in the Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate popularity poll.

His Nobunaga's Ambition counterpart is fourth place in Gamecity's character popularity ranking for 2015. He placed twentieth in the Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi poll for most favorite father.

Role in Games
"I sense that man sees the world much as I do..."
 * Xiahou Dun; Warriors Orochi

Samurai Warriors
Masamune is the prideful leader of the Date family. After he unites Ōshū, he sets his sights on uniting the whole land under him, starting with Echigo, Shinano, and Kai. Interrupting Kawanakajima and defeating both Kenshin and Shingen, he proceeds onwards towards Owari. During the time of his arrival, Nobunaga and Yoshimoto are at odds in Okehazama. Slaying Yoshimoto, his ambitions to wrestle power away from him amuses Nobunaga. Though Masamune claims Owari and Mikawa, the Oda regroup and face the Honganji Rioters at Ise. The young lord corners his rival but the elder's calm indifference to his efforts stuns him from dealing the finishing blow. Taking Ise with ease, Nobunaga uses the opportunity to reclaim Owari from the Date's control. Isolated, Masamune decides to retreat towards Mikawa and is stuck between the Nobunaga and Shingen at Nagashino.

Should Masamune fail to eliminate either force's leader, his troops will tire from the campaigns. As he heads back to his homeland to give them time to rest, he decides to have one last hurrah by facing Shingen and Kenshin at Odawara Castle. Routing both leaders, he finally decides that he will give in for now yet swears a future comeuppance. Years later, he is seen carrying a golden cross and humbly surrendering to Hideyoshi. Unimpressed by Hideyoshi's quick forgiveness, Masamune declares his renew ambitions for conquering the land.

If Masamune consistently defies Nobunaga, he will want to prove that he is more than a mere boy to the conqueror. Routing both the Oda and Takeda, he resumes his march back to the capital only to see Nobunaga already stationed at Honnōji. Caught between Mitsuhide's betrayal, he orders his men to stay alive as they first defeat the traitor. While dealing with the Akechi army, Nobunaga retreats from the main temple and his reinforcements led by Hideyoshi and Keiji arrive. Trapping the Date army within the flames, the enemy commander declares that the enemy is at Honnōji. Slaying Nobunaga to prove that he is worthy of leading the land, Masamune unifies Japan. As his nervous aide asks what their next conquest will be, the young lord corrects him by saying that a pure reliance on strength solves nothing. He remarks that he wants use his new power to show the world the benefits of seeking new alternative solutions.

Like Oichi, Masamune matures into a young man in Samurai Warriors 2 but retains most aspects of his personality. By the time he unifies Ōshū, he realizes he is no match against Hideyoshi and surrenders in the hopes to keep his homelands. His participation in the siege of Odawara Castle keeps his reputation favorable and his seat in Ōshū intact. In response to Hideyoshi's death and realizing that Ieyasu will be the land's next ruler, Masamune decides to assist the pursuit at Hasedo before Kanetsugu can regroup. Slaying Kanetsugu and Keiji, Masamune wins a victory for Ieyasu and is promoted to a Senior Lord. Feeling the need to further prove himself, he decides to suppress pirates nearby.

Pleased by his efforts, Ieyasu allows him to join the front at Ōsaka Castle. During the battle, he convinces Magoichi, who is intent on protecting Hideyoshi's dream, to join him in the vision for a new world. Questioning his own position in the world after facing Yukimura's unabashed determination, Masamune gains the strength to make his own ambitions a reality. Rather than lead his troops home, he directs them towards Mikatagahara to challenge Ieyasu for the right to rule the land. With Japan in his hands upon Ieyasu's death, he explains his future plans to see other countries with his comrade, Magoichi. At the moment, he just wants to enjoy the new peace under his command.

His dream mode explores his possible participation at Sekigahara for the Eastern Army. His allies are shocked when Hideyori takes to the field and many of the former Toyotomi generals defect. Staying loyal to the east, Masamune defends Ieyasu and the remaining eastern generals.

In the Swordsman scenario of Samurai Warriors: Katana, Masamune seeks to make Keiji a part of his army by any means. To earn the warrior's loyalty, he and the player agree to play along with his whims by competing in a series of trials. The warlord resorts to cheating in the treasure hunt trial to compensate for his losing streak. However, this fails to deter the protagonist from winning the contest fairly. Impressed by his competitor's goal to become a master swordsman, he hopes to recruit him as a potential vassal someday.

Already friends with Magoichi at the start of the third title, they work together to unite Ōshū under his command. However, they were unable to prevent the death of his father, which haunts him in his dreams. To not make his father's death in vain, Masamune swears to keep winning his campaigns. Joining his friend in the Sanada call for mercenary aid in an attempt to alleviate his grief, he makes his acquaintance with Yukimura, Keiji, and Kanetsugu at Ueda Castle. Whilst there, Kanetsugu makes it abundantly clear that he despises Masamune, as he merely deems that the latter unjustly killed his parent for power. Even so, Kanetsugu speaks in his favor against Kanbei's suspicions regarding his surrender at Odawara Castle, aware of Masamune's desire to protect his home from annihilation.

With Ujiyasu's death, the land is at peace with Hideyoshi's vision. Masamune, lauding the idea that everyone can smile in the new era, decides to use this chance as a second shot at conquering the land by rioting in Ōshū. Facing the Toyotomi suppression forces led by Kai, he is frustrated to hear the resistance has little support for his goal to change the perceptions currently held by people, or the core of the land. Deciding to relent for the good of his vision, he carries a golden cross as he confronts Hideyoshi in person in the capital. Declaring his innocence against Kanbei's incriminating evidence, his antics conversely bemuse Hideyoshi, who deems him fit for his dragon nickname. His formal meeting with Hideyoshi stops his recklessness for the time.

After Hideyoshi dies of illness, unrest within the Toyotomi ranks spreads. It escalates so much that Kiyomasa, Masanori, and others cause a riot against Mitsunari in the capital. The men Masamune met at Ueda Castle move to his assistance. Still in Kanetsugu's debt from Odawara, he and Magoichi decide to help the isolated general escape to Ieyasu's mansion for safety. Using his alliance with Ieyasu for his dream, he challenges the Uesugi army at Hasedō. A defeated Kanetsugu has no regrets and expects Masamune to kill him to end everything. Instead, Masamune spares him and tells Kanetsugu that a greater world lies beyond the land of peace that Ieyasu desires, declaring that he will keep fighting to see it a reality.

Sengoku Musou 3: Empires explores the idea of him overcoming the Toyotomi during their rise to power in his story. He is initially aghast when his father makes him the head of their clan, but Terumune convinces him to accept it in order to realize his own potential. Masamune, who had only been concerned of what others expected of him, rises up to the challenge with Tsunamoto Oniniwa as his guardian. He later learns of Yoshitsugu Nihonmatsu's defection to the Ōuchi and eliminates their troops at Odemori Castle. With Sadatsuna routed in battle, the Date lord punishes Yoshitsugu by greatly reducing his territories despite the latter's pleading for a lighter sentence. Because of this, Terumune is taken hostage and dies as a result, leading Masamune to avenge his death on the Nihonmatsu clan.

After moving past his father's death, he pretends to obey Hideyoshi's edict for disarmament while building up a sizable army in secret. He also meets Magoichi for the first time after the mercenary sneaks into his room for a chance to talk. Informed of the internal conflict at Ōzaki, Masamune agrees to help Magoichi under the pretext of quelling the rebellion for the Toyotomi. Unsatisfied with his victory there, the young warlord makes his next move by forming an alliance with the Hōjō clan in person. On his way to Odawara Castle, he comes across a bear standing in the way. His attempt to shoot the animal is thwarted by its owner Kai. Despite the rough start between them, she guides him to Ujiyasu who consents to Masamune's request so long as his people are unharmed. Upon returning, his domain is visited by Hideyoshi who seeks the Date's help in subduing the Hōjō. Realizing the Toyotomi leader is aware of his previous engagement with Ujiyasu, he complies by ordering Tsunamoto to take his place in the assault of Oshi Castle while personally setting forth to the other side's aid. His duplicity offends Kai greatly, though Masamune ignores her protests to save the Hōjō from their fate. Their efforts are rendered useless when Odawara falls to the Toyotomi. Masamune leaves to avoid capture while Kai is taken by Hideyoshi's men to Ōsaka Castle.

Not willing to give up on her, his only option to reach Ōsaka is to pass through the Tokugawa's lands. He has no trouble promising rulership to Ieyasu in exchange for support if it means he can influence the core of the land. Masamune's resolve deeply moves Tsunamoto while Kanetsugu humorously mistakes it for love. The Toyotomi's artillery proves too much for the Date army to bear, forcing their lord to issue a retreat. Unknown to them, Masamune slips past the front lines and climbs the castle rooftops to see Kai who begs him to leave alive. With the odds stacked against him, he miraculously overthrows Hideyoshi and returns to Tōhoku while escorting Kai along the way. The ending implies that they have fallen for each other.

Samurai Warriors 4 Masamune has been with Kojūrō for as long as any of them can remember. His earliest appearance in the wars is his desire to exploit the Uesugi civil conflict to his advantage, seeking to end the Uesugi in one fell swoop. Masamune returns to Ōshū and continues to seek opportunities for expanding his family's territory in the Tohoku chapter. His southern neighbor, Yoshitsugu Nihonmatsu, fears his advance and hastily offers a peace treaty. Masamune fails to see through Yoshitsugu's discontent for him and is faced with Yoshitsugu holding his father hostage. Despite his personal reservations, Masamune obeys his father's command to fire at will, killing them both. As the Date army claim Nihonmatsu Castle, Yoshinobu Satake rides his troops in protest. Masamune, stricken with grief and regret over his decision, recklessly rides with his own regiment to confront him at Hitotoribashi. The self-blame increases when Sagetsu Oniniwa dies because of his orders.

His broken emotional state continues to interfere with his rulings and a swift collapse in Date alliances follows. Yoshiaki Mogami and Yoshinobu lead an unified attack on two fronts at Koriyama. Masamune refuses to accept Kojūrō's advice to withdraw with the self-imposed mission to become become the land's unifier. The young Date lord believes that is the only way for him to honor his father's memory. He feels further motivated towards his goal when Magoichi and Keiji arrive with news of Hideyoshi's unification in the center, feeling that he is losing valuable time against the local competition. When the gigantic Toyotomi army threatens Ōshū, Masamune welcomes the challenge as a shortcut to accomplishing his ambitions to power.

Once Kojūrō acts as his impostor and is injured, Masamune realizes his goal is self-destructive and foolhardy if it means sacrificing those close to him. He abandons his self-imposed mission, accepts his father's passing, and dons the responsibilities of clan head. Finally listening to Kojūrō's advice, Masamune peacefully surrenders to Hideyoshi prior to the Odawara conflict. The Date lord and vassal are surprised when Hideyoshi forgives them and allows them to keep their current ranks and property. Seeking to protect the legacy he has inherited in an era of everlasting peace, Masamune later submits to Ieyasu. His new alliance demands his participation at Hasedō and Ōsaka Castle.

The 4-II Lord and Retainer Story begins with his ailing eye being ripped out by Kojūrō. He swiftly recovers from the pain and forces himself for his first campaign to assuage Kojūrō's remorse. Throughout the scenario, he acts as a prudent leader who defends Kojūrō from his dissenters. Masamune is not frank about his trust and affinity in him, so it takes time for Kojūrō to empathize with him. He initially forbids the ill Kojūrō from joining him at Ōsaka Castle but caves in to his retainer's insistence. As compensation, he orders for their survival. Whether Masamune is aware of Kojūrō's final fate is left open to interpretation.

He plays a minor supporting role during the Spirit of the Sanada, where he is a late supporter of the Toyotomi and the Tokugawa. He is first only mentioned to be a part of the main siege at Odawara Castle with the forces of Hideyoshi. When Hideyoshi and Toshiie die and the government splits into the eastern and western factions, Masamune opts to tackle the riled up Uesugi forces at Hasedō. Once word breaks out that Mitsunari and the Western army were destroyed at Sekigahara, he attempts to personally capture the Uesugi commanders but fails.

He is seen with the other Eastern generals watching the deliberation for the fates of Yukimura and Masayuki Sanada after they delayed Hidetada's army and kept him from going to Sekigahara. When fighting breaks out between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the remaining Toyotomi forces at Ōsaka, Masamune is charged with attacking Yukimura at the Sanada Ward. Despite his massive numbers, Yukimura makes use of the disorganization and the low morale within the Shogunate forces and defeats Masamune, exposing Ieyasu's position to the Toyotomi forces.

During the summer siege, he is a part of Hidetada's forces which attempt to capture Yukimura at the outskirts of Ōsaka. Ultimately, he and the rest of the army are defeated by the warrior. A year after the Ōsaka campaign and Ieyasu's passing, he and the surviving Sengoku generals meet each other once again at Ōsaka, and he and Takatora report rumors purporting that Hidetada was weak due to his overly high treatment of the Sanada.

Warriors Orochi
Masamune is first called forth by Ieyasu to defend Edo Castle which is under attack by Orochi's army. Confident that they can win with his help, Masamune assists by personally riding out and launching several ambushes with his men. Foiled at every turn, Masamune becomes infuriated with each failure. Finally facing Orochi personally as they near the main keep, he is struck with the darkness that surrounds the Serpent King upon his defeat. The same darkness distorts Masamune's inner doubts into a reverent belief that humanity can never win against Orochi. Therefore, he becomes one of Orochi's loyal followers, rising up in ranks to eventually be Orochi's secondary right-hand man.

During Shu's Gaiden stages in Warriors Orochi, Masamune continues to serve Orochi until he is confronted by his old friend Magoichi. Defeated, he tells his former friend that his life is free for the victor to decide. Magoichi decides to spare him and Masamune ends up joining the Shu army to defeat Orochi.

In the second game, Masamune is disgusted at how the other lords continue to squabble with one another after Orochi's passing. Believing that Orochi's control over him is temporary, Shingen and Kanetsugu try to convince him to join their coalition at Chang Ban. However, Masamune refuses as he believes that Orochi's reign is the only true rule and assists Kiyomori's efforts. Once Orochi is resurrected, he quickly returns to his lord's side without hesitation.

His dream stage is shared with Sima Yi and Mitsunari. Together they ward off the Coalition Army with their strategies. Musou OROCHI Z gives him two additional dream scenarios. One stage teams him with Keiji and Orochi at Bai Di Castle, as they engage in a mock battle amongst the other half of the early Orochi forces led by Da Ji. Masamune's personal task in the battle is stopping Zhuge Liang's sorcery within the Stone Sentinel Maze. The other dream stage has him teamed with Himiko and Benkei at Mikatagahara. He joins the duo to save Da Ji from being taken away by Wei and Wu, although he isn't particularly happy with the deed. He warns Benkei about trusting Da Ji and supplies the manpower for the ally main camp.

He is still among Orochi's followers and tried to find a method of resurrecting his lord again in Warriors Orochi 3. Masamune continues to defy humanity as a hopeful servant for Orochi until he sees the Orochi clone spat out by Hydra at Luoyang. Disappointed by the shallow copy of his lord, Masamune then volunteers to join the coalition to destroy the impostor. An annoyed Masamune later joins Sima Yi on an errand to investigate the "girl in a box" at Guangzong. He quickly loses his patience with the defending Yellow Turbans, but his efforts leads to Gracia and Zhang Jiao's allegiance to their group.

Masamune works with Sima Yi again in the downloadable stage, "Domestic Disputes", as they work together in stopping couples from fighting so turn their attentions to Orochi. In "Stop Thief!", he and Sima Shi search for the one who stole their meat buns. In "The Rescue of Da Ji", Masamune protects the demon from the Mystic Army at Koshi Castle.

Ultimate has Masamune and Sima Shi aid Gracia in finding the whereabouts of her father. Their search leads them to Ueda Castle where Da Ji has been hiding.

In Warriors Orochi 4, he is amongst the defeated warlords that have become vassals of the Oda. Aside from Nobunaga, he and the rest of the Date are also allied with Sima Yi's detachment of Wei forces. Due to this, he and Sima Yi are attacked by Liu Bei's rebel army at Tedorigawa. Though their ambush troops are defeated, they bring in their reserves to surround the remainder of Liu Bei's army. Zhuge Liang, however, unexpectedly arrives and outwits Sima Yi and Masamune. After their defeat, both men surrender and agree to help fight Nobunaga.

Masamune later accompanies his allies in dealing with Lu Bu and Loki's forces at Guangling.

He is accompanies Xiaoqiao to Nagashino where he has to help her gather flowers for Zhou Yu, but she ends up procrastinating and getting side tracked multiple times. Unbeknownst to them, Kojūro and Zhou Yu, having secretly followed the pair, end up mopping out many potential threats. Upon meeting each other, the Demon army arrives, attracted by Dong Zhuo's presence, and attacks them. After the battle, Masamune hands all sorts of trinkets that were passed onto him from the journey to Kojūro as a way to thank him for what he's done thus far.

Pokémon Conquest
The main storyline in Pokémon Conquest has Masamune recognize Nobunaga to be his superior in military power and strength. Although he desires to conquer Ransei for himself, he is rational enough to acknowledge that he is currently too weak to overthrow Nobunaga. For the sake of his ambition, Masamune surrenders to Nobunaga and schemes to one day have enough power to claim the land in his own name. When the protagonist defeats him at his home, Avia, Masamune sees the loss as an excuse to be relieved of his duties to Nobunaga. He promises to someday return with stronger forces as he departs from his castle.

Kessen
Masamune makes an appearance in the first Kessen as the shaky ally for Ieyasu. He is famed for his prized cavalry unit and his army of adept riflemen. In spite of their alliance, Masamune boldly declares that he will betray Ieyasu in the ally camp. If the Eastern forces performs poorly, he will live up to this promise. Otherwise, he makes a very solid yet reluctant unit.

He also appears as a powerful yet minor enemy general in Kessen III. He can become a NPC ally for Nobunaga if he thinks the odds are in his favor. He leads a massive cavalry unit and appears alongside Kojuro Katakura.

Nioh
William briefly sees a vision of him fighting soldiers in the last cinematic of Nioh's main story. It's implied that his resistance to the Tokugawa will be one of the reasons for William's return to Japan.

He is the star character of the first downloadable bundle for the game.

Nobunaga's Ambition
Guruguru Dungeon Nobunyaga has Masiamune co-star in the event starring his wife, Myagohime. He is shocked by her deaths in the interrupted timelines. In one, she is poisoned by his mother and is shot by Nihonmatsu Oshitsugu (Yoshitsugu Nihonmatsu)'s troops while he was away on a falconry session. When the protagonist reverses time to save her, Masiamune is forced to mature and accept his responsibilities as a leader. He loses his father and reluctantly allies with his uncle to repay his mother's mercy.

Development
Samurai Warriors Masamune shares many of his design elements with Oichi; they both change at the same rate and are closely tied to one another. For the first title, he was designed to counter the cuteness of the Japanese girl (Oichi) with the "gutsy boy" and "spoiled brat" motif. They strove to make Masamune ambitious but not too deadly. His choice of weaponry was jokingly chosen for originality and to avoid the ethical issue of a child killing/being killed.

He is considered to be a completely different entity in the sequel and is one of the two most changed characters from the original. His newer design aimed to recreate his historical nickname as a man of the Date or "dandy" (伊達者, Datemono), giving a stronger impact for his ambition and craftiness. His charm point is the golden dragon that now decorates the back of his mantle. Since his guns required a new rigging technique, the producer and director are particularly proud of his new fighting style. Although his height and older age have not changed since then, his design for the fourth title was made with the hopes of making him seem mature. lack drew his concepts for this entry.

Masamune is best associated with the staff by particular sound effects made by his weaponry. The sound of his wooden swords hitting someone ("bon bon") became a sort of inside joke with the development team. In the second title, it was his sword slashing ("baza baza") and his revolvers firing ("pari pari").

Personality
Masamune is an impulsive leader who is boldly arrogant of his abilities, believing himself to be superior to everyone around him and being akin to a dragon. He deems others to be incompetent and often flings the line "Idiots!" or "Imbeciles!" to friend and foe alike. An independent thinker, he rarely listens to his vassals' advice and marches to his own rhythm. Though labeled as an upstart by his enemies, he is actually quite clever and is capable of turning the tides of the battle with his plots. He desires to explore the world and make a new society where numbers can rule. He values his wits, personal material wealth, and power; a contrast to his brash tone in the Japanese script is him using the elder pronoun "washi" (わし) when referring to himself, despite his youthful appearance in the series.

Though in the first game his lust for power and respect blinds him to all else, he sincerely cares for the future of Japan and matures in his following appearances. He is willing to bow down to others if it means keeping his ambitions alive. The fourth title has him regret missing his chance to become the land's unifier though he places importance on his survival as his means of respecting the dead; initially, he showed signs of difficulty coping with his father's death in the third and fourth titles.

Though he puts up a tough front, Masamune appreciates it when people praise him. His way of showing it, however, isn't exactly conventional as he may respond by yelling an insult to his listener or treating them coldly. He is good friends with Magoichi in his newer appearances; both believe that their firearms are the weapons of the future and share a love for money. He regards Kojūrō as his living shadow in the fourth title. The young lord has never thought about life without him, and Masamune is considerably shocked by the danger of losing him. They may not always agree with one another yet the Date lord never doubts his retainer's boundless loyalty to him.

In the Warriors Orochi series, he has a strong loyalty to Orochi though it's likely due to Orochi's mystical powers that contorts his view of the demon king. His relationship with Orochi's other lieutenants, however, does not have him shower as much admiration. He sees Keiji as someone that's too wild for his own good, but respects the maverick's strength. He does not get along too well with Da Ji, who often teases and refers to Masamune as a brat or a kid. He and Sima Yi show mutual interest in each other, with the general respecting the strategist's cunning and guile methods, while the strategist is intrigued by the younger general's dreams of conquest. The third game, however, puts them in a rivalry with each other, often referring to each other as "imbecile" to the point where even Masamune is exasperated.

The third and fourth installments give him a small relationship with Xiahou Dun, who acts as a guide of sorts for the less experienced general. He gets along with the showy and strong Ma Chao, but cannot stand his constant ramblings of honor and justice. Xiaoqiao feels like a burden to him, but he is encouraged to protect her for her pure and kind-hearted nature.

Due to their contrasting beliefs, he shares mutually antagonizing ties with Kanetsugu. Masamune bluntly deems him to be a hypocrite who uses morals as an excuse to lead men into war. He isn't a fan of Kanetsugu's self-righteous nature and can't stand his preachings for very long. In Samurai Warriors 3, the two become slightly more friendly towards each other but their distaste for one another remains.

Character Symbolism
Within various fictional mediums, Masamune and his followers are affiliated with the nickname "Dateotoko" or "Datemono". The term allegedly originates from the Date army's flamboyant appearance as they marched in formation during the Korean Campaign. He marched out wearing a golden helmet and his army of three thousand were also dressed with various golden attire. Allegedly, onlookers were awed by the sight and were said to have uttered, "That's Masamune, all right. He's truly a Date." Datemono from the line is a pun of Masamune's family name and a definition of the word date, "to stick out". The term is used to describe an individual or a group of people whom have an attire or persona considered to be gaudy, loud, or colorful but simultaneously impressive.

The singular version of the same term, "Dateotoko", has its origins with Masamune himself. When he went to confront Hideyoshi of the false crime against him, he was shouldered by his subordinates and fearlessly dressed himself in the white robes for the deceased (his heirloom in the fourth Samurai Warriors title). Alternatively, Masamune carried a large cross on his back during his march to Hideyoshi. People who saw him uttered him to be a "Dateotoko". The term means the same as "basara", but it adds that the man in question is attractive and refined. It led to the popular idea of Masamune being quite handsome.

According to war records, a young Masamune wore an outlandish and gaudy green overcoat into one of his earliest battles. The kanji for "green" (青) is often interpreted as "blue" in contemporary Japanese so people are often muddled on its exact color. Fictional mediums tend to favor blue to match with the frigid imagery of his historical crescent moon helmet. His helmet is considered odd even for those seen during the time period. A Sendai legend states Masamune had it created to represent his numerical wealth at the time (curved to match the characters for 62,000 koku). Another implies it was slanted in ode to his One-Eyed Dragon nickname, but he was associated with it posthumously during the mid Edo period. There are no surviving historical records which mentions his reasons for choosing it.

He's symbolized by green ginkgo leaves and the kanji for "riot" (乱) and "dragon" (竜) for his Samurai Warriors counterpart.

Masamune's titles in Samurai Warriors 2 are "Pride of the Date", "Young Hero", "Fury's Prodigy", "One-Eyed Dragon", "Patron of Ōshū", "Northern Legend", and "Far-sighted Diplomat" (in the Xtreme Legends expansion).

His third set of bokken take their namesake from shinboku, or a divine tree. These trees keep within them various spirits or gods and remain enshrined for gods to rest at them. There are several legends of these trees being able to talk as well. Bontenmaru, the namesake for his fourth set of wooden swords, is actually just his name during his childhood. The original name implies that Masamune is actually the embodiment of a dragon god.

His fifth set of wooden swords are named after Amatsu-Mikaboshi, a star god in Japanese mythology. When Futsunushi and Takemikazuchi subjugated Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, the only god they couldn't seal away was Amatsumikahoshi. He continued to resist their judgment and remained an evil god on the loose. There are rock monuments in Japan that are dedicated to his eternal seal, but he is also said to continued to resist Takeminakata during the war of Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni. It is also said that that he could have transformed into Myōkenbosatsu, a frightening warrior entity who is said to be an embodiment of Genbu. The original name of his sixth weapon -and his fifth weapon for his second appearance- is "Twin Dragon Asura".

Masamune's second saber is named after Kuribogiri Kagehide (literally "Saddle Slicer Kagehide"), one of Masamune's personal swords. It was created by the blacksmith named Kagehide and is made with the Bizen Osafune techniques. Superbly forged and in a beautiful shape, it is considered an important cultural property. Masamune is said to have called the sword Kuribogiri when he used it to slice through an ape during the Invasions of Korea. Another tale describes that it's sharp enough to completely slice through a horse rider and their saddle in twain.

Chinese terms form the name sake of his third weapon, Wodao Penglai. Wodao, which literally translates to "Japanese sword", is a weapon of the Ming Dynasty said to have been crafted in China and Korea to mimic Japan's swords. The shape and structure are different enough to be separated into its own category. It's lighter and easier to make than its Japanese counterpart and has a long history of being used by pirates. Penglai may allude to Mount Penglai, which is the famed resting place for various immortals in Chinese mythology. The sword's name may allude to Masamune's ambition for global travel and his creation of Sendai, as its name may be interpreted as "where immortals rest". His Speed version is named after Yingzhou, a place in Chinese mythology that is a divine lawn in the middle of East China Sea. Drinking from its sweet, wine-like waters greatly lengthens a person's life. His Power version endows his sword with a long lifespan.

His fourth and unique weapons are named after a divine sword found in Japanese mythology, Ōhakari (localized with a "hunting" motif to nod to the kanji's literal translation). Ajishikitakahikone was the good friend of Amewakahiko, a warrior god who fought and died in the war of Ashihara-no-Natakatsukuni. Amewakahiko's wife and Ajishikitakahikone's younger sister, Shitateruhime, wailed a cry so loud that it echoed to the heavens. Hearing this, Ajishikitakahikone descended to his friend's hut to see Amewakahiko's grieving father and wife. Since Ajishikitakahikone greatly resembled Amewakahiko, Shitateruhime and Amewakahiko's father mistook him for his dead friend and embraced him. Enraged that they would be so quick to desecrate the memory of the deceased, Ajishikitakahikone used his sword to slice their hut in two, which split the land to create Moyama, before he returned to heaven. The sword he used was Ōhakari.

A gift that will please Masamune in Spirit of Sanada is the Japanese mugwort. The plant is a local crop and culinary ingredient in Sendai. Within the flower language, it can represent prosperity, peace, and happiness.

His personal item in the Asian ports of Warriors Orochi is "Dokuganryū Tobacco Pipe". Historically, Masamune loved to smoke and took care to have fine smoking pipes made for himself. A famous tale claims that he was buried with one of his favorite pipes in his grave.

Voice Actors

 * Skip Stellrecht - Samurai Warriors (English-uncredited)
 * Niko Macoulis - Samurai Warriors (German-uncredited)
 * Markus Haase - Samurai Warriors TV series (German)
 * Jeon Kwang-ju - Samurai Warriors (Korean)
 * Clinton Lee Pontes - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Darrel Guilbeau - Warriors Orochi series; first and second games only, Samurai Warriors: Katana, Samurai Warriors 3 (English-uncredited)
 * John Murphy - Kessen (English)
 * Nobuyuki Hiyama - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Ryōtarō Okiayu - Kessen (Japanese)
 * Kōta Nemoto - Kessen III (Japanese)
 * Yasuhiro Mamiya - Nobunaga no Yabou Online Kakusei no Shou
 * Nobutoshi Canna - CR Sengoku no Arashi ~Nobunaga no Shou~
 * Nobunaga Shimazaki - Sengoku Pachislot Nobunaga no Yabou ~Tenka Sousei~
 * Hiroki Takahashi - Nioh
 * Eiji Hanawa - Touken Ranbu Warriors
 * Yūichirō Umehara - Nobunaga no Yabou Shinsei
 * Daisuke Kishio - Iza, Shutsujin! Koi Ikusa
 * Kazuki Katō - Ikemen Sengoku◇Toki wo Kakeru Koi: Aratanaru Deai
 * Jun Kasama - Shin Nobunaga no Yabou

Image Songs

 * Amakakeru Ryuu no Gotoku
 * Tenka Haruka ni Koete - Samurai Warriors
 * Masiamune Taisou ~Nekoshi-Tantan~
 * Ikki Tousen
 * Shippuu Dotou ~Mae Dake wo Muite Yuke!~

Live Action Performers

 * HARASHIMA - Sengoku Bushou Matsuri
 * Ryusuke Nakamura - as Date Masiamune in Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou
 * Junpei Yasukawa - Butai Sengoku Musou Sekigahara no Shou
 * Takuma Sueno - Kono Nyaka ni Jinbyou ga iru nya ~ Nobunyaga no Yabou Trial Kouen
 * Shou Tomita - Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou Yukimura to Gorin no Ken, Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou ~ Neko Gungi
 * Souichirou Takaki - Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou ~ Neko Gungi
 * Kouta Sakamoto, Kenta Mishima - Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou ~ Neko Gungi 2
 * Lui Yokoo - Butai Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi ~Saishuu Hen~ Gunyuukakkyo Sekigahara

Quotes

 * See also: Masamune Date/Quotes


 * "Allies!? Imbeciles! We crush them both! Onward! The real battle shall begin now!"
 * "Japan is mine! Japan WANTS to be mine!"
 * "Imbeciles! Know your place!"
 * "Outta my way! Imbeciles!"
 * "You think you're brave, huh? I think you're dumb!"
 * "Imbeciles! Who'd think I'd be pleased with this measly ranking!? I'm aiming for the top and I'll be standing there someday!"
 * "That's the spirit, Jungle Pocket! Cut through the field with everything you got!"
 * "Masamune, the dragon of the north. Even you bow down to the Toyotomi?"
 * "Their power is far too great. Only a moron would resist them now."
 * "Perhaps. But it's a shame to know you'll never reach your full potential."
 * "Never? Heh. You shouldn't give up on me so soon."
 * Ginchiyo and Masamune; Samurai Warriors 2


 * "Argh!! Won't you ever shut up about honor, Kanetsugu?! I can hear you even when you're not around. It's like you're in my head!"
 * "This is indeed a good sign. If the principles of honor have penetrated even your thick skull... Then a world in which honor is revered above all cannot be far behind!"
 * "Great. A whole country of Kanetsugus. Just kill me now..."
 * Masamune and Kanetsugu; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "...I have this sinking feeling..."
 * "I found you, Lord Masamune! Now come with us to meet all the kemari players around the world!"
 * "Dagh! I knew it! Muneshige! What're you standing there smiling for? Aren't you going stop him!?"
 * "Nope. It's Yoshimoto's dream to travel the globe with his new friend, Masamune. Why not let him have it?"
 * Masamune, Yoshimoto and Muneshige‎; Sengoku Musou 3: Empires


 * "Milord! I made up a new imitation of you! 'We're done for! Retreat!' It's spot on, don't you think? We can use this when you get your butt kicked, Milord! What do you think?"
 * "You wretch! There should never be a time when we'd need that!"
 * "Huh? But I was told that I could have fun with this gig."
 * "Ugh, why did someone like you have to look so much like me? Damn it, Kojurō. Couldn't you have picked an impostor who takes their job seriously?"
 * Neko Gozen and Masamune; 100man-nin no Sengoku Musou


 * "Oh, I knew it. We just can't stand against the Toyotomi's size. Must ambition, no matter how strong, always be crushed by numbers...?"
 * "...Truly, now?"
 * "Of course! Numbers always win! That's why my father..."
 * "Fool! Do you not seek to take on Mitsuhide's ambition?! If you don't, then what crushed his ambition was you!"
 * "But not me. My father entrusted me with a purpose... a purpose of conquest! You think I can bow to that monkey without a fight?!"
 * Gracia and Masamune; Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3
 * Gracia and Masamune; Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3


 * "Repugnant servant of Orochi, at least have the dignity to die a beautiful death!"
 * "What the hell's wrong with you?! Dying isn't beauty. Beauty is ruling the world!"
 * Zhang He and Masamune; Warriors Orochi


 * "Hate me. And use that hate to sharpen your blade."
 * "What is this...! Such overwhelming darkness... It's hopeless... I can't win... We can't win... Why!? Perhaps I am not the man to rule this realm..."
 * Orochi and Masamune; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Insignificant worms! I'll grind your puny carcasses into the earth!"
 * "If you are foolish enough to mistake a dragon for a worm, then you will never defeat Orochi."
 * Lu Bu and Masamune; Warriors Orochi 2 PSP


 * "Look, what a cute little bird! I want to capture it and show it to Zhou Yu!"
 * "Don't touch it. What if it pecks you? H-Hey, cut that out! My helmet is not a bird perch!"
 * Xiaoqiao and Masamune; Warriors Orochi 4

Gameplay

 * See also: Masamune Date/Movesets‎‎

Samurai Warriors 4
Mighty strike is the same as Deadlock Attack. Moveset type is altered to Hyper type. Majority of his old attacks return but they are altered.

Charge Moveset

 * , undefined, (undefined): Same as before, only the final jump slash is omitted.
 * ,, undefined, (undefined): Same as before, only the final gunshot finisher is omitted.
 * ,, , undefined, (undefined): Same as before, only a single extra input can be done which makes Masamune slash only three times in total instead.
 * ,, , , undefined: Same as before, only the bullets now always launch on hit.
 * ,, , , , , , : Same as before, only with slightly better turning ability per shot via the fourth-to-seventh inputs.

Hyper Moveset

 * undefined: Quickly slides forward while pouncing for each reaping slash, with each odd-numbered input being an inward one, and the even-numbered inputs are outward.
 * undefined, : Turns to uppercut in an outward leaping slash. Can be interrupted into normal attacks.
 * undefined, undefined, : Fires in three directions while standing upright and stepping forward, causing short-ranged gunpowder bursts to emit in front of him.
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, : Fires bullets twice in a fan formation while crouching and advancing, swinging right then left inward.
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, : Slashes thrice inward to his left in multiple dancing turns, sending out large cutting waves per slash and with the final slash making him lean forward a bit. Can be interrupted into normal attacks.
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, : Leaps upwards a bit and rapidly shoots downwards with both guns in a spread in front, giving off explosions.
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, : Flies forward via a torpedo dive while shooting with both guns, then recovers with a roll forward. Akin to his original Combination Art 2 from Warriors Orochi.
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, : Same as his Hyper S6.
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined: Ends his Hyper Attack string with an outward hopping spin kick.


 * , : Same as before.
 * , undefined: Same as before
 * The finisher now involves Masamune posing with both guns after twirling them, then he via a low crouching position slides forward with a spin covered in blue and red flames, then somersaults backward straight into the air for a downward exploding shot from both guns.
 * (Ultimate/Kaidan): Same as before.
 * Rage Attack/Musou Gokui effect: Activates Ultimate/Kaidan Musou if is used. Performs ending pose for previous  if the effect ends without activating Ultimate/Kaidan Musou.


 * Spirit Cancel: Same as before.
 * R1: Same as before.
 * Awakened Skill effect (4-II only):

Mounted Moveset

 * , undefined:
 * ,, undefined:
 * ,, , undefined:

Weapons

 * See also: Masamune Date/Weapons

Rare Weapon Acquisition

 * Stage: Conquest of Odawara - Battle of Hachigata Castle

Trivia

 * In Sengoku Angelique, Oscar acts as the Masamune of the cast. His full name is "Date Oscar Masamune".
 * Samurai Warriors 3 Masamune appeared as a guest in the TBS historical documentary and variety program Seki no Wide Show! The Konya ha History. He narrated a few lines in the November 30, 2011 episode featuring Date Masamune.
 * Since Shiseikan High School comes from Sendai, Masamune's name is mentioned in Kiniro no Corda 3. His stone monument near Aoba Castle is shown in an unlockable Full Voice Special event and in AnotherSky feat. Shiseikan. His final resting place is a lunch dating spot in feat. Shiseikan.
 * In Samurai Warriors 4, his default weapon is miswritten as "Iron Fan" instead of "Iron Fire" in the English script.
 * Unhelmet version of Masamune's regular outfit from Samurai Warriors 3 is exclusive to his Long Cushion Cover.