Yoshihiro Shimazu

Yoshihiro Shimazu (島津 義弘) debuted as a playable character in Samurai Warriors 2. He is one of the four prominent leaders of the Shimazu clan. He earned the nickname, "Devil Shimazu" (鬼石曼子), during Hideyoshi's attempt to invade Korea. He's symbolized with the words "smash" (砕) and "devil" (鬼).

Samurai Warriors
Yoshihiro is an old war veteran who wants to feel thrill in battle. He's quite the daredevil and loves to fight for the losing side. His battle cry is "Chesto!", which is a common yell to raise morale. During the invasion of Kyushu, he fights with his older and younger brothers, Toshihisa and Iehisa, to defend their eldest brother, Yoshihisa. The trinity of brothers are known as Tsuri no Buse (釣り野伏せ) in the Japanese script. Despite their plans to surrender, they still want a chance to go out in a blaze of glory. Prior to Sekigahara, he revoked his leadership of the clan to his nephew, Toyohisa, to spare them suffering if he failed to win. To his surprise, Toyohisa and his men came with him and he leads the "Shimazu Devils" into battle.

In the past, Yoshihiro killed Ginchiyo's father and several members of the Tachibana clan in combat. Though they're allies in the Western Army, she's antagonistic to him and frequently tells him various death threats. Yoshihiro admires her tenacity and gives her the chance to get her revenge whilst they're in a battle to defeat Ieyasu. He defects and charges through both the Eastern and Western armies at once. In his ending, he defeats her and is sadden that he can't mourn for such a worthy adversary. He is then restless in the following age of peace.

His dream stage is a "what-if?" scenario of Yoshihiro's historical inactivity in Sekigahara. He waits until the Western Army is nearly defeated and then charges out to battle to change the odds in their favor.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Yoshihiro is a starting character for the Shu forces. Along with Xing Cai and Zuo Ci, he helps break Zhao Yun from prison. He also helps Ginchiyo who begrudgingly allies with them.

In Warriors Orochi 2, he befriends Huang Zhong and the two warriors compliment one another.

Kessen
Shimazu appears in Kessen as one of the starting generals for the Toyotomi army. He is on ill-terms with Mitsunari before Sekigahara and fights with a small and very reluctant army. Aside from this battle, he has a fearful cavalry unit. He is proud of his heritage, often yelling that his opponents will feel the wrath of his homeland. Though he will participate in battles following Mitsunari's death, he will not be one of the units to defend Osaka Castle.

Saihai no Yukue
In Saihai no Yukue, Yoshihiro is a battle veteran who starts as a loyal general for the Western Army. He constantly wears a stern expression and speaks with simple yet bold declarations. Mitsunari has a hard time understanding his true intentions, especially after he found a letter of surrender in the Shimazu camp. Yoshihiro later bluntly explains that he is only looking out for his safety of his people. Since Mitsunari is not a Shimazu, he sees no reason to help him. However, once Mitsunari proves that he is willing to bet his life on winning, Yoshihiro agrees to wholeheartedly assist him. It's convenient for both men since the Shimazu army were moments before charging through the Eastern Army. He acts as one of the last main generals who defeat Ieyasu.

He carries around a big cat which he affectionately calls, "Oni Bontan".

Development
Despite initial beliefs to the contrary, Yoshihiro was actually developed after Ginchiyo and made specifically to be her opposite in both age, body type, and weaponry. To make him contrast with the first game's cast, he was designed to be the "white haired old man" character. As the only other character originating from Kyushu, they strove to make a gigantic strong man who truly fits his historical nickname.

Voice Actors

 * Mark Skoda - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Mark Acheson - Kessen (English)
 * Hisao Egawa - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Daisuke Gōri - Kessen (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "Hammer time!"
 * "Satisfaction comes first!"
 * "They sure don't make enemy officers like they used to."
 * "Yoshihiro... you're taking... a cat...? Onto the battlefield...?"
 * "Of course. With her honed instincts, this cat will let us know when the enemy's about to attack. And she's the prettiest little kitty in the whole world! Yes she is!"
 * "He's right, you know. It is a very pretty cat."
 * Ina, Yoshihiro, Ginchiyo; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "They call me Devil Shibata!"
 * "I am the Devil Hanzō..."
 * "I am known as Shimazu the Devil!"
 * "Hmm... We require... a thesaurus..."
 * Katsuie, Hanzō Hattori, and Yoshihiro Shimazu; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "So Ishida said, 'Night attacks are for cowards! Go fight boldly!' He would not listen to me and now look what we face."
 * Shimazu before Sekigahara; Kessen