Nō

Lady Nō or Nōhime (濃姫) is the daughter of Dōsan Saitō and the wife of Nobunaga Oda. Her marriage is a political attempt to make a truce between the Oda and Saitō clans. Since her marriage remains her prominent and sole mention in historical texts, there are various conflicting theories regarding her persona and whereabouts. Her real name was Kichō (帰蝶), but she's commonly refered to as Nō since it's an abbreviation of Nōshū, other name of Mino Province which she came from.

Samurai Warriors Nō is thirtieth place in Gamecity's Sengoku Musou 3: Empires character popularity poll. She also reached thirty-eighth place in the Samurai Warriors 4 poll. Her name's rōmaji was first spelled as Noh in the English script for Samurai Warriors; it is instead spelled as "Nō" with the macron "o" in subsequent Warriors titles.

The Nobunaga no Yabou 201X poll for 4-star officers puts Nōhime in ninth place while her Sugiyama Gifu collaboration portrait is ranked thirty-second by fans.

Role in Games
"Stay graceful when you're slaughtering, my dear."
 * Zhen Ji; Warriors Orochi

Samurai Warriors
Nō is a sadistic woman who revels the battlefield's chaos. Her father arranges her marriage with Nobunaga so she could assassinate him. She doesn't agree to the request immediately and seeks to judge if he is unworthy enough to live. During her stay with Nobunaga, she becomes enchanted with him and struggles with her judgment even after her father's death. She follows her lover in Okehazama and assists in the siege of her old home, Inabayama Castle. Her decision to abandon her ties with Mino confuses Oichi, but Nō's confidence later inspires the maiden to perform a similar act of loyalty for the Azai at Anegawa. During the final movements of the battle, Nobunaga leaves Oichi's fate in Nō's hands.

Should Nō kill the princess, Nobunaga will be saddened to witness his sister's end but come to accept his wife's decision to let Oichi die with Nagamasa Azai. Nō remains loyal to her lover and rescues him at Honnōji and Azuchi Castle. Her utter devotion surprises Mitsuhide Akechi, who expected her to turn on Nobunaga, but she cuts him down. Feeling her purpose had been fulfilled, Nō intended to leave the Oda until Nobunaga offers for her to stay with him.

Choosing to let Oichi live has Nō instead kill Nagamasa. Nō justifies the maiden could live to wallow in agony by forsaking her chance to join her loved one in the afterlife. Nobunaga finds her reasons to be disagreeable but interesting, declaring that he will continue to watch her. After Nobunaga's influence rises, Nō acts on her sincere desire to slay her husband at Honnōji. However, Nobunaga anticipated her attack and left behind a body double to take the blow. On the run and obsessed with killing her mate, Nō stops anyone who tries to take the honor away from her and chases Nobunaga down in Gifu Castle. When she finally pins him for the fatal blow, Nō instead becomes fascinated by her sheer domination over her helpless mate and lets him live.

Nō acts as Nobunaga's faithful wife in Samurai Warriors 2. In contrast to her previous incarnation, she is willing to sacrifice everything for her spouse and follows him unquestionably. In her dream mode, she challenges her sister-in-law to a beauty contest at Shizugatake, which is really a battle made to irritate Oichi. Eventually, other women in the game catch word of it and are also determined to earn the title of the most beautiful woman in the land.

In Samurai Warriors: Katana, Nō solely appears in the Savior scenario trying to flee from the Akechi forces who murdered her husband at Honnōji. She and the Oda women are rescued by the Saika Renegades who escort them away from the battlefield. Once their pursuers have been annihilated, she decides to test the protagonist's strength for himself. His triumph over her is enough to convince the widow into living with the mercenary group. As more prominent women flock to the village, Nō starts a fight over who among them is the most beautiful in the land. She gives the player her consent to judge their beauty once they defeat over 100 enemies within minutes. During the contest, selecting cuteness as a preferable trait will cause Nō to lash out, though different choices may result in her victory over the other contenders.

Nō lacks a personal story mode in Samurai Warriors 3 yet she continues to be seen in her beloved's battles. At the Inabayama Castle campaign she willingly fights against her old family. Her final battle is at Honnōji where she meets her end against Akechi troops.

Her story in the Xtreme Legends expansion starts with the political marriage between the Saitō and Oda families. The real intention of the marriage, however, is to implement Nō as Nobunaga's assassin. Nobunaga catches onto her real goal soon after her arrival to Owari. He enjoys anticipating when she gains the gull to someday take his life, amused by her hesitation. Deciding to wait and judge him, Nō assists the suicidal charge against Yoshimoto Imagawa to see what makes him different from any other daimyo. His unexpected survival impresses her enough to agree to stay her hand for the moment. Her spouse soon takes advantage of Tatsuoki Saitō's inadequate rulings, seeking to deal the finishing blow to Nō's home at Inabayama Castle. Nō thinks her home is now a foreign land to her and emphatically aides the destruction of the Saitō clan. While she enjoys putting an end to the pitiful individuals of her family, her excitement surprises herself. Her father and family are gone, therefore removing her political necessity to kill her husband.

Her mind warped by the joy of slaughter, Nō realizes that she has lost everything important to her and is without meaning. Through the wars, she then seeks to fulfill some form of entertainment and starts to develop an obsession to experience hell in the flesh. When Nagamasa places the Oda in a hazardous predicament at Kanegasaki, Nō forces herself to slice through anything that displeases her. Nō's efforts lead to the Oda's safe escape, her husband jeering about her missed chance to kill him again. Suddenly, a hired Magoichi Saika shoots Nobunaga. Left alone with her wounded mate, Nō utilizes this moment of weakness to draw her father's blade against him. Complementing on the raw beauty of her actions, Nobunaga offers to grant his wife's wish by encouraging her to accept the darkness.

Nobunaga's words are enough to convince Nō to stay beside him; this time, she follows him since he is the one who can someday grant her the hell she desires. Invigorated and beyond despair at this point, she ruthlessly cuts through the Mōri at Kizugawaguchi. Nō is fascinated by Mitsuhide's overwhelming revolt at Honnōji, only half paying attention to Nobunaga as she defeats foes in their path. Her efforts allow him to reach safety as she hurries to thank Mitsuhide for granting her a relishing end. Since she takes too long with her massacre, Nō is trapped within the burning temple grounds. Before she takes her own life with her concealed dagger, Nobunaga stops her himself. Together, the married couple stay within the flames to go to the afterlife.

During her husband's story in Sengoku Musou 3: Empires, Nō is unimpressed by Toshiie's concern for her and Oichi's respective misfortunes. However, it is implied that she is somewhat pleased with the warrior for caring.

Samurai Warriors 4 Nō is already married to Nobunaga. Like the first title, Dōsan gives her a short blade to assassinate Nobunaga if he is foolhardy and Nō agrees on the condition that she can kill her father if he is wrong about her husband. According to her conversations with Mitsuhide and Hanbei Takenaka, her current behavior is a drastic change caused by meeting Nobunaga, the end result of "killing herself".

After Nobunaga defends himself at Okehazama and claims the capital, he leaves Nō behind at Kannonji Castle. While Nobunaga is away at Gifu Castle, it is threatened by Koshōshō's rebels. Hanbei voices his belief that Nobunaga has abandoned her. His proposal backfires when she is enthralled by the agonizing wait for her husband, and his return strengthens her faith in him. She tends to stay beside her husband's side throughout the main narrative to sate her hunger for masochistic misery. Nō defends the path leading to Nobunaga at Honnōji and perishes against the Akechi army. Her dying breaths are spent cradling her father's short sword. The English script has Nō captured by Magoichi much to her embarrassment.

During Chronicles 3, Nō and the other Oda forces can be rescued during one of the hypothetical scenarios, where Hideyoshi sends Kanbei in advance to rescue them. Although they are saved, Nobunaga opts to fake his death anyway in order to see the world his retainers will shape, with Nō and Ranmaru accompanying their lord in hiding.

Although the pair enjoy the quiet farm life, Magoichi and Munenori arrive, not to kill Nobunaga, but to ask for his help in dealing with Hideyoshi, who has launched a massive purge on government officials in response to Hidetsugu's betrayal.

In Samurai Warriors 4-II Nō is seen in battles throughout Hisahide Matsunaga’s story and ends up perishing at Honnōji, lamenting on how her father’s blade remained unused as Mitsuhide watches her end in sadness before killing her beloved. In Gracia’s route, however, Nō appears near the end of the Beauty Contest held by Hideyoshi Toyotomi. She arrives by ship and seems to be rather annoyed about how she wasn’t invited to the competition. Her arrival shocks Hideyoshi as he states that he thought she died at Honnōji. Nō then pressures Nene, the commander of the rivaling beauty army, to commence the attack to which Nene fearfully complies. After the battle is over, Nō ends up performing a dance with all the other beauties of the Sengoku era. Afterwards, Nō along with the other beauties help Koshōshō free Gracia from Mitsunari Ishida’s confines and she can be seen watching Gracia and Naotora Ii’s reunion in the background. This can be used as the reason why her death date is 1612 in the game.

In 5, Nō acts as her father's loyal, but emotionless daughter, and she has no particular reaction when ordered to marry Nobunaga for their political alliance. Unfortunately, their marriage leads her discontent brother to try and assassinate her new spouse. Thanks to her father's efforts, they are able to safely escape back to Owari, but this wedge in their family would eventually fester into a full civil war.

While she rushes to save her father at Nagaragawa, he is killed by her brother, and Yoshimoto Imagawa's intruding forces leave her husband with no choice but to return empty-handed. Nō would continue to assist her husband throughout his campaigns against the rest of her family as well as securing power through the figure-head shōgun, Yoshiaki Ashikaga.

Unfortunately, Yoshiaki decides to split with Nobunaga and causes the Azai to betray him. During the Oda army's escape, Nō notices a sniper hiding within the trees and rushes in front of her husband. She is subsequently gunned down; Her dying wish being her pleas for her spouse to live on. Nobunaga takes Nō's death particularly hard, and his personality takes a dark turn as a result.

In the hypothetical Kanegasaki, she offers to change the Oda's battle plan from retreat to divide and conquer instead. Through this, the Oda forces are able to defeat the Asakura forces before they can link up with Nagamasa, and they are then able to defeat the Azai forces. Because they did not actually retreat, Magoichi Saika is forced to come out of hiding to try and assassinate Nobunaga in another way only to be defeated.

As a result, Nō appears at the hypothetical Honnōji, where Nobunaga, reinforced by Mitsuhide, battles the deceased Shingen Takeda and Yoshimoto Imagawa, and Kenshin Uesugi, who was supposed to be elsewhere. As the fighting goes on, it turns out that the trio are nothing but illusions summoned by Sandayū Momochi. Once the Oda forces uncover the subterfuge, they are able to stand united and defeat Sandayū.

Meanwhile, Hideyoshi had turned his army back to Yamazaki after hearing his lord's peril but was now surrounded by Yoshiaki Ashikaga and Terumoto Mōri. Nō would join her husband in rescuing Hideyoshi's forces, but Sandayū sees this as the perfect opportunity to finish the Oda. Despite the defection of Hisahide Matsunaga, Toshiie, Ieyasu and Toshimitsu all arrive to aid the Oda forces, and Nobunaga is finally able to slay all his enemies.

Warriors Orochi
When Orochi first emerged, Nō accompanied her husband's forces in facing the Serpent King at Mikatagahara, like most, she flees after her defeat and is separated by her husband. The Orochi army would later catch up to her and capture her. She is subsequently imprisoned at Jianye

In the first game, Nō's role is limited to the side story stages. Nō is rescued by Taishi Ci and Lu Meng as a debt of gratitude for Nobunaga sending Sakon to aid Sun Ce. As a result of the prison break, various messengers begin attempting to escape and warn Dong Zhuo, Zhen Ji and Masamune of the attempt. If all the messengers are defeated, Nō will accompany the Wu forces back to camp.

She later appears in the final Samurai Gaiden stage as part of Nobunaga's raid on Bai Di Castle.

She appears by her husband when he reinforces Sakon Shima at Hu Lao Gate. She shares her dream stage in this title with Zhen Ji and Xiao Qiao as the wives rescue the maidens captured by Dong Zhuo. Her personal contribution in the stage is telling Ranmaru Mori to guard the main camp and enchanting the guards in the western base. She also makes smug comments when Oichi is rescued.

Together with Nobunaga throughout the timelines in Warriors Orochi 3, Nō joins her husband's resistance against the future coalition. She decides to aid them when the Oda are defeated at Honnōji. Nō later devises a plan to save Mitsuhide by clearing the serpent army responsible for his death at a past Jieting. Amused by what she hears regarding Wang Yi's personality, she later assists Sima Yi's plan to rescue her from Kiyomori Taira at Nagashino.

Nō stars with her husband in the downloadable stage, "Every Snake Has Its Day". With Yoshihiro Shimazu, they aid Diamondback as he rebels against Kiyomori.

In Ultimate, Nō joins her husband in clearing his name when the latter is rumored to have been consorting with Da Ji. They eventually find her at Nanjun where she had been using an impostor of their lord to fool the Wei army. Unfortunately, Nō finds herself a captive of the recently awakened Tamamo whose mirror traps those that look inside.

Supporting the Oda army in testing the Coalition's resolve to challenge the gods, she confronts them several times during the first 2 chapters of Warriors Orochi 4 before joining them after being defeated at Honnōji.

After the armies merge together, Nō arrives to help reinforce Honnōji after it is attacked by the armies of Athena and Ares.

Pokémon Conquest
Nō keeps her overall personality from the Warriors franchises, but her darker and psychotic characteristics are significantly toned down to fit the target audience for Pokémon Conquest. She is Spectra's Warlord who is heralded as one of the top three who guard the entrance to Nobunaga's home, Dragnor. She tells Oichi and the protagonist that doesn't know Nobunaga's plans as she mainly fights to enjoy herself in battle. After her defeat, Nō later returns to Nobunaga's side to support his final battle.

Kessen
Nō appears as a playable unit under her other historical name in Kessen III. Kicho is a graceful and devoted maiden who has excellent martial arts skills. She wields her customized light-weight spear and is frequently symbolized in some way by a butterfly. Like Samurai Warriors, both her and Nobunaga are in love with one another and she doesn't want to be untrue to her love for him. To dissuade Mitsuhide from betraying her husband, she leaves Nobunaga in the middle of the game with hopes to pacify him. Her efforts are in vain and Mitsuhide carries out his assault on Honnoji.

When she arrives at the site, she spots a dead Nobunaga and stabs Mitsuhide with a knife in vengeance. Surprisingly, before she decides to join him in the afterlife, Nobunaga stops her and reveals that the metal hair clip she left behind saved him from Mitsuhide's shot. While the couple escape the burning temple, a wounded Mitsuhide shoots Kicho. She admits afterwards that she didn't want to lose either man as they are both important to her. She survives her wounds and appears by the end of the game to once again help her husband. Before their final battle with Mitsuhide, she tells Nobunaga's closest generals about his dreams of death, uniting the Oda generals with a tighter bond of friendship. In the epilogue, she also accompanies her husband to Spain.

As a unit, Lady Kicho belong to the all-round class and, as such, is an capable warrior, support and offensive unit. She excells in mounted naginata armies as the majority of the female cast.

Nioh
Princess Noh appears as a boss fight in Honnōji in Nioh, still haunting the temple years after Nobunaga's death. She was resurrected by Edward Kelley and turned into a Yuki-Onna (a snow woman), causing a snowstorm over Honnōji. She fights using ice magic and an ice-covered naginata, her very footsteps freezing the ground. When she is defeated, she thanks William for allowing her to reunite with Nobunaga in the afterlife. She can be fought alongside Nobunaga in a side quest. Her Guardian Spirit is the Usura-Hicho, a group of butterflies resembling snowflakes.

Nobunaga's Ambition
Nobunaga no Yabou 201X Nō is often being guarded off-screen by the Oda troops. She accompanies her husband to see her father, swearing to guard her husband if he is threatened by UMA.

Sengoku Royale Nō is separated from her lord and held hostage by the UMA Nobunaga impostor in Kakegawa Castle. She is rescued by the protagonist's party and repays them by informing them of Kitsuno's whereabouts. She assists Kitsuno's rescue and reunites with her Nobuanga.

Guruguru Dungeon Nobunyaga has her co-star in the Misuhuide Legend event. Misuhuide is her childhood crush. Kicho-nyan notices his return to Mino and begs her father to let Misuhuide stay. When Doranyan later tells her of her arranged marriage to Nobunyaga, she throws a hissy fit and bars others from seeing her. Refusing to marry a stranger, Kicho-nyan privately confesses her feelings to Misuhuide and proposes to him. Upset by his polite rejection, she runs away from home heartbroken. During the chase, Doranyan kills Misuhuide and Kicho-nyan commits suicide to join him.

The protagonist's tea bowl resets time to before Misuhuide states his answer to Kicho-nyan. This time she is harshly rejected, and her pride as a woman and a Saitō is challenged. Kicho-nyan realizes the protagonist had a hand in Misuhuide's response by paying attention to his orchestrated gestures. Kicho-nyan pretends to be upset by Misuhuide's haughtiness by agreeing to her marriage, following their plan since she suspects their lives may be threatened. Only then does Doranyan suspect nothing amiss with the two youths.

When the protagonist's tea bowl returns him/her to the present, he/she is sitting beside Misuhuide and Nōhime-nyan. They were reminiscing about their past together. Both imply that they knew of the protagonist's meddling in the past and state their respective thanks before they prepare to welcome the returning Nobunyaga.

Oda Nobunaga Den
Oda Nobunaga Den marries her to Nobunaga when he is seventeen in order to seal a political alliance between their families. Before she leaves her home, her father gives her instructions to judge her husband's worthiness as a mate and to kill him if he is truly the fool rumors suggests. When she first arrives in Owari, she introduces herself under her given name (Kichō). Nobunaga ignores it and promptly dubs her Nō as a blunt reference to her origins ("princess from Mino"). Although offended by his rudeness, her first meeting with Nobunaga is enough to solidify her positive opinion of his ambitions and cunning. Dōsan is pleased to hear his daughter's thoughts and wholeheartedly agrees to support the young Oda heir.

As she accepts her new name in Owari, Nobunaga routinely spends his leisure chatting with Nō and likes using her lap as his pillow. During these private conversations, he trusts his wife's virtue and asks her to watch over him as his living conscious, a task she does sporadically throughout the story. She particularly protests his mass executions of his enemies and worries for his worsening image with the public. He berates her concerns, justifying that his actions are for his dominion and peace.

If Nobunaga meets his end at Honnōji, Nō will die with him. The fictional route has her congratulating her husband for unifying their war-torn land.

Development
Both of Nō's designs are based on the concept of a beautifully clothed high class beauty. The visual draw for both outfits are the butterfly shaped motif for her sleeves and later obi. While the first game decorates her with butterfly accessories, her revamp in the second game accents her outfit with gold prints and a lavish gradient. In both games, she is meant to be a strong and gorgeous woman.

Her fourth design was made with the intents of matching Nobunaga's devil-like armor. Since Nobunaga's design took awhile for approval, it also affected the time for her design's finalization. Katsuki Onda drew her concepts for this title.

Personality
Nō's sensuous figure may look unimposing, but her mind is a dangerous one. Seeing war as a game of domination, she relishes bloodshed and enjoys toying with other people's lives. At times, she has been seen as being perceptive of other's thoughts. Either she seeks to torture those who cross her with this knowledge or satirizes the ones on the same side as her. Not a moment of guilt runs through her as she defeats people in her path. Hearing her husband reviled as a cold-hearted conqueror makes her pleased with her own title as the Demon King's wife. While her morals teetered on the brink of insanity within the first title, Nō's darker traits were subdued in her following appearances. She has been adjusted to act as a sultry temptress, more than ready to use her allure to sucker fools to their deaths. Confident with her body and strengths, her egotism borderlines vanity. Nō's sordid thoughts are truly an enigma to all but herself. Her husband may catch on to her, but even he can't completely unfurl her every pondering.

Throughout the series, Nō and her husband are depicted as morbid, psychopathic lovers. Nō's thoughts for him are tricky to decipher and change depending on the title. In the first title, they share an instinctive bond with their devious interests. They both understand she would one day kill him and frequently play with the idea together as though it were foreplay. Within her second appearance, Nō feels she has claimed Nobunaga for herself. Her conviction is to remain beside him through any carnage he causes as his devoted wife. Her third appearance acts as though she enjoys Nobunaga's company but she keeps her distance compared to previous titles. Her story in the Xtreme Legends reveals that she is not as capable in grasping her husband's thoughts since she is completely perplexed by his riddles. The fourth title has Nō sympathetic to other people but still insanely enthralled by Nobunaga's cruelty. His wanton destruction pleases her to no end.

Oichi idolizes Nō for her confidence within the first title and she is otherwise respectful of her sister-in-law in her following appearances. Within the second title, however, Nō admits to be sickened by Oichi's pristine image. The fourth title has Nō abase Oichi for her borderline masculine determination yet genuinely sympathize with her sister-in-law at Odani Castle. The first title identified her and Mitsuhide Akechi to be childhood friends, although this relationship has been abandoned in later titles. Mitsuhide shares a passing acquaintance with her in the fourth title due to his past loyalties.

Recent titles has her be childhood friends with Hanbei. Nō can find the strategist's napping spots and is familiar with his fondness for her. She takes joy with her sly defiance to him, enjoying the untold frustration she inflicts on him. While she insists otherwise, she will be moved by his lingering kindness towards her. Nō has a passing rivalry with Koshōshō as both women argue over their sexual appeal and their ways for seducing men.

Her new incarnation in 5, has her act as a calm, if emotionless, maiden who does not bother to connect with others. While her relationship with Nobunaga is purely political, Nō would become genuinely smitten by him over the course of their marriage.

In the Warriors Orochi titles, she enjoys attempting to bewitch members of the Dynasty Warriors cast, favoring Lu Meng, Taishi Ci and Guan Ping. She has a small rivalry with Zhen Ji over who has the superior spouse, though the two women respect their methods in fighting and charming others. In the third installment, she is amused by Wang Yi's melancholic desire for vengeance and enjoys seeing the woman struggle to cope with working with her nemesis. For the fourth installment, her grace and butterfly-themed moves earn her Zhang He's admiration, and she also admires his elegant style, but finds his mannerisms to odd for her taste. She is fascinated by Jia Chong's affiliation with death and similarities with her husband.

Character Symbolism
Within Koei's titles, Nō is symbolized by a butterfly, which stems from her alternate historical name, Kichō (帰蝶). Unlike Zhang He, this "chō" is the actual character for butterfly and Kichō can be translated as "returning butterfly". The winged insect's "dreamlike" meanings alludes to her elusive nature in history. In Kessen III, Kichō paraphrases Zhuangzi's famous quote regarding the insect and dreams.

She is symbolized by the kanji for "voluptuous" (艶) and "butterfly" (蝶) and purple butterflies in the Samurai Warriors series.

Nō's titles in Samurai Warriors 2 are "Viper's Daughter", "Lady of Oda", "Sweet Poison", "Deadly Beauty", "Demoness", "Venom Queen", and "Serpent Goddess" (in the Xtreme Legends expansion).

Most of the names for Nō's weapons in the Samurai Warriors series may be interpreted to follow her insubstantial or deceitful nature. Her first weapon in Samurai Warriors is literally named lizard, an animal best known for its removable tails. Cut it off and it can still escape to grow another tail for itself. Nō's second set of claws are dedicated to the praying mantis, known for sexual cannibalism with the female devouring the male's head.

Her third set of claws -first in the sequel- are literally named after a spider. Within Japanese mythology, there is a supernatural being called Jorōgumo, or a female spider. Posing as a young, beautiful woman, it lures unlucky men into their clutches and devours them. Another type of spider-like creatures are tsuchigumo, which look like giant spiders. They possess an ogre's face, a tiger's body, and a spiders long legs. Dwelling in mountains, they ambush travelers for food.

Nō's fourth set of claws -second in the second title- are named after a centipede. Fujiwara no Hidesato (Tawara no Tōda), a general in the Heian period, is fabled to have suppressed a hundred legged beast. When Tawara no Tōda was in Ōmi Province, the townsfolk informed him of a giant serpent that terrorized the mountains. Volunteering to slay the beast, he camped into the wilderness and waited for the predator to show himself. A daughter of the dragon god clan visited him and informed him that the beast was hidden in Mikamiyama and was out of sight of the common eye. If not for the maiden's guidance, the beast would still be in the area.

Her third weapon in the second title and Normal type in the third is named Kochō, a dancing style invented during the Heian period. It may be translated to "butterfly dance". To mimic the flutter of the insect's wings, the dance steps are meant to look graceful yet unpredictable. The dancers dress with butterfly wings attached to their backs as they step and pivot to the stringed musical accompaniment. Her Power types are named to perform a dance of pity while her Speed types are themed to be sexy dances.

Hiruko is Izanami and Izanagi's first child in Japanese mythology. The child forms the namesake for Nō's fifth weapon in the first game, her fourth in the second title, and her Unique in the third. Born from Izanami's voice, Hiruko is a physically disabled child who cannot use his/her legs. Izanami made a reed boat for the child and he/she drifted to Onogoroshima. Joined by Ahashima, who was born moments after, they landed on the island. Hiruko's mention in mythological texts ends here with no other hints or descriptions for the child. The child's sex isn't mentioned and the child is barely noted to exist except when paired with Ahashima. There are several different interpretations of the child's role in mythology, ranging from a god of good luck, a god of fishermen, or a god of departure.

Dōsan's nickname, "Viper of Mino", forms the namesake for Nō's fifth weapon in the second title and sixth in the first. Viper (蝮) is pronounced as "mamushi", which is the same found in Nō's weapon. Her version of "mamushi" is spelled differently, however, and is literally translated as "venomous snake" (蝮蛇).

Her personal item in the Asian ports of Warriors Orochi and family treasure in Samurai Warriors 4 is "Dōsan's Dagger", which is a reference of him asking his daughter to kill Nobunaga with it within several of her appearances in Koei's titles.

Voice Actors

 * Mary Elizabeth McGlynn - Samurai Warriors (English-uncredited)
 * Ute Bronder - Samurai Warriors (German-uncredited)
 * Alisha Ruiss - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Cindy Robinson - Warriors Orochi series; first and second games only, Samurai Warriors 3 (English-uncredited)
 * Lara Cody - Kessen III (English-uncredited)
 * Cristina Valenzuela - Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence (English-uncredited)
 * Bae Jeong-mi - Samurai Warriors (Korean)
 * Mariko Suzuki - Samurai Warriors 1~4, Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Yukiyo Fujii - Samurai Warriors 5 (Japanese)
 * Aya Hisakawa - Kessen III, CR Sengoku no Arashi ~Nobunaga no Shou~ (Japanese)
 * Rie Tanaka - Nioh series (Japanese)
 * Saeko Shimazu - Game Nihonshi Kakumeiji ~Oda Nobunaga~
 * Yuka Shioyama - Sengoku Pachislot Nobunaga no Yabou ~Tenka Sousei~
 * Yoshiko Takemura - Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi

Live Action Performers

 * Yumi Yoshitatsu - as Nouhime-nyan in Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou and Nyan
 * Runa Aida - Kono Nyaka ni Jinbyou ga iru nya ~ Nobunyaga no Yabou Trial Kouen
 * Arisa Fujisaki - Kono Nyaka ni Jinbyou ga iru nya ~ Nobunyaga no Yabou Trial Kouen, Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou ~ Neko Gungi
 * Mio Hanana, Minami Hitsuji - Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou ~ Neko Gungi
 * Yayoi Kobayashi, Momoko Mizuki - Butai Nobunyaga no Yabou ~ Neko Gungi 2
 * Hitoe Ohtake, Hafuri Sen - Nobunaga no Yabou -Enbu-
 * Ayumi Takamune - Butai Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi Haru no Jin Tenka Fubu ~Kindei no Kubi Hen~, Butai Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi Fuyu no Jin Oudou Shikkou ~Kiko no Shiroshio Hen~
 * Yuu Wakui - Butai Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi Mugen ~Honnoji no Hen~
 * Yuzuki Ooguro - Butai Nobunaga no Yabou Taishi -Rei- Okehazama Zenya ~Kyoudai Soukoku Hen~

Quotes

 * See also: Nō/Quotes‎


 * "I am the Demon's Wife, not the Viper's Daughter..."
 * "Don't worry... You won't feel a thing."
 * "The epitome of beauty. That is what it means to be the Demon King's wife."
 * "I've already tamed Nobunaga. Everyone else is just... simple."
 * "Mitsuhide, you will not have my husband's life. His life belongs to me!"
 * "I don't mind getting rough every once and a while."
 * "Ooh, this is exciting."
 * "Oh, wonderful. This must be what hell feels like."
 * "Ahahahahaha! Do you want more?"
 * "Maybe you’d like it a bit harder?"
 * "Wench! May you go the same way as your worthless beloved!"
 * "Eventually. But I am not quite satisfied yet."
 * Kenshin and Nō; Samurai Warriors 2


 * "So beautiful. I'll do you a favor and cut you down before you grow into an old hag."
 * "Silly boy. Didn't you know? Feeding on the blood of my enemies keeps me eternally young."
 * Kojirō and Nō; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "I see you understand that a beauty caged is a beauty wasted."
 * "My father talked often of you. I think of you as if you were my own mother."
 * "Mother!? ...Perhaps your mother should have taught you to mind your tongue..."
 * Nō and Gracia; Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends


 * "You have no right to call yourself human when you kill men who've surrendered."
 * "Brave words coming from a man who kills his own for gold."
 * "There's something wrong with you. No one wants to live in Hell."
 * "Life is Hell, whether you want it to be or not. So then, it'd be a crime to not enjoy it. Right?"
 * Magoichi and Nō; Sengoku Musou 3: Moushouden


 * "Well, if it isn't the foolish little princess."
 * "I wouldn't make any threats you can't back up, my lady."
 * "Foolish little princess, you wander so recklessly in the full glare of the sun, your skin exposed. It may seem silly, but I'm worried for you. As you age, it will take a terrible toll."
 * "Sunlight? I'll just cover myself with your shroud, ghost - problem solved."
 * Aya and Nō; Samurai Warriors Chronicles


 * "Let's see... This looks familiar, so it must be over here... Oh, it's the princess! Princess, are you going to the hot springs?"
 * "Yes, I am. By the way, Hanbei, are you lost again?"
 * "No way, princess! You know I can't lose my way anymore. I'm always walking around with the compass you gave me, remember?"
 * "That's right. You aren't called Crybaby Hanbei anymore because of it. Now you're called the All-knowing, Flying Peeping Tom Hanbei, right?"
 * Hanbei and Nō‎; Sengoku Musou 3: Empires


 * "You have eyes that house countless horrors. I love those -- they send a chill up my spine."
 * "Might I ask that you move? I have to prepare for the next battle."
 * "Battle, battle indeed. I crave it, myself. I can't forget the thrill of it, of being so close to falling into hell. Just thinking that peace will go on every day has me on wit's end."
 * "No. Lasting peace will come, I assure you. That is what we warriors are fighting for."
 * "What, are you angry? I wasn't trying to deny you or what you're aiming for. All I can say is this one thing. One of these days, the both of us will meet wild, violent ends... You can count on that."
 * Nō and Yukimura Sanada; Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3


 * "You must be the lovely Lady Nō. I have come to rescue you."
 * "That was getting a little boring. I need some... stimulation."
 * "...Well, I-er, I'll do what I can..."
 * Lu Meng and Nō; Warriors Orochi


 * "You pass. I'll give you the honor of letting you join my harem."
 * "I'd consider it, if I thought for a second you could keep me satisfied."
 * Dong Zhuo and Nō; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "You're rescuing me. What adorable piety."
 * "A-Adorable, you say...!? Don't make a fool out of me!"
 * Nō and Yoshitsune; Musou OROCHI Z


 * "The man you married wiped out your family house... You've seen hell, haven't you..."
 * "I suppose so, but at least I'm not arrogant enough to think I know what others are feeling. People can never understand each other. Never. But they can stand by each other."
 * Wang Yi and Nō; Warriors Orochi 3


 * "It's getting late. I guess he's not coming. A banquet without him here is totally uninteresting to me."
 * "Totally uninteresting, she says, after all of this? I'll never be able to understand her."
 * Nō and Yu Jin; Warriors Orochi 4

"You, using your shrill music to make men salivate, speak of discretion? What do you think, girl? Which of us possesses true elegance?" "W-Well-- I'll punish you both for your indiscretions! That's my answer!"
 * "The way you dress offends my eyes, to be quite honest. Why don't you show a little more discretion?"
 * Zhenji, Nō and Ina at the hellish banquet set up by Hisahide; Warriors Orochi 4


 * "Your dream of flames. It appears to be both your past and future."
 * Kicho's thoughts about Nobunaga's dream; Kessen III


 * "Are you satisfied, Nō?"
 * "I’m satisfied. Completely."
 * Nobunaga and Nō after winning the Couples’ Battles; Samurai Warriors 4-II

Ground Moveset

 * undefined, (undefined), (undefined): Nō plants a bomb on the ground if undefined is pressed once and it explodes after a few seconds, if pressed twice Nō throws one bomb, and if pressed thrice she throws an addition bomb with a random effect, it either explodes like firework, goes as a normal bomb, becomes a smoke bomb, or is a dud that the actual bomb itself does damage.
 * , undefined, (undefined), (undefined), (undefined): Nō bicycle kicks the enemy in the air and when the fall back she impales them with both claws and then she taunts them creating a damaging white area that restores musou
 * ,, undefined, (undefined), (undefined), (undefined): Nō kicks the enemy with a roundhouse like kick, then she hits then with a falling claw, and quickly spins on the floor catching them with her other claw. She additionally throws a bomb when she stands upright.
 * ,, , undefined, (undefined), (undefined), (undefined)...: Nō spins around juggling the enemies with her rotating claws outstretched, 3 spins per charge, then she does a final spin knocking them away
 * ,, , , , , , : three low spinning kicks followed by a series of somersault kicks. Ends the chain with a flip that brings out her claws.
 * , undefined: jumps down making a shockwave with her foot
 * , : flips and attacks with both her claws
 * Nō throws bombs in front of her one at a time, and slowly steps back with each throw, true musou ends with her sweep kicking twice, then ends with a flipkick going backwards.

Samurai Warriors 2
Her moves remain the same except her True Musou and the final charge attacks in her moves (such as her posing in her C2 and throwing a bomb during her C3). Like the rest of the cast, her horse musou changes to a damaging stampede by her horse. She also gains a Level 3 Musou, R1 skills, and a new charge attack in the Xtreme Legends expansion.
 * ,, , , undefined:(Xtreme Legends only) Nō grabs her enemy with a single claw, holds them in front of her before dispensing them on the ground behind her.
 * Her musou actions remain the same, except with the True Musou which ends with three bombs being thrown together. The bombs' range is bigger than before. As long as her enemies stay within range, it can also be used to juggle her enemies. During her level 3 version, various fireworks will burst around her. They heavily damage her opponent but will not kill them, leaving their health at one point.
 * R1 +, , : Nō sets bomb on the ground every special
 * R1 + undefined, (undefined), (undefined): Nō detonates a bomb if its been placed, then if pressed again she does a claw swipe that damages and detonates two additional bombs
 * Personal Skill : (Absorb) Blocking enemy attacks will refill your musou gauge.

Nō's moveset remains the same except she loses many of her Samurai Warriors 2 additions. She gains a few new abilities.
 * Warriors Orochi
 * , : An airdash that makes her temporarily invincible. Nō performs an aerial roll forward.
 * R1: Nō briefly bends back before she sends numerous needles around her.
 * Direction + R1: Nō quickly drops a bomb behind her. Up to six can be laid at once. These bombs detonate with varying effects depending on what charge attack Nō uses.


 * Warriors Orochi 2
 * Triple Attack 1: Unleashes a fierce air current traveling at mid-range.
 * Triple Attack 2: Throws a bomb that detonates near the user's vicinity.
 * Triple Attack 3: Flips around while releasing a strong gust of air.

Samurai Warriors 3

 * (Ultimate/Kaiden): Noh turns around and releases a purple butterfly from her sleeve. After letting it drift, she snaps her fingers, and the butterfly explodes.
 * Spirit Cancel: Cancel attack with front graceful kick.


 * Warriors Orochi 3
 * R1: Scatters bombs in front of user twice in a radius. Four bombs per set.
 * , R1 (Ultimate only): Spirals upward while hurling firework bombs before swiping crosswise to release two energy waves.

Samurai Warriors 4
Mighty strike is the same as Deadlock attack. Moveset remains the same with the following changes.


 * ,, , , undefined, (undefined): Nō summons a purple aura whilst flying into the air and stabbing the enemy multiple times before she swipes both claws upwards and then smashing her foot into the ground.


 * Finisher has her instead kiss a magical butterfly from her lips. It flutters for two seconds before exploding into dozens of butterflies.
 * (Ultimate/Kaidan): Sends illusion of butterfly that can activate with finger snap and explode to a graceful violet explosion.
 * 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.
 * Special Skill: R1: Plants bombs under.
 * R1, : Plants bombs under (multiple)
 * R1,, : Plants bombs under (multiple and let it explode directly)
 * R1, undefined: Trigger violet aura that can absorb enemies musou.
 * R1, undefined, undefined: Trigger violet aura which directly absorbs enemies musou.
 * Awakened Skill effect (4-II only): Bombs explode in front of the user.
 * Hyper Moveset:
 * undefined: Directly strike forward with a hugging claws attack
 * undefined, : Directly strike forward with a hugging claws attack followed by Nō jumping into the air and smashing a claw into the ground (Strong Hyper Attack 2)
 * undefined, undefined, : Clear the enemies with claws followed by forward flying butterfly push (Strong Hyper Attack 3)
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, : Same with the Strong Hyper Attack 2 (Strong Hyper Attack 4)
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, : Same as Strong Hyper Attack 3 (Strong Hyper Attack 5)
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, : Directly strike forward with a hugging claws attack followed by quadruple bomb festive (Strong Hyper Attack 6)
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined: Repeatedly strike forward with a hugging claws attack, clearing enemies and finished by forward flipping right leg shock

Fighting Style
No has many attacks that closes in on her opponents such as her normal attack string; many of her attacks have a short range and are mostly suited to dueling officers. Her bombs are used as traps, can stun and have good range; they can also be set up in advance. Activating these mines can allow the player to attack cancel as an effective manner to continue her combos.

Weapons

 * See also: Nō/Weapons

Rare Weapon Acquisition

 * Stage: Battle of Suruga-Sagami - Reconnaissance at Tsukui

Personal Info
Nōhime was Saitō Dōsan's daughter; her mother was Omi no Kata, the daughter of Akechi Mitsutsugu. Her other names include Kicho and Sakiyama-dono. The former is said to be a common name with Mino's noblewomen and the latter is a deviation of one of the castles she stayed in. Legends state that Akechi Mitsuhide and her acted like siblings during her childhood. Like many stories regarding her life, however, it is unclear if they were actually close.

Any real historical records of Nōhime are very scarce and she is a great mystery in the eyes of historians. Since little is written about her, her life and personality is an open subject for art, literature, and film. Generally, descriptions regarding her behavior is mixed between two accounts. The contemporary image of her, which started during the 1960s, paints her in an intelligent and prosperous image, the ideal match for Nobunaga. Otherwise, she is depicted as a bitter wife who scolds her husband for being apart from one another.

Legends and Speculations
Since historical records regarding her life are sparse, this section will also include some of the conflicting theories regarding her life.

On March 23, 1549, Nōhime was married to Oda Nobunaga. Many people believe that their marriage wasn't a happy one since Nōhime was apparently barren. However, many of Nobunaga's children were born from an unknown mother, making the theory that she could bare children feasible. Within their family tree, there is a daughter that is connected to the couple but it isn't used as a primary source of information -mainly because there are no other accepted sources to support it.

Her life has many conflicting accounts when Nobunaga invaded Mino in 1569. In the Tokisugu Kyoki, written by an aristocrat alive during the time, Nōhime continues to be mentioned as Nobunaga's only wife. This is supported by the Oumi-kuni Yochitsushi, which also states that she visited a temple with him during the previous year. The Seishuu Gunki remarks that Nobunaga made Nouhime his son's foster mother since he wanted to respect her father's wish to make her heiress. It is also guessed that she became his foster parent to strengthen the Mino and Owari ties with Nobunaga's new allies. In an edited version of Mitsuhide's biography, Akechi Gunki, Nouhime kept a calm composure during the time but was torn by the Oda vassals' distrust. After Nobunaga conquered Owari, the book states that he divorced her.

Rumors state that Nōhime, after having an argument with her husband, left the Oda clan to reestablish Mino's reputation. As the rightful heir of the Saitō clan, she banded together with her brother, Saitō Yoshitatsu, to defend her home. Their allies were apparently the Akechi and Toki clans. Before her force could claim any territory, however, it is said that Nouhime died to illness. For this theory to be true, Yoshitatsu would have to be proven Dōsan's son and her allies would need to report the instance. Neither have happened yet.

The Oda Nobunaga Bugencho describes a woman named Azuchi-dono, who is sometimes postulated to be Nōhime. She was known as a patient woman who blessed Tokuhime's marriage and highly respected Nobunaga's mother. She continued to live in Azuchi Castle and stayed in Nobukatsu's care after his father's death. Again, the possibility of Azuchi-dono being Nouhime is disputed since there is little mention of her interacting with these people in other sources. The Myoujishi in particular discredits this account since it states that Azuchi-dono died whilst in Hideyoshi's care at age 78 (July 26, 1612).

Both the Ujisato Iki and the Sonken Iten Oizen Iki state that on the day after the Incident at Honnoji, the "midaidokoro" and the "kita no kata" were seen in Azuchi Castle. If the reader assumes that the midaidokoro is referring to Nōhime, many analysts state that it would be physically impossible for Nōhime to have been at Honnoji. The subject of her dying alongside her husband at Honnoji is prevalent in many historical novels.

Trivia

 * Dosan ordering Nō to assassinate her husband is also mentioned sporadically in the Nobunaga's Ambition series. During the PlayStation version of Tenshoki, she is portrayed by a live actress who accepts an ebony tantō from her father and swears to "kill the fool".

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