Ujiyasu Hōjō

Ujiyasu Hōjō is the third head of the Hōjō family, and Ujimasa Hōjō and Kagetora Uesugi's biological father. Known as the "Lion of Sagami", he was revered as a fearsome warrior and a cunning man. He was said to have matched Shingen and Nobunaga's level of intelligence. He is famous for his strategies that defeated Shingen and Kenshin. One of his daughters is known as Lady Hayakawa.

Before his playable Samurai Warriors appearance, he was a non-playable character in the series since Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends. He is twelfth place in Gamecity's Sengoku Musou 3: Empires character popularity poll. For the Samurai Warriors 4 poll, he ranked thirty-first.

Samurai Warriors
Since he purely gained his lands from his previous successors, Ujiyasu starts his story being called "the fool of Sagami" by his enemies in Samurai Warriors 3. When the Uesugi troops near Kawagoe refuse to listen to peace talks and taunt Ujiyasu, he uses their confidence against them and rouses his army for a night raid. After he leads a frontal assault on the surprised Uesugi army, he reunites with Tsunashige Hōjō to confront the enemy commander. Shingen and Yoshimoto appear on the field to stop him, but he ultimately succeeds. With his victory, Ujiyasu escalates his reputation. To protect his people, he decides to defeat Yoshimoto in Suruga while simultaneously driving back his other rivals, Shingen and Kenshin.

Ujiyasu soon becomes one of the main powers in the Kantō region. When Kenshin tries to conquer the area once more, Ujiyasu resists him at Odawara Castle. After Yoshimoto passes away at Okehazama, Shingen attacks the Hōjō. Overly confident in their victory, Ujiyasu's sons assemble in Mimasetōge to prevent Shingen's advance. Their father joins them later in the encounter to make sure that their plan actually succeeds. Thanks to him, they are able to locate the daimyo's true location on the field and claim victory. Following the conflict, Ujiyasu asks Shingen's reasons for going to war and the latter states his ambitions to rule the land. While Ujiyasu scoffs at the vision, he allows his rival to live as Ujiyasu is confident that he, Shingen, and Kenshin can always cancel the other's abilities.

With the trio on equal terms, they decide to unite their strengths to bring peace to Kantō and follow their respective ambitions. Wanting to live beside his people, Ujiyasu is content to guard Kantō in the other two daimyos' absence. Some time after their agreement, Masamune and Ieyasu attempt to invade his home and take it for themselves. As Ujiyasu resists them during the struggle, Kunoichi and Aya appear to his aid and Kantō is defended. Ujiyasu spends his spare time quietly fishing until Kunoichi and Kai arrive with a letter from Shingen. He reads it privately back at the castle, as it informs him that Shingen is now the land's ruler.

In Samurai Warriors Chronicles, Ujiyasu appears in the very first battle, the Siege of Kawagoe Castle, fighting alongside the protagonist. He leads 8,000 men against the army of over 80,000 Uesugi soldiers. Ujiyasu was able to overcome the odds and defeat this massive army, with the protagonist gaining recognition for their ability to fight. He crosses paths with the main character again in the Kantō Campaign, where he is found griping about fighting in the cold winter to drive off the invading Uesugi. He appears as reinforcements in the battle of Oshi Castle and as the leader of resistance in the Conquest of Odawara, offering the final resistance to Hideyoshi's army before his unification. Despite his resistance, the Toyotomi army overwhelms his forces.

Ujiyasu Hojo appears in the DLC level Heroes Collide, where he, Shingen, and Kenshin square off against Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu. The protagonist sides with the Kanto Three and must defeat the three unifiers of Japan.

Samurai Warriors 4 Ujiyasu starts as a promising power in the east who has family ties with the Imagawa. Seeking to expand his family's influence, he invades Kantō. The leading deputy, Norimasa Uesugi, flees to Echigo and pleads Kenshin for assistance. The Uesugi army surrounds Odawara Castle and causes the Hōjō to face imposing odds. Despite the disadvantage, Ujiyasu chooses to resist their subjugation with his family. Regardless of the battle's version or results, Ujiyasu agrees to a peace treaty with the Uesugi and commands for his son, Saburō, to be sent as a political hostage. Although aware of his son's displeasure, Kotarō suggests for his lord to become heartless for the greater good of his countrymen.

With peace established with the Uesugi, Ujiyasu's concerns are drawn towards westward with the Imagawa after Yoshimoto's demise. Ieyasu seeks to rebel at Kakegawa Castle and isolate Yoshimoto's heir, Ujizane. Ujiyasu rides with his forces to Ujizane's aid and are greeted by Naotora, their Imagawa representative. He quickly analyzes her uncertainties as being the Ii clan head, presenting her other choices made by others in the same situation. In either version of the battle, Naotora decides to serve Ieyasu afterwards and the Hōjō successfully defend Ujizane. Shingen's march towards the capital presents a looming threat for the Imagawa. Though aware of their ally's imminent fall, Ujiyasu ignores Kotarō's advice to abandon them and reinforces the Imagawa.

Their generosity leads to antagonizing the Takeda and the siege of Odawara. Ujiyasu and company are able to defend against the brute of the assault, yet his sons grow impatient. They try and fail to an attack on Shingen's rear flank, leading them to be precariously isolated from the main forces. Ujiyasu contemplates leaving them to focus on defending the castle until his daughter's declaration to protect her family moves him to act. With his family safe, Ujiyasu realizes he can't lie to his true nature and decides to keep fighting as he wills. Following Shingen and Nobunaga's deaths, Ujiyasu attempts to crush the Takeda remnants at Tenmokuzan and Kannagawa. He decides to lead the resistance against the Toyotomi forces years later at Oshi Castle and Odawara Castle. Ujiyasu dies of his wounds from his final battle.

Warriors Orochi
Having befriended Sun Jian in Warriors Orochi 3, a stranded Ujiyasu decides to help the Sun family's resistance against Wei, Shu, and Oda forces at Chang Ban. In the original timeline, the effort fails and Ujiyasu is killed in the battle. When the Hydra's appearance created rifts that kept Kaguya from travelling to the past away from the monster's appearance, it was first feared that Kai would never see him again. From the future, Hanbei is able to warn Ujiyasu and Sun Jian of the impending appearance of the Hydra. Upon reuniting with Kai in the future, he gladly joins the coalition. Learning that his shinobi has gone rogue, Ujiyasu seeks to remind Kotarō of his oath at Shouchun. While he is disparaged that his subordinate tried to kill him in earnest, Ujiyasu welcomes him back into his service.

He is later shown in the True Ending briefly remembering the time he spent with Sun Jian within the comfort of his rightful time and homeland.

Pokémon Conquest
Ujiyasu is the Warlord of Cragspur in Pokémon Conquest. In an attempt to protect the people dear to him, he first opposed Nobunaga, but after his defeat, he swore allegiance to Nobunaga for his people's sake. When the protagonist confronts Ujiyasu at his castle, he just wants the battle between them to end as soon possible. Emerging from the conflict with another loss under his belt, the leader bemoans his bad luck yet is impressed by the young boy's/girl's talents. He curtly leaves the castle thereafter.

Ujiyasu's special episode takes place after the main story, and sees him standing on the sidelines of a clash for territory between Shingen and Kenshin. Claiming that he has always been just as powerful as those two, but has been content simply keeping his people safe, he decides to gather an army of 40 Warriors to defend his lands from the aggressive Warlords. Once he succeeds, Shingen and Kenshin appear to congratulate him, and the old friendship between the three is renewed.

Nobunaga's Ambition
Appearing in the series since the third title, Ujiyasu is a mighty daimyo with healthy ties to the imperial court in the series. When his father doesn't appear in the games, he is the strongest daimyo within the Kanto region. He may not have as much fighting power as Kenshin or as much intelligence as Shingen in each game, but Ujiyasu's political power outweighs them greatly. Although he shines in political and internal affairs for his domains, Ujiyasu may expertly lead foot soldiers into war if needed. With an abundant number of resources initially at his disposal, players know him best as the ideal daimyo for first time players throughout the series. Alternatively, he is also identified as the first ideal target to crush before too much time passes. He is one of the chosen daimyo to be granted a death poem in the newest title.

Within the online adaption, Ujiyasu is a level 70 daimyo who rules within Musashi, Sagami. Proud of the tiger, the Hōjō family seal, he wants to prove that he is better than Kenshin or Shingen. Depicted as a passionate man of war, Ujiyasu expects the same undaunted zeal from his retainers. He considers any who oppose his family as hopeless fools who cannot fathom his integrity in the slightest. When he fights in battle, Ujiyasu has abilities that decrease the spell casting abilities of his enemy party or aims to decrease their morale. If pushed, he can also perform his instantaneous killing sword strike against a single opponent.

Tendou has him as one of the stars in the original scenario, Mitsu Tomoe and Rokumon Sen. When players choose to play the Hōjō clan's scenario, they are first entreated to a flashback of Ujiyasu's childhood. Ujitsuna is seeing a rifle for the first time and Ujiyasu yelps in surprise when his father shoots it. The nearby vassals jeer that the child's reaction is one for a coward and tease him for it. Ujitsuna chides the retainers to keep their commentary in check, stating that even a coward has the potential to become the lord of the land. Instead, Ujitsuna takes pride of his son's weary nature and tells Ujiyasu to never lose sight of whatever he desires. Back in the present, Ujimasa reports of the Uesugi and Takeda spreading rumors that Ujiyasu is a coward. Rather than be ruffled by the insult, Ujiyasu tells his son to practice forbearance and take time to learn their two enemies.

He has three special events as he make his progress against the other clans, personally speaking during the fall of the Sanada, Takeda, and Uesugi clans. When Ujiyasu's forces destroys the first named family, Yukimura charges from the wreckage of the castle to cut the Hōjō lord down. Ujiyasu easily deflects the youth's spear and his vassals use the opening to detain Yukimura. Asking the brave general's name, he is impressed that Yukimura lived up to the Sanada's famed reputation of fighting to the last man. Therefore, when his vassals ask what to do with their prisoner, Ujiyasu orders them to let the hero go unharmed. Although he knows Yukimura might continue to hunt for his head, he is confident he can beat him back each time.

In the Takeda's case, Ujiyasu has Shingen brought before him. Shingen is surprised to see the "coward" before him and remarks the Hōjō lord to be a true hero. Even with the compliments, however, the Hōjō lord admits to being a real coward since he admits his tendency to flee from any danger but those that threaten his life. His comment amuses Shingen who professes his respect for the "brave coward". When the Uesugi fall, Kenshin personally confronts Ujiyasu after the fall of his/her castle. He/She then demands to know Ujiyasu's definition of honor and his desires from decimating other provinces. The victor responds he wants unification in the Hōjō name, granting future peace and stability to the common man. Kenshin strikes with his/her blade once to test Ujiyasu's resolve, but, when he/she sees the lord not falter, he/she accepts his/her defeat. He/She warns that if Ujiyasu ever strays from his words, he/she will be there to once again draw his/her blade against him.

After uniting the Kanto region in his family name, Ujiyasu has no further plans of expanding. Instead, he wants to repair and rebuild his country's new boundaries and fortifications. He expresses his concerns of properly supporting his various subordinates and the common folk, listing several affairs that need attending. His retainer, Tsunanari, responds it feels as though they are running away from conflict, which Ujiyasu agrees. He wants the land they have to last for centuries or millenniums as a peaceful one untouched by war.

Personality
Ujiyasu is a rowdy lord armed with a sharp mind and a biting tongue. Compared to the other veterans of the era, he is a laid back master who insults traditional formalities. Worship for his reputation bores him, and campaigning is a chore. He feels most at home lounging with his family. Ujiyasu is a defender; he rarely has interest in pursuing personal profit or expansion. His booming pride for his capabilities and his sincere empathy for his countrymen, whether they are commoners or soldiers, earns him his indefeasible chair of power. He is careful to measure their resources to avoid overextending his followers.

Although seemingly fearless and brazen, his current attitude originally developed because of fear. He is too kind to be ruthless but is often faced with situations that requires sacrifice. The thought of being held accountable for loss or disappointment drives him on a lifelong struggle for self improvement. He rarely succumbs to his anxieties, but he speaks from his experiences to console a lost soul or his men for the occasional defeat. Kotarō is the only one aware of his apprehensions; Ujiyasu nicknames him "Ghost" (おばけさん, obake-san). The duo share an offbeat comity in their many years together.

Regarding his rivals, Kenshin and Shingen, he respects both of them. Ujiyasu is often exasperated by Kai's insistence to rush her maturity, but can't keep himself from teasing her for it. Lady Hayakawa takes after her mother, so Ujiyasu bemoans her to the letter do-gooder tendencies; he thinks she should relax more in their leisure. He befriends Sun Jian and Sun Ce in his Warriors Orochi appearance.

Character Symbolism
Within the Samurai Warriors series, he is symbolized by the characters "unadulterated" (粋) and "lion" (獅) and dark flames.

All the names for Ujiyasu's armaments refer to him concealing a weapon. A blade is hidden with his Normal types, fire with his Power, and night for his Speed types. Both of his unique weapons are named Kaijotō, which is said to be a type of shikomizue crafted by the swordsmith, Amakuni. Kaijotō is attributed to be one of Kenshin's legendary swords, said to have been given to him by the monk, Seiin, after Kenshin had entered the capital. The sword was crafted with the teachings of Shingon Buddhism in mind.

Both of his Unique weapons are named after deities in the Japanese creation myth, Amenotokotachi and Kuninotachi. Amenotokotachi is the last deity born to form Kotoamatsukami, or the formations of the universe. As a lone god, he has no physical shape and forms the equilibrium of the heavens itself. Before Amenotokotachi took its position, Kuninotachi was manifested to form the very soil of the earth and is the one who stabilized it. Although described as genderless and without a particular form, Kuninotachi is sometimes identified as a male god. Both Amenotokotachi and Kuninotachi are regarded as deities that formed the universe as we know it, although Amenotokotachi isn't as celebrated since its mentions in mythology are scant. Both are regarded as polar opposites whom are destined to have an adjacent yet distant relationship with one another. It ties into the traditional belief of people and deities coexisting with one another throughout East Asia.

Voice Actors

 * Kyle Hebert - Samurai Warriors 3 (English-uncredited)
 * Unshō Ishizuka - Samurai Warriors series, Warriors Orochi 3 (Japanese)
 * Mugihito - Nobunaga's Ambition Online (Japanese)
 * Yasunori Masutani - CR Sengoku no Arashi ~Nobunaga no Shou~
 * Hirofumi Tanaka - Sengoku Pachislot Nobunaga no Yabou ~Tenka Sousei~

Live Action Performer

 * Shuji Kondo - Sengoku Bushou Matsuri

Quotes

 * See also: Ujiyasu Hōjō/Quotes


 * "That trespasser... He will regret setting foot on my territory."
 * "I race today for my family. No ifs, ands or buts about it."
 * "Ujiyasu, why do you seek the chaos?"
 * "I assure you, I do not… What did Shingen say to you?"
 * Yoshimoto Imagawa and Ujiyasu; Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends


 * "Kenshin... Always with his "honor"... Foolishly compelled to act on behalf og some puny eed who cannot defend himself. Still I have to admire his courage... Perhaps we could stand to borrow a leaf from his book."
 * Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "The tiger, the dragon, and the lion. If they were to compete against one another, who would be the victor?"
 * "The dragon. It can soar into the heavens, away from the tiger and lion's reach."
 * "Now, now. Don't forget the tiger's climbing abilities. A tiger can just scurry up a tree and catch the dragon's tail."
 * "There we have it. The tiger and dragon can go at it, while the lion sits back to treat himself to a good meal."
 * Ujiyasu, Kenshin, and Shingen; Sengoku Musou 3: Empires


 * "Do you remember, Tsunashige? Back in the day, I was called a coward and you were glorified. Everyone placed their expectations on you."
 * "But, I realized this long ago. I knew you would be the one to surpass me, and I would be the one serving you. Therefore, I chose to hone my craft with the blade at the first opportunity."
 * "Yeah, but people still look up to you over me. No matter how hard I try, I don't have the confidence to be feared like our Earth's Golden God of War here."
 * Ujiyasu and Tsunashige Hōjō; Sengoku Musou 3: Empires


 * "Why'd you lug me to this shrine? Want me to pray for your success in the new year?"
 * "Of course!"
 * "I ain't the religious type so I'm not the right man for this gig. Hey, what kind of shrine did you bring me to?"
 * "A match making one! They say if you write your wish here, it's a one hundred percent chance it'll come true! Waaah, I wanna be popular with the guys! I wanna get lucky with a good man who loves me~!"
 * "Stupid idiot... No one's gonna get close to you when they see you acting that desperate."
 * Ujiyasu and Kai; 100man-nin no Sengoku Musou


 * "You said your son doesn't have fangs right? How is he supposed to survive in this world of chaos, then?"
 * "I'm planning on ending the chaos in my time so that those of my son's generation won't need fangs or claws. Besides, truly powerful men don't need to show their claws or fangs, they just use their mere presence to silence others, like your father."
 * Sun Ce and Ujiyasu; Warriors Orochi 3

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: Shoots a round from his cane.
 * , undefined: Does a jump kick that knocks his enemies into the air.
 * ,, undefined: Sweeps forward with a stunning headbutt attack.
 * ,, , undefined: Takes his cane and does 3 golf-like swings.
 * ,, , , undefined: Pierces his cane into the ground, causing a shockwave that knocks enemies into the air.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Shoots the empty air creating a smoke screen that stuns enemies.
 * ,, , , , , undefined:
 * ,, , , , , , undefined:
 * ,, , , , , , , undefined: Throws a bomb that will send a ball of energy after enemies, then explodes.
 * Repeatedly shoots and reloads with his cane.
 * (Ultimate/Kaiden): Turns and throws a bomb behind him.
 * (Ultimate/Kaiden): Turns and throws a bomb behind him.


 * Dashing :
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 * Spirit Cancel:
 * Special Skill:Throws a smoke bomb infront of himself and leaves a cloud that allows him to make his attacks elemental.

Mounted Attacks

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 * Warriors Orochi 3
 * R1: Stuns the enemy with a well-timed kick.
 * , R1 (Ultimate only): Thrusts cane several times from downward to upward, sending affected foes airborne. Ujiyasu ends the assault by hurling a bomb at their direction.

Samurai Warriors 4
Mighty strike is the same as Deadlock Attack. Keeps relatively same moveset as the previous entry with the following changes.


 * Finisher changes to him throwing a grenade and detonating it with a shot from his cane sword.
 * (Ultimate/Kaidan):
 * Rage Attack/Musou Gokui effect:
 * Awakened Skill effect (4-II only):

Hyper Moveset

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 * undefined, undefined, undefined, : Shoots a fireball out of his cane sword.
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Fighting Style
His cane sword is capable of multiple uses. He can use the bottom of his cane to fire bullets and he can manipulate his sword to use as a lance. Ujiyasu doesn't completely rely on his weapon, however, as he can perform physical attacks such as various headbutts and jumping elbows. He also uses explosives during his special attacks and Musou.

Weapons

 * See also: Ujiyasu Hōjō/Weapons

Rare Weapon Acquisition

 * Stage: The Ōtate Rebellion

Historical Information
Upon his father's death in 1541, a number of the Hōjō's enemies sought to take advantage of the opportunity to seize major Hōjō strongholds. Ogigayatsu Tomosada tried unsuccessfully to take Edo Castle, and a few years later, in 1545, an army led by Ashikaga Haruuji and Uesugi Norimasa besieged Kawagoe Castle. Hōjō Tsunashige, the stepson of Ujiyasu's brother Tamemasa and son-in-law of Ujitsuna, was outnumbered 3,000 to allegedly 80,000, and Ujiyasu led a relief force of 8,000 soldiers. Ujiyasu slipped a samurai past the enemy lines to inform Tsunashige of the enemy's approach, and made use of ninja to learn of the enemy's strategy and attitude. Using this intelligence, he led a night attack against the Ashikaga/Uesugi force. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Hōjō army defeated the besiegers because, under Ujiyasu's orders, they were not bulked down by heavy armor, and were not slowed down by seeking to take heads. This battle proved the end of the Ōgigayatsu Uesugi line and destroyed the prestige of Norimasa of the Yamanouchi Uesugi clan as the Governor-General of Kantō region, until Uesugi Kenshin, who had subsequently been adopted by Norimasa, assumed the post in 1561.

Hōjō Ujiyasu expanded the Hōjō territory, which now covered five provinces, and managed and maintained what his father and grandfather had held. He took Kōnodai in Shimousa Province in 1564 following a battle against Satomi Yoshihiro. Towards the end of his life he saw the first major conflicts between his own clan and Takeda Shingen, who would become one of the greatest warlords of the period. As a response to Hōjō's intervention in his invasion of Suruga Province, Shingen came into Musashi Province from his home province of Kai, attacking Hachigata and Takiyama Castles, where Ujiyasu's sons repulsed them. However, despite the intact castles behind him, Shingen pressed on to the Hōjō central home castle of Odawara, burning the castle town and withdrawing after three days. Two of Ujiyasu's seven sons fought Takeda at the battle of Mimasetoge in 1569, ending the first of the Takeda campaigns against the Hōjō.

Subsequently, Ujiyasu managed to make peace with Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, the most powerful adversaries of Hōjō, letting his seventh son be adopted by childless Kenshin and accepting the fait accompli of Shingen's reign over Suruga. Ujiyasu died in 1571, passing on the Hōjō domains to his eldest son Ujimasa in a relatively favourable situation.

Trivia

 * Hisashi Koinuma cosplayed as the Samurai Warriors 3 Ujiyasu at the Tokyo Game Show 2012 Cosplay Contest.

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