Naomasa Ii

Naomasa Ii (spelled with an uppercase and lowercase letter i) is a loyal vassal of Ieyasu Tokugawa and one of the Four Guardian Kings of Tokugawa. His unit's armor was painted crimson in battle in ode to the feared and respected Masakage Yamagata, giving them the nickname "Ii's Red Devils".

Prior to his playable Samurai Warriors debut, he has been a generic general since the first title.

His height in Saihai no Yukue is 180 cm (close to 5'11") and he is 25 years old. His hobby is practicing his ways to introduce himself and he likes to eat large manjū.

Samurai Warriors
Naomasa is briefly given a spotlight in Samurai Warriors 2. For the Eastern army scenarios at Sekigahara, both he and Fukushima will carelessly charge for Mitsunari's camp with little regard for their safety. Ieyasu will request for the rest of his army to ensure they don't let their zealousness get the best of them. Should he fall, Mitsunari will state that the Four Generals of Tokugawa are highly overrated and ally morale will suffer. He repeats this charge again in the third title in competition with Masanori.

The player is first introduced to Naomasa as an infant during cutscenes in Chronicle 2nd and the fourth numbered installment's Tokugawa chapter. Naotora carries Toramatsu into the Tokugawa main camp to give him early exposure to his future as clan head, trying hard in battles for his sake. When he matures, Naomasa fights by his foster mother's side at Sekigahara. He stars in one of Chronicle Mode's regular missions to defeat the Tokugawa elites.

Kessen
In Kessen, Ii is one of Ieyasu's starting officers. He leads a skilled cavalry unit and is one of the speedier troops in battle. He reports to his lord that the Western Army were marching the night before Sekigahara and requests permission to be the one to lead the charge against Mitsunari's camp. He's interrupted by an infuriated Fukushima and, after the latter's outburst, is asked to stand down. Should Ieyasu lose at Fuji, Ii and Sakaki volunteer to lead the rear guard for the army's escape. They're moved when their lord stays with them for the assault.

Ii is eventually replaced inevitably by his son, Naotaka. This happens whether or not Ieyasu has been consistently winning his campaigns. One reason, like Honda, is due to his historical death date. If Ieyasu suffers a string of losses, Ii will be killed whilst serving as the rear guard. His son swears to avenge his death by taking Mitsunari's head.

Saihai no Yukue
He appears as an enemy general in Saihai no Yukue. Ii is a bold and enthusiastic general who acts like the modern day superhero. He believes he is the harbinger of justice and thinks Ieyasu to be a fair man. Although initial reports stated that Fukushima would be the one to charge Mitsunari's camp, Ii is actually the first general to arrive. He frequently appears to stop Mitsunari, often reciting a grand entrance for himself each time.

Mōri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya
Donned as one of Ieyasu's four generals in Mouri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya, Naomasa fights with a bow to defend his lord in battle. Though lost to his lord's methods, Naomasa periodically charges with Tadakatsu to storm the Mōri main camp. Terumoto's army either face him or Tadakatsu when trying to charge the Tokugawa forces. He curses the Mōri with his dying breath.

Development
Koinuma remarked that his popularity in 100man-nin no Sengoku Musou is one of the driving reasons for his playable addition into the main series. The other is to alter Naotora's story to be a supportive figure for him. His weapon is meant to mirror history, but developers purposely gave him a mix of hand-to-hand combat in ode to his mother. His detailed armor is designed to highlight the iconic red armor for him and the Ii clan. His overall design motif is "heroic".

Personality
Naomasa has inherited his foster mother's kindness and strength. He seeks to courageously do good, a hero hoping to shoulder the burden of the next generation. He views Toyohisa as a worthy rival and opponent.

Character Symbolism
In the Samurai Warriors series, he is symbolized by the kanji for "pride" (誇) and "stringency" (厳).

His default weapon is referencing the spear he is reported to have had at Sekigahara. It was allegedly an one shaku, eight sun long, single flat-bladed, triple-edged steel spear. According to one of Naomasa's subordinates, Seki Kazumasa, Naomasa argued with Tadakatsu prior to the battle. Naomasa stressed the importance of the Tokugawa retainers attacking first from a future political perspective. Tadakatsu could not fathom his view and retorted that it was a fool's errand. He lost his temper and attacked his fellow veteran with Tonbogiri; Naomasa dully deflected him with his spear. Kazumasa stepped in to stop further aggressions.

Amenohoakari is the Japanese deity noted in his rare weapon. He is known as a sun or heat deity with possible mythical ties to the Japanese royalty. Alternatively, he has been interpreted to be a rice god for rich harvests. Three aristocratic clans (Owari, Tsumori, Mononobe) cited the deity as their ancestor. Crimson lotus is likely referring to one of the Eight Cold Hells in Buddhism.

Naomasa's second rare weapon is named after Kōzanze Myō-Oh, the Japanese interpretation of Trailokyavijaya. He is the eastern ruler of the Five Wise Kings, the protectors of Buddha who reside in a realm of endless fire. The divine flames purges a soul entering it. Kōzanze Myō-Oh specifically oversees the three poisons (ignorance, attachment, and aversion) of the three worlds (past, present, future reincarnations). Japanese statues often portray him as a three faced, eight armed deity who holds varying objects in three right hands and one left hand. His sword and pike eliminates evil; his bow grants Buddha's wisdom for lost souls; his bell repeats Buddha's preachings; his rope binds the souls of the wicked. Naomasa's spear is endowed with Kōzanze Myō-oh's flames to contrast Tadakatsu's weapon.

Voice Actors

 * Jason Moran - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Trevor White - Kessen (English)
 * Takeshi Kusao - Samurai Warriors 2~3 (Japanese)
 * Hiromu Miyazaki - Samurai Warriors Chronicles (Japanese)
 * Katsuyuki Konishi - Sengoku Musou 4-II
 * Hideo Ishikawa - Kessen (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also Naomasa Ii/Quotes


 * "How do you do it, Tadakatsu? You ride into battle with the flimsiest of armor, and still come out unscathed. While I wear this heavy, unwieldy protection and am barely fit to stand. I have a long way to go before I am a warrior of your stature."
 * "You earned those wounds by fighting your way deep into enemy territory. Each one is a medal of honor, which glitters with a shine greater than gold."
 * Naomasa and Tadakatsu; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "Where there is darkness, there is light! Where there is evil, justice will always be there! Naomasa Yi, one of the Tokugawa Avengers, is here! The evildoers here today shall now be vanquished!"
 * Ii riding into battle; Saihai no Yukue

Charge Moveset

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Hyper Moveset

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 * Dashing :
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 * (Ultimate/Kaidan): leaps up and dive bombs with a jump kick. Similar to Naotora's Ultimate.
 * Rage Attack/Musou Gokui effect:
 * (Ultimate/Kaidan): leaps up and dive bombs with a jump kick. Similar to Naotora's Ultimate.
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 * Spirit Cancel:
 * Deadlock Attack & Mighty Strike: throws spear into the air and pummels foe with rapid fire punches. Sends them flying with a spin kick.
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Mounted Moveset

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Rare Weapon Acquisition

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Trivia

 * Due to the popularity of the mascot character modeled after his son, Nobutaka, Naomasa is occasionally referred to as "Hikonyan's Papa" (ひこにゃんのパパ) by fans of historical media.