Ina

Ina or Inahime (稲姫) debuted as one of the new characters in Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends. She also appears as a bonus character in Kessen III if the players have a Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legend data file on their memory card. She is Tadakatsu's daughter and the wife of Nobuyuki Sanada.

Her height in the Samurai Warriors series is 165 cm (5'5"). She's symbolized by the kanji "purity" (純) and "refreshing" (爽) and white flower petals.

Samurai Warriors
New to the battlefront, Ina starts her story with her goal of realizing what it means to be a warrior. She initially believes that war must only be waged so peace may blossom. Mentored by her father while they help their lord and Hideyoshi escape Kanegasaki, she continues to defend Ieyasu at Mikatagahara. Here she encounters Kunoichi, who taunts that Ina likes the sight of carnage as well. After she defends Ieyasu from the shinobi's assassination attempt, she is shaken by the the younger one's words and ponders their meaning based on her past experiences. Years later, Ieyasu is chased by Mitsuhide's army at Iga. Ina is personally charged with protecting Baisetsu Anayama though Ieyasu also wants all of his officers to safely escape as well.

If too many lives are lost during their flight, Ina resorts to brutal measures and slays all who oppose her lord's passage. The repercussions of her boldness has Ieyasu unable to flee, and he is forced to rest his tired troops north at Yamazaki. They are quickly surrounded by Mitsuhide's army, Magoichi's rifle brigade, and later Hideyoshi's troops. Apologizing for her neglect and regretting her actions, she swears to try to mimic her father's focus and regains the will to fight. As their lord declares himself the greatest man in the land, Hideyoshi challenges him for the right at Osaka Castle. In the aftermath, Ina realizes that every life is precious and desires to live her life as she please to make amends for her actions.

An Ina who stays true to her duty at Iga has the army flee successfully. Although Hideyoshi gains an upper hand over Ieyasu by avenging Nobunaga, she joins Ieyasu in defying his vision of peace by partaking in their decisive battle at Komaki-Nagakute. Ina only fights so that she will no longer have any last regrets for the new age of serenity and lays down her arms upon the battle's conclusion. Time passes and Hideyoshi's death sparks a new form of rebellion in the land. Though married and with child, Ina raises her bow a final time to defy the wishes of her scheming father-in-law, Masayuki Sanada. During the defense of Ueda Castle, she makes peace with Kunoichi and they enjoy a harmonious life together.

In Samurai Warriors 2, she is an experienced warrior who joins the siege at Odawara Castle. She believes that she must work hard to be remembered in history. Afterwards, Ieyasu is awarded the Kantō region but the nearby villages are plagued by bandits who don't know of Ieyasu's reputation. After Ina suppresses them, she plays second fiddle to Ieyasu's campaigns by assisting the front at Kusegawa and Sekigahara. Believing that ridding the Toyotomi family is the only option for unity, she assists the front at Osaka Castle. Ieyasu personally thanks her, but she notes that their victory is one for everyone.

Her dream stage is her historical act of stopping Masayuki at Numata Castle. During the time of Sekigahara, her husband fights for the east and her relatives fight for the west. Wanting to take the castle for himself, Masayuki pays a visit to Numata Castle, feigning that he wants to see his grandson. Ina sees through the ploy and raises the call for defense.

Samurai Warriors 3 has her start on the losing side of Mikatagahara. During their retreat, she encounters Yukimura and volunteers to stop him to clear a path for her lord. Although Ieyasu mourns for those who sacrificed themselves for his safety, they are able to safely escape from Shingen's army. Years later, Ieyasu gains more control of the central part of the land and Ina joins him in his first siege to take Ueda Castle. Able to obtain victory, she is impressed by the Sanada family's integrity and pleads for her lord to spare them. Ieyasu agrees and has her married to Nobuyuki to ensure a political alliance between both families. As a member of the Sanada family, she assists the siege at Odawara Castle. Yukimura worries for her safety, but she proves that she is capable of defending herself. With the land united under Hideyoshi upon their victory, she asks her younger brother-in-law to protect the new age of peace with her.

When Mitsunari defies Ieyasu's leadership, Ina stays behind at Numata Castle. She senses Masayuki and Yukimura's approach, defying their entrance to the castle. Moments after her victory, a soldier reports that Ieyasu has won the battle at Sekigahara. With Ieyasu as the shogun and to protect the life of a true warrior, Tadakatsu begs pardon for Yukimura's life to their lord. Ina and her father believe that Yukimura deserves the right to shape his own future as a fellow warrior and Ieyasu agrees to spare his life. He sends the youth into exile, but he eventually joins the Toyotomi family in resisting Ieyasu's reign. Only concentrating on what lies in front of her, Ina supports Ieyasu and faces his enemies. She tearfully tries to stop her brother-in-law from marching to his death. Yukimura, striving to prove himself to the end, bids farewell to her after his defeat. Although his fate is unknown, she believes that he is still alive somewhere and swears to protect the Sanada family for his return.

Warriors Orochi
During Orochi's scenario, Ina is one of the generals who tries to defend her lord at Edo Castle. She bravely leads a surprise attack on Orochi's main camp but is defeated by the serpent army. Ieyasu, who wants to save his men, submits to the serpent king after his defeat.

In Warriors Orochi, Ina befriends Sun Shang Xiang during their forced servitude, as the two are frequently joined together for missions. When she confronts Sun Ce about his bungled attempt to rescue Sun Jian, she is surprised when he asks about his sister's welfare. After testing his sincerity in battle, she defects to the resistance and convinces her friend to do the same once the battle ends.

During the sequel, she and Xing Cai lead a reconnaissance mission for their respective lords. They spot and rescue Mitsuhide and his daughter from being taken away to Kiyomori by Sun Wukong. Though they fight and beat the Monkey King, he escapes capture. She shares her dream stage with two other famous archers, Huang Zhong and Xiahou Yuan, to prove their worth over firearms.

Personality
Ina is a filial daughter who is proud of her father and family. Despite her high-class uprising, she is eager to prove her own worth as a warrior and defend her father's image with her archery. While obedient to her father's wishes, she is independent enough to act upon her own violations when she feels the need arises. Caring greatly for duty to her lord and honor, she values righteous morals and upright principles. Therefore, she has an innate need to punish any who she believes to be morally unjust, which is emphasized as she appears in more titles. When she is not on the battlefield, she is a gentle and noble maiden of elegance. Since most people that she encounters only know her in battle, she is generally known as an old-fashioned traditionalist or a tomboy by people who don't know her.

Though they rarely interact with one another, she is implied to love her husband, Nobuyuki, and respects his wishes. When they face one another as enemies, she is immediately impressed by his integrity. Their marriage makes her the older sister-in-law to Yukimura, who humbly addresses her as his "older sister". They are in respectful awe with one another's loyalty to their masters and neither dislike the other for their duties. While their respect for one another is minor in most titles, their relationship is in the spotlight in her newer appearance.

During her debut, she shares a minor rivalry with Kunoichi, who calls her "Ina-chin" in the Japanese script. Ina denies that she has blood lust and struggles throughout her story to find her answer to counter the shinobi's jeers. Depending on the ending, she slays her enemy or genuinely befriends her. In the second title, she admires Ginchiyo's stature and desires to one day be more like her.

Voice Actors

 * Wendee Lee - Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends (English)
 * Katie Snetsinger - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Jessica Straus - Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Makiko Ômoto - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "To succumb to temptation means defeat."
 * "I shall prove myself to the men of this age!"
 * "None can escape the reach of my bow!"
 * "Arrows, fly true!"
 * "Ha! You know nothing of war!"
 * "Someday, these beautiful fields shall be allowed to blossom again."
 * "When challenging yourself, you cannot settle for second best."
 * "You look a lot better than you did at Sekigahara."
 * "And I have also improved, thanks to you. But more importantly, I've come to understand my true calling."
 * Ina and Musashi; Samurai Warriors 2


 * "Lord Yukimura... How is he...? Your brother... Is he well?"
 * "Yes, he remains well."
 * "Good... I am glad to hear it."
 * Ina and Yukimura; Samurai Warriors 2 Empires


 * "How can you dress in such ridiculous clothes? Have you no modesty? No self-respect?"
 * "But... this is what Hideyoshi likes me to wear. Especially when he-"
 * "Stop! Please don't finish that sentence."
 * Ina and Nene; Samurai Warriors 2 Empires

Gameplay
Ina is arguably the first purely archer type character to effectively be given access to her bow as a primary means of combat. Prior to her, most archer types had a secondary weapon that was used in close range. Her combative style has moderate range and speed, but her attack moves when actually firing her bow are weak and slow compared to her melee attacks, but her special attacks tend to have high power, range, and can hit enemies far outside of melee. In the Warriors Orochi series her R1 specials either fire masses of arrows at the enemy or fires one super wave arrow with a wide attack wake.

Historical Information
Komatsuhime was born in the year 1573 as the daughter of Honda Tadakatsu. She was adopted by Tokugawa Ieyasu though some records believe that she was actually Ieyasu's child. Her childhood name was Inahime and Onei. She was praised as a beautiful and intelligent woman.

After witnessing the Sanada's wise strategies at the Battle of Ueda, she and her father were captivated by them. Tokugawa Ieyasu himself arranged for Komatsuhime to marry Sanada Nobuyuki, the Sanada lord. She was 17 and he was 25 at the time. A popular story says that Ieyasu brought Komatsuhime in a room of suitors to let her choose her husband. The men were turned with their backs to her so she couldn't see their faces. Despite facing rows of topknots, she found Nobuyuki very quickly due to her infatuation with him. Nobuyuki praised her as a good wife and wise mother (ryōsai kenbo 良妻賢母). It was partially due to his marriage that he aligned himself with the Eastern Army at the Battle of Sekigahara.

In 1600, before Sekigahara, Sanada Masayuki was en route to visit Nobuyuki at Ueda Castle, accompanied by his other son, Sanada Yukimura. The two stopped at Numata Castle, where Komatsuhime was managing affairs. Masayuki relayed a message to her: "I want to see my grandchildren," and in response, the princess emerged, dressed in full battle attire, saying "Since we have parted ways in this conflict, though you are my father-in-law I cannot allow you into this castle." Some accounts report that she fired a warning shot from her bow when Masayuki and his men tried to march closer. Masayuki and Yukimura withdrew to a temple, Shōkaku-ji, and were surprised when they saw Komatsuhime (with her children) arrive soon after them, honoring Masayuki's wish. After the incident, Masayuki reportedly said, "That's Honda Tadakatsu's daughter for you. A fine maiden who will not falter."

After the Battle of Sekigahara, during Masayuki and Yukimura's exile, she took charge of sending them food and other daily necessities.

She died in the present-day city of Kōnosu in Saitama Prefecture at age 47. She was in the midst of traveling to Kusatsu hot spring with hopes to treat her illness. Nobuyuki lamented her passing, saying that "the light of my house has been extinguished." Her grave can be found there. Today, in the museum at Ueda Castle, visitors can see items that she used, including her palanquin.