Hideyoshi Toyotomi

Hideyoshi Toyotomi first appeared as an unique general in Samurai Warriors and becomes a playable character in its expansion. He also appears as a bonus character in Dynasty Warriors under the name Toukichi. This particular version of him is actually one of his incarnations from the Taikō Risshiden series.

He is the most famous peasant-samurai who eventually unified Japan. He started as Nobunaga Oda's sandal holder, moved onto being his retainer, and became the second of the three unifiers in Japan (the third being Ieyasu Tokugawa). Nobunaga gave him the nickname "Monkey" (サル, Saru) in ode to his monkey-like physique. Nene is his wife and his successor is Hideyori Toyotomi. Though he is married, he has a fancy for other women and an unrequited fondness for Oichi.

In the first Samurai Warriors, he's 35 years old. His height in the series is 155 cm (5'1"), making him the shortest character in the sequel and the newest title.

Samurai Warriors
Hideyoshi starts as a simple general under Nobunaga, first serving as a vassal at Inabayama Castle. He builds the one-night castle at Sunomata and gives the signal for Mino Trio to defect when he storms inside the castle. Once Mino is under Nobunaga's rule upon Yoshitatsu's defeat, the Oda army moves onto to conquer Echizen. The moment he is on the verge of victory against the Asakura, the Azai suddenly betray Nobunaga and forces the invader to retreat. As their lord flees, Hideyoshi volunteers for the rear guard. When Magoichi asks him why, Hideyoshi admits that he wants to be promoted under Nobunaga so that he can one day have the power to do something great for the people. He asks Magoichi to help him with his vision and the mercenary agrees. After they work together to defeat Nagamasa and Yoshikage's armies, they safely retreat together back to the capital. Years after, Nobunaga decides to crush the Ikko Rebels and the Saika Renegades, marching to Sakai where Magoichi awaits them. Hideyoshi wants to see the land of peace his lord desires, but not at the cost of so many lives. When the mercenary attempts to snipe Nobunaga, Hideyoshi is given the mission to stop him.

If Hideyoshi fails, Nobunaga is shot and confusion spreads throughout the battlefield. It then becomes a manhunt on Magoichi's head and as well as the complete annihilation of every rebel present. After the battle, Hideyoshi meets his beaten friend to tell him that he's giving up on his original dream. Several of his allies begin to notice that he is beginning to resemble Nobunaga. Even with his menacing parting words, the sniper refuses to give up on Hideyoshi and tries to stop him from becoming a tyrant. After he slays Mitsuhide at Honnoji, Hideyoshi immediately resumes his attacks on the Mōri. Consumed with ambition, he abruptly makes peace with them and hurries back to Azuchi Castle to slay Nobunaga. Killing Magoichi, many Oda officers, and Nobunaga signals the end of his dream for universal happiness.

Should Hideyoshi prevent the sniping at Sakai, he instead insists that his friend surrender to prevent a massacre. After his defeat, Magoichi relents to Hideyoshi's wishes and once again joins his friend's side. When Nobunaga is killed at Honnoji, Hideyoshi hurries to intercept Mitsuhide's army at Yamazaki. His forces appear before Mitsuhide arrives so they use their time to defeat Toshimitsu Saitō and claim Mount Tenno. Avenging his lord, Hideyoshi unifies the land and becomes the supreme ruler. However, Ieyasu despises him and rebels at Komaki-Nagakute. With Magoichi and Keiji's help, Hideyoshi routs his rival. He asks for Ieyasu's surrender and the land is at peace.

Samurai Warriors 2 details his life as a conqueror as he starts his story by avenging his lord's death at Yamazaki. Hideyoshi then swears to make a land where everyone can be happy and fights to quell misgivings in battles. Oichi, who disagrees with Hideyoshi's rise to power, convinces Katsuie to attack him at Shizugatake. He barely wins over them and fights with Ieyasu for right of the land. In order to completely conquer the land, Hideyoshi then heads toward Kyushu to subdue the powerful family on the island, the Shimazu. Gaining his Tachibana and Shimazu allies, his forces are larger than ever before. Left opposing him are the Hōjō and the Date families. As Hideyoshi begins to surround Odawara Castle, Masamune surrenders before the siege. With Ujimasa and his son dead, the land is unified and Hideyoshi's dreams are realized.

In his dream stage, a curious Hideyoshi fakes his death after the land's unification to see who among his vassals are truly loyal to him. Mitsunari stands loyally for the Toyotomi family, but he falters against Ieyasu's troops at Sekigahara. Hideyoshi makes his presence known and rides to punish the ones who betrayed him and his family. With Hideyoshi alive, the Mōri generals remain loyal to the Western army. Insulted by his trick, however, Yoshihiro and Ginchiyo switch sides. Even when he wins, Hideyoshi begins to worry about what will happen when he actually dies.

Additionally, a special request in Survival Mode also depicts a summarized scenario of his progression to a daimyo. Successfully completing the scenario rewards the Greed skill available for purchase at shop.

In Samurai Warriors 3, Hideyoshi is mentioned to have been a sandal bearer for Nobunaga. However, his master saw his worth and promoted him as a general. Enthusiastic with his master and swearing to follow him anywhere, he assists the front at Okehazama by distracting the Imagawa army away from the ambush party and by convincing Ieyasu to become independent. After Nobunaga gains a reputation for himself, he decides to invade Mino. As Hanbei acts as the de facto leader at Inabayama Castle, Hideyoshi is given the task of capturing it with his wife, Nene. Telling Kanbei to set fire to the castle, Hideyoshi routs Mitsuhide. However, he realizes that it's a trap and escapes to avoid having his plan work against him. As the Saitō army scatters, Hideyoshi meets Hanbei in person and is amused by the younger strategist's wit. He offers Hanbei to serve him for a world where everyone can be happy and the impressed strategist jokingly amends it to better fit his own ideal.

After he protects Nobunaga's safe escape at Kanegasaki, time passes and Nobunaga dies at Honnoji while Hideyoshi is subjugating Chugoku and Shikoku. Provoked by Kanbei to seek his own vision for the land, Hideyoshi drops the campaigns and hurries back to the capital. Confronting his rival at Yamazaki, Mitsuhide claims that he still wants to make a world that Nobunaga had desired. Dissatisfied, Hideyoshi declares that anyone without a dream of their own design has no right to rule. With this same determination, he also defeats Ieyasu at Komaki-Nagakute. Although he knows that his vision of the land is the same as Nobunaga's dream, he refuses to follow his master's methods by taking the rebellious Ieyasu's head. Instead, he helps his old comrade to his feet and asserts his determination to live his own path in life.

Warriors Orochi
In both games, Hideyoshi is Nobunaga's loyal retainer. In Warriors Orochi, he is a starter character in the Samurai force. He is an active member of Nobunaga's resistance and carries out various tasks for him. He also brings Zhang Jiao and Okuni along on a Gaiden mission to intercept an Orochi Army shipment of gold being sent as payment to Dong Zhuo at Si Shui Gate. Stealing all the gold shipments makes Dong Zhuo defect to the Samurai army, whome he thinks will pay him better. To this Hideyoshi replies "All I really wanted was the gold, but good for you!"

In Warriors Orochi 2, Hideyoshi appears at Hu Lao Gate with his lord to reinforce Sakon Shima's attempt to eradicate the dangerous villain, Kiyomori Taira. Hideyoshi shares his Dream stage with the other Unifiers of Japan who have a contest against the rulers of the Three Kingdoms. He partakes in the contest by asking Tadakatsu to unleash the floodgate and drown their enemies out. In this stage, he is the Samurai Warriors counterpart to Sun Quan.

Kessen
By the time the first Kessen occurs, Hideyoshi has already passed away. His concubine, Lady Yodo, and his son appear as the figurative leaders of the Toyotomi side. Mitsunari mentions him in passing as "the late great Taiko", Hideyoshi's self-appointed rank before his death.

As the third game focuses on Nobunaga's life, Hideyoshi first makes an appearance as Tokichiro Kinoshita, his first known name in history. He uses his acrobatic stunts to advertise his wares to a passing Nobunaga (which includes super-deformed Da Qiao and Yukimura dolls). Impressed with the daimyo's charisma, Tokichiro grew to admire him and wanted to join Nobunaga in battle. Using his street smarts, he tricks the bandit, Koroku Hachisuka, to help his desire to serve Nobunaga. Eventually, Nobunaga is amused by Tokichiro's determination and adds him and Koroku to his ranks.

He serves as a secondary protagonist in the game and visually matures like Nobunaga. His achievements in battle generously follows his historical and legendary exploits on the battlefield. Midway through the game, he changes his name to Hideyoshi Hashiba and marries Nene. Even so, he and Katsuie often vie for Oichi's affections. Later, he confesses his feelings to her only to be politely rejected in turn. Unexpectedly, he soon gains an admirer through Nobunaga's foreign lady warrior, Amalia. He joyfully serves Nobunaga until the end of the game, willingly abandoning his own ambitions for his master.

Nobunaga's Ambition
Within the series, Hideyoshi has low stats for war compared to other highly-ranked generals or daimyo within the series. Depending on the title, his war stat may drop to the sixties or high fifties. He usually doesn't have stellar proficiencies with troop types. To make up for his weaknesses, he bolsters high attributes for government affairs and leadership. If needed, he may expertly lead an army of foot soldiers into battle without any major worries. Similar to history, he is seen serving Nobunaga during the daimyo's early years and often stars in separate scenarios to conquer the rest of the land. His alleged names during his youth and his various fabled accomplishments are usually included as special events in the series. In the newest title, players can witness a modern translation of his death poem when he dies.

During the online adaption of the series, he serves the Oda family as a level 68 yakushi. He is the army strategist, second to Nobunaga within the clan's ranks. Cheery and optimistic, he looks forward to meeting promising talent to serve their lord. Hideyoshi continues to keep an eye open for his own ambitions, however, since he asks the outstanding members of their army to serve under him instead of Nobunaga. In battle, Hideyoshi mainly strengthens his allies or lowers the morale of the enemy forces through various spells and elixirs. Should he appear in a formation with Kiyomasa or Masanori, they gain the ability, "Shizugatake Brave Spear". When this ability is activated, the two generals can instantly kill a single opponent.

Tendou has Hideyoshi separate himself from Nobunaga in an original scenario named Hotogisu no Yukue. Although he still has a habit of addressing Nobunaga with the "lord" honorific, he wants to find a new way of living for the common man with his loyal band of officers. Hideyoshi asks his followers to not fight to the death for him, ordering they instead continue living for him. When his reputation rises, he can name his personal "Seven Spears" and throw a flower viewing festival for his followers at Daigoji. Hideyoshi fortifies his desires for ambition once he realizes he wants to protect and unite everyone's smilies.

If he causes the downfall of the Oda clan, he states his disbelief of having finally bested Nobunaga and begins to doubt himself. Masakatsu assures that everyone, including the common people, are on Hideyoshi's side and are waiting for the land of happiness his lord will create. Hideyoshi is invigorated from the pep talk and agrees to continue driving forward. Should he cause the downfall of the Tokugawa clan, Hideyoshi privately admits to Shigeharu that he once misunderstood Ieyasu. He thought Ieyasu was one who abused his father's prior reputation and schemed in secret for stealing the land. After facing his rival in battle, he admits his thoughts have changed and praises the trust shared amongst the men of Mikawa. Now, both he and Shigeharu respect Ieyasu as another possible figure for the land's future.

Once Hideyoshi has united the land in this scenario, he is congratulated by his officers for obtaining peace in the region. Even so, Mitsunari and others realize there is still trouble on the horizon since clans outside of the region may target Hideyoshi's newly conquered prize. He hasn't officially presented himself with a rank within the court, which may cause future objections to his right as ruler. Though he chides the skeptics for raining down on the celebration, Hideyoshi agrees with their observations. The narrative implies his ambitions are not yet fulfilled.

Within the game's Power up Kit, Hideyoshi is a participant in the original scenario that takes place after Nobunaga's death titled Mitsuhide no Yabou.

Saihai no Yukue
Like the first Kessen, Hideyoshi is dead before the game takes place. However, he appears in various characters' flashbacks as a shadowy yet loving figure. Sometime before he died, he asked Mitsunari to look after Lady Yodo and his son, wishing for their happiness. It is often their ties with Hideyoshi that helps inspire Mitsunari's men to fight with him.

Mōri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya
Depicted as a scheming and sly individual, Hideyoshi follows Nobunaga's orders willingly in Mouri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya. He keeps a stringent eye on the Mōri's activities, urging his lord to spy on their western rival. An intrigued Nobunaga agrees and sends his "Monkey" as a political envoy. A middle-aged Motonari accepts an audience with his visitor, later remarking that he couldn't read Hideyoshi's true character in the slightest. Ekei has the chance to meet him in person, discouraging the Mōri from fighting with the Oda due to the man's latent potential. Hideyoshi's visit leaves an unsettling impression of the Oda with the Mōri retainers that lasts after Motonari's death.

Years later, Hideyoshi learns of the isolated Amago retainers and their desires to continue fighting against the Mōri. Presenting the brave Shikanosuke before Nobunaga, he and his lord seek to use the youth's bravado to their advantage. Agreeing to join forces with the remaining Amago loyalists, Hideyoshi is one of the leaders in the attack in Chūgoku. His forces lay waste to two of the Mōri's castles, taking Kōzuki Castle with startling speed. When Terumoto marches with his army to reclaim the former Amago territory, Hideyoshi accepts Kanbei's advice to sacrifice the small Amago forces and deserts from the field. During his following siege of Takamatsu Castle, Hideyoshi's large army subdues and captures the guarding Mōri vassal, Muneharu Shimizu. When Hideyoshi's request for surrender is refused, both he and Terumoto are stunned when they witness Muneharu's suicide.

Before Terumoto can move his forces to retaliate, both armies receive news of Nobunaga's death at Honnōji. Hideyoshi speeds off immediately towards Kyoto to avenge his lord. However, he is mortified when Terumoto pursues and intercepts him at Himeji Castle. The Mōri troops prevail and Hideyoshi dies in battle.

Development
Hideyoshi's design started as a literal interpretation of Nobunaga's nickname. Some aspects of his monkey-like design were inspired by Sun Wukong from Journey to the West. Though he wielded a normal spear in his first appearance, his weapon of choice as a playable character gives him a wider range of efficiency and also mimics the swing of a monkey's tail. His second design shifts its focus on Hideyoshi's life as a daimyo and unifier. Some details to his design -such as his fur tipped shoes and greedy nature- continue to allude to his nickname and reflect his time serving Nobunaga. On several places he is also adorned with both the Toyotomi and Hashiba name.

Personality
Hideyoshi is a happy-go-lucky guy who has an inkling for gold, women and ingenuity. Commonly known as "Monkey" by several of Nobunaga's generals, Hideyoshi gains respect for his craftiness in battle (while he screeches and yelps like a monkey in the first game, his monkey mannerisms are downplayed in the sequel). He wants to fight to end the people's suffering and create a happy Japan. With eyes set on this prize, he is willing to make any sacrifice that is necessary, no matter how painful it may be. Usually, he is willing to negotiate with his enemies for them to surrender and treats them kindly in return. At the same time, his gigantic wealth and extraordinary number of vassals are also the cause for fear and concern with others. He is good friends with Magoichi but is forced to confront him as the Oda army attack the Saika renegades.

His affable nature can sometimes break to show his cryptic, sinister side.

Character Symbolism
Within various fictional mediums, Hideyoshi is accredited to look like a monkey. According to the Taikō Sujoki and accounts from the Joseon missionaries within Toshiie's memoirs, Hideyoshi's face did look the part. His face was "small [and] covered in black hair" like a monkey. The Mōri vassals, Tamaki Yoshiyasu, remarked that Hideyoshi had "a red beard and black monkey-like eyes with a naturally vacant expression". Political satire during Hideyoshi's rule is thought to have additionally ignited the monkey association, although this case traces the line of unflattering comparison or caricature rather than being truthful to his appearance. The lack of evidence from Oda vassals or his closest retainers mentioning the resemblance also draws doubt on whether he actually looked like the primate or not. In spite of what popular culture states, there is no known records of Nobunaga or his retainers calling Hideyoshi "Monkey". At best, Nobunaga acknowledged Hideyoshi as "bald rat" within his letter to Hideyoshi's wife. Historical accounts from Oda vassals are likely to note his small stature or his six fingered hand, which has also been put into debate for accuracy. Based on these mixed accounts, it's hard to say whether he actually did resemble a monkey or not. However, Hideyoshi looking or acting monkey-like has been a popular image in fiction since the Edo Period.

In the Samurai Warriors series, he's symbolized by the kanji "determination" (志) and "ascension" (昇) and by colorful fireworks.

Hideyoshi's third weapon -fourth in his first appearance and Normal in his third- is named "Three Heavens Zhong Kui", a figure in Chinese mythology. The particular namesake for Zhong Kui within the weapon (鍾鬼) actually originates in a Japanese version of his famous ties to Emperor Xuanzong. In the Noh play, Yōhiki, it's Yang Guifei who was gravely ill as opposed to Emperor Xuanzong like the Chinese myth. While she was facing the worse, a stern faced Zhong Kui appeared before Emperor Xuanzong and instructed the liege to create a beautiful mirror. Using the mirror, her soul could be saved from the demon tormenting her. When it revealed itself in the mirror, Zhong Kui adopted a malevolent expression to drive it off. He looked much more frightening than the demon could ever hope to muster. The Japanese pronunciation of Zhong Kui, Shōki, has the same pronunciation as his nickname based on the tale, "Demon Zhong". Shōki is also known as a guardian protector for the young children since Yang Guifei was said to have been a young girl within the play. Hideyoshi's Power types are named after three peaks while his Speed types are named after the three seas of Shōki.

A title found in Japanese mythology acts as the namesake for Hideyoshi's fourth weapon -fifth in his first appearance and Unique in his third. After Izanagi purified himself of the defilements of Yomi-no-kuni, the Furukoto Fumi states three final gods were born. These gods were precious as Izanagi himself gave birth to them by using his very being. They were Amaterasu (from Izanagi's left eye), Tsukuyomi (from Izanagi's right eye), and Susanowo (from Izanagi's nose). Together, these three gods are known as the Three Treasured Gods or Mihashira-no-Uzunomiko.

His fifth weapon mentions a "golden monkey", likely the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. The monkey could either be a reference to Hideyoshi or Sun Wukong, who is said to sometimes be modeled on this primate's appearance within Journey to the West. Both his fifth and sixth weapons mention Monju-bosatsu, a Buddhist bodhisattva known to grant happenstance and spontaneous good fortune within Japan. He is also known to be a bearer of superior intelligence, offering various truths and understandings.

Voice Actors

 * Richard Cansino - Samurai Warriors (English)
 * Danny Coleman - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Brian Beacock - Samurai Warriors 3 (English)
 * Munehiro Tokida - Samurai Warriors (Japanese)
 * Hideo Ishikawa - Samurai Warriors 2~3 and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Kentarō Itō - Kessen III (Japanese)
 * Shigeru Chiba - Game Nihon Rekishi Kakumeiji ~Oda Nobunaga~

Quotes

 * "No more monkeying around!"
 * "Serves you right for getting in my way!"
 * "Not scared of me, you say...? How 'bout now?!"
 * "Hey, it could happen!"
 * "Okay, maybe this is just a bit much..."
 * "I'll take care of this land for you, so why don't you die for me?!?"
 * "Hmph, why do things always fall apart when I'm not around?"
 * "You won't keep me from the treasures I desire!"
 * "Meet Hideyoshi Toyotomi! Genius extraordinaire!"
 * "Sorry I don't feel dying today. Sayonara!"
 * "No shame in retreat... as long as you win in the end!"
 * "I won't lose! Of course, the enemy is probably thinking the same thing."
 * "Now the Shimazu will bow down to me too! Dang, I'm good!"
 * "One last fight and Japan will be all mine...This was easier than I thought."
 * "Time to attack the Azai and end this once and for all!"
 * "Monkey! This isn't easy for her. Have you even thought of Lady Oichi's feelings?"
 * "Think about her feelings? What good would that do? We're the ones who did this to Lady Oichi and Nagamasa. It's not my fault if she hates us. All that matters is that it comes to an end."
 * Hideyoshi and Katsuie at Odani Castle; Samurai Warriors 2


 * Here's the gold I owe you. Just don't go bragging about it, okay?"
 * "Whad'ya know. Easiest cash I ever made."
 * Magoichi and Hideyoshi; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "My lord. The crane you were keeping in the garden has escaped. Would you like to send some men to search for it?"
 * "Eh, forget it. The whole land will be mine eventually. Why bring the crane back to my garden when I can bring my garden to it?"
 * Mitsunari and Hideyoshi; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "Hmmm, little monkey... You're wasting your talents among these humans."
 * "Why thank yo- Hey! At least I don't have a tail!"
 * Sun Wukong and Hideyoshi; Warriors Orochi 2.


 * "A tiger losing to a mere monkey would be a travesty... I could never again show my face to my father!"
 * "Don't worry, I'll tell him how badly you felt about it."
 * Sun Quan and Hideyoshi at Fan Castle; Warriors Orochi 2

Ground Moveset

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Mounted Moveset

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Samurai Warriors 2
Keeps his mounted moveset excluding his horse musou, which changes to a horse stampede. His ground moveset was changed dramatically due to his attack type (Normal).


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 * R1 + : Earn gold easily by attacking enemies.
 * R1 + undefined: Lower enemies's defense but raise their attack by taunting.
 * Personal Skill : (Finesse) Jump after executing a charge attack.

Same attacks excluding his C5 and Level 3 Musou. His R1 attacks have also changed
 * Warriors Orochi
 * R1:
 * R1 (counter):

Samurai Warriors
Hideyoshi's combat style in Samurai Warriors 2 is designed for unpredictability. Most of his strikes involve deceptive movement in utilizing his weapon that can effectively hit farther than it would seem. Although not the most powerful character in the game, he can dispatch many enemies before he can get touched. His musou also runs with this idea as it has him constantly landing jump attacks seemingly at random. He has deceptively long range, good speed, and can combo extremely well - however, his overall strength is on the lower side and landing certain moves might take some practice as they come practically out of left field.

Due to his treasure-hoarding nature in the games, his fourth weapon in Samurai Warriors 2 is designed for high luck; making him a great character for item and money farming purposes.

Obtaining the fifth weapon

 * Stage: Attack on Azuchi Castle.
 * Requirements: Defeat all generals and sub-generals on both the Oda and Saika side. Then defeat either Magoichi Saika or Nobunaga Oda after the player defeated all generals and sub-generals. Supply team appears in the north.

Trivia

 * In the Sengoku Jidai themed comic, Sengoku Angelique, Zephel acts as the Hideyoshi of the cast. His full name is "Toyotomi Zephel Hideyoshi".