Tadakatsu Honda

Tadakatsu Honda (本多忠勝) debuted as one of the new characters in Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends. He acts as the Samurai Warriors equivalent to Lu Bu, replacing Keiji Maeda for the honor. He is a loyal general of Ieyasu Tokugawa and Ina's father. He holds a reputation of being a mighty and intelligent warrior said to have returned from all of his battles unscathed. His spear is named Tonbo-giri (roughly translated as dragonfly cutter), which relates to a popular folklore regarding the sharpness of his weapon. His helmet is unique and a gift from Ieyasu.

He's symbolized by the character for "explosion" (轟), the character for "roar" (哮), and electric streaks.

Samurai Warriors
Honda's story mainly consists of him being loyal to Ieyasu. Parallel to his role in history, he is a fearsome general and one of Ieyasu's most trusted generals. He usually follows his lord's conquest to glory and bids several of his challengers to die a warrior's death. In his lower path ending in Xtreme Legends, he neglects his duties to his lord and instead strives for strength. He faces Keiji to see which of them is mightier.

In his dream mode for the second game, Tadakatsu participates in a tournament for champions. There, he faces Keiji, Musashi, Kotaro, Hideyoshi, Ieyasu, and Masamune.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Tadakatsu is Lu Bu's rival. In that game, he leads a small but potent resistance force against the Orochi army, often coming to the aid of several faction where he almost inevitably confronts Lu Bu, who exclaims that service to Orochi was worth the chance to fight Tadakatsu, the only warrior who can match him in battle.

Tadakatsu Honda is a starting a character for Shu in Warriors Orochi 2. In Tadakatsu's first battle, which is the Battle of Nagashino, he remarks to Zhang Fei that he is fighting with the true greats now, after Zhang Fei teases him over a slightly vain comment. Before Xing Cai and Inahime leave to lead the reconnaissance troops to the Wuhang Mountains, Tadakatsu and Zhang Fei worriedly see their daughters off.

Character Interactions

 * Lu Bu: In the first game, Tadakatsu acts as Lu Bu's rival, as mentioned before. In every encounter between the two, a cutscene occurs, where the Tadakatsu asks why Lu Bu would work for Orochi, while Lu Bu puts it off to challenge Honda.
 * Ina: Though in separate forces in the first game, Warriors Orochi 2 displays the father and daughter relationship between Ina and Honda.
 * Zhang Fei: In the second Warriors Orochi game, after joining the Shu forces, Zhang Fei and Tadkatsu gain somewhat of a rivalry. In the Battle of Nagashino, the opening cutscene displays the two getting prepared for battle, also while complimenting each other. During the time together, Tadakatsu remarks that Zhang Fei's braggart attitude is starting to attach to Honda. The two also share special dialogue.

Kessen
In Kessen, Tadakatsu acts as one of Ieyasu's advisers and his most prized general on the field. His martial skills surpass his lord in the first title but he is given a smaller amount of troops to balance himself with the rest of the army. He continues to act as Ieyasu's aid until his son takes over his position. He resumes this role to a lesser degree in Kessen III.

Saihai no Yukue
In Saihai no Yukue, Tadakatsu resumes his role as Ieyasu's vassal. He admires his lord greatly and is sincerely trusted by his lord in turn. He bravely declares that he has never been injured in any battle. He is often seen as an obstacle for Mitsunari to overcome. Humorously, he drags his beaten body to his lord after their defeat at Sekigahara and promptly loses consciousness afterward.

Voice Actors

 * Kirk Thornton - Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends (English)
 * Nigel Stern - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Eli Gabe - Kessen (English)
 * Akio Ohtsuka - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Yukimasa Kishino - Kessen (Japanese)
 * Takeshi Mori - Kessen III (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "My might will crush the enemy."
 * "I am a man of peerless might!"
 * "This battle will decide the greatest warrior of the land! I will not retreat!"
 * Have no fear! I will turn the tide of this battle!"
 * "Ieyasu owns two things that exceed his own worth: that ridiculous helmet and that warrior Tadakatsu."
 *  Shingen commenting about Ieyasu at Mikatagahara, Samurai Warriors


 * "Your strength is what threw off my calculation."
 * "War is fought by men not by some strategy in a book."
 * Masayuki and Tadakatsu; Samurai Warriors 2


 * "Amazing, Tadakatsu! It's no wonder why your lord is always bragging about you."
 * "Hey, don't go stealing my thunder!"
 * "Tadakatsu! You are good enough to best an entire army!
 *  Zhang Fei's three positive quotes, commenting on Tadakatsu's might; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Such might! This man is even a match fr the mighty warriors of Shu!"
 * Lu Xun on the abilities of Tadakatsu; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Kiyomori's a little busy right now. Can I take a message for him?"
 * "Yes, tell him that death is coming for him."
 * Sun Wukong and Tadakatsu Honda, at Koshi Castle; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Let my Tobo-giri be a passage to hell!"
 * Honda before he fights; Kessen