Oichi

Oichi (お市) is one of the starting characters in Samurai Warriors. She is Nobunaga's younger sister and Nagamasa's wife. Historically, she later becomes Katsuie's wife, which is implied to also occur in Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends.

In the first Samurai Warriors, she is 15 years old and her height is 158 cm (5'2"). Her height is 162 cm (close to 5'4") in the second and third titles. She's symbolized by the characters "sympathy" (憐) and "cold" (凛) as well as pink sparkles of light. She also shares a duet image song with Nagamasa titled Dokoshie ni Saku Hana.

Role in Games

 * "That's clearly no ordinary toy!"
 * ―Xing Cai; Warriors Orochi

Samurai Warriors
Oichi is a kind individual who believes in her loved ones. After helping her brother at Okehazama, she joins the Oda ranks at Inabayama Castle. Though worried for her sister-in-law's feelings, the elder calms her by merely stating that she is making a choice. Contemplating Nō's words, she marries to Nagamasa and is forced to fight her brother years later at Anegawa. Wanting to find an alternative solution to the conflict, she believes that Nō can convince Nobunaga to stop while defending her husband and Yoshikage.

If she fails to succeed in either task, she gives into fighting her brother and believes that she is the only one capable of killing him. Despite Oda officers and her husband trying to dissuade her from this path, she aids the Azai march at Azuchi Castle to take Nobunaga's life. They succeed and Nagamasa becomes the near unifier of the land. Nō, mad with Nobuanga's death, leads the remaining Oda officers into rebellion at Honnōji. As they fight, Ieyasu and Hideyoshi also voice their objection to Nagamasa's new seat of power. Slaying a majority of the Oda followers, Oichi is resolute to continue fighting beside her love in her brother's name.

An Oichi who quickly routs Nobunaga at Anegawa saves the Azai main camp from danger. Hoping to fulfill her wish, she hurries to meet her brother in Azuchi Castle to negotiate peace between her two families. Arriving at the top floor, she instead meets Mitsuhide and learns of his plans to defect. With this in mind, she and her husband hurry to Nobuanga's rescue at Honnōji. She convinces her brother to live past the betrayal and he escapes with Nō and Ranmaru. Enjoying a fireworks show after their victory, the two men share a brief exchange of apologies and reconcile.

In Samurai Warriors 2, she begins her story happily married with Nagamasa yet distrusts her brother's word of good faith for his alliance with the Azai. Grabbing the closest weapon she could find, she joins her husband in suppressing bandits in a nearby village. As Nobunaga breaks his promise to not attack the Asakura, Nagamasa decides to pursue the Oda to aid his family allies. Oichi, wanting to fight for her lover than her family, joins the chase at Kanegasaki and aids the Azai-Asakura front at Anegawa. Winning the latter conflict causes the formerly conquered forces to revolt against Nobunaga. Taking advantage of this time of weakness, Yoshikage declares himself leader of the resistance and asks both Nagamasa and Oichi to attend the fight at Mt.Usa. Although they are successful, Nobunaga regroups, deals with the rebels, and surrounds Nagamasa and Yoshikage at Odani Castle. Incredibly guilt-ridden for his actions and knowing that he wouldn't survive, Nagamasa sends Oichi back to the Oda. Nobunaga then orders her sister to lead the attack and end the Azai-Asakura alliance permanently. As per her husband's wish, she strikes him down in combat. Crying over his body, she sadly confesses her love for him a final time before he disappears into several flower petals.

Her dream stage is a contest staged by Nō at Shizugatake. Wanting to find a definitive answer over which one is the most beautiful, they clash with the Oda supporting Nō and the Azai supporting Oichi. Although she initially states that the battle is pointless, Oichi humorously gives in to the competition to prove that she is at least more beautiful than her sister-in-law.

Again joining her brother's ranks at Okehazama in the third title, she has a chance meeting with Nagamasa while paying her respects to a fallen soldier. Joyfully curious about the cheerful stranger, she decides to enter the fray to learn more about him. As the Oda officers notice the love between them, both lovers marry due to their feelings for one another and have their blessings from the Oda family. Though becoming good friends with his brother-in-law, Nobunaga tells his sister that she is the only one capable of making her wishes come true. Her dream is to help support Nagamasa's vision of a serene land, which she affirms after helping her brother take Inabayama Castle. When Nagamasa decides to aid Yoshikage, Oichi realizes that her husband's kindness causes her anxiety and hesitates to fight her brother. Both Nobunaga and Nagamasa notice her strain, suggesting that she return to her brother if her husband's decision pains her too much. Touched by her husband's sincerity, Oichi decides to stay by the Azai through any hardship and swears to strike down Nobunaga.

In spite of her newfound devotion, Nagamasa asks her to leave for the Oda after the Asakura fall and wait for the country he wants to create. On her trip back, she realizes her husband's dream can be made a reality with her beside him and rides back alone to rescue Nagamasa at Odani Castle. Telling her husband that they can realize his vision together, the lovers reunite and protect the castle. Routing her brother's army, they eventually gain the potential to see their dream realized. However, Shingen, Ujiyasu, Kenshin, Ieyasu, and Nobunaga oppose their rise to power and lead their armies against them at the Yogoko Lakeside. Striving to prove their love and conviction to the other lords, Nagamasa declares the conflict will be their last battle. Upon their victory and the other lords' consent, Oichi and her husband share a happy moment in the gentle, new peace.

Warriors Orochi
In both games, Oichi is faithfully following Nagamasa. During Warriors Orochi, she joins his resistance against Cao Pi and is given the task to guard their allies' reinforcement point. Following their defeat, she wishes to share the same fate as her lord and joins Wei's ranks.

In Warriors Orochi 2, she acts as Yoshikage Asakura's guide to Nagamasa. She states that her husband's noble character allowed her to gain their ally. She shares her dream mode with Sun Shang Xiang and Da Qiao. In this stage, she works with her teammates to protect a petrified Nagamasa, who was frozen by Da Ji. After defeating Okuni and a lecherous Dong Zhuo, the spell over her lover is broken and he is free to move once more.

Kessen
Oichi is a non-playable character in Kessen III. She is a timid and beautiful woman who is admired by many of Nobunaga's men. After Nagamasa's death, she later tends to Kicho's wounds after Honnoji. She can be a playable unit if the game is on Expert difficulty.

Saihai no Yukue
She makes a brief off screen and unnamed cameo in Saihai no Yukue. In Chacha's memory, she apologizes for sending her daughters away. However, she hopes her death will save them and wishes for their happiness.

Development
Her youthful debut was done to create an idol character for the series. Key words to help her design were rabbit, sailor outfit, and fox. The main goal for her Samurai Warriors design was to show off the charm and uniqueness of a "Japanese girl". Her choice of weaponry was chosen for originality and to avoid the ethical issue of a child killing/being killed. To better fit the themes set in Samurai Warriors 2, she was given a revamp that emphasizes maturity. Though notions for changing her weapon were made, the developers decided to keep her kendama as a fun alternative for players. Since her role in this game is to be the bridge between both clans, the Azai and Oda crests also don her outfit.

The producer for Samurai Warriors 3 noted that since she was made to be more mature like a woman, the team decided to give her a different weapon. He notes that her new weapon is kinda like a hula hoop.

Personality
Unlike her design counterpart Masamune, Oichi demonstrates two different personalities in her Warriors appearances. For her debut, she is a perky and optimistic teenager who cares deeply for the ones close to her. A headstrong princess, she clings strongly to her own beliefs and is stubborn to change. Her attacks all hint a degree of childish charm. However, she can be sour to the ones who don't interest her and whines if she loses. She also overexerts herself and takes desperate actions to continue fighting for her dream. Though she admires her sister-in-law, she also admits their ideals are too different for one another.

In the following titles, Oichi matures into a calm and graceful individual. In the second title, she struggles with her knowledge of her brother's unique nature as she knows that both her loved ones will inevitably fight one another. She accepts her happiness with Nagamasa as fleeting and secretly wishes for a time when her family can fight together for a common goal. She believes strongly in destiny as well as her husband's beliefs. Unlike the previous title, her ties with her sister-in-law are strained as the latter cannot stand her. Her newest incarnation openly hates conflict but feels that she has the obligation to participate in war in order to end them. She is dearly faithful towards her love and family, not wanting to cause grief to either. She regains the fierce will to defy fate like her younger counterpart.

Voice Actors

 * Wendee Lee - Samurai Warriors (English)
 * Katie Standfield - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Tara Platt - Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Carrie Savage - Kessen III (English)
 * Ai Maeda - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Mami Kingetsu - Kessen III (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "This is my destiny."
 * "Yeah, way to go me!"
 * "Gotcha!"
 * "Yes! I win, right?"
 * "Perhaps not even fate can stop us now."
 * "Hey, I got one!
 * "What do ya think of that?!"
 * "Uh oh, you better watch out now!"
 * "Hey! That wasn't so hard!"
 * "This battle is all because of your meddling, isn't it?!"
 * "Do you want to be declared the most beautiful so badly that you would strike me down?"
 * "Actually, I'm starting to think about it."
 * Oichi and Nobunaga; Samurai Warriors 2


 * "Oh, such a fine statue! I can't wait to take it home with me."
 * "Don't you dare touch that statue... I mean, don't you dare touch my lord!"
 * Oichi and Okuni; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Thank you. Your presence has brightened my life. But, I fear you are too bright for me."
 * Oichi's reply to Hideyoshi's affections; Kessen III

Ground Moveset

 * undefined,(undefined),(undefined),(undefined): Points forward as she charges then dashes forward by twirling her ball in a circular motion to her front. Halts to a stop by breaking on her heels. More button taps elongates the dash forward.
 * ,undefined,(undefined),(undefined),(undefined): launches foes with her ball in an upwards swing. Twirls to hit them once more with a downwards swing. Poses for a damaging aura that restores her musou.
 * ,,undefined,(undefined),(undefined),(undefined): a wide smack with her ball before she twirls to kick the ball around her. She performs a series of hops forward, twirling her ball to her right as she does.
 * ,,,undefined,(undefined),(undefined),(undefined): spins in one place with her ball outstretched in the air in front of her, hitting her foes horizontally around her. Ends the combo by somersaulting into the air, twisting the ball below her. If she continues to spin too many times, she will instead become dizzy and stumbles to recover herself.


 * ,undefined: flips in the air to smash the ground with both of her feet.
 * ,: a low bop forward.
 * Points with her hand forward before she playfully spins her ball in the air above her head, skipping forward as she does. In her true musou, she ends with her C1.

Mounted Moveset

 * ,undefined: drags her ball low to the ground before hefting it upwards. Launches foes.
 * ,,undefined: hurls ball straight to her right, stunning nearby foes.
 * ,,,undefined: sends her ball straight to the right. Oichi waves her left arm rapidly in order to balance herself upright.
 * Series of swings to her right.

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: quickly spins her ball to the right before smacking forward.
 * ,undefined: turning swing that launches.
 * ,,undefined: harsh swing to her left, smacking her ball horizontally.
 * ,,,undefined,(undefined,undefined,undefined): holds her arms outstretched in front of her and spins in one place. Tapping undefined allows her to spin more times.
 * ,,,,undefined: spins and poses with her arms in the air. As she performs the move, a blue gust of wind surrounds her and launches her foes upward.
 * ,,,,,undefined: overhead smack on the ground that stuns foes.
 * ,,,,,,undefined: spins her ball in front of her, making a whizzing sound. Creates a miniature whirlwind that sends foes flying.
 * ,,,,,,,undefined: somersaults into the air as she twirls her ball around her.
 * ,,,,,,,,undefined: (Xtreme Legends only) stands upright as she poses with her arm in the air. She gains a small health boost if she finishes.


 * mostly the same as before except she walks forward. Ends her true musou by attacking with three low swings. In her level 3 version, she is surrounded by a series of rapid pink whirlwinds.
 * R1 + : hunches into a cheering position, emitting a golden bubble around her. Allies near her will gain a random status boost.
 * R1 + undefined: brings her arm back before pointing forward, emitting a golden aura. Calls forth a temporary back-up unit that disappears over time.

Same attacks excluding his C9 and Level 3 Musou. Her R1 attacks have also changed:
 * Warriors Orochi
 * R1: a harsh swing to her front, hitting foes within its range with a huge amount of damage.
 * R1 (counter): sinks low to the ground as she quickly spins her ball above her.

Mounted Moveset
Like all other characters, her horse musou changes to a horse stampede.
 * ,undefined: same as before.
 * ,,undefined: same as before.
 * ,,,undefined: twirls the ball twice around her head, hitting both sides with a figure eight motion.

Samurai Warriors 2
* Lengths listed do not account for the attached string.

Samurai Warriors 3
Stage to clear for Unique Weapon - Showdown at Yogoko Lakeside

Personal Info
Oichi no Kata was prized as a beauty of her time and was cherished by her older brother. She was intelligent and speculated to be slightly taller than most woman of the age. Nobunaga once stated, "If Ichi was a man, she would make a fine warrior." Shibata Katsuie and Maeda Toshiie were said to be amongst her admirers. Likewise, it is believed that Nagamasa highly valued her as his precious wife. Based on what is known of her, people generally accept that she was faithful and loving to both her husbands.

She is said to have never liked Toyotomi Hideyoshi, which is possibly one of the reasons why she declined to be sent away while with Katsuie. Ironically, it is assumed Hideyoshi cared for her since he tried to save her and her childrens's lives.

Life and Death
Oichi was Oda Nobuhide's daughter and Nobunaga's younger sister. Her mother was an unnamed concubine who said to have also given birth to several of her siblings. Her other names include Ichihime (市姫), Odani no Kata (小谷の方), and Hideko (秀子).

In 1567, Oichi was married to Azai Nagamasa to create a friendly alliance between the Oda and Azai clans. Nobunaga was very grateful for the marriage and paid for the ceremony entirely (traditionally, the expenses are meant to be shared). The two clans prospered and worked well together until three years later. Seeing Nobunaga abuse the shogun's power, their relations grew sour and Nagamasa betrayed Nobunaga. A story relates that Oichi sent her brother a sack of beans tied at both ends, ostensibly as a good-luck charm but in reality a warning that he was about to be attacked from both front and rear by the Asakura and Azai clans. According to the story, Nobunaga understood the message and retreated from his brother-in-law's assault in time. Their aggressions towards one another ended with Nagamasa's death at Odani Castle.

Oichi and her three daughters (Chacha, Hatsu, and Eiyo) were allowed to return to their brother's care. Their eldest son, Manbukumaru, was killed by Nobunaga's men while their second son, Majumaru, was forced into priesthood. Oichi's life and daughters were partially spared thanks to Nobunaga's younger brother, Nobukane. He reportedly said, "The Azai bloodline should not be spoiled." Oichi spent the next nine years peacefully living with her children in his residence.

She was remarried to Shibata Katsuie in 1582. Nobunaga's son, Nobutaka, did so to gain an alliance with Katsuie. When Katsuie lost at the Battle of Shizugatake, Oichi chose to die with him at Fukui Castle. She died at age 37. Her last words were, "As I stand here, not leaving nor waiting, a sound strikes the departing summer night. A cuckoo perhaps?" Her daughters were sent away to Hideyoshi. On the seventh anniversary of her death, Chacha drew her mother's portrait and it became known as "Portrait of One of Sengoku's Beauties". She was posthumously recognized as Empress Meisho's great-grandmother.

Today, she has a mascot character in her image (named Oichi-chan) at Azai, Shiga.