Kiyomasa Katō

Kiyomasa Katō began his career under Hideyoshi, first serving as his page and eventually rising to prominence into adulthood. He is one of the many Toyotomi generals who join the Eastern Army prior to Sekigahara, but he is best known for allegedly staying loyal to Hideyoshi's memory. A popular legend states that while he served Ieyasu, he concealed a short dagger within his robes wherever he went at all times. If Ieyasu threatened to end Hideyori on his watch, the story states that Kiyomasa was more than willing to use it on Ieyasu. After his death, he is lauded as one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake.

Before his playable appearance in Samurai Warriors, he has been a generic NPC since its starting entry. Kiyomasa reached eighth place in Gamecity's Sengoku Musou 3: Empires character popularity poll. According to the Sengoku Musou Seiyuu Ougi 2012 Aki questionnaire, he placed sixth for the character fans would want as a lover and ninth for fans' ideal co-op partner for playing Samurai Warriors. For the Samurai Warriors 4 poll, he is ranked fifteenth place. He ranked seventeenth place in the first character popularity poll for Sengoku Musou Shoot.

His Samurai Warriors counterpart shares a duet image song with Mitsunari titled Michi, Wakatsutomo and a solo song for himself called Kozan Omouhite.

His Nobunaga's Ambition counterpart is sixty-first place in Gamecity's character popularity ranking for 2015.

Samurai Warriors
In Samurai Warriors 2, Kiyomasa is a generic who is always seen alongside Masanori Fukushima. They act as Nene's closest "children" and are very loyal to her. They address her as "Lady Nene" at all times. However, he can't stand Mitsunari and often berates him. When Sekigahara takes place, he is one of the generals in the Eastern Army. He apologizes for his rash behavior in Nene's dream stage. During Kojirō's story mode, he is one of the men who leads the anti-Ieyasu Coalition in Kyoto and helps Hideyori escape. He pleads for his lord to observe Ieyasu's vile intentions for the Toyotomi family.

Kiyomasa is friends with both Masanori and Mitsunari in Samurai Warriors 3. He joins the battle front at Shizugatake and Komaki-Nagakute with his two friends, eager to defend his "home" with Hideyoshi. In the latter battle, Sakon jokes that the trio are idiots and hopes that their idiocy can prove to be useful for the wars. Even if they bicker, the trio swear to establish and protect Hideyoshi's dream together. They subjugate the Shimazu family in Kyushu and Hideyoshi's land of happiness is soon a reality.

Unfortunately, Hideyoshi dies not long after its creation and Ieyasu's influence grows significantly. Believing that there is no guarantee of the Toyotomi family's future by resisting the daimyo, Kiyomasa and Masanori leave Mitsunari to join Ieyasu. Determined to uphold his duty to his departed lord no matter what the cost, Kiyomasa supports Kanbei's assault in Kyushu at Ishigakibaru. After the fall of the Western army, Kiyomasa stays at Nijō Castle to keep vigilance over his "home", Osaka Castle. Kanbei bluntly states that Kiyomasa's efforts have only backfired on him, but Kiyomasa's resolve is unchanged. Since Ieyasu wants to end the land's chaos by extinguishing the Toyotomi at Osaka Castle, Kiyomasa and Masanori stake their life to defend it and join the desperate defense of Osaka. During the battle, they are reinforced by Sakon as part of the late Mitsunari's plan to help his friends, and they claim victory over the Tokugawa. A dying Ieyasu warns that this will not end the chaos, but the youth doesn't care since he is willing to mend and rebuild his home. No matter what mistakes his home is currently marred with, he is pleased to see the Toyotomi still standing.

Sengoku Musou 3: Empires reprises his feud with Mitsunari in Ieyasu's scenario. After failing to stop his friend from resisting the Tokugawa's growing presence, Kiyomasa visits Toshiie for advice on how to settle their argument. The older man helps him realize that his focus on protecting the Toyotomi and Mitsunari's obsession with their clan's reign has blinded them from properly assessing the current state of their home. His second attempt to change Mitsunari's mind goes nowhere, but rumors of Masanori's death convinces him to side with the Western army.

He helps Sakon launch a surprise attack on the Eastern army at Kuzegawa and is reunited with Masanori after their escape from Sekigahara. Together, they rally around the other Toyotomi followers for support, though their forces crumble before the Tokugawa at Ōsaka Castle. Kiyomasa and his allies agree to leave the land if it means preserving their lord's legacy. His contributions to the Toyotomi are re-enacted in Hideyoshi's own story. He advocates eliminating Ieyasu while they have the chance, yet his lord feels that doing so would only prolong the chaos. Kiyomasa's crush on Nene also becomes a recurring gag throughout the scenario; upon unifying the land, he faints from embarrassment when the target of his affections hugs him.

Samurai Warriors 4 introduces Kiyomasa and his two childhood friends as early as Kōzuki Castle. Like his friends, he came from a poor background and was raised with Hideyoshi's patronage. Hoping to repay his their savior, Kiyomasa competes with them in their new duties as the "wall" for Hideyoshi. They assist their lord's tactics against the Mōri forces at Bichu-Takamatsu Castle before joining the major fights for Hideyoshi's unification (Yamazaki through Odawara Castle). His interest in Yoshitsugu's intelligence at the start of these battles garners Mitsunari's attention towards him. When Ieyasu is admitted into their lord's trust following Komaki-Nagakute, Kiyomasa agrees with the decision since he is aware of Ieyasu's raw potential. His staunch opinion conflicts with Mitsunari, leading to a wedge in their friendship after a heated argument regarding the Toyotomi future at Kyushu.

Takatora realizes from his earliest observations of the trio that it would devastating to the Toyotomi side if they were ever separated. Once it becomes clear that Ieyasu holds a superior position after Hideyoshi's death, Takatora approaches Kiyomasa and uses his convictions to Ieyasu's advantage. While Kiyomasa knows he is being exploited, he feels he must join the Tokugawa if he hopes to provide for Hideyori's future. One month before Sekigahara takes place, Kiyomasa visits Mitsunari for one last warning and leaves once he thinks his friend has made his point clear. In every iteration of the Sekigahara stage, Kiyomasa fights to decide which friend will remain to protect the Toyotomi legacy.

Although pained by Mitsunari's fate, Kiyomasa pledges to carry out his friend's will and immediately forces himself to join the subjugation efforts in Kyushu. He acts as the political envoy for the Tachibana's abolishment and later accompanies Hideyori for his meeting with Ieyasu at Nijo Castle, defying traditional courtesy to leave the lords alone. While Takatora is upset by his rudeness, the Tokugawa lord understands his message and excuses him. As long as the general lives, Ieyasu cannot lay a hand on the Toyotomi family. The fighting at Osaka Castle is implied to only be made possible because of Kiyomasa's off-screen death years later.

The 4-II Ideals Story has him donned one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake as a reward for his efforts. He gloats about his title to Mitsunari and believes that he'll be the muscle to always protect the Toyotomi family. Prior to Komaki-Nagakute, he idolizes Toshiie and considers the elder's advice to get into a brawl with Mitsunari to strengthen their friendship. The childhood friends hit an impasse when they can't agree on whether to trust Ieyasu. Kiyomasa reasons that they can use Ieyasu for the Toyotomi's benefit. He stops his friends from fighting when Mitsunari tells him to rule at Kyushu after the Kyushu campaign. Kiyomasa knows that Mitsunari is focusing on his personal principles over reality, reasoning that it would be foolish to overlook the advantages of an alliance. However, he can't fathom Ieyasu's potential and believes that Mitsunari is being too pigheaded for him to tolerate.

After Toshiie dies, Kiyomasa and Masanori raise an army in the capital for their all out fight with Mitsunari. They believe that clashing with him in earnest now can scatter their differences and restore their friendship. Failing to reconcile and believing himself capable of protecting the Toyotomi family, Kiyomasa resolves to kill Mitsunari at Sekigahara. During the Loyalty Story, his banter with Takatora convinces him to be aware of the dire consequences of breaking up with his childhood friend and to remember his values fighting for the Tokugawa. The Ideals Story has the childhood friends ambush the Western Army's main camp and kill Yoshitsugu. In the Sworn Friends Story, he is forced to flee after his defeat.

Warriors Orochi
During the first game, he and Masanori act as Nene's last line of defense against the Orochi army in one of Wei's early side stages. In Warriors Orochi 2, he makes a minor appearance on the first stage of the Samurai Story Mode as the only generic officer in the allied army.

Although he was originally a part of the Toyotomi forces, playable Kiyomasa became separated from them in Warriors Orochi 3. He learns that Nene is taken prisoner by the serpent army and regretfully works alongside them. When he is defeated by the coalition at Hasedō, Kiyomasa agrees to join their cause to save the other hostages at Xuchang. After saving Nene, he aids Liu Shan in saving and recruiting Jiang Wei in the altered future. He later assists Lu Meng in finding Gan Ning at Mikatagahara and defends Da Ji against Mitsunari at Tong Gate.

Ultimate has him present at the final battle against Kyubi at Odawara Castle.

Pokémon Conquest
Though he retains his Warriors personality, Kiyomasa is depicted as a child in Pokémon Conquest. He is friends with Mitsunari and Masanori who are residents of the protagonist's homeland, Aurora. Throughout the game's main story, they offer secondary advice to the player and inform them of Nobunaga's progress. Kiyomasa tends to offer leisurely commentary to his friends' harsher reports.

Kiyomasa's episode has him stationed as the Bushou Leader of Aoba no Kuni. He and his friends frequently fight with one another, but this time it causes them to separate. To vent the anger he feels towards them, Kiyomasa decides to conquer the southern castles in Ransei. Kiyomasa feels guilty for the trouble their rampage has caused when he wins, reflecting that they needlessly dragged other people and lands into their fight. His friends simply return to his side and invite him to watch the sunset at the beach. Though Kiyomasa has matured from this argument, the ending narrative states that their fights will still continue.

Kessen
Called "Kato" in the English ports, he is a general who appears with Josui in Kessen. He leads a sturdy cavalry and is one of the faster units in the game. During cutscenes, Kato acts as a mute bodyguard of sorts for Josui, giving Mitsunari a nasty grimace if they meet in camp. He is together with Josui for the promise of profit and hopes to expand his territories. Kato is Fukushima's childhood friend and, depending on the actions of the player, both generals can fight on the same side. If they are forced to become enemies, they mutually refuse to attack the other and are willing to pull back if the player commands it. After Josui's death, he switches his allegiance to Ieyasu's army until Osaka Castle.

Kiyomasa can be recruited into Nobunaga's army in Kessen III. If Hideyoshi's unit survives the battle at Anegawa, he will appear to offer his services. He has a high cavalry proficiency and can serve as a good spear unit. If he is put in a unit with Masanori, their morale will rise and they will perform well.

Mōri Motonari: Chikai no Sanshi
Kiyomasa is an Oda vassal in the game who is a constant aide to Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi fondly thinks of Kiyomasa as his "child" so the retainer calls him "father" (親父殿, Oyaji-dono) in return. Unlike Masanori, he is called a brave and formidable general. When his "father" is on the run from Terumoto's forces, Kiyomasa appears to reinforce the path closest to Hideyoshi. His "father" seems concerned for his vassal's well being, but Hideyoshi may safely continue onwards to Himeji Castle thanks to Kiyomasa's defense. When he is defeated, Kiyomasa states his unexpected amazement for the Mōri army.

Personality
Kiyomasa is a hot-tempered and rowdy man who greatly admires and is fiercely loyal to Hideyoshi and Nene. Considering Hideyoshi to be his own family, he is very close friends with Masanori and Mitsunari. Out of the trio, Kiyomasa acts as the mature one by looking out for the scatter-brained Masanori and trying to get the hard headed Mitsunari to abandon his cocky attitude. With a relatively sound head on his shoulders, he is adamant about his beliefs and won't bow down to others. Though they share fraternal respect for one another (by respectively calling one another "fool"), he clashes with the equally stubborn Mitsunari prior to Sekigahara.

Although he considers Nene to be his precious mother figure, he also harbors intimate feelings for her. This trait is emphasized in the spin-off titles in which he repeatedly speaks his love or attraction for her. Kiyomasa is honest with his feelings, yet Nene is either oblivious or purposely ignores his confessions to her. Both Mitsunari and Masanori consider his infatuation a bit disturbing.

He also admires Muneshige's abilities, stating that he is truly the greatest warrior in the west. While he works together with Kanbei after Hideyoshi's passing, he is angered that the strategist carelessly dismisses his former loyalties to the taikō and doesn't see eye-to-eye with him. Kiyomasa often quibbles with Takatora when they work together. Both are quick to judge one another with haughty comebacks. He shares an affinity with Lu Meng in his Warriors Orochi appearance.

Character Symbolism
Within fictional mediums, Kiyomasa is often associated with a tiger. There are several different stories regarding his association with the wild cat. One of the simpler reasons is that the tiger is the namesake of his childhood name, Toranosuke. Another story states he hunted tigers for their skins during the Korean Campaigns. Hearing of Hideyoshi's weakening health, Kiyomasa is said to have captured a tiger alive so his lord could consume the beast to regain his strength. The tiger is said to have been brought to Osaka Castle and threatened to kill Hideyoshi. Before it could reach its target, Kiyomasa killed it in one blow.

A variation of the story has Kiyomasa instead house the tiger at Isoshi Village since it was considered too dangerous to have in Osaka. The tiger was unexpectedly tame and was regularly fed meat from sacrificed live oxen. One day, the village ran out of their food supply for the tiger so Kiyomasa made the choice to sacrifice his beloved dog to keep the tiger alive. When the dog met the tiger, it immediately defended itself and bit hard on the tiger's neck. The surprised villagers tried to separate the two animals, but it was too late to save the tiger. With the tiger dead, they rejoiced for they were freed from the burdensome task of feeding it. They changed their village name to Itorashi in honor of the dog slaying the tiger. Today, a shrine stands where the village once was and a display dedicated to the animals can be found nearby.

He is symbolized by the characters "incite" (激) and "rend" (裂) as well as fire for his Samurai Warriors counterpart. His weapon types allude to the tiger motif as they are three fangs. They are a steel fang (Normal), beast fang (Power), and an excruciating fang (Speed). As a side note, the Japanese holly is infamous for its sharp, painful leaves and is commonly identified with the same character (柊) as his Speed weapon.

Kiyomasa's rare weapon is literally translated as "Tiger Fang Hihirokane". Hihirokane is a legendary metal or alloy said to never rust and is able to eternally retain its shape. It is harder than diamond and glimmers like the sun. The Three Sacred Treasures are said to be crafted from the same metal.

His secondary rare weapon is named "Samuhara Supreme Tiger Blade". Samuhara is the Japanese iteration for Samvara, a Buddhist deity known as a god of protection and endurance. Samuhara is also known as a god of longevity, one that grants life without injury or illness. Engraving Samuhara onto a blade was thought to be a good luck charm of sorts with hopes to instill courage and integrity to the wielder. Kiyomasa is said to have done the same with his own sword, believing the engraving of Samuhara's protection would grant him the power to survive certain doom during his disastrous stay in Korea.

Voice Actors

 * Ted Sroka - Samurai Warriors 3 (English-uncredited)
 * Dean Marshall - Kessen (English)
 * Uwe Thomsen - Sengoku Musou TV series (German)
 * Shinichi Yamada - Samurai Warriors 2 (Japanese)
 * Tomokazu Sugita - Samurai Warriors 3~4, Warriors Orochi 3 (Japanese)
 * Yasuhiko Tokuyama - Kessen (Japanese)

Live Action Performers

 * Sanshiro Takagi - Sengoku Bushou Matsuri
 * Kazuki Ono - Butai Sengoku Musou Sekigahara no Shou
 * Takuya Kishimoto - Butai Sengoku Musou Shikoku Ensei no Shou

Quotes

 * See also: Kiyomasa Katō/Quotes


 * "You will not...break...our house..."
 * "Ugh, I can't believe I didn't have enough people to topple that dunce Mitsunari... No, I mean, I really am grateful to everyone. By the way, where's Masanori?"
 * "I think of you just like my own son. So do your best out there and don't get hurt!"
 * "Thank you, Lady Nene. For you, I would do anything!"
 * Nene and Kiyomasa; Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


 * "Kiyomasa, it's good we're finally walking the same path. For now on... Uh... That is..."
 * "What is it? Speak clearly."
 * "For now on... We should stick together until the end."
 * "What... What're you embarrassed for, you idiot?"
 * Mitsunari and Kiyomasa; Sengoku Musou 3: Empires


 * "A warrior has to train hard, don't they. What kind of training do you do, Master Toshiie?"
 * "Why is a wolf strong? Because they're born strong. Does a wild tiger train?"
 * "What? A-Ah, y-yes, you're right. Tigers and wolves are strong, aren't they. You see the truth of the matter, my lord."
 * "You think so? Oh, I'm nothing special."
 * Kiyomasa and Toshiie; Samurai Warriors 4


 * "I will not allow anyone to lay a finger on my Lady Nene!"
 * "She is twice the leader Orochi is!"
 * Kiyomasa and Masanori; Warriors Orochi


 * "I'm sorry to keep bringing this up, but I'd like to build a castle that will stand forever."
 * "That would be difficult. Castles are easily ravaged by fires and destroyed during wars."
 * "Then we could just rebuild it. You and me, old man..."
 * Kiyomasa and Lu Meng; Warriors Orochi 3


 * "Kato, my old friend! It has been far too long!"
 * "Ha ha! Fukushima! How have you been, my good friend?"
 * "Splendid! Oh, but so many memories... Shizugatake, fighting side by side!"
 * "I remember... the best of times."
 * Masanori and Kiyomasa; Kessen

Ground Moveset

 * undefined, (undefined), (undefined): Swings his scythe to the left, reaps to the left via a hooking pull, then an outward finishing slash to the right.
 * , undefined, (undefined), (undefined): And upward turning reap scoop to the left, followed by a downward-outward swing one-handed. The final input is an upward turning uppercut slash to the right, and all subsequent inputs can be allow if only the first one can connect.
 * ,, undefined, (undefined), (undefined): Swings his scythe down, then thrusts his scythe twice forward. The second thrust has him drill-twirl his scythe as he moves forward an extra distance.
 * ,, , undefined, (undefined), (undefined): Swings his blade horizontally to left, then to the right, and finishes with an outward turning slash.
 * ,, , , undefined: Sweeps his blade horizontally to the right, sending out three cutting waves in a tight spread. The attack instantly floors targets with no knockback or launch, and count somewhat as physical attacks while having their flight path stuck to the current ground level.
 * ,, , , , , , , : Upward swing to the left, then right, a turning sweep slash to the right, then twirls his scythe side-to-side starting with the left four times, finishing with a quick forward-somersaulting reap in a tumble.
 * With every step he takes, he swings his halberd up switching from left to right.
 * (Ultimate/Kaiden): Jumps forward and hits the ground with the tip of his scythe, creating circular shockwaves that hit enemies within its radius. Used as his True Musou Attack in Warriors Orochi 3.


 * Dashing : Brakes into a quick stop via a leftwards reap.
 * , : Reaps part-way to the ground from the right.
 * , undefined: Slams his scythe down for an OTG-hitting quake.


 * Spirit Cancel: Shields himself and dashes forward with a lunge.
 * R1: Reaps inward to the left via a single-spinning slash; can charge up where Kiyomasa can still run around for a set-speed while he holds his scythe beside himself and upward. Conjures a brief whirlwind to drag in enemies when fully charged, and charges up faster if cancelled into from a connecting charge attack.

Horse Moveset

 * , undefined:
 * ,, undefined:
 * ,, , undefined: Swings his scythe upward diagonally.
 * ,, , , , , , : Swings his scythe back and forth eight times.

Loses the ability to use Spirit Charge and to sidestep. Gains a Type Action.
 * Warriors Orochi 3
 * R1: Same as his original Special Skill, only it now is instantaneous with a slight startup and is unblockable. Cannot be cancelled into from the final input of his C2.
 * , R1 (Ultimate only): Slashes at an upward angle via an uppercut sweep, twirls weapon around counterclockwise several times, then does a downward swipe that leaves behind a huge yellow slashing wave. Can be cancelled into from his C3 and C5 inputs, and the final blow of his normal attack chain.

Samurai Warriors 4
Mighty strike is the same as Deadlock Attack. Character type changes to Hyper so his attacks are slightly altered.

Charge Moveset

 * , undefined, (undefined): Same as before, only the first two final inputs are a single one.
 * ,, undefined, (undefined): Same as before, only the second input skips right to the original final input.
 * ,, , undefined, (undefined): Same as before, only now two inputs via the second input being the final two strikes.
 * ,, , , undefined, (undefined): Same as before, only the waves are now more spread apart and less compact.
 * ,, , , , , , : Same as before.

Hyper Moveset

 * undefined:
 * undefined, :
 * undefined, undefined, :
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, :
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, :
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, :
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined:


 * Finisher changes to him whirling his scythe for a fire tipped blow. The fire is unblockable.
 * (Ultimate/Kaidan): Same as before.
 * Rage Attack/Musou Gokui effect:
 * Awakened Skill effect (4-II only):

Fighting Style
Kiyomasa is a close ranged, melee fighter and has a curved scythe-like edge. He can crowd-clear quite easily and is fairly beginner friendly. Most of his moves are quick and powerful, and he has very few drawbacks. He has a Charge-type moveset giving him more variety of moves and he has quite a lot of crowd clearers in his charge attacks although he has some used for regular situations and some, which are excellent when used in duels.

However, in the Warriors Orochi 3 games, Kiyomasa's offense is said to be the strongest and fastest when properly maxed out with the Frenzy and Blast attributes, as his R1 Type Action's massive one-shot damage (which may take an extra one against bulkier-ranked officers) in tandem with his C5's sustainability (with Absorption and Osmosis) allows him to dominate higher difficulties with ease (by one-shotting generals with his Type Action and using his C5 to heal back a good worth of HP and Musou in a crowd).

Despite this, Kiyomasa in larger crowd settings still has defensive flaws, as his Type Action has notable recovery, and his C5 is a rather detached move in his moveset that is bound to be interrupted by more aggressive crowds. While Kiyomasa shines in a normal Chaos Mode run, Gauntlet Mode in Ultimate if he is surrounded by high-miasma enemies is usually another story if he's forced to expend much of his Musou to abuse his Type Action's invincibility. Thus, Kiyomasa becomes more dependent on combo-based attributes in order to keep himself going; his new midair R1 Type Action in Ultimate however, is able to generate solid amounts of combo in dense crowds to activate Aggression and Bastion, with or without Chronos.

Weapons

 * See also: Kiyomasa Katō/Weapons

Rare Weapon Acquisition

 * Stage: The Tenshō-Jingo Conflict - Battle of Komaki-Nagakute

Trivia

 * In the Sengoku Angelique skit performed at Neoromance Starlight ♥ Christmas 2010, Kirya Edō from the Kiniro no Corda series stood in as the Kiyomasa for the cast. His name was "Katō Kiriya Kiyomasa".

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