Yoshimoto Imagawa

Yoshimoto Imagawa (今川 義元) first appeared as an unique general in Samurai Warriors in the Oda forces first campaign. Like Hideyoshi, he becomes playable in the game's expansion. He is one of the three feared daimyo of the Tokaido region in the early Sengoku era. He was very powerful until his death at Okehazama, which is one of Nobunaga's early claims to fame. In the first game, he's 41 years old. He's symbolized by the kanji for "costly" (貴) and "attracting attention" (趣).

Samurai Warriors
In Samurai Warriors, Yoshimoto is depicted as a man easily flustered by the slightest offset. The make-your-own characters can start their story serving him only to leave once they deem him an inadequate lord. His character alters in Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends as he becomes a kemari fan. He rides to the capital to stage his own kemari tournament.

After he survives Okehazama, he joins Shingen's forces and begins to wonder what it takes to be a great leader. In his lower path, he defects to Kenshin's forces and tries to mimic Kenshin as an ideal general. After he wins the title of the greatest warrior in the land, he is left confused by Kenshin's ritual for bestowing him the title. Humorously, Masamune quickly appears to challenge him for the right and Imagawa mimes Kenshin's actions to the lad, therefore bestowing him the title with no contest.

In his upper storyline, he continues to fight with Shingen to stop the powerful Nobunaga-Ieyasu alliance. Once Ieyasu is defeated, Yoshimoto begins plans for his grand kemari tournament. However, Nobunaga gathers forces at Honnoji. Since Shingen senses that he will soon attack, Yoshimoto rides off to stop him once and for all.

He returns in Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends to play a similar role. He is a generous yet seemingly witless fool. A kemari fanatic, he often compares the battle at hand with various etiquette of the game, a trait that particularly displeases Kanetsugu at Kawanakajima. He rushes to win battles with hopes to one day play a game of kemari with someone other than himself. Although various leaders see him as a valuable asset to their army, Yoshimoto isn't well liked by others, which leaves him rather lonely for forty years. He finally gets his wish granted after he wins the day at Sekigahara and has both armies playing the game with him.

His dream stage is a reenactment of Yoshimoto's side at Okehazama. After he defeats Nobunaga, his general reports they have sustained too many loses to continue their march to the capital so he decides to head back home.

Warriors Orochi
Yoshimoto first appears in Warriors Orochi as a third-party general. The player needs to successfully thwart Shingen's fire attack in the Battle of Saika for Wei's story. After Kenshin and Shingen are routed, Yoshimoto will appear to see what the ruckus is about. Zhang Liao takes him to be the ringleader of the battle and orders for all of his troops to charge. Impressed by the prowess of his "new servants", Yoshimoto joins Wei.

In Warriors Orochi 2, Yoshimoto appears during the opening sequence for Shu's story. Little is said regarding his reasons for joining the kingdom but he does respect Liu Bei's leadership. In one of the game's dream modes, he forms an unlikely alliance with Xing Cai and Ginchiyo. With Yue Ying and Hideyoshi's help, they go to rescue Yuan Shao's struggling army at Chen Cang. When Yoshimoto meets him, they quickly see eye to eye with one another.

Kessen
Yoshimoto appears as a sub enemy in Kessen III. He forces Ieyasu to work for him by taking his wife and children hostage. He leads a huge and very strong army but can be easily defeated if Nobunaga successfully completes his ambush.

Voice Actors

 * Richard Cansino - Samurai Warriors (English)
 * Dan Jeannotte - Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends (English)
 * Takahiro Kawachi - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Hidekatsu Shibata - Kessen III (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "I will be lonely no more!"
 * "Do you think you can use that skill in kemari?"
 * "Away with you, away."