Motochika Chōsokabe

Motochika Chōsokabe is a newcomer in Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends and the twentieth leader of the Chōsokabe clan. His son, Nobuchika, faithfully accompanies him in his campaigns. His successor is Morichika. He is best known in history for conquering the entire Shikoku island with his own resources. Nobunaga historically disfavored him and called him "the bat who refuses to fly away from its home" (鳥無き里の蝙蝠). As a reference to this, Motochika's nickname is "Bat" (蝙蝠) in the games.

His height in the Samurai Warriors series is 180 cm (close to 5'11"). His Samurai Warriors counterpart also has two character image songs titled Kanade ~Aragai Kou~ and Goku ~Ishishite Kou~. He is sixteenth place in Gamecity's Samurai Warriors 3: Empires character popularity poll.

Role in Games

 * "Oh, you seem to be having a hard time."
 * "It's this fool Motochika! I haven't met someone so stubborn since... Well, since you!"
 * ―Toshiie Maeda and Hideyoshi Toyotomi; Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends

Samurai Warriors
Motochika begins his tale by leading a small yet loyal resistance against Hideyoshi's invading forces. Though he wins the battle at Shikoku, he eventually surrenders to their large army and joins Hideyoshi's forces to conquer Kyushu. During their assault, Motochika is caught in a Shimazu ambush and trapped by a row of riflemen. Nobuchika shields his father from their shots and dies as the result.

His anger for his son's loss is pacified by his acquaintance, Ieyasu, who teaches him to endure such hardships as a leader. Motochika puts his advice into practice and doesn't hold a grudge against his comrade, Yoshihiro. Present at Odawara Castle and Kusegawa, he continues to fight for the Toyotomi family at Sekigahara, hoping to personally show Ieyasu his progress. After Ieyasu's death, Motochika wonders if he has changed history. However, he is confident that the wishes of those who fell that day will help shape their future.

His dream stage is a reenactment of his starting stage, Shikoku. The main difference is that he defends it from Nobunaga's troops with help from Magoichi.

In Samurai Warriors 3, Motochika is good friends with Mitsuhide. At his friend's request, he supplies Nobunaga the naval fleet he needs to counter Motonari's ships at Kizugawaguchi. Curious to learn his friend's true intentions for serving Nobunaga, Motochika decides to stay beside his friend at Tedorigawa. Since the west and east resistance against Nobunaga have ended, Motochika logically predicts that the conqueror would target his home next and stands up to the challenge.

However, Mitsuhide is shocked by the pointless conflict that Nobunaga is planning and expresses his torn loyalties personally to Motochika. The shamisen player simplifies his friend's strife by telling Mitsuhide to just give in to his true desires, which sparks the Akechi charge at Honnoji. Braving the changing times together with his friend, their gamble pays off and Nobunaga is slain. Hideyoshi learns of his lord's death and leads an attack against them at Yamazaki. Determined to guide his friend past the sorrow he feels, Motochika helps him defeat Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide becomes the land's undisputed ruler. After defeating the rebellious Ieyasu at Anegawa, the gentle and warless world that Mitsuhide had desired is now a reality. Since Mitsuhide still feels guilty for causing Nobunaga's death, Motochika swears to help his doubtful friend bear the burden of the souls lost for the new world.

Warriors Orochi
Motochika appears as a starting character for Wu in Warriors Orochi 2. He apparently stayed in their country and wants to repay their hospitality. Nobuchika is also there to support him. When their new ally, Yoshitsune Minamoto, recklessly charges against his rival, Motochika and Sun Quan reinforce him. They face a large army of Orochi's men and are ambushed as the battle progresses. To win over these numbers, Yoshitsune and Motochika head to a water dragon shrine to pray for a tide to wash away their enemies. If they succeed, only Kiyomori and his guards, Lu Bu, and Diao Chan will remain.

In one of the game's dream stages, he teams up with two other artists, Zhang He and Diao Chan, to punish Da Ji for ruining the pleasant scenery at Osaka Bay.

Kessen
In Kessen III, Motochika aids Mitsuhide's shogunate army as an expert spear unit. He opposes Nobunaga during the final chapters of the game but his reasons for doing so are not clearly stated.

Nobunaga's Ambition
Motochika is probably one of the safest daimyo for beginners to try in the series, tying with Motonari and Ujiyasu for the right. He starts with an impressive amount of territory and wealth already to his name. His isolated home of Shikoku is close to the action of the main island, yet is faraway enough to prevent a steady string of enemy invasions, granting players the opportunity to quietly build their forces without too many interruptions. Additionally, Motochika sports overall high stats that cater to both domestic affairs and war. His strengths average in the upper tier throughout the series, and he is at his best when he leads foot or spear troops. When he dies in the newest title, Motochika is given a death poem sequence. His historical death poem is not inscribed in the game, as he instead uses his last moments to utter his fondness for the sea.

He makes a brief appearance in the online version of the series, acting as a boss for players to defeat at Odawara Castle. He is a level 73 sword wielding samurai who oppose Norihide Matsuda's advance. His younger brother (Chikayasu), one of his sons (Morichika), and four other generals from Shikoku come to Motochika's aid. Motochika acts as the heavy hitter of his group with his three damaging abilities; his party members support and heal him throughout the match. Once he is defeated, he will drop a self named scroll which can be used to obtain two rare swords originating from Shikoku.

Tendou presents Motochika as one of the stars for the original scenario, Setouchi no Hasha, which takes place in the year 1550. One day, while gazing at his home, Motochika confides in Chikayasu regarding their clan's negative reputation. He explains the slander of the bat nickname, stating it's as though their sluggish wings aren't capable of flying beyond their sheltered home. Wanting to prove those claims wrong, Motochika sparks his invasion toward the main island with his younger brothers' support. As his conquests prove successful, even his enemies in Shikoku become enamored with his vision and willingly join the Chōsokabe clan.

Should the power of his clan climb further, his younger brother, Chikasada, is proud to state that no one is using the bat nickname to describe them or their home. In response, Motochika reminds his younger sibling of his past nicknames. He was first called "Little Princess" due to his pale skin and effeminate features. Chikasada remarks he isn't familar with this name and grew up hearing "Little Devil" for his older brother. According to Chōsokabe retainers, Motochika looked like a demon mercilessly swinging his spear during his first battle, a story which the daimyo recalls to his sibling. Based on his past experiences, Motochika declares that actions and not words are needed to change the hearts of people. By comparing his past to the present, he inspires all of his followers.

Choosing to crush Motonari leads to a civil chat during the night between the two daimyo. Motonari, curious to see the face of his enemy, visits Motochika in person. While he praises Motochika's leadership, he asks the Shikoku daimyo to never lower his guard to the ones he has defeated as a part of the victor's greatest show of courtesy. Though Motochika is shocked by Motonari's request to carry on his ambition and focus, he recovers and compliments the Mōri daimyo as an excellent leader and father. If Motochika successfully destroys Naoie Ukita, Chikayasu will act as the messenger between them. He returns with Naoie's request for Motochika to join him for tea. Immediately sensing a threat on his life, Motochika refuses the invitation and demands that Naoie instead attend "the bat's" victory banquet later that night. Although Chikayasu is hesitant, he leaves to deliver the reply. Motochika, aware that tea would have been poisoned, expresses his amusement with Naoie's cunning nature.

When the Chōsokabe unite Setouchi in this scenario, Motochika celebrates their success with a banquet. He is proud that the men of Tosa have made their marks on the land.

Personality
Motochika is an artistic and mature leader who is deeply moved by the loyalty of his men. Connected to the tides of history, he wants the lost lives in the war -as well as his name- to never be forgotten. Though seemingly quiet and introverted, he is a rebel who feels he should never accept an intangible fate. He values simple principles and respects those who can stay true to their desires. Over time, he believes that a peaceful future is vital for the land and learns to not dwell on past transgressions. His noble and brave nature impresses many Toyotomi generals as well as Ieyasu.

In his recent appearance, he is already instilled with the lessons learned from his previous counterpart and is confident in opposing fate with Mitsuhide. He acts as his friend's strong and bold confidant when Mitsuhide begins to lose himself to grief. Throughout his story, others accuse him of manipulating Mitsuhide for his own purposes, but Motochika assures them that this is not the case. During the Xtreme Legends expansion, he dispels any negative tones regarding his friendship with Mitsuhide, replying to a curious Gracia that they are "soul mates" who instinctively fight for the same cause.

One of his trademark lines in all of his Warriors appearances is "So be it" (上等, jōtō), in which he accepts the oppressing facts against him yet rebels regardless. The conversations in the newest Empires title adds that he stylizes other people's hair as a hobby, implying that he is the one who is responsible for Gracia's unique hair accessory and coloring. His affinity for bodies of water is also a running gag with Motochika in the spin-off titles. He has a tendency to dramatically hop into beautiful rivers or hot springs to play his instrument in a over-the-top, visual kei-like manner.

Character Symbolism
He's symbolized by the kanji for "playing music" (奏) and "sound" (響) as well as spotlights. in the Samurai Warriors series. His second and third weapons are actually sanshin, an Okinawan instrument made with a python's skin.

The original name for his third musical instrument implies he is loudly playing music of the ages, or jamming down to his tunes, whilst in battle. In the third title, his Power variation adds he's going wild with his songs and his Speed variations are shocking. Motochika's fourth and Unique weapons are originally named after Amatsumikahoshi. One account of Amatsumikahoshi's whereabouts describes that he continued to resist his enemies to the bitter end.

His fifth weapon is a reference to Nobunaga's historical assessment of Motochika (鳥無き里の蝙蝠). It literally refers to a home where no birds fly to and is only worthy for bats. Figuratively speaking, it references a place with no experts or superb individuals of any sort that exists with little significance. In regards to Nobunaga's judgment of Motochika, he meant that the daimyo's accomplishment of conquering Shikoku under his family name was only possible because Motochika had no noteworthy threats to particularly stand against him. He thought of Motochika's famous reputation, in other words, to be superficial and sorely undeserved. Within Koei's titles, Motochika mocks the nickname and sometimes even uses it himself when he opposes Nobunaga. This is particularly true for Motochika's weapon, in which he has killed "the bat" and defiantly brandishes its skull for all to see.

Voice Actors

 * Bob Aubry - Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends (English)
 * Wally Wingert - Warriors Orochi 2, Samurai Warriors 3 (English)
 * Ryōtarō Okiayu - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)

Quotes

 * "History shall turn before me."
 * "History, can you hear the cries of those who have no voices?"
 * "You're gone."
 * "History, will not forget my name!"
 * "Make way!"
 * "In your soul..."
 * "Cool off!"
 * "No one will forget my name."
 * "It's time for the bat to bare his fangs."
 * "Prepare to have your soul shaken."
 * "Keep fighting until history swallows you whole."
 * "What need have I of growing stronger?"
 * "You foresaw this, didn't you? You knew this would happen! You set Nobuchika up! Is his life worth nothing to you?!"
 * "Hate me, Motochika, if it will make you feel better."
 * "If it will make me feel better...? What good will making me feel better do?"
 * Motochika and Hideyoshi; Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends


 * "Do you have the courage and commitment to kill my husband?"
 * "Mitsuhide does. I'm just here to support him."
 * Nō and Motochika; Samurai Warriors 3


 * "Motochika, it seems my daughter has been causing you unneeded hardship. As a father, I must apologize for everything..."
 * "Think nothing of it. We are friends bound by the soul. Your daughter is my child as well."
 * "That is good news to hear! To be honest, she can be quite the handful for me. Let us raise her together, and prevent her from attracting unsavory company."
 * "Hmm... I can't keep up with their grown up chatter. This doesn't please me at all!"
 * Mitsuhide, Motochika, and Gracia; Samurai Warriors 3: Empires


 * "Answer me, Nobunaga. If I am the bat, then what are you?"
 * "A hawk."
 * "So, we are rivals for the sky... So be it! O hawk, surpass the bat in the darkness of these fetid times, with your soul!"
 * "(chuckles) How meaningless."
 * Motochika and Nobunaga‎; Samurai Warriors 3 Empires

Ground Attacks

 * undefined,(undefined),(undefined): Dashes forward while sending a sound bubble forward, performs a backward somersault kick, and lands to play a note. The entire sequence sends two sound bubbles floating in relatively random places.
 * ,undefined,(undefined),(undefined): Launches enemy with a high kick, jumps after them with a spinning swing, and plays his instrument while in midair. Explodes any sound bubbles.
 * ,,undefined,(undefined),(undefined): Dashes forward with a horizontal swing to the right and runs in another direction with a horizontal swing to the left. Ends the sequence by playing, sending out three sound bubbles.
 * ,,,undefined,(undefined),(undefined): Hops back to play a blue soundwave forward and continues dashing forward while playing his instrument to hurl more waves. Ends the sequence with a somersault landing covered in soundwaves. Explodes any sound bubbles.
 * ,,,,undefined: Pauses for a moment to send a ball of water forward.
 * ,,,,,,,: Delivers three swings with the butt of his instrument and plays it for the rest of the string, walking forward after each note and releasing mini shockwaves around him. The fourth~eighth part of the string erupts sound bubbles.


 * ,undefined: Slams the ground with his shamisen.
 * ,: Plays his instrument and sends a ripple of blue soundwaves downward. Erupts sound bubbles.
 * Dashing : Slides on his knees while he plays a chord, sending a blue soundwave forward. Blows up floating sound bubbles.


 * stays still and jams with his shamisen, hurling large blue soundwaves in front of him. In his True Musou version, he finishes the move with two swings to the right. He is surrounded by pillars of fire in his Level 3 version. Pops all sound bubbles.


 * R1 + : Points momentarily upward before hurling a wave of water forward. Uses some Musou.
 * R1 + undefined: Using some Musou, Motochika props his instrument upwards and plays a few chords while he walks forward a few steps. Releases five sound bubbles at once and they slowly travel forward.
 * Personal Skill : (Facility) Evade while performing a charge attack.

Mounted Attacks

 * ,undefined: Motochika swings his weapon upwards.
 * ,,undefined: Swings to hit enemies behind him.
 * ,,,undefined: Swings to hit foes in front of him.
 * ,,,,,,,: Motochika lifts his right leg and stomps to his right once per button press.

Loses his C5 and his Level 3 musou. Gains two new R1 abilities.
 * Warriors Orochi
 * ,,R1: Plays his instrument to send six bubbles forward. After he finishes, he conjures a slow moving bubble to hit foes in front of him.
 * R1 (counter): Whips his shamisen to hit foes in front of him, swinging it behind before he grasps it normally.

Samurai Warriors 3

 * (Ultimate/Kaiden):


 * Spirit Cancel:

Ultimate Musou is now True Musou in Musou Orochi 2. Gains the following addition.
 * Warriors Orochi
 * R1:

Fighting Style
Motochika is a character who works best with traps and keep-away tactics. Though his attacks are quick, they are physically weak and difficult to properly aim with -his strongest physical attack is actually his mounted string. He also has a relatively low defense and average attack stat when compared to the majority of characters in the games. His strongest attack from his normal moveset is his C5, which isn't available until later levels in Xtreme Legends and isn't there at all in Warriors Orochi 2.

In reality, his most damaging attacks come from exploding his sound bubbles with the soundwave techniques in his movelist. Therefore, to fully exploit his talents, players may want to watch where the bubbles travel and time when to use any soundwave moves. The greatest part about the bubbles and their triggers is that Motochika does not need to be close to them to set them off, meaning that he can avoid putting himself in danger if he wants to create an explosion. Each sound bubble move has tricky properties, but they have their uses with careful planning. For instance, both his C1 and C3 are useful tools to quickly send Motochika a good distance away from danger. When an enemy gets close to one of the bubbles, he may use a jumping from a great distance away to trap them within the bubble's burst of energy. If the player uses him wisely, they may find more inventive and stylish ways to create these type of reactions.

Historical Information
Chōsokabe Motochika was the 20th head of the Chōsokabe clan of Tosa Province (present-day Kōchi Prefecture). He was the son and heir of Chōsokabe Kunichika and his mother was a daughter of the Saitō clan of Mino Province. In 1575, Motochika was victorious at the Battle of Watarigawa, gaining control of Tosa Province. Over the ensuing decade, he extended his power to all of Shikoku. However, in 1585, Hashiba Hideyoshi invaded that island with a force of 100,000 men, led by Ukita Hideie, Kobayakawa Takakage, Kikkawa Motonaga, Hashiba Hidenaga, and Hashiba Hidetsugu. Motochika surrendered, and forfeited Awa, Sanuki, and Iyo Provinces; Hideyoshi permitted him to retain Tosa.

Under Hideyoshi, Motochika and his son Nobuchika participated in the invasion of neighboring Kyūshū, in which Nobuchika died. In 1590, Motochika led a fleet in the Siege of Odawara, and also fought in the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592. Motochika died at age 61 at his mansion in Fushimi.

Gallery
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