島津義弘 Yoshihiro Shimazu | |
4-Kanji Description: | 一刀必殺 |
4-Kanji Translation: | Certain Death Blade Beast (Samurai Heroes) |
Weapon: | Large Broadsword |
Element: | Lightning |
Faction: | Shimazu Otomo |
Series Debut: | Sengoku Basara |
Playable Debut: | Sengoku Basara |
Games: | Sengoku Basara Sengoku Basara 2 Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes Sengoku Basara Battle Heroes Sengoku Basara 3 Sengoku Basara Chronicle Heroes Sengoku Basara 3 Utage Sengoku Basara 4 Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi Sengoku Basara Legend of Yukimura Sanada Sengoku Basara Battle Party |
Anime: | Sengoku Basara Samurai Kings Sengoku Basara Samurai Kings 2 Sengoku Basara Judge End |
Seiyuu: | Kenichi Ogata |
Voice Actor: | Paul Dobson (Devil Kings Peter Beckman (Samurai Heroes) R Bruce Elliott (Samurai Kings/2/Judge End) |
Television Actor: | - |
Stage Actor: | - |
Character Theme: | Under Pressure/Albatross (Chamy.Ishi) (SB1) Powerful Beast (Chamy.Ishi) (SB2) Yoshihiro Shimazu's Theme (Chamy.Ishi) (SB2H-4S) |
"Now, all you warriors of the rising sun! Challenge me, and test your mettle against the generation's finest!"
Yoshihiro Shimazu, baptised as Chester Shimazu, is a character introduced in Sengoku Basara, and has appeared in all of the main games ever since.
Description[]
Yoshihiro is depicted as a small, though muscular, man wielding a big sword. Yoshihiro likes to fight, and even more so when his rival, Tadakatsu Honda, is in the enemy ranks.
History[]
In Sengoku Basara 3, Yoshihiro aligns himself with Mitsunari Ishida and the Western Army. In Kotaro Fuma's alternative story line, he joins Sorin Otomo's Xavism and becomes a Xavist. His name is then changed into "Chester Shimazu".
In Sengoku Basara 4, he is unlocked by completing Motonari Mori's storyline.
Weapons[]
- Summer Gale - Yoshihiro's basic weapon.
- Thunder God - chance of extra lightning based attack damage.
- Iron Mauler - Basara gauge fills quicker than normal.
- Forked Lightning - chance of extra lightning based attack damage.
- Skewered Taste - joke weapon. Pieces of meat and tofu grilled to perfection on a skewer.
Skills[]
- Rolling Thunder - flips in the air, slamming down with a charged sword slash.
- Hammer - jumps up and smashes sword down flat onto the ground.
- Truth - sends enemies flying with a frightening battle cry. (Unlocked at Level 5)
- Berserker - puts every bit of energy into several powerful slashes. (Unlocked at Level 10)
- Power Surge - imbues sword with lightning, expanding attack range. (Unlocked at Level 20)
- Beast Cut - fills sword with battle energy, then launches it forward. (Unlocked at Level 30)
- Lightning Sword - slashes lightning imbued sword into the ground. (Unlocked at Level 40)
Historical information[]
Shimazu Yoshihiro (島津義弘, August 21, 1535 – August 30, 1619) was a general of the Shimazu clan in south Japan. After surrendering to him Yoshihiro had been a willing and a skillful general for Hideyoshi. On both 1592 and 1597 of the Seven-Year War, Yoshihiro set his foot on the Korean peninsula and successfully carried out a series of battles. On 1597, working together with Todo Takatora, Kato Yoshihaki and Konishu Yukinaga, Yoshihiro defeated Won Kyun's navy.
At the battle of Sacheon in 1598, facing Ming China's army counting 37,000, Yoshihiro defeated them with only 7,000 soldiers. Shimazu troops under Yoshihiro were called "Oni-Shimazu (literal translation-Shimazu demons or Shimazu ogres)" by Ming. On the final battle of the war, the Battle of Noryang , Yoshihiro's objective was to cross the Noryang Strait, link up with Konishi and retreat to Japan. The Korean admiral Yi Soon Shin that had obstructed Yoshiaki was killed by him at sea. And, he rescued all Japanese commanders, and returned to Japan.
For the Battle of Sekigahara , Yoshihiro was supposed to take the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but his army was was crushed on arriving for a rescue and after being humiliated, took the side of Ishida Mitsunari instead. Yet Yoshihiro could not get along with Mitsunari as well, who did not listen to any of Yoshihiro's plan including surprise night attack on the day before the actual battle. On the day of the battle, Yoshihiro and his troop of 1500 simply held ground and did not fight at all.
After the rest of Mitsunari's side was wiped out, Yoshihiro was stranded in at least 30,000 of Ieyasu's troop. Vastly outnumbered, Yoshihiro tried to make a charge against Ieyasu himself but after Shimazu Toyohisa demanded that he not kill himself over a meaningless battle, Yoshihiro instead chose to charge straight through Ieyasu's troop to make an exit at the other side. By having his troop make a fighting retreat called Sutegamari where until certain number of men died holding a position and repelling an attack, the main body of army fought as well. Toyohisa and the bulk of troop died, but the charge and the retreat was a success. After beating back the chase, he picked up his wife at Sumiyoshi and went home by ships.
After recognizing why and how Yoshihiro behaved on the battle field, Ieyasu had the Shimazu clan retain its domain and let Yoshihiro's son succeed him. Yoshihiro retired and took up teaching younger generations. He died on 1619 and several of his retainers who had fought along him followed him by committing suicide at age 84.
Gallery[]
How to Unlock[]
Game | How to Unlock | Notes |
---|---|---|
Sengoku Basara | Clear the game with Itsuki & Xavi | Unplayable in Devil Kings |
Sengoku Basara 2 | Clear the game with Ranmaru | Unlocked by Default in the HD Collection |
Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes | Unlocked by Default | - |
Sengoku Basara Battle Heroes | Clear the game with Hanbei | - |
Sengoku Basara 3 | Clear the game with Kanbei | - |
Sengoku Basara Chronicle Heroes | Clear the game with Hanbei | Unlocked by Default with Battle Heroes Save Data |
Sengoku Basara 3 Utage | Unlocked by Default | - |
Sengoku Basara 4 | Clear the game with Motonari | Can be unlocked with DLC |
Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi | Unlocked by Default | - |
Sengoku Basara Legend of Yukimura Sanada | Complete Story Mode | - |
Trivia[]
- Despite debuting in the first entry of the series, he doesn't gain a unique theme until Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes.
- His theme, including Oichi's, Kotaro's, and the Miyoshi Trio's, are the only ones to stay the same without new variations throughout the rest of the series.