Based on SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
It was a time of chaos.
Warriors from across Japan fought endlessly for the right to rule the country.
Shingen Takeda
Among them, Shingen Takeda -
also known as the Tiger of Kai -
led the mightiest cavalry of the age in his bid to seize power.
However...
Shingen Takeda 1521-1573
Shingen died before he could realize his ambition.
New forces, such as the Oda and Tokugawa, then rose to prominence.
The Takeda's forces staked everything on a single battle, Nagashino.
Nagashino
They were met on the field by the forces of...
the Oda and the Tokugawa, armed with 3000 rifles procured by Nobunaga.
Fire!
How easily the mighty Takeda cavalry fall!
Ieyasu Tokugawa
This will change everything.
Yes.
Who's that?
We need only take Nobunaga's head!
We live but one life.
There is nothing that does not decay.
Nobunaga Oda
And you are?
Nobuyuki Sanada
Nobuyuki Sanada, retainer of the Takeda!
Yukimura Sanada
And Yukimura Sanada!
Is that so?
SAMURAI WARRIORS: Legend of the Sanada
The valiant efforts of the Sanada brothers were in vain...
and defeat at Nagashino
and Mt. Tenmoku led to the obliteration of the Takeda.
Nobuyuki and Yukimura were forced to flee for their lives...
We failed to defend the Takeda!
Yukimura.
That the Takeda should be wiped out, so quickly after losing our lord!
We must think only of our survival now.
Survive, and do what?
With the loss of the Takeda, what can the Sanada hope to achieve now?
You've got it wrong. We...
The Oda forces are closing in! We must flee!
Run!
Yukimura!
Ah!
Yukimura, what were you thinking?
You just rushed in to battle
without caring for our wounded or checking enemy numbers.
Are you trying to get yourself killed?
How can I hope to live with this shame?!
Now the Takeda are gone, shouldn't the Sanada share that same fate?
Have you forgotten the resolve of the Sanada, Brother?
To give these six coins to the boatman and cross the River Styx?
You idiot!
These coins represent a strong heart,
willing to face any enemy, any peril, without fear of death!
They are for living, to be paid for the survival of the Sanada!
The Sanada will carry on the soul of the Takeda!
Our fight is only just beginning.
That's why we must survive, no matter what!
Brother...
Yukimura, fight with me - in order to protect
the soul of the Sanada.
We will need your strength.
I'm sorry for being so reckless, Brother.
Let's return to our homeland, and build a castle there.
A castle?
We shall build a place for the Sanada to live.
The two of us.
A castle for the Sanada...
A few months later,
Nobunaga met a violent end at Honnōji in Kyōto,
betrayed by his retainer Mitsuhide Akechi.
Mitsuhide Akechi
Mitsuhide was in turn defeated by Hideyoshi Hashiba,
Hideyoshi Hashiba
who then opened the door to a new age...
by declaring his own intent to rule.
Ueda Castle
We've built a fine castle, Brother!
Yes. A castle for the Sanada.
Now we have to protect this castle together, Yukimura.
Yes, Brother!
Brother...
Is that all for today?
Oh, it's only you. Kunoichi
Something on your mind?
Our castle is finished,
but sometimes Nobuyuki still looks so worried.
The incident at Honnōji has got everyone riled up.
Surrounded by the might of the Tokugawa, the Hōjō and the Uesugi,
the Sanada seem too small to survive.
Thoughts of our future must weigh heavily on my brother.
Brother...
You've become strong, Yukimura.
Thank you for saying so, Brother!
I want to fight the Uesugi alongside our lord as quickly as I can!
That's good, but the Uesugi are very strong.
Are you saying the Uesugi are stronger than our lord?
No.
But when the Imagawa and Hōjō cut off our supplies of salt...
it was the Uesugi who provided salt to the people of the Takeda.
The Uesugi, our greatest foe?
Yes.
To never abandon those in need, even if they are your enemy.
That's another kind of strength, different from physical strength.
Do you understand, Yukimura?
Yes, Brother!
Okay, I've made up my mind.
Ah, Lord Yukimura!
Brother.
What is it, Yukimura?
Brother, I've decided to go to the Uesugi.
The Uesugi?
Defending our land surrounded by the Tokugawa, Hōjō and Uesugi...
will not be easy.
The Uesugi, who fought on equal footing with our lord,
would be a fine ally.
I'll offer myself to the Uesugi as a hostage,
and protect the Sanada from the rear.
As a hostage? Do you know what you're saying?
Yes.
You'll be putting your life in the Uesugi's hands!
I know. This is all to protect the Sanada.
I've made up my mind.
They are righteous enough to send salt to their enemies.
They will treat me well.
Yukimura!
My heart shall be here with you, Brother.
Farewell, Brother!
Yukimura, take care of yourself!
I will.
Yukimura!
The cherry blossoms may fall, but they will bloom every year.
Let us enjoy Ueda's blossoms again together, one day!
Do you understand?
Yes!
You mustn't fall.
My last time seeing these mountains...
You're not thinking that, are you?
You're going to see the blossoms with Lord Nobuyuki again, right?
You don't have time to die!
Yes, you're right.
The Uesugi's Mt. Kasuga Castle is very well defended.
That won't stop me, of course!
No need to be reckless.
Yes, there is!
I'm your ninja, Lord Yukimura, after all!
I'll be counting on you.
No problem!
Kenshin Uesugi, known as the personification of the
God of War, had passed away,
leaving command to his adopted son, Kagekatsu, who now ruled Echigo.
Mt. Kasuga Castle
Kagekatsu Uesugi
Kanetsugu, handle this.
My lord.
Lord Kagekatsu has taken a liking to you.
Really?
Yes. He has much love in his heart.
Love
He does?
I am Kanetsugu Naoe.
Kanetsugu Naoe
Such heavy mist.
It's because this is a mountain castle.
A horned demon?
The mist...!
There you are, Mitsunari.
Mitsunari Ishida, one of Lord Hideyoshi's most trusted men?
Yes, that's him.
What brings you to Mt. Kasuga Castle?
Nothing that concerns you.
Mitsunari Ishida
He's here to see me.
No, I'm not!
No need to be embarrassed.
I'm not!
Of course, let me introduce you. This is...
Sanada, right?
I am Yukimura Sanada.
As I expected, the Sanada have chosen the Uesugi.
You expected this?
You once served the Takeda, so I knew you would choose the Uesugi.
The Uesugi have both salt and love, after all!
Love has nothing to do with it.
What?! Love is the most important thing of all.
Hey. Get your hands off me!
No need to be embarrassed.
I'm not!
These guys are weird.
Tadakatsu. The Sanada have made a move?
Yes. The second son, Yukimura, has gone to the Uesugi.
Ina Tadakatsu Honda
We saw the Sanada brothers at the Battle of Nagashino.
Did we not, Ina?
Yes, my lord.
Let us see just how strong these brothers are.
The region of Numata is to be handed immediately over to the Hōjō,
by order of Lord Ieyasu.
What? Numata?
If we do not have your reply within ten days...
You know what will happen.
How can the Tokugawa be so unreasonable?
The Hōjō sided with them at the Battle of Nagakute.
This must be payment for that.
However...
Years ago, at the Battle of Mikatagahara,
Lord Ieyasu was badly defeated by the Takeda Army, led by our lord.
With our forces in pursuit,
the Tokugawa's men gave their lives to allow their lord's retreat.
Though many died to save him,
Ieyasu fled without looking back once.
Ieyasu Tokugawa.
Is he a villain, bereft of mercy and justice, or maybe...
A tanuki.
I was thinking the same thing.
I'm not talking about his appearance.
And I was only joking!
Master Mitsunari, why do you call him that?
Because, while pretending to play along with Lord Hideyoshi,
he secretly awaits his chance to try and take the land for himself.
He's a sly, conniving tanuki.
Yes. After Shinano, he'll surely come for Echigo.
How will the Sanada deal with Ieyasu?
This will be interesting.
We won Numata in battle, and have ruled it well ever since.
Yet now we have to hand it over to the Hōjō? Never!
The difference in strength between the Sanada and the Tokugawa is clear.
Fight, and you shall surely lose.
My apologies, Yukimura.
Mitsunari can be blunt, and that often leads to misunderstandings.
In reality, he's overflowing with love.
Enough of that.
No need to be embarrassed.
I'm not!
So? What will the Sanada do?
Fight to the death, six coins in hand?
No. My brother will never do that.
In order to defend the soul of the Sanada,
we must survive, no matter what.
Those were my brother's words to me.
I believe in him.
Obeying the Tokugawa will keep us safe.
But is that really the right move?
Lord Nobuyuki!
Lord Nobuyuki, Lord Nobuyuki!
Ah, Lord Nobuyuki.
If there is fighting, our people will suffer.
Their fields will be destroyed.
But...
Who goes there? Stop!
My apologies.
I didn't realize there was anyone here.
I know you!
Sanada...
Yes, Nobuyuki Sanada.
You were with the Tokugawa at Nagashino.
I am Ina, retainer of the Tokugawa and daughter of Tadakatsu Honda.
I'm told you're yet to make a reply concerning Numata.
Why?
I wish to protect the house of Sanada, our lands, and our people.
If you obey Lord Ieyasu, a peaceful future is assured.
Why consider anything else?
You think I should give up my lands?
For the sake of the Sanada, yes.
But if I do what the Tokugawa say and give our lands to the Hōjō,
the soul of the Sanada will be lost.
Go against us, and the Tokugawa will attack you.
If we lose our soul, then keeping our name will be meaningless.
We won't be the true Sanada anymore!
You don't understand the scale of what Lord Ieyasu is thinking.
Scale?
Lord Ieyasu isn't fighting for just a single house.
What do you mean?
What is he thinking of?
I cannot speak for him on this subject.
If you wish to find out, submit to Lord Ieyasu.
I cannot do that.
Why?
If Lord Ieyasu is thinking so big,
the Sanada definitely cannot afford to lose our soul.
We must hear his plans on equal footing!
You may inform Lord Ieyasu that we will not be handing over Numata.
This will be the end of the Sanada!
No, it will not. We will defend it.
We?
Me, and my younger brother, Yukimura.
Lord Ieyasu is willing to sacrifice his men for the sake of his dream?
And those men, aware of his intentions,
died so that he might fulfill it?
What?
The Tokugawa are marching on Ueda?
Over 7000 soldiers, more than three times the whole Sanada Army...
Wait, Yukimura!
Where are you going?
To Ueda.
The Sanada cannot win!
Then you would have us simply swallow their unreasonable demands?!
If you go, the Uesugi may attack the Sanada too.
Your coming here will have been pointless.
Nonetheless, I made a vow.
To fight alongside my brother, to protect the soul of the Sanada!
You'll die, Yukimura!
No, I won't!
I will live! Live, and protect the Sanada!
You won't change your mind?
I'm glad I came here and met both of you.
Lord Kagekatsu, too.
You sound as though we'll never meet again.
Forgive me!
He's a fool!
No...
He's a fool beyond compare.
Brother, I'm on my way! Please, hold out until I get there!
I expected a large force, but actually seeing them is something else.
Indeed.
Numbers alone do not determine victory, however.
No matter the size of the force we face, we shall not flinch!
We shall defeat them, by the pride of the Sanada!
With me!
Rifles, ready!
Shouldn't we fire in two ranks?
Hah! One wave is all we need!
Fire!
What?
It was worth spending the night in this hole!
Get back into formation! What are you doing?
Inform the left and right wings!
Crush the Sanada forces between you!
That's enough. Retreat!
Retreat!
Retreat, retreat!
They're running away! Stop them!
Press forward!
Lord Nobuyuki, a perfectly timed retreat.
Yes.
One wrong move and we would have been wiped out.
That's why I had to give the order myself.
They pursued us into the tertiary ward of the castle, just as we planned.
We'll finish them in the secondary ward!
Is everything ready?
Yes, my lord!
Secondary Ward Minor East Gate
Heave-ho!
Attack!
Break that gate, too!
Good. Now! Attack!
What's going on?
Retreat! Retreat!
The enemy are retreating from the secondary ward!
Good. Is everything ready in the tertiary ward?
Of course!
We just came through here!
We can't get through! Go back!
Retreat!
We can't get through here either?!
The Tokugawa Army attempted to retreat from the castle's tertiary ward,
but found their escape blocked,
and the Sanada waiting to finish them off amid the chaos.
Three in four of the enemy in the tertiary ward have been slain.
The rest have fled outside the walls.
Good.
Send men from the north gate!
Overwhelm all that remain!
Yes, my lord!
If we can push through, great. If not...
Then I'll at least kill Lord Ieyasu, even if it costs me my life.
Our vanguard that attacked Ueda Castle is retreating!
What?
My lord!
Take it back!
Yes, my lord!
The Tokugawa were attacked from the side by the Sanada forces
and cornered into the precipice above the Chikuma River.
However...
Stand firm!
With me!
The arrival of Tadakatsu Honda, turned the situation around.
We've deployed our own reinforcements,
but we can't stall the enemy's momentum.
Then I have no choice.
Brother!
Yukimura?!
Now you face Yukimura Sanada!
It's Lord Yukimura!
Lord Yukimura has returned!
There's no need to fear the Tokugawa, relying only on numbers!
Show them the soul of the Sanada!
Yukimura!
Lord Yukimura!
I'm fine. Go defend the main gate!
Yes, my lord!
Yukimura Sanada!
Fight me!
A new enemy has appeared behind our forces.
We are struggling again!
Reinforcements? How many of them?
Actually, just one...
Just one!
He announced himself as Yukimura Sanada.
Me, and my younger brother, Yukimura.
Fear not. We still have Tadakatsu.
We shall take Ueda Castle!
Your fun ends here.
You now face Tadakatsu Honda, retainer of the Tokugawa!
And you face Yukimura Sanada!
What are you all doing? Hurry and take Ueda Castle!
Understood!
You shall not pass!
Master Mitsunari! Master Kanetsugu!
Let us defeat these enemies together, and claim a righteous victory!
Yes!
Lord Ieyasu has moved forward.
This is our only chance for victory!
I must take this chance to kill Lord Ieyasu!
That's the only way we can win!
He's strong!
For what reason do you fight us?
I fight to realize the great ambition of my lord!
Answer me! Yukimura Sanada!
We wish to uphold our principles in the face of the unreasonable Tokugawa!
We will not stand for any injustice!
We will not bend to any authority!
Standing as tall as a tree that reaches the heavens.
That is the pride of the Sanada!
The soul of the Sanada!
It's him!
I'll handle this!
Lord Ieyasu!
Why do you treat the Sanada so unfairly?
My reason lies in the chaos of this age.
Then we shall fight! Fight to defend the Sanada!
What waits for you beyond this battle?
What?
What end do you see to the constant warfare of this land?
This chaos cannot be allowed to continue forever!
What?
I will bring this chaos to an end!
I will turn my heart to stone in order to achieve that!
I must create a land of peace.
A land of peace?
When that land is here, we will need the next generation to keep it safe.
We will need the strength of people like you.
His vision is grand... Grand beyond measure.
Those flags!
The Uesugi...
The Uesugi, righteously here to aid the Sanada!
Lord Kagekatsu!
So, the Sanada have compelled the Uesugi to action.
We must retreat.
Yes, my lord!
That's all for today!
I hope to fight you again one day!
I ask that you survive this chaos.
A land of peace...
The Tokugawa Army...
They're retreating...
...Retreating...
We won...
Victory for the Sanada!
The Battle of Ueda: the Sanada against the Tokugawa.
While the Sanada lost only 40 men, the Tokugawa lost almost 1300.
My most humble thanks for risking your lives to save us.
We just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
My heart is overcome by the righteousness of the Sanada, and of Mitsunari!
What do you mean, righteousness?
To stand by the weak, and become their strength.
An unwavering spirit that must hold through this chaos!
Let us share a vow of righteousness!
Kanetsugu Naoe!
Yukimura Sanada!
Mitsunari Ishida.
The Sanada...
They are skilled warriors.
Indeed.
Brother.
That's Nobuyuki Sanada.
Yukimura, why did you come back?
To aid you in the battle, Brother.
That defeats your purpose as a hostage.
You have your own role to play as part of the Uesugi.
My apologies, Brother.
I was unable to ignore the Sanada in crisis.
I still have much to learn.
Yet I am happy that you came.
We managed to defend the house of Sanada, thanks to you.
Brother!
Yukimura, please continue to defend the house of Sanada with me.
Yes, Brother!
Wherever you need me...
Yukimura.
I want to see the world that will come after this chaos ends.
The world beyond this chaos?
However, I fear that the path that will lead us there is still a long one.
Hideyoshi Toyotomi 1536-1598
The death of Hideyoshi Toyotomi...
plunged the country into turmoil and chaos once again.
This would eventually lead to the Battle of Sekigahara.
The fates of Nobuyuki and Yukimura, the mighty brothers of the Sanada,
would be caught up in this tumult...