consignment : application

[faithfulxheart]

PLAYER INFO.
✖ Handle: Eon
✖ Contact: plurk at eonflamewing!
✖ Are You Over 16: Y
✖ Other Characters Played in Consignment: None.

CHARACTER INFO.
✖ Character Name: Sanada Nobuyuki [ 真田 信之 ]
✖ Canon: Samurai Warriors / Sengoku Musou | After the epilogue of his story mode chapter, Sanada no Shou
✖ Character Appearance: Official Game Render | Special Artbook Illustration | Databook 1 2 3 4
✖ Character Age: around 30
✖ Pick A Number: 093 and 490

✖ Canon Setting:
The Samurai Warriors franchise is set in Japan's Warring States era. As the name implies, it was a time of great turmoil and upheaval. There were many clans, large and small, waging wars for dominance amongst one another. Different clans headed by leaders with different ideals, all coming together in a vast interplay of political change.

Nobuyuki is the eldest son of the Sanada clan head, Masayuki. He has a younger brother named Yukimura. The two brothers are strongly contrasted throughout the series - Nobuyuki having the 'veteran/survivor of the era' theme, and Yukimura having the 'short-lived warrior' theme. This is reflected in the difference in their personalities, ideals, and eventually set them against each other.

At the beginning of the story , their clan was a vassal to a larger clan, the Takeda. In such a time of war, the concept of 'warrior spirit' was highly valued - loyalty, battle prowess and honour was held in very high esteem by common culture, and those who could fulfil all three were greatly admired by civilians and samurai alike.

In childhood, when they still had little knowledge of the true cruelties of the battlefield, both Sanada brothers aspired to one day serve in the Takeda army and uphold the reputation of their clan. Yukimura drove himself tirelessly to perfect his embodiment of the warrior spirit - while Nobuyuki shared this same dream, he placed the needs of his brother before that of himself. From the very beginning, Yukimura's skill surpassed that of his own - but that did not stop him from trying his best to train with his brother.

Time flew. The brothers reached adulthood, and were inducted into the Takeda army. As battle after battle was fought, Yukimura's passion never wavered - but Nobuyuki began to question the concept which his brother ardently pursued. The warrior spirit implied last stands against overwhelming odds - and as he watched valiant men doom themselves to death in its pursuit, he began to lose faith. At Mitakagahara, he participated in a battle to pursue a fleeing enemy daimyo, Ieyasu Tokugawa. Witnessing the pledges of loyalty that Ieyasu's retainers uttered before they fell to the Takeda cavalry, Nobuyuki was further shaken by the apparently futility of the ideal that he had believed in since young. Death was not truly the blaze of glory that Yukimura believed in - it was meaningless to die just for the sake of appearing valiant.

Years pass. The daimyo of the Takeda, Shingen, passed away, and a larger power was growing in the region. Nobunaga Oda, head of the Oda clan, had been aggressively pushing for conquest. While Shingen was still alive, the three clans in the region managed to keep Nobunaga at bay - but as their daimyos passed on one by one, the clans' power diminished. Nobunaga thus began his assault - decimating the entire Takeda cavalry army at Nagashino. The clan's heir perished in its aftermath - and with it, the Sanada's future prospects. It was Yukimura's urgings that enabled Nobuyuki to pick himself up again after this disaster.

Nobunaga's unexpected demise gave the Sanada clan enough breathing room to fully establish themselves as daimyo and no longer vassals. Having witnesses both the destruction of the Takeda and the Oda, Nobuyuki finally comes to a conclusion regarding his true ideals - what mattered was stability, and the ability to live through such turbulent times. Nobuyuki had always placed his family first - and now, his desire to protect them grew even stronger.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi, an Oda retainer, picked up where Nobunaga had left off. He does eventually manage to unite the land, and in the process the Sanada came to serve him. All was relatively peaceful - until Hideyoshi's death from illness. The land was split once more - this time into two factions. One followed Mitsunari Ishida, Hideyoshi's most prominent general; and the other allied themselves with Ieyasu Tokugawa - the man whose patience and stability enabled him to survive not only the clash at Mitakagahara all those years ago, but all subsequent battles since.

In the years in between, Nobuyuki was married to the daughter of a Tokugawa retainer for political reasons. Thus, he was obliged to join Ieyasu's side - not only because of blood ties, but also because he believed that Ieyasu's wisdom and patience would see the Tokugawa and thus the Sanada through the era of war. However, his younger brother had become close friends with Mitsunari - and the warrior spirit drove him to fight even against all odds. Despite Nobuyuki's efforts, the two brothers ended up on opposite sides of the conflict.

The ideal that he had believed in all his childhood had made his worst fear come true - a betrayal that cut deeper than any severed ties. Seeing his younger brother doom himself to a lost cause - and the feeling of utter helplessness that came with it - threatened to shatter what remaining strength he had. His desire to protect his family meant that he would have to take up arms against them. It was either his brother, or his wife. With much grief, he chose the latter - stability was key. Without a family or a home, the warrior spirit could never exist - a harsh fact of life that Yukimura could not accept.

As the final battle at Osaka Castle drew to a close, they dueled each other for the last time. For the first and last time in their lives, Nobuyuki won. But he could not bring himself to harm his brother. And thus, he watched, powerless, as Yukimura charged one last time into the Tokugawa camp - the blaze of glory that his younger brother had always dreamed of.

All in all, Nobuyuki has lived through the Warring States era and come out a changed man. Gone are the childish idealism and stubbornness of youth - instead, he pays much more attention to realistic circumstances and acknowledges the need for adapting to the situation, even if it means bending some rules. Above all, he values his family, almost to a paranoid level - most of them are gone. His parents and brother all fell to the flames of conflict - his wife is the only person he has left.

Note: Different Samurai Warriors games follow different event outcomes. Some games have character routes which deviate from history, such as winning a battle they lost historically, or having friendships with characters they will otherwise not know.

In the same game itself, battles will play out differently depending on the main character selected. While this is not a large issue in the game which Nobuyuki comes from, previous games have vastly different endings in different characters' personal stories. Thus, if characters from previous games and/or different routes meet... they'll have conflicting memories.

✖ Character History: Wiki link here.

✖ Character Personality:
Outwardly, Nobuyuki fits the 'gentleman' archetype quite well. He is polite and respectful towards others, his mannerisms are refined and gentle, and is always ready with a helping hand or listening ear when necessary. He is willing to aid even complete strangers, and will go to great (but reasonable) lengths to ensure that his friends and loved ones are safe.

One key attribute that sets him apart him is his willingness to listen. He is very approachable, and will gladly lend an ear to comrades' ramblings, no matter how trivial. While waiting for their turn during a conversation, other characters spend at least some time thinking up a new point to say (and will eventually speak about themselves) - but not Nobuyuki. He is one of the few people who truly listen, in the most literal sense of the word - completely devoting his attention to the other individual's speech. He tries his best to give others advice about their issues, and is alright with simply being a passive listener to their problems. Any input he gives will cater to his conversation partner, never to himself.

This comes mostly from his genuine concern for others. Through interaction, he makes them feel valued, and derives most of his happiness from seeing them succeed. He does not seem to care about personal glory - instead, he is content with seeing his friends soar to greater heights. He constantly puts others' needs before his own, and always strives to fulfil his responsibilities - perhaps a little too faithfully. Responsibility is something he holds in very high regard - he will complete tasks assigned to the best of his ability, unafraid to push himself to get the job done. This is a code of conduct instilled into him from childhood - the concept of servant leadership, and the importance of empathy in social interactions.

In most situations, he is calm and collected, showing mostly mild emotions. He has great self-control, and is able to remain composed even in high-stress conditions - with one exception. If his family is ever threatened, he will lose his cool, so to speak. (More on that below.) Before acting, he takes time to deliberate, especially over important decisions - though once he has set his mind on something, it is almost impossible to sway him from his intended path.

He has great patience and understanding when interacting with comrades or friends - even if they have inadvertently made a mistake, he still doesn't lose his temper. As long as they feel remorse for their blunder and are genuinely willing to change, he will not berate them too harshly, instead volunteering to help them improve so that such mistakes are not made again. He tries his best to empathize with people, even if he cannot understand them all that well.

However, it is important to note that he does have a strict moral code regarding what is right and wrong. Truly malevolent individuals will find that they face his blade instead of an olive branch, no matter how tolerant he may seem. Especially if they intend to harm his family - he would go all out to protect his loved ones. He despises people who hurt others for their own amusement, whether physically or emotionally. Liars and swindlers also fall under this category - to gain benefit for oneself at the cost of others' happiness is something he regards as a form of capital sin.

In a stark contrast to his receptiveness to others' troubles, he makes it a rule to never unload his own upon anyone else. Even in high-stress situations, he chooses to find consolation from within, reminding himself of the support his friends are able to give him - even thought he never asks for it anyway. This is not because he doesn't trust his friends - he finds it difficult to talk about himself in general. To trouble others with his own problems thus seems unnatural, and he generally deflects such questions addressed to him. He takes care not to show fatigue or sorrow in front of others, concealing all his negativity beneath his usual gentle smile.

All these character traits listed above can be traced to the development occurring during his childhood. The two Sanada brothers are strongly contrasted throughout the game - since young, Yukimura had always been the stronger combatant, and their father intended to set him upon the warrior path. While Nobuyuki did not possess his brother's prowess, Masayuki did see the potential leader within his elder son, and groomed him to be Yukimura's guardian (and indirectly the successor, so to speak). Thus, Nobuyuki acknowledged his role as a facilitator rather than an active participant, accepting the duty of watching over his younger sibling - who was, in his eyes, evidently destined for greatness. In the beginning, he had resented this role, but has since grown to appreciate its importance and find joy in the task.

This extends beyond Yukimura - he is noted in-game to have a 'big brother' personality. In fact, supporting others is something that gives him the strength to fight - the desire to protect drives most of his motivation. Unlike Yukimura, who fights for the sake of living up to the warrior spirit, Nobuyuki finds battles necessary only if they are to prevent grief done to those he cares for. He is by nature a pacifist and dislikes taking up arms, preferring to settle disputes via diplomacy and negotiation. However, there is one thing that will cause him to spring to action - if any of his family members or close friends are in danger, he will not hesitate to cut down anyone trying to hurt them.

Family is... a very important subject for him. While he is usually a calm and collected individual, he is very easily swayed by emotions when it comes to family, and will forego logic and reason if his loved ones are in danger. Growing up with responsible adult figures and having to assume a guardian role for his younger brother, he holds his kin very close to heart. He is greatly affected by their emotional states, sharing both their pain and their joy. His ties to Yukimura are greatly emphasised in-game - supporting his younger brother is what motivates him for most of his life. Such is his dependency on Yukimura that he had believed it impossible to continue living without him - tragically, this is reflected in great irony at the ending of his story mode chapter.

He undergoes significant character development as the storyline unfolds. Through the course of the game, he comes to realize that the warrior spirit does not justify everything. His worldview has shifted: instead of yearning for glory like his younger brother, his utmost concern is still his family - and by extension, stability. Without a family or a home, there will be no place for the warrior spirit - thus, he places protection of his loved once above all else, and is willing to sacrifice everything to ensure that his clan lives on.

Fate tests his conviction in the most ironic way possible - despite his efforts, Yukimura eventually joins the opposing (and losing) side of the conflict. Nobuyuki's worst fear had come true - in order to preserve the family bloodline and ensure his clan's survival, he had to cut down the person he most wanted to protect. He did manage to pull through, and came out a changed man. His devotion to his immediate family has become almost obsessive, the trauma causing him to become quite paranoid - a stark contrast from his usual calm. If his family is threatened, he will in fact drop everything to assist them, often to illogical extremes. While this side of him is hard to induce, once roused he will stop at nothing until the threat is eliminated. (It doesn't help that his family now consists of only three people.)

Overall, Nobuyuki is kindhearted and patient, sometimes to a fault. While some others may interpret his passivity as a weakness, he is best at bringing out the strength in others instead. In fact, it is a task he tries to actively accomplish, willing to properly listen to others' troubles despite his own insecurities. He greets everyone with a calm smile, and values the bonds which he shares with others - though his innermost thoughts are guarded from everyone but himself. Only his family can ever come close to knowing the true extent of grief he harbours in his heart.

✖ Character Powers:
As a normal human, Nobuyuki does not possess any innate supernatural or magical power. However, he does have significant combat prowess and other trained skills.

+ Fighting ability. Nobuyuki wields a dual-bladed katana, which is still unnamed in English terms (the Japanese name for it is 双刻陰陽刀). It roughly translated to Yin-Yang, which is what I will be referring to it as. It can be used with the bottom blade retracted, a fact which he incorporates into his fighting style. The sword is capable of generating tornadoes and shockwaves when spun rapidly. As expected, the larger the tornado, the longer it takes to charge. (A play video of his moveset can be found here. His two larger tornado attacks can be seen here at around the 16:50 mark.) It can also generate a small force-field of sorts, that allows him to block a few attacks. However, it is quite weak, and will break after five hits.

Yin-Yang can be wielded like a normal hand-and-a-half sword, as well as a two-bladed pseudo-staff of sorts. He has mastered it, and is able to use it both as an attacking weapon and for blocking. He has faced off against all sorts of enemies wielding a huge variety of weaponry, and thus can adapt quickly to shifts in combat. One-on-one, one-on-two, one-on-five - you name it, he can handle it. Of course, how long he can handle it will depend on how much stamina he has, but the skill is there.

+ Speaking of stamina, he has more of it than the average human. Being a battle-hardened veteran, he is able to tank through drawn-out campaigns (fighting eight to twelve hours a day, traveling with minimal sleep during retreats, etc). While his physical attack stat falls lower than cast average in the game, it is still at a reasonable level for a swordsman.

He is able to endure battle injuries with a relatively high threshold for pain, but he is usually cautious enough to avoid running himself ragged. Unless it's a desperate situation, of course. In such cases, his willpower enables him to push himself beyond a level of exertion that he is usually comfortable with.

+ In the games, he is classified as a speed-type character. While he falls under the slower section of the speed-character spectrum, he compensates for it by having relatively higher attack power. Of course, he is still weaker compared to the strength-type characters. Overall, his stats are evenly distributed, but with a reasonable bias towards speed.

+ Another attribute of note is his jump height. He has approximately double the jump height of a normal human (at around 1.5m from a stationary position), which can be further boosted by bursts of wind from his weapon. Of course, this costs stamina, so he prefers to not use it unless necessary.

+ Combat Adaptability. While on the field of battle, he is versatile enough to quickly adapt his course of action to counter changes in enemy forces or terrain. This can be summed up as a sort of 'tactical field intelligence' - it definitely doesn't cover overall strategy, but at least he'll be able to hold his own without supervision from higher-ups.

+ Willpower. As mentioned in front, he has great tenacity when needed - especially if his family is at stake. In dangerous situations, he is able to continue pushing himself by pure force of will, leading to his body giving in before his mind. In life-threatening scenarios this will be stretched to superhuman levels - he will often be the last man standing, incapacitated only when his physical body has been torn beyond function.

+ A rather unexpected non-combat talent is his cooking ability. He has a very high level of culinary skill, and can piece together meals from reasonable ingredients. (After all, there aren't much choices when on the march.) His skills range from making hunting kills edible, as well as creating delicate pastries and 'artistic' pieces (in the modern 'masterchef' sense). Suffices to say that his squad will be eating well.

CHARACTER SAMPLES.
✖ First Person POV:
All from the Test Drive.
+ top-level open post
+ with Satsuki
+ with Green

✖ Third Person POV:
It was hanami season again.

The cherry trees of Ueda Castle bloomed fiercely - myriads of pink flowers burst into existence upon their branches, leaving only faint glimpses of foliage here and there. New growth had sprouted while Nobuyuki was away. Gone were the splintered wood and scattered petals that remained after the siege years ago; instead, they were replaced by fresh branches laden with new leaves and blooms. The greenery was recovering well - though their bark still bore healed scars from soldiers' blades.

The people of Ueda Castle usually held a festival to celebrate the occasion, but the war had taxed them too deeply in the previous years. Now that a semblance of peace had returned, they gathered and hosted one of their own accord. As the new head of the Sanada family, he received an invitation to attend. Ina still had obligations within the Tokugawa camps - thus, he came to Ueda Castle alone.

Things had changed. In his childhood, his father was the one organizing all the festival activities. While the basic staples of a carnival were still present - refreshments, performers and games - the people manning the stalls had changed. Gone was the jolly grandfather pushing the dango cart, the lady who baked fortune cookies by the hundreds, the gardeners who dutifully swept away withered leaves - so many familiar faces now replaced by their living relatives. The survivors tried their very best to dress up in festive clothing; but their skewed obis, forced smiles and awkward limps betrayed wounds of both mind and body. Some houses were empty; walls too cracked to be repaired, entire roofs caved in - and a few vacant for the simple reason that there was no longer anyone who could come home.

Despite everyone's efforts, the scars of war still remained. Disguised by relieved smiles and shrouded over by all things stitched up, but still present nevertheless.

Nobuyuki drifted through the tree-lined streets, content to just enjoy the blossoms' fragrance. Wherever he went, children paused in their frolicking and came up to greet him, their adult chaperones following moments later. The people still loved him as they did his father and brother - at least, that was some degree of consolation.

He stopped temporarily beneath an expansive tree, finding its shade soothing despite the placid warmth of the sun. There were little people in this corner of the castle town - it was almost silent, save for the faint sounds of the hanami festival that floated by.

But as all narratives would dictate, the peaceful silence was soon broken by approaching footsteps. A youth approached him - dressed plainly but neatly, with the quiet air of one wiser than his age would otherwise suggest.

"Lord Nobuyuki... please forgive my intrusion, but... may I ask you a question?"

He blinked, the unexpected request throwing him off a little. Nevertheless, the samurai quickly regained his composure.

"Yes, you may."

The youth smiled briefly in relief before he became more serious. "Well, my lord, I always hear that you are a very devoted man. So I was wondering... Will you indeed give your all for the sake of protecting your family, no matter the cost?"

Nobuyuki would have answered almost immediately, as his reply was more of an instinctual reflex than actual cogitated words. However, just a moment before he voiced them, a sudden unexplained sting of fear made him hesitate.

"... Yes, I would."

The instant his sentence ended, the world jolted into white around him. Nobuyuki barely had time to process what had happened before a figure flashed into existence -

- no.

That silhouette - it was of someone he would instantly recognize anywhere. But it couldn't be - the individual in question was already dead -

- he turned to face Nobuyuki, illuminated briefly by the surrounding light before fading away in a flash -

"-Yukimura!"

CHARACTER ITEMS.
✖ Pick a Team: Green team, because his strategic skills aren't good enough to qualify for blue.

✖ Mission Freebie: Ensuring that his remaining family stays safe. Every single one of them, with sanity and bodily parts intact; as well as homes and personal bonds. They must all be safe and live out their lives without further tragedy. (He's really paranoid about this.)
✖ Personal Item or Weapon: Yin-Yang, as a personal weapon

✖ Character Inventory:

+ Yin-Yang
+ The clothes he wears at the moment
+ A piece of torn red cloth
+ A small silver luck charm in the shape of a cherry blossom (given to him by his wife)
[ note: last two items are part of his clothing tied to the inside of his jacket, I just wanted to mention them because of their personal significance ]