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sengetsuNAME: Kojuro Katakura
CANON: Sengoku Basara
AGE: early 30s - specifics are never given in canon, but the evidence there supports the historical information putting him about ten years older that Masamune Date.
APPEARANCE: Here
CANON POINT: Between SB3 and 4
BACKGROUND: The Sengoku Basara anime covers similar events to the first two games, in a more organized fashion (as there are multiple routes, there are multiple endings to the games though some are contradicted by later games). The third anime season, Judge End, covers most of the main events of Sengoku Basara 3. His Sengoku Basara 4 route has a number of backstory flashbacks in it as well. His game wikia page includes some details on his personality and moveset.
PERSONALITY: In many ways, Kojuro defines himself by his relationship to Masamune. For reasons that canon never quite touches on, he's given himself over almost entirely in service to his lord - when Masamune is injured in battle, Kojuro offers to commit seppuku as penance for his failure to protect him, and seems fully prepared to go through with it (Masamune, correctly realizing a dead retainer is even less helpful than one wallowing in what he perceives as his own failure, punches that idea right out of him). Their bond is one of near-absolute trust - while he lives to serve his lord, Kojuro isn't a blind follower. He's Masamune's advisor, as well, and refuses to let Masamune head down the path to self-destruction, and is more than willing to knock some sense of him, both literally and figuratively. After Kojuro knocks Masamune out midway through S1 to keep him from following him to confront Matsunaga Hisahide while he's injured, Shingen points out to Masamune how rare it is to find that combination of skill and trust - Kojuro had incapacitated him while avoiding aggravating his battle injuries.
Through most of the anime and games - almost anything set in the 'present day' for the series - Kojuro's demeanor is collected and calm, even stoic. Masamune compares him to ice in Sengoku Basara 4, and it's apt - while he's not reckless, there's a near-constant gruffness to him. His manner of speech with people not Masamune is direct and a touch rude, and he's not prone to displays of emotion outside of his combined concern and support for Masamune. It is, however, revealed that this persona is one Kojuro has carefully refined and has to actively strive to keep to. When he first met Masamune as a young adult, he was hot-headed and reckless, quick to anger and quick to act on it. When the Date clan leaders are contemplating disinheriting Masamune, thinking that with the loss of his right eye, there's no way he'll be a strong enough head for the clan, Kojuro's reaction is to tell them off, physically assault them, and then declare himself Masamune's right eye. While it's not directly shown, it's implied Kojuro began to restrain himself so that Masamune could be the reckless one instead.
These personality traits haven't been erased, though - merely well-hidden. In SB4, Masamune eggs him into 'going wild' near the end of his normal route, which Kojuro gives into. In the second season of the anime, when he learns Hanbei had attacked Masamune in his absence, and done so in an underhanded manner (attacking at his back), Kojuro's reaction is to personally track down Hanbei and give him hell. When he does so, his whole demeanor changes, becoming looser and far more aggressive. Hanbei comments that the oath inscribed on Kojuro's blade is a seal on his inner darkness, which has truth to it, if only metaphorically - it is in service to that vow that he practices restraint.
While he's not outwardly emotional or expressive of most of his feelings, and very little he is or does could be considered soft or welcoming, he is ultimately a good person, who cares about others, even if he doesn't show it well. It comes through in small moments, and in the choices he makes - worrying over Masamune when he's injured, risking his own life to save some of the Date retainers even though they're not irreplaceable, allowing Hanbei to take him captive to keep him from slaughtering peasants in Date lands. While he's a warrior, and clearly believes in the right to rule by force, he considers the needs of non-warriors as well, and isn't needlessly cruel.
ABILITIES: Unlike nearly everyone else in his canon, Kojuro has a relatively normal set of primary weapons and fighting style. He typically wields a daisho (katakana and wakizashi set), and his sword style is fairly plain, leaning towards favoring his strength rather than raw speed or acrobatics. Despite the lack of fancy moves, though, he's quite skilled - he can match Masamune, who is arguably one of the most skilled swordfighters in the series, and there are hints that Kojuro is actually better than him.Kojuro is also fairly skilled hand-to-hand - it's not his primary fighting style like it is for some characters, but he can hold his own. Like his swordfighting, this also tends to be direct and strength-backed - lots of punches and kicks instead of throws or moves favoring agility.
Like Masamune, Kojuro's elemental alignment is lighting. This tends to manifest more like an aura around him, and add an extra 'kick' to his attacks, rather than being an attack by itself. It also doesn't usually manifest unless he's seriously ticked off about something.
Outside of direct combat, he's also an extremely skilled strategist. He's able to dissect and predict the strategies and moves of other commanders without a great deal of direct evidence, and Hanbei considers him skilled enough to forcefully recruit for the Toyotomi forces (with the strong implication that his role would be as Hanbei's replacement, as Hanbei is clearly aware his own days are numbered). Much of Masamune's success on the battlefield rests on top of Kojuro's plans and advice. Masamune's level in Sengoku Basara 3 also shows him to be a skilled rider, capable of fighting on horseback, and some of the dialoge lines suggest he has experience breaking and training horses for riding as well.
In the mundane realm, it's highly likely that he helps out with the administrative business of governing Oshuu, and he also seems to be a pretty decent gardener.
INVENTORY:
-battlefield clothes, including a leather duster with a moon and clouds emblem on the back
-armor - plate metal greaves and bracers, with fine chainmail gloves, and a scale cuirass
-daisho - traditional katana and wakizashi set, in black scabbards. The katana has an inscription that reads '我成独眤竜石目唯生涯' or roughly 'Bonten will become the one-eyed dragon soaring the heavens'
CANON: Sengoku Basara
AGE: early 30s - specifics are never given in canon, but the evidence there supports the historical information putting him about ten years older that Masamune Date.
APPEARANCE: Here
CANON POINT: Between SB3 and 4
BACKGROUND: The Sengoku Basara anime covers similar events to the first two games, in a more organized fashion (as there are multiple routes, there are multiple endings to the games though some are contradicted by later games). The third anime season, Judge End, covers most of the main events of Sengoku Basara 3. His Sengoku Basara 4 route has a number of backstory flashbacks in it as well. His game wikia page includes some details on his personality and moveset.
PERSONALITY: In many ways, Kojuro defines himself by his relationship to Masamune. For reasons that canon never quite touches on, he's given himself over almost entirely in service to his lord - when Masamune is injured in battle, Kojuro offers to commit seppuku as penance for his failure to protect him, and seems fully prepared to go through with it (Masamune, correctly realizing a dead retainer is even less helpful than one wallowing in what he perceives as his own failure, punches that idea right out of him). Their bond is one of near-absolute trust - while he lives to serve his lord, Kojuro isn't a blind follower. He's Masamune's advisor, as well, and refuses to let Masamune head down the path to self-destruction, and is more than willing to knock some sense of him, both literally and figuratively. After Kojuro knocks Masamune out midway through S1 to keep him from following him to confront Matsunaga Hisahide while he's injured, Shingen points out to Masamune how rare it is to find that combination of skill and trust - Kojuro had incapacitated him while avoiding aggravating his battle injuries.
Through most of the anime and games - almost anything set in the 'present day' for the series - Kojuro's demeanor is collected and calm, even stoic. Masamune compares him to ice in Sengoku Basara 4, and it's apt - while he's not reckless, there's a near-constant gruffness to him. His manner of speech with people not Masamune is direct and a touch rude, and he's not prone to displays of emotion outside of his combined concern and support for Masamune. It is, however, revealed that this persona is one Kojuro has carefully refined and has to actively strive to keep to. When he first met Masamune as a young adult, he was hot-headed and reckless, quick to anger and quick to act on it. When the Date clan leaders are contemplating disinheriting Masamune, thinking that with the loss of his right eye, there's no way he'll be a strong enough head for the clan, Kojuro's reaction is to tell them off, physically assault them, and then declare himself Masamune's right eye. While it's not directly shown, it's implied Kojuro began to restrain himself so that Masamune could be the reckless one instead.
These personality traits haven't been erased, though - merely well-hidden. In SB4, Masamune eggs him into 'going wild' near the end of his normal route, which Kojuro gives into. In the second season of the anime, when he learns Hanbei had attacked Masamune in his absence, and done so in an underhanded manner (attacking at his back), Kojuro's reaction is to personally track down Hanbei and give him hell. When he does so, his whole demeanor changes, becoming looser and far more aggressive. Hanbei comments that the oath inscribed on Kojuro's blade is a seal on his inner darkness, which has truth to it, if only metaphorically - it is in service to that vow that he practices restraint.
While he's not outwardly emotional or expressive of most of his feelings, and very little he is or does could be considered soft or welcoming, he is ultimately a good person, who cares about others, even if he doesn't show it well. It comes through in small moments, and in the choices he makes - worrying over Masamune when he's injured, risking his own life to save some of the Date retainers even though they're not irreplaceable, allowing Hanbei to take him captive to keep him from slaughtering peasants in Date lands. While he's a warrior, and clearly believes in the right to rule by force, he considers the needs of non-warriors as well, and isn't needlessly cruel.
ABILITIES: Unlike nearly everyone else in his canon, Kojuro has a relatively normal set of primary weapons and fighting style. He typically wields a daisho (katakana and wakizashi set), and his sword style is fairly plain, leaning towards favoring his strength rather than raw speed or acrobatics. Despite the lack of fancy moves, though, he's quite skilled - he can match Masamune, who is arguably one of the most skilled swordfighters in the series, and there are hints that Kojuro is actually better than him.Kojuro is also fairly skilled hand-to-hand - it's not his primary fighting style like it is for some characters, but he can hold his own. Like his swordfighting, this also tends to be direct and strength-backed - lots of punches and kicks instead of throws or moves favoring agility.
Like Masamune, Kojuro's elemental alignment is lighting. This tends to manifest more like an aura around him, and add an extra 'kick' to his attacks, rather than being an attack by itself. It also doesn't usually manifest unless he's seriously ticked off about something.
Outside of direct combat, he's also an extremely skilled strategist. He's able to dissect and predict the strategies and moves of other commanders without a great deal of direct evidence, and Hanbei considers him skilled enough to forcefully recruit for the Toyotomi forces (with the strong implication that his role would be as Hanbei's replacement, as Hanbei is clearly aware his own days are numbered). Much of Masamune's success on the battlefield rests on top of Kojuro's plans and advice. Masamune's level in Sengoku Basara 3 also shows him to be a skilled rider, capable of fighting on horseback, and some of the dialoge lines suggest he has experience breaking and training horses for riding as well.
In the mundane realm, it's highly likely that he helps out with the administrative business of governing Oshuu, and he also seems to be a pretty decent gardener.
INVENTORY:
-battlefield clothes, including a leather duster with a moon and clouds emblem on the back
-armor - plate metal greaves and bracers, with fine chainmail gloves, and a scale cuirass
-daisho - traditional katana and wakizashi set, in black scabbards. The katana has an inscription that reads '我成独眤竜石目唯生涯' or roughly 'Bonten will become the one-eyed dragon soaring the heavens'