According to Tamai, character settings are the key to the composition of the fragments of knowledge to make up
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna as entertainment contents. People in Kasuga's parallel world show differences from those in the real history, keeping their identity in trivial aspects. In addition to the most remarkable gender-swapping, basic properties like the dates of birth and death are often different. Moreover, each character has a strong impression based on appearance, personality, skills, habits, and the way of speaking. The story tells how female Nobuna accomplishes her ambition of the unification of Japan in several years (Yoshiharu's monologue in volume 19), in which male
Nobunaga failed after his thirty-year struggle, and how she then participates in global politics. In the beginning, Nobuna is already the head of the Oda clan in the
Owari Province, but her position is instable. The story first depicts characters in the Oda clan and in its neighbors in the provinces of
Mino,
Mikawa, and
Suruga. As Oda's reach expands, the story introduces more characters with more complex relationships among them. In addition to and their retainers, the author features a wide variety of characters: the empress and court nobles; merchants; mercenary soldiers; religious groups; and experts in literature, art, and
tea ceremony. The last four volumes of the novel even introduce 16th century European political/military figures such as
Elizabeth I from England,
Don Juan de Austria from Spain, and
Maurits van Nassau from the Netherland (as female characters), who never visited Japan in the real history.
Oda Clan The status of the Oda clan as the of the
Owari Province was established by the previous head
Nobuhide. When he deceased, his daughter Nobuna inherited his position. The succession was not welcomed by those who supported Nobukatsu, a younger brother of Nobuna. They thus had an internal conflict, when Yoshiharu suddenly appeared on the field of the battle between Oda and Imagawa. (volume 1) Nobuna unifies her clan, negotiates with the neighbor , and defeats the Imagawa at the
Battle of Okehazama (volume 1). She then conquers the
Mino Province (volume 2) and marches into the capital
Kyoto (volume 3). The expansion of Oda power so frightens other political forces that they form an anti-Oda alliance. Nobuna also expands her network and seeks allies. The focus of the story is thus on the people around the Oda clan. ; : : A modern-day teenager who slipped into this strange
Sengoku world. He has characteristics reminiscent of
Hideyoshi Toyotomi including his nickname Saru. Grown up in a peaceful society, he had no combat skill except for the extraordinary reflexes to dodge attacks. Through experiences in battlefields, he is becoming an excellent warrior and commander. He is afraid of Nobuna's fate. Because she forbade him from telling it to her, Yoshiharu alone started his struggle to alter history. Being fond of women, he also alters history by saving other female . :He does not think of returning his present-day home, as a rare case for light novel characters in 2009. ; : :The of
Owari. Known as the "Big Fool of Owari", her figure resembles the depiction of
Nobunaga in historical materials. She is an ambitious teenage girl who plans conquer Japan to make it able to stand on equal ground with advanced European nations. For her cruel acts driven by anger, she is compared to , an enemy of
Buddha, despite her really kind heart. She develops feelings for Yoshiharu with
tsundere attitudes, entering into a secret love relationship. ; : : Nicknamed , she is a brilliant swordsmaster, sniper, tactician, and strategist. She served the Saitō in Mino and later becomes Nobuna's general. Jūbei wants to be acknowledged by others, especially by Nobuna – whom she admires. Her inability to read the atmosphere often cause troubles. After saving Yoshiharu's life in volume 4, Jūbei begins to develop feelings for him, admitting her love in volume 11. :The story reminds readers of the historical fact that
Mitsuhide killed
Nobunaga at
Honnō-ji. As well as readers, Yoshiharu has been bothered thinking of the fates of Jūbei and Nobuna since volume 2. ; : :Nicknamed , she is the most brave general of the Oda. She was an aide to Nobuna's brother, but her true loyalty lay with Nobuna. After his failed rebellion, she became Nobuna's vassal (volume 1). She wears a steel breastplate that accentuates the shape of her bosom and is easily angered by those who stare at it. She becomes the of Echizen in volume 7. ; : :Nicknamed , she serves the Oda as a tactician. She always remains calm and makes appropriate decisions based on the situation. She also has a habit of assigning "points" to indicate her approval or disapproval of anything from battle strategies to bad jokes. She is considered to be the big sister overseeing the group of Oda vassals and cares for Nobuna greatly. She governs over Wakasa (volume 7) and oversees the construction of the
Azuchi Castle (volume 9). ; : :Also known as , she is a of the
Yamato Province. She is called "The Witch of Civil Wars" and is able to change her pipe into a spear or a sword and can use teleportation and illusion magic in anime. She allied with the Miyoshi Three and sought to burn the country to the ground. During the Battle at
Kiyomizu Temple, however, Danjō finds people who would accept her. She surrenders and joins the Oda. She was acquainted with Dōsan in the past. :She respects Nobuna's naive and hopeful dreams. In volume 9, she attempts to clear infame rumors about Nobuna. She declares a rebellion against the Oda and finally kills herself to bear the blame of Nobuna's past actions. ; : :A ninja who stutters and bites her tongue (described with
hiragana and almost unreadable in novel) whenever she has to speak extensively. She serves Yoshiharu after her former master
Tōkichirō Kinoshita suddenly died. She is also the leader of , a task force of militiamen, brigands, and hunters who adore her. Very little is known about her past as she does not talk about herself much. Due her small build, she is a very capable spy and is able to infiltrate prisons and castles. She is also strong in close combat. ; : :She is a young girl and spear wielder with the tiger headdress and the big red spear. Although having the formal name , she is called Inuchiyo. She is also part of Yoshiharu's loyal followers and serves as his personal bodyguard. : In novel, unlike her anime counterpart, she does not initially wear her tiger headdress. After cutting down Nobukatsu's page, she is temporarily exiled. When she returns during the
Battle of Okehazama, she shows her appearance with the tiger headdress for the first time. ; : :A gifted strategist serving Yoshiharu. She was a general of the Saitō clan, but she defected to the Oda in volume 2. She swears her loyalty to Yoshiharu and, through serving him, help Nobuna achieve her ambition. As an
Onmyōji, she can summon powerful
Shikigami familiars. She suffers from poor health, expecting that her life will be short. :An early plot of the novel prepared a story following the real history, in which Hanbē dies and Kanbē replaces her position. The author did not use it. Hanbē recovers from a critical condition in volume 9 and continues to support Yoshiharu throughout the story. ; : :Hanbē's double and familiar. He is a powerful and intelligent spirit, because his true form is
Abe no Seimei, although taking the form of a
goblin fox usually. His power is nevertheless weakening, as the source of that was dried up. Zenki finally vanishes in volume 9. He foretells that Yoshiharu will have "women trouble" which comes true many times throughout the story. ; : :A childish girl and Yoshiharu's neighbor who treats Yoshiharu as her older brother. This relationship was arranged as a joke to fulfill Nobuna's promise to Yoshiharu to give him the most beautiful girl in the land (volume 1). Nobuna also uses Nene to keep Yoshiharu in check and to keep him from flirting with other women. ; : :A female samurai and scout of the Oda clan. ; : :Another female samurai and scout of the Oda clan. ; :Also known as . The of the
Ise Province, the of
Ise Shrine, and a retainer of Nobuna. She specializes in
arquebus shooting and in naval battles using Kuki Navy. She is also a
ninja who grew up in
Kōga (甲賀), although she escaped from there. (volume 5) : Her figure is almost identical to Himiko. She also has psychic powers; she can force anyone to answer any question she asks truthfully by touching the forehead of said person. (volume 5) ; :The leader of the female-only or Kuki Navy and a retainer of Kazumasu. She is apparently on an age where her subordinates worry about her single marital status. ; :The head of the
Kuroda clan in the
Harima Province, also called Don Simeon. She used to be an
Onmyōji. She then learned
alchemy and
electromagnetism to be an expert in Western knowledge and machinery. She is assigned by Nobuna to be Yoshiharu's second strategist to establish the alliance of
Harima to stop the advance of the Mōri army (volume 8). :Kanbē regarded Yoshiharu as a hindrance to Nobuna's goal, but later she changed her opinion. During the battles in Harima, she becomes close to Hanbē. ; :A former retainer of the
Amako in
Iwami and an enemy of the
Mōri, who destroyed the Amako. She is also the leader of . She becomes a retainer of Yoshiharu in volume 8. From her suggestive talk and behavior toward suffering and pain, Yoshiharu suspects she is a masochist. ; :Nobuna and Nobukatsu's mother. She has an estranged relationship with Nobuna, which worsens as the story goes. Reconciliation with the mother is a part of Nobuna's ambition, which realizes in volume 21. ; :A
philologist,
archaeologist, and Nobuna's sworn-sister. She has collected the
Three Imperial Regalia to use their miraculous power to help Nobuna. Ujisato is a Christian and Nobuna calls her by her baptismal name Leon.
Neighbors ; : :The of the
Mino Province, to the north of Owari. With an impregnable fortress on an important strategic point, Mino is the first barrier to the ambition of Nobuna . Dōsan, an aged but ambitious man known as the "Viper of Mino", wanted to start a war with Nobuna, but after hearing her dream he allies with the Oda by appointing Nobuna as the next ruler of Mino. This angered his son Yoshitatsu, who launches rebellion against him. Yoshiharu saves Dōsan at
Nagara-gawa. After the defeat of his son, he was able to retake his position as of Mino. As a father figure to her, Nobuna cares about Dōsan who she considers her father-in-law. ; :Dōsan's daughter. Upon Yoshitatsu's rebellion, Dōsan sends Kichō to Owari (with Jūbei's escote in anime). She hardly appears in the original story of light novel. However, she appears in the spin-off work,
Azuchi Nikki 3. ; : :The of the
Mikawa Province. As sandwiched by Oda and Imagawa, she has carefully negotiated them. In the beginning, she was merely a minor vassal of the Imagawa. After the Imagawa's defeat at
Okehazama, she gained independence and allied with the Oda. She and Nobuna were childhood friends, when she was a hostage of the Oda. She fears and respects Nobuna, and always intends to help Nobuna. : Later she changed her name to Ieyasu Tokugawa, due to the plot of her trusted vassal
Masanobu Honda seeking independence from the Oda, which consequently forces the Tokugawa participate the
Battle of Sekigahara on the anti-Oda side. ; : :The leader of the ninja troop serving Motoyasu. He is consistently loyal to his master. He allows Yoshiharu to report Nobuna the location of Yoshimoto's army in
Okehazama so that his master will no longer be a vassal of the Imagawas (volume 1). He often cooperates with Yoshiharu, ordered by Motoyasu or by his own decision. ; : :Former of
Suruga and current shogun of Japan. She was considered the most likely one to conquer Japan, because of her large force and relation to the clan of
Ashikaga shoguns. However, she was defeated at
Okehazama by Oda's surprise attack. Yoshimoto was spared from being killed thanks to Yoshiharu's intervention (volume 1). Nobuna makes Yoshimoto the new
shogun as her figurehead (volume 3). Yoshimoto usually acts as a foolish, extravagant, arrogant princess, but plays a critical role at critical moments to aid the Oda. She seems attracted to Yoshiharu, though he shows no particular care for this.
Ōmi and Echizen The
Ōmi Province is the land surrounding the
Lake Biwa, being the eastern gateway to Kyoto. The South Ōmi is ruled by the
Rokkaku, while the North is by the Asai (or
Azai).
Echizen is the province located to the north of Ōmi, ruled by the
Asakura. After conquering Ōmi, Nobuna builds
Azuchi Castle there (volume 12). In volumes 16–18, battles occurred in
Sekigahara, to the east of Azuchi. ; :The of the South Ōmi. He is a pedophile who almost victimized Nagamasa Asai and Ujisato Gamō in their childhood. :Jōtei and his son are excellent archers. They make several shots to Nobuna cornered at a small fort during
a battle in Osaka, but Yoshiharu defends the arrows with his body. (volume 11) ; :The Asai's previous head. He does not accept a woman as a , so that her daughter should disguised her gender to inherit the headship. :He also prefers the alliance with Asakura to that with Oda. When Oda and Asakura started war, he forced Nagamasa to cancel the alliance and attack the Oda at
Kanegasaki. Hisamasa effectively takes the power of the Asai clan and fights the Oda under the alliance with the Asakura. Upon the Oda's victory, Hisamasa commits
seppuku but not before leaving a message for his daughter to live her life as a girl. ;/ : :The Asai's current head, a woman living as a man. She attempted to marry Nobuna, but failed. Instead, the Oda seal the alliance by giving Nobuna's sister Oichi to Nagamasa as the bride (in reality Oichi is Nobuna's brother Nobusumi, disguised as a girl). When the couple discover each other's true gender, Nobusumi and Nagamasa fall deeply in love. This makes Nagamasa a sincere ally of Oda. When Hisamasa ordered her to fight Nobuna, she refused it and is imprisoned (volume 3). :When the Asai was defeated, Nagamasa's death was announced, but she was secretly saved. Borrowing the name "Oichi", that Nobusumi used when he was disguised as a girl, she recovers her true gender and starts her new life with Nobusumi. (volume 7) ;// : :Nobuna's younger brother. He attempted a rebellion against Nobuna, but failed. He changed his name to Nobusumi Tsuda to show loyalty to Nobuna. By dropping the surname "Oda", he renounced the position of the of Owari. :He fell in love with Nagamasa, when they both disguised their gender (volume 3). After the end of the war between Oda and Asai-Asakura, they are finally reunited as lovers (volume 7). ; : :The of
Echizen and a former ally of the Miyoshi Three. After Konoe betrayed his allies at Mt. Hiei, Yoshikage canceled the alliance. Nevertheless, he is still at war with the Oda. He is immersed with
The Tale of Genji and desires the most beautiful women in Japan, especially Nobuna. :During the climax of the war with the Oda, he is beheaded by Hisanaga Tsuchimikado and becomes as a magical instrument of
Onmyōdō (volume 7). The demon attacks Nobuna in Kyoto, but is defeated (volume 9). He is further reincarnated as a female warlord
Murashige Araki, whose life is depicted in the spin-off
Azuchi Nikki 1. ; : :Original characters for the TV anime version. Twin sister who serve the Asakura and renowned as beautiful but blood thirsty warriors. They were defeated by Katsuie during the Burning of Mt. Hiei, but spared from being killed. ; :An
Onmyōji at the service of the Asakura and the current leader of the Tsuchimikado, the headmaster clan of
Onmyōdō. He is a young boy but cruel and quite overconfident. When attacking Yoshiharu who is retreating from Kanegasaki, he states that the entire reason he appeared was to take Yoshiharu's head for the Asai and Asakura (volume 4). In Eizan (
Mt. Hiei), he is defeated by Hanbē, who summons the most powerful ancestor of the Tsuchimikado family (volume 4). However, he later renews his confidence in defeating her, when Hanbē is rendered powerless (volume 7).
Christians Missionaries and merchants came from Europe, and some Japanese people became interested in Christianity and were baptized. Nobuna is not a Christian, but she respects religious freedom and imports advanced European technology. She obtains an edict from the empress Himiko, authorizing the mission of Christianity (volume 3), and later establishes a mission school in the Castletown of
Azuchi, gathering students from
Christian daimyos like
Sōrin Ōtomo (volume 12). Although not included in the list below, the following people were also baptized: Mitsuhide Akechi (Gracia), Kanbē Kuroda (Don Simeon), Ujisato Gamō (Leon), and Yukinaga Konishi (Agostinho). (volumes 8–10 and 16) ; : :A of
Ōshu in the
Tohoku region and the future . She is a companion and bodyguard of Louise Frois and a potential ally of the Oda. Possessing heterochromia, she also has a case of
chūnibyō (8th grader adolescent delusions), believing her red eye has special powers which is hidden under an eyepatch. Like Nobuna, she has an estranged relationship with her mother (volume 7). She is also the main character of
the light novel spin off Jakigan Ryū Masamune. ; : Bontenmaru's aide and caretaker. She usually has to deal with Bontenmaru's antics and tries to keep her under control. For her androgynous appearance, she is often mistaken for a boy much to her displeasure. (volumes 7 and 19) ; : :A Portuguese nun and missionary. She has come to Japan to help the sick and defenseless. Noted for extremely large breasts, which she believes are sinful due to how others react to them, however, Yoshiharu convinces her that she is not a sinner (volume 3). She and Yoshiharu share same dream for establishing a peaceful world. She is the female version of
Luís Fróis, who befriended the real-life
Nobunaga Oda. ;
Organtino :An Italian missionary who first appears in volume 5 alongside the knight Giovanna L'Ortese on the "
Shima España Isle" (志摩イスパニア島, ). He is Louise's junior and looks up to her. Hearing about Nobuna's openness and good treatment of foreign cultures, he later cooperate with the Oda. ;
Giovanna L'Ortese :A knight of the honorable
St. John Knights from
Spain. She initially was seen as an enemy by Kazumasu. However, after dueling Yoshiharu, it was revealed that her intentions were not hostile. She becomes an ally of them (volume 5). She believes that eating and sleeping are the two most important things to a knight. She has a habit of blatantly ignoring conversations around her while eating. ; : :A Christian and lord of
Takatsuki (near Kyoto, in the north of
Settsu Province), who aided the Oda Faction during the Battle at
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. (volume 3) ; : :A Christian merchant and samurai who aided the Oda in the Battle at Kiyomizu Temple (volume 3). ; :A Christian of the
Bungo Province. Renowned as the "Queen of Bungo", she governs a wide territory of the northern
Kyushu. She retains Gaspar Cabral as her military advisor. Due to her regret of letting her brothers die in war, she is in bad mental conditions so that she cannot be saved either by the Cristian belief or by romantic love. ; : The head of the Japanese branch of the
Catholic Dominus Order. His figure resembles Xavier, but little is known about his past. He remembers only the phrase . (volume 15) :He can foresee visions of future events through a magic stone called "Platonic Solid". Serving Sōrin, he tries to hinder the alteration of history by Yoshiharu. ; : The first missionary in Japan. He met Nobuna and Sōrin during their childhood and had great influence on them. He died in
Goa of
India, before the story begins. A dialogue between him and Nobuna is described in the extra short story added to the volume 10 of
the 2015 revised edition light novel.
Miyoshi Triumvirate (Miyoshi Three) and allies The
Miyoshi clan is based on the
Awa Province of the
Shikoku island. It served the
Hosokawa, the deputy of the
Muromachi shogunate, at Kyoto. After the
Ōnin War, the Miyoshi had gained its power and effectively ruled Kyoto and its surrounding areas over the
Ashikaga shoguns. However, the Miyoshi had an internal conflict following the death of the head
Nagayoshi, with four retainers assuming the power. They called themselves the , despite being a group of four (volume 2 of
the revised edition). Against the Oda's conquest of Kyoto, they seek coalition of several factions. ; : :The . He is a manipulative politician who wants to pacify Japan under the empress Himiko. :In anime, he slowly loses his sanity and in a desperate attempt to kill Nobuna. He betrays his allies by
setting Mount Hiei on fire, notwithstanding he and his allies are there. He is finally crushed by the collapsing
Enryaku-ji temple. :In novel, he neither fights Nobuna nor dies at Mt. Hiei (called ). He consistently devotes himself in protecting the empress Himiko, retaining his manipulative and arrogant personality. :Later, he knows that Kazumasu is a sister of Himiko (volume 10) and that Yoshiharu is a descendent of the
Sagara of
Higo, related to the
Fujiwara clan (volume 13). These make Konoe inclined to appoint Yoshiharu to the next . ; : :A rich merchant from
Sakai. He joined Konoe's conspiracy hoping to gain a profit from it. After being betrayed by Konoe, he made peace with the Oda. ; : :The
Buddhist head monk of the
temple of Mt. Hiei. He hated foreigners for spreading Christianity. He joined Konoe's conspiracy to expel them from Japan. As Konoe lit Mount Hiei, Gōsei finally recognized the madness of Konoe. He fled the mountain but was captured. Shortly afterwards Louise joined Gōsei in praying to save the burning temple, much to his surprise. Recognizing the benevolent nature of the missionary, he made peace with the Oda and the Christians. ; : :A general formerly working for the Miyoshi Three. He was one of the figurehead leaders of the alliance. After being defeated at Kyoto, he and his brothers fled to
Shikoku. ; : :Another former general of the Miyoshi Three and Masayasu's brother.
Honbyō Temple Honbyō Temple (本猫寺) is the headquarter of Nyankō-shū (にゃんこう宗). They are the counterparts to
Hongan-ji (本願寺) and
Ikkō-shū (一向宗) in the real history. Nyankō-shū adores
cats like gods and emphasizes
laughter as a means of relief. Rituals at Honbyō Temple take the form of (skit). This religion has spread and led popular uprising across Japan. The history of Nyankō-shū is explained in volume 6 of
the revised edition. Amid rising tensions between Oda and Honbyō Temple, they hold a game, instead of war. This once leads to their reconciliation and an agreement is reached to hold a soccer game every year (volume 6). However, the second game is never held. Instead, war breaks out in Osaka (volume 10). ; :The leader of Nyankō-shū. She is half human, half , with the ears and tail of a cat, capable of regenerating. She believes that laughter is the best way to bring peace. After the first soccer game, she accepts disarming her forces, acting as a middleman between the Oda and the anti-Oda factions (volume 6). :In volume 9, she loses her powers and becomes a normal girl. She is thereby expelled from the temple. ; :Kennyo's younger sister, who has cat ears and tail as well as Kennyo. She has a hard line against Oda. After Kennyo was expelled, Kyōnyo takes the power of the sect and calls to arms the followers to cause a mass rebellion. She allies with Mōri to have war against Oda. ; :The leader of the
Saika group, an ally of Honbyō Temple, expertized in arquebus shooting. She does not believe in the spiritual power of Nyankō-shū leaders. Disliking senseless casualty, Magoichi tries to persuade Kyōnyo not to involve ordinary people in the war, but failed. : Being a mercenary, she is later hired by Date (volume 7) or even by Oda (volume 17). She takes a liking to Yoshiharu and even wants him to become her husband.
Mōri Clan and allies The Mōri are the most powerful force in western Japan. Based on the
Aki Province, they effectively control almost the entire
Chugoku region and the
Seto Inland Sea through the alliance with the
Ukita clan and the . When Nobuna conquers
Kyoto and its surrounding areas, the
Harima Province to the west of Kyoto becomes the front line of the battle between Oda and Mōri (volume 8). Naval battles later occur in
Osaka Bay (volumes 10 and 11). Mōri's status was established by the previous head
Motonari. He used his three children to expand the power of the clan. The eldest son
Takamoto became the successor to the Mōri. Two daughters, Motoharu and Takakage, were adopted into different families:
Kikkawa and
Kobayakawa respectively. As Takamoto died young, Motoharu and Takakage substantially lead the Mōri. ; :A younger sister of Yoshiteru Ashikaga, the 13th
Ashikaga shogun. Upon the Miyoshi Three's
coup d'état, Yoshiteru and his sister fled to China in exile. Learning that Yoshimoto became the new
shogun with the backing of the Oda, Yoshiaki returns to Japan to claim back what is rightfully hers. With the Mōri, she seeks help from anti-Oda factions to regain the shogunate. ; :The of
Bizen, the east front of Mōri's territory. He serves the Mōri only to ensure his position. He prefers to manipulate his enemies and lure them into various traps. He is also an expert sniper. :He kills men without hesitation, but would never hurt women – although he may manipulate them. His last piece of benevolence goes to his daughter Hideie. (volumes 8 and 9) ; :Naoie's only daughter. She does not want her father to lose the humanity. ; :Also known as , she is a daughter of Joaqim Konishi, a Christian merchant and samurai from
Sakai. She serves as bodyguard for Hideie under Naoie's order in volume 9. She later cooperates with Yoshiharu in volumes 15 and 17. ; :She is a famous general known to keep her cool no matter the situation. She believes Japan must be unified and be able to compete with European countries. Following the teachings of her father, she tries to determine who is the right person to take on the heavy responsibility to unify Japan. (volume 9) :At the first naval battle with the Kuki Navy, Takakage saves Yoshiharu who was hit with arrows and fell into the sea, almost dying. As Yoshiharu has lost his memory, he starts new life in the Murakami Navy and develops the relationship with Takakage. The romance between the two is depicted in volume 11 and the spin-off book
Azuchi Nikki 2. ; :Older sister of Takakage with almost identical figure to her. In contrast to her sister, Motoharu is not a very deep thinker and only wants to see how things will go through. She is nicknamed "The Valiant General" and is the Mōri's number one leader in battles. Out of the battlefield, she writes derivative fantasies of love affairs between male warlords from old military stories. Takakage compares her to a
Fujoshi. (volumes 10 and 11) ; :The Murakami Navy's leader, called "Pirate King", he is an ally of the Mōri, despite remaining semi-independent. He was close to deceased
Takamoto, Takakage and Motoharu's older brother, and he sees himself as a protector for both sisters (volume 11).
Other daimyos ; :The of the
Kai Province, at the central Japan. Called the "Tiger of Kai", she terrifies the neighbors with her strong armies. She also rivals with the equally renowned
Kenshin Uesugi. In private, she goes by the name , a lighthearted and cheerful girl. She regards Yoshiharu as the person whom her mentor
Kansuke Yamamoto described to be the "man from the heavens" (volume 5). She later enters into a temporary alliance with the Oda (volume 7). :Being the rival of Kenshin, they repeatedly fought each other. Mikage Kasuga wrote the spin-off story
Ten to Chi to Hime to for them. ; :Shingen's younger sister. ; :The of the
Echigo Province of the
Hokuriku region. She is a powerful warrior and viewed as a living god, nicknamed both "The Dragon of Echigo" and "The God of War" – indeed, she herself believes that she is an incarnation of
Bishamonten, the Buddhist god of war (volume 12). She leads her "Army of Justice" to fight for those who are oppressed. She has the official authority to control the
Kantō region as
the deputy of shogun (volume 9), for which she collaborated with Konoe in the past (volume 10). :The spin-off series
Ten to Chi to Hime to features her and her rival, Shingen. The author says that Kenshin was the most difficult character to create. ; :Kenshin's younger sister. ; :A gifted military advisor of Kenshin. She has been dispatched several times to the
Date. She has thereby been close to Kojūrō Katakura. (volumes 7, 19, and 20) ; : The of the
Sagami Province of the
Kantō region. Nicknamed the "Lion of Sagami", she is an ally of Shingen. Ujiyasu prefers defensive battles based on
Odawara Castle. She does not directly interfere with Nobuna's campaign mainly unfolding far west of Sagami. However, she is an important diplomatic opponent of the Oda, because of her potential conflicts with the neighbors. (volume 7) :She employs the
ninja troop named
Fūma and dispatches them to various regions to purse
Hojō's political strategy. She tries to assassinate Nobuna and Yoshiharu, and even Shingen, once she realizes they are defenseless (volume 7). :In volume 19, she makes the first contact with the Golden Crusade. ; :A Konoe's spy sent to Nobuna. She fails her mission, is captured, and finally kills herself by intentionally stopping the heart. Danjō estimates that she would be a Fūma ninja and revives her body using to create a new person called
Kashin Koji. ; :The
Mogami clan rules the
Dewa Province on the west coast of the
Tohoku region. It often has territorial disputes with neighboring Date and Uesugi. The head is
Yoshiaki. His younger sister married into the Date and is the mother of Bontenmaru. ; :The
Sagara clan rules the South of
Higo Province in the
Kyushu region. The head is ; confusingly, her name has the same pronunciation as the novel's main character's: "Yoshiharu Sagara". In volume 13, she hands over the headship to her sister, and changes the pronunciation of her name to "Yoshihi". She then becomes Yoshiharu's deputy and elder sister in-law. Yoshihi works with him until the farewell at the climax of the story. ; :The
Shimazu clan rules the
Satsuma Province, the southern tip of the
Kyushu island. It has rapidly expanded its power, with its brave soldiers and a large number of arquebuses. The head works well with her three younger sisters, , , and , to maintain the clan's unity.
Golden Crusade A union of ambassadors and armed forces from Europe, called the . They are under the complex motivation of the different interests among European states. In volumes 19 and 20, they gather off the coast of Sagami and, after some diplomatic process, declare war against Japan. ; :The admiral of the navy of England. He is the father of Bontenmaru. ; :The queen of England. ; :A Date's retainer. He was dispatched to
Rome in behalf of Bontenmaru.
Other characters ; : :The current Empress of Japan. She has inherited psychic powers from her ancestor, thus gaining the ability to read a person's heart and mind by touching him or her. Hence, when she meets Yoshiharu, she holds Yoshiharu in confidence and regards. Since she is still a child, Konoe is assisting her. The novel describes her words in
hiragana scripts with a slightly royal tone to indicate her status and childness. ; : :A merchant from Sakai and a leader of Sakai's . An old friend of Nobuna's father, he is willing to help Nobuna anything involving finance. He also owns a monopoly in the
takoyaki market. ; :A younger brother of the previous
shogun. He learned the future by deciphering the ancient prophetic book and tries to counter Yoshiharu's alteration of history. ; :A French thinker who deeply influenced Xavier. He has secretly guarded Xavier's incorruptible body in
Goa. Yoshiharu meets him on the way of traveling time and space. They revive Xavier's body. (volume 22) ==Media==