Tokugawa Ieyasu
Voiced by: Tohru Ookawa (Japanese), Jason Michas (Devil Kings), Liam O'Brien (English)
"Let us unite, and form a bond."
The third unifier, and probably the only sane one between the trio (because Nobunaga is like the personification of evil, Hideyoshi is... freakin' nuts). Unlike the fat turd that most fictions portray, Ieyasu here is somewhat of a Bratty Half-Pint, but despite that possesses quite a lot of wisdom and virtue and love for his people. While not much of a fighter, he makes it up with his humongously powerful retainer Honda Tadakatsu.
However, Capcom decided to poke fun at his days of being the hostage of Imagawa, thus turning him into James Bondage extraordinaire, especially in Tadakatsu's story where everyone races to kidnap Ieyasu (and him getting kidnapped is a gimmick when playing as Tadakatsu in the fighting game). He's unplayable in both the first and second games, but the Expansion Pack made him playable and gave him a non-James Bondage role as Motochika's friend, but he has no story mode.
It isn't until SB3 (and consequently the second season of the anime) that he finally becomes a full-blown grown man, gets past his James Bondage tendencies and is now punching people out on the guts with his fist. He successfully slays Hideyoshi, but then had to deal with Hideyoshi's fanatical follower Ishida Mitsunari, leading up to the decisive battle at Sekigahara.
Known as Irdene in Devil Kings
Ascended Extra: Was an NPC in the first game and only became playable a couple of time before he grew into the main character of SB3.
Badass: You really wouldn't believe this if you're playing the previous game since he's the always-kidnapped boy. Well, he got his badass certificate.
Badass Armfold: Does this in cutscenes and is one of his idle animations.
Took a Level in Badass: In SB3, he is now grown up, with a revamped fighting style and having effectively beaten the tar out of Hideyoshi.
Bare-Fisted Monk: In 3, though his clothes and blocking motions seem to be more boxing.
Bare Your Midriff
Battle Aura: Weaponizes it with the "Tokugawa Might" technique.
Battle Discretion Shot: His battle with Hideyoshi in the SB3 intro takes place off-screen while we follow Mitsunari's point-of-view, who only arrives after Hideyoshi is dead. Exactly how the battle went down is unknown, although Ieyasu (obviously) won.
Blade on a Stick: His first weapon, discarded in favor of a new fighting style.
Bratty Half-Pint: In Sengoku Basara Matsuri it is said he's only 15 years old!
And while for all intents and purposes he's an adult, in the anime Shingen still addresses him as Takechiyo, which is his childhood name.
Lampshaded in 3, where his previously reverent soldiers immediately go into mother-hen mode when "Takechiyo-sama" is apparently kidnapped by the Hojo, and they, led by Tadakatsu, wrecked the whole castle... only to find Ieyasu just hanging out to take in the flower-viewing.
Can't Catch Up: Starts out as this is the games, but manages to overcome it in Battle Heroes. And by the third game, boy, has he caught up!
Lampshaded by Masamune, who states that he had to grow up at some point.
Charged Attack: His attacks can be charged up to go from "Punching things really hard" to "Punching things absurdly hard with added range".
Combat Compliment: In the third game, he spends just about every single one of his levels singing his opponent's praises while beating their forces into dust.
Cry For the Devil: In the ending where he defeats Mitsunari, he sheds tears of genuine grief for the troubled man he considered a friend.
Defeat Means Friendship: As of the third game, Ieyasu is out to unite Japan as one, even if he has to punch every single Japanese person in the face to do it.
Distress Ball: Throws it away by 3 though.
Distressed Dude: And how! Thankfully he's got strong enough to avert it by the third game (though that doesn't stop his soldiers jumping to conclusions).
Extremity Extremist: Most of his attacks involves his fists.
Family Unfriendly Death: Ieyasu is burned alive by Hisahide during his Utage story mode.
Historical Hero Upgrade: Basara is probably the only series so far to make Ieyasu the Only Sane Man amongst the evil past unifiers. Not to mention he has become quite the looker compared to his usual portrayals as a Fat b*****d.
Honor Before Reason: "The Tokugawa never betrays a promise, even to the Demon King himself". It just takes the next episode in the anime to finally make him screw that.
In the Hood: He wears one with his new design similar to those worn by boxers. When he puts it on with his taunt, he gets a bit of an attack buff.
Invulnerable Knuckles: Averted - he fights with his fists specifically so that he too feels pain, and his soldiers talk about giving them medical attention.
Japanese Pronouns:
'Washi', sometimes 'Soregashi'.Kid With The Remote Control
Knuckle Cracking: In his revamped design, he cracks his knuckles dramatically before executing his Basara attack.
Light 'em Up
Magnetic Hero: Is played as one in the third game, although to be honest he makes just as many enemies as he does friends.
The Messiah: Evolves into this in SB3.
Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Made all the more noticeable since none of the other characters have changed at all.
Power Fist: His new weapons in SB3 are his fists, equipped with special gloves.
Megaton Punch
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: And he becomes fond of this, drawing similarities with Kenshiro.
The Power of Friendship: His main theme in Sengoku Basara 3 is "unifying the land with the power of bonds". However, he might seem a bit of a hypocrite, as he actually destroys many bonds along the way. At least he's aware of this.
Say My Name: "TADAKATSUUUUUUU!!!!!!"
Sparkling Stream of Tears: In the anime, when Tadakatsu goes on a suicide mission.
Stepford Smiler
Stockholm Syndrome: Becomes best friends with Chousokabe Motochika, who happens to be one of his kidnappers. Then the third game suddenly subverts it when Ieyasu attacks Motochika's territory after killing Hideyoshi, ultimately straining their relationship. Then subverted again as it turns out it was Kanbe's doing, with Motonari behind it.
Unexplained Recovery: In the anime. After we saw Nobunaga's soldiers stab him to death on-screen in season one, too. No, don't ask us how that happened.
Use Your Head: His Super Art, "Hard Head". Absurd damage, knocks down even enemy commanders, and hits enemy on ground when fully charged. Commanders can be taken out in seconds with it.
Walking Shirtless Scene: That vest of his is pretty much all he wears above the waist. His alternate look removes the crop top too.
We Can Rule Together: As his plan is to "unite the country through the power of bonds", he tries a non-villainous take on this on a large number of characters to try to avoid fighting them, up to and including Mitsunari in some campaigns. Gets especially egregious in Yukimura's red campaign, where Ieyasu offers Yukimura a place by his side after Yukimura has already beat him up and scattered the Eastern army.
What the Hell, Hero?: Toshiie accused him of kidnapping Matsu so the Maeda is Neutral No Longer and joins him. Ieyasu is flabbergasted because he never gave such orders. In fact Yoshiaki was the one who did it, to empower the Eastern Army and earn Ieyasu's favour.
Also, despite all his talk of "uniting the country with the power of bonds", he defeats his mentor Hideyoshi and ruins Mitsunari's life by taking away the bond Mitsunari has with his lords.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Which leads him to make some pretty dumb mistakes at times.
Young Conqueror: Quintessentially.
