Keiji Maeda

Keiji Maeda 1st appeared in Samurai Warriors.

Samurai Warriors
In Samurai Warriors, Keiji is a wild man who loosely served under Nobunaga Oda. He became a wanderer after the Battle of Nagashino, where he felt outdated by Nobunaga's mass use of rifles against the Takeda cavalry. He continues to wander the land and participates in brawls wherever he goes. Hearing of the great god of war, Kenshin Uesugi, Keiji decides to storm Odawara Castle to intercept and look for him. Unfortunately, he arrived before Kenshin, so he decides to pass the time by storming the castle himself, and winds up wiping out the Hojo by the time Kenshin arrives. Keiji finds Kenshin praying to his fallen enemies, and becomes even more impressed by Kenshin's "class". In his shorter story ending, he enters the Uesugi forces only to have a peaceful yet boring country to defend. He wonders if this is his real path in life. In his true ending, he continues to chase after Kenshin, seeking a job. Kenshin proposes a test: he'll consider Keiji if he proves himself a true samurai and takes on the entire Uesugi Army by himself. Keiji gains aid from an unlikely band of comrades from his former scuffles. His rag-tag team includes Okuni, Goemon Ishikawa, Magoichi Saika, and Yukimura Sanada. Although Keiji insists on fighting solo, Kenshin alters the deal, claiming that a true samurai protects those who have faith in him. Learning that his comrades are more important than strength or service, Keiji seems pleased with the result. In Samurai Warriors 2', he wanders the land after he served the Oda clan. He spots Mitsunari's flight at Kyoto and decides to stick up for the fleeing Western Army. His exploits were noticed by Kanetsugu Naoe and he's hired to fight for the Uesugi cause. After they suffer a staggering defeat from the Date forces, Keiji makes a stand at Hasedo and insures the safety of the fleeing Uesgui troops. When they learn about Mitsunari's execution, Keiji stops Kanetsugu from following his lord into the afterlife and inspires him to lead a surprise assault on Edo castle. When they succeed, Keiji says that he might wander again while he scatters the remaining Tokugawa resistance. In his dream stage, he has a showdown with the most feared man of the east, Tadakatsu Honda. Yukimura and Kantesugu reinforce his charge through the Tokugawa and Date troops. Once he defeats Ieyasu, he is given the privilege to fight Honda and is donned the greatest warrior in the land when he wins.During Samurai Warriors 3, he escapes from the Maeda family and gladly joins the Uesugi with Kanetsugu.

Kessen
Keiji appears as a wild unit for the Toyotomi side in Kessen. Although he leads a small army of 3,000 men, he has an amazing amount of stamina and will charge through larger armies with relative ease. He's somewhat rare as he'll only appear in the last stage at Edo or Sekigahara.

Onimusha
Keiji appeares in Onimusha blade warriors as a playeble charecter.

Devil Kings
Keiji first appeared in Devil Kings 2. He is Toshiie's and Matsu's nephew, and occasionally fights with them, but also loves his family. He has a mysterious pass with Hideyoshi and Hanbei which was touched on in Devil Kings 2 Heroes.

Voice Actors

 * Steven Blum - Samurai Warriors (English)
 * Steve Szczepowski - Samurai Warriors 2 (English)
 * Michael Benyear - Kessen (English)
 * Yuji Ueda - Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Kazunari Tanaka - Kessen (Japanese)

History
Maeda Toshimasu was known as a wild man who acted like a bizarre kabukimono. He was infamously known for his brazen dances and unabashed behavior. On the other hand, he was also a stalwart general who possessed unmatched bravery on the field. His ferocity in battle and his well toned physique earned him respect by his allies. While his armor can still be seen today, it's unclear if he was the giant that legends state he was. Though a mild troublemaker, he was also known to be a compassionate man. A story says that there were three adults and two children who arrived from their travels to Kyoto. However, the parents were heavily stricken with disease and could scarcely move. They entrusted their servant to take the children away to safety. Toshimasu gave them a merciful glance yet was powerless to aid them. He candidly recorded in his diary, "I wept for the parents' sorrow." Years after his death, Arai Hakuseki described him as "a hero who doesn't hide from the world" in his Hankanfu publication.

Despite his unorthodox manners, Toshimasu also had an affectionate love for the arts. During his leisure, he composed poetry (particularly haiku) and painted portraits. He especially liked writing and kept a diary of his adventures as "Maeda Keijiro" during October and November in 1601. This book was published and continues to serve as a historical text for readers today. Though Toshimasu is presented in a third-person narrative, he is genuinely considered to be the actual author of the book. His written work is often the basis for many of the legends and myths surrounding him.

Toshimasu was married to Maeda Yasukatsu's daughter. They had one son and three daughters. His son, Masatora, served Maeda Toshitsune. His daughters were married into the Toda and Hojo clans. Stories say that he also had a second son but, if he did exist, his name isn't mentioned in historical records.