As a general rule, anime is not a great place to get your historical information without also doing your own independent research. However, Japan loves to occasionally show real people from history being real cool in anime. Cool enough that some develop a distinct interest in learning more about those historical figures. Of all the significant leaders in Japanese history, anime does have a particular love of Oda Nobunaga.
He played a crucial part in the Warring States era and historical anime tends to have an infatuation with that era in particular. This means you get a fair few anime series with Nobunaga as a character, if not a main one. However, the Oda Nobunaga that can be seen in anime is hardly just the same character copied and pasted into a different show.
Sometimes he is a man of nobility. Sometimes he is an evil tyrant. Sometimes he’s not even a person. Sometimes he’s surrounded by a lot of BL overtones! The Oda Nobunaga you can see in anime can vary greatly, and that is what makes a lot of the anime featuring him as a character such a treat.
If you are a Nobunaga nut, be sure to check out these great anime recommendations that prominently feature Oda Nobunaga as a character.
Anime Featuring Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga – Great Unifier, Fool of Owari, or Demon King?
As the second son of the Oda clan leader, Nobunaga was expected to maintain a certain dignified reputation. However, this boy that would go on to be remembered as one of Japan’s great historical figures was a bit of a wild child. In his youth, he was known as “the Fool of Owari” for his various antics, eccentricities, and unique characters he surrounded himself with as friends. However, it is speculated that Nobunaga’s eccentricities were both curiosity as well as cunning.
As he grew, his influence in Owari grew, eventually being chosen as the Oda successor over his other brothers and despite their plotting. With his clan solidified and powerful alliances made, he strengthened his military strength further.
While not unifying every province of Japan during his life, he laid the strong foundation for his successor to do just that. It was a strong enough foundation – a bit of an “it was already like 80% done” situation – that lead to Oda Nobunaga being remembered in Japanese history as the first Great Unifier.
However, like literally every great leader in all of history, there are varying opinions of Oda Nobunaga.
To Japanese history books, he is the Great Unifier. To strict traditionalists of his time, his interest in things like matchlock rifles and silly behavior saw him labeled the Fool of Owari. So, of course, he was known as the Demon King to his enemies and other detractors to, rather literally, demonize him.
As such, you get similar but also differing depictions of Oda Nobunaga in anime. Some are grim and serious. Some are inspiring and heroic. Some are wildly comical.
As he is such a well-know figure, you get to see so many wildly different depictions of Oda Nobunaga in anime, more than probably any other historical figure to date.
Nobunaga Concerto
Nobunaga Concerto takes a more slice of life approach to Oda Nobunaga by following him outside of an action setting and before his great conquest. It also has a bit of a twist.
The main character is a kid from modern Japan sent back in time. He meets Oda Nobunaga, a sickly man trying to shirk his duties, and ends up switching places with him.
In a set up that would seem like a comedy, Nobunaga Concerto takes a different route and instead ends up more of a serious drama. You follow this modern kid who takes on the role Nobunaga played in history. However, as he is not a samurai, it focuses on him using modern knowledge to enjoy tactical victories rather than martial ones.
Yasuke
In history, Yasuke was an actual African samurai that did in fact serve Oda Nobunga as a retainer.
While that would be a perfectly amazing story to tell in anime, Yasuke takes its a more sci-fi route by tossing in both giant robots and also magic with less explanation than you’d want.
That said, it at least covers the basics of Yasuke’s historical origins and thus Oda Nobunaga occasionally makes an appearance as the lord he serves.
Although, this version of Nobunaga looks a big more haggard than the other versions here. It is also strongly implied that he has a male lover as well.
Samurai Deeper Kyo
As Samurai Deeper Kyo is a historical shounen battler anime, Nobunaga is not necessarily out of place. However, it is one that takes place well after Nobunaga’s historical time period.
The kind of Oda Nobunaga you get in this anime is kind of like a cockroach. He possesses someone to carry out his nefarious dream of conquering all of Japan, gets defeated, and often will just go possess another. As such, he is a reoccurring antagonist in Samurai Deeper Kyo.
Sengoku Basara
Sengoku Basara forsakes being historically accurate for the probably more preferable path of being entertaining. This samurai anime loves taking your favorite warlords from the Warring States Era, and making them into uniquely designed anime characters who clash in big over-the-top battles.
As is usually the path when he is not the main character, Nobunaga serves as the antagonist in Sengoku Basara, whose mighty army is bearing down on two of the stronger, still free provinces.
Samurai Warriors
Best of luck to you trying to tell Samurai Warriors apart from Sengoku Basara (similarly translated as Samurai Kings) because they are extremely similar. They both focus in on the exploits of, at least in part, Yukimura Sanada.
However, Samurai Warriors is more dedicated to historical accuracy, but because it is based on a hack and slash game, is also still very fun and ridiculous when it comes to combat.
Drifters
Drifters is a unique treat in that it takes historical characters from throughout world history and throws them all together in a fantasy world. As the beings that sent them there leave everyone to their own devices, most choose violence.
The series follows a Shimazu retainer killed in the enduring chaos well after Nobunaga’s fall. However, in this new fantasy land, he meets the man himself as well as another legendary Japanese warrior from well before both of their times.
As they choose violence and start their conquest of the land, Nobunaga is actually happy with not leading the charge. He takes the less stressful and more fulfilling route of strategist. As Nobunaga was in fact a great strategist, it often works out well for them.
Nobunaga the Fool
Much like Drifters, Nobunaga the Fool follows not just Nobunaga, but a number of historical figures all re-imagined as shounen-like heroes.
The plot follows Jeanne D’Arc who is led to Oda Nobunaga by prophecy saying he will be the King of Salvation. However, while Jeanne and Nobunaga join forces on one side, King Arthur sends Julius Caesar to crush Nobunaga’s armies.
This series is a unique mix of many genres, and that in itself is interesting even if it doesn’t do any of those many genres particularly well.
Hyouge Mono
Hyouge Mono is one of the more unique anime series set in the Warring States Era in that it is about samurai, but not samurai on the battlefield.
Instead, Hyouge Mono highlights the historical passion that samurai had for more cultural pursuits – in this case, tea ceremony!
While the series follows a small-time, not famous vassal of Oda Nobunaga, you see the man himself as well as many of his more famous retainers enjoy tea ceremony.
An additional unique thing about Hyouge Mono is that it really emphasizes realism when it comes to how the samurai are designed. As such, Nobunaga looks less impressive and intimating, and more like a normal guy in a sea of normal-looking guys who all often have topknots.
Sengoku Night Blood
Sengoku Night Blood is an otome anime where a girl is sent to an alternative version of Sengoku Era Japan. In this alternative version, you still have all your favorite warlords, Nobunaga included, but they are either werewolves or vampires who, of course, hate each other and are fighting.
Nobunaga in this anime is depicted as tyrannical and leader of the vampire clans. Unfortunately, since facial hair is somehow against some unwritten ikemen code, he lacks his trademark mustache and goatee.
While the premise of Sengoku Night Blood is actually pretty intriguing, if not terribly unoriginal, it doesn’t pull it off as satisfyingly as it could.
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga
Sometimes you get tyrannical Nobunaga, and sometimes you get cute Nobunaga.
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is about the titular warlord who was reincarnated into the body of a Shiba Inu dog named Cinnamon in modern Japan.
That’s it. That’s the show.
You enjoy his comical antics as he does dog things, warlord things, and meets other historical figures who are also dogs.
Ninja Girl and Samurai Master
Ninja Girl and Samurai Master is an anime that looks cute, but is actually more dedicated to its plot than you would expect it to be. It looks like a cute slice of life anime, but ends up more of a cute action anime.
The story follows a young girl saved by Nobunaga when she was young. Hoping to serve him, she trains as a ninja and makes that dream come true. Now, as a trusted ninja, she carries out his orders.
The show is both unexpectedly action-oriented and pretty funny at times.
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Nobuna, you think, must be a typo, right? Wrong. The Ambition of Oda Nobuna takes all your favorite samurai warlords from the Warring States Era and makes them more boner-friendly anime girls.
The anime follows Oda “Nobuna,” who is still a great warlord, but now needs frequent assistance from a modern man that got sent back to that time period, because of course she does. It is also an ecchi anime, because of course it is.
If nothing else, the gender-flip is a fun twist right up until you get tired of it.
Battle Girls: Time Paradox
Battle Girls: Time Paradox is one of those “copy my homework, but make sure it looks unique” anime series where they didn’t actually change any of what they copied.
Like The Ambition of Oda Nobuna, Battle Girls is all about a guy getting sent back to the Warring States Period where all your favorite samurai warlords are now women.
The one highlight is the characters in Battle Girls are less focused on being cute and are more diverse in personality. That said, it is still also an ecchi anime.
Kochouki: Young Nobunga
Like the title suggests, Kochouki follows a young Oda Nobunaga when he was still rabble-rousing with more questionable characters and earning the title “the Fool of Owari” due to his eccentricities.
Historically, Nobunaga was noted as a bit of a wild child when younger. That comes through in Kochouki quite a bit, but there is one very important thing to always remember about Kochouki – it is an otome anime.
This means it was meant to appeal more to women with beautiful looking boys and, apparently, hints of boy’s love.
It does have the basic “origin story” of Oda Nobunaga down, although it of course has some obvious anime flourishes added.
Nobunagun
You’ve seen Nobunaga as a boy.
You’ve seen Nobunaga as a man.
You’ve seen Nobunaga as a woman.
You’ve seen Nobunaga as a dog.
Now, get ready to see Oda Nobunaga in anime like never before – as a gun!
This extremely on-the-nose titled anime is about people who can wield weapons infused with the spirits of historical figures. As this is called Nobunagun and not Ghenghis Khanon, the main character’s spirit is Oda Nobunaga.
Interestingly enough, making Nobunaga a gun rather than a sword is a bit of a nod to his noted love of matchlock rifles.
It is a fun and creative action anime, though not much else.
Did we miss any more good anime with Oda Nobunaga as a major character? Let fans know in the comments section below.
