Saitō Dōsan

Saitou Dousan (AKA:The Viper of Mino) ( 斎藤道三 ) is the daimyo of the Mino province. He is the father of Kicho and is like a stepfather to Nobuna, who had lost her own father a while back.

He was also a merchant who had conquered Mino and converted it into a free-trade town, where the residents can prosper and obtain wealth.

Appearance
Dousan is an aged man, probably hitting the mid forties. He is bald and his eyebrows and mustache are greying. He has a stern face, one worthy of a provincial daimyo. He is normally seen sporting traditional Japanese attire, it more or less consisting of a light-gray or dark blue outer cloth, a purple or green inner cloth, and black pants tied off with a matching sash, topped off with the typical straw sandals. Dousan, like many of the authority figures in the series, is often seen carrying a katana at the hip.

In times of battle, he dons the typical Japanese steel armour, which is decorated and coloured in order to show his rank.

Personality
Despite his menacing appearance and fiercesome reputation, Dousan is a kind and gentle man, who values those close to him. He makes many decisions on the basis of being a good leader, like when he plans to ally with Nobuna, rather than become her enemy. He is very wise and insightful. He explained to Yoshiharu that Nobuna fired him for his own safety, and even understands when his own men desert him during his battle with Yoshitatsu. He is one of the few people who truly understands Nobuna's goal to unite Japan, in contrast to many others who consider her a fool, a fact shared only by Yoshiharu, Nobuna's father, who was also Dousan's greatest rival, and also a now deceased missionary.

In battle, Dousan is quite fiercesome, which accounts for his nickname, "the Viper of Mino." During his battle with Yoshitatsu, he's prepared to go out taking as many enemies as he can with him, and has no protests to having Yoshitatsu executed when he is captured. However, he does these so the sake of those close to him.

On a humorous note, in the Light Novels he is depicted as being rather lecherous, especially in the initial meeting with Nobuna, however this does not impede his serious persona when working. Likely because of this, upon entering Kyoto he had to deal with a large number of women pursuing him, which is the first time he's seen panicking over anything at all. He once apparently had a relationship with Danjo, an equally manipulative and dangerous woman compared to himself.

Background
Originally a merchant, Saitou Dousan rose to conquer Mino through deception and banishing his previous lord. He was also a regular rival in battle against Nobuna's father.

Arrival in the Sengoku Period Arc
He handed control of the province over to Oda Nobuna after being convinced by Sagara Yoshiharu, and therefore, forms an alliance with her. He originally wanted to to start a war against the Oda Clan, but dismissed it once he heard of her ambitions and Yoshiharu's "future predictions". Convinced, he then proceeds to appoint Nobuna as his heir who will fulfil his long-sought dream. He thus sends his daughter to Nobuna and hands over Mino to her as per the terms of their alliance.



However, when his son, Yoshitatsu got wind of Dousan's alliance, he staged a rebellion, he was willing to die for Nobuna's sake and resolved to meet his end on the battlefield, before Yoshiharu came for him and convinced him to leave for Nobuna's sake. They use the river to flee but do not manage to fully escape Yoshitatsu's army, soon after however, they are saved by Nobuna's arrival, which incidentally Dousan was trying to avoid in the first place as it left Owari wide open to attack by the Imagawa army.

Invasion of Mino Arc
Saitou Dousan first appears in Inuchiyo's home after Yoshiharu's resolve is broken by Nagamasa's intentions to form a political marriage with Nobuna and the cruel difference in status between Yoshiharu and Nobuna herself. Saitou Dousan calls him out for running away and states that if he is not high enough now then he should just work to become someone great. After this, Dousan sets Yoshiharu on the path of rising to a general and departs, allowing the youth to make up his own mind.

During volume 5 and the volumes leading up to it the viper was revealed to have become infected by an unknown but fatal illness, he could've prolonged his life by avoiding battle, but nobody else was available to hold off the attack of Takeda's forces, he manages to repel them and Nobuna arrives just in time to see him in his final moments.

Trivia
Like nearly all the characters in the series, he is based on his real-life counterpart, Saitou Dousan.