Taking a cue from games like Fire Emblem and Persona 5, Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada features an interesting friendship system. This spin-off of the Japanese-themed Musou series takes the series in some new, exciting directions and this system is an example of that. The more intimate and personal story that Spirit of Sanada tells is carried over even into the gameplay. The tale of Masayuki Sanada and his family is so focused on putting his clan first that it makes sense that you get to have a direct hand in furthering his relationships.
Though not nearly on the level of Persona 5 with its full-blown side plots about your friends, Spirit of Sanada’s friendship feature is still rather deep and integral to gaining important benefits like exclusive materials, items, lore, and even trophies. The different allies that you can build your friendship with include army officers, family, villagers, and even romantic interests.
Making Friends
Raising your friendship level with an ally requires giving gifts that will increase your rank until you reach their max. Your current rank with each friend can be viewed from the Friends section of the main menu accessed via the Options button on your controller. For Masayuki Sanada, there are nearly ten people he can increase his relationship with.Each person has their own category of items they prefer (i.e. fruits) and favorite from among that specific category (i.e. apples) that will garner the highest friendship points.
Figuring out what they like is a guessing game, requiring you to give random items to them until you nail it down. Though the game gives you some leeway in revealing what category the person prefers after about four or five failures, it is ultimately a waste of time and precious materials going through trial-and-error with so many different allies. Paying attention to what a particular person says during dialogue will occasionally reveal information as in the case of Masayuki’s sons Yukimura and Nobuyuki, but it is still a gamble regardless. That’s where we come in, as we have compiled together the likes and favorites of all of Masayuki Sanada’s friends.
The Best Gifts
Yukimura Sanada
- The youngest son of Masayuki.
- Likes: Fish
- Favorite: Freshwater Crab
Nobuyuki Sanada
- Eldest son of Masayuki.
- Likes: Flowers
- Favorite: Straight Stick
Katsuyori Takeda
- Best friend of Masayuki and fourth son of Shingen Takeda, Lord of the Takeda Clan.
- Likes: Fruit
- Favorite: Chestnut
Yukitaka Sanada
- Father to Masayuki Sanada.
- Likes: Flowers
- Favorite: Canola Blossom
Nobutsuna Sanada
- Eldest brother of Masayuki.
- Likes: Animals
- Favorite: Red Fox Pelt
Masateru Sanada
- Masayuki’s older brother.
- Likes: Animals
- Favorite: Bear Claws
Naiki Takanashi
- Masayuki’s careless retainer.
- Likes: Fish
- Favorite: Killifish
Lady Muramatsu
- Masayuki’s daughter and oldest child.
- Likes: Fruit
- Favorite: Grapes
Yoritsuna Yazawa
- Masayuki’s uncle.
- Likes: Flowers
- Favorite: Dandelion
