| “ | You will bow before us or you will cease to exist. - Emperor Yoshiro's threat to the Soviet Union(src) |
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Emperor Yoshiro of Japan is the long time ruler of the Empire of the Rising Sun, and presides over the Empire at the zenith of its power as one of the three superpowers of the Third World War. He is cherished as a living god by his people.
Personality[]
| “ | Survival is not a matter of chance. Rather, it is a matter of choice. - Emperor Yoshiro, addressing the Allied Nations(src) |
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Emperor Yoshiro is a traditionalist who strictly follows the code of Bushido, the samurai way of the warrior. He fundamentally believes that the Empire's destiny is to rule the entire world, that he was Emperor by divine right and that his fate was preordained. He rarely shows emotion and often spoke in a seemingly wise tone.[1]
He holds the ideologies of the other two world powers in contempt, regarding them as barbaric compared to the perceived superiority of Japanese culture and ideals.
His hobbies include drinking tea, practicing with his Katana, cultivating bonsai trees, calligraphy, and empire building.
Approach to war[]
| “ | Wars are not won on the battlefield alone, my son, but in the hearts and souls of our adversaries. - Emperor Yoshiro, to Prince Tatsu(src) |
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The Emperor knew the value of morale and propaganda, and believed that a war is won by winning hearts and souls of his enemies and/or breaking their will to fight. Thus, during the invasion of the Soviet Union he carefully chose to strike at symbolic targets such as monuments and statues. He also ordered an invasion of California to seize American media centers to broadcast Imperial propaganda across the United States. This contrasts with the approach of his son, Tatsu, who advocated a more straightforward military doctrine of attacking important military targets and not allowing the enemy the option of surrender.
Biography[]
Rise of the Empire[]
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The following is based on the Imperial campaign of Red Alert (iOS) and might contradict canon. |
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In the new timeline following the erasure of Einstein, Emperor Yoshiro tasks one of his commanders to destroy the rebel Moon Clan and the Allied forces in the Ogasawara Islands, rescue a kidnapped Izumi from the Soviets, and repel a large Allied fleet headed towards Japan. With the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Psionic Decimator, and his skillful commander, the Emperor was able to eliminate the Allies from the Pacific and show the world the strength of the Empire of the Rising Sun.
Allied campaign[]
In the Allied perspective of the war, Yoshiro saw both Tanya and Natasha teaming up to defeat his three Shogunate generals, Shinzo, Naomi and Kenji, and told them that "the river of destiny" cannot be stopped - but the deadly duo proved him otherwise. After operation Forever Sets the Sun, and the destruction of the Shogunate Headquarters, he is possibly captured, or killed. According to the lore, it is assumed that the emperor has died of old age or wounded.
Soviet campaign[]
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The following is based on the Soviet campaign of Red Alert 3 and might contradict canon. |
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| “ | You have insulted me in my own garden! Now you will have to deal with me personally! - Yoshiro to Soviet Commander |
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Having repulsed the initial Imperial assault in the Soviet Union, the Soviets launched an attack on the Imperial Palace at Mount Fuji to assassinate Yoshiro. The initial assault was nearly entirely wiped out. The sole survivors, a conscript and a war bear, managed to infiltrate the Palace and assasinate the Emperor. However, it turns out the "Emperor" was only a robotic decoy. Later, a heavily reinforced assault broke into the Palace and successfully destroyed the Palace. Yoshiro was forced to confront the invaders in a personalized King Oni. The Emperor was killed in combat; his walker destroyed; much to his son's horror as he asks the Soviets if they have any honor for what they did to him. The Empire of the Rising Sun quickly capitulated afterwards without its leader.
Imperial campaign[]
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The following is based on the Imperial campaign of Red Alert 3 and might contradict canon. |
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Emperor Yoshiro and Prince Tatsu proudly raise their cups to the commander.
| “ | "Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is a true warrior who can master both. We have eliminated all opposition and seized control of the Pacific rim. The time to strike is now." - Yoshiro |
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In the Rising Sun perspective of WWIII, he commands the Shogun to slowly attack the Soviets and Allies, mostly by using propaganda in order to wear down their spirits. He, being of moral and spiritual beliefs, was convinced that the downfall of their foes will come first from spiritual breakdown. He's shown care for his homeland, since he called for the defense to an invasion force by the Allies as opposed to continuing to launch assaults against the Allies and Soviets as Tatsu advised.
| “ | "Today is the day that destiny has promised us. No longer will we suffer the abyssment and the corruption of the foreign barbarians. For as they battle amongst themselves, we've resurrected our realm creating a new Empire of The Rising Sun. Commander, you are destined to reawaken Bushido, the way of the warrior. You will be a part of a new shogunate, uniting powerful leaders from all 4 corners of our Empire. Together, we will first attack Soviet Russia and not crush not only their armies, but their leaders, thier spirit and their hope. My son, Crown Prince Tatsu will assist us in this noble endeavor." - Yoshiro |
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Yoshiro is a fatalist and a firm believer of the Empire's sacred mission to bring unity to the world. When Dr. Zelinsky contacts the Allies and informs them that the Soviet leadership returned in time and thus violated the space-time continuum, Yoshiro becomes disenfranchised. The facts clearly demonstrating that the Empire was not destined to become enemies with the barbarians after all (at least not the Allies). At the same moment, the Allied High Command and the Soviet Union launched a full scale attack on Yokohama harbor which affected greatly the Emperor.
| “ | "Citizens of the world, the Empire of The Rising sun has risen. The day of our destiny has arrived. Do not struggle what is inevitable. The Soviets have resisted and suffered for their arrogance. Do not make the same mistake. Survival is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. Life or exinction, it is up to you. " - Yoshiro to the Allied Nations |
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| “ | "If fate can be changed on a whim! If the future is malleable, then there IS NO DIVINE DESTINY!! ALL THIS MEANS NOTHING!!" - A disenfranchised Yoshiro |
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He resigns after he realizes his failure, and having doubts about his destiny... for what is the point of the Divine Destiny and their conquests so far if Man can manipulate space/time as he pleases? The Ruler of Japan abdicates in favor of Tatsu, symbolically giving his son the Katana that the Japanese leader carries with him with a request to not let the Empire fall to the Allied-Soviet alliance. He overcomes his guilt, agreeing with Tatsu about the Empire creating their own destiny. During the final destruction of the Soviet leadership in Moscow, he is seen giving the Shogun and Kenji the order to destroy the Time-Machine, resulting in the termination of Premier Cherdenko and General Krukov. During the siege of Amsterdam, he grants the Shogun and Shinzo a full battalion of Elite King Onis alongside Rocket Angels and Mecha Tengu to facilitate the final destruction of the Future Tech HQ.
| “ | "Thank you Commander. You have honored your ancestors." "And defeated our enemies." "Because of your victories, I bestow upon you the honored title of Supreme Shogun." - Yoshiro and Tatsu, thanking the Commander for winning the War |
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He is last seen in the Empire's victory celebration, giving the Commander the title of Supreme Shogun.
Entombment[]
Recon photo of the Emperor's Tomb on Oki Island. Note the presence of the Steel Ronins in area around the tomb.
Yoshiro did not survive the defeat of his Empire, and was buried in a tomb on Oki Island. A post-war assault on the tomb by the Soviets was repulsed with the aid of the Steel Ronins guarding the tomb as penance.
Behind the scenes[]
- He is played by actor George Takei, known for playing Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek (The Original Series).
- Yoshiro's name has no official Japanese Kanji translation. In the Chinese localization of Red Alert 3, Yoshiro's name is written as 芳朗 (Fānglǎng).
- "Emperor" is, however, not the accurate term to address supreme ruler of Japan. "Mikado (divine gate)" is the correct one.
- Like emperors in real-world Japan, his family name is never revealed or rather, the Japanese Emperor does not have surname for they are Arahitogami (現人神, divine in human) and strangely, he does not have an era name like real-world Japanese emperors.
- In real world Japan, the Royal Family always had their male member's name ended with "hito" (仁), and female’s with "ko" (子), which is not the case for both emperor Yoshiro and crown prince Tatsu.
Gallery[]
Red Alert 3[]
Yoshiro passes the ceremonial katana to Tatsu as he steps down as leader of the Shogunate
Yoshiro with katana
Ditto
In-game model (used by android double)
Red Alert mobile releases[]
Red Alert (iPhone)
Red Alert (iPad)
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Red Alert 3 official site: Factions, Units & Characters - Emperor Yoshiro (archived).
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