Hojo Soun was a relatively minor samurai but capitalising on the quarrels of other samurai families he arose to great importance and even took the illustrious name of 'Hojo'. He is often seen as the first Sengoku daimyo.

It was Tokimune, as leader of the Hojo shikken, who had to rally Japan against the might of Khubilai Khan's Mongol invasions.

The head of the Minamoto clan Yoritomo was Japan's first shogun and set the wheels in motion for samurai domination of the country that would last until the mid-19th century.

Minamoto Yorimasa was one of the great samurai and served as a captain in the Imperial Bodyguard. He eventually fought in the Gempei Wars and his final stand inspired other samurai for generations to come.

One of the first of the samurai to use his position for his own ends, Taira Masakado rebelled against the imperial court at Heian (Kyoto) and even proclaimed himself emperor.

One of the great daimyo of Sengoku Japan Takeda Shingen banished his father and took total control of the Takeda clan at just the age of twenty. From then on he expanded his territories and became one of Japan's leading lords.