Unlocks in Free mode - characters are unlocked as you clear the stages they are playable in. Therefore, the characters you unlock depend on the order of the stories you complete.

Character	How to unlock
Akechi Mitsuhide	Clear Oda Story Chapter 2.
Aya	Clear Uesugi Story Chapter 1.
Azai Nagamasa	Clear Azai Story Chapter 1 or Oda Story Chapter 2.
Chosokabe Motochika	Clear Chosokabe Story Chapter 1 or Oda Story Chapter 8.
Date Masamune	Clear Date Story Chapter 1.
Fukushima Masanori	Clear Unification Story Chapter 1.
Fuma Kotaro	Initially avaliable.
Gracia	Clear Chosokabe Story Chapter 1 or Oda Story Chapter 8.
Hattori Hanzo	Clear Tokugawa Story Chapter 1.
Hojo Ujiyasu	Initially avaliable.
Honda Tadakatsu	Clear Tokugawa Story Chapter 1.
Ii Naotora	Clear Tokugawa Story Chapter 1 or Hojo Story Chapter 2.
Imagawa Yoshimoto	Clear Tokugawa Story Chapter 1.
Ina	Clear Tokugawa Story Chapter 2.
Ishida Mitsunari	Clear Sekigahara Story Chapter 1.
Ishikawa Goemon	Clear 1st Mission of Mercenary Mode.
Kai	Initially avaliable.
Katakura Kojuro	Clear Date Story Chapter 1.
Kato Kiyomasa	Clear Sekigahara Story Chapter 1.
Kobayakawa Takakage	Initially avaliable.
Koshosho	Clear Chosokabe Story Chapter 1 or Oda Story Chapter 8.
Kunoichi	Initially avaliable.
Kuroda Kanbei	Clear Oda Story Chapter 4.
Lady Hayakawa	Initially avaliable.
Maeda Keiji	Initially avaliable.
Maeda Toshiie	Initially avaliable.
Matsunaga Hisahide	Clear Oda Story Chapter 3.
Miyamoto Musashi	Clear 2nd Mission of Mercenary Mode.
Mori Motonari	Initially avaliable.
Mori Ranmaru	Clear Oda Story Chapter 4.
Naoe Kanetsugu	Clear Uesugi Story Chapter 1.
Nene	Clear Oda Story Chapter 2.
No	Initially avaliable.
Oda Nobunaga	Initially avaliable.
Oichi	Initially avaliable.
Okuni	Clear 1st Mission of Mercenary Mode.
Otani Yoshitsugu	Clear Azai Story Chapter 1.
Saika Magoichi	Clear Oda Story Chapter 2 or Date Story Chapter 2.
Sanada Nobuyuki	Initially avaliable.
Sanada Yukimura	Initially avaliable.
Sasaki Kojiro	Clear 2nd Mission of Mercenary Mode.
Shibata Katsuie	Initially avaliable.
Shima Sakon	Initially avaliable.
Shimazu Toyohisa	Clear Shimazu Story Chapter 1.
Shimazu Yoshihiro	Clear Shimazu Story Chapter 1.
Tachibana Ginchiyo	Clear Sekigahara Story Chapter 5.
Tachibana Muneshige	Clear Sekigahara Story Chapter 5.
Takeda Shingen	Initially avaliable.
Takenaka Hanbei	Clear Oda Story Chapter 3.
Todo Takatora	Clear Azai Story Chapter 1.
Tokugawa Ieyasu	Clear Tokugawa Story Chapter 1 or Oda Story Chapter 4.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi	Initially avaliable.
Uesugi Kagekatsu	Clear Uesugi Story Chapter 1.
Uesugi Kenshin	Clear Uesugi Story Chapter 1.
Yagyu Munenori	Clear Oda Story Chapter 3.