During Free Mode, you can unlock additional characters by beating the stages they are playable in.

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.
Gracia	Clear Chosokabe Story Chapter 1 or Oda Story Chapter 8.
Hattori Hanzo	Clear Tokugawa Story Chapter 1.
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 the first mission of Mercenary Mode.
Katakura Kojuro	Clear Date Story Chapter 1.
Kato Kiyomasa	Clear Sekigahara Story Chapter 1.
Koshosho	Clear Chosokabe Story Chapter 1 or Oda Story Chapter 8.
Kuroda Kanbei	Clear Oda Story Chapter 4.
Matsunaga Hisahide	Clear Oda Story Chapter 3.
Miyamoto Musashi	Clear the second mission of Mercenary Mode.
Mori Ranmaru	Clear Oda Story Chapter 4.
Naoe Kanetsugu	Clear Uesugi Story Chapter 1.
Nene	Clear Oda Story Chapter 2.
Okuni	Clear the first mission of Mercenary Mode.
Otani Yoshitsugu	Clear Azai Story Chapter 1.
Saika Magoichi	Clear Oda Story Chapter 2 or Date Story Chapter 2.
Sasaki Kojiro	Clear the second mission of Mercenary Mode.
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.
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.
Uesugi Kagekatsu	Clear Uesugi Story Chapter 1.
Uesugi Kenshin	Clear Uesugi Story Chapter 1.
Yagyu Munenori	Clear Oda Story Chapter 3.