imperial loyalist samurai of the Bakumatsu era
Historical term for samurai who actively worked to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate and restore imperial rule in the late Edo period.
patriot; self-sacrificing idealist
Broader use for anyone with strong patriotic ideals and a willingness to sacrifice for the nation; can be applied to modern figures, but retains a somewhat elevated, historical flavor.
Sakamoto Ryōma is known as a loyalist samurai of the Bakumatsu era.
He was a true patriot who gave his life for his country.