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A group or eunuchs that gained political power during the rule of Emperor Liu Hong.
to:
A group or of eunuchs that gained political power during the rule of Emperor Liu Hong.Hong.
* EunuchsAreEvil: They abused their power through nepotism and bribery, imposed heavy taxes for the purposes of increasing their own personal wealth, and carried out palace intrigues against anyone who opposed them or stood in their way. Their corruption and scheming played a major role in things going so pear-shaped.
* NonIndicativeName: There were actually twelve of them.
* EunuchsAreEvil: They abused their power through nepotism and bribery, imposed heavy taxes for the purposes of increasing their own personal wealth, and carried out palace intrigues against anyone who opposed them or stood in their way. Their corruption and scheming played a major role in things going so pear-shaped.
* NonIndicativeName: There were actually twelve of them.
* OpportunisticBastard: When Yuan Shao's purge of the eunuch faction caused a power vacuum, he took advantage of the situation by exerting his own control over the imperial court.
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* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: It eventually comes back to bite him in the ass when Cao Cao considers accepting his service after defeating him, only to be reminded that he suffers from this. And it had also earned him the notoriety of being "a house slave under three family names".
to:
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He has a bad habit of eventually betraying everybody he serves. [[DeconstructedTrope It eventually comes back to bite him in the ass ass]] when Cao Cao considers accepting his service after defeating him, only to be reminded that he suffers from this.this, leading Cao to have him executed instead. And it had also earned him the notoriety of being "a house slave under three family names".
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Liu Xie
to:
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Liu Hong
The first Emperor Ling of Han, hes rhe initial Emperor during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Eunuchs are extremely powerful on his rule, which will have consequences. Had little interest in actually ruling. Among other things he died without specifying which of his two son,Liu Xie and Liu Bian ,would be crown prince.
The first Emperor Ling of Han, hes rhe initial Emperor during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Eunuchs are extremely powerful on his rule, which will have consequences. Had little interest in actually ruling. Among other things he died without specifying which of his two son,Liu Xie and Liu Bian ,would be crown prince.
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The first Emperor Ling of Han,
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[[folder: Empress He]]
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[[folder: He Jin]]
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[[folder: Ten Attendants]]
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[[folder: Empress Dong]]
Empress Dowager when her son, Liu Hong, became Emperor.
Came into conflict with Empress He as she wanted Liu Xie be crown prince as opposed to Liu Bian, the son of Empress He.
Empress Dowager when her son, Liu Hong, became Emperor.
Came into conflict with Empress He as she wanted Liu Xie be crown prince as opposed to Liu Bian, the son of Empress He.
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Empress Dowager when her son, Liu Hong, became Emperor.
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* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: He assists Cao Cao in killing his adoptive uncle's household, under the false impression that they were going to betray him and Cao Cao to the authorities.
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* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: He assists Cao Cao in killing his adoptive uncle's household, under the false impression that they were going to betray him and Cao Cao to the authorities. Unlike Cao Cao, this affects him deeply, and Cao Cao's total lack of remorse is what drives Chen Gong to betray him.
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The first Emperor Ling of Han, hes one of the earliest Emperors. Eunuchs are extremely powerful on his rule, which will have consequences. Had little interest in actually ruling. Among other things he died without specifying which of his two son,Liu Xie and Liu Bian ,would be crown prince.
to:
The first Emperor Ling of Han, hes one of rhe initial Emperor during the earliest Emperors.Yellow Turban Rebellion. Eunuchs are extremely powerful on his rule, which will have consequences. Had little interest in actually ruling. Among other things he died without specifying which of his two son,Liu Xie and Liu Bian ,would be crown prince.
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The first Emperor Ling of Han, hes one of the earliest Emperors. Eunuchs are extremely powerful on his rule, which will have consequences. Had little interest in actually ruling.
to:
The first Emperor Ling of Han, hes one of the earliest Emperors. Eunuchs are extremely powerful on his rule, which will have consequences. Had little interest in actually ruling.
ruling. Among other things he died without specifying which of his two son,Liu Xie and Liu Bian ,would be crown prince.
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[[folder: He Jin]]
The brother to Empress He and a close ally to her political ambitions. Comes into conflict with the Eunuchs.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Ten Attendants]]
A group or eunuchs that gained political power during the rule of Emperor Liu Hong.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Empress Dong]]
Empress Dowager when her son, Liu Hong, became Emperor.
Came into conflict with Empress He as she wanted Liu Xie be crown prince as opposed to Liu Bian, the son of Empress He.
[[/folder]]
The brother to Empress He and a close ally to her political ambitions. Comes into conflict with the Eunuchs.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Ten Attendants]]
A group or eunuchs that gained political power during the rule of Emperor Liu Hong.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Empress Dong]]
Empress Dowager when her son, Liu Hong, became Emperor.
Came into conflict with Empress He as she wanted Liu Xie be crown prince as opposed to Liu Bian, the son of Empress He.
[[/folder]]
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!!Liu Xie
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[[folder:Liu Hong]]
Liu Hong
The first Emperor Ling of Han, hes one of the earliest Emperors. Eunuchs are extremely powerful on his rule, which will have consequences. Had little interest in actually ruling.
* PuppetKing: Starting a trend. He lets the Eunuchs rule the country.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Empress He]]
Second Empress Consort of Liu Hong.
Becomes Empress Dowager to her son Liu Bian.
[[/folder]]
Liu Hong
The first Emperor Ling of Han, hes one of the earliest Emperors. Eunuchs are extremely powerful on his rule, which will have consequences. Had little interest in actually ruling.
* PuppetKing: Starting a trend. He lets the Eunuchs rule the country.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Empress He]]
Second Empress Consort of Liu Hong.
Becomes Empress Dowager to her son Liu Bian.
[[/folder]]
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* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Like most generals in the book.
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* GeneralFailure: Not a dramatic example, but a consistent one. He's weak-willed, indecisive, unimaginative, and uninspiring, which means he gets significantly less out of the resources at his disposal than he should, relies on talented allies and subordinates to advance his goals, and suffers greatly when he doesn't have them. It's why his campaign against Cao Cao goes so badly despite him theoretically having vastly superior military might and a popular, attractive ''casus belli'' (that Cao Cao was turning into yet another EvilChancellor for a country that was by then heartily sick of them).
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%%Other notable warlords include: Liu Biao along wit his sons and his important people (Zhang Xiu, Huang Zu, Cai Mao, etc.), Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Han Sui of Liang province, Yang Feng and Han Xian of the White Wave bandits, Tao Qian, Kong Rong, Ze Rong, important members of the 17-warlord coalition like Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Miao, and the various warlords Sun Ce battled (Liu Xun and White Tiger Yan).
to:
%%Other notable warlords include: Liu Biao along wit his sons and his important people (Zhang Xiu, Huang Zu, Cai Mao, etc.), Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Han Sui of Liang province, Yang Feng and Han Xian of the White Wave bandits, Dong Zhuo's generals who took over for a while (Li Jue, Guo Si, etc.), Tao Qian, Kong Rong, Ze Rong, important members of the 17-warlord coalition like Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Miao, and the various warlords Sun Ce battled (Liu Xun and White Tiger Yan).
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%%Other notable warlords include: Liu Biao along wit his sons and his important people (Zhang Xiu, Hu Zhong, Cai Mao, etc.), Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Han Sui of Liang province, Yang Feng and Han Xian of the White Wave bandits, Tao Qian, Kong Rong, Ze Rong, important warlords of the 17-warlord coalition like Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Miao, and the various warlords Sun Ce battled (Liu Xun and White Tiger Yan).
%%Notable unaffiliated people include the various Taoist mystics like Guan Lu and Zuo Ci, scholars like Still Water, and doctors like Hua Tuo.
%%Notable unaffiliated people include the various Taoist mystics like Guan Lu and Zuo Ci, scholars like Still Water, and doctors like Hua Tuo.
to:
%%Other notable warlords include: Liu Biao along wit his sons and his important people (Zhang Xiu, Hu Zhong, Huang Zu, Cai Mao, etc.), Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Han Sui of Liang province, Yang Feng and Han Xian of the White Wave bandits, Tao Qian, Kong Rong, Ze Rong, important warlords members of the 17-warlord coalition like Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Miao, and the various warlords Sun Ce battled (Liu Xun and White Tiger Yan).
%%Notableunaffiliated people with no affiliation to any kingdom include the various Taoist mystics like Guan Lu and Zuo Ci, scholars like Still Water, and doctors like the physician Hua Tuo.
%%Notable
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%%We should add people like He Yan, Zhang Rang, Empress Fu, and Ding Yuan. Also the commanders who fought the Yellow Turbans like Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun.
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%%We should add people like He Yan, Zhang Rang, Empress Fu, and Ding Yuan. Also the commanders who fought the Yellow Turbans like Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun.
Jun. Dong Cheng, Ji Ben, and other pro-Han rebels against Cao Cao could also go here.
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%%Notable unaffiliated people include the various Taoist mystics like Guan Lu and Zuo Ci, scholars like Still Water, and doctors like Hua Tuo.
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%%Other notable warlords include: Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Han Sui of Liang province, Yang Feng and Han Xian of the White Wave bandits, Tao Qian, Kong Rong, Ze Rong, important warlords of the 17-warlord coalition like Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Miao, and the various warlords Sun Ce battled (Liu Xun and White Tiger Yan).
to:
%%Other notable warlords include: Liu Biao along wit his sons and his important people (Zhang Xiu, Hu Zhong, Cai Mao, etc.), Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Han Sui of Liang province, Yang Feng and Han Xian of the White Wave bandits, Tao Qian, Kong Rong, Ze Rong, important warlords of the 17-warlord coalition like Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Miao, and the various warlords Sun Ce battled (Liu Xun and White Tiger Yan).
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%Other notable warlords include: Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Han Sui of Liang province, Yang Feng and Han Xian of the White Wave bandits, Tao Qian, Kong Rong, Ze Rong, important warlords of the 17-warlord coalition like Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Miao, and the various warlords Sun Ce battled (Liu Xun and White Tiger Yan).
to:
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%Other notable warlords include: Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Han Sui of Liang province, Yang Feng and Han Xian of the White Wave bandits, Tao Qian, Kong Rong, Ze Rong, important warlords of the 17-warlord coalition like Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Miao, and the various warlords Sun Ce battled (Liu Xun and White Tiger Yan).
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%%We should add people like He Yan, the 10 attendants, Empress Fu, and Ding Yuan
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%%We should add people like He Yan, the 10 attendants, Zhang Rang, Empress Fu, and Ding Yuan
Yuan. Also the commanders who fought the Yellow Turbans like Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun.
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Characters from Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms who are not primarily associated with any of the three main kingdoms (Shu, Wei, or Wu), or the successor kingdom Jin.
[[foldercontrol]]
!Yellow Turbans
[[folder:Zhang Jiao]]
!!Zhang Jiao
A Taoist mystic leading a rebellion against the Han Empire, kickstarting the end of the Dynasty.
* AGodAmI: So he claims.
* EvilSorcerer: For a given definition of "evil".
* {{Foreshadowing}}: His rebellion serves as a foreshadowing to problems the Han Dynasty will suffer.
* PlotTriggeringDeath: His death is what puts in motion the downfall of the Eunuchs.
* ReligionIsMagic: That's what it's portrayed as, at any rate.
* SiblingTeam: He has two Brothers and they form a trio. Doesn't last long though.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Despite being a relatively minor character, his rebellion triggers a lot of important events (such as Zhang Fei, Guan Yu and Liu Bei becoming Brothers).
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The historical pronunciation of his name is actually "Zhang Jue", but the second character of his name has the modern reading "Jiao" instead.
* WarmupBoss: The first threat to appear in the story, his rebellion basically there for the various characters to show their military ability and personal quirks.
[[/folder]]
!Han
%%We should add people like He Yan, the 10 attendants, Empress Fu, and Ding Yuan
[[folder:Liu Xie]]
!!Liu Xie
The emperor of the Han Dynasty, though one with little actual power.
* PuppetKing: Though the emperor, he can do nothing but obey whichever warlord holds him, whether that be Dong Zhuo or Cao Cao.
[[/folder]]
!Dong Zhuo
[[folder:Dong Zhuo]]
!!Dong Zhuo
A tyrant who attempts to take control of the Empire by deposing one emperor and ruling through that emperor's younger brother. A woman comes between him and his second-in-command, Lu Bu, and he is assassinated.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: He is effectively the BigBad for the first portion of the book, but he's defeated very early on.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Dong Zhuo has always cared for his aged mother.
* FatBastard: The biggest one in the story.
* FatIdiot: Compared to Lu Bu and Li Ru, yeah.
* HateSink: Although the story lionizes the Shu characters at the expense of Wu and Wei, it is still possible to respect and root for the latter kingdoms. Dong Zhuo, though, is just repulsive, and probably has no fans whatsoever.
* {{Jerkass}}: He is by far one of the most unlikable characters of the whole tale.
* RegentForLife: His plan is to become this.
* VillainousGlutton: He grows ''ridicuously'' fat when he becomes regent.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Li Ru]]
!!Li Ru
Dong Zhuo's most trusted advisor. He is the one who kills the deposed Emperor Shao, his consort, and his mother. He is executed after Dong Zhuo's death.
* BrainsAndBrawn: The brains to Lu Bu's brawn.
* TheChessmaster: To an extent he sometimes seems to be full-on precognitive.
* TheCorrupter: For Lu Bu.
* DeathByAdaptation: Historically, he's spared from execution after Li Jue convinced Emperor Xian that Li Ru was [[JustFollowingOrders just following Dong Zhuo's orders]].
* TheDragon: Shares this role with Lu Bu for Dong Zhuo.
* EvilGenius: Being Zhuo's most trusted avisor, this is a given.
* HyperCompetentSidekick: For Dong Zhuo. He effectively solves all crisis for him.
* KickTheDog: His murder of the royal Family is seen as this.
* ManipulativeBastard: Displayed when he converts Lu Bu to his side.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: In the novel, he is Dong Zhuo's son-in-law. Historically, this may not be the case.
* TheStrategist: He sees through Diao Chan, but can't get Dong Zhuo to listen to reason.
[[/folder]]
!Lu Bu
[[folder:Lu Bu]]
!!UsefulNotes/LuBu
The mightiest warrior in all of China. After serving Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo (and assassinating both), he becomes a powerful warlord in his own right. He is eventually defeated by Cao Cao and executed.
* TheAce: Even in the WorldOfBadass of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was legendary. There's a reason why people continued to want him on their side despite his ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
* TheBrute: He's a peerless warrior, but as a general shows poor leadership, has no mind for politics and is too aggressive for strategy. His only asset is inhuman power and skill, and his only tactic is brute force.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: It eventually comes back to bite him in the ass when Cao Cao considers accepting his service after defeating him, only to be reminded that he suffers from this. And it had also earned him the notoriety of being "a house slave under three family names".
* CoolHorse: His famous steed Red Hare, said to be the swifted horse in all of China. Red Hare was so fast and so closely associated with Lu Bu that "Among men Lu Bu, among Horses Red Hare"[[note]]Essentially, "Lu Bu is the supreme man and Red Hare is the supreme horse".[[/note]] became a popular saying.
* DotingParent: He was said to be very fond of his daughter. The story actually counts this as a ''negative'' trait, as everyone thinks he should really be concentrating on warfare and conquest, not his daughter.
* TheDragon: To Dong Zhuo.
* FourStarBadass: In a series full of them, he deserves special mention.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Less famous than [[OneManArmy his ability to defeat nearly anyone within spear's reach of him]], he also managed to get Liu Bei and a general of Yuan Shu, Ji Leng, to stand down and not battle against each other by betting to them that he could hit the left branch of his halberd with an arrow from 150 paces away.
* InSeriesNickname: 'Bastard of Three Fathers'. This because, aside from his birth father, he also chose a general as a 'Father' later, and not long after that, ''killed'' his 'father', and chose the tyrannical Dong Zhuo as his 'father'. Add to that, the fact that he keeps on changing his allegiances at the drop of hat, and that's how that nickname came to be.
* {{Jerkass}}: Aside from his aforementioned ChronicBackstabbingDisorder, he was also harsh, rough, impatient and violent. He was unpopular with even his own men.
* OneManArmy: It was said that he killed a thousand men a day just to keep his skills sharp and temper even. He holds Hulao gate almost completely by himself, and only retreats when attacked by Zhang Fei, Guan Yu and Liu Beu simultaneously. Before Liu Bei joined the fray, he was perfectly capable of holding his own against Zhang Fei and Guan Yu at once, two of the mightiest warriors in the novel, with Zhang Fei in particular only being surpassed by Lu Bu himself.
* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: Inverted. Cao Cao was going to spare him in order to make use of him, until Liu Bei pointed out the fate of his previous lords. Cao then changes his mind and executes him.
* SelfMadeOrphan: Both of the lords whom he assassinated were also adoptive fathers.
* WorldsBestWarrior: He is famously known as this in Ancient China. He famously dueled Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Liu Bei at the same time.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Diao Chan]]
!!Diao Chan
A singing girl who is roped into bringing down Dong Zhuo by her adopted father by playing him and Lu Bu against each other.
* HoneyTrap: At her adoptive father's urging, she used her beauty and wits to drive a wedge between Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo until Lu Bu ultimately killed Dong Zhuo.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: She convinces both Dong and Lu that she is miserable whenever she is with the other one, making them both want her more.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chen Gong]]
!!Chen Gong
A strategist who followed Cao Cao until he became disgusted by his immoral behaviour, then joined up with Lu Bu in order to oppose him. When Lu Bu is defeated, Cao Cao offers him a chance to repent, but he refuses and is executed. Cao Cao was so moved that he provided for Chen Gong's family thereafter.
* DoomedMoralVictor: Chen Gong ends up joining with Lu Bu against Cao Cao. When Lu Bu loses, mostly because of his refusal to heed Chen Gong's advice, he is taking captive and willingly chooses death.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: He assists Cao Cao in killing his adoptive uncle's household, under the false impression that they were going to betray him and Cao Cao to the authorities.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Cao Cao proves to be more ruthless than he thought.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chen Deng]]
!!Chen Deng
Another strategist for Lu Bu who, along with his father, acted as a fifth column in favour of Liu Bei and Cao Cao. They were both highly rewarded after Lu Bu was defeated.
* EvilChancellor: Towards Lu Bu.
* TheMole, possibly TheMole depending on how you feel towards Lu Bu and Cao Cao.
[[/folder]]
!Yuan family
[[folder:Yuan Shu]]
!!Yuan Shu
A warlord vying for power and brother of Yuan Shao. He declares himself Emperor when Sun Ce trades him the Imperial Seal for troops.
* AlasPoorVillain: His death is arguably the most pathetic in the entire book.
* SmugSnake: All of Cao Cao or Sima Yi's arrogance with only a tiny fraction of their competence.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yuan Shao]]
!!Yuan Shao
The most powerful warlord in the north. His arrogance eventually leads to his downfall at Guan Du.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Like most generals in the book.
* BlueBlood: The Yuan family is one of the most distinguished at the beginning of the story.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: The most likely explanation why he TookALevelInJerkass is that the writer originally modeled him on the historical Yuan Shao, before inventing {{Fatal Flaw}}s for the doomed warlord to fit the novel's Confucian moral slant.
* HotBlooded: One gets the feeling he never thinks his actions through.
* TheLeader: For the coalition against Dong Zhou.
* OnlySaneMan: He and Cao Cao are the only people of the plot against the Eunuchs with any sanity.
* TheProudElite: His FatalFlaw is his high-born arrogance.
* ThePurge: He ''really'' hates Eunuchs. [[KarmicDeath Not that they didn't have it coming]].
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: ''Boy'' can he hold a grudge. Specially if you're an Eunuch.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Early on he seems a fundamentally decent character. His arrogance and high and mighty approach only appear when he talks with the three Brothers.
[[/folder]]
!Riverlands
[[folder:Liu Zhang]]
!!Liu Zhang
The governor of Yizhou. He was considered an incompetent by some of his own officers, who wanted Liu Bei to replace him. The rest served him loyally until his defeat, whereupon most of the survivors joined Liu Bei.
* GeneralFailure: He was unable to correctly use the talented officers under his command, which led to their resenting him.
[[/folder]]
!Nanman tribes
[[folder:Meng Huo]]
!!Meng Huo
A barbarian king, he attempts to rebel against the rule of Shu only to be beaten seven times by Zhuge Liang. After the seventh time, he repents and swears loyalty to Shu.
* HumiliationConga: Zhuge Liang puts him through one of these, constantly capturing and releasing him in the hopes that he'll eventually submit willingly. It takes seven captures, but ultimately he yields.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lady Zhurong]]
!!Lady Zhurong
Meng Huo's wife who claimed to be a descendant of the goddess of fire. She is the only woman in the book to actually fight.
* ActionGirl: As mentioned above, she is the only woman in the book to actually fight. She used knives in battle.
* LadyOfWar: She's definitely no pushover, as she successfully manages to take two Shu officers prisoner, and was only captured herself by the combination of Zhao Yun, Wei Yan, and Ma Dai.
* PrisonerExchange: After her capture, she was set free in exchange for the two leaders of Shu she captured.
[[/folder]]
!Liaodong
[[folder:Gongsun Yuan]]
!!Gongsun Yuan
The ruler of Liaodong who rebels against Cao Rui. He was defeated by Sima Yi.
* BadBoss: Publicly executed two of his strategists for criticizing his rebellion.
[[/folder]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
!Yellow Turbans
[[folder:Zhang Jiao]]
!!Zhang Jiao
A Taoist mystic leading a rebellion against the Han Empire, kickstarting the end of the Dynasty.
* AGodAmI: So he claims.
* EvilSorcerer: For a given definition of "evil".
* {{Foreshadowing}}: His rebellion serves as a foreshadowing to problems the Han Dynasty will suffer.
* PlotTriggeringDeath: His death is what puts in motion the downfall of the Eunuchs.
* ReligionIsMagic: That's what it's portrayed as, at any rate.
* SiblingTeam: He has two Brothers and they form a trio. Doesn't last long though.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Despite being a relatively minor character, his rebellion triggers a lot of important events (such as Zhang Fei, Guan Yu and Liu Bei becoming Brothers).
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The historical pronunciation of his name is actually "Zhang Jue", but the second character of his name has the modern reading "Jiao" instead.
* WarmupBoss: The first threat to appear in the story, his rebellion basically there for the various characters to show their military ability and personal quirks.
[[/folder]]
!Han
%%We should add people like He Yan, the 10 attendants, Empress Fu, and Ding Yuan
[[folder:Liu Xie]]
!!Liu Xie
The emperor of the Han Dynasty, though one with little actual power.
* PuppetKing: Though the emperor, he can do nothing but obey whichever warlord holds him, whether that be Dong Zhuo or Cao Cao.
[[/folder]]
!Dong Zhuo
[[folder:Dong Zhuo]]
!!Dong Zhuo
A tyrant who attempts to take control of the Empire by deposing one emperor and ruling through that emperor's younger brother. A woman comes between him and his second-in-command, Lu Bu, and he is assassinated.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: He is effectively the BigBad for the first portion of the book, but he's defeated very early on.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Dong Zhuo has always cared for his aged mother.
* FatBastard: The biggest one in the story.
* FatIdiot: Compared to Lu Bu and Li Ru, yeah.
* HateSink: Although the story lionizes the Shu characters at the expense of Wu and Wei, it is still possible to respect and root for the latter kingdoms. Dong Zhuo, though, is just repulsive, and probably has no fans whatsoever.
* {{Jerkass}}: He is by far one of the most unlikable characters of the whole tale.
* RegentForLife: His plan is to become this.
* VillainousGlutton: He grows ''ridicuously'' fat when he becomes regent.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Li Ru]]
!!Li Ru
Dong Zhuo's most trusted advisor. He is the one who kills the deposed Emperor Shao, his consort, and his mother. He is executed after Dong Zhuo's death.
* BrainsAndBrawn: The brains to Lu Bu's brawn.
* TheChessmaster: To an extent he sometimes seems to be full-on precognitive.
* TheCorrupter: For Lu Bu.
* DeathByAdaptation: Historically, he's spared from execution after Li Jue convinced Emperor Xian that Li Ru was [[JustFollowingOrders just following Dong Zhuo's orders]].
* TheDragon: Shares this role with Lu Bu for Dong Zhuo.
* EvilGenius: Being Zhuo's most trusted avisor, this is a given.
* HyperCompetentSidekick: For Dong Zhuo. He effectively solves all crisis for him.
* KickTheDog: His murder of the royal Family is seen as this.
* ManipulativeBastard: Displayed when he converts Lu Bu to his side.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: In the novel, he is Dong Zhuo's son-in-law. Historically, this may not be the case.
* TheStrategist: He sees through Diao Chan, but can't get Dong Zhuo to listen to reason.
[[/folder]]
!Lu Bu
[[folder:Lu Bu]]
!!UsefulNotes/LuBu
The mightiest warrior in all of China. After serving Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo (and assassinating both), he becomes a powerful warlord in his own right. He is eventually defeated by Cao Cao and executed.
* TheAce: Even in the WorldOfBadass of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was legendary. There's a reason why people continued to want him on their side despite his ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
* TheBrute: He's a peerless warrior, but as a general shows poor leadership, has no mind for politics and is too aggressive for strategy. His only asset is inhuman power and skill, and his only tactic is brute force.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: It eventually comes back to bite him in the ass when Cao Cao considers accepting his service after defeating him, only to be reminded that he suffers from this. And it had also earned him the notoriety of being "a house slave under three family names".
* CoolHorse: His famous steed Red Hare, said to be the swifted horse in all of China. Red Hare was so fast and so closely associated with Lu Bu that "Among men Lu Bu, among Horses Red Hare"[[note]]Essentially, "Lu Bu is the supreme man and Red Hare is the supreme horse".[[/note]] became a popular saying.
* DotingParent: He was said to be very fond of his daughter. The story actually counts this as a ''negative'' trait, as everyone thinks he should really be concentrating on warfare and conquest, not his daughter.
* TheDragon: To Dong Zhuo.
* FourStarBadass: In a series full of them, he deserves special mention.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Less famous than [[OneManArmy his ability to defeat nearly anyone within spear's reach of him]], he also managed to get Liu Bei and a general of Yuan Shu, Ji Leng, to stand down and not battle against each other by betting to them that he could hit the left branch of his halberd with an arrow from 150 paces away.
* InSeriesNickname: 'Bastard of Three Fathers'. This because, aside from his birth father, he also chose a general as a 'Father' later, and not long after that, ''killed'' his 'father', and chose the tyrannical Dong Zhuo as his 'father'. Add to that, the fact that he keeps on changing his allegiances at the drop of hat, and that's how that nickname came to be.
* {{Jerkass}}: Aside from his aforementioned ChronicBackstabbingDisorder, he was also harsh, rough, impatient and violent. He was unpopular with even his own men.
* OneManArmy: It was said that he killed a thousand men a day just to keep his skills sharp and temper even. He holds Hulao gate almost completely by himself, and only retreats when attacked by Zhang Fei, Guan Yu and Liu Beu simultaneously. Before Liu Bei joined the fray, he was perfectly capable of holding his own against Zhang Fei and Guan Yu at once, two of the mightiest warriors in the novel, with Zhang Fei in particular only being surpassed by Lu Bu himself.
* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: Inverted. Cao Cao was going to spare him in order to make use of him, until Liu Bei pointed out the fate of his previous lords. Cao then changes his mind and executes him.
* SelfMadeOrphan: Both of the lords whom he assassinated were also adoptive fathers.
* WorldsBestWarrior: He is famously known as this in Ancient China. He famously dueled Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Liu Bei at the same time.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Diao Chan]]
!!Diao Chan
A singing girl who is roped into bringing down Dong Zhuo by her adopted father by playing him and Lu Bu against each other.
* HoneyTrap: At her adoptive father's urging, she used her beauty and wits to drive a wedge between Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo until Lu Bu ultimately killed Dong Zhuo.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: She convinces both Dong and Lu that she is miserable whenever she is with the other one, making them both want her more.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chen Gong]]
!!Chen Gong
A strategist who followed Cao Cao until he became disgusted by his immoral behaviour, then joined up with Lu Bu in order to oppose him. When Lu Bu is defeated, Cao Cao offers him a chance to repent, but he refuses and is executed. Cao Cao was so moved that he provided for Chen Gong's family thereafter.
* DoomedMoralVictor: Chen Gong ends up joining with Lu Bu against Cao Cao. When Lu Bu loses, mostly because of his refusal to heed Chen Gong's advice, he is taking captive and willingly chooses death.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: He assists Cao Cao in killing his adoptive uncle's household, under the false impression that they were going to betray him and Cao Cao to the authorities.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Cao Cao proves to be more ruthless than he thought.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chen Deng]]
!!Chen Deng
Another strategist for Lu Bu who, along with his father, acted as a fifth column in favour of Liu Bei and Cao Cao. They were both highly rewarded after Lu Bu was defeated.
* EvilChancellor: Towards Lu Bu.
* TheMole, possibly TheMole depending on how you feel towards Lu Bu and Cao Cao.
[[/folder]]
!Yuan family
[[folder:Yuan Shu]]
!!Yuan Shu
A warlord vying for power and brother of Yuan Shao. He declares himself Emperor when Sun Ce trades him the Imperial Seal for troops.
* AlasPoorVillain: His death is arguably the most pathetic in the entire book.
* SmugSnake: All of Cao Cao or Sima Yi's arrogance with only a tiny fraction of their competence.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yuan Shao]]
!!Yuan Shao
The most powerful warlord in the north. His arrogance eventually leads to his downfall at Guan Du.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Like most generals in the book.
* BlueBlood: The Yuan family is one of the most distinguished at the beginning of the story.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: The most likely explanation why he TookALevelInJerkass is that the writer originally modeled him on the historical Yuan Shao, before inventing {{Fatal Flaw}}s for the doomed warlord to fit the novel's Confucian moral slant.
* HotBlooded: One gets the feeling he never thinks his actions through.
* TheLeader: For the coalition against Dong Zhou.
* OnlySaneMan: He and Cao Cao are the only people of the plot against the Eunuchs with any sanity.
* TheProudElite: His FatalFlaw is his high-born arrogance.
* ThePurge: He ''really'' hates Eunuchs. [[KarmicDeath Not that they didn't have it coming]].
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: ''Boy'' can he hold a grudge. Specially if you're an Eunuch.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Early on he seems a fundamentally decent character. His arrogance and high and mighty approach only appear when he talks with the three Brothers.
[[/folder]]
!Riverlands
[[folder:Liu Zhang]]
!!Liu Zhang
The governor of Yizhou. He was considered an incompetent by some of his own officers, who wanted Liu Bei to replace him. The rest served him loyally until his defeat, whereupon most of the survivors joined Liu Bei.
* GeneralFailure: He was unable to correctly use the talented officers under his command, which led to their resenting him.
[[/folder]]
!Nanman tribes
[[folder:Meng Huo]]
!!Meng Huo
A barbarian king, he attempts to rebel against the rule of Shu only to be beaten seven times by Zhuge Liang. After the seventh time, he repents and swears loyalty to Shu.
* HumiliationConga: Zhuge Liang puts him through one of these, constantly capturing and releasing him in the hopes that he'll eventually submit willingly. It takes seven captures, but ultimately he yields.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lady Zhurong]]
!!Lady Zhurong
Meng Huo's wife who claimed to be a descendant of the goddess of fire. She is the only woman in the book to actually fight.
* ActionGirl: As mentioned above, she is the only woman in the book to actually fight. She used knives in battle.
* LadyOfWar: She's definitely no pushover, as she successfully manages to take two Shu officers prisoner, and was only captured herself by the combination of Zhao Yun, Wei Yan, and Ma Dai.
* PrisonerExchange: After her capture, she was set free in exchange for the two leaders of Shu she captured.
[[/folder]]
!Liaodong
[[folder:Gongsun Yuan]]
!!Gongsun Yuan
The ruler of Liaodong who rebels against Cao Rui. He was defeated by Sima Yi.
* BadBoss: Publicly executed two of his strategists for criticizing his rebellion.
[[/folder]]
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