Line #35 Series/LegendHeroes


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/legend_heroes.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300: '''Gun-Shin-Il-Che!''']]
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4	''Legend Heroes'' is 2016 Korean [[{{Toku}} Tokusatsu]] series. It combines ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' mecha battles with the HenshinHero tropes of ''Franchise/KamenRider'', all while theming itself after ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms''.
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6	People named after warriors of myth are handed [[TransformationTrinket Legend Changers]] and are told to bet their dream in the aptly named ''Dream Battle''. Whoever should defeat the other one hundred warriors can have their wish fulfilled. Those who are defeated and have their Legend Changers destroyed lose their dream and memories of Dream Battle. Throughout the Dream Battle, [[TheHero Liu Bei]] and those close to him do their best to navigate the Dream Battle and protect the city as more and more Heroes appear to practically crop up daily. Meanwhile, a dark, grinning figure looms in the shadows with their own agenda...
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8	''Legend Heroes'' is available for simulcast (complete with English-translated Closed Captioning) on [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKL6uS0NywFgS2eg4jyOrAA/about it's official Youtube page]].
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10	----
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12	!!General Tropes:
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14	* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul: This incarnation of Lu Bu and Diaochan might be the first one to not have them romantically involved, since he's a [[BuffySpeak tiny hexagon thingy]] and she's a little girl. They do become something akin to best friends, however.
15	* ActionGirl: Gongsun Zan.
16	* AmbiguousSituation: It's implied, but never confirmed that the Dark Warlords are [[spoiler: inherently evil Hero Pieces as opposed to creations of Zhang Jue or Sima Yi]].
17	* AntiVillain: [[spoiler:Cao Cao]], arguably.
18	* ApocalypseHow: [[spoiler:Reality (heaven and earth realms) is tied to Royal Seal, which is running out of energy. Without it reality goes poof.]]
19	* ArtifactOfDoom: [[spoiler:The Dark Pentagon]].
20	* BatOutOfHell: Swarms of small energy bats that can combine into a massive one act as part of the Rainbow Event's test.
21	** Legend Hero Zhang Kai can summon these and launch them at foes.
22	* BadBoss: Mi Zhu was once this to Zhang Fei. Also Zhang Lu to Yu Ji.
23	* BigBad: [[spoiler:Zhang Jue]].
24	* BigBadDuumvirate: [[spoiler:Zhang Jue]] and [[spoiler:Sima Yi]].
25	* BigGood: The Mother Computer.
26	** Also, [[spoiler:Legend Hero Hua Tuo]] is revealed to be [[spoiler:Liu Bei's sensei and the previous champion of the Dream Battle]].
27	* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: Gun-shin-il-che. [[note]] Something along the lines of ''Lord and vassal unified.''.[[/note]]
28	* CanonCharacterAllAlong: The idol LINA [[spoiler:is actually a {{Gender Flip}}ped Yuan Shao.]]
29	* TheChosenMany: According to Xu Shu, there are at least one hundred Legend Heroes.
30	* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:Wang Yun and Xu Shu]].
31	* ComesGreatResponsibility: There are very few Legend Heroes that aren't jerks out for power, destruction or selfish wishes.
32	* CoDragons: Dark Warlords Xu Chu, Xu Huang and Zhang Liao are this to [[spoiler:Cao Cao and Sima Yi]].
33	* CombatMedic: Legend Hero Hua Tuo's suit design invokes this.
34	* ConflictBall: The whole point of the Dream Battle is for the Legend Heroes to fight each other. Their reasons for fighting vary; Some don't even want to fight at all.
35	* DarkActionGirl: With [[spoiler:Gongsun Zan being the sole exception]], the few female Legend Heroes we see in-show are by no means on the side of good.
36	* DeathOfPersonality: [[spoiler:Zhuge Liang states that if an Angel pours their life energies into an Angel Piece and possesses their Warlord, the warlord's consciousness is snuffed out permanently]].
37	** [[spoiler:[[StatusQuoIsGod However, if the Piece is removed with great force, both beings appear to return separately as though nothing happened]]]].
38	* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:The pieces Sima Yi implants into people overwrite their host entirely and can't be extracted through normal means like with Zhang Jue's [[UnwittingPawn Unwitting Pawns]] without hurting the host]].
39	* {{Expy}}:
40	** Take ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' and ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'' and smash their setting concepts together while adding a pinch of ''Franchise/SuperSentai'''s mech combat. Voila!
41	** [[spoiler:Sima Yi's Legend King Deathlon]] looks an awful lot like a Franchise/{{Gundam}}, doesn't it?
42	* FantasticRacism: [[spoiler:Zhang Jue wants to KillAllHumans to turn Earth into a world only for Angels]].
43	* FlechetteStorm: Legend Hero Hua Tuo flings acupuncture needles at his foes.
44	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan, the protagonist duo and siblings of Dong-Wong-Kwan. Liu Bei is a foolish AllLovingHero while Gongsun Zhan is the responsible AloofDarkHairedGirl.
45	** Also, Sun Ce and Sun Shangxiang, the Gang-Dong-Kwan siblings. Ironically, while Liu Bei and Sun Ce get along just fine [[FireForgedFriends after the initial hiccups]], the two girls just snark at each other at best.
46	* ForcedIntoEvil: [[spoiler:The Lu Bu Hero Piece is forced into becoming a Dark Warlord by Zhang Jue under the threat of [[HostageSituation Diaochan's death]]]].
47	** It's soon revealed that [[spoiler: ALL of the undead Hero Pieces are this, only controlled by Zhang Jue's joystick-pad]].
48	* GoldfishPoopGang: The Mi Zhu Brothers; More specifically, Li Jue and Guo Si. These two become Legend Heroes and harass Liu Bei constantly...to varying degree of effectiveness.
49	* GoodIsNotNice: '''[[spoiler:Cao Cao]].'''
50	** Also to a lesser extent, Zhuge Liang.
51	* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: PlayedWith. The Dream Battle is designed so that [[spoiler: The strength of the victor's dream can sustain the Earth and Heaven Realms for 300 years. Otherwise, both realms [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt cease to exist]]]].
52	* HeelFaceTurn: Li Jue and Guo Si in Episode 49 alongside Mi Zhu and Han Fu dogpile [[spoiler:Legend Hero Sima Yan]] ''in their civvies'' [[spoiler:in an attempt to grab the Angel Piece for a weakened Zhuge Liang]]. They get TakenForGranite, but not before [[spoiler:Mi Zhu manages to snag the Piece and send it Zhuge Liang's way]].
53	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Xu Shu uses up her life energy protecting Liu Bei from an otherwise fatal attack by Dong Zhuo]].
54	** The Mi Zhu Brothers. See HeelFaceTurn above. [[spoiler:[[ItGetsBetter They Get Better]]]].
55	** When [[spoiler: Liu Bei is on death's door thanks to Sima Yan's petrification effect]], he agrees to allow Zhuge Liang to [[spoiler: use the Piece overwrite his body and use the resulting fusion to defeat Sima Yan and save the world]]. The Angel instead opts for the reverse, [[spoiler:[[PowersViaPossession giving Liu Bei his magical abilities]]]].
56	* HopeCrusher: If a Legend Hero is defeated, their dream is utterly crushed. Some take this even further, though.
57	* HopeSpot: Whenever a Legend Hero loses the Dream Battle, a golden vision depicting their dream appears before them, only to brutally shatter into pieces before they lose consciousness.
58	* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: In most historical accounts, Lu Bu is seen as little more than "The [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder backstab]]-[[BuffySpeak y guy]]." In ''Legend Heroes'', the Lu Bu Hero Piece is depicted as a JerkWithAHeartOfGold at best, and an innocent UnwittingPawn to [[spoiler:Dong Zhuo and Zhang Jue]] at worst.
59	* HumongousMecha: Legend Machines are mecha summoned for ''Final Battle''.
60	* InstantAwesomeJustAddMecha: Unlike ''Super Sentai'', it handwaves the destruction because Last Battle covers the area with force field of sorts that stops time for anyone who is not Legend Hero and repairs damage caused.
61	* JokeCharacter: Legend Hero Pang Feng. Aside from being able to fire a StinkBomb and Fartillery, all he can do is spread party favors around. [[TheComicallySerious Cao Cao]] is less than amused.
62	* JudgeJuryAndExecutioner: [[spoiler:Cao Cao]] sees himself as this after [[spoiler:Dong Zhou kills Wang Yun]]. See KnightTemplar above.
63	* JustAMachine: [[spoiler:Zhuge Liang]] is of the belief that [[spoiler:all Legend Heroes see Angels as mere tools for the Dream Battle]]. Then he meets [[AllLovingHero Liu Bei]].
64	* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler:Cao Cao]] transitions into one after [[spoiler:the death of his mentor Wang Yun at the hands of Dong Zhuo]], believing that evil should only be destroyed and that people that do bad even once are by default irredeemable.
65	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: People that lose the Dream Battle forget about their participation in it.
66	* LoopholeAbuse: To become a Legend Hero, you need to have the same name as a legendary figure. Nothing says you need to be ''born'' with that name though.
67	* MeaningfulName: All Legendary Heroes are named after warriors of myth, particularly those involved in ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms.''
68	* MerchandiseDriven: In similar way as ''Kamen Rider'' or ''Super Sentai'' nowadays. The toy line includes Legend changers, Hero Pieces and assorted figurines.
69	* MightyGlacier: Legend Hero Wang Lang. [[RhinoRampage Hits like a]] [[AnimalMotifs rhino]]. [[StoneWall Sturdy as one, too]].
70	* MindRape: Losing one's dream upon defeat. Some variation of this trope is also applied by some Legend Heroes like Zhang Lu.
71	* MoodWhiplash: A usually lighthearted show with some ''very'' dark moments. Extra points to #24/#25, which is mostly about father and son reconciling thanks to Liu Bei and Xu Shu. Then [[spoiler:Don Zhuo enters the picture, beats up the father, eliminates the son from Dream Battle and kills Xu Shu.]]
72	* {{Mooks}}: Tao Troops, one of [[MadScientist Zhang Jue's]] experiments.
73	* NephariousPharaoh: Legend Hero Xu Chu's suit design invokes this. He's also quite the Jerkass.
74	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: [[spoiler:Zhang Jue uses the Dark Pentagon to resurrect eliminated Hero Pieces with dark magic and implant them into [[UnwittingPawn Unwitting Pawns]] to drain other people's Hero Power]].
75	* PeoplePuppets: [[spoiler:Zhang Jue uses a gaming-pad filled with evil magic to control the zombie Hero Piece Warlords]].
76	** The [[spoiler:[[CoDragons Dark Warlords]]]] are [[spoiler:people implanted wth tainted Hero Pieces]] already bent to [[spoiler:Sima Yi]]'s will.
77	* PluckyComicRelief: Lots, though the Mi Zhu Brothers are the most prominent.
78	* TakeOverTheWorld: [[spoiler:Yuan Shu]]'s goal.
79	** [[spoiler:Sima Yi]]'s, too.
80	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers: Power is another common reason to join the Dream Battle. Avoiding police, executing one's own justice or simply having power itself.
81	* SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids: [[spoiler:Cao Cao]] goes out of his way to try and convince Liu Bei that people that perform wrong even once are undeserving of sympathy.
82	** [[spoiler:Zhang Lu]] is a believer in this too, thinking that people's dark sides are their ''true sides''. [[ItGetsBetter He gets better]].
83	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: The show seems to be geared firmly towards Idealism and the idea that people are inherently good at heart, despite [[spoiler:Cao Cao]]'s Cynical outlook.
84	** Oddly then that in the Finale, Liu Bei acknowledges that [[spoiler:his wish of simply making everyone happy]] is unrealistic as-is.
85	* SmellySkunk: Legend Hero Pang Feng.
86	* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Legend Hero Imperial is this for [[spoiler:Liu Bei]] at first, as [[spoiler:the Golden Hawk Dragon residing in the Golden Piece is a destructive BloodKnight entity that will possess and eventually take over a weak owner]]. Eventually, [[spoiler: He tames it into a proper SuperMode]].
87	** Later on, [[spoiler:Legend Hero Kaiser]] for [[spoiler:Cao Cao]].
88	* SissyVillain: [[spoiler:Zhang Jue.]]
89	* StockFootage: Of the initiation of Final Battle and summoning the Legend Machines.
90	* StoppedCaring: Those that lose the Dream Battle typically enter a lethargic fugue while directly [[RefusalOfTheCall opposing (or ignoring)]] the dream they once fought for. [[spoiler: Case in point: Gongsun Zan loses interest in martial arts ''entirely'' once LINA eliminates her]]. Though there are exceptions to the rule.
91	* SuperMode: The bond between Liu Bei and his Hero Pieces [[spoiler:summons the Golden Hawk Dragon, which allows Liu Bei to transform into Legend Hero Imperial...[[SuperpoweredEvilSide if he can control it]]]].
92	* TakeAThirdOption: [[spoiler:At the end of the Dream Battle, Liu Bei realizes that his wish to just make people happy is unrealistic and instead wishes for an end to the Dream Battle. After being told that the Battle is necessary for the sake of maintaining both realities VIA winners' dreams, Bei convinces the Motherboard to end the Dream Battle in exchange for feeding on smaller dreams and wishes espoused by Humans as compensation]].
93	* TakenForGranite: [[spoiler:Legend Hero Sima Yan]] petrifies people he [[spoiler: drains Hero Power]] from.
94	* ThatManIsDead: [[spoiler:Once Wang Yun dies, Tae-O discards his former name and takes the name of Cao Cao]].
95	* TheBadGuyWins: PlayedWith in Episodes 35 and 36. Legend Hero Ji Ling [[spoiler: eliminates Liu Bei, Cao Cao and Sun Ce; thus winning the Dream Battle and making his wish of being the Emperor of the world a reality]]. Instead, it turns out that Zhang Jue [[spoiler:had supplied Yuan Shu with a bomb that put everyone into a coma and transferred the Heroes' concioussness' into Shu's; basically trapping them in Shu's daydream instead. Zhuge Liang rescues the heroes and helps them escape]], [[HazyFeelTurn with help]].
96	* TheDarkArts: [[spoiler: Zhang Jue]] dabbles in this, typically along the lines of powering up Legend Heroes antagonistic to Liu Bei or [[spoiler: controling undead Hero Pieces with [[HypnoTrinket Hypno Trinkets]]]].
97	** [[spoiler: Sima Yi]] is more literal with it, wielding dark versions of various Angel magics.
98	* ThereCanBeOnlyOne: The Dream Battle can only grant one wish.
99	* TheUnfettered: [[spoiler:Cao Cao]] has no qualms about [[spoiler: destroying the Legend Changers]] of Legend Heroes that abuse their powers, despite knowing full-well that this results in not only [[spoiler: losing the Dream Battle]], but also [[spoiler:the possible death of the Hero Piece in the process]]. He also doesn't hesitate to [[spoiler:kill Dong Zhuo]] despite Liu Bei's attempts to persuade him otherwise.
100	* TheSpeechless: The Lu Bu Hero Piece can only scream with pure rage or say some variation of "ku" or "ka." He never says actual words on-screen.
101	* UndyingLoyalty: Despite [[BadBoss his treatment of him]], the Yu Ji Hero Piece refuses to leave his master's side.
102	* UnwittingPawn: Happens to the point of becoming a RunningGag.
103	** Firstly, [[spoiler:Zhang Jue]] manipulates random people with chips on their shoulders into becoming Legend Heroes.
104	** Then, [[spoiler:Zhang Jue uses the Dark Pentagon to resurrect eliminated Hero Pieces with dark magic]] before [[spoiler:implanting them]] into [[UnwittingPawn Unwitting Pawns]].
105	** Then, [[spoiler:Jue himself was this to Sima Yi]], who decides that [[spoiler:he has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness failed too many times]] and offs him for his trouble]].
106	** ''[[OverlyLongGag Then]],'' Cao Cao is convinced by [[spoiler:Sima Yi]] to absorb the [[spoiler:power of the Dark Pentagon]] to win the Dream Battle. He's actually [[spoiler:being groomed as a body for Sima Yi to absorb and use to gain a wish from the Royal Seal, as Angels are inelligible]].

Context Series / LegendHeroes