Characters / Dynasty Warriors: Shu Kingdom

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Shu Han, founded and led by Liu Bei and later succeeded by Liu Shan, is the closest equivalent to "the good guys". Their motive is focused solely on forging a kingdom for the people, one of true peace and, of course, benevolence and virtue. Its officers all share varying levels of Honor Before Reason and most importantly, they're all incredibly dedicated not just to Liu Bei, but also his cause. Shu is also notable for being the last of the kingdoms to be formally founded as for much of Liu Bei's earlier exploits, he and his forces had no base of operations and spent much of that time roaming the Chinese countryside helping where he could. Interestingly, most of its finest men all use some kind of polearm. Their identifying color is green and their animal symbol is a dragon.

Here's the list of characters categorized in the Shu Kingdom in Dynasty Warriors, arranged in their chronological appearance in the series. An asterisk (*) marks those characters who are playable in the DLC.

Also as of the seventh installment, Shu has now upstaged Wu as the kingdom that has the most number of playable generals to date.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors

Zhao Yun

"The Dragon of Chang Shan"

"I fight so that honor may carry the day!"

Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka (Japanese), Terrence Stone (English: 4-8), Gabriel Sousa (English: 9), Kang Liu (Chinese: 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: 229
Style Name: Zilong
Onyomi: Chō Un "Shiryū"
Age: 24
Height: 6'1" (185cm)
Weapon: Qiang

Zhao Yun is a Shu general and one of the Five Tiger Generals. He served Shu in many battles, with the Battle of Changban being his most famous accolade. It was said that Zhao Yun went to save Liu Bei's infant son, Liu Shan, and he had to fight through thousands of Wei soldiers singlehandedly all the way back to Shu's camp.

Usually seen as one of Liu Bei's right-hand men, Zhao Yun faithfully serves him for the good of the land as a calm, yet valiant general. He is always courageous and heroic, facing impossible odds in stride. Historically, his first liege was Gongsun Zan, who was also a good friend of Liu Bei as they both studied under the same mentor Lu Zhi.

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• Absurdly Youthful Father: Looks younger than his (generic) son Zhao Tong.
• Adapted Out: In live-action adaptation of the film, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei as the main protagonists, Zhao Yun is absolutely absent despite the poster boy in the games.
• The Ace: In many instances in the opening movies featuring him. Even thing it was actually all overblown compared to his actual historical self.
• Badass and Baby: He carried baby Liu Shan during the Battle Of Changban.
• Big Brother Mentor: Later games gave him this role to the younger Shu officers particularly to Xingcai and Guan Yinping.
• Bilingual Bonus: Yun's third-tier weapons in the Japanese script literally translates to either "Dragon Nerve" or "Brave Dragon", but are also named after the Japanese name of the gentian bellflower (he also has one weapon named after the "Dragon Eye" or longan tree in the sixth installment). Meanwhile, the name of his level 11 weapon in some installments^note For the Asian port means "Inverted Scale/Imperial Wrath", a nod to the sovereign-to-dragon parallels - that angering a ruler with a sensitive subject is just as bad as rubbing a dragon's scale the wrong way.
• Blow You Away: A number of his attacks are a bit wind-based, especially his Type Action in Warriors Orochi 3 and his Musou Attacks since 7 (starting with his True Musou Attack in 5).
• Clothes Make the Legend: Zhao Yun's blue armor is distinct from his faction’s identifying green and he stands as an unique warrior with his own blue-colored motif throughout all his appearances, completely unrelated to Wei and Jin.
• Dash Attack: While a lot of his attacks involve some solid stabbing maneuvers, his original C1 attack in 4 and 5 takes the cake as a full-on rushing spear charge slide. The same goes with his Type Action in Warriors Orochi 3.
• The Dragon: To enemies of the Shu kingdom, particularly Wei, as he fits the role of "the enemy leader's strongest warrior and chief enforcer". Irony ensues when he's the character who's most thematically associated with dragons.
• The Fettered: Honorable, loyal, just - these traits drive him to be the deadliest person one could face on a battlefield.
• For Great Justice: Lampshaded by his victory quote in 6.
  Zhao Yun: I wield my spear in the name of Justice!
• Fragile Speedster: He changes from being a Technique-type to a Speed-type character from the early Warriors Orochi installments to the third one. However, Zhao Yun was kept used in 4.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: One of the most notable examples, since this game series fully cements his current status in the Dynasty Warriors fandom and novel readers alike; the historical Zhao Yun didn't achieve much until his later years during Liu Shan's reign. Even then, it doesn't last long as he died in 229, six years after Liu Shan became Emperor. If anything, he's more like a personal guard for Liu Bei and his family (akin to Dian Wei for Cao Cao) which is why his main duty during Battle of Changban was protecting Liu Bei's family instead of fighting in the frontline. Chen Shou did praise him highly^note "Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun were fierce and mighty warriors, just like claws and teeth. Were they the successors to Guan Ying and Lord Teng (Xiahou Ying; both men served with distinction under Han Gaozu- Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty)?" , but the (arguable) main contribution to this status of his is also possibly some historical fictional biographies of him which can be deemed as "ancient Chinese fanfiction"- which got into Romance of Three Kingdoms, and in turn Dynasty Warriors. The developers stated that this was because the series needed a poster boy hero that suited their tastes for an action-based setting (seeing that their initial proposal being Liu Bei didn't fit into that concept too well).
• Hot-Blooded: His character profile in 6 states that he gets so fired up during battle, he occasionally runs into the enemy lines by himself.
• Intergenerational Friendship: He outlives all the other Tiger Generals, and sees the baby he once saved become Emperor. He remained as Liu Shan's friend for the rest of his life.
• Jack of All Stats: One of the easiest characters to pick up and play for novices and veterans alike. This is also reflected in his stats - he'll never reach the maximum in any area, but they will all be about the second or third best of all playable characters.
• Justice Will Prevail: In the same vein as Ma Chao, he believes that his Lord Liu Bei's benevolence will see them through to victory.
• Killed Offscreen: In the historical paths of 7, 8, and 9, he disappears after Shu's storyline to coincide with his historical death.
• Light Is Good: Personality wise, averted; in most games, Zhao Yun's predominant color has always been white, as per the novel, and is synonymous with his historical counterpart. His clothing in white serves as a sign of his purity - a man who is good-natured and loyal.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Grows his hair out into a ponytail in 7 and 8. His look in 4 has him let loose his hair behind him with no ponytail.
• Mascot: Unofficially, he's the one for the Dynasty Warriors franchise, having been on the front cover of every main installments from 5 onwards. Exemplified when he's the headlining protagonist of Spin-Off Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers, the leading representative for Dynasty Warriors in Warriors All-Stars and one of the characters to have a Deification form in Warriors Orochi 4.
• Officer and a Gentleman: While still Hot-Blooded, Zhao Yun is more reserved, polite and adverse to boasting than the other Shu generals, showing impeccable manners and courtesy to his superiors and to any lady he comes across. He stands out for his nobility, and is generally regarded as an example of what a perfect general should be.
• Older Than He Looks: Mainly in the later battles of Shu's story route, since, in other depictions of the novel, by that time, Zhao Yun is already an old man.
• One-Man Army:
  • As per the source material, some of the games has him running into, and out of, the middle of Wei's army at the Battle of Changban alone to save Liu Shan and killing plenty of Mooks and officers in the process. This carries into his in-game abilities - back in 2, he is the crowd-clearer of the game. In subsequent installments, Zhao Yun has the safest crowd-control moveset, and easily becomes one of the best crowd-clearers when upgraded.
  • Consider the opening movies for the games: in 5, he single-handedly destroys an entire Wei army just to get to Cao Pi.
• Only Sane Man: In regards to the Battle of Yiling, he (and a lesser extent, Zhuge Liang) realizes how pointless it is as it only serves to benefit Wei in the long run. Liu Bei at this point doesn't care.
• Playing with Fire: His original fourth weapon in 3 contains this effect for some of his moves. Fire is also his primary element of choice in 4 and 5.
• Recurring Boss: In Wei's Musou Mode for 4, Zhao Yun bears the honor for being the only Shu officer who appeared in all "Cao Cao/Wei vs Liu Bei/Shu" stages. He even has more appearances than his lord Liu Bei himself!^note Liu Bei didn't appear in two of them: Chibi and Jieting. He's got to hate Wei that much.
• Retired Badass: Historically/Story-wise, he's the only officer who dies of old age. Everyone else dies either in battle, or assassinated, or stressed out, and rarely reach 60 years of age.
• Scarf of Asskicking: A very nice looking scarf is part of his "Shu warrior and officer" getup in 6 and 7
• Screams Like a Little Girl: In 6, he sounds distinctively unmanly when calling for help.
  Zhao Yun: Somebody! I am in need of assistance!
• Spam Attack: Due to his rapid-stabbing attack list, particular the C6 attack in 3 and 4, and his Type Action Special (C3-EX) in the original Warriors Orochi.
• Spectacular Spinning: He's pretty spin-happy with his spear until 6, which gives him more a more acrobatic moveset. Meanwhile, his EX Attack in 7 and 8 combines this with a This Is a Drill.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Historically and in the novel, he is died in 229 that was reported by his sons and Zhuge Liang. But in this way, Zhao Yun had a long lived to fight at Wuzhang Plains in 8 and 9.
• Super Mode: One of the eight characters to receive a Deification mode in Warriors Orochi 4. His form is based from Apollo, the Greek god of the sun and god-protector of evil, which suits him for being the protector of Shu. His deified Unique Magic shows him generating light from the sky which rain down on his enemies.
• Undying Loyalty: To Shu, more specifically, to Liu Bei. The Battle of Changban, where he single-handedly faces hordes of Wei troops to save the infant Liu Shan, is considered by many to be the absolute greatest show of loyalty in both the source novel and the game series.
• You Are in Command Now: In the first Warriors Orochi game, he believes that his liege lord is dead during captivity under Orochi but with the help of Yoshihiro Shimazu, Xingcai and Zuo Ci, Zhao Yun escapes after the latter told him that Liu Bei is alive. After escaping, he amasses several of his fellow Shu officers and other allies while searching for his lord which makes him the de facto leader of the Shu resistance.

Guan Yu

"The God of War"

"The blade in service of honor shall always prevail!"

Voiced by: Yasunori Masutani (Japanese), Douglas Kirk (English; 2), Peter Barto (English; 3), Beau Billingslea (English; 4), Crispin Freeman (English; 5), Liam O'Brien (English; 5: XL), Dave B. Mitchell (English; WO-8), Brian Brathwaite (English; 9), Ding Zhang (Chinese; 9)

Born: 162 ^note Historically, Guan Yu's birth year and age when he died were not recorded.
Died: 219 ^note Historically, the Zi Zhi Tong Jian recorded that Guan Yu was captured and executed in the 12th month of the 24th year of the Jian'an era of the reign of Emperor Xian of Han. This month corresponds to 23 January to 21 February 220 in the Julian and the proleptic Gregorian calendars.
Style Name: Yunchang/Changsheng^note Guan Yu has had two different style names: the latter may have been his real one via him later changing it in life or it could've been due to poor quality of the records messing up the writing of it.
Onyomi: Kan U "Unchō/Chōsei"
Age: 30
Height: 6'9 1/2" (205cm)
Weapon: Guandao

Guan Yu is a military hero and sworn oath brother of Shu leader Liu Bei and fellow general Zhang Fei. As one of the famed Five Tiger Generals, Guan Yu is a central figure in the founding and expansion of the Shu Kingdom.

Tall and powerful, Guan Yu is a stalwart man who firmly believes in justice and virtue. Normally calm and benign, he stands with an air of noble dignity and has respectful manners. A man who also excels in literary studies, he gains many admirers from each kingdom with his might and has earned the nickname "God of War/Army God". Note that you can easily see statues of him in practically any Chinese shop to this day.

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• The Ace: Nicknamed the God of War AKA Army God for a reason - he's so strong he effortlessly strikes down some of the land's mightiest warriors, intelligent enough to use effective strategies like the flooding of Fan Castle, unflinchingly loyal to Liu Bei and courteous to everyone, including his rival Xiahou Dun. In most installments, Guan Yu's death is a devastating blow to Shu beyond its ruler's emotional attachment to him.
• Action Dad: He has lots of children, many of whom become officers after him.
• Anachronism Stew: His weapon, the yanyuedao ("crescent/weir moon blade"), wasn't created until the Song Dynasty, and is a carry-over from his novel counterpart. Historical records state he may have been using a halberd/ji instead, the base weapon moveset used for his appearance in 3 and 7.
• Badass Family: Patriarch of the Guan Family, with extended members including children Guan Ping (adopted novel-wise, but historically biological), Guan Xing, Guan Yinping, Guan Suo, and daughter-in-law Bao Sanniang. If you include his sworn brothers, then his family includes Zhang Fei and Liu Bei.
• Balance, Speed, Strength Trio: With Liu Bei and Zhang Fei; specifically, Guan Yu is The Spock, the (mostly) stoic giant in contrast to Zhang Fei's Boisterous Bruiser.
• Bash Brothers: With Zhang Fei especially, and to a lesser degree Liu Bei; they're his sworn brothers after all.
• Blow You Away: His "Heavenly Gale" Musou Attack in 7 and 8, and a decent number of his other attacks as well. Also his True Musou Attack back in 5.
• Co-Dragons: With Zhang Fei to Liu Bei; in a similar way to Zhao Yun, the enemies of Shu look at the three of them and think "it's the leader of Shu and his two closest minions".
• Cool Horse: He'll usually be the one mounting the Red Hare in any stage that takes place after the final defeat of Lu Bu. Justified as Cao Cao gave the stallion to him when he temporarily surrendered to Cao Cao.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: What's that? Hua Xiong has been trouncing tons of coalition officers and even Sun Jian's officers? Here comes Guan Yu to challenge him and...Hua Xiong is instantly killed. The same applies to Yan Liang and Wen Chou when they are defeating Wei's officers at the Battle of Guandu.
• Died Standing Up: The rendition of his death in Shu's "Historical" route from 8 shows him slain, but not knocked down.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the novel and historically, he was arrested and executed by Wu. In the games, he dies in battle.
• Final Boss: Of Wei's historical route in 8, which ends with the Battle of Fan Castle.
• Gentle Giant: Tall and one of Shu's biggest officers, but a stern, loving father and very loyal, honorable ally.
• Gold-Colored Superiority: In as of the seventh title, his fourth level weapon is aptly colored and named "Gold Dragon". Even then, that very weapon was already named the "Yellow Dragon Weir Moon Blade" in the Asian versions.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: The historical Guan Yu is regarded by many as a mediocre general, and many of his deeds in the games are actually done by someone else or outright fictional, such as killing Hua Xiong (Sun Jian does it) and Wen Chou (thanks to Cao Cao's ambush unit). Additionally, in history and novels alike, his death was that of capture and execution. In these games, Guan Yu is never captured; he always goes down fighting.
• Historical Hero Upgrade: In Real Life, Guan Yu was not a pleasant person, being deemed fairly arrogant and a sucker for flattery. This also applies to his novel counterpart - in spite of having the skills to back it up, Guan Yu eventually gives in to arrogance, just like his historical counterpart. Even Wikipedia lampshades this, where it's stated that most of Guan's life stories are found in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel or passed down the generations as folklore, where his deeds and moral qualities have been lionized.
• Honor Before Reason: Deconstructed- this is his main motivation, and while honor is one of Guan Yu's positive aspects, it also proves to be his downfall. Guan Yu could have accepted the return of Jing Province for the good of many, but Liu Bei (his lord and sworn brother) entrusted him that province for his quest of the land of virtue and benevolence; his honor not allowing him to give it back to Wu. This leads straight into the Battle of Fan Castle and his subsequent capture and execution- starting a long string of events that ultimately lead to the downfall of Shu.
• Justice Will Prevail: While not as much as Ma Chao, beginning with 6, Guan Yu has been focusing more on the word "justice".
• Lightning Bruiser: In 7: Xtreme Legends, his EX weapon category is a Speed-type, and Guan Yu still hits as hard as if he's a heavy-type - fast and can utilize dodges.
• Mighty Glacier: Always slow (but not too slow compared to others) without a mount, but has excellent Mook-butchering ability with the Azure Dragon. In 6, he can mitigate this by learning the "sprint" ability which gives him a 10 second speed boost when he runs.
• Palette Swap: Wears a blue outfit while fighting for Cao Cao in the Battle of Guandu.
• Papa Wolf: In 8, his Last Stand at Fan Castle involves him holding the line so that his surviving children can escape.
• Playing with Fire: His "Stormy Rage" Musou Attack in 7 and 8. It's also an Unblockable Attack.
• Plot-Triggering Death: His death is where everything goes downhill for Shu where Zhang Fei dies, Liu Bei attempts to avenge their deaths only to lead him to get sick and die in his deathbed and then, Zhuge Liang overworks himself to death, leaving Shu in a very vulnerable state.
• Red Baron:
  • The God of War (or "Army God" in the Asian script).
  • "The Lord of the Magnificent Beard".
  • In a nod to his godhood, Guan Gong ("Duke Guan") and Guan Di ("Emperor Guan") are commonly used in Real Life, with the latter tying into his aforementioned divine dragon motif in this series.
• The Rival:
  • Primarily with Xiahou Dun: this gets more one-sided beginning with 7, where the rivalry is mostly regarding Xiahou Dun's dislike and envy of Guan Yu.
  • Lu Meng, in terms of Wu; funny enough, via their animal motifs and weapon imagery, this is more pronounced in the Asian ports of the games - Guan Yu's "azure dragon" to Xiahou Dun's "tiger-like ''qilin''" and Lu Meng's "white tiger".
• Shock and Awe: His main element of choice in 4, and his fourth weapon's main element in 3. He instead opts for light instead in 5 due to limited options.
• Shockwave Stomp: A number of his attacks involve him smashing his blade's pommel to the ground while standing upright. His first charge attack as of 7: XL and his Warriors Orochi 3 Type Action are notable examples.
• So Proud of You: Guan Yu loves his kids deeply, and he shows pride in them every chance he gets. It's understandable, since his children are as badass as he is.
• Spectacular Spinning: Guan Yu's pre-6 Musou Attack has him spinning around akin to a top. His first charged attack in 4 and 5 also takes the cake where he leaps forward while twirling his blade like a baton.
• Status Buff: Originally has one in the first Warriors Orochi games as his Type Action, increasing attack power (dependent on his teammates' health) and attack speed for a short period of time. This gets reprised in a different fashion for his EX Attack starting from 7 (which also grants Hyper Armor).
• Stroke the Beard: A signature trademark of his is stroking his beard.
• Sworn Brothers: He makes a "sworn brothers" pact with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei.
• Token Good Teammate: During his time serving under Cao Cao, given his Honor Before Reason in contrast to Wei's general pragmatism.
• Undying Loyalty: To his sworn brothers and the Kingdom of Shu as a whole. This is what leads to his death post-Battle of Fan Castle - he does not relinquish control of Jing Province since he sees it as a betrayal of Liu Bei's cause, giving Wu enough incentive to have him killed.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: In 7, his presence at Guandu via Cao Cao's side by killing Yan Liang and Wen Chou is what causes Yuan Shao to turn against Liu Bei, believing the two of them are secretly in cohoots, when neither has any idea where the other is, since Guan is serving on the frontlines in gratitude for Cao Cao's generosity towards him.
  • It could be argued that his refusal to hand over Jing Province is what starts the downfall of Shu, as his death at Wu's hands as a result led to Zhang Fei's death, both of which led to Liu Bei's Roaring Rampage of Revenge, leading him to neglect his health and die from illness, which eventually led Zhuge Liang to overwork himself to death in his absence, which leads Shu to become weak in the absence of its greatest leaders.
• War God: Naturally, given he's referred to as such.
• Warrior Prince: Technically, he is sworn brother of the founding emperor of Shu.
• Wife-Basher Basher: Lampshaded in certain installments.
  Guan Yu: What kind of monster would dare harm a woman?!
  [Guan Yu is enraged]
• Worthy Opponent: Mainly with Xiahou Dun, though Xu Huang and Zhang Liao are also warriors whom he considers worthy of being rivals.

Zhang Fei

"The Unequaled Courage"

"At last! I get a chance to crack some heads!"

Voiced by: Hirohiko Kakegawa (Japanese), Bob Papenbrook (English; 4-5), Steve Kramer (English; WO-8), Crash Buist (English; 9), Chenyang Fu (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: 221
Style Name: Yide (see note for Onyomi)
Onyomi: Chō Hi "Ekitoku/Yokutoku"^note Zhang Fei has had two different style names with the same pinyin reading, but different readings and different characters for the "Yi" part. Dynasty Warriors, as a direct Romance of the Three Kingdoms adaptation, uses the "Yokutoku" version.
Age: 27
Height: 6'3" (190cm)
Weapon: Viper spear (2-5, 9), Double-bladed viper spear (6-8)

The sworn oath brother of Liu Bei and Guan Yu, and one of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu. He is known to be very protective of his beloved daughter Xingcai.

Zhang Fei is a loud and brash man who thrives in a brawl and loves his wine. Stubborn and prideful, he never wants to turn his back on the enemy and is easily motivated into anger. He displays a wider range of emotions than his brothers as he's known to be cheerful one moment and deeply saddened in the next. Though his judgment may be questionable, his heart is in the right place and he usually knows when to be practical.

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• Action Dad: He is father of Zhang Bao and Xingcai who join him in battle.
• The Alcoholic: A popular carryover from the original novel, where drinking too much is often the cause of his problems. It's Played for Laughs in the Downloadable Content of the crossover, where he's always trying to have a drink, only for Guan Yu, Xingcai and Ina to hunt him down, chastise and forbid him from drinking again. Historically however, he never had this issue. ^note Historically, he was notorious for being "brutal and heartless" (Chen Shou's appraisal).
• Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: A very downplayed example. While by no means evil Zhang Fei notes that Liu Bei's kindness prevents him from morally questionable acts like taking over Yi Province from Liu Zhang. Zhang Fei is only too happy to do it in Liu Bei's place.
• Badass Family: Guan Yu and Liu Bei as sworn brothers. Zhang Bao and Xingcai as children. Not to mention his sworn brothers' children.
• Balance, Speed, Strength Trio: With Liu Bei and Guan Yu, where Zhang Fei is obviously The McCoy given how emotional he is and how he disregards cool-headed strategy.
• Bash Brothers: With Guan Yu especially, and to a lesser degree Liu Bei given their time on the battlefield and brotherhood oath.
• Blood Knight: Always happy in a scrap, but eager to get into a fight if the chance arises.
• Boisterous Bruiser: Following suit with his original novel appearance, he is a tough, rowdy man who loves drinking and fighting.
• Brought to You by the Letter "S": His costume in 7 has the character for "Zhang" (張) largely shown on the head of his belt.
• Co-Dragons: With Guan Yu to Liu Bei; in a similar way to Zhao Yun, the enemies of Shu look at the three of them and think "it's the leader of Shu and his two closest minions".
• Friendly Enemy: With Xiahou Yuan, according to Xiahou Ji's ending. Zhang Fei respects him and helps his wife arrange a funeral for her uncle after he was slain in the Battle of Mt. Dingjun.
• Historical Beauty Update: Inverted; historically and in the novel, Zhang Fei is regarded as very good looking, so much so that it is said his children get their good looks from him. In the games, he's almost a Gonk.
• Historical Hero Upgrade
  • The Real Life Zhang Fei is famous for his amazing military prowess, and a plethora of heinous acts, such as beating up his men for the most trivial reasons (this ultimately ends up getting him killed by them while he was drunk sleeping). There are also various sources or lore claiming he either possibly raped Xiahou Yuan's niece (who later becomes his wife and Xingcai's mother) or merely kidnapped her to marry her when she's still a teenager, and have her sire his daughter later.
  • The mobile game Shin Sangoku Musou Blast explores their first meeting: in this version, Lady Xiahou lives in Xuchang until Sun Ce's forces invade the city. She's separated from her family when she leaves Xuchang to take refugee and is attacked by bandits. Zhang Fei rescues her from the bandits and take her to Liu Bei's camp as a refugee. This event, of course, contradicts many historical sources that claim Zhang Fei kidnapped her.
  • In 9, his meeting with Xiahou Ji is completely different where Xiahou Ji gets lost in the forest and follows Zhang Fei because the his kindness and concern to her. Likewise, Zhang Fei is surprised that a girl, who is related to one of Cao Cao's generals, would fall in love with him. This is a complete opposite to what had happened in history, where Zhang Fei took her and made her his wife.
• Hot-Blooded: Easily the most excitable and least patient of the oath brothers.
• I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me: Gender-flipped. He is very shocked that Xiahou Ji, who is a beautiful and soft-spoken girl, would had feelings for a big, older, muscular man like him.
• In Harm's Way: His ending in 6 sees him leave the unified kingdom in Liu Bei's hands and then go out traveling because he can't stand living in peace.
• In the Back: He's killed this way in 9.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can be very problematic, but his heart is always in the right place.
• Killed Offscreen: When it happens, it's almost always after Guan Yu's death. Averted in 9 where he was stabbed in the back by his own men while he and his family were mourning for Guan Yu.
• Large Ham: Even by the standards of this series, Zhang Fei is top tier in hamminess.
• Mighty Glacier: Moves slow like Guan Yu, especially in earlier installments, but anyone who gets in range of his viper spear are punished.
• Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: What triggers his downfall - upon learning of Guan Yu's death, he descends into a drunken rage and brutalizes his own men, forcing them to kill him in self-defense.
• Spared by the Adaptation: In 6, Zhang Fei survives several stories that aren't his own after Guan Yu's death. He survives in Zhuge Liang's story and even Liu Bei's.
• Star Power: The motifs for his weapons are nods to the Eta Ursae Majoris star, mainly via its naming in Chinese/Japanese, the Pojun/Hagun (Crushing Army). A lot of Zhang Fei's weapons also have naming variations, with two of his Musou Attacks in the Japanese versions being named after a twin star (or amphiaster/diaster) motif.
• Super-Scream: His aerial Musou Attack and Type Action in Warriors Orochi 3 are fine examples of this. This plays well well since the novel-based Zhang Fei is said to have a Mighty Roar. Furthermore, at the Battle of Changban, he scares away the Wei army (numbered close to about a million at the time) simply by shouting.
• Super-Strength: Said to have the strength of 10,000 men; might be a slight exaggeration.
• Sworn Brothers: He's made a sworn brothers oath with Liu Bei and Guan Yu
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: He's a huge beardy man who is married to a cute girl. It's very obvious where their children got their looks. To his credit, his children got their personality from him.
• Undignified Death: Yeah, getting killed by his own traitorous men after getting drunk is possibly one of the most humiliating deaths a boisterous warrior like him can get. Not to mention that it happens right in front of the room where his wife and daughter were in, both of whom were completely unaware to the incident until it's too late. It's never even really shown until 9 due to how anti-climactic his death really is.
• Undying Loyalty: To his sworn brothers and the Kingdom of Shu as a whole he will fight to the end.
• Warrior Prince: He's sworn brother of the founding emperor of Shu and he fights for them.
• What the Hell, Hero?
  • He places the blames on Zhuge Liang for Guan Yu's death in 6, given it was under his advice to patrol Jing Province, until Zhang Fei admits that it was beyond HIS control; however, Zhuge Liang's Lack of Empathy is what angers Fei.
  • In the crossover, he tends to get the receiving end of this from Guan Yu and Xingcai, particularly his tendency to booze off. Played for Laughs in one stage, where its premise is Zhang mocking shield users as cowards before being confronted by his daughter and admitting he'd forgotten she uses a shield.
• You Shall Not Pass!: At the Battle of Changban, he holds the bridge by himself while Liu Bei escapes with the rest.
  Zhang Fei: If you're in a hurry to meet your death, I invite you all to face my blade!

Zhuge Liang

"The Sleeping Dragon"

"I shall guide the land unto peace from the chaos."

Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka (Japanese), Robert Belgrade (English; 2), Jason Frankovitz (English: 3), Lex Lang (English: 4-8), Matt Fowler (English: 9), Hong Yiping (English: 9)

Born: 181
Died: 234
Style Name: Kongming
Onyomi: Shokatsu Ryō "Kōmei"
Age: 22
Height: 5'11" (180cm)
Weapon: Feather fan

The brilliant strategist of Shu with an unrivaled intellect and ability to foresee future events. Also know as the "Sleeping Dragon", Zhuge Liang is instrumental in the founding of Shu and the rise of his lord, Liu Bei. After Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang personally leads Shu, before passing the torch to his successor Jiang Wei.

Zhuge Liang is a placid and calculating man who is always thinking one step ahead. He often states that every turn in battle is a part of his effortless planning. Though his intentions are sometimes questioned, he is indeed loyal to Liu Bei as he admires his lord's humble and noble qualities. Historically, he was also in-laws with Liu Shan, as his son Zhan married a daughter of Liu's. ^note The marriage was arranged about a decade after Zhuge's death; when Zhan was born in 227, Zhuge was already in his mid 40s. Zhan married Liu Shan's daughter when he was 16.

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• Aroused by Their Voice: There's a reason he's said to speak with a "bedroom voice".
• Back from the Dead: Zhuge Liang's ghost is a mini-boss in one of Deng Ai's stages in the Jin Story Mode of 7, a nod to a scene in the novel.
• Beam Spam: His musou attack from 3 to 5 is a multitude of beams of magical might.
• Blow You Away: Comes with the War Fan, several of his attacks use wind...and then there is the wind summoning at Chi Bi.
• The Chessmaster: If he's on your side, everything you're doing and everything the enemy is doing is most likely according to his plan.
• Combat Hand Fan: One of the few characters who carries the same weapon throughout all his appearances. Note a feather fan has become synonymous to Liang; even in Real Life, imitators or cosplayers must come with it.
• Energy Weapon: Usually his musou and/or his charge attacks, depend on the game, will involve magical lasers.
• The Good Chancellor: He is chancellor of Shu and his chief motivation is fulfilling his lord's vision.
• Happily Married: To Yueying. His story mode ending in 6 doesn't show him with any great honor or wealth etc. but just spending time with her while she nurses him.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: He outright states he doesn't mind being seen as a coldhearted Jerkass, so long as it spares Liu Bei from being accused of the same. He mostly drops the facade with Liu Bei himself, completely so with Jiang Wei and when Liu Bei's on his deathbed.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: The real Zhuge Liang was a brilliant politician and administrator, but in terms of battlefield tactics, he's not that good (although it's by no means bad, just decent/average). A ton of myths have lead to a lot of scrutiny; the real Zhuge Liang was also someone who did things more by the textbook as he was unable to adapt his plans to the ever-changing conditions of the battlefield, but always managed to have his troops come back in nearly one piece.
• Historical Hero Upgrade: Debated. Chen Shou, author of Records of the Three Kingdoms, has often negatively reviewed him due to some possible bad chemistry between the two (or rather, between Zhuge and Chen's father), and the fact that Zhuge Liang wasn't that modest of a person from what he says. A common fact that was expressed was that Zhuge Liang often dismissed Wei Yan despite his reasonable proposals, and only trusted in his cronies when it came to giving them higher positions.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Especially regarding Ma Su's execution.
• I Meant to Do That:
  • You saved him? No, he was simply testing you; you defeated him? Pfft...it was all a part of his plan.
  • It's explicitly invoked by him in 7 about choosing Guan Yu (indebted to Cao Cao) to pursue after the Battle of Chi Bi; the narration explains the continued threat of Cao Cao kept Wu distracted long enough for Liu Bei's forces to seize Jing Province.
• Insufferable Genius:
  • You better remember that he's smarter than you. Only Liu Bei is exempt from this, as well as Taigong Wang in the crossover.
  • It's downplayed in comparison to his rival, Sima Yi, but still evident in some scenes.
• Just as Planned: Lampshaded
  Zhuge Liang: I shall retreat as planned.
  • Somewhat flanderized when his "struggling" quotes (especially if you play as Yueying or Jiang Wei) are some form of this trope as well. So, in his own claim, his "struggling" is part of his plan, too.
• Justice Will Prevail : From 7 onward, he is the one who pushes for Liu Bei to create a land of benevolence on his own, rather than serving someone else's.
• Meaningful Name: Liang (亮) means bright, brilliant.
• Mentor Occupational Hazard: Plays this to Jiang Wei, since he usually dies soon after appointing him as his successor.
• My Greatest Failure: Ma Su... It's lampshaded in Yueying's Legend Stage where he wonders if he was an idiot to think so highly of him. It can be averted if circumstances are right in 8, which will convince him to spare Ma Su's life.
• Mythical Motifs: Shared with Zhang He's fourth weapon, Zhuge Liang's fourth weapon in the Asian ports instead is named after the Zhuque/Suzaku (lit. Vermilion Sparrow). Though in Zhuge Liang's case, it's due to the usual orientation of the Zhuque/Suzaku being in the West, where his home kingdom of Shu is located.
• Nerves of Steel: Nothing seems to faze him. Whatever the situation, he's got a plan... or at least he wants us to think so.
• Playing with Fire: His Tome Special in 6 is a series of fire blats to his enemies and any enemy base he happens to be in.
• Regent for Life: After Liu Bei's death, he is also Liu Shan's regent until his death.
• The Rival: Nearly every other strategist fancies him as this, particularly Sima Yi. Guo Jia, Lu Su, and Zhou Yu also count.
• Shock and Awe: His EX and Musou Attacks in 7 and 8 involve lightning.
• The Smart Guy: Liu Bei's long-term strategy for the founding and prosperity of Shu is basically "Do whatever Zhuge Liang says". The one time he disregards his chancellor's advice, he runs into the Battle of Yi Ling which he later reflected was a mistake.
• The Stoic:
  • Has about one facial expression, to the extent that if he changes it even slightly, it qualifies as a major plot point. Also, he never once breaks his even, measured tone, even while dying.
  • It's downplayed in 7, where everyone has six facial expressions, though his are still rather similar.
• The Strategist: Moreso than anyone else in the series - envied by his peers (Zhou Yu and Sima Yi) and an inspiration for the younger generation (Lu Xun and Jiang Wei). In victory quotes, he doesn't boast about his battle power but his strategic genius.
• Underestimating Badassery: This is where his In-Series Nickname of "Sleeping Dragon" comes from, as he'd stayed in isolation over the years (while monitoring the situation), thus many thought Zhuge Liang wasn't as great as he claimed to be. He proved them wrong.
• Undying Loyalty: Stays loyal to Shu to the moment of his death, even after Liu Bei dies.
• Worthy Opponent: Primarily to his counterparts in Wei and Wu. Sima Yi and Zhou Yu both view him through a very bitter lens, but acknowledge him as a great threat to their kingdoms. Lu Xun is more overtly respectful of Zhuge Liang; in the third game, he can tell when Zhuge Liang isn't directing the battlefield by the comparative inferiority of Shu's troop formation under Liu Bei's command.
  • Ironically, in the case of Zhou Yu, he's able to hold standard friendly conversations with Zhuge Liang in the Warriors Orochi crossover, showing that it's their loyalties to their respective kingdoms that have made them enemies.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 2

Liu Bei

"The Greatest Good"

"I must realize my ambition to serve the people."

Voiced by: Moriya Endou (Japanese), Dan Woren (English; 4 -5), Dave B. Mitchell (English; 6-8), Nathan Turner (English; 9), Zhuang Miao (Chinese; 9)

Born: 161
Died: June 10, 223
Style Name: Xuande
Onyomi: Ryū Bi "Gentoku"
Age: 31
Height: 5'8 1/2" (174cm)
Weapon: Jian (2-5), Dual jian (6-9)

The leader of Shu forces and sworn brother to Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, Liu Bei is a virtuous and benevolent man who wants to restore peace in the land. He is normally polite and modest to anyone he meets.

Empathetic with the common folk, he easily gains the people's trust and support. This particular trait makes him a feared adversary to his enemy Cao Cao.

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• Action Dad: He fathers Liu Shan while working towards quelling the chaos in his country.
• Adaptational Attractiveness: Compare the novel where he's described as having bulging eyes, oversized ears, and long, apelike arms that reached his knees with his appearance from 2 to 5 as a decent looking middle-aged man. Beginning with 6, he gets Progressively Prettier. Even with the return of his facial hair in 9, he still looks handsome.
• All-Loving Hero:
  • He is outraged when he hears of anyone mistreating the civilians of any district. Also, while he can't be persuaded against attacking Wu in revenge for Guan Yu's death, he needs little convincing to spare Sun Quan. In fact, in Sun Shang Xiang's story mode for 6, he is the one stopping her from killing him.
  • Played more reluctantly in 7, as the civilians following him and his refusal to abandon them are the reason he was intercepted at Changban. Years later, when he's the guest of Liu Zhang in Yi Province, the people claim to desire his rule, but Liu Bei refuses to take this to its logical conclusion, so Pang Tong leads Huang Zhong and Wei Yan in forcing the issue by "rebelling" on Liu Bei's behalf.
• Amazon Chaser: If the player is using Sun Shangxiang and does something awesome like capture a base or defeat an officer, Liu Bei will say, "you are truly enchanting Lady Sun!"
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Averted even though he still mixes it up much more than in the source material. Liu Bei is the least martially capable of his inner circle (according to the characters themselves), but it is his charisma and ability to draw people to his cause, not his martial skill, that ultimately makes him the leader and Emperor.
• Balance, Speed, Strength Trio: With Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei is The Kirk because he is in the middle of the two extremes of Stoic and Emotional.
• Benevolent Boss: "Benevolence" is a major part of his Magnetic Hero status. He takes such good care of his officers, his aides and even the civilians themselves that more and more people want him to be their boss.
• Berserk Button: Killing all refugees in Changban in 6 is enough to put him in Hyper Mode.
  • In a story-affecting sense, Guan Yu being executed by Wu following by Zhang Fei being killed by his own men who then fled to Wu was enough to make him abandon any and all ideals of virtue he had prior to that and set him on the warpath against Wu.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Once informed of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's deaths, he immediately drops his idealistic imagery and goes on the vengeful warpath against Wu, leading to the Battle of Yiling.
• Big Good: "The Greatest Good" and the leader of the benevolent faction.
• Big "NO!": Seen in the cutscene preceding The Battle of Yiling in Shu's storyline in 7. Guan Yu's death was enough to make Liu Bei want to attack Wu — though he managed to calm down enough to apologize for the impulse — but hearing about Zhang Fei's death immediately afterward drove him over the edge. What follows is Liu Bei using his own sword to slice his own throne in half while saying this.
• Bling of War: Got upgraded to the gold and fancy stuff in 7, whereas in previous games he'd been wearing a distinctly nondescript outfit (his 6 outfit being most so).
• Cool Helmet: He wears one from 2 to 5. He loses it in 6 when his appearance is overhauled. In 9, he got the helmet back.
• Cool Horse: Hex Mark.
• Despair Event Horizon: True to the novel, this happens to him in 7 and 8 (assuming you go down the historical route with 8). After Liu Bei suffered a crushing defeat at Yiling and failed in avenging his sworn brothers, he falls ill and dies.
• Distressed Dude: He's taken hostage by Orochi at the prior to WO1 which forces his blood brothers and Zhuge Liang to fight for the demon lord to keep him safe. He remains unplayable throughout the Shu storyline until Orochi's defeat. This is mitigated in WO2 where he leads Shu again when the remnants of Orochi's forces rise up again. In the main series itself, he's nearly a frequent target by Wei forces.
• Dies Wide Open: His eyes were open when he dies in 9 and Sun Shangxiang closes them.
• Dual Wielding: His dual sword moveset beginning with 6, another accurate portrayal to the novel.
• The Emperor: His goal is to reunite the Chinese Empire with himself at its head so he can re-establish the Han and usher in a reign of peace and prosperity for the people.
• A Father to His Men: Shu's government is almost familial in its closeness, particularly since so many of its members are literal or adoptive siblings.
• Final Boss:
  • For Wei and Wu in 4 if you fulfill the conditions for Shu to be the last kingdom to fall.
  • Of Wei's hypothetical route in 8. He rallies all the remaining opposition to Cao Cao's rule, and is the last officer to be slain before Wei succeeds in unifying the land.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: From Wei's point of view in Shu's Hypothetical route. At the start of the Three Kingdoms Era, he was a minor lord with limited military and political experience and no land to call his own. His only real claims to fame was his significantly more powerful sworn brothers and the fact that his charisma and benevolence gained him a large following. He spends a good portion of the story perpetually on the run from Cao Cao, and his previously cordial relations with Wu turn sour following the dispute over Jing Province. However, by the end of the route, he's not only resolidified his bonds with Wu, but wins battle after battle against Wei until finally capturing their capital and slaying Cao Cao.
• The Good King: The founder of Shu because an awful lot of people want him to be their benevolent king.
• Hands-Off Parenting: He doesn't seem to interact with his son much most especially in the hypothetical route where they don't even talk to each other asides from the in-game quotes where he does acknowledge him. It's possible that he's too busy fighting for a land of benevolence and doesn't have much time to be with his son which could also explain Liu Shan's lack of assertiveness in the later years. It doesn't help that his historical counterpart abandoned his wife, concubines and children in the middle of battle just to save himself, and there's his infamous baby-dropping incident after the Battle of Changban in the novel (although the last one never happened historically)
• Happily Married: To Sun Shangxiang in most games after Fan Castle if she sides with Shu. He makes it known to her how appreciative he is to have her with him.
• He Who Fights Monsters:
  • By 7 and NEXT, he's getting lots of unflattering moments that make him look similar to his rivals, and while 8 paints him as very conflicted about it, his campaign notes the often Machiavellian schemes Liu Bei engages in for the sake of expanding and solidifying his power.
  • In Wei's hypothetical finale in 8, Liu Bei becomes the leader of the anti-Wei Coalition. In this scenario, Wei has become a legitimate vassal kingdom under the Han Dynasty with Emperor Xian's blessing and this is one of several reasons why, in an optional hypothetical objective, many of Sun Quan's officers and eventually Sun Quan himself submitted to Wei. So, in many ways, Cao Cao is not only de facto ruler of the Han Dynasty, but also a legitimate regent to the Han Emperor. This means that, by continuing to defy Cao Cao, Liu Bei and pretty much the rest of his anti-Wei coalition members aren't so different from the Yellow Turbans that disrupted the Han Dynasty many decades prior. Furthermore, this makes all of Liu Bei's preaching about creating the land of benevolence completely hypocritical when he himself defies the legitimate government.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: While everyone in Shu is regarded as the "heroic" faction, he is their benevolent leader, and thus the most heroic of them. He's also the only one to use swords, and in 6 one pair of them is called "Strength and Virtue".
• Historical Badass Upgrade: One of Liu Bei's most significant achievements, routing Lu Bu in combat alongside Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, is completely fictional; that particular feat was actually accomplished by Sun Jian. Historically, Liu Bei and his followers did not participate in the campaign against Dong Zhuo in any capacity whatsoever; they were still dealing with the last of the Yellow Turban rebels.
• Historical Hero Upgrade: Liu Bei in real life, while he had the tenacity and charisma, was by no means a nice person (though he was also no more "evil" or "villainous" than his rivals); he constantly did things for his own gain even to the point of betraying everyone he served under, and that's not getting into his infamous deeds in Runan. It's worth noting, however, that he was also backstabbed by Lu Bu when the latter took over Xu Province from him, and Liu Bei also never ratted out those he betrayed to his new benefactors.
• Honor Before Reason:
  • In 6, he has to be convinced by everyone in his inner circle to conquer the province of Yi. He hesitated because he has so much family in charge over there. He ultimately concluded "sometimes we must move on at the cost of virtue".
  • A recurring theme in his 7 characterization, particularly regarding the affairs of the Jing and Yi Provinces, is doing the honorable thing when pragmatism is merited.
• Hotter and Sexier: From 6 to 8, he loses his facial hair and looks much younger and more handsome. It doubles as a strange sort of (probably unintentional) humor: prior to 6, Shangxiang would nearly always remain with Wu in the games and in fan pairings, yet now she tends to stay with Shu. In 9, He got his facial hair back while still retaining his youthful look.
• Justice Will Prevail: Since 7 he believes that "Benevolence" will see him through to victory thanks to Zhuge Liang who provides this idea.
• Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: Attacks Wu after Guan Yu's death because he no longer cares about the moral ambiguity of his actions nor cares about his long term goal.
• Mum Looks Like a Sister: Father and son version, especially as Liu Bei's design has evolved to become younger-looking. Squint a bit and he could easily pass as Liu Shan's older brother.
• My God, What Have I Done?: In 9, after Zhu Ran executes the fire attack on the main camp, Liu Bei stares in horror as he watches the camp go up in flames. This causes him to realize that he neglected all the virtues that he had been fighting for; in his focus on avenging his brothers' deaths, he had abandoned all that he fought for.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: His kindness can backfire in some situations which could get him killed as pointed out by Zhang Fei. In the Battle of Chengdu in 8, two of Liu Zhang's retainers, Yang Huai and Gao Pei, surrender to Liu Bei which he immediately accepts after he captured Luo Castle. But this is actually a trap so they can kill him and it's up to Pang Tong and other playable characters to save him.
• Oblivious to Love: Has no idea how Sun Shangxiang feels about him. It makes slightly more sense if considering Liu Bei's penchant for virtue and that theirs was (originally) a political marriage.
  • Consider this special dialogue from Conquest Mode in 7
    Liu Bei: My lady, didn't you say you like riding?
    Sun Shangxiang: Certainly. But do I need my own horse? Perhaps we could... share?
    Liu Bei: My lady... If you don't have a horse, I can certainly acquire one for you.
    Sun Shangxiang: Oh, never mind. Sometimes you can be really thick, you know...
  • He seems to have gotten a clue as of NEXT, when Sun Shangxiang bluntly tells him that she wouldn't have consented to an arranged marriage if she weren't interested, and averted by 8, where they get at least three semi-romantic cutscenes together and she joins Zhuge Liang at Liu Bei's deathbed in the historical route.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: With Sun Shangxiang. Her brother Sun Quan arranged it but she had already expressed an interest in him. Liu Bei, being Liu Bei, was also happy about it.
• Rags to Riches: Used to be a straw sandal and mat weaver before the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Then he wandered around a bit, won battles, and became emperor.
• Rain of Arrows: His Tome Special in 6 is Volley.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Once he finds Shu, he is said to be a just and humane leader.
• Reluctant Warrior: Of course! He is an All-Loving Hero, after all, so he doesn't like fighting. Unless innocent people are getting killed or his brothers are getting murdered by betrayal; unfortunately, given that this is a time of chaos in China, it happens often.
• Revenge Before Reason: Liu Bei fell prey to this trope prior to Yiling. Zhao Yun and/or Zhuge Liang, depending on the game (some games have either, others have both) warned Liu Bei not to attack Wu in revenge, both reasoning that Wei is the greater threat. Unfortunately, at that point Liu Bei is too far gone to care. Sure enough, he should have listened to them; Shu suffers a massive fire attack at Yiling and Liu Bei loses many of his men in the process, suffering a crushing defeat.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The deaths of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, his sworn brothers for almost half of their lifetimes, result in his ordering a punitive expedition against Wu that culminates in the Battle of Yiling.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: He's not fighting for fun or glory; he actually dislikes fighting but it is necessary to protect the people and then to create a new world of peace for them. Not to mention he is a descendant of the ancient Liu royal family. ^note Historically, Liu Bei claimed to be a descendant of Liu Sheng, a son of Emperor Jing. This counts as a Conveniently Unverifiable Cover Story, as Liu Sheng supposedly had some 120 sons, as recorded by both Sima Qian and Ban Gu in their seminal works, Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han.
• Shock and Awe: His EX and Musou Attacks from 7 are lightning based, along with his airborne Type Action in Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate.
• Spared by the Adaptation: In 4 he doesn't die like in the novel, just like everyone else. It also happens in Hypothetical Route for Shu and Wu's story in 8.
• Status Buff: His Type Action Special in Warriors Orochi 1 and 2, and his new Type Action in 3 (which instead also regenerates health).
• Sworn Brothers: He's sworn brothers with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei by way of the Sworn Brotherhood oath.
• Trauma Conga Line: The years 220-222 were really bad to him. He lost four of his "Tiger Generals", particularly his two sworn brothers, and Fa Zheng during this period, not to mention the disaster that is the loss of Jing province and the subsequent Yiling campaign, a campaign which raged for 13 months and devastated his ranks. In the end, he dies with a lot of regrets and entrusts Zhuge Liang to take care of his kingdom.
• Undying Loyalty: Supremely loyal to his friends and family, especially his sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He also inspires it readily in all the people of Shu.

Ma Chao

"The Splendid Spear"

"I refuse to yield to any who dare cross my path!"

Voiced by: Kōji Haramaki (Japanese), Tony Oliver (English; 4), David Berón (English; 5-8), Clinton Elledge (English; 9), Yufei Ma (Chinese; 9)

Born: 176
Died: 222
Style Name: Mengqi
Onyomi: Ba Chō "Mōki"
Age: 21
Height: 6'1 1/4" (186cm)
Weapon: Qiang (2-6, 7-9), Zhanmadao (6:S)

Son of Xi leader Ma Teng and cousin of fellow Shu officer Ma Dai, after the assassination of his father, Ma Chao holds grudge against Cao Cao and attempts to avenge his father's death in Tong Gate, to no avail. So he joined Zhang Lu and as Zhang Lu's officer, he led reinforcements to Liu Zhang when the latter is atttacked by Liu Bei in Chengdu. However, he and Ma Dai decide to join with Shu because he believes that Liu Bei is on the side of justice and becomes one of the Five Tiger Generals.

Filled with a warrior's pride, Ma Chao is a straightforward man who believes in making his future with his own power. A firm believer of justice and heroics, he is always intent on declaring his intentions for all to hear. Historically, he was Liu Bei's in-law, as a daughter was the wife of Liu Bei's son Li. ^note This marriage is likely arranged by Liu Shan after both his father's and Ma Chao's deaths as Liu Li was younger than 15 (Liu Shan's age) when Ma Chao died.

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• A Day in the Limelight: One of only three initial survivors in the third Warriors Orochi title.
• Arch-Enemy: Cao Cao is this to him because You Killed My Father. He is this to Wang Yi, although he doesn't seem to notice.
• Big Brother Mentor: Around Yiling and his death by illness, Ma Chao took on the role of an encouraging big bro for the children of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
• Bling of War: Although this applies to every character, Ma Chao stands out for wearing a full suit of gilt (solid gold) plate armor in most of his appearances. This is true to the novel, where he was known as "Ma Chao the Splendid" for his skill and very nifty armor. It's lampshaded by him in one of his Conquest Mode dialogues in 7.
• Blow You Away: His "Heaven's Spear" Musou attack in 8 is wind based.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: He only considers Wang Yi his enemy because she is part of Wei, and doesn't really seem to realize why she wants him dead. While she has lots of unique dialogue for encountering him, he has none for encountering her, outside of scripted events, and even then, all that comes off to him was about 'detecting a killer instinct' that he couldn't properly identify.
• Cool Helmet: In most games he has a "splendid" helmet.
• Defector from Decadence: Has in several appearances appeared leading Zhang Lu's forces to fight Liu Bei during his march on Chengdu only to switch sides (making him a latecomer to Shu), though the post-Guandu campaign against the Yuan sons in 7: Xtreme Legends had him, Ma Dai and Pang De fighting as part of Cao Cao's army and complimenting Guo Jia.
• Doppelgänger Attack: His "Spiral Pierce" Musou Attack from 7 makes copies of him.
• Flanderization: JUSTICE! He was always concerned with it in early installments (His old victory cry was "The law finds voice in me!"), but not to the extent it's generally taken to in the following games.
• Foil: An interesting one to Wang Yi of Wei, his Unknown Rival. Both are clever generals with good mounted combat skills driven by the idea of avenging themselves against a member of the enemy force. However, while her quest for revenge is perhaps more sympathetic and understandable to modern audiences (see Historical Hero Upgrade below), it has also utterly consumed her, whereas Ma Chao has a very real interest in law and justice beyond his private grudge.
• Genius Bruiser: It's often forgotten how he was one of the most powerful characters in the novels, a brilliant general and nigh unstoppable fighter. Hell, even Cao Cao was terrified of him.
• Grapple Move: His second charge and "Spiral Pierce" musou in from 7 involve grappling.
• Graying Morality: Ma Chao serves as a prime example of Shu getting shades of this before Jiang Wei took on full force with the trope, though only after the introduction of Wang Yi. For all of his spouting of justice, how he ignored Wang Yi's justified anger against him for similar grief he went through against Cao Cao might make him look really hypocritical and paints a darker side to his obsession with justice.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: He's blond under that helmet of his, and is really into the idea of justice.
• Historical Downgrade: Historically speaking, Ma Chao was said to be a powerful warrior and general with might comparable to Zhang Fei (if you ignore the fact that he was on the receiving end of a Curb-Stomp Battle by Han Sui's officer Yan Xing, and/or some of his less-than-stellar campaigns). In the novel, Zhuge Liang spoke very highly of his skills as a warrior and commander, and he dueled both Zhang Fei and Xu Zhu to draws, arguably some of the strongest (non-Lu Bu) warriors in the story. While certainly powerful and respected in the games, his prowess in gameplay and involvement in story take a back seat to more popular Shu warriors like Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, and he has received less screen time and lip service in the story modes of recent games. Considering the series he's in, he could simply be Overshadowed by Awesome. ^note He also did not serve Liu Bei for long; his eight years of service pales in comparison to the other four Tiger Generals. The next shortest length of service among the five was Huang Zhong who served Liu Bei for about a decade (Huang surrendered to Liu Bei along with Han Xuan after Chibi (late 208), and passed away in 220).
• Historical Hero Upgrade: The historical Ma Chao was a rather brutal person. Cao Cao only pushed him out of Xiliang after he attacked the warlord, which led to Ma Teng's execution as a punishment for Ma Chao (Ma Teng was also a rebel beforehand). In the games, it's the other way around: Ma Teng is killed by Cao Cao for conspiring to assassinate the latter and Ma Chao wants to avenge him. Wang Yi was also hardly unique in having had her family (one of her family members, to be exact) slain by him. He was never less than loyal to Shu, just as in the games, but he wasn't necessarily very concerned with moral behavior, and he certainly wasn't always the just and upright hero that often saves the day.
• Historical Villain Upgrade: On the other hand, the basis for Wang Yi's hatred of him is exaggerated compared to history. Historically, while Ma Chao did kill her son, it was only after initially taking him as a hostage to negotiate a surrender from her husband (which was refused, at the encouragement of Wang Yi herself! ^note Wang was historically noted for her devotion to loyalty; here, she explained to her husband that their loyalty to Cao Wei was more important than their son's life.), and he didn't kill anyone else from her family. A far cry from this version, where there was no hostage negotiation whatsoever, and Ma Chao killed her entire family.
• Horseback Heroism: One of, if not the best mounted fighter in most games. In the fourth and fifth installments he was practically unstoppable with the right loadout, and even in later installments the spear moveset on horseback is a force to be reckoned with.
• Justice Will Prevail: Always a factor of his character, though played up in later installments.
  Ma Chao: The law finds voice in me!
• Large Ham: He is mostly known for his many quotes about "Justice!"
• Mythical Motifs: Aside from being associated with stallions, his armor is always adorned with dragon motifs, despite the latter being the faction's overall motif. Again, also follows this motif as a Shu general in his weapons' Asian port names; his fourth, fifth and level 11 weapons carry the motif of a rider who can even ride on a dragon.
• The Magnificent: His official title is "Ma Chao the Splendid".
• Meaningful Name: His surname means "Horse" and he was said to excel at horsemanship.
• Mukokuseki: Being blond and all, though his features have turned more Asian with time.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: "Demon of Xiliang". Granted, it's just Wang Yi referring him as such, since he slaughtered her family.
• Revenge Before Reason: It's averted in Warriors Orochi 3, where he decides to ally with Cao Cao to face a bigger threat; do note that he really wanted to kill him on the spot, had a chance to do so right then and there, and he was straining himself with whether or not to go through with it. Wang Yi's behavior in the same game forms an interesting contrast between them.
  • Overall toned down in latter games, especially in 9. Ma Chao actually had more reason than vengeance for his father against Cao Cao: The Ma family before they went separate paths were Han loyalists, and Cao Cao was seen as an enemy of the Han, so it was only natural that Ma Chao saw him as an enemy of justice (the Han justice, that is). Also, once he's in Shu and Cao Cao died, he doesn't succumb further in vengeance unlike Wang Yi, and contends himself as a Big Brother Mentor for the next generation.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: At Tong Gate, he is determined to avenge his father. Cao Cao ran away in fear when he appeared. This leads to an ironic Moral Myopia: Cao Cao must die for assassinating his father, but when Wang Yi calls Ma Chao out about killing her whole family, Ma Chao fights her back and doesn't quite apologize.
• Shock and Awe: His EX Attack and "Thunder Slice" Musou from 7 are both lightning base. His original fifth weapon's Asian port name even mentions a dragon rider who rides on lightning to top it off.
• Those Two Guys: With his cousin Ma Dai, in the games he appears in. Ma Chao is also often seen in the company of Zhou Yun, and the two are shown to have a strong brotherly bond.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Ma Chao served Liu Bei for about eight years (214 to 222).
• You Killed My Father: Cao Cao executed his father for plotting his assassination with Emperor Xian. He seems blind to the irony of Wang Yi hunting him for the exact same reason but with even more justification, though he's rather blind to her in general.

Huang Zhong

"The Infallible Archer"

"What I lack in youth, I make up for in experience."

Voiced by: Yasuhiko Kawazu (Japanese), Dean Harrington (English; 2), Dave Mallow (English; 4), Wally Burr (English; 5), Alan Shearman (English; 6-8), Phil Miller (English; 9), Lian Zheng (Chinese; 9)

Born: 148 ^note Historically, Huang Zhong's birth year and age when he died were not recorded.
Died: 222 ^note Historically, Huang Zhong died in 220.
Style Name: Hansheng
Onyomi: Kō Chū "Kanshō"
Age: 62
Height: 6'0 1/2" (184cm)
Weapon: Dao (2-3, 6, 9), Dao and Bow (4-5), Bow (Strikeforce-8), Twin daos + bow and double voulge (9 DLC)

Huang Zhong is an old soldier who gained his fame during his later parts of life. A fellow comrade of Wei Yan, both having served Han Xuan, Huang Zhong fights Guan Yu and each man is greatly impressed by the other. Thinking he would betray him, Han Xuan attempts to execute Huang Zhong, but is stopped and killed by Wei Yan. They join Shu together, where Huang Zhong becomes one of the Five Tiger Generals.

A master of archery, he is admired greatly by other Shu officers. He always wants to prove that, despite his age, he is still a very capable officer and combatant.

---

• Artistic Age: Dynasty Warriors makes him some kind of Elderly Immortal as he always appears as an Old Soldier even when his earliest appearance as of 8 is in Battle of Xiangyang (c. 191) while he dies during or sometime after Battle of Yiling (c. 222). In the novel, he first appears as an Old Soldier sometime around Battle of Chibi (c. 208) and dies during Battle of Yiling, so his Old Soldier persona is slightly more believable. And historically, well, it's safe to say the term Old Soldier isn't exclusive to him (nor even Huang Gai, on a related note). For example, Cao Cao was in his 60s in his last battle, the Hanzhong Campaign.
• Beam Spam: One of his EX Attacks, where he fires a volley of curving light arrows forward.
• Cool Old Guy: At least to his allies, he is kind and friendly. To his enemies, though, he has various Grumpy Old Man moments.
• Grumpy Old Man: A pretty mild example. He usually falls more under the Cool Old Guy type, but he can be pretty cantankerous. Especially if his foes mock or underestimate him for his age.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: A mild case. While a very capable commander and fighter historically, nothing is mentioned about his skills in archery.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: Just like Xiahou Yuan, he can make baffling shots and it's justified as in the novel, he was depicted as one of the best archers at the time.
• Killed Offscreen: Disappears in the historic routes to coincide with his death. He's last seen during Wei's version of Fan Castle in the historical path of 8.
• Multishot: One of his recurring skills is shooting many arrows at once.
• Old Soldier: He proves that, despite his age, he is an asset on the field due to his experience.
• Rain of Arrows: His specialty is a storm of arrows. Also a bit apparent in his Type Action Special in the first few Warriors Orochi games where he flips upside down to fire an array of arrows while spinning in the air, then in Warriors Orochi 3 via an arcing shot of homing arrows from a crouching position up to the air-then-from above.
• The Rival: Xiahou Yuan. The two of them however, are instead close friends in the Warriors Orochi series.
• Weapon Specialization: Originally a dao with his bow mixed in (the latter as of 4), he eventually solely sticks to his bow starting from 7.

Jiang Wei

"The Dragon's Prodigy"

"We must push forward until our ambition is realized!"

Voiced by: Hisayoshi Suganuma (Japanese), Ping Wu (English; 4), Richard Cansino (English; 4 Empires), Joshua Seth (English; 5), Jeremy Kent Jackson (English; WO-8), Robert Paterno (English; 9), Aojie Ji (Chinese; 9)

Born: 202
Died: 264
Style Name: Boyue
Onyomi: Kyō I "Hakuyaku"
Age: 19
Height: 5'11" (180cm)
Weapon: Trident (2, 4-5), Qiang (3, 7), double-bladed trident (Strikeforce 2, 8-9)

A youth who excels in martial arts and scholarly studies, Jiang Wei was a former officer of Wei until Zhuge Liang noticed his talent and tricked him into trading sides in order to become his successor. He eventually becomes one of the shining hopes for Shu's future.

Steadfast and a bit hot-blooded, Jiang Wei is a formal perfectionist who strives to always act his best. Though competent, he does not take well to failure, but despite this is eager to learn from his mistakes. Lionizing Zhuge Liang as "Prime Minister", he hopes to someday make his mentor proud.

---

• Adapted Out: He's one of the playable characters who was cut off in Dynasty Warriors 6. But he made a comeback in Shin Sangokumusou Multi Raid 2.
• Anti-Villain: Generally in Jin's Store Mode, where his shouts of "benevolence" are just rhetoric to help hammer home the point that there's no "good" side in war.
• Ascended Extra: A relatively minor officer in the first few games, only appearing late in the story; simply unlocking him was borderline Guide Dang It! territory in 4. He was even cut from the roster of 6, but returns for 7 and is heavily involved in Shu's late-era battles. He's even the focus of Shu's ending in Story Mode. In Jin's Story Mode? He's the Final Boss.
• Berserk Button: Don't insult Zhuge Liang in front of him.
  • Also, don't question the purpose of continuing his repeatedly failing northern campaigns, as Liu Shan learnt in 9.
• Brutal Honesty: What happens to him in the Jin "what-if" Story Mode in 8, when he claims that he's willing to fight for Shu, even if it costs him his life, only to learn the truth from Sima Shi that his efforts are only making his country suffer.
• Catchphrase:
  • "Jiang Wei is here!"
  • Starting from 7, it's "BENEVOLENCE!"
• Combat Pragmatist: If it's to his advantage, he's not above shooting people to death from the back, as Guo Huai can attest in 7.
• Concepts Are Cheap: Unlike most of Shu, his endless shouting about "creating a land of benevolence" to justify his actions eventually comes off as fanatical, self-serving delusion. He eventually gets called out by this from the Sima men near the end of Jin's hypothetical route from 8.
  Sima Yi: That fool, Zhuge Liang. He failed to teach you the most important thing...
  Sima Zhao: While his intent was sound...
  Sima Shi: Does the fight to realize a land of benevolence end with the land and its people worn down to nothing? If you truly believe in benevolence, then you must start by putting an end to this futile fighting.
• Cruel Mercy: In Jin's hypothetical finale for 8, he is spared by Sima Shi after being forced to admit that driving his land into a futile, unending war with Jin to obey the letter of his master's command was completely at odds with its spirit.
• Defector from Decadence: Averted. Although he's best known for his zealous loyalty to Shu (and Zhuge Liang in particular), he was also quite loyal to Wei once upon a time, and only shifted his allegiance after Zhuge Liang forced him into a corner through foul play. In the games, a combination of mistrust from Wei's commander, Ma Zun, and a genuine respect for Zhuge Liang's cunning are usually what compel Jiang Wei to accept the offer to defect.
• Determinator: His determination really is beyond question. Even after the fall of Shu, when he could have followed his lord Liu Shan into a comfortable Jin-sponsored retirement, he chose to join up with Zhong Hui's rebellion in one final, but ultimately futile, gambit.
  • In Jin's Story Mode for 7 he continuously wages campaigns against Wei despite heavy losses. At one point, he even has to be held back by his own men and Xiahou Ba after being defeated by Sima Shi.
  • This is toned down in 8, particularly in the historical campaign which ends before the Zhong Hui rebellion, but it's still a bit of a theme.
• Detrimental Determination: From 7 on this becomes part of his characterization, given how his steadfast refusal to stop his repeatedly failing, bogged down expeditions to the north are draining Shu's limited resources and upsetting the people of Shu, and his justification for doing so (as he puts it: "To carry out the will of my fallen master, and create a land of benevolence") comes off as flimsy and looking more like deluded, self-serving rhetoric.
• Dragon Their Feet: Takes over as Shu's battlefield commander at Wuzhang Plains in scenarios that depict Zhuge Liang's mid-battle death.
• Dragon-in-Chief: Plays this role from the perspective of Shu's enemies during the kingdom's final days. It's Jiang Wei who heads up Shu's constant military campaigns and aggressive incursions against Wei, while the kindhearted and pacifistic Liu Shan, the actual leader of Shu, has a more hands-off and administrative role. This is very true to history; Jiang Wei was a vicious and unrelenting opponent of Wei, while Liu Shan, who was widely considered a pliable and inadequate ruler, would eventually reject Jiang Wei's final call to arms and choose to surrender instead.
• Fair for Its Day: In-Universe. He had mastered the strategies of Zhuge Liang; but had met equally skilled opponents in Wei's Deng Ai. On a different level of analysis, this was to show the reader/player that what used to work cannot work if change is to truly occur; a lesson that Liu Shan picked up, but not Jiang Wei.
• The Fundamentalist: Portrayed as an obsessed fanatic inciting meaningless battles that only harm his country for Jin's Story Mode. Not so much in 8, as Jiang Wei is portrayed as he usually is without the unhealthy fanaticism.
• Final Boss: Of Jin's hypothetical route in 8. Just like Liu Bei in Wei's hypothetical route, Jiang Wei rallies the remaining opposition to Jin to confront them in a final showdown at Chibi.
• Guile Hero: Managed to convince Zhong Hui to betray Wei, when he did the same years earlier by Zhuge Liang.
• Heel Realization: Only in 8's hypothetical route of Jin, where after the Sima family explained things, he finally realized that he's trying to fulfill Zhuge Liang's dream in the wrongest way possible, and accepts the Cruel Mercy given to him.
• Historical Hero Upgrade: Downplayed. While his intentions may have still been noble, Jiang Wei knew full well he was simply manipulating Zhong Hui into rebelling against Wei, and in fact planned on killing him and taking over his forces if the rebellion succeeded. The games gloss over this fact, and instead paint the two as having a genuine, if Odd Friendship.
  • However, the games do gloss over just how great a toll his northern campaigns took on Shu: within 22 years (240 to 262), he launched eleven campaigns. More poignantly, Shu fell within 2 years of his last campaign, in late 263.
• Justice Will Prevail: He is even worse in this than Liu Bei. In a final battle's cutscene before Jin's hypothetical ending, all three Sima men finally got fed up and yell at him for being an imbecile.
  Jiang Wei: Why do you think? To carry out the will of my fallen master, and create a land of benevolence!
  Sima Yi, Sima Shi, and Sima Zhao: IMBECILE!
• Just a Stupid Accent: His random Chinese accent in 4; removed in future installments. Hardly weird on its own, but he was the only character in the game who had one.
• Kirk Summation: Gives this to Sima Yi in Shu's final stage for 7. Predictably, it does not work.
  Jiang Wei: Give it up, Sima Yi! This world needs benevolence that you can't provide!
  Sima Yi: Benevolence!? You imbecile! Who wants to live in a world based on flimsy idealistic garbage?!
• Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: His commander Ma Zun is an incompetent, callous and a coward who not only left his men behind in the field to die but also set fire on his own castle with them still inside.
• Momma's Boy: The reason he joined Shu because he thought his mother was in danger.
• Odd Friendship: After Wei conquers Shu in 7, he forms a genuine friendship with Zhong Hui, and aids his fledgling rebellion. This is averted in 8; Jin's historical campaign ends just before the rebellion takes place without showing the two interacting, and the altered circumstances of the hypothetical ensure that the two men never meet. A series of stages in 8:XL surrounding the rebellion bring it back into focus. In Zhong Hui's hypothetical scenario from 9, he is actually blackmailed by Zhong Hui who threatens Liu Shan's life if he doesn't work for him.
• Overshadowed by Awesome: He does alright for himself, but his predecessor was Zhuge Liang. However, Jiang Wei doesn't seem to resent this.
• Palette Swap: Wears a blue outfit while still serving Wei in the Battle of Tianshui, as well as the hypothetical Ambush at Chang'an in 8.
• Secret Character: He's probably the hardest character to unlock in 4.
• Shock and Awe: His EX and Musou Attacks from 7 are lightning based.
• Sole Survivor: In Jin's historical paths of 7 and 8, Jiang Wei is the only officer to escape death during Sima Zhao's invasion of Shu.
• The Strategist: The hand-picked successor of Zhuge Liang. Whether or not he lived up to that expectation is disputable but that holds that position is not.
• Teen Genius: 19 years-old and Zhuge Liang's brilliant apprentice.
• Tragic Hero: The routes closer to following his historical fate tend to portray him in this light. Jiang Wei heads up Shu's military in its hardest and darkest days, with its heroes of old now mostly dead, and his campaigns against Wei under the Sima clan are met with mixed to negligible success.
• Turn Coat: Happily defects from Wei to join Shu, at the action of Zhuge Liang.
• Undying Loyalty: To Zhuge Liang. It's also a BIG Berserk Button for him to have his loyalty questioned.
• We Used to Be Friends: In the Jin story-line of 9, he works hand-in-hand with the early Jin characters and earns the respect of Sima Yi, who appreciates his talents. Of course, this takes place at the start of the Battle of Tianshui where Jiang Wei defects to Shu, thanks to Zhuge Liang's actions. By the time the Jin characters encounters him again, Jiang Wei would not hesitate to kill his former comrades; in the cutscene at the Battle of Mt. Tielong, he is very willing to kill Sima Zhao on the spot.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: The reason for him fighting a Hopeless War is for the sake of his country, or so he believes. He, at the very least, didn't do all of those for his own selfishness, and he is far from selfish.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 3

Wei Yan

"The Forbidding Mask"

"I... fight...! Enemy... perish!"

Voiced by: Yasunori Masutani (Japanese), Paul St. Peter (English; 4-5), Alan Shearman (English; WO-8), Brian Brathwaite (English; 9), Bao Mu (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: 234
Style Name: Wenchang
Onyomi: Gi En "Bunchō"
Age: 37
Height: 6'0" (182cm)
Weapon: Double-bladed voulge (3-5, 7-9), mace (6)

A general who serves under Han Xuan, Wei Yan betrays him after the paranoid warlord attempts to execute the revered general Huang Zhong. With Zhong, he defects to Shu; through many battles, Wei Yan proves himself as courageous as any of the Five Tiger Generals.

Though seemingly a barbaric, wild beast, he has a kind heart and simply desires to prove his worth. Since his lord sincerely believes in him, he stays loyal to him. However, he isn't the brightest figure in the army and may neglect to consider the consequences of his sometimes rash behavior.

---

• Cool Mask: Never seen without his mask. One of the non-FMV endings in 4: Empires shows many people gasp when his mask suddenly falls off of his face, and they look terrified of his face, for whatever implications on that. There's another ending also from the vanilla version of 4 when Huang Zhong accidentally pats him on the back and his mask falls off, he has another mask underneath!
• Dance Battler: His moveset with his dual-headed spear looks an awful lot like break-dancing techniques.
• Dangerous Deserter: Lots of characters in some games are very suspicious of his loyalty, since he killed his last lord, regardless of the circumstances.
• Defector from Decadence:
  • In some games for Wei's scenario, he can be convinced to switch sides because of disgust at his own faction.
  • There's also his original defection from Han Xuan, featured in some installments (particularly the Xtreme Legends expansions), complete with The Starscream moment.
• Disabled in the Adaptation: Wei Yan in history didn't have a speech impairment where he talks in phrases.
• Dumbass Has a Point: In the hypothetical scenario for 8, he, of all people, suggests that he make a surprise attack in Chang'an while fighting at the same time in Nanzhong with the help of Wu. Zhuge Liang attempts to shoot down the suggestion solely on the basis of it coming from Wei Yan, but Xu Shu agrees with the usually inarticulate man and supports the suggestion.
  • This also applies to his historical self when one looks at it from the viewpoint that Zhuge Liang ignored Wei Yan's sound suggestions with his own bias towards him; something Chen Shou often noted in his own records. Wei Yan's plans for fortifying Hanzhong however, historically lasted for a long time even after his end. Also doubles with Badass Bookworm in that the historical Wei Yan's favorite book to read was the I Ching/Yijing (Book of Changes), the sole inspiration for the said defensive plans in the first place.
• Eloquent in My Native Tongue: What that tongue is, we don't know, but it fits. Wei Yan is not stupid per se, just linguistically hampered.
• Horrifying Hero: As much as Shu remains the "heroic" faction, Wei Yan is physically the most horrifying. Lampshaded by Pang Tong in 5, who refers to his as a "face only a mother could love".
• Historical Villain Upgrade: In early installments, sometimes there are stages where he defected to Wei. In history, it's not exactly a "betrayal" like that. He is only called "traitor" because he pushed his army to continue fighting in Wuzhang Plains despite Jiang Wei already ordering for full retreat after Zhuge Liang's passing. It's averted since 5, however, where his loyalty for Shu and Liu Bei is unquestionable despite Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei being concerned otherwise.
  • Also, this is mainly due to the case with Zhuge Liang historically not trusting Wei Yan and vice versa. Wei Yan also had notable amounts of suggestions that were quite sound and was an efficient officer as noted by Chen Shou, but Zhuge Liang and a few others shot him down to the point of him being villainized when the novel came about (even in other adaptations of the Three Kingdoms history).
• Hulk Speak: "Enemy...strong! Me...crush!". This also extends to the original script of course.
  • Also emphasized in the Japanese version, where his particles and/or extra suffixes are all rendered in katakana instead of hiragana in the scripts.
• Killed Offscreen: Disappears after Shu's historical storyline but his death at Ma Dai's hands is omitted.
• Lizard Folk: His scaled armor from 6 goes into this in full force as his "Fury Mode" grants him elongated spikes, clawed hands and feet, and even a tail.
• Non-Indicative Name: His weapon in the English localization is consistently referred to as a voulge when it's clearly not one. The original script actually call it a "bisento", which is the Japanese name for what's essentially the Chinese counterpart to the Naginata (a dadao polearm with a long, slender blade devoid of scallops and hooks).
• Red Right Hand: Apparently, he has a pointy skull, a physical trait which, according to Chinese superstition, it's a sign of untrustworthiness and deceit.
• Shock and Awe: His EX and Musou Attacks from 7 are lightning based.
• Spectacular Spinning: So many, many spins on his polearm moveset. His Musou and EX Attacks are nothing BUT spinning!
• Undying Loyalty: Despite suspicions of his loyalty, he is a stalwart ally to Liu Bei. In fact, there's a scene in 6 on the Wuzhang Plains where Sima Yi tries to turn him against Shu by saying that Zhuge Liang is the traitor. It works until Liu Bei straightens him out, and then he's immediately back to fighting for Shu.

Pang Tong

"The Fledgling Phoenix"

"I'll do my best out there, but I'm not promising anything."

Voiced by: Takahiro Kawachi (Japanese), Richard Cansino (English; 4-8), Chad Hopson (English; 9), Ha Rui (Chinese; 9)

Born: 178
Died: 213
Style Name: Shiyuan
Onyomi: Hō Tō "Shigen"
Age: 32
Height: 5'3" (160cm)
Weapon: Staff (3-7), Shadow fan (8-9)

A strategist for Shu who is sometimes known as "The Fledgling Phoenix", although Pang Tong is a talented man, his odd appearance and snide personality were said to repulse the lords in the Three Kingdoms era.

Highly unconventional, smug in his wisdom (though not his abilities in combat), and sometimes smarmy, Pang Tong is someone who spares sweet talk and stays focused on the heart of the matter. While he seeks practical solutions that grants the best results, his blunt statements may sometimes make him unpopular with others. Even so, his heart is in the right place and he is a bit playful; with each little wisecrack or even insult that he may let slip, Pang Tong mends it with well-meaning advice.

---

• All Asians Wear Conical Straw Hats: His casual outfit◊ has him wear the conical hat and even keeps his face hidden.
• Animal Motifs: Moths in 6, but otherwise, phoenixes in all other appearances (specifically the "Fenghuang/Hou'ou"), even in his historical nickname.
• Blow You Away: His Musou Attack in 3 to 5, Shadow Fan moveset and "Phoenix Wing" Musou Attack in 8.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: His Power Nap Musou from the 7th installment involves him lying down to take a nap.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Despite him being a bit of a wise-ass first impression, and looking like a mummy, he's gotten his jobs done very well.
• Cool Mask: All appearances have had his face obscured by some kind of facial cloth.
• Composite Character: The snarky, laid back attitude is historically more of a Jian Yong thing.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's the least honorable-sounding person in the Shu Kingdom and makes a ton of wise cracks, but he's got the brain to even know what Zhuge Liang is thinking most of the time.
• Dishing Out Dirt: His Tome Special in 6 is to drop boulders.
• Gonk: Being extremely ugly is what got him turned away from serving Wu and led to him wearing a mask. His character model in modern games is extremely short, with bizarre proportions, and what can be seen of his face isn't very flattering either. Debates have lead to a rumor that the historical Zhuge Liang when chronicling the events gave this description to Pang Tong out of envy for his abilities. ^note As a sidenote, both men are relatives by marriage; Zhuge's sister married Pang's cousin Pang Shanmin.
• Humble Hero: He doesn't seem to hold himself or his fighting skills in very high regard, given his surprised-sounding victory quote over an officer. ("Hey.... I defeated an officer!" said in an incredulous voice).
• Lethal Joke Character:
  • In 3 to 5, he's hampered by a moveset that leaves him very vulnerable to being juggled even during his comical regular attacks, but he's solid in 1 v 1's. However, whip out that tornado Musou Attack and watch your KO count go through the roof. This Musou Attack is homaged in 8 as his True Rage Attack.
  • Also, in the online game, his moveset is this. The moves have short range, but the staff's attack is one of the highest in the game, and even with his short range good use of him can leave the enemy badly beaten, as well as his musou remaining just as deadly as before. His moveset is also one of the few that retains the ability to use the exploding orb, with the right crest, which is basically a Difficult, but Awesome way to prevent yourself being comboed.
• The Mole: Pang Tong convinces Wei's troops to chain their ships, knowing that it'll increase the effectiveness of the fire attack during the Battle of Chi Bi.
• Overshadowed by Awesome: Compared to Zhuge Liang, he doesn't seem as clever but Pang Tong usually laughs that part off and it's usually more about his lifetime than his actual ability.
  • In real life however, it was noted that Pang Tong's real skills were in military strategy, as his handling of domestic administration was piss poor at best. ^note However, some interpretations claimed that he purposely mishandled domestic affairs in order to protest his low rank at the time (a county magistrate). Both Lu Su and Zhuge Liang vouched for his ability, and Liu Bei promoted Pang accordingly.
• Playing with Fire: His EX and "Sky Surfer" Musou Attack from 7. The former has him using a Breath Weapon... that leaves him out of breath for a while.
• The Strategist: One of many planners for Shu.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Joins after the dramatic victory at Chibi, but dies before Shu has truly become a kingdom. This is averted in 8, when saving Pang Tong is one of the prerequisites to open the hypothetical branch of Shu's story.
• Weapon Specialization: His signature weapon in all appearances except 8 is a Magic Staff. He always levitates on it for his victory pose, but his moveset in 5, 7 and 8 deserves note for him air surfing on it as an attack.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 4

Yueying

"The Wife of the Dragon"

"The wife of the Dragon will fight with pride!"

Voiced by: Rumi Kasahara (Japanese), Lara Cody (English; 4-6), Laura Bailey (English; 7-8), Kate Jopson (English; 9), Biyu Zhang (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Onyomi: Getsuei
Age: 23
Height: 5'6 1/2" (169 cm)
Weapon: Dagger axe (4-5, Next, 8), Bow (6), Bladed Tongnu (6:S, 8:E), Chang gun (7), Ji (9)

Daughter of Huang Chengyan ^note Huang married one Lady Cai, who's brother was Cai Mao, a general under Liu Biao; their sister was also Liu Biao's concubine and later second wife., Yueying is a mature and collected young woman. She is intelligent, beautiful, and elegant, who appreciates the value of patience and planning.

Despite her composure, Yueying has been shown to be quite sarcastic at times and will openly chastise those whom act selfishly or insensitively. She also has little patience for those whom underestimate her and chauvinistic attitudes in general. Yueying takes great pride in her skills and learned abilities. She is a valuable asset to both her husband Zhuge Liang and Shu.

---

• Action Mom: She has a son with Zhuge Liang, who is still a generic officer so far as 8. ^note Historically, Zhuge Zhan was about 7 when his father died in 234 CE. He married a daughter of Liu Shan's when he was 16, and died in the defence of Fucheng during Wei's invasion of Shu in 263 CE.
• Animal Motifs: Tigers, though she seems to be a fan of them more than anything. While dragons adorn her outfits pre-7, that's more a kingdom-based trait. 7 and 8 expands this by giving her a Musou Attack with advancing "Juggernauts" in 7 and mechanical birds in 8.
• Anti-Villain: Generally in Jin's Story Mode.
• Badass Bookworm: She doesn't come across as naive or soft-spoken, but she's clearly into books and capable of applying her knowledge to the battlefield.
• Beware the Nice Ones
  Sima Yi: If you're in charge, that means Zhuge Liang is...
  Yueying: You don't need to worry about him, because tonight you die by my hand.
• Brainy Brunette: The only woman who can match Zhuge Liang's intelligence has brown hair.
• Combat Stilettos: She goes into battle wearing these in 6◊ and these in 7. However, the heels were practical in 5◊.
• Cultured Warrior: A mechanical genius who loves to invent things; some of which she uses on the battlefield.
• Dishing Out Dirt: Her "Boulderstrike" Musou Attack in 7, in the shape of a lotus.
• Dragon Ascendant: Generally joins up Jiang Wei's Forever War rebellion to carry out Zhuge Liang's dream in Jin's Story Mode to hammer the point that there's no "good" side in war.
• The Engineer: She invents the fire-breathing juggernaut units players know and fear, and in 8 most of her Musou attacks make use of mechanical animals that attack enemies.
• Feminine Women Can Cook: She's shown to be making steam buns (whose creation is attributed to her husband) in the 4 Story Mode ending. It shows up quite a bit in fanwork, until the games from 7 on confirmed it.
  Zhuge Liang: I do so enjoy your cooking. It's daring and bold, yet familiar. But look how much you made!
  Yueying: Oh, I didn't make enough? Well then, from now I will be sure to make more.
  Zhuge Liang: My trim figure will soon be a thing of the past...
• Fiery Redhead: Subverted in 6. While she has red hair (and fits some of the traits), she's portrayed as calm and in-control.
• Flowery Insults: Used against Zhenji in 5: Xtreme Legends and 6, with shades of Sophisticated as Hell.
  Zhenji: I pity you as well. Having such a weak husband must leave you unfulfilled, I would imagine.
  Yueying: There is none who can compare to my lord's integrity and wisdom. Not that you or your lord would even know what that is.
  Zhenji: Is your frail husband well? Or have his remains already been scattered to the winds?
  Yueying: My lord is the light that illuminates this dark, chaotic world, while yours is nothing more than an uncouth mongrel.
• Friend to All Children: She lets them play with tanks!
• Gadgeteer Genius: In-game, she's the developer of Shu's Juggernauts, wheeled-tiger-headed-flamethrowers (her Legend Stage in 4: Xtreme Legends is about her proving their worth). In 5, she also developed the "Wood Oxen", self-automated wheelbarrows that hold food (or from 7, bombs). In Warriors Orochi 3, this is reflected by her special attack that causes her to summon a small Juggernaut that rams into enemies and explodes. In 7, her "Groundburst" Musou Attack is the same thing, only with three Juggernauts. 8, added her "Bombardier" Aerial Musou Attack consist of mechanized hawks firebombing enemies.
• Happily Married: To Zhuge Liang; she is quick to defend him from insults and nurse him when his illness flares up. She considers their marriage to have been perfectly arranged by her father.
• Her Heart Will Go On: She survives and continues fighting after Zhuge Liang's death, and her devotion to him makes her one of Jiang Wei's biggest supporters in continuing the war against Wei.
  • In 9, her ending has her construct a life-sized wooden doll of Zhuge Liang, both to continue inspiring the troops of Shu and to intimidate the Wei forces. She is clearly holding back tears at the pain of his death and almost seeing him again (the doll is a perfect replica of him), but she perseveres nonetheless.
• Historical Beauty Update: Source material states she's "plain-looking" and only sought by Zhuge Liang due to her brains. Here? A knock out! Note that many theorize that her "ugliness" was due to very dark skin, something modern audiences wouldn't be as put off by, and at least one folk tale holds that her appearance was actually a sham to test her suitors' virtue.
• Hotter and Sexier: Starting from 5, Yue Ying's costumes and appearance shows more skin and curves.
• I Just Want to Be Normal: Subverted; in 7, one of her Conquest Mode stages has her testing Liu Bei herself when he comes to ask for Zhuge Liang's services. Specifically, she wants to see if this man has a cause that's worth disturbing her peaceful married life. She decides he does, and never laments her decision.
• Lady of War: Even with her bow moveset in 6, she still retains all the grace in combat she had when she wields her dagger axe. It's emphasized all over again with the bo staff moveset in 7.
• Lunacy: Her weapons are named after the moon, her name means Moonflower or Heroic Moon, and her predominant outfit colour is silver & white.
• Mukokuseki: Justified - folktales surrounding her often mention her unattractiveness, specifically emphasizing her bleached hair and dark skin. This isn't mentioned in-game, but is visually referenced in her design for 6, where she's close to being Ambiguously Brown.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage
  Yueying: Our marriage, was my father's decision but.. I could not say it was entirely against my will.
• Pimped-Out Dress: Her outfit (alongside her armor) in 5 is one of these (albeit with armor, making her resemble a Valkyrie). Most apparent in the character designs◊.
• Pretty in Mink: Her outfit in 6 has a fur-lined collar and sleeves.
• Progressively Prettier: Becomes noticably more attractive with every installment, though 8 saw a bit of a reversal.
• Rain of Arrows: Her Tome Special in 6 is volley.
• Renaissance Man: Specifically noted as being educated in astrology, astronomy, martial arts, engineering, military strategy, geography and magic.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Alluded to in her Story Mode in 6: Special. It can be inferred easily that people could have helped the refugees at Changban escape, but didn't because of Cao Cao's authority.
  Zhuge Liang: I am indebted to your assistance, Yueying. Thanks to you, the people were saved.
  Yueying: I do not require your gratitude... I only did what I thought was right.
• Shock and Awe: Her staff EX Attack in 7 has a lightning effect.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts: Considering how stoic her husband is, it's mostly in private.
  Zhuge Liang: Yueying, splendidly done as always. It is an eternal honour to have you as my wife.
  Yueying: You always did have a way with words... The honor is all mine, my dear.
• The Smurfette Principle: In 4 and 6^note The latter due to Xingcai being Adapted Out of 6, she is the only female character in the Shu faction.
• Spin Attack: Her dagger-axe moveset involves a lot of it. Her "classic" Musou Attack pre-6, which makes her spin like a top, is homaged with her True Rage Attack in 8.
• Spared by the Adaptation: An interesting case since her birth and death dates were never recorded in history. In the novel, she died in 234 CE, shortly after the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. In the games, she lives longer than her husband, and dies at the Battle of Chengdu with the other Shu defenders (almost 30 years after Zhuge's death).
• Team Mom: To the younger generation of Shu officers, who enjoy her cooking and look up to her for guidance.
• The Promised Land: In Conquest Mode for 7, one question she asks the player is the ideal they're dedicated to. The answer she disagrees with is being dedicated to people, whereas the answer she agrees with is being dedicated to the creation of something new.
• The Storyteller: Noted in her epilogue in 5; before she got married, she would hold public shows with "incredibly life-like puppets".
• Token Wholesome: It's more in regards to her visual design as opposed to personality traits. Her designs are generally more reserved and sensible than most of her female peers while still appearing to be at least relatively suited for fighting (best displayed in her original outfits for 4 and 5, which were basically Battle Ballgowns).
• Tough Love: Her "encouragement" quote in 7
  Yueying: You say you're tired? Leave now, for I have no need for weakened troops.
• Undying Loyalty: To Zhuge Liang and Shu. Even after Zhuge Liang's death, she joins Jiang Wei's Forever War rebellion in the Jin story mode.
• Weapon Specialization: She has a lot of weapons throughout the games but the one that best represents her "engineer" trait is her "bladebow" in 6: Special, 6: Empires, Strikeforce, and returning as her EX weapon in 8: Empires. It's a crossbow, retractable short sword and fully-automatic cannon all conveniently placed on one gauntlet.
• Weakness Turns Her On: Both in temperament and in body.
  Yueying: I must ask you something. What is it that you seek?
  Zhuge Liang: That which hinders my lord... destiny, hate, pride and sacrifice... If I bear those burdens in his place, then he will be the light that guides this world. That is my sole purpose. To bear the burden of peace.
  Yueying: That burden... would you allow me to carry half of it?
• Wrench Wench: A constant in all appearances is her engineering ability yet she's never seen at the moment of creation. This is Lampshaded in a Downloadable Content costume pack: while most of the ladies get lovely dresses or other such ensembles, Yueying receives a mechanics jumpsuit, complete with pouches and tools.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 5

Guan Ping

"The Star of the Next Generation"

"I am Guan Ping, son of the God of War!"

Voiced by: Ryouhei Nakao (Japanese), Bryce Papenbrook (English; 5-8), Gabriel Sousa (English; 9), Bo Jiang (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: 219 ^note Historically, Guan Ping was executed along with his father; the Zi Zhi Tong Jian recorded that Guan Yu was captured and executed in the 12th month of the 24th year of the Jian'an era of the reign of Emperor Xian of Han. This month corresponds to 23 January to 21 February 220 in the Julian and the proleptic Gregorian calendars.
Onyomi: Kan Pei
Age: 19
Height: 5'9" (176cm)
Weapon: Zhanmadao (5, 7-), Short Qinglong ji (6)

Guan Ping is the adopted son of Guan Yu and older brother of Xing, Suo and Yinping. Along with his brother, Xingcai, and Liu Shan, he is thought of as the future of Shu.

Guan Ping idolizes his father, striving to live up to his image. He is humble to his peers and acts in a chivalrous manner. Due to his youth, however, he can be quite naive and reckless on the field. He is also very close to Xingcai and could potentially have feelings for her that go beyond being comrades or siblings.

---

• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In Dynasty Warriors 5, there's a lot of Ship Tease between Guan Ping and Xingcai who is a Composite Character of Zhang Fei's two daughters who are also Liu Shan's two wives. The seventh game onwards downplayed the relationship, making them Platonic Life-Partners instead after Liu Shan became a playable character. In the novel and the historical records, no such relationship exist between them.
• Badass Family: He is Guan Yu's son, and by way of the brotherhood oath, nephew to Zhang Fei and Liu Bei.
• BFS: Unlike his father, Guan Ping uses a really big sword instead of a spear.
• Big Brother Mentor: Usually plays this role to his younger siblings, and gets an Obi-Wan Moment in the historical version of 8's battle of Fan Castle, when he dies holding the line.
• Childhood Friend Romance: A common interpretation of Guan Ping and Xingcai's relationship in earlier games is a romance born in their childhood. In 5 he dies young, and the girl chooses to prioritize her duty to the new emperor, Liu Shan. From 7 onwards, their relationship is much more ambiguous and platonic, since Liu Shan is now a playable character.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: Historically and in the novel, he is arrested and executed by Wu. The games usually have him die while he’s defending Fan Castle from the Wei-Wu coalition.
• Dying Moment of Awesome: In Shu's version of the Battle of Fan Castle in 9, he, together with his father and Zhou Cang, stay behind in Fan Castle to take on as many Wu officers as they can.
• Family Honor: He feels as though he should become a son his father can be proud of. Hell, if he gets captured in 6: Empires, he states "My father would be ashamed..."
• Happily Adopted: Ironically, despite being adopted, he looks a lot more like Guan Yu than Suo does. This is averted historically, as he was Guan Yu's biological son.
• Related in the Adaptation: Inverted just like in the novel where he's adapted by Guan Yu. Historically, he was Guan Yu's biological son.
• Reverse Grip: In 5 and the first two Warriors Orochi, he amazingly held his gigantic, slab-like dadao in this fashion right behind his back, with one hand too. Averted from 7 onward where he grips his greatsword normally.
• Ship Tease: With Xingcai in 5 and 5: Xtreme Legends, though downplayed or removed from 7 onward, due to Liu Shan (historically the husband to Lady Zhang, the figure Xingcai is based on) becoming a playable character.
• Sibling Team: All of his siblings join him in battle.
• Spin Attack: His musou attack in 5, mostly inspired from his father's own musou.
• Turn Out Like His Father: His main motivation is be an strong, brilliant, and dutiful officer like Guan Yu.
• Warrior Prince: Technically, he is closely related to Shu's royal family and he fights for his "uncle" in battle. ^note His younger brother Xing's elder son Tong married Liu Shan's daughter, although the marriage took place after his death.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Played straight in 7 and 8's historical path, where he had fairly limited appearances until his untimely death in Fan Castle. It doesn't help that in historical records, Battle of Fan Castle is the only time he's mentioned at all. ^note Historically, Guan Ping's style name was unrecorded, a treatment given to Zhang Bao, Ma Dai and Hua Xiong as well; these men also did not have their own biographies in Records.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: He dearly wants Guan Yu to proud of him and his dad certainly makes it a point to show his pride in him.

Xingcai

"The Young Defender"

"I fight with spirits of the fallen in my heart."

Voiced by: Junko Noda (Japanese), Carrie Savage (English; 5), Wendee Lee (English; WO-8), Rachel Delante (English; 9), T.K. (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Onyomi: Seisai
Age: 19
Height: 5'5" (165cm)
Weapon: Long fork and shield (5), Jian and tower shield (7-)

The daughter of Zhang Fei and the wife of Liu Shan, Xingcai is a mentally resilient woman who bears the responsibility of enduring several hardships. While many worry for her safety, her strong determination prevents her from depending too much on them.

Her relationship with Guan Ping can be interpreted as close comradeship or a budding romance, particularly in earlier games. Both warriors are the same age, act very respectfully to one another, and share similar responsibilities to their country. However, after Liu Shan's introduction in 7, equal, if not greater focus has been given to her role as his closest and most loyal retainer, and possible love interest.

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• Adapted Out: She's one of the playable characters left out of Dynasty Warriors 6. Fortunately, she came back for Dynasty Warriors 7.
• Age Lift: Only in 5, where she appeared as early as Liu Bei's siege of Chengdu. ^note Historically, the elder Empress Zhang was at most 37 when she died (that is assuming she was born the same year as her mother's abduction). Conversely, assuming that the younger Lady Zhang was born in 219 (the latest year which her mother was confirmed to be alive), she was at least 44 when Shu fell.
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Her personality is very cool-headed and somewhat gruff.
• Ambiguously Related: Upon her mother's playable debut in 9, she regarded Xiahou Ba as her "cousin" despite that the latter should be her uncle historically since he is Xiahou Yuan's son and Xiahou Ji is his niece. The fact that Xiahou Ba remains very young appearance-wise makes the exact familial relationship very muddled.
• Badass Family: Her father is Zhang Fei, her brother is Zhang Bao, and her closest friend is Guan Ping.
• Badass in Distress: Kidnapped and used as a hostage to control Liu Shan in Warriors Orochi 3.
• Brother–Sister Team: With Zhang Bao, as of 8, they fight together.
• Childhood Friend Romance: There are hints between her and Guan Ping in their earliest appearances. Unfortunately, in 5, he dies young and she chooses to prioritize her duty to her new lord, Liu Shan. In 7 and Warriors Orochi 3, their relationship is much more platonic and ambiguous.
• Composite Character: Her character is based on Zhang Fei's historical two daughters, both of whom married Liu Shan. ^note Liu Shan was already married to the elder Lady Zhang when he was made crown prince in 221. Empress Zhang died in 237, after which Liu married her younger sister. The elder Empress Zhang was given the posthumous name "Jing'ai" ("Respectful and Lamentable"). However, the quiz in 7 addresses her as the younger daughter; additionally, in Liu Shan's Legend Mode of 7: Extreme Legends and in his and her endings in 9 where he already surrendered Shu to Wei, she accompanies Liu Shan to Jin, just like the historical younger Lady Zhang.
• The Confidant: In 9, she plays this role for Liu Shan who tells her his problems and is the only person who understands his pain.
• Daddy's Girl: Interesting in how opposed she is in temperament to her dad is the admiration she nonetheless has for him.
• Implied Love Interest: To Liu Shan, since she's never explicitly noted to be his wife in the games (historically, Liu Shan is married to two daughters of Zhang Fei, whom Xingcai is based and composed on). Nor is she's ever identified as empress of Shu. She's only identified as his closest and most loyal retainer, though the two are clearly quite close. In Warriors Orochi 3, her imprisonment as a hostage is what allows the Demon Army to force Liu Shan to fight. In 9 when Liu Shan became emperor, she stands beside him when he sits on his throne the same way Zhenji and Lianshi stood beside Cao Pi and Sun Quan when they became emperors just to show that they're their wives respectively.
• Knightly Sword and Shield: Her weapon of choice is a sword and a shield and she acts like a knight because of her loyalty to her liege lord. Bonus points for her DW9 DLC outfit being a knight costume.
• Lady of War: More conservatively dressed and armored than the other Shu females and a formidable, dedicated warrior.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: She carries a shield in all appearances, yet her father still stuck his foot in his mouth when he said shield users are cowards.
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Xingcai is tough, focused, and strong, while Liu Shan is soft-spoken, sensitive, and utilizes a precision weapon.
• Meaningful Name: Xing means "star", while Cai is "glory"; from an in-story perspective, she represents "the star that lights the path for Shu".
• Not So Stoic: She rarely shows her emotions but in 9, she does show much of her feelings only in private where she shows concern to Liu Shan who confides his problems to her and in his ending, she is deeply saddened when he tells her that he should be the one to carry the burden for failing his father's dreams. In her ending, she actually smiles as she travels along the countryside after Liu Shan relives her from her duties and encourages her to take a trip just to let her find some inner peace.
• Platonic Life-Partners: Seems to be her relationship with Guan Ping in installments starting with 7, as close friends that aren't necessarily romantically involved.
• Ramming Always Works: Her "Shield Charge" Musou Attack in 7.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Yet another example of "classical good looks" in Dynasty Warriors game.
• Retcon: An odd example - in the final Story Mode stage for 7, she appears to be Killed Off for Real. However, in Liu Shan's Legend Mode stage for 7: Xtreme Legends, which occurs after Cheng Du, her death and the death of Jiang Wei are reverted. This is because when 7 was released, she was still considered an original representation of the Zhang sisters, which could be considered semi-canon and was okay to be killed off. As of 7:XL, she's considered to be representing the younger Empress Zhang, who survived the fall of Shu and accompanied Liu Shan to surrender to Wei.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: She and brother Zhang Bao could not be further from each other in attitude: she's a stoic Lady of War who always keeps her cool and he's a Hot-Blooded Blood Knight who wears his heart on his sleeve.
• Shield Bash: Most of her charged attacks involve her smacking the enemy with her shield. Her Musou in 7 is a powerful shield-first charge that corrals hit enemies towards the middle of the shield to damage them even further.
• Shield Surf: She always does this with her Special attack in Warriors Orochi 3. It returns as her secondary EX attack in DW7 Xtreme Legend.
• Spared by the Adaptation: A unique case. In 7, Xingcai is seemingly killed off during the Battle of Chengdu; however, in Liu Shan's Legend Mode in 7: Xtreme Legends, she survives and accompanies Liu Shan in stopping Zhong Hui's rebellion. Her fate in 8 is unknown after she collapsed from her wounds which prompted Liu Shan to rally while she's absent in 8: Xtreme Legends version of Zhong Hui's rebellion. In 9, she and Liu Shan surrender to Sima Zhao and are banished to Luoyang just like her historical counterpart (the younger Empress Zhang) who also survived the fall of Shu and accompanied Liu Shan to surrender to Wei. See also Retcon above.
• The Stoic: Usually keeps her emotions in check, particularly in 7 since she gets very little involvement in Story Mode. With her brother Zhang Bao appearing in 8, this allows some interactions between the two, though her characterization is still that of the cool, disciplined soldier to her brother's passionate, hot-blooded warrior.
• Tsundere:
  • She's more "tsun" and then "dere" to Liu Shan in her ending in 7:XL.
  • In 9 when the player male character invites her to his hideaway, she's actually shy when she talks to the male character.
• The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Her mother is Xiahouji, Xiahou Yuan's niece. Now look at Xiahou Ba, a babyfaced dude himself, which the game acknowledges that he's her uncle. Whoa...
• Undying Loyalty: To Liu Shan. Judging by her quotes, she knows about his true nature. In his Legend Mode in 7XL, she remains on his side despite that she's fighting her former Shu officers. In Jin's hypothetical route in 8, she's one of the few Shu officers who didn't join Jiang Wei's rebellion possibly due to her bond with Liu Shan. The fact that she remains on his side after his surrender to Wei in 9 shows how loyal and trustworthy she is to him.
• Walking the Earth: Her ending in 9 shows her roaming on the countryside after Liu Shan relives her from her bodyguard duties and encourages her to go on a trip for a while before going back to him.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 7

Bao Sanniang

"The Spontaneous and Happy Young Lady"

"I can't wait to show everybody what I'm capable of!"

Voiced by: Ai Nonaka (Japanese), Julie Maddalena (English; 7-8), Kyla Garcia (English; 9), Yin Zi (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Onyomi: Hō Sanjō
Height: 5'4" (162cm)
Weapon: Bladed yo-yo (7-8), Deer Horn knives (9)

A free-spirited beauty who doesn't want to be tied down to anyone, Bao Sanniang is the third daughter of the Bao family and wife to Guan Suo. She is a maiden content to roam wherever she fancies and, since she is a naturally gifted warrior, she has no problem handling herself.

Bao Sanniang isn't impressed by most of the men she encounters and is especially offended when they don't take her strengths seriously. Most people she encounters call her a "little girl" or tell her that she isn't fit to be on the battlefield. Her encounter with Guan Suo sparked an infatuation with him. She is very happy to be near him since he finds her exuberance to be entertaining, inspiring, and lovely.

---

• Ascended Extra: She never appears in Shu's Story Mode in 7 and in the historical route in 8 as she only appears in the Legendary Battles and in the hypothetical route. In 9, she is part of the younger generation of Shu officers under Liu Shan and participates in several battles.
• Battle Couple: Her war buddy is her husband, Guan Suo.
• Best Her to Bed Her: Stated she'd only marry a man who could best her in a contest of strength. According to the original story, Guan Suo sought her out after hearing the rumors of this, and ended up beating her in a duel. It's handled somewhat differently in the game, but the spirit of it is still there.
• Cat Girl: Her EX and Musou Attacks have her using cat-like maneuvers. Official artwork in 7 features her playing with cats; Guan Suo even lampshades this in a Conquest Mode dialogue, comparing her to a cat. She's only lacking ears and a tail.
• Genki Girl: Always lively. In the Japanese dub, she tends to add "super" to express.

• Killer Yoyo: Her weapon is a bladed variation. Essentially works as a bladed flail able to hit multiple times and drag enemies towards the user.
• Ms. Fanservice: What her character design and primary outfit in 8 embodies: Leotard of Power and Zettai Ryouiki.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: "Bao Sanniang" literally means "Third Daughter of the Bao Family", or, "Mr. Bao's third daughter" for short.
• Skewed Priorities: When Zhuge Liang begins the pacification of Nanzhong in 9, the Shu officers are focused on how to deal with the Nanman tribes. As for Bao Sanniang? She wonders if there are big animals to ride on and asks Guan Suo to ride with her, much to Guan Suo's surprise and to Guan Xing facepalming. Zhang Bao quickly shuts her down and tells her that they're not going to Nanzhong for sightseeing.
• Spanner in the Works: In Warriors Orochi 4, her love for Guan Suo causes her to defect to the coalition and inform Liu Bei that he, Zhao Yun and the rest of the younger Shu officers (barring Guan Ping and Yinping) are forced to work for the Olympians because Athena held Liu Shan as a hostage. This information causes the coalition to come up with a three-way plan to distract the Olympians and liberate Zhao Yun and the rest by spreading false rumors that they have another bracelet while they sent two separate forces to rescue Liu Shan and retrieve the real bracelet from Abe Seimei. Sanniang's defection gives the coalition the upper hand against the Olympians.
• Spectacular Spinning: Her weapon is even called a "spinner".
• Stripperiffic: Even by this series' standards, she's not wearing much in 7. She covers up mostly in 8, but still shows some skin. Her outfit in 9 is her most conservative to date, only exposing her shoulders and legs.
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: Not necessarily, though in 7, she will become infuriated if Guan Suo is defeated. In the Warriors Orochi games, she'll likely go after those who hurt her boyfriend. Kai, Okuni and Hideyoshi learn this the hard way.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: She and Guan Suo suddenly disappeared with no explanation once the Shu storyline entered Chapter 13. ^note This could be a nod to their origins as folklore characters.
• Women Prefer Strong Men: After seeing Guan Suo on the battlefield, she became infatuated with him.

Ma Dai

"The Cheerful Man of the World"

"Well, it's looks like it's time for me to do my thing."

Voiced by: Osamu Ryutani (Japanese), Justin Giddings (English; 7-8), Ryan Lefton (English; 9), Chenyang Fu (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Onyomi: Ba Tai
Height: 5'11" (180cm)
Weapon: Large paintbrush (7-8), dual ji (9)

Ma Chao's loyal and faithful cousin who follows him to Shu, Ma Dai fights in crucial parts of the battlefield during Zhuge Liang's Southern and Northern Campaigns.

Although wise in the ways of the world, Ma Dai has a sunny disposition and always tries to look on the bright side of life. He is a trustworthy vassal who can always be relied on to preform his tasks well, whom Zhuge Liang respects greatly.

---

• All a Part of the Job: Lampshaded
  Zhuge Liang: I am always impressed with how exceptionally capable you are. You make it easy to focus on crafting my strategies.
  Ma Dai: I'll gladly take on any task, even if its one that no one else wants to do. That's just who I am.
  Zhuge Liang: I am truly thankful. Truly...
• Art Attacker: Most of his brush techniques that don't involve smacking enemy soldiers with it has him create black spheres of ink in midair which he can, with certain charge attacks, turn into ink paintings of the four animal symbols of the Kingdoms of Wei, Wu, Shu and Jin, damaging nearby enemies. Both his Musou attacks in 7 has him using huge masses of ink to attack.
• Brainy Brunette: Hard to see underneath his hat, but his hair is lighter, closer to brunette than dark. He is also pretty smart.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: Inverted; Ma Dai is noted as an intelligent tactician and has a cheerful, relaxed attitude, but is also known for his reliablity and willingness to work.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: In-game noted for being brilliant and reliable. Fan-wise, players find him hilarious.
• Deadpan Snarker: Light on the deadpan, but heavy on the snark. It Doubles as Sarcastic Devotee.
  Ma Dai: Young master, what are you doing? Even if you are short on friends, but please don't be bringing the enemy around here.
• Do-Anything Soldier: A support general at Wu Zhang Plains, strategist and commander in the Subjugation of Shu
• Forever War: Despite his cheerfulness, it's noted in his reason for fighting.
  Ma Dai: Life ends at death. If you survive a battle, you'll just live to fight another one.
• Fun Personified:
  Ma Dai: Being alone is never fun. Being with your friends is the way to go.
• Golf Clubbing: His "Ink Bomb Musou Attack in 7
• Mukokuseki: Looks like a cross between Spanish actor Gael Garcúe Bernal and Jake Gyllenhaal, rather than appearing Asian ...not that anyone should complain. He could potentially pass for being ethnically Uighur◊.
• Last of His Kind: The last member of the Ma family after Ma Chao's death.
• Messy Hair: A subtle example, considering its mostly hidden by his hat.
• Noodle Incident: Subverted in a manner; Ma Dai's most famous act in the source material is the slaying of Wei Yan (who at this point had defied orders) and the manner in which he received it (secret orders via Zhuge Liang that no one else knew about). In-game, we're shown he's received the order but never the actual betrayal or assassination. It also counts as a Cryptic Background Reference. ^note Historically, not much information was recorded of Ma Dai. His style name was unrecorded, a treatment given to Guan Ping, Zhang Bao and Hua Xiong as well. These men also did not have their own biographies in Records.
• Now, Let Me Carry You: To Ma Chao
  Ma Dai: Young master, I know that you are strong against adversity. Yet, please allow me to escort you to safety.
• Nice Guy: He's just so nice. Probably one of the friendliest men in the game. Note that in his era, Shu isn't as great as when where Liu Bei and Five Tigers Generals were still alive.
• The Pen Is Mightier: He fights with a giant paintbrush as a weapon. Fans immediately noticed the stylistic similarity◊ to another game. He also attacks with images of the animals that symbolize Wei, Wu and Shu.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Ma Chao's red, though he's just more cheerful.
  Ma Dai: Calm down, you're getting carried away again. You're supposed to lead us!
• Reluctant Warrior: Prefers not to fight
  Zhang Liao: I hear the warriors of Xiliang are fierce. Show me what you're made of!
  Ma Dai: It looks like fleeing's not an option, so I guess I'll have to fight.
• Run or Die: Definitely chooses the former, and considering what he's been through, it makes sense he'd feel this way.
  Ma Dai: Whatever happens in a battle, the key is to survive. Basic stuff perhaps, but important nonetheless.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!
  Sima Yi: The survivors from Xiliang... Here, I'll make it so you can see your people again!
  -Ma Dai: Hey, you're the one on the losing side, remember? Boy, do you sound pathetic!
• Sole Survivor: With Ma Chao; he supported his cousin's Roaring Rampage of Revenge, but never had Ma Chao's fervor for it.
  Ma Dai: You have vengeance at last. What are we going to do now?
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Mixed in with some Tall, Dark, and Snarky
  Xiahou Yuan: This Ma Chao is supposed to be really strong. Hey, does that mean you're strong too?
  Ma Dai: What do you think?!
• Team Dad: For Shu's officers, after Zhuge Liang dies, he is the surrogate father.
• Those Two Guys: With Ma Chao. Justified, as they're the only family each other has left. Ma Dai followed Ma Chao's decision to join Liu Bei's quest without hesitation, and can often be found chatting with his cousin at camp before battle.

Liu Shan

"The Inheritor of the People"

"I shall carry on the legacy of virtue that my father left me."

Voiced by: Taiki Matsuno (Japanese), Steve Staley (English; 7-8), Dennis Pastorizo (English; 9), Xiang Li (Chinese; 9)

Born: 207
Died: 271
Style Name: Gongsi
Onyomi: Ryū Zen "Kōshi"
Height: 5'5" (165cm)
Weapon: Rapier (7-8, 9), Bench (8:E)

Liu Bei's son and heir, becoming the second and last Emperor of Shu, Liu Shan is a a young man with a mountain of expectations hefted onto his shoulders. Eager to prove himself, he rushes to meet whatever problem comes his way.

However, since he hardly spares a thought to his consequences and his reactions to them are late, there have been rumors of his idiocy spreading as a result. Historically, he was also in-laws with Zhuge Liang and Guan Xing, as his daughters married Zhuge's son Zhan, and Guan's son Tong. ^note Both marriages were arranged after Zhuge Liang's and Guan Xing's deaths; while it is not known when Guan Tong married Liu Shan's daughter, Guan Xing was noted to have died at a young age (a few years after he became an adult.)

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: 9 shows the status of the Shu-Han kingdom after Zhuge Liang's death where Liu Shan struggles to keep his kingdom intact while Jiang Wei continues his Northern Campaigns with little to no success and butts head with Huang Hao in court. In contrast to the previous games where Liu Shan just smiles to hide his true emotions, the ninth game adds a tragic layer where he smiles less and becomes increasingly cynical after hearing the lack of progress in the Northern Campaigns. This reaches to the point where he openly expresses his frustrations to Xingcai regarding the failing status of his kingdom. It doesn't help that in his ending, he slowly cracks from his smiling facade and tells Xingcai that he must bear the burden of failing his kingdom alone.
• Adaptational Heroism: Mixed in with Adaptational Badass, but in the source material, he was the definitive Sucksessor, portrayed as a coward unfit to rule who surrendered at the drop of a hat when Sima Zhao's army came knocking. In this game, Liu Shan was actually beloved and ruled as best he could, thinking of the welfare of the people. While he surrendered eventually, he always had the people's welfare to a certain extent; in his mind, as long as they're safe and free from chaos and danger perpetuated by war, he's fine with surrendering his kingdom and not continuing the war and the dreams of the past. His portrayal as a Sucksessor in Dynasty Warriors boils down largely to him being ahead of his time in seeing that it's better to surrender and spare what's left of Shu than see it destroyed in a futile effort to fulfill the dreams of the past.
• Adaptational Sympathy: Ever since he became a playable character, Liu Shan's portrayal in the games is more sympathetic and tragic instead of being a cowardly idiot in most media. In sharp contrast to Cao Pi's and Sun Quan's positions as leaders, Liu Shan believes he doesn't have the confidence to be a leader and is Lonely at the Top as he doesn't have many friends with Xingcai being the only person who understands him. While he does want to fulfill his father's dream, the situation at hand made it difficult for him, particularly after Zhuge Liang's death. His surrender to Wei is more a desperate measure to save his people after seeing many of his officers dying. He is one of the few characters who get a sad ending in 9 where his people reject his choice to surrender by throwing stones at his carriage and calling him to never return.
• Apologetic Attacker: "Sorry I cannot take it easy on you."*ZAP* or "Can you please give in?"*ZAP*. Both are said in a very gentle tone of voice.
• Artistic Age: By the time of Wei's invasion of Shu in 263, he was already in his 50s. Also, his in-laws included Zhuge Liang and Guan Xing.
• Benevolent Boss: In 7, he even ordered to treat wounded soldiers of Wei who have been left behind by their commander Ma Zun in Tianshui. This action is what makes Jiang Wei join Shu eventually. He also would gladly step down from being a kingly threat to others if it meant putting the people around him at ease.
  • Historically, he also married off two daughters to Zhuge Liang's and Guan Xing's sons, with the marriages taking place after Zhuge and Guan had passed away.
• Berserk Button: In the same vein as other male characters getting pissed for their lovers being defeated in battle, but with Liu Shan, it comes with his bizarre calm demeanor; in 8 if Xingcai falls in battle Liu Shan will calmly issue an order for Xingcai to receive medical aid and then he automatically rallies against the player's army.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: While interacting with his wife and ministers in 8's Ambition Mode, it becomes clear that, whatever his other qualities, Liu Shan would rather nap and relax than work and study, especially if it all simply works out in the end without any need for major casualties. ^note It is easy to forget that historically, he ruled Shu for almost 30 years without Zhuge Liang's assistance (234-263), although for almost 19 years of that time, he had great advisors like Jiang Wan, Dong Yun (both died in circa. Dec 246) and Fei Yi to assist him. In some ways, Fei Yi's assassination in Feb 253 marked the beginning of the end of Shu.
• The Chains of Commanding: Being the emperor and successor to his father, he feels the expectations that fall on his shoulders. 9 shows him confiding to Xingcai how everybody in his kingdom are fighting on a hopeless war based on an outdated dream which only prolongs the suffering of the people, and he feels powerless to convince them.
• Characterization Marches On: He had a major role in 5 before becoming playable. He was a little cowardly, but madly in love with Xingcai, enough that he'd rush into battle if she got into trouble despite being...rather unsuited to it. The ending saw him training to protect himself for her sake.
• Commonality Connection: With Sima Zhao. Liu Shan sympathizes with him at how both of them have been forced to fight within the shadows of their predecessors, and laments how they must meet as enemies.
  Liu Shan: I find it difficult to face you, Sima Zhao. For you are one of the few who know how I truly feel...
• Cowardly Lion: Only in ''5', where he clearly has no experience in combat whatsoever, but is still willing to defend Shu along with his loyal retainers.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Appears incompetent and woefully unsuited of his high position, but he's a lot more than what shows on the surface, particularly in the examples highlighted in Obfuscating Stupidity.
• Dissonant Serenity: Always wears a calm and blissful expression no matter the circumstance. In 8, particularly in the final battle of Shu's hypothetical campaign, many enemy officers are frightened to realize that they can't read his inscrutable expression.
• Distressed Dude: In Warriors Orochi 4, he's held hostage by Athena who forces Zhao Yun and the younger Shu officers (except Guan Ping and Yinping) to fight for her against the coalition. Unlike his father who is imprisoned by Orochi until the end of the Shu storyline, Liu Shan is saved early in the story thanks to the combined efforts of Bao Sanniang and the ninjas. Once the news of his rescue was known, Zhao Yun and the rest of the Shu officers automatically defect to the coalition's side and Liu Shan rallies the forces against the Olympians.
• Fair for Its Day: In-Universe. He is aware that his people are fighting a war based on outdated dreams and ideals, and would happily surrender if that means sparing his country and people from a destructive Forever War. Unfortunately, he is way ahead of his time in this regard, as no one else in Shu shares his viewpoint; this is proven by how his people ridicule and jeer him when he surrenders. ^note Realistically speaking, Shu had lost its best chance of defeating Wei when Jing was lost. Zhuge Liang's Longzhong Plan clearly stated that to have a chance of victory, a two-prong attack on Wei from Yi and Jing provinces is required. Moreover, the plan stated that for the two-prong attack to be successful, an opportunity must arise in the first place; Wei gave Shu no such opportunity as Wei continued to enjoy much support among its people, even as the Sima clan eventually replaced the Cao clan.
• Final Boss: Of Jin's historical route in 8, which ends with their invasion of Chengdu and subsequent conquest of Shu.
• Goomba Stomp: His aerial musou in 8 has him perform this unto enemy soldiers.
• The Hero: Shu's Story Mode in 7 for Jin portrays him as a savior of his kingdom, rather than the Sucksessor he is in canon.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: He surrenders to Wei in order to save his kingdom from descending into self-destruction for fighting a hopeless war. Of course, he earns ire and hatred from his own people who call him a failure to his father. He's aware of this and accepts that he couldn't do anything knowing that it's a very tough decision to make and that the result is to bear all that hatred with him.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: More competent in Dynasty Warriors than in the source material, and to a certain extent, in history ^note  Depending on the Writer, of course, as some modern historians have a more positive outlook on his reign. For example, they point out that his reign was relatively free of bloody court coups that marred other courts in the Three Kingdoms era-especially their Wei rivals.. For one, Dynasty Warriors has him as a capable fighter in addition to being a ruler.
• Implied Love Interest: His relationship with Xingcai, while clearly very intimate, is never made explicit in the games. (Historically, Liu Shan married two of Zhang Fei's daughters, and Xingcai is something of a composite of both). She's only identified outright as his closest and most loyal retainer, not as his empress.
• Improbable Weapon User: Uses a bench in 8:Empires and Warriors Orochi 4
• Intergenerational Friendship: With the aging Zhao Yun, particularly in 8. Owing a fellow your life from infancy has that effect.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: Unusually for a story dealing with this historical period, Dynasty Warriors treats his surrender to Sima Zhao and Jin as a defining moment of heroism that saves what's left of his country from being destroyed to fuel Jiang Wei's hopeless grudge.
• Leeroy Jenkins: As an NPC in a certain battle in 5, he'll rush out to save Xingcai if she's player-controlled and her health drops into the red. Considering this was when he was still a Sucksessor through and through, a generic NPC, the commander, and the player was obviously struggling anyway, he only ever made a bad situation worse. Interestingly, this seemingly returns in 8's Jin campaign, particularly on the historical route, where he moves his army in such a way as to leave himself open to capture. However, there's some speculation, in-universe and out, about whether or not this was intentional as a way to force peace through his own capture.
• Likes Older Women: Implied in 5, due to an Age Lift for Xingcai, whose first appearance is in Chengdu where she's implied to be in her mid/late teens. Since Liu Shan was historically around 5 years old at the time, Xingcai is clearly older than him in 5.
• Mook: Gets a Sentai version of this as a Downloadable Content outfit in 8.
• Named Weapons: One of his higher-tiered weapons is actually Cao Cao's other sword, the Azure Band Sword; that very sword was the same one Zhao Yun took from Xiahou En at Changban in the novel when Liu Shan was being rescued by him as a baby. Thus, out of Mythology Gag, it ends up in his hands to use when he's grown up.
• Obfuscating Stupidity:
  • Implied in his Legend Stage for Conquest Mode, as he plays a crucial role in stopping Zhong Hui and Jiang Wei's rebellion ^note Under the guise of finding his old toys, he finds the Juggernauts. Under the guise of meeting with old friends, he rescues an imprisoned officer. In 8, though he has his moments of foolishness, the Wei commanders who fight him are generally rather wary of him despite his reputation once they see him in action.
  • Tying into this, it goes to show he's very good at playing the fool just to make it so that his allies can do what is required. However, 'Warriors Orochi'' Liu Shan is an interesting case in that there have been hints of him disliking this aspect of himself since he feels that it causes unnecessary harm to those around him whenever he's in a ruling position.
  • The only people who were able to sense this are Motochika Chosokabe, Munenori Yagyu, Zuo Ci and to a lesser extent, Xingcai. They know that Liu Shan is pretending to be foolish only to hide his true potential. According to Zuo Ci, even Liu Bei himself is unaware of his son's true nature.
  • This (although it was more to modern interpretation) even extends to his historical counterpart- after Shu's surrender, Sima Zhao once invited him to a feast, and arranged traditional Shu music and dance performances. While the Shu officers present were saddened, Liu Shan wasn't; when Zhao asked if Liu Shan missed his former state, he replied that he enjoyed life here and wasn't missing his former state. While at the time Zhao thought of this as evidence of his idiocy, later historians suggest that Liu Shan was being clever by pretending to be non-ambitious in order to not appear as a threat to Sima Zhao.
• Oh, Crap!: Defeat Xingcai in a battle where he's present and he'll start to panic. Although at other times such as Jin's historical finale in 8, it's his Berserk Button instead, which he did in Tranquil Fury, no less.
• Only Sane Man: In 9, he is aware that Jiang Wei's Northern Campaign against Wei only prolongs the suffering of the people and would not bring peace to the land.
• Pretty in Mink: His robes in 7 and 8. The trimmings on his longcoat are fur. As a prince, he likes to look nice.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: An interesting example where he knows when to surrender for the good of his country and people when continued fighting would only expose them to more war.
• Royal Rapier: His weapon of choice as playable, from 7 to 8: Xtreme Legends. He's the son of a sitting emperor after all. He's gotta look classy. Word of God states that it was meant to make him more of a foil to his father in terms of Liu Shan using a quicker-yet-lighter sword while his dad placed more emphasis on heavier-twin-swords.
• Second Love: Implied in 5, where he falls madly in love with Xingcai after Guan Ping's death and, following his stage, begins training so that he can be a worthy match for her. Later games alter this slightly by making Guan Ping's fate less constant and his relationship to Xingcai more ambiguous.
• Self-Deprecation: Frequently talks about his limitations and shortcomings, despite their being largely downplayed from history and the source material. Upon being defeated by his father, he even says that it could be the best thing to happen to his legacy.
• Shock and Awe: His EX and Musou Attacks involve lightning. His aforementioned EX Attack in the Japanese version is also called "Raikoujin" (Lightning Blade).
• Silk Hiding Steel: Rare Male Example. He speaks in a gentle near-whisper and appears woefully unsuited to war but achieves impressive things while supposedly an idiot and then he hunts down and slays Zhong Hui in 7.
• Spell My Name With An S: Prior to 7, his name was always Liu Chan in localizations. This changed along with the style of romanizing location names.
• Stepford Smiler: No one, not even his father, knows what he's hiding behind that smile. He could truly be that laid back and thus hiding nothing, or he could be hiding something.
• Sucksessor:
  • Played with in 7. He's mostly presented as a compassionate ruler that unlike his father, knows that giving up is the right thing to do, if only on one important occasion. Scenes outside of Story Mode play with his scrappy status slightly. In the epilogue of Jin's Story Mode, it's mentioned that he was seen as a disgrace to his father and was showered with ridicule and jeers.
  • Amusingly inverted in gameplay terms for Warriors Orochi 3, where his Status Buff Type Action while also Regenerating Health makes him temporary completely invincible (as opposed to his father's which raises attack power), making him extremely easy to use on harder difficulty levels compared to his father.
  • 9 plays it up in his ending, where the people of Shu are angry and saddened at his surrender. They throw stones at his carriage and yell at him to never come back.

Guan Suo

"The Charming Ladies Man"

"We all must answer the call of destiny when it beckons."

Voiced by: Hiroaki Miura (Japanese), Spike Spencer (English; 7-8), Maxwell Chase (English; 9), Xiao She (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Onyomi: Kan Saku
Height: 5'8" (172cm)
Weapon: Nunchaku (7-9), Sabatons (8:E)

Guan Suo is Guan Yu's fictional third son and younger brother of Guan Ping and Xing. His earnest efforts are what earn him the trust of several Shu generals. Known for his good looks and charm, he has many a female admirer.

He is a young man who takes his duties very seriously. Compared to his stern father and older brothers, Guan Suo is a bit light-hearted and is a little wet behind the ears. Even if he doesn't always believe in himself, he uses earnest effort to overcome any shortcomings he thinks he may have. He seeks to someday become a warrior worthy of his father's name.

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• Badass Family: Like Guan Ping, he is also the son of Guan Yu.
• Battle Couple: Eventually, he and Bao Sanniang join hands in life to fight Shu's enemies .
• Blow You Away: His EX Attack and "Sweeper Strike" Musou Attack
• Clueless Chick-Magnet: Everyone knows that women flock to him except for he himself. Guan Yinping even makes fun of him about it in her battle quotes. In WO4, Magoichi is perplexed with his obliviousness.
  Magoichi: You really are the most naive man I've ever met.
• Did You Just Romance Cthulhu?: He unknowingly flirts with Kyubi, the Big Bad of WO3: Ultimate, calling her beautiful and stunning which cause the fox demon to blush. Then, it turns out he wants to feel if her ears and tail are as soft as a cat's.
• Family Honor: He tries to uphold the Guan family honor after his father dies in Fan Castle.
• Kick Chick: This Kick Guy gets rid of the nunchaku entirely in 8: Empires for the kick-only sabaton weapon.
• Historical Character's Fictional Relative: He never exists in the historical records. He's just a fictional character from the novel and folklore.
• Hot-Blooded: Usually eager to get into battle that Guan Yu had to prevent him going suicidal in Fan Castle, either by knocking him unconscious or tossing him to the river so he can escape.
• Oblivious to Love: He breaks the hearts of women wherever he goes, without knowing or meaning to. In 9, he's completely unaware of Bao Sanniang's feelings to him.
• Razor Wind: One of his many tricks, unleashed from his kicks.
• Sibling Team: With all of his mighty Guan family siblings.
• Sword and Fist: Most of his moveset consists of kicks and smacking his opponent with his chucks.
• Warrior Prince: Technically, he is closely related to Shu's royal family during this time of war.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: He and Bao Sanniang suddenly disappeared with no explanation once when the Shu storyline entered at Chapter 13. Unlike the previous games, he's not even among the Chengdu defenders against Sima Zhao's invasion.^note This could be a nod to their origins as folklore characters.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires

Xu Shu

"The Worrisome Strategist"

"I am Xu Shu. Okay, let's get going!"

Voiced by: Atsushi Kisa'ichi (Japanese), Darrel Guilbeau (English: 7-8), Steven Marter (English: 9), Haoran Guo (Chinese: 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Style Name: Yuanzhi
Onyomi: Jo Sho "Genchoku"
Height: 6'0" (182cm)
Weapon: Jian and hooked dagger (7:E-8, 9 DLC), Jian (9)

Originally named Xu Fu historically in his earlier life while having a solid proficiency in swordplay, Xu Shu ended up arrested after a murder he committed to avenge his friend. Despite being toured around town by the police as he didn't disclose his name, he was soon freed and went to study by himself avidly. He eventually studied at some point under Sima Hui with Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong (via the novel).

Xu Shu is the first of Shu's strategists, scoring many victories for Liu Bei, until Cao Cao took his mother hostage and forced him to go over to Wei. Before leaving, Xu Shu recommends Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei. Afterwards, due to his links with Liu Bei he was deliberately inefficient as a Wei officer.

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• Always Someone Better: Invokes this towards Zhuge Liang. Even when Liu Bei wants him to stay as their strategist, Xu Shu states Zhuge Liang is much better than he could be.
• Ascended Extra: Appeared as a generic non-playable officer in a cutscene in 7 before the Empires expansion ascends him to playable character. In NEXT, despite still not receiving a unique model, he gets an extended cameo as Shu's first major strategist. Finally, whereas he was a generic unit in Warriors Orochi 3, he becomes a playable character in the Ultimate version of the game.
• Badass Longcoat: All the way down to his ankles, and it even has a hood! It was designed to emulate a fencer.
• Demoted to Extra: In 9, he only has one chapter and because there's no hypothetical route, his story ends with him suggesting to Liu Bei to go to Zhuge Liang and refusing to contribute Wei's war effort. His ending does show him being a vassal of Wei during Cao Pi's rule but he refuses to participate in their endeavor.
• Everyone Went to School Together: He had the same mentor as Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, and the events of the game show that they knew each other. Historically however, he only met Zhuge Liang, and not Pang Tong.
• Forced into Evil: In Wei's Story Mode for 8, with a little effort, Xu Shu can be recruited by Cao Cao, who goads him to rise above his fatalistic certainty in Zhuge Liang's superiority and aid him in bringing about peace. A downplayed example, since Wei by 8 is no longer considered outright "evil", especially in their own campaign.
• Point of Divergence: The biggest example for a single character in the series, since he is a major contributor to not one, but two hypothetical routes in 8.
  • Shu's hypothetical route shows what would have happened had Xu Shu been able to remain with Shu and continue serving Liu Bei.
  • Wei's hypothetical route shows what would have happened if Xu Shu was genuinely loyal to Cao Cao and served Wei to the fullest of his abilities, rather than be deliberately inefficient.
  • In his hypothetical DLC scenario for 9, he receives blessings from his mother to go to Liu Bei. Eventually, he and Zhuge Liang work together to help Liu Bei, defeat Cao Cao and save the Emperor.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol: It can launch Xu Shu towards his enemy, allowing him to easily follow up combos. He's one of the easiest to make infinite combos with.
• Herd-Hitting Attack: Unlike most Musou Attacks, "Hidden Surprise" lasts quite a while and can be fired multiple times in succession.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Highly humble and self-effacing about his own abilities, as a consequence of continually comparing himself to Zhuge Liang. He recognizes it in Shu and Wei's hypothetical routes: He helps Guo Jia repel the fire attack on the Wei fleet in Chibi and prevents the flood attack on Fan Castle from happening, allowing him to realize his true potential.
• I Have Many Names: His prior name historically was said to be Xu Fu in his early years before he changed it by the time he picked up studying. The novel inverts it to have Xu Shu be his real name instead. ^note The novel also mistakenly uses Shan Fu as his alias instead of Xu Fu.
• In the Hood: His design has one, though he's majorly out of the hood in his debut. He keeps it on as part of his alternate costume in 8, and wears it throughout his time in Wei. Word of God states it was to make him the "dark hero" of Shu.
• Instant Chucks: Wields a Cool Sword tied to a hooked dagger on a rope. The hook's general purpose is to be a Grappling-Hook Pistol.
• Master Swordsman: Historically in his youth and part of his backstory in the novel was that he was fascinated by and skilled with swordfighting before getting arrested for the vengeful murder he committed. After being freed by one of his friends, he gave up his swordsmanship to study on his own before being taken in by Sima Hui, who convinced him to be a strategist. As his Sword and Hook shows (along with his development as a playable character making it to be more akin to fencing), he hasn't lost his touch.
• Momma's Boy: His reason to join Cao Cao in the source material and historically is because Cao Cao took his mother as a hostage (both accounts vary but the result was the same). In his storyline in 9, this is also his reason why he cannot serve Liu Bei because his mother is in Xuchang which is Cao Cao's territory and her health is getting worse. In the Wei storyline, there's a side quest where you can convince his mother to join Cao Cao which would cause Xu Shu to believe that Cao Cao kidnapped his mother.
• Palette Swap: Wears a blue outfit while fighting on Wei's side in Chibi and in Wei's hypothetical route in 8.
• Perma-Stubble: He has one but it's only visible upon close-up on his face.
• Rain of Arrows: His "Hidden Surpise" Musou Attack in 8, which appears in a different form in Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate for his R1 Type Action.
• Refused by the Call:
  • The historical route goes with this as Xu Shu is rejected as a strategist by Cao Cao for his lack of personal ambition. This can be averted in Wei's Story Mode if the player beats him before helping Cao Ren. There, after the rejection, he reveals his ambitions to end the chaos and from that point, willingly works with Cao Cao as a strategist.
  • This is again averted in Shu's battle for Chibi, as if the player rescues Xu Shu, he'll go back to Shu. If the player completed all other hypothetical route conditions like saving Pang Tong and Zhang Jiao, Xu Shu and Pang Tong combine their heads to deny the flood on Fan Castle.
• Reverse Grip: How he wields his weapon, though for some attacks such as the rest of his basic attack chain he wields it briefly in normal grip.
• Shock and Awe: His aerial Musou "Coming Thunder", where he gathers up lightning in his blade and slams it down.
• Spectacular Spinning: His most powerful attacks involve liberal use of spinning his hook like a flail. It helps that they have a VERY wide area of effect. That, and his acrobatic flips during some of his attacks.
• Speed Blitz: His "Flashpoint" Musou Attack.
• The Strategist: For one stage in 7 and NEXT in Shu's Story Mode, despite lacking a unique model. He can be made a co-strategist in 8 for Wei or Shu's hypothetical routes.
• Took a Level in Badass: Following the discovery of his true potential in both the Shu and Wei hypothetical routes, Xu Shu becomes much more confident in his own capabilities as a strategist. Historically, Xu Shu didn't really accomplish much.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are:
  • Despite his doubts, he has within him the potential to be just as wise and skillful a strategist as his mentor, Zhuge Liang. Historically, he tragically never realizes it.
  • This gets seen in both hypothetical stories for Wei and Shu, where he proves himself critical in a number battles, notably getting the honor of being a key player in both of the turning point battles for each faction; for Wei, he helps Guo Jia in seeing through Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang's planning in the epic Battle of Chibi, while for Shu he's the one who turns the otherwise fatal Battle of Fan Castle into a victory on his own (though admittedly with some assistance from Pang Tong, whose survival is also necessary for unlocking the Shu hypothetical route).
  • What's even more impressive is that Xu Shu is a fairly major player in both hypothetical routes. For Wei, he's present during both the campaign against Wu at Jianye and the final battle against Shu at Baidi Castle. For Shu he coordinates the successful ambush at Chang'an, which opens the way to Luoyang and Xuchang.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 8

Guan Xing

"I will do what it takes to lead us to victory."

Voiced by: Nobunaga Shimazaki (Japanese), Ben Pronsky (English; 8), John Paul Mendrano (English; 9), Yonggang Wang (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Style Name: Anguo
Onyomi: Kan Kō "Ankoku"
Height: 5'9" (175cm)
Weapon: Wingblades (8), Fan sword (9)

Guan Yu's second eldest son, Guan Xing is quiet and studious. After the death of his father, Xing hunted down and killed the one who murdered his father, succeeding the Green Dragon. In honor of his father, he made a brotherhood oath with Zhang Fei's son Zhang Bao and together they form up a duo and served the latter Shu Kingdom era. Historically, he was an in-law of Liu Shan ^note His elder son Tong married a daughter of Liu; the marriage was likely arranged after his death, as Xing was noted to have died young., and also inherited his father's peerage of "Marquis of Hanshou Village."

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• Absurdly Youthful Father: Looks younger than his (generic) son Guan Yi. ^note Historically, Yi outlived both his father and elder brother Tong (Liu Shan's son-in-law), as Yi inherited his grandfather's peerage from Tong, who died without a heir.
• Ancestral Weapon: While there's no stopping him (or anyone else for that matter) from using Green Dragon, thanks to the double weapon system, he uses it in his "Lunar Dash" Musou Attack, in accordance to what he did in the novel.
• Badass Family: Like his siblings, he is part of the mighty Guan family.
• Big "NO!": Gives one at Zhang Bao's death scene
• Blow You Away: His main element. Also in his third Musou is a homage to his father's "Heavenly Gale".
• Dual Wielding BFS: His primary weapon is wingblades on both hands.
• Gameplay and Story Segregation: However cool it is that he gets to wield the Green Dragon in homage to the source material as his second musou, it's a bit dampened for anyone who actually wants him to wield it in-game via the double weapon system as he unfortunately has little compatibility with it.
• Genius Bruiser: Played with. Although he does not look scholarly and he is not characterized as being on par with the strategists of Shu, Guan Xing is an intelligent and observant young man who misses very little that goes on, in addition to wielding a weapon like Green Dragon. This is probably a reference of his historical role as an official.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: Historically he was a civilian official, not a military man, and never participated in battle. Also, he was noted for his early death.
• Improbable Use of a Weapon: He uses his dual wingblades to literally "fly" through enemy ranks.
• Ineffectual Loner: Guan Xing tends to take "solo missions" to prove his strength and distancing himself despite Zhang Bao's efforts to befriend him casually (or take a "professional friend" stance). In the "what-if" scenarios, Xing gets over it and personally feels more powerful after accepting friendship.
• Killed Offscreen: He dies offscreen in 8's historical path sometime before the Battle of Wu Zhang Plains.
• Not Quite Flight: His moveset relies heavily on sticking to the air while slicing up the enemy.
• Not So Stoic: The only time he loses composure and cries is if Zhang Bao dies.
• Power Floats: Due to the nature of his weapons, many of his charge attacks make him look like he's flying, allowing him to move quickly from one location to another one.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Fits the blue to Zhang Bao's red given his stoicism.
• Serial Romeo: A more obscure version of it as it's only mentioned in his bond quotes to the opposite sex in almost every incarnation he is in. Compared to Guan Suo's haremesque approach, when he falls for a woman he falls really hard.
• Sibling Team: A soldier fighting with all of his mighty Guan siblings.
• Spin Attack: Most of his charge attacks involve spinning around.
• Sworn Brothers: He's sworn brothers with Zhang Bao, swearing a brotherhood oath just like their fathers.
• The Stoic: Xing doesn't show much emotion, and is able to keep calm even at the worst moments. When Guan Yu is issuing his last orders so he and his siblings can escape, Xing simply, stoically agrees. When delivering the news of their father's demise, he does so without emoting. Contrast this with Suo and Yinping weeping during the cutscene.
• Tragic Bromance: Historically, Zhang Bao dies just as he and Xing are becoming close, shattering Xing. It can be averted in 8, even on the historical route.
• Warrior Prince: He is actually closely related to Shu's royal family (his elder son Tong married Liu Shan's daughter) and fighting Shu's enemies.

Guan Yinping

"I promise to give my best and live up to my brave father's reputation!"

Voiced by: Shiori Mikami (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English; 8), Bridget Renshaw (English; 9), Shan Xin (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Onyomi: Kan Ginpei
Height: 5'3" (160cm)
Weapon: Double-headed flail (8, 9 DLC), Wolf teeth mace (9)

Guan Yu's daughter, Guan Yinping excels in the martial arts, and after her father's death, she continues to serve Shu for the Southern Campaign. However, she is a semi-important figure in Guan Yu's fall: in order to appease Guan Yu to surrender Jing Province and maintain what passed for a Shu-Wu alliance, Sun Quan offered to marry his son to Yinping. Guan Yu flat out refused the offer which led to Sun Quan allying with Wei, culminating in the Battle of Fan Castle, leading to Guan Yu's downfall.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In the DW games, she remained an innocent go-getter, with her only angst bouts being knowing that her father and eldest brother died for her and the rest of her siblings, but afterwards she remained stalwart. In her Warriors Orochi debut, Yinping often expressed doubts and angst about the situation at hand, with her innocence directly challenged by godly oppositions and trickery, particularly with three of her brothers being on the opposing side against their will. However, she still does her best to be positive and cheery.
• A Day in the Limelight:
  • The Horse Search battle in XL is designed specifically with Yinping at the lead (after usually playing supporting roles in the main storyline and the hypothetical route), leading Xingcai and Bao Sanniang in a search for the missing Red Hare. Which leads to a showdown with Lu Lingqi.
  • In Warriors Orochi 4, she's one of the eight characters who receive a Deification form and made several appearances in the cutscenes which makes her one of the protagonists of the game. Then in the expansion, she's Demoted to Extra where she doesn't have a speaking role despite being one of Perseus' closest friend.
• Apologetic Attacker: After a Storm Rush, she apologizes.
• Ascended Extra: Was given a brief mention in the novel as someone who could marry Sun Quan's son for the Shu-Wu alliance and is made into a playable character.
• Badass Adorable: Yes, we know she's Guan Yu's daughter, but carrying that kind of heavy weaponry without much difficulty, whacking soldiers with it and being really cute to boot?
• Badass Family: Like many of the other characters on this page, she is part of the Guan family. Guan Yu sired a lot of warriors, didn't he?
• Beware the Nice Ones: She's sweet-natured, but with her strength, upsetting her is a very bad idea.
• Big Eater: In Zhang Bao's ending for 9, she's seen eating two chicken drumsticks at the same time.
• Blow You Away: After executing her 'buff' EX attack, some of her attacks toss out tornados due to the sheer force of her strikes.
• Comically Missing the Point: In Ambition Mode for 8, Guan Ping asks if there's been some pests bothering her, and she responds she found some pests on the table, and whacked it so hard the table was destroyed.
• Dishing Out Dirt: One of her EX Attacks is her picking up a large chunk of rock from the ground to flatten her enemies a la Rajang
• Does Not Know Her Own Strength: Accidentally rips away a stone from a wall... and her dub 1000 KO win quote is just a puzzled "Huh? Am I really that good?"
• Double Weapon: Her weapon of choice in 8 is a double-headed flail.
• Dumb Muscle: She's fairly air-headed and generally not in charge of the operations, but still a dangerous opponent for the enemies of late Shu.
• Expy: A long, black-haired version of Akari Akaza. The fact both characters share the same voice actress, and various official art◊ for 8 are pastiched from Akari seems to indicate the similarities are deliberate.
• Groin Attack: Her "Sparring Practice" Musou Attacks involves handing down her heavy weapon, causing the enemy to collapse under its weight. Yinping kicks the enemy's groin to make them toss her weapon back to her. You can have Yinping do this to everyone, even Lu Bu, who's probably far more powerful than she is, but will fall for this against Yinping. Hell, you can equip her weapon to everyone else and they usually have no problems in using it, but if Yinping does her Musou Attack to other playable characters, they'll still fall down because the weapon is too heavy. Then again, this is after she smacks the opponent in the head a few times.
• The Ingenue: She's really innocent. During the Red Hare search, when Xingcai and Bao Sanniang are still suspicious over Lu Xun and Zhu Ran being Red Hare's thieves, Yinping believed in their story instantly.
• Mini Dress Of Power: This Pint-Sized Powerhouse is dressed in a tank top and short skirt.
• Muscles Are Meaningless: She lampshades this when forced to retreat, promising to come back once she's put on more muscle.
• The Not-Love Interest: Out from the female Shu characters, she's the only one who isn't portrayed as a love interest and doesn't have one. Even the subplot about Sun Quan offering to marry one of his sons to her and refused by Guan Yu is omitted.
• One-Handed Zweihänder: Some of her attacks, namely her Musou, involve her using her weapon one handed.
• Pint-Sized Powerhouse: She is one of the smallest characters, with the second most powerful weapon in the game. Camp chatter reveals she trains by using her gigantic weapon to smash down stone walls. She's also capable of carrying Suo without much difficulty, and her "Sparring Practice" Musou implies that her weapon is too heavy for most other characters to lift.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Again, to emphasize "classical good looks" of that era in the game.
• Shockwave Stomp: If she misses with her "Sparring Practice" Musou Attack there will be a shockwave.
• Sibling Team: She works with all of her siblings in battle but mostly those named Suo.
• The Smurfette Principle: In the Strategy game spinoff, Yinping is the only Shu female, as the other females did not make the cut.
• Super Mode: One of the eight characters to receive a Deification mode in Warriors Orochi 4. Her form is based from Freyja, the Nordic goddess of love which suits her as she loves her family and fights for them. Her Sacred Treasure is Brísingamen, which is Freyja's necklace and her deified Unique Magic shows dancing on top of Brísingamen which has colorful lights and petals going off.
• Super-Strength:
  • She can lift up that rod with ease. A prologue cutscene at the Battle of Fan Castle demonstrates her unwittingly yank a brick out of a short wall that she's sitting on.
  • Her 2nd EX attack that she can pick up a huge slab from the ground with one hand and slam it on the enemy.
  • In Yueying's ending in 9, she is able to carry the wheelchair with the Zhuge Liang doll with ease after Yueying remarks the wheelchair is too heavy to move.
• Tomboy: Has a bit of an obsession with muscles and wants to be a war hero like her father.
• Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Her hobbies and ambition are tomboyish but her sense of style is still rather feminine.
• Waif-Fu: Guan Yinping may look like a cute young girl, but she's a pure power-brawler rather than a skilled finesse-fighter.
• Weapon Twirling: Many of her charged attacks involve twirling her weapon. Twirling the Control Stick during the charged attacks makes it spin more.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Her story mode in 9 ended prior to the Battle of Chengdu where she trains with Xingcai in preparation for the upcoming battle against Sima Zhao. After Liu Shan's surrender to Wei, Yinping's fate is unknown.^note Historically after the fall of Shu, all of Guan Yu's surviving family and descendants were slain by Pang De's son, Pang Hui, who wanted revenge on the clan for his father's death during the Battle of Fan Castle. It's very likely that Guan Yinping also perished during the Battle of Chengdu, if she didn't pass away before then.

Zhang Bao

"Leave the fighting to me!"

Voiced by: Daisuke Sakaguchi (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English; 8), David Jonas (English; 9), Lin Hu (Chinese; 9)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: (Unknown)
Onyomi: Chō Hō
Height: 5'11" (180cm)
Weapon: Flail sword (8), Twin-headed meteor hammer (9)

Zhang Fei's adventurous son, like Guan Xing, Zhang Bao hunted down his father's murderer in Wu and reclaimed his father's Serpent Spear. He would make a brotherhood oath with Guan Xing, like their fathers, and continued to serve Shu into their twilight years.

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• Ancestral Weapon: In the same vein as Guan Xing, he also uses his father's weapon in his "Cobra Strike" Musou Attack. Like Guan Xing, it's a nod to his novel persona where he actually inherited his father's weapon as his own.
• Badass Family: Sworn brother of Guan Xing, son of Guan Yu. Not to mention his father is Zhang Fei and his sister is Xingcai.
• Blood Knight: Lighter case, but he LOVES to fight. He IS Zhang Fei's son, after all.
• Brother–Sister Team: with Xingcai.
• Ground Pound: His first EX attack is stomping the ground.
• Guide Dang It!: There's finding out how to save him in Chencang is really difficult unless you read a guide/walkthrough.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: Literally the only things recorded about him are that he was Zhang Fei's son and he died young (quite possibly some time before his father, since Zhang Fei's marquisate was inherited by his second son Zhang Shao). Thus, the Blood Knight with mighty roar is added in this game. ^note Historically, Zhang Bao's style name was unrecorded, a treatment given to Guan Ping, Ma Dai and Hua Xiong as well. These men also did not have their own biographies in Records.
• In the Blood: Of all the children of the heroes of Shu, Zhang Bao is the most like his father, both in looks and in attitude. He's got the spiky hair like his dad and his love of fighting and hot-bloodedness.
• If We Get Through This…: In the Battle of Chencang, Zhang Bao suggests becoming sworn brothers with Guan Xing once the battle is over. Depending on the actions taken, either it happens off-screen or Bao dies before that could happen.
• Hunk: A little older and more mature than the brothers Guan and it shows in his build.
• Mighty Roar: Like his father, he has damaging shout at the end of his "Cobra Strike" Musou.
• Mix-and-Match Weapon: He uses a katar-like weapon which can extend like a whip sword and durable enough to punch the crap out of the enemy.
• One-Steve Limit: Averted. He shares his name in both Chinese and on'yomi readings with the Yellow Turban's general Zhang Bao, but they have no relation whatsoever.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Guan Xing and Xingcai's blue because he is much more passionate.
• Related in the Adaptation: In history and novel, the identity of his mother is unknown. In Dynasty Warriors, starting from ninth installment, his mother is Xiahou Ji, Zhang Fei's only known wife historically.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: He and his sister Xingcai could not be further from each other in attitude: she's a stoic Lady of War who always keeps her cool and he's a Hot-Blooded Blood Knight who wears his heart on his sleeve.
• Sworn Brothers: He's sworn brothers with Guan Xing. Based on the novel, they made a brotherhood oath just like their fathers before them, though depending on the route and the player's actions it can end tragically.
• Tragic Bromance: If he isn't saved on the historical route, he dies tragically just as he and Guan Xing finish taking their oaths of brotherhood.
• Warrior Prince: Technically, he is closely related to Shu's royal family. His sister is also the eventual Empress of Shu. He himself fights Shu's enemies alongside her.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends

Fa Zheng

"Friend or foe, I always repay my debts."

Voiced by: Tomohisa Hashizume (Japanese) Marc Diraison (English; 8:XL), Steve Wilson (English; 9), Zhankun Zhang (Chinese; 9)

Born: 176
Died: 220
Style Name: Xiaozhi
Onyomi: Hō Sei "Kōchoku"
Height: 5'10" (178cm)
Weapon: Woven cloth (8:XL), Urumi (9)

An advisor who previously worked with Liu Zhang before Liu Bei took over. Appreciated by Liu Bei, Fa Zheng was the military advisor at the Battle of Hanzhong. He died a year after, without proving more of his worth. Historically, Zhuge Liang was said to have mused that if Fa Zheng had been alive, he would have dissuaded their lord from embarking on the Yiling campaign; even if Liu Bei had persisted, Fa would then be able to minimize the damage done.

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• Cloth Fu: Of all things he could potentially use, he uses a cloth as weapon to twap everything to death.
• Death of a Thousand Cuts: The cloth weapon set is order of magnitude weaker than most, but it hits very rapidly over a wide area, particularly since many of its attacks leave behind "traps."
• Debt Detester: The positive side of his obsession with grudges and settling accounts; Fa Zheng makes every restitution he feels is due when he feels he owes someone else.
• Disproportionate Retribution: The troops imply he's very mercurial about the "payment" he exacts when he feels someone owes him. Truth in Television, as historically, he was notorious for being vindictive. ^note When he held office, he abused his power by taking revenge against those who had offended him before, and by killing them without reason. Both Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang turned a blind eye to this as both men admired his talent.
• Dropped a Bridge on Him: In 9 while he is talking to Liu Bei about the possibility of Wu attacking Guan Yu, he closes his eyes, bows his head and stops moving as if he's asleep. Liu Bei tries to call him but realizes that he's not responding. Historically, Fa Zheng died of an illness. But here? He just dies while sitting down in front of his lord.
• Evil Is Petty: Evil is a stretch, but he's certainly quite sinister compared to the rest of his idealistic faction, and troops in the camp swap stories about how he backstabbed his old lord to throw in his lot for Liu Bei because the man had served him a cold meal.
• For Want Of A Nail:
  • Like Guo Jia, he was an exceptional strategist what many felt might have prevented the defeat at Yiling from happening if he hadn't left. The new IF stages for Shu in XL makes Fa Zheng present in Yiling and his job is to prove that the Jerkass Has a Point with daring but (hopefully) successful strategies to take revenge on Wu.
  • In his hypothetical scenario for 9, his strategies save Guan Yu in Fan Castle, meaning Liu Bei and Zhang Fei never succumb into revenge as their brother is safe. Likewise, all of them manage to live long and participate in the Northern Campaigns.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: In the novel, Fa Zheng was not well-liked and few mourned his passing. In the game, Fa Zheng is often disliked in both cutscenes and camp conversations as a dark and vindictive man, but his strategies earn him some respect, particularly after he Takes the Arrow for his lord and the deaths of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei put Liu Bei and their respective children onto the warpath with Wu.
  • Historically, no one actually liked Fa Zheng either since he was quite the shady person who did what he pleased; despite this he was still respected for his skills and was greatly missed when he passed away.
• Gravity Sucks: His first two Musous set the traps which can be useful if the third one is performed, creating a vaccumm by the said traps.
• Guide Dang It!: The game normally explains that weapons have special properties, but neither the game nor its manual mentions that the Connected Fabric's C1 has a secret Counter-Attack property similar to switch counter (press the charge attack button as soon as a nearby enemy starts attacking) that allows the user to block any incoming attack before laying down a square fabric. In Ultimate Difficulty, it has the additional effect of conjuring a huge ball of fire in front of the user, which does great damage in addition to being a Herd-Hitting Attack. Screw the timing, and you're in for a world of hurt if your character is not a Diving Weapon master, since it allows them to escape attacks.
• Manipulative Bastard: While the historical/novel Fa Zheng is said to be capable of stopping Liu Bei from going to war with Wu, in 8:XL, it's the total opposite. After the deaths of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei and all their kids all have a bit of something sinister in them, and Fa Zheng nurtures that. He whispers in their ears about revenge and retribution, and makes good use of them.
• Puppet Fighter: While the square fabric is not a character, Fa Zheng can control it remotely and have it spin rapidly from a distance for Cherry Tapping damage.
• Revenge: His characterization revolves around getting even when he feels wronged.
• This Is Unforgivable!: Never try to fight, ambush, foil his plans or hurt his pride; he never forgets the deed and will hunt you down. Even in death, his slain quotes heavily implies that he will haunt the player or take revenge in the next life.
• The Smart Guy: Takes over this role when no other strategists are handy. In fact, historically, Fa Zheng was the sole reason Shu existed in the first place.
• Taking the Bullet: In one of the extra stages, he protects Liu Bei from Xiahou Yuan's Last Breath Arrow in 8:XL. Unusually, it is non-fatal, and serves to settle any questions his allies have about his loyalty.
• Token Evil Teammate: He's the first morally questionable character of Shu.
• Trap Master: The moveset often leaves behind spinning cloth "traps" on the ground that repeatedly strike everything around them.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: While not as bad as Pang Tong, he didn't spend his life long enough as Liu Bei's officer. He joined Liu Bei in the Battle of Chengdu (212 AD), and died in 219 AD, not too long after the Hanzhong Campaign.

Debuting in Dynasty Warriors 9

Zhou Cang

"Zhou Cang, at your service."

Voiced by: Chiharu Sawashiro (Japanese), Tommy Cooley (English), Xiao Lang (Chinese)

Born: (Unknown)
Died: 219
Onyomi: Shū Sō
Height: 5'11" (181cm)
Weapon: Longtou Dazhadao

A fictional character created for Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhou Cang was a former general of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, but after being pacified by Guan Yu, he swore loyalty to him and constantly followed and guarded him.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: Most of Zhou Cang's portrayals involve having a goatee and beard in addition of his hat, implying that he's a middle-aged. By the time of the ninth entry however he appears as a much younger looking man.
• Art Evolution: His evolution is even more apparent since he wears the same outfit. His rather vibrant color scheme seen in Warriors All-Stars is toned down to more realistic shades, and several parts of his outfit have been tweaked to fit the more realistic design philosophy of 9.
• Badass Normal: Normal's subjective, but this man is able to run the same distance in the same time as that of Red Hare.
• Bodyguarding a Badass: He proclaimed himself as the shield of Guan Yu during his unplayable times at 4 and also in the Japanese version of 9, affectionally called him 'Oyabun/Boss'.
• Deadpan Snarker: Often has this, especially towards Zhao Yun due to him mistaking him for being a mere bandit-not-yet-reformed in the past (Zhou Cang just got recruited by Guan Yu at that time) and having just killed off Pei Yuanshao before Zhou Cang can tell him the good news. He still holds a grudge against Zhao Yun to this day and often snarks at his expense.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Makes his first playable debut in Warriors All-Stars before the main series.
• Reformed Criminal: Formerly a Yellow Turban bandit, after getting his ass kicked by Guan Yu, he decided to reform and learn under him, becoming his bodyguard and his trusted subordinate.
• Super-Speed: He's very proud of his super running speed, which in-game could even make him faster than Red Hare.
• Undying Loyalty: To Guan Yu. The source material even involves Zhou Cang committing suicide upon learning of his death. In the game itself, he stays behind with Guan Yu and Guan Ping in Fan Castle to face off hordes of Wu soldiers.

Xiahou Ji*

"Uhm... I'll do my best."

Voiced by: Yuuko Mikutsu (Japanese), Rocio Lopez (English), Nian Ru (Chinese)

Born: (Unknown) ^note The Wei Lve recorded that she was 13-14 in 200 CE (the year of her abduction)
Died: (Unknown)
Onyomi: Kakōshi
Height: 5'1" (155cm)
Weapon: Jian and tower shield

Xiahou Yuan's niece and Xiahou Ba's cousin who became Zhang Fei's wife and the mother of Xingcai and Zhang Bao. Historical records noted that Zhang Fei abducted and forced her to be his wife. However, her Dynasty Warriors Blast profile mentioned that she is separated from her family after Sun Ce attacked Xuchang and is rescued by Zhang Fei from bandits. In the game, she meets Zhang Fei after getting lost in the forest and feels enamored with him after encountering him again in Xuchang.

She is an unique NPC in her debut game, but also becomes a DLC Character.

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• Action Mom: The second female character in the Dynasty Warriors franchise to have her children alongside as playable characters.
• Adaptational Consent: The historical records noted that she was still very young and forced into marriage with Zhang Fei who had her sire their children. Dynasty Warriors Blast instead shows that they met when Zhang Fei rescued the young woman from bandits, she's grateful and attracted to him as the result. In 9, it's a Love at First Sight for her after meeting Zhang Fei for the first time and she goes to him willingly.
• Animal Motif: Bunnies. Her Dynasty Warriors Blast portrait shows her holding a stuffed bunny and her modern DLC has her wearing bunny slippers.
• Battle Couple: She accompanies her husband in their battles.
• Conflicting Loyalty: She runs away from her home and marries Zhang Fei. However, she feels conflicted whether to stay with Zhang Fei or support her uncle Yuan. This reaches to the point in the Battle of Chibi where she must choose sides. In the end, she chooses to support Zhang Fei which leads to her fighting her own uncle Yuan and her former liege lord, Cao Cao.
• Downloadable Content: In order to make her stop being an NPC.
• Go Through Me: She goes between her uncle Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Fei when they're about to clash at Changban bridge. She even begs her uncle that she doesn't want to become his enemy after choosing to stay with Zhang Fei.
• Happily Married: She's very satisfied with her marriage with Zhang Fei.
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Zhang Fei is taller than her.
• Improvised Parachute: Her aerial musou shows her using her shield to float down just like Mary Poppins before she slashes her enemies on the ground.
• It Runs in the Family: In Xiahou Ba's ending, Xingcai notices the similarities between her mother and Ba that they are both prone in making questionable and odd decisions.
• Likes Older Men: Zhang Fei is obviously older than her... and he just happens to be her type (old, muscular, beardy)
• Love at First Sight: After meeting Zhang Fei for the first time, she begins to have feelings for him after he shows kindness and concern to her. As a result, she follows him despite that he's the enemy of her uncle's faction.
• Morality Pet: To Xiahou Yuan, who's reluctant to continue fighting Zhang Fei and pursuing Liu Bei when she intervenes.
• Mum Looks Like a Sister: Put her beside her teenage children, and she could be mistaken as their sister. Justified that she married Zhang Fei at a very young age.
• Non-Standard Character Design: She's given a unique appearance in Dynasty Warriors 9.
• Princess Classic: Has this vibe (and Xiahou Yuan actually calls her "Princess"), as she's shy, sheltered, dressed modestly, and soft-spoken.
• Rebellious Princess: She runs away from her home because she falls in love with Zhang Fei. Later, she is forced to fight her uncle and her former colleagues from Wei.
• Related in the Adaptation: In history and novel, it's unknown if she's the mother of Zhang Bao. In Dynasty Warriors, she is.
• Sheltered Aristocrat: She's a noblewoman who never gets a chance to explore the outside world. When she manages to leave her home, she gets to meet her future husband.
• Shrinking Violet: In contrast to her hotblooded son and her stoic daughter, she stutters a bit and is very nervous when she meets someone new.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Asides from being her type, she falls in love with Zhang Fei because he is nice to her after she got lost in the forest.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: She is last seen in a banquet held by Zhang Fei in commemoration for his slain blood brother Guan Yu. Despite that her husband is assassinated outside of the banquet hall by his own men, she's never seen again once Liu Bei heard of his death. ^note Historically, if she was still alive then, she would be 34-35 years old. The last known record of Lady Xiahou was her burying Xiahou Yuan; Yuan died about two years before Zhang Fei.
• You Can't Go Home Again: Cao Cao makes a point to her that once she decided to stay with Liu Bei, she is no longer considered part of the Xiahou clan and is now an enemy of Wei. Xiahou Ji understands the implications of this.

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