Meng Huo

Meng Huo is a character in the Dynasty Warriors series, whose appearances were from Dynasty Warriors 3 to the fifth. Along with six other characters, Meng Huo was absent in Dynasty Warriors 6 but returns in the Empires expansion. His story generally involves a group of battles revolving around protecting his home, Nan Zhong, from the various invading northern warlords with his wife, Zhu Rong.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, he is 35 years old and his height is 210 cm (rounded up to 6'11"). He stands at 180 cm (almost 5'11") in Kessen II.

Dynasty Warriors
Meng Huo is the king of the Nanman tribe and is highly protective of both his people and his wife. He seeks to defend them from threats and live in harmony. This occurs in various orders and locations throughout each game, but usually culminates in a final face-off with Zhuge Liang. In Shu's version of his home stage, he resists the Prime Minister seven times before he formerly surrenders.

In Dynasty Warriors 4, the Nanman Story Mode starts with the Shu invasion of the south. After which, Meng Huo realizes the threats from the north and go onto attack the other kingdoms in their homeland. His Story Mode ends with him in control and the land in peace. Meng Huo's Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion depicts the fate of Nanman after Shu's destruction. Facing overwhelming odds against the Wei army, Meng Huo says his final farewell to his tribesmen and wife before riding alone to deal with them. He orders the Nanman tribesmen to not assist him and escape with their lives. Holding off Sima Zhao's army, his tribesmen carry out their order for a time but turn back to aid Meng Huo. Touched by their loyalty, they drive off Wei's army together.

Meng Huo spots threats from the north in Dynasty Warriors 5 and wants the south to unite as one to resist them. The southern kings bicker with one another for control, and Meng Huo is forced to show them his might for them to agree to serve under him. Moments after they are united, they also slay the governor of Nan Zhong, Yong Kai, and his generals. As the land's new king, he swears to protect his "family" from any who come near them. After they overcome the Yellow Turbans' trickery, the tribes sense of unity strengthens as they face Wu. Using guile, they win against Sun Quan's larger numbers and they additionally prevail over Shu. While wars still occur up north, Meng Huo pays it no mind and decides to live peacefully in his home.

He and his wife's Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion centers on a similar premise as his previous Legend Mode. Years before the conflict, Meng Huo and his tribe surrendered to Zhuge Liang and vow to keep watch of the south for their foreign friend. Regrettably, Shu is destroyed after the Battle of Wu Zhang Plains and Sima Yi's army seeks to invade them. Staying loyal to his promise with the departed Prime Minister, Meng Huo takes a stand with his family against the threat.

Warriors Orochi
Meng Huo and his tribesmen appear to reinforce Liu Bei during Orochi's scenario. The Nanman specifically appear while Liu Bei flees in the forested area of the map. However, they are defeated and they escape capture.

In Warriors Orochi, Meng Huo and Zhu Rong are being attacked by Orochi's forces. Zhao Yun and his army decides to aid the Nanman forces, although Meng Huo is being negative about his support at first, saying that they're "trespassing". After the battle, Meng Huo softens up and thanks Zhao Yun for saving his people and in return, joins his army to help them in their quest to find Liu Bei, along with Zhu Rong. In one of the faction's Gaidens, he and his wife briefly separate from Zhao Yun's group and notice swordsmen struggling against the Orochi army at Tedorigawa. Rescuing the lot from Lu Bu and company, Musashi thanks them and may join Shu.

Warriors Orochi 2 has Zhou Yu request for Meng Huo's assistance at Nan Zhong. The Nanman king keeps his word and is congratulated by the strategist after the battle. Zhou Yu asks for the Nanman tribe's help in Wu and Zhu Rong agrees for them. He contributes in Sun Jian's renewed determination to go to war at Yamazaki. He shares his dream stage with Okuni and Goemon. The shrine priestess drags him with her for her mission to collect shrine donations. Ina spots Meng Huo with her and inexplicably blurts that he is having an outing with his mistress. To prove his innocence, he thrashes her and his upset wife. Zhu Rong realizes that it was misunderstanding and donates for Okuni's cause.

Kessen
Meng Huo continues to be Naman's king in Kessen II. Like his wife, he leads a unique elephant army. Unlike his Dynasty Warriors counterpart, the couple act as the slap-stick duo in the game. He is the lovable fool in the marriage who is rather submissive to his aggressive wife. After he was captured and then released by Shu, he and his wife decide to lead a final resistance effort against Shu. He protests her sudden decision to join Liu Bei but nevertheless follows her orders to defend the Nanman tribe during her absence.

Personality
Meng Huo is portrayed as a sweet but short tempered man who frustratedly attempts to outwit Zhuge Liang at every turn, but fails dismally each time. He has a very strong relationship with his troops and officers, and all consider themselves a close family with an unbreakable spirit. Although Meng Huo is the "Great King" and technically the leader of the Nan Zhong people, he is shown to be completely submissive to his wife, Zhu Rong, who is far more intelligent and aggressive than Meng Huo.

Voice Actors

 * Kirk Thornton - Dynasty Warriors 4~6, Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Doug Stone - Kessen II (English)
 * Sa Seong Wung - Dynasty Warriors 3~5 (Korean)
 * Yoshiyuki Konou - Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Daisuke Miyagawa - Kessen II (Japanese)
 * Toshihiko Seki - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * See also: Meng Huo/Quotes


 * "I'm the Nanman King of Nan Zhong! I don't care who Zhuge Liang is, but I will deal with him like all the others. Anybody else is nothing more than pushovers! And I promised my sweet heart I will get them next time."

Ground Moveset

 * undefined (undefined, undefined): Get down on all fours, and dashes, tackling any enemy in his path.
 * , undefined: Meng Huo uppercuts with one of his gauntlets.
 * ,, undefined (undefined, undefined, undefined): Spins with gauntlets slightly away from his stomach. On the last hit, Huo stops halfway during his spin and claws out.
 * ,, , undefined: Brings weight back and jumps forward, landing on his belly.
 * ,, , , undefined: Leaps up and slams both fists on the ground, creating an earthquake.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Slams right fist into the ground, creating a large quake.
 * Punches the ground repeatedly, causing enemy-tripping earthquakes.
 * , : Jump, then puts legs to stomach and lands on butt.
 * , undefined (undefined): Meng Huo jumps, then stomps and hops forward, knocking enemies off-balance.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Meng Huo leans back, and rushes forward, firing his gauntlets in a parallel direction forward, until they come back to reach him.
 * ,, , , , : Three jabs to the right side, three to the left.
 * Repeating slashes to all sides until the Musou gauge empties.

Dynasty Warriors
He is a very slow attacker and runner, but is, in game terms, one of the strongest characters, possibly with a higher strength than even Lu Bu. His powerful attacks can often crush enemies, and many of his attacks involving stomping the ground. A downside to this is how low defense and speed, as faster characters can often overwhelm and heavily damage him before he can successfully retaliate.

His weapons of choice in Dynasty Warriors 3 to Dynasty Warriors 5 were a pair of large, gauntlets called the "King of Beasts". But, in the Empires expansion of the sixth installment included a pillar, a tropical tree, and a mushroom.

Weapons

 * See also: Meng Huo/Weapons

How to Obtain King of Beasts

 * Stage: Battle of Nan Zhong (Shu)
 * Location: In the southern secret passage.
 * Requirements: Defeat Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, and Yue Ying.

Historical Information
Meng Huo was an aristocrat during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was born in Yizhou, Jianning, south of Shu Han and was said to have had Han Chinese and Taiwanese origins. His name and heritage are mentioned in the Huayang guo zhi and a record from the Jin Dynasty, but both are considered questionable in its contents and neutrality. It is implied that Meng Huo was Han Chinese due to his role with Yong Kai and his government position.

When Yong Kai rebelled, he implored the foreign tribes in Yizhou to join him but they refused. Yong Kai then appealed to Meng Huo for aid. Meng Huo invoked their spirit to rebel by mentioning the government's often unreasonable demands and expectations for the people. The foreign tribes then agreed to join Yong Kai.

In 225, Zhuge Liang lead a campaign to stop Yong Kai's rebellion. While Shu Han troops did meet with his army, they did not clash with Yong Kai himself. The instigator met a premature end at the hands of the foreign tribes he tried to control, and they appointed Meng Huo as their new leader. When May was changing into summer, Zhuge Liang doubled the bounty on Meng Huo's head and captured him in Lushui. With Meng Huo in the midst of the Shu Han army, the Prime Minister asked his prisoner's opinions regarding his troops. Meng Huo replied, "Not knowing must be regrettable. The public will win easily."

Although Zhuge Liang had plans to conquer the north, he worried about the unrest in Nanzhong. Deciding it would best for Meng Huo to vent his frustrations with the people, Zhuge Liang released his prisoner. As he expected, Meng Huo allied with the rebels in Nanzhong. In the Huayang guo zhi, Meng Huo was captured and released seven times. Recognizing Zhuge Liang to be a caring man, he swore to have his people never rebel against Zhuge Liang again. Residents in Yunnan (present day Nanzhong) declare that it was Meng Huo who captured Zhuge Liang seven times.

Whatever the conclusion, Nanzhong was suppressed when Zhuge Liang reached Lake Dian. Ignoring the consideration of the local residents, he appointed eight rich families to rule over the area. Among these eight clans, he chose two who he considered to be excellent (either Cuan Xi and Meng Yan or Li Hui and Cuan Xi) to aid Meng Huo's rule in Jianning. Meng Huo was appointed as an imperial advisor after the conflict.

Though conflicts were believed to have subsided for Shu Han, it is said that the south continued to experience various internal rebellions after this affair.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Meng Huo is popularly known for his portrayal in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where he is a southern barbarian tribal king of the Mang tribe. He was also married to the fictional Lady Zhurong. He wore a golden, inlaid headdress, a belt with an lion's face as the clasp, green pointed-toed boots and a pair of swords chased with pine amber at his waist. He rode a red haired horse into battle.

He was first mentioned in Sima Yi's plot to divide Zhuge Liang's forces in chapter 85. He was convinced to lead one hundred thousand troops along Shu's southern boarders at Yizhou, Yongchang, Zangge, and Yuesui. The readers learn in the following chapter that Wei Yan confused the Mang tribe with his tactics and they temporarily retreated back to their home. Meng Huo countered with another offensive and invaded the south with success. Yong Kai, Zhu Bao and Gao Ding surrendered to the Mang army and guide the tribesmen to Yongchang. The governor Wang Kang and his deputy governor Lu Kai resist them.

When Yong Kai was slain, he ordered his "Three Ravines" (Jinhuansanjie, Dongtuna and Ahuinan) to attack. In a ploy staged by Zhuge Liang, they were captured by Zhao Yun and Wei Yan, which enraged Meng Huo to march his army once more. He was surrounded by Wang Ping, Guan Suo, Zhao Yun and Wei Yan; after a long escape, he was also captured with his men. His troops were fed and given new clothes before their release. Meng Huo, though swearing for a continued defiance, received the same treatment before his departure. This occurred six more times and, though victories were scored by both sides, the result was the same as his other captures. Each time he suffered defeat, Zhuge Liang quaintly asked the Mang King his reasons for fighting Shu, gradually weakening the king's resolve.

While fleeing from his seventh defeat, Meng Huo was stopped by the calm Zhuge Liang, who was riding a horse carriage. Seeing his wife and loved ones held hostage by Ma Dai and others, he submitted. This time, when Zhuge Liang ordered for the king's release, Meng Huo was just as moved to tears and formerly surrendered to Shu. Zhuge Liang decided to allow the Mang tribe to keep their lands and did not appoint any government officials to oversee their activity. Grateful for Zhuge Liang's generosity, the Mang tribe celebrated and erected a shrine in Zhuge Liang's honor. They shared various gifts and swore to never rebel again.

As the Shu army began their journey back home, a fierce storm blew from the River Lu and halted Wei Yan's advance. Meng Huo explained to the Shu prime minister that the cause was wild spirits and forty-nine sacrifices were needed to calm them. Since Zhuge Liang did not want to slay a person after their hard-won peace, he ordered the natives to make meat buns the size of human heads, called "Mantou" or "human heads", as a substitute. After the prime minister conducted a ceremony to calm the demonic spirits with the Mantou sacrifices, Meng Huo escorted the Shu army as far as Yongchang. His last order from Zhuge Liang was to keep a diligent administration over his homeland, which left the king emotionally moved when they parted ways.