Emperor Xian

Emperor Xian (漢獻帝, onyomi: Kankentei) is the fourteenth Han Emperor and lived during the Three Kingdoms era. Though young and inexperienced, he had noble qualities that made him more favorable than his older half-brother, Emperor Shao. He ascended to the throne but was forced to flee after Dong Zhuo's death. While in Cao Cao's protection, the conqueror held more power and the Han empire's influence dwindled. His status, as well as the Han Dynasty, ended with Cao Pi's forced abdication of the throne. Cao Jie is one of his wives.

He is known to have taken a great liking towards Liu Bei and called him "Honored Uncle" or "Royal Uncle".

Roles in Games

 * "You wish to control the land... with strength and reason?"


 * "Exactly. And, at the pinnacle of such a world, I require a true symbol of power and reason... I will need you, your highness"
 * Emperor Xian and Cao Cao; Dynasty Warriors 8

Dynasty Warriors
During his first Dynasty Warriors appearance, he talks with Cao Cao and Sun Jian during their respective Musou modes. In them, he expresses his wishes to defend his falling empire and thanks both warlords for their efforts. In the former, he is surprised when Cao Cao declines the throne yet, after hearing his reasoning, dubs him to be a fearful man.

In subsequent games, Emperor Xian is usually given a passing mention as the last Han Emperor. His decline of authority under Cao Cao and his abdication of the throne are mentioned quite often.

Emperor Xian also has a special event in the following Empires installment in which if the player welcomes the emperor the player's land cannot be invaded by enemies.

Due to sheer fear of Cao Cao, he tries to order a covert assassination for Cao Cao's life in Dynasty Warriors 7. When Cao Cao learns of it, he confronts the emperor personally to accept his death if the emperor so wills it. As he hesitates, the emperor admits his fears to Cao Cao, thinking that his vassal's ambition could even include killing him. Cao Cao states Emperor Xian plays a role for his plans for the people would riot without an emperor, and the presence of their liege allows him the freedom to achieve a new world for them. After hearing his vassal's resolve and his role as a puppet, the emperor drops his sword in shock.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, Emperor Xian first appears during Cao Cao's flight from Chang'an to Luoyang, and must be escorted from his carriage. Later in the stage, Yuan Shao's men will force Emperor Xian out of the carriage, and the Emperor must be led to the escape point on foot instead. Once Xuchang is declared as the temporary capital, he shows concern over being used to fulfill Cao Cao's ambitions. His fears are mitigated after hearing the conqueror's philosophy of using power and logic to quell the chaos. On the alternate route, he congratulates the generals of Wei for their efforts and hopes to see them bring forth a new era for the land. In Wu's hypothetical story, Emperor Xian is briefly mentioned to have dissolved the imperial court in favor of allowing all three kingdoms to rule China. In Shu's hypothetical scenario, he is finally secured by Liu Bei's forces after Cao Cao's death, and he allows the Liu Bei and Sun Quan to rule as vassal kings. His abdication in favor of Cao Pi is mentioned in Wu and Shu's historical routes. Emperor Xian plays a major role in the game's ambition mode, as the main objective is to have him visit the player's developing camp. After the first objective, a fake emperor will appear, forcing the player to pacify the regions one at a time. Completely pacifying a region will cause Emperor Xian to give the player treasure weapons, and he may occasionally give rare animals if special conditions are fulfilled.

The Xtreme Legends expansion has the emperor appear in Lu Bu's hypothetical ending. Fearing for his life after the deaths of Guo Si and Li Jue, he is ultimately spared by Lu Bu in exchange for the throne. In another story, Emperor Xian hosts an "Ultimate Warriors Competition" at Xuchang to see who the strongest warlord is. During the tournament, he is abducted by warlords against Dong Zhuo, and must be rescued before Yuan Shao completely blocks the escape route.

Dynasty Tactics
He is referred to as either the "Emperor" or "Emperor Xiao" in Dynasty Tactics 2. In Liu Bei's Epilogue, after the armies of Cao Cao are obliterated by the joint efforts of Liu Bei and Sun Quan, the Wu patriarch seizes control of their enemies' former territory as well as the emperor. Sun Quan stations himself at Xu Chang, calling it his own castle, prompting the end of his and Liu Bei's alliance.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
His role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is mostly limited to awarding ranks and titles to the regional lords in the land. In return, they may optionally declare their intentions to support the Han Empire. When he passes his throne to Cao Pi in the games, he does so because he fears incompetence of his rule and sees the heir to be more adequate for the right. His stats are low in all areas except charisma.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms III calls him Emperor Hsien and has him request Zhang Lu to eliminate Cao Cao at the start of the fourth historical scenario.

Kessen
In Kessen II, he is referred to in passing as the "child emperor" who entrusts the Imperial Seal to Diao Chan. It's not quite elaborated on how or when this event occurs but, shortly after he gives her the treasure, he is enshrouded by flames.

Voice Actors

 * Tony Oliver - Dynasty Warriors 7 (English-uncredited)
 * Kenji Nojima - Dynasty Warriors series (Japanese)
 * Hisayoshi Suganuma - Kessen II (Japanese)
 * Nozomu Sasaki - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * "You... frighten me. You shed no tears for your allies; you side with the enemy if necessary. And when someone is not needed, you get rid of them. Even... if it is me."
 * "A country needs its people... And without a ruler, the people are lost. Your highness is needed. At least... while I am still alive"
 * Emperor Xian and Cao Cao; Dynasty Warriors 7