Zhuge Liang

Zhuge Liang is a character who has been in every Dynasty Warriors title to date. Known as a wise strategist with "unsurpassed intelligence", he agreed to serve Shu after Liu Bei visits him in person three times. Also known as "The Sleeping Dragon", he is Yueying's husband, Jiang Wei's mentor, and Pang Tong's companion.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, he is 22 years old and his height is 174 cm (almost 5'9"). Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll places him at twenty-fourth place. In Kessen II, his height is 190 cm (almost 6'3").

Role in Games

 * "I will break before no man, least of all you."
 * ―Zhuge Liang to Sima Yi, Warriors Orochi 2

Dynasty Warriors
Zhuge Liang is known as Liu Bei's master strategist and is considered a prodigy in all three kingdoms. Upon Liu Bei's third visit, Zhuge Liang joins him and assists his lord's escape at Chang Ban. At Chi Bi, he commences a prayer to summon the southern winds needed for the Allied Forces' fire attack. In most titles, he tries to dissuade his lord from avenging Guan Yu's death at Jing Province, but his advice falls on deaf ears.

Even so, Zhuge Liang reinforces his lord at Yi Ling and directs the wounded army in the Stone Sentinel Maze after Lu Xun's fire attack. To continue his lord's dreams, Zhuge Liang commands the Shu army after Liu Bei's death, directing the Southern Campaign against Meng Huo and the Northern Campaigns against Wei. A few games has him take Tian Shui during this time to recruit his future predecessor, Jiang Wei. Though weakened by illness, his final battle against Sima Yi is at Wu Zhang Plains. He usually dies before he can complete his goal, and his death during the battle is often signaled by a shooting star. His mantle of leadership is passed on to Jiang Wei.

His Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends depicts his first meeting with his wife. Her father, Huang Chenyan, meets Zhuge Liang with the belief that he is a perfect match for his daughter. Zhuge Liang, learning of her genius, agrees to be tested by Yue Ying in battle. During the battle, Zhuge Liang defeats other would-be-suitors -noting the chauvinistic attitude they have towards her- and his would-be mate. Upon her defeat, Yue Ying submits to servitude but Zhuge Liang prefers her as his equal than a servant.

Dynasty Warriors 5 describes Zhuge Liang as a hermit who lived his days in Jing before meeting Liu Bei. On Liu Bei's third visit, the scholar devises the Three Kingdoms strategy to achieve Liu Bei's dreams of a land for the people. His genius becomes known throughout the other kingdoms, and his plan to split the land in three is known by all. After he assists the escape at Chang Ban, Liu Bei passes away before he could see Zhuge Liang's plan succeed. Liu Bei, realizing that his son is unable to carry out his virtuous dream, asks the strategist to lead Shu after his death.

Zhuge Liang acts on his departed lord's wishes but, desiring to see Shu's vision as a servant, he swears loyalty to his new master, Liu Chan. Zhuge Liang starts by subduing the rebelling Nanman tribe and conquers Tian Shui to start their kingdom's campaign against Wei. In the latter battle, he captures and releases Xiahou Mao to spread the false report of Jiang Wei's surrender to Ma Zun. Expressing his desires to pass his knowledge on to the young man, Shu gains Jiang Wei's genuine loyalty after the battle. They work together to take Chen Cang and they destroy Wei at Wu Zhang Plains. As Wu is destroyed by Wei before their decisive battle began, the land is ruled under Shu and the people rejoice Zhuge Liang's legacy for generations to come. In his ending, he laments the lives given for the land's unification since it has always been one; it was people who claimed to have separated it. He presumably dies soon after.

He shares two Legend Modes in the Xtreme Legends expansion. One he shares with Zhang Fei and Wei Yan at the Battle of Jia Meng Gate. In order to carry out the Three Kingdoms plan, Liu Bei must conquer the lands of his relative, Liu Zhang. To counter the Shu offensive, Liu Zhang sends Zhang Lu. Liu Bei's army uses this opportunity to recruit Ma Chao and gain a strong foothold in their conquest for Shu. His other Legend Mode has him, Jiang Wei and Wei Yan at the Battle of Mt. Qi. In the midst of Shu's Northern Campaign, the Prime Minister surprisingly orders a retreat from the mountain. Once his troops are safely hidden and in position, Zhuge Liang springs an ambush on Sima Yi and causes Zhang He's demise.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, he agrees to be Liu Bei's strategist only if his master prepares himself to do anything for his heart's true desire. He argues that his plans will not ultimately win the people's trust; it will be Liu Bei's noble character. Therefore, Zhuge Liang is willing to bear any negative criticism regarding his sometimes underhanded plans to protect Liu Bei's gentle and heroic image. This comes into full effect when Zhang Fei accuses of him of sacrificing Guan Yu so they could capture Han Zhong. With a string of relentless plots, Wei eventually falls against Shu at Wu Zhang Plains. Zhuge Liang, who is exhausted by illness, endures the battle before collapsing. Although he is content to die as repentance for Guan Yu and Pang Tong's deaths, Liu Bei pleas for him to live. Getting the proper rest his body needs, Zhuge Liang survives and witnesses the peach blossoms that Liu Bei wanted him to see.

Zhuge Liang first appears in the seventh installment when Liu Bei visits him three times. He first instructs Liu Bei what his true goal is: a land of benevolence. Zhuge Liang proves his worth to his allies at Changban and later leaves to convince Sun Quan to fight Cao Cao's southern invasion. After praying for the winds to blow at Chibi, he leads the pursuit for Cao Cao when he escaped at Huarong Trail. By preventing Huang Gai's assistance for the chase, Zhuge Liang simultaneously escapes Wu and returns to his master's side. He is also the commander at Mt. Dingjun and planned Liu Bei's escape to Baidi Castle. After Liu Bei's death, he is mentioned stopping the Nanman Tribe and defeating Meng Huo before attacking Wei at Tianshui. After capturing the city, he found his heir to follow on his legacy. After a few years, Zhuge Liang strained his body and made his last stand at Wuzhang. After defeating Sima Yi, he finally passed away, with Jiang Wei promising to make a land of benevolence.

He is regarded by other characters to be a major obstacle to uniting the land in the other kingdoms' narratives. He appears a ghost in Jin's story mode which causes the invading soldiers to lose morale at Jiange. Their march to Chengdu continues after his defeat.

In his first stage of the Legendary Mode, Zhuge Liang fights Meng Huo and Zhu Rong in order to gain support from the tribes in Nanzhong. His second stage has him rescue Ma Su from his defeat at Jieting. He fights Sima Yi to prove that he is the better strategist for his third Legendary Mode.

Warriors Orochi
In Orochi's story, Zhuge Liang is the one who advises his lord to flee from Serpent King's army. To assist his lord's escape, he traps Orochi's men within a garrison and attempts to stop them by force. However, he's defeated and Liu Bei is captured by Orochi's men. As a member in the serpent king's army, he leads the battle to subdue Wu and imprisons Sun Jian and many of their men.

Like many of Shu's generals, he continues to be a member of Orochi's army in Warriors Orochi. Not wanting to put Liu Bei's life into jeopardy, he acts as one of Orochi's strategists. He appears to be loyal to the snake but he's actually biding his time to capture Da Ji and set his lord free. As such, many of his plans are actually careful steps for Orochi's downfall.

Zhuge Liang appears with his wife at Odani Castle in Warriors Orochi 2. He and his forces block Himiko's escape from the field. Having understood Taigong Wang's plans, he remarks the noticeable risk the mystic allows by letting Himiko and Da Ji free.

Staying beside Liu Bei after Orochi's second defeat, he was his lord's strategist at Chengdu. The castle is heavily overrun by the serpent army in the original timeline. Although Zhuge Liang's whereabouts remain unknown in the future, Ma Chao and company travel back in time to prevent its fall. With the threat gone, the strategist joins the coalition. Zhuge Liang is later intent on recruiting Pang Tong and leads a small regiment to save his friend at Komaki-Nagakute.

Dynasty Tactics
Dynasty Tactics has Zhuge Liang as an optional officer who can be recruited by any nearby lord in the years 205~207. He is good with engineer units and knows a number of INT tactics. He has the highest intelligence in the game.

He plays a pivotal role in Liu Bei's conquests in Dynasty Tactics 2.

Kessen
Zhuge Liang appears as one of Shu's strategists in Kessen II. He is an adept sorcerer who uses astrology to foretell the future. Like the novel, he agreed to join Liu Bei during his third visit. However, Zhuge Liang declines Liu Bei's offers in his previous visits, stating that he has no interest in restoring the Han empire. Once he hears that Liu Bei's real desire is to save Diao Chan, he admires the lord and agrees to serve him. From then on, he acts as a political adviser and battle strategist, occasionally bringing in new generals to join Shu.

Not long after he joined, Zhang Fei confesses to his older brother that he doesn't trust the magician. In response, Zhuge Liang attempts to assassinate Cao Cao but only succeeded in knocking off his helmet. He brings it to Liu Bei to prove his loyalty. He distinguishes himself as a powerful magician when he cast a fire spell on Cao Cao's fleet at Chi Bi. When Shu heard rumors of Diao Chan's death, a jealous Himiko tries to convince Zhuge Liang to join her. In the process, she leaks out that the dancer is still alive. After he refuses her offer, he reports his findings to Liu Bei. In Wei's epilogue, he leads the final resistance against Cao Cao with Shu's remaining generals. In Shu's story, he stops Himiko's dangerous tornado spell by defeating her in a magic duel.

While style names don't exist for the characters in the Japanese dub, Zhuge Liang's name in this title is Kongming.

Development
The idea of adding laser beams to Zhuge Liang's attacks was decided ever since the series's first title. The development team wanted to give the strategist another weapon to his arsenal to rather than waving around his fan. They thought giving him the ability to shoot laser beams would give him a stylish image. While it sounds whimsical, the concept took considerable time and thought to include for Zhuge Liang. He is Tomohiko Sho's favorite character.

Personality
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. Like the novel, he speaks with a polite and proper manner at all times, albeit terrifyingly so when he completely stumps his enemies. Though his intentions are sometimes questioned, he is indeed loyal to Liu Bei as he admires his lord's humble and noble qualities.

Perhaps a bit too confident of his abilities, he only half acknowledges his rivals from Wei and Wu, Sima Yi, Zhou Yu, and even his own colleague Pang Tong. While they are intent on befuddling him and proving their mental superiority, Zhuge Liang will haughtily denounce their efforts. When they succeed, he congratulates them with quaint words of praise. Warriors Orochi 2 notes the first time his abilities are said to be inferior to someone, who is Taigong Wang.

Character Symbolism
Within several Three Kingdoms media, Zhuge Liang's trademark appearance are his long robes, his hat, and his crane feather hand fan. He is best known for wielding a feather fan with white feathers to match his description found within Romance of the Three Kingdoms. His fan is meant to calmly wave the air around him and is not an instrument of war in the slightest. His hat found in various Three Kingdoms media is most likely a Fa Guan, which is a type of head ware dedicated to his status as a law enforcer. Kongming Latterns are fabled to resemble the particular head ware he wore and thus are nicknamed after him.

Two of his weapons in the Dynasty Warriors series take their namesakes from the Four Gods. His level 11 weapon is named after the Azure Dragon and his fourth weapon is named after the Vermillion Bird. The second beast is placed in a direction matching the placement of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period. Affiliating a dragon with Zhuge Liang may be tied to his historical nickname or the dragon motif commonly found amongst Shu's generals in the series.

Zhuge Liang's weapons in the sixth title all imply effulgence. His Standard weapon represents the birth of a pure thought. A clear sense of pity is depicted in his Skill weapon while his Strength weapon describes a blackened intelligence. One interpretation of these names may be personifications of the time of day, since the characters used for the fans may also be used to describe morning, noon, and night. The other trait for these fans are their aspects for radiance, which is tied to his given name and well known style name. As a side note, Zhuge Liang is sometimes known only by his style name in certain editions of the novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The other characters who may share the same trait are Liu Bei or Guan Yu.

His skill chart in the same title is roughly shaped in the form of a fish, which alludes to his close relationship with Liu Bei in the novel. When his oath brothers grumbled their displeasure with Zhuge Liang spending time with him, Liu Bei compared their friendship "just as fish has water". This interpretation is the commonly known origin for the Chinese idiom, Ru Yu De Shui. Historically, Liu Bei uttered he felt as though he were "an isolated fish placed back into the water" once he gained Zhuge Liang into his service. Either meaning is meant to imply a sudden fortunate occurrence. Zhuge Liang would actually be the "water" in this case, but the fish was probably chosen in the game for easier imagery.

For his original Dynasty Warriors 7 outfit, Zhuge Liang wears a chest band that somewhat resembles the straps for president of the student council. He has written three inspirational words on the front: "Aspiration", "Energy", and "Courage".

Voice Actors

 * Jason Frankovitz - Dynasty Warriors 3 (English)
 * Lex Lang - Dynasty Warriors 4~7, Dynasty Tactics 2, Kessen II, Warrior Orochi series (English)
 * Hong Siho - Dynasty Warriors 2 (Korean)
 * Kim Sehan - Dynasty Warriors 3~5 (Korean)
 * Masaya Onosaka - Dynasty Warriors series, Warriors Orochi series, Sangokushi Koumeiden (Japanese)
 * Munehiro Tokida - Dynasty Tactics (Japanese)
 * Masashi Hironaka - Dynasty Tactics 2 (Japanese)
 * Somegoro Ichikawa - Kessen II (Japanese); also model for character
 * Kaneto Shiozawa - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * See also: Zhuge Liang/Quotes


 * "Master Liu Bei is no longer with us, and my destiny also draws near. Before everything is swept away by the times, I must bring an end to the chaos."
 * "Men's will is more powerful than you could ever fathom."
 * Zhuge Liang speaking to Orochi X; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "The stars are in great disorder, making it extremely difficult to predict the future... However, that bright, shining star up there is a light of hope. Before it was a faint light, but now it has gained strength from the surrounding stars and is shining brightly. This is my lord's star."
 * Zhuge Liang; Kessen II

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: A single light orb which explodes after a set amount of time. Cannot be blocked. In DW4 it is instead an elemental shot. If equiped with a Blast Orb, three shots are fired at once instead of one.
 * , undefined: An upward launching toss with Liang's fan.
 * ,, undefined: Sends out glowing circle that cannot be blocked. In DW3 is was a beam instead that stuned. (Zhuge Liang is the only character to not have a Charge Rush during the time of DW4 and DW5, or any sort of rapidly C tapping move.)
 * ,, , undefined: Zhuge Liang leaps in the air and throws his fan around him in the air, spinning it like a spiral. Pre-DW5 gave it a tornado effect.
 * ,, , , undefined: Sends out a light sphere. Pre-DW5 was an upward fan flail, then tapping C again for a meteor swipe.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Zhuge Liang sends out three light orbs which explode after a set amount of time. Pre-DW5 were a series of light beams instead.
 * A rapid succession of green lasers. True musou will fire one large laser instead of four.


 * , : Jumps in the air, and slashes inward with fan.
 * , undefined: Jumps in the air and sends out multiple green lasers before landing again. In DW4 his jump charge was more unique in that game, instead shooting a light beam that caused a low damage explosion that was hard to block.
 * Dashing : He stops and flings his fan far in front of him.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Sends fan out to each side, forming an x-shape.
 * ,, , , , : Three fan swipes to the right, three to the left.
 * Repeated fan swipes until the Musou gauge empties.


 * Warriors Orochi
 * R1: Levitates his fan in front of him and casts a spell to shoot lightning bolts from his hands.
 * R1 (counter): Unleashes a shockwave to stun foes.

Ground Moveset

 * string (Renbu ∞): Walks forward with one hand behind his back and casually fans four mini whirlwinds forward. Magically has his fan take the shape of a sword and slashes seven times, slicing diagonal left and right cuts. He then morphs his feather sword to lose its structure slightly to create a wind-element feather swordwhip. He twirls it in a infinite sign motion, hitting foes on his front and sides twelve times.
 * undefined string (Renbu ∞): Creates a circular barrier from his hand, which stuns foes. Fires three straight laser beams before he sends a larger beam of energy forward. Will not damage structures.
 * undefined (held): Lifts his arm up, creating a whirlwind to spin around him. A shockwave will surround him on higher Renbu levels. Will not damage structures.
 * Series of attacks depending on Renbu level. During the finale, he creates a circular gust of wind that starts low on the ground. He raises the miniature storm into the air and drops his fan, creating small lightning bolts. The range of his attack can be determined by the spinning feathers that hover around the "edges" of the storm. The last part of the move will not damage structures.


 * , : Downwards 180 strike with a minor wind element.
 * , undefined: Hovers slightly in the air before hurling a ball of wind downwards. It erupts into a miniature tornado on the ground. Will not damage structures.
 * Dashing : Waves a small ball of wind forward.
 * Dashing undefined: Swings his fan to the right and sends a larger whirlwind forward. It is decorated with feathers and other special effects. Will not damage structures.


 * Grapple attack : A gentle wave of his fan forward. If it connects, a magical seal will be placed on his foe and Zhuge Liang uses it to manipulate his foe against their will. He shifts them to the left, right, and has them hover high in the air. He drops them to end the spell.
 * Grapple attack undefined: Tosses his fan straight into the air. If it connects, his fan will levitate above his foe's head. He places his palm on his enemy's chest and his fan emits a damaging aura beneath itself. He unleashes his foe by having his fan return to him.
 * Deadlock attack: Waves his fan and has his foes dance away from him by using five tornadoes.


 * Special attack: Fire: sets off multiple eruptions of fire in random areas surrounding Zhuge Liang. When used on a base, the base is engulfed in fire and all opposing base forces inside of it are damaged.

Horse Moveset

 * string: Fans small gusts of wind to his right. Number of strikes varies on Renbu levels.
 * undefined: Waves a larger gust of wind to his right.
 * Faster version of the string that ends with a undefined attack.

Dynasty Warriors 7
Zhuge Liang is affiliated with the war fan in this appearance. When he is equipped with it, he can perform a unique attack exclusive to him. When he performs his musous, he will automatically use the weapon in his attacks.


 * EX Attack: ,,undefined,undefined: Does a large area attack which electrocutes any enemies caught in its wake.
 * Thunderbolt: : Uses his fan to summon a storm of lightning to strike enemies around him.
 * Lightning Strike:, : Fires lightning bolts from his hand towards those below him as more lightning radiates outward around him.

His moveset has been changed in Warriors Orochi 3.
 * Warriors Orochi
 * undefined:
 * , undefined:
 * ,, undefined:
 * EX Attack: ,,undefined,undefined:
 * ,, , undefined:
 * ,, , , undefined:
 * ,, , , , undefined:


 * ,undefined:
 * ,undefined:


 * R1:

Dynasty Warriors
In Dynasty Warriors 3-5, Zhuge Liang has very short range for his attacks, but to make up for it are his (, undefined) and his Musou attack, both of which are the strongest attacks of their kind in the game. His running speed is also not so impressive, so one might want to equip Speed Scroll or have Speed on a 3rd weapon (perhaps both). His undefined and, , , , , undefined cannot be blocked(in DW5), so it is useful against officers in case they are blocking too much. He is also the only character along with Sima Yi to not have a 'Charge Rush' for his C3. In DW4, Zhuge Liang is one of the very few characters that benefit from equipping a Blast Orb, making him a monster against those who dare to block against his attacks. His jump charge in DW4 along with Sima Yi's is said to be one of the cheapest attacks in the game, but is fairly weak.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, Zhuge Liang's attacks focus more on magic as a good majority of his attacks are controlled gusts of wind created by his fan. One of his most formidable attacks is his Special, which has the power to emulate the effects and damage of a fire attack. When properly used, he can severely weaken a group of nearby enemy officers and easily take them out with a few hits. Some of his attacks available for purchase in his Skill Tree, namely Flame and Hellfire, increase the damage of his attack. Hellfire, which greatly increases the attack of the Tome Attack, is exclusive to Zhuge Liang, making him have one of the deadliest fire attacks in the game. Other Special Skills include Battlecry, which stuns nearby enemies, and Stamina, which increases the duration of the attack. His moveset usually leaves his back opened so players must take some caution whilst charging into a crowd of enemies.

Weapons

 * See also: Zhuge Liang/Weapons

Trivia

 * Zhuge Liang's motion actor for Kessen II is a seventh generation kabuki actor and a traditional Japanese dancer. His role as Zhuge Liang is his first and only known appearance for a video game.
 * During the Koei-Tecmo company visit in the Weekly Toro Station's broadcast, Toro and Kuro meet the Dynasty Warriors 7 version of Zhuge Liang while they are lost in the company's halls. Kuro even quotes a popular Japanese Internet meme associated with the historical figure due to the games by saying, "Now is the time." (今です.) When someone repeatedly falls into a simple looking but harsh trap, it might be called "Kongming's Trap" (孔明の罠, Koumei no Wana). The meme allegedly ties into a quote found in Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Sangokushi comic.

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