Yu Jin

Not to be confused with Yue Jin.

Yu Jin (onyomi: U Kin) is a general who served Cao Cao since he first raised an army. In the Record of the Three Kingdoms, he is an established general and is known as one of the Five Generals of Wei. He won success in numerous battles and was known as a majestic and resilient man, but he frightened allies due to his strict disciplinarian behavior. On one occasion, Yu Jin was ordered to take control of Zhu Ling's troops, and met no resistance, as Zhu's troops were too terrified to resist the order.

During the siege of Fan Castle, however, he surrendered to Guan Yu, and was a frail, old man by the time he returned to Wei, long after Cao Cao's death. After he spots murals depicting his cowardice and Pang De's valiant death, he dies as a man filled with regret.

Before his playable Dynasty Warriors appearance, he was a generic NPC since its second installment. In Famitsu's first most wanted Dynasty Warriors character poll, he and Lu Kang tied for eighth place with fans. Fans voted him to third place in the second most wanted poll with 204 votes. The latest poll for the eighth installment puts him in twenty-second. The character poll for overseas fans puts him in fourteenth place for the Wei division.

His character's height in Kessen II is 190 cm (6'3").

Dynasty Warriors
In Dynasty Warriors, non-playable Yu Jin is a general who serves Cao Cao in many battles since the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Dynasty Warriors 2 has him serve as a sub-officer often alongside Yue Jin.

Since the series's fifth main entry, Yu Jin has been stationed at Fan Castle. He usually defends the western gate in the same title. If playing the allied force's perspective, Yu Jin has a special quote if he is defeated in which he surrenders to Guan Yu. Dynasty Warriors 6 has him being a minor general stationed as inner defense. His place as active defense is taken by Yue Jin and Niu Jin at the western gate.

In Dynasty Warriors 7, Yu Jin fights the Shu forces north of the castle in Wei's first part of the battle and usually has the upper hand until the flood attack. If the player does not come to his rescue after the flood attack, a messenger will report Dong Chao and Dong Heng's defeat and the fall of Yu Jin's squad. Even if the player keeps Yu Jin alive throughout the first part, he does not appear in the second part of the battle. If playing the Shu perspective, Yu Jin will arrive as Wei's reinforcements during the first part of the battle.

Dynasty Warriors 8 has Fu Feng, Hu Xiu and him fight the invaders at the northern gates of the castle in Wei's story. The player has the option to rescue the three generals. If they are rescued, Yu Jin expresses his gratitude and stays loyal. If the player ignores the generals or takes too long to rescue them, Yu Jin will defect to Shu and join the siege.

During his playable debut in Xtreme Legends, Yu Jin appears as early as the revenge at Xu Province. With his skills recognized, he continues to participate in several campaigns against Lu Bu and Yuan Shao. The conditions for his surrender at Fan Castle in the historical route remains the same as the eighth entry, albeit with more regret and emotion within his voice lines than his generic counterpart, wanting to assure the safety of his soldiers.

He appears in four additional scenarios for Wei. The first has him star at Fan Castle alongside Cao Ren and Pang De. Despite the oppression against them, Yu Jin's two comrades hold the line long enough for him to take advantage of the discord between the Wu and Shu forces. The second scenario is set in Jing Province where he assists Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun's fight against Guan Yu. While the other officers celebrate their victory, Yu Jin maintains his vigilance and leaves the festivities. Cao Cao convinces the hardened general to lighten up and offers a toast in his honor. The third is a hypothetical battle where Guan Yu prevails over Wei at Fan Castle and pushes the defenders back to Xinye, however, Yu Jin does not defect, and Pang De survives his fate. Eager to avenge their loss, Yu Jin and his allies fortify their army's formation to halt the enemy's advance. This time they rout Guan Yu's forces. Yu Jin works with Cao Cao's other officers to find the kidnapped Cai Wenji in the last scenario. While searching for their comrade they encounter many couples who mistake them for kidnappers. Cai Wenji returns to the exhausted men unscathed by the end and is unaware of the unnecessary peril they faced to find her.

Oddly, even with the expansion, Yu Jin retains some of his generic voice lines from the base game on some stages. For instance, in the Wu Hypothetical Battle of Xuchang, he has no changed dialouge, and retains his generic line.

Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed has Yu Jin begin his bond story during Cao Cao's escape from Wan Castle. To ensure his lord's safety, he commands the troops to stage a fighting withdrawal to keep Zhang Xiu's forces at bay. He also puts down the Qingzhou militia when they begin to loot civilian homes, earning him further respect from his peers.

Yu Jin later contributes in the Battle of Guandu by rallying his men to bravely face Yuan Shao's men while evading their fire arrows. His lack of mercy is demonstrated by him willing to execute his former friend Chang Xi for rebelling even though Xiahou Yuan thinks it's too harsh a sentence.

In Dynasty Warriors 9, Yu Jin can be found during the Yellow Turban Rebellion and is struggling to protect Bao Xin. Yu Jin's story begins after Bao Xin's death, and he is recruited by Yue Jin for the upcoming battle against Tao Qian. Slaying the governor, but forced to withdraw thanks to Lu Bu's attack. Helping protect the emperor, Yu Jin assists in defeating Lu Bu and Yuan Shao to allow his lord control of the north.

Switching their attention south, they are defeated by Sun Quan and Liu Bei at Chibi, and Yu Jin heads west to help suppress Ma Chao's rebellion and to seize Hanzhong. With an impending attack from Guan Yu, Yu Jin helps Cao Ren and Pang De set up Fan Castle's defense.

In the end, their efforts are for naught as Guan Yu floods the city. While his men wish to fight and rescue the captured Pang De, Yu Jin denies their request and chooses to surrender. Strictly enforcing his command, his move causes the men from the other camps to become disheartened further.

After many long years of imprisonment, Yu Jin is finally allowed to return to Wei. Visiting Cao Cao's grave, Yu Jin remembers their plan to have him surrender and consume even more of Guan Yu's supplies before an allied attack from Xiahou Dun after the enemy is forced to withdraw. Though Cao Cao was concerned for Yu Jin's reputation, Yu Jin hardheartedly replies that nothing should stand in the way of his lord's path to conquest, especially in such a battle with high stakes. Met by Cao Pi, the new emperor asks the general if he is there to apologize to his former lord. Though Yu Jin asks for punishment for his surrender, Cao Pi, instead, thanks the general for his performance on behalf of his late father.

Warriors Orochi
In the first two games, Yu Jin loyally serves the Orochi army, despite Wei's reformation in the latter. He sporadically appears as a frontline unit in both games, and even opposes Wei at the climatic battle of Guan Du against the revived Orochi X. In the third game, however, he is back to loyally serving Wei and can be seen at both Tong Gate and Fan Castle.

The fourth game puts Yu Jin as one of Cao Pi's loyal officers, and he resists the Coalition multiple times. When the Toyotomi defect from Ares's side, Yu Jin attempts to guard Zeus's entry point at Itsukushima-Chengdu, but he and Li Dian are captured. Following the victors, they both surrender. Yu Jin is later sent to Mikatagahara-Jianye to assist Mitsunari and Ieyasu against Lu Bu's army. He later accompanies the Coalition in subduing Pang De and Wang Yi when they begin marching to Olympus.

Hearing of a banquet being held, Yu Jin and Ina attempt to bring order to the party-goers, only to find that multiple brawls have erupted between the attendees. Learning that this was one of Hisahide Matsunaga's attempts to create chaos and kill Nobunaga, as well as being indirectly responsible, he and Ina defeat both men. Still feeling responsible for the scale of the incident, the pair later run to Naotora Ii, begging punishment, much to her bewilderment.

Kessen
Yu Jin is Cao Cao's flamboyant and somewhat bumbling officer in Kessen II. He is described as a man from a highly established family who has mastered several languages. Though the leader of an elite unit, he lacks physical power and is cowardly, skilled at quickly running away from conflict. He joined Wei to learn how to "act more manly". He is often the innocent victim of Himiko's tantrums. Yu Jin or his assassins act as Wei's reconnaissance unit and are quick to report any news to their lord.

Yu Jin leads an entire army of highly trained women. They are adapt swordsmen, cavalry men, and archers, making him one of the stronger offensive units for Wei. In some ways, his army acts as Wei's version of Zhang Fei's unit. At first, Yu Jin mainly acts as a support unit for his assassins by attacking the enemy morale. If given time to develop, he can also assist their offensive attacks with his Charge command. His army is ideal for quickly dispatching enemy sorcerers, as it is equipped with two Iron Walls and many morale damaging tactics.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games, Yu Jin is a decent general with a leadership stat in the low 80's and 70's for intelligence and war while his charisma and politics land in the middling 50's. He is an all-rounder who does not excel in a special unit type, although spears and cavalry work better on him. He is one of the few Wei generals who are experienced in naval warfare, albeit he is still inferior to the generals of Wu in this regard. In reference to his surrender at Fan Castle, Yu Jin is not especially loyal to any faction and is prone to surrender if captured. Scenarios prior to him joining Cao Cao see him under the employ of Liu Dai.

In the fourteenth instalment of the series, Yu Jin is often portrayed in what-if scenarios where Cao Cao loses a critical battle as joining whichever faction defeats him such as in "Yuan Shao: Ruler of the North Lands" where he is an officer of Yuan Shao after Cao Cao loses the Battle of Guandu while in "Splendid Ma Chao Takes a Leap", Yu Jin appears as a member of Ma Chao's army based at Wan after Cao Cao is slain at the Battle of Tong Gate.

Development
According to Suzuki, Yu Jin is supposed to be the new character "who does a 180" of everyone's expectations regarding his exploits. Since he is often viewed as a crestfallen or despicable person in historical texts or his non-playable appearances, he wanted the playable Yu Jin to stand out as an "upright general who is sure of himself". Suzuki wanted a happy ending for him under this image, although he wonders how the team will fare thinking up stories for him in subsequent titles. Yu Jin's design was based more on his stern facial features rather than his outfit to help convey his sense of duty as a strict officer.

Personality
For his playable appearance, Yu Jin is portrayed as a man who strictly follows the law and emphasizes military discipline. He often uses threats of execution to motivate his subordinates and intimidate his enemies, making him feared by both. Yu Jin shows no hesitation to punish anyone for anything he deems as an inconvenience for the army, even considering punishing Cai Wenji, who he was ordered to rescue (but was then backed down when Li Dian pleaded for her). His strictness, however, often causes many of his men and allies to avoid him, causing him to suffer from loneliness.

Although he does not show it very openly, Yu Jin cares deeply for the soldiers under his care, and he often ensures to make discipline a priority among them to keep them from suffering a humiliating punishment. If he is not saved in DW8's Fan Castle, Yu Jin's first priority upon surrendering is to request that his men be spared from death.

His relationship with Pang De often shows mutual respect between the two. While Pang De respects Yu Jin's strong spirit and calm demeanor, Yu Jin praises Pang De for his readiness to accept death more easily.

His Warriors Orochi incarnation gets along with the strict and stern Ina, and his deep adherence to rules earns him the admiration of Kanbei Kuroda.

Voice Actors

 * Tony Oliver - Dynasty Warriors 4 (English-uncredited)
 * Joshua Tomar - Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends (English)
 * Clinton Elledge - Dynasty Warriors 9 (English)
 * Cam Clarke - Kessen II (English)
 * Linhao Qing - Dynasty Warriors 9 (Chinese)
 * Cho Kyu Jun - Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed (Korean)
 * Jeong Seonghun - Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Legend of Cao Cao (Korean)
 * Atsushi Miyauchi - Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends~9, Warriors Orochi 4 (Japanese)
 * Daisuke Sakaguchi - Kessen II (Japanese)
 * Itaru Yamamoto - Sangokushi Legion
 * Tōru Nara - Youkai Sangokushi (Japanese)
 * Taichi Takeda - Sangokushi Hadou (Japanese)
 * Takeshi Ōba - Sangokushi Three Kingdoms TV series

Quotes

 * See also: Yu Jin/Quotes


 * "You will not like the outcome of this encounter."


 * "Master Yu Jin, I was hoping you could lend me your troops. What do you say?"
 * "I have no objections to that. However, I would like an explanation."
 * "Your troop's coordination is perfect. They are so refined and a thing of beauty! With some training, I shall make them the finest dance troupe anyone has ever seen!"
 * "Hmmm... On second thought, I regret to say that I cannot lend you my troops."
 * Zhang He and Yu Jin; Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends


 * "You always look so serious. How about loosening up and having a bit of fun, at least when not in battle?"
 * "Thank you for the advice. However, times of peace are the very moments you need to be preparing for the next battle."
 * "That's a staunch way of viewing things. You'll only scare your own men off with that kind of thinking."
 * "I care not if they dislike me. If it means that more of them will follow you and Master Cao Cao, I am fine with that."
 * "So you willingly accept the role of the bad guy? I don't think I could live like that."
 * Xiahou Yuan and Yu Jin; Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers


 * "A gathering of people causes all sorts of issues. Someone is needed to nip such occurrences in the bud."
 * "Lord Yu Jin, I understand completely. If there is a banquet, why can 't people just enjoy it? Why does fighting always have to break out? We must be the ones to bring a stop to such foolishness."
 * "Lady Ina, I agree wholeheartedly! We shall participate in every banquet that is held, and bring a stiff and strict air to the proceedings!"
 * "Yes. First we need to obtain their plans for banquets. When, where, on what scale they are planning things, and then we get in ahead of them."
 * "Indeed. If we arrive there first then we can bring some much needed austerity to the proceedings."
 * "Perfect. We shall realize a strict and regulated gathering without a single voice raised."
 * Yu Jin and Ina; Warriors Orochi 4

Gameplay

 * See also: Yu Jin/Movesets

Weapons

 * See also: Yu Jin/Weapons

Yu Jin uses the war trident as his default weapon.

Historical Information
Yu Jin originated from the Juping county in the Taishan prefecture. His son is Yu Gui.

When the Yellow Turbans rose in rebellion against the Han, Yu Jin served under Bao Xin who was recruiting soldiers in Juping county. However, he would later come to serve Cao Cao, who was gathering an army to combat Dong Zhuo. Yu Jin was installed as a subordinate of the respecting Wang Lang, and Wang Lang recommended for him to become a general. After meeting and having a discussion with Yu Jin, Cao Cao promoted him to the position of a commander.

The governor of Xu province, Tao Qian, had Cao Cao's father killed and so Cao Cao led a punitive campaign for Xu. Yu Jin served there, as well as during the battle against Lu Bu at Puyang, where he was successful in conquering some few camps as well as the general Gao Ya. He also met success with the quelling of Zhang Miao's rebellion, subduing of remaining Yellow Turban generals including Liu Pi. Yu Jin's accomplishments during the expeditions include defeating Zhang Miao's brother, Zhang Chao, repelling a night-conducted ambush, capturing a multitude of enemy soldiers, and killing four of Yuan Shu's generals.

Zhang Xiu unexpectedly rebelled and led a raid in Wan Castle against Cao Cao. Yu Jin's contingent was the only one defending while his army withdrew, and soon Yu Jin begun an orderly retreat, later reorganizing before a group of naked, injured people came before him. When asked regarding what had happened, the people replied that they were robbed by some Yellow Turban remnants Cao Cao had taken in. They had not been strictly disciplined, so the Yellow Turbans began to grow bolder and so at the time started pillaging peoples.

Angry, Yu Jin met the rebels, denounced them, and attacked, so they ran to Cao Cao, accusing Yu Jin of attacking them without reason. Yu Jin ordered his troops to set up camp for a defense against the pursuing troops of Zhang Xiu, despite pleas to clear his name with Cao Cao. Only when the set-up was complete Yu Jin went to see Cao Cao and cleared up his name. Cao Cao praised him highly and appointed him as Marquis of Continuous Longevity.

Yu Jin would later achieve much in the campaigns to finish off Zhang Xiu and Lu Bu. In the operations against Yuan Shao, Yu Jin volunteered to become the vanguard leader and was greatly praised once again by Cao Cao. Liu Bei rose in rebellion in Xu province, and so Cao Cao mobilized against him, leaving Yu Jin in Yanjin. Yuan Shao attacked Yu Jin while Cao Cao was away, but was unable to take the base over because of Yu Jin's ferocity in defending it. Yu Jin and Yue Jin countered the attacks by raiding the nearby enemy camps, burning over thirty bases, causing two powerful Yuan generals to surrender, and either killing or capturing many. Yu Jin was promoted to Major-General after attacking more fortifications and followed Cao Cao back to Guandu, where he rallied his demoralized men's morale to defeat Yuan Shao.

In 206 AD, Chang Xi, who was both a friend of Yu Jin's and a constant rebel towards Cao Cao, rose up in opposition once again. Yu Jin was able to get Chang Xi to surrender. The other generals wanted to send Chang Xi to Cao Cao for further action, but Yu Jin knew the military code and despite the friendship, had Chang Xi executed. He wept at the man's funeral, and Cao Cao began to fully utilize Yu Jin, promoting him to General of Tiger's Might after he pacified Tonghai. Zhang Liao was able to prevail against the rebelling Chen Lan and Mei Cheng with Yu Jin's aid.

Yu Jin was sent to assist Cao Ren in warding off a general of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, from Fan Castle. The season permitted heavy rain, and the land was flooded. Yu Jin and his soldiers took onto a higher ground, but Guan Yu attacked them with his army on a large boat. The men of Cao were captured, and Yu Jin surrendered, while a fellow officer, Pang De, refused to surrender and was executed. Cao Cao, upon hearing the events, lamented how Yu Jin had been an actively loyal general for more than two decades, yet he failed to honor the duty of dying for one's lord, unlike Pang De.

When the forces of Sun Quan surprised and captured Guan Yu, Yu Jin was released.

The heir of Cao Cao, Cao Pi, usurped the emperor and started the Wei dynasty. Yu Jin, whose hair was graying, was summoned to an audience with Cao Pi, and Yu Jin collapsed and wept upon seeing him. Cao Pi comforted Yu Jin and ordered him to be sent off as an emissary to Sun Quan, but before doing so had to honor Cao Cao at his mausoleum in Ye. Cao Pi had had men paint murals beforehand, and the murals depicted the battle of Fan Castle with Pang De angered at Guan Yu's victory, and Yu Jin surrendering. After seeing the mural, Yu Jin became sick and died.

Yu Jin was known for his extremely strict adherence to military law. He also shared his spoils from the enemy with his men, and many generals, including Cao Cao held him in great respect. However, it has been observed that Yu Jin could not win his soldiers' hearts to the fullest extent, even if he was always fair with his treatment and rewards.

Trivia

 * Yu Jin is nicknamed "General Gan" (干将军) by Chinese-speaking players due to a spelling error found in one of the trailers for Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends. His nickname is also "Eugene" by his Western Dynasty Warriors fans due to his similar moniker.