Sima Zhao

Sima Zhao (onyomi: Shiba Shō) is Sima Yi and Zhang Chunhua's second son, Sima Shi's younger brother, and Wang Yuanji's husband. Using the foundations laid by his predecessors and his ingenuity, he extended the Sima family influence to gain the people's favor by quelling several civil rebellions, which was said to have been upheld by a good image backed up by clever usage of propaganda.

When he was in power, Wu's armies failed to penetrate his formations and Shu surrendered. Some historians have noted that while Sima Zhao may have had a discerning eye for talent regarding military affairs (Sima Zhao himself focused more on administrative duties) while also making reasonable use of his gained power, they often criticized hiding his misdeeds via his aforementioned propaganda and in the end was still considered a tyrant at worst; among the number of infamous deeds was an enforced naming taboo his given name "Zhao" (昭), causing some individuals in historical records to change both their normal names and/or style names altogether (Cai Yan being a notable example).

Eventually, Sima Zhao built enough high esteem gained in the Imperial Court that eventually helped his son, Sima Yan, later establish the Jin Dynasty.

Prior to Jin's introduction faction in the Dynasty Warriors series, he was formerly a Wei non-playable character since the third title. He is twentieth place in Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll and placed twenty-eighth in the Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends popularity poll. In Famitsu's character survey, he placed ninth place for most desirable friend.

Role in Games

 * "You're awfully quiet. Not what I'd expect from the leader of a fallen army."


 * "And you're not at all what I'd expected from a traitor to his kingdom. If anything, you have shown you possess the confidence and bearing of a true ruler"
 * Sima Zhao and Liu Shan; Dynasty Warriors 7

Dynasty Warriors
Since Dynasty Warriors 3, Sima Zhao appears as a minor general under the forces of Wei. He appears at He Fei Castle fighting for Sima Yi. He plays a somewhat major role during Meng Huo's Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends. He leads the massive Wei army to subdue the Nanman tribesmen. When he hears the natives mock his father, he gets upset. He acts in a similar manner as his father and even adopts his "Imbeciles!" line. In Dynasty Warriors 5, he additionally aids his father at Jie Ting and Chen Cang. During Sima Yi's ending in the sixth title, he is scolded by Sima Yi for believing he will automatically inherit his father's legacy should the former die.

Sima Zhao is first seen fighting the Shu forces at the Wuzhang Plains. He is seen helping his helping his father and brother defeat Gongsun Yuan at the start of Jin's story mode. Afterwards, Sima Zhao joins Cao Shuang's foolhardy conquest on his father's behest. The lack of provisions has morale immediately lowered which amplifies with Ma Dai's surprise attack and Cao Shuang's bumbling orders. Sima Zhao defeats Ma Dai to cover the troop's escape, furthering his family's reputation. He supports his father and then his elder brother's conquests.

His brother puts him to work at Dongxing, expecting him to keep an eye on Zhuge Dan. Despite knowing the risks of failure, Sima Zhao slackens in his duties and allows Zhuge Dan to fall within Wu's trap. He reluctantly decides to help his comrade when Wang Yuanji patronizes him to action. Their forces retreat to Hefei Castle, and Sima Zhao asks his brother for reinforcements. They succeed in the second clash. Sima Shi, who wants his brother to take his responsibilities seriously, holds Sima Zhao fully accountable for the loss at Dongxing. He is later seen at Tianshui and finds himself heavily surrounded by Jiang Wei's army. Sima Zhao and his men are marginally saved by Guo Huai's heroics. Returning to Wei, Sima Zhao then helps his brother quell a civil riot within the court. Although successful in dispatching their foes, Sima Shi later dies due to the internal rebellions and Sima Zhao becomes his successor.

Unable to initially accept his new right to command, he is at first obedient to Emperor Cao Mao. Reality for Sima Zhao doesn't completely sink in until he repels Jiang Wei's invasion at Taoshui. Gradually accepting his duties as a leader, he realizes he can achieve his own path in life without feeling restricted by expectations for his family. As he personally subjugates Zhuge Dan and the Wu invaders during their second conflict, he offers his enemies unadulterated mercy and service under his name. The invitation doesn't hold for Zhuge Dan, however, as Sima Zhao is upset by the rebel's callousness. He personally slays the instigator.

Cao Mao, who has long since felt his power to be threatened by the Sima family, then declares war on Sima Zhao. Uninterested in ruling as emperor, Sima Zhao kills Cao Mao and allows Cao Huan to become the new Emperor of Wei. He then concentrates his efforts to end Shu and offers Liu Shan a chance to surrender in their duel. The Shu emperor stalls but eventually complies once the Wei army reaches the gates of Chengdu. As allies, they happily toast one another with hopes to outlive the past and to create a new future. After accepting the title as King of Jin, Sima Zhao has an off screen death one year later. His son, Sima Yan, takes over and creates the Jin Dynasty.

In his first Legendary Battle, Sima Zhao fights his older brother who is furiously angry at him for eating his meat bun. His second Legendary Battle takes place after Sima Shi's death. But for some reason, he fights warlords who have passed away long before as he learns how to be a leader.

In Dynasty Warriors Next, Sima Zhao participates in the coup against Cao Shuang, resulting in the Sima clan's rise to power. During the final battle against Shu, he is made commander by Sima Yi who wishes to test his son's capabilities. The young man proves his worth by undermining Jiang Wei's ambush and slaying Liu Shan. Later on, he and Zhuge Dan are forced to cooperate with one another when Wu attacks Shouchun. His efforts in cutting down the approaching troops earn him praise from the other officers. When Wu's territories fall under their control, Sima Zhao congratulates his father for unifying the land. He and Sima Shi are present during the inauguration of their new kingdom.

Dynasty Warriors 8 has Sima Zhao reprising his actions from the previous installment. During Jin's historical route, his hesitance to kill is emphasized throughout the entire narrative due to his refusal to accept possible leadership. Jia Chong pushes for him to practice cruelty in order to steel himself as a proper ruler yet Sima Zhao broods over the issue —even when the victims' deaths emotionally pain him— until Taoyang when he orders the execution of the captured Xiahou Ba. Sima Zhao gains the conviction to face reality and rule by his own principals, allowing and accepting Shu’s surrender.

In the hypothetical route, Sima Shi survives Xuchang so Sima Zhao's leadership never comes to pass. Happy to live with his peaceful idealism, he helps his brother by attacking Jianye and joining the final battle of Chibi. After Sima Shi is named Emperor of Jin, Sima Zhao leaves the capital to explore the land, promising Wang Yuanji that he will return someday if he is needed.

In the Wu and Shu hypothetical routes, Sima Zhao appears on the later stages alongside his family supporting Wei. In Shu, he appears guarding the bridge at Luoyang and unsuccessfully attempts to prevent the expeditionary force lead by Jiang Wei from escaping. In Wu he appears defending Runan from Lu Su's invasion force.

In Jin's expanded story, Sima Zhao first appears in Cao Shuang's sudden insurrection at Luoyang, being attacked by archers. He takes the role of commander in many of Jin's other battles at Shangyong against Zhuge Liang, at Shouchun against Wen Qin, and helps his brother search for ingredients for the perfect meat bun. Sima Zhao is informed by Wen Yang and Deng Ai of Zhong Hui's rebellion, and he quickly sets out for Bashu, helping convince Zhong Hui's reluctant followers to defect. After the victory at Bashu, Sima Zhao is besieged at Shangyong, but is able to turn the situation around with Liu Shan's help.

Warriors Orochi
In the first and second Warriors Orochi games, Sima Zhao was an NPC who appeared in the Orochi army with his father.

Sima Zhao is one of the few survivors of the original time line in Warriors Orochi 3. Together with Hanbei and Ma Chao, he is sent back in time by Kaguya to save the other generals from death. He then becomes one of the leaders of the coalition, often being stationed to pacify and defend their northern positions. A few of his forces accomplishments include protecting Ueda Castle, persuading Shuten Dōji to fight for humanity, and protecting Da Ji for the coalition's sake. In the Good Ending, he is one of the proponents for settling their differences with one another and living in harmony within the dimensional realm.

In the downloadable stage, "Art of War", Sima Zhao and Motonari are given a lesson by Zuo Ci about what people fight for in war.

Development
Sima Zhao is considered the indispensable character for ending the Three Kingdoms period. His design was made to be loose, friendly and open to contrast his brother's reserved image. His character arc during Jin's Story Mode is what makes him the "lead character" in a sense. To follow the common protagonist image, he was affiliated with a sword.

Personality
His playable appearance has him act as the light-hearted contrast to his stern older brother. In spite of his casual attitude and attire, he possesses an intellect which matches his father and older brother. Since his reliable family members are in power for the start of his story, however, Sima Zhao feels he has no reason to actually worry about politics or government rulings. Easily regarding the conflicts in the land as "pointless" or "bothersome", Sima Zhao is first seen as a youth who refuses to try or take responsibility. He dispassionately follows orders to keep his family in power.

When he personally experiences the hardship of losing his family to war, Sima Zhao is forced to seriously consider his future. Though being entrusted with the right to lead initially paralyzed him, he eventually gains the confidence to think for himself. Once he no longer concerns himself with meeting other people's expectations, his true qualities begin to shine. His desire is to break the futility he sees in blindly following past traditions in a land of unprecedented harmony. Sima Zhao's views may be too radical for his opposition to accept, but his wishes to fulfill them empowers his rulings and leadership. In spite of his new found decisiveness, Sima Zhao tries to retain his gregarious optimism in his hope for a better future. Sima Zhao sees Liu Shan as a kindred spirit of sorts, as he sees that Liu Shan may act like a fool in name alone, but he thinks much deeper than his actions imply. In the latest installment, Sima Zhao is a close friend of Xiahou Ba, and soldiers from camp report that they often discuss personal matters with each other.

His family members and Wang Yuanji seek to discipline him during his youth, irate by his laziness and immaturity. Even so, they have faith in the qualities he keeps to himself. He may act skittish when facing his elder brother or Wang Yuanji's chastising, but Sima Zhao appreciates their concern for him. For his Warriors Orochi appearance, he shares special conversations with Sakon.

Voice Actors

 * Peter Doyle - Warriors Orochi series (English-uncredited)
 * Kaiji Tang - Dynasty Warriors 7~8 (English-uncredited)
 * Daisuke Kishio - Dynasty Warriors 7~8, Warriors Orochi 3 (Japanese)

Image Songs

 * Change the World
 * Wake Up My Soul
 * SOUL TO SOUL
 * PROMISE
 * FROM YOU TO ME - Dynasty Warriors, solo song

Live Action Performers

 * Yū Yoshioka - Butai Shin Sangoku Musou

Quotes

 * See also: Sima Zhao/Quotes


 * "I'm sure I can find better ways to spend my time."
 * "Why must people cling to their outdated ideals so stubbornly?"
 * "I suppose I'll have to go out there and do something once in a while."


 * "My lord, your tactics in the last battle were exceptional!"
 * "Oh, stop. Flattery will get you nowhere."
 * "Your humility becomes you, scion of the Sima family."
 * "Humility...? Now I know you're putting me on."
 * Deng Ai and Sima Zhao; Dynasty Warriors 7


 * "Zhao, this matter is too important to leave to others. Please entrust everything to me."
 * "You always take things too far. But I think you are qualified for this."
 * "Going too far is just what we need. You can count on me."
 * "Okay! Then let's make tonight's banquet the biggest and best one yet!"
 * Jia Chong and Sima Zhao; Dynasty Warriors 8


 * "I'm trying to stop complaining... but I've got a way to go."
 * "You've got a long history of it, after all. You aren't going to earn people's trust overnight."
 * "What a bother... ah, right, sorry."
 * Sima Zhao and Sakon Shima; Warriors Orochi 3

Dynasty Warriors 7
Sima Zhao is affiliated with the sword in this appearance. When he is equipped with it, he can perform a unique attack exclusive to him. Upon performing his Musou techniques, he will automatically use the weapon in his attacks.


 * EX Attack:, , undefined, undefined: Knocks his opponent down to surf on their back along the ground a short distance.
 * Musou - Fireball Kick (轟炎回転): : Creates a huge energy ball and kicks it forward. Classified as a Blast Musou in Next and used in Warriors Orochi 3. The camera oddly has a very awkward effect on its rendering in Dynasty Warriors 8.
 * Alternate Musou - Inferno Burst (轟炎解放): R1 + : Slashes upward to knock any enemies skyward and finishes with a short ranged energy blast.


 * Dynasty Warriors Next
 * Speed Musou - Salvo: Tap both sides of screen: Fires large balls of blue-colored energy towards the opponent.


 * Warriors Orochi 3
 * ,, , , undefined: Stabs weapon held in reverse grip into the ground as he stomps forward, launching nearby enemies into the air. Resembles Cao Cao's C5 from the fifth installment.


 * , undefined: Flips in mid-air before slamming weapon unto the ground to produce a minor impact.
 * R1: Does a quick forward launching punt followed by a leaping back spin kick, then finishes with unleashing a blast of blue fire from his free hand. A reprisal of his original alternate Musou Attack.
 * , R1 (Ultimate only): Swipes back and forth repeatedly before diving down to perform a wide circular slash upon landing that inflicts crashing knockback. Based off of his aerial Musou Attack from the eighth installment, but of course with a different ending blow. Sima Zhao scoots slightly to his left during each slash. Unlike most attacks that launch foes in the air, the attacks oddly do not have the usual aerial damage penalty in the franchise.

Dynasty Warriors 8
Sima Zhao is affiliated with the striking sword in this appearance. When he is equipped with it, he can perform a unique attack exclusive to him. Upon performing his Musou techniques, he will automatically use the weapon in his attacks.


 * EX Attack 2 (Xtreme Legends only):, , , , , undefined, undefined: Temporarily enchants Sima Zhao's sword with fire, causing each visible slash trail to burn opponents.
 * Aerial Musou - Purple Inferno (紫炎滑翔):, : Performs a series of wide slashes in mid-air back-and-forth that send out blue streaks of energy, then finishes with an airborne circular slash.
 * Awakening Musou: Does a quick horizontal spinning slash while skipping around. Sima Zhao then pauses for a short moment before delivering a sudden energy burst to blow away the enemy. The extension has him pick up the pace by swiping quickly at varying directions with weapon now covered in flames, adding several fiery slashes from clockwise to counterclockwise.

Weapons

 * See also: Sima Zhao/Weapons

Dynasty Warriors 8
Sima Zhao now uses the striking sword as his default weapon in this title.