Zhao Yun

Zhao Yun is a Shu general and one of the Five Tiger Generals. Playable since the original Dynasty Warriors, Zhao Yun is a prominent Shu character, appearing on the Shu side of every battle in earlier games and in most battles in later ones.

He is also the focus of the games' manuals and introductory movies, as well as the character that the character-select cursor starts on in most games. His consistent trait in the Dynasty Warriors series is the white steed he rides with into battle. He sometimes shares the spotlight with the series' other iconic character, Lu Bu.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, he is 24 years old. His height in Dynasty Warriors and Kessen II is 185 cm (approximately 6'1"). His Dynasty Warriors counterpart also has a character image song titled TRUE DRAGON.

Role in Games

 * "Your spear, I almost cannot trace its movements!"
 * ―Yukimura Sanada; Warriors Orochi

Dynasty Warriors
Zhao Yun originally serves Gongsun Zan, an early ally of Liu Bei. Often after Gongsun Zan's death, he enters the service of Liu Bei as he was drawn to the man's character and ideals. Depending on the title, he may appear as early as the Yellow Turban Rebellion or the Battle of Hu Lao Gate by Liu Bei's side. He continues to join Shu in their late campaigns against Wu and Wei, such as Yi Ling and Wu Zhang Plains. Prior to the former battle, Zhao Yun is usually the general who openly protests seeking revenge for Guan Yu's death but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

In Dynasty Warriors 3, he is one of Liu Bei's fierce defenders at Chang Ban. He is one of the three possible Shu officers to reinforce Sun Quan's army at Chi Bi, the other two being Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He is also one of the generals who assist Pang Tong in his successful campaign to take over the kingdom of Shu from Liu Zhang at Cheng Du. Later, when Liu Bei invades Han Zhong, he provides reinforcements at Mt. Ding Jun and leads a crucial victory against Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He. He tries to convince his lord to put aside his rage over Guan Yu's death, but his suggestions are angrily rejected. Obligated to follow his lord, he joins the following battle with Sun Quan's army and contributes to unifying the land under Shu. Like many other characters, he also participates in the southern campaign against the Nanman tribe.

Zhao Yun's Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends has him charging alone through enemy troops to rescue Liu Bei's infant son, Liu Shan, at Chang Ban. Liu Bei is fleeing to reunite with Zhuge Liang's reinforcements and they can't spare Zhao Yun with any assistance. After he finds the young heir hiding in one of the town's crates, Cao Cao eventually notices his bravery and orders his army to capture him with the hopes of turning him to his side. Zhuge Liang bids Zhao Yun to escape, and during his flight, he is forced to defeat many of Wei's key generals. After he reaches Liu Bei, his lord is more pleased by Zhao Yun's safety than his son's.

His Musou Mode in Dynasty Warriors 5 depicts a different scenario for Zhao Yun. He starts serving Gongsun Zan yet is disappointed that he can't sympathize with his lord's ideals. Due to their alliance, he acts as a part of Yuan Shao's army to suppress the Yellow Turbans at Ji Province. He continues to serve Gongsun Zan and helps surpress Dong Zhuo's rebellion at Hu Lao Gate. He joins Liu Bei's army shortly before Chang Ban, the battle during which he boldly rushes through enemy troops to retrieve his lord's infant son, Liu Shan. He asks Zhang Fei to cover their escape and boosts ally morale when he and Liu Shan safely reach Liu Bei. After recapturing Jing during the Battle of Chi Bi, Zhao Yun then participates in the Pacification of Cheng Du. After capturing Yi, Liu Bei finds out that Guan Yu was killed by Wu and vows to take revenge for his brother by recapturing Jing at Yi Ling. In his ending, Wu is defeated, and Zhao Yun continues to stay by Liu Shan's side after his lord's passing.

For his Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends, he and Huang Zhong fend off Cao Cao's army from invading Han Shui. Zhao Yun's mission is to prevent any enemy from crossing the bridge where he is stationed. Cao Cao responds by trying to overwhelm the warrior with his vast numbers. Reinforced by Zhuge Liang's arrival and Huang Zhong's sneak attack, the Shu army defends their territory and drives off Wei's army. This marks their first victory since the creation of the Three Kingdoms.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, he starts as the calm aid to the hot-headed Gongsun Zan. His chance meeting with Liu Bei changes his desires for the future and, after claiming victory at Hu Lao Gate, Zhao Yun deserts his liege to join the kind and fair general. He joins during the escape from Chang Ban and acts as the last defense when the army sails away from the docks. As he spends more time in the newly found kingdom, he becomes one of Shu's honorable zealots and one of his lord's empathetic supporters. He assures that his liege's decisions are just, even when Liu Bei doubts himself. When Shu unites the land, Zhao Yun is named as the land's new Commander, a rank that he humbly accepts when Liu Bei asserts his peaceful desires for the new land.

The seventh title has Zhao Yun begin his military service under Gongsun Zan. He is ordered by his master to accompany Liu Bei to aid Tao Qian at Xu Province. Impressed by Liu Bei's benevolent spirit, however, Zhao Yun gains a favorable reputation with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. Presumably, Zhao Yun later leaves Gongsun Zan's services and tracks Liu Bei down whilst the lord is staying with Yuan Shao. Offering his allegiance to the virtuous leader, he valiantly starts his service by fighting at Guan Du and guarding their retreat from Yuan Shao's accusations of treachery. As they later wander to Jing Province, Zhao Yun recruits a talented strategist to prepare themselves at Xin Ye. Though they succeed in repelling Cao Cao's first attack, their defenses falter and they retreat south. During the frenzied retreat through Chang Ban, Zhao Yun finds and rescues an infant Liu Shan. He is later seen manning a boat at Chi Bi to defend Zhuge Liang's prayer for the winds.

Failing yet again to convince Liu Bei to stray from vengeance, Zhao Yun coordinates with Zhuge Liang's tactics to protect his lord at Yi Ling. When the tides turn, Zhao Yun knocks Liu Bei out and brings him back to safety while Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying hold the Wu forces off. After his participation at Tian Shui, Zhao Yun is quietly written out of the story.

In his first Legendary Mode, Zhao Yun aids Gongsun Zan in his fight against Yuan Shao. Halfway through the fight, Liu Bei and his army arrive as back up, and Zhao Yun is impressed by his desire to bring peace to the land. His secondary Legendary Mode has him repel Wei forces as the Shu army make their escape from Ji Valley.

Warriors Orochi
During Orochi's scenario, Zhao Yun acts as Liu Bei's personal bodyguard during their flight from Orochi's troops. Half way to the escape point, he parts from his lord to stop their pursuers and bide them more time. Unfortunately, he's defeated and his lord is captured.

In Warriors Orochi, Zhao Yun an important role as (being the lead protagonist of the story) in Shu and is imprisoned in Ueda Castle, thinking that Liu Bei is dead. A trio kills the soldiers who were guarding is jail cell, and reveal themselves as Yoshihiro Shimazu, Zuo Ci, and Xing Cai. Zuo Ci states that Liu Bei is in fact alive, which lifts the young man's spirits. Zhao Yun later becomes the leader for the Shu Coalition forces to seek Liu Bei and continues to lead them in battle until they defeat Orochi.

In Warriors Orochi 2, Zhao Yun plays a small role unlike in the first game and is not seen until the second battle in the Shu story mode. At the Battle of Saika Village, Zhao Yun arrives as reinforcements for Ieyasu Tokugawa along with Wei Yan. During this battle, he fights alongside Wei Yan to prepare for the fire attack on the central garrison. At the Battle of Koshi Castle, Zhao Yun is the commander of the forces attacking Kiyomori Taira. However, when he reaches and defeats Kiyomori, he finds that he is too late to stop the resurrection of Orochi. He shares his dream mode with Yukimura and Yoshihiro as the trio faces hundreds of enemies to rescue Liu Bei.

Kessen
Zhao Yun appears as a general for Shu in Kessen II, leading a sturdy army of foot soldiers into battle. He is a loyal captain for the Han empire and knows that Liu Bei is the last Han descendant. He helps the lord escape from Cao Cao and accompanies him when they meet Zhuge Liang. In a desperate outburst to recruit the strategist, Liu Bei shouts that he only cares about getting back Diao Chan. Once he realizes that Liu Bei doesn't care about the revitalization of the empire, Zhao Yun leaves in disgust.

During his lonesome journey across the country, he overhears the townsfolk favoring Liu Bei's leadership. After some consideration, Zhao Yun raises a peasant army and recruits Jiang Wei. With this army, he returns to Shu, convinced that it's more important to serve a lord that makes the people happy.

Development
The reason why Zhao Yun is depicted as the "main hero" of the Dynasty Warriors series is due to Omega Force's goal to focus on the series being action based. Suzuki agrees that people who have read Romance of the Three Kingdoms would immediately nominate Liu Bei for the right. However, he believes that the leader didn't quite fit their particular dynamic for an active, fighting character. Therefore, the development team desired to highlight a particular general instead. Due to the novel's influence, they wanted a noteworthy general from Shu. They identified Zhao Yun as the figure they needed, since he is popularly known for his lone charge against thousands of soldiers.

He is kept intentionally young to contrast the older images fashioned for Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and other generals in Shu. Tomohiko Sho, who was the director of a recent Omega Force title, remarked that fans complained to the company when Zhao Yun wasn't initially selectable in Dynasty Warriors 4. He is also Kenichi Ogasawara's favorite character.

Personality
Zhao Yun is usually one of Liu Bei's right-hand men, faithfully serving him for the good of the land as a calm yet valiant general. He is always courageous and heroic, facing impossible odds in stride. He has the utmost faith in his lord and, though he may not agree with all of his decisions, he believes in his lord's integrity. A compassionate and trustworthy man, he is also on good terms with the rest of Shu's men.

He particularly befriends Ma Chao as they both believe in justice and virtue. When Xing Cai is introduced, Zhao Yun also acts as a kind mentor for her and worries for her safety.

Character Symbolism
Zhao Yun is strongly associated with the color white in several Three Kingdoms media, which is a callback to his appearance as stated in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. People can see an interpretation of him in the Summer Palace, which has a famous painting of his heroics at Changban. White is linked to several positive traits within various fictional mediums, including honesty, virtue, purity and so on. One other reason for Zhao Yun being linked with the color may be due to a myth regarding the horse the general favored. A quick steed in its own right, it is fabled to run one thousand leagues during the day and five hundred leagues at night. The horse's name is supposedly White Dragon (白龍駒). Within various cutscenes in the Dynasty Warriors series, Zhao Yun rides a horse mirroring its appearance.

Another strong image for Zhao Yun in various Three Kingdoms fiction is the idea of him wielding a spear, often said to be a long spear. Its name is roughly translated as "Shore Edge" (涯角槍) in legends and it allegedly makes an unnamed appearance in the Sanguozhi Pinghua. The weapon's revered namesake means that it "[has] none surpassing it, even in the heavenly sea of stars". Measuring in at a length of nine chi (approximately three meters or ten feet in modern conversions), Zhao Yun is said to have wielded it with magnificent skill. If one is to believe the tales, Zhao Yun used the same spear to defeat Zhang Fei in a duel. At times, Zhao Yun is associated with one of Cao Cao's twin swords from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In this tale, he killed Xiahou En while rescuing A Dou from peril.

Throughout the Dynasty Warriors series, Zhao Yun associates himself with a dragon. Aside from being a literal translation of his style name, the concept is additionally linked to Liu Bei's praise for Zhao Yun in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. During Chang Ban, Liu Bei mentioned his vassal fondly by style name and noted his vassal is filled with courage. Historically, Liu Bei is said to have praised his vassal in a similar matter after Zhao Yun's feat at Han River. Zhao Yun's third, fourth, and Standard weapons in Asian ports use key characters of the quote to form the name, "Brave Dragon".

The original name for his Level 11 weapon is Nilin, which is again tied to the dragon motif for him. In Chinese mythology, each dragon has a special upside down scale, or nilin, growing on their throats. Normally, dragons are not easily provoked to attack people and are benevolent creatures. If their nilin is touched, however, they can hate humanity and others in an instant. The one who is responsible for touching their nilin is angrily killed within an instant. The Han Feizi equates the sudden act of violence to the temperament of a ruler. No matter how composed or friendly a monarch may be, subordinates who dare to poke at their leader's weak spots will suffer their ruler's unforgiving wrath.

Voice Actors

 * Terrence Stone - Dynasty Warriors 4~7, Dynasty Tactics 2, Kessen II, Warriors Orochi series (English-uncredited)
 * Gang Sujin - Dynasty Warriors 2, 4~5 (Korean)
 * Jeong Hun Seok - Dynasty Warriors 3 (Korean)
 * Masaya Onosaka - Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Hideo Ishikawa - Dynasty Tactics (Japanese)
 * Masaya Takatsuka - Dynasty Tactics 2 (Japanese)
 * Takeshi Kusao - Kessen II (Japanese), Sangokushi Koumeiden, Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * See also: Zhao Yun/Quotes


 * "Thank you! I was about to despair, but you have given me fresh hope!
 * "Only the loss of your lord will bring true despair, you must seek him out quickly. I must take my leave, but if ever you need me, I will be in your aid."
 * Zhao Yun and Zuo Ci; Warriors Orochi


 * "All unworthy foes, flee now or face certain death!"
 * Zhao Yun saying to Dong Zhuo's troops; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "These natural disasters are not caused by Liu Bei! Cao Cao built a government against the will of the people! That's the cause!"
 * Zhao Yun returning to Liu Bei; Kessen II

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: Sliding charge with spear point outwards. Is invincible until the very end of the move.
 * , undefined: Zhao Yun knocks his opponent up in the air with the blunt of the spear.
 * ,, undefined (undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined): Swings spear up and down repeatedly, followed by a sweeping spin at guard breaks foes.
 * ,, , undefined: Three hundred sixty degree swing.
 * ,, , , undefined: Zhao Yun spins and brings his spearhead down with massive force, causing a small ripple. In pre-DW5 was an upward hit like his C2, tap C again to finish with a midair downward slash.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Jumps in the air and swings spear for 180 degree coverage. In previous games it was a series of stabs that could be rapidly tapped followed by a final stab or outward spinning slash.
 * Zhao Yun spins with his spear extended, slashing upwards, followed by a great spin with knockback abilities. His true musou attack has him finish by jumping up followed by a huge whirlwind.
 * , : Attacking spin.
 * , undefined (undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined): Jump, then sweeps up enemies on the ground into the air, for continuous aerial hits. The final blow sends opponents crashing into the ones on the ground and can be done instantly without tapping anything, since the whole attack is hard to hit multiple opponents with. In DW4, it was a spear stab that created a quake.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Zhao Yun leans to each side, and swings is spear to each side.
 * ,, , , , : Quick alternating swings to each side.
 * Continuous swings to each side.


 * Warriors Orochi
 * ,,R1: Series of rapid fire stabs forward.
 * R1 (counter): Spinning slash that hits from all sides.


 * His C1, when as it was a normal rush with a spear in Dynasty Warriors 4, gained an aura extending it's width and range in Dynasty Warriors 5 and the Warriors Orochi series.

Ground Moveset

 * string (Renbu ∞): three left and right horizontal swings, three downward angled attacks and a single stab. He arcs his weapon slightly more upwards and beats his foe three times. Ends with six quick stabs.
 * undefined string (Renbu ∞): raises the butt end of his spear in a diagonal swing to the left. Smashes downwards with his spear, slamming foes on the ground. He uses his spear's tension to spring himself high into the air and slams himself down afterwards, creating a ground shockwave. Ends the chain by spinning into a pose, releasing an energy shockwave around him.
 * undefined (held): anticipated 180 degree swing with his spear. At maximum Renbu, a shockwave is released, giving Zhao Yun increased crowd clearing abilities
 * Performs a series of swings with the finale having him spinning his spear around his back in great swings. He finishes the sequence by spinning his weapon until he is on one knee, emitting a large energy shockwave.


 * , : downward swing
 * , undefined: slams down with his spear's point aimed at the ground
 * Dashing : swings his spear in a 45 degree angle in front of him, keeping his right arm close to his hip.
 * Dashing undefined: runs a little faster in a crouched state. When he gains enough momentum, Zhao Yun makes a great swing that propels his body and spear to spin like a top in a diagonal angle. After five rotations, he ends the cycle with his dashing motion.


 * Grapple attack : starts as a quick downward swing aimed at the leg area. If it connects, he stuns the foe. Walking a bit to their side, he rotates his spear once more and traps their shin. He then throws his opponent some distance forward.
 * Grapple attack undefined: starts as a short low thrust. If it connects, he knocks the inner sides of his foe's legs. He follows with a swing to their ribs and knocks them off their feet with a swing to their head.
 * Deadlock attack: leaps his legs forward to wrap around the officer's neck. Using them as an anchor, he spins his upper body around in a circle twice with his spear outstretched. He ends the sequence by throwing the officer between his legs onto the ground. He performs a similar attack in the Dynasty Warriors 5 intro.


 * Special attack: True Speed: greatly boosts speed. Leans his upper body forward, holding his spear in a defensive position while he runs.
 * Dashing : quickly spins his spear on the left and right sides of his body.
 * Dashing undefined: performs the same motion as the normal dashing undefined. If undefined is pressed an additional time, he sticks the point end of his spear into the ground and propels himself upwards. While in the air, he flips his legs into a more upright position and ends with a downward slam with his spear. It is basically the same as his first attack in the Dynasty Warriors 5 intro.

Horse Moveset

 * string: series of wide swings to the right. Number of strikes is determined by the Renbu gauge.
 * undefined: anticipated swing to the right
 * faster version of the string that ends with a undefined attack.

Dynasty Warriors 7
Zhao Yun is affiliated with the spear 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: Thrusts upward to the front, surrounded by a powerful aura.
 * Musou 1: : Charges straight ahead, surrounded by a powerful aura.
 * Musou 2:, : Throws the spear into the ground while airbourne, hitting enemies in a large area.

Dynasty Warriors
Zhao Yun fights with a spear, like several other Shu characters. He is a quick and nimble fighter of average strength with some unblockable attacks. His battle cries are high-pitched and energetic, and his footwork is active. He attacks opponents with sweeping strikes and short jabs, and his Musou attack is a downward diagonally-spinning attack followed by a horizontal swing of the spear to clear out enemies. He also has very fluid movements.

Zhao Yun is one of 13 playable characters to appear in Dynasty Warriors Advance for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and can wield a halberd, a scythe, or a spear. He is one of the stronger Shu generals.

Weapons

 * See also: Zhao Yun/Weapons

Historical Information
Zhao Yun was born in Chángshān, Zhengding. The names of his relatives are unknown though he is mentioned to have a father and older brother. The Record of Three Kingdoms writes that he was 184 cm (approx. 6'0") tall and had a remarkably splendid appearance. He was recommended to join the military and was known to bravely lead troops under Gongsun Zan. When his lord clashed with Yuan Shao's army in Qingzhou, Zhao Yun was sent to aid Tian Kai. Through the latter's influence, he met Liu Bei and became a cavalry commander for him.

To mourn the sudden passing of his older brother, Zhao Yun left Liu Bei and returned to Gongsun Zan. Another reason for his departure has also been Yuan Shao's expansion in 192, which threatened his homeland. In 200, Liu Bei relied on Yuan Shao for a time in Ye and Zhao Yun worked hard to be recognized by Liu Bei, organizing and training hundreds of troops. He eventually became Liu Bei's subordinate.

Liu Bei left Yuan Shao with time and, in 208, he was fleeing from Cao Cao's massive army. Liu Bei had abandoned his family and traveled with his closest retainers. When their army was passing through Jingzhou, Zhao Yun voluntarily went back to retrieve Liu Bei's wife and child, Lady Gan and A Dou. When Cao Chun captured Liu Bei's two daughters, Zhao Yun rescued A Dou and Lady Gan from seemingly impossible odds. For his efforts, he was promoted to General of the Standard. In the same year, he also participated in the battles in Guiyang. Zhao Fan tried to marry his older brother's widow to him. Zhao Yun declined and said, "Zhao Fan surrendered only recently and we don't know what lies underneath his skin. Besides, there are plenty of women in this world." The incident made Liu Bei realize Zhao Yun's true character and, pleased with the reply, he soon sent his vassal to Liuying Sima.

During the time Zhuge Liang joined in 213, Zhao Yun worked with Zhang Fei to suppress various provinces in Shu. Zhao Yun came from Jiangzhou of the river his comrade traveled and headed west to Chengdu. He was named General Yijun for his services. There is a story saying that Zhao Yun opposed his lord's distribution of the local farmland after his lord conquered Yizhou. Liu Bei wanted to give the locals' lands to his army but dropped the idea with Zhao Yun's persuasion.

Zhao Yun also took part in the Battle of Mount Dingjun. According to Zhao Yun's records and the Zizhi Tongjian, Huang Zhong attacked Cao Cao's food supply while Zhao Yun was returning from an unrelated scouting mission. When his comrade did not return, Zhao Yun rode out with a handful of men to check on him. He was soon surrounded by Cao Cao's army and, though he charged through enemy lines, he eventually decided to retreat back to his base to tend to his fallen comrades. Cao Cao's troops pursued but stopped when they saw the gates open, as if inviting them to enter. To avoid the threat of an ambush, Cao Cao had his troops withdraw. Liu Bei heard of Zhao Yun's heroism and said, "Zilong is filled with bile!" Bile was believed to have greatly contributed to the amount of courage one had. He was nicknamed "General of Tiger Valour" from then on.

When Liu Bei went to attack Sun Quan in 221, the Shu army were greatly determined to win at Xiaoting. Zhao Yun, however, expressed his distaste for the battle and remained in Jiāngzhōu. As a result, he was completely unharmed during the conflict.

Two years later, he was eventually promoted to the General who Guards the East. He was stationed in Hanzhong with Zhuge Liang in 227. In the following year, he and Deng Zhi were ordered to distract Cao Zhen's large army while Zhuge Liang lead a separate attack on Mount Qi. From the start, however, Zhao Yun knew that the tide of battle was against them and eventually issued a retreat to avoid losing huge numbers. To ensure his men's safety, Zhao Yun personally guarded his army's flank. His army didn't lose many war supplies and they were able to re-distribute resources with other armies. Zhuge Liang offered to reward him, but he declined since it was still a defeat. Taking responsibility for the loss, he was demoted. He passed away and was succeeded by his eldest son, Zhao Tong, in 229.

In 261, Wei Yan said the following regarding Zhao Yun: "A gentle, affectionate, wise, miraculous being who called the land to order. With him, neither accidents or disasters could disturb the peaceful balance he created. I think it reasonable to call him the true general of peace."

Chinese Fiction
In literature and folklore he is lauded as the third member of the Five Tiger Generals.

Zhao Yun, after Killing Xiahou En, obtained "Qinggang" (青釭), a sword that Xiahou En was carrying for Cao Cao. Seeing Zhao's bravery, Cao Cao wanted him captured with the hopes of turning him to his side, and so ordered pursuit. While Zhao Yun was fleeing, he encountered many generals who attempted to capture him.

A popular folktale based on a Chinese opera details his death. It said he was accidentally killed by his wife, Lady Sun Ruan Er, who used a needle. Due to him coming from every battle victorious and unscathed, he was called the Long-Winning General. His wife did not believe these claims and as a jest poked him with a needle to break his winning streak. Through the small wound the needle had created, Zhao Yun bled to death. Devastated by what she had done, she kills herself with her husband's sword.

Trivia

 * As a part of the Yoshimoto Musou Project for Dynasty Warriors 7, Japanese comedian from the Yoshimoto performance group, License Fujiwara, acted out a skit of him dressed as Zhao Yun. He defeats several Wei "soldiers".