Zuo Ci

Zuo Ci (rōmaji: Sa Ji) is a legendary person who is famous for visiting Cao Cao. He is a master of illusions, sorcery, and fortune telling. He supposedly lived to be 300 years old before he became an immortal being.

His Dynasty Warriors incarnation is 70 years old and his height is 185 cm (close to 6'1"). The producer has stated that he no longer intends to include Zuo Ci in any future Dynasty Warriors titles beyond Online, thereby making him a Warriors Orochi only character.

Role in Games

 * "The darkness has lifted... And yet the world still cannot find the light."
 * ―Zuo Ci

Dynasty Warriors
Zuo Ci has trained thirty years in the mountains to perfect the mystic arts. Upon his descent from hermitage, he decides to end the chaos by first looking for the land's greatest hero. He suspects Liu Bei for the position but senses that a stronger individual named Cao Cao exists. After he personally judges Cao Cao at the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he admits Cao Cao is a splendid individual but remarks that the lord will never fight in the name of justice or for the people. Although his support for Liu Bei strengthens, Zuo Ci wonders if he can unite Cao Cao's might and Liu Bei's virtue for the land's benefit. Seeing them together at Hu Lao Gate, Zuo Ci is confident that he can deal with Dong Zhuo for them. Though victory is won for the Allied Forces, Cao Cao defeats Liu Bei some time afterwards, and the latter is separated from his brothers. Zuo Ci's plan to have the two lords collaborate is put on hold, and he decides to protect Liu Bei.

Predicting that Liu Bei cannot reach his full potential without his sworn siblings, he aids Yuan Shao at Guan Du to help the brothers' proper reunion. He formally introduces himself to Liu Bei at Chang Ban and assists the escape. While he supports Liu Bei, he continues to appeal to Cao Cao and hopes the conqueror may listen to his pleas after Chi Bi. Cao Cao never submits to Zuo Ci's opinions and dies after He Fei. Liu Bei's personal vendetta to avenge his brothers at Yi Ling is achieved, but he also passes away. Seeing no talent in Liu Chan's clumsiness, Zuo Ci's hopes for the ideal world of peace are gone. Even so, he reasons that the land Cao Pi wants to make would be similar to his father, which is something that Zuo Ci cannot condone. He therefore joins the effort to stop Wei at Wu Zhang Plains. After the battle, the elder is content to leave the future of Shu in Zhuge Liang's capable hands. However, he foresees that the Prime Minister has little time left to live. Regrettably seeing his efforts wasted, he transforms into a crane and flies away to places unknown.

He shares his Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion with Pang Tong and Zhang Jiao. A year before the Yellow Turban Rebellion takes place, the three magicians compete for the book Master Lao offers, The Way of Peace. Zuo Ci also guest stars in the Two Qiaos and the Husbands and Wives Legend Modes. In the former, he is an old friend of the two Qiao's father, and he honors his promise to challenge the future husbands. He is the one who offers the test in the second stage and holds a renowned scroll as the prize.

Warriors Orochi
During Orochi's scenario, he is one of the members within the mystic army that opposes Orochi's tyranny. Zuo Ci creates doubles of himself to stir confusion in the serpent army. Though defeated by his opponents, the elderly man is satisfied to know Orochi's strength firsthand and retreats.

By the time Warriors Orochi begins, he brings Yoshihiro and Xing Cai to free the crestfallen Zhao Yun. Informing the warrior that Liu Bei still lives, he assists their escape from Zhao Yun's prison cell. Advising them to focus on running rather than fight, Zuo Ci vanishes once the trio runs outside Ueda Castle. He continues to reinforce but not officially join Shu, helping Guan Yu and Zhang Fei at Mikatagahara as well as the army's final battle against Orochi at Koshi Castle.

In the sequel, he appears once more before the Orochi army to support Liu Bei at Shi Ting. Deeming the leader to be the only hero who can end the incoming wars, he uses his body doubles to aid his allies. While serving Shu, he spends his time observing Taigong Wang's changing perceptions for humanity. He shares his dream stage in the title with Pang Tong and Zhang Jiao. The three sorcerers challenge their spells against Nene's ninja magic. Zuo Ci's personal contribution in the battle is dealing with Hanzō's technique, which rejuvenates Nene's army dramatically.

Becoming an immortal being after Orochi's second defeat, Zuo Ci had left the dimensional world and lived within the mystical realm. Sensing Hydra's emergence, however, he returned as an ally of humanity. He gladly offered guidance to the isolated Benkei and Ryu. With the warriors as his allies, Zuo Ci guides them to Anegawa to disrupt Kiyomori's sorcery. After he offers his service to the coalition, the elderly taoist helps their fight at Mt. Ding Jun and later encourages his monk companion to search Tedorigawa.

Development
When he was asked regarding Zuo Ci's removal from the Dynasty Warriors series, the producer remarked that he would likely not return. He wants to keep presenting the series from a quasi-historical view and felt Zuo Ci would not necessarily fit in with that image.

Personality
A quaint yet mysterious individual, Zuo Ci is a wizened mystic who speaks humbly. He does not care for material wealth or status, defying the times with his focused view on morality and the future. Though seemingly frail, he possesses a great deal of power that excels other characters, such as his ability to teleport and transform. Despite his supernatural might, he deeply respects humanity's goodness and wishes to meet one who can end the strife plaguing the land.

Character Symbolism
Zuo Ci's weapon of choice within the Dynasty Warriors series are paper talismans inscribed with the belief to dispel various forms of ill fortune when used (呪符, jifu). They are commonly used to support a practice of sorcery within fiction, protecting or instilling its users with the powers of the characters inscribed on the slip of paper. Although the magic can be easily dispelled by destroying the paper or its inscriptions, the properties of using these charms may be a powerful tool for damaging or sealing various malevolent spirits. The animals depicted on Zuo Ci's charms, as well as their colors, are references to the Four Spirits and the Four Symbols. From weakest to strongest: tiger, dragon, fenghuang, qilin.

His second weapon takes its namesake from xian, commonly known as an immortal form for a spirit within Taoism. These beings are akin to hermits with nearly omnipresent, supernatural powers, and can freely walk the mortal or divine realms to teach their Taoist crafts to devoted students. Xian are not necessarily gods, however, as gods reign in an entirely different realm and stature. For instance, xian continue to display subdued human traits and can be killed in spite of their immortality; gods have a single, dominant personality and can remain for an eternity. The term is popularly associated with enlightened males for their afterlife, such is the case with Taigong Wang and Zhuge Liang. Specific beasts and women may also fit the bill - Xi Wang Mu, for instance, is actually a xian and not a goddess within Taoism. As a dominant ruler in Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires, he calls his five greatest warriors the "Five Sages", a reference to his origins as a lone but wise hermit.

His third weapon is literally named "severe weather", but it maybe a reference to the everyday chaos found within daily life. It's implied that his weapon has the power to cut through such problems cleanly. Zuo Ci's fourth weapon is named after darkness (冥), but the same character is also sometimes used to describe the afterlife for a newly departed soul. When paired with the following "heaven" character, his charm may have been granted the power to dispel the gloomy world.

The original name for his Personal Item in Warriors Orochi is Dunjia Tianshu or The Book of Concealing Method. Within Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zuo Ci studied the three volume text (containing scrolls for techniques to manipulate the heaven, earth, and person) for thirty years before confronting Cao Cao.

Voice Actors

 * Michael Forest - Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Choi Jun Yeong - Dynasty Warriors 5 (Korean)
 * Masaharu Satō - Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Zuo Ci/Quotes


 * "Be careful how you treat me. Karma has a way of hurting."
 * "I shall now demonstrate my knowledge of the arcane arts."
 * "Watch closely. You may find this amusing."
 * "How unfortunate. However, maybe you should take this as a sign from the heavens. Give up your ambition in favor of Liu Bei. He is the one that this land truly needs, not you."
 * "Silence! I cannot allow it to end here! Not yet!"
 * Zuo Ci and Cao Cao at Chi Bi; Dynasty Warriors 5


 * "Eh? Who's that up yonder?"
 * "Am I of interest to you, innocent child?"
 * Xu Zhu spotting Zuo Ci; Dynasty Warriors 5


 * "You are but a living corpse who has chosen to watch the world go by. You have no need for this book. Let me pass! There is a new world that I have sworn to create!"
 * "There is a purpose to my observation. Hence I am here. It is you who have no need for the book. It gives birth to overwhelming ambition. I cannot allow that to happen."
 * Zhang Jiao and Zuo Ci; Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends


 * "You sermonizing old man! Prepare to be shut up for good!"
 * "It seems some men never manage to grasp the importance of the mind in battle."
 * Lu Bu and Zuo Ci; Warriors Orochi


 * "Once I set foot on the battlefield, it's all about having some fun."
 * "Then perhaps I shall take this opportunity to measure your worth."
 * Yoshihiro and Zuo Ci; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Mystic arts and ninjutsu share much in common. They penetrate the mind and spread confusion."
 * "We must do what we have to do. Let us bring the darkness in this world to light."
 * "You dirty your hands too for the cause of righteousness? We have both been charged with a difficult role."
 * Zuo Ci and Ryu; Warriors Orochi 3

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: Releases an orb that explodes after a few seconds, press undefined once it's fire, twice and it's ice.
 * , undefined: Knock opponent upwards with cards.
 * ,, undefined(undefined, undefined): Surrounds opponents with a circle of cards, impales them and the cards surround the opponent from the other side, repeats twice, then at the end Zuo Ci throws cards forward spiraling in a circle.
 * ,, , undefined: Cards surround Zuo Ci and then Zuo Ci sends lasers from his cards in all directions.
 * ,, , , undefined: Zuo Ci blasts his cards spiraling forward, knocking anything in front of him skyward.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Zuo Ci sends his cards at the ground creating an explosion, knocking everything upwards, then creates another scattering opponents in every direction.
 * Cards spiral around Zuo Ci damaging opponents, then lightning rains down around him.


 * ,: Downwards slash with his cards.
 * ,undefined: Rides down on cards with a spray of shadow spheres in front of him.
 * Dashing : Separates his deck and, while spreading his arms out, he hurls a single ball of magic forward.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Spins cards for one revolution.
 * ,, , , , : Three swipes to the right side, three swipes to the left.
 * A string of side-alternating swipes, followed by one card spin. Ended when the Musou gauge empties.


 * Warriors Orochi
 * ,: An airdash that makes him temporarily invincible. Zuo Ci spins himself forward.
 * R1: Sends five magical orbs forward. Temporarily weakens any foe hit by this attack.
 * Direction + R1: Sticks his cards on his head like a tailsman to cast a spell on himself, which surrounds himself in an aura. Makes his attacks faster and stronger for a limited amount of time.


 * Zuo Ci's jumping charge attack changes in each of his appearances. In Dynasty Warriors 5 and its expansions, he sends a stream of fire forward. In Warriors Orochi, he shoots blue cutting waves in three directions while sending out black spheres in Warriors Orochi 2. The second part of his C6 is a dark misty shockwave with no default elemental properties (similar to Cao Cao's fifth charge) in the original Dynasty Warriors 5 games, while in the Warriors Orochi series, it becomes a explosion of fire instead just like the original smaller one in the first part of the attack (thus limiting its range).


 * Warriors Orochi 2
 * Triple Attack 1: Shoots a wave of powerful gusts.
 * Triple Attack 2: Releases several lightning bolts simultaneously.
 * Triple Attack 3: Unleashes bolts of lightning radiating from the user while levitating in the air.

Dynasty Warriors
He starts off with the strongest character stats in the game. Using a deck of cards he controls, he can manipulate fire, ice, and lightning. He's a very effective crowd clearer, as well as a good officer killer. His C4, and C6, and C3-2 attacks are all superb for crowd clearing, with the latter being the most devastating. It repeatedly attacks a group of enemies in front of the player. This makes it useful for killing enemy generals, especially when the player and enemy are alone. For enemies to get full force, players are recommended to step a bit back before using it.

The C6 string causes two explosions to set foes on fire, though it takes a long time to activate. Troops can easily interrupt the attack. Much like the rest of the cast, heavy weapons leave Zuo Ci vulnerable in between attacks and a is a clear weakness; using a light weapon is recommended. His normal musou is just as good as his true musou, making the Way of the Musou a generally unnecessary item for him.

Warriors Orochi
Zuo Ci's weaknesses from Dynasty Warriors 5 apply to him in Warriors Orochi, but can be fixed with the addition of layers of Agility. In Warriors Orochi, Zuo Ci is significantly buffed compared to his incarnation in Dynasty Warriors 5. He is classified as a Speed-type character, and can therefore execute multiple combos with ease. With his special attacks that use no Musou, Zuo Ci is godly in power. The attack basically strengthens Zuo Ci in speed and power, at the cost of a small frame of vulnerability. After, all of his attacks go by fast, and enemies don't have a big gap to counter.

A hidden attack was placed in Zuo Ci's moveset without an in-game notice. After activating the attack buff, pressing will make Zuo Ci strike with a powered palm, known by most as the "God Hand" technique. The strike goes incredibly fast, and is only used right after the buff. However, in Warriors Orochi 2, Zuo Ci has been nerfed, and the special attacks take a significantly longer time to activate. The third and final special attack has Zuo Ci send out multiple spheres that, when contact occurs, decreases enemies' defense significantly. This can be used in coordination with the God Hand technique, or a combo string, making all attacks, especially element-activated ones with damage-inflicting attributes, especially effective.

Most all elements can be applied to Zuo Ci's weapons to increase potency, but recommended ones are Brave, Air, and Agility. The latter is to combat Zuo Ci's speed weakness. Depending on the player's playing style, Brave can be used to multiply the power of his C3-2 to fight generals, especially on harder difficulties. The Air element can be added to those players who utilize Air Dash to juggle enemies.

Weapons

 * See also: Zuo Ci/Weapons

Big Star Weapons
Zuo Ci uses the following big star weapons in the game.
 * Sweet Treat
 * White Treat
 * Triumphant Deck

Historical Information
Zuo Ci was a Taoist that practiced on Emei Mountain. He was nicknamed, "Master Black Horn". In reality, Zuo Ci never predicted Cao Cao's death and served him until retirement.

In historical texts, Zuo Ci studied atop the Mount Tianzhu, practiced medicinal alchemy and nourished his vital essence by controlled breathing, as well as other means. It is said that he could live for long periods without eating. He was also very knowledgeable in the Confucian classics and in astrology.

Very little is known about him historically, but there are many legends about him in folklore and other people say that some of these legends are historically true with no specific basis of reason.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Zuo Ci is a legendary personage of the Three Kingdoms period of China. Though he is known as a local of Lujiang, the years of his birth and death are unknown. It is believed that he had existed before the collapse of the Han Dynasty, and it is claimed that he lived to three hundred. He learned his magics and path to longevity from the Taoist sage Feng Heng, and eventually passed his arts to Ge Xuan.

Around the year 200 CE, a warlord by the name of Sun Ce, who was a strict Confucian, wanted to kill Zuo Ci and chased him on horseback. Zuo Ci, unmounted, still managed to escape by seemingly walking slowly.

Later, Zuo Ci went to Cao Cao, who granted him a pension to do his magics. Cao Cao may have shown an interest in the Taoist approach to longevity by doing this, but his son Cao Zhi wrote that the pensions are only intended to keep the magicians and their wild teachings under control. Zuo Ci showed Cao Cao's court a number of magics, such as catching an exotic fish from an empty copper pan, and teleporting far away to buy ginger. Zuo Ci once fed a whole court assembly with food and wine, but Cao Cao soon found out that Zuo Ci had emptied every wine shop in the region with his magic for this purpose. Cao Cao tried to execute Zuo Ci, but Zuo Ci escaped by walking through walls. When someone reported that Zuo Ci had been sighted in the market, everyone in the market became identical to Zuo's appearance. Another report said Zuo Ci went to the mountaintop, so Cao Cao and his men went, and realized Zuo Ci was concealed among a flock of sheep. Knowing he cannot find him, Cao Cao announced to the flock of sheep that he was merely trying to test Zuo Ci's skill, and had no intention to kill him. At the moment, a goat stood on its hind legs and spoke. Cao Cao's men rushed to the goat, only to find the rest of the flock also turned into goats and started standing and speaking like humans. Zuo Ci was never found by Cao Cao's men again.

Zuo Ci eventually retired from the world to practice his arts in the mountains.

Gallery
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