Zhou Tai

Not to be confused with a Jin Dynasty officer of the same name, Zhou Tai

Zhou Tai (onyomi: Shū Tai) is a volunteer who joined Wu with his comrade, Jiang Qin. He fights alongside Sun Ce and also serves Sun Quan. He saved Sun Quan many times on the battlefield, eventually becoming his right-hand protector. During the Battle of Ruxukou, Sun Quan saw the reluctance of both Zhu Ran and Xu Sheng in serving as Zhou's officers. In response, Sun Quan held a banquet for his officers, and pointed to each of Zhou Tai's scars (most of them received during the defense of Xuan), to which Zhou Tai would retell the different battles he participated in, thus winning respect from both officers and many other members of Wu. Most fictional sources state that Zhou Tai was also a former pirate.

Before his playable Dynasty Warriors appearance, he was formerly a NPC character since Dynasty Warriors 2. Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll places him as twenty-ninth out of sixty-two characters; he is forty-sixth place in the Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends popularity poll. The latest poll for the eighth installment puts him in fifty-third. He is the second most transcended character in the Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed character poll. The character poll for overseas fans puts him in first place for the Wu division, fifth in the semi-finals, and second in the final round.

Role in Games

 * "Silent but deadly as always."
 * Ginchiyo; Warriors Orochi 2

Dynasty Warriors
Zhou Tai acts as one of Sun Quan's most trusted vassals and a reliable warrior in many of Wu's later campaigns. He often sticks near his lord's side. He lives to see the later conflicts in the series and sometimes one of the last warriors to guard Sun Quan from danger.

His Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends describes him as a pirate who decided to join Sun Ce when latter began his conquests in the Wu Territory. Not long after he joined the Sun family, Sun Quan is surrounded on six sides by the hostile residents within the area of Niu Zhu. Zhou Tai valiantly rides alone to protect the stranded lord and his other subordinates, and then guides their escape. Once the young man safely reunites with the main forces, Sun Quan praises the former pirate. Zhou Tai modestly accepts the lord's offer to serve him.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, his origins from his Legend Mode remain relatively the same. In this title, Sun Quan is trapped within the area's eastern fort and is ambushed by Yan Baihu and his men. Zhou Tai rescues him once more and gains the former's respect. He follows his new lord into battle and takes part in Chi Bi. With their northern boarders safe from threats, he participates in suppressing the south and Shu. Wu ultimately defeats Wei and confronts Shu a final time at Bai Di Castle. Zhou Tai's role in their last battle is to secure the path for reinforcements in the east while the army surrounds the castle. When Sun Quan struggles due to Huang Zhong and Ma Chao's sudden arrival, Zhou Tai cuts open a path for his lord's final charge. In his ending, Wu unites the land and the lord and vassal engage in a friendly drinking contest together.

His Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion has him and four other Wu generals partake in the Battle of Ru Xu Kou. Zhou Tai starts in the south-western part of the map and is ordered by Lu Meng to take the western base. Accompanied by Ling Tong, he continues to support Gan Ning's ambush. After the battle, he is satisfied to avenge his kingdom's loss at He Fei and swears to keep up the fight.

Zhou Tai's ending scene in Dynasty Warriors: Online sees him viewing peach trees alongside the player. Having accepted the peaceful state of the land, he performs one last stroke with his sword and sheathes it. While meditating, he is joined by the player who places a peach tree branch in front of them as a sign of their bond.

Dynasty Warriors 6 gives him no personal story but he continues to appear by Sun Quan's side at Yi Ling and Wu's later campaigns. He may also appear as reinforcements during Wei's struggle at Fan Castle. In Special, Zhou Tai also joins Sima Yi's rebellion during Cao Pi's story mode as Lu Xun leads him and the other remnants of Wu to end Wei.

First appearing during the battle to take Wu in Dynasty Warriors 7, Zhou Tai's appearance in Wu's Story Mode is minor as there aren't many events that focus on him. He protects a fort at Nanjun and fights at Yiling, Fan Castle and Dongkou.

His first Legendary Battle takes place during Chibi. The fire attack succeeds, but Cao Cao's numbers keep coming to invade the land. Zhou Tai fights to protect his lord against the odds. He performs a similar task for his second Legendary Battle, this time guarding Sun Quan against Liu Bei's army at Yiling.

The Xtreme Legends expansion adds a Hero Scenario specifically dedicated to an incident that happened whilst he is in Sun Ce's service. His lord entrusts Zhou Tai to protect a young, inexperienced Sun Quan at Xuan Castle while Sun Ce himself went out to fight the Shanyue tribe. During Sun Ce's absence, it is attacked by several Shanyue bandits. Zhou Tai moves forth to protect the castle's supply line and prevent the Shanyue's fire attack. When Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun arrive to make up for the bandits' faults, Zhou Tai strikes them down to protect Sun Quan and then protects Sun Ce from being overwhelmed by bandits.

Upon seeing Zhou Tai's wounds upon their victory, Sun Quan feels guilty for being so inept. His older brother scolds him to consider Zhou Tai's loyalty to him. Though observers were expecting sincere words of gratitude, Sun Quan instead offers to throw Zhou Tai a banquet with wine as his show of thanks.

The third chapter of Dynasty Warriors Next has Zhou Tai appear as a playable officer under Sun Ce. He reinforces the coalition against Yuan Shu at Huainan once Sun Shangxiang secures the enemy's outpost. Before the start of the sixth chapter, he and Huang Gai spar with one another as Sun Quan confesses his own insecurities as leader to them. Huang Gai bolsters his lord's confidence with heartfelt praise whereas Zhou Tai voices his own words of devotion towards him.

In Wei's final chapter, he and Ding Feng are tasked with protecting Sun Quan's main camp from the Wei forces at Hefei. Both men are overwhelmed by Zhang Liao's might. Jin's version of Jianye has him ambush Sima Yi in one of the remaining bases owned by Wu. He also challenges Lu Bu to a duel before the latter can invade Sun Jian's domain.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, Zhou Tai reprises his role from the previous installment. Zhou Tai has a minimal role in Wu's hypothetical route but faithfully accompanies his lord on successful campaigns against Wei before celebrating Sun Quan's alliance between the three kingdoms in the finale.

In Wei's hypothetical route, Zhou Tai helps Sun Quan escape from Chibi after the fire attack fails and the Wu forces are defeated. He becomes the last remaining officer standing between the Wei forces and his lord at Jianye.

His role is further explored during the Xtreme Legends expansion. In Lu Bu's story mode, Zhou Tai will be found serving Yuan Shu alongside other members of Wu. In the historical route, his only appearance will be at Shouchun. During the hypothetical route, he appears as one of Yuan Shu's guards at Wujun.

In Wu's storyline, he helps assist in attacking Cao Cao at Runan as an officer of Yuan Shu, and often accompanies Sun Quan during his actions in other stages and in the stories of other kingdoms.

Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed has Zhou Tai agree to test the player's might when Zhuge Liang seeks to form an alliance with the Sun clan.

Volunteering to join Sun Ce in the beginning of his bond story, the warrior is acknowledged by war veteran Huang Gai who likes the look in his eyes. While some have doubts about Zhou Tai because of his sordid past, they are eventually won over by his performance on the battlefield. Even Han Dang finds the man's physique more dangerous than any weapon. He later forms a strong bond with Sun Quan after saving him from Zhang Liao and Xu Huang's forces.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Zhou Tai is one of the many generals unwillingly serving Orochi. An officer in Sun Quan's army, he helps his lord escape capture at He Fei. He later joins Sun Ce's rebellion in the battle's aftermath. During the sequel, he is one of the warriors who rush to Yoshitsune's rescue. He shares his dream stage with Dian Wei and Ranmaru Mori, as the trio rush to save their lords from danger.

After Orochi's second defeat, Zhou Tai accompanied Sun Quan within Wu's vanguard. When Wu was defeated and their forces were scattered, he refused to cut down a possessed Sun Quan and fled. He is later seen assisting Hideyoshi's fortification at Nagashino, which is implied to have failed miserably in the original timeline. When the coalition from the future drive back the serpent forces, Zhou Tai joins their cause to save his other companions. He helps Sun Shangxiang rescue Lianshi in the past. Later, he breaks Kiyomori's spell on Sun Quan and saves Joan at Mt. Dingjun.

Zhou Tai appears in the downloadable scenario "Phantoms of Nanzhong" where he assists Kanbei Kuroda and Kojirō Sasaki in rescuing the wrongly assumed phantom Guo Huai from Meng Huo's army.

In Warriors Orochi 4, Zhou Tai is requested by Zuo Ci to lead the Wraiths that the elder found at Nanzhong to fight against Ares's army. Once the Coalition arrives and aids Zuo Ci, Zhou Tai joins them shortly afterward.

He and Kagekatsu Uesugi later protect the main camp at Kawanakajima as Yue Jin and Naomasa Ii compete over who can rescue Ma Dai first.

Personality
Zhou Tai is the classic calm and seemingly mute warrior who is merciless to his foes. He only talks when necessary and roughly mumbles one liners (his lines are surrounded with ellipses in the Japanese script). His hard-to-approach and taciturn demeanor belie a sincerely kind and loyal man of Wu.

He cares greatly for Sun Quan's safety and won't hesitate to sacrifice himself for his lord's well being. Caring little for personal gain and possessing an indomitable presence, his lord admires his bravery in return. Both share a fondness for wine, which further deepens their comradely bonds. When Lu Xun becomes Wu's new strategist, he expresses concern that the man may be too young and inexperienced for the new occupation. Once the youth displays his capabilities, any lingering doubts he may have had for Lu Xun are silenced.

Character Symbolism
In the Japanese version of Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires, Zhou Tai is given the nickname of "The Silent Fencer" while the English version changes it to "The Loyal Flashing Blade". As a dominant ruler in Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires, he calls his five greatest warriors the "Five Blades".

All of Zhou Tai's weapons in Dynasty Warriors are named after split moments of time, likely in ode to his characteristic unsheathing attacks in the series. For the most part, the English translations are accurate to their Asian counterparts. The characters used with its image are very precise in their nature. In the case of "Dawn" and "Dusk", these names are meant to describe the exact moment the sun dips the horizon. His Standard Weapon, which is just called "Blink" in Asian ports, uses a character for something that happens in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Tai's Level 11 weapon is a brief moment of time described within Buddhist texts, which has its origins from India and China. Chana/Setsuna is said to be an immeasurable instant in Buddhism, tied to the spontaneous birth of virtue from an evil thought in the mind. According to Abhidharma mahavibhasa sastra, however, twenty-four hours is equivalent to 6,480,000 chana/setsuna. In the eighth installment, Zhou Tai's Alternate Musou Attack references this concept in his Japanese quote during the startup.

Meanwhile, in Zhou Tai's later weapons and his Musou Attacks reference other singular word concepts, be it the wind, the void/nothingness, a flash, a dazzling gleam or one's demise/end.

The original name of his personal item in Warriors Orochi is "Blue Parasol" or "Green Parasol", which alludes to the historical incident of Sun Quan praising his vassal's exploits at a banquet.

Voice Actors

 * Michael McConnohie - Dynasty Warriors 4~5, Warriors Orochi (English-uncredited)
 * Travis Willingham - Dynasty Warriors 6~7, Warriors Orochi 2 (English-uncredited)
 * Kyle Hebert - Dynasty Warriors 8 (English)
 * Mike Quirk - Dynasty Warriors 9 (English)
 * Matthew Mercer - Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Legend of Cao Cao (English-uncredited)
 * Da Xiang - Dynasty Warriors 9 (Chinese)
 * Si Yeong Jun - Dynasty Warriors 4~5 (Korean)
 * Kim Yeong-chan - Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed (Korean)
 * Jeong Seonghun - Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Legend of Cao Cao (Korean)
 * Hideo Ishikawa - Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Teruyuki Tanzawa - Sangokushi Legion
 * Masahito Yabe - Youkai Sangokushi (Japanese)
 * Daiki Hamano - Sangokushi Hadou (Japanese)
 * Takeshi Ōba - Sangokushi Three Kingdoms TV series

Quotes

 * See also: Zhou Tai/Quotes


 * "Shall we?"


 * "My lord..."
 * "Zhou Tai! What's up? Hmm. Your coming to me means..."
 * "Yes..."
 * "Right then! Let's get a drink afterwards!"
 * Zhou Tai and Sun Ce; Dynasty Warriors 7


 * "Zhou Tai, you've saved me countless times. I want to make sure you know how grateful I am."
 * "No, my lord."
 * "Don't be modest. Your scars are proof of it. You should strip down in front of everyone to show them off."
 * "I'd rather not..."
 * Sun Quan and Zhou Tai; Dynasty Warriors 8


 * "I've heard you've got a pretty wild past yourself. You don't look much like a bandit, though."
 * "...That's the past... ...Don't ask any more..."
 * "Why not? Are you embarrassed? Hey, I got my start the same as you. No need to get all shy now, let's swap stories."
 * "...I don't remember... ...Enough talk about this now..."
 * "Boring! You hate your past that much? So why were you even a pirate?"
 * "...A mistake of youth..."
 * Gan Ning and Zhou Tai; Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers


 * "You shall not touch my lord."
 * "You bear the scars of many a battle, I see..."
 * "As do you."
 * Zhou Tai and Yoshihiro; Warriors Orochi


 * "You are already dead."
 * "You're fast..."
 * Hanzō and Zhou Tai; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "It appears, Master Zhou Tai, that your spirit is just as honed as your blade."
 * "That is the secret to mastering the sword..."
 * "I see. I hope one day to be as skilled as you are."
 * Mitsuhide and Zhou Tai; Warriors Orochi 3


 * "Very well, then."
 * "Indeed."
 * "Very well."
 * Zhou Tai and Kagekatsu; Warriors Orochi 4

Gameplay

 * See also: Zhou Tai/Movesets‎‎

Weapons

 * See also: Zhou Tai/Weapons

Dynasty Warriors 8
Zhou Tai still uses the curved sword as his default weapon in this title.

Historical Information
Zhou Tai was a man who originated from Xiacai, Kiukiang Country. Together with Jiang Qin, he followed Sun Ce as one of his aides. He performed his tasks with modesty and faced battles with courage. After he claimed several achievements in battle, Sun Ce appointed him as a low-leveled captain and gave him troops to command. Around this time, Sun Quan saw the true value of Zhou Tai's character and petitioned for the general to serve him.

While Sun Ce was subduing bandits, Sun Quan was stationed at Xuancheng. The younger brother was charged with fortifying the position's defense and was ready to march from his position with roughly 1,000 men. One of the castle's walls, however, was not properly renovated and several bandits used the fortification's weak spot to charge Sun Quan. Sun Quan tried to run off on his steed but he was quickly surrounded. His attackers were able to cut off his horse's saddle and he was isolated. While the rest of the army's attendants were shocked by the situation, Zhou Tai faced death and rode alone to rescue Sun Quan. His courage while facing the insurgents was enough to inspire the rest of the army to hurry to their aid. By the time the rebels fled, Zhou Tai was deeply wounded in twelve different parts of his body, which would take many years to fully recover. Hearing that his heroics inevitably saved his brother's life, Sun Ce greatly praised Zhou Tai and appointed him as the Chief of Chungu Prefecture. He was made the Chief of Yichun Prefecture after their army's victory at Wan Castle.

Zhou Tai was said to have ruled at each post by focusing on each area's local taxes. He was one of the generals who helped subjugate Huang Zu and was further distinguished as a result. He is later mentioned joining Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu in the pursuit of Cao Cao's army after the Battle of Chibi. They pursue them and, at one point, Zhou Tai's army battled Cao Ren at Nanjun. When Jingzhou was suppressed, he was stationed at Cen and built a garrison there. When Cao Cao's army advanced to his Ruxu, Zhou Tai attacked him relentlessly. He continued guarding the position after Cao Cao's troops withdrew. He was appointed as General of Rusu for his deeds.

Around this time Zhu Ran and Xu Sheng were assigned to be his subordinates, but they did not want to submit to him due to his common background. To appease them, Sun Quan personally visited their station and gathered various generals to hold a grand banquet. While voluntarily serving his lord wine, Sun Quan asked Zhou Tai to remove his outer garments. When Zhou Tai's scars became visible, Sun Quan asked when he received them. Zhou Tai responded by pointing to each scar and recounting past battles he experienced. Upon hearing this, Sun Quan held Zhou Tai's arm and wept. He said:

"Youping, you have fought as brave as a bear and a tiger for us two brothers. Not holding back your own life, you have been wounded in several tens of places, and your skin is as if it’s been etched on. Can I not treat you as one of my brothers, and bestow the powers of command upon you? You have done great service for Wu, and I would stand with you whether in honour and shame, and share with you in joy and sorrow. Youping, be merry. Do not let the fact that you lack pedigree make you back down from your tasks!"

After his speech, Sun Quan redressed Zhou Tai and they enjoyed the rest of their drinks together. At once, Sun Quan granted him his imperial parasol woven with blue silk. When the feast had ended, Zhou Tai rode on a horse and guided Sun Quan's entourage away from the area amidst the sound of horns and drums. After this incident, the two rebellious generals voluntarily agreed to serve under him. After Guan Yu's death, Zhou Tai was bestowed the final title of Marquis of Lingyang. He died during Sun Quan's Huangwu era (AD 222-228).

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhou Tai's rescue of Sun Quan was told in a slightly different manner. He gathered the young man in his arms and rode away from the attacking bandits while on horseback. When pursued, he dismounted and fought without armor against his attackers. He fought alone against the men against him and dismounted a spearmen from his horse by disarming him. Though he fought his way out and Sun Quan was saved, he suffered over a dozen wounds in the process. Neither escapee was pursed by the bandits.

Zhou Tai was later assigned with Jiang Qin to form an army prior to the battle of Chibi. When Cao Cao and Wu's fleets faced each other to a standstill, Jiao Chu and Zhang Neng from the enemy boasted to show their military worth in naval battles. Since the majority of the fleet was already chained together, they agreed to use small skiffs to take Wu's flags and drums in a test. When Zhou Yu noticed their tiny fleet, Han Dang and Zhou Tai volunteered to defeat them. While Han Dang dealt with Jiao Chu, Zhou Tai took on Zhang Neng. Deflecting the latter's arrows with his shield, he sailed in at an angle and hopped onto Zhang Neng's boat once they were a few feet apart. He sliced the man down with his sword and confused the attacking armies. He and Han Dang attempted to pursue Wen Ping's fleeing reinforcements, but were called back by Zhou Yu to prevent the loss of any men. Zhou Tai also led one of the four naval squadrons to support Huang Gai's fire ship. He was also one of the many officers ordered to kill Lady Sun and Liu Bei for deserting Wu.

In chapter 51, Zhou Yu's army marched against Cao Ren's army stationed near Nanjun. In order to take the position quickly, Gan Ning offers to take Yiling and cripple Cao Ren's position. Though his plan did succeed, he was soon surrounded in the same fort that he conquered. When the main army went to assist him, Zhou Tai broke through the besiegers and told Gan Ning that help was on the way. The Wu forces caught Cao Hong's army in a pincer. As Cao Ren rode to his save his relative, he clashed with Zhou Tai in a duel and tied. He and Han Dang lead a northwestern siege against Cao Ren's following defensive position.

Zhou Tai was later assigned as one of the generals assigned to Sun Quan's side at Hefei. When Sun Quan was heavily surrounded in his attempt to save Xu Sheng from Li Dian, Zhou Tai rode to his rescue. Suffering wounds during the rescue, his helmet deflected several arrow wounds in the struggle. As he cleared a path for Sun Quan, Zhou Tai returned to the battlefront to do the same for Xu Sheng. Scarred and bloodied, Zhou Tai nevertheless survived his wounds and was honored at a nightly banquet. Sun Quan thanked him and embraced him with his complements. He then ordered his officer to show his dozens of wounds for all present. As Zhou Tai related the tale behind each scar, Sun Quan toasted and drunk a goblet of liquor. Heavily intoxicated by the celebration's end, Sun Quan gave Zhou Tai his green silk parasol and told his vassal to use it at all times as a badge of honor. Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were left to guard Ruxu.

When Guan Yu suffered a grievous wound at Fancheng, Hua Tuo was mentioned to be the physician who saved Zhou Tai from the brink of death. At the same time, Lu Meng asked for his help in the strategy to ask support from Cao Cao. Zhou Tai's only other mention during the battle is reinforcing Jiang Qin's army against Guan Yu in an early confrontation.

Upon learning of Sun Huan's defeat at Xiling, Sun Quan ordered his vassals to assist him in what would become the battle of Yiling. Han Dang was the army's commander and Zhou Tai was his second-in-command. Once the relief troops were made, he participated in the ambush that caused the end of Huang Zhong's life. As Lu Xun soon become their Commander-in-Chief, Zhou Tai's support for the younger, scholarly boy were not well met. However, when Lu Xun proved himself with the plot to cause discord in Shu's troops, he trusted the boy well enough to follow his orders in the following march. Zhou Tai was ordered to cover the south in preparation for Lu Xun's fire attack plot. His last act in the novel was slaying the fleeing Shamoke in a short duel.

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