Lu Bu

Lu Bu is a general of the late Han Dynasty who is infamous for his many betrayals in the central plains. Romance of the Three Kingdoms famously dubs him to be the mightiest warrior of his time. Like many warlords of the era, he attempted to establish himself as an independent power before he met his end against Cao Cao's forces.

He debuted as a playable Dynasty Warriors character since the first title. His trademarks in the series are his high stats, his vastly superior moveset, his unique horse, and his theme song which doubles as the musical motif for several of the games' opening sequences. The exclamation "Do not pursue Lu Bu!" is fondly remembered by fans. He sometimes shares the spotlight with the series's other iconic character, Zhao Yun. His incarnation for the series is 29 years old and his height is 208 cm (close to 6'10"). Lu Bu reached twenty-first place with fans in Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll.

His Dynasty Warriors counterpart also has a character image song titled KING OF DESTROYER; it's a vocal version of his trademark theme throughout the series.

Role in Games

 * "A legend of your age, and yet you side with the devil. I suppose you thought that feeding off his scraps would provide you sufficient prey!"
 * "And I was right. He has led me to the greatest prey of all! Hunting time!"
 * ―Tadakatsu Honda and Lu Bu; Warriors Orochi

Dynasty Warriors
Lu Bu is a warrior who wants to prove his strength to all. First serving his adopted father, Dong Zhuo, he defies the Allied Forces at Hu Lao and Si Shui Gates. Known for his ferocity in the former battle, Yuan Shao warns his officers to steer clear of him in every game. In most titles, he has a special duel with Liu Bei and his brothers during the conflict. Not one to trust Dong Zhuo, he often gives into Diao Chan's deception and rebels against his former master in their story modes. In other characters' scenarios, he wanders the land after his benefactor's death and steals Xia Pi away from Liu Bei. Facing Cao Cao and Liu Bei's armies at the castle, Lu Bu dies after his defeat.

His story in Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends has him start as an obedient subject to Dong Zhuo. Lu Bu doesn't care for the portly one's ambitions and only desires to fight. After their victory at Hu Lao Gate, Dong Zhuo's influence grows and he has a portion of the alliance submit to him. Lu Bu continues to aid Dong Zhuo by killing Cao Cao at Guan Du and rescuing his lord from Liu Bei at Wan Castle. While Liu Bei's army tries to flee from capture, his forces are stopped by Lu Bu at Chang Ban. Upset at the turn of events and seeing no reason for them to continue fighting, Diao Chan and Zhang Liao desert Dong Zhuo. Lu Bu, who wants them to help him, retrieves their loyalty after he catches them at the Five Passes. The trio work together to rebel against Dong Zhuo, putting an end to the tyrant at Chi Bi and making Lu Bu the land's new leader.

Lu Bu only serves Dong Zhuo until they defeat the Allied Forces in Dynasty Warriors 4. Soon after their victory over Yuan Shao, he slays his former liege. He is labeled a threat to the rest of the regional lords and survives their siege against him at Xia Pi. Cao Cao, Sun Jian and Liu Bei try to stop him, but his forces prevail over all others. Lu Bu becomes the land's great unifier in the new time of peace. His Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion details his indomitable defense at Hu Lao Gate. After slaying many soldiers, Sun Jian and Cao Cao challenge him. Once they fall, the three oath brothers face him. When the trio are cut down, Yuan Shao declares that taking the gate is a lost cause and orders his army to retreat.

Dynasty Warriors 5 has Lu Bu additionally defend Si Shui Gate. After the battle of Hu Lao Gate, he kills Dong Zhuo on Diao Chan's requests. His adopted father's followers disagreed with Lu Bu's actions and chased him out from the capital. Left with no land of his own, he briefly wanders into Yuan Shao's care and assists the battle against Gongsun Zan at Cheng Shan. Though his rival is defeated thanks to Lu Bu's efforts, Yuan Shao begins to fear Lu Bu and wants the warrior dead due to his past treachery. Liu Bei shelters him at Xia Pi, but he takes the lord to be a weak ruler. He steals the position away from his new benefactor and faces the army against him with his might. Alone and disappointed, he decides to ride off on Red Hare to search for a land worthy of him. Diao Chan and Zhang Liao loyally follow him. He shares his Legend Mode with them in the Xtreme Legends expansion, which details when he recruits Chen Gong.

Lu Bu has already killed Dong Zhuo when his story starts in Dynasty Warriors 6. Driven from the capital, Chen Gong gives his lord an interesting alternative: make a new path for himself in the chaos and take the land. He gains a new base for his forces by forcing Liu Bei's forces away from Xia Pi. Though it has no business with him, he dives straight into the battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao at Guan Du, defeating both parties with his army. Hearing the petty ambitions of Liu Yong, Yan Baihu, Wang Lang and other individuals from Jiang Dong, he deals with them personally at Shi Ting. When Sun Quan join forces with Liu Bei to end Cao Cao at Chi Bi, Lu Bu is fascinated by the battle at sea and routing both leaders. The angered Dian Wei and Zhou Yu attempt to avenge their masters, uniting their talents to end Lu Bu.

Upon their defeat, the armies from the battle are scattered and Lu Bu's army heads towards Mt. Ding Jun. Opposing them are the resurrected Dong Zhuo and Zhang Jiao, both who are spiteful towards Lu Bu. They escape from death a second time and unite with Lu Bu's previous opponents in an attempt to eradicate the warrior. Undeterred, he faces them at Hu Lao Gate. Slaying his entire opposition in the battle, he becomes the land's new ruler. The wars don't end, however, as several other forces march against him during his ending. Even so, Lu Bu is pleased to have ample opportunities to fight someone.

In Chapter 2 for every kingdom in Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, Lu Bu can be seen above the weapon Dong Zhuo placed at Hu Lao Gate, Bi Xie. Similar to previous games, he will betray Dong Zhuo and start a campaign to conquer the land. He is killed at Bai Men Tower but raises from his grave in Chapter 6, causing the three kingdoms to form another alliance to bring his reign of chaos to an end. Lu Bu's otherworldly strength corrupts the land's spiritual guardians, the kingdoms' respective animal avatars. The Allied Forces manage to seal them all and kill Lu Bu at Xia Pi Castle.

Dynasty Warriors 7 has Lu Bu appear briefly in the three kingdoms' Story Modes. During Wei's Story Mode, he attempts to capture a fleeing Cao Cao through the capital yet fails due to Chen Gong's intervention. He acts as the beefy guard for Hu Lao Gate and kills Dong Zhuo after the conflict. Becoming a landless wanderer, he barges into the Battle of Xu Province to oppose Cao Cao. Lu Bu brazenly offers his arm to Liu Bei and is accepted into Liu Bei's custody. When his benefactor drops his guard, however, Lu Bu steals Xu Province for himself. To counter, Liu Bei joins forces with Cao Cao at Xia Pi. When the captured Lu Bu struggles against his bonds, he arrogantly offers his service to Cao Cao, thinking that his might is worthy enough for him to be spared. The warlord doesn't fall for the enticement and orders for Lu Bu's death. As Lu Bu is dragged away kicking and screaming, Liu Bei respectfully averts his eyes away from the sight.

His first Legendary Mode lets players control him at Hu Lao Gate. A reenactment of Dong Zhuo's death occurs for his second Legendary Mode due to Diao Chan's influences. Lu Bu's third Legendary Mode lets him fight against Cao Cao and Liu Bei's coalition at Xia Pi.

The Xtreme Legends expansion adds a Hero Scenario regarding his path of treachery after Dong Zhuo's death. This particular betrayal details his mutiny against Liu Bei during the latter's absence at Xia Pi. The invaders first antagonize the defenders' camps before heading north. Lu Bu and company then free an imprisoned Cao Bao to spread confusing rumors amongst the castle's guards. Once Zhang Fei is chased out of the castle, Lu Bu then faces an enraged Liu Bei and Guan Yu.

Victory comes easily to the warrior, and he prides himself on his accomplishment. Of course, the feeling is short-lived when Cao Cao's army surrounds and captures the castle. When his own men turn traitor, Lu Bu loses his life.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Lu Bu becomes one of the Serpent King's top officers. Unlike other generals, little is indulged on how or when this occurs. He only serves Orochi out of respect of the demon's incredible power; he is biding his time until he is powerful enough to slay Orochi himself and claim the title of the strongest. Until then, Lu Bu serves the Orochi Army, realizing the most powerful warriors of both China and Japan will oppose the Serpent King. Aside from Orochi, he finds that the only ones strong enough to provide him with a challenge are Keiji and Tadakatsu.

Lu Bu continues serving the remnants of Orochi's army in the sequel. Unimpressed by Kiyomori's methods, he rebels against him late in Wu's story with his band of loyal officers. After dealing with Kiyomori, he decides to prove himself as the greatest by taking on Orochi X. Sun Jian takes advantage of Lu Bu's momentum and uses it to end the serpent king. It is unknown what happened to Lu Bu after Orochi's death though Yoshitsune briefly spots Lu Bu riding his horse.

He teams up with Tadakatsu and Keiji to end Orochi in their dream mode. While his teammates want to assist the mutual Liu Bei, Orochi's soldiers try to keep them trapped within the garrison. Lu Bu's personal goal in the stage is defeating several of them and frighten them to open the gates.

After Orochi's second fall, Lu Bu was content to wander the land with Diaochan in Warriors Orochi 3's original timeline. By chance the couple happened to stumble upon the battle at Tong Gate. Although Lu Bu was confident that his strength would be enough to see them through, he is quickly beaten by Nezha. Pleading Diaochan to save herself, a wounded Lu Bu is forced to flee instead. Humiliated by the loss and angered by Diaochan's death, Lu Bu tracks the robotic warrior throughout the game's story to defeat him and redeem his honor. If Diaochan is saved by the coalition and present at Osaka Castle, her simple request is enough to gain Lu Bu's allegiance. To other members of the coalition, however, he insists that he is only with them for another chance to challenge Nezha.

Dynasty Tactics
Lu Bu primarily acts as one of Liu Bei's early antagonists in Dynasty Tactics. He can either be exterminated quickly by Cao Cao and Liu Bei at Xia Pi or temporarily join forces with the latter. In the second scenario, the two lords form an alliance to end Yuan Shu. Soon after their victory, they are outmaneuvered by Cao Ren's army. Reinforcements miraculously come when Liu Biao aids them and their land is saved. During their victory banquet, however, Lu Bu kills their savior based on a loose report that he was a cohort with Cao Cao. Shocked by the violence, Liu Bei departs and declares war on him.

When Lu Bu is defeated, his life is spared but he rebounds later to fulfill his desire for conquest. He is supposedly killed after his defeat. In one of Wu's scenarios, however, he can be recruited in the last chapter. Players can also fight his Dynasty Tactics counterpart in Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends, as he leads a heavily armed army and challenges anyone to defeat him at Chi Bi.

Dynasty Tactics 2 portrays him as slightly less arrogant and also introduces his daughter, Lu Lingqi. He is one of the possible rulers in the game who can conquer the land. In one of his story branches, he learns from Cao Cao that his ally, Liu Bei, wishes to betray him and personally storms Liu Bei's castle to murder him. He seemingly dies from an archer volley in a charge against Cao Cao's troops. However, he survives and joins forces with the stunned Ma Chao to rebuild his ranks. With his new army, he eventually defeats Wei and perpetuates war in the land.

Kessen
During the prologue movie in Kessen II, Liu Bei and Cao Cao become allies to defeat forces under the Lu family name. While players are free to interpret the general's identity in the game, the official databook remarks that Liu Bei was fighting Lu Bu at the time historically.

Personality
Lu Bu is typically depicted as extremely aggressive, brutish, and bloodthirsty warrior who fights for the sole purpose of finding an opponent worthy of challenge. He believes himself to be the "Mightiest Man Alive", and believes that the only true justice in the world is not found in any court, but when one fights for one's life on the battlefield, where the strong survive and the weak are crushed. More of a man of action than talk, he disregards strategy and politics as a waste of his time (which is just as well, since he has little talent at either one). Despite his repeated betrayals Lu Bu is bluntly honest and has little faith or respect in politicians, bureaucrats, or for any cowards who use deceit to gain power. For this same reason, Lu Bu despises sycophants and suck ups and resented being Dong Zhuo's lackey.

Lu Bu considers Dong Zhuo an arrogant pig and a repulsive coward who is undeserving of his wealth and status, and only joined him because the pay was obscenely substantial. His hatred is further inflamed when Diaochan advises him to kill his benefactor. The closest thing he has to a friend in the series is Zhang Liao. He treats him with with more respect than his other soldiers in his army and has never berated him for any of his actions, even when Zhang Liao once insisted that he join Lu Bu in a battle when he wanted to fight alone. In the Warriors Orochi series, he shares special dialogue with Fu Xi, Orochi, Tadakatsu, Nobunaga, and Musashi.

If Lu Bu has any weakness in the games, it's his often absentminded devotion for the women he loves. Diaochan is everything to him and he is always willing to do whatever she wants; he rarely suspects or accuses her of any sort of deception. Throughout Diaochan's campaign, his motive is to create a world where Diaochan can be happy and frequently worries about her getting hurt on the battlefield. He displays this same protectiveness towards his daughter in Dynasty Tactics 2.

Character Symbolism
In the Japanese version of Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires, Lu Bu is given the nickname of "Violence Hurricane" while the English version changes it to "The Avatar of Battle, the Ultimate Warrior".

Lu Bu's name in Chinese is used to refer to an incoming thunder storm. His style name, Fengxian, when broken into separate characters means "Immortal Phoenix".

Lu Bu's iconic weapon in Three Kingdoms media is the Fangtian Huaji, commonly translated as "Heavenly Halberd" or "Sky Piercer". It was a weapon used by Lu Bu within Romance of the Three Kingdoms and is represented as his third weapon in the Dynasty Warriors series. His Standard cross spears in Dynasty Warriors 6 are also named after his iconic weapon, in spite of it not resembling the common perception of the armament. Though many of the weapons in the novel date from the Song or Ming Dynasty, Lu Bu's weapon is thought to have not truly existed - though the Book of Tang claims an incident where a weapon like it was seen. A common postulation for his weapon's origins is the fatianji, a weapon of the Northern Song Dynasty that is a type of ji. Attached to one end of the weapon was a type of bladed tip shaped in the form of a crescent. Lu Bu's version reportedly improves the weapon's slashing and stabbing power by increasing the number of crescent blades or sharp edges. Its length, weight, and other characteristics are not clearly known, though the weapon is said to require great skill to master and wield. As a side note, the other famous user of the same polearm would be found in the Water Margin; within the tale, the character in question, Lu Fang, resembles and admires Lu Bu.

The original name to Lu Bu's Level 11 weapon and Strength weapon may be literally translated as "Demon God". It is thought these spectres are vengeful in nature, hardly a speck of mercy left within them. They are supernatural beings who look half man, half demonic or beast-like. There are many myths of these spirits, but a common element shared with them is that they died an unclean death and continue to haunt the mortal realm due to an improper burial. With the introduction of Buddhism, their nature morphed to instead be man-eating entities capable of monstrous power. Calling someone by this name isn't necessarily a compliment, but it is a fearful and weary type of recognition for the addressee's might.

His fourth weapon may literally translate to "Peerless One Under Heaven", which has a character pattern and meaning similar to the four character idiom, "Guoshi Wushuang" (国士无双) or "Kokushi Musou" (国士無双). The phrase is used for a person of superior skill who has no equal or better throughout the land. Historically, these same words were uttered by Xiao He to his lord Liu Bang. Liu Bang was questioning Xiao He's judgment in granting him a single runaway, Han Xin, from thousands of other fleeing candidates. Xiao He responded by greatly commending Han Xin's talents and specifically used the phrase to emphasize the general's strengths. His lord was convinced and Han Xin was admitted into Liu Bang's services.

"Flying General", Lu Bu's historical nickname, is the original name of his Skill weapon. The name has its origins trace back specifically to Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty. Li Guang was exceptional with archery and polearm weapons, striking fear into the Xiongnu tribes with his prowess. Since Lu Bu was said to have had shared the same formidable traits, Chen Shou wrote the nickname down for him. Whether he was feared in battle like Li Guang is hard to say, but Lu Bu did hold a reputation of being powerful. The nickname is also the original name for his personal item in Warriors Orochi, "Flying General's Armor".

Voice Actors

 * Dan Woren - Dynasty Warriors 4 (English)
 * Jamieson Price - Dynasty Warriors 5~7, Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Richard Epcar - Dynasty Tactics 2 (English)
 * Kim Il - Dynasty Warriors 2 (Korean)
 * Im Jineung - Dynasty Warriors 3~5 (Korean)
 * Tetsu Inada - Dynasty Warriors, Warriors Orochi, and Dynasty Tactics series (Japanese)
 * Kōichi Hashimoto - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * See also: Lu Bu/Quotes


 * "Diao... Chan! Ahhh! Worthless scum! You will all pay! Not a hair of yours will be left in this world!"
 * "What is magic? There is no magic before the might of my blade! Onward!"
 * "Are there no others? Is there no one left to challenge me? Is this the end? Are there no more great battles for me to join? Argh! More! I still wish to wield my blade in battle! I do not care who! Come and face me! Come and face the great Lu Bu!"
 * "Enough! I don't need more strength or wisdom! Having you around would only weigh me down. You want to live? Then go!"
 * "I am the greatest warrior this world has ever seen!"
 * "Very well... you are nothing to me now, Diao Chan! If you truly want to fight Orochi, then we will meet again... And rest assured. I will show no mercy."
 * "Lu Bu, how dare you stab me in the back! You will pay!"
 * "Humph! Don't make me laugh, you pig! It is I who shall surpass you, and it is I who shall rule the land!"
 * Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu; Dynasty Warriors 4


 * "So, you've come back crawling to me, have you, cockroach?"
 * "Yappy fox. Do you want me to rip out your tail?"
 * Da Ji and Lu Bu; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "The next enemy we face will be very formidable. Don't die on me!"
 * "Naturally. I cannot be killed so easily. And I also take measures to avoid death's door."
 * "I will be the one who strikes you down. I will never forgive you if you die beforehand!"
 * Lu Bu and Nezha; Warriors Orochi 3

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: Temporarily invincibility as he takes two advancing fiery swings and then a ground stomp that knocks away foes within a certain radius.
 * , undefined: An upward lifting strike with the butt of the spear.
 * ,, undefined: Swings halberd around Lu Bu 360 degrees multiple times, and then swings right to left, and stomps into the ground making a shockwave.
 * ,, , undefined: A quick, powerful right to left swing in a huge step forward that knocks everyone it hits back.
 * ,, , , undefined: Lu Bu swings upward creating a massive energy explosion of electricity that knocks victims into the air.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Several extremely quick crossing slashes, then plunges spear into the ground making a quake.
 * Lu Bu repeatedly spinning around in a downward right direction, bringing a stiff halberd down with each jump. Ends with Lu Bu slamming his halberd into the ground. True Musou version makes Lu Bu smash the butt of the spear into the ground for a quake, then blasts foes away with a ring shockwave.
 * , : Upward slash.
 * , undefined: Somersaults to land on the ground then lashes out his halberd to the right.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Lu Bu leans to each side, and swings his weapon.
 * ,, , , , : Three attacks to the right side, three to the left.
 * Repeating slashes to all sides until the Musou gauge empties.


 * Warriors Orochi
 * R1: Rushes forward in a similar manner to his old pre-Dynasty Warriors 4 C3 to grab his opponent, when it connects, Lu Bu runs with foe in hand, plowing over anyone in his way, then leaps up to smash him/her on the ground creating a red ground flashing quake.

Ground Moveset

 * string (Renbu ∞): Keeps his weapon as a cross as he slashes and twirls it six times. Performs a quick stab with one of the blades' ends and follows with two stronger swings. Waves his weapon in a criss-cross motion in front of him, sending seven x-shaped airwaves forward.
 * undefined string (Renbu ∞): Uplifting slash with blades together. Separates them for a dual downwards cut. Connects them again for another rising smash. Hurls a x-shaped airwave. Finishes by bashing the ground with the middle section of his connected weapon.
 * undefined (held): Hurls his connected weapon a great distance in front of him. Hits foes as it flies forward and returns to Lu Bu. Lu Bu will not move until his weapon is returned to him or if he is hit.
 * Series of swings with his weapon connected and detached. Ends with him hurling his weapon around him in a 360 radius. It flies for four rotations before he catches it with one hand. The weapon will not hit people who are too close to him.


 * , : Downwards swing. All four blade tips cut at once.
 * , undefined: Hovers into the air and separates both blades. Plunges them into the earth as he lands.
 * Dashing : Simple swing that sends a x-shaped airwave forward.
 * Dashing undefined: Lifts both arms in the air, hops, and smashes the ground with one of his blade's ends. If you press undefined when he smashes the ground, he will do an uppercut. The uppercut applies only to 2nd Renbu and above.


 * Grapple attack : Plunges the connecting part of his weapon forward. If he connects, he lifts his foe and throws them on the ground behind him.
 * Grapple attack undefined: Turning rising slash. If he connects, he juggles his enemy atop his weapon. He spins it one handed, cutting them with his weapon's blades like a blender. Finishes by harshly swinging to the right, hurling his opponent forward.
 * Deadlock attack: Stabs one of his blades into his foe, spins them with one halberd still attached to the chest, reconnects his halberd, and performs an X-slash.


 * Special attack: Swift Attack: immediately boosts Lu Bu's Renbu gauge up to the Infinite Renbu and grants higher attack and defense power. When used at low, red health, the effects of Swift Attack increase. Makes him similar to his frightfully strong CPU counterpart.

Horse Moveset

 * string: Quick twirling swings to the right. Number of strikes is determined by the Renbu gauge.
 * undefined: Separates both blades. With a blade in each hand, he simultaneously cuts foes on both sides of his saddle.
 * faster version of the string that ends with a undefined attack. However, it should be noted that the final strike is far more powerful than usual, creating a large blast once executed.

Dynasty Warriors 7
Lu Bu is affiliated with halberd in this appearance. When he is equipped with it, he can perform a unique attack exclusive to him. When he performs his musou attacks, he will automatically use the weapon in his attacks.


 * EX Attack: ,,undefined,undefined. Reaches out to grab an enemy. If it connects, Lu Bu with an electrified hand slams the enemy to the floor.
 * Spirit Bomb: : Roars then thrusts halberd forward, creating a wide, powerful blast of energy and red lightning forward in a funnel.
 * Armageddon Strike:, : While airborne, roars and pounds the ground, hitting enemies in a large radius with a shattering quake.

He gains the following additions in Warriors Orochi 3.
 * Warriors Orochi
 * ,undefined:


 * R1:

Dynasty Warriors
His weapon, a large halberd with great reach and massive damage. Also, it once had decent range with Lu Bu's average moveset in Dynasty Warriors 2, but as of the third, he often slashes with it single-handed, increasing its reach. It has been stated that in with each new installment, his difficulty increases, with him being somewhat easy to defeat in Dynasty Warriors 3 and then becoming arguably the most challenging character to fight in Dynasty Warriors 5 and the following title. He can also be good for helping others gain their 4th/5th weapons or items as a second player should he be maxed out.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, Lu Bu wields a stylized double voulge which can separate into two double edged spears. He has excellent crowd control and dueling. He can practically plow through any obstacle and is especially deadly with an infinite Renbu gauge. He is the only character in the game who is limited to one Special Tome, but he makes up for it by having all of his stats maxed out at level 50. In this installment, he appears to be nerfed notably. In Dynasty Warriors 7, he is overshadowed due to the fact that characters can access a large majority of his moveset, though Lu Bu makes up for this by being the only character that can stack 3x synergy, giving him the highest attack power of all characters in the game.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, he retains his moveset from Dynasty Warriors 5. However, once all the characters are maximized, he is significantly weaker than many of the characters. Many of his charge attacks are too weak to kill efficiently within one use, even with very strong elements. His R1 attack is also not the greatest, as it is very hard to aim, especially in crowds.

In the second installment, he has been nerfed even more severely, although the shockwaves from the endings of his C3 and C6 now have elemental properties.

Weapons

 * See also: Lu Bu/Weapons

Personal Info
Lu Bu was born at Jiuyuan, Jiuyuan District (modern day Baotou, Jiuyuan of Inner Mongolia). There are repeated accounts throughout historical records which attest to his strength. The historian Fan Ye, compiler for the Book of Later Han, compared Lu Bu to be the very thing which caused people to shirk with fear. Cao Cao is famous for mentioning him and Red Hare. According to the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, Lu Bu was a master in horse riding, archery, and armed combat. He was reportedly known as the "Flying General" (飞将).

However, strength alone was not enough to salvage his reputation. He was also known to be rough to the point of being nearly intolerable with other people, and he was known for his fickle nature. Chen Gong praised his lord as an invincible warrior in the field, but he also urged his lord to be cautious and to avoid disturbing the public opinion of him. Gao Shun remarked that it wasn't always the will of the vassal to follow his lord's orders, addressing the disfavor directed towards Lu Bu. As a retainer, he couldn't reprimand his lord's actions and felt that he should accept any joy or misgivings his lord showed him. Historian Chen Shou remarked, "In history, there is no precedent in which a person like him was not ruined".

He had one known wife whose name and family relations are unknown. He fathered one known daughter.

Early Career
According to the Yīngxióng Jìyue, Lu Bu had left his home when he was still young and had previously considered living a life of banditry. Upon realizing that reading could land him a government post, Lu Bu sought to be educated. The earliest known recording of his military career began at Bingzhou under Ding Yuan, who quickly favored him after he had enlisted. He began as a Chief Registrar and eventually rose to be the Captain of the Cavalry.

Lu Bu followed his lord to Luoyang as Ding Yuan colluded with He Jin to deal with the corrupt ministers who reigned after Emperor Ling's death. After Ding Yuan was entitled Mayor of the Capital, he sought to assassinate the influential figure head who threatened his power: Dong Zhuo. Lu Bu protested Ding Yuan's decision and eventually killed him. Cutting off Ding Yuan's head, he sent a letter to Dong Zhuo offering his services to him. The letter explained the plot and his new loyalties, and the head sealed the deal. Dong Zhuo approved Lu Bu's actions so much that he allowed his new retainer to keep his title as Captain of the Cavalry.

The general first marched to battle Dong Zhuo's oppressors in 190, when Cao Cao and his regiment marched near Bianshui. Cao Cao's forces had defeated Xu Huang and were gaining momentum during their pursuit. Lu Bu's forces rode out at this time to counteract their raised spirits and to restore ally morale. A year later, he was a part of the subjugation army to intercept Sun Jian's forces at Yangren. Lu Bu is not known to have contributed much for the battle, instead choosing to bicker with the equally arrogant and foul natured, Hu Zhen. Since they were members of the same cavalry unit, Lu Bu made his grudge apparent by lying about Hu Zhen's orders. The troops were miserably confused and disorganized and caused Hu Zhen to suffer defeat. Lu Bu's further whereabouts at this time are not recorded, but the conflict resulted in Sun Jian's withdraw.

Since Lu Bu was infamous for his prowess, Dong Zhuo tried to keep him beside him to deter his many hated rivals in Luoyang. People would normally confront Dong Zhuo personally if Lu Bu was not present; if Lu Bu was there, they wouldn't even dare to bump into him. His new master loved him like a son and even adopted Lu Bu into his family. Lu Bu eventually was given the titles Commander of the Palace Guards and Ting Marquis.

Mutiny with Wang Yun
Wang Yun, who had been exhausted by Dong Zhuo's iron grip around this time, conspired to assassinate his lord. He wanted other retainers who shared his beliefs to join his uprising. Somehow, he convinced Lu Bu to join his cause. Lu Bu expressed concern over slaying his adoptive father, but Wang Yun convinced him that their surnames were different enough to avoid confusion regarding their family ties to one another. Wang Yun said to him, "What difference does your ties with him make if the knowledge is to die with the dead?"

There are three argued reasons why Lu Bu decided to join the plot against his adoptive father. One of them involves an incident in which Dong Zhuo was angry with Lu Bu, unsheathed a short sword, and hurled it at him. Lu Bu was barely able to dodge the thrown weapon in time. The other concerns his secret trysts with one of Dong Zhuo's servant maids. He remained in constant anxiety if and when the other palace attendants learned of their relationship for he feared suffering Dong Zhuo's wrath. The third reason is thought to be fueled by jealousy for other retainers' promotions or positive treatment they received from Dong Zhuo. In either scenario, it's generally accepted that Wang Yun had used Lu Bu's anxieties to sway him for his coup d'etat.

In April 192, Lu Bu and Li Su waited in secret at Endless Palace. Dong Zhuo wanted to visit the palace to celebrate Emperor Xian's illness and was lured there by Wang Yun earlier the same morning. Once Dong Zhuo had entered the palace, Lu Bu and Li Su's soldiers emerged to strike him down. Dong Zhuo was able to hold off Li Su's troops and, as he neared the gate, he angrily summoned for Lu Bu to come to his aid. Lu Bu emerged at this time. He answered, "It's an imperial order", before he killed Dong Zhuo with his own blade. At Lu Bu's insistence, Dong Zhuo's relatives were massacred as well.

After the Dong family were slaughtered in Chang'an, Wang Yun claimed the capital. Lu Bu was given the title General of Summoned Might, was named one of the Three Excellencies, and was promoted to Marquis of Wen. Despite his celebrated services, Lu Bu was loosely trusted by his comrades in Chang'an. Wang Yun had originally considered Lu Bu as a last resort to remove Dong Zhuo and many didn't approve of his attitude. They also suspected that Lu Bu could someday turn against them if they were to somehow offend him.

Approximately one or two months later, Chang'an was surrounded by Dong Zhuo's former retainers who sought to avenge their lord's death. According to Yīngxióng Jìyue, Lu Bu led ten or so horsemen and confronted Guo Si in battle. He challenged his opponent to a duel and nearly killed the general. If the incident is true, then it would be one of the few instances in history in which a military conflict was ended by a duel between generals. Although Lu Bu led troops to oppose them, the 100,000 troops overpowered Chang'an's defenses in ten days. Before the castle had completely fallen, Lu Bu gathered several hundred horsemen, attached Dong Zhuo's head to his horse, and rode out of the castle to flee. Whilst his horse circled around Chang'an's gates, he implored Wang Yun to escape as well. Wang Yun refused the request for he didn't want to turn his back on those remaining and was prepared to face his punishment.

When Chang'an fell, Lu Bu and his men fled southward through Guanzhong's Wu Pass. He was able to keep his three noble titles for a mere sixty days.

Establishing Independence
He first wandered towards Jizhou and eventually relied on Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao temporarily housed Lu Bu's forces and used the general to fight his current adversary at the moment, Zhang Yan and his bandits. The bandits were armed in the hundred thousands and severely outnumbered Lu Bu's forces at Changshan. Lu Bu led several dozen horsemen and rode with his retainers, Wei Yue and Chen Lian, to oppose Zhang Yan. They clashed with their foe three or four times and, ten days of fighting later, Zhang Yan's army suffered defeat.

Lu Bu's stay with Yuan Shao was a weary and short one. Yuan Shao had planned to keep using Lu Bu's abilities for his expeditionary forces, but he was disturbed by Lu Bu's willingness to pillage for supplies. There have been also argued accounts that Yuan Shao disapproved his troops accepting Lu Bu's thievery. His visitor's request for additional troops under his command therefore disgusted Yuan Shao. Once he learned of Yuan Shao's ire, Lu Bu mutually shared these feelings and sought to desert Yuan Shao. Fearing that Lu Bu would strike against him, Yuan Shao planned to have the general assassinated. Lu Bu learned of the plot from his retainers and escaped before it succeeded. The Yīngxióng Jìyue states that he left Yuan Shao's borders by offering to play music for the Yuan retainers. As the generals enjoyed themselves and had drunken themselves into a slumbering stupor, Lu Bu used this chance to escape. Yuan Shao later regretted his failure to procure the general for his cause.

During his time spent with Yuan Shao, Lu Bu had befriended Zhang Miao. He originally wanted to go to Zhang Miao, but he was close friends with Yuan Shao at the time. To avoid troubling him, Lu Bu eventually found another home at Henei with Zhang Yang.

There are two accounts of Zhang Yang's treatment of Lu Bu. In the Yīngxióng Jìyue, Zhang Yang was a mild-mannered lord who showered his retainers with affection and resented calamity in his ranks or with other people. When he received news from Guo Si and Li Jue that a reward was on Lu Bu's head, Zhang Yang had thought to accept Lu Bu and kill him shortly after. Upon seeing Lu Bu's calm demeanor, Zhang Yang ultimately failed to carry out the deed. The other account in the Weizhi establishes that he accepted Lu Bu since they shared similar northern origins. In any case, Lu Bu was soon titled Governor of Yingchuan.

After experiencing a falling out with Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, Zhang Miao conspired with Chen Gong to oppose Cao Cao. Both instigators then sought to make Lu Bu their figurehead lord. In 194, as they rebelled against Cao Cao's army at Yanzhou, Zhang Miao granted Lu Bu's entry into the thick of their conflict at Yanzhou. Lu Bu and his forces successfully took Puyang away from Xiahou Dun during Cao Cao's absence. Lu Bu's forces tried to expand their influence deeper into Cao Cao's territory, but they were ultimately foiled by Xun Yu and Cheng Yu. When Cao Cao returned to Yanzhou, he gathered troops to attack Lu Bu at Puyangcheng. The following battle resulted in a disastrous defeat for Cao Cao who escaped due to the help of his capable vassals. Lu Bu was in a position to overwhelm Cao Cao, but the one hundred plus days of famine and the storm of locusts destroying crops and troop supplies stayed his hand. Lu Bu's forces eventually stationed themselves in Shanyang, which allowed Cao Cao's retreat.

A year of grueling and relatively fruitless conflicts later, each side was locked in a stalemate. When Cao Cao directed his attention towards other rebelling factions, Lu Bu's forces used this opportunity to pummel through their foe's dwindled numbers to flee towards Liu Bei's hospitality at Xuzhou.

Yīngxióng Jìyue remarks that Lu Bu was initially respectful towards Liu Bei and treated him with reverence. He gradually became more arrogant of his benefactor's generosity. Within mere days, Lu Bu boldly called Liu Bei "[his] younger brother" without the lord's consent, thus earning Liu Bei's inward scorn. About a month later, Liu Bei left Xuzhou to subjugate Yuan Shu at Shouchun. Cao Bao, one of Chen Gong's retainers, helped Lu Bu's takeover of Xiapi. Lu Bu either took advantage of the chaos caused by Cao Bao's death at Zhang Fei's hands (Yīngxióng Jìyue) or was granted entry into the castle thanks to Cao Bao and Chen Gong's coordinated defection (Liu Bei's scroll in Record of the Three Kingdoms). Either record indicates that Zhang Fei was driven away from Xiapi.

Self-proclaiming himself the Governor of Xuzhou, Lu Bu arrogantly showed "charity" towards Liu Bei when the lord returned. He allowed Liu Bei to stay at Xiaopei. The Yīngxióng Jìyue states that Lu Bu also held Liu Bei's wife and child hostage for Liu Bei's obedience. Around this time, Yuan Shu ordered Ji Ling and others to assemble an army of 300,000 to attack Xiapi. Lu Bu concluded that Yuan Shu would surround him from the northern mountains if he allowed Liu Bei's defeat at Xiaopei and decided to intercept the invaders with 1,000 men and 200 horsemen.

As Lu Bu's troops reinforced Xiaopei, Chen Gong mediated between Liu Bei and Yuan Shu's generals to a meeting with his lord. Lu Bu invited them to a feast and said to Yuan Shu's retainers, "Liu Bei is [my] * younger brother. Gentleman, I am aware that my brother has caused you unneeded hardship so I came to help. It is not in my nature to perpetuate conflict. Nay, I prefer to stop disputes."


 * * Throughout the exchange, Lu Bu refers to himself in third person by full name. He calls himself "Lu Bu" with a tone of arrogance and superiority.

He then ordered one of his soldiers to position a halberd upright at Xiaopei's gate. As he drew an arrow back from a bow given to him, Lu Bu addressed them again, "Gentleman, please observe if you would my shot at that halberd's wooden end. If my arrow hits it, then I ask that both armies withdraw and disband their troops. If I am to fail, then your troops may do as you please." With the same arrow, Lu Bu hit the halberd exactly at the spot mentioned in his barter. Ji Ling and company were astonished and exclaimed, "You are the very light of Heaven!" On the same day, both sides conversed a while longer and obeyed Lu Bu. With Yuan Shu out of the picture, Lu Bu then attacked Liu Bei and claimed Xiaopei.

The Yīngxióng Jìyue claims that Emperor Xian asked for Lu Bu to receive his company when he was in Hedong. At the time, Lu Bu's supplies were low so the offer was respectfully refused. As Emperor Xian sent another messenger to reach Lu Bu, he included the appointed titles General who Pacifies the East and Pingtao Marquis in his letter. However, as the messenger left for Lu Bu, the letter was lost at Shanyang.

Fall and End
In 197, Yuan Shu desired to establish an alliance with Lu Bu. He sent Han Yin as his messenger and sought to create their alliance by marrying Yuan Shu's son with Lu Bu's daughter. Both parties consented and Lu Bu's daughter left with Han Yin's escort. Neighboring ruler of Pei Chen Gui quickly learned of the warlords' plans and feared that the two would someday overwhelm him. He visited Lu Bu and convinced the lord to cancel the marriage; Lu Bu asked for his daughter's return. The angered Yuan Shu ordered Zhang Xun to lead a large army to attack Lu Bu. To counter the threat against him, Lu Bu convinced Han Xian, Yang Feng, and their several thousand horsemen to defect by sending them a letter stating his accomplishments and belittling Yuan Shu.

To end their conflict quickly, Yuan Shu once again turned to negotiation to appeal to Lu Bu. Lu Bu demanded to maintain his independence and a letter of Yuan Shu's surrender to him. Yuan Shu agreed to the terms and obeyed. Meanwhile, Zang Ba either didn't know or hear of Lu Bu's plans for peace and attacked the independent ruler of Langye, Xiao Jian. Lu Bu was angered on two counts: Zang Ba disobeyed him and Zang Ba caused his third-party ally to lose his castle, Jucheng. Furious with his retainer, Lu Bu ignored Gao Shun's request to wait for Zang Ba's forgiveness and gathered an army to attack Zang Ba. The civil war ended with Lu Bu triumphant; the afflicted parties then reconciled and renewed their loyalties to one another.

With Cao Cao's support, Liu Bei returned to reclaim his spot at Xiaopei in 198. Liu Bei attacked Xiaopei, briefly reclaimed it, but ultimately lost his fight against Lu Bu. Cao Cao followed with an invasion of Xuzhou. Nearly the same time, Chen Deng displayed his displeasure for his lord by defecting to Cao Cao. Lu Bu tried to hold Chen Deng's younger brother as a hostage and to regain the rioter's loyalties, but the plot ultimately failed. Seeing the tides turn against him, Lu Bu requested reinforcements from Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu's trust in Lu Bu had wilted as he was reminded of the lord's past betrayals. Lu Bu tried to offer his daughter once more to strengthen his ties with Yuan Shu, but the carriage was refused. At his wit's end, Lu Bu listened to his wife and ignored Chen Gong and Gao Shun's advice thenceforth. The sieges of Xiapi continued endlessly between the armies.

Three months later, Lu Bu's troops were riddled with anxiety and impoverished by hunger. Cao Cao planned a water attack with Xun Yu and Guo Jia by using the two rivers, Yishui and Sishui. He initiated the attack in winter when the morale of Lu Bu's troops were at their lowest. The water attack was the breaking point for Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Wei Xu. They captured Chen Gong, Gao Shun, and Red Hare and surrendered to Cao Cao. Lu Bu tried to rouse his remaining men to keep resisting the coalition against them and threatened to kill them if they surrendered to Cao Cao. When he saw that his troops were unwilling to listen to him, Lu Bu surrendered.

As he was brought before Cao Cao, Lu Bu said to him, "Milord, if you lead the infantry and I lead the cavalry, we can pacify the land together." Upon hearing this, Cao Cao looked dismayed and considered the proposal. Upon noticing this, Liu Bei warned, "Have you forgotten the fates of Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo?" Thusly convinced, Cao Cao ordered for his prisoner's execution. Before he was hanged, Lu Bu's last words to Cao Cao were, "Under any circumstances, you mustn't trust the one with large ears (Liu Bei)." Shortly after his death, Lu Bu's head was removed and his body was buried.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Lu Bu was said to be a master of all of the martial arts, a crack shot with the bow, and a peerless rider. His most major flaws were his impatience and his temper, and he preferred action to talk and diplomacy, and made a rather poor general and politician. The adopted son of Ding Yuan, he led the army that his stepfather brought to oppose the usurping Dong Zhuo. Before the negotiations even ended, Lu Bu got impatient and with a yell he charged alone into Dong Zhuo's front line, causing the panicked infantry to flee.

The fat tyrant realized that he would never defeat Ding Yuan so long as Lu Bu served him. Li Su, a general under Dong Zhuo and a fellow villager of Lu Bu, then volunteered to persuade the formidable warrior to defect. Bringing along a famous steed named the Red Hare, a thousand taels of gold, dozens of pearls and a jade belt (which would amount to a $1,000,000 bribe in today's market), Li Su came to see Lu Bu, who was encamped outside the city. It did not take much persuasion to convince Lu Bu to betray his master, who felt that his career was going nowhere under Ding Yuan. That very night, Lu Bu carried a sword into the tent of Ding Yuan, who was reading under the candlelight. Ding Yuan questioned him as to why he was holding the sword. Quickly sensing that Lu Bu had switched sides, Ding Yuan tried to escape but was unsuccessful.

With a stroke of his sword Lu Bu cut down his father's head, which he brought to Dong Zhuo the next morning. Lu Bu then took Dong Zhuo as his new adoptive father, who was overjoyed and showered his newly adopted son with more gifts. The constant presence of Lu Bu at his side deterred future assassins. For his personal safety, Dong Zhuo relied heavily on Lu Bu, who had by then been promoted to Knight General. The son would be seen beside the father almost all the time.

Battle with Three Heroes at Hulao Pass
Since he placed the puppet Emperor Xian in the throne, Dong Zhuo's tyrannical and cruel ways had angered many warlords around the country. The warlords formed a coalition under Yuan Shao in 190 and came for Dong Zhuo in the capital Luoyang to vanquish him.

However, they were stopped at Hulao Pass, 50 li from Luoyang. Riding forth on his Red Hare, his halberd in hand, dressed in the finest silver armor and wearing a twin pheasent-tail headpiece, Lu Bu taunted for challengers to duel him. Every warrior who came within range of his halberd were either maimed horribly or met a swift, bloody death. Amid the chaotic screams of panic and death, Lu Bu heard a loud, bass voice call him a "bastard slave with three last names". Wielding his Eight-Zhang Serpent Spear, Zhang Fei shouted the insult at Lu Bu to get his attention and galloped out to fight him.

Zhang Fei was said to have wielded the strength of a hundred men in battle, but he struggled against Lu Bu for more than fifty bouts, either side unable to gain an advantage. Then Guan Yu, brandishing his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, dashed out to assist his brother. The three fighters were engaged in another thirty bouts, but still Lu Bu held his ground. Then Liu Bei, holding up his Dual Swords, also joined the battle.

Like a merry-go-round, the three brothers galloped in a circle caging Lu Bu inside, who finally began to tire. Whenever Lu Bu tried to attack one, the other two would ride in and attack his exposed flanks forcing him back on the defensive, and soon he became exhausted. Unable to face the combined efforts of his three opponents at once, Lu Bu then made a feign at Liu Bei, whose martial ability he determined was the least of the three, and retreated through the resulting gap back to the pass gate. The Trio chased after Lu Bu but due to the speed of Red Hare, his horse, they could not keep up with him. However they abandoned the chase after they spotted Dong Zhuo and then pursued him unsuccessfully.

Romance with Diaochan and Slaying Dong Zhuo
After Dong Zhuo moved the capital to the more strategically sound Chang'an, Minister of Interior Wang Yun started to contemplate a plot to assassinate the tyrant by using Diaochan, a song girl who was brought up in his household but whom he treated like his own daughter, to plant the seed of dissension between Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu.

Inviting Lu Bu over one night, Wang Yun asked Diaochan to serve wine to the guest. Lu Bu was immediately left speechless by the girl's beauty. Well aware of this, Wang Yun then promised to marry Diaochan to the mighty warrior.

A few days later, however, Wang Yun laid a feast for Dong Zhuo and repeated the feat. Like Lu Bu, Dong Zhuo could not lift his eyes off Diaochan, who also displayed her prowess in song and dance. Dong Zhuo then brought Diaochan home and made her his concubine.

When Lu Bu heard about this the next morning, he headed for Dong Zhuo's bedroom and peeped in through the window. There he saw Diaochan sitting up grooming her hair while Dong Zhuo was still asleep. Seeing Lu Bu's reflection in the pond near the window, Diaochan then put up a sorrowful expression and pretended to wipe tears off her eyes with a handkerchief.

When Dong Zhuo fell sick a month later, Lu Bu took the chance to see Diaochan on the pretext of asking after Dong Zhuo's health, but this time Dong Zhuo woke up in time to see Lu Bu staring fixedly at Diaochan. The arrogant and ungrateful Dong Zhuo then had Lu Bu shoved out and forbidden to enter the inner chambers henceforth.

Then one day, while Dong Zhuo was holding a conversation with Emperor Xian, Lu Bu stole to his adoptive father's residence and met with Diaochan in the Fengyi Pavilion. Weeping, Diaochan pled with Lu Bu to rescue her from Dong Zhuo vowing to drown herself in the pond rather than spend another minute with the horrid tyrant. Taken in by Diaochan's act, Lu Bu placed his halberd aside and held Diaochan in his arms while comforting her with promises for her rescue.

Back at the palace, Dong Zhuo realized that Lu Bu had slipped away. Returning to his residence, he found the Red Hare horse outside and realized that Lu Bu had gone against his orders and reentered the inner chambers. In a huff, Dong Zhuo entered his residence to find the duo in the pavilion. The startled Lu Bu turned to flee, forgetting to retrieve his halberd in the process. Dong Zhuo grabbed the halberd and gave chase. Being too obese, Dong Zhuo could not catch up with the agile Lu Bu. He then hurled the halberd at Lu Bu but the latter fended it off and got away.

After the incident, Lu Bu was becoming increasingly fed up with Dong Zhuo's egotistical arrogance. This displeasure was further enticed by Wang Yun, who suggested subtly that Lu Bu take Dong Zhuo's life. Lu Bu attempted to argue for Dong Zhuo's paternal relationship to himself, but Wang Yun dismissed it, saying, "His surname is Dong and yours is Lu. Where were the paternal feelings when he threw that halberd at you?" Upon this, Lu Bu decided that he'd had enough and made up his mind to kill Dong Zhuo.

The conspirators then sent Li Su to fetch Dong Zhuo from his castle in the county of Mei under the pretense that the emperor intended to abdicate the throne to the warlord. Despite repeated ill omens, the overjoyed Dong Zhuo came to the palace gate, where his troops were barred from entering. As Dong Zhuo's carriage neared the palace building, soldiers loyal to Wang Yun surrounded the carriage and stabbed Dong Zhuo with spears.

Dong Zhuo was however injured only in the arms due to the breastplate he had taken the caution to wear that day. He then cried out for Lu Bu, giving him a "Imperial order to slay the traitor!". Unfortunately for Dong Zhuo, he was impaled in the throat by Lu Bu's halberd like a wild pig, while Lu Bu sarcastically proclaimed, "Then by imperial order I'll slay the traitor!" It was said that Lu Bu not only skewered his stepfather, but also the carriage as well, with the bloody tip of his halberd sticking out the back. Not content with this slaughter, Lu Bu called for the death of Li Ru as well.

Exile and Independence
After Dong Zhuo's death, rumors spread that the court intended to execute all his former troops from Liangzhou (涼州). When a royal decree of pardon was not issued, former subjects of Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and Guo Si, staged a coup and defeated Lu Bu within ten days. Escaping from Chang'an, Lu Bu first went to Yuan Shu in Yangzhou (楊州). Deterred by Lu Bu's fickleness, however, Yuan Shu declined to keep him.

Lu Bu then headed north to seek a position under Yuan Shao. Having been given some troops by the northern warlord, Lu Bu successfully flushed out the army under Zhang Yan. However, with his own force growing in strength, Lu Bu began to look like a threat to Yuan Shao. Sensing this himself, Lu Bu then bid his short-term master farewell. Yuan Shao sent assassins after Lu Bu, but Lu Bu eluded them.

In 194, while Cao Cao was away on a campaign against Tao Qian in Xuzhou (徐州), his subjects Zhang Miao and Chen Gong rebelled and handed Yanzhou (兗州) to Lu Bu. When Cao Cao heard the news, he quickly turned back and laid siege on Lu Bu in Puyang. After more than a hundred days of stalemate, a famine breakout forced Lu Bu to give up his position.

Thinking that forcing Cao Cao's retreat from Xuzhou had done Liu Bei a favor, Lu Bu then headed for Xiapi to take refuge under Liu Bei. He often referred to Liu Bei as "little brother" which Liu Bei's oath brothers, particularly Zhang Fei, found disrespectful. In 196, however, after a number of misunderstandings, Lu Bu turned on his host and took over Xiapi, proclaiming himself the governor and sending Liu Bei to the nearby town of Xiaopei. He later performs his historical act of preventing Ji Ling's attack on Liu Bei.

Hoping to prevent Cao Cao's expanding influence, Yuan Shu offered an alliance with Lu Bu. Their marriage alliance ends in the same manner with Lu Bu initially agreeing but then recalling his decision. Lu Bu also imprisoned Yuan Shu's envoy and sent the captive to Cao Cao as a token of friendship.

Downfall
In 198, Cao Cao and Liu Bei formed a short-term alliance and laid siege on Lu Bu in Xiapi. The siege dragged on for two months without significant gains. After the water attack on Xiapi flooded the city gates, Lu Bu's subjects rushed to inform their leader, but Lu Bu dismissed the threat on account that his Red Hare could run as well in water as on land. Thereupon he returned to his wine cups and consorts. However, heavy indulgence in alcohol and women had wasted his health away such that one day Lu Bu looked into the mirror and found himself looking thin and pallid. Making the resolution to quit drinking, Lu Bu then passed an order for all within the city to keep off wine.

One day, Hou Cheng caught a defector who attempted to steal fifty horses and give it to the enemy. Hou Cheng then prepared barrels of wine to celebrate with his colleagues. Fearing wrath of Lu Bu, he then had five bottles sent to his superior to appease the latter, which turned out to a terrible mistake. Seeing the bottles of wine, Lu Bu was enraged at the opposition to his alcoholic ban, and had Hou Cheng thrashed sixty times as punishment.

The unhappy Hou Cheng then plotted with two colleagues, Song Xian and Wei Xu, to betray Lu Bu to the enemy. Under the cover of the night Hou Cheng stole Lu Bu's Red Hare and galloped out of the only gate not submerged in water towards Cao Cao's camp.

The next morning, Cao Cao's troops launched a fierce attack on the city. Lu Bu personally took part in the defense of the walls. The battle dragged into high noon and the attackers backed off for a rest. The exhausted Lu Bu then slept in a guardhouse on top of the wall. Taking the opportunity, Song Xian and Wei Xu very carefully tied Lu Bu with chains and hoisted a white flag. The two also threw Lu Bu's halberd down the wall as proof. Seeing the signals, Cao Cao's troops then poured into the city and seized it in no time.

After he had been captured, he trashed like a beast in his chains until he was taken in front of Cao Cao. Lu Bu attempted to appeal to Cao Cao in the same manner as historical counterpart. To reinforce his point, Lu Bu then tried to get Liu Bei to plea for him. Liu Bei continued to speak against Lu Bu by speaking the same words he did historically. Lu Bu's last words were spent threatening to kill Liu Bei like a dog for speaking against him. Cao Cao had Lu Bu strangled and then beheaded.

Trivia

 * He is commonly known as "Roach" (小强--xiao qiang, lit. “little tough 'un", a slang name for a cockroach originated from Stephen Chow's films) in Chinese-speaking internet societies, due to the pheasant tails on his headpiece (resembling the antennae of the insect) and the fact of his apparent invulnerability in-game. The tail feathers in Lu Bu's headpiece most likely come from the Reeves Pheasant, who's tail feathers can grow to 65 inches long (over 5 feet). The nickname "Cockroach" (ゴキブリ, Gokiburi or "G" for short) also appears in Japanese Dynasty Warriors fan communities for similar reasons. They even make jibs about Lu Bu "scuttling" across the field by noting the sound effect for insects walking (カサカサカサカサ, kasakasakasakasa).

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