Lu Su

Lu Su (onyomi: Ro Shuku) is an advisor for the Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China, historically being a kind, yet wise and strong man during his youth. He took control of the military after the death of Zhou Yu. During the Battle of Chibi, Lu Su served as a close adviser to Zhou Yu and a liaison with Liu Bei's forces. Upon Zhou Yu's death, Lu Su was put in charge of Sun Quan's army and was Head Advisor until his own death.

Before his playable Dynasty Warriors appearance, Lu Su was a generic Wu NPC since the series's third title. In Famitsu's first most wanted character poll, he ranked fifth with fans. Famitsu's character survey ranks him in fourth place for the boss category. He ranked thirty-sixth place in Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends popularity poll. The latest poll for the eighth installment puts him in fifty-seventh. The character poll for overseas fans puts him in sixteenth place for the Wu division. This counterpart has a character image song titled Eyes On the Future.

His character's height in Kessen II is 170 cm (5'7").

Dynasty Warriors
In Dynasty Warriors 7, Lu Su assists Zhou Yu with his fire attack at Chibi and is the one to report the status of the battle. He also appears at Nanjun and Hefei in this title as well.

A renowned strategist in the lands of Wu in Dynasty Warriors 8, Lu Su is first seen at Chibi assisting his allies in the fire attack and at the chase for Cao Cao. Despite Jing province no longer being in Wei's control, Wu's attempts to regain it fail due to Liu Bei's men occupying the area. Enraged, Wu attacks the province including it's new adviser, Lu Su, having succeeded Zhou Yu, and soon is stopped due to the threat of Cao Cao. Lu Su soon eases the tensions between the two states, but dies shortly after and is succeeded by Lu Meng.

In Wu's hypothetical route, he survives through his sickness, and is present at Hefei. Lu Su and Zhou Yu's detailed analysis of the enemy formations and terrain allows him to correctly predict and foil Zhang Liao's attempt to destroy Xiaoshi Bridge and Li Dian's planned ambush of the Wu main camp, leading to Wu taking control of Hefei Castle and the Wei forces retreating. He joins Lu Meng, Lu Xun, and Xiaoqiao in battling the Sima clan for control of Runan, successfully outwitting and defeating Sima Yi. He is also present during Wu's final battle against Wei at Xuchang.

In Shu's hypothetical route, he is the leader of the Wu forces at Fan Castle but proposes waiting to see how the engagement between Shu and Wei fares. Lu Meng angrily leads Wu soldiers to attack Shu anyway only to be blunted by Zhang Jiao and the Yellow Turbans, who arrive to reinforce Shu. Lu Su and Lu Meng then retreat after being attacked by Shu forces lead by Guan Yu. He appears once again at Lukou, where Wu is finally subdued after a small skirmish. Lu Su reveals to Zhuge Liang that the intent of the fight at Lukou was to convince Wu to re-establish its alliance with Shu. Lu Su then assists Shu by joining their southern campaign and is seen at the ending alongside Sun Quan and Lu Meng.

In Wei's hypothetical route, he appears in Wu's final stand at Jianye after being defeated at Chibi.

During the Xtreme Legends expansion, Lu Su appears in some of Wu's new scenarios including the strategist tournament and the alternate version of Yiling where past generals like Zhou Yu and Huang Gai take on the Shu forces alongside the younger generation of strategists. In the strategist tournament, Lu Su will unleash multiple ballistae to aid him against Zhou Yu. He also acts as the main strategist when Sun Quan orders an attack against Liu Cong at Xiangyang in the hopes of taking Jing province before Cao Cao can.

In Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed, Lu Su's bond story begins with him moving to Jiangdong for better opportunities. While on his way there, he bravely stands up to Yuan Shu's soldiers who were sent to keep migrants from leaving. This act of courage earns him a place within Sun Quan's court. More than eager to prove himself, he persuades his lord to eliminate Huang Zu and Liu Biao to further solidify their rule in the south.

Although Lu Su plays an integral role in forming the Alliance against Cao Cao in Chibi, he feels cheated over Liu Bei not returning Jingzhou like he had promised. In order to regain back the territory, he takes part in a plot to trap Guan Yu during a banquet, but ends up being made a hostage by their guest instead.

In Dynasty Warriors 9, Lu Su acts as a one of Zhou Yu's old traveling companions. He aids Sun Jian's forces when they are ambushed by Yuan Shu, who covets the imperial seal. It is only after Yuan Shao and Sun Jian's deaths, however, that Lu Su joins the Sun family's conquests.

To combat Cao Cao at the north, Sun Quan begins moving to take Jing province from Sun Jian's killer, Huang Zu. After dealing with Huang Zu, the Wu forces aid Liu Bei and defeat Cao Cao at Chibi. Unfortunately, their alliance quickly becomes hit with strife when both parties attack Nanjun.

While the forces of Wu are held up by Cao Ren, Liu Bei seizes the southern four counties. Additionally, Zhou Yu is mortally wounded during the battle, and the empty-handed Wu forces are forced to agree to loan the province to Liu Bei for fear of Cao Cao's southern advance.

After Zhou Yu's death, Lu Su takes part in an attack on Jing province when Guan Yu refuses to return the loaned counties back to Wu. As his illness only worsens, Lu Su leaves to make another trip to Shu for further negotiations. He never finishes the trip, however, and dies just at the end the loss at Hefei.

For his personal DLC scenario, Lu Su makes small steps to minimize overall casualties in Jing Province in order to keep the peasants from having a negative view of the Wu forces. After the assault, he relegates his position as Wu's representative to Lu Xun while the strategist returns home to recover.

Having finally regained his health, Lu Su learns of Wu's loss at Hefei and Liu Bei's victory at Hanzhong. Since Sun Quan and Lu Meng are both determined to kill Guan Yu at Fan Castle, Lu Su joins Lu Xun in rescuing the Shu forces from their allies, surprising the Wu generals involved with supposed betrayal.

Having successfully helped Guan Yu evade death, Lu Su is confronted by Sun Quan. Lu Su and Lu Xun however, argue the necessity of their alliance with Shu, and remonstrates his lord for losing the awareness that Wei and Wu could never walk the same path together with the supposed ceasefire. He claims given especially since with Wei trying to expect a divide between Shu and Wu, they will attempt to pick them off after exhaustion from the conflict as proof that the alliance itself already is strong enough to oppose Wei in the first place.

Agreeing with Lu Su's advice with the regret of assuming that Wu having no reason to fight with Wei would be fine on its own, Sun Quan asks his advisor to once again restart Wu and Shu's alliance. Since the Wei forces have now begun advancing for Ruxukou once again, though the mere mention of Zhang Liao causes issues with troop morale. In order to combat Zhang Liao, the leader of the assault forces, Lu Su brings Guan Yu and his children along for the battle to keep him preoccupied.

After the battle, Lu Meng speaks with Lu Su regarding his doubts in placing their fate with Shu along with the late Zhou Yu's plan to divide the land into two. Lu Su reminds his pupil that in a land of chaos, it is key to know who to trust and who to doubt without limiting one's options. Additionally, the world had changed much that Bashu could no longer be controlled by them. Rather than divide the land between them and Cao Cao, Lu Su's plan of a land divided into two would be between them and Shu.

Moving on from Ruxukou, Lu Su assaults Cao Pi's fortress at Hefei. Wishing to give more field work to the next generation, he leaves the vanguard to both Zhu Ran and Lu Xun. In order to press on their victory, Lu Su and Xu Sheng lead the next attack to Xu province.

Thanks to Xu Sheng's sway over the natives, the province also falls as Xu Sheng saves his tears of joy for when the whole war is truly over. Before the Wu forces can celebrate, Cao Pi has his forces in Xiangyang and Fan Castle advance south in Jing Province, pressuring Guan Yu and co. while also sieging Jiangling. Once Guan Yu and his army are rescued and Sima Yi's assault is repelled, Lu Meng suggests a two-pronged assault against Wei via advice from Lu Su.

Lu Su decides to go to Chengdu to speak with Liu Bei regarding their potential plan. During their trip, however, they are attacked by the Shu army. The root cause is traced back to the Wei forces, who are attempting to sabotage the alliance. Once the misunderstanding is cleared, both Wu and Shu begin their attack north. Though in spite of the Shu Army falling into a clever trap due to eagerness to attack Wei with momentum, thanks to the combined efforts of both forces, Xuchang is conquered with their combined efforts.

By this time, Liu Bei's personal army successfully marches through Hanzhong and Chang'an, shaping the final battle against Cao Pi at Luoyang. As this battle would likely be his last, Lu Su gives everything by discreetly guarding a dangerously-exposed position at Hulao Gate in order for all of his allies to battle without any hitches. However, enemy forces due to Sima Yi's plan raids Lu Su's position en masse, and with insight from Lu Meng sending Lu Xu and Xu Sheng to add him in the nick of time, the battle is a success. Rather than join the others and return to Jianye, Lu Su chooses retirement and moves far away from the capital.

Nonetheless, he is greeted by the other officers of Wu who still make a banquet for him. When Lu Xun asks Lu Su if he's really not coming back, he reaffirms his wish, as he is no longer necessary with all the other officers around. Lu Xun, while disappointed, still thanks the former commander, promising that he and the others shall remain as his legacy to the kingdom.

Warriors Orochi
During the Warriors Orochi series, Lu Su always acts as Zhou Yu's replacement officer in the first three entries.

Surrounded almost immediately by Ares and his army at Chibi after entering the new world in Warriors Orochi 4, the arrival of the coalition forces led by Zhuge Liang enables him, Pang Tong and Hanbei to turn the tide of battle and escape with minimal casualties. His personal contribution is to set up archers to hinder Ares army's pursuit.

Kessen
He is officially described in Kessen II as a brave and intelligent strategist whose abilities may be a match for Zhou Yu. Lu Su directs an army of crossbow units and can only use magic to fight back his foes.

Development
Lu Su is the character who Akihiro Suzuki favors in Dynasty Warriors 8. He believes Lu Su's character is the strongest personification of the development team's efforts to be closer to his historical self. His addition into the series was made since developers wanted to include all of the military commanders within their focused time zone for Wu. He was conceptualized to be a "charming adult strategist" not seen before in the series. Though he is strong and intelligent, they wanted to make it seem as though he is also a normal man enduring the era's troubled times. His design was made with the hopes of seeming reliable and chivalrous.

Personality
A kind-hearted man at best, Lu Su is one who is often positive as he is wise. Most of the time, he seems to act as a bit of a charmer, but deep down shows a brilliant mind with intellect that matches up to much of Wu's talent. Lu Su also often acts much more of a "good sport" towards others, and rarely phased by anything that comes his way is often a note towards his aged-yet-wise mind.

Compared to the rest of his comrades in Wu, Lu Su is one who takes the alliance between them and Shu more seriously, deeming it to be the most beneficial to Wu's future. This also shows as he is not pleased when Lu Meng and Lu Xun decide to break their alliance in one of the hypothetical routes. Despite this, Lu Su looks to the younger generation with phrase and hope in order to succeed his prowess in the future.

Voice Actors

 * Peter Doyle - Warriors Orochi series (English-uncredited)
 * Steve Kramer - Dynasty Warriors 8 (English-uncredited)
 * Philip Hersh - Dynasty Warriors 9 (English)
 * Xudong Gao - Dynasty Warriors 9 (Chinese)
 * Han Shin - Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed (Korean)
 * Jeong Seonghun - Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Legend of Cao Cao (Korean)
 * Hideyuki Tanaka - Kessen II (Japanese)
 * Taiten Kusunoki - Dynasty Warriors 8~9, Warriors Orochi 4 (Japanese)
 * Takeshi Endo - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series
 * Seirō Ogino - Sangokushi Legion
 * Naoki Bandō - Youkai Sangokushi (Japanese)
 * Naoyuki Shimozuru - Sangokushi Hadou (Japanese)
 * Hiroshi Iwasaki - Sangokushi Three Kingdoms TV series

Live Action Performers

 * Takeshi Hayashino - Butai Shin Sangoku Musou Sekiheki no Tatakai
 * Yuta Suzuki - Butai Shin Sangoku Musou Keishū Soudatsusen IF

Quotes

 * See also: Lu Su/Quotes


 * "Master Lu Meng studied under you, Master Lu Su... I would like to receive your teachings as well."
 * "Hahaha! Am I really so highly regarded? Well, what do you want to know?"
 * "I heard that Master Lu Meng was quite mischievous when he was younger. Is that true?"
 * "That's something you should ask him. Everyone goes through various phases in their youth."
 * "So does that mean that you did as well, Master Lu Su? I heard a rumor that you were even worse than Master Lu Meng."
 * "Lu Xun, it is good you are so eager to learn from others. However, some questions are better left unasked."
 * Lu Xun and Lu Su; Dynasty Warriors 8


 * "No matter how much I talk to you, I just can't seem to get a handle on you. I'm amazed you can be a strategist."
 * "Really? I'd say that a strategist needs to keep a lot to himself. Otherwise the enemy might read his methods. You, meanwhile, are open and frank when you talk to anyone. I'm amazed you can defeat any enemy like that."
 * "Hah. Facing everything head-on is one of my conditions for living. Even when dealing with enemies. It also helps to get telling reactions from the enemy. Your own response was quite interesting, for example."
 * "Well-well, I see there are all sorts of strategists in this world. I truly wouldn't want to face you in battle."
 * Lu Su and Jia Xu; Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers


 * "Hey there, old fella! I hear you used to wander the land yourself when you were younger. You and I would probably get on well."
 * "Hahaha! Well, I wandered the land because my family was rich. That allowed me my freedom. I used to give money to those in need, go and meet famous people... Thinking back, it was the best time of my life."
 * "I see. Those days made you the man you are today."
 * Keiji and Lu Su; Warriors Orochi 4

Gameplay

 * See also: Lu Su/Movesets

Weapons

 * See also: Lu Su/Weapons

Dynasty Warriors 8
Lu Su uses the rake as his default weapon in this title.

Historical Information
Born from a wealthy clan in Dongcheng, Linhuai, Lu Su was the first among his family to gain a position in government. Lu Su was historically described to be a very fit man with a muscly-build, as well as having a genuine heart while having a very polite front.

Originally he was from a very wealthy family, though his father passed away when he was very young (leaving him in the care of his grandfather). Through the massive fortune he possessed, Lu Su freely gave to the poor and needy in the towns he visited.

Through his practicing of swordsmanship and archery in his spare time, the men from those said families were also trained by him as well as honing hunting and military routines to learn how to fend for themselves and support their families (thus forming himself a personal army). Lu Su was eventually encountered by a total stranger who asked for his mass food stores to feed his soldiers; without any hostility Lu Su agreed. The said stranger met with Lu Su personally and eventually introduced himself as Zhou Yu (who was working under Yuan Shu at the time). Soon, both the men became close friends for a long time.

Later on, he first served as a vassal for Yuan Shu due to his link and prior-established friendship with Zhou Yu. However, Lu Su had a sour attitude towards Yuan Shu due to his treatment of others, but performed well under his rule due to his ability to salvage from out of any bad situation. It was also due to the said friendship he eventually switched allegiances with Sun Ce after a few duties done under his prior ruler. After the Little Conqueror's death, he then became a strategist under Sun Quan who was delighted by the former's charismatic personality. However, a few select people such as Zhang Zhao, often disagreed with Lu Su's methods at the time due to his youth. Sun Quan regardless paid no mind to the elder adviser's words.

His plan to divide the land into three major powers was similar to what Zhuge Liang had in mind with the exception of Liu Biao being one of them instead of Liu Bei.

Lu Su was instrumental in forming the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei which later brought about Cao Cao's downfall at Chibi. He also took over Zhou Yu's position as commander of the Wu army after the latter succumbed to illness. At some point, Lu Su had a negative opinion about Lu Meng due to his prior reputation, but when he was urged by others to visit him in his stationed area at Xunyang, Lu Su grew hesitant but soon complied with the deed to be polite. Lu Su was eventually startled by Lu Meng's proposed plans regarding Liu Bei's rule over Jing, taking note of his newly-acquired-yet-vast knowledge; from there, Lu Meng and Lu Su established a close friendship.

When the relationship between Wu and Shu started to erode due to the issue over Jing Province, Lu Su attempted to mitigate the tension by negotiating with Guan Yu over exchanging territories. In 217, he died at the age of 45 and was buried at Mount Gui.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Lu Su felt that it would be beneficial for Wu to maintain diplomatic relations with the neighboring Kingdom of Shu. Zhou Yu considered Zhuge Liang an immense threat and was eager to get rid of him whenever he had the chance. However, Lu Su greatly respected Zhuge Liang and stood up for him in Wu's councils. He is portrayed as a good hearted, but naive character; though some adaptations deem him to be merely the kindest out of most of the strategists portrayed within the novel while truly trying to consider the welfare of the Wu-Shu alliance.

Trivia

 * In the Encyclopedia mode of Dynasty Warriors 6, in place of Lu Zhi, Lu Su is incorrectly listed to be one of the Imperial Corps Commanders for the Han during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.