Sun Shangxiang

Sun Shang Xiang first appears as a character in Dynasty Warriors and continues to appear in every title in the series. Known as the lady of Wu, her father is Sun Jian and she is Sun Ce and Sun Quan's younger sister. She is historically married to Liu Bei but this doesn't always occur in the games.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, she is 18 years old and her height is 167 cm (close to 5'6"). Her height in Kessen II is 170 cm (almost 5'7").

Role in Games

 * "I am Sun Shang Xiang, daughter of the Wu family, sister of the Little Conqueror. I want to be a warrior, not a little housewife!"
 * ―Sun Shang Xiang

Dynasty Warriors
Taught martial arts from an early age, Sun Shang Xiang is a woman who wants to prove her worth in battle. Depending on the stage, she will either be seen fighting under Shu or Wu's banner. Although she is often one of the starting characters for Wu, her appearances as a computer opponent fluctuates with each title.

Her Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends takes place after the Battle of Chi Bi. Sun Quan, learning that Liu Bei had recently lost his wife, offers Sun Shang Xiang to comfort him. Though normally an auspicious gesture, the idea is actually a trap devised by Zhou Yu to keep Liu Bei within Wu. Thanks to Zhuge Liang's insight, Liu Bei politely goes to Wu and plans for his imminent escape back to Shu. Sun Shang Xiang, charmed by Liu Bei's honest character, decides to join him. She defends him from Wu's generals, who are intent on capturing him.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, Sun Shang Xiang defended her home while her father and brothers fought for the Allied Forces. After Dong Zhuo's down fall, their family ally, Yuan Shu, clashes with Liu Biao and requests support from Sun Jian. Her father gives into her wishes to fight with them on the battlefront and asks her to lead the eastern battalion. Though they win the battle at Jing Province, it costs her father's life and Sun Ce passes away soon after. Sun Quan reconstructs their home and allies with Liu Bei to defeat Cao Cao. Curious to meet her brother's ally, she joins the chase for Cao Cao's head. After the conflict, she is arranged to marry Liu Bei and falls in love with her husband. However, the marriage is a ploy to feign trust for Liu Bei and Sun Quan calls her back to Wu. She returns to her home to assist their struggle at He Fei and help secure Nan Zhong. When Liu Bei declares war on Sun Quan for causing Guan Yu's death, Sun Shang Xiang decides to stay true to her family before her beloved. Causing Liu Bei's death at Yi Ling, she swears to continue living her life worthy of his memory.

She shares her Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion with Sun Quan and Lu Xun. The trio work together at Shi Ting to topple Cao Xiu with treachery. Before the march, Sun Shang Xiang worries about her brother's safety in Lu Xun's plan and is afraid of losing another family member. He assures her that he will not die until their family's dream is realized. Assured, she leads the western squad and matches her movements to Lu Xun. If the plan is successful, Cao Xiu is isolated by Zhou Fang's betrayal and victory will be assured.

She joins the battlefield beside Sun Ce in Dynasty Warriors 6, believing that only a brave hero can heal the land. Greeting Liu Bei after they conquer the Wu territory, she begins to admire him since something about him reminds her of Sun Ce. After her brother dies at Xu Chang and Sun Quan rules over Wu, she meets Liu Bei once more at Chi Bi and they fight together as allies in the battle. Told by her brother to marry Liu Bei for Wu, she defies him and claims that she leaves of her own free will. Betting on the hero she envisions in Liu Bei, she helps him at Cheng Du and Yi Ling. Before she deals the finishing blow to her brother, Liu Bei stops her and forgives Sun Quan. They reestablish their alliance with one another and Liu Bei allows Sun Quan to keep his home's land. With Wei the only opposition remaining, a pleased Sun Shang Xiang decides to help her brother at He Fei Castle. The land is united under Shu with Cao Cao's death. Liu Bei laments not being able to become the hero that she wanted, but she reasons that a land where everyone can support one another is more important. Walking hand in hand, they happily live together in the land's peace.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, she is unwillingly serves Orochi alongside her brothers to keep her imprisoned father safe and eventually befriends Ina. After Sun Ce's failed rescue attempt, she furiously heads a massive attack on her brother's resistance. She is defeated and captured, and reluctantly joins the resistance at Ina's insistence. Later, she gives Hanzō vital information that allows him to rescue Sun Quan and Sun Jian from being executed for the former's repeated failures. During the final attack on Orochi's forces, she is captured by Dong Zhuo, who tries to make off with her, but is rescued by her brothers.

In Warriors Orochi 2, she fights for Shu's forces alongside Ina and her husband, aiding them as they chase down the fugitive Da Ji. She shares her dream mode with Da Qiao and Oichi as they rescue their husbands from danger. Liu Bei is surrounded by Orochi's forces and she hurries to his aid. Seeing the lovers reunited, Da Ji releases poisonous gas for her wicked pleasure. Grateful for her aid, Liu Bei temporarily leaves the field to return with reinforcements later. When the vixen strategist tries to quit the field, Sun Shang Xiang quips that she pities Da Ji for not having someone to love her.

Dynasty Tactics
Known as Sun Li in the first title, she appears as an officer in Wu in the year 210. She is described as a woman who trained hard in the martial arts and is more than willing to support her brother's conquest.

In Dynasty Tactics 2, this time referred to as Shang Xiang, she is a strong and elegant sword fighter who is seen in both Shu and Wu's storyline. In the former, she is Liu Bei's wife who serves as his personal bodyguard. When Liu Bei leaves to personally request an alliance with Sun Quan, she accompanies him and scolds the brash Gan Ning for drawing a weapon against her husband. With her help, the two countries reconcile after Wu's defeat and they work peacefully together.

During Wu's storyline, she joins the front line with Sun Ce. She continues to fight with her home troops during his reign.

Kessen
Sun Shang Xiang appears under one of her supposed alternate historical names, Sun Li, in Kessen II. She is a skilled sword fighter who leads an all woman army into combat. Before she clashes with the enemy, she'll usually commence a short warm-up sequence with a handful of her troops. She first meets Liu Bei before the battle at Chi Bi to criticize his mad strategy. When her brother talks about Liu Bei's empathy for the common people, she leaves Wu to join Shu. She becomes fascinated with him and offers to be Diao Chan's replacement. Though he declines her offer, Sun Li stays loyal to him for the rest of the game.

During Wei's story, she will appear to reinforce her brother during his second battle against Cao Cao. She somehow returns to Shu after Wu's defeat.

Personality
Sun Shang Xiang is an upbeat and independent woman who is considered to be a tomboy by many players. She is loving and loyal to her family, slightly respecting her brother Sun Ce over Sun Quan. Always eager to lend a helping hand, she frequently wants to show her worth in battle, which usually worries her father and brothers. However, they're proud that she shares her family's dignity and enthusiasm. She's addressed as "Princess" (姫様, hime-sama) by Wu's vassals, only being called by name by her family and Liu Bei.

Her optimistic and headstrong nature contrasts the relatively gentle Liu Bei. She addresses him as "Lord Liu Bei" in the English script and "Lord Xuande" in the Asian script. In her eyes, her husband is incredibly heroic and she often looks forward to seeing him in action. When he doubts his strength to protect her, she often responds that his kindness is his true saving grace. She often remains loyal to Shu despite any grievances she may have when they face Wu. Liu Bei explains that her sadness and conviction helped him forgive Sun Quan for causing Guan Yu's death in Dynasty Warriors 6.

In the Dynasty Tactics series, she is strict and acts the same as any ruler. Firmly believing in her husband, she is determined in her mission to protect her home and family. Wu's vassals also address her as "my lady" or "honored sister princess" (妹姫様, imouto hime-sama). This image of her contrasts her Kessen counterpart who is loud, bossy, and noticeably more tomboyish.

Character Symbolism
The original name for her Level 11 weapon refers to the dragon and tiger. Both beasts are considered powerful, heroic entities whom, if a competition between the two were to occur, would never be able to win over the other. The dragon soars and rules the sky yet the tiger dominates the earth. They are more likely to split the heavens before their struggle would have a victor. In normal circumstances, however, the beasts respect and accept one another as equals. Therefore, it's possible to avoid conflict between them through simple negotiation. The Japanese idiom, Ryutou Koutou (竜騰虎闘), is used to describe exhausting confrontations where two strong forces fight and mutually cancel one another. When used in context with Sun Shang Xiang, it may also double as a tribute to her marriage uniting Liu Bei and Sun Quan for a time.

Her third weapon takes its namesake from one of the divine treasures used by Nezha in Fengshen Yanyi, the Universal Ring. It was a golden wheel and, when it spun through the air, it seemed to cut like a blade with its outer edge. The name of her fourth weapon implies that it is the same weapon with a cutting blade inside it, but this isn't the case with the actual model.

All of Sun Shang Xiang's weapons in Dynasty Warriors 6 are named after flowers. Her Standard weapon is named after the madder, or the red root plant. Flower language identifies its tiny blossoms with flattery or direct thoughts for a particular person. Its negative traits are tied to adultery, pain, and distrust. However, the original name for the weapon implies the flowers are only budding, so its traits are not as strong when in bloom.

The lotus, or her Skill weapon, represents saintly intentions throughout Asian culture. In Ancient Egypt, the god of the afterlife, Osiris, was known to have lotuses. A elegant yet striking figure, he is the reason why lotuses also symbolize eloquence within the flower language. Lotuses have strong ties in Buddhism as a holy flower, the famous allusion being various deities sitting atop them above the mud of desires. Additional meanings for the flower include having a pure heart or departure from love.

Wisterias -her Strength weapon- within the flower language means welcoming a person and being obsessed with love. The recipient of this flower will share everlasting bonds with the presenter, as the blossom stresses that they will never be separated. Her skill chart is shaped as two hearts, likely made in regard to her marriage with Liu Bei.

Voice Actors

 * Lynn Harris - Dynasty Warriors 3 (English)
 * Michelle Ruff - Dynasty Warriors 4~5, Warriors Orochi series, Dynasty Tactics 2 (English)
 * G. K. Bowes - Dynasty Warriors 6~7 (English)
 * Tara Strong - Dynasty Tactics (English)
 * Rhee Hyeon Jin - Dynasty Warriors 2, 4~5 (Korean)
 * Bae Jeong-mi - Dynasty Warriors 3 (Korean)
 * Emi Uwagawa - Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Junko Noda - Dynasty Tactics series (Japanese)
 * Eri Nomura - Kessen II (Japanese); also model for character
 * Shino Kakinuma - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * See also: Sun Shang Xiang/Quotes


 * "I'm not just going to stay home anymore while my father and brothers go off to fight! They raised me like a warrior, and that's exactly what I'm going to be!"
 * "Let's skip all the formalities. It was nice meeting you, Lord Liu Bei."
 * "Shang Xiang! You would turn your bow on your own brother?!"
 * "Brother Quan! My life is with Lord Liu Bei. I have made my choice... I must live with it."
 * "Forgive me, Shang Xiang. For like you, I have also made my choice and must move on."
 * Sun Quan and Sun Shang Xiang at Yi Ling; Dynasty Warriors 6

Ground Moveset

 * undefined, (undefined, undefined): A series of cartwheels.
 * , undefined: An upward uppercut with her chakram.
 * ,, undefined (undefined, undefined, undefined): A series of spinning slashes then a chakram toss.
 * ,, , undefined: A mighty throw of chakrams in front of her repelling opponents.
 * ,, , , undefined: an upward kick that creates a tornado of petals
 * ,, , , , undefined (undefined, undefined): Throws chakrams around her for multiple hits.
 * ,,,,,,(evolutionary and full musou),,,: (1) a right to left chakram swing(2) reverse swing(3)thrust with chakram(4)a left to right swing(5) a quick spin attack(6){normal}a roundhouse kick (6-9) ,,,undefined without element
 * Throws chakram infront of her multiple times and then spins around repelling opponents. In her True Musou version, she spins herself upward into the air, creating a circular burst of energy around her.


 * , : spinning slash
 * , undefined: throws her chakrams spinning down at the ground and catches them in mid air upon rebound.
 * Dashing : brings both arms towards her front, hitting with both chakrams.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Throws her chakrams. They hover around her and the horse twice before returning to her.
 * ,, , , , : Throws both chakrams once per button press. She has to wait for them to return to her before she can keep attacking.
 * Keeps throwing her chakrams until the Musou gauge empties.


 * Warriors Orochi
 * ,: An airdash that makes her temporarily invincible. Sun Shang Xiang performs an aerial roll forward for her dash.
 * R1:
 * direction + R1:

Dynasty Warriors 6
She shares her moveset with Yue Ying. See Dynasty Warriors 6/Weapon Movesets for more details. It technically becomes her own moveset in Special.


 * Special attack: Volley: releases waves of arrows surrounding the player to annihilate enemies. Sun Shang Xiang's version may be upgraded to include an ice element.

Dynasty Warriors
Sun Shang Xiang's main point is speed. Once she picks up her ultimate weapon and add a high level speed scroll she can easily keep up with or pass horsemen. She is also a great crowd killer due to most of her attacks swinging all around her. She falls short in attack power, and range in her 's but is can be fixed with a wind scroll and tiger amulet. As far as fighting, her C4 and C6 are her main attacks, the former knocks back crowds in front and the latter devastates enemies surrounding her. With elements she does best with lightning in dw4 along with vorpal, and in five she does well with any (Ice for more musou damage, Fire for extra damage, Shadow for crowds, and Light for generals).

In Dynasty Warriors 6, her attack range is improved with her bow and arrows. Though she still suffers from a weak defense and attack power, but has a higher attack than other characters when she and other characters reach level 50 such as Cao Cao, Cao Pi, Liu Bei, Zhen Ji. The amount of arrows she shoots with each shot (three~seven per attack) normally nulls these weaknesses out. Contrary to her older counterparts, a good portion of her attacks are stationary (excluding the later part of her chain and musou). She is one of the few characters in the game who can play a solid keep-away game with her opponents but she can be very deadly if all of her arrows connect at a short range.

Weapons

 * See also: Sun Shang Xiang/Weapons

Historical Information
Sun Shangxiang was believed to have been Sun Jian's seventh child and his third daughter. She is often referred to as Lady Sun but her real name wasn't officially recorded. She is alternatively known in modern culture as Sun Shangxiang and Sun Ren. Although she is called Sun Quan's younger sister in Fa Zheng's scroll from the Record of Three Kingdoms, it's unclear if she was actually Sun Jian's daughter, since there are few official records from Wu that accurately state her genealogy.

According to Fa Zheng's scroll, Sun Quan decided to marry his sister to Liu Bei after the latter had became ruler of Jing Province in 204. He wished to gain friendly relations with Liu Bei through the marriage and the wedding was held in a public area at Xiulin Mountain. The extravagant ceremony formed a deep cordial relationship between the two rulers. Lady Sun shared her older brother's bold traits and constantly had one hundred ladies-in-waiting armed with swords by her side. When Liu Bei entered her room, he always tried to do so without being seen and became very timid. Zhuge Liang once said, "In the north, we have Cao Cao. In the south, we have Sun Quan. Now, we also have Lady Sun to consider a threat. If Fa Xiaozhi (Fa Zheng) can make my lord gain the will to overcome them, he will be rewarded greatly."

When Liu Bei entered Yi Province in 211, Lady Sun convinced many overworked and frustrated Wu soldiers to join her. Zhao Yun noticed their displeasure and carefully placed them in various government positions within Liu Bei's forces.

In Empress Wu and Zhao Yun's scrolls, Sun Quan heard of Liu Bei's actions in the west and he sent a large group of ships to retrieve his sister. Though she tried to take Liu Shan with her, Zhuge Liang ordered Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei to retrieve their lord's young heir. The two generals were able to intercept Lady Sun's party at Yangtze River and Liu Shan was returned with them. The Qing Dynasty compilations reason that it was a kidnapping in 215, but the time frame which it took place contradicts other historical records. After the event, Liu Bei quarreled with Lady Sun and sent her to live in the western side of his public domain.

After Liu Bei conquered Yi Province, he broke off relations with her and she was returned to her homeland.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In the novel and the Hanjin Chunqiu, Lady Sun is referred to as Lady Sun Ren or Lady Sun Renxian. She was skilled with the martial arts and surrounded by specially trained servant maidens. She could fight well with a polearm and always had a bow strapped near her waist. This earned her the nickname "Archer Princess" or more literally "Bow Waist Princess" (弓腰姫).

When Sun Quan wanted to marry his sister to Liu Bei, he wanted to use the marriage as his trump card to keep Liu Bei under his close watch. He planned to bully his rival into the affair, but his mother, Lady Wu, caught wind of the event and strongly protested the decision without her approval. She soon met Liu Bei and, impressed with the other lord's presence and Zhao Yun, urged for the ceremony to take place immediately. Sun Quan reluctantly complied and the union was made. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhou Yu devised a scheme to separate Liu Bei from his vassals by enticing their guest with wealth and luxury. Until the end of the year, Liu Bei thought nothing of pleasure and enjoyed his indulgence.

Zhuge Liang, who long foresaw the plot, had previously given Zhao Yun three bags to open during their trip. Zhao Yun used this time to open the second bag and urged his lord to worry about Jing Province. Convinced that imminent danger was soon approaching his home, he wept at the thought of parting with his wife and shared his feelings with her. Lady Sun read through his excuses and desired to join her husband on the journey. After gaining her mother's approval, the married couple left with a small escort. Sun Quan noticed their absence later and ordered his men to pursue. However, they were weary of Lady Sun's love for war and were afraid of facing her frightful visage. Regardless, a party was sent to capture them. Liu Bei's party learned the truth behind Zhou Yu's plot when Zhao Yun opened the third bag. Angered by Zhou Yu and her brother's insensitivity, Lady Sun mercilessly scolded Xu Sheng and Ding Feng. Her belittlement of the other Wu generals allowed the party to safely reach Zhuge Liang's boats.

After a few years, when the Wu-Shu Alliance became stressed, she was called back by Sun Quan who said their mother was ill and wished to see her and Liu Shan. Sun Quan wanted to use this opportunity to kidnap Liu Shan. She indeed set off to return with Liu Shan, but, at the border Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei stopped her. They couldn't dissuade her, but they stopped her from taking Liu Shan. Although she desired to return to her husband, she was never allowed permission to return to Liu Bei. She grieved her husband's death, rode to the river bank and drowned herself.

Trivia

 * Her role as Liu Bei's wife isn't even mentioned in game until Dynasty Warriors 5 (though was heavily implied in Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends in Zhu Rong's Musou mode), but it can be found in the archives/history files in previous games.