Wang Yi

Wang Yi (onyomi: Ō I) is the only woman of the Later Han Dynasty who is noted to have historically fought in battle. She is best known for joining her husband's struggle against Ma Chao.

In Famitsu's character survey, she placed eighth in the girlfriend category. She ranked thirteenth place in Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends popularity poll. The latest poll for the eighth installment puts her in eighteenth. This counterpart has a character image song titled Endless Sorrow.

Dynasty Warriors
For her playable Dynasty Warriors appearance, Wang Yi is the lone survivor of the Wang family, a family of modest prestige in Hanzhong. Her clan experienced ruin due to riots from Xiliang. Seeking vengeance, she marks Ma Chao as her sworn enemy and joins Cao Cao to oppose him.

Her specific Hero Scenario is an attack on Shu at Xiping Gate. It happens soon after Liu Bei passes away. Sima Yi, disgusted and opposed to the proclamation, personally leads five Wei regiments at once to diminish the threat at Hanzhong. Wang Yi accompanies him and personally volunteers to enter the fray. Although Sima Yi is wary of her personal vendetta, she assures him she can get the job done. During the conflict to topple Zhuge Liang's forces, Wang Yi encounters Ma Chao herself. However, she fails to deal the killing blow, and he flees.

Shifting her focus to instead claim victory for her side, Wang Yi is later seen trying to drink away her regrets after the battle's conclusion. Sima Yi compliments her exploits and encourages her to celebrate since they made Zhuge Liang lose face. Offended by his attempts to cheer her, Wang Yi instead offers him her emphatic support to someday kill Ma Chao.

Wang Yi appears in Dynasty Warriors Next as a playable officer during Wei's final chapter. Wu and Shu's scenarios have her defend Pingyuan, a choke point territory leading to other areas within Wei.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, Wang Yi first appears in Tong Gate serving under Cao Cao as one of his officers. She relishes the thought of crossing blades with Ma Chao personally after his initial duel with Xu Zhu ends in a stalemate. Her other appearances in Wei include the battle of Mt. Dingjun on the historical route and the pursuit at Nanjun on the fictional path. She also appears in the final battle at Baidi Castle, where she assists in the southern assault.

In Wu's hypothetical path, Wang Yi sends a false letter to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, telling them that Sun Shangxiang has betrayed Liu Bei and plans on fighting him with Wu. Using the confusion to her advantage, she attacks both Wu and Shu at Jiangxia.

In the expansion, Wang Yi has two playable appearances in Wei's new hypothetical stages. In "Defense of Chang'an", she assists Jia Xu and Xu Huang in protecting the city from Ma Chao and his allies. The other scenario "Battle of Zitong" has her participate in Xiahou Yuan's assault on the area with Zhang He as they face off against their rivals from Shu.

Warriors Orochi
Wang Yi is enslaved by Kiyomori's sorcery and, hoping to attack Ma Chao, confronts the coalition at Nagashino in Warriors Orochi 3. Sima Yi and company break the spell, but her desire for revenge is further revitalized when her heart is freed. Driven to fulfill it in spite of her saviors' efforts, she tries to attack the coalition a second time. Upon her defeat, she regretfully keeps her revenge in check as she joins the coalition.

Wang Yi is the star of the downloadable stage, "Reclusive Beauty". Accompanied by Kai, Kunoichi, and Sima Yi, she fights several couples and sees how they work together with each other.

In Ultimate, she goes back to loyally serving Wei and helps resist Ma Chao's forces when they are deceived into attacking Cao Cao at Tedorigawa.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
100man-nin no Sangokushi has a historical episode event starring her family's defense of Ji Castle. A forthright and honest warrior for Wei, she rallies the men by giving away her accessories and single-handedly defeating any who approach the castle –including Ma Chao, his generals, his wife and his younger sister– with her archery. Her bravery leaves Ma Chao's army awestruck and inspires the men to endure for Cao Cao's reinforcements. Wang Yi convinces Zhao Yue to safely return home to his father and for Yang Fu to keep fighting for the defense early within the conflict. They are concerned for her safety, imploring for their lady to not overexert herself in battle. She fights well until Yang Fu caves into Ma Chao's plot and surrenders, leaving their position vulnerable to their foe. Wang Yi and company are later rescued by Xiahou Yuan.

In Ma Yunlu's character episode, she is depicted to be a clever tactician over a warrior. She claims to fight for honor, yet her mind has been mad with grief years before the battle at Ji Castle. Wang Yi will never forgive the death of her own son. She has been deranged into thinking that a child's life is a small price to pay for survival. Ma Yunlu doesn't become completely aware of her darker character until after Wang Yi murders Yangshi and her child.

Development
According to the Warriors Orochi 3 databook, Wang Yi's mantle was inspired by the cape worn by Spawn.

Personality
Sadistic in her thirst for vengeance, Wang Yi is a bloodthirsty warrior who enjoys slaughtering her foes in the field. Obsessed with eliminating Ma Chao, she is satisfied that her allegiance allows her several chances to defeat him. Her personal agenda means everything to her, as she hasn't thought of another future for herself. While it pains her to do so, Wang Yi can set aside her desires to be a capable general. A bit of a perfectionist, she desires to be punctual and thorough in her endeavors. Soldiers in camp dialogues mention that Wang Yi used to be cheerful and laid-back, prior to her thirst for vengeance.

Her limited appearance suggests that Sima Yi respects her efforts, her talents, and her undivided passion to humiliate her nemesis. She is one of the few people who can see through him and converse with him on equal ground. For her Warriors Orochi appearance, she shares an affinity with Sima Yi, Nō, Oichi, and Ma Chao. The women sympathize with her feelings regarding her desire; Nō is amused and fascinated while Oichi pities Wang Yi and seeks to alleviate her sorrow.

She disdainfully labels Ma Chao "The Demon of Xiliang" ("Death God of Xiliang" in Asian scripts), her lively appearance surprising the general. In spite of her vocal hatred for him, she views him as an object of her morbid affection. Ma Dai, a possible person on her list of targets, remarks that she's a little different than how he remembered her.

Voice Actors

 * Michele Specht - Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends~8 (English-uncredited)
 * Lee So Eun - Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed (Korean)
 * Houko Kuwashima - Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends~8, Warriors Orochi 3 (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Wang Yi/Quotes


 * "Your eyes convey an underlying sadness that adds depth to your already exquisite beauty. Would you care to accompany me tonight?"
 * "Hmm... I suppose I could use a night out as long as you'll take care of me."
 * "Oh, I'll be sure to take real good care of you. What did you have in mind?"
 * "I'm feeling kind of hungry. Of course, only the most expensive food and wine will do. You did promise to take care of me, right?"
 * Guo Jia and Wang Yi; Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends


 * "Listening to you play the flute always relaxes me."
 * "I will have to put on a full concert for you sometime. Do you play any instruments?"
 * "I do want to make music. Out of that man's cries of agony and despair."
 * "Even my flute cannot dissolve your hatred. Yet, maybe it can bring you some peace, if only for a short while."
 * Wang Yi and Zhenji; Dynasty Warriors 8


 * "I like to think I know how it feels to achieve your greatest desire. After all, in my dreams, I take Ma Chao's head every night."
 * "Oh, that's so lovely..."
 * Wang Yi and Nō; Warriors Orochi 3

Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends
Wang Yi is affiliated with the trishula in this appearance. When she is equipped with it, she can perform a unique attack exclusive to her. Upon performing her Musou techniques, she will automatically use the weapon in her attacks.


 * EX Attack:, undefined, undefined: Rushes forward with a chain of slashes from sai.
 * Musou - Mordant Fang/Slicing Fangs (斬牙): : Rushes forward and somersault kicks opponents into the air. Whilst aerial she slashes her airborne foes with both sai. Unblockable. Classified as a Throw Musou in Next and used in Warriors Orochi 3.
 * Aerial Musou - Deadly Fang/Striking Fangs (襲牙):, : Plummets weapons first at a diagonal angle. If she connects with an opponent, she stabs them with one of her sai and twirls herself into a kneeling position. She then gloats as she stabs them with her other sai. Unblockable.


 * Dynasty Warriors Next
 * Speed Musou - Blast: Tap both sides of screen: Charges at the opponent at medium speed while surrounded by blue-colored energy. Wang Yi ends the attack with an ascending criss-cross slash.


 * Warriors Orochi 3
 * , undefined: Lands a powerful kick on the earth, producing a small tremor beneath her feet.
 * R1: Leaps forward and quickly slashes the enemy horizontally three times in a row.
 * , R1 (Ultimate only): Throws both weapons forward downward while somersaulting back in mid-air. Bladed wind-rings form around her thrown weapons.

Dynasty Warriors 8
Wang Yi keeps the same moveset from the previous title with the following additions.


 * EX Attack 2 (Xtreme Legends only):, , , , , undefined, undefined: Runs towards a nearby foe and slashes at them while crouching, continuing the assault by performing a reverse spinning kick.
 * Alternate Musou - Destructive Fangs (襲牙): R1 + : Somersaults behind the enemy ranks and knocks them away with a single dashing strike.
 * Awakening Musou: Repeatedly slashes crosswise with both weapons at the same time. Right after pausing, she does a striking motion that releases a burst of energy in all directions. By activating the extended version, Wang Yi does a two-hit sliding assault accompanied by several swings from left to right.

Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires
Wang Yi is affiliated with the emei piercers in this appearance.


 * EX Attack 1:, , , undefined: Wang Yi launches herself and the target into the air via somersault kick, then does a double slash wide enough to knock away surrounding enemies.
 * EX Attack 2:, undefined: Performs a somersault kick to send an enemy airborne, then swiftly stabs them to the ground.
 * Musou - Mad Dash: : Wang Yi skids forward in a zigzag motion and impales her enemies with multiple needles of energy. Once done, she causes them to disperse into streaks of light devastating the affected opponents while covering her position momentarily.
 * Alternate Musou - Heart Stopper: R1 + : Stabs an enemy with one piercer, then uses the other to slash upward. The resulting slash causes an aftershock effect that disperses surrounding foes away.
 * Aerial Musou - Clutch of Despair:, : Dives unto an enemy target and slashes them fiercely from behind, knocking away any nearby opponents in the process. Wang Yi knocks them down a second time by leaping into the air afterwards.
 * Awakening Musou: Wang Yi twirls both piercers back and forth while moving about, ending the attack by stabbing the ground to produce a sizable tremor. The extended version causes her to run faster while twirling the piercers at both sides, generating a loop of electricity around her; she then stops and repeatedly swirls her arms clockwise while rotating both weapons simultaneously.

Weapons

 * See also: Wang Yi/Weapons

Dynasty Warriors 8
Wang Yi still uses the trishula as her default weapon in this title. But starting in Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires, her new weapons of choice are the Emei piercers.

Historical Information
Wang Yi's parents and exact origins are not known or listed. All that is known of her heritage was that she was a member of the Wang family. According to Record of the Three Kingdoms, she was Zhao Ang's wife. She gave birth to three sons and a daughter named Zhao Ying.

While her husband was assuming his new post at Qiang Dao, Wang Yi remained in the west and protected the area during his absence. However, a revolt lead by Liang Shuang happened whilst Wang Yi was in charge. Her two sons were killed in the conflict. Seeing her sons perish before her, Wang Yi immediately unsheathed a sword to kill herself. Before she committed to the act, however, she saw her six year old daughter. She pondered for a moment before saying, "If I were to die now and leave you behind, who would raise you? I'm sure people would ignore Xi Shi if she were to be dressed in sullied rags. Perhaps I should do the same." She then fasted her meals, stayed hidden within a single room, and rubbed excrement and mud on her clothing and face. For a year she stayed true to her regime, keeping herself and her daughter safe from Liang Shuang.

When Liang Shuang reconciled with the governmental powers in the area, both mother and daughter were ordered to be reunited with Zhao Ang. He wanted to have them brought to Qiang Dao. As they rested thirty leagues away from reaching their destination, an emancipated Wang Yi spoke to her daughter, "If not for your father's messenger, I would have never left that place. The Illustrious Jiang (Zhen Jiang) threw her body into a river, Lady Bo slowly burned herself. When I read about their history, I once thought such acts were sublime. I have survived the war and yet, why haven't I joined these mothers? It's because I didn't want to die then, because you were there. Now, we are close to safety, within government protection. Now I can leave you and die." So saying, Wang Yi then drank a toxic potion. By luck, the public officials of the vicinity had the means of detoxifying the poison and she was treated immediately. It took time, but Wang Yi recovered.

Sometime in the years 196~220, Zhao Ang was given control of Ji Castle. In 213, Ma Chao and his army rioted in Liang Province and attacked. Of her own volition, Wang Yi armed herself with a bow and arrow and shot at Ma Chao's troops. As she fought beside her husband, she also handed out her rings and embroidered clothing as gifts for their men. Ally morale soared due to her bravery.

Due to the extremity of Ma Chao's siege, however, the castle residents were short on food and began to suffer from hunger. Coupled with this problem was sympathy for Ma Chao's cause, for it was originally Cao Cao's fault for Xiliang's revolt. As the surrounding officials considered surrender and making peace with Ma Chao, Zhao Ang reported the talks to his wife. Wang Yi responded by reminding him that he had vassals willing to die for him, urging him to not be swayed by the opinions of the other officials. She didn't feel confident with the idea of peace for it felt too forced to be readily accepted. Wang Yi suggested to him that the forces in Hanzhong had not returned yet and argued that their situation could change for the better with enough patience. He consented to her opinion and headed back to the council to ask them to reconsider. However, by the time Zhao Ang returned, a fellow official named Wei Kang already started the peace talks.

As Wang Yi had suspected, Ma Chao's promise for peace wasn't sincere as Wei Kang was killed soon after. He captured Zhao Ang's chosen heir, Zhao Yue, and sent him towards Nanzheng. He wanted to use the heir as a hostage, trying to make Zhao Ang comply to his demands.

Meanwhile, Ma Chao's wife, Lady Yang, was curious of Wang Yi's reputation. She cordially invited Wang Yi for a meeting, asking her to convince Zhao Ang to believe in her husband. Wang Yi retorted, "In the past, during the age of the nine states and Guan Zhong of Qi, You Yu went to Duke Mu and thus started the conquest for Qin. We may appear stable now, but it's imperative to have talent in both politics and war. Xiliang's cavalry is essential for meeting these needs in the central plains. It's a necessity." Lady Yang was impressed by Wang Yi's character and her loyalty to her faction. When Lady Yang reported her impressions regarding Wang Yi, Ma Chao began to respect Zhao Ang.

Despite whatever Ma Chao thought of Zhao Ang, Zhao Ang stayed true to his duty and planned with his comrades to attack Ma Chao. They agreed to face Ma Chao's several thousands of troops within the month. Even so, he still worried about their son being held hostage and asked his wife about her thoughts on the matter. She assured him to focus on his enemy. "What does the loss of one child mean in this important endeavor? Not even Kongzi or Yan Hui lived one hundred years during their lifetimes." Inspired by his wife's words, he wholeheartedly agreed to the attack. She joined him as he and the other generals fought Ma Chao.

Zhao Ang pursued Ma Chao as he fled to Hanzhong. Heavily surrounded and outnumbered, Zhao Ang decided to build a station at Qishan. It is written that he fought against Ma Chao's forces nine times. Wang Yi is said to have assisted him during this time. They continued to repel Ma Chao's coalition until reinforcements arrived thirty days later. The husband and wife were freed from bombardment as their enemy withdrew. Around this time, Zhao Ang's heir was executed by Ma Chao. Wang Yi has no further mentions in historical texts.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
She briefly appears in Romance of the Three Kingdoms under the name Lady Wang (王氏). The narrative depicts Zhao Yue as a member of Ma Chao's army. Wei Kang, Zhao Ang's lord, was killed by Ma Chao and the retainer wanted to avenge him. However, his son's presence caused him to pause so he consulted his wife about the situation. Lady Wang scolded him for his hesitation and insisted that he stay true to his obligations to avenge his lord. She threatened to kill herself if Zhao Ang stalled the attack due to his son.

Ma Chao later sought revenge for his losses, angrily massacring several men, women, and children in the area. Lady Wang was the lone survivor since she was with her husband.

Trivia

 * Yui, one of the cosplayers in the Tokyo Game Show 2012 Cosplay Contest, won the Special Recognition award for her cosplay as Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends Wang Yi.

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