Romance of the Three Kingdoms (novel)

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based upon events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era, starting in 168 A.D. and ending with the reunification of the land in 280 A.D. The novel is the inspiration for the Dynasty Warriors, Dynasty Tactics, and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.

The book is a collection of folktales, gossip, and historical information written in the same manner as a fantastical Chinese epic. An estimate of is accuracy is it being 70% fact, 30% fiction. During the time it was written a belief was that Liu Bei was the rightful heir to the Han Throne so Shu is depicted in a better light. As Shu mostly fought Wei, Wei is generally shown in a negative light. Liu Bei is displayed as righteous and virtuous while Cao Cao was portrayed as ruthless and ambitious. The story also tends to glorify Shu over the other two kingdoms and fabricates several exploits and events to better their image.

It is considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, and Koei has made games based on two of the other books; Water Margin and Journey to the West with the protagonist of the later, Sun Wukong appears in Warriors Orochi 2, having been freed by Taira Kiyomori.