Xingcai

Xingcai (星彩) is an original character who debuted in Dynasty Warriors 5. She is a fictional interpretation of Liu Shan's wife who was Zhang Fei's daughter. Together with her childhood friend, Guan Ping, she is portrayed as the future of Shu. She is one of the newcomers to be cut in the following title but returns in Dynasty Warriors 7.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, she is 19 years old and her height is 165 cm (close to 5'5"). Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll has her at fifteenth place.

Before 2012, Koei titles separated the Chinese characters for her character's name and called her "Xing Cai". Her given name is now properly localized in the games.

Dynasty Warriors
Xing Cai is the daughter of Zhang Fei. Her mother is the niece of Xiahou Ba. Wanting to protect her homeland, she decides to join the Shu army. She starts as a novice at the battle of Cheng Du and is taught how to fight by warriors matching the might of her father. She learns quickly and is compared to another young warrior who also grew in ranks, Guan Ping. Her vigor in battle earns Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei's trust. Once her father, Guan Yu and Guan Ping lose their lives at Fan Castle, she is entrusted to guard Liu Bei at Yi Ling. By then, she is seen as an accomplished warrior and her lord gives her his final wish to safely guard Liu Shan. With the future of her home on her shoulders, she is one of the last hopes for Shu against Wei and Wu. At the battle of Bai Di Castle, Xing Cai fiercely guards the castle's southern gate along with Zhang Bao. In her ending, she continues to serve Liu Shan and acts as his personal training instructor.

She shares her Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends with Guan Yu and Guan Ping. Seeing her allies heavily surrounded at Mai Castle, she cuts open a path through the Wu and Wei armies to rescue them. Lu Xun and several other generals attempt to obstruct her path. If she chooses to open a path for the reinforcements, Zhang Bao will appear. When she reunites with her childhood friend, they are relieved to see one another safe and invoke hope in one another. Lu Meng and Cao Ren planned to trap the Shu army in a pincer, but Xing Cai's intervention changed their plans and results in the former's death. After the battle's conclusion, she is glad to see her comrades safe for future battles to come.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, she is briefly mentioned as "the daughter of Zhang Fei" who is reported to be marching against Lu Bu in his ending.

During Shu's Story Mode in Dynasty Warriors 7, Xing Cai makes a minor appearance at Tian Shui. Players will see her appear frequently to oppose Wei during Jin's Story Mode. Like the other defenders for Shu, Xing Cai dies during their final stand at Cheng Du.

For her first Legendary Mode, she and other young warriors test their mettle against generals from the previous generation (Zhao Yun and others). Her secondary Legendary Mode takes place after Liu Bei's death with Shu planning to eradicate Wu to avenge her father and Guan Yu's deaths. As Wu falls, Wei becomes their next target for unification in her third Legendary Mode. Upon their victory, Liu Shan swears to usher in an age of absolute virtue.

The Xtreme Legends expansion adds a Hero Scenario for her in which she assists Jiang Wei's plan to attack Guanzhong. They desire to take the fortification away from Deng Ai's forces. Heavily overwhelmed, the Shu forces push from the south to take the fortification. The Qiang people, who are discontent with the thought of being used by Jiang Wei, rebel to take the ally main camp. To complicate their siege, Deng Ai orders archers to shoot at the invaders in the east and sends fire breathing contraptions to confuse western invaders. Xing Cai's objective is to defeat Deng Ai, Sima Zhao, and Wang Yuanji in order to claim victory. Due to the stress on their troops, Jiang Wei calls off further plans for invasion.

After the battle, Xing Cai is seen back in Shu angrily searching for the absent Liu Shan. He is supposed to be attending to matters regarding the state. When she finds him, she is pleasantly surprised to see him practicing his fencing in secret. Regardless of her feelings, she forces a reluctant Liu Shan to attend to his duties in office.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Xing Cai leads an anti-Orochi resistance at Odani Castle. Defending the castle's main keep, she tried to utilize Gan Ning and Ling Tong's talents to assist her. However, the former pirate grew sick of listening to her and did as he pleased. Due to Sakon's plot, the castle's defenses are breached when the wall of the central garrison is blown apart. She leads a final charge yet is defeated by Sun Ce's army. She makes her appearance in Shu's story as one of the three warriors who help Zhao Yun escape from Ueda Castle.

In Warriors Orochi 2, her first battle is the Battle of Wuhang Mountains where she and Inahime are asked to lead the reconnaissance troops. During their expedition, they notice flags they have never seen before and a carriage with a single flag. The flag's insignia is soon identified to belong to Mitsuhide. The two young daughters of the Shu heroes hurry to battle to assist their friend to find that the carriage is carrying Mitsuhide's daughter, Gracia. The two were being "recruited" into Kiyomori's army. Xing Cai remains in the main camp to defend the western flank, allowing Mitsuhide and Gracia to be rescued. The combined forces of Akechi and Shu attempt to capture Sun Wukong and question him about Kiyomori Taira but fail to do so.

In her dream stage, she teams up with the unlikely duo, Yoshimoto and Ginchiyo. Together, they hope to rescue Yuan Shao's army with Yue Ying and Hideyoshi's aid. Xing Cai aids Nagamasa and urges him to keep up the fight.

Xingcai was one of Liu Shan's steadfast traveling companions in Warriors Orochi 3. At one point in their travels her party was overwhelmed by the serpent army and Xingcai is taken prisoner. She remains held hostage at Xuchang until Nagamasa and company rescue her from Dong Zhuo. As a member of the coalition she mainly protects Liu Shan throughout the early chapters, supporting his plan to save Jiang Wei.

Concerned for the wellbeing of her other friends, however, Xingcai pardons herself from her lord's side as time passes. She realizes no one knows Guan Ping's whereabouts and regrets her failure to discourage him from leaving Shu. To rescue him from his fate, Xingcai leads a team in the past at the last time she remembers seeing him (Jieting) and eventually convinces the young warrior to stay. She is also one of the members who joins the search for Ina at Yiling.

Development
When asked why she has an affinity with Guan Ping, the producer stated that Guan Ping and Xingcai are sparring partners. Though it would be natural to think Guan Ping would prefer to train with his father, the developers thought it best to introduce someone on the same level as the young warrior. Therefore, Xingcai was added to the cast.

Personality
Xingcai is a mentally resilient woman who bares the responsibility of enduring several hardships. While many worry for her safety, her strong determination prevents her from depending too much on them. She is a calm and collected warrior, more so in her overseas appearance than her English counterpart. Though described as one who doesn't display much emotion, she is passionate for guarding the safety of her home. She acts passively to her father's concerns and expresses filial respect for him by keeping true to her duties as a warrior.

Her relationship with Guan Ping can be interpreted as close comradeship or a platonic romance. Both warriors are the same age, act very respectful to one another, and share similar responsibilities to their country. Their ideals on the field occasionally clash with one another and they are prone to minor bickering. At one point Guan Suo tells Xingcai that Guan Ping is attracted to her; Xingcai acts unresponsive. Their relationship is toned down to be reliable comrades in arms for the seventh title.

She also has a strong bond with Liu Shan. Being his personal bodyguard in the fifth title, she is dedicated to watching over him and helping him with his combat training. She is hinted to have a deeper connection with him in Dynasty Warriors 7 since she places faith in his qualities as a person. Unlike the ambiguity that surrounds Xingcai's reactions for her father or Guan Ping, she openly expresses her fondness and respect for Liu Shan. She is also bashful when Jiang Wei mentions her actions in battle will please their ruler.

In the Warriors Orochi series, she shares special conversations with Nu Wa, Oichi, Magoichi, Yoshimoto, Ginchiyo, and Ina. Her respect for the lady archer is emphasized in later titles.

Character Symbolism
Her name literally means "star color/rainbow" or "star glory". The original name for her third weapon can be translated as halation or halo, specifically referring to the ring of light that can occasionally be seen surrounding the sun on a cloudy day. Xing Cai's fourth weapon literally translates to Luminous Heaven and may have been created to contrast the meaning of her name.

Voice Actors

 * Carrie Savage - Dynasty Warriors 5 (English)
 * Wendee Lee - Warriors Orochi series, Dynasty Warriors 7 (English)
 * Rhee Hyeon Jin - Dynasty Warriors 5 (Korean)
 * Junko Noda - Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Xingcai/Quotes


 * "I can't lose. Not with the whole kingdom depending on me."
 * "This road is for dead men only, none alive shall pass."
 * "Liu Shan is a kind and benevolent leader. Those who call him feeble minded simply don't know him like I do."
 * "I don't care who the enemy is. I will do what I have to in order to protect Lord Liu Shan."
 * "I hope you're ready to fight to the death, little lady!"
 * "Of course! Duty before all else."
 * Huang Zhong and Xing Cai; Dynasty Warriors 5

Gameplay

 * See also: Xingcai/Movesets

Dynasty Warriors 7
Xing Cai is affiliated with the sword and shield in this appearance. When she is equipped with it, she can perform a unique attack exclusive to her. When she performs her musous, she will automatically use the weapon in her attacks.


 * EX Attack: ,,,undefined,undefined: Raises her sword and emits an aura which will give her a temporary buff in stats.
 * Shield Charge: : Charges forward, surrounded by a powerful aura.
 * Comet Strike: R1 + : Briefly charges forward. If she hits anyone close, she knocks her opponent high into the air with her shield and throws them back down with a backflip.

She gains the following additions in Warriors Orochi 3.
 * Warriors Orochi
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 * R1:

Dynasty Warriors
Xing Cai relies heavily on her multiple hits and broad range. Her fork has a long range, and she is arguably the character with the longest reach. She deals damage with both her shield and fork, making her a crowd killer. However, she doesn't deal much damage, and it is not recommended to use her to fight one on one.

Warriors Orochi
She kept her moveset from Dynasty Warriors 5 in Warriors Orochi.

How to Obtain Ambition

 * Stage: Battle of Bai Di Castle (Shu)
 * Location: Inside the castle along the western wall.
 * Requirements: Successfully save the peasants, and have Liu Shan come out to meet you and lead him back to the castle.
 * Strategy: Get the health gauge down to red, and Liu Shan will attempt to get to you. Travel back to Bai Di Castle with him. Meanwhile, the peasants will come to help. While the peasants are getting attacked by Wu, Ma Chao will be angered and try to save them. Go with him, and the item report should appear.

Historical Information
Empress Zhang was the eldest daughter of Zhang Fei; her mother was Xiahou Ba's niece. Her real name and year of birth are unknown. When Liu Bei declared himself emperor of Shu in 221, she was married to Liu Shan and admitted into the court. She was given the title Jing'ai, meaning "royal empress", two years later. In 237, Empress Zhang passed away. Although her age when she died is unknown, most people suspect she died at a premature age. She was buried in Nanling County.

Her younger sister of the same origins became one of Liu Shan's concubines after her death. In 238, she was donned empress. The quick decision has led to several legends of Zhang Fei's daughters being exceptional beauties. In reality, it is more likely that the marriage was conducted for political reasons, keeping the ties between the families intact. When Shu fell in 263, she accompanied Liu Shan to Luoyang. The year of her death or her further activities are not recorded.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In the novel, Empress Zhang's given name before her marriage was Zhang Jing'ai. When she was seventeen years old, Zhuge Liang recommended Liu Shan to wed her. After their marriage, she was renamed Respectful and Lamentable Empress (敬哀皇后) to avoid confusion between her younger sister of the same name.

Gallery
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