Zhang Jiao

Zhang Jiao is one of the characters introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2 who continues to appear in every following title in the series. He's the leader of the infamous Yellow Turbans, the army fighting for a religious sect known as the Way of Peace. Accompanied by his brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, he began a rebellion against the corrupt and indifferent Han Dynasty. Their struggle forms the basis of the Three Kingdoms era.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, he is 55 years old and his height is 183 cm (6').

Dynasty Warriors

 * "The people have shown their support for the new age! We shall not fall to the dregs of a dying empire!"
 * ―Zhang Jiao

Zhang Jiao is a talented scholar who could become appointed with a court position. Dismayed with his wasted talent, a mystic visited him and gives him a mystical book called The Way of Peace. Zhang Jiao reads its contents and masters its sorcery within a short time. Discontent with the despot Han Dynasty, Zhang Jiao makes a radical notion to tear down the current government and gathers a group of sympathetic followers to his aid. He dubs his followers his "children" and works with his brothers to spread their teachings. Unless players are playing his scenario, the Han imperial forces band together under He Jin and put an end to Zhang Jiao and his brothers.

In his story in Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends, he attempts to rekindle his faith in himself, as well as his follower's faith in him, as they set off for the "Promised Land". They avoid religious persecution by the Han Empire, and Zhang Jiao is constantly defending themselves from Han loyalists. After they flee from He Jin's group, Zhang Jiao quells bandit uprisings started by men claiming to be Yellow Turbans. Regaining faith in himself, they defeat their pursuers, Yuan Shao and Liu Bei. They sail by sea to Jiang Dong, where they are offered shelter by Liu Biao. Unfortunately, Liu Biao's hospitality is only a guise; under the direction of Sun Jian, Liu Biao ambushes the Yellow Turban army at night and forces the pilgrims to flee once more; this time, Sun Jian is routed and Liu Biao is killed in their struggle.

Cao Cao organizes a cooperative effort with Yuan Shao, Liu Bei and Sun Jian to defeat the Yellow Turbans at sea, resulting in the deaths of all the regional lords but Liu Bei. To restore the Han to their former glory, the last loyalist recruits Zhuge Liang and they attack Zhang Jiao at Yi Ling. Zhang Jiao is equally determined to have him and his followers meet their goal and slays Liu Bei to get pass. The Yellow Turbans arrive at the Promised Land but find that the Nanman people and Zhuge Liang obstruct their path. After their final confrontation, all of their oppressors are gone and the Yellow Turbans are free to enjoy peace.

His story mode in Dynasty Warriors 4 is a straight forward suppression of the other forces. He may choose to rout Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song, but his challengers remain relatively the same as before. Weakening his competition to make way for Heaven, the Yellow Turbans face all of their challengers and Lu Bu in one final showdown. Clearing the land of their presence leads to a new land of peace under Zhang Jiao. His Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion details the Yellow Turbans' last stand. Surrounded on both sides by the Allied Forces, Zhang Jiao decides to tip the odds of battle into their favor by saving his followers personally. Their enemies emerge from various gates on the map, and Zhang Jiao is given the task to seal them before too many enemy officers arrive. Once he beats the enemy commander, the Han is destroyed and the Yellow Turbans can create their future for the land.

One of Zhang Jiao's main objectives in Dynasty Warriors 5 is to convert people to his wondrous religion, The Way of Peace. He and his brothers convince skeptics by using various magical feats to dazzle their observers. He wants to replace the Han Empire with his philosophy and have the entire land unified under the same faith. When Dong Zhuo attacks his "children", Zhang Jiao counters the tyrant at Xi Liang. Defeating Dong Zhuo, it isn't long before Yuan Shao invades his followers at Ji Province. He rescues the Yellow Turbans and decides to "reform" Yuan Shao's remaining followers. With more followers at his side, he decides to head south and reeducate the "savages" in Nan Zhong. He slays Meng Huo and gains a vast majority of the Naman tribe as his followers. He Jin and the Han forces gather to suppress the Yellow Turbans, and they confront one another at Ji Province. During the battle, Zhang Jiao can convert Cao Cao and Sun Jian to follow his faith, cutting He Jin's army in half. Dong Zhuo, in an effort to establish his paradise, also reappears to stop them. With all of the regional lords opposing him killed, Zhang Jiao's followers comply with his order to lower their arms. The Han Dynasty is vanquished and a new land of peace is lead by the Yellow Turbans.

In the Xtreme Legends expansion, Zhang Jiao shares his Legend Mode with Pang Tong and Zuo Ci. A year before the Yellow Turban Rebellion takes place, the three men compete to obtain the mystical book, The Way of Peace. When he wins the competition, he bids his followers to rejoice for him obtaining the mystical book. He preaches that the book will quicken Heaven's teachings across the land.

Zhang Jiao continues to act as the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and is slain in every character's scenario in Dynasty Warriors 6. In Lu Bu's Musou Mode, he puts aside his differences with Dong Zhuo to revive both of them from beyond the grave. They both desire to kill Lu Bu, and they eventually work together with the other regional lords to end the menace. He is among the many slain in Lu Bu's ending.

Warriors Orochi
Before Warriors Orochi, Zhang Jiao worked with the Mystic army to bring down the escaped prisoner of the mystical realm, Orochi, at Hinokawa. Though they failed to bring him back to the Mystic realm, he continues to be a part of the resistance army. He joins forces with Okuni, Sakon and Xiao Qiao. When Nobunaga defeats them, he joins the Samurai forces. He constantly preaches that Orochi is the devil, which is not exactly an inaccurate description, and urges anyone who will listen to rise up against the Serpent King.

In Warriors Orochi 2, Zhang Jiao appears at the beginning of the Samurai story, where he is attacked by Dong Zhuo. Zhang Jiao struggles to lead the Yellow Turban army against Dong Zhuo out of fear, but luckily, with the combined efforts of Sakon and Fu Xi, Dong Zhuo's forces was repelled. He joins Sakon's forces in gratitude. He shares his dream mode with Pang Tong and Zuo Ci as the three sorcerers pit themselves against the ninjas. His personal achievement is is eliminating Kunoichi's whirlwinds.

Personality
Zhang Jiao portrayed as a magician with a rather ridiculous manner of speech. He is known to frequently mention the word "Heaven" during his over the top speeches. He seeks to remove the Han leadership he views as corrupt and abusive of their positions, who heavily tax and abuse the peasants they have been charged with serving. In his more recent appearances, he's a manic zealot who takes a paternal attitude toward his followers.

His eccentric manner often irritates others, and his belief that he is the vassel of the Gods makes him look down on those opposing him.

Character Symbolism
The Asian name for Zhang Jiao's Level 11 weapon is directly named after his teachings, Way of Peace. While the original book with the teachings has been lost, the version most people are familiar with is the one taught in conjunction with the Five Bushel sect. A person would first need to confess their crimes and then, through the use of incantations and prayer, they would drink blessed water and be cleansed. Stating that such a ceremony purified their followers of ill fortune and that natural disasters were being caused by improper government rulings, both parties were allowed to collect their fanatic followers. Zhang Jiao was considered a grand teacher of the craft and was known primarily as a healer. His actual belief for sparking rebellion, however, has been debated.

His second weapon takes its namesake from an immortal from the southern lands, who is the character in the novel who first gave Zhang Jiao the text needed for sorcery. While the elderly man only refers to himself as "immortal from the southern lands" in the novel, outside sources imply he is actually the immortal form of Zhuangzi. The reasons draw from his book and rumors of Zhuangzi's ghost roaming the area.

Zhang Jiao's original weapon names in Dynasty Warriors 6 all center on fire with religious undertones: Fire God (Standard), Fire Retribution (Skill), Fire Heaven (Strength). His skill chart also draws a yinyang circle, a reference to Taoism and the influences it was said to have for the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Voice Actors

 * Doug Stone - Dynasty Warriors 4~6, Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Jang Gwang - Dynasty Warriors 2 (Korean)
 * Song Joon Seok - Dynasty Warriors 3~5 (Korean)
 * Yasuhiko Kawazu - Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Zhang Jiao/Quotes


 * "I invite all of those to join me in the path to restoring the land and bring the people together! Witness the miracle and behold the power of the Way of Peace!"
 * "Advance, comrades, and bring judgment to those who do not fear the gods!"
 * "Comrades! We must strike down those would turn their backs on the Heavens!"
 * "O gods in Heaven! Hear my prayer and bring calm to this troubled land!"
 * "The people have shown their support for the new age! We shall not fall to the dregs of a dying empire!"
 * "The children of the Yellow Turban are carrying out the will of Heaven!"
 * "You shall not be able to resist the will of Heaven forever!"
 * "Let's make things interesting."
 * "Begone embodiment of evil! You only bring degradation and conflict to this world!"
 * Kotaro Fuma and Zhang Jiao; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Now do you see the foolishness of turning your back on the gods? You have been punished for your sins!"
 * "You exaggerate, Zhang Jiao. Our success surely owes more to hard work, than the fickle vicissitudes of the heavens!"
 * "I'm sure we can all agree that victory is sweet, no matter what the means, hmm?"
 * Zhang Jiao, Zuo Ci, and Pang Tong; Warriors Orochi 2

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: A stomp that knock over enemies.
 * , undefined: Turns around and raises his staff quickly from behind him.
 * ,, undefined (undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined): Levitates staff horizontally and repeatedly raises it rapidly up and down, ended by a circular shockwave.
 * ,, , undefined: Sprays flames once, covering about 180 degrees.
 * ,, , , undefined: Raises staff in the air, causing four floating yellow diamonds with Chinese symbols to appear in front of him.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Zhang Jiao moves erratically, spraying out fire frequently.
 * A series of singular fireballs being sent out, ended by one last spray of fire.


 * , : Jump, then shoots staff in front of him.
 * , undefined: Jump, then levitates in the air, followed by spinning 360 degrees and spraying multiple fireballs.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Zhang Jiao leans to one side, making his staff levitate in the air and shake erratically.
 * ,, , , , : Three floating swipes to the right side, three to the left.
 * Repeating swipes to all sides until the Musou gauge empties.


 * Warriors Orochi
 * R1: Performs a mighty stomp and is surrounded by an aura.
 * R1 (counter): Raises his arms, emitting a ground shockwave around him.


 * His special in Warriors Orochi 2 summons a large mirror image of himself to replicate his movements for the stomp.

Dynasty Warriors 6
He shares his moveset with Pang Tong. See Cloned Moveset for more details.
 * Special Attack: Fire: sets off multiple eruptions of fire in random areas surrounding Zhang Jiao. When used on a base, the base is engulfed in fire and all opposing base forces inside of it are damaged.

Fighting Style
Zhang Jiao fights using a staff and fire magic. He fights erratically, reminiscent of a non-human primate, and gives off a sharp, high-pitched battle cry. He is often seen as one of the most difficult characters to use, with few adequate crowd clearing moves and a low defense.

Weapons

 * See also: Zhang Jiao/Weapons

Historical Information
Zhang Jue was the leader of the upstart Yellow Turbans, and had two younger brothers, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang. He lived in the district of Julu during the later part of the Han Dynasty. It is rumored that he a sorcerer and was a follower of Taoism. Giving himself the title of "Great Teacher", he led the Yellow Turban Rebellion along with his younger brothers Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang in a campaign called "The Way of Heaven", or "The Way of Peace". He named himself "General of Heaven", and Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang "General of the Earth" and "General of People", respectively.

The Yellow Turbans claimed to be Taoists, and rebelled against the Han because of the high taxes placed against them. They conquered much in the early years of the rebellion, but when the Han sent out the call commanding all loyalists to rise against the rebellion, the lack of ability of his generals showed. The Yellow Turbans however, were still a strong threat until the death of Zhang Jue; when, due to a lack of a good leader, it imploded on itself. It is said that Zhang Jue is the grandson of the founder of the Tianshi Dao (Celestial Masters) Sect of Taoism, Zhang Daoling. Zhang Jue died in 184 AD of unknkown causes.

The Way of Peace

 * "This book is the Way of Peace. With the aid of these volumes, you can convert and rescue mankind. But you must be single-minded, or rest assure, you will greatly suffer."
 * ―A mystic after handing Zhang Jue the Way of Peace.

Zhang Jue, a medical scholar, was the brother of three, whose siblings included Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao. He had failed a provincial-level examination from the corrupt Han government and went to gather medicinal herbs at a hill. One day, he met an emerald-eyed mystic with a youthful face who carried a wooden staff. The ancient mystic put a book of three volumes in Zhang Jue's hands, and said, "This book, is the Way of Peace. With the aid of these volumes, you can convert and rescue mankind. But you must be single-minded, or rest assure, you will greatly suffer." After introducing himself as the Taoist sage Zhuang Zi, the stranger disappeared in the wind.

Gathering the Rebels
After reading the books constantly many times over, Zhang Jue learned various sorcery like calling forth rain and summoning high winds. Throughout the land, he became known as "Master of the Millenium", and around the end of 179 AD, a pestilence terrorized the land. He proclaimed himself as "Great and Worthy Teacher", distributing medicinal potions and charms to afflicted commoners. Soon more than five hundred followed Zhang Jue, and the Teacher taught them how to write and recite charms. The company traveled much, and new followers joined wherever they went, until Zhang Jue had thirty-six groups ranging in size from six to ten thousand people, under thirty-six chiefs.

He ordered the phrase "new cycle" to be written on every outer gate of every house, and Zhang Jue was hailed throughout the provinces. Ma Yuanyi, a trusted follower, was ordered Feng Xu, a eunuch, to secretly work in the Han court for Zhang Jue. Zhang Jue asked his brothers, "Popular support is the hardest thing to win. Today the people favor us. Why waste this chance to seize the realm for ourselves?"

The Yellow Turban Rebellion
Zhang Jue soon had yellow banners and apparel readied, and set a date for his future rebellion. Then, he sent another of his followers, Tang Zhou, to inform the secret agent Feng Xu, but Tang Zhou soon returned and shared the news that Ma Yuanyi had been beheaded, and Feng Xu had been jailed. Shocked, Zhang Jue mustered all his followers, titled himself General of Heaven and his brothers General of the Earth and General of Men, and spoke in wide to all of his men. "Han's fated end is near. A new sage is due to appear. Let one and all obey Heaven and follow the true cause so that we may rejoice in the millenium."

Everywhere in the land, commoners bound yellow turbans to their heads and followed Zhang Jue, nearly half-a-million in number. Imperial troops scattered whenever they heard the Yellow Turbans were coming. Zhang Jue later leads an attack at Guangzhong, but is successfully countered by Lu Zhi.

The next time Zhang Jue is mentioned in the novel is when Zhu Jun, a Han commander, receives a letter detailing Huangfu Song's discovery of the Great Teacher's death in battle. The Rebellion was quelled before the next year ended.