Guan Yu

Guan Yu is a character who has been playable since the first Dynasty Warriors. One of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu, he's also an oath brother to Zhang Fei and Liu Bei. Since they share the same family name, he also adopted Guan Ping. Guan Yu is said to have a beautiful long beard and a long blade, earning him the nickname "Beautiful Beard". To this day, Guan Yu is worshiped in some parts of Asia as Guan Di, the God of War, Justice and Loyalty.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, he is 30 years old and his height is 205 cm (6'9 1/2"). His height in Kessen II is 185 cm (about 6'1").

Dynasty Warriors
Guan Yu is a powerful general who is considered to be a hero in each kingdom. He meets and joins Liu Bei during the Yellow Turban Rebellion and follows his lord in the Allied Forces. In most titles, he and his brothers duel Lu Bu while at Hu Lao Gate. Following Dong Zhuo's downfall, Guan Yu is eventually separated from his brothers and is often captured by Cao Cao. Momentarily serving his new master until knowing his brother's whereabouts, he decides to repay the kind gift Cao Cao gives him at Guan Du and has special quotes if he cuts down Wen Chou and Yan Liang. If he spots his brother in Yuan Shao's army, Guan Yu will lay down his arms and retreat. Tied by his oath he has to Liu Bei, a few games depict him leaving Cao Cao and journeying through five passes to reunite with his brothers. A few titles also has Guan Yu reinforce Liu Bei's flight at Chang Ban by guarding the boats for their escape. While his brother leads a campaign against Liu Zhang, Guan Yu is left to guard Shu's foothold in Jing Province. Aside from a few select scenarios, he often dies in Jing Province at Fan Castle.

His Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends details his defense at Xia Pi. Surrounded by Cao Cao's army and his men's morale faltering, Guan Yu fights to protect the horse carriage holding Liu Bei's wife. He attempts to cut open an escape path for them while simultaneously braving the enemy's attack. As his generals try their best to keep the castle's gates sealed, Guan Yu may need to ring the castle's gongs to keep foes from over flooding the inner walls. Upon realizing that their ideal routes are blocked, he orders the carriage to proceed through the castle's water gates and flee towards safety in the north. Zhang Liao appears once the carriage is escorted, offering an official plea for Guan Yu's surrender. He accepts on the condition that he could leave once he hears news of his brother's safety.

Dynasty Warriors 5 notes that Guan Yu also served in the front at Si Shui Gate. For their service at Hu Lao Gate, Liu Bei is awarded the lands of Shu but Cao Cao attacks them. Guan Yu is separated from his brothers yet is captured by Cao Cao. When he spots Liu Bei fighting within Yuan Shao's army at Guan Du, he decides to leave Cao Cao and return to his brothers. He escapes with Liu Bei's wife, but he can never forget Cao Cao's kindness and feels guilty for slaying his former master's guardsmen. Although he wanted to someday apologize for his actions, he repays his debt to Cao Cao by letting him escape from Chi Bi. As the Three Kingdoms form, Guan Yu protects Jing Province from Wei and Wu, which leads him to try to defeat Cao Ren at Fan Castle. As one of the Five Tiger Generals, Guan Yu keeps his vigil and swears with Zhang Fei to someday make their dreams a reality.

The oath brothers share a Legend Mode together in the Xtreme Legends expansion, and it depicts their first meeting at Lou Sang Village. Guan Yu went to the village based on a rumor of a virtuous man being there, but is surprised to see the villagers under attack by the Yellow Turbans. As he saves the innocents, he meets Liu Bei and convinces Zhang Fei to see the former in a better light. Driving the rebels away, he swears to join the two men from then on. Guan Ping and Xing Cai share his other Legend Mode at Mai Castle. With the castle's defense crumbling from Cao Ren and Lu Meng's siege, Guan Yu and his son fight bravely in the face of defeat. He guards his son's leave from the front lines with hopes that the youth can gather reinforcements.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, Guan Yu joins the imperial draft to suppress the Yellow Turbans during his search for an honorable lord. He befriends Zhang Fei before meeting their group's superior for the battle, Liu Bei. Cutting down Zhang Jiao personally, both he and Zhang Fei are approached by their squad's leader. Guan Yu asks their leader his intentions for the land and is pleased to hear Liu Bei's virtuous answer. With the trio deciding to be together, Liu Bei declares that they are brothers. Though Guan Yu is content to stay with Liu Bei, his talents catch Cao Cao's attention at Hu Lao Gate, and the latter tries to appeal for his services. Later, when Liu Bei momentarily stays within Cao Cao's care, Cao Cao demands a trade with the older brother. Cao Cao would lend troops to Liu Bei only if he agrees to leave Guan Yu with him. The trade is made and Guan Yu stays with Cao Cao. With Guan Yu in his personal domain, Cao Cao barters for his loyalty, but the oath brother remains true to his siblings. After his service at Guan Du, Cao Cao sees that he cannot win over Guan Yu's will and allows him to return to Liu Bei.

Guan Yu does not know his brother's actual whereabouts, but he reunites with Liu Bei before the Battle of Chi Bi and fights against Cao Cao. With the Three Kingdoms formed, Liu Bei leads a campaign in Yi Province. To protect his brother and the future of Shu, Guan Yu and his son designate themselves to be protectors of Jing Province. Confronting Fan Castle, Guan Yu's army claims the position for Shu. Following the battle, a worried Liu Bei rides to their side on the belief that Guan Yu would have needed help. Both brothers are glad to see the other alive and well. With Wu the first to fall from the wars, Guan Yu joins the final showdown against Wei at Wu Zhang Plains. The land is under Liu Bei's reign after their victory, and Guan Yu is made the Commander of the army. Though there is no more need for armies or wars, Guan Yu honorably accepts the title to preserve the land's serenity.

Warriors Orochi
Guan Yu is one of the generals forced to serve Orochi in Warriors Orochi. To assure his brother's safety, he and Zhang Fei often side together in battle. After meeting Zhao Yun's resistance, the brothers eventually agree to defect in a bid to rescue their lord.

In Warriors Orochi 2, Guan Yu remains in Shu with his brothers, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. When Zhang Fei notices the forces of Lu Bu approaching at Nagashino, Guan Yu asks to be the one to battle. Zhang Fei replies that he saw Lu Bu first, and Liu Bei agrees to allow Zhang Fei to lead the force to attack Lu Bu and asks Guan Yu to guard the main camp. Later, at Jia Meng Gate, when the Shu forces are against Kiyomori, Liu Bei allows Guan Yu to take the lead since he was asked to stay behind in the previous battle. In the battle, Dong Zhou sets fire to the main Shu camp and Sun Wukong sends forth phantom soldiers. Guan Yu is then reinforced by his old friend from Wei, Zhang Liao, who helps in dispatching the sorcerers who control the phantom soldiers. The battle is won with Guan Yu and Zhang Liao declaring to end the chaos by their might.

Dynasty Tactics
This game features a unique cutscene in which Zhang Fei believes Guan Yu to have betrayed Liu Bei by serving Cao Cao of Wei. The brothers fight until Guan Yu convinces Zhang Fei that the former was captured by Cao Cao. After, the brothers charge into the ranks of Cao Cao and successfully repel his forces.

Kessen
Guan Yu is a starting character for Shu in Kessen II. Like the novel, he's one of Liu Bei's oath brothers and a fearsome general in battle. He is probably the fastest unit in Liu Bei's army and rides Red Hare into battle (though it's never mentioned how or where he obtained the horse). He was the one who encouraged his brother to fight for Diao Chan. Early in the game, he also helps with his brother's policies and battle planning. He's an old friend of Zhang Liao and the two once fought over a woman ten years in the past. However, Guan Yu let his friend win the bout and the woman married Zhang Liao. He has a lifelong fear of frogs, a fact that Zhang Fei jokes about during one of his drinking binges. He's implied to also like his friend, Mei Sanniang, and will declare plans to avenge her if she's routed.

Personality
Guan Yu is a stalwart general who firmly believes in justice and virtue. Normally calm and benign, he stands with an air of noble dignity and has respectful manners. A man who also excels in literary studies, he gains many admirers from each kingdom with his might and has earned the nickname "God of War". In the Asian script, he speaks in an archaic tone befitting a warrior.

His indomitable loyalty to his brothers is his first and foremost duty in life. He will not abandon either one of them and treasures each one with unfaltering confidence. He acts as the calm advisor to Zhang Fei and as the faithful middle brother to Liu Bei. Guan Yu calls them different forms of "Brother", but he is known to sometimes call Zhang Fei by his full name. Before they swore brotherhood, Guan Yu had already thought highly of Liu Bei and called him "Lord Liu Bei". He acts as a good father figure for Guan Ping, and he may become self-sacrificing for his son's safety.

He gains new friends during his time in Wei, some of whom include Cao Cao, Zhang Liao and Xu Huang. In a few titles, Guan Yu's courage can even make his enemies at Fan Castle praise him. The attention he gets as one of the land's greatest warriors doesn't suit Xiahou Dun very well, though Guan Yu bears no ill will towards the former and has always considered the one eyed general to be one of his good friends.

Voice Actors

 * Crispin Freeman - Dynasty Warriors 5 (English)
 * Liam O'Brien - Dynasty Warriors 5 Xtreme Legends & Empires (English)
 * Dave B. Mitchell - Dynasty Warriors 6, Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Beau Billingslea - Dynasty Tactics 2 (English)
 * Steve Blum - Kessen II (English)
 * Sin Seong Ho - Dynasty Warriors 2 (Korean)
 * Lee Jae Yong - Dynasty Warriors 3~5 (Korean)
 * Yasunori Masutani - Dynasty Warriors series, Warriors Orochi series, and Dynasty Tactics series (Japanese)
 * Hideyuki Hori - Kessen II (Japanese), Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * See also: Guan Yu/Quotes


 * "Surely these acts repay the debt my brother owed you. Master Cao Cao, I will return to my brother's side."
 * "Will you not stay with me? Do you know where Liu Bei has gone?"
 * "Red Hare and I shall roam the land. If we follow the smiles of the common folk, we will find my brother!"
 * "I am unable to sway your mind? Farewell. May your duty never be more than you can bear."
 * Guan Yu and Cao Cao; Dynasty Warriors 6


 * "Lord Cao Cao gave me his word upon my surrender that if I discovered the whereabouts of my brother, I could return to his side. If he breaks his word, I will just fight my way out."
 * Agreeing to meet with his brother; Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII


 * "We were once outlaws and were scorned by everyone! That changed! That day I decided I would do anything for Brother Liu Bei!"
 * Guan Yu remembering his brotherhood oath; Kessen II

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: A baton-like swing with his blade, sending enemies into the air.
 * ,undefined: Strikes upward with the spear, throwing the enemy up.
 * ,,undefined,(undefined, undefined, undefined): A repertoire of dazing slashes to the head with the blade.
 * ,,,undefined: A large spin, powerfully knocking back opponents with the halberd.
 * ,,,,undefined: Guan Yu swings his halberd horizontally, creating a small tornado in front of him.
 * ,,,,,undefined: Stomps on the ground and swings his weapon, making a small shockwave.
 * ,,,,,,,,: Two left and right slashes and a stab. One swing to the right followed by an overhead strike. Follows with a swing from the left, quick swing to the right and a stab. Finishes it with a mighty swing.
 * Series of wide-ranged swings, and a strong vertical slash causing opponents to be knocked quite a distance back. In his True Musou version, he spins his halberd with one hand above him, creating a whirlwind that launches his enemies.


 * , : Swipe with the halberd.
 * , undefined: Swings his halberd to the left once, following and finishing it up with a forceful slash to the ground that causes a small earthquake.
 * Dashing : Wide horizontal swing that slice the air 180 degrees in front of him.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Leans to each side and swipes his weapon.
 * ,, , , , : Three attacks to the right side, three to the left.
 * Repeating slashes to all sides until the Musou gauge empties.

Ground Moveset

 * string (Renbu ∞): Diagonal alternating slices that gradually rise as he steps forward. Delivers three swings, an overhead chop, and a swing to his right. Ends the chain with six spinning strikes.
 * undefined string (Renbu ∞): Five wide left-and-right slashes. The last strike emits an energy shockwave.
 * undefined (held): A turning swing that cuts from the left, emitting an energy shockwave.
 * Series of swings that ends with him stepping forward while twirling his weapon around his shoulders twice. Poses with his hand outstretched in front of him as the shockwave clears away enemies.


 * , : Downwards swipe.
 * , undefined: Rises slightly upwards in the air and lands with his halberd cutting the ground. A narrow slice of energy travels forward from its bladed tip.
 * Dashing : Short swing with the butt end of his weapon.
 * Dashing undefined: Runs a few steps quicker to deliver a mighty swing to his left.


 * Grapple attack : A quick stab. If it connects, he drives his halberd's point forward with a few steps before he swings his weapon to knock them down.
 * Grapple attack undefined: Holds his halberd upright to point the blade forward and makes a downwards diagonal cut. If it connects, he quickly slaps the blade against his enemy's side and hurls them behind him.
 * Deadlock attack: Two slices to both sides of his opponent's torso before he slices their legs, knocking them off their feet.


 * Special attack: Swift Attack: immediately boosts Guan Yu's Renbu gauge up to the Infinite Renbu and grants higher attack and defense power. When used at low, red health, the effects of Swift Attack increase.

Horse Moveset

 * string: series of quick swings to the right. Number of strikes is determined by the Renbu gauge.
 * undefined: anticipated swing to the right
 * faster version of the string that ends with a undefined attack.

Fighting Style
In Warriors Orochi, Guan Yu retains his original moveset from Dynasty Warriors 5, Guan Yu's range is quite good and his attacks are straightforward. Guan Yu's main strength is crowd clearing and one on one duel. HIs R1 special is great as it makes it easier for him to kill officers in a flash.

Dynasty Warriors
In Dynasty Warriors 6, Guan Yu keeps his original weapon and his attack chains still retains very straightforward and wide-ranged attacks. His Special Attack, Swift Attack, can be boosted from skills able for purchase in his Skill Tree. Three abilities can be bought for him are Rage, Wild Rage (both skills increase the power of the special) and Stamina, which boosts the duration for the attack. His grapple move is weak yet has a long reach and is very quick.

Weapons

 * See also: Guan Yu/Weapons

Physical appearance
Guan Yu is traditionally portrayed as a red-faced warrior with a long lush beard. While his beard was indeed mentioned in the Records of Three Kingdoms, the idea of his red face may have derived from a later description of him in Chapter One of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where the following passage appears: Alternatively, the idea of his red face could have been borrowed from opera representation, where red faces depict loyalty and righteousnes. Supposedly, Guan Yu's weapon was a guandao named Green Dragon Crescent Blade, which resembled a halberd and was said to weigh 82 jin (about 18.25 kg or 40 lbs). A wooden replica can be found today in the Emperor Guan Temple in Xiezhou County, China. He traditionally dons a green robe over his body armour, as depicted in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Early life
Guan Yu was born in the county of Xie, in Hedong city, present day Yuncheng (运城市) Shanxi). No details of the time of his birth are found in historical records until late Qing Dynasty, when the tomb of Guan Yu was discovered, bearing some details of his family. It was written that Guan was actually born from a family of scholars. His grandfather's name was Guan Shen (關審), style name Wenzhi (問之). His father's name was Guan Yi (關毅), style name Daoyuan (道遠). Guan Yu was born in the year 160, and like his ancestors, often read the classics Book of Changes and Spring and Autumn Annals. He married Lady Hu (胡氏) and his son Guan Ping was born in 178. In the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms Guan Ping was made into his adopted son.

Guan Yu fled his hometown at the age of 23 after slaying a local bully named Lü Xiong (呂熊). Five years later, he arrived in Zhuo Commandery (涿郡, present day Zhuozhou, Hebei). He met Liu Bei, who was recruiting volunteers to form a civilian army to counter the Yellow Turbans Rebellion. Together with Zhang Fei, Guan Yu joined Liu Bei and participated actively in fighting the Yellow Turbans in northern China.

For his efforts in putting down the rebellion, Liu Bei was appointed as the Governor of Pingyuan County. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were also appointed as military officers serving under Liu. According to Records of Three Kingdoms, the relationship of the three men was described to be "as close as brothers". They slept in the same room and had their meals together, behaving as though they were real brothers. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed Liu Bei most of the time wherever he went and protected him from danger regardless of how perilous the situation was.

In 199, Liu Bei attacked Xuzhou with an army after gaining independence from the warlord Cao Cao. He killed Che Zhou, the governor of Xuzhou who was appointed by Cao Cao, and placed Guan Yu in charge of the regional capital city of Xiapi. Liu returned to the city of Xiaopei. Shortly after, Cao Cao personally led a campaign to reclaim Xuzhou from Liu Bei and defeated Liu Bei in battle. Liu Bei fled to Hebei and sought refuge under the warlord Yuan Shao. Xiapi fell and Guan Yu surrendered to Cao Cao. Cao Cao treated Guan Yu respectfully and appointed him as a deputy general.

Service under Cao Cao
In 200, the warlord Yuan Shao mustered an army of 100,000 in strength and started a campaign against Cao Cao which subsequently culminated in the Battle of Guandu. To ensure a safe crossing of the Yellow River, Yuan sent his general Yan Liang to attack Boma (northeast of present day Huaxian, Henan) as a diversionary tactic. As a counter-tactic, Cao Cao moved his main force westward towards Yan Ford along the River. Yuan Shao withdrew his troops from Baima and Cao Cao's forces struck back eastward to relieve the siege on Baima. Guan Yu and Zhang Liao led the attack on Yuan Shao's troops at Baima. Guan Yu slew Yan Liang in the battle and brought back Yan's severed head.Guan Yu was conferred the title of Marquis' of Han Shou (漢壽亭侯) by the Emperor Xian in recognition of his efforts. After that, Guan Yu left for Hebei to rejoin Liu Bei, who was currently in Yuan Shao's camp. He did not take any of Cao Cao's gifts with him and left behind a farewell letter. Some of Cao Cao's subordinates wanted to pursue Guan Yu and bring him back but Cao Cao stopped them.

Capture of Jingzhou
After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao at the decisive Battle of Guandu, Liu Bei was defeated at the Battle of Runan by Cao Cao and forced to flee south. He sought refuge under the Jingzhou (荊州) Governor Liu Biao. Liu Bei and his forces were placed in charge of the city of Xinye by Liu Biao.

In 208, Cao Cao initiated the southern campaign and seized control of parts of Jingzhou north of the Yangtze River. Liu Biao had died of illness then and was succeeded by his son Liu Cong, who surrendered to Cao Cao. Liu Bei fled south and formed an alliance with the warlord Sun Quan, who ruled most of southeastern China. The allies defeated Cao Cao at the Battle of Red Cliffs and Liu Bei managed to reclaim parts of Jingzhou. During the campaign on the city of Jiangling in Jingzhou, Guan Yu was assigned to attack from the north. He was ambushed by the enemy general Li Tong and most of his military equipment was destroyed. Guan Yu ordered a retreat and Li Tong managed to reinforce Jiangling.

Guan Yu was promoted to the rank of General Who Exterminates Rebels (蕩寇將軍) and appointed as the Governor of the city of Xiangyang by Liu Bei. However, he was stationed in Jiangling and tasked with defending northern Jingzhou from Cao Cao. In 213, Liu Bei left for Yizhou (present day Sichuan) and wrestled control of the land from Liu Zhang after two years. Liu Bei and most of his forces stayed in Bashu since then, while Guan Yu and part of Liu Bei's forces remained in Jingzhou. In 219, Liu Bei proclaimed himself Prince of Hanzhong (漢中王) and appointed Guan Yu as General of the Front (前將軍).

Defeat and death
In 219, Guan Yu attacked the nearby enemy city of Fancheng (樊城, present day Xiangfan, Hubei), which was guarded by Cao Ren, and besieged it. In autumn, heavy showers in the region caused the Han River next to the city to overflow. The flood destroyed reinforcements troops from Cao Cao led by Yu Jin and Pang De. Both Yu and Pang were captured by Guan Yu in battle. However, reinforcements led by Xu Huang managed to force Guan Yu's troops to retreat.

At that time, Guan Yu realised that Eastern Wu had secretly formed an alliance with Cao Wei and attacked Jingzhou while he was attacking Fancheng. The commanders Mi Fang and Fu Shiren he left in charge of Jingzhou had surrendered to Eastern Wu. When Guan Yu's troops received news that their families in Jingzhou had fallen into the control of Eastern Wu, some of them started deserting and returning to Jingzhou to reunite with their families.

Guan Yu's army was severely depleted due to the desertions so he attempted to retreat to Bashu in the west but was surrounded and besieged by Eastern Wu forces at Maicheng (麥城, southeast of present day Dangyang, Hubei). Guan Yu attempted to break out of the encirclement together with his son Guan Ping and subordinate Zhao Lei but failed. They were captured in Zhang Town (east of modern day Yuan'an County, Hubei) and executed by Eastern Wu forces after refusing to surrender. Sun Quan sent Guan Yu's severed head to Cao Cao, who performed the proper funeral rites and buried Guan Yu's severed head with full honours. Guan Yu was granted the posthumous title of Marquis of Zhuangmou (壯繆侯).

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms written by Luo Guanzhong glorified Guan Yu by portraying him as a righteous and loyal warrior. Guan Yu was one of the most altered and aggrandised characters in the novel, which accounted for his popular image in Chinese society.

Early Life
Guan Yu, styled Yunchang (originally Changsheng), was a Xie native from Hedong, and was once a fugitive on the run in the Zhuo commandery. Liu Bei was recruiting people in the village and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei then assisted him to fight against invasions. Liu Bei became the Chancellor of Pingyuan and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei majors to help govern the district. Liu Bei and the two of them shared the same bed and they were like brothers to one another. Guan Yu’s devotion to Liu Bei could be seen through many actions like when many were sitting, he would be standing close to Liu Bei to assist him, etc and he would faithfully follow Liu Bei through all the dangers and not escaping the difficulties. When Liu Bei killed Che Zhou, the governor of Xuzhou, he commanded Guan Yu to take care of the governing matters of Xiapi City, whilst he himself resided in Xiaopei.Shu Ji (Records of Shu) states that "When Lord Cao and Liu Bei surrounded Lu Bu at Xiapei, Guan Yu said to the Lord, “Lu Bu has sent Qin Yilu to go for help; I beg to have his wife in marriage.” The lord granted him. And right before defeating Lu, he asked the lord several more times. The lord then, suspecting that the woman was of exceptional beauty, had her fetched over first so he could have a look, and he kept her there. Guan Yu was troubled in his heart over that.—This is the same as what is said in “The Annuals of the Wei Family”.Wei Shu stated "He had Guan Yu rule Xu province."

Service Under Cao Cao
In the fifth year of JianAn (AD 200), Cao Cao attacked eastwards and Liu Bei seeked refuge at Yuan Shao’s governance. The sworn brothers were temporarily separated. Guan Yu was in charge of defending Xiapi, where Liu Bei's wives were housed. Guan Yu was lured out of the city and besieged on a nearby knoll while the city fell to Cao Cao's troops. Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao to persuade Guan Yu to surrender. Guan Yu was worried about the safety of his sisters-in-law as he saw that as his responsibility. After much consideration, Guan Yu agreed to submit to Cao Cao on three conditions: Cao Cao agreed to the conditions although he felt uneasy about the last one. Guan Yu then submitted to Cao Cao and served Cao Cao for a short period of time. Cao Cao treated Guan Yu with the utmost respect and bestowed upon Guan Yu several gifts, luxuries and women, as well as the famous steed Red Hare which once belonged to Lü Bu. Cao Cao also promptly awarded Guan Yu with the rank of Hanshou Tinghou (Marquis of Hanshou).Guan Yu was not very appreciative towards Cao Cao's other gifts, but when Cao Cao gave him the steed, he knelt down and thanked Cao Cao. When Cao Cao inquired the reason, Guan Yu replied, "Sir, I'm very grateful to you for the steed because with it, I can reach my sworn brother in a shorter period of time if I ever know where he is." Yuan Shao sent his general Yan Liang to attack the governor of the eastern commandery Liu Yan at Baima, and Cao Cao retaliated by sending Zhang Liao as vanguard. Guan Yu upon seeing Yan Liang’s commander’s canopy, charged his horse forward and killed Yan Liang in the mass of soldiers and returned with the decapitated head of Yan Liang; whilst the rest of the Yuan generals who could not withstand the battle ceased to surround the Baima area.
 * 1) In name, Guan Yu submits to the Emperor Xian (who was actually a puppet ruler in Cao Cao's control) and not to Cao Cao.
 * 2) Liu Bei's wives must not be harmed in any way. They must be treated with full respect and honour.
 * 3) If Guan Yu manages to discover the whereabouts of Liu Bei (whose fate was unknown after the battle) one day, he will leave Cao Cao and reunite with his sworn brother.

At the beginning, Cao Cao was pleased with Guan Yu but later began to realise of the latter’s reluctance to stay on, thus ordered Zhang Liao, “Go and speak with him and probe about his feelings.” Thus, when Zhang Liao spoke with Guan Yu, the latter sighed and said, “I am in full knowledge of the honor and privilege Cao Cao had shown me, however, General Liu [Liu Bei] had treated me well also, hence I swear to die with him and I will never betray him. I will not be staying here forever, but I will contribute a [sizeable] exploit first to repay Cao Cao’s favor first before I take my leave”. Zhang Liao related his words to Cao Cao, and the latter was impressed by his honorable attitude. Seeing Guan Yu had killed Yan Liang, Cao Cao knew that he would surely take his leave soon, hence further showered him with rewards. Guan Yu did not accept any of the gifts and sealed all of them [a sign of rejection]; he also proceed with writing a letter to tender his resignation before leaving for Yuan Shao’s land where Liu Bei was situated.

Crossing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals
Guan Yu finally received news that Liu Bei was alive and currently in Yuan Shao's camp. Guan decided to leave Cao Cao together with Liu Bei's wives to rejoin Liu Bei. Guan Yu attempted to bid Cao Cao farewell in person before his departure but Cao Cao did not give him the chance to do so. Frustrated, Guan Yu eventually wrote a farewell letter to Cao Cao and left. He took with him none of the luxuries and gifts Cao Cao gave him, except the Red Hare. He even gave up his title as Marquis of Han Shou by leaving behind his official seal. Cao Cao's subordinates felt that Guan Yu behaved far too rudely and arrogantly by leaving without bidding farewell and wanted to pursue him and bring him back. However, Cao Cao knew that no one could stop the determined Guan Yu and he gave orders for the officials along the way to give passage to Guan Yu, Cao Cao also replied to his subordinates, “each for his own master; hence do not give chase”.

Guan Yu rode beside the carriage carrying his sisters-in-law and escorted them safely all the way. The first pass they reached was Dongling Pass (東嶺關, south of present day Dengfeng, Henan). The guarding officer Kong Xiu refused to allow Guan Yu passage as Guan did not have any official permits with him. Infuriated, Guan Yu killed Kong Xiu and forced his way through the pass.

They next reached the city of Luoyang. The Governor Han Fu led 1,000 men to blockade Guan Yu's passage. Han's subordinate Meng Tan challenged Guan Yu to a duel but was sliced in two by Guan. While Guan was fighting with Meng, Han Fu secretly took aim and fired an arrow at Guan Yu. The arrow hit Guan Yu's arm and wounded him, but Guan Yu drew the arrow from the wound and proceeded to kill Han Fu regardless. The shocked soldiers immediately gave way and Guan Yu's party passed through safely.

Guan Yu's party arrived at Sishui Pass (汜水關, north of present day Xingyang, Henan). The guarding officer Bian Xi received Guan Yu's party with a warm welcome and invited Guan to a feast at the temple outside the Pass. In fact, Bian Xi had ordered 200 of his men to lie in ambush inside the temple and kill Guan Yu. Fortunately, one of the monks called Pujing, who was also from Guan Yu's hometown, hinted to Guan Yu of the hidden danger. The ambush failed and Guan Yu killed Bian Xi and passed through Sishui Pass.

The Governor of Xingyang, Wang Zhi, adopted a similar scheme to kill Guan Yu. Like Bian Xi, he pretended to be welcoming towards Guan Yu and led Guan Yu's party to a courier station for them to settle in for the night. After that, Wang ordered his subordinate Hu Ban to lead 1,000 men to surround the station secretly and set fire to it in the middle of the night. Curious to know what the famous Guan Yu looked like, Hu Ban stole a glance at Guan Yu. Guan noticed Hu Ban and invited him into the room. Guan Yu had met Hu's father earlier and carried a letter with him. He gave the letter to Hu Ban and, after reading his father's letter, Hu decided to help Guan Yu. Hu Ban revealed Wang Zhi's evil plot and opened the city gates secretly for Guan Yu and his party to leave. Wang Zhi caught up with the party a while later but Guan Yu turned back and killed him.

Guan Yu's party finally arrived at a ferry crossing on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Qin Qi, the officer in charge, refused to allow them to cross the river and was killed by an angered Guan Yu. Guan Yu and his party then crossed the river safely and entered Yuan Shao's domain. However, they soon realised that Liu Bei was no longer in Yuan's territory and had already left for Runan. Guan Yu and his party then made their long journey back and were finally reunited with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei at Gucheng.

Releasing Cao Cao at Huarong Trail
After suffering his defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao made his escape with his surviving men towards the city of Jiangling. Liu Bei's chief military strategist Zhuge Liang had foreseen Cao Cao's defeat and predicted Cao Cao's escape route. He ordered Guan Yu to lead 5,000 men and lie in ambush along the Huarong Trail, a narrow shortcut in the woods leading towards Jiangling. Before his departure, Guan Yu made a military sworn pledge that he would not spare Cao Cao's life on account of his past relationship with the warlord. If he failed to do so, he would face execution under military law. As expected, Cao Cao did pass through Huarong Trail after having met with several ambushes along his escape route.

Cao Cao and his men encountered Guan Yu and his army. Cao Cao spoke to Guan Yu and begged him to spare his life on account of their past relationship. Guan Yu was moved when he recalled the favours he received from Cao Cao while he was serving the warlord earlier for a short period of time. Also, when he saw the plight of Cao Cao's defeated troops and Zhang Liao, who deeply respected Guan and they were friends back when Guan was in service to Cao, he decided to allow Cao Cao and his men to leave. Upon his return, Guan Yu pleaded guilty to having violated the pledge he made earlier and expressed his willingness to accept execution. However, with the interference of Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang decided to pardon Guan Yu on account of his past contributions. It was later revealed that Zhuge Liang had expected Guan Yu to spare Cao Cao and his intention was actually to allow Cao Cao to escape so as to hasten the formation of the Three Kingdoms.

Hua Tuo treats Guan Yu's arm
Once Guan Yu's arm was wounded by a bolt fired by enemy crossbows. The arrow was promptly removed but the poison smeared on the arrowhead had already been delivered successfully into Guan Yu's arm. Guan Yu was unwilling to order a retreat thus his subordinates had to send for a physician to treat his wound. The famous physician Hua Tuo appeared to treat Guan Yu's wound.

Hua Tuo diagnosed that he needed to perform surgery on Guan Yu's arm by cutting open the flesh and scraping off traces of poison on the bone. Hua also suggested that Guan Yu be blindfolded and have his arm secured tightly because the surgery would be performed in the absence of anesthesia and most patients were unable to bear with the excruciating pain. However, Guan Yu requested that the surgery be performed on the spot and he proceeded to continue a game of Weiqi with Ma Liang during the surgery. Throughout the surgery, those watching nearby cringed as they watched the gory scene before them, but Guan Yu remained calm and did not show any sign of pain at all. Eventually, Hua Tuo managed to heal Guan Yu's wound and sewed it up after applying medication and then left without accepting any reward.

Death at Fan Castle
During the twenty-fourth year of JianAn (AD 219), Liu Bei became the Prince of Hanzhong and he appointed Guan Yu as Qian Jiangjun (General of the Front). In the same year, Guan Yu led his army to attack Cao Ren at Fan. Cao Cao sent Yu Jin to assist Cao Ren. It was autumn then and there was heavy downpour leading to the overflowing of River Han. As a result, the seven armies commanded by Yu Jin all drowned. Yu Jin surrendered to Guan Yu, and Guan Yu executed General Pang De. The bandits of Liang, Jia and Lu were called to action by Guan Yu and assisted in the battle, thus Guan Yu’s named spread throughout China.

Cao Cao was discussing whether to move the capital to Xudu to avoid any encounters with Guan Yu’s strong forces. Sima Yi petitioned that Sun Quan would not be willing to allow Guan Yu to gain further victories, hence they could send an emissary to Sun Quan, requesting him to flank Guan Yu’s rear and Jiangnan would then be awarded to Sun Quan as spoils of war and also that the forces at Fan would then be dissolved. Cao Cao accepted his proposal. At first, Sun Quan sent an emissary to Guan Yu relating his wish for a marriage be arranged between his own son and Guan Yu’s daughter. Guan Yu insulted the emissary and rejected the marriage proposal. Sun Quan was furious. Besides this, Mi Fang, the governor of Nanjun at Jiangling and General Fu Shiren, who was serving at Gongan, felt that Guan Yu looked down on them. Ever since Guan Yu sent out his troops to war, Mi Fang and Fu Shiren were in charge of army supplies, but they did not assist in the battle. Guan Yu’s reply was to mete out the respective punishments once he returns. Upon hearing such words, Mi Fang and Fu Shiren were fearful. Sun Quan chanced upon their shaken loyalty and enticed them to surrender, of which they did and allowed the Wu army to enter the land. Cao Cao sent Xu Huang to assist Cao Ren; Guan Yu was unsuccessful in this conquest thus called for a retreat, but Sun Quan’s troops had already taken over Jiangling and held hostage the wives and children of Guan Yu’s army, leading to the dispersion of Guan Yu’s troops. Sun Quan sent out his generals to capture Guan Yu and later executed him and his son Guan Ping at Lingju. Dian Lue stated "When Guan Yu surrounded Fan City, Sun Quan dispatched his messenger to offer help. He instructed the messenger not to approach in haste, but sent a high ranking civil officer ahead first to Guan Yu. Guan Yu was angry with the slowness, moreover, he had personally captured Yu Jin, thus he rebuked, “If you little octopuses dare to attack Fan City, do you think I cannot destroy you?” When Sun Quan heard of this, he made out that Guan Yu belittled himself and wrote a false letter of appreciation to Guan Yu, which mentioned requesting Guan Yu free passage in the lands."

Pei Song Zhi stated "I, your humble servant, feels that although from the outside, Wu and Shu seemed to be in harmony, but internally, there was much suspicions between both parties as they guarded against each other’s intentions. This explains why Sun Quan had invaded Guan Yu and the attack was carried out in secret. According to the records in Lu Meng Zhuan (The Biography of Lu Meng) which says, “Crack troops were set to ambush in the gou lu (a type of large ship) and civilians were instructed to row the ships as they posed as merchants.” As such, Guan Yu did not appeal to Sun Quan for help and neither had Sun Quan the need to ask Guan Yu free passage into the lands. If there was any request for assistance, why was there the need to conceal the troops and their motives?" In Shu Ji (The Records of Shu) it is said that Guan Yu and Xu Huang were close friends and they communicated with each other even though they were far apart. However, both men spoke only of mundane matters and never mentioned about military affairs. Immediately, Xu Huang dismounted and announced, “Whoever captures the head of Guan Yunchang will be awarded a thousand taels of gold!” Guan Yu was alarmed and asked Xu Huang, “Elder brother, why do you speak thus?!” Xu Huang replied, “This is the affairs of the state.” In Shu Ji (The Records of Shu) it is stated that "Sun Quan ordered his men to attack Guan Yu and in the process captured both Yu and his son Guan Ping. Sun Quan had desired for Guan Yu to be kept alive for the purpose of fending off Shu and Wei. However, his subordinates petitioned, “To rear the wolf’s cub will breed nothing but trouble in the future. Lord Cao did not kill him and resulted in bringing calamity to himself, to the point of having to decide whether to shift his capital or not. How can we let him live today?” Thus Guan Yu’s execution was ordered."

Pei Song Zhi stated "I, your humble servant, followed the writings in the Records of Wu (Wu Shu) which says that Sun Quan dispatched his general Pan Zhang to block off Guan Yu’s road and Guan Yu was executed immediately (at that area). The distance between Lin Ju and Jiang Ling is two to three hundred li apart, so how was it possible that Guan Yu was kept alive until the debate between Sun Quan and his officers whether to kill or free him? Also, the statement of ‘Sun Quan had desired for Guan Yu to be kept alive for the purpose of fending off Shu and Wei’ is flawed and merely a means to silence the wise." Wu Li (Chronology of Wu) says, “Sun Quan sent the head of Guan Yu to Lord Cao, while he and his officers held a funeral for the remainder of Guan Yu’s corpse.”

Enlightenment on Yuquan Hill
After Guan Yu's death at the hands of Sun Quan, the lord of Eastern Wu, his spirit roamed the land, crying out, "Return my head!" His spirit came to Yuquan Hill outside Dangyang County (present day Dangyang, Hubei), and encountered Pujing, the monk who saved his life several years ago at Sishui Pass. Pujing spoke to the spirit, "Now you ask for your head, but from whom should Yan Liang, Wen Chou, the pass guardians and many others ask for theirs?" Guan's spirit was thus enlightened and disappeared, but henceforth it manifested itself around the hill and protected the locals from evil. The locals built a temple on the hill to worship the spirit.

The Buddhist monk Pujing was said to have built a grass hut for himself at the southeastern foot of Yuquan Hill during the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺), the oldest temple in the Dangyang region from where the worship of Guan Yu originated, was built on the exact location of the hut, and its construction was completed only until the Sui Dynasty.

After death
In Chapter 77, after Eastern Wu captured Jingzhou and killed Guan Yu, the lord Sun Quan threw a banquet to celebrate the victory in honour of the military commander Lü Meng, who planned the attack on Jingzhou. During the feast, Guan Yu's spirit possessed Lü Meng and seized Sun Quan. As the others rushed forward to save Sun Quan, the possessed Lü Meng swore vengeance before collapsing onto the floor. Moments later, Lü Meng died. Sun Quan was terrified and he sent Guan Yu's severed head to Cao Cao, hoping to push the responsibility of Guan Yu's death to Cao and sow discord between Shu Han and Cao Wei.

When Cao Cao opened the box containing Guan Yu's head, he saw that Guan's facial expressions resembled that of a living person. He smiled and spoke to the head, "I hope you are well since we last parted." To his horror, Guan Yu's head opened its eyes and mouth and the long beard and hairs stood on their ends. Cao Cao collapsed and did not regain consciousness until a long time later. When he came to, he exclaimed, "General Guan is truly a god from heaven!" Then he ordered the head to be buried with full honours befitting that of a noble.