Gan Ning

Gan Ning (onyomi: Kan Nei) is a character who appears in every title following his debut in Dynasty Warriors 2. Formerly a pirate, he wears bells on his clothing to "warn" his enemies of their impending doom, sometimes calling himself "Gan Ning of the Bells". He is known for slaying Ling Cao prior to his defection from Huang Zu. Sun Quan particularly likes him and historically said, "Mengde has Zhang Liao, and I have Gan Xingba."

His Dynasty Warriors persona is twenty-second place with fans in Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll and thirty-third in Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends popularity poll. In Famitsu's character survey, he placed fifth place for most desirable friend. His Dynasty Warriors counterpart also has a character image song titled FELLOWSHIP ~MY DEAR FELLOW~.

His character's height in Kessen II is 180 cm (5'11").

Role in Games

 * "Humph! When it comes to pure, mindless violence, you win hands down."
 * Ling Tong

Dynasty Warriors
Gan Ning is known as a menace on the seas by pirate and soldier alike. Leading his own personal unit of sailors, who are likely his former shipmates, he launches surprise attacks in most of his battles. In the games where he serves under Huang Zu, he causes Ling Cao's demise and earns Ling Tong's scorn. He is a rival of sorts for Zhang Liao at He Fei as they both lead key ambushes to turn the tide of battle. To restore Wu's broken morale from He Fei, Gan Ning leads a night raid on Wei's camp at Ru Xu Kou and proves to be a crucial warrior for Sun Quan. Unless it is his own story or players neglect him, Gan Ning generally dies against Shu at Yi Ling.

His Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends takes place during his night raid at Ru Xu Kou. Planning a hit-and-run through Wei's camp, Gan Ning leads a small party to deal ten minutes of carnage. His time is limited to avoid having the enemy claim the ships they used. Although he caught the camp's generals off guard, Zhang Liao returns to challenge Gan Ning. Slaying his rival in their encounter, Gan Ning and his men make a getaway after their victory.

Dynasty Warriors 5 describes Gan Ning as a pirate who raided the docks at Jiang Dong. Taking advantage of the chaos, he joins Huang Zu and holds off Sun Quan at Xia Kou. Feeling under appreciated by his master, he soon seeks Sun Quan's service. After joining the chase for Cao Cao's head, Gan Ning distinguishes himself as an able officer at He Fei and Fan Castle. During his time in Wu, Ling Tong tries to avenge his father and attacks Gan Ning while they work together. When Gan Ning rescues Ling Tong, they eventually make amends at Yi Ling and they slay Liu Bei. Wu gains momentum and conquers the land with Gan Ning's support. In his ending, he is happy for some excitement as bandits raid his leisurely boat.

Ru Xu Kou continues to be his Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion. This time he shares the stage with Ling Tong, Lu Meng, Taishi Ci, and Zhou Tai. Although his night raid is still a pivotal part of Wu's plan, he works together with his comrades to succeed. On Lu Meng's orders, he takes the center part of the map to draw Xu Huang and Xiahou Dun's attention. With them distracted, Gan Ning circles around the west through Wu's boats and attacks the main camp guarded by Cao Ren. If he takes the enemy camp quickly, Wei is thrown off balance and not even Zhang Liao's heroics can stop Wu's victory march.

Gan Ning's former employment is given a passing mention in Dynasty Warriors 6, and he is first seen joining the Allied Forces at Chi Bi. Cocky of his strength, Gan Ning insists on doing things his own way rather than listening to his superior's orders. Though Ling Tong is disgruntled with his brutish tactics, Zhou Yu and Lu Meng forgive his behavior since it lets him demonstrate his prowess to his new allies. As time progresses, Lu Meng grows weary with Gan Ning's apathetic attitude towards his comrades and chides him to work with them. The older gent, while he may criticize Gan Ning's methods, supports the former pirate and helps him gain a favorable image to Sun Quan. Joining the effort to reclaim Jing Province from Liu Bei, Gan Ning is excited to fight Zhang Liao at He Fei and distinguishes himself in the battle. Mourning Lu Meng's death at Fan Castle, Gan Ning decides to take his responsibilities more seriously in honor of his departed friend. With Shu eventually defeated by Wei, he cooperates with Lu Xun's instructions and supports the front at Shi Ting and He Fei Castle. Saying adieu to Wu and his band of sailors, Gan Ning forsakes profit to explore the peaceful land for adventure. His followers track him down and, touched by their similar desires, he decides to bring them with him.

In Dynasty Warriors 7, Gan Ning starts under Huang Zu and challenges both Ling Tong and Sun Quan at the Battle of Xiakou. However, after Huang Zu is defeated, Gan Ning joins the Wu army. As time passes, his rivalry with Ling Tong heats up and Lu Meng usually has to step in to cool them down. Unlike previous titles, Gan Ning lives past the battle of Yi Ling and is seen in Wu's ending, enjoying the temporary peace with Sun Quan and the other Wu officers.

Gan Ning's first Legendary Mode allows the player to fight as him in the Battle of Xiakou as he faces the Wu army led by Sun Jian. In his second Legendary Mode, Gan Ning fights Shu officers to protect the Wu forces as they retreat from Yiling.

Dynasty Warriors Next introduces Gan Ning in the sixth chapter where he begrudgingly fights for his master at Xiakou. After suffering defeat by Sun Quan twice, the pirate awaits his execution only to be spared by the Wu leader who recognizes his capabilities. He later appears in Chibi to defend their main camp while the fire attack is being prepared. During Wei's scenario, he and Ling Tong reprise their roles at the Battle of Hefei. His actions in Wu's last stand varies with each faction. Wei's version has him charge recklessly at the player should Lu Meng be defeated whereas Jin's rendition of that battle sees the duo launch a surprise attack on Sima Yi's main camp. In Shu's version, he leads the vanguard against the opposing army while displaying his camaraderie with Ling Tong.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, Gan Ning reprises his role from the previous installment. At Yiling, he ventures on his own without any orders from Lu Xun. However, he is ambushed by Shamoke and slain in battle. If the players accompanies and fights with him, Gan Ning will live past Yiling and fight the Wei forces at Guangling.

In the expansion, Gan Ning is playable for one of Wu's Xtreme Legend stages. Working with Lu Xun and Zhu Ran, they lead the defense of Jiangling against the massive Wei army led by Cao Pi.

Warriors Orochi
During Orochi's scenario, he acts as Zhou Yu's secret weapon against Zhuge Liang at He Fei. Teaming up with Zhang Liao, both warriors ambush the marching Orochi army. Despite their efforts, they are defeated and Gan Ning evades capture.

By the time Warriors Orochi takes place, Gan Ning initially allies himself with Lu Xun and Ling Tong to defy Orochi. He and Ling Tong also join a rebellion force led by Xing Cai and the two part ways after Gan Ning disobeys orders. He later enlists in a rebellion led Nagamasa and Oichi. When Nagamasa's army is beaten, he joins forces with Cao Pi. He is one of the officers who sides with Cao Pi over Cao Cao in Wei's ending.

In Warriors Orochi 2, Gan Ning fights alongside Lu Meng and they struggle to fight off Lu Bu's army. Seeing an opening through Lu Bu's charge, the former pirate momentarily retreats from the battle to seek reinforcements. Like Lu Meng, he joins Sakon's resistance in gratitude for saving them. He shares his dream stage with Zhang Liao and Kotarō at Ueda Castle. To support Sun Quan, they spring a surprise attack on Meng Huo's strategist, Zhuge Liang. As they progress through the map, Ling Cao spots them and needs to be defeated for their plan to work.

Although the former pirate still swears allegiance to Wu, Gan Ning decides to fight and wander the land by himself in Warriors Orochi 3. His lone and violent raids into the serpent force's bases causes him to build a rather infamous reputation for himself as a "raving wild man". Upon hearing of the rumors from Lianshi, Lu Meng leads a search party for him at his last known whereabouts at Mikatagahara. As Gan Ning helps them claim victory he forms a friendly rivalry with Masanori.

In the downloadable scenario, "Party Planners", Gan Ning helps Shuten Dōji and Zhang Fei gather food and drinks for a banquet while defeating enemy officers in their way.

In Ultimate, Gan Ning accompanies Shennong to Shizugatake to rescue Hideyoshi's party from Da Ji's clones.

Dynasty Tactics
In Dynasty Tactics, Gan Ning only plays an optional role as a recruitable officer. For Dynasty Tactics 2, Wu's story gives Gan Ning a more prominent role. He joins after Liu Biao is defeated.

Kessen
Gan Ning appears as a general for Wu in Kessen II. He is a bare-chested, tattooed general who is mentioned to being a former pirate. He is often seen alongside Sun Quan and acts as one of his closest generals. He's often worried by his lord's actions and will lightly question his judgment. He leads an archer unit in battle and is a solid physical fighter. If Cao Cao issues a scheme to weaken the trust between Liu Bei and Sun Quan at Chi-Bi, both he and Zhang Fei will get into a bloody scuffle. They will lose men and lower ally morale. His Dynasty Warriors 2 appearance makes a short cameo in a cutscene after the Battle of Chi Bi.

Personality
Gan Ning is a man of action who doesn't like to adjust to proper etiquette. Wild and fearless, he is merely satisfied with a good brawl in battle. He's confident in his abilities and, though he seems arrogant, he has a good head on his shoulders and knows when to rely on teamwork. He especially likes his private army of sailors and they fondly call him "Big Bro". However, he's fickle about who he'll take orders from as seen in the Warriors Orochi series. Putting up a tough front, he occasionally has difficulty expressing his opinions in a nicer tone. In the Japanese script, he is quite bashful when he tries to voice his dedication to the player's characters and is especially fretful over his wife in Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires.

His relationship with Ling Tong is strained at first, mostly on the latter's end regarding his father's death. Gan Ning is personally more agitated by Ling Tong's haughty attitude and persistent insults. Their hostility towards one another eventually turns into a civil rivalry between comrades, each one trying to outmatch or outwit the other in combat. Their sour ties are downplayed in Dynasty Warriors 6. His rival forgives him and they're good comrades in the end.

He respects Lu Meng as his good word helped him enter Wu. They share a mentor-student relationship in recent games, as Lu Meng often chides him for his reckless and nonuniform behavior. Gan Ning acts as though he doesn't care and often shrugs off the strategist's concerns. He nicknames Lu Meng, "Old man" (オッサン, ossan), a term that displeases the veteran as he's just in his late twenties. During the Warriors Orochi series, he shares special conversations with Nagamasa, Yukimura, Keiji, Magoichi, Mitsunari, and Masanori.

Character Symbolism
In the Japanese version of Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires, Gan Ning is given the nickname of "The Courageous Brawler" while the English version changes it to "The Roaring Flame of Honor". As a dominant ruler in Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires, he calls his five greatest warriors the "Five Strong Bells".

For his third and fourth weapons, they no doubt come with a river and sea motif respectively to pertain to Gan Ning's pirate nature and his naval battle experience. His first and second weapons in the 4th and 5th titles have a shell/carapace motif, also pertaining to the sea. His fifth weapon in the 3rd Xtreme Legends game is is literally the Seven Seas King, referring to the ancient phrase of the seven seas. However, it is only just called the Sea King, and in the English ports it is called the Leviathan, a popular term for a large and rumored sea creature.

The original name for his Strength weapon in Dynasty Warriors 6 can also be translated as Dragon Dance, a traditional performance with a line of dancers during Chinese New Year festivities. Dragons in China are revered as creatures of good fortune and longevity who grant fertile rainfall for the coming year. The dance has been said to be thwart future illness, a few legends stating that it was used to appease the Dragon King Ao Guang.

His skill chart is roughly shaped after the "bell" character (鈴).

Voice Actors

 * Doug Stone - Dynasty Warriors 4~5, Warriors Orochi series (English-uncredited)
 * Michael Sinterniklaas - Dynasty Warriors 6~8 (English-uncredited)
 * Dirk Meyer - Dynasty Warriors 3 (German-uncredited)
 * Seong Wan Gyeong - Dynasty Warriors 2 (Korean)
 * Kim Yong Joon - Dynasty Warriors 3 (Korean)
 * Byeon Yeong-hui - Dynasty Warriors 4~5 (Korean)
 * Shiyoki Kitatani - Dynasty Warriors 2 (Japanese)
 * Hiroaki Miura - Dynasty Warriors 3~8, Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)
 * Yasushiko Tokuyama - Dynasty Tactics (Japanese)
 * Munehiro Tokita - Dynasty Tactics 2 (Japanese)
 * Mahito Ōba - Kessen II (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Gan Ning/Quotes


 * "Fight me if you dare!"
 * "Today's your lucky day! You get to fight the great Gan Ning!"
 * "Gan Ning is back in action!"
 * "Kill your enemies, protect your allies. It's as simple as that."
 * "I like adventure, that's the way I am and always will be. Taking my ease in a world of peace? The thought puts shivers down my spine."
 * "Oh yeah! When the bells come ringin', death comes swingin'!"
 * "I'll offer your head to the spirits of my brothers!"
 * "Hah! You'll have to come and get it first!"
 * Liu Bei and Gan Ning; Dynasty Warriors 5


 * "A leader must have more than just strength of arms. Today, you learn about strategy!"
 * "Yeah, yeah, fine. But let's go and have a drink first!"
 * "Hmm... I guess I can't refuse. But just one, you hear?!"
 * Lu Meng and Gan Ning; Dynasty Warriors 7


 * "Your raid was a thing of beauty. You looked quite remarkable on the battlefield."
 * "Your raids aren't bad either. They say the mere mention of "Here comes Liao" silences even a bawling child."
 * "Hahaha... I bet you could make even a demon speechless."
 * "Heh, I suppose I could get used to that. When it's my turn, please tell them "Here comes Ning!"."
 * Zhang Liao and Gan Ning; Dynasty Warriors 8


 * "Get a look at this chest. You want past, you gotta go through it! Ding, ding! Round one!"
 * "Hey, pirate boy! I like the cut of your jib! Hah!"
 * "...And you're... actually kinda tough..."
 * Gan Ning and Keiji; Warriors Orochi


 * "Why'd you all come and pick a fight with us?"
 * "What? No! I didn't pick anything. Perhaps you mean "kicked"?"
 * Gan Ning and Yoshimoto; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Hey, Gan Ning. You wanna go check out the sunset by the river?"
 * "Why would I want to go hang out with you, especially when I know you can't stand me?!"
 * "If you went, you'd understand! I'm sure you'll like the type of hospitality I dish out!"
 * Masanori and Gan Ning; Warriors Orochi 3

Gameplay

 * See also: Gan Ning/Movesets‎‎

Dynasty Warriors 7
Gan Ning is affiliated with the chain and sickle in this appearance. When he is equipped with it, he can perform a unique attack exclusive to him. Upon performing his Musou techniques, he will automatically use the weapon in his attacks.


 * EX Attack:, , undefined, undefined: Hooks his chain around an opponent, grabs his victim to jump high into the air and lands to pile drive them into the ground. Creates an explosive blast wave when he lands.
 * Musou - Flying Shadow (爆炎双輪): : Winds up his chain to swing it and lunge forward to land a short distance away. Classified as a Multi-strike Musou in Next.
 * Alternate Musou - Shadow Rush (爆炎大車輪): R1 + : Swings his chain around as he runs. Used in Warriors Orochi 3.


 * Dynasty Warriors Next
 * Speed Musou - Blast: Tap both sides of screen: Sends out criss-cross energy waves by swinging weapon back and forth while rushing about on the battlefield, then finishes up the assault by launching a turbulent thrust.


 * Warriors Orochi 3
 * , undefined: Pierces sickle into the earth, causing fissures to rise up.
 * R1: Flails weapon around at high-speed while engulfed in flames, then slams sickle to the left causing a massive explosion that knocks back.
 * , R1 (Ultimate only): Spins sickle below the ground and lifts surrounding enemies into the air while setting them on fire.

Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires
His weapon affiliation changes to the flail in this appearance. When he is equipped with it, he can perform a unique attack exclusive to him. When he performs his musous, he will automatically use the weapon in his attacks.


 * Musou - Rings of Fire/Shadow Rush (爆炎大車輪): : Swings burning flail around while running wildly. Ends the attack with a thermal explosion caused by slamming the ground.
 * Alternate Musou - Fire Links/Flaming Chains (縛鎖炎断): R1 + : Binds opponent with chain and hits them with the other end of the flail several times before causing flames to burst.

Dynasty Warriors 8
Gan Ning keeps the same moveset from the previous title with the following additions.


 * EX Attack 2 (Xtreme Legends only):, , , , , undefined, undefined: Strikes the ground with enough impact to produce fiery eruptions.
 * Aerial Musou - Earthly Wings (地顛翼):, : Twirls weapon vertically at full speed, blowing nearby enemies back with a brutal swing upon landing.
 * Awakening Musou: Turns around with weapon outstretched multiple times. The attack finishes with him doing a rising uppercut that sends out a massive wave of energy to knock back surrounding foes. After inflicting enough hits, Gan Ning launches a frontal looping assault with weapon now engulfed in fire along with a few additional mid-range strikes near the end.

Weapons

 * See also: Gan Ning/Weapons

Dynasty Warriors 8
Gan Ning still uses the flail as his default weapon in this title.

Historical Information
Gan Ning, at the time a bandit and outlaw, served under Liu Yan, a warlord of Yi province. After Liu Yan's death, Gan Ning revolted against the Yi successor, Liu Zhang. His rebellion failed, and Gan Ning traveled back to Jing province seeking employment under Liu Biao. Instead, he came to work for Huang Zu. Yet, though Huang Zu forced him to stay under his service, Gan Ning was treated like no more than a common soldier. The event in which Gan Ning shot and killed Ling Cao, an officer of Sun Quan, was virtually ignored by Huang Zu. At the recommendation and urging of advisor Su Fei, Huang Zu promoted Gan Ning to the Chief of Zhu. Zhu was located relatively close to Sun Quan's territory, and Gan Ning escaped over to there.

The generals Zhou Yu and Lu Meng beseeched Sun Quan to allow Gan Ning into service, which he did. In 208 AD, the territory of Xiakou was subjugated, and Huang Zu was slain. Sun Quan offered two rewards after the victory: one for the head of Huang Zu, the second for the head of Su Fei. Because of the generosity and kindness displayed to him in his earlier years, Gan Ning pleaded with Sun Quan to grant Su Fei amnesty. Once again, Sun Quan accepted, and Su Fei was let off.

After the Battle of Chibi, Sun Quan ordered Gan Ning to capture the city of Yiling. Gan Ning easily claimed success in this objective, but was surrounded and hard-pressed by the troops of Cao Ren. Though outnumbered, Yiling was held long enough for Zhou Yu to arrive as reinforcements, and Cao Ren was repelled. Other grand exploits of Gan Ning include the scaling of the city Huan's walls with a silken rope during a siege, the raiding of Cao Ren's camp at Ruxukou, and the defending of Sun Quan's carraige at Hefei, along with Ling Tong and Lu Meng.

Unlike his portrayal within the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Gan Ning did not slay Yue Jin nor was he killed by Shamoke. Instead, he died of illness.

Gallery
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