Liu Bei

Liu Bei first appeared in the Dynasty Warriors series in Dyansty Warriors 2. He is emperor of the Shu kingdom and, during the majority of battles featured in his Musou Mode, he fights alongside his sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He's historically Sun Shang Xiang's husband but this is rarely mentioned during the games' story. His heir is Liu Chan. His arch-nemesis and primary opponent is generally Cao Cao, as the latter believes the former to be a potentially great leader and his most obvious threat.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, he is 31 years old and his height is 174 cm (5'8 1/2"). In Kessen II, his height is 170 cm (almost 5'7").

Role in Games

 * "My lord is not selfish enough to place his own life above the freedom of his vassals."
 * ―Zhuge Liang

Dynasty Warriors
Liu Bei is a virtuous leader who fights for the common man. Joining the imperial draft to subjugate the Yellow Turbans, he meets Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and swears brotherhood to them. He admires the strength of the Han officers and joins the resistance against Dong Zhuo. In a few titles, he and his brothers duel Lu Bu at Hu Lao Gate and contributes to the end of the mighty general at Xia Pi. Though Liu Bei gains recognition, he is separated from his brothers after he is attacked by Cao Cao. For his safety, he flees to his mutual ally, Yuan Shao. Serving his new master for a time, he is present at Guan Du and withdraws if he sees Guan Yu in Cao Cao's army. The brothers eventually reunite and, to gain a superb strategist, Liu Bei visits Zhuge Liang three times. With the scholar in their ranks, Liu Bei escapes Cao Cao's army with his people from Chang Ban to seek shelter with Sun Quan. The two armies work together for a common goal at Chi Bi. After the battle, Liu Bei attacks his relative, Liu Zhang, and takes Cheng Du to establish Shu. For Shu's scenarios in Dynasty Warriors 6, he additionally calls himself the king of Han Zhong after they win the Battle of Mt. Ding Jun. When Guan Yu is assassinated at Fan Castle, he will ignore Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang's advice and seeks to avenge his younger sibling at Yi Ling. Unless players are playing his own story, he will often die due to this battle.

His Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends takes places during his army's siege at Cheng Du. In order to progress to Jing Province, he knows he needs to conquer Yi Province that is ruled by Liu Zhang. However, Liu Bei has his doubts about drawing his blade against the citizens from Yi, as he doesn't want to be seen as a heartless conqueror. As Liu Zhang's men withdraw from the forest area, Liu Bei wonders if there is any justice to be found in the conflict. If he kills too many soldiers, he will grieve the damage he has caused and pleads for forgiveness. Should he only target the enemy generals, the generals will comment on Liu Bei's devotion.

After meeting his brothers in Dynasty Warriors 5, Liu Bei volunteers to stop the Yellow Turbans and joins the Allied Forces. Once the regional lords disband, he is distressed that none of them seem to care about restoring the Han. Given no land of his own, he wanders for a time and eventually seeks Zhuge Liang's tactics. The strategist devises the Three Kingdoms stratagem and asks his lord to ally with Wu. Liu Bei complies and they destroy Cao Cao, even though they were unable to deal the finishing blow. To create his own kingdom, he puts aside his personal feelings and takes Yi Province from Liu Zhang.

Soon after, however, Wu kills Guan Yu and Zhang Fei is killed by his own men while trying to avenge their lost brother. Overcome with rage, he blames Sun Quan for causing their deaths and challenges his enemy at Yi Ling. He regretfully meets Sun Shang Xiang, and his betrayal of Wu depresses her. Liu Bei may choose to kill her, which personally affects Sun Quan after he escapes from the battle. Claiming victory, Liu Bei realizes the repercussions of his actions, but the damage is done and Sun Quan won't forgive him for making his sister cry. Defeating Wu a number of times, he ends their kingdom at Bai Di Castle. To bring an end to the land's wars and to create a new world without sorrow, he destroys the Wei army led by Sima Yi at Wu Zhang Plains. He pays a visit to his brothers' memorial, praying that they watch over him in the new land of peace.

The oath brothers share a Legend Mode together in the Xtreme Legends expansion. Liu Bei returns to his peaceful and remote home, Lou Sang Village, and is angered to see it under attack by the Yellow Turbans. Drawing his sword against his home's invaders, Liu Bei fights to protect the villagers from further harm. During the conflict, he meets his brothers for the first time and they are impressed by his valor. After the battle, he is distressed by the weakened Han and swears to someday put an end to the land's suffering.

Dynasty Warriors 6 mentions Liu Bei's ancient royal lineage. Wanting to demonstrate the bravery of his family, he enthusiastically states his family history to He Jin, who hastily assigns him to lead the volunteer troops. As the leader of a small squad, he meets Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Liu Bei is impressed by their strength and questions his own worth, thinking he relies too much on others. He wanders the land seeking strength after the regional lords split and finds shelter with Cao Cao. After hearing from his benefactor that Yuan Shu has declared himself emperor, Liu Bei requests to borrow troops from Cao Cao to deliver retribution. On the condition that Guan Yu stays with Cao Cao, Guan Yu agrees and the two other siblings depart to deal with Yuan Shu. Upon their victory, he learns that Cao Cao had tried to assassinate him so he and his men flee to Jing Province. Some time later, Guan Yu finds them and the brothers are reunited. Guan Yu informs his brother that Cao Cao fears his ability to draw people and departs once more to defend Jing.

While Guan Yu defends Jing, Pang Tong advises that Liu Bei attack Liu Zhang. Liu Bei protests based on his family ties, but the strategist replies that Liu Bei is already making a new future more important than the Liu family. Liu Bei's determination to end the chaos under his own name strengthens as he realizes that there are more people who are willing to follow him. After he avenges Guan Yu's death at Yi Ling, he captures Sun Quan and Lu Xun. He tells his prisoners to forget their dreams for the land and integrates their land under Shu. With Wu subjugated, Liu Bei faces Cao Cao in a final battle at Wu Zhang Plains. Creating a harmonous world after their victory, Liu Bei is the land's new emperor.

Warriors Orochi
In Orochi's scenario, Liu Bei and his men tried to escape from the snake demon. He would not abandon his people and this inevitably slowed him down. Though his vassals and allies from Nanman try their best to assist him, Liu Bei is captured by Orochi and held prisoner. To ensure their lord's safety, many of his men reluctantly serve Orochi. During Warriors Orochi, he is held captive for the majority of Shu's story.

In Warriors Orochi 2, Liu Bei resumes his role as Shu's leader. In order to prevent the rogue Da Ji from causing more chaos, he makes it his mission to stop her. Though they fail in their first attempt, he and his men befriend the mystic Taigong Wang.

The rulers of the Three Kingdoms unite to defeat the Three Unifiers in one of the sequel's dream modes.

Kessen
Liu Bei is one of the protagonists in Kessen II. Like the novel, he is a minor lord who is generous and benevolent to those around him. He is in love with Diao Chan, a dancer he met during one of his army's banquets. He befriends Cao Cao during the Yellow Turbans rebellion but is soon betrayed by him three months later. During a raid at his home, Diao Chan is kidnapped and Liu Bei is forced to retreat. Though hesitant to start a war, he raises an army to save his lover. He remains faithful to his lover despite numerous advances from other women.

Later in the game, Liu Bei learns that his quest to end Cao Cao's life defies the will of heaven. As a result, calamities strike the land and the people suffer. Undeterred, he eventually breaks heaven's will and wins against Cao Cao. In the battle's aftermath, he's finally reunited with Diao Chan. He hears his enemy's desire for a peaceful world, a goal that Liu Bei swears to carry out. In Wei's ending, he goes missing after the final battle and Diao Chan looks for him. They peacefully reunite in the game's epilogue.

Personality
Liu Bei is portrayed in a similar manner as his novel counterpart. He is a virtuous and benevolent man who wants to restore peace in the land. He is normally polite and modest to anyone he meets. Empathetic with the common folk, he easily gains the people's trust and support. This particular trait makes him a feared adversary to his enemy Cao Cao.

Though he has earned the respect of many subjects, Liu Bei often doubts his own abilities as a ruler and warrior. He is prone to angst and doubt if there are too many deaths on either side of the field. He sometimes lacks emotional restraint as he will lose his temperament and sound judgment if his younger brothers are routed or killed. He thinks highly of his brothers and always addresses them by their style names in the Japanese script.

Character Symbolism
The original name of Liu Bei's third and fourth weapons refers to Huanglong, a golden tinted dragon in Chinese mythology. He presides over Qinglong, Chilong, Bailong, and Heilong within the Five Elements and guards the fifth element, earth. Huanglong is located within the center of their formation rather than a cardinal direction like the other four dragons. Folklore regarding Huanglong is better told today at the historical park of the same name. The beautiful limestone formations and the vibrant pools are said to be Huanglong's scales, whereas the drumming sounds of nearby waterfalls are said to be Huanglong's roars. One story of the area remarks that Huanglong (the park) was the spot where Yu of the Xia Dynasty learned how to tame the waters for his people. Yet another tale states that the area is actually an incarnation of Da Yu while the legendary emperor ascended to the heavens to become Huanglong (the dragon). Huanglong did act as a symbol of authority for other emperors, but the introduction of the sacred beasts has his position mainly replaced by Qilin. Huanglong also acts as the name for a few Chinese eras, one of which includes the name change of Wu's regnal years to mark Sun Quan's death.

Liu Bei's weapon of choice in Dynasty Warriors 6 is a callback to the twin swords crafted for him in the novel. His skill tree in the same title is also shaped like them. The naming motif for his weapons in this title reflect two polar opposite yet related forces in East Asian culture (Yin and Yang for Skill and Heaven and Earth for his Strength). Liu Bei "unites them" as a show of his strength.

His Standard weapon's original name can translate to one or two meanings: "Man and Woman Joined as One" or "Victory and Defeat Joined as One". Again the name reflects two contrasting groups, albeit misleading or offensive with its intentions. The "man and woman" aspect may also translate to "heroic and gentle" or "masculine and feminine". When used in context with Liu Bei, it likely alludes to his desire to conquer only for his people. Its other interpretation may be a nod to his determination for his conquest, since Liu Bei suffered many losses during his rise to power. Taking these two ideas into consideration, the name sums up a characteristic trait for Liu Bei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He felt he could only endure his woes at times due to his people's trust in him.

The original name for Liu Bei's personal item in Warriors Orochi is "Honored Mother's Straw Sandals", being one of the few mentions of his mother within Koei titles. His loyalty to his mother and his past as a sandal weaver are mentioned for his backstory in the novel.

Voice Actors

 * Dan Woren - Dynasty Warriors 4~5, Warriors Orochi series, Dynasty Tactics 2 (English)
 * Jason Frankovitz - Dynasty Tactics (English)
 * David Berón - Kessen II (English)
 * Koo Ja Hyeong - Dynasty Warriors 2 (Korean)
 * Kim Minseok - Dynasty Warriors 3~5 (Korean)
 * Moriya Endo - Dynasty Warriors, Warriors Orochi, and Dynasty Tactics series (Japanese)
 * Tōru Furuya - Kessen II (Japanese), Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * See also: Liu Bei/Quotes


 * "Those who stand in the way of virtue shall fail."
 * "Let us show this devil once more the strength of human hearts!"
 * "I fight in the name of virtue!"
 * "Shang Xiang and I may have been forced down different paths, but our feelings were true! And the bond that we share shall never be broken! Not by anyone!"
 * Liu Bei; Dynasty Warriors 5


 * "Liu Bei? He and I were students together. He was always quite gentle. That's pretty much all he was."
 * Gongsun Zan; Dynasty Warriors 6


 * "Why must man be forced into fighting such cruel wars? Does heaven wish us to destroy ourselves?! It was Cao Cao who started all of this! I don't understand how he got the Mandate of Heaven! Cao Cao, I defy this mandate! I do not care who has been chosen. I will win this war!!"
 * Before riding to battle at Chi Bi; Kessen II

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: Slides to the right and cuts.
 * , undefined: Rising slash.
 * ,, undefined, (undefined, undefined, undefined): A quick series of left-to-right slashes ending with a horizontal slash.
 * ,, , undefined: Overhead chop.
 * ,, , , undefined: Lifts his sword above him, creating an energy shockwave that lifts opponents.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Low horizontal cut that creates a shockwave around him.
 * Left and right slashes. In his true musou version, he slices four times and ends with his C5.


 * , : Vertical slice.
 * , undefined: Horizontal slash and hurls a projectile forward while in the air.
 * Dashing : Horizontal slash that brings him to a stop.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Delivers a cut to his right and left.
 * ,, , , , : Three attacks to the right side, three to the left.
 * Repeating slashes to all sides as Musou gauge empties.


 * Warriors Orochi
 * R1: Raises his sword and has him and his party members covered in an aura, which can damage foes who are close. Peach blossom petals float above him as he performs the move. Increases the party's attack strength until the aura wears off.
 * R1 (counter): A lunging slash forward.


 * In Dynasty Warriors 5, he sends a disc projectile forward in his jumping charge. It changes to a blue wave of energy in Warriors Orochi.

Ground Moveset

 * string (Renbu ∞): Quick slice with one sword to the right and a turning stab with his left sword. Turns to deliver an overhead strike with his right sword before slicing with both blades in two diagonal cuts to the right and left. Spins twice with his swords stretched out, slashes a dual diagonal cut to the right, and thrusts both swords to his front. Slices overhead with both blades to slice his front. Ends the cycle by rotating his arms in wide vertical circular motions, hitting those who are stuck in his blades' path.
 * undefined string (Renbu ∞): Spinning slash with both blades. Knocks his foe upwards and cuts them many times, stabbing them whilst they are aerial. He flips himself in the air to cut a x-shaped air slash. He lands and thrusts both swords forward.
 * undefined (held): A spinning slash with both blades. Range of the attack increases on higher Renbu levels.
 * String of attacks based on Renbu levels. His finale has him twirl both of his blades at once, hitting anyone to his left or right. He poses and emits a shockwave around him.


 * , : Downward swipe with both blades.
 * , undefined: Hovers slightly in the air before plunging his swords into the ground. Sends airwaves to travel straight forward from his swords.
 * Dashing : Spins to a stop with a single sword slash.
 * Dashing undefined: Runs a few steps quicker before he leaps forward and spins like a top. His swords are both used during this time, hitting foes on all sides as Liu Bei spins.


 * Grapple attack : A simple push with both blades to his left. If it connects, he spins with one sword forward to stab its point into his foe's throat. He uses his other sword to stab the same spot.
 * Grapple attack undefined: Takes a step forward as he has both blades fan out from his front. If it connects, he captures an enemy between his weapons. He sidesteps to their left and cuts them down with both swords.
 * Deadlock attack: Flips into the air and performs an overhead x-shaped slash to his foe.


 * Special attack: Volley: releases waves of arrows surrounding the player to annihilate enemies. Liu Bei's version may be upgraded to include a lightning element.

Horse Moveset

 * string: swings to his right with both swords. Number of attacks depends on Renbu level.
 * undefined: anticipated swing to his right with one sword.
 * faster version of the string that ends with a undefined attack.

Dynasty Warriors
Liu Bei fights with a fairly standard style with his longsword, but with slightly above average stats in basically all fields. Like Cao Cao and Sun Jian, Liu Bei is a good character for beginners, but continues to be an effective and reliable all-around fighter when used by more experienced players. He is also one of only three characters to have a special horse as an NPC, the Hex Mark (the other two are Lu Bu and Guan Yu, who ride Red Hare).

In Dynasty Warriors 6, Liu Bei turns into a quick combo character. His dual swords allow him to juggle and corner his opponents faster than before, which turns him into a good offensive fighter. Fortunately, his long combos allow him to quickly fill up his Renbu gauge, something that he arguably relies on to deal more damage. However, his defense continues to suffer and he lacks attacks that help deal with the opponents who surround him from all directions. Therefore, he is best as a solo dueling character as he can finish off an enemy general relatively quickly.

Weapons

 * See also: Liu Bei/Weapons

Historical Information
Liu Bei was a powerful warlord and the founding emperor of Shu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. Having risen up from the commoner class, he was initially a small player in the massive civil war leading up to the collapse of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In 214 AD, using the stratagems of his chief advisor Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei conquered Yizhou (益州, present day Sichuan and Guizhou) and at last established the foundation for Shu Han. In 221, Liu Bei declared himself emperor in an effort to carry on the lineage of the Han Dynasty. He died in the year 223, one year after Battle of Yiling. He was succeeded by his son Liu Shan, who eventually surrendered to the rival kingdom of Wei in 263.

Humble Beginnings

 * "This is no ordinary child."
 * ―Liu Bei's uncle, regarding his nephew.

Liu Bei's father was recommended as having filial piety and an upright behavior, and was given a minor office. However, he died early into his career, and Liu Bei treated his widowed mother with great devotion. Impoverished, the two resorted to weaving mats and selling sandals in order to make a living. They lived within a county village in Zhuo county called "Two-Story Mulberry", after the tree some forty feet southeast of the village. The mulberry tree was tall, and could be seen from afar. It spread wide, and acted like a baldachin canopy on a carraige. At one point in time, a fortune teller predicted, "An eminent man will come from this house."

Whilst playing with other boys beneath the mulberry tree, Liu Bei often said, "When I'm [Emperor], my chariot will have a canopy like this." Liu Bei's uncle, Liu Yuanqi was impressed by his nephew and praised him highly many times. He usually came by to help his poverty-stricken family in their tasks. At the age of fifteen, Liu Bei was sent away to study under Lu Zhi with Gongsun Zan, to whom he began a close friendship with.

Oath of the Peach Garden
At the age twenty-eight, he became approximately five feet and seven inches in height, was described as having elongated ear lobes with arms that reached below his knees, and also having widely-positioned eyes. His face was similar to jade in its flawlessness, and he also had rouge lips. He stood up where a call was posted within Zhuo county, calling for any volunteers against the Yellow Turban rebellion, a massive uprising by local farmers displeased by the state of the Han empire.

Liu Bei let out a long sigh. Someone behind him asked, "Why such long sighs?", to which Liu Bei responded, "A real man should be serving his emperor in the hour of peril." He turned around to see a panther-faced man whose height neared six feet He had huge round eyes, with heavy cheeks, whiskers resembling that of a tiger's, and with a booming voice that thundered as it rang. Liu Bei asked the man's name to which he introduced himself as Zhang Fei, so Liu Bei spoke his own name. The two conversed their desire to assist the Empire against the revolt, and Zhang Fei proposed that the they work together.

The pair were having a drink at the local tavern, when a tall fellow, approximately six feet and nine inches, walked inside and sat. His beard was two feet long, and his skin was red, with thick eyebrows and a face that was reminiscent of a phoenix's.

Liu Bei invited the man over to ask who he was. The wanderer hastily replied in saying he was Guan Yu, and had been on the run from the law after killing a scandalous man in Jieliang five or six years before. He also shared interests in defeating the Yellow Turbans, and thus Zhang Fei asked if the other two would like to become sworn brothers, to which they agreed.

The three went to Zhang Fei's peach garden, and after sacrificing animals for a ritual, swore themselves as brothers in the Peach Garden Oath.

Trivia

 * An inside joke with Japanese fans regarding his character design in the Dynasty Warriors series was his previously plain-looking appearance. Until his Dynasty Warriors 6 redesign, they nicknamed him "Citizen" (民, tami) or "Mob" (the common soldiers who create the bulk of armies) and jokingly remarked that the normal soldiers killed during cutscenes were Liu Bei's clones. The nickname became popular for Liu Bei since he often declares that he is fighting "for the people" (民のため).