Zhou Cang

Zhou Cang (onyomi: Shū Sō) is a fictional general of the Yellow Turbans who pledged his loyalty to Guan Yu after hearing his exploits. He is known as a masterful swimmer and a swift runner who could travel the same distance as Red Hare in a single day.

He placed tenth with fans in Gamecity's Shin Sangoku Musou Blast first card promotion poll.

In Kessen II, his height is 180 cm (almost 5'11").

Dynasty Warriors
Throughout the Dynasty Warriors series, Zhou Cang as an NPC usually appears in battles involving the Yellow Turbans and Shu. However, he does not appear in the Yellow Turbans' army onwards until the fourth installment.

Warriors Orochi
In the first Warriors Orochi game, he can be seen in Shu's Story Mode guarding Edo Castle under the orders of Zhuge Liang. After losing against the Resistance, Zhou Cang and his allies rejoin their former comrades to rescue their lord from Orochi's grasp.

Warriors All-Stars
When he first arrives in the Warriors All-Stars world, Zhou Cang and Zhao Yun defend themselves from the monsters surrounding them. Once they regroup, they duel Lu Bu and Wang Yuanji until Tamaki pleads to them to cease their aggressions. After hearing about their new surroundings, Zhou Cang quips at the other royal members' irresponsibility and joins Tamaki.

Kessen
Zhou Cang appears as reinforcements for Shu at the Battle of Ru Nan in Kessen II. His first appearance helps bolster Zhao Yun's morale. He rides a spear unit into battle and serves as a secondary general for either Guan Yu or Mei Sanniang. Though he possesses rather uninspired officer skills, he is a decent support unit for raising army morale.

Development
Zhou Cang is in Warriors All-Stars before his debut Dynasty Warriors because Furusawa, the producer of Warriors All-Stars, thought it would be an interesting twist to the usual formula. He wanted to add Zhou Cang due to the incident where he loses to Zhao Yun in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, thinking that the interaction would make the base for a good relationship in Warriors All-Stars. Developers for Dynasty Warriors 9 worked with the Warriors All-Stars team, with Suzuki specifically critiquing them on their proposed changes or additions. Furusawa and Suzuki joke that he almost looks Mexican in Warriors All-Stars because they "went overboard" with the size of his hat and his outfit. Zhou Cang is meant to be a powerful and speedy character.

Furusawa later commented that Zhou Cang's command inputs may be different in Dynasty Warriors, but everything about his character will be nearly the same in that series. He also said that the team's ground rules to avoid bias for their own IPs were "only three characters max from one IP", but they deliberately bent that for Zhou Cang's inclusion.

Sawashiro remarked that he played Zhou Cang to be energetic. Since his character has a lot of dialogue, every recording session was tiring to him. He hopes players find their favorite character in Warriors All-Stars.

Personality
Strong and loyal, Zhou Cang prides himself for his speed which is said to match that of Red Hare.

Voice Actors

 * Takahiro Yoshimizu - Kessen II (Japanese)
 * Chiharu Sawashiro - Warriors All-Stars, Dynasty Warriors 9
 * Toru Sakurai - Sangokushi Legion

Quotes

 * "You truly are a marvel on horseback, Master Guan Yu. But please try to think of those who have to keep up with you."
 * "I know you're fast enough to keep up. That's why I can continue to go full speed."
 * "I am honored you feel that way! In that case, I will follow you to the ends of the earth."
 * Zhou Cang and Guan Yu; Dynasty Warriors 8


 * "Lord Liu Bei! My name is Zhou Cang. My men and I have come to help you save and rebuild the Han Empire!"
 * Kessen II

Warriors All-Stars

 * ,, , , , : He slashes down diagonally to his left, up right, then up left, then up right again, then slashes downwards to the ground. Finally, he performs a 360 clockwise spin and slashes to the right.
 * undefined: Zhou Cang runs forward for a distance, and then does an axe kick on the ground in front of him.
 * , undefined: Zhou Cang runs forward for a distance, bulldozing any enemies in his path. He then smashes his weapon down to the ground.
 * ,, undefined: Zhou Cang grips his weapon with both hands and does a counterclockwise spin attack.
 * ,, , undefined: He dashes forward and leaps up and smashes his weapon onto the ground in front of him, creating a small shockwave.
 * ,, , , undefined: Plunges his weapon into the ground, and pulls it back up to launch a large boulder upwards into the air, which then falls down onto enemies in front.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Zhou Cang holds his weapon in front of him and runs forward, bulldozing any enemies in his path.
 * Dashing + : Does a forward flip and slams his weapon down onto the ground.
 * Dashing + undefined: Does a forward flip and slams his weapon down onto the ground.
 * Jump + : He swings his weapon to his right while midair.
 * Jump + undefined: Zhou Cang divebombs to the ground and plants his weapon into the ground.


 * : Zhou Cang creates a slashing cyclone by running around his enemies in circles twice, slashing enemies inside.


 * Hero Skill
 * Lightning Speed: speed and attack power increase. Skill gauge gradually replenishes.


 * Awakened Skill
 * Combined Skill
 * Combined Skill

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Introduced in the 28th chapter of the novel, Zhou Cang is a powerful fighter whose notable features are his dark complexion and curly beard. Originally affiliated with the Yellow Turbans, he and Pei Yuanshao took refuge in Mt. Wo Niu after losing their leader. The two of them live a life of banditry until they come across Guan Yu who had been escorting Liu Bei's family to safety. Having admired the God of War since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Zhou Cang vows to change his ways and offers his services to him. The rest of his followers agree to join as well.

As a general of Liu Bei's army, he often stood by Guan Yu's side wherever he went and even served as his weapon bearer. He also interceded on his idol's behalf when negotiations with Lu Su soured. His naval skills proved useful at the flooding of Fan Castle, leading to his capture of Wei general Pang De. Their victory is cut short when the forces of Wu intervene, though. Guan Yu loses his life as a result and Zhou Cang slices his own throat upon seeing his displayed head.