King Zhou

King Zhou is Wen Zhong's younger foster brother, Shou's father, and the last ruler of the Shang Dynasty. He has the trust of the Nine Dragon Sect and several unworldly servants. Though portrayed as a tragic figure in the first title, he acts as one of the series' villains in the sequels. In Mystic Heroes, he is called Emperor Kang in the English port.

Role in Games
Since his mother died when he was young, Wen Zhong's mother offered to care for him. The young King Zhou was very unsure of his standing in the world and, though he had his older brother fiercely guarding him, he began to doubt his abilities as a future ruler. These feelings of unrest continued when he ascended the throne years later. While he did enjoy ruling the populace through peaceful means, he always wondered if he was truly fulfilled with merely being a "good leader" and began to felt empty. When he first laid eyes on Da Ji, he felt happiness for the first time in his life.

Unfortunately, his love was soon possessed by the fox spirit and the new Da Ji used him as a tool for her own means. Placed under a spell of obedience, King Zhou became her devious puppet as a harbinger of anarchy. Though he was partially conscious during his possession, King Zhou later admits that he did not want to fight against her since he still loved his concubine. He allowed her to do as she pleased and inevitably lost the people's trust, his older brother and several of his retainers. When Taigong Wang's party confronts Da Ji and defeats him in battle, he confesses his sins to Huang Feihu. He requests for his vassal to end his life but the general quaintly refuses, saying the act would break his oath to Wen Zhong. King Zhou flies into grief upon hearing his brother's name and apologizes to his loyal retainer. Thanking Taigong Wang and his vassal for freeing him from the demon's grasp, he leaves to set his room on fire in a bid for his soul's redemption. Before his body could burn completely in the flames, he was teleported away from the scene at the last second.

Fengshen Yanyi 2 reveals his whereabouts and his remains were rescued by the Nine Dragon Sect. They scheme to use his son, Shou, to harness his and Da Ji's bodies into one form. Becoming King Shou, any remnants of King Zhou's humanity have been erased and he becomes a tool of destruction. He and Da Ji are sealed away by the end of the game. However, he frees the seal over their souls in Mystic Heroes to recreate his kingdom.

Personality
As a human, King Zhou is a benevolent and kind person who wishes the best for his people. He deeply cares for his vassals, especially Wen Zhong, Yang Ren and Huang Feihu. Since he gave into his selfish desires, he blames himself for the tragedies that befell his people and is torn with his right as a leader. He truly loves Da Ji and claims that she is innocent of any fault.

King Zhou is usually seen as a callous being who lives for devastation. He relishes the carnage his new powers can cause and does not feel any noticeable guilt for his actions.

Fighting Style
King Zhou is a hard hitter who possesses above-average speed. He will usually attack with the more powerful attacks in the games and will do so mercilessly. He has a high endurance and a high quantity of life to spare. His attacks can hit from a close or from afar, making him a tough opponent. King Zhou cannot usually heal himself in most titles so players can use this weakness to their advantage.