Lu Bu

Overview

Lu Bu was both a renowned and notorious figure of China's late Han Dynasty. The information about his early childhood days is spotty at best. His birth date is relatively unknown, though it is known that he is born in then-Jiyuan County of then-WuYuan Commandery (now modern Inner Mongolia) and it is estimated that he was born in the AD 150s. It is also known that he was quite strong, tall and athletic as a youth. In his early days, he mastered archery, horseback riding and armed combat. This training would prove important for Lu Bu, as these skills came to make him the strongest warrior in the battlefield at the end of the Han Dynasty.

Lu Bu came to serve under Ding Yuan, who was the governor of the Bingzhou area as a Chief Secretary. It was believed that Lu Bu's prowess on the battlefield impressed the governor, therefore Ding took Lu into his office as a secretary, and also treated him as if he was a son. They worked together until 189, when Dong Zhuo, a warlord rising in the national government, came to visit Lu Bu and offered him many gifts, including the legendary quick-footed stallion Red Hare. Overwhelmed by so many presents, Lu Bu agreed to kill Ding Yuan and defect to Dong Zhuo's side.

Much of Lu Bu's later life is surrounded in mythology. In the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lu Bu ultimately rebels against and assassinates Dong Zhou as a result of a ploy enacted by Han official Wang Yun. Wang Yun's adopted daughter Diaochan became a concubine of Dong Zhuo and played both Dong Zhuo's and Lu Bu's affection for her off of one another, inciting jealousy and eventually coercing Lu Bu into killing his lord.

Following the death of Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu eventually came to serve under Liu Bei at Xiapi, but on an occasion while Liu Bei was away, he stole control of Xiapi and made it his own. Liu Bei partnered with the warlord Cao Cao for assistance in reclaiming it from Lu Bu, leading to a siege that demoralized Lu Bu's men. The siege concluded with Lu Bu's capture. Though he pleaded his case, stating he could assist Cao Cao, Liu Bei was quick to recount the various masters that Lu Bu had served previously, only to betray. This knowledge in mind, Cao Cao made the decision to execute Lu Bu, and his life was brought to an end in the year 198.

In Video Games

Dynasty Warriors

Lu Bu is a prominent figure of the Dynasty Warriors series. As an enemy officer, he is typically given parameters much higher than average, particularly in battles pitting the coalition forces waging war against Dong Zhuo. As such, the stage objectives are typically designed in such a way that it is recommended the player avoid engaging Lu Bu in battle. If Diaochan is defeated while Lu Bu is on the battlefield, he is also likely to become enraged and seek out the player.

As a player character, Lu Bu's battle parameters are more in line with the other playable officers. His signature weapon in most games is typically a spear or halberd of some sort, though in Dynasty Warriors 6 he wields a special cross halberd (a four-headed halberd shaped like an X). The cross halberd was eventually made the EX weapon of Lu Lingqi, Lu Bu's daughter that was made a playable character in Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends.

In terms of his personality, Lu Bu is characterized as a brutish, powerful man confident in his martial abilities and easily able to intimidate common soldiers. However, his focus is typically limited to the immediate battle at hand, as he lacks the forethought to think ahead to the future. In most games, Lu Bu shares a mutual, genuine love with Diaochan, though later games have come to depict the relationship in a light more accurate to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which Diaochan's supposed affections were a means to an end, and she disappears from Lu Bu's life following Dong Zhuo's death.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, Lu Bu commonly appears as one of the game's many officers. His statistics typically present him as strong in areas such as Leadership and War, but his Intelligence, Politics and Charisma are poor, making him ill-suited for domestic and diplomatic actions.

Samurai Warriors

Lu Bu makes a special appearance in the original Samurai Warriors. Should the player make it to the top floor of the Castle endurance mode, Lu Bu will challenge the player to a fight.