Dynasty Warriors/Characters/The Wu Strategists

A list of the strategists of the Wu Kingdom in the Dynasty Warriors series.

"The Crimson Passion"


""My intellect shall deliver victory in this battle to our forces!""

"Voiced by: Takahiro Yoshimisu (Japanese), Michael Sinterniklaas (English)"

Born: 175 Died: 210 Japanese spelling: Shuuyuu

Age: 25 Height: 5'10" (178cm)

Zhou Yu is the supreme strategist for the Wu Kingdom, and responsible for the expansion of their territories. Possessing good looks, intelligence and refinement, he is a wise expert of strategy who is capable of seeing through most of his enemies' ploys. His devotion to his homeland is unquestionable, and his talents are praised with renown.

Calm and rational, Zhou Yu acts as the voice of reason for his hot blooded friend Sun Ce. They share a strong bond and both comrades can rely on the other in times of need. He is married to Xiao Qiao, who he loves dearly. -


 * Always Second Best - To Zhuge Liang.
 * Badass: Willing to use himself as a decoy to help Wu succeed even when greatly wounded.
 * Badass Baritone: In earlier games.
 * Bishounen - Complete with the nickname "Beautiful Zhou" in the novel.
 * Cultured Badass - As befitting the "right hand" of Sun Ce's conquest of Wu, though this is mainly elaborated on in the novel.
 * Ho Yay - With Sun Ce
 * Jack of All Stats - Wu's counterpart to Zhao Yun and Xiahou Dun. While Dun leans more towards power, Zhou Yu favors speed and finesse (with Zhao Yun in the middle of both, essentially "The Jack of Jacks").
 * Lady of War - An uncommon male example who fulfills most of aspects of this trope, only male.
 * Long-Haired Pretty Boy
 * Opposites Attract - With Xiao Qiao.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni - The Blue Oni to Sun Ce's Red Oni.
 * Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl - With Xiao Qiao.
 * Simple Staff - From DW6 onwards; prior, it was a broadsword.
 * The Strategist - Wu's first, and the mastermind behind the planning of the Battle of Chi Bi. Player opinion tends to be divided over whether he or Lu Xun was the greatest.
 * Unknown Rival - To Zhuge Liang. Subverted and invoked in later games (as in the source material) in that Zhuge Liang plays this up to push Zhou Yu's buttons. It works, eventually contributing to Zhou Yu's (young) death.

"The Gentleman of Learning"


""My strategies shall expedite the path to our victory over the enemy.""

"Voiced by: Yukitoshi Hori (Japanese), Tony Oliver (English)"

Born: 178 Died: 219 Japanese spelling: Ryomou

Age: 29 Height: 5'11" (181cm)

A valuable officer under Sun Quan, known as a warrior in his early years, he takes it upon himself to study and become a scholar.

Honest and perceptive, Lu Meng is a man who believes in steadfastness. While he speaks with a gruff tone, he is a calm and flexible leader with universal capabilities. Praised for his determination and cunning, he tries to impart his wisdom to several of Wu's younger retainers, as he finds them to be the hope for their kingdom should he fall. He particularly sees talent in Lu Xun and respects the younger man's intellect.


 * Badass Bookworm - Went from being The Brute to a respected scholar by hitting the books.
 * Blade on a Stick - Is never seen without one in all appearances.
 * Daran Norris - DW5-6 and Warriors Orochi
 * Dishing Out Dirt - His Tome Special in DW6 is to drop boulders
 * Ho Yay - With Lu Xun
 * The Obi-Wan - To Lu Xun
 * Perma-Stubble
 * Playing with Fire - His Elemental Orb attack in DW5
 * That Makes Me Feel Angry - "What a display of martial skill! I am awestruck!"
 * The Strategist - The one who takes over after Zhou Yu's death, best known for assisting in the death of Guan Yu.
 * Team Dad - Often portrayed as the dad with Lu Xun, Gan Ning, and Ling Tong.

Lu Su
One of the main strategists of Wu before the Battle of Fan Castle, and the one who tried his hardest both historically and in the novel to make the Wu-Shu alliance work.


 * Blade on a Stick: Uses a rake.
 * Nice Guy: Rarely ever displays anger. It's also a large part of his strategist role, as he tried his best to be the mediator of the Shu-Wu alliance and did his best to make it work.
 * Nice Hat: Wears a small red one to go with his coat.

"The Young Courageous Flame"


""I shall claim this battlefield as my own!""

"Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (Japanese), Skip Stellrecht (English)"

Born: 183 Died: 245 Japanese spelling: Rikuson

Age: 17 Height: 5'7" (171cm)

Lu Xun is a young and loyal officer of Wu who serves under Sun Quan and quickly rises up the ranks. Hand picked by Lu Meng as his protege, his most famous victory occurs at Yi Ling with the defeat of the Shu army.

He is quick witted, perceptive, and believes in seeing the big picture. His outstanding talents and youthful energy helps inspire Sun Quan and his allies during dire times. Formal and humble, he tries to see the best in every person, be they ally or foe. He addresses disasters with a prudent and sincere manner, always striving for an optimistic solution to the situation. -


 * Animal Motifs - All his weapons have an avian theme to their names.
 * Bare Your Midriff - In DW5 and 7
 * Bishounen - Borders on Dude Looks Like a Lady in DW7
 * Beware the Nice Ones - Polite, honest, hardworking, and will fry you alive if he feels you're too dangerous to Wu.
 * Chilly Reception - In DW7, his sudden promotion to Wu's main strategist is not taken well. In fact
 * There were often some elements of this in the earlier games as well.
 * "Lu Xun... so young...!"
 * Dual-Wielding - Twin sabers in all appearances save DW6, which is a...
 * Royal Rapier - In 6
 * Facial Markings - One on his cheek in DW6
 * Ho Yay - With Lu Meng
 * Nice Hat - DW2-5
 * Playing with Fire - His Tome Special in DW6, and his original True Musou finisher, which launches a rather spectacularly sized fireball in the direction he faces.
 * He gains another flamethrower wave in the crossover as a special attack.
 * Pay attention to the battles where he plays the main strategist - he is prone to suggesting a fire attack whenever one is possible.
 * Lampshaded in DW5 during Wu's Nanman Campaign, where Zhu Rong challenges him to see who's fire powers are greater.
 * Smart Guy - Ohhhhhhh boy!
 * Teen Genius - He is 17 and becomes Wu's main Strategist
 * The Strategist - The last main strategist for Wu and also its youngest. Gained immeasurable fame/infamy for his planning during the Battle of Yi Ling.

"The Scariest Face in Wu"


""I shall give this battle my all, meaning that my victory is ensured!""

"Voiced by: Ryohei Nakao (Japanese), Kyle Hebert (English)"

Born: (Unknown) Died: 271 Japanese spelling: Teihou

Height: 6'11" (210cm)

A military general who served under Wu during the late Three Kingdoms, he is known as a brave warrior and skilled strategist. Despite his frightful appearance, he is known as a poet and lover of beauty. -


 * Badass Longcoat
 * The Big Guy - Type 5; in addition to being a refined intellectual, he can beat you into the ground and throw you into orbit.
 * Blunt Metaphors Trauma: His love of poetry and his brutish sounding demeanor humorously clash, resulting in some very clumsy poetry, though you can tell he didn't intend for it to come out that way.
 * Expy - Kind of a stretch: fights with Good Old Fisticuffs and historically did end up being absorbed with his fortunes that he made losses for Wu (and to be honest, he was the strategist during Wu's "decline" after Lu Xun's departure, though it's not entirely his fault). Now examine his hair; yep, if Zhang He is to Vega/Balrog/Claw, then Ding Feng could very well be Balrog/M. Bison/Boxer.
 * Genius Bruiser / Gentle Giant - He might look menacing, but loves scenery and is a poet.
 * Power Fist - Uses a pair of armored gauntlets identical to Meng Huo's. Interesting that they are both the tallest characters in the game at 6'11" (210cm).
 * Warrior Poet - A primary character trait.