Zhou Yu



Zhou Yu (onyomi: Shū Yū) is the famous military commander who protected his lord's territory from Cao Cao at ChiBi. A reputed warrior talented in war and literature, Zhou Yu's potential was feared by Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He shared a devout fellowship with both Sun Ce and Sun Quan; he was practically tied to the hip with the elder brother, and he acted like a gentle older sibling to the younger brother. Romance of the Three Kingdoms fabricated his jealousy for Zhuge Liang, in which he was constantly vexed by his counterpart's intelligence. Xiaoqiao is his wife.

Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll places hisDynasty Warriors incarnation at thirty-second with fans and thirty-ninth in the Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends poll. In Famitsu's character survey, he placed ninth in the boss category.

Dynasty WarriorsEdit
Zhou Yu is Wu's first strategist and a loyal officer who often first servesSun Jian. He quickly befriends Sun Ce and the two friends unite to see a land of peace under Wu. Should Sun Ce die in their pursuit of their dream, Zhou Yu will continue to carry on Sun Ce's ambition and guideSun Quan. A few titles in the series also emphasize his animosity towards Zhuge Liang, particularly at Chi Bi. Zhou Yu often disappears after his role at Chi Bi. In his personal story in Dynasty Warriors 3, he continues to aid Wu by destroying Wei at He Fei and Shu at Yi Ling.

His Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends takes place after Wu claims victory at Chi Bi. With his task finished, Zhuge Liang plans to sail back to Liu Bei. Knowing that the strategist will prove to be a liable threat to Wu's future, Zhou Yu chases him down to slay him. By the time he arrives at the docks, Zhuge Liang has already boarded a boat and bids farewell to Wu. Zhou Yu pursues the sailing boat by land and faces the first three Five Tiger Generals. Blocking the strategist's escape path in the south, Zhou Yu cuts Zhuge Liang down.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, he is a warrior who comes from a prestigious family and is known for his good looks and musical talent. He joins the alliance against Dong Zhuo at Si Shui Gate with Sun Jian. Upon his return to their homeland, he joins Sun Ce to attack Liu Biao. After the elder tiger's death, Zhou Yu gathers more troops for their cause and works with Sun Ce to conquer the land of Wu. Although Sun Ce dies of illness, he continues to guide Sun Quan in his friend's memory.Huang Zu falls soon after and the Wu kingdom is greatly expanded. In due time, Wu clashes with Wei at Chi Bi and deliver a resounding blow to Cao Cao's army. Surviving the conflict, he swears to uphold Sun Ce's dream of conquest.

His Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion pairs him and Sun Ce to win the hands of their future wives. While arriving to the marriage site, they are challenged by the Two Qiaos to prove their worth. Xiao Qiao instructs Zhou Yu to take the eastern path and must use cunning and strength to bypass her tests. Along the way, he unexpectedly faces loyal soldiers of the Sun family such as Han Deng and Huang Gai. When the ordeal is over, he admits that it was a meager yet interesting lesson since he was also able to prove his might to the Sun family officers.

Sun Jian personally asks him to watch Sun Ce in Dynasty Warriors 6, and the two men first meet at Hu Lao Gate. As his guard, Zhou Yu guides and protects his new friend. Hearing that Cao Cao's main army was returning to Xu Chang, Zhou Yu pleads his friend to withdraw and saves him from a premature demise. As Liu Bei asks for their aid, they join forces to defeat Cao Cao at Chi Bi. Sun Ce's army successfully kills Cao Cao and they are victorious. What Zhou Yu didn't realize is Zhuge Liang's trap, as the Shu strategist uses Wu's efforts so that Shu could steal Jing Province away from them. Though they were allies, Wu reclaims Jing Province and slays Liu Bei at Yi Ling. The land is united under Sun Ce, but Zhou Yu perceives that his friend does not want to spend his time ruling it. Wanting to find more adventure, Sun Ce passes his mantle of leadership to Sun Quan and Zhou Yu leaves together with his friend.

Dynasty Warriors 7 has Zhou Yu primarily appear within Wu's Story Mode. He is first mentioned soon after the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition and assists Sun Ce in the Battle of Wu Commandery. After he defeats Yan Baihu and secures the southern garrisons, he leaves the command of the battle to Sun Ce. Later he assists the campaign against Yuan Shu inShou Chun. Present at Xu Chang, Zhou Yu is one of the officers worried about the whereabouts of the missing Sun Ce. Zhou Yu is beside a dying Sun Ce's side when they take the capital. He is entrusted to continue guiding Sun Quan.

Together with Zhuge Liang, he later plans the alliance with Liu Bei and Sun Quan against Cao Cao's invasion of the south. Like many titles in the series, he plans the fire attack and is skeptic of Zhuge Liang's true intentions at Chi Bi. Luring the enemy's vanguard by pretending to be injured, he causes the elimination of several enemy troops. His coordination of the fire attack leads to a grand success, but they are prevented from pursuing Cao Cao due to Zhuge Liang's intervention. Though embittered by the strategist's decision, Zhou Yu commands the armies to instead keep pressing onwards to invade the north. As commander at Nan Jun, Zhou Yu again feigns injury on the field to confuse Cao Cao's army. This time, however, Zhou Yu's injury is genuine and he is bedridden after their victory. Sun Quan visits his bedside as Sun Shang Xiang is being married away to Liu Bei. After complementing his young lord, Zhou Yu quietly passes away. In Sun Quan's dream for Wu's ending, Zhou Yu appears as one of the belated individuals who praise him.

He shares his first Legendary Mode with Sun Ce. The two young friends try to impress the Two Qiaos with battling many other Wu generals. When Zhou Yu reaches Xiao Qiao, he remarks the beauty of the young girl. She is also impressed by the strategist, but she wants to fight him to make sure his reputation isn't superficial. After her defeat, she asks Zhou Yu to marry her. In his second Legendary Mode, he faces Zhuge Liang at Dong Xing, seeking revenge for Zhuge Liang's actions at Chi Bi.

On the hypothetical route in Dynasty Warriors 8, Zhou Yu saves Sun Ce from death by defeating Gan Ji, who had put his friend under a curse at Xuchang. He also survives the aftermath of Nanjun, enabling him to participate in the campaign at Hefei. He also appears in Wei's hypothetical story at Jianye, defending Wu's capital from being overrun by Cao Cao's forces. Though Zhou Yu attempts to impede their advance by activating a spike trap, Zhang Liao and the others are able to thwart his efforts.

Character information
Calm and rational, Zhou Yu is a wise expert of strategy who is capable of seeing through most of his enemies' ploys. He was a darker and slightly more arrogant character in his first appearance, but he has softened in following titles. He treats his allies with modest professionalism and genuine respect. His devotion to his homeland is unquestionable, and his talents are praised with renown.

Since they are often childhood friends, Zhou Yu acts as the voice of reason for the hot blooded Sun Ce. They share a strong bond and both comrades can rely on the other in times of need. In previous titles, he refers to his friend by his style name in Japanese, though this was not the case in Dynasty Warriors 6. His mature and serious persona contrasts with Xiaoqiao's naive and cheerful one. While he is also a loving husband, his words of caution are not always appreciated by his wife. Even so, he thinks of her dearly and will not hesitate to come to her rescue.