| Lü Bu | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Real Name |
Lü Bu, Fengxian |
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Born |
Unknown |
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Died |
7 February, 199 |
Origin[]
Lü Bu, courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betrayed and murdered Ding Yuan and defected to Dong Zhuo, the warlord who controlled the Han central government in the early 190s. In 192, he turned against Dong Zhuo and killed him after being instigated by Wang Yun and Shisun Rui, but was later defeated and driven away by Dong Zhuo's followers.
From 192 to early 195, Lü Bu wandered around central and northern China, consecutively seeking shelter under warlords such as Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, and Zhang Yang. In 194, he managed to take control of Yan Province from the warlord Cao Cao with help from defectors from Cao's side, but Cao took back his territories within two years. In 195, Lü Bu turned against Liu Bei, who had offered him refuge in Xu Province, and seized control of the province from his host. Although he had agreed to an alliance with Yuan Shu earlier, he severed ties with him after Yuan declared himself emperor – treason against Emperor Xian of Han – and joined Cao and others in attacking the pretender. However, in 198, he sided with Yuan Shu again and came under attack by the combined forces of Cao and Liu, resulting in his defeat at the Battle of Xiapi in 199. He was captured and executed by strangulation on Cao's order.
Although Lü Bu is described in historical and fictional sources as an exceptionally mighty warrior, he was also notorious for his unstable behaviour. He switched allegiances erratically and freely betrayed his allies. He was always suspicious of others and could not control his subordinates. All these factors ultimately led to his downfall. In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the details of his life are dramatized and some fictitious elements – including his romance with the fictional maiden Diaochan – are added to portray him as a nearly unchallenged warrior who was also a ruthless and impulsive brute bereft of morals.
In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which dramatises the events before and during the Three Kingdoms period, Lü Bu is portrayed as a nearly invincible warrior but an incapable leader who is further marred by character flaws. While adhering to historical records in the general course of events, Luo exaggerated and sentimentalised many stories about Lü Bu, drawing inspirations from traditional operas and folklore.
Powers and Abilities[]
His iconic weapon is his Fangtian Huaji/Houten Gageki ("Evened Heaven Stroking Halberd"), a weapon of considerable-yet-not-accurately-recorded weight that was an anachronism. He also has a signature helmet, usually with two long feathers protruding like an insect antennae (many would liken it to a cockroach antennae, thus his head gear is nicknamed 'cockroach hat/helmet'), to make him more distinguished in battle.
Another of his prized possession is the steed Red Hare, an extremely powerful horse able to gallop across cities and leaping through moats with ease (and the origin of the quote on the beginning of this page). The name comes from its unusually red skin color. Aside of being extraordinarily powerful, not so much was known about the horse. Romance of the Three Kingdoms exaggerated the presence of the horse and its relations with Lü Bu.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Lü Bu before January 1, 1930 are public domain.
Some Notable Appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Records of the Three Kingdoms
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms
- Book of the Later Han
Notes[]
- Lü Bu's helmet later became the inspiration for the helmet worn by the mythical figure Sun Wukong.