lu bu

Lü Bu (吕布), courtesy name Fengxian (奉先), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. He is often depicted as wearing a golden headdress with pheasant feathers and riding his horse, Red Hare while wielding a Fangtian Ji.

Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betrayed and murdered Ding Yuan and defected to Dong Zhuo in the early 190s. In 192, he turned against Dong Zhuo and killed him after being instigated by Wang Yun and Shisun Rui (fictionalized using Diao Chan), 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, 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 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 a nearly unchallenged and peerless warrior, he was also notorious for his unstable behaviour and brutish/ruthless behavior. He switched allegiances erratically and freely betrayed his allies. He was always suspicious of others and could not control his subordinates. All these factors eventually became the reason of his downfall.

Adaptations in popular culture:

• Shin Sangoku Musou (Dynasty Warriors)
• Ryofu "Ren" Housen from Koihime Musou
• Ryofu Housen from Ikkitousen