Zhāng Jiǎo 张角

What's with the cartoon?

He looks more similar to Rambo in this new portrait. The key detail here is the spade that seems to be generating the lightning for him, which as you know is spot-on for Zhang Jiao's deadly abilities!

Who is he:

The leader and inciter of the yellow turban rebellion, Zhang Jiao became a hero to the those suffering under the corrupt and decaying Han Dynasty 汉朝. Due to a terrible famine that hit China at around 180 AD, the people suffered terribly and yet were further tormented by corrupt and greedy officials. It was then that Zhang Jiao met a strange old man in a cave which gave him 3 books, said to contain the ways of a mysterious art. After mastering the books, Zhang Jiao could control the wind, rain, and lightning and became a sorcerer. Despite having these powers, Zhang Jiao won the hearts of the people by providing aid and supplies to those in need. It was thus that tens of thousands rallied behind Zhang Jiao in his bid to overthrow the Han Dynasty. He never succeeded however, and was defeated by those who were loyal to dynasty, namely Liu Bei 刘备 and Cao Cao 曹操.

Character ability 1: "Lightning Strike 雷击 (léi jī)"

Whenever Zhang Jiao uses a DODGE 闪 card, he can target any player to make a judgement. If the judgement card is of the "spades" suit, the target player suffers 2 units of lightning attribute damage.

Character ability 2: "Dark Sorcery 鬼道 (gǔi dào)"

Zhang Jiao can exchange the judgement card of any player before it takes effect with any of his "spades" or "clubs" suit cards (on-hand or equipped). Note that the cards are exchanged, meaning Zhang Jiao can retrieve the original judgement card back into his hand.

Character ability 3: [Ruler ability] "Amber Sky 黄天 (huáng tiān)"

All Heroes 群雄 characters can give Zhang Jiao one DODGE or LIGHTNING 闪电 card during their individual turns.

Ability's relation to story:

In the story, there wasn't much mention of Zhang Jiao himself. From what is written, it is known that can he control the weather (like Storm from X-Men). Therefore "Lightning Strike" is a direct link. There is no mention of any form of deception or intervention such as "Dark Sorcery", however.

"Amber Sky" actually has a link to the story. Part of the slogan of the Yellow Turban Rebels goes something like this:

"The Dynasty is dead, arise the Amber Sky 苍天已死, 黄天当立"

where Amber Sky is a celebratory designation that Zhang Jiao gave himself, akin to calling himself the Amber Emperor.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Inciting the Yellow Turban Rebellion and opening the epic Three Kingdoms story. Zhang Jiao appears in Chapter 1 of the story and his valiant efforts in galvanizing the people led to the rebellion. This rebellion is critically important as it marked the beginning of the end of the Han Dynasty, though the rebellion itself fizzled away quickly.

2. Cause of death - Unknown! It was only written in a passing statement that Zhang Jiao had died, and no reference was made as to who killed him and how. The story then put the focus on Zhang Jiao's brother Zhang Bao 张包 and his battle with Liu Bei 刘备.

Yú Jí 于吉

What's with the cartoon?
Does his pose look familiar to you? It looks like the sleeping buddha pose doesn't it... with one difference. The crude way in which he sticks up his legs is more like the "Beggar Monk 济公", which is sort of what Yu Ji is in the story. A strange old priest with strange old powers. Players who use him shouldn't be as relaxed though. Everyone usually wants Yu Ji dead before anyone else. 


Who is he:
This Daoist priest had only half a chapter's air-time, but his impact on the story was enormous. If not for Yu Ji, Sun Quan 孙权would not have become ruler of the Wu Kingdom. While Sun Ce 孙策 was still alive, the officers of Wu Kingdom gathered around an old Daoist priest  one day. Sun Ce was very averse to superstition and became extremely upset that his people were listening to hocus-pocus nonsense. That Daoist priest, Yu Ji, was thus thrown into prison, which greatly alarmed many officers and citizens. Till then, Yu Ji has constantly been healing the sick with magic for free and has done a lot of social good. Sun Ce refused to pardon Yu Ji and ordered him executed. Alas, the magic of Yu Ji cursed Sun Ce and Sun Ce began seeing apparitions of Yu Ji everywhere he went. It was thus that Sun Ce went mad and died from a ruptured wound.

Character ability: "Bewilder 盅惑 (zhōng huò)"
Whenever Yu Ji uses a Basic Card (like ATTACK 杀, PEACH 桃 etc.) or Non-Time-Delay Tool cards (such as DISMANTLE 过河拆桥, NEGATE 无懈可击 etc.), he can verbalize the intended card but play a card faced down on the table. If nobody doubts the authenticity of the card, the card takes the effect as verbalized. If there is (are) any player(s) that doubt the authenticity of the card, the card must be flipped over to expose the true identity of the card.

- If the card is real, every player that expressed doubted will lose 1 unit of health.
- If the card is a fake, every player that expressed doubt gets to draw 1 card from the deck.

Regardless whether the card is real or fake, the card is rendered useless as long as it has been flipped over UNLESS the card is both real and has a suit of "hearts", in which case the card still is effective.

Ability's relation to the story:
Yu Ji never actually spread any stories or propaganda in his time alive, but Sun Ce simply refused to believe it. Thus the basis of the ability "Bewilder" comes from Sun Ce's accusation that Yu Ji was bewildering his citizens.

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - Controlling the weather. Yu Ji was asked by Sun Ce to prove that he was no trickster by summoning the rain amidst a drought. Yu Ji successfully brought the rain, which came in torrents and flooded the city, but still Sun Ce was not appeased.

2. Cause of death - Executed in public by Sun Ce. After bringing the rain, Sun Ce ordered Yu Ji beheaded. His officers pleaded on behalf of Yu Ji, which enraged Sun Ce further. He questioned all within earshot if they were revolting because of this priest, and no one dare speak up after that. After Yu Ji was executed, Sun Ce had his body displayed in public for all to see, but the corpse mysteriously vanished the following day. Thereafter, Yu Ji haunted Sun Ce till he became mad and died.

Lǚ Bù 吕布

What's with the cartoon?

Just a cuter version of the original portrait, this time shown holding his Heavenly Halberd. 

Who is he:

Quite possibly the best fighter in all of China in that era, Lu Bu was a formidable general that struck fear in his opponents. Yet for all his military prowess and combat ability, Lu Bu was not the smartest of people. Throw in a tinge of greed, a sprinkle of lust, and you have a riding, fighting disaster atop four hooves. Dong Zhuo 董卓 found that out the hard way. To win Lu Bu's favour, Dong Zhuo showered Lu Bu with expensive gifts such as the Red Hare 赤兔 horse and an assortment of jewels. Lu Bu came under Dong Zhuo's wing after all receiving all those goodies, then ended up murdering Dong Zhuo victim over a woman. After Dong Zhuo's death, Lu Bu became a minor warlord and led a series of battles in an effort to expand his territory. However his poor use of strategy and refusal to listen to advice ultimately caused his downfall.

Character ability: [Enforced ability] "Without Equal 无双 (wú shuāng)"

Whenever Lu Bu uses ATTACK 杀, his target has to use 2 DODGE 闪 cards to successfully evade the attack. During a DUEL 决斗, Lu Bu's opponent needs to use 2 ATTACK cards for every one ATTACK card that he uses.

Ability's relation to story:

The link can actually be found in the subscript line written under his ability description. It is a phrase said by Chen Gong 陈宫, his advisor when Lu Bu became warlord, that reads:

"His courage and bravery, unsurmountable. His eagerness for battle, unprecedented. Yet brave but without cunning. Violent but without benevolence. 骁勇无敌, 善战无前. 然勇而无谋, 暴而少仁."

无双 literal translates to "Without Equal" and refers to his incredibly combat skills. Thankfully, it does not seem to be sarcastic referring to his intellect as well.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Killing Dong Zhuo. Ok so maybe it's not a very glamorous view of Lu Bu to say it was his "most famous achievement" when he was merely a pawn of Wang Yun 王允's scheme, but the fellow did kill the tyrant and the world celebrated Dong Zhuo's death. Coming in second would be his securing a truce between Yuan Shu 袁术 and Liu Bei 刘备's forces by showing off his archery skills, but that seemed somewhat less spectacular in comparison, doesn't it?

[Addendum] By popular demand, I have added the 1 VS 3 fight between Lu Bu VS Liu Bei 刘备 and company. In the days of Yuan Shao 袁绍's coalition against Dong Zhuo, many generals challenged Lu Bu, not none were his match. One of these generals was Gong Sun Zan 公孙瓒, who could hardly hold up a dozen bouts against the mighty Lu Bu. Out came Zhang Fei 张飞 who raced out to meet Lu Bu, thus saving Gong Sun Zan. The two were evenly matched when Guan Yu 关羽 joined in. 1 VS 2 and still Lu Bu held up strong. Liu Bei joined in the fray and it became 3 of the legendary heroes (all highly capable fighters) against 1 single Lu Bu. Though Lu Bu could match them 1 VS 3, alas he became fatigued and he retreated. Still, the entire coalition of thousands was watching the duel and everyone had little doubt of the fighting prowess of Lu Bu.

2. Cause of death - Betrayed by his own men to Cao Cao 曹操 and executed. For all his fighting valour, Lu Bu became a coward in the face of death. When Lu Bu was under siege, he chose to stay by the side of his wives and not listen to his advisor, Chen Gong. He was also ill-tempered to his men, their low-morale fueling resentment for their leader. While Lu Bu was asleep, they stole the Heaven Scorcher Halberd 方天画戟 and bundled Lu Bu over to Cao Cao. Lu Bu asked Cao Cao to allow him to surrender and he would be at Cao Cao's service. However Liu Bei quickly reminded Cao Cao of the fate of Lu Bu's previous masters, and Cao Cao ordered Lu Bu executed without hesitation. Lu Bu pleaded for his life to no avail. In sharp contrast, Lu Bu's general Zhang Liao 张辽 cursed Cao Cao despite being bound for certain death. Cao Cao unbound Zhang Liao, and Zhang Liao then became one of Cao Cao's most able general in the years to come.

Huà Tuó 华佗

What's with the cartoon?

Hua Tuo is the medic of the entire game! Thus it is fitting that they give him a syringe (albeit with s horrifyingly large needle) and let him have peach while he's at it.

Who is he:

His name has become synonymous with "Miracle Doctor" as he cured many strange sicknesses. Studies by historians said his medical techniques were hundreds of years ahead of his time. The Romance of Three Kingdoms story, however, deviates from history slightly and almost turns him into Super Doctor. Two prominent scenes showcase Hua Tuo's incredible healing powers: the first is his surgery on Guan Yu 关羽's arm and the second is his proposal to cure Cao Cao 曹操 of his migraine. Both of these scenarios will be described later in the "Additional info" section. Though his appearance in the story is brief, he carries significant impact. This effect is felt when Cao Cao regrets the death of Hua Tuo as his own son, Cao Chong 曹冲, becomes gravely ill. Without Hua Tuo's medical expertise, Cao Chong did not survive the illness.

Character ability 1: "Emergency Rescue 急救 (jí jiù)"

Outside of his turn, Hua Tuo can use any of his cards (on-hand or equipped) with the suit of "hearts" or "diamonds" as PEACH 桃.

Character ability 2: "Green Salve 青囊 (qīng náng)"

During the action phase, Hua Tuo can discard one on-hand card and allow any player to regain 1 unit of health. Limited to one use per turn.

Ability's relation to story:

"Emergency Rescue" could have some connection with him saving Guan Yu from the poison arrow. Though Guan Yu wasn't exactly on his deathbed yet, the wound was life-threatening and Hua Tuo did save him. "Green Salve", on the other hand, is very much linked to the story. Hua Tuo had with him a book of his works known as the "Book of the Green Salve 青囊书". This book contained numerous medical techniques of saving lives, but was destroyed when he died. Though not told in the story, the historical accounts mention that this book was burnt by Hua Tuo himself when the prison guard refused to accept it.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Removing the poison from Guan Yu's arm. Guan Yu suffered a poison arrow wound on his arm in the battle at Fan Cheng 樊城之战. When Guan Yu returned to camp, Hua Tuo was sought to heal him. In order to do so, Hua Tuo had to operate on Guan Yu and scrape the poison from the bone. Guan Yu refused to take any anaesthesia and took the operation without flinching. In fact, he was playing chess throughout the operation. Hua Tuo successfully removed the poison and Guan Yu was cured.

2. Cause of death - Dying in the prisons of the Wei Kingdom. Cao Cao suffered from severe migraine and Hua Tuo was sought for a cure. Hua Tuo did propose a cure: cut open Cao Cao's head for an operation. Cao Cao was freaked out from a previous assassination attempt by another physician Ji Ben 吉本 and, therefore, thought Hua Tuo was blatantly out to kill him. Cao Cao sent Hua Tuo to the prisons where the old man in captivity soon after.

Diāo Chán 貂蝉

What's with the cartoon?

Just a cuter version of the original portrait. Perhaps they should release a cuter version of the SP Diao Chan as well?

Who is she:

Regarded as one of the 4 great beauties of ancient China, Diao Chan is one of the classic examples of the "Beautiful Maiden Ploy 美人计". The willing pawn of Wang Yun 王允 in his grand scheme to destroy the tyrannical Dong Zhuo 董卓, Diao Chan flirted with Lu Bu 吕布 while submitting herself to Dong Zhuo as his concubine. In doing so, she pitted godfather against godson, causing severe dissension and distrust amongst them. Dong Zhuo relents that he needs the incredible combat skills of Lu Bu to maintain his power, but the mercenarial Lu Bu had little to lose. Wang Yun further convinces Lu Bu to murder Dong Zhuo and take Diao Chan for himself, which he eventually does. In some versions of the story, Diao Chan is said to have truly loved Lu Bu but became distraught on knowing Wang Yun's scheme. The original version, however, seems to state that Diao Chan knowingly wanted to kill Dong Zhuo and participated actively in Wang Yun's ploy.

Character ability 1: "Seed of Animosity 离间 (lí jiān)"

In the action phase, Diao Chan can discard one card (either on-hand or equipped) and select two male characters to undergo DUEL 决斗 with each other. This ability cannot be neutralized using NEGATE 无懈可击. Limited to one use per turn.

Note that Diao Chan must select one of the male characters to be the first to use ATTACK 杀 on the other male character. If this first character does not or is unable to use ATTACK, he will suffer 1 unit of damage and the ability ends (the other male character need not use ATTACK).

Character ability 2: "Envious Moon 闭月 (bì yuè)"

In the end of her turn (after the discard phase), Diao Chan can draw one additional card from the deck.

Ability's relation to story:

"Seed of Animosity" is one of the best matched ability to the story in the entire game. This ability completely embodies Diao Chan's persona in the story, which is simply using her beauty to cause two men to fight each other. "Envious Moon" comes from a longer proverb used to describe the 4 great beauties of ancient China.

"沉鱼落雁, 闭月羞花" which means the fish stare at them till they forget to swim and sink to the bottom, the geese forget to flap their wings and fall to earth, the moon hides behind the clouds in envy, and the flowers slink low and bow the petals in shame. Why does Diao Chan get to take one extra card for being beautiful? The same reason Zhou Yu 周瑜 gets one more card for being handsome!

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Causing Lu Bu to kill Dong Zhuo and, thus, ridding the world of a super tyrant. To be blunt, Diao Chan is hardly known for anything else other than this achievement and her beauty.

2. Cause of death - Unknown!! Many versions abound with regards to the fate of Diao Chan after Dong Zhuo's death. Some say she was killed while Lu Bu escaped, some said she died with Lu Bu after he was executed by Cao Cao 曹操. More extreme versions claim she was presented as a gift to Guan Yu 关羽 from Cao Cao for his temporary allegiance to the Wei Kingdom.