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(Author’s Note: I’ve wanted to write this analysis for the longest time but my focus was always directed elsewhere. Recently, though, I’ve had a change of heart. During a conversation with another MAL user on Dynasty Warriors, I ended up going to great lengths to describe Yuan Shao and how I felt about him. Afterward, I decided that I should share with more people my thoughts on the man. With that, here’s the story of a pompous prima donna and how he became my all-time favorite videogame character).

The year is 190 AD. The place is Ancient China, and it’s falling apart. Before this point, the situation had already started spiraling out of control, thanks to the Ten Attendants (this was a group of government officials that imposed ridiculous taxes on the common people, hoarded their obscene wealth, and silenced the opposition). Fortunately, the Attendants’ corrupt activities were rebuked by Emperor Ling, China’s ruler and the patriarch of the Han Dynasty. When he died, everything went straight to hell. Without a stable figurehead to maintain control, chaos erupted. Rebellions, already a serious issue, became far more frequent, spreading like wildfires across the country. An assortment of governors transformed into independent warlords, dividing the land into separate territories in the process. To make matters worse, Dong Zhuo (one of the warlords) held the dead Emperor’s son hostage as he embarked on a reign that far surpassed the Ten Attendants in terms of corruption (the atrocities Dong Zhuo committed during this time are enough to warrant their own essay).

Confronted with all this, the people needed someone that could think of practical solutions to the challenges at hand and supervise the Han Dynasty’s recovery, without creating new issues along the way. In short, they needed a leader that was both competent and composed.

Instead, they got Yuan Shao.

In the games, your player is a member of his army (the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition). Your assignment is to defeat the corrupt tyrant and his henchmen. However, Yuan Shao is no help. You can’t rely on him to devise a strategy or get his hands dirty (or anything useful, for that matter) but rest assured he’ll wildly flail his arms during his speeches, twirl his mustache a few times, and reference his wealthy lineage (“I come from a long line of nobility,” he sneers in the character selection menu). During the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao neglects to send supplies to his allies; engages in petty disputes with the other warlords, specifically in a matter concerning the Imperial Seal (an heirloom of Emperor Ling’s); and (once the campaign is complete) takes credit for your player’s accomplishments. To me, Yuan Shao was a nuisance. I complained about his obstructions, rolled my eyes at his little antics, and did my best to move on to the next campaign. I wanted to give Yuan Shao as little of my attention as possible.

Apparently, Dynasty Warriors itself felt the same way I did. The games made microscopic efforts to establish Yuan Shao beyond his immature acts. After the Dong Zhuo campaign, your player departs from Yuan Shao’s coalition to embark on a different path but you end up encountering him along the way. This is where Dynasty Warriors “tries” to develop Yuan Shao’s character. There’s a strained friendship with the warlord Cao Cao (pronounced “Tsao Tsao”) that has supposedly existed since they were children but it’s always talked about instead of being shown. There’s a rivalry with Yuan Shu (his cousin) but that’s hardly ever discussed. Worst of all, there’s almost no insight into what exactly Yuan Shao is fighting for. As a result, when your player finally confronts him in the Guan Du campaign, when his most trusted generals are either murdered or defecting to the other side, when his kingdom crumbles around him, there’s no sympathy or remorse felt for Yuan Shao because we were given no reason to do so. He has been a playable character since Dynasty Warriors 2 and this franchise has consistently failed to make him someone worth caring about.

That is, until Dynasty Warriors 9 was brought into the fold.

For years, this franchise was notorious for playing favorites. There were certain members of the games that received bigger roles, more fleshed-out arcs, and more nuanced depictions than the rest of the cast. DW9 took great strides to improve this issue. Whereas previous installments focused on faction-based storylines, this game provided well-defined plotlines for every one of its 90 characters. As a result, figures that were neglected and/or underdeveloped in past games (like Dong Zhuo, Liu Shan, Sun Shangxiang, and others) finally had their opportunity to shine.

No one benefited from this more than Yuan Shao. What Dynasty Warriors 9 did was almost completely reinvent his personality. The first step in the process was to turn Yuan Shu into a unique NPC. The game toned down Yuan Shao’s arrogance and pettiness before transferring those traits over to his cousin. They also decided to center the Imperial Seal dispute around Yuan Shu instead of him. In the end, DW9 created a fantastic foil for Yuan Shao in his cousin, who embodied an exaggerated version of his worst qualities. The second step in the process was to provide Yuan Shao with a purpose.

That purpose stems from his family. During Emperor Ling’s reign (and even before that), the Yuans were important to governmental affairs. As someone apart of that family, Yuan Shao feels it’s necessary to make them proud. Unlike his incarnations in previous games, his goals are not only more well-defined but they’re also quite admirable. On a personal level, Yuan Shao wants to uphold moral values, such as chivalry, loyalty, and honor. On a broader level, he wants to use his wealth and influence to improve the lives of the common man. By fulfilling these goals, Yuan Shao will have succeeded in making his family proud.

While the improvements to his personality are very much appreciated, it’s in contrasting this personality with Cao Cao’s where Yuan Shao’s characterization shines. Within the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition, the two of them exchanged plans of attack with each other, as both were overseeing the operation. Afterward, they split into independent forces, but they occasionally worked together in necessary circumstances. DW9 provides plenty of opportunities for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao to interact, and (within these interactions) the differences between them are glaringly apparent. In the situations they encounter, Yuan Shao’s decisions are rigid and unyielding while Cao Cao’s are more flexible and cunning. Viewing these decisions as an indication of his character, Yuan Shao disapproves of Cao Cao’s choices but grudgingly acknowledges the results they bring. The opposing philosophies generate a rift in their friendship but that friendship is permanently destroyed after the Shouchun campaign. Shortly after stealing the Imperial Seal, Yuan Shu declares himself Emperor and plots his next move within the city of Shouchun. Realizing the threat he poses, Yuan Shao joins forces with Cao Cao (alongside the other warlords) in order to defeat his cousin. After they’re finished, Yuan Shu flees from Shouchun and Yuan Shao wants Cao Cao to assist in finishing him off. Cao Cao refuses, however, stating that he’s not concerned with this familial dispute. For Yuan Shao, this was the last straw. A contrasting leadership style was something he could somewhat tolerate. An indifference towards his family, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter.

They become enemies. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao begin to establish their domains, recruiting skilled generals, defeating powerful warlords, and claiming large chunks of land, all in preparation for their inevitable showdown. In the midst of this, Yuan Shao finds himself waging war against Gongsun Zan (one of the strongest warlords) in a campaign to control Hebei (China’s northernmost region, at the moment). This campaign proves to be a showcase for the extent of Yuan Shao’s character.

His leadership is placed on full display. Like his incarnation in older games, DW9’s Yuan Shao isn’t known for his tactical maneuvers. The difference, however, lies in the faith he has in his troops. Yuan Shao completely believes in the capabilities of his soldiers and strategists, placing a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. Personally, I don’t think it’s a sound decision but it works, regardless. The men appreciate the overwhelming trust he provides them with; as a result of this, they’re willing to help him achieve his ambitions. This dynamic is not only responsible for Yuan Shao winning the Hebei campaign. It also plays an important role in the defining moment of his character arc.

Allow me to establish the scene for you…

After dominating a series of skirmishes, Yuan Shao and his soldiers corner Gongsun Zan in Jieqiao (his headquarters), intending to finish him off there. Before they’re able to do so, Yuan Shao and his soldiers are ambushed by the Baima Riders, a unit of Gongsun Zan’s 5,000 best cavalrymen. Outgunned, outnumbered, and outmaneuvered, Yuan Shao finds himself face-to-face with death itself. As he’s forced to watch the Baima Riders slaughter his soldiers and prepare their bowstrings to fire the final blow, Yuan Shao has to make a difficult decision.

This is a matter of life and death. There’s nothing that proves your worth quite like a crisis. It’s the ultimate challenge, a trial of fire where your character is assessed on the highest stage. In the end, you’re either reduced to rubble and dust… or you’re blessed with immortality. How this ordeal is handled is what separates the average joes from the gods, the mundane from the extraordinary, the everyday workers from the leaders of men. Confronted with this crisis, how does Yuan Shao react? He processes the available options and then...

Yuan Shao inspired me.



This scene… this scene did it for me. This is what permanently won me over to Yuan Shao. Anybody can wax poetic about chivalry and righteousness and whatnot. However, it requires someone special to completely devote themselves to those values. In his stand against the Baima Riders’ assault, Yuan Shao proved his worth. On my first time watching this scene, the soldiers instantly held my attention. Although their numbers were drastically reduced, they leap into action as soon as the cavalrymen fired. The soldiers form a barricade around Yuan Shao, swatting away the barrage of arrows, sacrificing life and limb to keep him safe. It’s a testament to Yuan Shao’s leadership; they’re so committed to his cause that they willingly die for him. As for Yuan Shao, he left me speechless. He gazes directly into the eyes of death and chooses to confront them head-on. It’s the embodiment of everything Yuan Shao stood for, the culmination of the developments he underwent throughout his character arc.

This will likely be of no surprise but, after that scene, Yuan Shao’s army quickly defeats Gongsun Zan’s forces and conquer Hebei. Even though they were hilariously outmatched, the soldiers are so roused by Yuan Shao’s stand that the size difference becomes obsolete. His soldiers are completely and utterly loyal to him.

Of course, they wouldn’t be for much longer. Similar to the previous games, in DW9’s Guandu campaign, Yuan Shao’s soldiers abandon him, defecting in large numbers to Cao Cao’s forces. Yuan Shao loses the campaign, his life, and (eventually) his kingdom as he does in all the other installments. The difference is, this time, there’s sympathy to be felt for him. All throughout Yuan Shao’s story, DW9 establishes that he’s a subpar strategist and, at Guandu, this becomes his undoing. Pitted against Cao Cao and his ingenious tactics, Yuan Shao tries leaning on the traits that worked so many times in the past. In DW9’s Guandu campaign, Yuan Shao is defeated because he’s hopelessly unable to adjust and, for this, my heart goes out to him.

Yuan Shao is a tragic hero. During an era of widespread corruption, he wanted to help restore a ravaged country but, in the end, he was undermined by his personal failings. Of course, even at the onset, Yuan Shao is no saint. His antics are definitely toned down compared to the old days but he still carries an air of superiority about him. This time around, though, we’re provided a more well-rounded individual. Yuan Shao is both pompous and majestic. This is a man that annoys you with his self-absorbed speeches yet inspires you with his acts of valor. He’s burdened by stubborn pride but he’s also able to overcome impossible odds with his iron will. Because of this, I can’t resist endearing myself to him. Even his mustache-twirling, which I once detested, has grown on me. What disappoints me is that there isn’t enough support for Yuan Shao. Generally speaking, he’s regarded as the one-note comic relief with silly hats and shallow goals. Of course, this can’t be further from the truth. Not only is Yuan Shao the most underrated character in the Dynasty Warriors franchise but he’s also (arguably) the most compelling of them all.

(One final note: the cape is a nice touch. I’m glad they brought it back)