Style/courtesy name: Fengxian.
One of the most well-known historical figures of Imperial China, Lü Bu (呂布 or 吕布; the ü pronounced as in über, Unknown birth - 199 AD) was a military general and warlord of the Three Kingdoms period, infamous for his many acts of backstabbing against his superiors.
Public perception of Lü Bu was heavily influenced by the work Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The work dramatizes many aspects of his life and adds in many fictitious elements, exaggerating his personality note and eventually portraying him in the public consciousness as one of China's most powerful warriors, but also a ruthless backstabbing traitor.
What is known about his time is that he's a powerful asset to the forces of Dong Zhuo and enabled a majority of his atrocities by being a mighty general on his side. He was formerly an aide of warlord and politician Ding Yuan (the novel depicts Lü Bu as an adopted son), but he accepted a bribe to kill Ding Yuan and moved over to Dong Zhuo. However, Lü Bu soon had an affair with one of Dong Zhuo's coveted handmaids (the novel gives her the name "Diao Chan", who went on to be counted as one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, and stories about their fictional romance became quite widespread). Fearing retaliation, Lü Bu murdered Dong Zhuo and fled to become a wandering warlord, until he's eventually defeated and executed by Cao Cao.
It's commonly said that Lü Bu was someone who was good at fighting, but lacking in strategic thinking; most media depicts him as easily fooled and a victim of the ploys of others, offsetting his physical prowess. Historically, he was also someone who lacked control over his own soldiers (they acted akin to village-pillaging bandits, and were disunited misfits who had no real loyalty to him), making him an ineffective general at best. note
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 at best no thanks to his Romance of the Three Kingdoms version wielding it. 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. This particular helmet gets further fame when there's another figure who's often depicted with the same helmet and noted for his battle prowess: Sun Wukong.
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. This horse was Lü Bu's steed of choice during a time when he helped Yuan Shao subdue warlord Zhang Yan after Lü Bu murdered Dong Zhuo before his own demise against Cao Cao. Aside of being extraordinarily powerful, not so much was known about the horse. Naturally, Romance of the Three Kingdoms exaggerated the presence of the horse and its relations with Lü Bu.note
For someone who was actually short-lived in that era, Lü Bu has actually made quite the impact to the Chinese culture and eventually the world.
Lü Bu in other media, which has him transliterated as "Ryo Fu" in anything that's Japanese:
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Koei) by Koei, in which Lü Bu is a mainstay and usually well known for his impressive WAR stat. His only drawback is his dumbass INT, which makes him suspectible to ploys.
- Dynasty Warriors. Lü Bu (named as Ryo Fu in Japanese on'yomi with his style name being rendered as "Housen", since Dynasty Warriors is a Japanese series) is usually an antagonistic super boss, serving Dong Zhuo before striking on his own. There is a saying: "Don't pursue Lü Bu." You'd be best to heed that when you hear that being said. Although in your hand, he's usually a Game-Breaker. Famously voiced by Tetsu Inada ever since the very first fighting game installment. Most of the time, this version is the most iconic for his gruff demeanor and rather brutish approach on things (especially in the later games); often also dubbed as an "Ogre God" in the Asian versions in the dialogue and in the series as symbolism to his might.
- This carries over in Warriors Orochi where Lü Bu sided with Orochi to find worthy opponents throughout the ages. He finds two: Honda Tadakatsu in the first game, and Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the second game. Poor Orochi didn't take account of Lü Bu's backstabbing record, so he ended up betraying Orochi at one point.
- As with the genderflip Ikki Tousen, Lü Bu's counterpart is Ryofu Housen (his name rendered in Japanese on'yomi), a troubled buxom girl who served under Toutaku (Dong Zhuo), but ended up betraying him and dying together with her lover Chinkyuu (...Chen Gong!?). She came back temporarily for the 3rd season. Voiced by Akeno Watanabe.
- And again with genderflipping, in Koihime†Musou, Lü Bu/Ryo Fu (real name being Lian/Ren) is instead an Emotionless Girl who likes animals. This is really contrasting to the historical/novel impulsive and hotheaded Lü Bu. Another close associate of Lü Bu present in the series is Chen Gong/Chin Kyuu (real name Nenene), but most absurdly, Diao Chan is present... as a muscular, mostly bald man (he still has two pigtails with pink ribbons!) who's only wearing a speedo and voiced by Norio Wakamoto with the most flamboyant Camp Gay voice he could muster (you would think that such voice and body stature could have belonged to Lü Bu instead). Here's something that can help you after imagining it.
- A third genderflipped version exists in manga / anime Yawaraka Sangokushi Tsukisase!! Ryofuko-chan in which the titular general and Chinkyuu / Chen Gong find themselves transported to Japan in the modern day... and transformed into elementary school girls. Hijinks ensue as the two precocious (and still technically heterosexual) warriors try to get home and or get their hands on their teacher's massive breasts.
- World Heroes features 'Lü Bu' as a playable character, once again rendered as "Ryo Fu" in Japanese on'yomi.
- In Fate/EXTRA, Lü Bu becomes a Berserker class Servant under Rani VIII. Voiced by Kunihiko Yasui, though his lack of sanity caused by being summoned in the Berserker class results in him being limited to just yelling in semi-robotic roars. However, his lack of sanity is actually completely deliberate on his summoners part: Lü Bu is summonable as other classes, where he will gain his sentience... as well as his inherent Chronic Backstabbing Disorder, so he's summoned as a Berserker so he won't betray his Master. Fate/Grand Order would later make his horse Red Hare a Rider class Servant as a sentient centaur with a horse head (though he insists that he's Lü Bu), as well his premiere strategist Chen Gong as a Caster class Servant. Strangely, for how much she influences the Lü Bu myth from the novel, Diao Chan was completely absent in the Nasuverse.
- In Tekken although Lü Bu doesn't appear in person, Feng Wei has a move called 'Spear of Lü Bu'note and he can be customized to look like he's wearing Lü Bu's attire.
- In the Panda Entertainment fighter/strategy game series Sango Fighter, Lü Bu is a rather unremarkable Dragon to Cao Cao in the first game (having more moves than everyone else helps though), but gets a Historical Badass Upgrade in the second. For starters, he has 3 bars(300HP) compared to everyone else's 2 in the strategy mode. For another, if you can't kill him in a single "round"(defined as every faction taking a turn), he completely heals up by the next, even if he was down to a single HP. Everyone else has to settle for 20/25/30 HP healed per turn. For gameplay balance, that's justifiable, since he's the only faction that has no backup generals, so if he loses, it's game over for his owner(CPU or player). He also has 3 different ways to use up his super bar(projectile/uppercut/grab), compared to most others' 1 or 2. Those with projectiles get upgraded projectiles, some have super grabs, others, like Xu Ju(the fat guy with the yellow do-rag) have ONLY the super grab(which makes him dangerous up close, as he won't accidentally use up his bar on anything else).
- The Ravages of Time has quite the subversion of the novel in its depiction of Lü Bu: he's brawn ''and'' brains, though just as backstabbing-prone...not that the author minds that.
- Lü Bu is a warrior hero in the MOBA game Arena of Valor, accompanied with Diao Chan as a mage hero. He was also previously in the original iteration of the game, Honor of Kings, although in that game he took the kit that would become the kit for Maloch (True Damage enchant, lifesteal plus slow, a mighty leap)note . Lü Bu's current kit (triple strike, long range projectile, attack steroid) is ironically taken from Honor of Kings's rendition of his executioner, Cao Cao.note
- Overwatch gave a Lü Bu-inspired skin to Reaper in the 2019 Lunar New Year event. This is fitting, as Reaper is a deadly character in the right hands, and Gabriel Reyes joined the terrorist group known as Talon after the fall of Overwatch. His former allies continue to question why he betrayed them.
- Yo-kai Watch spinoff Yo-kai Sangokushi has Orcanos Lü Bu as a boss. He returns as one of the six befriendable "Commander Yo-kai" in Yo-kai Watch 3.
- Lü Bu is a starting lord under Dong Zhuo in Total War: Three Kingdoms. As a Vanguard-type lord (a frontliner intended to break apart hordes of high-armour melee infantry but vulnerable to debuffs and archers), his immense Instinct stat (which governs melee damage) makes him a One-Man Army in the character-centric Romance Mode balanced by his immense unreliability: After Dong Zhuo's death, he usually becomes a wandering lord hireable on the open market who is liable to backstab anyone who hires him. In the more realistic Records Mode, his stats makes his personal bodyguard of heavy cavalry quite formidable as well (especially as they are Unbreakable), but his poorer non-Instinct stats means he's a rather subpar general for an entire army.
- In the A World Betrayed start date, he comes with his own unique mechanics.
- He’s given a quick reference in I Wanna Be the Guy, with a portrait of him appearing in the Hall of Former The Guys. Said portrait has a flame trap built into it, and he has an Eye Take when that happens, courtesy of another of The Guy from the previous room, Bowser, launches a fire breath on it.
- Lü Bu appears in Record of Ragnarok as one of the representatives of humanity in the tournament. Unlike most depictions of the character, Lü Bu lacks the Chronic Backstabbing Disorder he was known for, instead being portrayed as a battle-loving but ultimately decent guy whose negative reputation is the result of an in-universe case of Historical Villain Upgrade. He's the first human warrior to fight in the tournament, with Thor as his opponent. He ultimately loses the battle, ending up as the tournament's first casualty.
- Lü Bu is featured as a major character/opponent in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, where he keeps his reputation as the strongest warrior of the land, and somehow his helmet also doubles as a mask. This makes him some sort of Char Clone, since he's still accompanied by Red Hare, and the identity of Diao Chan is refitted to be his long lost sister, whose actual identity is the game's original companion character, Hong Jing. The portrayal also turns out to be one of the more heroic portrayals of Lü Bu, where his backstabbing tendencies are removed almost completely; he only looks antagonistic because he serves Dong Zhuo and strikes out on his own, but instead of doing it for fame and glory, he's secretly hunting the main antagonist whom he sees as a threat to others and doesn't want to involve the people in his village. He only literally backstabs Dong Zhuo to death, but that's because of Dong Zhuo threatening to kill Diao Chan/Hong Jing, triggering his own Big Brother Instinct.
