In ancient China, there was a saying “First Lü Bu, second Zhao Yun, third Dian Wei, fourth Guan Yu, fifth Ma Chao, sixth Zhang Fei” implying the ranking of the six strongest military generals during the chaotic times, with Lü Bu at the top, known as “The Greatest Warrior of the Three Kingdoms.” The other generals that followed were Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, Guan Yu, Ma Chao, and Zhang Fei.
Due to the influence of the extensive historical novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” which is one of the Four Great Classic Novels of China written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, using the method of “70% reality, 30% fiction,” along with various forms of folk art, Lü Bu has always existed in the minds of later generations as the “Greatest Warrior” of the world.
The Battle of Hulao Pass in 190 was vividly painted by Luo Guanzhong, showcasing Lü Bu’s unparalleled strength. In the anecdote “The Three Heroes Fighting Lü Bu,” Lü Bu fought single-handedly against the three brothers of Liu Bei without hesitation or faltering. Remarkably, he was not even scratched.
The combined strength of Liu Bei’s three brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, could only rival Lü Bu’s might. This illustrates how incredibly fierce, resilient, and extraordinary Lü Bu was.
However, in historical records, Lü Bu never killed a famous general. His lifetime achievements include killing two people and wounding two others, none of whom were renowned generals.
Why is Lü Bu the Greatest Warrior of the Three Kingdoms?
1. Extraordinary physical strength, skilled in close combat, and unmatched in horseback archery
While Lü Bu’s achievements may seem ordinary, his actual strength reached an unparalleled level. The anecdote “The Three Heroes Fighting Lü Bu” is a fictional element in the battle created by Luo Guanzhong; however, in reality, Lü Bu did engage in combat with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
Both fierce generals of the Shu Han, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, teamed up to fight Lü Bu, but regardless of the number of rounds they fought, defeating Lü Bu was almost impossible due to his extraordinary stamina and unparalleled physical strength.
At the city gate of Bodu, Lü Bu once again proved his unbeatable strength by fighting to a standstill after 20 rounds against Cao Cao’s strongest general, “Tiger General” Xu Chu. Cao Cao, observing the battle, quickly realized Xu Chu might face defeat and ordered five of his generals—Dian Wei, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Li Dian, and Xie Jin—to jointly attack Lü Bu.
Surrounded and attacked by six Cao Wei generals, Lü Bu not only remained undefeated but also escaped the encirclement spectacularly.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Xu Chu, and Dian Wei were all renowned generals of the Three Kingdoms era, yet none of them stood a chance against Lü Bu.
Besides being skilled in close combat, Lü Bu was also an expert horseman and archer. The book “Records of the Three Kingdoms: Biography of Lü Bu” states that Lü Bu “had a bow and horse, with extraordinary physical strength, hence he was called ‘The Flying General’.”
Possessing two rare treasures—his horse Red Hare and the Halberd Fangtianhua, combined with his extraordinary physical strength, Lü Bu instilled fear in many just by his name. All of these qualities combined to create an “invincible warrior” in the world.
2. Knowing himself and his enemy, commanding troops like a deity
The books “Book of Wei” and “Biography of Lü Bu” both state that Lü Bu was born into a wealthy family. From a young age, Lü Bu was skilled in martial arts and knowledgeable in various arts. His greatest passion was practicing swords and staffs. Therefore, even as a youth, Lü Bu became famous throughout Jiuyuan as a martial arts talent, courageous and intelligent.
Thanks to frequent reading and mastery of military tactics, he later held the position of registrar, managing the military’s documentation, which allowed Lü Bu to gain some military knowledge.
After Lü Bu killed Dong Zhuo in Chang’an in 192, Dong Zhuo’s subordinates, Li Jue and many other generals gathered an army of 100,000 to attack Lü Bu in Chang’an to avenge their lord.
Baidu reported that during the Chang’an battle, when General Guo Yi under Dong Zhuo surrounded the north side of the city with an army, Lü Bu proactively led his troops out of the city to engage in battle: “Order the troops to withdraw. You and I will fight to determine the victor.”
Of course, Guo Yi would not miss this opportunity. The two charged into battle. Lü Bu struck Guo Yi, but he did not die, as his troops rushed in to assist, successfully saving him. When Guo Yi’s army breached the city, Lü Bu realized that his forces could not contend with the vengeance-driven 10,000 troops of Li Jue and Guo Yi, so he led hundreds of cavalry to escape through the Wuguan Pass (present-day Shaanxi).
Faced with the relentless pursuit of Guo Yi, Lü Bu had to defect to Yuan Shao. There, thanks to his military talent, Lü Bu defeated the Yellow Turban rebel general Zhang Yan. In the Battle of Changshan in 192, generals Cheng Lian and Wei Yan alongside Lü Bu led a few dozen elite cavalry directly into the enemy camp, where there were tens of thousands of soldiers and thousands of cavalry. After ten days, Zhang Yan’s forces suffered a great defeat.
This achievement proved Lü Bu’s title of “The Flying General” was not merely a reputation. This warrior was not only skilled in martial arts but also exceptionally talented in commanding troops in battle.
It is a pity that this formidable warrior died quite young.
In the third year of Jian’an (198), Lü Bu was besieged by Cao Cao at the city of Xiabi. A few months later, he surrendered and was ultimately executed by Cao Cao. His early appearance in Chapter 3 and ending in Chapter 19 of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” somewhat reflects the bitter fate of Lü Bu, the greatest warrior of the Three Kingdoms.
Lü Bu’s death revealed his greatest weakness: the lack of a long-term and clear objective. Look at Liu Bei, who devoted himself to the Han dynasty. When at a disadvantage, Liu Bei relied on Cao Cao, later gathering sufficient forces to counterattack Cao. However, no one criticized Liu Bei because people understood his grand goal was to establish the Shu Han.
In contrast, Lü Bu never found his long-term goal and became increasingly obsessed with personal achievements.
Without the ambition to conquer the world, the greatest warrior Lü Bu ultimately became lost during the Three Kingdoms period while other powers continually grew stronger. Thus, Lü Bu became a “stepping stone” for the rise of true heroes.
Nevertheless, the folk saying still resonates: “Among men, Lü Bu; among horses, Red Hare,” honoring these two legendary figures of their time.
References: KKNews, Sina, The Paper, Baidu