Guan Yu

Wandering fugitive who slew a local bully five years earlier; arrives at the Zhuo inn as Liu Bei and Zhang Fei are drinking and becomes the middle of the three sworn brothers. Receives the hundred-pound Green-Dragon Saber and cleaves Cheng Yuanzhi in two in his first engagement.

Restrains Zhang Fei from killing the abusive inspector outright, urging Liu Bei to give up the post rather than the man's life. Departs Anxi at his brother's side.

Steps forward at the coalition tent after Hua Xiong has cut down Yu She and Pan Feng. Promises to return before the wine that Cao Cao pours him is cold - and does, dropping Hua Xiong's head on the table with the cup still warm. The chapter's signature scene.

Charges with his brothers at the Pan River to rescue Gongsun Zan, helping break Yuan Shao's encirclement.

Opens the combat at Beihai and cuts down the rebel chief Guan Hai with the green-dragon saber, then urges his reluctant brother to accept Tao Qian's offer of Xuzhou.

His glare, beside Zhang Fei's, is what stops Lü Bu's hand on the offered seal of Xuzhou; afterwards he keeps hauling his younger brother back from the three-hundred-bout duel.

Trades thirty even bouts with Ji Ling at Xuyi, kills the sneering stand-in Xun Zheng with a single attack, and when Xuzhou falls, drags the truth out of Zhang Fei - 'now the city is lost and therewith our sisters-in-law' - the rebuke that puts his brother's sword to his own throat.

Guan Yu; with Liu Bei at Xuyi/Xiaopei.

Counsels hearing Lü Bu out at the archery feast, then holds the rearguard against Zhang Liao's pursuit in the flight from Xiaopei.

Bars the fleeing pretender's road - 'Traitor! Why have they not slain you?' - scattering Yuan Shu's remnant toward the Huai; at the Xiaopei banquet he and Zhang Fei execute Han Xian and Yang Feng at the dropped cup.

Holds the west gate and turns Zhang Liao back with words alone - 'you are too good a man to waste yourself on rebels' - then stops Zhang Fei from pursuing a man too honorable to fight them.

Guan Yu; kneels before Cao Cao on the scaffold to spare Zhang Liao - the recruitment that gives Wei one of its greatest generals.

Guan Yu; spurs forward at the hunt with his blade ready to cut Cao Cao down; Liu Bei stops him with a glance. The 'imperial uncle' chapter.

Author and executioner of the counter-plot: rather than storm the ambush, he plays Cao Cao's own colors - hailing the gate at third watch as 'Zhang Liao's troops' - and cuts Che Zhou down at the drawbridge, under Chen Deng's covering arrows.

Defeats and captures Wang Zhong in single combat outside Xuzhou - but releases him at Liu Bei's request to carry back the message that the brothers want peace.

Loses contact with Liu Bei in the chaos; falls back on Xiapi to defend Liu Bei's wives. The setup for his three conditions in the next chapter.

Cornered at Tushan after a feigned-retreat trick by Zhang Liao; accepts Cao Cao's three conditions ('I surrender to Han, not Cao Cao; the ladies must be respected; the day I learn where Liu Bei is, I leave at once'). Relieves Baima by riding alone into Yan Liang's line and decapitating him with one stroke before he can react - the most-cited single-combat in the novel.

Cuts down Wen Chou at the third bout by the Yellow River, volunteers for Runan to break his idleness, and there learns from Sun Qian where his brother is. Caught between the ladies' reproaches and Cao Cao's no-admission board, he writes his farewell, seals every gift and his Hanshou lordship seal in the hall, and rides out the north gate with the carriage - Red Hare under him, twenty guards behind.

The solitary journey: five passes forced, six generals slain - Kong Xiu at Dongling; Meng Tan and Han Qu at Luoyang (an arrow in his arm for it); Bian Xi and his temple ambush at River Si Pass; Wang Zhi burned-bed plot at Yingyang; Qin Qi at the Yellow River ferry. He takes Cao Cao's robe on the point of his saber, stands while women are present at Hu Hua's farm, and crosses the river - only to learn from Sun Qian that Liu Bei has already left for Runan.

Approaches Gucheng where Zhang Fei has just installed himself; Zhang Fei doesn't believe his loyalty until he kills Cai Yang in a single saber-stroke before the wine grows cold. Reunion at Gucheng - the long arc since Xuzhou closes.

Entrenches southeast of the Rang camp and springs the first-day trap; sent to recover fallen Runan he is surrounded, cuts free in time to save Liu Pi's refugees, then finds and frees the encircled Zhang Fei. At the Han River feast he steadies his despairing brother: the Founder of Han lost to Xiang Yu many times and won the empire at the Nine-Mile Mountains.

Nominated to guard Guzi against Zhang Lu in Liu Bei's three-generals proposal; later argues for accepting the festival invitation - staying away would only confirm Liu Biao's suspicions.

Takes the flanking wing in Shan Fu's first battle plan and falls on Lü Xiang's retreating column, destroying more than half of it.

The hidden blade of Shan Fu's whispered plan: while Cao Ren empties Fancheng for revenge, Guan Yu takes the city - 'I took the city a long time ago!' - and mauls the fugitives once more. Later he alone questions the wisdom of adopting Liu Feng: 'you have a son; it may cause confusion.'

Suggests turning back at the empty cottage and, hearing Water Mirror rank Zhuge Liang with Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, objects that the comparison is 'a little too much' - to be trumped: Lu Wang and Zhang Liang are the right measure.

Opens the chapter's remonstrance - two visits is 'even too much deference'; the recluse 'dare not submit to the test' - and later hushes Zhang Fei's plan to wake the sleeper with a bomb.

Left commanding Xinye during the Jingzhou visit, then given the Yushan Hills ambush: wait for the southern flame, burn the baggage train. He voices the brothers' scepticism - 'we are all to go out; what will YOU do?' - and rides home converted: 'Zhuge Liang is really a fine strategist!'

His river patrol nets Song Zhong and the secret of the surrender; then, posted upstream with a thousand men and sandbags, he dams the White River and waits for the glow of burning Xinye - at the fourth watch the shouting of watering soldiers below is his signal to break the dam.

Readies the boats that empty Fancheng, hastens the weeping crowds across, and is sent ahead with Sun Qian and five hundred troops to beg relief from Liu Qi at Jiangxia - off-stage when Changban breaks.

Springs from the hills on the Hanjin road with ten thousand Jiangxia troops - 'I have waited here a long time!' - and the pursuit dissolves at the sight of Red Hare. Aboard the boats he asks after his 'sister' Lady Mi, sighs over the hunting day at Xutian when his advice went unheeded, and takes post at Xiakou with five thousand men.

Guan Yu; with Liu Bei at Jiangxia.

Opposes the visit, then stands sword in hand behind his brother's seat through the whole banquet - the 'fierce look' that makes Zhou Yu's back run with sweat and keeps the signal cup on the table. One meaningful glance ends the visit safely.

Left conspicuously without orders until he demands his share - then given Huarong with the poison in it named aloud: his old debt to Cao Cao. He signs the death-pledge, is taught the smoke trick ('he will take it as a subterfuge and risk going that way'), and marches with Guan Ping, Zhou Cang, and five hundred swordsmen - while Zhuge Liang privately tells Liu Bei the stars forbid Cao Cao's death and Guan Yu has been handed a kindness to repay.

Answers the third laugh with five hundred swordsmen across the Huarong throat - and cannot strike: Cao Cao bows from the saddle, invokes the five passes he forgave and the archer who spared Zi Zhuo, and the mountain of goodness turns his horse aside. He shouts once more for form's sake, pities the kneeling soldiers, frees Zhang Liao too - and walks into headquarters empty-handed to ask for death.

Seizes Xiangyang after forged dispatches under Chen Jiao's seal draw Xiahou Dun's garrison away - the third city of the bloodless sweep, and the atonement Liu Bei promised for Huarong.

Off-stage at Xiangyang: Liu Bei plans to move Liu Qi there so Guan Yu can be freed to return - the pre-positioning for the Changsha campaign to come.

Scorns the warning about the sixty-year-old - 'give me my own five hundred swordsmen' - kills Yang Lin in three bouts, and fights Huang Zhong a hundred more without finding a weak spot. When the veteran's horse falls he lowers his saber: 'get another horse and come again.' Next day the answering arrow parts his helmet plume. Changsha falls to Wei Yan's mutiny, and he ends the chapter sent to hold Xiangyang and bury Liu Qi.

Bursts from a gully at Huangzhou on the dismounted marines - the ambush that turns Zhou Yu's pursuit into flight and reopens his wound.

One of the four armies converging on the exposed Zhou Yu from all sides, shouting for the capture of the Commander-in-Chief - the shock that reopens the wound.

Guan Yu; assigned to garrison Jingzhou with Zhuge Liang while Liu Bei goes west.

Guan Yu; assigned by Zhuge Liang to hold Jingzhou with the famous 'north oppose Cao Cao, east ally with Sun Quan' instruction. The post he will hold until chapter 76.

Guan Yu; off-stage at Jingzhou.

Guan Yu; the famous single-sword banquet across the river with Lu Su. Crosses the Han River with only the green-dragon saber and one boatload of guards; eats and drinks at the banquet inside Wu territory holding Lu Su's hand the whole time so Wu's hidden archers won't risk shooting their own commander. Returns safely. The chapter's standout set piece.

Guan Yu; at Jingzhou.

Guan Yu; named in passing at Jingzhou.

Guan Yu; appointed Marquis of Hanshouting and ordered north to attack Cao Ren at Fancheng. Initially insulted at being grouped with the 'old soldier' Huang Zhong; placated by Fei Shi. Departs Jingzhou for the Fan campaign - the road that ends at Maicheng.

Guan Yu; the chapter's centerpiece. Faces Pang De's challenge at Fan - Pang De rides out with a coffin sworn to fight to the death; the two duel a hundred bouts to a draw; on the second day Pang De wounds Guan Yu in the left arm with a feathered arrow. Then floods the Wei relief army by breaking the Xiang River dams - drowns the Seven Armies; captures Yu Jin; beheads Pang De who refuses to surrender. The peak of Guan Yu's career.

Guan Yu; takes a poisoned arrow in the shoulder during the Fancheng siege; Hua Tuo arrives by river to treat him. The famous board-game scene: Guan Yu plays go with Ma Liang, sleeve rolled up, while Hua Tuo scrapes the bone to remove the poison - no flinch. Then forces the siege of Fan despite the wound. By chapter's end, Lu Meng has begun his counter-stroke in white robes against Jingzhou; the noose tightens.

Guan Yu; the fall begins. Xu Huang's relief column shatters his army at Fancheng - Xu Huang fights Guan Yu personally; the wounded shoulder slows him; Guan Ping pulls him out. Meanwhile Lu Meng has crossed the river in white-robed merchant disguise; Jingzhou falls without a fight. Guan Yu retreats south to find his cities all flying Wu flags. Maicheng next.

Guan Yu dies. Trapped at Maicheng with a handful of men; tries to break out at night toward Xichuan; ambushed at Linju by Ma Zhong; lassoed off his horse with a hook-rope; captured with Guan Ping. Refuses to surrender to Sun Quan; beheaded together with his son. The body lies in Linju; the spirit goes on. The novel's most cinematic death sequence: Guan Yu's ghost roars through the clouds 'Return my head!' over Pu Jing's monastery; haunts Sun Quan's banquet hall and possesses Lu Meng to kill him on the spot in revenge.

Guan Yu; appears as a vengeful ghost in Cao Cao's dreams - drives him to the final illness.

Guan Yu; in the recap of his death and the political fallout.

Guan Yu; named in passing in the recap of the cause of war.

Guan Yu; named throughout in the recap of why Liu Bei rides east.

Guan Yu; named throughout in the recap - the cause of war.

Guan Yu; named throughout in the war's recap.

Guan Yu; named in passing in Liu Bei's deathbed speech.

Guan Yu; named in passing.

Guan Yu; named in passing in the eulogy.

Guan Yu; named in passing in the eulogy for Wen Yang's exploit ('rivals the Lord of Changban').

Guan Yu; named in passing in the elegy.

Guan Yu; named in passing.