Xiahou Dun

Xiahou Dun is one of Cao Cao's cousins from his father's side of the family. Though known as a short-tempered man in his youth, he became a lawful and cultured bureaucrat who focused on logistics and domestics. He served Cao Cao for his entire military career, dying mere months after his lord. He famously lost his left eye at Xiapi or Xiaopei from a stray arrow. Romance of the Three Kingdoms portrays him as a capable war general and has him famously devour his left eye after have it skewered the aforementioned arrow.

His Dynasty Warriors counterpart shares a brotherly relationship with one of Cao Cao's other cousins, Xiahou Yuan, in this series. In Gamecity's character popularity poll for Dynasty Warriors 7, he was the second most popular character while the one for Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends ranked him in ninth place. In Famitsu's character survey, he placed tenth in the boss category. The latest poll for the eighth installment puts him in seventh. The character poll for overseas fans puts him in first place for the Wei division and eighth in the semi-final round. He also ranked fifth in Shin Sangoku Musou Online Z's first survey for most popular general. He is the fifth most transcended character in the Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed character poll.

Xiahou Dun is Cao Cao's right-hand man, who has been with his cousin since his early campaigns. He either appears alongside his cousin at the Yellow Turban Rebellion or at Hulao Gate. Most of the games within the series depict him being shot and wounded by an arrow in his missing eye socket at Xia Pi. He yanks out the arrow and bravely fights on, regardless of his injury. When Guan Yu flees with his sister from Cao Cao's service, Xiahou Dun will pursue him against his cousin's orders at the Five Passes. While present for building the foundations of the Wei kingdom, he quietly disappears at the same time.

His Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends details his arrow wound incident at Xia Pi Castle. Cao Xing snipes him in the eye and tries to escape. Xiahou Yuan hurries to his wounded relative and attempts to return the favor for him. While he is gravely wounded, Xiahou Dun stops his younger cousin, yanks out the arrow and stakes his pride on the line to cut the sniper down. As he chases Cao Xing, he overcomes many obstacles poised by Lu Bu's army and the castle's river bank.

Dynasty Warriors 5 describes him as a general skilled in warfare and tactics. He gains a reputation under his cousin for assisting the Anti-Dong Zhuo alliance at Hu Lao Gate. Cao Cao is pleased with his efforts and dubs him one of the land's greatest generals. After winning fame at Xia Pi Castle, Cao Cao tries to recruit Guan Yu and marvels over the latter general's strength at Guan Du. To Xiahou Dun's further annoyance, Guan Yu leaves Cao Cao to reunite with his brothers. Thinking that the general will always be a threat to Cao Cao's conquests, Xiahou Dun incriminates Guan Yu and defeats him at the Five Passes. Though Guan Yu escapes back to Liu Bei, Xiahou Dun takes his talents to be highly overrated and continues working for Cao Cao. After assisting the chase at Chang Ban with some reluctance and the defense at He Fei, he rides to Cao Ren's rescue and ends his arch-rival at Fan Castle. Finally dispelling his own personal chaos, Xiahou Dun leaves the war front.

He shares his Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion with Dian Wei, Xu Zhu, and Cao Cao. He assists his cousin's mission to save the emperor from the remnants of Dong Zhuo's army. Xiahou Dun teams with Xu Zhu to clear the dock area and trap the carriage from two sides.

Xiahou Dun's ending scene in Dynasty Warriors: Online shows him and the player engaged in a fierce duel. After witnessing his opponent's skillful counter, he remembers how the player couldn't even hold their sword right at first. Impressed with how far they've come along, Xiahou Dun walks away before he can say anymore.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, he supports Cao Cao with unquestionable loyalty. Although perceived as the one who understands Cao Cao the best by many within Wei's army, he is befuddled by his cousin's elusive ambitions. While not knowing his cousin's true objectives, he perseveres in Cao Cao's campaigns and waits for his cousin's answer. Once Cao Cao tells him that he desires to create a land with no need for a leader, Xiahou Dun dedicates himself to his newfound goal. After squelching Shu's ambitions at Wu Zhang Plains, the land is at peace and Cao Cao disappears from the capital. Respecting his cousin's wishes, Xiahou Dun remains behind and stays true to his duties for the new land.

In Dynasty Warriors 7, Xiahou Dun starts out with having both eyes as he fights with his cousins in the Yellow Turban Rebellion. After he defeats Zhang Jiao, Xiahou Dun claims that he will follow his lord and stop the conflict. But the priest mocks him by saying that his loyalty will be rewarded with betrayal. With one swing, Xiahou Dun kills Zhang Jiao. Cao Cao then proclaims that he will continue to rely on him. Afterwards, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan stay beside Cao Cao as he escapes from Dong Zhuo's trap at Luoyang Castle and later joins Yuan Shao's coalition against the tyrant. Prior to the battle of Yan Province, Xiahou Dun is challenged to a duel by Dian Wei and emerges victorious. However, Xiahou Dun spares Dian Wei, and later brings him to Cao Cao to be a bodyguard.

While Cao Cao is at Xu Province, Xiahou Dun is attacked by Lu Bu, but he manages to survive and return to his lord. When Dian Wei is murdered, Xiahou Dun questions why Cao Cao shows no tears and spares Dian Wei's murderer, Jia Xu. He joins his lord in the fight against Lu Bu at Xiapi, where he opens the floodgates to draw the enemy out. It is here where he is hit in the left eye by an arrow, but he quickly pulls it out and continues on in the fight. After defeating Lu Bu, Xiahou Dun has him tied up and brought to Cao Cao where his fate is sealed.

Xiahou Dun continues to serve Cao Cao as he conquers more provinces and defeat rival warlords. However, he loses his cousin, Xiahou Yuan, at the battle of Mt. Dingjun, and gets furious when Cao Cao decides to retreat instead of avenging their cousin, although Zhang He assures him that Cao Cao will not let Xiahou Yuan's death be in vain. Against Cao Cao's wishes, Xiahou Dun heads into the Battle of Fan Castle with Sima Yi to kill Guan Yu, wanting to show his cousin a glimpse of his dream before he dies. Not wanting to let Wu to take credit for killing Guan Yu, Xiahou Dun personally slays the mighty warrior himself. As he covers Guan Yu's body with a Shu flag, Xiahou Dun comments that his legendary might and his loyalty to his brothers will go down in history, but he had always hated him.

Six months later, Cao Cao passes away, with Xiahou Dun following his lord in death soon after.

Xiahou Dun's first Legendary Battle has him fighting Dian Wei to determine if the rumors about him are true. His second Legendary Battle takes place after the Battle of Guandu and he tracks down Guan Yu, who's trying to return to Liu Bei. In his third Legendary Battle, which takes place after Cao Cao's death, Xiahou Dun raises an army and fights Sima Yi to stop him from seizing power.

Dynasty Warriors Next has Xiahou Dun's first appearance occur in the second chapter. He is playable in the Battle of Hulao Gate where players may have him face Lu Bu before reaching Dong Zhuo. Disgusted by the tyrant's razing of Luoyang, he swears to destroy those responsible for this atrocity. The third chapter has him accompany his lord during the latter's subjugation of Yuan Shu. The loss of his left eye happens off-screen after their victory at Xiapi. He personally chases after Liu Bei when the latter turns on Cao Cao, but ends up capturing Guan Yu instead. He is forced to let the general live when Zhang Liao intercedes on his behalf. Sometime after Guan Yu's escape, Xiahou Dun leads an army to suppress Liu Bei's smaller forces at Bowangpo only to fall prey to Zhuge Liang's fire attack.

While not present in the Battle of Fan Castle, he does join his lord's final conflict with Wu at Jianye. With the land under their rule, the one-eyed general vows to continue following Cao Cao no matter what challenges they might face in the future ahead. Wu and Shu's scenarios have him protect Xuchang from the player's forces. Wu's version in particular has him face Sun Quan twice only to lose each time.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, Xiahou Dun mainly reprises his activities from the previous installment. However, he loses his eye at Puyang where he, Xiahou Yuan and Yue Jin fight to take back the castle from Lu Bu. He additionally rescues Cao Ren and captures Xu Shu at Xinye to be brought before Cao Cao. On the hypothetical route, Xiahou Dun helps Cao Pi protect Xuchang from Zuo Ci's attack and accompanies Cao Cao as he defeats Liu Bei at Baidi Castle.

In Wu's story, Xiahou Dun takes advantage of Gan Ji's attack on Sun Ce and leads the assault force in an attempt to track and kill the conqueror. Defeating Xiahou Dun at his main camp is one of the requirements needed to cure Sun Ce.

In Shu's hypothetical route, Xiahou Dun and Sima Yi arrive after Cao Ren's flood attack against the Shu forces stationed at Fan Castle has failed. They attempt to retake the dam but are driven off. Xiahou Dun is one of the defenders present during Wei's last stand at Xuchang and traps the player-controlled officer in between a pair of gates before being slain.

In the expansion, he appears with Cao Cao and Yu Jin in "Pacification of Jing Province", stating his desire to kill Guan Yu himself to end the chaos.

In Lu Bu's story, Xiahou Dun appears as one of the reinforcements for the coalition, and he attacks Dong Zhuo after he passes Sishui Gate. At Puyang, Xiahou Dun leads the first detachment of reinforcements and attempts to join up with Yu Jin for a pincer attack. In the historical route, Xiahou Dun is the final obstacle to reaching the escape point. He later appears at Xiaopei as reinforcements for Liu Bei, and at Xiapi where he captures Lu Bu, Chen Gong and Zhang Liao. In the hypothetical route, Xiahou Dun will still be at Dingtao but will instead appear as reinforcements from the south due to the failure of Cao Cao's plan. He appears again at Xu province, attempting to take the province from Liu Bei, and at Guandu, leading Cao Cao's surprise reinforcements. Like his cousin, he slain in the final battle at Chang'an.

Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed has Xiahou Dun appear as a recurring foe throughout Shu's campaign missions. He is especially angered by Liu Bei meddling in Cao Cao's battle with Yuan Shao, hounding him at every turn until he receives a taste of Zhuge Liang's superior tactics.

His bond story begins with him forming an independent militia against the Yellow Turbans with Cao Cao and Xiahou Yuan. Once the rebels have been subdued, they soon turn their hostilities on Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu, with Xiahou Dun losing his eye while facing Gao Shun. Although Xiahou Dun is eager to hunt Liu Bei down, his lack of discretion leads him and his men to a devastating fire attack. This shames him enough to atone through sheer diligence even when Cao Cao praises him as his most loyal retainer. Xiahou Dun's story concludes with him heading for Fan Castle to deal with Guan Yu.

Dynasty Warriors 9 sees Xiahou Dun join his cousin Cao Cao and brother Xiahou Yuan as they prepare to deal with the Yellow Turbans. After helping defeat Zhang Jiao, Xiahou Dun later learns that Dong Zhuo has taken over Luoyang and named himself Prime Minister. After Cao Cao failed to assassinate him, they receive word of Yuan Shao forming the Anti-Dong Zhuo coalition to oust him from Luoyang. Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan later help their relative gather talented officers to their cause, with Xiahou Dun finding Dian Wei while hunting tigers and recommending him to be a bodyguard. Their army later proceeds through Sishui and Hulao Gate, but Dong Zhuo has already fled, leaving Luoyang in flames. As the tyrant was assassinated by Lu Bu, the coalition loses their only motivation to remain, and its members return home.

Xiahou Dun joins his cousin with attacking Xu Province and taking it from Tao Qian as revenge for the death of Cao Song at the hands of one of Tao Qian's subordinates, only to have to end the campaign early when Lu Bu attacks Yan Province. Xiahou Dun and Xun Yu hole up in Juan Castle, trying to hold out against Lu Bu's troops, and some of them launch a surprise volley of arrows, and Xiahou Dun is hit on his left eye. Pulling the arrow out and tossing it aside, Xiahou Dun assures Xun Yu he'll be fine, and asks Xun Yu to act as his eyes from now on before they reengage Lu Bu's troops. In the end, they manage to retake Dingtao and Puyang from Lu Bu, before then dealing with escorting Emperor Xian to Xuchang after he escaped Dong Zhuo's remnant troops in Chang'an, dealing with other potential caretakers as they try to lay claim to the Emperor themselves.

As the war between Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu intensifies and Yuan Shu loses support, he desperately dubs himself Emperor with the Imperial Seal. Yuan Shu is quickly branded as a traitor, and Cao Cao moves to first eliminate Lu Bu once and for all at Xiapi. Following this, Cao Cao forges an alliance with Liu Bei and Sun Ce to defeat Yuan Shu. Xiahou Dun later participates at the Guandu campaign against Yuan Shao for dominion of the north.

Xiahou Dun continues to support his cousin in their future battles against Liu Bei and Sun Quan at Changban and Chibi, before the joint forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan decimate Cao Cao's forces at Chibi with a fire attack, forcing him to retreat to Xuchang to regroup. The Wei forces are soon ordered to abandon Nanjun to Guan Yu in order to create rifts between the two allies. After withdrawing from Nanjun, Cao Cao declares himself King of Wei in order to smoke out potential rebels.

Ma Teng falls for this and leads an assassination attempt and is killed, causing Ma Chao to rebel at Tong Gate. With the wester frontiers in Wei hands, Xiahou Dun is ordered to help defeat Zhang Lu in order to seize the Hanzhong region, a critical area near Yi Province. This move naturally causes Liu Bei to advance for the peninsula, and the Shu forces slay Xiahou Yuan in the process. Joining the reinforcements, Xiahou Dun fights furiously against the Shu forces until his cousin gives the order to abandon Hanzhong as their fight would lure Guan Yu from his position in Jing.

After forming a secret alliance with Wu after Ruxukou, the Wei forces are able to salvage Fan Castle even after Guan Yu's flood attack, and Xiahou Dun personally cuts down his rival in one final bout after Guan Yu makes it clear he has no regrets regarding his actions, as he did them in the name of humanity, and goes down fighting with honor against Xiahou Dun.

With Guan Yu dead, any real threat to Wei no longer remains and Xiahou Dun considers leaving the service of Wei and retire. He is approached by Cao Cao, who asks thanks his cousin for his service but questions why he'd leave before the land was actually conquered. Scoffing at the latter remark, Xiahou Dun immediately retracts his previous decision and promises to remain until the very end.

Soon, after Cao Cao issues his final orders, he peacefully passes away from his illness, giving orders for all generals and officials to remain vigilant at their posts. Xiahou Dun is the only one that defies this final command, asking for his cousin's forgiveness as he has his men publicly pay their respects. Not long after Cao Cao's death, Xiahou Dun also passes away, leaving both a highly-respected yet somber legacy to the soldiers who see this as him rejoining his relative.

Xiahou Dun is Cao Cao's right-hand man, who has been with his cousin since his early campaigns. He either appears alongside his cousin at the Yellow Turban Rebellion or at Hu Lao Gate. Most of the games within the series depict him being shot and wounded by an arrow in his missing eye socket at Xia Pi. He yanks out the arrow and bravely fights on, regardless of his injury. When Guan Yu flees with his sister from Cao Cao's service, Xiahou Dun will pursue him against his cousin's orders at the Five Passes. While present for building the foundations of the Wei kingdom, he quietly disappears at the same time.