張飛

Profile

With Guan Yu, the other "match for ten thousand" — Liu Bei’s battering ram. His signature moment: standing alone at Changban Bridge and stopping Cao Cao’s pursuit cold. Nor was he all muscle; capturing the veteran Yan Yan and treating him with honor opened the road into Shu. He was murdered by subordinates while preparing to avenge Guan Yu — because, the histories observe, he honored gentlemen but brutalized the men beneath him.

Key events

1. 184

   Yellow Turban Rebellion

   Zhang Jiao’s Taiping followers rise across the empire, opening the Three Kingdoms era. Liu Bei, Cao Cao and Sun Jian first made their names in the suppression.

   Zhang JiaoLiu BeiCao CaoSun JianGuan Yu

2. 184

   The Peach Garden OathNovel

   Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei swear brotherhood in a peach orchard — the novel’s opening scene; the histories say only their bond was "like brothers".

   Liu BeiGuan Yu

3. 191

   Hulao Gate — Three Heroes vs. Lü BuNovel

   The novel’s famous duel of the three brothers against Lü Bu at Hulao Gate. In the histories it was Sun Jian, not Guan Yu, who slew Hua Xiong.

   Lü BuLiu BeiGuan YuSun Jian

4. 200

   Liu Bei Loses Xuzhou

   Breaking from Cao Cao, Liu Bei is crushed by a lightning strike and flees to Yuan Shao. It was here that Guan Yu fell into Cao Cao’s hands.

   Liu BeiCao CaoGuan Yu

5. 207

   Three Visits to the Cottage

   After three visits Liu Bei wins Zhuge Liang — and hears the plan to divide the realm in three. Recorded by Zhuge Liang himself in the Chu Shi Biao.

   Liu BeiZhuge LiangGuan Yu

History vs. the novelHistoryvsNovel

The drunken brute bellowing from the bridge is stagecraft. The historical Zhang Fei married into high nobility, and later tradition even credits him with calligraphy and painting — hardly a simple thug.