Today Koei Tecmo revealed six returning heroes that will be playable in its upcoming open world Musou game Dynasty Warriors 9.
The returning warriors are Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Sun Quan, Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, and the beautiful Diaochan. And thank goodness for her, because this was becoming a bit of a sausagefest. For the moment, she is the only confirmed lady in the cast alongside Sun Shangxiang, who was revealed a couple of weeks ago.
Cao Cao
Future King of Wei. During his youth, a prophecy called him the "Hero of Chaos." Blessed with discernment and decisiveness, he first showed his abilities during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
He was both ambitious and rational and sometimes showed a fierce, cold side, which caused those around him to fear his presence. Talented in literature as well, he wrote both military strategy texts and books of poems.
Sun Jian
Said to be a descendant of Sun Tzu. He was an officer who maintained a bright, calm outlook on life. He excelled at numerous roles and was a wise leader, a valiant fighter, and a gentle father.
After distinguishing himself against pirates, he participated in suppressing the Yellow Turbans and was made Prefect of Changsha. He served as a vanguard in the coalition against Dong Zhuo and was among the first to arrive in Luoyang.
Sun Quan
Second son of Sun Jian and younger brother to Sun Ce. Sun Quan was praised for his skills in governance.
Although he lacked confidence in his physical abilities and decision making, he eventually became a great leader.
Liu Bei
Descendant of Liu Sheng, King of the Eastern Han dynasty. He took to the battlefield alongside his oath-brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in order to bring peace to the people and prosperity back to the Han Dynasty.
Compassionate and charitable, he had a tendency to act based on feelings more than logic. His warm personality earned him the love and loyalty of many people.
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao became the leader of the Coalition that gathered to end the tyranny of Dong Zhuo. Following Dong Zhuo's death, he fought his longtime acquaintance Cao Cao over control of the central plains.
He had both ability and power commensurate with his noble birth, but at the same time suffered from the conceit and vulnerability prevalent among the nobility.
Diaochan
Raised by Wang Yun as his own daughter, Diaochan, a skilled singer and dancer, was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time. She agreed to participate in a plan to divide Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu and managed to get close to both of them, succeeding in tearing their relationship apart.
Veiled by her beauty, she carried the same burning passion like many great war heroes.
You can check out artwork showing all six characters below, If you want to see more, you can also enjoy the first trailer, and another batch of recent screenshots, and the latest one, showing more of the game's beautiful open world.
Dynasty Warriors 9 has been announced exclusively for PS4 in Japan, where it will release this year. The western arm of Koei Tecmo, while confirming that a localization is coming, has remained silent on the game’s platforms. This could possibly mean that the title might not be a PS4 exclusive in North America and Europe.
Incidentally, if you look at the Japanese assets, the the “8” in the logo of the game might confuse you, it’s because the original title of this game is Shin Sangokumusou 8. The first title of the Dynasty Warriors series in the west actually did not belong to the Shin Sangokumusou franchise at all, creating the discrepancy in numbering that persists to this day.