PersonAD 175 – AD 210

Zhou Yu

Sun Quan’s commander, who led the Wu forces that defeated Cao Cao at Red Cliffs in 208

Where they went

1
AD 208Battle of Red Cliffscommander
The allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei burned the great fleet of Cao Cao, who had come south down the Yangtze, at Red Cliffs. Cao Cao’s bid to unify the realm was stopped, and the three-way division hardened.
AD 208Borrowing Arrows with Straw BoatsFictionrelated figure
A scene from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in which Zhuge Liang gathers a hundred thousand of Cao Cao’s arrows with straw-laden boats. It is not in the official history.

Dramatized works (films, dramas, novels) may differ from the historical record.

Cao CaoAD 155 – AD 220
Chancellor and King of Wei in the late Han, who controlled Emperor Xian, defeated Yuan Shao at Guandu and unified the north, laying the foundation of Wei
Zhuge LiangAD 181 – AD 234
Chancellor of Shu Han, who proposed the plan to divide the realm in three to Liu Bei in 207 and died of illness on the Wuzhang Plains in 234 during his northern campaigns
Liu BeiAD 161 – AD 223
Founding emperor of Shu Han (Emperor Zhaolie), who claimed descent from the Han house and became emperor at Chengdu in 221
Sun QuanAD 182 – AD 252
Founding emperor of Wu (Emperor Da), who allied with Liu Bei to stop Cao Cao at Red Cliffs and became emperor in 229

The Three KingdomsAD 184 – AD 280
From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the Jin reunification — a century of Wei, Shu and Wu, the age of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan