How To Defeat Lu Bu In Dynasty Warriors: Origins

“Among men, Lu Bu. Among horses, Red Hare.” “Do not pursue Lu Bu.” These phrases, which are peppered throughout Dynasty Warriors: Origins, send a very clear message – don’t fight Lu Bu. But… what if you want to? Well, here’s how.

Should You Fight Lu Bu in Dynasty Warriors: Origins?

Look, fighting Lu Bu is no easy task. In my playthrough of Dynasty Warriors: Origins, it took me well over an hour to beat this god among men. There are reasons you would fight him though.

First, bragging rights. Toppling Lu Bu is a tough task, so saying you beat him is a badge of honor. Second, you may not even have a choice. If you decide to side with Shu or Wei, you’ll have to fight Lu Bu in Chapter 4 during the Battle of Xiapi. Finally, if you defeat him at the Battle of Hulao Gate, not only will you receive a trophy for it – The Strongest – but if you beat him in the post-game, you’ll earn the game’s final weapon, the halberd, so you’re clearly incentivized to beat him.

Lu Bu’s First Phase

Before fighting Lu Bu, it’s important to set yourself up with some equipment that can handle him. Equipping a weapon like a sword that can hit him multiple times and stagger him is a must, as well as having Battle Arts that don’t require a lot of Bravery, can activate quickly, and have a wide range. When I fought him, I had Falcon Flurry, Mad Blade Rush, Absconding Slash, and Flying Dragon Slash equipped. You’re also going to need accessories that raise your health and defense, like Divine Bird’s Wing and Divine Turtle’s Shell. He hits HARD and can easily drain your health, so having ways to stay alive longer is optimal. Finally, you’ll want a weapon with a skill that can grant you Bravery for each Perfect Evade you pull off, since that will be your main way to get Bravery in this fight. 

In most encounters with Lu Bu in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, the fight will begin with him riding his horse, Red Hare. This phase is straightforward as Lu Bu will primarily charge around the area on Red Hare. He’s very fast, but he will occasionally stop charging around to rest. When he stops, hit him with whatever Battle Art you have, then back off. Thankfully, his attacks don’t have a huge AOE, except when Red Hare jumps into the air and comes crashing down, so dodging them isn’t too tough. Once he reaches 80%, he’ll get off Red Hare, and the true battle will begin.

Lu Bu’s Second Phase

On foot, Lu Bu is a beast. His attacks are fast and he likes to zip around the battlefield. He’ll often have a red aura when he zooms across the arena, meaning that he can’t be staggered or broken out of his combo. If he begins to charge, evade out of the way and get ready for another charge, as he always charges in sets of three. If he charges at you without his spear, he’s trying to grab you, which will decimate your health, but you can easily evade it like the other charges.

His deadliest ability though is when he begins to glow orange. The prep time for this move is minimal, and if he pulls it off, he’ll shoot three massive arrows at you from a distance three times, which will juggle you and eradicate your health. This is why you want to have a Battle Art like Absconding Slash equipped, as it can cancel it from a distance. If you try to use a close-quarters Battle Art like Palm Strike, you’ll die, plain and simple. Also, keep your Musou gauge charged in case of emergency. You’ll become invincible for a few seconds, which can be the difference between life and death if you mess up a dodge or he gets you in a combo.

Thankfully, Lu Bu is surprisingly easy to juggle during this phase and if you hit him with several attacks in a row, you’ll charge your Battle Arts quickly and can break his massive Fortitude meter faster. Try to stay as close as possible, since that will allow you to better react to his attacks. Remember, evade, evade, evade.

Lu Bu’s Final Phase

Once you deplete his health enough, he’ll activate his Musou Rage. This signifies the last phase has begun. Now, Lu Bu can’t be staggered and he’ll launch a massive volley of attacks non-stop. The goal now is to deplete his Fortitude before he can pull off his Musou attack. Because he can’t be staggered, you’ll want to use everything you have left to stop him. Activate your Musou attacks when he gets close, use Battle Arts, and hit him fast and hard. If he pulls off his Musou Attack, he’ll reactivate it immediately afterward, meaning you’ll have to restart the phase. If you can break his Fortitude here, you can finally end the battle, defeating this insurmountable foe.

And that’s how to defeat Lu Bu in Dynasty Warriors: Origins! Dynasty Warriors: Origins is now available for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S