Every Companion In Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Ranked

Dynasty Warriors: Origins shakes up the usual series formula by following a single character instead of letting you choose a fighter for each battle. Many classic heroes make guest appearances as semi-playable companions, though. If you’re fighting a battle on the same side as one of these legendary personalities, you have the option of choosing them as a companion and even swapping over to them briefly.

Late in the game, and especially after you’ve finished the main story, you’ll have lots of options for companions in a given battle. We’ve picked our favorites for their overall effectiveness as a partner.

10

Huang Gai

Weapon: Raging Tiger Claws (Gauntlet)

Huang Gai’s fists may as well be made of iron, and in a one-on-one fight against an enemy officer he can give them a fearsome pummeling. This is Dynasty Warriors, though, and one-on-one matches are a very rare thing indeed. While Huang Gai does have some crowd control options via Hurricane Kick and Ardent Energy Strike, his short range makes him best served to tag in when Ziluan is in trouble and needs a breather.

On missions where you have to target a specific general, switching to Huang Gai can make the final encounter a bit easier. Just be sure to save his Musou until the right moment!

9

Zhang Fei

Weapon: Serpent Of Yan (Lance)

Zhang Fei is one of Liu Bei’s sworn brothers, known for his unrelenting stamina and determination. There are definitely some perks to fighting alongside him; he’s one of the only characters with access to a lance until much later in the game, and his Battle Arts have area effects that can clear enemy formations with ease.

For all of Zhang Fei’s strengths, though, he’s rarely the best choice when he’s available. In any battle where Zhang Fei can be selected, you can usually pick Guan Yu as well, who overall a much better choice.

8

Guo Jia

Weapon: Sword Of The Savant

Guo Jia’s sword attacks are faster than Ziluan’s and combined with his rapid-fire Battle Arts he can rack up some impressive combos. Like Zhang Fei, though, he’s often eclipsed by other warriors in Cao Cao’s army on account of his shorter range.

That said, there is a tactical advantage to choosing Guo Jia as your companion; as Cao Cao’s chief strategist, he’s often mission-critical, and his defeat usually results in an enemy victory on battlefields where he’s present. Choosing him as your companion makes it much easier to keep an eye on him without having to backtrack.

7

Zhao Yun

Weapon: Dragon Heart (Spear)

Wielding a spear makes Zhao Yun one of the easier-to-use companions. He has an impressive set of Battle Arts, but he’s also just fine repeatedly making heavy attack combos for thrust flurries. As button-mashing tactics go, it’s a fine way to wear down enemy Fortitude using a powerful character, and it saves on Bravery and Musou at the same time.

6

Sun Shangxiang

Weapon: Heaven And Earth (Wheels)

Since she uses the most complex weapon type in the game, Shangxiang can be a bit daunting to tag in. If you can’t wield her bladed wheels effectively, you’re much better off taking another of the Sun Clan’s warrirors. Deployed at the right time and put to good use, though, she can devastate both officers and common soldiers with ease.

Sun Shangxiang’s wheels keep her safe from getting swarmed, letting her focus on getting big combos against her target officer. Combined with the range of her finishing Musou Attack, it’s not uncommon for her to empty out an enemy base on her own when called to do so.

5

Zhou Yu

Weapon: Flaming Lotus Staff

The staff is another weapon with a high skill ceiling in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and few characters wield it more expertly than Zhou Yu. His ability to rapidly switch between sweeps, leaps, and rushes make him one of the game’s most adaptable companions.

Of course, there’s also nothing wrong with just using his staff to lay down an endless combo until Zhou Yu’s Musou runs out. I’ve used that very tactic against the great Lu Bu himself.

4

Xiahou Dun

Weapon: Qilin Blade (Podao)

Cao Cao’s courageous kinsman is a great option for a brute-force assault on an enemy base or a vulnerable general. His podao attacks take time to charge up (including some of his Battle Arts), but once they connect he can lay waste to any foe.

Admittedly, Xiahou Dun’s build isn’t as flexible as some of the podao setups you can create for Ziluan, but as long as there aren’t any officers with throwing knives or other really acrobatic fighting styles, just point him at the enemy and start swinging. The result will be perfectly satisfactory.

3

Guan Yu

Weapon: Green Dragon (Crescent Blade)

Guan Yu is the very first companion that Ziluan meets, and he makes a fine introduction to fighting side-by-side in the Three Kingdoms. The Green Dragon is a beast of a weapon, and Battle Arts like Relentless Whirl Slash only serve to make it even more deadly.

Guan Yu is a great character all around thanks to his ability to make careful use of his Battle Arts, or just button mash until it’s time to switch back to Ziluan. As gods of war go, I’ll take him over Kratos any day of the week.

2

Lu Bu

Weapon: Peerless Halberd

Lu Bu is one of the game’s central antagonists, and he’s attained legendary status among Dynasty Warriors fans as the series’ ultimate fighter. Origins is one of his deadliest incarnations yet, and once he’s available to select as a companion you can finally get some of that power on your side.

Lu Bu is as straightforward a character as they come; point him at a target and swing his halberd until their health bar is gone. He’s only available in missions that you’ve already completed, though, so you won’t be able to ride on his coattails to victory in any of the story campaigns. That said, he’s essentailly and extra officer on your side, which improves your odds of victory all the more.

How To Unlock Lu Bu

Once you’ve completed the main story, go to an Inn and replay The Battle Of Hulao Gate in Chapter Two. Defeating Lu Bu instead of rushing to finish Dong Zhuo will unlock him as a playable character. If you can manage this feat on Ultimate Warrior difficulty, you’ll also be rewarded with the Rampaging Luan, a halberd to rival Lu Bu’s Sky Piercer!

1

Zhang Liao

Weapon: Twin Raptor Pikes

Zhang Liao may not have the raw power of Lu Bu, but his unique blend of aggression, coverage, and combo make him the ideal companion in Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Put simply, there’s no situation that he can’t handle with aplomb.

Whether he’s running around making heavy attack combos, pounding away at an officer’s Fortitude, or cutting off even the most hard-to-reach Special Art with Wings Of The Phoenix, Zhang Liao is the best choice in nearly every battle where he’s available.