Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Ancient China saga
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a 14th-century Chinese novel, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
It dramatizes the turbulent end of the Han dynasty and the power struggles among three rival kingdoms—Wei, Shu, and Wu—in the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
The sprawling narrative blends historical events with legend, featuring military strategists, sworn brotherhoods, and battlefield heroics.
Its characters and episodes permeate East Asian culture, inspiring countless adaptations in film, television, and video games: I spent the weekend playing Dynasty Warriors, which is based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
- sworn brothersMen bound by oath
- Three KingdomsChinese historical period
- Han dynastyMajor ancient Chinese empire
- betrayalBreaking of trust
- heroismExceptional courage under duress
strategy · brotherhood · Confucian values · diplomacy · statecraft · video games · Chinese opera · novel adaptation · psychological manipulation · moral conflict · warlord · loyalty · alliances · Han · dynastic struggle · folklore · warrior monks · fate
- Chinese ClassicsThree Kingdoms
- Chinese fictionwuxia, The Three-Body Problem, transmigration, palace dramas, palace intrigue
- Koei TecmoAngelique, Tecmo Bowl
- Ancient NovelsMetamorphoses
- Asian ChroniclesSamguk Yusa, annals
Romance of the Three Kingdomsarchaeological evidence
Objects proving ancient history
Romance of the Three KingdomsIliad
Ancient Greek war epic
Odyssey · Aeneid · Beowulf · Song of Roland · Mahabharata