Officer Names (CH/EN): All Officers

Notes: Some translations depict his name as Ahui Nan.

Notes: Also called Bi Cheng in the SGZ.

Notes: While 白 is translated as ‘Bo’ in this case, and in the name of the valley from which Bo Bo hailed, 白 is most commonly translated as Bai. As such you may read of a Bai Bo who came from Baibo valley.

Notes: Known to Korean history as Paekko.

Notes: Also named Bu Yi

Notes: Better known as the poetess Cai Wenji. An alternate style, Zhaoji (昭姬), is used in Lie Nu Hou Zhuan, while Wenji (文姬) is most commonly used (including in the Hou Han shu).

Notes: In some Wade-Giles translations of the novel Cai Yong is incorrectly listed as Ch’ai Yung.

Notes: Called ‘Cao Amin’ for some reason in the online version of the novel.

Notes: In Sanguozhi Chen Shou references him with the honorary title, Wu Di (武帝), or ‘Martial Emperor’. Cao Cao appears in other sources under this name. Cao Cao’s infant name was A-Man (阿瞞).

Notes: Called Cao Kun in the ZZTJ.

Notes: Originally named Cao Huang (曹璜). An Emperor’s given name was ineffable. As such, it was stricken from use (sometimes changing city names and re-writing literature). Cao Huang changed his name to Huan to lessen the impact of this practice (learn more).

Notes: Occasionally listed as, and once named, Xiahou Song (夏侯嵩).

Notes: Cao Zhen’s original family name was Qin. He was adopted into the Cao clan.

Notes: Also known as Chen Shi (陳實).

Notes: Chen Jian in To Esablish Peace

Notes: Appears in some sources under the name Chen Xuan (陳鶱).

Notes: Sometimes his style is referenced incorrectly as ‘Zhangwen’.

Notes: Also known as Chen Zuo.

Notes: In Destiny of an Emperor 2 his name is incorrectly mistranslated as Chen Shu.

Notes: Incorrectly referred to as ‘Chen Pu’ once in some Brewitt-Taylor translations.

Notes: Cheng (程) Li (立) was his original name, he dreamed about the mount Tai Shan when he was young, holding the sun (日) with both hands. Hence Cao Cao changed his name to Yu (昱) [Cheng Yu]. As you can see the word of Yu is composed with the word ‘sun’ (日) and the word ‘stand’ Li (立), together they form the word of Yu (昱).

Notes: The characters of 烏桓 (wuhuan) are the same as those used for the Wuhuan tribe, thus ‘Chu of Wuhuan’ in many respected sources.

Notes: Referenced incorrectly as ‘Sui Yi’ in Brewitt-Taylor’s translation and other sources.

Notes: Referenced incorrectly as ‘Sui Lie’ in Brewitt-Taylor’s translation and other sources.

Notes: Da (大), in this context, translates to ‘Big’, thus ‘Elder’. Rather than refer to her as the ‘Older Qiao’, the name Da Qiao has become a popular alternative. Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were names first used by Koei in Dynasty Warriors 3 when the characters were introduced. Note that Da4 and Xiao3 can still be used in this context in the modern-day family, and usually as the surname.

Notes: Sometimes appears as Chief or King Dai Lai (esp. in Brewitt-Taylor).

Notes: Referenced incorrectly as ‘Deng Zong’ in some online historical sources.

Notes: We originally listed Dian Wei’s style as Ziman (子曼). As we are no longer able to locate the source, and a few possible causes for error have turned up, we no longer have reason to believe he had the name.

Notes: Also known as Sable Cicada.

Notes: Translated incorrectly as ‘Ding Fung’ in the Brewitt-Taylor edition.

Notes: Not to be confused with Ding Yì (丁儀). Sometimes incorrectly translated (perhaps in the name of disambiguation) as Ding Yin.

Notes: Not to be confused with Ding Yí (丁廙).

Notes: Is also known as Dong Zhong in the ZZTJ.

Notes: In DW3 he was written as Dong Tu Ne

Notes: In Chinese the name of the emperor comes before the use of the word emperor hence Huan (the name) Di (emperor).

Notes: In Chinese the name of the emperor comes before the use of the word emperor hence Ling (the name) Di (emperor).

Notes: In Chinese the name of the emperor comes before the use of the word emperor hence Xian (the name) Di (emperor). In this case, Emperor Xian also has a style name attached to his normal name, therefore if you were addressing him as emperor you would say Xian Di, if you knew his name and were close you may use Liu Xie, or if you wanted his style name you’d call him Liu Bohe.

Notes: Also known as Empress Cao, Empress Xianmu (獻穆皇后) and Duchess Shanyang.

Notes: Commonly referenced simply as ‘Empress Fu’.

Notes: Empress Mu (穆皇后) is her traditional name. Informally, you will find her referenced as Empress Wu (吳皇后).

Notes: ‘Empress Zhang’ or ‘Lady Zhang’ in the novel and other historic sources, she has been given a fictional personality by Koei under the name ‘Zhang Xingcai’ or simply ‘Xing Cai’. Both names refer to the same person, but the story given her in Koei games is fictional. I’ve recorded this as the English translation presents itself (so, Huanghou Zhang (empress Zhang) and Xing1cai3 as her given name)

Notes: Empress Zhen is frequently called Zhen Ji, as she is named by Koei. Referenced elsewhere as Zhen Luo (甄洛) or Empress Wenzhao (文昭皇后). I’ve recorded this as Huang2hou4 Zhen1 (Empress Zhen), with Ji1 as her given name. To say her name as Koei suggests, use Zhen (surname) and Ji1 (given name) together.

Notes: Not in Rafe’s Tome of Kickass?

Notes: Also seen him called Peng Ji in c. H. Brewitt-Taylor translation of the novel and Pang Ji in the ZZTJ.

Notes: Just known as Shi Ren in ZZTJ and GOS.

Notes: Called Fu Rong by SGZ.

Notes: Sometimes appears as ‘Fu Xuan’ in Brewitt-Taylor translations.

Notes: Gan Ji frequently referenced as ‘Yu Ji’, especially in games. Historically, ‘Gan Ji’ (干吉) is correct, and it is thought Luo Guanzhong may have confused the character for his family name and thus entered him as ‘Yu Ji’ (于吉). Notice the similarity between Gan ‘干’ and Yu ‘于’. I have recorded here in Chinese “Gan4 Ji2”, and “Yu2 Ji2” for reference second.

Notes: Appears as ‘Guan Neng’ in some Brewitt-Taylor translations.

Notes: Originally styled Changsheng (長生). He is frequently referenced by the honorary title, Guan Gong (關公), or ‘Lord Guan’. Guan Yu appears as Guan Gong or Lord Guan in most novel translations, many historic texts, and modern conversation outside the Three Kingdoms community, and on most merchandise. In religion he is called Saintly Emperor Guan (關聖帝君) or in Buddhism, Sangharama Bodhisattva (伽藍菩薩) (more).

Notes: Sometimes mistranslated in Koei games as Wuqiu Jian.

Notes: In the notes section of To Esablish Peace he is referenced with two names from different sources: 1) HHJ25 as Guo Mai; 2) Jiuzhou chunqiu as Lang Sheng.

Notes: Guo Si is sometimes called Guo Duo, a name that is listed as an alternate personal name in a few different sources.

Notes: Translated in Brewitt-Taylor editions of the novel, and in Koei games, as Han Qu.

Notes: Was born Zhu Miao.

Notes: Also known as He Qia. Appears as He He in the Brewitt-Taylor edition of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Notes: Historic name is ‘He Yong", name used in some Brewitt-Taylor editions.

Notes: Sometime also called Pimiku or Pimiko. Precise pronunciation of her name is unknown as the kanji of her name were written prior to mid-20th century kanji reforms. Himiko may be a Chinese corruption of himemiko (princess priestess or lady shaman), which translates to ‘Sun Child’.

Notes: Hu Che’er is frequently confused with Hu Juer of Zhang Xiu, but they are, indeed, separate people. Hu Che’er’s name is sometimes typed with or without an apostrophe (Che’er or Cheer), and at times with a hypen instead (Che-er). To complicate matters further, sometimes his name is mistranslated as ‘Chi’er’, with all the according grammatical variations. The Chinese character 赤is actually pronounced Chi4, so the correct spelling of this name should be Hu Chi’er.

Notes: Also appears sometimes as Hu Zhong.

Notes: Ju1 is the former pronunciation of 車, which is now pronounced Che1. We hold true to the standard set by Moss Roberts and others, using the old pronunciation for an old historical figure. Besides, it helps to alleviate confusion between him and Hu Che’er of Niu Fu.

Notes: Incorrectly translated in the Brewitt-Taylor edition as Hua Jiao

Notes: Usually Hua is pronounced Hua2, but in the case of a Surname, is pronounced Hua4, hence Hua4 in the audio file.

Notes: Translated incorrectly as Huan Ji in some sources, including several Brewitt-Taylor editions.

Notes: Incorrectly referenced as Huang Chenyan (承 [Cheng2] as ‘Chen’) in many sites, biographies, and in some Brewitt-Taylor translations.

Notes: In the novel, Sanguo yanyi, the Chinese characters used for Huang Shao’s name are huang2 shao4 黃劭. In Sanguozhi, the Chinese characters are huang2 shao4 黃邵. We have chosen to use the historic rendering.