The initial adversary you’ll face in Dynasty Warriors: Origins is Zhang Jiao, the charismatic leader of the Yellow Turban rebellion. Unlike many traditional gaming experiences, the Dynasty Warriors franchise typically avoids standard one-on-one boss battles. Instead, most missions involve you battling challenging foes amidst epic clashes featuring swarms of warriors on either side. Nevertheless, Origins occasionally changes tempo to pit players against formidable opponents like Zhang Jiao in head-to-head confrontations. Expect a tough fight from the get-go.
Zhang Jiao, also known as the General of Heaven, leads the initial assault of the Yellow Turban uprising, which serves as your primary threat during the early stages of the game. You’ll spend several missions pursuing him, culminating in a duel at the end of Chapter One. Below is everything you need to know to prepare for your battle with Zhang Jiao in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
Preparing for Zhang Jiao
Battle Prep
Before entering the confrontation with Zhang Jiao, be aware that you will first have to participate in a typical skirmish found in Dynasty Warriors before facing the general himself. Hence, it’s essential to ensure that your equipment and skills are optimized on the Battle Preparation screen. Verify that you have the highest-damage weapon equipped (of your preferred type), a suitable accessory, and one of the better gems available in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
Most importantly, ensure you have at least one Art that carries the “[Sp.]” designation. These moves are essential for interrupting specific enemy actions, a key tactic for evading damage and effectively staggering your opponents. You will have numerous opportunities to utilize these techniques during your fight with Zhang Jiao.
Healing Options
Proceed through the mission as usual until a cutscene plays that opens a gate, prompting a shift in objective to “Reach Zhang Jiao.” Before you rush in, though, take a moment to restock your meat buns. If your supply is low, ride to the nearest base—whether it’s in enemy or ally hands—and break open the pots to fill your inventory.
Utilizing the Eyes of the Sacred Bird, you can spot meat bun pots glowing green, even through walls. This makes it easy to find healing items whenever necessary.
If you’re unable to find any, there will be a few meat buns available in the arena for your duel with Zhang Jiao. However, they might be challenging to access amid the chaos, so it’s wise to enter the battle with some extra buns and save these for when you truly need them.
Defeating Zhang Jiao
Phase One
After a brief cutscene, you’ll engage in a one-on-one duel with Zhang Jiao. In this first phase, treat the battle similar to that of a typical officer encounter, with a few exceptions that will be detailed later. Use blocking to your advantage, and if you feel confident enough, try to parry his attacks perfectly to unleash a counter. Employ heavy attacks and Arts to chip away at his defenses. Don’t forget to interrupt him with your Special Arts when you see the prompt—indicated by him glowing gold with a button combo emerging above his head.
Zhang Jiao has some unique attacks to watch for. One of these involves him summoning rocks from the ground and throwing them at you in quick succession. Fortunately, these boulders can be blocked or parried, although parrying might not be the best strategy. If you get hit by just one, you’ll be staggered, and the following rocks can cause significant damage to your health.
Additionally, Zhang Jiao will execute a two-phase attack where he causes stalagmites to erupt towards you. If you fail to interrupt this attack, be ready to dodge twice, as the initial wave will be quickly followed by a barrage of boulders falling from above.
At times, he may flash red, with the camera zooming out to focus on his spear. This signifies that you need to retreat as he’s gearing up to summon a rain of boulders. The moment he flashes red, either summon your horse or adjust your camera and make a dash. It’s best to overestimate the distance needed to escape—run all the way to the opposite side of the arena if necessary.
In addition, Zhang Jiao might call forth a group of shadow soldiers just before sending larger boulders your way. The best approach is to run directly away to put distance between you and then either sprint or continuously dodge to the side—whether on foot or horseback.
War God Rage
When Zhang Jiao’s health drops to about 33% (after multiple stagger attempts), you’ll see another cutscene that introduces a new combat mechanic: War God Rage. This can only be activated when your Musou meter is completely filled. War God Rage grants invincibility, increases the range of your basic attacks, allows certain moves to restore health from enemies, and lets you employ Arts without consuming Bravery.
When this occurs, activate Rage, perform several normal combos to recover your health, and then unleash your Arts until your meter is depleted. Once it runs out, your Musou attack will automatically trigger. At this point, Zhang Jiao will kneel, invulnerable, as he momentarily reflects on your remarkable strength. This marks the transition into the second phase.
Phase Two: Large Force
The second phase kicks off with Zhang Jiao being surrounded by a vast army of troops rushing in to assist him. Your next goal is to dismantle this Large Force. It’s advisable to hold back during the first few seconds of the battle to allow your allies to arrive. Focus on Zhang Jiao only after this phase, as he becomes significantly more formidable when his morale is bolstered. Keep watch for tornadoes he creates during this segment of the fight.
Once the allies join the fray, you can start to engage Zhang Jiao’s troops. Begin by clearing out the edges and working your way toward the nearest officer. Take them out in one-on-one engagements, create a new pathway to another officer, and repeat the process until the Large Force disbands. Avoid being surrounded, and assist your allies in need by riding past them to restore their health. If you require more guidance on how to break down a Large Force, check out our detailed guide.
Occasionally, Zhang Jiao may attempt to use the Thunderous Tempest tactic; if he activates it, you’ll have 90 seconds to defeat 300 enemies to disrupt his area-of-effect attack. Utilize your heavy attacks, Arts, and Musou meter—foot soldiers are easier to eliminate than officers during this window. Disrupting this tactic will raise the morale of your allies, enhancing their performance against Zhang Jiao.
Phase Three
Once you have successfully disbanded the Large Force, you will enter the final phase of the battle against Zhang Jiao. He will start this phase accompanied by a diminished group of troops; it’s wise to defeat most of them before you confront Zhang Jiao directly.
Fortunately, Zhang Jiao’s move set in the third phase largely mirrors that of the first phase. Continue employing your blocking, evading from the boulders, interrupting his attacks, and breaking through his defenses. The primary distinction is that your allies will be present, providing assistance against foot soldiers and possibly landing hits on Zhang Jiao himself. In time, you’ll whittle down his health.
Once his health bar hits zero, you’ll be rewarded with a cutscene showing Zhang Jiao attempting to flee but being mortally wounded. This moment leads to a heartfelt exchange where you gain deeper insight into your character’s past and significance in this tumultuous world. Finally, you can relax knowing you’ve conquered your first major boss battle in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.