Historical sources on Lü Bus life

There are two official biographies of Lü Bu. The first one is in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), which was written by Chen Shou in the third century.

In the fifth century, Pei Songzhi annotated the Sanguozhi by incorporating information from other sources to Chen Shou's original work and adding his personal commentary. Some alternative texts used in the annotations to Lü Bu's biography include: Yingxiong Ji (Chronicles of Heroes and Champions), by Wang Can; Xiandi Chunqiu (Chronicles of Emperor Xian), by Yuan Wei; Wei Shi Chunqiu (Chronicles of the Ruling Family of Wei), by Sun Sheng; Cao Man Zhuan (Biography of Cao Man), by an unknown writer.

The second biography of Lü Bu is in the Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu), which was compiled by Fan Ye in the fifth century.

Physical appearance

No descriptions of Lü Bu's physical appearance exist in historical records. It was noted that he specialised in archery and horse-riding, and possessed great physical strength. He was nicknamed "Flying General" (飛將) for his martial prowess. He also owned a powerful steed known as the "Red Hare". The Cao Man Zhuan recorded that there was a saying at the time to describe Lü Bu and the Red Hare: "Among men, Lü Bu; Among steeds, Chì Tù (the Red Hare)".

Lü Bu is described as follows in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms:

Service under Ding Yuan and defection to Dong Zhuo

Lü Bu was from Jiuyuan County (九原縣), Wuyuan Commandery (五原郡), which is near present-day Baotou, Inner Mongolia. He was known for his martial valour in Bing Province. When Ding Yuan, the Inspector (刺史) of Bing Province, was appointed as a Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉) by the Han central government and ordered to garrison at Henei Commandery, he recruited Lü Bu as a Registrar (主簿) and treated him kindly.

After the death of Emperor Ling in 189, Ding Yuan led his troops to the capital Luoyang to assist the general He Jin in eliminating the eunuch faction. He Jin ended up being assassinated by the eunuchs instead, after which the warlord Dong Zhuo led his forces into Luoyang and occupied the capital. Dong Zhuo wanted to kill Ding Yuan and take control of Ding's troops, so he induced Lü Bu into betraying Ding and defecting to his side. Lü Bu killed Ding Yuan, cut off his head, and presented it to Dong Zhuo, who had by then seized control of the Han central government. Dong Zhuo appointed Lü Bu as a Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉) and placed much faith and trust in him. He also accepted Lü Bu as a foster son. Lü Bu was later promoted from the position of a Cavalry Commandant to a General of the Household (中郎將). He was also made a Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯).

Service under Dong Zhuo

In 190, a coalition of warlords led by Yuan Shao initiated a punitive campaign against Dong Zhuo in response to Dong's tyranny and monopoly of the central government. Dong Zhuo had deposed Emperor Ling's successor, Emperor Shao, earlier that year and replaced him with Emperor Xian, who was actually a puppet ruler under his control. Lü Bu defended Dong Zhuo and fought in battles against the coalition. In one battle at Yangren (陽人; believed to be near present-day Wenquan, Ruzhou, Henan), Dong Zhuo ordered Lü Bu and Hu Zhen to attack Sun Jian (one of the coalition members), but Lü Bu and Hu Zhen could not get along with each other, resulting in disorder in their army. Sun Jian used the opportunity to attack them and forced them to retreat. Within months, the coalition forces had reached the capital Luoyang. Dong Zhuo personally led an army to engage the coalition vanguard, led by Sun Jian, in the area where the tombs of the Han emperors were located, but was defeated and forced to retreat. Sun Jian then passed through Luoyang's Xuanyang Gate (宣陽城門), where he attacked Lü Bu and drove him back. Dong Zhuo was alarmed, so he decided to evacuate Luoyang and move the capital to Chang'an in the west. He sent his troops to pillage Luoyang and force its residents to move to Chang'an as well, and then had Luoyang destroyed by fire. The coalition did not pursue Dong Zhuo to Chang'an and eventually dissolved by itself in the following year.

As Dong Zhuo usually behaved rudely in front of other people, he was afraid of being assassinated, hence he often kept Lü Bu by his side as a bodyguard. Dong Zhuo also had a bad temper and was easily agitated. During his outbursts, he threw short jis at Lü Bu, but Lü Bu reacted fast and dodged the weapons. Dong Zhuo's anger subsided after that. Lü Bu was very unhappy and he bore a grudge against his foster father. At the same time, Lü Bu was tasked with guarding Dong Zhuo's central living quarters, and he had a secret affair with one of Dong's maids. He feared that Dong Zhuo would find out and felt very uneasy about it.

Earlier on, Lü Bu had been warmly received by Wang Yun, the Minister over the Masses (司徒), so he went to see Wang and complained about how Dong Zhuo almost killed him. At the time, Wang Yun and another official, Shisun Rui (士孫瑞), were plotting to get rid of Dong Zhuo so they told Lü Bu about their plan and sought his help. Lü Bu said, "But we are father and son!" Wang Yun replied, "Your family name is Lü so you have no blood relations with him. He was not concerned about you at all when you almost died, so where was the father-son bond?" Lü Bu agreed to join them and personally killed Dong Zhuo later. After Dong Zhuo's death, Wang Yun and Lü Bu took charge of the central government. Lü Bu was appointed General of Vehement Might (奮威將軍) and received the honours equivalent to those received by the Three Ducal Ministers – three high-ranking officials in the Han administration. Emperor Xian also enfeoffed him as the Marquis of Wen (溫侯).

Expulsion from Changan

After Dong Zhuo's death, his followers in Liang Province, led by Li Jue, Guo Si and others, formed an army to attack Chang'an when Wang Yun refused to grant them amnesty for their past activities under Dong Zhuo. Guo Si led his men to attack the city's north gate, where he met Lü Bu, who told him, "Let's not send our soldiers into battle. Instead, let's have a man-on-man fight." Lü Bu then engaged Guo Si in a duel and injured him. Guo Si's men saved their superior. Both sides withdrew their forces. Lü Bu was unable to resist the enemy so he eventually abandoned Chang'an and fled. His defeat and subsequent flight took place 60 days after Dong Zhuo's death.

Pei Songzhi commented that the "60 days" claim in the original text of the Sanguozhi was erroneous. According to other sources, Lü Bu killed Dong Zhuo on the 23rd day of the fourth month in the third year of the Chuping era (190–193) in Emperor Xian's reign, and he fled from Chang'an on the first day of the sixth month. There were no interpolated dates in between, so Lü Bu could not have spent 60 days in Chang'an after Dong Zhuo's death.

Seeking shelter under Yuan Shu

After leaving Chang'an, Lü Bu, accompanied by a few hundred horsemen and with Dong Zhuo's head tied to his saddle, passed through Wu Pass and went to join Yuan Shu in Nanyang Commandery. The Sanguozhi and the Houhanshu give differing accounts of how Yuan Shu treated Lü Bu. The former claimed that Lü Bu expected to be received warmly because he felt that he had helped Yuan Shu take revenge by slaying Dong Zhuo. However, Yuan Shu detested Lü Bu because of his duplicity so he refused to accept him. The latter stated that Yuan Shu treated Lü Bu generously, but Lü behaved arrogantly as he felt that he deserved better treatment because he had done Yuan a favour by killing Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu also allowed his men to plunder the area. Yuan Shu became worried that Lü Bu would pose a threat to him, and Lü also felt uneasy after he heard that Yuan was suspicious of him, so he left.

Joining Yuan Shao and Zhang Yang

After leaving Yuan Shu, Lü Bu then headed to northern China to join Yuan Shu's relative, Yuan Shao. He assisted Yuan Shao in attacking Zhang Yan at Changshan. Zhang Yan had thousands of elite soldiers and cavalry. Lü Bu led his subordinates Cheng Lian (成廉) and Wei Yue (魏越) and dozens of riders to raid Zhang Yan's camp, killing several enemies and then fighting their way out. They did this three to four times every day continuously for a period of over ten days and eventually defeated Zhang Yan's forces.

Lü Bu behaved arrogantly in front of Yuan Shao because he perceived that he had done the Yuans a favour by slaying Dong Zhuo. He belittled Yuan's followers and treated them with contempt. He once asked for more soldiers from Yuan Shao but was refused, after which he sent his men to plunder Yuan's territories. Yuan Shao was greatly displeased and felt that Lü Bu posed a threat to him. Lü Bu sensed that Yuan Shao was suspicious of him so he wanted to leave northern China and return to Luoyang. Yuan Shao pretended to agree and recommended Lü Bu to take up the appointment of Colonel-Director of Retainers (司隷校尉) while secretly plotting to kill him.

On the day of Lü Bu's departure, Yuan Shao sent 30 armoured soldiers to escort him and personally saw him off. Along the journey, Lü Bu stopped and rested inside his tent. That night, Yuan Shao's soldiers crept into the tent and killed the person inside, who had covered himself with a blanket, after which they reported that Lü Bu was dead. The following day, Yuan Shao received news that Lü Bu was still alive so he immediately had the gates in his city closed. In fact, Lü Bu had secretly left his tent the previous night without Yuan Shao's soldiers knowing, and had ordered one of his men to remain inside as a decoy.

Lü Bu fled to Henei Commandery to join Zhang Yang after his escape. Yuan Shao sent his men to pursue Lü Bu but they were afraid of Lü and did not dare to approach him. Zhang Yang and his subordinates were bribed by Li Jue and Guo Si to kill Lü Bu. When Lü Bu heard about it, he told Zhang Yang, "I'm from the same province as you. If you kill me, you'll become weaker. If you recruit me, you can obtain the same honours and titles as Li Jue and Guo Si." Zhang Yang pretended to agree to help Li Jue and Guo Si kill Lü Bu but he secretly offered refuge to Lü instead. When Li Jue and Guo Si learnt that Zhang Yang had accepted Lü Bu, they became worried so they sent an imperial decree to Henei in Emperor Xian's name, appointing Lü Bu as the Administrator (太守) of Yingchuan Commandery.

The account of Lü Bu's association with Zhang Yang in the Sanguozhi differed slightly from that recorded in the Houhanshu. The former mentioned that Lü Bu joined Yuan Shao after he was rejected by Yuan Shu, and then he sought shelter under Zhang Yang after Yuan Shao sent assassins to kill him. In the Houhanshu, however, it was stated that Lü Bu went to join Zhang Yang after leaving Yuan Shu, and he managed to persuade Zhang to ignore Li Jue and Guo Si's urgings to kill him and instead provide him refuge. He left Zhang Yang later and went to join Yuan Shao, but returned to Zhang again after surviving the assassination attempt. On his way to Henei, Lü Bu passed by Chenliu (陳留; around present-day Kaifeng, Henan), where its Administrator, Zhang Miao, received him warmly. Zhang Miao made a pledge of friendship with Lü Bu when he saw him off from Chenliu.

Battle of Yan Province

Yuan Shao was furious when he heard that Zhang Miao – whom he had a feud with – had become Lü Bu's friend. Around the time, Yuan Shao was still an ally of Cao Cao, so Zhang Miao feared that Cao would combine forces with Yuan to attack him. Besides, Zhang Miao's jurisdiction, Chenliu, was in Yan Province, which was under Cao Cao's control.

In 194, when Cao Cao left Yan Province to attack Xu Province, Zhang Miao's younger brother Zhang Chao (張超), along with Cao's subordinates Chen Gong, Xu Si (許汜) and Wang Kai (王楷), started a rebellion. Chen Gong persuaded Zhang Miao to join them in welcoming Lü Bu into Yan Province. With help from the defectors, Lü Bu seized control of Puyang and declared himself the Governor (牧) of Yan Province. The various commanderies and counties in Yan Province responded to Lü Bu's call and defected to his side, except for Juancheng, Dong'e and Fan counties, which still remained under Cao Cao's control.

Upon receiving news of the rebellion and Lü Bu's intrusion, Cao Cao aborted the Xu Province campaign and led his forces back to Yan Province. The armies of Lü Bu and Cao Cao clashed at Puyang, where Cao was unable to overcome Lü, so both sides were locked in a stalemate for over 100 days. At the time, Yan Province was plagued by locusts and droughts so the people suffered from famine and many had resorted to cannibalism to survive. Lü Bu moved his base from Puyang further east to Shanyang. Within two years, Cao Cao managed to retake all his territories in Yan Province and he later defeated Lü Bu in a battle at Juye County. Lü Bu fled east to Xu Province and took shelter under Liu Bei.

Seizing Xu Province from Liu Bei

Lü Bu treated Liu Bei very respectfully when he first met him, and he said, "You and I are both from the northern borders. When I saw the Guandong Coalition rising up against Dong Zhuo, I already wanted to help them eliminate him. However, after I slew Dong Zhuo and left Chang'an, none of the former coalition members were willing to accept me. They even tried to kill me." He then brought Liu Bei to his camp, asked Liu to sit on his wife's bed, and instructed his wife to pay respect to Liu. He then threw a feast for Liu Bei and called Liu his "younger brother". Liu Bei knew that Lü Bu was unpredictable and untrustworthy, but he kept quiet and pretended to be friendly towards Lü Bu.

When Liu Bei was governing Xu Province, he was stationed in the provincial capital Xiapi and he drew boundaries with Yuan Shu in the areas around the Huai River. When Yuan Shu learnt that Lü Bu was in Xu Province, he wanted to instigate Lü Bu to help him deal with Liu Bei, so he wrote to Lü Bu: "In the past, Dong Zhuo monopolised state power, harmed the imperial family, and murdered my family. I participated in the campaign against Dong Zhuo but did not manage to kill him. You slew Dong Zhuo and sent me his head. In doing so, you helped me take revenge and salvage my reputation. This was the first favour you did me. When Jin Yuanxiu (金元休) was heading to Yan Province to assume office, Cao Cao defeated and nearly drove him to the point of destruction. Later, you attacked Cao Cao in Yan Province and helped me regain my reputation. This was the second favour you did me. Throughout my life, I have never heard of the existence of Liu Bei, but he started a war with me. With your mighty spirit, you are capable of defeating Liu Bei, and this will be the third favour you do me. With these three favours you did me, I am willing to entrust matters of life and death to you even though I may not be worthy. You have been fighting battles for a long time and you lack food supplies. I hereby send you 200,000 hu (斛) of grain and open my doors to you. If they are insufficient, I will continue to provide you a steady flow of supplies. If you need weapons and military equipment, just ask." Lü Bu was delighted and he agreed to help Yuan Shu attack Xiapi. The contents of Yuan Shu's letter, as recorded in the Houhanshu, were slightly different and briefer as compared to that recorded in the Sanguozhi.

Lü Bu led his forces to some 40 li west of Xiapi. Xu Dan (許耽), who was from Danyang (丹楊) and was serving as a General of the Household (中郎將) under Liu Bei, sent Zhang Kuang (章誑) to meet Lü Bu at night. Zhang Kuang told Lü Bu, "Zhang Yide quarrelled with Cao Bao and killed him. The city is now in a state of chaos. There are 1,000 soldiers from Danyang stationed at the west white gate. When they heard of your arrival, they jumped for joy as if they have been revitalised. The Danyang soldiers will open the west gate for you when you reach there." Lü Bu mobilised his troops that night and reached Xiapi at dawn, where the Danyang soldiers opened the west gate for him. Lü Bu sat on the viewing platform above the gate and instructed his troops to set fire in the city. They defeated Zhang Fei and his men in battle and captured Liu Bei's family, the families of Liu's subordinates, and Liu's supplies.

Liu Bei was away with his army resisting Yuan Shu's invading forces at Xuyi County and Huaiyin County when Lü Bu attacked and seized Xiapi from him. He also lost to Yuan Shu and was forced to retreat to Haixi (海西; in present-day Jiangsu), where, in hunger and desperation, he surrendered to Lü Bu. This took place in around early 196. Lü Bu was displeased that Yuan Shu's supplies had not reached him yet, so he led his men to welcome Liu Bei. He appointed Liu Bei as the Inspector (刺史) of Yu Province and ordered him to garrison at Xiaopei, while he declared himself the Governor of Xu Province and remained in Xiapi.

In July or August 196, Lü Bu's subordinate Hao Meng rebelled against him and attacked his office in Xiapi. Lü Bu's general Gao Shun suppressed the rebellion with help from Cao Xing – Hao Meng's subordinate, who refused to betray Lü Bu – and killed Hao Meng. Later that year, Lü Bu used his archery skill to prevent a battle between Liu Bei and Yuan Shu's general Ji Ling from taking place. He had a ji erected at the gate of the camp, and proposed, "Gentlemen, watch me fire an arrow at the lower part of the curved blade on the ji. If I hit it in one shot, all of you must withdraw your forces and leave. If I don't, you can remain here and prepare for battle." He then raised his bow and fired an arrow at the ji, hitting exactly the lower part of the curved blade. Everyone present at the scene was shocked. They said, "General, you possess Heaven's might!" The following day, they threw another party and then withdrew their forces.

Allying with Cao Cao against Yuan Shu

In early 197, Yuan Shu declared himself emperor in Shouchun, the administrative centre of his territories, and founded a Zhong (仲) dynasty. This was deemed an act of treason against the reigning Emperor Xian of the Han dynasty, so Yuan Shu soon found himself the target of attacks by Cao Cao and other warlords who had received orders from the Han imperial court to eliminate the pretender.

Earlier on, Yuan Shu wanted to form an alliance with Lü Bu so he proposed a marriage between his son and Lü Bu's daughter. Lü Bu initially agreed. After proclaiming himself emperor, Yuan Shu sent his subordinate Han Yin (韓胤) to meet Lü Bu and escort Lü Bu's daughter back to his territory for the marriage. However, Lü Bu changed his mind after Chen Gui convinced him to do so, and after he recalled how Yuan Shu rejected him when he first sought shelter under him. He then sent his men to chase Han Yin's convoy, which was on its way back to Shouchun, and retrieve his daughter. He also captured Han Yin and sent him as a prisoner to Xu, where Han Yin was executed.

The Yingxiong Ji recorded:

The main text of the Sanguozhi, however, mentioned that the Han imperial court appointed Lü Bu as General of the Left (左將軍) instead of General Who Pacifies the East (as stated in the Yingxiong Ji). Nevertheless, Lü Bu did allow Chen Deng to go to Xu as his representative to thank the imperial court. In Xu, Chen Deng urged Cao Cao to get rid of Lü Bu and agreed to serve as a mole in Xu Province to help Cao Cao eliminate Lü Bu. Chen Deng also received a promotion while his father Chen Gui got a salary increase.

When Chen Deng returned to Xu Province, an angry Lü Bu confronted him, brandished his ji at him and said, "Your father advised me to side with Cao Cao and reject Yuan Shu's offer. Now, (after following his advice,) I have gained nothing, while you and your father got promoted and rewarded. You must have tricked me! What do you have to say?" Chen Deng maintained his composure and calmly replied, "When I met Cao Cao, I told him, 'You should treat the General (Lü Bu) in the same way you raise a tiger. Feed it well with meat. If it is not well-fed, it will attack people.' Cao Cao replied, 'You're wrong. He's like a hawk. If it is hungry, it will hunt for you. If it is well-fed, it will fly away.' That was what we talked about." Lü Bu's anger subsided.

War against Yuan Shu

Yuan Shu was furious that Lü Bu reneged on his word, so he allied with Han Xian and Yang Feng, and sent his general Zhang Xun (張勳) to attack Lü Bu. Lü Bu asked Chen Gui, "Yuan Shu sends his forces to attack me because I followed your suggestion. What should I do now?" Chen Gui replied, "The alliance between Han Xian, Yang Feng and Yuan Shu is formed by a loose assembly of their forces. They have not decided on a common plan so they will not last long. They are like chickens tied up together and they cannot move in tandem. My son, Deng, has a plan to separate them."

Lü Bu heeded Chen Gui's advice and sent a letter to Han Xian and Yang Feng, "You two generals escorted the Emperor in Luoyang, while I personally killed Dong Zhuo. We have all accomplished deeds worthy of praise. Yuan Shu has committed treason, so everyone should attack him. Why do you side with the traitor instead and join him in attacking me? We should combine forces to defeat Yuan Shu, help the Emperor eliminate this traitor, and achieve glory. We should not lose this opportunity now." He also promised to share the spoils of war with them. Han Xian and Yang Feng were pleased and they agreed to help Lü Bu. They defeated Zhang Xun at Xiapi and captured Qiao Rui (橋蕤), one of Yuan Shu's officers. Yuan Shu's forces suffered heavy casualties and many of his soldiers fell into the river and drowned.

Lü Bu, Han Xian and Yang Feng later led their forces to attack Shouchun, the capital of Yuan Shu's territories, travelling on both land and water. They plundered the lands along their journey. By the time they reached Zhongli (鍾離; around present-day Chuzhou, Anhui), they had made much gains so they retreated. Before crossing the Huai River back to the north, Lü Bu left Yuan Shu a letter: "You think that your army is powerful and you always boast of having mighty warriors under your command. You wanted to destroy me, but why did you change your decision every time? I may not be courageous, but I have dominated the Huainan region. Within a short period of time, you have become like a rat scurrying for shelter in Shouchun and you cannot emerge again. Where are your mighty warriors? You enjoy telling lies to everyone, but you cannot make everyone believe you. Since ancient times, people have employed the technique of sowing discontent between their enemies to overcome them. I am not the first person to use this strategy. I am still nearby so I can wait for your response." After Lü Bu crossed the Huai River, Yuan Shu personally led 5,000 soldiers to the riverbank. Lü Bu's forces, which were on the opposite end, laughed at their enemy and retreated.

Conflict with Zang Ba

Around the time, Xiao Jian (蕭建) served as the Chancellor (相) of Langya State and was stationed in Ju County. Xiao Jian, a conservative man, did not have any contact with Lü Bu. Lü Bu wrote to Xiao Jian: "Initially, everyone throughout the Empire took up arms for the purpose of eliminating Dong Zhuo. I killed Dong Zhuo and headed east, where I hoped to be able to borrow troops and return west to defend the Emperor and restore the capital Luoyang. However, the warlords were fighting among themselves and none of them were concerned about the state. I am from Wuyuan (五原), which is located more than 5,000 li away from Xu Province and is somewhere in the northwestern border. As of now, I came here not to fight for the southeastern lands. Ju and Xiapi are not far from each other so it is easy to maintain communication between them. You behave like you are an emperor in a commandery and a king in a county! In the past, when Yue Yi attacked the Qi state, he conquered over 70 cities in Qi, except for Ju and Jimo because of Tian Dan. I am not Yue Yi, and neither are you Tian Dan. You can seek the counsel of wise men on this letter." After receiving Lü Bu's letter, Xiao Jian ordered Ji Jian (齎牋) to present five fine steeds as gifts to Lü Bu.

Zang Ba defeated Xiao Jian later and seized possession of his resources. When Lü Bu heard that, he wanted to lead his forces to attack Zang Ba in Ju County, but Gao Shun advised him against it, "General, you've earned yourself widespread fame for killing Dong Zhuo. Even if you remain in your current position, those near and far will still be afraid of you. You shouldn't be so reckless as to personally lead your men into battle. If you lose, the damage to your reputation won't be minimal." Lü Bu ignored him. Zang Ba heard of Lü Bu's violent and plundering ways, so he remained inside Ju County and put up a firm defence against Lü Bu. Lü Bu was unable to conquer Ju County so he withdrew his forces and returned to Xiapi. Zang Ba later made peace with Lü Bu.

Battle of Xiapi

Around late 197 or early 198, Lü Bu sided with Yuan Shu again and he sent Gao Shun to attack Liu Bei in Xiaopei. Gao Shun defeated Liu Bei, as well as the reinforcements Cao Cao had sent to assist Liu Bei. Later, Cao Cao personally led a campaign against Lü Bu and besieged Xiapi. He wrote a letter to Lü Bu, explaining the benefits of submitting and the consequences of putting up resistance. Lü Bu wanted to surrender, but Chen Gong and the others knew that they had already offended Cao Cao (when they betrayed him earlier), so they urged Lü Bu to change his decision.

When Cao Cao's army reached Pengcheng, Chen Gong told Lü Bu, "We should attack the enemy now, since our troops have rested well while the enemy is weary. We're sure to win." Lü Bu replied, "Why don't we wait for them to attack first? After that we'll destroy them in the Si River." When Cao Cao's attacks increased in intensity, Lü Bu went up the White Gate Tower (白門樓; the viewing platform above the main gate in the south of Xiapi) and told his men, "Cao Cao has no intention of finding trouble with you. I should surrender to the wise lord." Chen Gong said, "The treacherous Cao Cao is no wise lord! Surrendering to him is like hitting a rock with an egg! How can you expect to live (after you surrender)?"

Lü Bu sent Xu Si (許汜) and Wang Kai (王楷) to request urgent aid from Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu said, "Lü Bu refused to send his daughter here, so it's expected that he'll meet his doom. Why does he seek help from me again?" Xu Si and Wang Kai replied, "If Your Highness doesn't save Lü Bu, you'll be courting your own doom. If Lü Bu is destroyed, Your Highness will be next." Yuan Shu then prepared his troops and claimed that he would be sending reinforcements to Lü Bu. In the meantime, Lü Bu thought that Yuan Shu was reluctant to help him because he did not send his daughter to Yuan Shu, so, one night, he tied his daughter to himself and attempted to break out of the siege. However, they encountered Cao Cao's soldiers, who fired arrows at them, so they had no choice but to return to Xiapi. Lü Bu led some 1,000 riders out of the city to engage the enemy, but lost the battle so he retreated back to Xiapi and did not dare to venture out.

Lü Bu ordered Chen Gong and Gao Shun to defend Xiapi, while he personally led some horsemen to attack Cao Cao's supply routes. However, before he left, his wife told him, "General, I know you want to attack Cao Cao's supply lines, but Chen Gong and Gao Shun can't get along with each other. If you leave, they may not work well together in defending the city. If a mishap occurs, what will become of you, General? I hope you'll consider this carefully and not be misled by Chen Gong and the others. When I was in Chang'an, you already abandoned me, but I managed to return to you because Pang Shu (龐舒) secretly protected me and kept me with him. You don't need to worry about me now." Lü Bu felt gloomy after listening to his wife and could not decide on what to do.

Chen Gong told Lü Bu, "Cao Cao has come a long way and he won't be able to last long. General, you can bring some troops with you and set up a camp outside the city, while the others and I will remain behind to defend the city. If the enemy attacks you, I'll lead the city's soldiers to attack them from behind. If they attack the city, you can reinforce the city from outside. Within ten days, the enemy's supplies will be depleted and we can defeat them easily." Lü Bu agreed with Chen Gong's idea. However, Lü Bu's wife said, "In the past, the Caos treated Gongtai (Chen Gong) like a newborn child, but he still turned against them and joined you. Now, the way you treat Gongtai is no lesser than how Cao Cao treated him, and you intend to entrust the entire city to him, along with your family, while you venture out alone? If something happens, I won't be your wife anymore!" Lü Bu then changed his mind.

Yuan Shu was unable to come to Lü Bu's aid. Cao Cao could not conquer Xiapi despite pressing attacks on the city and his men were growing weary. He wanted to abort the campaign and return to Xu, but his advisors Guo Jia and Xun You urged him to press on. He then ordered his troops to direct the waters of the Yi (沂) and Si (泗) rivers to flood Xiapi. After a siege lasting three months, the morale of Lü Bu's forces fell drastically and his men gradually alienated him. On 7 February 199, Lü Bu's subordinates Hou Cheng, Song Xian (宋憲) and Wei Xu (魏續) captured Chen Gong and Gao Shun, and then led their troops to surrender to Cao Cao.

Lü Bu and his remaining subordinates went up the White Gate Tower and surrendered when they saw they had been surrounded. The Houhanshu recorded that before he chose to surrender, Lü Bu asked his men to kill him and bring his head to Cao Cao but they refused.

Downfall and death

Lü Bu was tied up and brought before Cao Cao. He said, "I'm being tied up too tightly. Can you loosen the bonds?" Cao Cao replied, "A tiger must be tightly restrained." Lü Bu then said, "My lord, you dread only me, but now, since I've already submitted to you, you shouldn't have any more worries. My lord, why don't you spare me and let me help you lead your troops? In this way, you won't need to worry about not being able to pacify the Empire." When Cao Cao showed signs of reconsideration, Liu Bei interjected, "My lord, haven't you seen what Lü Bu did to Ding Jianyang and Grand Preceptor Dong?" Cao Cao rubbed his chin. Lü Bu shouted at Liu Bei, "You're the most untrustworthy person!"

Additional details about the conversation between Lü Bu and Cao Cao were recorded in other texts and they were later added by Pei Songzhi as annotations to the Sanguozhi.

The Yingxiong Ji recorded:

The Xiandi Chunqiu recorded:

Cao Cao had Lü Bu executed by hanging, along with Chen Gong, Gao Shun and others. Their dead bodies were later decapitated and their heads sent to the capital Xu and then buried.

Lü Bu's final moments recorded in the Houhanshu are slightly different from that recorded in the Sanguozhi, as the Houhanshu combined parts of the main text in the Sanguozhi with the Xiandi Chunqiu annotation, but the two accounts are generally similar.

Appraisal

Chen Shou, who wrote Lü Bu's biography in the Sanguozhi, commented:

In the main text of Lü Bu's biography, while describing the events of the Battle of Xiapi, Chen Shou also wrote:

Fan Ye, who wrote Lü Bu's biography in the Houhanshu, commented:

Family

Not much about Lü Bu's family was documented in historical texts, but it is known that he had a wife and a daughter, whose names were not recorded in history. Lü Bu abandoned his wife when he was fleeing from Chang'an, but his subordinate Pang Shu (龐舒) secretly protected her and kept her with him, and returned her to her husband later. She was most prominently mentioned during the Battle of Xiapi when she cautioned Lü Bu against overly trusting Chen Gong. Lü Bu's daughter was initially arranged to be married to Yuan Shu's son as part of an alliance between Lü and Yuan, but Lü reneged on his word and took her back when she was on her way for the marriage. When Xiapi was under siege by Cao Cao's forces, Lü Bu attempted to bring his daughter out of the city so that she could be delivered to Yuan Shu, as he hoped that Yuan would send reinforcements to him after receiving his daughter. However, Lü Bu failed to break out of the siege so he returned to Xiapi with her. The eventual fates of Lü Bu's wife and daughter are not known.

In the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu had two wives, a concubine, and a daughter. His concubine was Diaochan, a fictional character and Wang Yun's foster daughter. She accompanied him after he killed Dong Zhuo and was mentioned to be with him during the Battle of Xiapi. Lü Bu's first wife was Lady Yan (嚴氏), who was based on Lü Bu's real-life wife (the one mentioned in historical sources). Lü Bu's second wife, who was only mentioned by name in the novel, was a fictional daughter of Cao Bao. The role played by Lü Bu's daughter in the novel was similar to that of her counterpart in actual history. She was also unnamed in the novel, but she is called "Lü Lingqi" (呂玲綺 Lǚ Língqǐ) in video games and popular culture.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which dramatises the events before and during the Three Kingdoms period, Lü Bu is portrayed as a nearly invincible warrior but an incapable leader who is further marred by character flaws. While adhering to historical records in the general course of events, Luo exaggerated and sentimentalised many stories about Lü Bu, drawing inspirations from traditional operas and folklore.

See the following for some fictitious stories in Romance of the Three Kingdoms involving Lü Bu:

• Battle of Hulao Pass

• List of fictitious stories in Romance of the Three Kingdoms#Lü Bu and Diaochan

• Battle of Xiapi#In fiction

In popular culture

Because of his image as an unmatched warrior in traditional folklore and in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu is often held in high regard in works based on the Three Kingdoms and even in unrelated works.

Notable actors who have portrayed Lü Bu on screen include: Zhang Guangbei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994); Huang Lei in Lü Bu and Diaochan (2001); Peter Ho in Three Kingdoms (2010); Godfrey Gao in God of War, Zhao Yun (2016); Louis Koo in Dynasty Warriors (2019).

Lü Bu appears as a playable character in Koei's video games based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, including the strategy game series of the same title as the novel, the action game series Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi, and others. In the games, his name is spelled as "Lu Bu" without the diaeresis in the "u" in "Lu". Other non-Koei titles in which Lü Bu appear include the Creative Assembly's Total War: Three Kingdoms, Capcom's Destiny of an Emperor, Neo Geo's World Heroes 2 Jet, Fate/Extra, Puzzle & Dragons, and Arena of Valor. Additionally, Lü Bu is referenced as character skins in the games Overwatch (Reaper) and League of Legends (Jarvan IV).

Lü Bu appears in the video game Fate/EXTRA as a Berserker-class Servant possessed by Rani VIII. He later appears in the same class as a Servant able to be summoned by the protagonist in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order. He reappears in Fate/Extella and Fate/Extella Link as a playable Servant.

Lü Bu appears as a girl in the manga-anime Ikki Tousen, Ryofuko-chan, and Koihime Musō. In these media, Lü Bu is usually known by the Japanese name Ryofu Hōsen.

In the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, there is a card named "Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms", in the Portal Three Kingdoms set.

Lü Bu appears as a character in the manga Shūmatsu no Valkyrie: Record of Ragnarok, regarded as "The Strongest Hero in the History of Mankind."

In The God of Highschool, Lü Bu appeared as a source of borrowed power for Yu Mira. Mira's borrowed power is of the general, which is loosely based on the historical figure of the same name. This power gives her several abilities such as enhanced strength and the ability to summon a red horse (based on Red Hare, the legendary steed of Lü Bu).

生平事蹟

早年時期

呂布原籍山西并州，中平六年（189年），因其驍勇善戰在并州任職。刺史丁原兼任騎都尉後，在河內駐守並任命呂布為主簿，相當器重他。

漢靈帝駕崩後，丁原進京與大將軍何進密謀誅殺宦官，丁原受朝廷任命為執金吾。何進被殺、董卓入京後，誘呂布殺丁原，並任命他為騎都尉，非常信任和喜愛他，甚至誓為父子，呂布善長騎射，力氣過人，獲譽為「飛將」，不久再任他為中郎將，封都亭侯。

漢獻帝初平元年（190年），董卓派呂布遍掘東漢帝陵與公卿陵墓，取其金銀珠寶。

奉旨殺賊

董卓討伐戰時，關東軍起兵討伐董卓，呂布亦曾參戰，卻與將領胡軫不和而被孫堅所敗。最後董卓挾天子遷都長安。董卓自知自己凶暴，為人所惡，所以時常要呂布作自己的侍衛及守中閣；不過，董卓性格多疑，失意時曾向呂布擲出手戟，並曾言呂布亂其私室，另一方面呂布又與董卓的婢女有染，恐怕事情被董卓發覺，所以心中十分不安。

當時，王允、士孫瑞、楊瓚等密謀暗殺董卓，於是拉攏呂布。呂布答應並成功刺殺董卓，任職奮威、奮武將軍，假節，儀比三司，進封溫侯，與王允同掌朝政。

投靠各方

董卓死後兩月，其舊部屬李傕和郭汜等本想解散部隊逃亡，途中遇賈詡獻計，李傕召集董卓舊部，攻入京城，呂布戰敗後倉皇出逃。

《英雄記》曰：「郭汜領兵到城北，呂布打開城門，與郭汜兵戎相見，說『把士兵退下，但我們決勝負。』郭汜、呂布便單挑，呂布以矛刺中郭汜，郭汜的後騎然後上前救了郭汜，郭汜、呂布二人便作罷退兵。」

呂布被李傕擊敗後，先投靠袁術，但因自恃有誅董卓之功而十分驕恣，袁術不滿呂布反覆無常，於是呂布改投張楊，張楊手下建議擒拿呂布，交給李傕，呂布得悉後便轉投袁紹。在袁紹處，呂布助其擊潰黑山軍，但呂布恃著功勞向袁紹請兵，袁紹不應許，呂布又放任將士到處搶劫、掠奪百姓，呂布自覺不宜再留，於是向袁紹告辭，袁紹假意派三十壯士送行，實則是刺殺呂布，呂布識破其詭計，讓人在帳中彈琴，自己則趁機離開。袁紹下令關閉城門，呂布與張楊會合後，袁紹因畏懼呂布而不敢追擊，呂布因而逃脫。

爭奪兗徐

張邈接受陳宮之言，決定請呂布入駐本為曹操所據的兗州。當時曹操正東征徐州陶謙，聽到消息後立即回師，在袁紹幫助下與呂布數次征戰。呂布派軍屯兵在濮陽之西四六十里，曹操實行夜襲，殺至隔天早上，呂布率軍解救，三面圍攻曹操。呂布親率大軍從早到午交戰數十次，戰鬥激烈，曹操招募壯士衝陣，典韋搶先響應，並募集數十人，穿上兩重鎧甲，放棄大楯，手持長撩矛戟出戰。正直西面戰況又急，典韋衝前擋著敵兵，敵軍弓弩亂發，箭如雨下，典韋合上眼，叫士卒：「敵人來到我面前十步才叫我。」士卒大叫：「十步了。」之後典韋又大叫：「到五步外再叫我！」眾人皆懼，大叫：「敵人到了！」典韋手執十多枝長戟，大喊而起，攻擊典韋的敵人無不應手倒地。最後呂布撤退。呂布因不敵而東投劉備，呂布一入徐州就先作書給袁術約定共同進攻劉備，劉備讓他屯兵小沛。呂布稱劉備為弟（可見呂布年長于劉備，即出生不遲于161年）。劉備與袁術相爭，呂布乘機奪取徐州，自稱徐州牧。使劉備只好投靠呂布，而呂布讓劉備屯兵小沛。

不久袁術攻打劉備，呂布為免袁術北連泰山寇，圍堵自己，透過轅門射戟化解了此次戰事，使袁術麾下紀靈懾服讚道「將軍天威也」。其後在陳珪挑撥下，呂布與袁術終斷盟約，改與曹操短暫議和。不料陳珪之子陳登成功與曹操聯絡，作為曹操內應以討伐呂布。而因呂布與袁術終斷盟好，袁術發兵攻打徐州，陳珪以反間計令呂布大敗袁術軍。雖然如此，劉備在小沛再次聚集了萬人兵力，後來又搶走呂布的馬，呂布很是惱怒，於是要求袁渙寫書辱罵劉備，袁渙拒絕，呂布因而大怒，甚至威脅要殺死袁渙；但袁渙始終面色不變，堅決不肯寫，更笑著說：「我只曾聽說過唯有德才可以羞辱人，未聽聞過罵也可以。劉備若是君子，就不會在乎這些辱罵；若劉備是小人，則會回應，那到時被辱的就是這邊了。而且將來若我為劉備效命，就像今天我為你效命般，一旦去了，我又受命辱罵你，這又可不可以？」呂布感到慚愧，不再強逼。於是再聯合袁術，出兵攻打劉備。

漢獻帝流亡河東時，曾寫信讓呂布迎駕，呂布因無糧沒有響應，只是派使者上書。朝廷以呂布為平東將軍，封平陶侯。曹操掌握朝廷後，又手書對呂布厚加慰勞，要呂布協助討伐逆臣公孫瓚、袁術、韓暹、楊奉等。呂布大喜，又派使者上書獻帝，稱自己有意迎駕，但自己身為外將曾與曹操交戰，為避嫌疑不便率軍隨駕，只能待罪徐州；又回答曹操感激其不念舊惡的慰勞褒獎，對討伐袁術等事願意效勞。曹操又派奉車都尉王則為使者帶著詔書和平東將軍印綬來拜見呂布，又手書稱朝廷沒有印綬，所授印綬是自家上等材料所制，褒獎呂布反對袁術稱帝並絕交的態度。呂布遣陳登奉表章謝恩，並給曹操一份好綬帶作為答謝。

郝萌叛變

建安元年（196年）六月，郝萌受袁術的慫恿起兵造反，攻打下邳，下邳防守堅固無法攻入，呂布不知道是誰造反，驚慌中全身赤裸裸帶著女人從糞坑中逃命，呂布逃到高順營中，高順詢問呂布有沒有什麼可以依靠用來判斷敵人的線索，呂布只回答聽到河內人的話，高順迅速分析當時情況，判斷郝萌叛變，並立即帶兵進入下邳府。郝萌部將曹性倒戈，與郝萌對戰，郝萌刺傷曹性，曹性斬斷郝萌一臂。最後高順斬殺郝萌。事件結束後，呂布問曹性事情起源，曹性答：「郝萌受袁術的鼓動而造反 ​​」呂布又問：「有誰同謀嗎？」曹性回答說陳宮同謀，當時陳宮坐在呂布旁，緊張到面紅耳赤，但呂布惜陳宮之才並不追究，後讓曹性統領郝萌餘部。

兵敗下邳

東漢建安二年（197年）夏天，依附呂布的袁術叛將韓暹跟楊奉因軍糧不足，打算到其他地方就食，於是向呂布告辭，呂布不允，命令楊奉取劉備地麥。韓暹、楊奉於是聯合小沛的劉備攻打呂布，劉備表面答應，楊奉進城出席劉備所設的酒席時，劉備派人把他綑綁殺死，率領二十騎兵逃走的韓暹亦被縣令張宣殺死，劉備收降韓暹、楊奉的兵馬後兵力大為增加。東漢建安三年（198年）春天，呂布派人前往河內買馬，中途被劉備軍劫掠。呂布得知消息後大怒，轉而與袁術結盟，應袁術要求派高順、張遼攻打劉備，九月小沛城被攻下，劉備隻身逃走投靠曹操，妻兒被呂布所俘虜，曹操於是聯合劉備的軍隊共同攻打呂布的根據地下邳，曹操與先前答應做內應的廣陵太守陳登聯合，陳登為其先鋒，曹操率大軍在後，呂布多次出戰皆大敗，再也不敢出城應戰。曹操圍攻三個月，決水圍城，呂布軍中上下離心，其部下侯成、宋憲、魏續反叛，縛了高順及陳宮投降，呂布在白門樓見敵軍攻急，大勢已去，於是命令左右殺死自己並將其首級交給曹操，左右不忍下手弒主，便下城投降。

先前呂布實踐禁酒令，正好侯成親自奪回被手下朝往劉備處的十五隻馬匹，當時眾將都祝賀侯成，侯成為了慶功宴親自釀酒獵豬，開餐之前跪下來送給呂布半隻豬五斗酒作為謝禮，呂布大怒：「我下令禁酒但你卻造酒，你們想共飲共食勾結為同夥，一起密謀將我呂布殺了吧！」因此侯成害怕，也為這背叛埋下了伏筆。

呂布被捆到曹操面前時，呂布不明白地說：「平時我很厚待手下，想不到大難臨頭他們全都忘恩負義背叛我！」曹操笑道：「你把自己的妻妾丟在家，跑去玩下屬們的女人，這樣叫厚待他們？」呂布啞口無言。呂布要求鬆綁，曹操笑說：「綁老虎不得不緊。」呂布又說：「曹公所顧忌的是我，現在我已降服於你，天下的憂患已經大大減少。只要指派我率領騎兵，曹公率領步兵，就可以統一天下。」愛才的曹操欣賞呂布的武勇而考慮收留，劉備勸說：「君不見丁原、董卓之事乎？（您不記得丁原和董卓的前車之鑑嗎？）」主簿王必也上前勸曹操處死呂布，曹操聽後點頭後說：「本想給你條活路，但沒辦法有人薦死，只能這麼辦了。」呂布死前大罵：「劉備你最不可信！」

最後呂布同陳宮、高順被縊殺，張遼則領兵向曹操投降。三人吊首身亡後被梟首，隨後送至許昌埋葬。後來清朝人趙翼《陔餘叢考·成語》將劉備當時所說的「君不見丁原、董卓之事乎？」拿來做個成語「不識丁董」，意思是不懂事，缺乏知識。

性格特徵

呂布出身漢朝邊疆九原郡，或有遊牧民族血統或民俗習性，故善習胡騎戰法與騎射技藝而勇猛善戰，被認為堪比西漢名將李廣，同樣有「飛將」的美譽。該時民間有「人中呂布，馬中赤兔」一說，並流傳至今。

不過也因為呂布出身所養成的習性，被認知是個為人勢利多變，忘恩負義又多番弒主或變盟行為，有勇無謀且生性貪色，強佔部下妻妾為己有，故其性格品行並不為人所喜，人緣極差。

雖先後獲得丁原、董卓、王允、陳宮等人青睞賞識，但大多是看重呂布本身驍勇能力來為圖謀追求自身政治利益或目標而利用之，呂布又出於確保與他從并州離鄉流離的軍戶弟兄的流戶族群利益，從投靠群雄勢力麾下謀生到脫穎而出自成諸侯雄踞一方，但這樣謀生方式也易招到群雄忌憚視為威脅，最終兵敗於曹操與劉備等聯手圍攻而敗亡。

歷史評價

• 時人語曰：「人中有呂布，馬中有赤兔。」（《曹瞞傳》）

• 皇甫酈：「呂布受恩而反圖之，斯須之間，頭縣竿端，此有勇而無謀也。」（《獻帝起居注》）

• 陳宮：「呂布壯士，善戰無前。」（《三國志·魏書七·呂布（張邈）臧洪傳第七》）

• 陳登：「待將軍譬如養虎，當飽其肉，不飽則將噬人。」（《三國志·魏書·呂布張邈臧洪傳第七》）

• 高順：「凡破家亡國，非無忠臣明智者也，但患不見用耳。將軍舉動，不肯詳思，輒喜言誤，誤不可數也。」（王粲等撰《英雄記》）「將軍躬殺董卓，威震夷狄。」（《三國志·魏書七·呂布（張邈）臧洪傳第七》）

• 紀靈等人：「將軍天威也。」（《三國志·魏書七·呂布（張邈）臧洪傳第七》）

• 曹性：「呂將軍大將有神，不可擊也。」（《三國志·魏書七·呂布（張邈）臧洪傳第七》）

• 曹操：「布，狼子野心，誠難久養，非卿莫能究其情也。」（《三國志·魏書·呂布張邈臧洪傳第七》）

• 郭嘉：「布之威力不及項籍，而困敗過之，若乘勝攻之，此成禽也。」（《三國志·魏書十四·程郭董劉蔣劉傳第十四》）

• 孫權：「老賊欲廢漢自立久矣，徒忌二袁、呂布、劉表與孤耳。」（《三國志·吳書九·周瑜魯肅呂蒙傳第九》）

• 荀攸：「呂布勇而無謀。」「布驍猛，又恃袁術，若縱橫淮、泗間，豪傑必應之。」（《三國志・荀攸傳》）

• 程昱：「夫布，粗中少親，剛而無禮，匹夫之雄耳。」（《三國志・程昱傳》）

• 陳琳：「其間豪桀縱橫，熊據虎跱，強如二袁，勇如呂布，跨州連郡，有威有名。」（《檄吳將校部曲文》）

• 陳壽：「呂布有虓虎之勇，而無英奇之略，輕狡反復，唯利是視。自古及今，未有若此不夷滅也。」（《三國志·魏書·呂布臧洪傳第七》）

• 張茂：「曜可方呂布、關羽，而雲孟德不及，豈不過哉。」（《十六國春秋》）

• 常璩：「漢末大亂，雄桀並起。若董卓、呂布、二袁、韓、馬、張楊、劉表之徒，兼州連郡，眾逾萬計，叱吒之間，皆自謂漢祖可踵，桓、文易邁。」（《華陽國志·劉先主志》）

• 徐眾：「呂布反覆無義，志在逆亂。」（《三國志·魏書七·呂布（張邈）臧洪傳第七》）

• 范曄：「焉作庸牧，以希後福。曷雲負荷？地墮身逐。術既叨貪，布亦翻覆。」（《後漢書·劉焉袁術呂布列傳第六十五》）

• 蕭介：「臣聞凶人之性不移，天下之惡一也。昔呂布殺丁原以事董卓，終誅董而為賊；劉牢反王恭以歸晉，還背晉以構妖。何者？狼子野心，終無 馴狎之性；養虎之喻，必見飢噬之禍。侯景獸心之種，鳴鏑之類。」（《梁書·蕭介傳》）

• 蕭道成：「攸之反善圖全，用得自免。既殺從父，又虐良朋，雖呂布販君，酈寄賣友，方之斯人，未足為酷。泰始開闢，網漏吞舟，略其兇險，取其搏噬，故階亂獲全，因禍興福。」（《全齊文卷十七》）

• 李克用：「吾于罕之，豈惜一鎮；吾有罕之，亦如董卓之有呂布，雄則雄矣，鷹鳥之性，飽則颺去，實懼翻覆毒余也。」（《舊五代史》）

• 趙蕤：「袁本初虎視河朔；劉景升鵲起荊州；馬超、韓遂，雄據於關西；呂布、陳宮，竊命於東夏；遼河海岱，王公十數，皆阻兵百萬、鐵騎千群，合縱締交，為一時之傑也。」「當是時，雖諸葛之智、陳宮之謀、呂布之勇、關張之功，無所用矣。此謂勇怯勢也、強弱形也。救兵有三勢，善戰者恆求之於勢。」（《長短經卷六·霸紀下》）

• 薛居正：「昔武皇之起並、汾也，會鹿走于中原，期龍戰于大澤，蓄驍果之士，以備鷹犬之用。故自存信而下，皆錫姓以結其心，授任以責其效。與夫董卓之畜呂布，亦何殊哉！惟存孝之勇，足以冠三軍而長萬夫，苟不為叛臣，則可謂良將矣。」（《舊五代史》）

• 崔致遠：「紀昌若見，必想韜弦；呂布相逢，固慚捻筈。既抱非常之伎，佇成可久之功，換滑台之舊資，陟隋苑之高級。」（《郝定補衙前兵馬使》）

• 司馬光：「布者反覆亂人，非能輔佐漢室，而又強暴無謀，敗亡有証。」（《傳家集》）

• 蘇軾：「猶勝白門窮呂布，欲將鞍馬事曹瞞。」（《答范祖禹》）「呂布、曹爽，何人也？而為之用，尚何言知！」（《論桓範陳宮》）「使不幸而賊有過人之才，如呂布、劉備之徒，得徐而逞其志，則京東之安危未可知也。」（《蘇東坡全集·卷五十二·奏議六首》）

• 蘇轍：「犬彘之所不為，而惠卿為之。 昔呂布事丁原則殺丁原，事董卓則殺董卓；劉牢之事王恭則反王恭，事司馬元顯則反元顯，故曹操、桓玄終畏而誅之。 如惠卿之惡，縱未正典刑，猶當投畀四裔，以御魑魅。」（《宋史·卷四百七十一》）「背逆人理，世所共疑。故呂布見誅於曹公，而牢之見殺於桓氏，皆以其平生反復，勢不可存。」（《欒城集卷三十八》）

• 秦觀：「夫以（呂）布不忠於丁、董也，其肯忠於曹氏乎？」（《白敏中論》）

• 何去非：「昔者東漢之微，豪傑並起而爭天下，人各操其所爭之資。蓋二袁以勢，呂布以勇，曹公以智，劉備、孫權各挾其智勇之微而不全者也。」「方二袁之起，借其世資以撼天下。紹舉四州之眾，南向而逼官渡；術據南陽，以擾江淮，遂竊大號；呂布驍勇，轉斗無前而爭袞州。方是之時，天下之窺曹公，疑不複振。而人之所以爭附而樂赴者，袁、呂而已。」（《何博士備論》）

• 郝經：「呂布翻覆，虓猛而不知義。至於禽戮，乞解縛自效，豈天也哉。」（《續後漢書》）

• 張溥：「漢末名人，文有孔融，武有呂布，孟德實兼其長。此兩人不死，殺孟德有餘。」

• 羅貫中：「夜讀三分傳，堪嗟呂奉先。背恩誅董卓，忘義殺丁原。倚仗英雄氣，不從忠直言。白門身死日，猶自望哀憐！」

• 楊維楨：「偉哉劉公論，呂布真難容。」（《覽古詩之五》）

• 于慎行曰：「呂布，劍客之雄耳，非大豪也。然使得為操用，夏侯惇、許褚之流，遠出其下，何至如丁原、董卓哉。而玄德不肯言，非忌布也，乃忌操也。先主此等識見又操所不能參耳。」

• 丁耀亢：「呂布善戟法，驍勇絕技。」「布以梟將，兩刺其主，白門之誅，有天道焉。」（《天史》）

• 王夫之：「而有驍勁之力以助其惡，嗾之斯前矣，激之斯起矣，觸之斯閧矣，蹂躪于中夏而靡所底止，天下未寧而布先殪，其自取之必然也。呂布殪，而天下之亂始有乍息之時，亂人不亡，亂靡有定，必矣。」「呂布不死，天下無可定亂之機。」（《讀通鑒論》）

• 柳從辰：「卓雖受誅，豪傑並起，跨州連郡如劉虞、公孫瓚、陶謙、袁紹、劉表、劉焉、袁術、呂布者，皆嘗雄視一時，其權力猶足匡正帝室。」

• 蔡東藩：「一箭能銷兩造兵，溫侯也善解紛爭；轅門射戟傳佳話，如聽當年嚆矢聲。」「若呂布為反覆小人，始依備，繼襲備，後複和備，始終誤一貧字，安望有成。但觀其保護備家，不屑淫掠，至射戟一事，更為劉備排難，此亦未始非豪俠所為。後之朝親暮仇者，且不布若，可勝慨哉！」「呂布之勇，足以敵曹操，而智謀之不逮操也遠甚！操之圖布也久矣！督師東來，目無呂布；但布若能用陳宮之計，內外呼應，犄角相援，則操亦未必有成；就使挫失，布在城外，亦可遠走，何至為操所擒乎？乃始則被惑于婦人，繼則見嫌于部將，虎為人縛，搖尾乞憐，嗟何及哉！」

• 方詩銘：「以呂布為中心的并州軍事集團，是一支具有特殊戰鬥力的軍事力量，在東漢末年的戰爭年代，他們曾成為擁有強勁武裝的割據勢力，扮演過重要角色。但是，以他們本身所具有的弱點，加以一貫被人利用，又必然成為曇花一現的人物，終于為曹操所消滅。」

• 柏楊：「一則呂布先生本質是一個忘恩負義之徒，朋友算老幾？二則呂布先生顯然企圖獨霸「殺董」之功。呂布先生於六年後，為他的行為付出代價。」（《柏楊全集23/史學卷》）

家庭

妻

呂布有一妻子，但姓名未載於史書，或為魏續的姐妹魏氏。

'以下是在三國演義中提及的呂布妻妾

1.正妻：嚴氏

2.次妻：曹氏（曹豹女）

3.妾：貂蟬

女

• 呂氏（在正史中，呂布原打算將女兒嫁給袁術的兒子，但在陳珪的勸說下，阻止了呂袁的同盟，呂布將女兒奪回後，轉而接受許昌朝廷冊封的左將軍之職。後來198年，曹操包圍下邳城時，呂布為求袁術發兵援救，答應袁術索呂布之女為媳婦一事。呂布將女兒背在背上想突圍，卻因曹操軍防線的箭雨逼退了回去。此後再無記載）。

傳說逸事

《三國志平話》描述他：「身長九尺二寸，騎赤兔馬、身披金鎧、頭帶獬豸冠、使丈二方天戟、上面挂黃幡豹尾、步奔過騎、為左將軍。」

《三國志平話》：「次日，呂布下關，叫曰：『大眼漢出馬！』張飛大怒，出馬，手持丈八神矛，睜雙圓眼，直取呂布。二馬相交，三十合，不分勝敗。張飛平生好廝殺，撞著對手，又戰三十合，殺呂布絣旗掩面。張飛如神，呂布心怯，拔馬上關，堅閉不出。呂布使四盜寇緊守其關。四人者，李傕，郭汜，張濟，樊稠四人。」

《三國演義》描寫他身高一丈，腰大（黃本為「闊」）十圍，眉清目秀。持方天畫戟（嘉靖本為畫桿方天戟），騎赤兔馬，頭戴三叉束髮紫金冠 、體挂西川紅錦百花袍、身披獸面吞頭連環鎧、腰繫勒甲玲瓏獅蠻帶，弓箭隨身。呂布被描寫為漢末三國時代武藝最強之武將，「三英戰呂布」時劉備、關羽、張飛三人圍攻呂布，亦未能將其戰倒；又直接寫他成為丁原、董卓的義子，加上自己姓呂，所以張飛罵他是「三姓家奴」；加插了王允使計，以美女貂蟬離間他與董卓的「連環計」。

《水滸傳》有小溫侯呂方，便是依照呂布形象創造的人物，呂方自稱：「小人姓呂名方，祖貫潭州人氏。平昔愛學呂布為人，因此習學這枝方天畫戟，人都喚小人做小溫侯呂方。」

《蕩寇志·第八十八回·演武廳夫妻宵宴-猿臂寨兄弟歸心》中則有這種描述：（陳）麗卿見那旗竿頂上錫打的平安吉慶，忽然想起，問（祝）永清道：「兄弟那技方天戟有多少斤重？」永清道：「四十斤。姐姐的梨花槍多少？」麗卿道：「比你的輕四斤，三十六斤。」永清道：「姐姐這般神力，何不再用得重些？」麗卿笑道：「兵器又不在斤兩上分高低。古人說得好：四兩能撥千斤重。當年呂布何等了得！有句老話：三國英雄算馬超，馬超還是呂布高。他那枝方天戟，只得二十四斤。關王八十二斤的大刀，他也敵得過。何在輕重！」永清點頭。

《天豹圖》有曹天吉，混名叫做小呂布賽溫侯。

《斬鬼傳》有一人，喚死大漢，被鐘馗殺死後，鐘馗去閻王殿查生死簿，閻君道：「尊神有所不知，那死大漢是呂布所轉，因他雖然勇猛，卻少剛骨，所以罰他轉了這等個人，以待尊神誅之，報他殺丁建原之罪也。」

并州定襄縣（今山西省太原市以北、忻州市東南部）東南的中霍村據傳是呂布故里，有「霍清泉」、「智擒赤兔馬」、「歪脖子樹」等民間傳說，都與呂布有關。

武器

正史記載

根據裴注《三國志·呂布傳》引《英雄記》記載，

英雄記曰：郭汜在城北。布開城門，將兵就汜，言「且卻兵，但身決勝負」。汜、布乃獨共對戰，布以矛刺中汜，汜後騎遂前救汜，汜、布遂各兩罷。根據這記載顯示呂布使用之武器為「矛」。

小說描寫

根據《三國演義·第五回·發矯詔諸鎮應曹公 破關兵三英戰呂布》描寫，見呂布出陣：頭戴三叉束髮紫金冠，體掛西川紅錦百花袍，身披獸面吞頭連環鎧，腰繫勒甲玲瓏獅蠻帶；弓箭隨身，手持畫戟；坐下嘶風赤兔馬；果然是「人中呂布，馬中赤兔！」。根據這描寫顯示呂布使用之武器為「方天畫戟」。

歷史考證

然而根據歷史學家和武器學者考證，「方天畫戟」是隋唐以後才出現的武器，在魏晉以前並無此武器的出現。與偃月刀一樣都是宋元以後才漸為兵士使用。

關係

部下

• 陳宮，兗州名士。個性剛直烈壯，初為曹操麾下，後與張邈等叛迎呂布，為其出謀獻策。呂布死後，拒絕向曹操投降，為曹操揮淚斬首。

• 張邈、張超兄弟，張邈為東漢名士，以俠氣聞名，位列「八廚」，與曹操為知交。張超有知人之明，發掘名士臧洪。兄弟二人與陳宮共謀迎呂布背叛曹操。

• 高順，呂布手下名將。麾下將士作戰勇猛，嚴守軍紀，高順常能快速攻陷敵方陣營，號「陷陣營」。

• 張遼，勇力過人，董卓死後遷任呂布騎都尉。隨呂布東奔徐州，任北地太守、魯相。曹操擊敗呂布後，張遼率呂布軍餘眾投降。

• 成廉、魏越，呂布親近驍將。曾隨呂布大破張燕的黑山軍。

• 郝萌，呂布部將。為袁術暗中聯絡背叛呂布，進行夜襲使呂布狼狽出逃。

　• 部將曹性，郝萌反叛後對其展開追捕，斬萌一臂，並供出陳宮亦是同謀。

• 魏續、侯成、宋憲，呂布部將，曹操圍下邳，三人將陳宮、高順綁起，投降曹操。

• 許汜、王楷，原曹操從事中郎，與陳宮等叛曹操迎呂布。呂布被曹操圍在下邳時，派遣許汜，王楷向袁術求救。

• 李肅，董卓騎都尉。參與暗殺董卓，以戟刺傷董卓手臂，呂布隨即用矛刺死董卓。後李肅又被呂布派往攻擊牛輔，敗退弘農，因戰敗被呂布誅殺。

• 陳衛、李黑參與暗殺董卓，偽裝成宮門衛士。

• 龐舒，于呂布逃出長安時曾保護呂布妻小，並私下送還呂布。

• 秦宜祿，呂布部將，魏將秦朗生父。妻杜氏有美色，被曹操納為妻妾。呂布兵敗後降曹，在張飛教唆下叛歸劉備，中途卻又反悔，因此被張飛殺死。

• 薛蘭、李封呂布部將，屯兵抵禦曹操，戰死。

• 許耽、章誑、曹豹，一同背叛劉備暗迎呂布。

• 戚奇（戚寄)，呂布部將。聞漢臣陳悝之妻吳氏有美色且擅長論史、能彈琴，派人暗殺陳悝，強搶吳氏。吳氏怒罵戚奇後自刎而死，戚奇慚愧，將之埋葬才離開。

• 高雅，呂布部將，被于禁擊破。

• 劉何，呂布部將，兵敗被曹仁生擒。

• 氾嶷，呂布部將，成功攻取范。

• 趙庶、李鄒呂布部將，徐晃征呂布時二人向徐晃投降。

• 吳資，濟陰太守，曹操襲濟陰治所定陶，吳資守著南城，曹操未能攻克。

• 侯諧，彭城相。曹操屠彭城，生擒侯諧。

• 陳珪、陳登父子，徐州望族陳姓士族子弟。在呂布佔領徐州期間，父子二人合力離間呂布與袁術的合作關係。

• 張弘，呂布部下。曹操征呂布，陳登率兵作先鋒，呂布以陳登三位弟弟作人質求和，為陳登所拒絕，反而將下邳城圍得更緊迫。呂布的手下張弘害怕被連累，趁夜將陳登諸弟放出回到陳登身邊。

• 畢諶，原曹操別駕，因母弟妻子被張邈劫去，因此迫為呂布效命。

• 袁渙，劉備領豫州牧時，舉袁渙為茂才。後避亂江淮，被袁術徵命。袁渙和袁術議論，袁術都不能反駁，袁術對他十分恭敬和守禮。後來呂布攻擊袁術，袁渙跟隨呂布，呂布要求袁渙寫書辱罵劉備，袁渙以大義拒絕，呂布慚愧。

盟友

• 泰山寇臧霸

　• 孫觀、兄長孫康

　• 吳敦、尹禮、昌豨

• 白波賊餘黨

　• 楊奉、韓暹

• 曹操叛將

　• 徐翕、毛暉

藝術文化形象

在許多以三國題材為背景的作品中，都可以見到呂布做為一名角色在其中現身。

漫畫

• 《蒼天航路》（王欣太）、火鳳燎原外傳小說《奉先》（王貽興）

• 《火鳳燎原》（陳某）

• 《》（池上遼一）

• 《吞食天地》（本宮宏志）

• 《橫山光輝三國志》（橫山光輝）

• 《終末的女武神》

動畫

• 三國志

• 三國演義

• 蒼天航路

戲劇與影視

• 香港邵氏電影《貂蟬》（1958年）：由趙雷飾演。

• 香港麗的電視電視劇《三國春秋》（1976年）：由潘志文飾演。

• 香港亞洲電視電視劇《貂蟬》（1987年）：由湯鎮宗飾演。

• 台灣中國電視公司電視劇《貂蟬》（1988年）：由顧冠忠飾演。

• 中國太原電視台電視劇《關公》（1993年）：由孟玉寶飾演。

• 中國中央電視台電視劇《三國演義》（1994年）：由張光北飾演。

• 台灣中華電視公司電視劇《三國英雄傳之關公》（1996年）：由宋達民飾演。

• 電視劇《曹操》（1999年）：由張亞坤飾演。

• 電視劇《貂蟬》（2002年）：由呂良偉飾演。

• 中國中央電視台電視劇《呂布與貂蟬》又名（《蝶舞天涯》）（2003年）：由釋小龍、黃磊飾演。

• 中國中央電視台電視劇《武聖關公》（2004年）：由一真飾演。

• 台灣民視電視劇《終極三國》（2009年）：由謝坤達飾演。

• 中國中央電視台電視劇《三國》（2010年）：由何潤東飾演。

• 電影《銅雀台》（2012年）：由保劍鋒飾演。

• 電視劇《曹操》（2013年）：由營峰飾演。

• 中國湖南衛視電視劇《武神趙子龍》（2016年）：由高以翔飾演。

• 香港舞台劇《火鳳燎原》（2016年）：由邵仲衡飾演。

• 中國網路劇《終極三國》（2017年）：由盧冰鉉飾演。

• 中國偶像劇《小戲骨：三國之反董卓聯盟》（2018年），由葛奕德飾演。

• 中國網路電影《三國之戰神無雙》（2019年）：由黃海冰飾演。

• 日本電影《新解釋·三國志》（2020年）：由城田優飾演。

• 香港電影《真·三國無雙》（2021年）：由古天樂飾演。

遊戲

• 在電子遊戲裡，以三國為題材的《真·三國無雙》系列的歷代作品中，呂布皆作為一名可玩角色，他在遊戲中手持方天畫戟，和趙雲、周瑜、貂蟬、夏侯惇、司馬懿為遊戲中的主角。

• 在街機《吞食天地II 赤壁之戰》中，呂布擔任其中一個關卡的頭目。

• 新加坡遊戲 《傳說對決》（2016年）：由謝一帆配音。

• 先後在型月作品的extra系列和Fate/Grand Order中登場，職階為berserker。

• 呂布在中國手遊《王者榮耀》中作為可玩角色。

• 在Riot Games所開發的的線上遊戲《英雄聯盟》中，於2013年新春為角色嘉文四世所推出名為戰神呂布的造型。其長槍亦變換成方天畫戟。

• 在聖三國蜀漢傳/三國蜀漢霸業中的正篇"虎牢關會戰"首次出現，接著在"小沛突圍戰壹"，"小沛突圍戰貳"，"下邳攻堅戰"和"白門樓之戰"中出現。此外這個遊戲也有呂布專屬的外傳。