The battlefield is quiet for a second — then your screen floods with reinforcements you didn’t expect. You realize a single missed objective earlier cost you a rare general. I remember standing at the Hu Lao Gate, heart racing, because one extra 1,000 kills changes everything.
I’ve played enough Musou campaigns to spot patterns fast, and I want you to waste less time chasing characters and more time actually smashing through waves of enemies. Below I map what each general requires, point out traps that waste runs, and show where a single action flips a whole roster open. Think of this as a field manual from someone who’s been in the mud with Koei Tecmo’s design team — I’ll point the way, you make the cut.
How to get every General in Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered
You’ve probably checked the character select screen and felt there are always a few faces missing. That moment tells you where to focus your next run.
I’ll keep this tight: faction requirements are mostly repeat-play rewards (complete Musou Mode once or twice), but a handful hinge on specific battle events — surviving allies, defeating named officers early, or hitting kill thresholds. Use Steam or your console’s save backups to experiment; platforms like GameFAQs and YouTube will have visual guides if you prefer a replay checklist.
How do I get all characters in Dynasty Warriors 3?
Complete Musou Mode with the right faction, and pay attention to named encounters. I recommend doing one clean run per faction on a lower difficulty to collect baseline characters, then refine for special conditions on subsequent runs. Treat roster hunting like collecting rare vinyl: the obvious ones are quick scores, the rare hits take patience and the right flip of events.
Shu Generals
Look at your save file timestamps — if Shu runs are scattered, you’ll miss some one-off events. That’s where most Shu-specific requirements live.
Quick notes before the table: “Available by default” means you can select them immediately. “Complete Musou Mode once/twice” denotes finishing the whole campaign with specified characters or factions. Watch assassination objectives in Assault on Cheng Du — saving or killing certain officers changes who joins you.
| Name | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Zhao Yun | Available by default. |
| Guan Yu | Available by default. |
| Zhang Fei | Available by default. |
| Zhuge Liang | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wei or Shu character. |
| Liu Bei | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Shu character. |
| Ma Chao | Complete Musou Mode once with a Shu character. |
| Huang Zhong | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Shu character. |
| Jiang Wei | Complete Musou Mode once with Zhuge Liang. |
| Wei Yan | Complete Musou Mode once with a Shu character. |
| Pang Tong | Help Pang Tong survive during the Assault on Cheng Du by defeating Zhang Ren. |
Wei Generals
If your Wei saves are tidy, you’ll reduce wasted replays — messy saves hide who you’ve already triggered.
Wei includes officers that require both standard clears and targeted battlefield outcomes. Defeating or sparing named enemies in He Fei and Mt. Ding Jun matters. Use community resources on Steam forums or Moyens I/O guides if you want screenshots of specific triggers.
| Name | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Xiahou Dun | Available by default. |
| Dian Wei | Available by default. |
| Xu Zhu | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wei character. |
| Cao Cao | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Wei character. |
| Xiahou Yuan | Defeat Xiahou in the Battle of Mt. Ding Jun. |
| Zhang Liao | Defeat Zhang Liao in the Battle of He Fei. |
| Sima Yi | Complete Musou Mode once with a Shu or Wei character. |
| Xu Huang | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Wei character. |
| Zhang He | Available by default. |
| Zhen Ji | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wei character. |
Wu Generals
Open your controller mapping and check which Wu stages you’ve replayed; some Wu-specific triggers require precise survival conditions.
Wu offers a mix of default characters and battle-dependent recruits. Several demand keeping officers alive or forcing a retreat (yes, making Cao Cao retreat in He Fei is a thing). If you’re on PlayStation or Xbox, record short clips — proving you met a condition saves a lot of time when testing theories.
| Name | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Zhou Yu | Available by default. |
| Lu Xun | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wu character. |
| Taishi Ci | Force Taishi Ci to surrender during Assault on Wu Territory. |
| Sun Shangxiang | Available by default. |
| Sun Jian | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Wu character. |
| Sun Quan | Force Cao Cao to retreat during the Battle of He Fei. |
| Lu Meng | Finish the Battle of Fan Castle with Lu Meng still alive. |
| Gan Ning | Activate and defeat his surprise attack in the Battle of He Fei. |
| Huang Gai | Available by default. |
| Sun Ce | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Wu character. |
| Da Qiao | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wu character. |
| Xiao Qiao | Complete Musou Mode once with Zhou Yu or Da Qiao. |
Who are the hidden characters in Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered?
Hidden characters mostly appear under specific battle conditions: kill thresholds, timed saves, and protecting allies. Lu Bu, Zhang Jiao, Diao Chan, and a couple of mythic characters require targeted actions rather than just clearing Musou Mode. For tricky ones, watch short YouTube clips from creators who play on PC or console for step-by-step visual proof.
Other Generals
You can tell how picky these are by how many named battles they tie to: Hu Lao Gate and the Yellow Turban Rebellion are hotspots.
Below is the grab-bag of conditions that don’t fit faction checkboxes — from getting 1,000 kills in a single stage to completing multiple specific Musou Modes. Some characters (the mythic ones) need multiple faction clears across different heroes.
| Name | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Zhang Jiao | Defeat Zhang Bao, Zhang Liang and Zhang Jiao during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. |
| Diao Chan | Defeat her during the battle at Hu Lao Gate. |
| Lu Bu | Achieve 1,000 kills during the Battle at Hu Lao Gate. |
| Dong Zhuo | Defeat both Diao Chan and Lu Bu in the Battle at Hu Lao Gate. |
| Yuan Shao | Defeat Yan Liang and Wen Chou before Guan Yu during the Battle at Guan Du. |
| Meng Huo | Defeat him at all seven locations during the Nanman Campaign. |
| Zhurong | Defeat her during the Nanman Campaign. |
| Fuxi | Complete the Musou Modes of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Jian. |
| Nuwa | Complete Musou Mode with Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Sun Shangxiang and Zhen Ji. |
| Ziluan | Finish Musou Mode once. |
Are there any character requirements tied to specific battles?
Yes—several generals are tied to exact battles or actions in them. He Fei, Hu Lao Gate, and the Nanman Campaign gatekeep the most. If you miss a timed surrender or fail to kill a named officer early, you may need another full Musou run; sometimes the fastest route is a fresh save and a focused attempt.
Some players set up short practice runs on PC (Steam) or console and record with OBS or capture cards to prove triggers. If you want precise step lists, GameFAQs threads and Moyens I/O posts often include timestamps and visual markers that save hours.
Some requirements chain together — complete one hero’s Musou Mode and another candidate becomes available — so plan runs with that domino effect in mind. Some requirements snap together like setting up dominoes: knock one down and the rest follow.
There’s a strategy question left for the community: which conditional recruit feels the most satisfying to get — the showy Lu Bu or a subtle survival-based general like Pang Tong?