All Factions in Dynasty Warriors Origins, Ranked

Dynasty Warriors Origins returns with a new twist on the classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms period piece by incorporating a more traditional protagonist—a “nameless hero” who has the power to form an alliance with one of the three core Factions, Wei, Wu, or Shu. The game, while still in receipt of its original Officers and Rulers, contains a pivotal moment in the interlude of the campaign; the aforementioned hero has the choice over which Ruler to aid, and which Faction to propel to the throne.

While it’s no secret that Dynasty Warriors Origins features the option to begin a New Game+ and return to key moments in the story to forge and pursue alternate realities, it’s still worth considering how each of the three available Factions will affect you in the long term. For example, by choosing to form an alliance with Wu in your first play through, you could be blocking yourself out of the True Ending — a path that requires you to be at a slightly higher level than in other Factions’ episodes. To this end, you should carefully consider which Faction to side with before laying down your arms in Chapter 3.

If you can’t decide which Faction to join forces with, then allow us to ease the burden a little. Here are the three Factions in Dynasty Warriors Origins, ranked.

3. Wu (Sun Jian)

Historically, Wu was never a bad Faction to pledge allegiance to, but due to some lazy quotations and a lack of plausibility in its writing on the developer’s part (don’t get us started on the True Ending cutscenes), it’s hard to recommend Sun Jian as the go-to Ruler in Dynasty Warriors Origins. Sure enough, it is one of the easier campaigns in the game, what with it featuring several of the most powerful Officers and Companions on the deck, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that its plot is still, regrettably, a far cry from its adversaries’ respective episodes.

Sun Jian cast aside, the lion’s share of the campaign is more or less devoted towards Sun Quan—the youngest of the two Sun brothers—and his moral compass’ infatuation with succeeding Sun Ce as an equal figure of influence. And while this isn’t a poor storyline by any stretch, it doesn’t quite match the prowess of the remaining two timelines in Dynasty Warriors Origins. Granted, the Sun Jian saga does foster some excellent battles—Suppression of Wu, and Battle of Chibi, for example—but that doesn’t necessarily make it stand out above the Cao or Liu episodes.

2. Shu (Liu Bei’s Forces)

There’s something awfully satisfying about being able to witness the underdog ascend and ultimately thwart their opposing Factions in a heroic manner. Such is the case with Liu Bei’s forces; the Shu Ruler begins Dynasty Warriors Origins as a mere underling in the Coalition Forces, and as such, the dirt beneath Cao Cao’s boots, but ultimately ends his conquest as one of three primary torchbearers in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era. With some quality writing and a genuine sense of camaraderie from the Faction’s core Officers, the Shu campaign quickly becomes one of the most enjoyable of the three — and then some.

Sadly, the one thing that prevents Liu Bei from overshadowing Cao Cao is his irritable association with his own self loathing and lack of confidence as a Ruler. Rather disappointingly, the first four chapters in the campaign have little to share outside of general “hope” talk and water cooler conversations. However, where the prelude lacks in depth and excitement, the final stages thankfully fire on all cylinders and conjure some of the most memorable cutscenes and battles in the entire game, thus making it one of, if not the best saga in Dynasty Warriors Origins.

1. Wei (Cao Cao’s Forces)

Dynasty Warriors Origins’ signature campaign, which focuses heavily upon Cao Cao’s gradual transformation from a loyal general in the Han Empire into a power-hungry tyrant with questionable motives, is arguably the best of the three. Aside from the saga containing several of the wider-scale battles and epic boss fights, the Wei campaign also features a lot of tailorable junctures and story arcs, effectively making it the best episode to replay thrice over — maybe more, depending on how you tackle certain aspects of the story and its interweaving plot points. And frankly, as it’s one of the tougher sagas of the three, what with several of its battles requiring you to save specific Officers to alter the conclusion, it seems that you might have to venture back and forth to obtain the best possible outcome, regardless.

The reason why fans of the Dynasty Warriors series have a natural tendency to pledge allegiance to the Wei faction over the other two mostly boils down to the fact that Cao Cao has access to immense amounts of resources, quality Officers, and not to mention vast swathes of land right from the early years of the Empire’s downfall. Add the fact that the Wei faction also paves the way for numerous epic wars with a variety of unique objectives and outcomes, and you can clearly see why it ranks above its competitors. Is it the best campaign in Origins? That’s debatable, to say the least — but it’s more likely to immerse you into the journey than the other two, that’s for sure.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to tackle Dynasty Warriors Origins and its three-piece saga, be sure to check out our beginner guide here.