IC Info

[swallowtailed]

CHARACTER FACTS
» Name: Xun Lu (Western) ; Lu Xun (Eastern)
» Canon: Dynasty Warriors 8
» Reference: Character wiki - http://koei.wikia.com/wiki/Lu_Xun
» Canon Point: Battle of Runan in Wu's hypothetical route, following the reinstating of the alliance between Wu and Shu.
» Gender: male
» Age: Koei claims he's 17, though his birth year is 183 and his canonpoint is the Battle of Runan which doesn't have a date, but because it's a hypothetical, I'm going to assume these battle times are within a few years range of with the historical route's battles which would be Yiling, so that would put him in his mid-30s.

CHARACTER INTERPRETATION
» Appearance: Standing at about 5'7" with an athletic build, dark brown hair worn in a short slightly touseled style that's parted on the right, and brown eyes, Lu Xun doesn't look much older than his late teens/early 20s...except he's in his mid-30s. The guy's got some serious baby face going on. In terms of clothing, he primarily wears the reds and golds of Wu, and while his manner of dress keeps him pretty well covered, he does tend to have odd cutouts or shorter pieces at the stomach revealing bare skin. He's also limber enough that he's able to move quickly on the battlefield, utilizing a lot of twists, turns, and jumps while still having the physical strength needed to wield dual swords with ease (though he admits to having a preference for light weapons).

» Suitability: N/A, despite what Koei seems to think.

» Orientation: Heterosexual, though it's not outright mentioned in Wu's story mode, but according to the Officers section in the game's Encyclopedia, the first line of his summary states that he marries the daughter of Sun Ce and Daqiao. In game, some of his actions and lines might suggest he's got some sort of weird hangup on Lu Meng, but it's more of a puppy-like admiration for a mentor or superior and not that of a sexual nature. To better illustrate, when bonds are maxed out between him and a woman, his response to them is "Your presence has lit a fire in my heart. I feel overjoyed whenever I see you. I cannot bear it any longer... May I ask for your hand in courtship?" versus the "You are the one who taught me to trust others beyond all doubt. You are my mentor in life. I ask for your continued guidance." said to a man.

» Personality:
"Master Lu Xun is the head of the powerful Lu family. He may be young, but he shows wisdom beyond his years."
- unnamed Private

Formal and polite in both speech and action, with an optimistic attitude and a rather humble view of his own abilities, Lu Xun isn't what one would typically think of in terms of a strategist. His polite attitude isn't forced or faked, which is perhaps one of his stronger weapons in that it keeps people from realizing just how capable he really is. Because he was promoted almost immediately after the fighting at Jiangxia when his mentor stepped back to support instead of lead, he's seen by others as young, inexperienced, and untested, and he wants desperately to prove himself to his peers in order to restore honor to his family's name. When compared to other great minds of his time, he doesn't necessarily fall short, but he doesn't come across as having a manipulative nature so he doesn't inspire the same level of fear in the enemy. This doesn't appear to faze him though, as he's incredibly humble about his talents, often praising others for their efforts and turning aside others' attempts to praise him. That said, he isn't the type to praise those who aren't deserving, and will even speak highly of an enemy's ability when credit is due. He sees himself as inexperienced and views the achievements of others as a learning experience through which he can better himself and his abilities.

Although he's young and inexperienced, he's also quite resourceful and intelligent, always striving to see the bigger picture instead of allowing himself to get bogged down in details and what lies directly in front of him. This can be a problem for him at times though, since that broad view means it can be easy for him to miss the obvious things such as an ambush ("Impossible... A sneak attack here?! I see I still have much to learn."). He works well with others regardless of his personal feelings and is able to set aside differences in favor of completing the task at hand. However, if there's the possibility that discussion could put an end to a conflict before it becomes a problem, he's all for taking that route, as seen during the Defense of Jiangxia. In the event that discussion isn't an option, which tends to be the majority of the time, he opts for the fastest route in dealing with the situation once the proper preparations have been set. His strategy of choice in those times is the fire attack, and he can get a little carried away where they're concerned ("Let's drown the battlefield in a sea of red!"). He also enjoys learning and sees it as a chance to further his own abilities, has a preference for lighter weaponry as it's easier to move with on the battlefield, and gets excited easily when the topic is something he's fond of.

Among his allies, he's closest to Lu Meng, whom he sees as a mentor. He's often found trailing along behind him, seeking guidance and wisdom from the man who took him under his wing. Lu Meng's praise is the only one he doesn't make any attempts to avoid, and he takes his words to heart instead of trying to turn them around. In the historical route, Lu Meng's death that hits him hardest, which speaks volumes of just how much the man means to him as both mentor and friend.

Of the officers from the other kingdoms, it's Zhuge Liang who has his respect. As they're both strategists, it's hard to say that the legendary Sleeping Dragon hasn't influenced him in some way, especially since their kingdoms are in an alliance so they would have worked together at some point. Anything further than that is never given mention nor brought up.

As for Wei and Jin, there are none whom he names specifically as being noteworthy. He seems to lump them together as "Wei", giving none of them the dignity of having their own name or individuality. In past installments, he shows a dislike for Cao Pi, but that's about it. Jin wasn't even technically around in the hypothetical route, so he only knows of them as being part of Wei, and even then, they're not much more than "the enemy". His only encounter with the Sima family of Jin was during the Battle of Runan, and even then he didn't have anything to say about them other than asking if he should give pursuit after Sima Yi fled.

All in all, he's as close to being a Nice Guy as one can get, trying to see the best in people, trying to keep from losing sight of what's really important, striving to better himself while retaining formality and a polite demeanor, and never taking more credit than necessary while ensuring that those who truly deserve it get that recognition.