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This article about a Dynasty Warriors character is a stub. You can help the wiki by expanding it. |
| Wanderer | |
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| Force(s): | Guardians of Peace |
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| Weapon Type: | Sword (default) Varies |
| Playable Debut: | Dynasty Warriors: Origins |
| Chinese name: | 無名
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| Style name: | Ziluan
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A traveling martial artist with amnesia. His body seems to still remember how to handle weapons. | 
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Wanderer (onyomi: Mumei) is the protagonist of Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
Character Information
Voice Actors
- Jun Fukuyama (Japanese)
- John Patneaude (English)
NOTICE: Information about this character is inherently spoiler filled due to the nature of the game and its story. It is recommended that you play the game first and then come back to this article. NOTICE
Background
Wanderer/Ziluan is from unknown area outside of the Guardians of Peace village. He received training to become a Guardian of Peace, eventually receiving the sash indicative of the order.
Wanderer/Ziluan was involved in an incident that was leaked to the Han dynasty government, prompting the Han to eliminate the village and everyone in it. Wanderer/Ziluan chased after Zhuhe who had charged against the attackers in order to give others time to escape. Zhuhe died in his arms as the village burned all around him. Upon waking up after this event Wanderer/Ziluan looses his memories, holds a special jade given to him by Zhuhe at her death, and begins to wander about as a traveler.
Appearance
A youthful male with black hair just brushing past the forehead, the ears, and some of the back of the neck. His eyes are striking blue color. He wears a silver colored helix ear cuff on his left ear. Wanderer/Ziluan’s build and muscle tone is not noticeable under his first garb. But it is more noticeable in the second one acquired. Wanderer/Ziluan appears to have traveled for a while with a straw hat and a cloth covering for a sword.
Wanderer/Ziluan’s first garb—called Garb of the Flying Bird—is a black garb with gray and red accents. Most notably is the red sash and the image of the sacred bird, the Luan, tied to the waist. This distinct red sash flutters behind in a way that reminds people of the tail feathers of the sacred bird, the Luan. The chest has some rope tied across one shoulder and over the chest, perhaps to keep the front part of the garb from flying up into Wanderer/Ziluan’s face during combat, among other reasons. The forearms are covered with cloth and secured with straps, perhaps to provide some mild protection against scrapes and cuts as the arms and hands thrust around and block during combat. The lower legs have similar extra covering for perhaps added protection and warmth. There is some fraying on a layer of clothing on the upper body. It suggests that this part of the clothing is aged or at least seen wear and tear. It could be something passed down, has been in Wanderer/Ziluan’s possession for a long time, or a combination of both.
We learn through the comments of strangers [and cutscenes] that this first garb Wanderer/Ziluan wears—namely the striking red sash and the image of a the sacred bird, the Luan—is characteristic to the order called the Guardians of Peace. The red sash and the image of the sacred bird appear to have been given to fully recognized members of the order, those allowed to go out on missions.
Wanderer/Ziluan has a second outfit—called Luan’s Wing Uniform—received whenever the player chooses a faction to align themselves with. It maintains the same color scheme and the characteristic sash and sacred bird at the waist. But the remaining outfit is more suited for military officers rather than the garb of a wandering reticent martial artist. Luan’s Wing Uniform has proper padding and metal plating on the arms, chest and legs. It is also more refined in appearance, suited to a proper station even as Wanderer/Ziluan has no official rank or title. In the case of each faction this new garb is given to Wanderer/Ziluan as a mark of gratitude for their allegiance, and a marker for formal entry into their sercive. It is similar to Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu’s change in clothing when their station changes from volunteer swordsmen to people with official positions and posts. This new garb does not conceal Wanderer/Ziluan’s figure like before. It is plainer to see how they have a well built musculature that is both sleek and strong from years and years of training.
Personality
Wanderer/Ziluan’s personality is quite reticent, a man of very few words (as said by Bailuan). He’s also an excellent listener whose calming eyes and demeanor seem to naturally invite others to be their true, vulnerable selves with him in a way they aren’t with anyone else.
Wanderer/Ziluan can be a little teasing with those whom he’s bonded with. But he’s caring and empathetic too. He has helped people in need even as an amnesiac. When Zhang Jiao passed away he allowed him to die and rest his body peacefully away from the eyes of brutal Han officials.
He can be confident, forthright, and is not intimidated by others but sees through to the heart of a matter. He’s able to bond even with intimidating, misunderstood figures like Yu Jin and Zhou Tai while earning the respect of beastly men like Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu.
Abilities
Eyes/Eyesight
Wanderer/Ziluan’s striking eyes are notable not just to the common person but even among the Guardians of Peace. In terms of appearance and atmosphere, Wanderer/Ziluan’s eyes are often cited as a probable reason by many of them open up to him in ways they don’t do with anyone else. They’ve commented that his eyes are clear like a mirror through which they see themselves as they truly are and that they are like gazing at the clear sky just before dawn, the light of hope in the darkness.
These calming effects are on top of the unique ability of Wanderer/Ziluan’s eyes even among the Guardians of Peace.
[Ziluan’s] eyes have abilities that ours do not. …Ziluan, if you can master the abilities your eyes possess, you’ll be able to not only match me, but defeat me. Exciting, right?”
Wanderer/Ziluan’s eyes can “read” battlefields and find a way forward, can notice differences others can’t see, and read the winds to some extent. This keen and unique eyesight appears to extend to crafting gems (those said to bring good luck in battle), finding the weak spot in objects he slices with his bare hands, and some kind of keen insight everyday citizens notice he has that make him admired. That keen insight could be seen in his shopping activities and perhaps other happenings around town.
Guardians of Peace Training
There are several abilities that appear to come from Wanderer/Ziluan’s years of training to be a Guardian of Peace. That training has remained engraved in his body even as he lost all his memories. Slicing objects with his bare hands when a knife was not handy, walking around without any presence or sound at all time unless intentionally making sounds so as not to startle people, his evaluation and judgements on a battlefield, his combat abilities, and, perhaps, the study of books.
The most recognizable training Wanderer/Ziluan has in the game is weapons mastery. He is often seen using a sword. But he can use multiple other weapons like spears, gauntlets, lances, crescent blades, wheels [chakrams], [bo] staffs, podao, twin pikes and even halberd.
Choosing a Hero
The task of choosing and aiding a “hero” to bring peace to the realm appears to be a task of the Guardians of Peace. But there may be two different sides to carrying out this task. One is what the Guardians of Peace order we’re doing during the time of the late Han Dynasty. The second side is a possible mystical direction that is currently assisting Wanderer/Ziluan in bringing peace to the realm.
These things are evidenced by the implied activities of the Guardians of Peace at the time of the destruction of the village of the Guardian’s of Peace, their elimination itself by the Han, and the mysterious child figure that Wanderer/Ziluan sees throughout most of the story of Origins.
During the time of the fall of the village they may have been acting more as an off the books assassination group by the Han. But the mysterious child figure seen—who looks and sounds like a young Bailuan—continually prompts Ziluan in a way different from the non-physical Zhuhe Ziluan sees. This mysterious figure emphasizes Ziluan making his own observations and choices, using his eyes in perhaps more ways than one. This figure also seems to give cryptic/philosophical insight into key things and figures we encounter.
Guardians of Peace Jade
This is a special item rather than one of Wanderer/Ziluan’s abilities. But it is an important item all the same. We learn from the true ending of the game [acquired when you raise the peace levels of all provinces to full and complete one true ending route for a faction] more about this item. The jade is an auspicious treasure of the Guardians of Peace. In a location north of the village of the Guardians of Peace, into the mountains and clouds, there is said to be trees that bloom in times of peace and wither in times of chaos. The jade piece Wanderer/Ziluan’s carries is one of two pieces found beneath the roots of one of these special trees. It turns out these two pieces were traditionally passed down to the strongest warrior of the Guardians of Piece and to the village chief. Wanderer/Ziluan’s received theirs from Zhuhe upon her death while Bailuan had the other jade.
These jade pieces are active gauges of the peace in the realm, namely of how much hope there is in the people of the land. The Bailuan-figure (marked with “???”) Wanderer/Ziluan’s received theirs sees explained that the light of the jade would guide Wanderer/Ziluan on their task as a Guardian of Peace.
History (DW: Origins)
Wanderer/Ziluan meets Guan Yu and Zhang Jiao while confronting a corrupt government official. After getting away from the scene with Guan Yu the two of them have a talk. Then Wanderer/Ziluan has a dream/vision with glimpses of his memories and a direction to bring peace to the realm from a young figure with white hair, blue eyes, and a garb similar to Wanderer/Ziluan’s. Wanderer/Ziluan notably responded to being addressed as “Guardian of Peace” by the mysterious young figure. [We later learn that this figure looked and sounded just like Bailuan from Wanderer/Ziluan’s memories. However, this figure Wanderer/Ziluan sees is not that Bailuan, but something else that has taken on the form that is seen]
From here on Wanderer/Ziluan continues to meet warriors and leaders through the events of the Yellow Turbans Rebellion, the rise an fall of Dong Zhuo, and the formation of the factions of Cao Cao, the Sun family’s kingdom of Wu, and the Liu faction (up to the Battle of Chibi at this time in DW: Origins). Wanderer/Ziluan eventually sides with a faction and aids them without an official position or title. Post credits indicate the option of Wanderer/Ziluan continuing to serve the chosen faction as either an officer without an official title or as one with a title and position given as a reflection of their accomplishments at the Battle of Chibi and its aftermath.
Though the games lets you choose which faction that is, the final true ending—no matter what faction you chose—shows that the light of hope has been restored to countless people. Bailuan and Ziluan meet at the ruins of their village by coincidence. There they discover that they each have one of the two pieces of Jade passed down by the Guardians of Peace to the village chief and its strongest warrior.
Wanderer/Ziluan also receives a letter from the mysterious and nameless young Bailuan look alike somehow. This letter states that the work of the Guardian of Peace is not finished. “The kingdom has not yet attained true peace,” he says in the letter, “The path ahead will be fraught with turmoil. I must therefore test your strength and determination.” The mystery figure invites Wanderer/Ziluan to a dream battle to prove his prowess. All of this an indicator of both the future to come and some sort of mystical aspect in Wanderer/Ziluan’s journey and task as a Guardian of Peace.