If you are trying to unlock every character in Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered, you will need to spend some time playing through Musou Mode. A lot of characters are locked behind specific Musou Mode completions, while others require you to complete certain objectives during individual battles.
In this guide, I will go through the unlock requirements for every character, including the Shu, Wei, Wu, and other generals. I will also point out some of the trickier unlocks so you know exactly what you need to do.
Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered Character Unlock Guide
One important thing to remember is that characters can only be unlocked through Musou Mode. Free Mode does not count for these requirements. The difficulty does not matter, so I recommend playing on Beginner or Easy if you simply want to unlock the roster as quickly as possible.
Shu Generals
Here are all of the Shu characters and their unlock requirements.
| Character | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Zhao Yun | Available from the start |
| Guan Yu | Available from the start |
| Zhang Fei | Available from the start |
| Zhuge Liang | Complete Musou Mode once with a Shu character other than Zhang Fei or Pang Tong |
| 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 with Zhuge Liang |
| Wei Yan | Complete Musou Mode once with a Shu character |
| Pang Tong | Keep Pang Tong alive during Assault on Cheng Du by defeating Zhang Ren |
How to Unlock Pang Tong
Pang Tong has a specific battle requirement instead of simply requiring a completed Musou Mode.
During Assault on Cheng Du, you need to keep Pang Tong alive. The easiest way to do this is to defeat Zhang Ren before Pang Tong is killed.
Once you successfully keep Pang Tong alive, he will become available.
How to Unlock Jiang Wei
For Jiang Wei, you need to complete a full Musou Mode using Zhuge Liang.
This makes Zhuge Liang an important character to unlock early if you want to complete the Shu roster.
Wei Generals
The Wei roster also has a mixture of Musou Mode and battle-specific unlock requirements.
| Character | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Xiahou Dun | Available from the start |
| Dian Wei | Available from the start |
| Xu Zhu | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wei character |
| Cao Cao | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Wei character |
| Xiahou Yuan | Defeat him during the Battle of Mt. Ding Jun in Shu Musou Mode |
| Zhang Liao | Defeat him during the Battle of He Fei in Wu Musou Mode |
| Sima Yi | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wei character other than Dian Wei, Zhang Liao, or Zhen Ji |
| Xu Huang | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Wei character |
| Zhang He | Available from the start |
| Zhen Ji | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wei character |
How to Unlock Sima Yi
Sima Yi has a restriction on which Wei characters you can use.
You need to complete Musou Mode with a Wei character, but Dian Wei, Zhang Liao, and Zhen Ji do not count for this requirement.
So if you are specifically working toward Sima Yi, choose another Wei character for your Musou Mode run.
Wu Generals
The Wu roster has several characters that are available immediately, while others require specific objectives during battles.
| Character | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Zhou Yu | Available from the start |
| Lu Xun | Complete Musou Mode once with a Wu character |
| Taishi Ci | Make him surrender during Assault on Wu Territory by defeating Liu Yong |
| Sun Shangxiang | Available from the start |
| Sun Jian | Complete Musou Mode twice with a Wu character |
| Sun Quan | Make Cao Cao retreat during the Battle of He Fei |
| Lu Meng | Complete the Battle of Fan Castle with Lu Meng still alive |
| Gan Ning | Activate and defeat his surprise attack during the Battle of He Fei in Wei Musou Mode |
| Huang Gai | Available from the start |
| 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 with either Zhou Yu or Da Qiao |
How to Unlock Sun Quan
Sun Quan is one of the more complicated characters to unlock because you need to trigger a particular sequence during the Battle of He Fei.
First, allow Taishi Ci to be defeated. This will cause Sun Quan to retreat.
Follow Sun Quan to his position. A cutscene will then trigger where you jump across the river together.
After this, Zhang Liao will disappear from the battlefield, but he will appear again later near Sun Quan. Defeat Zhang Liao when he returns.
Finally, make sure Cao Cao has no officers left on the battlefield. Once this happens, Cao Cao will retreat, which fulfills Sun Quan’s unlock requirement.
Other Generals
The final group contains some of the most interesting characters in the game. Their requirements range from defeating specific officers to completing multiple character Musou Modes.
| Character | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| 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 | Get 1,000 kills during the Battle at Hu Lao Gate |
| Dong Zhou | Defeat both Diao Chan and Lu Bu during the Battle at Hu Lao Gate |
| Yuan Shao | Defeat Yan Liang and Wen Chou before Guan Yu can during the Battle of 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 | Complete Musou Mode once |
How to Unlock Zhang Jiao
For Zhang Jiao, play the Yellow Turban Rebellion and defeat all three required members of the Zhang family:
- Zhang Bao
- Zhang Liang
- Zhang Jiao
Once you defeat all three during the battle, Zhang Jiao will be unlocked.
How to Unlock Diao Chan and Lu Bu
Both Diao Chan and Lu Bu are unlocked through the Battle at Hu Lao Gate, but their requirements are different.
To unlock Diao Chan, simply defeat her during the battle.
For Lu Bu, you need to achieve 1,000 kills during the Battle at Hu Lao Gate.
If you are playing specifically to unlock Lu Bu, this is one of the battles where it is worth focusing on your kill count instead of rushing through the objectives.
How to Unlock Dong Zhou
Dong Zhou requires you to defeat both Diao Chan and Lu Bu during the Battle at Hu Lao Gate.
Because Lu Bu can be dangerous, especially when using a fresh character, I recommend playing this battle on Beginner or Easy if your only goal is unlocking characters.
How to Unlock Yuan Shao
During the Battle of Guan Du, you need to defeat both Yan Liang and Wen Chou before Guan Yu defeats them.
Keep an eye on their positions and make sure you get the kills yourself.
How to Unlock Meng Huo
Meng Huo has one of the more unusual unlock requirements.
During the Nanman Campaign, you need to defeat Meng Huo at all seven locations.
You cannot simply defeat him once and expect him to unlock. Make sure you follow him through the different encounters and defeat him every time he appears.
How to Unlock Zhurong
Zhurong is much simpler compared to Meng Huo.
During the Nanman Campaign, defeat Zhurong to unlock her.
How to Unlock Fuxi
Fuxi requires three different Musou Mode completions.
You need to complete Musou Mode with:
- Cao Cao
- Liu Bei
- Sun Jian
Once all three Musou Modes have been completed, Fuxi will be unlocked.
How to Unlock Nuwa
Nuwa requires four specific Musou Mode completions.
Complete Musou Mode with:
- Da Qiao
- Xiao Qiao
- Sun Shangxiang
- Zhen Ji
After completing all four required runs, Nuwa will become available.
How to Unlock Ziluan
Ziluan has a much simpler requirement.
You only need to complete Musou Mode once.
So if you are already working through the roster, you should unlock Ziluan naturally after finishing one complete Musou Mode run.
Tips for Unlocking Everyone Faster
If your goal is to unlock the entire roster, I recommend playing on Beginner or Easy. The difficulty does not affect the unlock requirements, so there is little reason to make the battles harder than necessary.
This is especially useful for characters such as Lu Bu, because you may be using a relatively weak character while trying to complete a specific unlock condition.
Also, remember that these requirements must be completed in Musou Mode. If you complete a battle in Free Mode, it will not count toward the character unlocks that require Musou Mode.
For the characters requiring multiple Musou Mode completions, try to plan your runs so that one character unlocks another. This can save you from doing unnecessary playthroughs.
Unlocking every character in Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered takes a fair amount of Musou Mode grinding, but most requirements are straightforward once you know what to do.
The characters that require specific battle conditions, such as Pang Tong, Sun Quan, Gan Ning, Yuan Shao, and Meng Huo, are the ones I would pay the most attention to. Missing their requirements can mean replaying an entire battle just to try again.
If you are going for the complete roster, keep this guide open while playing and check off each character as you unlock them. That way, you can work through the required Musou Mode runs efficiently instead of guessing which characters are still missing.