One key aspect of Dynasty Warriors is its huge playable character roster, which Origins decided to take a different approach to. Instead of having dozens of heroes to choose from, there are a few companions you can bring to a fight and control them briefly once you meet certain conditions. While this might be a bit of a controversial move, it makes sense due to the story portion of the game, and fortunately, there are still a few iconic heroes you can take out for a Musou spin.
[Since Dynasty Warriors: Origins has different endings and routes, we’ll update this guide when/if we discover new playable companions.]
All Companions in Dynasty Warriors: Origins
In Dynasty Warriors: Origins, the companions you get will change depending on the faction you choose or the story events that are happening at the moment. In Chapters 1 and 2, you’ll get to pick characters from all three factions, but once you get to Chapter 3, you’ll be locked to a few specific ones. For now, we’ve met the following playable companions:
Cao Cao’s Forces:
- Guo Jia
- Xiahou Dun
- Zhang Liao
Liu Bei’s Forces:
- Guan Yu
- Zhang Fei
- Zhao Yun
- Sun Jian’s Forces:
- Huang Gai
- Sun Shangxiang
- Zhou Yu
- While this is a considerably smaller roster compared to previous games, each character is fun to play, and most of them have unique moves that will raze enemy armies in seconds.
How To Unlock & Use Companions
You unlock companions by following the main story, and if the option is available, you can select them from the “Select Companion” option when preparing for a battle.
Once you’re on the field, you can take control of them after you fill the companion bar. By pressing the necessary button, your companion will join the fight and perform a powerful attack. After that, you can use their Battle Arts, assuming you have enough Bravery, and even activate Musou Rage and finish off with a huge Musou Attack. Controlling a companion doesn’t last forever, though, so make sure to save their big entrance for the right moment. A good time to control them is whenever you’re facing a Large Force. Musou Attacks from companions can usually take down hundreds of enemies at once, so it is a good idea to have them around for those situations.