The date of birth of Guan Yu is not known exactly. According to a stele in a temple and a biography of 1756, it is estimated to be the year 160. His homeland is the Xie region (now a district of Yuncheng in Shanxi). At the age of 23, he fled his homeland after assassinating the local tyrant Lü Xiong. About five years later, he turned up in Zhuo (now Zhuozhou in Hebei), where Liu Bei was raising an army to fight the Yellow Turbans. Guan Yu joined the troops and fought the rebellious peasants in northern China. Liu Bei became prince of Pingyuan Province in gratitude for his contribution to putting down the rebellion. Guan Yu was given a command of his own. According to historical accounts, Guan Yu, Liu Bei and a third officer - Zhang Fei - faced each other in unbreakable loyalty. The three are even said to have shared a bed.
In 199, Liu Bei had the regent of Xuzhou, who had been appointed by the warlord Cao Cao, assassinated. Guan Yu took control of the provincial capital Xiapi. Cao Cao himself led the retaliatory strike to retake Xuzhou. Liu Bei fled north to the warlord Yuan Shao, while Guan Yu was captured after the surrender of Xiapi. Cao Cao treated him with great respect and even appointed him a general.
With a force of 100,000 men, Yuan Shao attacked the capital of Cao Cao, Xuchang, in 200. In order to cross the Yellow River, Yuan Shao ordered a diversionary attack on the city of Baima (located in present-day Henan Province). Guan Yu was sent out to dispose of the city. Upon arrival, he spotted the chariot of the enemy general Yan Liang and attacked him directly. Amidst the enemy troops, he killed Yan Liang and brought back his severed head. After losing the important leader, the siege of Baima failed. Guan Yu was appointed duke of Hanshou.
Guan Yu then broke with Cao Cao and returned to his former ruler Liu Bei, who was still in the custody of Yuan Shao. Cao Cao allegedly stopped the pursuit by his own troops with the words "To each his own".
Yuan Shao was finally defeated by Cao Cao at the Battle of Guandu, so Liu Bei was forced to flee to Jingzhou. Its ruler Liu Biao died soon after. Cao Cao seized the opportunity and occupied large parts of Jingzhou. Liu Bei escaped and formed an alliance with Sun Quan, another warlord who ruled large parts of southern China. Together they defeated Cao Cao 208 at the Battle of Chibi and recaptured Jingzhou. Guan Yu became prince of Xiangyang and was entrusted with the defense of northern Jingzhou.
Liu Bei went to Yizhou (now Sichuan) in 213 and ruled the area two years later. He proclaimed himself king of Hanzhong in 219 and promoted Guan Yu to be one of his top five generals. This group of five (Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao and Huang Zhong) became known as the Five Tiger Generals.
That same year, Guan Yu attacked Fancheng (now the district of Xiangyang in Hubei), which was defended by Cao Ren - a cousin of Cao Cao. Long rains in the spring caused the Han River to overflow its banks, washing away most of the troops Cao Cao had sent to defend it. Only more troops and Xu Huang were able to repel the attack. Guan Yu returned to Jiangling to find that the city had been handed over to Sun Quan by traitors.
Guan Yu tried to retreat westward to Liu Bei, but most of his troops had already deserted. Guan Yu was surrounded and captured. Along with his son Guan Ping, he was executed by General Lü Meng. Sun Quan sent Guan Yu's severed head to Cao Cao, who buried him with full honors.
