China's Top Ten Greatest Military Strategists

You took his fictional counterpart and claimed he's great when historically he's far less successful with no major victory that he could claim. Its laughable that people get brainwashed into thinking he's some kind of military genius because they've been exposed to a fictional piece of work without bothering to check the source material. They call it Romance of the Three Kingdoms for a reason. Keyword: romance as in romanticized.

During the Battle of Red Cliffs, he was sent as a diplomat and then was collecting taxes for the war fund while the fire strategy is credited Zhou Yu and Huang Gai. Shu played a much more prominent role in the novel rather than in history. Cao Cao boasted 800,000 though by then China was already devastated to the point that grain itself was used as currency frequently and held more weight than gold at certain times which continued well into Cao Pi's reign painting a picture of just how much of the infrastructure was destroyed after decades of ...more

For me the Greatest strategist of China by all means. Famous for his nick name "The Sleeping Dragon" he joined Liu Bei at the age of 27 and gifted to him the Long Zhong Plan in which it was described how the land can be split into 3 Kingdoms. Altough Liu Bei had no land to call his own and there were 6 more Kingdoms in the realm who were much stronger than Liu Bei's, Zhuge Liang's plan was a success. Thanks to his genius The Combined forces of Liu and Wu-with an army of 100,000 men-were able to defeat Cao Cao's 1 million army by using the Chain Strategy and setting their ships aflame. Thanks to his strategies Liu Bei's foreces were able to capture Jing Province

And Ba Shu. By doing so Liu Bei finally had his Kingdoms named "Shu" and the land was split by Three Forces-Shu, Wu and Wei. He invented the "Wooden Ox", famous today as the wheelbarrow. After Liu Bei's death he was the only man who kept Shu of It's feet. He was able to trap the Wei general Sima Yi (who is believed to be ...more

He exactly knew the opponents' mind and hence drew strategies that exactly fit, not more not less. He also can foresee the weather and invented many things.

If every of his comrades follows what he says, he could unify china even before he dies.

Cao Cao was the best in everything period. Sima Yi single-handedly faced Zhuge Lang Pang Tong Fa Zheng and many more Shu strategists. Also, he faced Wu's best strategists such as Zhou Yu or Lu Su or the 2 Zhangs. Sima Yi ended up outsmarting everybody in Wei after Cao Cao and Cao Pi died, thus claiming the throne establishing the Jing dynasty. Under HIS dynasty, China was unified by his lineage. If by age Sima Yi was younger. Very brilliant defensive strategist. Won every single Northern campaign that Zhuge Liang proposed against him. This truly is no contest. Sima To > Zhuge Liang.

Zhang Liang was crucial to Liu Bang's victory over Xiang Yu and he was the major strategist for Liu Bang along with Chen Ping. Without Zhang Liang Liu Bang would have died at The Feast at Hongmeng Gate.

Han Xin was the greatest general and strategist in the Early Western Han Dynasty and one of the greatest strategists in China's History. He won major battles such as the 'Ambush on Ten Sides' and the 'Chu Song from Four Sides' and took over major states such as Qi, Zhao and Yan. He suggested to Liu Bang to use the stratagem 'Appearing to repair the gallery roads while making secret advances through Chencang' to escape out of Hanzhong. He was made one of the 'Three Heroes of Early Han Dynasty' and was promoted to become the King Of Chu.

Han Xin was the best military strategist as he was the main person leading up to the Han Dynasty. He won every battle he did and was the best of the Three Heroes of Early Han Dynasty

Sun Bin was one of the great strategists in the history of China. He served King Wei of Qi to defeat King Hui of Wei twice and also his arch-enemy Pang Juan.

Sun Bin was originally born in Qi was crucial in the success of their successful campaigns against the State of Wei both times. He use a stratagem 'Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao' to rescue Zhao from Wei and halfway at Guiling Pang Juan was severely defeated by an ambush there prepared by Sun Bin. The second time he feigned retreats and also reduced the number of cooking pots to make an impression that his troops were decreasing in size. Pang Juan was overjoyed and quickly went forth to attack Sun Bin. As a result, at Maling he was ambushed by Sun Bin again and the Wei forces suffered a heavy defeat and Pang Juan committed suicide.

Zhou Yu eclipses Zhuge Liang in reality. Luo Guangzhong (writer of Romance of the Three Kingdoms) only hyped him up and downplayed Zhou Yu in the story. Zhou Yu was the real genius behind Cao Cao's crushing defeat at Chibi and was able to beat Wei most of the time when he was in control of Wu's army.

Zhou Yu is historically superior to Zhuge Liang. He needs more respect as they praise Zhuge Liang because of his achievements were only seen in the novel and he accomplished less than what he did in the actual history.

Zhou Yu is superior to Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang's achievements were only in the novel. Nowhere near real life compared to Zhou Yu.