Three Kingdoms Lore

Overview

Honor of Kings: World draws heavily from China's Three Kingdoms period and broader Chinese mythology, but reimagines both through a fantasy-science fiction lens. Rather than recreating historical events directly, the game transplants iconic figures and stories into Primaera, a world with its own creation myth, divine history, and supernatural energy system called the Flow.

The mythological framework

According to the game's lore, the gods of Primaera were originally humans who escaped the destruction of their home planet using an advanced technology called the Ark. They used the "Heart of the Universe" as the Ark's core and traveled across several light-years to reach Primaera, an energy-rich planet. By harnessing spiritual essence underground through the Twelve Wonders they built (particularly the Sun Tower), these former humans transcended mortality and became gods. The leading god named herself Nuwa.

Nuwa created new humans on Primaera. Civilization advanced to a state resembling Imperial China but with advanced technology powered by Flow energy. The War of Gods, a civil war among the divine beings, devastated the world. Most gods were killed. With her dying strength, Nuwa sealed the Ark's core within the Twelve Wonders, hoping that a worthy successor might one day reclaim its power.

She entrusted two sages, Fuzi and Ziya (Jiang Ziya), with guiding humanity forward. Over time, the two developed opposing views on the human race's future, causing them to part ways and setting the stage for the game's factional conflicts.

The Three Kingdoms in Primaera

The game adapts the Three Kingdoms conflict within this fantasy setting. The historical Wei, Shu, and Wu kingdoms are reimagined as competing powers in Primaera:

• Wei Kingdom is led by Cao Cao, described as a cunning and ambitious warlord who seeks to unify the land through power and strategic alliances. Sima Yi is his chief strategist.

• Shu Kingdom was founded by Liu Bei, a virtuous leader valuing righteousness and Han Dynasty restoration. Kongming (Zhuge Liang) is the master tactician, and Huang Zhong fills the role of experienced veteran general.

• Wu Kingdom is governed by Sun Quan, who inherited his father's legacy with an emphasis on naval strength. Sun Ce and Da Qiao's story intertwines romance with warfare.

The Battle of Red Cliffs is referenced as a major narrative event. The rivalry between Kongming and Sima Yi, former allies turned enemies on opposing sides, drives much of the strategic conflict between the kingdoms.

Chinese mythology and the Shanhaijing

Beyond the Three Kingdoms, the game draws from the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing) for creature and boss design. The Bi Fang raid boss, for example, is based on the mythical one-legged bird from that text, reimagined with mechanized elements.

The game also features characters from broader Chinese mythology and folk history. Yang Jian, chosen by Nuwa as her successor, carries a hidden third eye. Hou Yi, the legendary archer who shot down the nine suns, appears as a ranged Flow style. Mulan, the folk heroine who disguised herself as a man to serve in the army, fights with a dual-form weapon switching system.

Liu Cixin collaboration

Liu Cixin, the author of The Three-Body Problem, collaborated on the game's world-building. He contributed to the science fiction layer of the mythology, helping shape the framework where ancient humans become gods through technology rather than through purely supernatural means. The game's lore draws in part from his 1997 short story "The Poetry Cloud."

Playable heroes from Three Kingdoms and mythology

Characters from these traditions appear as playable Flow styles and hero transformations. Each retains the essence of their historical or mythological counterpart while being reinterpreted within Primaera's framework where ancient technology and Flow energy replace purely supernatural elements. Confirmed playable heroes include:

• Lu Bu, legendary warrior and tank class

• Guan Yu, Shu general with sweeping guandao attacks and unique Red Hare automaton mount

• Zhao Yun, Shu kingdom warrior

• Diao Chan, one of the Four Beauties, mage class with illusion magic

• Zhou Yu, Wu strategist with fire zone control

• Wang Zhaojun, one of the Four Beauties, ice magic specialist

• Mulan, folk heroine with dual-form weapon switching

• Li Bai, Tang Dynasty poet with rapid aerial swordplay

• Cai Wenji, historical poet/composer, support class with music-based healing

• Marco Polo, reimagined version chosen by the fallen god Diqun