Huang Gai was a military general for the
Kingdom of Wu during the
Three Kingdoms era of
China. He was renowned as a hardened combat veteran who loyally served three Sun Family lords throughout his lifetime:
Sun Jian, his eldest son
Sun Ce, and his second son
Sun Quan.
Life
Huang Gai was born in Quanling County, Lingling Precinct (Presently
Yongzhou in
Hunan Province), and first allied himself with Sun Jian during the
Yellow Turban Rebellion of the 180's.
At the
Battle of Red Cliffs in 208, Huang Gai suggested to
Zhou Yu that a fire attack would be the best strategy to use in order to defeat
Cao Cao's gigantic fleet and overwhelming numbers. Zhou Yu approved of this method, and Huang Gai would send word to Cao Cao claiming that he wished to defect. Huang Gai had earlier loaded his boats with wax and straw, and when his ships were within proximity of Cao Cao's fleet, he set them ablaze and steered them on a collision course with Cao Cao's lines. This, coupled with the fact that Cao Cao had chained his ships together to prevent their soldiers from being seasick, caused the fire to spread throughout the fleet, causing massive damage and casualties to Cao's army and forcing him into retreat. This plot resulted in a critical victory for both Sun Quan and
Liu Bei, who would now be granted more than enough time to rally their armies and further bolster their positions within their respective territories. During the battle, Huang Gai was hit by an arrow and fell from his boat, but was rescued by another long-serving officer of Wu,
Han Dang. He is said to have been highly praised and deeply trusted amongst his colleagues, particularly his third lord, Sun Quan. Huang Gai received various titles throughout the years, including: "Auxiliary Corps Commander", "Acting Colonel of the Firm Attack", "Chief Commandant of Danyang", "General of the Gentlemen of the Household", and "Governor of Wu Ling."
For his long-serving life of Wu, he is listed in
Five Wu Elders.
Modern references
Huang Gai is a playable character in the
Koei video game series,
Dynasty Warriors. He is portrayed as a loyal and dedicated servant of Wu, covered with scars from various battles throughout his life. He wields a large club, usually in tandem with a
buckler. Before Dynasty Warriors 6, he had black hair, but he did have alternative costumes with white hair. In DW6, he has gray and white hair.
He also appears in the
Warriors Orochi games. In Warriors Orochi, he is part of the resistance movement and joins Cao Pi after being defeated in battle. He later is reunited with the kingdom of Wu in the sequel. He and
Goemon Ishikawa fight
Masamune Date's army at Okehazama for the advancement of Wu. In Dream Mode, he is accompanied by Xu Zhu and Hattori Hanzo in protecting and rescuing Gracia from enemy forces.
See also
Category:Sun Ce and associatesde:Huang Gaifr:Huang Gaizh-classical:黃蓋ko:황개id:Huang Gaija:黄蓋th:อุยกายvi:Hoàng Cáizh:黃蓋
