Guan Xing - in Fiction

In Fiction

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Xing's character was given much more significance.

In Chapter 81, Guan Xing was said to have competed with Zhang Bao, son of Zhang Fei, over the commandership of the vanguard force to attack the state of Eastern Wu to avenge their fathers. Liu Bei, emperor of Shu, then bade them to swear to be brothers just as he did with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei many years ago. The newly sworn brothers, Zhang Bao a year elder, were then ordered to jointly aid Wu Ban, who would lead the vanguard. Henceforth the brothers rarely appeared without each other.

In Chapter 83, Guan Xing successfully slew Pan Zhang, commander of the division that previously captured Guan Yu. It was written that Guan Yu's ghost had made Pan Zhang freeze in fear, allowing Guan Xing to slay him. In doing so, he retrieved his father's weapon, the Green Dragon Crescent Moon Sabre. Later, when Mi Fang and Fu Shiren, two former Shu officers who defected to Eastern Wu and ultimately caused the death of Guan Yu, surrendered to Liu Bei again, Liu Bei refused to forgive them and ordered Guan Xing to execute the pair before an altar dedicated to Guan Yu.

In Chapter 91, Guan Xing was appointed Commander of the Left Guard (帳前左護衛使) and titled Soaring Dragon General (龍驤將軍). He then followed Prime Minister Zhuge Liang on the Northern Expeditions against the rival state of Wei. He eventually died of sickness in Chapter 102.

Guan Xing's appointment and the Northern Expeditions are depicted in the movie Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon.