Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the Kingdom of Shu, of which Liu Bei was the first emperor. Guan Yu was known as a legendary warrior because of his extraordinary long beard and because of his great skill in battle, for which he was often referred to as the "God of War".