Romance of the Three Kingdoms Cao Cao (LYL)

Cao Cao is one of the most complex and fascinating figures in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a brilliant strategist, poet, and warlord who rose from chaos to become the true power behind the Wei kingdom. He is often portrayed as ruthless and calculating, yet his intelligence, charisma, and ability to recognize talent allowed him to gather extraordinary generals and advisers like Xiahou Dun, Guo Jia, Xun Yu, and Zhang Liao around him.

To some he is a villain, to others a misunderstood hero, but his defining trait is his absolute realism about power and human nature. Cao Cao believes that order is more important than moral purity, and that strength, discipline, and foresight are what prevent the world from falling into endless war.