The original work is a Sengoku battle manga by Yasuhisa Hara. It began serialization in Weekly Young Jump in 2006, with the first anime season airing in 2012, the second in 2013, and the third in 2020. A PlayStation Portable game was released in 2010, and a live-action film was released in 2019, making it a popular work that has been adapted into various media. The story is set in China during the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period. The protagonist, Shin, a war orphan, and Sei, who would later become the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, strive to achieve something no one has ever accomplished before: unify China. While the story is based on historical facts, the personalities and appearances of the characters, as well as the war situations of each country, have been adapted for an easy-to-follow and entertaining manga format. With so many countries and characters appearing in this work, it can be difficult to keep track of who is which faction. Therefore, this time, we will explain the relationships between the characters in an easy-to-understand manner, using the official relationship chart.
Officially Released Relationship Diagram
This is the official Kingdom relationship diagram for the Qin clan. Let's use this as a basis to take a closer look at the relationships between the characters. Masa is at the top, with the protagonist Shin at the bottom. While this is likely for structural reasons, it can also be interpreted as symbolizing their social status.
The Relationships of the Protagonist, Shin
Shin and Sei are friends who share the goal of unifying China, and despite their different social classes, they are close friends. Shin inherited the shield from Bai Gong, who served as commander-in-chief in the war against Wei, and the will and spear from Ou Ki, one of the Six Great Generals who served as commander-in-chief in the war against Zhao. Kai is like an older brother to Shin, and he cares for him like a younger brother. Diao and Kyou Kai both belong to the Hi Shin Unit, but it is unclear which one Shin prefers. Shin is lovestruck after Kyou Kai declares her intention to marry him, but he's thrilled when he kisses Diao, even though it was a surprise. Given the times, it's possible that he'll end up marrying either of them... (laughs). Shin, Kyou Kai, and Diao are in the same unit, but they're in a delicate love triangle. Shin, a former slave; Wang Ben, of royal descent; and Meng Tian, of the Meng family, are friendly rivals, and both are young generals who will lead the Qin Dynasty into the next generation.
Hi Shin Unit
The Hi Shin Unit was named after General Ou Ki, and began as a hundred-man unit. The commander is Shin, and the deputies are Kyou Kai, Fuchi, and Sosui. The military strategist is Diao. Under him are 5,000 soldiers, including Obira, Garo, Naki, Aonin, and Sotan.
The Relationships of King Sei of Qin
Although his half-brother Sei Kyou usurped the throne, he cooperated with Shin and others to reclaim it. He then imprisoned Sei Kyou. During this recapture, he formed an alliance with Yang Duanhe, the king of the mountain people, for the first time in nearly 400 years. He is in conflict with Right Prime Minister Lü Buwei over the throne. Lü Buwei's former fiancee, the Empress Dowager, is Zheng's mother, but there is no emotional connection between them. Zheng's most trusted vassal, Changwenjun, becomes a civil servant after regaining the throne and supports him politically.
Civil Official
The Left Prime Minister will be Changwenjun, who is on Zheng's side, and the Right Prime Minister will be Changpingjun, who is on Lü Buwei's side. The Si clan originally sided with Cheng Jiao, but after regaining the throne, they served as civil servants in the Zheng camp. Li Si and Cai Ze were civil servants in Lü Buwei's camp, and after Lü Buwei's downfall, they became civil servants in the Zheng camp.
The Six Great Generals of the Qin Dynasty
This system, established during the reign of King Zhao, gave six selected generals the freedom to wage war. Of the six, Wang Qi, Bai Qi, Wang Ji, Hu Shang, Sima Cuo and Gyou, five other than Wang Qi are already dead, and the only surviving Wang Qi was killed in battle with Zhao due to Li Mu's strategy. Wang Qi and Gyou were engaged to be married, but Gyou was killed by Pang Nuan. When Wang Qi learned that Pang Nuan had become the commander-in-chief of Zhao, he decided to return to the battlefield once again. Furthermore, Changwenjun was a comrade-in-arms who had fought alongside Wang Qi on many battles, and knew Gyou well as well.
Wang Qi's Adjutant, Teng
Wang Qi's trusted adjutant, Teng, excels in both military strength and intelligence. After Wang Qi's death, he leads the Wang Qi Corps and becomes its general. He is said to often tease Lu Mingwei, the first commander of the Wang Qi Corps.
The Meng Family
General Meng Ao was known for his stable fighting style and keen judgment. His son was the dynamic military general Meng Wu. Meng Wu had two sons, Meng Tian and Meng Yi. Meng Tian was Xin's rival and the next generation of generals in the Qin state. Meng Yi was an apprentice to Changping Jun, aspiring to become a military strategist, and was a senior disciple of Diao.
Meng Ao's Vice-Generals
Meng Ao's army had two vice-generals, Kanki and Wang Jian, whose abilities made the army even more powerful. Kanki was the former leader of a major opposition group and was brutal and ruthless. His behavior was hardly that of a subordinate of Meng Ao, but he performed extremely well. Wang Jian was Wang Ben's father and had ambitions of becoming king himself. Due to his ambition, he is considered dangerous and maintains a low status, despite his excellent abilities, ranking him as a great general. He rarely speaks with his son, Wang Ben.
Harem
The Empress Dowager, former fiance of Lü Buwei and mother of Zheng, reigns supreme within the harem. To satisfy the Empress Dowager's desires, who are not satisfied with Lü Buwei, a man with a confident penis named Lao Ai is sent to the harem. Having satisfied the Empress Dowager's desires, Lao Ai became her favorite and the two had two children. In the end, he was killed by being drawn to pieces... Within the harem, there are many palace ladies who serve as night companions to King Zheng. Among them, Xiang, has a deep affection for Zheng, and at first she only stays by his side while he reads, but after serving as his night companion many times, she and Zheng have a child. Xiang's best friend, Yo, has a cheerful personality and hopes that things will go well between Xiang and Zheng, and the day after Xiang's night companionship, she asks him how it went.
Learn about the relationships between the characters! Summary of Relationship Chart Explanation
What do you think? We've roughly explained the relationships within the Qin Dynasty based on the official relationship chart. There are many characters within the Qin Dynasty that we haven't covered here, and since "Kingdom" features many countries, if we were to include other countries, the relationship chart would likely become incredibly large... If you're interested, why not take a look at the relationships with other countries?
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