Early life

Xu Chu was from Qiao County (譙縣), Pei State (沛國), which is present-day Bozhou, Anhui. He was over eight chi tall (≈1.86 metres) with a broad waist. He had an imposing and sturdy look and was known for his great strength and courage.

Towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, Xu Chu rallied thousands of his clan members and they constructed a fortress to fend off the Yellow Turban rebels. An army of rebels from Runan (汝南; present-day Runan County, Henan), numbering more than 10,000, once attacked Xu Chu's fortress. The defenders were outnumbered and worn out as the battle dragged on. When the arrows were used up, Xu Chu told all the men and women within the fortress to gather stones the size of chess pieces and place them in the four corners of the fortress. He then hurled the stones at the enemies, crushing the bones of all those who were hit. The rebels then kept a distance away and did not dare to come close. When the food supply was exhausted, Xu Chu pretended to negotiate a truce with the rebels and discuss a deal to exchange an ox for food. When the rebels came to collect the ox, the animal would always run back. Xu Chu, holding on to the ox's tail, pulled it along for more than a hundred steps. Seeing this, the startled rebels took off without the ox. The rebels in the surrounding areas heard of this incident and became fearful of Xu Chu.

Service under Cao Cao

In 197, when Cao Cao came to the Runan and Huainan area, Xu Chu led his militia to join the warlord. Upon seeing Xu Chu's strength, Cao Cao exclaimed: "This man is my Fan Kuai!" Xu Chu was appointed as a Commandant (都尉) among Cao Cao's close guards, who were known as the "Tiger Warriors" (虎士). During Cao Cao's campaign against a rival warlord Zhang Xiu, Xu Chu fought on the frontline and slew thousands of enemies. He was promoted to Colonel (校尉) for his achievement.

In 200, Xu Chu followed Cao Cao to the Battle of Guandu against the northern warlord Yuan Shao. During the battle, Xu Ta (徐他) and some conspirators plotted to assassinate Cao Cao. They feared Xu Chu so they waited until he went to rest before they entered Cao Cao's tent with swords hidden under their clothes. Xu Chu felt uneasy earlier on, so he had returned to Cao Cao's tent to protect his lord. When Xu Ta and the others showed up in Cao Cao's tent, they were very surprised to see Xu Chu there and could not contain their astonishment. Xu Chu sensed their intentions and killed them. After this incident, Cao Cao trusted Xu Chu even more and would go nowhere without Xu Chu by his side. Xu Chu participated in the Battle of Ye in 204 and received the title of a Secondary Marquis (關內侯) as a reward for his efforts.

Battle of Tong Pass

In 211, during the Battle of Tong Pass against a coalition of northwestern warlords led by Ma Chao and Han Sui, Cao Cao led his troops north across the Wei River in an attempt to circle to the rear of the enemy. The bulk of Cao Cao's troops had already crossed the river, leaving Cao Cao and his "Tiger Warriors" to bring up the rear. Just then, Ma Chao and his 10,000 horsemen caught up with them. As the enemies were approaching fast, Cao Cao's soldiers rushed to get on board the ferry, which was on the verge of sinking under the weight. Xu Chu held up a saddle with his left hand to shield Cao Cao from arrows and carried a sword in his right hand, using it to slash enemy soldiers trying to clamber onto the vessel. By then, the boatman had been killed by arrows, so Xu Chu, still holding up the saddle with his left hand, used his other hand to grab a bargepole and push the ferry away from the ford to safety.

Cao Cao later agreed to meet Ma Chao and Han Sui for talks, and he brought along only Xu Chu. Ma Chao had confidence in himself and he secretly planned to use the opportunity to charge forward and capture Cao Cao, but he had heard of Xu Chu's might before and he suspected that the man beside Cao Cao was Xu Chu. Ma Chao asked Cao Cao: "Where's your Tiger Marquis?" Cao Cao pointed at Xu Chu, who glared at Ma Chao. Ma Chao was afraid and did not dare to make his move. Both sides then returned to their respective camps. Several days later, a battle was fought, and Cao Cao scored a major victory. Xu Chu killed several enemies and was promoted to Military Guard General of the Household (武衞中郎將) for his achievement. This was the first time the term "Military Guard" (武衞) was used. Cao Cao's soldiers knew that Xu Chu possessed the might of a tiger, but he was also simple minded, so they nicknamed him "Tiger Fool" (虎癡).

Incident with Cao Ren

Xu Chu was known to be a cautious and serious person who did not talk much and was very mindful of rules and regulations. Once, Cao Cao's cousin Cao Ren came from Jing Province to meet Cao Cao, who had recently been enfeoffed as a vassal king. Cao Cao was still in his personal chambers, with Xu Chu standing guard outside, when Cao Ren arrived. Cao Ren asked Xu Chu to join him in the side room for a chat. However, Xu Chu told Cao Ren that Cao Cao was coming out soon, and then turned his back on Cao Ren and entered Cao Cao's chambers. Cao Ren was very unhappy with Xu Chu for treating him coldly. Later, someone told Xu Chu: "The General (Cao Ren) is a close relative and important subject of the King. He lowered himself when he asked to chat with you. How could you reject him?" Xu Chu replied: "He may be a close relative and important subject of the King, but he's in charge of external defences at the borders. I, Xu Chu, am in charge of internal security. If he wanted to chat with me, we could do so in public. Why did he ask to chat with me in private?" Cao Cao was impressed and he favoured Xu Chu even more after he heard about the incident, so he promoted him to Central Resolute General (中堅將軍).

Service under Cao Pi

When Cao Cao died in 220, Xu Chu was so overwhelmed with sorrow that he vomited blood. Later that year, Cao Cao's son Cao Pi ended the Eastern Han dynasty and established the state of Wei, marking the start of the Three Kingdoms period. Cao Pi became emperor and he also favoured Xu Chu greatly. He promoted Xu Chu to General of the Military Guards (武衞將軍), put him in charge of the palace guards and enfeoffed him as the Marquis of Wansui Village (萬歲亭侯). The original "Tiger Warriors" under Xu Chu's command were all commissioned as officers, but only slightly more than 10 of them rose through the ranks to become generals and marquises, while only about a hundred were promoted to commandants and colonels.

Cao Pi died in 226 and was succeeded by his son Cao Rui. Cao Rui enfeoffed Xu Chu as the Marquis of Mou District (牟鄉侯) and granted him a marquisate comprising 700 taxable households. He also awarded the peerage of a Secondary Marquis (關內侯) to one of Xu Chu's sons. After his death, Xu Chu was given the posthumous name "Marquis Zhuang" (壯侯), which literally means "robust marquis".

Family and descendants

Sometime during the Taihe era (227-233) in the reign of Cao Rui, the emperor issued an imperial edict praising Xu Chu and conferring the peerage of a Secondary Marquis (關內侯) on one of Xu Chu's sons and one of his grandsons.

Xu Chu's son, Xu Yi (許儀), inherited his father's peerage. In 263, when the Wei state launched a major campaign to conquer its rival state Shu, Xu Yi served as an officer under the Wei general Zhong Hui, who tasked him with overseeing the construction of a road leading into Shu. However, when the road turned out to be poorly built, Zhong Hui disregarded Xu Yi's background and had him executed for failing his mission. The Wei army was shocked at Zhong Hui's audacity. Xu Yi's son, Xu Zong (許綜), inherited his father's peerage during the reign of Emperor Wu in the Jin dynasty.

Xu Chu's elder brother, Xu Ding (許定), also served in the Wei military and was promoted to General Who Inspires Might (振威將軍) and commanded the huben division of the imperial guards.

Appraisal

Chen Shou, who wrote Xu Chu's biography in the Sanguozhi, commented that Xu Chu and Dian Wei were powerful bodyguards and were comparable to Fan Kuai, a general who served under Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Xu Chu appears as a character in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which romanticises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. His bravery and strength are emphasised by a fictitious story in Chapter 59, when he duels with Ma Chao during the Battle of Tong Pass.

In popular culture

Xu Chu is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi video game series. His name is erroneously romanised as "Xu Zhu" in the games.

Xu Chu is featured as a guardian spirit alongside Dian Wei of General Cao Yanbing in the anime "Rakshasa Street".

生平

雄毅力絕

據《三國志》記載，許褚「長八尺余，腰大十圍，容貌雄毅，勇力絕人」。年輕時在家鄉聚集了數千戶人家，共同建立壁壘以抵禦賊寇。當時汝南和葛陂兩地的賊寇何儀、黃邵、何曼、劉闢、龔都等帶領萬餘人進攻許褚，許褚一眾寡不敵眾，力戰疲極。連箭矢都用盡，便令壁壘中的男女，收集如杅斗般大的石頭放在四角。許褚把石頭擲向敵人，所打中的都被擊碎。賊寇便不敢接近。曾有一次因缺糧與賊寇用牛交換糧食，牛到了對方手中後又跑了回來，結果許褚單手倒拖牛尾走了百步，賊寇大驚，不敢要牛就走了。從此淮、汝、陳、梁之地，聽到許褚之名都感到畏懼。

興平二年（195年），曹操進占淮汝後，許褚率部眾歸附。曹操稱讚許褚：「此吾樊噲也。」立即拜為都尉，在曹操身邊任宿衛都尉，負責曹操的警衛工作。因其力大寡言且忠實被稱「虎癡」，統領的衛隊成員皆稱「虎士」。

建安三年（198年），跟隨曹操征討張繡，許褚為先鋒，斬賊首萬余，遷作校尉。隨後的宛城之戰，典韋戰歿，自此由許褚擔任曹操的護衛工作。

建安四年（199年），曹操又屯兵官渡。當時從士徐他等圖謀造反，但由于許褚侍衛曹操，因而害怕而不敢謀變。當許褚離開休息期間，徐他等人懷刀進入。許褚回到家時突然心動，立即往還曹操帳侍衛。徐他等人對此並不知道，所以當入帳時看見許褚時皆大驚，連臉色都變了。許褚看到後立即把徐他等人殺掉。自此以後曹操更加親近信任他，出入同行，不離左右。

建安九年（204年），從圍鄴城，力戰有功，被賜爵關內侯。

建安十二年（207年），從伐烏桓，在白狼山遭遇而戰，曹軍發現烏桓軍無序，曹操立即命令曹純、張遼率兵衝鋒，張遼兵分三路，徐晃、于禁、許褚各領一路。擊敗烏桓。

獨戰馬超

建安十六年（211年），從討韓遂、馬超于潼關。此戰，曹操命大軍渡河，自己只留了數百虎士與許褚在南岸斷後，結果馬超大軍迫近情勢危急，士兵爭相渡水。許褚保護曹操上船後，斬殺敢攀船的馬超軍士兵，並用左手舉馬鞍為盾擋箭，船夫中箭而死後，許褚又以右手駕船，最終曹操平安渡河。當日如果沒有許褚，則曹操很可能會落入馬超軍隊手中。之後，曹操與馬超、韓遂等單馬會語，只帶了許褚前往。馬超本來想乘此機會襲擊曹操本人，但他一向知道許褚的勇猛，懷疑隨行的大將就是許褚，所以問曹操：「你的虎侯在哪裡？」曹操指著許褚，許褚怒目瞪視馬超，于是馬超不敢實施行動，雙方各自返回。數日後，曹軍擊敗馬超軍，交戰中許褚親自斬得敵軍首級。許褚因此次護衛作戰有功，官封武衛中郎將。而因為馬超問起虎侯，虎癡之名從此為天下稱道，甚至有人以為這就是許褚的姓名。

建安二十年（215年），從征張魯，到陽平關戰事失利退軍，派夏侯惇、許褚召回攻山的軍隊。但是曹操前軍在夜間迷了路，誤入了張衛的大營，侍中辛毗、劉曄等在後，將此情報知夏侯惇、許褚，二將不信。夏侯惇親自看到後，才告訴曹操，劉曄建議曹操回攻，于是曹操回擊，大敗張魯。

質重少言

許褚個性謹慎奉法，質重少言。有一次曹操宗族大將曹仁從荊州趕來朝謁，曹操在自己寢殿尚未出來，曹仁在殿外遇見許褚，邀他去旁邊偏室坐下交談。許褚只說了一句「魏王快出來了」，便轉身返回殿內，招致曹仁記恨。有人問許褚：「征南將軍曹仁是宗室重臣，屈尊找你說話，你為什麼要推辭？」許褚回答：「他雖然是親族重臣，但卻是鎮守外藩之將。而我許褚卻是負責內部守備的，我們要說話在公開場所就可以了，何必到私下說。」曹操聽說後，更加喜愛許褚，升任中堅將軍。曹操逝世，許褚痛哭至吐血。

黃初元年（220年），曹丕稱帝，封許褚萬歲亭侯，升為武衛將軍，總督中軍禁兵。許褚深得曹操家族的信任，曹操死後繼續負責曹丕的警衛工作。許褚下屬的警衛部隊中，很多都是劍客，其中有數十人官封將軍，封校尉、都尉者有數百人。

太和元年（227年），曹睿即位後，又進封許褚為牟鄉侯，邑七百戶，同時亦賜其子一人為關內侯。許褚病死後，被追謚為壯侯。此後曹睿思念許褚忠心，又封了他兩個子孫關內侯。

歷史評價

• 陳壽《三國志·魏書十八》評述許褚：「性謹慎奉法，質重少言。」「許褚、典韋折衝左右，抑亦漢之樊噲也。」

• 曹操：「此吾樊噲也。」

• 馬超乃問太祖曰：「公有虎侯者安在？」太祖顧指褚，褚嗔目盼之。自此始也。軍中以褚力如虎而癡，故號曰虎癡；是以超問虎侯，至今天下稱焉，皆謂其姓名也。

• 李儼：「許仲康之忠勇，乃齊其位。」

• 張說：「思齊忠壯而異材，求之古人，張飛、許褚等也。」

• 馬端臨：「徐佗謀逆而許褚心動，忠誠之至遠同於日，且潼關之危，非褚不濟，褚之功烈有過典韋。」

• 朱邦衡：「破張繡之役，斬首萬計，皆褚等先登陷陣之功也。」

• 羅貫中：「天下瓜分漢欲亡，四方豪傑盡鷹揚。葛陂許褚投降後，自此何憂呂布強！」「凜凜威風鎮九州，當年許褚果如虎。只因孟起軍前見，天下從茲播虎侯。」「臂挽鞍轎護主身，手持篙楫在波津。 若非許褚傾心救，孟德應為泉下人。」

家庭

• 兄許定，曾與許褚一起率領一群年輕人及宗族數千家，堅壁擊退黃巾軍，因軍功封為振威將軍，為王道巡迴的虎賁指揮。

• 子許儀，嗣承牟鄉侯，後被鐘會所殺。

• 孫許綜，許儀之子，晉武帝即位後繼承了祖、父的爵位。

藝術形象

三國演義

曹操平冀州時，許攸自以為功高而傲慢自大，常把曹操無我便無法取勝之類的話掛嘴邊而惹怒許褚，許褚暴怒之下殺死許攸，因此許褚被曹操責罵一頓但無重罰。

之後在潼關之戰接受馬超的會戰，與之大戰兩百多個回合，其間以裸衣會戰，也夾斷馬超的槍後亂打一通。曹操擔心許褚會有閃失，令夏侯淵和曹洪夾攻，馬超麾下龐德和馬岱以鐵騎衝擊，曹軍大亂連忙慌退，許褚的手臂因此中了兩箭。馬超最後對韓遂說：「吾見惡戰者莫如許褚，真虎癡也！」

影視

• 1975年電視劇《洛神》：談泉慶飾演許褚

• 1983年電影《華佗與曹操》：張毅燃飾演許褚

• 1994年電視劇《三國演義》：王建國、盧映、陳之輝、韓東飾演許褚

• 1994年電視劇《楊麗花歌仔戲洛神》：李紹銘飾演許褚

• 1996年電視劇《三國英雄傳之關公》：陸舜耕飾演許褚

• 1999年電視劇《曹操》：李少敏飾演許褚

• 2004年電視劇《武聖關公》：謝寧飾演許褚

• 2008年電影《赤壁》：崔玉貴飾演許褚

• 2009年電影《赤壁：決戰天下》：崔玉貴飾演許褚

• 2010年電視劇《三國》：郭濤飾演許褚

• 2011年電影《關雲長》：桑平飾演許褚

• 2012年電影《銅雀台》：池程飾演許褚

• 2013年電視劇《新洛神》：李澤曉飾演許褚

• 2013年電視劇《曹操》：趙明明飾演許褚

• 2015年電視劇《武神趙子龍》：姜寶成飾演許褚

• 2017年電視劇《軍師聯盟》：李龍飾演許褚

• 2020年電影《新解釋·三國志》：一之瀨亙飾演許褚

動漫遊戲

• 真三國無雙系列 / 無雙OROCHI系列（光榮公司開發，吉水孝宏配音）

• 吞食天地II 赤壁之戰（卡普空開發）

• 三國演義

• 《橫山光輝三國志》（橫山光輝）

• 《蒼天航路》（王欣太）

• 《火鳳燎原》（陳某）、火鳳燎原外傳小說《殘兵》（王貽興）:設定父親是董卓軍軍師許臨，身形巨大和不諳言語，父親死後因觸犯軍紀而離開董卓軍並聽從兄長指示投靠曹操軍，視曹操為父、視燎原火和司馬懿為殺父仇人，於曹操「奉孝殺戮」時登場，並力戰燎原火，但要害被刺卻敗於張飛，兄長許定在父親死後分別蟄伏於徐州陳家及司馬家辦事，患有消渴症,在呂布襲徐時登場，殺害曹豹以登上殘兵之首，在司馬家乘著曹操宛城之戰大敗密諜起兵反曹時，私下把扣押了原本送往曹操軍糧送予曹操，並回到河內與陸霜血洗司馬家殺害四叔和郭昂等百多人、廢張雷，在燎原火現身下失敗告終，赤壁之戰時在司馬懿出賣諸葛亮下，兄弟聯手迎戰潛入曹營之燎原火，卻因形勢不利下撒兵，在曹丕崩殂、曹叡登位初期曹操臨終前叮囑:司馬懿乃曹丕所倚重之人，只要曹丕一日在位，仍然對司馬懿忍耐，兄弟再次出手對付仇人，以兄長不久於人世在臨終前去拜祭父親之名來吸引燎原火，後失敗許褚在父親墓前和陸霜決戰並雙雙陣亡(後以病故稱之),許定亦成了殘廢。

• 《鎮魂街》（許辰）

• 《戀姬†無雙》（NEXTON旗下公司BaseSon開發，倉田まりや(遊戲)與澄田まりや(動畫)配音）