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Any Dynasty Warriors fan knows that horses are man’s best friend in the Three Kingdoms era. As we all know: Among men, Lu Bu, Among steeds, Red Hare. So, of course, Ziluan will also need a steed that can equal his ability on the battlefield to allow you to quickly reach different parts of the battlefield while also dealing some damage through the charges. To help you make sure you always have the best horse available and get the Eminent Equestrian achievement, I’ve made a list of all the unique horses in Dynasty Warriors Origins and how to get them.
All Horses List in Dynasty Warriors Origins
Rank 1 Horses
Horses have a rank that shows their potential abilities. When selecting them in the inventory, you will see a little white diamond under their name. The more diamonds they have, the better they are.
Rank 1 horses are the ones you get naturally by just following the story through Chapters 1 and 2.
Walnut
Walnut is the first horse players get in Dynasty Warriors Origins, which they will receive automatically by advancing through the story, close to the end of Chapter 1.
Here are Walnut’s stats:
- Endurance: 2
- Lv. 5 – Boosts mounted charge impact damage by 50%.
- Lv.10 – Increases mounted stability by 50%.
- Lv.20 – Grants Bravery upon falling from your horse.
Since Walnut is the starter horse with really low Endurance, you’ll want to change it as soon as you get the next horse on the list.
Maple
Maple is one of the first horses you’ll be rewarded by interacting with one of the main mechanic of the game, the Peace Rank. By achieving Peace Rank 1 in the You Province, you’ll receive Maple at the Waymark.
Here are Maple’s stats:
- Endurance: 2
- Lv. 5 – Increases mounted stability by 50%.
- Lv.10 – Boosts mounted charge impact damage by 50%.
- Lv.20 – Boosts recovery of rider strength when performing a mounted attack.
Since you get Maple relatively early as well, it’s not really an upgrade from Walnut. You also won’t have a lot of time to level it up before getting a better horse, so you can just let poor Maple rot in the inventory.
Chestnut
Chestnut is the best Rank 1 horse, as it has 3 Endurance. Though it doesn’t seem like a huge difference, getting from one end of the battlefield to the next will be a much faster process.
To get Chestnut, you will need to get Peace Rank 2 in the Liang Province, which you’ll do by following Dong Zhuo’s requests and missions.
Here are Chestnut’s stats:
- Endurance: 3
- Lv. 5 – Reduces arrow damage taken by 40%.
- Lv.10 – Boosts Defense by 20% when mounted.
- Lv.20 – Increases speed when near death.
Rank 2 Horses
Birch
The one and only Rank 2 horse in Dynasty Warriors Origins is Birch. The only thing you need to do to get this horse is to reach Peace Rank 2 in one of the first provinces of the game, the Ji Province.
Here are Birch’s stats:
- Endurance: 4
- Lv. 5 – Increases mounted stability by 50%.
- Lv.10 – Extends mounted charge maximum distance by 20%.
- Lv.20 – Staggers nearby enemies when you summon your horse.
This should be your go-to horse in Chapter 2, as the requirement to get it is very simple and that 4 in Endurance is a must-have.
Rank 3 Horses
Mahogany
A very powerful horse that you can get relatively early with a little bit of extra farming. To get Mahogany, you will need Peace Rank 1 in the Jing Province.
Here are Mahogany’s stats:
- Endurance: 4
- Lv. 5 – Boosts mounted charge impact damage by 50%.
- Lv.10 – Reduces arrow damage taken by 40%.
- Lv.20 – Staggers nearby enemies when you land from a height.
All in all, Mahogany is not that different from Birch, and I’m not sure why it’s not a Rank 2 horse, considering its stats.
Hex Mark
Hex Mark is one of the unique horses that you can only get in New Game+, since you need to play through the Ultimate Warrior difficulty.
To get Hex Mark, you will need to win the Battle of Chibi, in Chapter 5, for the Liu side, with 6 or more surviving allied officers, on the Ultimate Warrior difficulty.
Here are Hex Mark’s stats:
- Endurance: 3
- Lv. 5 – Extends mounted charge maximum distance by 50%.
- Lv.10 – Grants Bravery upon falling from your horse.
- Lv.20 – Reduces arrow damage taken by 80%.
To be honest, Hex Mark is not an amazing horse. Especially with the Lv.20 upgrade, which feels more like an easter egg, considering Pang Tong died to an arrow wound while riding Hex Mark…
Storm Runner
Similar to Hex Mark, Storm Runner can only be obtained on the hardest difficulty at the end of the game.
To get Storm Runner, you will need to win the Battle of Huarong Path, in Chapter 5, for the Cao side, with 7 or more allied officers alive, on Ultimate Warrior difficulty.
Here are Storm Runner’s stats:
- Endurance: 4
- Lv. 5 – Increases the drop rate of Nectar Water upon defeating enemies with a mounted attack.
- Lv.10 – Increases speed when near death.
- Lv.20 – Increases mounted stability by 100%.
Storm Runner is a good horse overall, but the effort you have to go through to get it is not really equivalent to what you receive.
Shadow Runner
Another powerful horse that has hard requirements to get.
To get Shadow Runner, you will need to prevent the enemy stone barrage (quickly defeat Zhang Xian), in the Escape from Wan Castle fight in Chapter 4 for the Cao side.
Here are Shadow Runner’s stats:
- Endurance: 4
- Lv. 5 – Stops you from falling from your horse.
- Lv.10 – Staggers nearby enemies when you summon your horse.
- Lv.20 – Boosts Defense by 50% when mounted.
Shadow Runner’s bonuses are amazing, and it makes it one of the best horses in Dynasty Warriors Origins. It’s a very defensive horse and very useful from getting out of a tight spot.
Red Hare
The best horse in the Three Kingdoms era, Red Hare is obviously very hard to get.
To get Red Hare, you will need to defeat Lu Bu at the Battle Of Xiapi in Chapter 4 without using any Meat Buns or Portable Items on Ultimate Warrior difficulty.
Here are Red Hare’s stats:
- Endurance: 5
- Lv. 5 – Makes it possible for a mounted charge to defeat soldiers in a single strike.
- Lv.10 – Staggers nearby enemies when you land from a height.
- Lv.20 – Boosts mounted charge impact damage by 100%.
Of course, Red Hare is the best of the best, with amazing speed, Endurance, and bonuses.
