Zhou Yu (175–210) is a military general and strategist who serves his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.

After the death of Sun Ce, another prominent warlord, Cao Cao, leads a massive force southward with the intention to conquer the Jiangdong region, Zhou Yu, assigned by Sun Ce's brother and successor, Sun Quan, to be the naval commander for the defensive forces, defeats Cao Cao's forces at the decisive Battle of Red Cliffs in 208.

The subsequent Battle of Jiangling, which has Lieutenant General Zhou Yu serving as the commander-in-chief of Sun Quan's forces, solidifies the survivability of the future Eastern Wu regime.

Thus, Zhou Yu is praised by Sun Quan to be the sole person who had enabled him to become an emperor, years after Zhou's death.