One of Cao Cao's relative from Qiao who was a fearsome general. Xiahou Dun had been trained from his early boyhood to use the spear and the club. When only fourteen he had been attached to a certain master-in-arms. One day one person spoke disrespectfully of his master, and Xiahou Dun killed that person. For this deed, however, he had to flee and had been an exile for some time. When Cao Cao called for volunteers to fight Dong Zhuo, Xiahou Dun joined Cao Cao with his cousin, Xiahou Yuan. He was relied heavily on by Cao Cao and called the one-eyed brave warrior. During his service, he was one of Cao Cao's most trusted men and had saved his master from danger many times.
     When he was out hunting one day, he met Dian Wei, a bold warrior, and recommended him to Cao Cao. In the campaign against Lu Bu at Xuzhou, he led a division and fought Gao Shun; one of Lu Bu's general. Gao Shun began to weaken and ran back but was chased by Xiahou Dun. Unfortunately, Xiahou Dun was shot in his left eye by Lu Bu's general Cao Xing. He put up his head and pulled out the arrow and with it also his eye. He yelled, "Essence of my father, blood of my mother, I cannot throw this away!" and he swallowed his eye. Then he swung his spear and ran his horse into his new enemy, Cao Xing and struck the spear full in the enemy's face. Although he lost an eye since then, he was still powerful with one eye.
     At the time Guan Yu set out to find Liu Bei, Xiahou Dun stopped him at the final pass and fought with him personally, but then Cao Cao let Guan Yu go. When Cao Cao met Yuan Shao at Guandu, Xiahou Dun fought many battles and was victorious. Later, he proposed to attack Liu Bei at Xinye. He led Cao Cao's men as commander and met Liu Bei at Bowang. But he was quickly overcome by Zhuge Liang's fire strategy and lost the battle. Then he accompanied Cao Cao on his incursion southward and the conquest of Hanzhong. Later he was sent to keep watch over the capital Xuchang. He captured the men who conspired against Cao Cao and thus secured the capital.
     Xiahou Dun died not long after Cao Cao's death. Cao Cao's son, Cao Pi, put on mourning for the great leader and instituted magnificent funeral to honor him. Xiahou Dun reached the rank of Regent Marshal, as the highest military official at court.