Zhang Bao is the son of Zhang Fei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms and one of the important second-generation warriors of Shu Han. He inherits much of his father’s martial image and begins to take a larger role in the wars that follow the generation of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.
When Liu Bei launches his campaign against Eastern Wu to avenge Guan Yu, Zhang Bao serves alongside Guan Xing, the son of Guan Yu. The two young warriors initially quarrel over the position of vanguard, but Liu Bei eventually arranges for them to become sworn brothers and fight together.
Zhang Bao and Guan Xing thereafter appear repeatedly as a pair, representing a new generation of Shu commanders. Their partnership deliberately echoes the bond between their fathers and gives the Shu military tradition a sense of inheritance across generations.
During later northern campaigns, Zhang Bao continues to serve in the field. While pursuing enemy forces, however, he suffers a serious accident after falling into a ravine and later dies from his injuries. His early death removes one of Shu’s promising younger warriors and brings the partnership between the sons of Zhang Fei and Guan Yu to a premature end.
