Quick answer
- The Three Great Heavens are Zhao’s highest-ranked generals in Kingdom, the rival title to Qin’s Six Great Generals. The title is fiction, but all six holders are real historical figures.
- The old three were Ren Pa (Lian Po), Rin Shou Jo (Lin Xiangru) and Chou Sha (Zhao She). Only Ren Pa is still alive, living in exile in Chu.
- The new three are Ri Boku (Li Mu), Hou Ken (Pang Nuan) and Shiba Shou (Sima Shang). Hou Ken was killed by Shin at Shukai Plains (Ch. 628); Shiba Shou filled his seat before the Battle of Hango (full debut Ch. 771).
- As of September 2026 Ri Boku is alive and defending Handan, but in history Li Mu was executed by his own king in 229 BC after Qin bribed Guo Kai to slander him.
The Three Great Heavens (三大天) are Zhao’s top generals in Kingdom, the rival title to Qin’s Six Great Generals. The old three were Ren Pa, Rin Shou Jo and Chou Sha. The new three are Ri Boku, Hou Ken and Shiba Shou. Of the six, only Ren Pa, Ri Boku and Shiba Shou are still alive in the manga.
Names follow the Japanese readings used by the English fandom, with the Chinese (pinyin) name in parentheses on first mention. This article covers the manga up to the Great Qin–Zhao War arc (from Ch. 845), including Hou Ken’s death. The “What history says” section contains historical spoilers for events the manga hasn’t reached yet.
Who are the Three Great Heavens in Kingdom?
“Three Great Heavens” is a title held by Zhao’s three greatest generals. In the story they stand as equals to Qin’s Six Great Generals, and the armies they lead fly a special Great Heaven flag.
The group is first mentioned in Ch. 108. In that chapter, Qin can go on the attack because Zhao’s Three Great Heavens are gone and Zhao has no promising candidate to replace them. The same chapter introduces Hou Ken (Pang Nuan), a huge warrior summoned to the capital, Kantan (Handan), by King Tou Jou (King Daoxiang). He is the first member of the new generation.
The key point: this is not a permanent council that always has three members. It’s a rank given to individuals, and seats can stay empty for years. Zhao went without a full set of three for most of the story.
Old vs new members: the full list
| Generation | Kingdom name | Pinyin (kanji) | Known for in the manga | Status in the manga (Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | Ren Pa | Lian Po (廉頗) | Veteran warrior-general, rival of Ou Ki and the old Six | Alive. Left Zhao, fought for Wei, now lives in Chu |
| Old | Rin Shou Jo | Lin Xiangru (藺相如) | Genius strategist, served by the Rin family’s Ten Heroes | Dead (illness) before the story begins |
| Old | Chou Sha | Zhao She (趙奢) | Great general of the old era; barely shown | Dead before the story begins |
| New | Ri Boku | Li Mu (李牧) | Master strategist and Zhao’s commander-in-chief | Alive. Defending Kantan (Handan) |
| New | Hou Ken | Pang Nuan (龐煖) | The self-styled “Bushin” (martial god) | Dead. Killed by Shin at Shukai Plains (Ch. 628) |
| New | Shiba Shou | Sima Shang (司馬尚) | Lord of Seika City, a front-line powerhouse | Alive. Newest member (full debut Ch. 771) |
Shiba Shou’s name is also written “Shi Ba Shou” on the fan wiki. It’s the same character.
The old Three Great Heavens
All three belong to the “fierce age” of King Shou (King Zhaoxiang) of Qin, when they fought the original Six Great Generals. Only one of them is alive when the story starts.
Ren Pa (Lian Po)
Ren Pa is the only survivor of the old generation. When Tou Jou became king, he stripped Ren Pa of his rank. Ren Pa refused, fought the army sent against him, and took his men to Wei. He first appears in person as a Wei commander in the Sanyou campaign (from Ch. 193), facing Mou Gou’s Qin army. After losing Sanyou he is exiled from Wei and moves to Chu, where he still lives.
Much later, after Zhao’s commander-in-chief Ko Chou is defeated and killed at Eikyuu, a Zhao envoy asks Ren Pa to come home and save the state. Ren Pa agrees. But the chancellor Kaku Kai (Guo Kai) falsifies the report to make him look too old to serve, and the new king turns him down. He has not returned to Zhao.
Rin Shou Jo (Lin Xiangru)
Rin Shou Jo was Ren Pa’s best friend and, in Ri Boku’s words, a great general blessed with both intellect and courage. He was weak at personal combat, so ten warrior-generals fought for him: the Rin family’s Ten Heroes, including Gyou’un and Chou Ga Ryuu. He was struck down by illness in his prime and died in bed. Most of his retainers then threw their lives away in suicidal battles in his honor. His story is told in flashback, with his full appearance around Ch. 541.
Chou Sha (Zhao She)
Chou Sha is the least developed of the six. He is shown and named alongside the other two old members (Ch. 108) and appears in later flashbacks, but the manga says little beyond the fact that he fought the old Six Great Generals. He is dead before the story begins.
The new Three Great Heavens
Hou Ken (Pang Nuan)
Hou Ken is the first of the new generation to appear (Ch. 108). He isn’t a real commander. He’s a “Bushin”, a martial artist obsessed with finding an “answer” through combat, and he relies on officers like Ri Boku to run his army.
He is behind some of the biggest deaths in the series. Years before the story, he killed Kyou of the Six Great Generals. At the Battle of Bayou he fights Ou Ki again, and Ou Ki dies in that battle (Ch. 172). He kills Duke Hyou during the Coalition War. His run ends on the 15th day of the Battle at Shukai Plains, when Shin kills him (Ch. 628). In his last moments he finally remembers his parents.
Ri Boku (Li Mu)
Ri Boku is the other half of the new generation from the start. His first full appearance is Ch. 135, and he makes his name at Bayou by out-maneuvering Ou Ki. Since then he has been Qin’s greatest obstacle:
- Organizes the Coalition Army against Qin, and loses his post as Zhao’s prime minister after it fails.
- Commands Zhao’s defense when Qin invades the Gyou region, then is arrested on King Tou Jou’s orders while the campaign is still going. He is released later.
- His forces kill Kan Ki of the Six Great Generals at Hika (Ch. 752).
- Wins at Hango with Shiba Shou, nearly wiping out Ou Sen’s army (Hango arc, Ch. 769–799).
As of September 2026, Ri Boku is alive and leading the defense of Kantan in the Great Qin–Zhao War arc.
Shiba Shou (Sima Shang)
Shiba Shou is the lord of Seika City in eastern Zhao. Ri Boku recommended him for the vacant seat, but he turned King Tou Jou down, using illness as an excuse. The real reason was his disgust with the king and the corrupt court.
Under the next king, Yuu Boku, he accepted. He was appointed between the Battle of Gian (Hika) and the Battle of Hango, filling the seat Hou Ken left open. He is only glimpsed in Ch. 502 and makes his full appearance as the newest Great Heaven in Ch. 771. Unlike Ri Boku, he fights on the front line himself: at Hango he cuts down Duke Da Rin with one blow (Ch. 781) and drives straight at Ou Sen’s headquarters.
Three Great Heavens vs Six Great Generals
| Zhao’s Three Great Heavens | Qin’s Six Great Generals | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | Three | Six |
| What the title gives | Prestige and the Great Heaven flag | The right to wage war freely, without court approval |
| First generation | Ren Pa, Rin Shou Jo, Chou Sha | Haku Ki, Ou Ki, Kyou, Ou Kotsu, Ko Shou, Shiba Saku |
| Second generation | Ri Boku, Hou Ken, Shiba Shou | Mou Bu, Tou, Ou Sen, Yo Tan Wa, Kan Ki (sixth seat left empty) |
| Main weakness | Bad relations with Zhao’s kings | Loyalty to Ei Sei isn’t assumed |
| Losses to the rival side | Hou Ken (killed by Shin) | Kyou (by Hou Ken), Ou Ki (at Bayou), Kan Ki (by Ri Boku’s forces) |
The two titles mirror each other, and many of the story’s biggest clashes pair them up: Ou Ki vs Hou Ken, Kan Ki vs Ri Boku, Ou Sen vs Ri Boku and Shiba Shou. For the Qin side in detail, see our Six Great Generals guide.
What history says (spoilers)
Historical spoiler warning. The title “Three Great Heavens” was invented by Yasuhisa Hara, just like the Six Great Generals. But all six members are real people from the Records of the Grand Historian (史記, Shiji), mainly chapter 81 (the biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, which also covers Zhao She and Li Mu) and chapter 43 (the House of Zhao).
| Kingdom name | Historical record | How they left the stage |
|---|---|---|
| Ren Pa (Lian Po) | Zhao’s great general; commanded at Changping until he was replaced | Fled Zhao for Wei, then Chu; died in Shouchun, Chu |
| Rin Shou Jo (Lin Xiangru) | Mainly a statesman and diplomat, not a field general | Gravely ill by 260 BC; death date not recorded |
| Chou Sha (Zhao She) | Beat Qin at Yuyu (c. 270 BC); father of Zhao Kuo, who lost at Changping | Already dead by the Battle of Changping (260 BC) |
| Ri Boku (Li Mu) | Beat the Xiongnu and Qin | Executed in 229 BC after Guo Kai, bribed by Qin, accused him of plotting a revolt |
| Hou Ken (Pang Nuan) | Captured Yan’s general Ju Xin; led a multi-state army against Qin (241 BC) | Death not recorded |
| Shiba Shou (Sima Shang) | Defended Zhao alongside Li Mu against Wang Jian (229 BC) | Dismissed, not executed; no later record |
Two things stand out. First, Rin Shou Jo is the manga’s biggest reinvention. The real Lin Xiangru is famous for bringing the He jade back to Zhao intact and for his friendship with Lian Po, not for battlefield command. Second, Guo Kai is the villain of both generations. The Shiji says he bribed the envoy who reported that the aged Lian Po was unfit, which kept Lian Po from coming home. The manga’s version of that episode follows the record closely.
Is Ri Boku (Li Mu) going to die?
If the manga follows history, yes. The story is now in 229 BC, the year Li Mu dies. According to the Shiji (chapters 43 and 81), Qin paid Guo Kai, the Zhao king’s favorite, to claim that Li Mu and Sima Shang were planning a revolt. The king sent Zhao Cong and the Qi general Yan Ju to replace them. Li Mu refused the order, was seized and beheaded. Sima Shang was only dismissed. Three months later, Wang Jian (Ou Sen) crushed the Zhao army, killed Zhao Cong and captured the king. Handan fell in 228 BC.
Kingdom has changed history before, so nothing is guaranteed. For the other characters’ real fates, see our Kingdom real history guide.
Common misconceptions
- “The Three Great Heavens were a real Zhao office.” No. The title is fiction; the people are real.
- “There are always three.” No. After the old generation, the seats sat empty for years (Ch. 108). After Hou Ken’s death, Ri Boku held the title alone until Shiba Shou was appointed.
- “All the old members are dead.” No. Ren Pa is alive in Chu; the manga has never shown his death.
- “Ri Boku is already dead in the manga.” No. As of September 2026 he is alive and defending Kantan.
FAQ
Who are the Three Great Heavens in Kingdom?
The old Three Great Heavens were Ren Pa, Rin Shou Jo and Chou Sha. The new generation is Ri Boku, Hou Ken and Shiba Shou. Hou Ken was killed by Shin (Ch. 628), and Shiba Shou later took the open seat.
Were the Three Great Heavens real?
The title was invented by Yasuhisa Hara, like Qin’s Six Great Generals. All six members are real people recorded in Sima Qian’s Shiji, mainly chapters 81 and 43.
Is Ren Pa still alive in Kingdom?
Yes. After being stripped of his rank in Zhao he served Wei, was exiled after losing Sanyou, and now lives in Chu. In history, Lian Po died in Shouchun, Chu.
Does Ri Boku die in Kingdom?
Not yet. As of September 2026 he is alive and defending Handan. Historically, Li Mu was executed in 229 BC after Qin bribed Guo Kai to accuse him of treason, and Handan fell in 228 BC.
What happened to Shiba Shou (Sima Shang) in history?
The Shiji says he fought beside Li Mu against Wang Jian in 229 BC. When Li Mu was executed, Sima Shang was dismissed rather than killed, and nothing more is recorded about him.
More Kingdom guides
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Kingdom Real History: What Happened to Every GeneralIs Kingdom based on real history? What the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) say about Shin (Li Xin), Ou Sen, Ri Boku, Kan Ki, Ryo Fui and more, with the 230–221 BC unification timeline. Spoiler-marked.
Kingdom Six Great Generals: Old vs New MembersAll of Kingdom's Six Great Generals: King Shou's original six, Ei Sei's new members, the empty sixth seat, the right to wage war and the real history.
Kingdom Manga Battles & Arcs in Order: Every War & WinnerEvery major Kingdom manga battle in story order: year, enemy state, winner, chapters, Qin commander, anime season and what the Shiji says. Updated to Ch. 845+.
Kingdom Military Ranks Explained: 100-Man to Great GeneralAll Kingdom military ranks in order, from 5-man squad leader to Great General, with Japanese readings, Shin's promotions by chapter, and 5,000-man vs general.
This guide is the English edition of a BuzzBeaver article originally written in Japanese: 日本語版を読む. Facts are checked against the official manga and anime; fan theories are labeled as such.