Hoodoo Gurus

Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner (songwriter, lead singer and guitarist) and later joined by Richard Grossman (bass), Mark Kingsmill (drums), and Brad Shepherd (guitar, vocals, harmonica). Their popularity peaked in the mid- to late 1980s with albums Mars Needs Guitars!, Blow Your Cool! and Magnum Cum Louder.

Hoodoo Gurus had a string of pop-rock singles including "Leilani" (1982), "Tojo" (1983), "My Girl" (1983), "I Want You Back" (1984), "Bittersweet", "Like Wow – Wipeout", and "What's My Scene?". After touring the United States from 1984 onward they gained popularity on the U.S. college rock circuit with the singles "Come Anytime" (1989) reaching no. 1 and "Miss Freelove '69" (1991) reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The Hoodoo Gurus' biggest Australian single was their 1987 top-3 song "What's My Scene?". The song was parodied for the National Rugby League 2000s theme "That's My Team".

The Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the Australia's 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. The band's induction announcement stated that the Gurus were one of the most "inventive, lyrically smart and exciting" bands from Australia. From 1960s power pop and garage punk to hard rock and funky psychedelic kitsch, the group's music stood out from Sydney's Detroit-inspired bands.

## History

### First beginnings

Originally formed under the Hoodoo Gurus name in Perth late 1970's. Original lineup was Dave Faulkner (vocals and guitar), Mark Hayward (drums), Brad Clarke (guitar), Paul Blacbie (bass). They had about 14 songs ready to go, then a fall-out between Faulkner and Clarke split the band. Faulkner moved on to join the Manikins for a short while before moving to Sydney and re-forming a new Hoodoo Gurus lineup there.

### 1981–1983: Formation

Three Hoodoo Gurus founders were from Perth protopunk and punk bands: Dave Faulkner (guitars) was a former member of the legendary Manikins left after a fallout with frontman Robbie Porritt. James Baker (drums) of The Victims; while Baker had been with Roddy Radalj (aka Roddy Ray'Da) (guitars) in The Scientists. The fourth founding member, Kimble Rendall (guitars) was formerly in Sydney punk rockers XL Capris. The three guitarists Faulkner, Rendall and Radalj met at an end-of-1980 New Year's Eve party and were joined by Baker to form Le Hoodoo Gurus.

Le Hoodoo Gurus unorthodox line-up of three guitars and no bass player, fused pop melodies, punk guitars and an American trash culture ethic. This was captured on their first single, "Leilani", released in October 1982, on Phantom Records. This told the story of a maiden sacrificed to the gods and an erupting volcano while her true love looked on helplessly. They dropped the 'Le', to become Hoodoo Gurus, not long after the single's release. As the Hoodoo Gurus, they gave their first ever performance on a segment of the kids' TV program Simon Townsend's Wonder World; this was followed by a performance alongside a man and his singing dog, on The Don Lane Show.

Rendall left in 1982 before the release of "Leilani", and went on to become a music video and film director. Rendall was second unit director on the latter two Matrix films, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, as well as I, Robot. Rendall also directed the slasher film, Cut in 2000. Rendall was effectively replaced by Clyde Bramley (bass guitar, backing vocals) from Sydney bands The Hitmen and Super K.

Radalj was not happy with Rendall's leaving or Faulkner's greater influence and left the Gurus. He was replaced by ex-Fun Things guitarist Brad Shepherd, who had been Bramley's flatmate. Bramley and Shepherd had both been in The Hitmen and Super K. Faulkner wrote "I Want You Back" in response to Radalj's public dissatisfaction with the Gurus. Radalj went on to perform with a number of other acts, including The Johnnys, Love Rodeo, The Dubrovniks and Roddy Ray'Da & the Surfin' Caesars. As Roddy Ray'Da, he released Lost, Lonely and Vicious in 1990, Orgazmatazz a year later and Mouthful of Chicken in 1993.

### 1983–1984: Stoneage Romeos

Gurus new line-up (Baker, Bramley, Faulkner and Shepherd) recorded the band's first album in 1984, Stoneage Romeos. The title came from a 1955 Three Stooges short Stone Age Romeos. The album was dedicated to characters from Get Smart, F-Troop and Petticoat Junction. They were awarded 'Best Debut Album' of 1984 at the July 1985 Countdown Music Awards. When Stoneage Romeos was released in America it stayed at number 1 in the Alternative/College charts for seven weeks, becoming one of the most played albums for the year on the college network.

Initially a cult inner-city act, their popularity expanded due to regular airplay on radio station Triple J and nationwide pop TV show Countdown from mid-1983. Their breakthrough single "My Girl" was accompanied by a video clip featuring a dog trainer with his once champion greyhound. Members of Spiderbait described seeing the video for the first time as "a beautiful, classic pop song". Some viewers insisted the song was "written about a dog". This was closely followed by "I Want You Back", which featured animated plastic model dinosaurs. Both videos were aired frequently raising the group's profile around the country.

Original drummer James Baker was sacked from the band in August 1984 and was replaced by Mark Kingsmill (The Hitmen, New Christs, Screaming Tribesmen, Hellcats and Super K). Based on the success of Stoneage Romeos the Hoodoo Gurus, with their new drummer, then embarked on their first tour of the United States in late 1984.

### 1985–1993: From Mars to Kinky

Following the US tour the Hoodoo Gurus went into the studio and recorded their second album, Mars Needs Guitars! (1985). The title was a twist on a Sci Fi B movie titled Mars Needs Women. The album's first single, "Bittersweet", had a more subdued regular-looking video. The Hoodoo Gurus played Europe and the United States including sell-out shows at London's Hammersmith Palais and a two-month tour as special guests with The Bangles.

Baker's firing upset some fans and critics. Despite subsequent fan speculation about the single "Poison Pen”, songwriter Faulkner said it was not about band issues but rather about a relationship that had turned bitter. Baker had been involved with The Beasts of Bourbon as a side project from 1983 and now concentrated on their 1984 album The Axeman's Jazz, subsequently he founded James Baker Experience and The Dubrovniks (latter two included Radalj), Novakill and eventually The Painkillers.

Gurus' peak of popularity was in the mid-to-late 1980s with the albums Mars Needs Guitars!, Blow Your Cool! and Magnum Cum Louder. The albums reached no. 140 (1986), no. 120 (1987) and no. 101 (1989) on the American Billboard 200 album charts respectively. The band's 1987 'Blow Your Cool' concert tour took them to 19 countries playing 204 venues. A concert from the Ritz in New York City was broadcast by MTV America. The 'Magnum Cum Louder' tour in 1990, with dates in Europe, America and Australasia; included Japan for the first time. Based on their extensive touring of America, the band gained a solid following in the U.S. with regular exposure on US college radio (and later MTV's 120 Minutes) and even developed a big fan base in Brazil. The third album Blow Your Cool! let go of some of the peripheral quirkiness and just concentrated on the band's pop power. Members of their international peer group The Bangles and Dream Syndicate contributed backing vocals to some songs. Then, Hoodoo Gurus decided to opt out of its record contract, tying up the group in legal wranglings for more than a year. In 1988 Richard Grossman (ex Matt Finish, Divinyls) replaced Clyde Bramley on bass. The most stable line-up of Faulkner, Grossman, Kingsmill, and Shepherd saw Hoodoo Gurus from 1988 to the break-up in January 1998.

After two albums under their new contract, Magnum Cum Louder and 1991's Kinky, which reached no. 101 and 172 on the American Billboard 200 album charts respectively the band then released in 1992 two compilations at once, Electric Soup, which contained the band's hits and Gorilla Biscuit, which was made up of B-sides and rarities.

Kinky provided the single "Miss Freelove '69" which reached no. 19 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and no. 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1991. Another single of the same year "1000 Miles Away" reached no. 37 in Australia. It was adopted by the crew of Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Canberra as its unofficial anthem in 1993, playing it whenever its ships left port. Hoodoo Gurus played a concert, including "1000 Miles Away", on-board HMAS Canberra during its last voyage prior to decommissioning in 2005.

### Crank through to the Bullet (1994–1998)

They followed Kinky with Crank in 1994. The 'Crank' world tour took the Gurus through USA, Canada, Europe and included a one-month tour of Brazil. Faulkner also composed the soundtrack to Laurie McInnes' 1994 feature film Broken Highway. In 1995, the Gurus collaborated with The Masters Apprentices frontman Jim Keays on an updated rendition of "Turn Up Your Radio". The song was included on a new Masters' Best of album, as well as being issued as a single.

In 1996 they moved to Mushroom Records for the release of their next album, Blue Cave. The band then undertook a national tour of Australian tour with US outfit The Posies and local band Drop City. Touring commitments were curtailed when Kingsmill severed tendons and nerves in his arm as a result of an onstage accident. Once Kingsmill recovered, the Gurus completed their 'Circus Maximus' Australian tour by end of 1996. In January 1997, Faulkner announced that the band would be breaking up in December. March saw the Gurus undertake another tour of Brazil, where they played a concert in front of 40,000 people. The Gurus commenced their final Australian tour, the three-month 'Spit the Dummy' tour, in October 1997. The tour coincided with the release of the double compilation album Armchair Gurus/Electric Chair, which made no. 29 on the national chart. The band played its final show in Melbourne on 11 January 1998. The show made up for dates missed during December 1997, when Faulkner was ill.

In November 1998 Mushroom issued the Hoodoo Gurus' live album, Bite the Bullet. The songs had been recorded during the band's 'Spit the Dummy' farewell tour. The standard, single album version was joined by a limited edition, triple CD version subtitled Director’s Cut. It included the additional CDs, Doppelgänger (a collection of live-to-air Broadcasts from between 1983 and 1996) and Bubble and Squeak (a collection of outtakes and oddities).<ref>

Hoodoo Gurus toured during 2007 including several US dates, kicking off at the South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, Texas (see SXSW photo above), performances in Europe, including the Azkena Festival (Spain). This was followed by a national tour of Australia called 'Clash of the Titans' with The Stems and Radio Birdman. Their tour poster depicts the three bands as 'Heavyweights' of the Australian music scene. Another solo tour started late in 2007 (including performances at the Apollo Bay Music Festival, Splendour in the Grass, Meredith Music Festival, and the St Kilda Festival) and continued into 2008. There are tentative plans to release a new album in 2009, although little material has been written so far. In June 2008 The Age newspaper commemorated 50 years of Australian rock 'n' roll (the anniversary of the release of Johnny O'Keefe's "Wild One") by selecting the Top 50 Australian Albums, with Stoneage Romeo coming in at no. 5 on the list. The Hoodoo Gurus performed at the Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom on 29 June 2008.

Hoodoo Gurus performed on 14 March 2009 for Sound Relief at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Sound Relief was a benefit concert for victims of the Victorian Bushfire Crisis and the Queensland Floods. Appearing with Hoodoo Gurus at the Sydney concert were, Coldplay, Eskimo Joe, Icehouse, Jet, Josh Pyke, Little Birdy, The Presets, Wolfmother, You Am I and additional artists.

In March 2009 the Hoodoo Gurus also signed a new recording contract with Sony Music Australia, the deal includes the band's back catalogue as well as a new album, the band's ninth and the first since the release of Mach Schau in 2004. Brad Shepherd said it had the potential to be "a career defining record". During the process of writing the album Dave Faulkner said in reference to the eclectic mix of songs ready for the album that "rather than stopping myself writing something, I just didn't artificially force myself to write in any direction". The album was originally scheduled for release in September 2009 but they were not happy with the final mix.

> We weren't really satisfied with the studio we were in and a whole lot of things, so we had to pull the plug on that and then rethink. We just had to eat the expense, you know, we had to give them a week's cancellation (fee).

Hoodoo Gurus then sent their songs off to Durango, Colorado, where Ed Stasium, who worked on the band's previous albums Kinky and Crank worked with Faulkner. Faulkner flew to the US after Hoodoo Gurus performed in Japan, their first performances there in over 20 years.

In August 2009 it was revealed that Shepherd had been diagnosed with cancer and was recovering from recent surgery. It was his second cancer diagnosis, having had a melanoma removed five years earlier.

The first single from their new album, "Crackin' Up", was released in December 2009 and received some airplay on Australian radio stations. The album, Purity of Essence, was released on 16 March 2010 in Australia and internationally on 11 May 2010.

On 3 October 2010, Hoodoo Gurus toured to London, UK, performing at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire.

In 2011, they were inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.

In April 2012 the band played a series of concerts titled Dig it Up! in Australian capital cities, to celebrate 30 years since the release of their debut single "Leilani". At the concerts, the band performed the whole of their debut album Stoneage Romeos and other hits. Also playing as part of the Dig It Up! tour were Australian bands Died Pretty and The Hard Ons, as well as international bands such as Redd Kross, The Sonics and The Fleshtones.

### 2013–present: Continued performances and Chariot of the Gods

In April 2013, the band hosted invitational concerts across the Australian capital cities, performing Mars Needs Guitars, and will be joined by Blue Öyster Cult, Flamin' Groovies, Buzzcocks, and Peter Case.

2014 saw the release of Gravy Train, an EP featuring three new songs and a remake of their first single "Leilani".

In January 2015, it was announced that Kingsmill would be retiring from the band. His last performances were on 22 and 23 May 2015, at the "Be My Guru – Evolution Revolution" concerts at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum, performed as the opening to the city's annual Vivid Festival. The concerts reunited all eight past and present band members for a two-hour set covering their beginnings as Le Hoodoo Gurus in 1982 all the way through to 2010's Purity of Essence.

The band headlined the 'A Day on the Green' concert series in March 2016, with Sunnyboys, Violent Femmes, Died Pretty, and Ratcat.

In early 2018, the group announced a vinyl reissue campaign called the Hoodoo Gurus Record Club, entailing the reissue on coloured vinyl of their back catalogue up to Purity of Essence, which also included the album the group recorded as the Persian Rugs in 2000. The first release through the campaign was Stoneage Romeos on 1 June 2018, with a general public release on 7 September.

On 26 May 2018, the group held a benefit concert for the Tatra bushfire with artists The Badloves, 1927 and local talents Daniel Champagne, Corey Legge, The Figmentz, Erin McMahon, and Melanie Horsnell. The 'Band Together' concert sold out and ticket sales helped raise over half of the \$250,000 target towards helping residents affected by the bushfire in March 2018.

> We all saw the terrible fires and what they did to people's lives. We are people with empathy and wanted to do what we could.

`On 13 January 2019, Hoodoo Gurus headlined the 'Under the Southern Stars' concert tour of five states starting off at Hastings, Victoria, with performances in Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia scheduled throughout January. Appearing with Hoodoo Gurus at the Hastings concert were Eskimo Joe, You Am I, The Superjesus, British India, The Getaway Plan and Scott Darlow.`

In July 2020, the band released the single "Hung Out to Dry". The song features on the vinyl version of the Gurus' tenth studio album, Chariot of the Gods, released in March 2022.

## Members

Current members

- Dave Faulkner – vocals, guitar, keyboards (1980–1998, 2003–present)
- Brad Shepherd – guitar, vocals, harmonica (1982–1998, 2003–present)
- Richard Grossman – bass guitar, backing vocals (1988–1998, 2003–present)
- Nik Rieth – drums (2015–present)

Former members

- James Baker – drums (1981–1984, 2014)
- Roddy Radalj – guitar, backing vocals (1981–1982, 2014)
- Kimble Rendall – bass guitar, backing vocals (1981–1982, 2014)
- Clyde Bramley – bass guitar, backing vocals (1982–1988, 2014)
- Mark Kingsmill – drums (1984–1998, 2003–2015)

### Timeline

## Discography

### Studio albums

- 1984: Stoneage Romeos
- 1985: Mars Needs Guitars!
- 1987: Blow Your Cool!
- 1989: Magnum Cum Louder
- 1991: Kinky
- 1994: Crank
- 1996: Blue Cave
- 2004: Mach Schau
- 2010: Purity of Essence
- 2022: Chariot of the Gods

## Awards and nominations

### ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Rowe was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

\|- \| 1993 \| Electric Soup / Gorilla Biscuit – Paul McNeil, Richard All \| Best Cover Art \| \|- \| rowspan="2" \| 1996 \| "Waking Up Tired" (dir. John Witteron) \| Best Video \| \|- \| Blue Cave \| Best Pop Release \| \|- \| 1997 \| "Down on Me" – Charles Fisher \| Producer of the Year \| \|- \| 2005 \| Tunnel Vision \| Best Music DVD \| \|- \| 2007 \| Hoodoo Gurus \| ARIA Hall of Fame \| \|-

### The Age EG Awards

The Age EG Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005.

\|- \| 2011 \|\| Hoodoo Gurus \|\| Hall of Fame \|\| \|-

### Countdown Australian Music Awards

Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards.

\|- \| 1983 \| Charles Fisher for work with Hoodoo Gurus \| Best Record Producer \| \|- \| rowspan="2" \|1984 \| Stoneage Romeos \| Best Debut Album \| \|-

Australian rock band formed in 1981


Dynasty Warriors 4

Dynasty Warriors 4 (真・三國無双3, Shin Sangokumusō 3, Shin Sangokumusou 3 in Japan) is a hack and slash video game and the fourth installment in the Dynasty Warriors series. Dynasty Warriors 4 was developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game is available on PlayStation 2 (PS2) and Xbox and is based on a series of books called Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong. As the series has progressed, it has strayed further from the actual plot of Romance of the Three Kingdoms but instead has given the user more input on how the storyline progresses. When it was released in Japan as Shin Sangokumusou 3, it topped the sales charts, sold over one million copies within nine days, and received an average of 78 out of 100 on Metacritics reviews.

Originally released on the PS2 in March 2003, it was later ported to the Xbox in September of the same year and, in 2005, ported to the PC under the name Dynasty Warriors 4 Hyper. Two expansions were released for the PS2 version of the game, Xtreme Legends and Empires. Whereas Xtreme Legends requires the player to use the original Dynasty Warriors 4 disc to access all of its features, Empires is a stand-alone game that can be played without the original disk. The game is the first in the Dynasty Warriors series to introduce an Empires expansion pack and the second to include an Xtreme Legends title. These expansions are not available for the Xbox version of the game.

## Gameplay

Dynasty Warriors 4 expands on its predecessors by adding new characters, new modes of play and a completely new 'Edit Mode.' Instead of having strict routines to follow during battle, officers, to some extent, will have a greater reaction to the events taking place on the battlefield in the game and may react to things more often.

The aim of most of the stages in Dynasty Warriors 4 is to defeat the enemy commander. The player must make their way through the stage, defeating enemy officers and troops while trying to keep their own commander alive. Some stages have secondary objectives for the player to complete to make the stage easier, unlock new features, or help in later stages. Each playable character has their own unique weapon and individual superhuman abilities. The scope of each stage allows for each side to have thousands of soldiers in the battlefield. The game uses a fairly simple combination system so that players can chain attacks together; the highest possible attack combo being 10. New character designs and attack moves are also updated, leaving more damage and raising your characters skill up more easily.

Playable starting officers include Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu for the Shu Kingdom; Xiahou Dun, Cao Cao, Xiahou Yuan for the Wei Kingdom; and Sun Shang Xiang, Huang Gai, and Sun Jian for the Wu Kingdom. It is possible to unlock new characters from other kingdoms as well as use a player created character in any of the campaigns. The new 'Edit Mode' allows players to create an officer from sets of different features, motions, and weapons to use in 'Kaiba Mode.' The characters stance and motion are affected by their gender and the weapon the player has selected them to carry and use. The motions for the weapons are taken from pre-existing officers as well as from two characters removed from Dynasty Warriors 4 that were in Dynasty Warriors 3: Fu Xi and Nu Wa. Some characters are unlocked by fulfilling optional side-goals; most are unlocked by completing certain battles during gameplay. The maximum number of playable characters is 42, 46 with created characters.

Each playable character in the game has the ability to equip items. Weapons in the game, unlike its predecessors, are gained in levels. Some items are only found in certain stages, but is only obtainable if completing a goal. Sometimes the goal may be very simple, but some may be not that easy to figure out how to obtain the certain item. By defeating generals and lieutenants, the player's character is awarded experience scaled by the difficulty of each officer, and the amount of them defeated. This experience is allocated at the end of the level and allows the player to increase their attributes or obtain new forms. Each playable officer has 9 levels to achieve with their standard weapon, while a 10th level is accessible through special in-game requirements, and on the "Hard" difficulty, which is found to be frustrating like most games, the harder the difficulty the more eager you gain. Items can have a number of effects on the player such as increasing attack power, defense, and movement speed. You can also retrieve your health level to avoid getting killed and having "Game Over" by obtaining "Chinese Meatbuns" that at first, look like onions like in any other game in the so far successful Dynasty Warriors franchise. You can also obtain item boost that increase a certain skill by 2 for limited time only. You can also get packs of wine and packs of Chinese Meatbuns in certain stages in certain locations during gameplay. As said above, special items can also be unlocked by completing objectives during gameplay. Special items can grant the player a statistics boost, a unique ability or skill, or even a ride-able mount such as an Elephant or Horse.

'Musou Mode,' the main campaign mode, has separate campaigns for each kingdom rather than a separate 'Musou Mode' for each character, as was featured in Dynasty Warriors 3, which made it more frustrating for the player to unlock their favorite characters. So, Dynasty Warriors 4 Mosou Modes are easier for the player to unlock their favorite characters. While the storyline is still linear, 'Musou Mode' is rather open-ended in the sense that depending on the user's actions, different events will occur, such as unlocking new characters for use or new kingdoms. The unlockable kingdoms in the game include the Wu, Shu, and Wei Kingdoms, and unlockable characters include warlords who were defeated in the book that the game series is based on, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In-game features include large battlefields, a large number of enemies and officers to defeat, and multiple outcomes for each stage. Certain levels make use of the siege engine (A new feature to the series) and introduce specialized siege equipment such as bridge layers, battering rams and catapults to the stage. Although it is not essential for the completion of stages, having a siege weapon will increase morale for the player's forces, and help the player succeed.

The morale system in the game is similar to previous Dynasty Warrior games. Morale is increased and decreased by performing a number of positive actions for the player's army. Action that produce this effect include defeating enemies in multiples of fifty, defeating enemy officers, and completing special events such as ambushes, siege attacks, and finding enemy strongholds. Morale in the game has a strong effect on the player's forces, determining their strength and speed, as well as their ability to perform Berwald attacks. Morale will also affect how the CPU characters move along through battle. Example: Ally Oxenstiernas are winning. They are more likely to charge the enemy and destroy the enemies in the path. They may or may not stop if the charging armies morale drops to losing. More chances they'll stop and stay where they are, or they'll flee back to the ally side of the battlefield.

Occasionally, when the player confronts an enemy officer, the officer will challenge them to a one-on-one duel. If the player accepts, they will be transported to a small arena away from the main battlefield where a one-on-one fight with the officer will take place until either is victorious or time runs out. If the player declines, your morale will drop. If the player wins, their morale will rise and the enemy officer will be removed from the battlefield. If you accept the officers challenge they do become more difficult to beat in the duel.

## Plot

### Setting

Dynasty Warriors 4 is set in Ancient China during the time of the Three Kingdoms era. The game begins at the fall of the Han Dynasty, shortly before the death of Emperor Ling when the Yellow Turban Rebellion led by Zhang Jiao begun an uprising against the Empire. A number of elements in the game build on aspects of Chinese Mythology and there is a mix between fact and fiction as the game is built on the story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Many of the locations, characters, and events in Dynasty Warriors 4 are reported to have happened in Chinese history although many have been exaggerated to make the game more appealing to the player. There are also some features that are historically inaccurate. The game features environments resembling that of ancient China and various items from the era. Common items throughout the game include Fairy Wine and Dim Sum's.

### Stages

Many of the stages are recreations of notable battles present historically or from the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, while original creations became more common with the newer installments. Of course, the battlefields are not exact reproductions of the original locations, as newer establishments, buildings and other facilities have been built on top of them. For example, He Fei, a key site in both the game and in the historical context, has been developed and expanded into an urbanised area, making an exact replication impossible. Instead, levels are designed to be vaguely accurate, focusing more on expression of mood and effects; these are not re-used in every game, but are instead updated in every Dynasty Warriors game, save the games' extension packages - in this case, Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends and Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires

### Characters

- Denotes new characters to the series

- Denotes new characters to the series

Bold denotes default characters
Note: Fu Xi and Nü Wa were removed in DW4

### Story

Although Dynasty Warriors 4 does allow for some player input into how the story unfolds, the three main kingdoms' 'Musou Modes' follow the main events of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story.

#### Han and Allied Forces Story

In 184 AD, with the corruption and poverty within the Han dynasty, Zhang Jiao and a religious sect known as the Way of Peace start a rebellion within China, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers. In response to this threat, Regent Marshal He Jin gathers generals from across the land to combat the "Yellow Turban Rebellion". Among the volunteers for the Han Forces are Cao Cao of Chang'an, Sun Jian of Jianye, and Liu Bei. The Han forces are able to destroy Zhang Liang, who is laying siege to Huangfu Song at Xiapi Castle. They proceed to drive Zhang Bao out of his fortress at He Nan Yin and the whole Han army triumphs over Zhang Jiao himself in Ji Province (If Zhang Jiao withdraws from the battle, one of the forces, either Wei, Wu, or Shu, will defeat Zhang Jiao and Zhang Lu in Hanzhong).

With Zhang Jiao and his followers dead, it is Dong Zhuo who seizes power within the Imperial Court. Followed by Lu Bu and Diaochan, he enslaves Emperor Xian and makes himself regent in place of the deceased He Jin. In 190 AD, the powerful nobleman Yuan Shao rallies an army of warriors from across the land, including Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Liu Bei, Gongsun Zan, and many fresh warriors. These forces defeat Li Jue and Hua Xiong at Si Shui Gate and, at Hulao Gate a year later, they defeat Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu; Dong Zhuo survives, and burns down Luoyang.

### Shu Story

After defeating Dong Zhuo, Liu Bei and his sworn brothers Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are forced to wander the land in search of a home. Since the people love Liu Bei, Cao Cao sets out to destroy him. In 200 AD, Guan Yu returns to Liu Bei after an escape ("Tales"), making it through many gates to ships on the river. At Ru Nan ("Tales"), Liu Bei is rejoined by Guan Yu and is now followed by Zhao Yun, who saves him from advancing infantry. Cao Cao is defeated, but Liu Bei must continue wandering. In 208 AD, Liu Bei finds talent in a strategist known as Zhuge Liang, who agreed to follow him after Liu Bei visited him three times. Zhuge Liang proves his worth by defeating Cao Cao's army in a series of ambushes at the Battle of Bo Wan Po and Liu Bei successfully manages to flee to Sun Jian in Wu after the Battle of Changban, where Zhao Yun saved his son. Sun Jian agrees to assist Liu Bei in his goal of defeating Cao Cao, and Wu strategist Zhou Yu teams up with Zhuge Liang to execute a fire attack that destroyed Cao Cao's fleet at the Battle of Chi Bi.

After Chi Bi, Liu Bei focused on building up his kingdom. He took over Luo Castle from his cousin Liu Zhang after the people pleaded for his guidance (although he lost Pang Tong), and also unified Jing Province after defeating Han Xuan of Changsha, Liu Du of Lingling, Zhao Fan of Guiyang, and Jin Xuan of Wuling. He gained Huang Zhong and Wei Yan as officers after this battle, and his great army conquered the rest of Yi Province at Chengdu in 214 AD. Soon after, he assisted Ma Chao at the Battle of Tong Pass ("Tales") against Cao Cao, and gained him as a general after Chengdu.

Liu Bei then attacks either Wei or Wu, depending on if the fire attack at Chi Bi succeeds or not. Either Wei or Wu will be the final battle where you attack their capital; the battles are the same.

Liu Bei proceeds to campaign in the southlands to get rid of Wu's threat, as Wu had backed a Nanman rebellion by King Meng Huo. In Nanzhong, he systematically defeated Meng Huo for a total of seven times, as Zhuge Liang cleverly resisted the Nanman armor troops and also pacified the poison marshes. After taking down Meng Huo, Shu proceeded to capture Fan Castle from Wei's Cao Ren, and also defeated Wu reinforcements under Lu Meng and traitors under Mi Fang and Fu Shiren. The final battle with Wu was at the Battle of Yi Ling, where Liu Bei braved a Wu fire attack and defeated (if Wu falls first, kills) Sun Jian and his officers. If Wei has been defeated before Wu, Liu Bei proceeds to attack Jianye, and sees through Sun Jian's body double trickery and kills Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, and Sun Shangxiang.

He also attacks Wei in campaigns masterminded by Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang gains Jiang Wei as a general after isolating him and tricking Wei general Ma Zun into thinking that he was betraying him, in a clever ploy at the Battle of Tianshui ("Tales"). He proceeds to defeat the Wei after a failed prisoner exchange at the Battle of Mt. Dingjun and saves Ma Su from defeat at the Battle of Jieting. His final battle with Wei is at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains, where he fakes his death, only to ambush the Wei forces and defeat Sima Yi. If Wu has fallen before Wei, Shu will attack Xuchang, the co-capital of Wei, and take it, with Wei's officers fighting to the death.

Having united the land, Liu Bei will ride on a victory march with his generals, and enter the capital in a glorious procession.

### Wei Story

After Dong Zhuo's defeat, Cao Cao focuses on uniting the land. He is surrounded by enemies: Dong Zhuo's general Lu Bu has taken over all of Dong Zhuo's troops and taken Xiapi Castle; Zhang Xiu has rebelled in Wan Castle; to the north, Yuan Shao threatened to swallow the north whole. Cao Cao defeated Zhang Xiu at Wan Castle, with his guard Dian Wei holding foes back in the burning castle. Cao Cao, having escaped, defeats Lu Bu in alliance with Liu Bei at Xiapi in 198 AD, exterminating his army and gaining several officers. Cao Cao's final victory is at the Battle of Guandu in 200 AD, where he destroys Yuan Shao's army before he even arrives.

After defeating Yuan Shao, Cao Cao proceeds to fight against Liu Bei, who is wandering the land in search of a master. Xiahou Dun pursues and defeats Guan Yu, Liu Bei's brother, who is trying to escape to boats on the Huang He ("Tales"). In 208 AD, Cao Cao wins victories over Zhuge Liang's trickery at Bo Wan Po, defeats a fleeing Liu Bei at Changban, and stops a fire attack ploy by an allied fleet of Sun Jian and Liu Bei at Chi Bi.

Although his southern foes were still very alive, Cao Cao focused to the north to crush Ma Chao and his rebels at Tong Gate in 211 AD ("Tales"). He also chooses to defend against Lu Bu, who is terrorizing Xiapi, and in a fireattack, he ends Lu Bu's Offensive ("Tales"). Cao Cao's generals then destroy the army of the alive Dong Zhuo piecemeal at Ji Province ("Tales"), and he eradicates all of his foes. Cao Cao then chooses to go after Shu or Wu, depending on the result of the Chibi fire attack.

Cao Cao defends against Shu's attacks, with Xiahou Yuan defeating Huang Zhong at Mt. Dingjun in 218 AD after a failed prisoner exchange. Zhuge Liang then makes a new attempt to go north, appointing Ma Su as a subordinate, but Ma Su is encircled at Jieting in 229 AD and his army is decimated by Sima Yi, Cao Cao's strategist. Cao Cao and Sima Yi then defeat Zhuge Liang at the Wuzhang Plains in 234 AD, defeating (or killing, depending on order of conquest) Liu Bei. If Wu has fallen first, Cao Cao proceeds to attack the Shu capital of Chengdu. He gets Wei Yan to defect to his forces and the Wei army seizes both Luo Castle and Chengdu from the Shu forces, and Liu Bei and his peasant militias are killed.

Wei strikes back against Wu, who have attacked them at Fan Castle. Cao Ren successfully defends the fortifications against Lu Meng, who fails to lay siege layers against the walls. At Shiting in 228 AD, Cao Xiu narrowly survives a defection ploy by Zhou Fang, with aid from Sima Yi, who destroys Lu Xun's army. The final battle is at He Fei Castle, where the Wei general Zhang Liao defeats Sun Jian in a series of ambushes. If Shu has been defeated first, Wei will attack the capital at Jianye and every member of the Sun family is killed as the Three Kingdoms come to an end.

Cao Cao and his generals will then make a victory march into the capital, waved at by local peasants.

### Wu Story

Dong Zhuo's defeat has left him holed up in Luoyang, so Sun Jian and his army attack and defeat him in the city, finding the Imperial Seal in the process ("Tales"). Sun Jian then leads his army home, but finds out that Liu Biao has taken over Jing Province, Yan Baihu, Wang Lang, and Liu Yong have conquered the Wu Territory, and Liu Xun has allied with Yuan Shu. At Xiangyang in 192 AD, Sun Jian falls into a trap in the castle but survives and defeats the attackers. His generals also kill off many of Liu Biao's generals and defeat Yuan Shao's reinforcements, and Liu Biao is defeated after interrogating why he invaded Jing. His son Sun Ce continues his conquest, and proceeds to conquer the Wu Territory from the regional lords; Zhou Yu plans his campaign for the lands. With Wu secure, the Sun Family continues on to Mt. Xingshi, where they attack Jiangdong and defeat the armies of Liu Xun and Yuan Shu in 198 AD. If only Liu Xun has been defeated, Sun Jian and his family will participate in a unification of Jing Province, securing all of the cities from the forces of Liu Biao and the three Wu lords.

With their home base secured, Wu looked to external threats. Huang Zu, who had formerly supported Liu Biao, prepared a pirate fleet to attack. Nanman king Meng Huo had shown signs of revolt in the south. In the north, Cao Cao prepared an armada to invade the south. Sun Ce and Zhou Yu defeated Huang Zu with a naval fire attack at Xiakou and convinced Gan Ning to join them, and Zhou Yu inflicted a decisive defeat on Meng Huo's elephant troops in Nanman. To fix the problem with Cao Cao, Sun Jian allied with Liu Bei and defeated Cao Cao's fleet at Chi Bi.

After Chi Bi, Wu continued their conquests. Depending on the result of the fire attack, they will either attack Wei or Shu. Before either, the Wu defeat Dong Zhuo and Meng Huo's combined forces at Chang Jiang ("Tales").

The Wu secured Xiangyang, the Nan Territory, Jiangling, and Jing Province from Wei before Shu's Zhuge Liang could, and also defeated Meng Huo for a second (or third) time in the south. Their final battle against Shu is at Yiling, where they use a fire attack to force Liu Bei to retreat to Bai Di Castle, where he is then defeated (or killed). If Wei has fallen first, Wu will defeat the Shu at Chengdu and occupy the lands of Shu Han, killing their officers.

Wu then faces off with Wei, taking Fan Castle with siege engines. Lu Xun, a new strategists, then defeats Wei at Shiting with a defection ploy involving Zhou Fang. Their final victory at He Fei Castle gives them control of the region. If Shu has fallen first, the Wu will proceed to Xuchang and take it after a siege.

With the land in their hands, the Wu have a victory march into the capital city.

### Yuan Shao Story

Yuan Shao, having humbled the Yellow Turbans and the army of Dong Zhuo, proceeded to attack his rival Cao Cao. After defeating Cao Cao at Guan Du, Yuan Shao destroys Wei and kills all of their generals. With the tyrant dead, he focuses on defeating Liu Bei and Sun Jian. He fights two campaigns against them, defeating Sun Jian at Hefei and Liu Bei in Xiapi. The two heroes' deaths let him take control of the whole land.

### Nanman Story

The Nanman are absent from both the Yellow Turban Campaign and the War against Dong Zhuo. Instead, they are living peacefully in the south, but are defeated several times by Shu invaders. King Meng Huo is infuriated, but his wife Zhu Rong invigorates him to send them back to their lands and destroy them. After a single battle for Nanzhong, Meng Huo forces Zhuge Liang's army out of his home.

Meng Huo's army marches northwards to attack Liu Bei. However, his army is swept down the Changjiang and end up in the Kingdom of Wu, ruled by Sun Jian. The Nanman resolve to take Jianye from Wu, and Meng Huo kills every member of the Sun family in rapid succession. With Jianye down, Meng Huo proceeds to attack into Wei. He captures Xuchang and kills every Wei officer, although Sima Yi's efforts to launch an attack on the Nanman supply depot cause temporary chaos.

Meng Huo and his Nanman army then march on Chengdu, the Shu capital. The Nanman troops are held back from the bridges by Zhang Bao and Guan Suo, who hold the Nanman back to defend the legacy of their fathers (Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, respectively). Meng Huo kills the last of Shu's generals and conquers the land.

### Lu Bu Story

Lu Bu fights for Dong Zhuo at the Battle of Si Shui Gate, fighting off invaders that are supposed to depose him. Lu Bu then defeats the Coalition at Hu Lao Gate, but they are not done for yet. Also, he finds that Dong Zhuo is truly a monster, and starts a revolt in Wan Castle and cuts him down. Now in charge of Dong Zhuo's army, he defeats Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian in several campaigns, and takes over the land.

### Dong Zhuo Story

Dong Zhuo learns that the Coalition of Yuan Shao has finally started to attack, and he defeats them at Si Shui Gate and Hu Lao Gate. Afterwards, he defeats Lu Bu, who is trying to revolt against him, and defeats the rebels. His final act is to destroy Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian at Guandu, Xiapi, and Hefei. He rides into the capital on a victory march, taking over the land.

### Yellow Turban Story

Zhang Jiao, leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, finds out that the Han army has moved at last, and they are preparing to attack him. He defeats Sun Jian, Liu Bei, and Cao Cao in a series of campaigns at Hefei, Xiapi, and Guandu, respectively. He then defeats the Han at Xiapi Castle, held by Huangfu Song, and then defeats Zhu Jun at He Nan Yin. Finally, he defeats the Coalition (including Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu) in Ji Province, and the Han fall to his feet. His men enter the capital, as the Way of Peace have taken over the land.

## Development

Due to the success of Dynasty Warriors 3, Omega Force began development on the sequel, Dynasty Warriors 4, and its expansions. The fourth game in the series was the first to introduce an Empires expansion, but it wasn't designed by the same person who designed Dynasty Warriors 4, Tomohiko Sho. Although he was not the designer for all of the Dynasty Warriors games he was involved in the production for them, usually as the planner. Omega Force works under Koei as an internal development team and have mainly concentrated on the Dynasty Warriors series and the Samurai Warriors series. Similarities have been pointed out between the two series, such as the Xtreme Legends and Empires expansions, as well as a similar voice cast that has been used throughout a number of the games from each series. Repeated voices between games include Beau Billingslea, Steven Jay Blum and Richard Epcar.

### Audio

The Dynasty Warriors series has never used the musical style commonly made in the era that the games are set in. Dynasty Warriors 4 is no different and features a similar style of music to Dynasty Warriors 3, using a mix of rock, metal, and heavy metal with undertones of traditional Chinese music. However, this does not detract from the fact that there are a large number of varied tracks throughout the game. The ending song of the game, "Cross Colors," is performed by Yuki Koyanagi and the music was composed by Kazuhiro Hara. The song was performed in both Japanese and English by the same singer and was released for the US and Japanese versions of the game.

## Reception

Before its main release, Dynasty Warriors 4 was already looking promising after GameSpot UK's preview two months before the game was released. Although still very similar to previous titles in the series, the graphics engine had been tweaked and the gameplay been expanded, featuring more characters and stages.

After its release, it had high sales rates in Japan, selling over one million copies a short time after release. Its release in the US did not create as much hype as in Japan mainly because the market for the Dynasty Warriors series is smaller there, but it still sold fairly well and together with the Japanese sales, Dynasty Warriors 4 entered into the Greatest Hits charts. In its time Dynasty Warriors 4 has managed to become IGN's 5th best co-operative game on the PS2 as well. The game has sold 2.2 million copies. The game is criticized for being very similar to older games in the series and retaining some of the features such as the fogging and repetitive gameplay. Even with these drawbacks, Koei went on to release two expansions for Dynasty Warriors 4 Xtreme Legends and Dynasty Warriors 4 Empires. It had also been ported to the Xbox and to the PC as a Hyper edition. Armchair Empire commented that when there is a lot happening on screen at once, the game tended to slow down.

The English voice acting for the series, commonly criticized as being poor, has remained in DW4. The English voice-overs of Dynasty Warriors series uses straightforward English pronunciations for the romanized pinyin names of characters and locations. The results tend to leave errors in the dialogue, with incorrect English pronunciations of originally Chinese text.

## Versions and expansions

Dynasty Warriors 4 has had two expansions and a re-release. The first was Dynasty Warriors 4 Xtreme Legends and added new gameplay options and modes. The second was Dynasty Warriors 4 Empires, which added a strategy mode of gameplay to the original. It has also been re-released as Dynasty Warriors 4 Hyper (真・三國無双3ハイパー, Shin Sangokumusou 3 Hyper) in Japan. Hyper is a port of Dynasty Warriors 4 to Windows 2000/Windows XP.

### Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends

Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends (真・三國無双3 猛将伝, Shin Sangokumusou 3 Moushouden) is a PlayStation 2 Dynasty Warriors 4 expansion developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. This expansion was released in Europe and the United States on November 4, 2003. DW4XL, as it is sometimes abbreviated, has slightly improved weather effects and character reflections within the overall graphics.

The expansion adds new difficulty levels ('Beginner' and 'Expert') and new modes of play ('Arena Challenge' and 'Legend' modes). In 'Arena Challenge Mode,' the player can engage one-on-one duels against various opponents, where they'll be rewarded if they win. The new 'Legend Mode' elaborates on the individual prowess of each individual warrior within Dynasty Warriors. Individual weapons are given the availability to have an 11th evolved state, increasing the weapon's stats further. Due to the great emphasis in the duelling system in this expansion, it is at times seen as its own individual game - separate from the original Dynasty Warriors 4.

### Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires

Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires (真・三國無双3 Empires (Shin Sangokumusou 3 Empires) in Japan) is the second expansion of Dynasty Warriors 4, released exclusively for the PlayStation 2 on August 31, 2004, in the United States and Europe. The game adds a new strategy mode called 'Empire Mode' which is based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. However, the gameplay during attacking or defending against opposing forces is exactly the same as the original Dynasty Warriors 4. The main goal in Empire Mode is to conquer the land in order to beat the game, by invading and conquering all areas and territories of China. In addition, the Japanese voices were added into the PS2 version of Dynasty Warriors 4 Empires for the American version.

In 'Empire Mode,' the player can choose a ruler for their forces, along with two main generals. Three minor lieutenants can also be chosen for support. In battle, the capture of enemy officers is possible by lowering their morale and defeating them. If, at the end of the battle, the player is victorious, it is possible to hire the captured officer or, alternatively, release them. Before every battle, the player is given the choice of using 'Political Tactics,' such as increasing or decreasing time limit of battles or preventing enemy reinforcements from arriving during battles. The player can also secure alliances with other forces; these alliances can change how the game progresses, such as requesting reinforcements from the allied forces against opposing forces. However, these alliances only last for a set time decided by the tactic used. There's also an 'Archives Mode' that shows the motions and voices of the officers. A gallery of character artworks and game movies is also presented within the Archives Mode.

### Dynasty Warriors 4: Hyper

The PC version of the game hosts several exclusive features, such as improved graphics, higher resolution options, more characters onscreen, improved draw distance, optional Japanese dialogue, and improved enemy AI. However, it does not contain the additional content from Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends.

Multiplayer and single-player video games


Fostoria Glass Company

The Fostoria Glass Company was a manufacturer of pressed, blown and hand-molded glassware and tableware. It began operations in Fostoria, Ohio, on December 15, 1887, on land donated by the townspeople. The new company was formed by men from West Virginia who were experienced in the glassmaking business. They started their company in northwest Ohio to take advantage of newly discovered natural gas that was an ideal fuel for glassmaking. Numerous other businesses were also started in the area, and collectively they depleted the natural gas supply. Fuel shortages caused the company to move to Moundsville, West Virginia, in 1891.

After the move to Moundsville, the company achieved a national reputation. Fostoria was considered one of the top producers of elegant glass. It had over 1,000 patterns, including one (American) that was produced for over 75 years. Sample rooms were located in New York, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, and other large cities. The company advertised heavily, and one of its successes was sales through bridal registries. Fostoria products were made for several U.S. presidents. The company employed 1,000 people at its 1950 peak.

During the 1970s, foreign competition and changing preferences forced the company to make substantial investments in cost-saving automation technology. The changes were made too late, and the company's commercial division was losing money by 1980. The plant was closed permanently on February 28, 1986. Several companies continued making products using the Fostoria patterns, including the Dalzell-Viking Glass Company and Indiana Glass Company—both now closed.

## Background

In the last half of the 19th century, labor and fuel were the two largest expenses in U.S. glassmaking. People with the knowledge necessary to make glass were difficult to find. Management at Wheeling's J. H. Hobbs, Brockunier and Company had a policy of using skilled glassworkers from Europe, who would train the local employees—resulting in a superior workforce. In the 1860s, Wheeling, West Virginia, became a "hub for chemical and technological improvements to the composition of glass and the development of furnaces, molds, and presses" for making glass. By the end of the 1870s, the Hobbs glass works became the largest glass maker in the United States. One of the earliest places to which the Hobbs glass making talent spread was Bellaire, Ohio, located in Belmont County, across the river from Wheeling and Ohio County. Former employees of the Hobbs glass works became the talent that established many of the region's glass factories, and many became company presidents or plant managers.

Transportation resources were also important to the glass industry. Waterways provided an efficient and safe way to transport glass, especially before the construction of high-quality roads and the railroad system. As the railroad industry developed, it also became an important transportation resource. By 1880, almost all of the nation's top ten glass producing counties were located on a waterway. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, (which includes Pittsburgh) was the nation's leading glass producer based on value of production. Ohio's Belmont County and West Virginia's Ohio County, separated by the Ohio River, ranked 6th and 7th.

Since fuel was one of the top two expenses in glassmaking, manufacturers needed to monitor its availability and cost. Wood and coal had long been used as fuel for glassmaking. An alternative fuel, gas, became a desirable fuel for making glass because it is clean, gives a uniform heat, is easier to control, and melts the batch of ingredients faster. Gas furnaces for making glass were first used in Europe in 1861. In early 1886, a major discovery of natural gas occurred near the small village of Findlay, Ohio. Communities in northwestern Ohio began using low-cost natural gas along with free land and cash to entice glass companies to start operations in their town. Their efforts were successful, and at least 70 glass factories existed in northwest Ohio between 1886 and 1900.

## Beginning

The Fostoria Glass Company was incorporated in West Virginia in July 1887. The founders of the Fostoria Glass Company were drawn to Fostoria, Ohio, to exploit the newly discovered natural gas. The new firm also received cash incentives of \$5,000 () to \$6,000 (). The plant was located on Fostoria's South Vine Street and the town was served by multiple railroads. The factory's furnace had a capacity of 12 pots, and originally employed 125 workers. Production of tableware, bar goods, and lamps began on December 15, 1887.

The glass men that formed the new company had gained their experience from working at the Hobbs, Brockunier and Company glass plant in Wheeling. Lucian B. Martin, the company's first president, had been a sales executive at the Hobbs works. William S. Brady, the company's secretary, had worked as a financial manager there and more recently managed a glass plant in Wellsburg, West Virginia. James B. Russell and Benjamin M. Hildreth had worked at the Hobbs plant, and Russell had also worked at a Pittsburgh glass works. German-born Otto Jaeger had been head of the engraving department at the Hobbs works. Former Ohio governor Charles Foster, son of the city of Fostoria's namesake, was added to this group of glass industry veterans to form the new company's board of directors.

Henry Humphreville, who had worked at Brady's Riverside Glass Company in Wellsburg, was hired as plant manager, and offered some diversity with his additional experience working in Pittsburgh—the nation's other center of glassmaking innovation. Many of the employees hired for the startup were from the Wheeling area. At least 20 "first class workmen" joined the company from Bellaire, Ohio, which is across the Ohio River from Wheeling. Henry and Jacob Crimmel were "key craftsmen in the early period of the company" and both had worked at Belmont Glass Company in Bellaire and the Hobbs plant in Wheeling. The Crimmel brothers had also been involved with the startup of the predecessor to the Belmont Glass Company. Crimmel family recipes for glass were used in the early days of the Fostoria Glass Company.

## Early products

The company advertised as a manufacturer of pressed glassware, and specialties were candle stands, candelabras, and banquet lamps. The first piece of glass pressed at the plant was a salt dip, pattern number 93. A popular early pattern called Cascade looked like a swirl and was used for candelabras and ink wells. It was also used for tableware such as containers for sugar, cream, and butter. Cascade was the first tableware pattern made, and it continued through the years under different names.

The company had many talented designers. Among them was Charles E. Beam, who was the head of the company's mold shop and eventually added to the board of directors. Beam's specialty was designing dishes with animals as the covers, and one of his creations that is "highly-prized" by today's collectors is a dish with a dolphin covering. Beam received a patent in 1890 for a glass mold that would enable pieces of chandeliers and candelabras to have small holes. Company president Martin was also a talented designer, and he patented the Cascade ink well (called an inkstand) in 1890 and a paper weight with swirl sides in 1891.

The company's first Virginia pattern was introduced around Christmas in 1888. This pattern was quickly stolen (or "pirated") by a rival company. Fostoria Glass copied the copy, and named this purportedly new pattern Captain Kidd. Eventually this same Virginia/Captain Kidd pattern was also called Foster or Foster Block in honor of Charles Foster. An advertisement for the Captain Kidd pattern featured a butter dish, spoon dish, a sugar bowel, and a creamer.

Fostoria's Valencia pattern, number 205, is often called Artichoke because of the shape of the overlapping leaves on the bottom half of the glassware. This pattern was advertised in China, Glass and Lamps magazine in early 1891.

The Victoria pattern is popular with collectors, and a wide variety of products were made with this pattern. It is the only pattern that was patented by the company. Its appearance has a strong resemblance to a French company's pattern, and Fostoria Glass had some employees from France's glassmaking region. When the company moved to Moundsville, all of the molds for this pattern mysteriously disappeared. The missing molds were never found, and the Victoria pattern was never produced again.

## Move to Moundsville

Northwest Ohio's gas boom was short lived, as gas shortages started occurring during the winter of 1890–91. During April 1891, Fostoria Glass executives decided to move to Moundsville, West Virginia, because of the availability of coal as a fuel for the plant—and \$10,000 cash () offered by the community. In addition to the cash incentive, the company was also offered a 10-year supply of coal at a low price. The move was announced in September 1891. The Fostoria plant was sold to a group of investors led by Fostoria Glass executive Otto Jaeger, and his new company was named Seneca Glass Company.

In early December, the move to Moundsville was delayed by a restraining order when several members of the Crimmel family, who owned stock in the company, filed suit. The Crimmels, who were also employees of the company, claimed shareholders should have been consulted for the move. The attempt to stop the move was unsuccessful, and the restraining order was lifted to enable the company to move by the end of the month.

The company's first Moundsville furnace had a capacity of 14 pots. Coal was not used directly as a fuel for the furnace. Instead, the furnace burned coal gas made from the local supply of coal. About 60 workers from the Fostoria glass works moved with the company to the Moundsville location.

## Moundsville operations

In 1899, the company became associated with the National Glass Company, which was a corporate trust. Co-founder Lucien Martin left the firm in 1901 to work in Pittsburgh for National Glass. Another co-founder, William Brady, also moved to the Pittsburgh firm a short time later. Despite the association, Fostoria Glass Company did not become part of the National Glass Company.

William A. B. Dalzell joined the company as general manager in 1901. Dalzell was from Pittsburgh, and his initial experience in the glass industry was with Pittsburgh's Adams and Company. The Dalzell brothers had been involved with the glass business as owners and management in West Virginia and Ohio. When Fostoria Glass became associated with National Glass in 1899, Dalzell was working at the trust as manager of the western department. When he joined Fostoria Glass, he brought Calvin B. Roe, who had been a bookkeeper and plant superintendent at Dalzell's Ohio plant. Dalzell quickly ascended to vice president. Under Dalzell's leadership, the Fostoria Glass Company gained a national reputation. Dalzell served as president and/or chairman from 1902 until his unexpected death in 1928.

In 1903, the company already operated two large furnaces when it added a three-story brick building that housed a new 14-pot furnace. One trade magazine believed that the addition made the company "probably the largest independent flint glass concern in the country...." By 1904, the company had 800 employees. Products made as of 1906 included decorated lamps, globes, shades, blown and pressed tableware, high grade lead blown tumblers, stemware, and novelties. At that time, a trade magazine said that the company "makes so many lines of glassware, all so perfectly, and markets its output so successfully to all classes of buyers, that no name is better known to all classes of trade."

### Moundsville Products

Fostoria was considered one of the top producers of elegant glass. However, Fostoria glassware is also found on lists of Depression glass. The company had over 1,000 patterns, including many designed by artist George Sakier. An example of a glass pattern design by Sakier is the Colony pattern 2412. This pattern was produced in crystal from the 1930s until 1983. It was reissued as Maypole in the 1980s using colored glass. Patterns can be a style of glass, an etching on the glass, or a cutting on the glass. Some of the most successful Fostoria patterns were American, Kashmir, June, Trojan, and Versailles. Pattern 1861 was named Lincoln, and 1861 is the year Abraham Lincoln became President of the United States. The pattern was used for pressed tableware. It was pictured on the front page of the Crockery and Glass Journal on January 4, 1912.

From the beginning of the Moundsville operations until about 1915, Fostoria focused on oil lamps and products for restaurants and bars—especially stemware and tumblers. In 1915, Fostoria introduced its American pattern (pattern number 2056). This glass pattern was used for stemware and tableware, and continued to be produced until 1988. Described as "block geometric", its appearance was very different from other patterns when it was introduced. Most glass made with the American pattern was produced using Fostoria's high-quality crystal formula. American became Fostoria's most famous pattern. Management around this time was still led by W. A. B. Dalzell as company president. Vice president was C. B. Roe, and A. C. Scroggins Jr. was the secretary and treasurer. W. S. Brady was still listed as on the board of directors.

Prohibition diminished the market for commercial barware, causing Fostoria to put more emphasis on tableware for the home. Their initial target market was the higher-quality portion of the home market. In 1924, the company became the first glass manufacturer to produce complete dinner sets in crystal ware. In 1925, the company introduced dinnerware in colors. A national advertising campaign was started in 1926 to promote the complete dinnerware sets. Fostoria was also a major contributor to the creation of the bridal registry. Clear and pastel dinner sets became very popular, although expensive. This led to low cost dinner sets being made by injecting molten glass into an automated pressing mold. The product often had minor flaws, so "lacy" patterns were often included in the mold, or etched onto the glass, to hide imperfections.

By 1926, the company had 10,000 different items in its catalog, and employment before the Depression peaked at around 650 people. Among the etching patterns introduced by Fostoria during the 1920s were June, Versailles, and Trojan. The June pattern, which was made from 1928 to 1951, was etched on stemware and tableware. It is one of the rare patterns that can be dated based on color of the glass. The Versailles pattern, made from 1928 to 1943, was another etching pattern. The etchings were mostly on plates and dishes. The glass product with the etching was made in many colors. The etching pattern called Trojan was made from 1929 to 1943. The Trojan etchings were mostly on plates and dishes. Original glass colors were rose and topaz. Gold tint was used in some of the last years of production. By 1928, Fostoria was the largest producer of handmade glass in the nation.

### Depression and post-war

During the Great Depression the company made glassware for the higher and lower cost segments of the market. Two popular Fostoria etching patterns were Navarre and Chintz. Navarre was made from 1937 until 1980. Some of the pieces were etched onto the Baroque glass pattern, but others were on more modern glass patterns. The product was originally made in crystal, but later on a few pieces with color. The Baroque glass pattern was made by Fostoria from 1937 to 1965, and used for stemware and many types of tableware. The Chintz pattern was made from 1940 to 1973. This etching pattern is a drawing of branches leaves and flowers, and was usually on the Baroque glass pattern. The Colony pattern discussed earlier was introduced around this time. Another long-lived glass pattern, Century, was introduced in 1949 and made until 1982. It was used for stemware and tableware. Advertising during the 1940s included photos in the Ladies Home Journal.

Production peaked in 1950 when Fostoria's 1,000 employees manufactured over 8 million pieces of glass and crystal. A combination of quality products and national advertising helped the company continue to be the largest manufacturer of handmade glassware in the United States. Every American president from Dwight D. Eisenhower through Ronald Reagan had glassware made by Fostoria. Long-lived patterns introduced during the 1950s included Rose, Wedding Ring, and Jamestown. Rose was a cutting on stemware and tableware, and it was produced from 1951 to 1973. Wedding Ring was a decoration on stemware and tableware that was produced from 1953 to 1975. Jamestown was a glass pattern for stemware and tableware, and was used for numerous products from 1958 to 1982. The glass used was crystal and seven colors of glass: amber, blue, green, pink, amethyst, brown, and ruby. Among Jamestown stemware, ruby is valued higher than other colors by collectors. Among the milk glass patterns, Vintage was used for tableware and a few types of stemware from 1958 to 1965.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the company's marketing campaign expanded to include boutiques and display rooms within jewelry and department stores. Fostoria's top customer in 1971 was Marshall Field's. It was Marshall Field's that had created a bridal registry in 1935, which was important to manufacturers of tableware for the home. Fostoria also published its own consumer direct magazine, "Creating with Crystal", during the 1960s and 1970s. The Woodland glass pattern, not to be confused with the Woodland etching from the 1920s, was introduced in 1975 and made until 1981.

### Morgantown

In 1965, Fostoria purchased the Morgantown Glassware Guild, which had also been known as the Morgantown Glass Works. Morgantown was a leader in barware and also made tableware. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had chosen Morgantown glassware for official White House tableware, and Fostoria sought to capitalize on this. Glassware from Morgantown could be sold as stylish entry-level tableware for the home. This segment was profitable for Fostoria for only two years, as department stores eliminated secondary sources and restaurants began switching to machine-made glass. Fostoria closed the Morgantown factory in 1971.

## Decline

In 1950, company president David B. Dalzell had said the Fostoria's competition came from "three sources: other companies in the domestic trade, imports, and automatic machinery." During the 1970s, changing preferences and a substantial increase in imports of machine-made lead-crystal tableware forced the company to make significant investments in machinery. This late attempt to be more competitive by automating more of the manufacturing process unsettled the labor force, and the company faced strikes during the early 1970s. By 1980, the company's commercial division was unprofitable.

In 1983, Fostoria sold its factory to Lancaster Colony Corporation of Columbus, Ohio. However, Lancaster Colony shut down the Fostoria Glass factory permanently on February 28, 1986. At the time, Kenneth B. Dalzell, the fourth generation of Dalzells at Fostoria Glass, was head of Fostoria operations. Dalzell purchased the assets of Viking Glass company of New Martinsville, West Virginia in April 1987, and renamed the company Dalzell-Viking. Fostoria inventory and molds were sold to several companies, and Dalzell-Viking was one of the purchasers. The American, Baroque, and Coin patterns were thereafter produced by others, including Dalzell-Viking. Some of this glassware produced at Dalzell-Viking was made by former Fostoria employees using Fostoria molds—making it difficult to differentiate from glassware made at the Fostoria plant. Dalzell-Viking closed in 1998.

## See also

- Heisey Glass Company
- Cambridge Glass

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Shahid Kapoor

Shahid Kapoor (; born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of several awards, including three Filmfare Awards.

The son of actors Pankaj Kapur and Neelima Azeem, Kapoor trained as a dancer at Shiamak Davar's academy. He appeared as a background dancer in a few films of the 1990s, and featured in music videos and television commercials. He made his film debut in 2003 with a leading role in the romantic comedy Ishq Vishk, a sleeper hit for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He followed it with roles in several commercial failures before starring in Sooraj Barjatya's top-grossing family drama Vivah (2006).

Kapoor earned praise for playing a troubled businessman in Imtiaz Ali's romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007) and twin brothers in Vishal Bhardwaj's action film Kaminey (2009). Further acclaim came for portraying the Hamlet character in Bhardwaj's tragedy Haider (2014) and a drug abusing singer in the crime drama Udta Punjab (2016). For the former, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and for the latter, he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. Kapoor's highest-grossing releases came with the period drama Padmaavat (2018) and the romantic drama Kabir Singh (2019). He has since starred in the crime drama series Farzi and action film Bloody Daddy (both 2023).

In addition to acting, Kapoor supports charities, hosts award ceremonies, and has featured as a talent judge on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded (2015). He is married to Mira Rajput, with whom he has two children.

## Early life

Shahid Kapoor was born in New Delhi on 25 February 1981 to actor Pankaj Kapur and actor-dancer Neelima Azeem. His parents divorced when he was three years old; his father shifted to Mumbai (and married the actress Supriya Pathak) and Kapoor continued living in Delhi with his mother and maternal grandparents. His grandparents were journalists for the Russian magazine Sputnik, and Kapoor was particularly fond of his grandfather: "He would walk me to school every single day. He would talk to me about Dad, with whom he shared a great relationship, and read out his letters to me." His father, who was then a struggling actor in Mumbai, would visit Kapoor only once a year on his birthday. When Kapoor was 10, his mother, who was working as a dancer, moved to Mumbai to work as an actress.

In Mumbai, Azeem went on to marry the actor Rajesh Khattar. Kapoor continued living with his mother and Khattar, until they separated in 2001. Kapoor continues to use the last name Khattar on his passport. He has a maternal half-brother, Ishaan, from his mother's marriage to Khattar. From his father's marriage to Pathak, he has two paternal half-siblings, Sanah and Ruhaan. Kapoor was educated at the Gyan Bharati School in Delhi and Rajhans Vidyalaya in Mumbai. He later attended Mumbai's Mithibai College for three years.

Kapoor was interested in dance from an early age, and at the age of 15, he joined Shiamak Davar's dance institute. As a student there, Kapoor appeared as a background dancer in the films Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and Taal (1999), in which Davar served as choreographer. During a stage show at the institute, Kapoor performed in the songs "Vogue" and "GoldenEye" to a positive response from the audience; he described the experience as the first time that he "felt like a star". He later became an instructor at the institute. During this time, Kapoor accompanied a friend to an audition for a Pepsi commercial featuring the stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji, but wound up with the part himself. He appeared in television commercials for the brands Kit Kat and Close-Up, among others, and featured in music videos for several performers, including the band Aryans and the singer Kumar Sanu. Kapoor also took on the job of an assistant director to his father on the 1998 television series Mohandas B.A.L.L.B.

## Career

### Early work and breakthrough (2003–2006)

Having noticed Kapoor in the Aryans' music video "Aankhon Mein", the producer Ramesh Taurani was keen to cast him in a film. However, upon meeting him, Taurani thought Kapoor, who was 20 years old at the time, to be too young and underweight to become an actor, and encouraged him to wait for a few years. Kapoor, meanwhile, turned down a lead role in N. Chandra's sex comedy Style in hopes of working with Taurani. Taurani found a suitable project for Kapoor in the teenage romance Ishq Vishk (2003), which Ken Ghosh was directing for his company. Kapoor, who trained extensively for a bulkier physical build, was eventually hired. Before beginning work on the film, he attended acting workshops with Naseeruddin Shah and Satyadev Dubey.

Ishq Vishk tells the story of Rajiv Mathur (Kapoor), a high-school student who engages in a romantic affair with two classmates of contrasting personalities (played by Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasurywala). Kapoor was attracted to the idea of playing an unlikable lead since it was a departure from the traditional portrayal of teenage heroes in Indian films. Writing for The Hindu, the critic Ziya Us Salam did not find him to be "hero material", adding that "boyhood seems to have overstayed on his face – but he is not necessarily bad in the acting department." The film, however, proved to be a sleeper hit at the box office and won Kapoor the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.

Following his debut, Kapoor reunited with Ghosh in a film he considered to be drastically different from Ishq Vishk. The thriller Fida (2004) featured him as a love-struck student who is manipulated by a woman (Kareena Kapoor) and her lover (Fardeen Khan) to rob a bank. Despite criticising the film, Rama Sharma of The Tribune wrote that Kapoor "shines in his role. He looks fresh. As an impulsive emotional and innocent guy, who is sucked into crime because of these very qualities, he manages to evoke your sympathies." Later that year, Kapoor appeared in the romantic comedy Dil Maange More in which he was paired opposite three women: Soha Ali Khan, Tulip Joshi, and Ayesha Takia. Patcy N of Rediff.com praised his dancing skills but was wary of his imitation of Shah Rukh Khan's acting style. Both his 2004 releases were commercially unsuccessful.

The series of poorly received films continued in 2005, when all three of Kapoor's films failed at the box office. His first two releases that year were the comedies Deewane Huye Paagal and Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!, both of which were largely panned. The former was plagiarised from the Hollywood film There's Something About Mary in which Kapoor played one of Rimi Sen's love interests; the critic Khalid Mohamed found Kapoor to be "the only likeable element in this travesty" but Namrata Joshi of Outlook labelled him "colourless" and criticised his pairing with Sen. His final role was that of a righteous teenager drawn towards a life of indulgence in John Matthew Matthan's drama Shikhar, co-starring Ajay Devgan, Bipasha Basu and Amrita Rao. The critic Sukanya Verma found Kapoor to be miscast as a village boy in the film, but noted that he was "never short of spontaneity and youthful exuberance".

In 2006, Kapoor played opposite Kareena Kapoor in two films—the thriller 36 China Town and the comedy Chup Chup Ke. In 36 China Town, a murder mystery from the director duo Abbas–Mustan, Kapoor starred as one of the seven suspects in the murder of an heiress, and in the Priyadarshan-directed Chup Chup Ke, he played a depressed man who pretends to be deaf and mute. The former was his first commercial success since Ishq Vishk. Greater success came to Kapoor later that year when he starred alongside Amrita Rao in Sooraj Barjatya's romantic drama Vivah, a film depicting an arranged marriage. Made on a shoestring budget of ₹100 million (US\$1.3 million), the film earned over ₹530 million (US\$6.6 million) worldwide, and proved to be Kapoor's highest-grossing film to that point. Reviews of the film, however, were negative; Raja Sen termed the film a "nightmare" and wrote that Kapoor "isn't offensively bad, doesn't ham it up like crazy, or speak in a weird accent. Having said that, he isn't an actor at all, standing around working on his boyish grin, simply chewing up the scenery. No screen presence at all."

### Jab We Met, Kaminey, and commercial fluctuations (2007–2013)

Kapoor found no success in his first release of 2007—the ensemble comedy Fool & Final. However, his second release that year, the Imtiaz Ali-directed romantic comedy Jab We Met proved to be one of the top-grossing films of the year. The film tells the story of a troubled businessman (Kapoor) whose life undergoes a series of changes after he encounters a loquacious girl (Kareena Kapoor) on a train ride. Ali thought that Kapoor's previous roles failed to justify his acting potential, and thus approached him to portray a more complex character. The BBC noted on how "endearing" he was in the film and Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN wrote that he left an "indelible impression with a performance that is understated and mature" in a film he thought primarily belonged to Kareena Kapoor. For his performance, Kapoor received his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

After featuring opposite Vidya Balan in the romantic comedy Kismat Konnection (2008), Kapoor played twin brothers, one with a lisp and the other with a stutter, in Vishal Bhardwaj's critically acclaimed action film Kaminey (2009). In preparation, Kapoor met speech specialists and researched on the medical and mental aspects of the two conditions. To create a lean physique for one of the brothers, a look he considered to be "radically different" from his personal appearance, Kapoor practised functional training and followed a rigorous diet. Writing for Variety, critic Joe Leydon reviewed that Kapoor "impressively displays sufficiently variegated degrees of emotional intensity to sustain the illusion of two distinct characters. Just as important, he provides each sibling an appropriately elevated hunkiness quotient." Rediff.com listed Kapoor's performance as the best by a Bollywood actor in 2009 and he received a second Best Actor nomination at Filmfare. Kaminey earned over ₹700 million (US\$8.8 million) worldwide. Kapoor's final release of 2009 was as a cricketer in Dil Bole Hadippa!, a romantic comedy co-starring Rani Mukerji. It was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, but was a financial failure.

In 2010, Kapoor reteamed with Ken Ghosh in Chance Pe Dance, a comedy-drama about a struggling actor, in which Kapoor's performance was described as "uneven" by Aniruddha Guha of Daily News and Analysis. He had a supporting role in Paathshaala, a drama about the education system in India, starring Nana Patekar, following which he starred in Yash Raj Films' Badmaash Company, a comedy-drama about a group of overambitious youngsters who become con men. Rachel Saltz of The New York Times praised Kapoor's look in the film, though Tushar Joshi of Mid-Day thought that he was miscast. Kapoor's fourth and final release that year was Satish Kaushik's romantic comedy Milenge Milenge, which marked his fourth collaboration with Kareena Kapoor. Plagiarised from the Hollywood film Serendipity, the production was delayed since 2005. During its production in December 2004 at Phuket, Kapoor requested a delay in filming to attend the premiere of Dil Maange More. The delay may have saved the lives of the crew, since the hotel booked for them was destroyed during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. With the exception of Badmaash Company, none of these films performed well commercially.

Kapoor next appeared in his father's directorial Mausam (2011); co-starring Sonam Kapoor, the star-crossed romance set over a decade, took two years to complete. Considering the film to be his "dream project", Kapoor did not take on additional work while filming for it. For his role as an unambitious village boy who becomes an air force pilot, Kapoor trained to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Rajeev Masand reviewed that "while he doesn't quite cut it as a convincing IAF pilot, Shahid Kapoor is terrific as the small-town brat". The film was a box office flop and Kapoor was later regretful for spending so much time on the project.

The following year, Kapoor took on another romantic role in Kunal Kohli's Teri Meri Kahaani (2012), co-starring Priyanka Chopra. It tells the story of a pair of star-crossed lovers who are reincarnated in three different eras. Filmfare reviewed that "Shahid and Priyanka give it their best shot, but their charm doesn't make up for the absence of a genuine kahani [story]". The comedy Phata Poster Nikhla Hero from director Rajkumar Santoshi was Kapoor's first release of 2013. His role was that of Vishwas Rao, a struggling actor who masquerades as a policeman. Critical reviews on the film were negative, though Kapoor's performance was praised. As with his last few releases, the film earned little at the box office leading trade analysts to question his commercial appeal. This changed later that year, when he starred in Prabhu Deva's action film R... Rajkumar; despite a negative critical reception, the film earned over ₹995 million (US\$12 million) worldwide, becoming Kapoor's highest-grossing release to that point. In a scathing review, Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV called the film a "massive mess" and wrote that Kapoor "ends up looking more moronic than macho" in it. Kapoor suffered from burn injuries on his back and hands while filming a stunt sequence in R... Rajkumar.

### Established actor and film controversies (2014–2019)

Kapoor next reunited with director Vishal Bhardwaj to film Haider (2014), an adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet set during the Kashmir conflict of 1995, in which he played the titular role opposite Tabu and Shraddha Kapoor. Kapoor described the film as the "toughest" of his career, and waived his fees to star in it. For the role, he shaved his head and learned to speak in a Kashmiri dialect. Haider garnered critical acclaim, though was controversial among Indian nationalists for its portrayal of the conflict in Kashmir. Sanjukta Sharma of Mint found the film to be an "immensely effective reimagination of Shakespeare" and particularly praised Kapoor for playing his part with "impressive zest and inventiveness". Writing for Hindustan Times, critic Anupama Chopra wrote that Kapoor initially seemed uncomfortable in the complex central role, but added that he "slowly [...] comes to inhabit Haider, veering from rage to jealousy to madness in a heartbeat." Kapoor won several awards for the role, including the Screen Award, Producers Guild Film Award and Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

After completing the duties of a talent judge on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded, Kapoor appeared opposite Alia Bhatt in Vikas Bahl's Shaandaar (2015). A critical and commercial failure, it is about insomniacs who fall in love during a destination wedding. Kapoor next took on the role of a drug abusing rock star in Udta Punjab (2016), a crime drama from the director Abhishek Chaubey that documents the substance abuse endemic in the Indian state of Punjab. Kapoor, a teetotaler, found it challenging to play an addict. He based the role on several pop stars, and was interested in bringing out his character's vulnerability despite his obnoxious actions. Udta Punjab generated controversy when the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) demanded extensive censorship before its theatrical release, citing that the portrayal of Punjab in it was negative. The demands sparked a debate on freedom of expression in India. After the producers filed a lawsuit against the board, the Bombay High Court cleared it for exhibition with a single scene cut, in which Kapoor's character is shown urinating on people. Sukanya Verma took note of the film's anti-drug message; she considered Kapoor to be "spectacularly unbridled" in his part and added that "the believability he brings to his complex transition while preserving his inherent flakiness deserves all the praise". Kapoor won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor (shared with Manoj Bajpayee for Aligarh) and received a Best Actor nomination at the same ceremony.

In his third collaboration with Vishal Bharadwaj, an epic romance set during World War II entitled Rangoon (2017), Kapoor played the part of a taciturn soldier who develops a romance with a film actress (played by Kangana Ranaut). Filming was marred by a reported feud between Ranaut and Kapoor, and although they denied the reports, both stars publicly commented against the other. The film received mixed reviews; Rajeev Masand termed the film "overlong, indulgent to the point of exhaustion", but praised Kapoor for playing his part with "remarkable maturity". In addition, Uday Bhatia of Mint was appreciative of the chemistry between Ranaut and Kapoor. Rangoon failed to recoup its ₹610 million (US\$7.6 million) investment.

Kapoor next played Rawal Ratan Singh, a 14th-century Rajput ruler, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama Padmaavat (2018), co-starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Amid violent protests by right-wing Hindu groups, who speculated that the film distorted historical facts, it was cleared for release by the CBFC after several modifications were made. Ankur Pathak of HuffPost was disappointed in the film's adherence to regressive patriarchal mores and criticised Kapoor for being "a bit too stiff and robotic". Padmaavat had a production budget of ₹2 billion (US\$25 million), making it the most expensive Hindi film ever made. With a worldwide gross of ₹5.45 billion (US\$68 million), it ranks among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time and is the biggest success of Kapoor's career. Later that year, he starred in Batti Gul Meter Chalu, a social problem film about electricity issues in rural India, for which he learnt the Garhwali dialect. Filming was temporarily suspended when its production company, KriArj Entertainment, failed to remunerate the crew, and resumed after Bhushan Kumar took over the project. Saibal Chatterjee reviewed, "Kapoor, working within a screenplay that is undercooked and confused, tries his very best to make the best of a bad deal but is unable to pack any real power".

In 2019, Kapoor starred in Kabir Singh, a remake of the Telugu romantic drama Arjun Reddy (2017), in which he played a self-destructive alcoholic pining for his ex-girlfriend. He found it challenging to distance himself from the part, and feared bringing home the experience to his wife and children. For scenes in which he played a college student, he lost 14 kg. Writing for The Indian Express, Shubhra Gupta criticised the film's misogynistic themes and found Kapoor to be "too old for this role, and his dissolution never feels as sharply realized as the one he managed so superbly in Udta Punjab". Even so, it earned over ₹3.7 billion (US\$46 million) worldwide to emerge as the second highest-grossing Hindi film of the year and Kapoor's biggest commercial success in which he played the sole male lead. He received another Best Actor nomination at Filmfare.

### Hiatus and streaming projects (2020–present)

After a three-year absence from the screen, Kapoor starred in the sports drama Jersey (2022), a remake of the Telugu film of the same name, about a former cricketer who wants to make a comeback in his late 30s. While filming for a cricket sequence, he suffered an injury to his forehead that needed 13 stitches. Production and release of the film was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was praised by Archika Khurana of The Times of India for his credibility as a cricketer. It did not perform well at the box office.

Kapoor was first offered a starring role in Farzi, a crime drama film from the filmmaking duo Raj & DK, in 2014. By the end of the decade, it was expanded into a streaming series (a format Kapoor was keen to explore), and was released on Amazon Prime Video in 2023. He played Sunny, a disillusioned artist who decides to make counterfeit money. Scroll.in's Nandini Ramnath found Kapoor to be in "fine form despite looking too old for the part", adding that he "reins in his tendency for self-pitying bombast to deliver a performance that complements Sunny’s vanity for equating counterfeiting with art". Eager to work in an intense action film, Kapoor accepted Ali Abbas Zafar's offer to star in Bloody Daddy, a remake of the French film Sleepless Night (2011). It was filmed in 36 days amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was digitally released on JioCinema to avoid the pitfalls of censorship in a theatrical release. Reviewers for NDTV and Rediff.com deemed the film and Kapoor's performance "adequate" and "serviceable". Both Farzi and Bloody Daddy had strong viewership, becoming the most-watched Indian streaming series of all time and most-watched Indian streaming film of the year, respectively.

Kapoor will next star in an as-yet untitled romantic comedy opposite Kriti Sanon.

## Personal life and off-screen work

Kapoor's personal life is the subject of fervent tabloid reporting in India. During the filming of Fida in 2004, he began dating Kareena Kapoor and they both publicly spoke of the relationship. They were involved in a well-publicised scandal when Mid Day published a set of pictures of them kissing in public. Despite claims by the couple that the pictures were fabricated, the newspaper denied any wrongdoing. The couple separated in 2007 during the filming of Jab We Met. Since their split, Kapoor decided to keep his personal life away from media attention. However, tabloids speculated on his relationship with several other actresses, including Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra. In 2012, Kapoor lodged a police complaint of stalking against former actress Vastavikta Pandit.

In March 2015, Kapoor spoke of his impending marriage to Mira Rajput, a university student from New Delhi, who is 13 years his junior. The Times of India reported that Kapoor met Rajput through the Dharmic religious group Radha Soami Satsang Beas. The couple married at a private ceremony in Gurgaon on 7 July 2015, and Rajput gave birth to their daughter Misha in August 2016 and their son Zain in September 2018.

In addition to acting in films, Kapoor performs on stage and hosts award ceremonies. In 2006, he participated in a world tour, entitled RockStars, in which he performed alongside Kareena Kapoor, John Abraham, Salman Khan and three other celebrities. From 2010–12, Kapoor has co-hosted three Screen Awards ceremonies with Shah Rukh Khan, and from 2012–14 he co-hosted three International Indian Film Academy Awards with either Khan or Farhan Akhtar.

Kapoor practices vegetarianism, and credits the author Brian Hines' book Life is Fair for influencing this lifestyle choice. He also supports charitable organisations for various causes. In 2010, he took part in a charity event named Superstars Ka Jalwa, which helped generate money for the employees of the Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA). Also that year, he lent his support to the NGO Swayamsiddh, which helps children with special needs. The following year, he adopted three villages in support of NDTV's Greenathon, an initiative to support environmental consciousness and improve electricity supplies to rural areas. In 2012, Kapoor helped revive the Victory Arts Foundation NGO, founded by Shiamak Davar, which helps underprivileged children through dance therapy programs. Also that year, he appeared alongside other Bollywood celebrities in Because My World Is Not The Same, a short film by Zoya Akhtar, to generate awareness on breast cancer. He supports the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organisation through advertisement campaigns.

## Public image

The journalist Dave Besseling of GQ, in 2014, described Kapoor as "friendly, chirpy, affable frat-boy type. Someone you'd want to play video games with on a Sunday, but keep the hell away from your sister". However, certain media publications have labelled Kapoor a recluse and described him as arrogant and temperamental. Vickey Lalwani of Mumbai Mirror wrote in 2012 that this perceived media image hindered certain filmmakers from approaching him for roles. Addressing this image, Kapoor remarked, "I just don't socialise much, I don't party too much, I don't know what to say to the media if I'm not talking about a film that I am doing, so yeah, maybe I am perceived as a snob."

Analysing his career, the entertainment portal Bollywood Hungama published that his "boy next door persona" was initially perceived by critics as a weakness, but credited him for turning it into a trademark. Jitesh Pillai of Filmfare wrote that after gaining recognition in urban romantic roles, Kapoor defied typecasting by taking on diverse parts in crime dramas and action films. He noted that Kapoor's refusal to be "slotted under any kind of tag" led to a fluctuating career trajectory. Following the success of Jab We Met (2007) and Kaminey (2009), Kapoor's career went through a decline; he described the phase as a series of "wrong choices" and said that taking on a challenging role in Haider (2014) helped him reinvent himself. Sonal Gera of The Indian Express opined that the film established him in Bollywood. In her book Power of a Common Man, the author Koral Dasgupta writes that Kapoor does not "[conform] to any fixed rules of the trade", and notes that despite having a lopsided success ratio at the box office, he remains popular among the audiences.

A popular celebrity, Kapoor has a significant following on Twitter and Instagram. Considered one of the most attractive male celebrities in India, he regularly features in the British magazine Eastern Eye's listing of the "50 Sexiest Asian Men in the World". In 2012 and 2013 he was ranked fourth, and in 2017 he topped the list. He was ranked fifth on The Times of India's list of the 50 most-desirable men in 2014; he was placed among the top 10 in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Kapoor was named the sexiest vegetarian man of India and Asia-Pacific in 2009 and 2011, respectively, by PETA. From 2012–15, 2017, and 2019, he featured among the top 50 in the Indian edition of the Forbes' "Celebrity 100," a list based on the income and popularity of India's celebrities, peaking at the 15th position in 2015. Kapoor is the celebrity ambassador for several brands and products, including Samsung, Elf Aquitaine and Colgate. In 2019, his wax figure was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Singapore.

## Accolades

Kapoor has been the recipient of three Filmfare Awards: Best Male Debut for Ishq Vishk (2003), Best Actor for Haider (2014), and Critics Award for Best Actor for Udta Punjab (2016). He has received four more Best Actor nominations at the ceremony for Jab We Met (2007), Kaminey (2009), Udta Punjab (2016), and Kabir Singh (2019).

Indian actor

International Indian Film Academy Awards winners