- Red Hare saddle is the fastest mount item in Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered, carried over from the classic saddle system.
- Unlock location: The saddle is tied to a specific battle condition on the Battle of Xia Pi map.
- Best use: Red Hare's speed makes it the top choice for long-distance objectives and timed missions.
- Saddles stack with horses: A saddle item lets any officer start battles or summon a mount without capturing one on the field.
- Xtreme Legends content included in the Complete Edition adds extra replay options for farming items.
What the Red Hare Saddle Does
The Red Hare saddle is the signature mount item of the Dynasty Warriors 3 era, faithfully restored in Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered. Lu Bu's legendary horse, Red Hare, was famed in Romance of the Three Kingdoms lore as the fastest steed of the age, and the item lives up to that reputation in gameplay.
Equipping the saddle in an item slot allows your officer to call Red Hare during battle instead of relying on the generic horses found on the battlefield. This matters for three reasons:
- Cross-map speed: Many Musou Mode stages span huge distances between objectives, and mounted travel saves significant real time.
- Timed missions: Several stages feature events or escort objectives where every second counts.
- Escape and repositioning: When an allied commander is in danger on the far side of the map, a fast horse is often the difference between success and failure.
Saddles occupy a limited item slot, so decide whether mount speed outweighs a stat-boosting item before each battle. On small maps, a defense or attack item may be the better pick.
Saddle Comparison Overview
| Saddle | Mounted Speed | Best Use Case | Difficulty to Obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hare Saddle | ★★★★★ | Long-distance travel, timed objectives | Hard |
| Storm Harness | ★★★★ | All-purpose mounted combat | Medium |
| Hex Mark Saddle | ★★★ | Steady early-game mobility | Medium |
| Standard Battlefield Horse | ★★ | Emergency travel only | Free (capture on map) |
How to Unlock the Red Hare Saddle: Step-by-Step
The Red Hare saddle is earned through a special battle condition on the Battle of Xia Pi, one of the classic stages rebuilt for Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered. The unlock follows the classic formula: a specific officer must be defeated under specific timing conditions, before events on the battlefield remove your chance.
Select the Battle of Xia Pi
Enter Xia Pi in Musou Mode or Free Mode. Free Mode is often the safer choice because you can bring a fully developed officer with a strong weapon and helpful bodyguards.
Bring a Strong, Fast Officer
Choose an officer with high attack power and good mobility, such as Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, or Guan Yu themselves. A high-level weapon dramatically shortens the required duel.
Move Quickly Toward Guan Yu
The unlock condition centers on Guan Yu's position during the stage. Ride or sprint toward his unit early in the battle and engage him before battlefield events progress too far.
Defeat Guan Yu Under the Condition
Defeat Guan Yu while the special condition window is still open. If the stage events resolve first, the valuable item report will not appear and the attempt must be retried.
Collect the Valuable Item and Win
A valuable item crate appears on the battlefield. Pick it up, then complete the stage's victory conditions. The saddle is added to your item inventory after results.
If the stage's story events advance before you defeat the target officer, the item crate will not spawn. Quit to the stage select screen and try again with a faster route or a stronger officer rather than finishing a failed attempt.
Other Saddles Worth Farming
Red Hare is the crown jewel, but Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered carries over the full classic saddle lineup from the original game and Xtreme Legends. Farming a backup saddle is useful when your item slots are better spent elsewhere.
Storm Harness
- Fast and reliable mid-tier mount
- Great for mounted charge attacks
- Easier unlock than Red Hare
Hex Mark Saddle
- Balanced mobility for early campaigns
- Good stepping stone before Red Hare
- Fits defensive item builds
Field Horses
- Free to capture on most maps
- Slower than any saddle item
- Useful as a stopgap in a pinch
Mounted Combat Tips
| Situation | Recommended Action | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Crossing a large map | Ride along friendly-held routes | Avoids officer ambushes that dismount you |
| Timed rescue mission | Sprint directly, ignore minor troops | Seconds matter more than kill count |
| Officer duel on horseback | Dismount or circle-charge | Mounted hitboxes favor wide weapons |
| Ambushed while mounted | Use Musou immediately | Breaks crowd control and creates space |
Because Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered bundles the original game with Xtreme Legends content, you can replay Xia Pi and other saddle stages in Free Mode with carried-over progression, making repeat farming attempts much faster than in the original release.
Building Around the Red Hare Saddle
Once you own the saddle, fit it into a loadout that complements mounted play. Officers with long-reach weapons such as spears and halberds benefit most, since their mounted attack arcs clear infantry while you ride between objectives.
Recommended officer pairings:
| Officer | Faction | Weapon Style | Saddle Synergy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lu Bu | Other | Halberd | Fast repositioning covers his slow attacks |
| Zhao Yun | Shu | Spear | Balanced reach plus mobility for objectives |
| Guan Yu | Shu | Crescent Blade | Wide mounted sweeps clear lanes quickly |
| Zhang Liao | Wei | Twin halberds | Decisive charges between map zones |
Red Hare Farming Checklist:
- Unlock Free Mode access to the Battle of Xia Pi
- Level a fast, high-damage officer to a comfortable stage difficulty
- Defeat Guan Yu within the unlock condition window
- Collect the valuable item crate before finishing the stage
- Equip and test the saddle on a large map like Changban or Hefei
Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered may adjust classic unlock conditions through post-launch updates. If an attempt behaves unexpectedly, check the official game page for patch notes before assuming the method changed permanently.
FAQ
Q: What is the Red Hare saddle in Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered?
It is a mount item that lets your officer ride Red Hare, the fastest horse in the game. Once equipped in an item slot, you can summon the horse in battle instead of capturing slower field horses on the map.
Q: Which battle drops the Red Hare saddle?
The saddle is tied to a special defeat condition on the Battle of Xia Pi. You must defeat the target officer, Guan Yu, within the correct event window and then collect the valuable item crate before winning the stage.
Q: Can I farm the Red Hare saddle in Free Mode?
Yes. Free Mode lets you replay Xia Pi with your strongest officer, which is generally the fastest way to retry the condition if you miss the timing window on a Musou Mode attempt.
Q: Is the Red Hare saddle worth an item slot on every stage?
Not always. On large maps with distant objectives or timed events it is excellent, but on compact maps a stat-boosting item like an attack or defense boost often provides more value than raw movement speed.
Final Tips and Where to Go Next
The Red Hare saddle is a rite of passage for Dynasty Warriors 3 players, and the remaster preserves that classic chase across a modernized Xia Pi. Treat your first few attempts as route practice: memorize where the target officer spawns, where enemy chokepoints slow you down, and where a Musou burst can open a lane.
Once the saddle is secured, shift your attention to weapon upgrades and bodyguard customization, which pair naturally with mounted play. A long-reach weapon, a developed bodyguard squad, and Red Hare's speed together turn long campaign stages into efficient, repeatable runs through Wei, Wu, Shu, and the Other faction routes.
For release details, platform support, and mode information, visit the official Dynasty Warriors 3 Complete Edition Remastered page from KOEI TECMO America, or discuss unlock routes with the community on r/dynastywarriors.