Though Guan Yu in real life certainly deserves some credits for his bravery of leading a token force attacking an enemy that was almost ten times of his strength, as well as achieving an astonishing victory during the initial stage, his exploits were exaggerated in the novel because the author, Luo Guanzhong, personally adored Guan Yu, the most eulogised and glorified character in his work.
Walaupun Guan Yu pada aslinya tentu berhak dihargai atas keberaniannya memimpin pasukan garis depan menyerang musuh yang hampir berkekuatan sepuluh kali lipat juga berhasil memperoleh kemenangan menakjubkan di babak awal, ia terlalu dibesarkan dalam novel karena pengarangnya, Luo Guanzhong, secara pribadi memuja Guan Yu, karakter yang paling dimuliakan dan diagungkan dalam novelnya.