White Wave Bandits came from a branch of the Yellow Turbans that rose up in Baibo Gorge (lit. White Wave Gorge) circa 188 in China. After the Yellow Turban Rebellion lost momentum, the gang controlling the gorge still held influence around the area, it is said they numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and the Imperial Court could not quell them. Because of their power, people no longer called them Yellow Turbans but named them after the gorge they held, hence the name White-wave Bandits.
When the emperor, Liu Xie, took flight from Chang'an toward Luoyang, his protectors, including Dong Cheng, Yang Feng, Xu Huang, and Zhu Zhi were incapable of fighting the pursuers along, so Yang Feng, citing his past as a member of the White Wave Bandits, suggested the emperor to summom the bandits' assistance. Thus, Han Xian, leader of the White Wave Bandits, led his gang to the rescue the emperor from Li Jue and Guo Si.