Ma Chao was however a very fierce mounted warrior and leader. For his feats he deserved to be of the 5 Tiger Generals, though probably the lesser of them.
He was possibly also disliked coz he considered attacking Liu Bei when he was trying to capture Shu. He was unsure about what to do, looking foolish.
However, you have to feel sorry for MC. Read this from the online SGYY.
Three attacks at once were too much for Ma Chao, and he fled, his force in utter confusion. He retreated all that night and at dawn reached his own city of Jicheng. He hailed the gate, but a flight of arrows was the response. Soon after, Liang Kuan and Zhao Qu appeared and reviled him from the ramparts above.
More than this, they dragged his wife, Lady Yang, up upon the wall, hacked her before his face, and threw the bloody body at his feet. They followed up this by the murder in like manner of his three sons and other members of his family to the number of ten and more. And all their dead bodies were flung from the wall.

Guan Yu once said "I do not fear death, it is but my journey home". That comforts me for the distant future, but I want to stay and play Three Kingdoms games.