Characters in Jin Yong's novels

This article deals with the characters to be found in Louis Cha's wuxia novels.

Leading male characters
Lead male characters of Jin Yong novels are often portrayed from a young age (around adolescence). The plot usually follows their trials and tribulations, before they eventually (except Wei Xiaobao) attain the highest levels of martial arts. Every leading male character is of chivalrous nature, brave, heroic and achieves his goal after trial and error. For example, Zhang Wuji encountered a series of troubles and puzzles, but eventually he attained a high level of martial arts and married with his beloved Zhao Min.

Leading female characters
While leading female characters are mostly depicted in a supporting role in many contemporary martial arts works, many leading female characters in Jin Yong's novels are central to the plots, and depicted as strong, independent, and intelligent individuals as well as accomplished martial artists. For example, Huang Rong in The Legend of the Condor Heroes is portrayed not only as a companion of the male protagonist Guo Jing but also an independent, street-smart individual. Her intelligence and quick thinking is complementary to his physical strength. The female protagonist Huo Qingtong in Book and Sword: Gratitude and Revenge is a strong martial artist, a protective elder sister, a loyal daughter, and a guardian who vehemently fights for her people's interests. Indeed, she has more fight scenes than the male protagonist Chen Jialuo. Even though Qingtong's younger sister Princess Fragrance does not know martial arts, she plays an essential role in the novel. Near the end of the novel, Princess Fragrance shows that she is not just beautiful but also intelligent enough to see through the emperor's design. She also has the courage to sacrifice herself to uphold her and her tribe's dignity and warn Chen Jialuo of the true intentions of the emperor. Yin Susu, Zhao Min, and Zhou Zhiruo are well characterized, showing courage, determination, and intelligence that at least equal those of the male protagonists in The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Saber.

Jin Yong also experimented with some colourful but extremist female characters, such as Mie Jue, the despicable wretched Buddhist/Taoist nun in Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, who conducted herself criminously in opposition to her religious beliefs. Li Mochou from The Return of the Condor Heroes, who was a powerful opponent of Yang Guo, was a disturbed and the arguably the most ruthless killer(in all of Cha' works) from her failed courtship, in strong contrast to her younger alumnus from the Ancient Tomb Sect Xiaolongnu who would be the most pristine, innocent and beautiful female second-lead in all of Jin Yong's novels. The venomous Qiu Chianchi was a tragic fully-paralyzed victim who sought revenge on her own vicious husband after surviving 18 years in a subterranean ravine in the The Return of the Condor Heroes. Jin Yong's brief descriptions of Dongfang Bubai in The Smiling Proud Wanderer was a self-castrated male nemesis who did so in order to complete his training in the superlative Sunflower Scripture (葵花寶典), a role later portrayed in adaptations by female actress.

The "Five Supreme" martial artists (五絕)
One of the most successful portrayal of characters in Jin Yong's works is the creation of the "Five Supreme" martial art practitioners in the Condor Heroes series. The quintet, which originally comprised of Huang Yaoshi (“東邪”黃藥師) ("Eastern Heretic"), Ouyang Feng of the West (“西毒”歐陽鋒) ("Western Venom"), Duan Zhixing (“南帝”段智興) ("Southern Emperor"), Hong Qigong (“北丐”洪七公) ("Northern Beggar") and Wang Chongyang (“中神通”王重陽) ("Central Divinity") in Condor Heroes after the first Duel on Mount Hua (華山論劍), proved to be both a source of controversies and a scene of drama as the story proceed through Condor Heroes into The Return of the Condor Heroes. The composition of the quintet was eventually updated to comprise Huang Yaoshi (“東邪”黃藥師) ("Eastern Heretic"), Yang Guo (“西狂”楊過) ("Western Eccentric"), Yideng the Monk (“南僧”一燈) ("Southern Monk"), Guo Jing (“北俠”郭靖) ("Northern Hero") and Zhou Botong (“中頑童”周伯通) ("Central Imp").

Wang Chongyang (王重陽), the winner of the Mount Hua duel, was a factual historical Taoist practitioner or daoshi who founded the Quanzhen Sect of Taoism in the Song Dynasty. Jin Yong paid him the highest accolade by according him the champion of the Five Supremes who taught generations of heroes to follow. It is also done in recognition of Taoism teachings where the many variants of the martial arts terminologies in his novels were derived from, in namesake if not in practice.

Sweeper/Nameless Monk
Sweeper Monk was a nameless monk of unknown origin in charge of the library (藏經閣) of Shaolin Monastery. He was often regarded as the most powerful martial artist in Jin Yong’s Wuxia world, which even the legendary Xiao Feng could not defeat. He enlightened Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo who became his disciples.Very little was revealed of his background as his name, age and how he came to be at Shaolin or acquired his God-Like martial arts was not explained.

Dugu Qiu Bai (獨孤求敗)
Dugu Qiu Bai is a unique character in Jin Yong's novels. The character himself never appeared in any of the novels, only his name and legendary skill were mentioned. His name roughly translates to "the loner who seeks defeat". It is a reference to his solitary lifestyle (that of a hermit) and his unsurpassed fighting skills which leave him undefeated. His name was first mentioned in The Return of the Condor Heroes, and then again in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖). He was last mentioned in The Deer and the Cauldron.

Huang Chang (黄裳)
Huang Chang is another unique character in Jin Yong's novel but much less known than Dugu Qiubai. But he and Dugu Qiubai are of the same period; late Song dynasty. He was mentioned by Zhou Botong in The Legend of the Condor Heroes as the creator of Jiu Yin Zhen Jing. His early life was that of a court official who defied the powerful Ming Cult 明教 of his time.

Sword Deity Zhuo Bufan
One of the most distinguished auxiliary characters in Jin Yong's Wuxia universe, Zhuo Bufan is notable for achieving a wide range of difficult feats within his brief appearance in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, including:

1. Described by the narrator as having attained the highest level of prowess in the field of swordplay

2. Slaying an enemy with a single sword stroke, thus evoking the fear of the Tian Shan Tong Lao

3. Transmitting his voice clearly across mountain peaks over a distance of 3 Chinese miles

4. Slicing a table into nine identical pieces in the blink of an eye

5. Thrusting a delicate sword blade a foot deep into a solid granite pole

6. Effortlessly inflicting an external wound on Duan Yu, whose internal energy level was the highest in the novel

7. Producing a snake-like whirling halo effect with his sword twirls

8. For displaying his various feats, evoking no less than three massive cheering sessions from a crowd of hundreds of experts

The descriptions in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils also suggest that Sword Deity Zhuo Bufan may have tossed an object over a distance of 3 Chinese miles, although the details are loosely presented and are open to interpretation.

Adaptation of actual historical figures
Jin Yong was very liberal in adapting actual historical characters into his books, often making them important support characters and attributing to them fictional dialogue, actions, and so forth, especially where the historical records are brief or silent as to their biographical details. For example, Borjigin Tolui, the youngest son of Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan, appears as a childhood friend of Guo Jing, protagonist of The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Guo Jing's Mongolian teacher Jebe was a legendary warrior serving under Genghis Khan.

Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty is a smart and capable ruler, and a close friend of Wei Xiaobao, the protagonist in The Deer and the Cauldron. Other historical characters in The Deer and the Cauldron consist of Ao Bai, Wu Sangui, Wu Yingxiong; Wu Sangui's son, Li Zicheng, Chen Yuanyuan, Princess Changping; A Ke's teacher, the Shunzhi Emperor; Kangxi's father and Songgotu who also called Suoertu; Wei XiaoBao's corrupted sworn brother who's the inner court high official.

Li Zicheng, Princess Changping, Wu Sangui, Dorgon or Duoergun and Huang Taiji are also mentioned in Sword Stained with Royal Blood.

In Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain, Li Zicheng was mentioned, with the ancestors of the Hu, Miao, Fan and Tian families once serving as generals under him. The Qianlong Emperor was mentioned in the novel as well.

Qianlong emperor and Princess Fragrance were mentioned in The Book and the Sword.

Even some lead characters are historical characters. For example, Duan Yu from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Princess Changping from Sword Stained with Royal Blood and Princess Fragrance from The Book and the Sword. Also--some supporting roles were based on famous actual famous figures, such as Qiu Chuji from The Legend of the Condor Heroes, appears as one of teachers of Yang Kang, who was actually a representative of Taoist priests; Zhang Sanfeng from Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, appears as the grand-teacher of Zhang Wuji, who was the founder of the Wudang School (S: 武当派) in Chinese history.