History Characters / GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiJiangCheng

* AllTakeAndNoGive: The root of his relationship with Wei Wuxian. While both of them had reason to envy each other as they possessed advantages the other didn't and were favored (at least allegedly) by the other parent, Jiang Chen never overcame his perceived inferiority and bitterness. Jiang Cheng overlooked his mother's far more horrific treatment of Wei Wuxian and occasionally also lashed out whereas Wei Wuxian tried to comfort him in similar situations. When they were on the run Jiang Cheng physically and emotionally took his anger out on Wei Wuxian whereas Wei Wuxian risked his life to save him. Finally, Wei Wuxian gave away his golden core to Jiang Chen but Jiang Chen betrayed him as soon as he could emotionally justify it.

* AllTakeAndNoGive: The root of his relationship with Wei Wuxian. While both of them were favored (at least allegedly) by their other parent, Jiang Cheng overlooked his mother's far more horrific treatment of Wuxian and occasionally took his anger out on him whereas Wuxian tried to comfort him. He When they were on the run Jiang Cheng physically and emotionally took his anger out on Wuxian whereas Wuxian

* TheResenter: His father seemingly preferring Wei Wuxian for his accomplishments and for being able to follow the Jiang Clan motto and h is mother's constant comparison to him planted seeds of resentment towards his martial brother. While he does love his martial brother deep down [[spoiler:to even sacrifice his golden core to save him]], various events would tear the two's close relationship apart, and it took his sister dying to turned his resentment into outright hatred that didn't disappear even after Wei Wuxian died.

* TheDutifulSon: Played with. A large motivator behind Jiang Cheng's beliefs is his filial piety and duty to his sect, with many of his actions stemming from his desire to avenge his family and sect. But at the same time, he fails to understand the Jiang Sect motto (Directly translated as to "Attempt the impossible", but a more accurate translation taking in the context would be "To do what is right, even if it is impossible") as his father once cautioned him.

** While Jiang Cheng knew that [[spoiler:Wen Ning and Wen Qing saved his and Wei Wuxian's lives]] and did briefly try to vouch for them when their lives were at stake, he still wanted to [[spoiler:get Wei Wuxian back on everyone's good side by trying to make him hand over the Wen survivors to the Jin Clan, despite fully knowing what will happen to them]]. He grew to [[spoiler:genuinely detest them after his martial brother cut ties with the Jiang Clan to protect the refugees]], and still doesn't show much appreciation even after he finds out that [[spoiler:Wen Qing (with Wen Ning's assistance) was responsible for the restoration of his golden core]]. He also did not express much gratitude towards Wei Wuxian after [[spoiler:allegedly]] impersonating the latter to get his core restored by Baoshan Sanren, despite this likely being the only favour Wei Wuxian had left of his [[DeceasedParentsAretheBest dead mother]].

* NeverMyFault: Jiang Cheng is the type of person who automatically lashes out at everyone around him in his moments of distress or misery and tries to deflect the blame on anyone or any''thing'' else that isn't him.

** While Jiang Cheng knew that [[spoiler:Wen Ning and Wen Qing saved his and Wei Wuxian's lives]] and did briefly try to vouch for them when their lives were at stake, he still wanted to [[spoiler:get Wei Wuxian back on everyone's good side by trying to make him hand over the Wen survivors to the Jin Clan, despite fully knowing what will happen to them]]. He grew to [[spoiler:genuinely detest them after his martial brother cut ties with the Jiang Clan to protect the refugees]], and still doesn't show much appreciation even after he finds out that [[spoiler:Wen Qing (with Wen Ning's assistance) was responsible for the restoration of his golden core]].

* WhipItGood: Zidian is a ring which can turn into a whip. In addition to being a handy cultivation weapon, it can also expel ghosts out of the bodies that they possess. It cannot, however, whip out spirits from a body that was willingly offered to them, which was how Wei Wuxian evades detection the first time around.

* BadassBaritone: Jiang Cheng's Mandarin voice actors in both the ''donghua'' and the audio drama give him a slightly youthful yet clearly low and masculine voice that has a rough and threatening edge to its timber, and his Korean ''donghua'' voice is the deepest of them all. The baritone voice is befitting of an accomplished and powerful (even if cranky) cultivator and sect leader.

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: The ''donghua'' rearranges the timeline of the final events in the story, which results in [[spoiler:the confrontation with Jin Guangyao at Guanyin Temple happening ''before'' Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's altercation at the Jiang ancestral hall]]. After Wen Ning reveals to him the truth behind [[spoiler:how his golden core was really restored]], Jiang Cheng becomes more and more enraged as he verbally goes off on Wei Wuxian before ultimately breaking down in sorrow as he reminisces the past, and [[spoiler:his final appearance has him kneeling on the ground and shedding BrokenTears]]. Unlike in the novel, [[spoiler:he's not able to get any closure in his tumultuous relationship with Wei Wuxian and in the end, the truth leaves him so emotionally devastated that he's said to have gone into seclusion]].

* AmbiguousDisorder: Jiang Cheng is, in the most basic of descriptions, a hot-tempered child who grew up into a spiteful, vindictive man who can easily fly off the handle at the smallest provocation, and is terrible at feeling (let alone expressing) gratitude or remorse, or even any other emotion that isn't anger or grief. Considering the amount of trauma he accrues by the time he's 20, it's not unlikely that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

* BrokenAce: Jiang Cheng is a young leader who managed to rebuild a completely eradicated clan, despite the trauma linked to both his upbringing as well as the events leading to the eradication of the clan and the immediate aftermath. Things got worse for him as time went on, leaving him embittered after 13 years of stewing over what he perceived to be his friend's betrayal and the loss of nearly his entire family, all despite having gained the respect of his peers and bringing his clan to beyond its former glory.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: For years, Jiang Cheng held firmly onto certain perceptions of Wei Wuxian and has been using his hatred as a drive to achieve and live on. When it all gets turned on its head by Wen Ning after he reveals [[spoiler:that his "repaired" golden core was originally Wei Wuxian's]], Jiang Cheng has a nervous breakdown as almost the entire foundation he built himself on has immediately shattered from the truth. He calms down after a while, but he's still clearly affected from TheReveal.

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: The ''donghua'' rearranges the timeline of the final events in the story, which results in [[spoiler:the confrontation with Jin Guangyao at Guanyin Temple happening before Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's altercation at the Jiang ancestral hall]]. After Wen Ning reveals to him the truth behind [[spoiler:how his golden core was really restored]], Jiang Cheng becomes more and more enraged as he verbally goes off on Wei Wuxian before ultimately breaking down in sorrow as he reminisces the past, and [[spoiler:his final appearance has him kneeling on the ground and shedding BrokenTears]]. Unlike in the novel, [[spoiler:he's not able to get any closure in his tumultuous relationship with Wei Wuxian and in the end, the truth leaves him so emotionally devastated that he's said to have gone into seclusion]].
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Downplayed. While his core bitter personality remains, the AnimatedAdaptation makes Jiang Cheng less of a jerk (or at least less questionably moral) by tweaking or removing some of his more despicable actions, especially when his former martial brother's concerned. He was less critical of Wei Wuxian after the latter [[spoiler:saved the Wen survivors]], he doesn't stoop as low as his novel counterpart when confronting him in the present timeline, and in critical situations such as the Second Siege and Guanyin Temple, he's more pragmatic when it comes to showing his grudge towards both Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning.

* BadassBaritone: Jiang Cheng's Mandarin voice actors in both the ''donghua'' and the audio drama give him a slightly youthful yet clearly low and masculine voice that has a rough and threatening edge to its timber, and his Korean ''donghua'' voice is the deepest of them all. The baritone voice is befitting of a well-accomplished and powerful (even if cranky) cultivator and sect leader.

** Inverted as he's the little brother to Jiang Yanli. He wouldn't allow any harm to come to her nor stand for anyone talking badly of her, which is why he initially disliked Jin Zixuan and was wary of the prospect of his sister marrying him. [[spoiler:When Jiang Yanli headed to the Nightless Imperial Capitcal to search for Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng immediately did whatever he could to protect her, and in the end he's incredibly heartbroken when he watched his sister get killed.]]

* BreakingTheCycleOfBadParenting: As a child, both his parents failed to give him any proper attention or affection; he and his father were distant, and his mother would criticize and lambaste him all the time. As an uncle and something of a ParentalSubstitute to Jin Ling, he comes into the realm of parenthood completely blind, with no good examples to learn from. While there are times when he repeats his parents' -- especially his mother's -- mistakes in regards to parenting, there are signs that he's making a sincere effort to do better in taking care of Jin Ling than how his parents handled him.

* BrokenAce: Jiang Cheng is a young and talented clan leader who managed to rebuild a completely eradicated clan, despite the trauma linked to both his upbringing as well as the events leading to the eradication of the clan and the immediate aftermath. Things got worse for him as time went on, leaving him embittered after 13 years of stewing over his what he perceived to be his friend's betrayal and the loss of nearly his entire family, all despite having gained the respect of his peers and bringing his clan to beyond its former glory.

* CainAndAbel: As close brother figures, his relationship with Wei Wuxian slowly worsened due to his insecurities against him plus other factors, and he eventually led the First Siege against him (with most people believing he was the one to kill him). In the present timeline, he's at least hellbent on capturing him again for a good while.

* DualWielding: He wields Zidian in his left hand, and Sandu in his right. While he usually alternates between the two, sometimes he will use them at the same time.
* EtTuBrute: His resentment towards Wei Wuxian stems from feeling betrayed by the latter in the past. From Jiang Cheng's point of view, [[spoiler:he was abandoned by his friend on a whim, and said friend -- even if unintentionally -- caused great controversy for him politically, which drew negative attention to his clan, and he was eventually pressed to disown him (albeit at Wei Wuxian's suggestion)]]. Later, [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian caused their sister's husband Jin Zixuan's death, and Jiang Yanli died taking a blade meant for him]] -- Jiang Cheng saw these as the ultimate betrayal.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: There is no doubt that he didn't have a pleasant childhood and suffered plenty of losses, making it easy to see why it left him embittered. However, as a few characters like the BigBad and Lan Wangji point out that, it doesn't necessarily mean that he is in the right whenever he acts on his hatred and prejudices, and [[spoiler:the finale has his pride and conscience suffer the consequences for it]].
* FriendlessBackground: Implied in the present timeline. Unlike other clan leaders and major characters, he's not shown having any close relationship with a non-relative.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Downplayed. For years, Jiang Cheng held firmly onto certain perceptions of Wei Wuxian and has been using his hatred as a drive to achieve and live on. When it all gets turned on its head by Wen Ning after he reveals [[spoiler:that his "repaired" golden core was originally Wei Wuxian's]], Jiang Cheng has a nervous breakdown as almost the entire foundation he built himself on has immediately shattered from the truth. He calms down after a while, but he's still clearly affected from TheReveal.

** While the novel made it clear he wasn't the one to kill Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng's actions are more directly linked to the latter's death in this adaptation.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Even while he still TookALevelInJerkass after the TimeSkip, ''Series/TheUntamed'' gives him a more sympathetic portrayal by making him kinder and less malicious. He was more concerned for Wei Wuxian and not as cruel towards [[spoiler:the Wen refugees]] in the past, he's not as harsh with Jin Ling, and he's at times more remorseful towards his former martial brother in the present. In the finale, [[spoiler:he even wishes Wei Wuxian well and is more at peace with letting him go]].
* AnimalMotifs: In its sealed form, Zidian takes the form of a vambrace with a snake decoration encoiled around it, and Sandu's hilt is also engraved with the symbol of a snake. This is fitting, since snakes are one of the three animals (besides the rooster and the pig) representing the three poisons (''sandu'') of Buddhism, and snakes are known as an animal with several poisonous species. More importantly, each animal represents a certain poison, with the the snake representing anger -- an issue Jiang Cheng especially has.

* TragicDream: His dream while he was [[spoiler:regaining his golden core]] hinted he wished for his family life to be far more functional and joyful. In the dream, his parents were happy in their marriage, they showered their children with love, and they actually treated Wei Wuxian like a son -- all three which rarely if ever happened in real life.

* FuryFueledFoolishness: Although he's generally intelligent and competent, whenever Jiang Cheng's anger gets the better of him, neither his actions nor his words tend to be sensible or helpful, both to himself and to others. In the end, he realizes how much his rage has cost him more than it has benefited him.

* KarmaHoudini: Downplayed. Jiang Cheng serves the role of an antagonist, as his personal issues have driven him to commit several reprehensible deeds no matter his intentions (such as being a main force in the First Siege and belittling Wei Wuxian throughout the story). By the epilogue, [[spoiler:he's still alive with his reputation mostly intact without having to directly face repercussions]]; however, [[spoiler:his relationship with Wei Wuxian becomes neutral and distant at best since it's too late for him to take back the things he's said and done against him, and he feels some pain from this]].

* SourOutsideSadInside: His rage and loathing, which he outwardly shows, hides a broken young man who still hasn't found closure with his family's deaths, with his closest friend, and with himself.

* {{Tsundere}}: Jiang Cheng clearly values his close ones but either hides it with his grouchiness or expresses it with grouchiness. He usually showed his concern for Wei Wuxian as teens with irritation, and in the present he basically threatens Jin Ling one minute and then shields him from danger the next.

* TheUnfavourite: Downplayed and discussed. Jiang Fengmian was more lenient, caring, and openly affectionate with Wei Wuxian (who the Jiang family raised after taking him into the clan) than his own son. Consequently, Jiang Cheng felt unloved by his father compared to his martial brother. Wei Wuxian, however, argued that Jiang Fengmian specifically acted this way ''because'' the former wasn't his child, and his sterner upbringing of Jiang Cheng was his way of showing ToughLove and his determination to raise him well as a future leader. While Jiang Fengmian did certainly seem to have a more favourable impression of Wei Wuxian at times (to the point of frustrating his wife), it became evident that he definitely didn't love his son any less; [[spoiler:when he sent the teens away before going to Lotus Pier, he gave Jiang Cheng a loving farewell and asked him to stay safe, while his final words to Wei Wuxian were to watch over his son]].

* ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption: Thanks to a lack of therapy and proper upbringing, Jiang Cheng handles most, if not all, of his personal matters with severe aggression. Naturally, nothing gets fixed; however, Jiang Cheng lacks enough emotional awareness to realize that [[FuryFueledFoolishness doubling down with more anger just makes everything worse]].

* AdultFear:
** Pre-TimeSkip, Jiang Cheng was faced with the reality that he and what remained of his family would inevitably live separate lives. While this was downplayed with Jiang Yanli marrying into the Jin Clan, Jiang Cheng was confronted with the truth about Wei Wuxian in the worst possible way.
** While his strict attitude with Jin Ling comes in part from taking after his own mother and inheriting both his parents' complete lack of knowledge about proper childcare, it's also hinted to be influenced by fear of losing the only family he has left.

* ForgivenButNotForgotten: Wei Wuxian doesn't harbor a grudge against Jiang Cheng for leading the siege against him in the past, and understands why he's despised by him now. However, it doesn't mean he's not aggrieved by what happened, and Jiang Cheng's actions unquestionably drove a permanent wedge in their relationship.

* CharacterDevelopment: One of Jiang Cheng's greatest conflicts is trying to let go of the past. While too much had happened at once for him to properly process everything on his own, he nevertheless allowed his trauma to consume him, causing his personality and outlook to turn bitter. After receiving a HumblePie and some much-needed emotional catharsis in the finale, Jiang Cheng decides to [[spoiler:stop holding Wei Wuxian to old debts and promises, let him be happy with Lan Wangji and not tell him the AwfulTruth]], and he acknowledges that [[spoiler:their paths have now diverged]] -- all of which hints that he's learning to move on.

* HatesBeingAlone: Hinted at. After losing his parents at the most unexpected circumstances and at a young age, it's implied Jiang Cheng was left with abandonment issues and became afraid of losing what's left of his family. There are also implications that he sees [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian leaving his side as the worst betrayal, as evidenced in his breakdown at Guanyin Temple which ends with him tearfully reminding the latter of their promise to become the Twin Prides of Yunmeng]].

** Jiang Cheng has a poor understanding of Wei Wuxian, as he assumed nothing but the worst of his old friend and still does at the beginning of the story. In the 13 years that passed after the latter's death, Jiang Cheng convinced himself that Wei Wuxian screwed him over on purpose, didn't care about his promise, intended to cause his family's demise and doesn't feel bad about their deaths nor does he feel any gratitude towards them. In the finale, he slowly comes to realize [[JerkassRealization just how mistaken he is.]]

* TragicDream: The conflict between him and Wei Wuxian runs deep, but Jiang Cheng never forgot about [[spoiler:the promise his former martial brother made of standing by his side and supporting him. However, the final arc firmly establishes that Wei Wuxian will never be able to fulfill his promise, and Jiang Cheng knows this all too well]].

** Jiang Cheng is upset with Wei Wuxian for [[spoiler:(allegedly) forgetting his promise to stay by each his side]], and accuses him of having no sense of loyalty. However, as [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] points out at Guanyin Temple, [[spoiler:he failed to trust Wei Wuxian enough, or worse, ''at all'']].
** While he gets extremely upset when he feels that the debts others owe him are left unpaid, he himself is reluctant to fulfill the debts that he himself owes others.

** In the past, he would occasionally deliver harsh truths to Wei Wuxian, particularly about the FairWeatherFriend mindset of the other cultivation clans and how doing heroic deeds can invite more troubles than rewards in a world that's unjust. The flashback arcs show that the former was indeed quickly abandoned and belittled as quickly as he was praised, all because he chose to oppose the cultivation world [[spoiler:about their treatment of the Wen survivors]].

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: For most of the story, he doesn't know that [[spoiler:not only did he truly lose his golden core in the past, but the current core in his body was previously Wei Wuxian's, which was excised by Wen Qing]]. The people in question purposely hid this from him, since [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian knew that 1) Jiang Cheng would have been honor-bound to protect him and the Wen siblings, and 2) it would have overtaxed the Jiang Clan in the current political climate]].

The current leader of the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng, Jin Ling's maternal uncle, and the son of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan. He is capable and handsome -- but he also has an arrogant behaviorr and fearsome temper. [[ChildhoodFriends He grew up with Wei Wuxian]], and they were once as close as brothers. Sadly, the future did not turn out as they hoped, and Jiang Cheng was the one who led the First Siege of the Burial Mounds.

* TheUnfavouriteh: Downplayed and discussed. Jiang Fengmian was more lenient, caring, and openly affectionate with Wei Wuxian (who the Jiang family raised after taking him into the clan) than his own son. Consequently, Jiang Cheng felt unloved by his father compared to his martial brother. Wei Wuxian, however, argued that Jiang Fengmian specifically acted this way ''because'' the former wasn't his child, and his sterner upbringing of Jiang Cheng was his way of showing ToughLove and his determination to raise him well as a future leader. While Jiang Fengmian did certainly seem to have a more favourable impression of Wei Wuxian at times (to the point of frustrating his wife), it became evident that he definitely didn't love his son any less; [[spoiler:when he sent the teens away before going to Lotus Pier, he gave Jiang Cheng a loving farewell and asked him to stay safe, while his final words to Wei Wuxian were to watch over his son]].

The current leader of the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng, Jin Ling's maternal uncle, the son of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan, and Wei Wuxian's friend-turned-enemy. He's sharp, handsome, strong, and proud -- but he also has a fearsome temper.

[[ChildhoodFriends He grew up with Wei Wuxian]], and they were once as close as brothers. Sadly, the future did not turn out as they hoped, and Jiang Cheng was the one who led the First Siege of the Burial Mounds.

* HaughtyHmph: He has a tendency to make a contemptuous scoff whenever he's affronting someone.

* TheUnFavourite: Downplayed and discussed. Jiang Fengmian was more lenient, caring, and openly affectionate with Wei Wuxian (who the Jiang family raised after taking him into the clan) than his own son. Consequently, Jiang Cheng felt unloved by his father compared to his martial brother. Wei Wuxian, however, argued that Jiang Fengmian specifically acted this way ''because'' the former wasn't his child, and his sterner upbringing of Jiang Cheng was his way of showing ToughLove and his determination to raise him well as a future leader. While Jiang Fengmian did certainly seem to have a more favourable impression of Wei Wuxian at times (to the point of frustrating his wife), it became evident that he definitely didn't love his son any less; [[spoiler:when he sent the teens away before going to Lotus Pier, he gave Jiang Cheng a loving farewell and asked him to stay safe, while his final words to Wei Wuxian were to watch over his son]].

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: The ''donghua'' rearranges the timeline of the final events in the story, which results in [[spoiler:the confrontation with Jin Guangyao at Guanyin Temple happening before Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's altercation at the Jiang ancestral hall]]. After Wen Ning reveals to him the truth behind [[spoiler:how his golden core was really restored]], Jiang Cheng becomes more and more enraged as he verbally goes off on Wei Wuxian before ultimately breaking down in sorrow as he reminisces the past, and [[spoiler:his final appearance has him kneeling on the ground and shedding BrokenTears]]. Unlike in the novel, [[spoiler:he's not able to get any closure in his tumultuous relationship with Wei Wuxian -- in the end, the truth leaves him so emotionally devastated that he's said to have gone into seclusion]].
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Downplayed. While his core bitter personality remains, the AnimatedAdaptation makes Jiang Cheng less of a jerk (or at least less questionably moral) by tweaking or removing some of his more despicable actions, especially when his former martial brother's concerned. He was less critical of Wei Wuxian after the latter [[spoiler:saved the Wen survivors]], he doesn't stoop as low as his novel counterpart when confronting him in the present timeline, and in critical situations such as the Second Siege and Guanyin Temple he's more pragmatic when it comes to showing his grudge towards both Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning.

** Pre-TimeSkip, Jiang Cheng was faced with the reality that he and his siblings would inevitably live separate lives. While this was downplayed with Jiang Yanli marrying into the Jin Clan, Jiang Cheng was confronted with the truth about Wei Wuxian in the worst possible way.
** While his strict attitude with Jin Ling comes in part from taking after his own mother and inheriting both his parents' complete lack of knowledge about proper childcare, it's also influenced by fear of losing the only family he has left and of having his nephew live in the shadow of inferiority like he did.

%%* AnimalMotifs: Dogs, like with his nephew.

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: For all his blusters and threats, Jiang Cheng truly cares for his nephew, and beneath his hatred for Wei Wuxian lies the same brotherly love he had for him years ago.

* BeingGoodSucks: Invoked. Jiang Cheng believes that nothing good comes out of being magnanimous and selfless. He prefers looking out for himself and he almost always prioritizes ambition and practicality over charity and sentiment.

** In the animated chibi spinoff, when Wei Wuxian suggested that the could circumvent the Cloud Recesses' rule of "no more than three bowls of rice a day" by eating three ''extra large'' bowls of rice per day, Jiang Cheng took advantage of the loophole to the point that he became overweight.

** Inverted as he's the little brother to Jiang Yanli. He wouldn't allow any harm to come to her nor stand for anyone talking badly of her, which is why he initially disliked Jin Zixuan and was wary of the prospect of his sister marrying him. [[spoiler:When Jiang Yanli headed to the Nightless City to search for Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng immediately did whatever he could to protect her, and in the end he's incredibly heartbroken when he watched his sister get killed.]]
** Inverted when he was the younger sibling figure to his then-martial brother Wei Wuxian (albeit only by a few days). He was protective of him and often acted like a mother hen to him as teens, in spite of their differences and tensions. [[spoiler:Things gradually changed once Jiang Cheng succeeded his father's position as the Jiang Clan leader and both politics and their differing paths got in the way of their brotherhood. However, his impulse decision to stop Wei Wuxian from getting hurt at Guanyin Temple (and consequently getting wounded by Jin Guangyao, who exploited this trope) implies his protective instinct is still present deep down.]]

* BreakingTheCycleOfBadParenting: As a child, both his parents failed to give him any proper attention or affection; he and his father were distant, and his mother would criticize and lambaste him all the time. As an uncle and something of a ParentalSubstitute to Jin Ling, he comes into the realm of parenthood completely blind, with no good examples to learn from. While there are times when he repeats his parents' -- especially his mother's -- mistakes in regards to parenting, he does make a sincere effort to do better in taking care of Jin Ling than how his parents handled him.

* BroughtDownToNormal: During the Sunshot Campaign he [[spoiler:was captured by the Wen Clan and had his golden core melted off by Wen Zhuliu]]. Fortunately he was able to solve the issue thanks to Wei Wuxian's help, [[spoiler:although not in a way he first thought]].

** In the past, his hands were tied as he wavered on [[spoiler:whether to stand by Wei Wuxian's side or stay on good terms with the other clans in order to maintain the Jiang Clan's reputation]], since both choices were difficult and mutually exclusive. [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] even points out that his reluctance to take action -- combined with his pride -- played a huge part in [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's downfall]]. Jiang Cheng is [[VillainHasAPoint unable to argue with that]].
** When Wang Lingjiao attacked Mianmian in the Xuanwu cave, he both avoided helping her and physically restrained Wei Wuxian when he tried to. After the incident, he yelled at the latter for risking the Wens' anger to defend Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji.
** He barely made any effort to defend [[spoiler:the surviving Wens]] from the other major clans, despite owing [[spoiler:Wen Qing and Wen Ning]] a massive debt for [[spoiler:saving his life and smuggling his parents' bodies out of Lotus Pier so they could buried properly]].

* CantTakeCriticism: Due to his InferioritySuperiorityComplex, Jiang Cheng doesn't take criticism very well. More often than not, any remark given to him that is not automatically a compliment or a statement of approval ''will'' hurt him and make him harbor doubts about himself. One example is when Jiang Fengmian lectured him for lambasting Wei Wuxian's selfless actions and told him that he must be careful with what he says or else he still has yet to understand the Jiang Clan's virtues -- to which Jiang Cheng immediately took said lecture as a personal attack and more "proof" that his father didn't love him and saw him as an InadequateInheritor. Yu Ziyuan's influence also helped worsen his inability to take constructive criticism as it is.
* CharacterDevelopment: One of Jiang Cheng's greatest conflicts is trying to let go of the past. While too much had happened at once for him to properly process everything on his own, he nevertheless allowed his trauma to both strengthen and consume him, causing his personality and outlook to turn bitter. After receiving a HumblePie and some much-needed emotional catharsis in the finale, Jiang Cheng decides to [[spoiler:stop holding Wei Wuxian to old debts and promises, let him be happy with Lan Wangji and not tell him the AwfulTruth]], and he acknowledges that [[spoiler:their paths have now diverged]] -- this hints that he's learning to move on.

* ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike: He didn't take it well when Wei Wuxian rescued him after [[spoiler:the Wen Clan took him as their prisoner]], even outright asking the latter in a despairing tone, "Why did you save me?" This is because by the time he was saved, [[spoiler:his golden core had already been destroyed]] and Jiang Cheng's pride wouldn't allow him to [[spoiler:live the rest of his life as a powerless muggle]]. The epilogue also reveals that [[spoiler:he willingly drew the Wens' attention to save Wei Wuxian's life]], meaning that it would had been all for nought if his martial brother hadn't been careful in saving him.

* TheDreaded: His intimidating and unapproachable nature is brought up a few times by background characters. A group of cultivators pin him and the Jiang Clan as the one leader/clan that one shouldn't offend, and Yunping City civilians are too terrified to seek help from him despite being under the Jiang Clan's jurisdiction because one of them once witnessed him torturing a demonic cultivator.

* EtTuBrute: His resentment towards Wei Wuxian stems from feeling betrayed by the latter in the past. From Jiang Cheng's point of view, [[spoiler:he was abandoned by his friend on a whim, and said friend -- even if unintentionally -- caused great controversy for him politically, which drew negative attention to his efforts to rebuild his clan, and he was eventually pressed to disown him (albeit at Wei Wuxian's suggestion)]]. Later, [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian caused their sister's husband Jin Zixuan's death, and Jiang Yanli died taking a blade meant for him]] -- Jiang Cheng saw these as the ultimate betrayal.

* ForgivenButNotForgotten: Wei Wuxian doesn't hate Jiang Cheng for leading the siege against him in the past and can see why he's despised by him now. However, it doesn't mean he's not pained and aggrieved by what happened, and Jiang Cheng's actions unquestionably drove a permanent wedge in their relationship.

* HeroicSacrifice: Downplayed. In the epilogue [[spoiler:it's revealed the reason he got caught by the Wen Clan was because he deliberately drew the Wens' attention to himself so they wouldn't capture Wei Wuxian, putting his cultivation career into jeopardy when he lost his golden core as a result]].

** As he grew older and got more wrapped in the cultivation world's politics, it wasn't so difficult for [[spoiler:the other clans to sway Jiang Cheng into turning his back on Wei Wuxian with just a few threats and lies, and his own InferioritySuperiorityComplex towards the latter didn't help matters]]. This goes to show that Jiang Cheng, in spite of how guarded he is, doesn't have the best judgement when it comes to evaluating how trustworthy other people and how reliable are the things they would say.

* IronicName: His family name stands for "river" and his birth name means "clear". His complete name would then translate to "clear river", which is usually associated with an emotionally and mentally peaceful state -- something that's at odds with Jiang Cheng's emotional state in the present timeline.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Downplayed. While he's not devoid of noble traits, Jiang Cheng can still often be short-sighted and selfish. For example, while he cares for Wei Wuxian deep down and has done selfless acts of brotherly love for him before, there are plenty of times when he acts on the belief that the latter's life revolves around his own. It's implied that he got this mindset from his mother, who believed that the least Wei Wuxian could do was doing everything for them as repayment for the Jiang family taking him in. [[spoiler:In the final arc, Jiang Cheng starts to get rid of this mindset after he's faced with some harsh facts that he can no longer forget or deny. When he tells Jin Ling that they should let everyone go back to where they wish to go, it's his way of finally acknowledging that Wei Wuxian has a life of his own and that he will stop getting in the way of that.]]

** He's quick to make condescending accusations about Wei Wuxian's current relationship with Lan Wangji being romantic, despite his former martial brother's denial. Barely a day later, it becomes clearer than ever that the protagonists are anything but platonic towards each other.

* NotSoAboveItAll: Although he was usually a stern and serious heir-turned-leader in the past and would scold Wei Wuxian for his mischief, he wasn't above joining in shenanigans and being a troll himself. He would join in the mischief with his martial brothers in Lotus Pier and also messed around during his day offs at the Cloud Recesses (such as drinking and reading pornography), and he once gave Wei Wuxian a bowl of soup... after he ate all the meat in it. In ''Series/TheUntamed'', he even pranked Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and Nie Huaisang by hiding behind a statue and pretending to be its voice.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: Because of his tactlessness and utter lack of filter, more often than not he's likely to make things situation worse than better when he takes charge of a conversation, particularly if the conversation is about personal matters.

* PassiveAggressiveKombat: If he verbally attacks someone but doesn't shout nor threaten them, he'll resort to passive aggressive comments instead.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Because he almost always lets his anger direct his words, Jiang Cheng's ability to properly speak out his truest thoughts and feelings without giving off the wrong impression and coming across as hostile is downright atrocious. As a consequence, he always ends up shooting himself in both his feet.

* {{Pride}}: The vast inner strength and will that drives Jiang Cheng is simultaneously his greatest strength and weakness. It allowed him to rebuild his clan, lead it through a war and help raise his nephew at an incredibly young age. It also makes him quick to anger, slow to forgive, blind to reason, emotionally fragile and incredibly insecure.

* RedemptionEqualsAffliction: Downplayed. [[spoiler:By the epilogue he realizes the error of his ways and expresses some remorse, but it's already too late for him to make amends for what he's done.]] He makes the long-overdue decision of [[spoiler:letting go of his deep-rooted resentment]] -- but to do so, [[spoiler:he has to accept that he and Wei Wuxian can't go back to how their friendship used to be and so [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy let's him be happy with his new life while remaining distant from him, even if he's somewhat reluctant about it]]]].

* StrongFamilyResemblance: The ''donghua'' shows that Jiang Cheng's facial features as an adult are essentially those of Yu Ziyuan without makeup on and a few sharper edges. He also looks a lot like his father.

* TheUnapologetic: Due to his refusal to acknowledge the faults in either his personality or his actions, he rarly feels guilty, let alone apologizes, for any instance he might have wronged other people until it's too late for him to make up for what he had said or done. At Guanyin Temple, [[spoiler:it's thus significant that he actually apologises to Wei Wuxian for the way he treated him. However, the most his apology can do is only settle their relationship, with the two officially parting ways afterward]].

* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: Even after he led the First Siege which resulted in Wei Wuxian and [[spoiler:the Wen refugees]]' deaths, the novel makes it clear that it didn't make him feel any better. If anything, it had the opposite effect, seeing how bitter he's become after the TimeSkip.

** Implied with Nie Huaisang. The two were decent friends during their teenage years, but they're not shown interacting again following their studies at the Cloud Recesses which suggests they drifted apart afterward.

** Wei Wuxian made the pledge to be his right-hand man in a less emotional moment, so Jiang Cheng being so hell-bent on keeping him to his oath is more puzzling.

* CharacterTics: He would roll his eyes whenever Wei Wuxian was up to mischief when studying at the Cloud Recesses.