History Characters / JadeEmpire

* CanonName: Each of the Spirit Monks have default names.

* WeaponOfChoice: His weapons are one long and one short black blade with a silvery edge.

** Radiant Jen Zi [[ShesGotLegs has legs as distractive as Dawn Star's]].

* ShesGotLegs: If you have her with you when you recruit the Black Whirlwind, he jokes that she could [[ShowSomeLeg distract their enemies by flashing her legs]].

* FantasticFoxes: She and her servants are humanoid fox spirits with two tails.

* [[MrExposition Ms Exposition]]: She explains that the blue spirit is the Water Dragon and that the Spirit Monk is the one who must save her.

* TheMeanBrit: His very introduction involves shooting someone dead and then insulting the Jade Empire culture.

A hermit who the Spirit Monk meets in the swamp outside of Two Rivers. After Two Rivers is destroyed, he admits to being a former Lotus Assassin and agrees to accompany the party for his own reasons. [[spoiler:When the party's attempt to infiltrate the Lotus Assassin Fortress fails, he [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices himself to kill Death's Hand.]] He left the Lotus Assassins when he was ordered to kill Master Li's family: he killed Li's wife but spared his newborn daughter, Dawn Star.]]

A ninja-like figure who attacks the party after their flier crashes, believing them responsible for the destruction of Two Rivers. [[spoiler:She is secretly Princess Sun Lian the Heavenly Lily, the heir to the Empire. She joins the party to prove that her father is being manipulated by Death's Hand.]] A potential love interest for a Spirit Monk of either gender.

* HappilyMarried: In her epilogue if romanced by male character.

A LovableRogue who seeks revenge on the crime lord Gao the Greater [[spoiler:for murdering his five-year-old daughter. He joins the party after they beat him to it.]] A potential love interest for a Spirit Monk of either gender.

A mercenary who is most famous for storming a fortress while [[FullFrontalAssault naked]], [[ScreamingWarrior screaming]], and [[DrunkenMaster drunk.]] [[spoiler:He used to be an arena fighter of some renown, but left when Kai Lan the Serpent's schemes prompted him to accidentally kill his brother.]]

A MadScientist forced to develop flyers for Gao the Greater. He eventually decides that [[TheDogBitesBack he has had enough of Gao's mistreatment]] and joins the party. [[spoiler:He is actually the Inventor God Lord Lao, although [[AmnesiacGod he does not remember this.]]]]

The ghost of the Abbot of the Temple of Dirge. He has been forced to relive the Battle of Dirge for the last twenty years due to the imprisonment of the Water Dragon. [[spoiler: After the Spirit Monk is killed, he explains the truth behind the fall of Dirge. He fights alongside the Spirit Monk until they restore the Water Dragon's power, whereupon he is finally able to rest in peace.]]

He used to be Sun Kin the Hand of Heaven, the youngest of the Brothers Sun and former leader of the Order of the Lotus (the precursor to the Lotus Assassins). He was killed by Sun Hai when he tried to commit fratricide himself as Hai was draining the Water Dragon's power. Sun Hai then bound his soul to Master Li's discarded armor. After he is defeated, the Spirit Monk has the opportunity to bind his soul, gaining him as a party member.

'''Major spoilers follow.''' He was actually the mastermind behind the massacre at Dirge. He manipulates the Spirit Monk into killing Sun Hai, whereupon he kills him/her and steals the power of the Water Dragon.

Eldest of the Brothers Sun and ruler of the Jade Empire. He presided over the empire during the Long Drought, [[spoiler:which he ended by binding the Water Dragon to his control]]. Now, problems are plaguing the kingdom, and it is feared that he is ineffectual in the face of Death's Hand's manipulation. [[spoiler:In reality, Death's Hand and the Lotus Assassins answer to him and he cares only for his own power.]]

[[spoiler:For tropes on Sun Kin, see Death's Hand's folder.]]

The Goddess who is responsible for seeing that souls are able to pass between this world and the next. She was killed at the Battle of Dirge, but her spirit appears to provide guidance to the Spirit Monk. [[spoiler:Because of her nature, neither her spirit nor her body are quite dead. Sun Hai took her body to his palace and used it to end the Great Drought with the water that she bleeds. It also serves as a grisly trophy and allows Sun Hai to absorb her power as the life slowly drains from her. Her goal is to have the Spirit Monk MercyKill her so that she can be reborn.]]

The current champion of the Imperial Arena known for his brutal strength, refusal to speak and perpetual habit of wearing a mask. [[spoiler:He's actually the cover identity of his "predecessor", Raging Ox, the Black Whirlwind's younger brother. He became Kai Lan's henchman while ascending to championship and was accidentally killed by his brother while defending Kai Lan from the latter. He was then revived as a powerful yet mindless minion.]]

* SimpleStaff: His weapon of choice. It bears resemblance to the Demon Staff that's accessible only in the PC version.

* NiceHat: He wears a conical hat that has curious decorations hanging from it.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: As awful of a person as he is, he still knows the Lotus Assassins are evil, and warns you that you'll come to regret joining him.

[[folder:Death's Hand]]

The BigBad. He leads the Lotus Assassins and [[EvilChancellor is widely believed to be corrupting the Emperor]].

'''Spoilers follow.''' [[spoiler:He used to be Sun Kin the Hand of Heaven, the youngest of the Brothers Sun and former leader of the Order of the Lotus (the precursor to the Lotus Assassins). He was killed by Sun Hai when he tried to commit fratricide himself as Hai was draining the Water Dragon's power. Sun Hai then bound his soul to Master Li's discarded armor. After he is defeated, the Spirit Monk has the opportunity to bind his soul, gaining him as a party member.]]

* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Having your soul bound is not a pleasant experience.]]
* AnimatedArmor: His forces are manufacturing armies of golems out of human souls. [[spoiler: And there's nothing left of ''him'' but his will, trapped in someone else's armor]].
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:If the Spirit Monk binds his soul but kills the Water Dragon, Sun Kin regains control and becomes one.]]
* AssholeVictim: To an extent. [[spoiler:Sun Kin willingly participated in the invasion of Dirge, and joined with Sun Li in an attempt to double-cross Sun Hai for power.]]

* BlackSwordsAreBetter: Fights with two black blades devastatingly. [[spoiler:It's [[{{Foreshadowing}} no coincidence]] that it was Prince Sun Kin and not the person wearing the armor of Death's Hand who carried those same weapons in flashbacks.]]
* BodyHorror: [[spoiler:If you keep Death's Hand and take the Water Dragon's power for yourself, the epilogue reveals that your increasing power eventually turns Death's Hand into something physically horrifying that can't be contained by Sun Li's armor.]]
* DiscOneFinalBoss: More in the sense that he [[spoiler: isn't the BigBad]] than the traditional one; he's still a ClimaxBoss fought very late in the game.
* TheDragon: [[spoiler:To Sun Hai, then Sun Li and potentially to the Spirit Monk.]]

* EleventhHourRanger: [[spoiler:If recruited, he's usable in the final chapter only.]]
* EnemyWithout: [[spoiler:The Spirit Monk defeats him by releasing the spirit of Sun Kin, which defeats Death's Hand.]]
* EvilChancellor: He turned the Lotus Monks into a gleefully evil army of thugs called the Lotus Assassins, and feeds the worst instincts of the Emperor. [[spoiler:Subverted; as it turns out, not only was Death's Hand simply enacting Sun Hai's orders, it turns out that he is fundamentally incapable of ''not'' having UndyingLoyalty to his current master.]]
* EvilSoundsDeep: Quite impressive for [[spoiler: a guy with no lungs]].
* HeroKiller: [[spoiler:As Sagacious Zu can attest.]]
* ImplacableMan: [[spoiler:As long as his controller channels the Water Dragon's power through him, Death's Hand will rise from every defeat.]]
* KarmaHoudini: Downplayed. [[spoiler:There's only one ending to his personal quest that allows him to avoid atoning in a good playthrough, and even then it's mostly because [[IDieFree he's ceased to exist]]. Even then, it's arguable how much moral agency he has in his actions, given how "Death's Hand" is more or less an extension of Sun Li's magic and is incapable of free will.]]
* KilledOffForReal: There is a way for Death's Hand to die without atoning for his sins. [[spoiler:If you fail to win against Death's Hand as Sun Kin, Death's Hand will cease to exist as he can't survive without his other half, falling to the floor. Doing this will not allow you to let his poor spirit rest, or to control him.]]

* MeaningfulName: The feared head of an organization of killers in service to the Emperor. [[spoiler:Sun Hai himself states that Death's Hand is ''his'' Hand shortly before he's [[DeadAllAlong revealed to be a ghost]]. What's more, Death's Hand is himself a decedent.]]
* OptionalPartyMember: Right before the final chapter of the game, he ''can'' be [[spoiler: enslaved to the player's will]].
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: A ruthless killer in a red mask and black armor. To quote Master Li, that is the armor of a man who has no remorse or pity. [[spoiler:Except that the armor belonged originally to the speaker of those words, not the soul bound to it.]]
* ReforgedIntoAMinion: Was once subjected to this [[spoiler: by his brother the Emperor. Can ''potentially'' be subjected to it by you, the player]].
* TinTyrant: He completes the look well, [[spoiler: because his armor is ''empty'']].
* TragicVillain: [[spoiler:He's the brainwashed and corrupted spirit of Sun Kin after his own elder brothers betrayed, murdered, and had him ReforgedIntoAMinion; what's left of his original personality hates himself and what he's become.]]
* ThatManIsDead: [[spoiler:His reaction to being called Prince Kin.]]

A teacher at the Black Leopard School who opposes Master Radiant, resulting in a schism that divides their studens against one another.

* {{Heel}}: An in-universe example. While competing in the Arena, he deliberately built up a reputation as a douchebag so the crowd would love to hate him. He continues to play this up now that he's the boss, and this backfires on him in the most direct way possible: when the PC climbs into the Gold Division, he can't stop them from challenging for the championship because the crowd ''will'' be rooting for a {{Face}} to defeat his invincible champion.

* HateSink: He's one of the most unlikable characters in the game, being smug, cruel and lacking any admirable or redeeming traitrs. He's one of the few evil [=NPCs=] encountered in sidequests who cannot be sided with under any circumstances.

* BrainsEvilBrawnsGood: He's not stupid, per se, but he's physically stronger than the more intellectual Smiling Hawk, and is the good one of the two.

* VillainousBreakdown: After hearing of his son's death.

* CombatPragmatist: He shoots down his original challenger while assuming a martial arts stance.

* ICallItVera: Mirabelle.

* DarthVaderClone: The all-covering armour with masked helmet, attacking mutely and ruthlessly, and his position as the Empire's enforcer with suggestions he may have more power than the ailing, palace-bound emperor. [[spoiler: He's also related to two of the protagonists, and he kills the person who hid one of them when they were an infant.]]

* BaldOfAwesome: It's all but mandatory for a WarriorMonk abbot.

* BaldOfAwesome: He does have a little hair in a tonsure, but it's mostly shaved.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: His substituting a fighter for a demon as part of a publicity stunt bites him in the ass when it sets a precedent that allows the Black Whirlwind to fight him in the Sprit Monk's place.

* BarrierChangeBoss: [[spoiler:One of your types of moves will be ineffective against him at any given time, and he changes which one it is. If wielding a weapon, all weapon-based damage will have him negate it and vice versa for unarmed stances. Though if you use a [[TakeAThirdOption transformation state, such as the Jade Golem]], it [[ArmorPiercingAttack completely bypasses]] this otherwise-annoying trait completely.]]

* BarrierChangeBoss: [[spoiler:One of your types of moves will be ineffective against him at any given time, and he changes which one it is.]]

* SitComArchNemesis: She seems to really dislike Dawn Star for whatever reason.

* TooDumbToLive: Get five judges from the very same people you trash talked in hopes they would vote in your favor. What could possibly go wrong?

[[folder:Master Li]]

'''Major spoilers follow.''' [[spoiler:He was actually the mastermind behind the massacre at Dirge. He manipulates the Spirit Monk into killing Sun Hai, whereupon he kills him/her and steals the power of the Water Dragon.]]

* AgentProvocateur: [[spoiler:He constantly berated Gao the Lesser to make him a GreenEyedMonster towards the player, and had him run to his dad and his Lotus Assassin buddies when he let him overhear that he was Sun Li himself.]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He's the figurehead of Two Rivers, the former leader of the Imperial Army [[spoiler:and eventually the Jade Empire's new Emperor]].
* BareFistedMonk: Favors Martial Styles over weapons, though [[spoiler: he is also proficient in magic, and used to wield a sword as the Emperor's general]].
* BigBad: [[spoiler:Master Li turns out to be the true main antagonist and FinalBoss of the game. He orchestrated the player's journey so that they could kill Hai and allow him seize the throne and the Water Dragon's power for himself. Also, it was only thanks to the Glorious Strategist's ingeniousness that Sun Hai managed to steal the Water Dragon's power in the first place.]]
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:To the Spirit Monk and Dawn Star after Sun Hai's downfall.]]
* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:While he does play on people's emotions as well, his major strength lies in manipulating events.]]
* TheChooserOfTheOne: [[spoiler:He, not the Water Dragon, was the one who set up the conditions for you to be TheChosenOne.]]

* EvilCostumeSwitch: [[spoiler:After murdering his protégé and assuming the throne, Li trades his mentor robes for a helmetless and slightly differently colored version of the armor Death's Hand wears -- which he himself wore while ransacking Dirge and abandoned to assume the WiseOldFolkFacade.]]
* EvilCounterpart: [[spoiler:To the PC if played Open Palm. In fact, if you listen to his MotiveRant and recall Smiling Mountain's lecture about the dangers of the way of the Open Palm back at the beginning, you'll realize that Li's the perfect example of the "dark" side of Open Palm Smiling Mountain had described.]]
* EvilVirtues: [[spoiler:As the Water Dragon states, the Glorious Strategist knows the value of patience.]]
* ExactWords: [[spoiler:He actually explains his entire plan and most of the twists up to his betrayal in his ExpositionDump in the prolog, disguised as generic "Wise Mentor" platitudes. If the player starts asking pointed questions instead of respectfully going along with it, he gets visibly nervous.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Even after revealing his sinister nature, he still acts in a composed and polite manner for the most part.]]
* AGodAmI: [[spoiler:After becoming the new Emperor, he boasts about being a god like his elder brother did. However, since Li's able to become more powerful than Hai ever was thanks to the Dragon Amulet, he's got more ground to back up his words.]]
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler: Takes his final defeat by the Spirit Monk and failure of his 20-year-long gambit for absolute power surprisingly well, choosing to indirectly compliment his student at his dying breath.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:As he admits through his last words, he trained the last Spirit Monk too well.]]
* HyperCompetentSidekick: Organized the Emperor's armies for him before his fall from grace. [[spoiler:He's a deconstruction; he started his scheme when he realized that he would be a far better emperor than Sun Hai.]]
* LackOfEmpathy: [[spoiler:He is incapable of seeing people as anything more than tools. He claims that his initial reaction at learning that Sun Hai executed his family was anger at his brother for destroying his possessions without permission. If you tell him that Dawn Star is his daughter, his reaction is a mere "Interesting but don't care."]]
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:In a manner of speaking. He did manipulate events in his favour, but by the time the forces of evil answer to him, he has already stepped out in the open.]]
%%* ManipulativeBastard
* MrExposition: He's the one to first tell the player about their destiny that involves the restless spirits of the dead, Death's Hand, and your people, the Spirit Monks, who were slaughtered by Li's brother, Emperor Sun Hai. [[spoiler:However, he doesn't tell you about his true role in the Spirit Monk genocide and plans to usurp his brother with your help.]]
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:His idea of an "utopia" is an Orwellian dictatorship where he's in control of everything and everyone, ruling as a god.]]

* PapaWolf: Do not harm his students [[spoiler:at least until he needs you to. [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Although, he'll probably kill you anyway]]]].

* PsychoticSmirk: He gives this [[spoiler:once his face is revealed during the true flashback regarding the fall of Dirge]].
* PureIsNotGood: [[spoiler:His personality is an evil reflection of the Open Palm's purity. Even Smiling Mountain's lecture describes the Open Palm as not always being the good path]].

* {{Sabotutor}}: [[spoiler:He deliberately integrated into the Spirit Monk's fighting style flaws that only he could exploit the moment he wanted them dead.]]
* SoProudOfYou: He tells this to the Spirit Monk after they've [[spoiler:killed Sun Hai]]. It turns into [[spoiler:a cruel twist when he kills them after this]].

* TheSociopath: [[spoiler:An extremely high-functioning example. He spent twenty years raising a LaserGuidedTykebomb from infancy while masquerading as a kind and wise parental figure, but doesn't hesitate to kill them once their purpose is served. As the new Emperor, he retains his outward sensibility that is ''not'' supported by his actions. He cannot feel true attachment even for his own family, which he confesses at a time he has nothing to lose from it. Even the discovery that his murdered daughter is alive and has for all these years been his second best pupil doesn't soften him up at all. He gives rational explanations for his actions, yet admits at the height of his power that he slaughtered thousands of Spirit Monks just for a chance to be a god. His idea of an utopia includes control and obedience at the cost of individuality, and he believes that he can force the spirits of the dead to rest.]]
* TheSpock: Master Li is regarded as a highly capable man even by his enemies. While he's composed and polite, he doesn't display much emotion even when congratulating his protege. He also rarely raises his soft yet deep voice, but when he does, you know you're in trouble. [[spoiler:Raising a LaserGuidedTykebomb for twenty years behind a facade of a caring teacher and killing them without trouble once they've served their purpose speaks of an especially dark example of this trope. What's more, he's incapable of caring even for his family beyond practical value.]]
* SternTeacher: It's said that he doesn't praise his students overly much, but inwardly cares for their development. [[spoiler:In truth, he doesn't care at all, beyond his own plans.]]
* TinTyrant: [[spoiler:He was the original owner of the armor of Death's Hand when he ransacked Dirge, but after failing to overthrow Sun Hai, he abandoned the armor while escaping with the last Spirit Monk. After becoming the new Emperor, he dons a new armor that's just like his old one, only colored slightly differently and lacking a helmet.]]
* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler:Your good teacher is just using you to overthrow the current emperor so that he can rule as a god in his brother's stead.]]
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: His actions attract all sorts of malevolent beings, namely the darkness that even he will have no ability to control if and when [[spoiler:he succeeds at godhood]].
* VillainsActHeroesReact: [[spoiler:His entire BatmanGambit makes up the entirety of the first two thirds of the game; the Spirit Monk bringing him down makes up the rest.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:After he is cut off from the Water Dragon's power, he lets out a very satisfying scream of rage. Unfortunately, he's largely recovered by the time you fight.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: Very much so, [[spoiler: [[BigBad with good reason]]]].
* WeCanRuleTogether: [[spoiler:He offers the Spirit Monk the chance to die a martyr for his utopia.]]
* WiseOldFolkFacade: [[spoiler:He's introduced as your stereotypical {{old master}}, but he's actually a power-hungry madman who murders without hesitation his protégé once they have fulfilled the purpose for which he trained them for their entire life.]]

-->''"No! No! Anyone but you!"''

* YouHaveFailedMe: Threatens to leave Kang with the captive demons if he doesn't finish the Marvelous Dragonfly in time. This is possibly deconstructed when he realizes he'll be killed for his failures if he returns, and decides to kill the Spirit Monk and take the other amulet fragment in the hopes that it will make up for it. He fails and loses the amulet fragment, which not only means his own death but a setback to the Assassins' plans.

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: With Inquisitor Lim.

* BadassMustache: He has a Fu Manchu mustache, and for all his arrogance, he is a dangerous opponent.

* BadassBeard: It's shorter than usual, but he's the only companion to rock facial hair, aside from, well, Chai Ka.

* BadassBeard: Combined with a barely visible BadassMustache.