History Main / Wuxia

* ''Film/RedCliff'', which is notable for being based on actual history - the Battle of Chibi, in [[Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms the Three Kingdoms period]]. It is more subdued and realistic than the average ''wuxia'' story, although characters retain wuxia's standard deep sense of honour and ability to jump incredible distances.

* ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'', despite being a Western {{superhero}} film, draws heavy influence from ''wuxia''--a fitting way to introduce the MCU's first headlining Chinese hero.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'' is largely a GenreBusting series mashing together all sorts of {{Adventure}} genres, including [[FilmSerial science fiction serials]], [[Film/TheDambusters war films]], [[SpaghettiWestern spaghetti Westerns]], [[SwordAndSorcery European fantasy]], JidaiGeki and, of course, ''wuxia''--the last is most evident in the philosophy and cultivation of the Force (itself being a clear CrystalDragonJesus of the Tao). Jedi Force techniques tend to more closely resemble [[KiManipulation Chinese Qi attacks]] rather than Japanese styles. The prequel films' more acrobatic lightsaber duels also take their cues from ''wuxia'' (and fencing), where the originals were based more on Japanese UsefulNotes/{{Kendo}} and European styles.

** ''Manhua/WeaponsOfTheGods'' and its successor ''TabletopGame/LegendsOfTheWulin'' are epic systems designed to showcase both the variety of kung fu techniques and the high power level of ''wuxia'' - "Ranked Fighters" (AKA ''Xia'') can literally take down dozens of nameless {{mooks}} right out the gate, and character abilities deal with destiny, the wills of heaven and hell, and the fate of all of China (though it does have a lot of detail in its musings on cultural detail).

* ''VideoGame/TaleOfWuxia'' - well, it's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.

[[/index]]

** ''Weapons Of The Gods'' and its successor ''TabletopGame/LegendsOfTheWulin'' are epic systems designed to showcase both the variety of kung fu techniques and the high power level of ''wuxia'' - "Ranked Fighters" (AKA ''Xia'') can literally take down dozens of nameless {{mooks}} right out the gate, and character abilities deal with destiny, the wills of heaven and hell, and the fate of all of China (though it does have a lot of detail in its musings on cultural detail).

* Beast Tides: Dangerous (maybe supernatural) animals breed out of control and overrun the land in cycles. It's just how things are in some wuxia worlds, always has been & always will be.

* SheFu: Not to be confused with ''shīfu'' ("master"), which is pronounced (roughly) "shr-fu" in Mandarin.

* ImportantHaircut: Hair-cutting, or refusing to cut it, has had important implications in Chinese culture and history (as in SeriousBusiness-level important), making this a trope that appears quite often.[[labelnote:Context]]In traditional/Confucian Chinese culture, the hair was considered part of the body given to one by one's parents. Filial piety was SeriousBusiness, so cutting one's hair short was considered disgraceful, or even outright mutilating the body one's parents gave them, so haircuts were usually considered a big no-no once a person reached adulthood (if not earlier). For example, Buddhist monks and nuns would shave their heads (which could be considered as a rejection of Confucian custom--Taoism aligns with Confucianism much better than Buddhism), and criminals would often have their hair cut short [[TraumaticHaircut to humiliate them]], so especially if someone in such a setting like ''wuxia'' cuts their hair of their own volition, it's important.[[/labelnote]]

In recent years, another genre known as ''xiānxiá'' (仙俠, "Immortal Hero") has developed, referred to on this wiki as the SpiritCultivationGenre. This genre places more emphasis on SupernaturalMartialArts, and specifically on the practitioners becoming progressively stronger over time.

* AGodAmI: Some villains will behave like this. It's up to the hero(es) to correct them. Occasionally, someone actually ''is'' trying to become a god, or in any case immortal; you spend years studying.

* HeirToTheDojo: Given the nature of martial art schools in this genre, there tend to be certain characters who are chosen by their master as a successor. ''Xianxia'' has another particularly popular variant--characters going into ruins of ancient long-gone sects, discovering and passing some sort of a test in order to gain their "inheritance", ranging from techniques to artefacts to bound servants (bound immortal demons and the like).

* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Secret martial techniques often feature, sometimes simply as the powers of characters, sometimes as goals of quests, sources of jealousy, causes of rivalry etc.

[[folder:Manhwa and Manhua]]
* ''Manhwa/TheBreaker'', ''Manhwa/{{Veritas}}'', ''Now'', and ''Ping'' are all Korean {{manhwa}} that use ''wuxia'' tropes.

* ''Weapons of the Gods'' (which the RPG below is based on) and basically all of Wong Yuk Long's works such as Film/DragonTigerGate.

* ''Literature/{{Id}}'' uses many ''wuxia'' tropes and mixes them with Norse and Christian mythology.

* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'' steadily begins to adopt elements from the ''wuxia'' genre from ''Fairy Dance'' onwards, and they become more pronounced from the ''Mother's Rosario'' and ''Alicization'' onward. These include Dedicated Schools of Martial Arts, Inter-Sword-School Rivalries, Young Prodigies seeking challenges in a WorthyOpponent, Striving To Leave A Legacy of Hope, Rivals Bound By Honor fighting side by side as Brothers in Arms, Ancient Techniques passed down as legacies of friendships, the TrainingMontage, [[BloodBrothers Close and Loving Friendships Between Sworn Brothers and Sisters]], not to mention elegant and balletic sword-battles reminiscent of those choreographed by Kung Fu Film Luminary Creator/YuenWooPing. "Phantom Bullet" is more of a tribute to the post-apocalyptic cyberpunk genre and Franchise/StarWars, the latter of which is itself a ''wuxia'' saga RecycledInSpace.

* HeroicSacrifice: Very common, particularly in the context of BloodBrothers (see above).

* BloodBrothers: The relationship of "sworn brothers" is a central feature of the genre. The "Peach Garden Oath" of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' is a particularly famous example.

* StockWushuWeapons: Expect traditional ''wushu'' weapons like the ''jian''[[note]]Sword[[/note]], ''qiang''[[note]]Spear[[/note]], ''[[DropTheHammer chui]]''[[note]]Hammer[[/note]], and numerous others to show up in these media.

* RoofHopping: Very, very, ''very'' common.
** Generally in East Asian fantasy, leaping as if weightless has been more common than outright flying, but it's sometimes used as a transition between "normal" jumping and full-fledged flight.

* UrExample: Most modern action ''[[ShonenDemographic shōnen]]'' manga, due to being inspired by the ''very'' ''wuxia''-influenced ''Manga/DragonBall'' and ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', can trace their roots back to this and ''xianxia''. Many tropes that define shonen--SupernaturalMartialArts, screaming while powering up, bystanders commenting on the main fight, [[ThePowerOfFriendship exaggerated senses of honor and friendship]], KiManipulation, {{Battle Aura}}s, GoldenSuperMode, CallingYourAttacks, and much more--started out in ''wuxia'' and ''xianxia'' tales hundreds of years ago.

* TheDarkSide
* DeadlyUpgrade

* DragonsUpTheYinYang

* DuelingDojos: Technically, duelling ''guǎn'', since we're in China.

* GenreTurningPoint: In film, ''Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' (1983, Tsui Hark) was the first movie to combine Hong Kong action cinema with western special effects technology, resulting in visually-stunning displays of SupernaturalMartialArts.

* AGodAmI: Some villains will behave like this. It's up to the hero(es) to correct them. Occasionally someone actually ''is'' trying to become a god, or in any case immortal; you spend years studying.
* GunFu: For modern settings.

* LonelyAtTheTop: A problem that plagues every ''shīfu'', good or evil. Some of them will raise disciples just so they can have someone to spar with as equal.

* LoveDodecahedron
* LoveTriangle

** Both developed independently of each other, but due to universals of the human condition, they wound up becoming remarkably similar, with personal ''qi'' cultivation rather than divine enchantment being a primary difference with the more common usage of [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting kung-fu]] also being a major point of contrast. Whereas Western fantasy almost universally leaves hand-to-hand combat to the realm of drunken tavern fights, ''wuxia'' add many styles of kung-fu to the mix.[[note]]It should be deeply stressed that hand-to-hand kung-fu is just an ''additional'' method of fighting--most ''wuxia'' characters still use weapons such as swords.[[/note]]

* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels

* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil
* PressurePoint: Pretty much the TropeCodifier.

* RecursiveCrossdressing

* RivalTurnedEvil

* WaxOnWaxOff
* WaifFu
* WainscotSociety
* WarriorMonk
* WireFu: Used in films to perform exaggerated feats of ''qinggong'' ("light body skill"). It should be noted that this is an actual skill, but real-life ''qinggong'' doesn't look like WireFu--it's much closer in spirit to LeParkour.

Compare SwordAndSorcery, HighFantasy, HeroicFantasy, and {{Swashbuckler}}. The Japanese equivalent is JidaiGeki, particularly the ''chanbara'' subgenre. (Interestingly, the term ''wuxia'' was originally a calque of the Japanese ''bukyo''. In Japan, however, the term ''bukyo'' has since faded into obscurity). The closest American equivalent is TheWestern, especially regarding its hazy boundary with WeirdWest. For the 2011 movie titled ''Wu Xia'', see ''Film/{{Swordsmen}}''.

A more romantic term known as ''wǔlín'' (武林,literally "Martial Forest") is used when one wants to talk ''specifically'' about the world of martial artists and warriors, divorced from the ugly connotations of criminality that ''jianghu'' has come to embody. ''Wulin'' is basically a majestic way of saying "the World of Warriors".

One of the oldest genres in Chinese literature, ''wǔxiá'' (武俠/武侠, literally "martial-arts chivalry" or "martial arts heroes", and pronounced ''roughly'' [[http://tinyurl.com/wuxia woo-syah]] in [[UsefulNotes/ChineseLanguage Mandarin]]) stories are tall tales of honorable warriors (俠/侠 ''xiá'') fighting against evil, whether it be an individual villain, or a corrupt government. Notable for {{melodrama}}, [[ImplausibleFencingPowers spectacular swordplay]], and [[WireFu high-flying]] [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting martial arts]] where the laws of physics, like gravity, are more suggestions than solid rules.

One of the oldest genres in Chinese literature, ''wǔxiá'' (武俠/武侠, literally "martial-arts chivalry" or "martial arts heroes", and pronounced ''roughly'' [[http://tinyurl.com/wuxia woo-sheah]] in [[UsefulNotes/ChineseLanguage Mandarin]]) stories are tall tales of honorable warriors (俠/侠 ''xiá'') fighting against evil, whether it be an individual villain, or a corrupt government. Notable for {{melodrama}}, [[ImplausibleFencingPowers spectacular swordplay]], and [[WireFu high-flying]] [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting martial arts]] where the laws of physics, like gravity, are more suggestions than solid rules.

* {{Flight}}: One of the most common powers in the genre, being able to "fly" (more like a highly agile glide) is a sign of a martial artist's incredible skill as they temporarily reduce their weight to a fraction and a bit of ki propulsion.

* ''Sands of Salzzar'' is a Chinese game set in a desert kingdom (though there are more biomes) influenced by the land and people of ancient western China. Your character starts off with a CharlesAtlasSuperpower or supernatural legacy outside of their class. And even within the classes there's a number that are stock characters to the wuxia, there's the Knight Errant (travelling underground hero), the Jackal (GentlemanThief turned bounty hunter) and' Sentinel (an ex-palace guard). The game is set after the fall of a dynasty that also coincided with an eclipse that ushered an invasion by the Ifrit.

* ''Sands of Salzzar'' is set in a desert kingdom (though there are more biomes) influenced by the land and people of ancient western China. Your character starts off with a CharlesAtlasSuperpower or supernatural legacy outside of their class. And even within the classes there's a number that are stock characters to the wuxia, there's the Knight Errant (travelling underground hero), the Jackal (GentlemanThief turned bounty hunter) and' Sentinel (an ex-palace guard). The game is set after the fall of a dynasty that also coincided with an eclipse that ushered an invasion by the Ifrit.

* ''Literature/BewareOfChicken'' takes a ''xianxia'' world and sets out to defy or subvert most of the associated tropes, starting with the main character choosing to be a farmer, instead of a cultivator, and going from there. The titular chicken, however, has a more classical attitude, training himself in moon-style martial arts to vanquish evil (foxes, insects, etc), honour his master, and protect the great "Fa Ram".
* ''Literature/WaterMargin'', a novel dating from the fourteenth century, is probably the earliest example, although it is clearly based on even earlier folk stories. Especially influential in defining the ''Jiānghú'' world.
* ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'', again probably written during the fourteenth century, but based on earlier histories.
* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', still another classic novel, probably fifteenth century in this case, also based on earlier folk stories.

* One of the legends in ''Literature/HitherbyDragons'' is a ''wuxia'' parody/homage.

* The Literature/JudgeDee novels and short stories draw on many ''wuxia'' elements. Ciao Tai is a typical gentleman-outlaw swordsman character, and his best friend Ma Joong is the kung-fu master.

* ''Literature/WayOfChoices'' is solidly ''xianxia''.

* ''Literature/QianQiu'' is filled to the brim with ''xianxia'' lore even amidst all the subplots involving politics in a DecadentCourt and where each character stands in a world filled with GreyAndGrayMorality.
* ''Literature/{{Moribito}}'': A chance encounter with the royal procession and one act of heroism later, [[TheAtoner Balsa]] finds herself a guest at the Imperial Court--where the Second Queen learns of her vow to atone for the eight lives she took by saving eight lives in return. After hearing her story, she asks Balsa to take her son and make him the eigth life she saves. Thus begins an epic quest to save a young prince, [[MacGuffin the mysterious egg inside him]], and [[GhibliHills a country]].

* ''Literature/TheLangyaList'': Martial arts aren't the story's main focus, but Mei Changsu leads a martial arts alliance and the titular Langya List is a ranking of martial artists.
* Zen Cho's novella ''The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water'' is a English language homage to Wuxia fiction, and combines the genre with [[spoiler: QueerRomance.]]
* ''Literature/NanoMachine'' is what happens when you put highly advanced nanobots in a wuxia setting.

* ''Film/KungPowEnterTheFist'' is a straight up [[WidgetSeries exceptionally weird]] parody.

* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' was heavily inspired by ''wuxia''. In fact the director, Yasuhiro Imagawa, [[AuthorAppeal rather likes wuxia]], which also shows up to a greater degree in ''Manga/GiantRobo'' and less so in ''Anime/ShinMazinger''.

* ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' is either an AffectionateParody or a slightly more comedic example of the genre. Either way, even the Chinese thought it was a worthy addition.