* CompleteMonster: Wang Lung's uncle, who repeatedly mooches off of his nephew, treats his niece in law cruelly, is suspected of eating some of his children during a famine, joins/becomes the leader of a gang that kills people, burns down houses and rapes women [[ForTheEvulz for laughs]], and attempts to blackmail Wang Lung with this fact. [[spoiler: Fortunately, [[KarmicDeath he ends up dying from his opium addiction]]...and then his equally vile son takes over]].
* TearJerker: [[spoiler:The death of O-Lan]]