Characters / She Who Became The Sun

The characters of Shelley Parker-Chan's 2021 novel She Who Became The Sun.

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Zhu Chongba

The Villain Protagonist of the novel, Zhu Chongba is a nameless peasant girl who takes up her brother's destiny of power and claims it for herself, rising through the ranks in a plot to secure her rule over China.

• Affably Evil: Zhu's friendliness, kindness, and civility is absolutely genuine and she'll even repay her debts and show kindness. By the end, however, she's also ruthless enough to murder a child to secure her ascent.
• Animal Motifs: Zhu's lean, triangular face is often compared to insects like a cicada, cricket, or mantis. It's doubly appropriate because those insects symbolize rebirth, good fortune, and strength, and Zhu is a Determinator who took on a new identity to achieve greatness.
• Anti-Villain: Zhu runs the range of anti-villainy, willing to do ruthless things but nonetheless having significant moral lines and a genuinely horrible past to make up for it. The audience follows her as she slowly hardens her heart and becomes more accustomed to her own ambition and evil deeds.
• Bait the Dog: Zhu uses the Prince of Radiance as a sign of her right to rule the rebels and initially seems willing to leave him alive. However, only someone with the Mandate of Heaven can become Emperor, so he will become an obstacle for her eventually. While she makes it quick and painless, she murders him to eliminate the threat, cementing her willingness to be as cruel as necessary, even if it comes at great cost to herself.
• The Chessmaster: While everyone in the novel schemes, nobody schemes quite like Zhu Chongba. From youth she grows into cunning just to survive, and by the time she's in the court she proves to be a brilliant and charming strategist who can play a battlefield and a court alike. By the end, she plays Liu Futong into her hands and claims the throne through her planning skills.
• Determinator: Nothing dissuades Zhu when she has a goal in mind, and she will do anything to claim victory no matter how difficult or immoral. While she sometimes falters, her commitment and determination never disappears for long. No setback can prevent her from gaining the rulership. Zhu is defined by determination, clawing herself from the depths of nameless peasantry by forcibly claiming a Mandate of Heaven, and soon forcibly claiming victory.
• The Dreaded: Her name comes to be feared by both sides as her victories mount and her plans come to fruition more often.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Though Zhu may edge into evil, her love for her wife Ma Xiuying is completely genuine. The two adore each other and are constantly at one another's side.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: When the story starts, Zhu Chongba is a nameless peasant girl. By the time it's halfway through, she's known as one of the best strategists in China and feared by both sides.
• Frontline General: Zhu is more than willing to personally take the fight to her enemies from the head of her force rather than the back.
• Guile Hero: She uses a lot of deception (starting from obscuring her sex) and many of her victories are the result of subterfuge.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: Zhu may be ruthless and brutal, but she pales in comparison to Chen Youliang. Chen Youliang never shies from the more brutal option and when Right Minister Guo rebels, Chen Youliang has him flayed alive.
• Handicapped Badass: Even after losing a hand, she personally leads armies, infiltrates hostile camps, and re-learns fighting with her left hand.
• Mirror Character: Zhu and Chen Youliang have more in common than Zhu might like to admit. She initially holds quite a bit of admiration for his ambition and skill at plotting, but quickly becomes repulsed at what he's willing to do for power. Even as she makes more and more ruthless decisions in the name of her goals, she tries to convince herself she's not as far gone as he is — but also acknowledges that some of his tactics are things she would have done herself.
• The Power of Friendship: What ultimately distinguishes her from the others who hold the Mandate of Heaven is that she has trusted friends like Xu Da and Ma Xiuying who support and believe in her. Their influence leads her to realize that she doesn't only want power for its own sake, but to build a better world for others as well.
• Queer Romance: Ma Xiuying becomes willing to marry Zhu once she realizes Zhu was assigned female at birth.
• The Strategist: Though Chen Youliang may have better control over the courts, Zhu has total control of the battlefield. She is a brilliant and ruthless planner whose tactics and outside-the-box thinking lead her side to multiple victories.
• Tragic Villain: Zhu's entire life is hell, driving her to villainy when she decides to claim power— and even as she rises the tragedy doesn't stop, as when she successfully claims her throne it comes at the cost of having murdered a child. Even Zhu ends the novel somewhat dejectedly noting that she will at least rule well to ensure her descent into evil wasn't in vain.
• Villain Protagonist: Zhu Chongba is ruthless as hell and willing to kill to get her way. While she'd prefer not to, differentiating herself from men like Chen Youliang, she's never unwilling to use diplomacy if it's an option.
• Warrior Monk: Zhu is a monk due to her training in a monastery, but she is also a solid fighter in her own right, albeit one easily bested by a hardened warrior like Ouyang.
• Would Hurt a Child: She murders the Prince of Radiance to secure her rise to power.

General Ouyang

The second protagonist of the novel, Ouyang is a general of the Yuan who himself seeks to claim vengeance upon the Prince of Henan and the Great Khan for the execution of his male family members, as well as his own castration, enslavement, and humiliation. This is complicated by his close relationship with Lord Esen-Temur.

• Anti-Villain: Much like Zhu, albeit in the opposite direction. Ouyang leans harder on "villain" than "anti," but proves to have some sense of honor and it's hard to argue that his desire for revenge is unjustified once one knows what his targets have done to him.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: He's killed a lot of people, and doesn't think much of it — not even when their loved ones come to confront him.
• The Chessmaster: Ouyang manages to work out a plan that gradually eliminates his targets and hides who does it, culminating in organizing a large-scale coup in his final target's own home. While he may not be Zhu, his skill is nothing to scoff at.
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: A very pretty lady, to his own dismay.
• Eunuchs Are Evil: An eunuch (the only major one in the story) and ruthless, callous and driven by his desire for revenge.
• Four-Star Badass: Ouyang earned his status as a general, and is one of the fiercest warriors and best strategists that the Yuan have to offer. The man bests Zhu in a straight fight and holds incredible archery skills that let him succeed in his plans.
• Frontline General: A devil in battle, so it makes sense for him to capitalize on that skill.
• He-Man Woman Hater: He's as close as a eunuch can be to the Yuan warrior ideal, but his point of view frequently describes his revulsion for women. Madame Zhang speculates that he prefers manly men because they're what he wishes he could be, and as furious as he is, he has no rebuttal.
• Made a Slave: Ouyang is enslaved by the Prince of Henan's family after his father commits treason and the rest of the family is executed. The bargain for Ouyang's survival is that he had to be castrated.
• Manly Gay: Ouyang is a masculine Yuan general who can take lives with the best of them. He also has undeniable sexual tension with Esen, and is accused by Madame Zhang of being more interested in her male lover than in her.
• Master Archer: Ouyang can shoot a bow with insane skill, to the point where Zhu relies on this skill to help them outplay Chen Youliang.
• Master Swordsman: Verging on One-Man Army — he's so talented that he treats being surrounded by enemy soldiers as a temporary inconvenience. Even Zhu, who is well aware of his reputation, is taken aback to see his ferocity in combat up close.
• Pet the Dog: Ouyang may want revenge for the slaughter of his family, but when Wang Baoxiang points out that he's not the biological son of their executioner, Ouyang surprises even himself by showing mercy and letting him go.
• Psychological Projection: Oujang harbors intense loathing for his feminine appearance, and projects that outwards through disdain for women and hate for everything feminine.
• Too Broken to Break: As far as he's concerned, the worst has already happened to him. He laughs off the Abbott's threat of divine retribution by asking what Heaven could do that's worse than the life he's living.
• Villain Killer: Ouyang racks up a body count of the book's villains through his plotting.
• Villain Protagonist: Ouyang is a ruthless Yuan general who is far from afraid to get his hands dirty in battle. The very second instance we see Ouyang is when he burns down Wuhuang monastery to avenge a slight by the abbot years earlier. In parts II and III of the book, Ouyang takes a protagonist role from the second act onward, the story focusing on his twisted mind and willingness to kill, while simultaneously explaining why he's become so hardhearted.
• Worthy Opponent: Ouyang acknowledges that Zhu is an incredible warrior and is willing to ally with her to defeat Youliang.

Chen Youliang

The main antagonist of the novel, and Zhu's ally and eventual rival in the Red Turbans. Noted for his completely cold nature and brilliant mind as a former warlord.

• Arch-Enemy: To Zhu, who realizes quickly that Chen Youliang is her biggest obstacle to success.
• Big Bad: The central antagonist of the novel— the conflict is caused by him and revolves around him and his competition with Zhu to gain power.
• The Chessmaster: Whenever someone slips up, Chen Youliang is there to take advantage. His plots have let him dominate the Red Turbans' leadership for years, and when his rivals appear Chen Youliang has little trouble either working with them or dispatching them. Ultimately, he's the largest obstacle to Zhu's rise due to just how smart he proves to be.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Don't ever trust Chen Youliang. Guo the Elder discovers this the hard way when Chen Youliang uses an opportunity to cut off his rebellion by turning against him, and Zhu knows his treachery but ends up forced to try and work with him. Sure enough, he betrays her, but she has figured this out and knows exactly the counterplay she needs to make.
• Evil Chancellor: He uses all the Red Turbans as pawns, manipulating the Prime Minister through his paranoia to kill off his rivals and eventually turning on the Prime Minister himself.
• Faux Affably Evil: Chen Youliang is as trustworthy as a serpent. He may pose as a kindly man, but the reality is that he's a blackhearted, evil man who would just as soon see his own allies flayed alive as successful. His real success is not in being trusted, but in making himself so essential that one simply cannot go without his aid when he offers it.
• Manipulative Bastard: Even when he's genuinely supporting people, Chen Youliang is just using them as his pawns to claim a victory through them. Chen Youliang is a master at taking advantage of others' flaws to achieve his own ends with them, whether through supporting them, betraying them or even flat-out killing them.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis: Chen Youliang does not waste time. He'll help you if he needs to, kill you if it benefits him, and betray you the moment you're no longer convenient. If you're a rival, he'll get into your good graces and frame you for treason. Chen Youliang's skill is only matched by his willingness to do whatever helps him gain more power.
• Pragmatic Villainy: The scariest thing about Chen Youliang is probably that it's all business to him — while he'll kill you the moment it's convenient, he'll also unconditionally support people who benefit his ends.
• Shadow Archetype: Chen Youliang is all of Zhu's worst ambition with none of her good traits. His willingness to do anything to achieve his ends is punctuated only by his constant manipulation and betrayal of his allies. Where Zhu has compunctions and loved ones, Chen Youliang has nothing but an evil mind and the desire to rule that they both share.
• The Sociopath: Chen Youliang defines himself by having no feeling but desire for more power. He is without compassion or mercy, anything resembling them being mere pragmatism. He's practically inhuman in the satisfaction he takes in claiming victory and his willingness to do anything to get there.
• The Unfettered: Youliang stops at nothing to achieve his ends. He's purely pragmatic but also casts aside any moral or ethical boundaries that could impede his success.

Ma Xiuying

The daughter of a Red Turban general and a rare voice of compassion amidst the backstabbing of the rebellion's leaders. Eventually falls in love with and marries Zhu Chongba.

• Disappointed in You: Upon realizing she backed and loved Zhu, who ended up murdering the Prince of Radiance, Ma can only express her shame and disappointment in Zhu's actions.
• Morality Pet: Ma's inherent kindness means she generally recognizes Zhu's willingness to be ruthless as a necessity, but does often try to tilt her hand toward a more generous and moral direction.
• Nice Girl: On either side, Ma stands out for her genuine kindness and generosity. Where others are plotting against each other, she's just as nice as she seems.
• Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: In the end, Ma is just as kind as she seems and her love for Zhu is genuine, heartfelt and one of the few things reining Zhu in.
• Token Good Teammate: Between both sides, Ma is one of the most firmly gentle and kind characters in the entire story, and shows the most compassion out of all of the characters.

Esen-Temur

Ouyang's owner and commander, the eldest son and heir of the Prince of Henan.

• Anti-Villain: Esen has no idea that he's a villain, contrasting him with men like Chen Youliang or even Ouyang and Zhu themselves, who know they're evil.
• Domestic Abuse: His relationship with Ouyang is a form of power-based emotional abuse, though he's never physically abusive and is genuinely aghast at the idea he might hurt Ouyang.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: For all it's an example of Stockholm Syndrome with a huge power imbalance, he does genuinely care about Ouyang.
• Innocently Insensitive: Venting to Ouyang (whose family was killed and he himself castrated) how annoying a family is or saying he is "as beautiful as a woman" may not be the most sensitive thing to say, even if he does mean no harm.
• Karmic Death: Esen is betrayed by Ouyang, the man he never could have predicted turning against him, his eyes firmly set on the people he resents rather than the man he loves. In the end, Ouyang performs a coup and personally executes Esen.
• Obliviously Evil: Esen initially compartmentalizes the Ouyang who suffered at his family's hands and General Ouyang, his friend, into different people. He often hurts Ouyang with unthinking remarks and doesn't even consider that Ouyang would want to take revenge on his family.
• Proud Warrior Race Guy: Exemplifies the masculine ideal of Mongol culture, which leads to both Ouyang and Wang Baoxiang unfavourably comparing themselves to him.

Wang Baoxiang

The nephew/adopted son of Chaghan-Temur, who resents the others for their success and serves as a Hidden Agenda Villain for Ouyang's plot.

• Animal Motifs: His features and expressions are frequently described as being catlike, which fits his sly, smug personality quite well.
• Anti-Villain: As is consistent among the Yuan, Wang has a lot more to him than he might initially seem and is capable of kindness as much as he's capable of awful deeds.
• Camp Straight: His fashions, habit of wearing perfume, scholarly interests, and lack of combat prowess are all glaringly unmanly by Yuan standards. He bitterly jokes that the only way he could do worse would be to take a male lover, but he isn't interested in men.
• The Chessmaster: Ouyang may have plotting skills well in hand, but Baoxiang is constantly planning around others and orchestrating things from behind the scenes, as well as cleaning up for others' plans. He hides his involvement and is, by the end, the biggest victor in the entire conflict.
• Devil in Plain Sight: Everyone knows Baoxiang is up to something, but nobody knows what it is— except for himself, meaning nobody trusts him; this includes the people he's helping. Ouyang never predicted that Baoxiang was helping him all along, after all the enmity Baoxiang cultivates between himself and everyone else.
• Dirty Coward: Ultimately subverted. Though Baoxiang is branded a coward and his shady nature makes him seem like one to the warlike Mongols, he actually has Nerves of Steel and is simply a better courtier than a fighter— not that he wouldn't fight just as any other, as he goes for his bow to fight off a pursuing wolf and even is willing to take it on personally, and keeps his cool despite visible nervousness when Ouyang's men have him at blade-point.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: He wears a topknot in the style of the Nanren underclass rather than Mongol braids. He made the switch as a young man, deciding that if the Mongols were going to despise him for his half-Nanren heritage either way, he would wear it as a badge of pride and rub it in their faces.
• Hidden Agenda Villain: It's not clear what Baoxiang wants from Esen and Ouyang, only seeming to perpetually troll them for his own amusement until Ouyang performs his final coup. At this point, it becomes clear that Baoxiang had been suspicious of Ouyang ever since Chaghan's murder, but was weighing his options, unsure whether to reveal the plot or aid it. He chooses betrayal.
• Hidden Depths: Despite being introduced as a straightforward troll and even seeming to be a homophobe, Baoxiang later admits he has more sympathy for Ouyang's plight than he lets on, being himself branded a coward and put down for his status as an outsider.
• Klingon Scientists Get No Respect: He's a scholar and bureaucrat rather than a warrior, an important role that would have been honourable under the old regime, but earns him nothing but contempt and disgust from the Mongolians.
• The Man Behind the Man: Baoxiang prefers to work from behind the veil and to let others do his work as he pleases, while nonetheless supporting those who would achieve his agenda for him.
• Nerves of Steel: Whether facing a wolf or held captive at threat of death, Baoxiang will be nervous— and that's the end of it for how fearful he becomes. This is particularly shown when he manages to talk Ouyang out of killing him while visibly terrified and held at knife-point; he doesn't mewl or beg, and instead calmly explains his logic to Ouyang, persuading him to spare his life.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Baoxiang's pragmatism is so definitive that it's easily mistaken for cowardice. He prefers to stay behind the scenes and keep his cards close to his chest, so much so that nobody knows whose side he's on until he reveals he's been aiding Ouyang all along.
• Then Let Me Be Evil: In the beginning, Wang Baoxiang is content with administrating Henan to support his family and the empire, until his brother unfairly blames him for their father's death. Then, the scheming starts.
• Troll: Baoxiang relishes messing with everyone around him, and there are few lows he will not stoop to just to offend people. This reaches the point that pretty much everyone being unsure of whose side Baoxiang is on— which is exactly what Baoxiang wants.
• Wild Card: Nobody is sure whose side Baoxiang is on at any given moment, as he seems to despise both Ouyang and his father and brother. He ends up secretly supporting Ouyang's coup against Esen when it becomes clear that his relationship with his brother is irreparable.

Xu Da

A fellow monk who served alongside Zhu as a novice, Xu Da is Zhu's oldest acquaintance and one of the few she trusts.

• Mr. Vice Guy: Despite his monastic precepts, he loses his virginity at age 13 and is extensively popular with women ever after.
• Nice Guy: He's characteristically friendly and cheerful, looks out for other people, and feels deeply guilty about any harm he causes.
• Only Friend: He adopts Zhu as a friend and brother as soon as she arrives at the monastery and looks out for her ever since.
• Platonic Life-Partners: He and Zhu have been close since childhood and care deeply for each other, speaking of each other like siblings, and get grossed out by even the thought of a physical relationship between them.
• Secret-Keeper: He realizes that Zhu is a woman while they're still novices and quietly helps to keep other people from finding out. Overlaps with Secret Secret-Keeper, since Zhu didn't tell him herself and only had a hunch that he knew — all he says is that they can't share a bunk for years without him noticing things.

Madam Zhang

A former courtesan married to "Rice Bucket" Zhang Shicheng and lover of General Zhang Shide. She is the real mover and shaker in the powerful Zhang family whose salt exports keep the empire alive.

• Behind Every Great Man: She is the one with the ambition and the brains in her family, but due to the strict gender norms she has to work in the background and the outside mostly attributes her successes to her husband and brother-in-law.
• The Chessmaster: Ends up striking a deal with Ouyang to lend the support of her army to his coup against Esen. This furthers her own imperial ambitions, as Esen's death takes Henan's army out of the Yuan's control, leaving the Zhangs' territory free to break away and form their own kingdom.
• Femme Fatale: Uses her own sexual appeal as both a manipulation tactic and a bargaining chip as the need arises.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Started as a humble courtesan, now the mistress of the richest family in the empire.

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