History Characters / GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiLanWangji

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Lan Wangji comes a long way from living a life of coldness and isolation to warmth and companionship. He lost both his parents to tragic circumstances, then [[spoiler:lost his beloved to the cultivation world's injustice without ever being able to communicate clearly to him even once. The punishment he received from defending his beloved also left him bedridden for three years, preventing him from intervening or averting the tragedies that occurred in that time]]. In the end, however, he comes out on top; after he recovers, he does his best in mentoring the junior disciples and helping anyone in need, making him a well-respected cultivator that inspires hope and safety in both the cultivation clans and the common folk. On top of that, he also [[spoiler:unexpectedly gets reunited with his love, and after a few more bouts of misunderstanding and miscommunication, he realizes that his love is reciprocated, and the narrative confirms that they're guaranteed to live the rest of their lives in contentment and peace, whether they're living a domestic life in the Cloud Recesses or travelling the world and helping people wherever they go]].

* LightIsGood: While his entire clan wear white and light blue clothes and are meant to be the most morally good out of the major clans, Lan Wangji fits the symbolism the best as he's one of the most morally upstanding characters in the novel.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Downplayed. In Wei Wuxian's second life, although he doesn't realize it at first, he slowly becomes dependent on Lan Wangji for emotional support especially when his dark past comes back to haunt him. While he's more at peace compared to his first life and is completely capable of being on his own, Lan Wangji becomes deeply ingrained his life to the point that Wei Wuxian just ''doesn't'' want a life without him.

* LonersWillStayAlone: His upbringing caused him to not have much opportunities to interact with other people. His aloofness and reputation as an unfriendly icy teeager caused others to avoid interacting with him unless necessary. Lan Wangji did have his brother and uncle, but it's obvious that they were the only company he was familiar and comfortable with for years. However, Wei Wuxian's presence soon breaks him out of his shell, and in the present he gets along well with the junior disciples.

* MasterOfTheMixedMessage: While it becomes clear throughout the story that both protagonists have fallen for each other (and as early as when they were teens), Lan Wangji's cold and aloof demeanour while simultaneously trying to reach out to Wei Wuxian has always confused the the latter. This is justified as he has difficulty expressing his emotions, which is not helped by his strict upbringing and implied internalised homophobia. [[spoiler:Additionally, he's under the assumption that Wei Wuxian remembers his implied love confession after the events at the Nightless Immortal Capital yet doesn't reciprocate his affections, so he doesn't properly recognise the latter's feelings nor pushes his own feelings, either.]]

* PrinciplesZealot: When he was a teenager, he acted as the disciplinarian of his clan and watched out for any rule breakers -- and as seen in his clashes with Wei Wuxian, he was completely strict about his role. He grew more lenient over time, [[spoiler:and some time after they elope he tells Wei Wuxian that he's an exception when it comes to breaking the rules]].

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Lan Wangji may not be a clan leader or elder, but he is still a mentor figure in his clan and cultivator of high rank and renown. He is also one of the most sensible characters in the story; unlike the clan leaders of the previous and current generations, he's not plagued with ambition and/or revenge; he cares more about helping people than making connections in the [[DecadentCourt cultivation world's political circle]]; he never makes judgments without getting all the facts and seeing the full picture; and he never sits on his hands when something has to be dealt with. There's a reason why his title essentially means "to hold/bring light".

* BadassBaritone: Lan Wangji has a deep and rich voice especially in the Korean dub, and it immediately lets one know he's no weakling. His Japanese voice actors have him speak with a lighter register, especially with Shinnosuke Tachibana's vocals, but it's still very much masculine and brims with regality.

* AccentSlipUp: Downplayed. Since Lan Wangji was born in Gusu, he can speak in the Gusu (or Suizhou in real life) dialect. [[note]]the Japanese dub has the Gusu residents speak in the Kyoto dialect[[/note]] He reverts to the dialect on a few occasions but otherwise speaks standard Chinese:
** He slipped into in the Gusu dialect once in the audio drama as a teen, where he muttered a different translation for "pathetic" after Wei Wuxian pestered him one time too many about loquats.
** In the chibi mini-series, he speaks in the Gusu dialect to cheer up Wei Wuxian after the latter gets upset when he thinks that other people don't find him attractive enough.
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: The ''donghua'' adds one unique detail to Lan Wangji's childhood -- [[spoiler: his first meeting with Wei Wuxian was when they were children, [[ForgottenFirstMeeting but neither of them remember it]]]].

* BerserkButton:
** Hearing the words "thank you" or "sorry" from Wei Wuxian is a bit of a sore spot for him, since in the past [[spoiler:things between them would sour after every time Wei Wuxian thanked him]].
** Jiang Cheng is the only person Lan Wangji borderline ''despises'', only showing the bare minimum amount of courtesy to the former if he really needs to. Otherwise, he's willing to throw hands with the former if things between them are about to reach the boiling point, whereas he would have remained composed when confronting other people.

* BreakingTheCycleOfBadParenting: Implied. As a child, he faced ParentalNeglect due to his father being in seclusion, his mother forbidden to raise him and his uncle placing very high expectations on him. However, he appears to have been a good influence on Lan Sizhui ever since he became a guardian to him; he makes sure to raise the young boy with good values and not be overly restrictive.

** When he was younger, Lan Wangji would say "pathetic/boring" in response to Wei Wuxian's antics. In the Japanese dub, he would say "くだらん", which translates to either "how foolish/idiotic".

* ColorMotif: Following his clan colours, his outfits are primarily white and blue.

* ComingOfAgeStory: The flashback segments had him learning more about the complexities of the world he's living in, acknowledging that not everything is simple as others say they are, and breaking free of the harmful restrictions that were placed on him and finding his own way while remaining true to his roots.
* ComingOutStory: Downplayed. Part of his side of the story during the flashbacks was about him coming to terms with his growing attachment to Wei Wuxian. In the present timeline he initially has no intentions of confessing to him, letting alone making his feelings clear to the public; however, he and Wuxian get close as the story progresss, and in the epilogue [[spoiler:the two officially become a couple and it becomes common knowlege that they are now cultivation partners]].

* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: His mother died when he was still very young, and he was so attached to her that he waited in front of her house everyday in spite of the fact that she was no longer there. Lan Xichen explaining their parents' backstory to Wei Wuxian indicates that their mother was very loving towards her sons and they have nothing but fond memories of her.

** In the animated chibi spinoff, it's shown that Lan Wangji wasn't fully convinced that Wei Wuxian would stay dead, which is exactly why he never performed any of the funerary rituals for him. In the novel itself, however, it's downplayed at best; there are signs that a part of him hoped to see Wei Wuxian again (such as the Emperor's Smile jars hidden in his room and the lack of paper money offerings), but Lan Wangji otherwise didn't spend 13 years constantly pining over him.

* LoveMakesYouEvil: Lan Qiren incorrectly assumes that this trope is happening to his nephew. While Wei Wuxian is of course not evil, the older man ''thinks'' that Lan Wangji has become negatively influenced his companion due to his love for him.

* OneHeadTaller: Inverted. While he was already taller than Wei Wuxian in the past, the height gap increases to almost a head after the latter's brought BackFromTheDead since Mo Xuanyu's body height is six centimetres shorter than Wei Wuxian's original height.

* WouldHitAGirl: He's normally courteous and respectful of women, but when he's facing someone he deems a threat or an enemy, their gender does not matter to him.
* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious:
** He and Wei Wuxian call each other by their birth names by default. However, Lan Wangji calls him by his courtesy name instead whenever he's ''seriously'' angry at him, and this happens only once.
** When he discovers that Wei Wuxian is alive again, albeit in another person's body, Lan Wangji never calls him by name and plays along with the other's act of playing dumb... up until the moment when he finds that Wei Wuxian is afflicted with both a Curse Mark and whip marks from Zidian. [[AngerBornOfWorry This prompts him to call the other by his name]] and let him know that the cat is out of the bag.

* AdaptationPersonalityChange:
** He's still an IceKing in and eventually becomes a DefrostingIceKing, but as a teen he warmed up to Wei Wuxian a lot faster than he did in the novel. While he's still TheStoic, he has less difficulty speaking out his thoughts and feelings, and is also more expressive.
** Lan Wangji ''dislikes'' Su She instead of simply being indifferent towards him. This is explained by Su She's AdaptationalBackstoryChange that involved him [[spoiler:nearly endangering the entire Lan Clan had it not been for Lan Wangji turning himself in to the Wen Clan]]. Any interactions the two had after the event involved Lan Wangji being outright cold to the latter, and in the final arc Lan Wangji bluntly tells Su She that [[spoiler:he doesn't tolerate traitors]].
* BigGood: He is one of the morally righteous characters in the show and [[spoiler:succeeds Jin Guangyao as the Chief Cultivator]].

** During the Sunshot Campaign, Lan Wangji cooperated with Wei Wuxian but were not the on best of terms due to their disagreements over demonic cultivation. After the war ended, they were on more civil terms but remained distant due to the same issue. Wei Wuxian does note that while they had their disagreements, they didn't argue as often and intensely as the outsiders believed them to be.

* AdaptationalBadass: Downplayed. He's already said to be incredibly powerful in the novel, but the ''donghua'' shows in full just how powerful he is thanks to additional scenes of his fighting skills.

* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: While he seems like his usual self at a glance when drunk, it turns out his logic gets all messed up under the influence of (little) alcohol. He may wear his shoes the wrong way, shamelessly use his forehead ribbon to [[spoiler:tie Wei Wuxian's hands and then ''show it off'' to other people]] despite knowing the significance behind, and even steal from people's yards. Although his idiocy is usually harmless, [[spoiler:the first time he drank was more horrifying -- grieving Wei Wuxian's death, he got hold of the Wens' branding iron and gave himself the same scar his companion got at Xuanwu Cave]].

* AttractivenessIsolation: Lan Wangji is one of the most esteemed, talented, and handsome cultivators of his time. But it is exactly because of this that it's difficult for other people to approach him (his lack of social skills doesn't help). One of the reasons he and Wei Wuxian make a perfect pair is because they approach each other as equals and as human beings, not as figures of acclaim or notoriety.

* BattleCouple: Whether they're solving a mystery or fighting someone, he and love interest Wei Wuxian work well together as they're almost completely in sync with how the other thinks and acts. Comes into full force in the climactic arc [[spoiler:after they confess to each other and have to deal with Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue]].

* BeneathTheMask: While mismathing outer and inner personalities sums up the Lan Clan as a whole, Lan Wangji is a perfect example of the phrase "cold on the outside, passionate on the inside".

** Jiang Cheng is the only person Lan Wangji borderline ''despises'', only showing the bare minimum amount of courtesy to the former if he really needs to. Otherwise, he's willing to throw hands with the former if things between them are about to reach the boiling point, whereas with other people he would have remained composed.

* BrokenAce: Downplayed. Lan Wangji is undeniably one of the most skilled and powerful cultivators of his generation -- even his opponents don't deny his strength. He also went through a lot of emotional turmoil when Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch and broke down when the latter was proclaimed dead. However, while he did greatly mourn his death, he wasn't left as a broken shell of the man he once was. Instead, he kept Wei Wuxian's memory close to his heart while continuing to live by his principles and achieving many things throughout. Even with the perspective that there's a piece of him that's been missing in the 13 years that Wei Wuxian was dead, he certainly still fared exceptionally well in the coping department and is more well-adjusted than other cultivators in his generation.
* BrutalHonesty: Downplayed. Lan Wangji is always straight to the point with his words, neither holding back nor SayingTooMuch. It can be hurtful depending on what he's commenting, but he's genuinely just preaching his clan's rule to never lie and doesn't intend any malice.

** During the TimeSkip, he becomes completely lenient towards demonic cultivation. He opposed it in the past not because it was immoral, but because he feared the effect it would have on Wei Wuxian (and his fears weren't entirely unfounded). In the present time, however, he grows to accept that there's nothing inherently wrong with demonic cultivation and it all depends on how and why one uses it, and he's implied to have been teaching at least the junior disciples to have more of an open mind with TheDarkArts. What helps is that Wei Wuxian is now more careful with his powers due to his past experiences.

* TheComicallySerious: It's really funny to see the normally stoic man get drunk and act like a goofball while still keepng his serious demeanour. Or keep a straight face when dealing with Wei Wuxian's antics.
* ComingOfAgeStory: The flashback segments had him learning more about the complexities of the world he's living in, acknowledging that not everything is black and white as others say they are, and breaking free of the harmful restrictions that were placed on him and finding his own way while remaining true to his roots.

* DatingWhatDaddyHates: He becomes official with Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:and elopes with him in the epilogue]], much to the disdain of his uncle who can't stand the latter.

* DefrostingIceKing: While flashbacks show he was incredibly cold to the point of scaring others from befriending him, in the present he's become softer and a nurturing mentor to his junior disciples. Wei Wuxian returning to his life also sees him mellow out further.

* EasilyForgiven: Minor example. Lan Wangji [[spoiler:stole Wei Wuxian's FirstKiss]], but he was so infuriated with himself that he was punching and slicing down trees when Wei Wuxian found him. Even in the present day he's far from proud or giddy about it, even admitting to the latter that what he did was completely wrong. Wei Wuxian doesn't mind in the slightest, and congratulates him for [[spoiler:being the first and only person to have kissed him]].

* EmptyEyes: His first on-screen appearance in the donghua features him with lightless and distant eyes, showing how much he suffered following Wei Wuxian's death. Afterward his eyes show more luster especially when he finds out Wei Wuxian's returned.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Wei Wuxian isn't ashamed of admitting how handsome Lan Wangji is long before he's fully aware of his feelingsfor him, and even the junior disciples in the ''manhua'' cheer about how he's so good-looking amongst other things.

* FirstLove: Despite Wei Wuxian's urban legend love life, he eventually realizes that not only is he in love with Lan Wangji but he's never loved anyone else before that.

* HappilyMarried: He and Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:elope shortly after the events of Guanyin events]] and they are more than happy in their life as a married couple, now that they've resolved all their misunderstandings and are making up for lost time.
* HatesBeingTouched: Lan Wangji admitted to not liking getting into any form of physical contact with others in the past, demonstrated by him only willing to retrieve Wei Wuxian by the collar and nothing else. This is why the latter's shocked in the present day when Lan Wangji doesn't bat an eye him trying to piss him off by invading his personal space. Although Lan Wangji still seems to not like physical contact, Wei Wuxian eventually becomes an exception, and he doesn't mind either when Lan Sizhui pulls him into a hug.

* HeroicAmbidexterity: As if his cultivation skills weren't already impressive on their on, it's also implied that Lan Wangji is ambidextrous. Although he usually relies on just the one hand in combat, it takes a great deal of proficiency to wield a sword with one hand and to perfectly play an instrument with the other (which he demonstrates in Yi City).

* IndifferentBeauty: He's the second most handsome cultivator of his generation, and is even described as an "incomparable beauty who only appeared once in a blue moon". Howevever, while he takes care to look presentable, he doesn't care much about his looks much since he's not superficial.
* InsufferableGenius: Subverted. To some, he gives off the impression of being an unlikeable and cocky genius because of the impassive expression on his face. However, when Wei Wuxian (and readers) get to know him better it's shown that he's far from arrogant; he is aware of what he can and can't do, and he never brags about his accomplishments nor does he flaunt them to anyone.

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Before the events at the Guanyin Temple, Lan Wangji thought that Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:remembered the events of the Nightless Immortal Capital massacre -- where he was strongly hinted to have confessed his feelings to him]]. Even then, after reuniting with Wei Wuxian years later he gives him anything he needs, is endlessly patient with his antics (unlike before), defends him from anyone who crosses him, and lets the latter repeatedly flirt with him. Lan Wangji does all of this under the impression that Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:knew of his true feelings]] the entire time and has been cruelly stringing him along, simply because he's that devoted to him and wants to look out for his well-being.
* IWillFindYou: The lyrics of several official songs from the novel's adaptations have at least one line implying that Lan Wangji has been playing Inquiry ever since Wei Wuxian's death, suggesting he was trying to reach out to him in some way during the TimeSkip. The novel however itself never hints at this and indicates that Lan Wangji was willing to move on and accept his death despite the pain.

** In the animated chibi spinoff, it's shown that Lan Wangji wasn't fully convinced that Wei Wuxian would stay dead, which is exactly why he never performed any of the funerary rituals for him. In the novel itself however it's downplayed at best; there are signs that a part of him hoped to see Wei Wuxian again (such as the Emperor's Smile jars hidden in his room and the lack of paper money offerings), but Lan Wangji otherwise didn't spend 13 years constantly pining over him.

* LoveMakesYouEvil: Misunderstood by Lan Qiren. While Wei Wuxian is of course not evil, the older man ''thinks'' that Lan Wangji has become negatively influenced his companion due to his love for him.
* MasterOfTheMixedMessage: While it becomes clear throughout the story that both protagonists have fallen for each other (and as early as when they were teens), Lan Wangji's cold and aloof demeanour while simultaneously trying to reach out to Wei Wuxian has always confused the the latter. Justified as he has difficulty expressing his emotions, not helped by his strict upbringing and implied internalised homophobia. [[spoiler:Additionally, he's under the assumption that Wei Wuxian remembers his implied love confession after Nightless Immortal Capital and doesn't reciprocate, so he doesn't properly recognise the latter's feelings nor pushes his own feelings, either.]]

* MyGreatestSecondChance: After the flashback arcs are all shown, it becomes clear that Lan Wangji's renewed attitude towards Wei Wuxian after the latter's resurrection is his attempt to patch things up between them and not make the same mistakes as he did pre-TimeSkip. Back then, majority of the miscommunication between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in the past was attributed to the former's distant attitude and difficulty in getting his feelings across (and the latter's selflessness and unwillingness to ask others for help didn't help). By the time Wei Wuxian is brought back to life, Lan Wangji remains stoic but is no longer as aloof as he used to be with him, and is determined to help him and stick by his side through thick and thin even when the former initially tries to discourage him from doing such.

* NoSell: PlayedForLaughs. Lan Wangji has become a lot more immune to Wei Wuxian's pranks and attempts to annoy him in the present. A shining example is when he brings "Mo Xuanyu" to the Cloud Recesses and barely batters an eyes when this alleged lunatic does everything to put him off in order to be kicked out. Eventually Wei Wuxian doesn't bother trying anymore.

* ObliviousToLove: Despite being deeply in love with Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji is ironically blind to the latter slowly but surely reciprocating his feelings. [[spoiler:This stems from him misunderstanding that Wei Wuxian remembers his love confession from after the Nightless Immortal Capital massacre and simply doesn't reciprocate.]]

* OneManArmy: Nobody doubts that he's one of the best cultivators of his generation, and even his enemies are wary of clashing with him. He's able to put down the hundreds of walking corpses that Xue Yang siccs on him in Yi City, and during the Second Siege he manags on his own against nearly a ''thousand'' of them.
* OnlySaneMan: Turns out he's often the most rational one in his clan, as he's not naiive (like his brother) nor so bent on following the rules to the point of being absurd (liks most Lan clansmen).

* PlainPalate: Thanks to the Lan Clan's very simply vegetarian diet, Lan Wangji is said to have a mild palate and is unable to tolerate any strong or spicy food. This confuses Wei Wuxian, since he remembers him ordering only spicy food the last time they had a meal together. What he doesn't know is that Lan Wangji ordered the food solely for himself.
* PoorCommunicationKills: When you're a man of little words and have never been good with expressing yourself, some dangerous miscommunication to happen. This was one of the main sources of his and Wei Wuxian's clashes in the past. While Lan Wangji has gotten better during the TimeSkip, he's still mostly kept and occasionally struggles with speaking his mind even when it comes to the little things.

* SickeninglySweethearts: After their UnresolvedSexualTension finally gets resolved, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have no shame in showering each with affection and being love-dovery. Case in point, in the final arc, they're either physically glued together or not-so-subtly flirting with each other ''while'' they're confronting the BigBad.

* SpockSpeak: He's always very formal yet simple and direct with his wording. His actor Wang Yibo even describes him as the kind of person who will not convey a message with three words if he can convey it with two.

** During the Sunshot Campaign, Lan Wangji cooperated with Wei Wuxian but were not on best of terms due to their disargeements over demonic cultivation. After the war ended, they were on more civil terms but remained distant due to the same issue. Wei Wuxian does note that while they had their disagreements, they didn't argue as often and intensely as the outsiders believed them to be.
** Downplayed with Wen Ning. While it's shown from Lan Wangji's drunk episodes that he doesn't like how close Wei Wuxian is with the man in question, he doesn't ''hate'' Wen Ning and in fact completely trusts him in protecting both his companion and junior disciples. The two even share an amicable moment after Wen Ning [[spoiler:defends Wei Wuxian from Jiang Cheng and reveals that he knows about Lan Sizhui's true identity]].
* ThickerThanWater: Downplayed. When Lan Wangji [[spoiler:injured 33 elders of his clan to stop them from turning in Wei Wuxian to the other clans, he did not regret protecting tge latter]]. However, he also knew that he committed a grievous crime against his own family, and so willingly went back to his clan and let himself [[spoiler:be punished with the discipline whip]].

** The ''donghua'' has him keep Wei Wuxian's Clarity Bell, which he found while looking for him after the latter's disappearance during the Sunshot Campaign and after [[spoiler:the Lotus Pier massacre]]. This [[ChekhovsGun comes in handy later on]] when Wei Wuxian is nearly overwhelmed by the effects of the Curse Mark and only recovers after the bell restraints the curse. Lan Wangji hands it back to him afterward, but gets told to keep it as a FriendshipTrinket.
** A ''donghua'' flashback shows a young Lan Wangji with a rattle drum, which [[spoiler:he gave to the StreetUrchin Wei Wuxian in an act of compassion (although neither of them remember]]. The chibi spinoff hints that it originally belonged to his mother.

* {{Tsundere}}: Although he usually has a SugarAndIcePersonality, Wei Wuxian specifically brought out his more irritable side when the two were students. As a result, Lan Wangji would often appear angry at the other teen even while trying to fight his feelings. However that didn't stop his softer side from occasonally emerging around his crush, such as at Xuanwu Cave.

* WillNotTellALie: Downplayed. Whether [[InVinoVeritas inebriated]] or sober, Lan Wangji sticks to saying only the truth. If he's confronted with a question he doesn't want to answer, he stays quiet. However, he's capable of lying if he wants or needs to, such as covering up for someone else (eg. in the audio drama when he caught Wei Wuxian being harassed by a dog).

* FriendlessBackground: In the series he directly told Wei Wuxian that he's used to doing everything alone, making his lack of social life more explicit.

''Five Great Clans'': [[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiLanClanOfGusu Lan Clan of Gusu]] | [[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiJiangClanOfYunmeng Jiang Clan of Yunmeng]] ([[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiJiangCheng Jiang Cheng]] | [[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiJinClanOfLanling Jin Clan of Lanling]] ([[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiJinGuangyao Jin Guangyao]]) | [[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiNieClanOfQinghe Nie Clan of Qinghe]] | [[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiWenClanOfQishan Wen Clan of Qishan]]\\

[- ''[[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiMainCharacters Main Characters]]'': [[Characters/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShiWeiWuxian Wei Wuxian]] | '''Lan Wangji'''\\
''Five Great Clans'': [[Characters/MoDaoZuShiGusuLanClan Lan Clan of Gusu]] | [[Characters/MoDaoZuShiYunmengJiangClan Jiang Clan of Yunmeng]] ([[Characters/MoDaoZuShiYunmengJiangClanJiangCheng Jiang Cheng]]) | [[Characters/MoDaoZuShiLanlingJinClan Jin Clan of Lanling]] ([[Characters/MoDaoZuShiLanlingJinClanJinGuangyao Jin Guangyao]]) | [[Characters/MoDaoZuShiQingheNieClan Nie Clan of Qinghe]] | [[Characters/MoDaoZuShiQishanWenClan Wen Clan of Qishan]]\\
''Other Characters'': [[Characters/MoDaoZuShiOtherClans Other Clans]] | [[Characters/MoDaoZuShiYiCity Yi City Group]] | [[Characters/MoDaoZuShiMiscellaneousCharacters Miscellaneous Characters]] -]]]]]

!! Lan Zhan (蓝湛) - Wangji (忘机) - Hanguang-jun (含光君)

!!! '''Voiced by (Mandarin)''': Bian Jiang (animation, web series, mobile game), Wei Chao (audio drama - adult), Shan Xin (audio drama - child)\\
'''Voiced by (Japanese)''': Creator/ShinnosukeTachibana (animation, web series), Creator/SatoshiHino (audio drama - adult), Madoka Hirade (audio drama - child)\\
'''Voiced by (Korean)''': Ryu Seung-gon (animation)\\
'''Played by''': Wang Yibo (web series - adult), Chen Junkai (web series - child)

!!! '''Height''': 188 cm\\
'''Weapons''': Bichen | 避尘 (''jian''), Wangji | 忘机 (''guqin'')

-> ''"I do not know if Wei Ying was right or wrong. But no matter what, I am willing to shoulder all the consequences with him."''

The second young master of the main Lan family, and together with his older brother Lan Xichen, they are called the Twin Jades of Lan. He ranks second on the list of the top five cultivator gentlemen of his and Wei Wuxian's generation, and has an excellent reputation as a heroic cultivator for "being where the chaos is".

Wei Wuxian remembers that they never got along, especially after he founded demonic cultivation. Of course, people change with time, but Wei Wuxian is rapidly finding out that the Lan Zhan from his youth has changed a lot since he died...

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Downplayed compared to his brother, since there are a few other cultivators who have some personal beef with him (i.e. [[FriendVersusLover Jiang Cheng]] and [[GreenEyedMonster Su She]]). Nevertheless, Lan Wangji is highly respected by both cultivators and non-cultivators alike.
* AccentSlipUp: Downplayed. Since Lan Wangji is born in Gusu, he can speak in the Gusu (or Suizhou in real life) dialect [[note]]The Japanese dub has the Gusu residents speak in the Kyoto dialect.[[/note]] He reverts to the dialect on a few occasions but otherwise speaks standard Chinese.
** He slips into in the Gusu dialect once in the audio drama, where he mutters a different translation for "Pathetic" after Wei Wuxian pesters him one time too many about loquats.
** In the chibi mini-series, he speaks in the Gusu dialect to cheer up Wei Wuxian after the latter got upset when he thinks that other people don't find him attractive enough.

** His core personality remains the same in the ''donghua''. However, he's a bit less repressed in showing his emotions. While he's frostier in his first few interactions with Wei Wuxian, once he sees Wei Wuxian as more than just an annoying classmate, he shows a greater deal of emotions than he did in the novel. The ''donghua'' also has him act somewhat less antagonistic towards Jiang Cheng, but a few key scenes show that he still keeps his disdain for the other man and is simply subtler about how he expresses it.

* AffectionateNickname: Wei Wuxian fires off plenty of affectionate names for him under one breath [[spoiler:during TheirFirstTime]]. But the nickname that is most often used is ''Lan Er-Gege'' -- whie this literally means "Second Brother Lan", the word ''gege'' (哥哥) can be used in a flirtatious context.
* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: ''Three times'', to hilarious effect. When he gets drunk, he gets ''incredibly'' childish and possessive of Wei Wuxian. If Wei Wuxian isn't around, he's moody and pouty instead. ItRunsInTheFamily... [[spoiler:although the actual first time (chronological) he gets drunk is less funny and more heart-rending]].
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: In the "Lotus Seed Pod" extra Jiang Cheng snarked that having Lan Wangji visit his hometown would just result in his mother comparing himself to him. Unfortunately for him, this trope would plague him later on in regards to their relationships with Wei Wuxian and their reputations as cultivators.
* AmIJustAToyToYou:
** One reason why he didn't like it when Wei Wuxian flirted with others in the past is because it gave off the impression Wei Wuxian wasn't taking people's feelings seriously, including his interactions with Lan Wangji himself.
--->'''Lan Wangji''': If you do not have those [kind of] intentions, then do not flirt with others. You are doing as you please, yet others will be in turmoil.
** He's questions how Wei Wuxian truly values him in the present [[spoiler:in their first physically intimate moment when the latter's poor phrasing makes it sounds like he only got intimate to show his gratitude to Lan Wangji and nothing more]]. What doesn't help afterwards is that Wei Wuxian brushes it off by [[NotHelpingYourCase saying that such things are normal and that it can happen to anyone]], which leaves Lan Wangji stung and hurt.
* AngerBornOfWorry: Lan Wangji's feelings for Wei Wuxian doesn't stop him from confronting the latter when he sees that Wei Wuxian is compromising his own safety and calling him out in some of his actions. However, this is what makes him the person Wei Wuxian can trust the most, since he's assured that Lan Wangji always acts in his best interests. He even acknowledges that this is how he realized that Lan Wangji has always cared for him.
--> ''But what [Wei Wuxian] hadn't expected was that when everyone feared him and flattered him, Lan Wangji scolded him right in his face; when everyone spurned him and loathed him, Lan Wangji stood by his side.''
* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: If [[spoiler:what Lan Xichen tells Wei Wuxian about 13 years ago is any indication]], it's strongly implied that Lan Wangji [[spoiler:confessed his feelings to the latter in a desperate attempt to reach out to him]]. The small additional hint that the audio drama gives further supports the possibility.

** Cranes; in Chinese culture, they symbolize nobility and elegance, both of which are easily associable with Lan Wangji and by extension, his clan as well. They also represent perseverance and balance, which is also fitting for Lan Wangji given how he never gave up on searching for Wei Wuxian, and how part of his CharacterDevelopment involves him learning more about the GreyAndGrayMorality of the world and accepting all the complementary and contrasting aspects of himself.
** He's associated with rabbits, not only because they were gifts from Wei Wuxian that he kept as pets, but [[spoiler:given his and Wei Wuxian's nightly activities at the end of the story...]]
** One of the official merchandise features Lan Wangji as a dragon. Dragons are revered as divine creatures in Chinese culture, and similar to cranes, they're associated with nobility. They're also symbols of prosperity and power, and their image is often engraved into various objects as protective charms. Lan Wangji is held in high esteem by the cultivation world, hails from one of the elite cultivation clans, and is adored by the common folk for his reputation of "appearing wherever the chaos is", which he more than lives up to.
* AttractivenessIsolation: Lan Wangji is one of the most esteemed, talented, and handsome cultivators of his time. But it is exactly because of this that it's difficult for him to approach other people and for other people to approach him, his lack of social skills notwithstanding. One of the reasons he and Wei Wuxian make a perfect pair is because they approach each other as equals and as human beings, not as figures of acclaim or notoriety.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Lan Wangji is as good as Wei Wuxian in analyzing situations and detecting whether something's amiss or matching up. This allows them to work well together when they investigate the mystery behind the dismembered corpse.

* BadassBoast: Lan Wangji performs a very low-key boast to make it clear he's not someone who goes down easily. During a scuffle, Wei Wuxian asks him if he's injured, and Lan Wangji replies in an offended tone, "How is that possible?"
* BadassBaritone: Lan Wangji has a deep and rich voice that immediately lets one know he's no weakling. His Japanese voice actors have him speak with a lighter register, especially with Shinnosuke Tachibana's vocals, but it's still very much masculine and brims with regality. His Korean voice is notably the deepest of all his voices.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Notable even in a CastFullOfPrettyBoys. While he is good-hearted in nature, Lan Wangji's princely looks make it much easier to accept. It's even PlayedForLaughs in some scenarios where people note that someone with his appearance could do no wrong or in one special instance, couldn't ''not'' be a virgin.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Excluding the scars on his torso and his back, no matter the kind of battles he fights in, he doesn't get a single cut on his face. At worst, he just ends up getting his robes or his face bloodstained. A few characters, including Wei Wuxian himself, even lampshade how it just feels wrong to see someone as beautiful as Lan Wangji get marred with blood.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Lan Wangji was never treated badly, but he still had an extremely restricted childhood; and his high rank, icy appearance and quiet demeanor have caused many to keep their distance from him or regard him as a noble one shouldn't just casually approach. While there are several reasons he fell for Wei Wuxian, one of the things that sparked his initial attraction or interest in the man is how the he keeps approaching him and talking to him like he's just anyone else. While he found it annoying at first, the TimeSkip made it clear that Lan Wangji began to treasure those moments.
* BeneathTheMask: While this describes his clan as a whole, Lan Wangji is a perfect example of the phrase "cold on the outside, passionate on the inside".

** Jiang Cheng is the only person Lan Wangji borderline ''despises'', only showing the bare minimum amount of courtesy to the former if he really needs to. Otherwise, he's willing to throw hands with the former if things between them are about to reach the boiling point; whereas with other people he would have remained composed.

* BigBrotherInstinct: Inverted. Lan Xichen is normally the one who shows his protectiveness over Lan Wangji, but Lan Wangji also immediately shows concern whenever his older brother is in danger.

* BreakingTheCycleOfBadParenting: Implied. As a child, he faced ParentalNeglect due to his father being in seclusion, his mother forbidden to raise him and his uncle placing very high expectations on him. [[spoiler:However, he proved to be a very good guardian to Wen Yuan/Lan Sizhui. He made sure to raise the young boy with good values and not be overly restrictive.]]
* BridalCarry: He tends to carry Wei Wuxian bridal-style, which the other's initially against at first but soon comes to enjoy being carried by Lan Wangji.
* BrokenAce: Downplayed. Lan Wangji is undeniably one of the most skilled and powerful cultivators of his generation -- even his opponents don't deny his strength. He also went through a lot of emotional turmoil when Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch and broke down when the latter was proclaimed dead. However, while he did greatly mourn his death, he wasn't left as a broken shell of the man he once was. Instead, he kept Wei Wuxian's memory close to his heart while continuing to live by his principles and achieving many things throughout. Even with the perspective that there's a piece of him that's been missing in the 13 years that Wei Wuxian was dead, he certainly still fared exceptionally well in the coping department, especially when he's compared to the likes of [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter his older brother]] and [[RevengeBeforeReason Jiang Cheng]].
* BrutalHonesty: More gentle than the usual examples. When he's making a statement, Lan Wangji is always straight to the point with his words, neither holding back nor SayingTooMuch. He softens his wording when he's talking to children, however.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Downplayed. He's a capable cultivator and usually clear-headed, but he's not above putting a kid into a pile of rabbits as part of childcare.
* CantActPervertedTowardALoveInterest: Completely inverted. [[spoiler:Before he and Wei Wuxian properly confess to each other, Lan Wangji refrains from making a move on him as much as possible]] and any physical contact they initiate with the other is chaste and mutual -- excluding the times he got drunk and [[spoiler:the Phoenix Mountain Hunt incident]]. After their {{Love Confession}}s, however, [[spoiler:he surprises Wei Wuxian with how passionate he can be, both romantically and sexually]].

* CassandraTruth: Downplayed. Lan Wangji repeatedly warned Wei Wuxian that there are terrible consequences to using demonic cultivation, and he got repeatedly ignored. However, [[spoiler:while TheDarkArts did have a negative effect on Wei Wuxian's physical and mental state, it was the tragedies caused by politics and other corrupt schemes that pushed him off the deep end]]. The repercussions of his abilities were merely a side effect.
* CasualKink: [[spoiler:According to author commentary, he has a habit of tying up Wei Wuxian with his forehead ribbon whenever they have sex. Additionally, he also seems to enjoy biting Wei Wuxian; lucky for him, the latter likes it both soft and rough.]]

** His go-to resonse is "mn", which is his verbal expression of nodding. Wei Wuxian even lampshades how it's almost the only thing he says as a reply.
** When he was younger, Lan Wangji would say "pathetic," or "boring," in response to Wei Wuxian's antics. In the Japanese dub, he says "くだらん", which translates to either "how foolish/idiotic".

** One of his core conflicts is that he took after his father in [[spoiler:the romance department; and for a long time he dithered on pursuing his feelings for someone his clan doesn't approve of, along with the assumption Wei Wuxian hated him. Ironically, Wei Wuxian himself thought that Lan Wangji despised him]]. This caused him to have a hard time getting his feelings across, be it through either words or actions. In the present time, after reuniting with Wei Wuxian he's determined to not make the same mistake again. While he will not overextend his boundaries and [[spoiler:force his feelings, he no longer hesitates in speaking his thoughts or showing his affection to Wei Wuxian]], subtle he may be.
** He was a bit of a PrinciplesZealot when he was younger and was strict to himself and others about upholding the Lan Clan's rules, but he was already a righteous and selfless person by heart, having a sense of justice and never hesitating to act for a good cause. As he grew older, however, he learned that the rules are not absolute, not everything is black and white, and that many conflicts stem from how those who are right tend to be perceived as wrong and vice-versa. He eventually resolved his dilemma by understanding that he should follow the ''heart'' rather than the ''letter'' of the laws of his clan and of society.
** During the TimeSkip, he becomes completely lenient towards demonic cultivation. He opposed it in the past not because it was immoral, but because he feared the effect it would have on Wei Wuxian and his fears weren't entirely unfounded. In the present time, however, he grows to accept that there's nothing inherently wrong with demonic cultivation and it all depends on how and why one uses it, and is implied to have been teaching the junior disciples (and possibly the rest of his clan) to have more of an open mind with TheDarkArts. What helps is that Wei Wuxian is now more careful with his powers due to his past experiences.

** His ears turn red when he's embarrassed. The ''donghua'' and its chibi spin-off emphasise this further.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: His handstand training made him develop extraordinary physical strength. While all cultivators have some level of high physical power, Lan Wangji (and by extension, his fellow clansmen) are on a whole other level, and the final arc shows him being able to carry weight that amounts to a ton (or a thousand kilograms) with just ''one'' hand.

* ChildOfForbiddenLove: Downplayed. He and his brother are sons of two cultivators who went through the proper wedding ceremonies but have shady circumstances behind their marriage, with the father's love going unreciprocated (at least initially) and the mother being placed under house arrest for the remainder of her life.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: He has a reputation of "being where the trouble is":
--> ''Powerful cultivators from prominent clans usually didn't care to pay attention to lower-level preys. However, Lan Wangji was an exception. He never cared for the prey of a night-hunt, and wouldn't refuse to go just because the creature was not threatening enough to increase his fame. If anyone wanted help, he would be there.''

* ComingOutStory: Downplayed and reconstructed as well as it comes in tandem with being a ComingOfAgeStory. Part of his side of the story during the flashbacks is about him coming to terms with his growing attachment to Wei Wuxian, which in turn has him learning more about the complexities of the world he's living in, acknowledging that not everything is black and white as others say they are, and breaking free of the harmful restrictions that were placed on him and finding his own way while remaining true to his roots.

* CourtlyLove: This perfectly describes [[spoiler:Lan Wangji's affections for Wei Wuxian prior to the events of chapters 99 and 100]]. Even when he thinks that his feelings will never be returned and that [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian is merely toying with him, he's still willing to protect him and do everything for him, never making a move to touch him even when the latter keeps on teasing him and testing his restraint]].

** Wei Wuxian is the one who has read more heterosexual porn, but [[spoiler:Lan Wangji is the one who looked up how to have sex with men]].
** There's the "Incense Burner" extra where [[spoiler:he and Wei Wuxian are able to see the other's dreams. While Wei Wuxian's dream consists of them having a domestic life after retiring from cultivation, Lan Wangji's dream is much, ''much'' kinkier in nature]].
* CrazyJealousGuy: Downplayed. Lan Wangji, albeit very subtly, gets miffed whenever Wei Wuxian interacts with other women or with Wen Ning. He is also shown to be a bit possessive -- when Wei Wuxian asks a drunk Lan Wangji what he thinks of him, he answers, "Mine." Despite his jealousy fits, they usually only reach petty levels at most; he doesn't hold a grudge against Mianmian herself, as he protected her from Wen Chao and genuinely respects her for speaking in Wei Wuxian's defense (although he was still petty enough to [[spoiler:steal her medicine pouch from Wei Wuxian and use it as his wallet for the years ahead]]), and he doesn't necessarily dislike Wen Ning and trusts him as an ally.

* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Not just dating, but [[spoiler:also marrying]] what ''Uncle'' hates is more like it.

* DefectorFromDecadence: Downplayed. Pre-TimeSkip, he disagreed with how the cultivation world works, but he didn't take much action against the corruption, if only because he was fearful of the thought of having to go against his family. After Wei Wuxian's death and in the present, he still follows his clan but shows his defiance in smaller ways and won't hesitate to be more overt about how his disapproval of the other clans' actions if needed.

* DespairEventHorizon: Only briefly, but [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's death had him go through a fit of grief by getting drunk for the first time and scarring himself with the Wen Clan's branding iron]].

* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: Downplayed. Thanks to his training, Lan Wangji acquired what basically amounts to superhuman strength. Normally, he can control his strength -- it's only that his control slips whenever [[spoiler:he has sex with Wei Wuxian]]. One telling example is the several broken bathtubs that Wei Wuxian mentioned in the "From Night to Morning" extra.

* DualWielding: Although he usually wields his sword and ''guqin'' separately, his battle against Xue Yang shows he's capable of using both weapons simultaneously.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Lan Wangji comes a long way from living a life of coldness and isolation to warmth and companionship. He lost both his parents to tragic circumstances, then [[spoiler:lost his beloved to the cultivation world's injustice without ever being able to communicate clearly to him even once. The punishment he received from defending his beloved also left him bedridden for three years, causing him to be unable to intervene or avert the tragedies that occurred in said three years]]. In the end, however, he comes out on top; after he recovers, he does his best in mentoring the junior disciples and helping anyone in need, making him a well-respected cultivator that inspires hope and safety in both the cultivation clans and the common folk. On top of that, he also [[spoiler:unexpectedly gets reunited with his love, and after a few more bouts of misunderstanding and miscommunication, he realizes that his love is reciprocated, and the narrative confirms that they're guaranteed to live the rest of their lives in contentment and peace, whether they're living a domestic life in the Cloud Recesses or travelling the world and helping people wherever they go]].
* EasilyForgiven: Minor example. Lan Wangji [[spoiler:stole Wei Wuxian's FirstKiss]], but he was so infuriated with himself that he was punching and slicing down trees when Wei Wuxian found him. Even in the present day he's far from proud or giddy about it and is ashamed of himself, even admitting to Wei Wuxian that what he did was completely wrong. Wei Wuxian doesn't mind in the slightest, and congratulates him for [[spoiler:being the first and only person to have kissed him]].

* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Wei Wuxian isn't ashamed of admitting how handsome Lan Wangji is, and in the ''manhua'', even the junior disciples cheer about, among many things, how Lan Wangji is so good-looking.

** He's one of the first to agree that the Wens must be stopped, but he balked at the methods Wei Wuxian employed in dealing with them. He's also the only one who agreed with Wei Wuxian about [[spoiler:how the innocent Wens don't deserve death just because of their lineage]].
** In his youth, he was strict about following the rules and making sure his peers do the same. As such, he doesn't approve of anyone acting out. However, he doesn't chastise any screaming or crying if it's because someone's triggered by a phobia or is in mourning.

* FoolForLove: Despite being icy and cynical as a teenager that was resistant to the idea of getting close to anyone, he eventually became hopelessly in love with Wei Wuxian, to the point of [[spoiler:fighting against his clan to protect him]].
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Both brothers are usually dutiful and diligent, with Lan Xichen only having more responsibilities since he's the elder sibling and the leader of the Lan Clan. However, in the matters involving the BigBad, it becomes obvious that Lan Wangji is the Responsible Sibling since he acts on both fact and gut instinct, whereas Lan Xichen is the Foolish Sibling as he takes ''in''action due to his naivete, passiveness and personal biases.
* FriendlessBackground: Given his background, it's all but explicitly confirmed that before Wei Wuxian or the juniors came along, he never approached anyone nor did anyone approach him with the intention of befriendment.
* FriendshipDenial: Lan Wangji would rebuff every one of Wei Wuxian's attempts to befriend him when they were younger, out of equal parts embarrassment and confusion. However, this eventually backfired on him when he tried to talk Wei Wuxian out of using demonic cultivation, since by then Wei Wuxian [[PoorCommunicationKills believed Lan Wangji hated him and was trying to turn him in]], which strained their relationship for a while.

* FriendToAllLivingThings: He gets along just fine with any animal, and is even able to get the rowdier ones to behave with one look (such as Little Apple or any dog that would terrorize Wei Wuxian). The bunnies kept at the Cloud Recesses in particular are attached to him.
* FriendVersusLover: Although they were initially indifferent at worst as teenagers, Lan Wangji (Wei Wuxian's love interest) and Jiang Cheng (Wei Wuxian's martial brother and close friend) became more hostile to each other as time passed (especially on Jiang Cheng's side), mostly due to the aforementioned man in question. Jiang Cheng partially blames Lan Wangji for [[spoiler:the destruction of Lotus Pier]], while Lan Wangji personally dislikes Jiang Cheng (with the latter's animosity towards Wei Wuxian playing a part in it) and even avoids speaking ''directly'' to him as much as possible in the present. This trope truly comes into play after Wei Wuxian comes back due to their opposing stances regarding what to do with him, with Lan Wangji wanting to protect him and Jiang Cheng intending to persecute him. The state of their relationship at present also contrasts; Wei Wuxian becomes closer with Lan Wangji because he's the only one who understands and fully accepts him, while Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's relationship becomes more strained than ever because Jiang Cheng doesn't understand Wei Wuxian or sympathize with him and his actions.
* GenerationXerox: Following in his father's footsteps, Lan Wangji [[spoiler:fell in love with someone the rest of the Lan Clan sees as an enemy]]. However, unlike his father, who [[spoiler:put HonorBeforeReason and isolated himself from his wife after (allegedly) forcing her into a marriage]], Lan Wangji never [[spoiler:forces his intentions on Wei Wuxian and they marry of their own free will and live together, either going out on night-hunts or mentoring the junior disciples]].

--> '''Wei Wuxian''': So, I'm actually really curious. Just how did you recognize me?\\
'''Lan Wangji''': I am also really curious as to why your memory is so bad.

* GoodParents: Downplayed. While they don't explicitly refer to each other as father and son nor are they officially recognized in-universe as such, Lan Wangji taught and raised Lan Sizhui from childhood to teenagehood [[spoiler:after rescuing the latter -- known as Wen Yuan at the time -- and adopting him into the Lan Clan]] and gave him his courtesy name. Sizhui says that Lan Wangji has been like a father and brother to him, and his character at present shows how well Lan Wangji took care of him.

* HatesBeingTouched: Lan Wangji admitted to not liking getting into any form of physical contact with others in the past, which is why in the present day Wei Wuxian's shocked when the former doesn't bat an eye at the latter trying to piss him off by invading his personal space. Although Lan Wangji still seems to not like physical contact, Wei Wuxian eventually becomes an exception, and he doesn't mind either when Lan Sizhui pulls him into a hug.
* HatesSmallTalk: He wasn't fond of exchanging pleasantries the past, especially if it's Wei Wuxian who would try to strike up a conversation with him. Not so much at present, however; while he's far from chatty, he doesn't mind listening to Wei Wuxian talk about anything and would even nod along every now and then.
* HeroicAmbidexterity: It's implied that Lan Wangji is ambidextrous, given that it takes a great deal of proficiency to wield a sword with one hand and to perfectly play an instrument with the other (which he demonstrates in the Yi City arc).
* HiddenDepths: Lan Wangji as seen through Wei Wuxian's eyes is like an iceberg -- a lot more is hidden under the surface.

* HouseHusband: Between him and Wei Wuxian, he's the one who helps clean the house, prepare baths and cook meals. Even in a dream, Wei Wuxian imagines Lan Wangji doing majority of the housework while he would be in charge of farming and fishing.
* HumbleGoal: Although his dream in the "Incense Burner" extra [[CovertPervert doesn't exactly show it]], when he sees Wei Wuxian's dream about them retiring from cultivation and living in peace, he feels content and reassures Wei Wuxian that his dream isn't boring, hinting that he shares Wei Wuxian's desire for a life of domesticity.

** After Wei Wuxian took up demonic cultivation, Lan Wangji is the only one to semi-correctly suspect that [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's cultivation may have been impaired]] whereas everyone else thought that [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian was simply acting arrogant and going on an evil PowerHigh]].
** He's the first one who notices the scars on Su She's chest, causing the latter to accidentally out himself as [[spoiler:the culprit who inflicted the Hundred Holes Curse on Jin Zixun]].

* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Downplayed. Because of his sheltered and restrictive upbringing, Lan Wangji never took the time to make friends. But there are a few hints that show how he also wanted to know what it's like to have a group of people to have fun with. There's how his personality becomes a lot more childish when he's drunk, and while taking a walk in the "Lotus Seed Pod" extra he stopped to take a look at a few toddlers who were playing.

* InsufferableGenius: Subverted. To some, he gives off the impression of being an unlikeable and cocky genius because of the impassive expression on his face. However, when Wei Wuxian (and readers) get to know him better it's shown that he's far from arrogant; he is aware of what he can and can't do and never brags about his accomplishments nor does he flaunt them to anyone.

* IRegretNothing: He never says it outright, but it's hinted with how he sticks by Wei Wuxian's side no matter what at present that he has no regrets about [[spoiler:defending him from his clan even if he willingly accepted punishment because he knew that he wronged his family]]. To hammer it home, the track that plays when [[spoiler:he was being struck with the discipline whip]] is titled "No Regrets".

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Before the events at the Guanyin Temple, Lan Wangji thought that Wei Wuxian remembered [[spoiler:the events of the Nightless City massacre -- where he is strongly hinted to have confessed his feelings to him]]. Even then, after reuniting with Wei Wuxian years later he gives him anything he needs, is endlessly patient with his antics (unlike before), defends him from anyone who crosses him, and lets the latter repeatedly flirt with him. He does all of this under the impression that Wei Wuxian knew of his true feelings the entire time and has been cruelly stringing him along, simply because he's that devoted to him and wants to look out for his well-being.
* IWillFindYou: The lyrics of several official songs from the novel's adaptations have at least one line implying that Lan Wangji has been playing Inquiry ever since Wei Wuxian's death, suggesting he was trying to reach out to him in some way. The novel however itself never confirms this and indicates that Lan Wangji was willing to move on and accept his death despite the pain.

** Lan Wangji lamented Wei Wuxian's death, but he didn't spend 13 years constantly pining over him. However, it's implied that a part of him either refused to accept that Wei Wuxian ''remained'' dead or believed that he would come back one day. Some hints include him hiding jars of Emperor's Smile in his house and his reluctance to answer when Wei Wuxian asks if he burned any paper money for him (which, in China, is something one does when they pay their DueToTheDead). In the animated chibi spin-off, it's explicitly stated that the aforementioned reason ''is'' why he never performed any of the funerary rituals for Wei Wuxian.
* JerkassToOne: Lan Wangji generally has a SugarAndIcePersonality, being distant and kept towards almost everyone else except the very few people he's close to, with whom he exhibits a warmer and more open side. However, Jiang Cheng is the one exception as Lan Wangji has something close to ''contempt'' for him. Although initially on neutral terms, his opinion of Jiang Cheng soured after [[spoiler:the events of Qiongqi Path (both when Wei Wuxian rescued the Wens from the prison camp and when Jin Zixuan got killed)]]. When Wei Wuxian even asks him of his opinion of Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji frowns and scoffs, confirming his dislike for the clan leader. While Lan Wangji is normally a man of discipline and etiquette, he refuses to show a single formality to the man. He never acknowledges him, looks at him in the eye, or speaks to him, and the only exception is when he's directly challenging him.
* TheLadysFavour: Wei Wuxian tried to get Lan Wangji to give him his forehead ribbon prior to the Phoenix Mountain Hunt as a joke. What nobody told him [[spoiler:was the significance of the ribbon]].
* {{Leitmotif}}: In the ''donghua'', whenever he appears, he's usually followed by the sound of ''guqin'' strings.
* LightIsGood: While his entire clan wear white and lightblue clothes and are meant to be the most morally good out of the major clans, Lan Wangji fits this trope best. He's always associated with the color white, and in spite of white being seen as the color of death in China, Lan Wangji is one of the most morally upstanding characters in the novel.
* LightningBruiser: He's both a master swordsman and one of the most powerful living cultivators.
* LivingLegend: During the Sunshot Campaign, he managed to accomplish so much that he received a title with the honorific "''-jun''" -- which is usually reserved for clan leaders -- meaning that his achievements were nothing short of impressive in nature.
* LonersWillStayAlone: His upbringing caused him to not have much opportunities to interact with other people. Likewise, his reputation caused others to avoid interacting with him unless necessary. Lan Wangji does have his brother and uncle, but it's obvious that they've been the ''only'' company he's familiar and comfortable with for years. However, Wei Wuxian's presence soon breaks him out of this trope.
* LoveHurts: It doesn't help that he only started falling for Wei Wuxian when [[spoiler:a war started that robbed Wei Wuxian of nearly everything and forced him to discover TheDarkArts to survive and enact vengeance]]. Their previous interactions also left Wei Wuxian with the belief that Lan Wangji intended to persecute him [[spoiler:when that couldn't be further from the truth]], and this misassumption caused tensions in their relationship. Once [[spoiler:the entire cultivation world started targeting Wei Wuxian]], it only got worse from there. It only took a resurrection for Lan Wangji to have a proper chance with Wei Wuxian without fear of unwanted intervention.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: While Wei Wuxian is of course not evil, Lan Qiren ''believes'' that Lan Wangji has become negatively influenced by the latter due to his love for him.
* LoveMartyr: Downplayed. After reuniting following the TimeSkip, Lan Wangji stays by Wuxian's side while not expecting to have his feelings returned. This is despite putting up with Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:seemingly making fun of his feelings (it turns out to be a misunderstanding -- Wei Wuxian doesn't remember the love confession from his first life and so never knew about his feelings until he's told)]].
* MeaningfulName: His courtesy name is from the Daoist phrase "to be free of worldly concerns", similar to the meaning behind the name of his sword Bichen.
* MistakenForGay: Inverted. When Lan Wangji got upset over Wei Wuxian remarking how Mianmian is likely to never forget him after he took a blow meant for her, Wei Wuxian assumed that he was acting so emotional because he also liked Mianmian. This drove Lan Wangji up the wall, since at the time, he was already wrestling with his growing attraction for Wei Wuxian.

* MrExposition: He's the one to explain to Wei Wuxian a few plot-relevant details that occured during the 13 years he was away, thus also providing readers necessary background information. This includes the entire fiasco surrounding Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen and Jin Guangyao having a son who was killed by one of Jin Guangyao's political rivals.
* MrFanservice: Downplayed. The scene of him bathing in the Cold Springs both in the past and the present is featured in every visual adaptation. In each one, the lucky fan gets to see how slender yet fit his body is. The ''donghua'' plays this up more, adding more tone and muscles to his figure when he grew into an adult.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** After he [[spoiler:he stole Wei Wuxian's FirstKiss]], he was so angered at not being able to control himself and [[spoiler:taking advantage of Wei Wuxian]] that he started venting out his rage on some trees nearby.
** He feels both mortified and guilty when he learns about [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's loss of his original golden core]]. Mortified, because it's an emotionally painful truth to take in and it causes a lot of Wei Wuxian's actions and behavioral changes to make a lot more sense; and guilty because in hindsight, it puts his own well-meaning actions at the time in a [[WasTooHardOnHim more insensitive light]].
* MyGreatestFailure: While it's shown implicitly, Lan Wangji regrets not being able to understand and help Wei Wuxian more in the past, which is why he does his best making up for that in the latter's second life.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: After the entire pre-TimeSkip backstory is revealed, it becomes clear that Lan Wangji's renewed attitude towards Wei Wuxian in the present is his attempt to patch things up between them. Back then, majority of the miscommunication between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in the past is attributed to both Lan Wangji's distant attitude and difficulty in getting his feelings across, and Wei Wuxian's selflessness and unwillingness to ask others for help. By the time Wei Wuxian is brought back to life, Lan Wangji remains stoic but he's no longer as aloof as he used to be with Wei Wuxian, and is determined to help him and stick by his side through thick and thin even when Wei Wuxian initially tries to discourage him from doing such.
* NeatFreak: Much like how he HatesBeingTouched, a few scenes demonstrate that he avoids getting dirt or even water on his clothes as much as possible. Wei Wuxian observes that this also extends to the rest of the Lan Clan, as each member is mysophobic to some degree.
* NoSell: PlayedForLaughs. Lan Wangji has become a lot more immune to Wei Wuxian's pranks and attempts to annoy him in the present; a shining example being after he brings back a reincarnated Wei Wuxian to the Cloud Recesses and barely batters an eyes when Wei Wuxian does everything to put him off in order to be kicked out. Eventually Wei Wuxian doesn't bother trying anymore.
* NoSocialSkills: Downplayed. In spite of his taciturn nature he can interact with people just fine, even if it's mostly because his conversations with others tend to be related to cultivation. However, he tends to have trouble with properly expressing himself verbally or otherwise, and is not one for initiating or engaging in small talk.
* NotSoAboveItAll:
** His drunken side shows that even straight-laced him wishes to goof around once in a while. As Wei Wuxian lampshades, Lan Wangji always followed the many constrictive rules of his clan, but naturally there's some hidden desire for him to just act without any regard for those rules.
** Jealousy is the other thing aside from liquor that can bring out his immature side. Some examples are when he ''bit Wei Wuxian's arm'' after the latter mistakenly thought he was angry because he had a crush on Mianmian, and when he kicks and rolls over a pebble when Wei Wuxian chats with some women and gives them rouge (even though he was just getting information about Yi City).

** When he and Wei Wuxian confess to each other and finally get together, he isn't the least bit ashamed to act and talk affectionately towards Wei Wuxian even as they're directly confronting their enemies -- who, alongside a few of the protagonists' relatives, are also witnesses to their flirtations.
** Despite coming off as a prude and acting so appalled when coming across a porn book as a teen, the author revealed in an interview that Lan Wangji [[spoiler:started reading homosexual porn at some point]], which provided him with knowledge on [[spoiler:how to take care of Wei Wuxian in bed]].

** While he's perfectly mastered putting up a cool and stoic demeanor after the TimeSkip, he was more susceptible to anger and embarrassment when he was younger, courtesy of Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is generally one of the very few people who's able to elicit ''any'' emotion out of him both then and now.
** He acts less stoic than usual whenever his family is involved. He started shedding tears while confiding to Wei Wuxian about [[spoiler:the state his father and brother are in after the Wen Clan attacked the Cloud Recesses]] -- which was also why he was in a very irritable mood at the time.
* ObliviousToLove: Despite being deeply in love with Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji is ironically blind to the latter slowly but surely reciprocating his feelings. [[spoiler:Stems from him misunderstanding that Wei Wuxian remembers his love confession from after the Nightless City massacre and simply doesn't reciprocate.]]
* OneHeadTaller: While he was already taller than Wei Wuxian in the past, the height gap increases to almost a head after the latter's brought BackFromTheDead since Mo Xuanyu's body height is six centimetres shorter than Wei Wuxian's original height.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: It's telling when Lan Wangji is pissed off to the extent that he ''breaks out'' of his TranquilFury and either say scathing words, act uncharacteristically rude, or show frantic emotion.

* PapaWolf: Even before TheReveal that [[spoiler:Lan Wangji adopted Wen Yuan into the Lan Clan and gave him the name Sizhui]], there were already signs of him being a protective father figure early in the story. At Mount Dafan, Lan Wangji uses the Silencing Spell on Jin Ling when the latter acts rude towards Sizhui, and doesn't budge even when this earns Jiang Cheng's anger.
* TheParagon: Lan Wangji is heroic in every sense of the word, which earned him the admiration and respect of many and inspires many people (especially the Lan juniors) to follow in his footsteps. To hammer it in, Lan Wangji's title basically means that he's a HopeBringer.
* ParentalNeglect: Ever since he was born, his father was already in seclusion and his mother was only allowed to see both him and his brother once every month (although not by her choice). He was mostly raised by his uncle.

* ThePerfectionist: Not to an unhealthy degree, thankfully. Due to his teachings, [[TheAce Lan Wangji does a lot of things perfectly or at least very efficiently]]. This is reflected in his handwriting, where Wei Wuxian observes that Lan Wangji, among the thousand scriptures he had to write/copy, made only a single mistake (and that was only due to Wei Wuxian's constant bugging) and was made to rewrite it down a hundred times.
* PlainPalate: Thanks to the Lan Clan's very simply vegetarian diet, Lan Wangji is said to have a mild palate and is unable to tolerate any strong or spicy food. This confuses Wei Wuxian, since he remembers Lan Wangji ordering only spicy food the last time they had a meal together. What he doesn't know is that Lan Wangji ordered the food solely for Wei Wuxian.
* PoorCommunicationKills: When you're a man of little words and have never been good with expressing yourself, some dangerous miscommunication to happen. This is one of the main sources of his and Wei Wuxian's clashes in the past. While Lan Wangji has gotten better during the TimeSkip, he's still mostly kept and occasionally struggles with speaking his mind even when it comes to the little things.

** What to do with prodigious arm strength? [[spoiler:Handstand sex]]. According to the author, they've tried it once and mutually agreed to never do it again.

** Downplayed. He never outright curses, but there are select instances when he says "滚!", which is an extremely rude way of telling someone to leave. He only says this when he's well and truly angry, however; and while the first time was PlayedForLaughs, the second time was ''not''.
*** In the first instance, he's so outraged at Wei Wuxian's pornography prank that he tells him to scram, which can be considered harsh and borderline profane, and not anyone InUniverse would expect someone as poised and stoic as Lan Wangji to say. Both Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang even lampshade this.
*** In the second instance, he says "滚开!" at [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng when the latter tries to stop them from leaving Lotus Pier]]. This has even harsher connotations than "滚!", since "滚开" can also translate to "Fuck off!". This reflects the gravity of the situation Lan Wangji is in, as he's [[spoiler:trying to protect an injured Wei Wuxian from someone who's approaching them both with every bit of hostility he can summon]].
** In the Japanese dubs, he says "失せろ!"[[note]]Which also means "Get lost!" but can also translate to "Get out of my sight!"[[/note]], which has milder connotations than the original Chinese term, but nevertheless serves the same purpose of Lan Wangji speakingly unusually foul.
* PrinciplesZealot: When he was a teenager, he acted as the disciplinarian of his clan and watched out for any rule-breakers; and as seen in his clashes with Wei Wuxian, he was completely strict about his role. He grew more lenient over time, [[spoiler:and some time after they elope, he tells Wei Wuxian that he's an exception when it comes to breaking the rules]].
* PunnyName: His name, phonetically speaking, can be misheard as ''lang wang ji'' (狼望鸡) or "wolf looking at a chicken". In the ''donghua'', Wei Wuxian teases Lan Wangji by addressing to his with a drawing of the two animals in question.

* RavenHairIvorySkin: While most of the characters are fair-skinned and are featured with black hair in several adaptations, part of why he and his brother are called the Twin Jades is because they stand out among the rest in terms of beauty. This trope is more notable in his case since he has a paler complexion than his brother's.

** He raises rabbits, which is a double-joke for the Chinese god of homosexuality, and the fact that he's gay. Or more accurately, has a case of SingleTargetSexuality with a man.
** Wei Wuxian notices that Lan Wangji's money pouch is delicate in design, which isn't what he'd expect from the latter. This is because said money pouch [[spoiler:was originally a medicine pouch that Mianmian gave to Wei Wuxian, and Lan Wangji stole the pouch out of jealousy]].
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Lan Wangji may not be a clan leader or elder but he is still a mentor figure in his clan and cultivator of high rank and renown. He is also one of the most sensible characters in the story unlike the clan leaders of the previous and current generations, he's not plagued with ambition and/or revenge; he cares more about helping people than making connections in the [[DecadentCourt cultivation world's political circle]]; he never makes judgments without getting all the facts and seeing the full picture; and he never sits on his hands when something has to be dealt with. There's a reason why his title essentially means "to hold/bring light".
* RebelliousSpirit: Not at first, but he becomes more defiant to the rules after the TimeSkip. Like Wei Wuxian, he's willing to acknowledge if what is considered right by society isn't necessarily right by moral and ethical standards, and he follows his own path rather than conform to the majority. While he remains loyal to his clan and to his family, he is far less hesitant about expressing any disagreements he may have with them.

* SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining: Lan Wangji grew up to become a skilled swordsman, powerful cultivator, and an all-around ace in education and many other areas. However, he also grew up with a FriendlessBackground and in an environment where he is expected to always excel and repress many things about himself, leaving him with poor social knowledge and communication skills.

* SignatureScent: Wei Wuxian has commented more than once on how Lan Wangji smells like sandalwood.

* SociallyAwkwardHero: In contrast to Wei Wuxian, who is a people person, Lan Wangji isn't great at expressing himself and socialising with others. The fact that he was raised by his strict and rule-abiding uncle and spent a few years cultivating in seclusion didn't help with Lan Wangji's lack of friends and interpersonal skills.
* SpockSpeak: He's always very formal yet simple and direct with his wording, and in the English fan translations, he rarely uses contractions in his sentences. His actor Wang Yibo even describes him as the kind of person who will not convey a message with three words if he can convey it with two.

* SugarAndIcePersonality: He shows the "ice" side by default but is warmer towards his brother, Lan Sizhui, and most importantly, Wei Wuxian.
* SweetTooth: Lan Wangji's implied to have a fondness for sweet food. In the "Dream Come True" extra, he stubbornly bites onto a candied haw Wei Wuxian gives him. The audio drama also features a flashback where a young Lan Xichen got Lan Wangji to smile by promising him some candy later.

* TeamDad: Alongside Wei Wuxian, he takes an active role protecting and guiding the three youngsters they encounter but he's far more stern and a bit more distant than his partner.
* TheTeetotaler: Like the rest of his clan, he refrains from drinking because of his hereditary trait of low resistance to alcohol. However, he makes a few exceptions of sharing a cup with Wei Wuxian.

** During and after the Sunshot Campaign, Lan Wangji cooperated with Wei Wuxian but were not on best of terms due to their disargeements over demonic cultivation. After the war ended, they were at more civil terms but remained distant due to the same issue. Wei Wuxian does note that while they had their disagreements, they didn't argue as often and intensely as the outsiders believed them to be.
** Downplayed with Lan Wangji's relationship with Wen Ning. While it's shown from his drunk episodes that he doesn't like how close Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian are, he doesn't ''hate'' Wen Ning and completely trusts him in protecting Wei Wuxian and the juniors. The two even share an amicable moment after Wen Ning [[spoiler:defends Wei Wuxian from Jiang Cheng and reveals that he knows about Lan Sizhui's true identity]].
* ThickerThanWater: Downplayed. When Lan Wangji [[spoiler:injured 33 elders of his clan to stop them from turning in Wei Wuxian to the other clans, he did not regret protecting Wei Wuxian]]. However, he also knew that he committed a grievous crime against his own family, and so willingly went back to his clan and let himself [[spoiler:be punished with the discipline whip]].
* TookALevelInCheerfulness: Almost all his life, Lan Wangji was taught to compose himself and to never act on emotions, causing him to be repressed. After his experiences with Wei Wuxian and his CharacterDevelopment, his icy exterior slowly thaws. His core personality remains the same, but he's learned to become livelier, [[spoiler:especially with the love of his life. The final extra chapter even has him smiling more than once at the affection Wei Wuxian showers him with]].

** Every little thing Lan Wangji received from Wei Wuxian, he kept after the latter's death. A few examples are the rabbits that Wei Wuxian gave him back from when they were still students, and the herbal peony he gave him (which he preserved as a bookmark).
** The ''donghua'' has him keep Wei Wuxian's Clarity Bell, which he found while looking for him after the latter's disappearance following [[spoiler:the Lotus Pier massacre]]. This [[ChekhovsGun comes in handy later on]] when Wei Wuxian is nearly overwhelmed by the effects of the Curse Mark and only recovers after the bell restraints the curse. Lan Wangji hands it back to Wei Wuxian afterward, but the latter tells him to keep it as a FriendshipTrinket.
** In the ''donghua'', while neither remember it, they actually met each other once when they were children. When Wei Wuxian was still a StreetUrchin, Lan Wangji saw him by chance and gave him his rattle drum in an act of compassion. [[spoiler:The chibi spinoff hints that it was a gift from his mother.]]

* {{Tsundere}}: During their teens, Wei Wuxian correctly pointed out (even though he was only teasing at the time) that Lan Wangji was never honest with his feelings, and would hide his emotions beneath an icy veneer. According to Lan Xichen, he has always been that way since he was a child -- the more he's teased, the more guarded he acts. Wei Wuxian also notices that Lan Wangji has trouble being upfront about what he wants sometimes, since he's more of a man of action rather than words.
* WasTooHardOnHim: After learning about [[spoiler:how Wei Wuxian gave up his golden core for Jiang Cheng's sake]] he feels remorseful about the way he'd scold Wei Wuxian for using demonic cultivation in the past, since it puts into perspective just why the latter was insistent on continuing it in the first place and [[spoiler:why he acted so differently after his time in the Burial Mounds]]. While Lan Wangji had good intentions when he repeatedly expressed his concerns to him, after the truth comes out he realizes that he had likely come across as overly harsh on someone who genuinely [[spoiler:had no longer any other means to cultivate]].
* WhatTheHellHero:
** He was not exactly happy when he found out that Wei Wuxian started practicing demonic cultivation, being worried about the effects TheDarkArts would have on his health and state of mind.
** He comes close to calling out his older brother when Lan Xichen is reluctant to believe that [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao isn't the man he seems to be]], had it not been for Wei Wuxian quickly defusing the situation.

* WillNotTellALie: Zigzagged. Whether [[InVinoVeritas inebriated]] or sober, Lan Wangji sticks to saying only the truth. If he's confronted with a question he doesn't want to answer, he stays quiet. However, he's capable of lying if he wants or needs to, such as covering up for someone else (eg. in the audio drama where he catches Wei Wuxian being harassed by a dog).
* WorldsMostBeautifulWoman: Gender-inverted. He and his brother are considered two of the most good-looking male cultivators of their generation. However, the novel also noted that while both are seen as equally handsome, Lan Xichen's geniality gives him an edge over his younger brother in terms of charm.

* YouAreWorthHell: The [[spoiler:raid at the Nightless City]] showed that when it comes to protecting Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji will oppose anyone and everyone, [[spoiler:even his own family]]. He even tells his brother that whether Wei Wuxian was in the right or wrong, he willingly chooses to share the burden of his crimes. And in the Second Siege, he shows that he won't hesitate to do it again.

** He and Wei Wuxian call each other by their birth names by default. However, Lan Wangji calls Wei Wuxian by his courtesy name instead whenever he's ''seriously'' angry at him, and this happens only once.

* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the series, he receives his whip scars not from [[spoiler:attacking the Lan Clan elders]] but from [[spoiler:acting against the Jin Clan in the aftermath of Wei Wuxian's death]].

* CallingTheOldManOut: When he [[spoiler:got punished for defending Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji -- all the while being struck with a whip]] -- resolutely responded to his uncle's reminder about never associating with evil, that the line between right and wrong is more blurred than anyone would like to believe.

* FriendlessBackground: Although he was already established as something of a lone wolf in the novel, the live-action drama has him directly tell Wei Wuxian that he's used to doing everything alone.
* IWillFindYou: Jiang Cheng directly asks Lan Wangji if he's been spending the past few years "searching for someone", to which Lan Wangji doesn't answer. Later on, Lan Wangji confirms to Wei Wuxian that he ''did'' look for him, although by searching the Nightless City for any remains, not by playing Inquiry.
* MyGreatestFailure: While drunk, he tells Wei Wuxian that he feels guilty for [[spoiler:not standing by his side during the battle at the Nightless City]], which is why he's so insistent on helping him in the present.

* SilenceYouFool: While trying to keep the Jin Clan from setting foot in the Burial Mounds, when Su She starts pressing him with questions, Lan Wangji coldly answers that he's in no position to speak to him.
* SpontaneousWeaponCreation: Whereas the ''donghua'' and ''manhua'' show Lan Wangji carrying his ''guqin'' behind his back, the series has him summon his instrument out of thin air whenever he needs to use it. Confusingly, however, there are a few instances where he does carry it with him.
* TearsOfRemorse: He sheds tears of guilt twice. The first time was when after he [[spoiler:allowed Wei Wuxian to escape with the surviving Wens]], and the second is when he learns of [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's sacrifice of his original golden core]].

!! Lan Zhan (蓝湛) - Wangji (忘机) - Hanguang-Jun (含光君)

** In ''The Founder of Diabolism Q/Mo Dao Zu Shi Q'', he speaks in the Gusu dialect to cheer up Wei Wuxian after the latter got upset when he thinks that other people don't find him attractive enough.

** Lan Wangji lamented Wei Wuxian's death, but he didn't spend 13 years constantly pining over him. However, it's implied that a part of him either refused to accept that Wei Wuxian ''remained'' dead or believed that he would come back one day. Some hints include him hiding jars of Emperor's Smile in his house and his reluctance to answer when Wei Wuxian asks if he burned any paper money for him (which, in China, is something one does when they pay their DueToTheDead). In ''The Founder of Diabolsm Q/Mo Dao Zu Shi Q'', it's explicitly stated that the aforementioned reason ''is'' why he never performed any of the funerary rituals for Wei Wuxian.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Lan Wangji may not be a clan leader or elder but he is still a mentor figure in his clan and cultivator of high rank and renown. He is also one of the most sensible characters in the story 00 unlike the clan leaders of the previous and current generations, he's not plagued with ambition and/or revenge; he cares more about helping people than making connections in the [[DecadentCourt cultivation world's political circle]]; he never makes judgments without getting all the facts and seeing the full picture; and he never sits on his hands when something has to be dealt with. There's a reason why his title essentially means "to hold/bring light".

* RedEyesTakeWarning: Downplaued. Lan Wangji's eyes become bloodshot when he's ''furious'' about something. This also happens whenever he gets [[spoiler:overwhelmed with lust]].

!!! '''Voiced by (Mandarin)''': Bian Jiang (animation, live-action, mobile game), Wei Chao (audio drama - adult), Shan Xin (audio drama - child)\\
'''Voiced by (Japanese)''': Creator/ShinnosukeTachibana (animation, live-action), Creator/SatoshiHino (audio drama - adult), Madoka Hirade (audio drama - child)\\

'''Played by''': Wang Yibo (live-action - adult), Chen Junkai (live-action - child)