History Literature / DemiGodsAndSemiDevils

* BadPowersBadPeople: Ding Chunqiu. He has the skill that dissolve the inner energy of anyone he touches. Naturally, evryone loathes the bastard.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Wang Yuyan, Azhu, etc. Totally subverted wit Azi and Kang Min.

* ManipulativeBastard: Murong Bo. [[spoiler: He spreaded rumours about a group of elite Khitan warriors attacking Shaolin Temple to steal the martial art scriptures stored there. The abbot Xuanci hastily gathered a group and ambushed the Khitan warriors, actually Xiao Yuanshan's entourage, at Yanmen Pass which lead to the death of Xiao's wife. This caused conflicts between Song and Liao martial art communities. After thirty years, he offers Xiaofeng, now a high ranking noble in Liao Kingdom, the chance to kill him in exchange for the Liao army under Xiaofeng's command to attack Song Empire, allow Murong Bo's descendent the chance to reestablish Yan state. Xiaofeng doesn't buy it.]]

* ManipulativeBastard: Murong Bo. [[spoiler: He spreaded rumours about a group of elite Khitan warriors attacking Shaolin Temple to steal the martial art scriptures stored there. The abbot Xuanci hastily gathered a group and ambushed the Khitan warriors, actually Xiao Yuanshan's entourage, at Yanmen Pass which lead to the death of Xiao's wife. This caused conflicts between Song and Liao martial art communities. After thirty years, he offers Xiaofeng, now a high ranking noble in Liao Kingdom, the chance to kill him in exchange for the Liao army under Xiaofeng's command to attack Song Empire, allow Murong Bo's descendent the chance to reestablish Yan state. Xiaofeng doesn't buy it.

* CycleOfRevenge: The nameless monk explains this to Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo. Murong Bo's scheme leads to the death of Xiao Yuanshan's wife, so Xiao Yuanshan killed everyone involved and intends to kill Murong Bo to avenge his family. Then, Murong Bo's son will kill Xiao Yuanshan in return, and so on. The monk's solution: he will kill both Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo to end the cycle for good. [[spoiler: it's actually a ploy to treat their wounds. It's conplicated.]]

* TheReveal: Xiaofeng is eventually reveal to be [[spoiler a Khitan, the main ethic group of Liao Kingdom, mortal enemy of the Song Empire.]]

* WomanScorned: Kang Min. [[spoiler: Her attempt to get back at Duan Zhengchun directly lead to the death of Azhu.]]

* DeusExMachina: The nameless monk, an impossibly strong character only appear in one scence to solve the conflict between Xiaofeng family and Murong Fu family. Without him, there is nothing could prevent the confrontation to devolve into bloody combat.

* LoveMartyr: You Tanzhi. Several acts he does to entertain Azi includes sticking his head in a lion cage and letting an extremely poisonous insect bite him. He even offers his eyes to her to help her regain her sense of sight after she is blinded by Ding Chunqiu. Azi is not amused.

* EvilIsPetty: Ding Chunqiu, the leader of Xingxiu Sect, universally recognized as the most reviled villain the jianghu. He has a band of thugs constantly singing praises to him and murder anyone who did not show respect to him.

* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: the seventy two arts of Shaolin. If practicing without guidance of Buddhist scripture, it could lead to severe injury or even death.

* Blood Brothers: Xiaofeng, Duan Yu and Xuzhu. The scence where they proclaim their brotherhood on Shaolin Temple in one of the most memorable in Chinese media.

* MasterOfDisguise: Azhu. She could impersonates house maid, old hag or Buddhist monk perfectly.
* WomanScorned: Kang Min. [[spoiler: Her attempt to get back at Duan Zhengchun directly lead to the death of Azhu.]]

* {{Yandere}}: Azi. ''him''

* Yandere: Azi.

* ConflictingLoyalty: Xiaofeng is torn between his duty with the Liao Kingdon, his country of origin and the Song Empire, the place where he was raised and the majority of his acquaintances live. [[spoiler: This eventually drives hime to suicide.]]

* QuirkyMinibossSquad: the Four Evils.

* ChickMagnet: Duan Yu and Duan Zhengchun, his father. It leads to a rather hillarious reveal that [[spoiler: the majority of Duan Yu's love interests are actually his half-sisters, courtesy of Duan Zhengchun various affairs.]]

* QuirkyMinibossSquad: the Four Evils.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: the seventy two arts of Shaolin. If practicing without guidance of Buddhist scripture, it could lead to severe injury or even death.

* ChickMagnet: Duan Yu and Duan Zhengchun, his father. It leads to a rather hillarious reveal that [[the majority of Duan Yu's love interests are actually his half-sisters, courtesy of Duan Zhengchun various affairs.]]

* LukeIAmYourFather: Xuzhu is revealed to be the son of [[spoiler: Xuanci, the abbot of Shaolin Temple.]]

* WomanScorned: Kang Min. [[Her attempt to get back at Duan Zhengchun directly lead to the death of Azhu.]]

* Doorstopper: The second longest novel of Jin Yong, after The Deer and The Cauldron, clocks at 1,211,000 words.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters
* BadAss: Lots. The novel has the largest number of champion-level fighter, on par with HeavenSwordAndDragonSabre
** The three protagonists Xiaofeng, Duan Yu and Xuzhu. Duan Yu and Xuzhu are total bums at the beginning but at the end of the novel they become incredibly strong. Xiafeng admits that Duan Yu's inner energy is superior to his.
** Xiaofeng's father Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Fu's father Murong Bo.
** The elders of Carefree Sect: Wuyazi, Li Qiushui and Tianshan Tonglao.
** Jiumozhi, the advisor to the Tibetan ruler.
** The Nameless Monk in Shaolin Temple. Many fans consider him to be the strongest martial artist in Jin Yong's universe.

** Xiaofeng's father

* BadAss: Lots. The novel has the largest number of champion-level fighter, on par with HeavenSwordAndDragonSabre

The novel's title has been a challenge for translators for years. The major characters in the novel are based on the eight races of non-human demi-gods and semi-devils described in Buddhist cosmology. In Buddhism, these demi-gods and semi-devils are ranked higher than mortals but are still bound to Saṃsāra by their own desires. It is said that Jin Yong originally modelled each major character after one of the races, but, as he continued writing, the complexity of the story made it impossible for such a simplistic mapping. An alternative English title of the novel is Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon.