For all the characters that debuted in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Note that many unmarked spoilers lie ahead.

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Main Characters

Guo Jing (郭靖)

Son of Guo Xiaotian (Skyfury), a Song fighter who gets killed along with his best friend Yang Tiexin (Ironheart) during a Jin invasion to their village. While Tiexin's wife and her unborn son got adopted by the sixth prince of the Jin empire, Guo Jing and his mother were rescued by the Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan.

Growing up as a Mongolian soldier and a skillful bowfighter, Guo Jing also learns martial arts from the Seven Freaks of the South, who had an obligation to locate and teach him. When he turns eighteen, he's sent southward into the Song Empire to gain experience and participate in a contest against Yang Kang. He meets with Lotus Huang and got dragged into her adventure. In the Legend of the Condor Heroes, he journeys throughout the land, having adventures and trials and growing from his adventures.

In The Return of the Condor Heroes, Jing adopts Yang Kang's orphan son, Yang Guo, after Kang's death and sends him to his master's martial art school. In the story, he plays a major part as a commander and a national hero that guides a rebel army to fight against the Jin Empire.

Guo Jing is eventually killed during the Battle of Xiangyang along with the rest of his family except for his youngest daughter—some time before the event of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre — but not before he created the titular weapons that appear in that story.

Action Hero: Definitely. Guo Jing fights, shoots, wrestles, swims, and runs through China and Mongolia.
The Ace: Wins an archer's competition among the Mongolians, who aren't shy of good archers, and later learns various forms of martial arts.
Adaptational Attractiveness: Described as somewhat rough-looking in the novel, he is played the handsome Li Yapeng in the 2003 TV series.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Temujin is ready to name him a general after Guo Jing's capture of an enemy's heir lets Temujin survive a trap.
Been There, Shaped History: Guo Jing is crucial at two points in Temujin's rise to unify the Mongolians, who ultimately destroy both the Jin and the Song empires.
- As a six-year-old child, he hides the Mongol leader Jebe, who'd just lost a battle to Temujin, from a search party led by Temujin's son because Temujin's got an arrow wound. Jebe comes out of hiding to save Guo Jing from having the information beaten out of him and tells Temujin's party to pick on someone their own size (not that the onlooking Temujin was too impressed by his son's treatment of Guo Jing, either). The chivalrous move is one of the things that convinces Temujin to give Jebe a sporting chance at life and freedom by winning a duel. Jebe wins and spares Temujin's champion, and Temujin recruits Jebe to his own tribe and welcomes him with open arms despite the arrow Jebe had put in him hours earlier. This is loosely based on a real historical incident—Genghis Khan did spare and recruit a talented rival commander called Jebe and Jebe went on to become one of Temujin's most trusted and able generals, whose leadership and tactics were instrumental in the destruction of the Jin Empire.
- Twelve years later, Guo Jing catches wind of a plot by the two other major Mongolian khans to entrap and destroy Temujin. He warns Temujin who initially brushes it off, but Temujin's caution later asserts itself and he prepares countermeasures that prove to be well-warranted. Temujin escapes the trap (with Guo Jing contributing by capturing a valuable hostage that gives them time to stall), and manages to turn it around and destroy the other two major khans and recruit their forces, leaving him as the de facto ruler of the unified Mongolians—Genghis Khan.
Cain and Abel: The Abel to Yang Kang's Cain, with Yang Kang being his sworn brother.
Chick Magnet: Despite his innocence, Guo Jing's virtuous character catches the eye of multiple women throughout the series: Temujin's daughter Huazheng (Khojin), his eventual wife Lotus Huang, and Cheng Yaojia. There's even a brief period where Qiu Chuji and the Seven Freaks try to arrange a marriage between him and Mercy Mu.
Children Forced to Kill: His first kill was Hurricane Chen, whom he stabbed in his Achilles' Heel after stumbling upon the Seven Freaks fighting Twice Foul Dark Wind. He was about six years old at the time.
Determinator: Although he is not smart, he keeps on practicing martial arts and eventually become an accomplished martial artist.
Everyone Has Standards: He has several below...
- He is correct to call out Huang Rong for spoiling their eldest daughter, leading her to become the bitch she was towards Yang Guo (although whether he was there for his daughter or not is left ambiguous, which may or may not make him a hypocrite in the first place)...
- Upon learning what his daughter did to Yang Guo, he was FURIOUS at his daughter, even wanting to get back at her for what she did to Yang Guo (which would make him just as bad as her had he not been restrained)!
Foil: To both Yang Kang and Ouyang Ke. Both of the men are intelligent and educated, which contrasts heavily with the dense and decidedly uneducated Guo Jing, but they specifically contrast their vices against his virtues.
- Guo Jing is honest and merciful, set against Yang Kang's continuous lies to Mercy Mu as he attempts to maintain her good opinion AND serve the Jin Empire. Yang Kang is also extremely quick to go for the kill, and Guo Jing is much more forgiving and usually doesn't truly wish to hurt someone if he doesn't have to.
- Guo Jing's a kind and chaste fellow, willing to help people just because it's the right then to do. This is what catches the eye and then the heart of Lotus Huang. Ouyang Ke can be cruel and exploitative by anyone's standards and his philandering and coercive treatment of women is legendary. Even though he seems smitten with Lotus as his ideal woman, he has no qualms about chasing other women to occupy himself until he can win Lotus over (not that he ever does).
Gender-Blender Name: Qiu Chuji remarked when naming Guo Jing before his birth that the name he chose could be used regardless of his sex.
Happily Married: To Lotus Huang.
Heroic BSoD: After finding out the death of his five masters on Peach Blossom Island.
Idiot Hero: Especially in his own tale, since he's so innocent he usually gets in trouble without realizing it.
Informed Flaw: His mentors all agree that the guy is dumb as a rock, but somehow he still manages to learn several advanced martial arts, one could take the most gifted individual decades to master, at the age of 20. Generally, Guo Jing isn't so much actually stupid as he is dense and a slow learner. Once he learns something, he's got it rock-solid.
Lawful Stupid: Has his moments even after he returns Older and Wiser in the sequel.
Love Triangle: Between him, Huang Rong (Lotus) and Huazheng (Khojin). He chooses Huang Rong, but has to take a while to figure out how to avoiding marrying Khojin, who had been betrothed to him before he ever met Lotus. Guo loves Lotus, but doesn't want to break his word, either.
Martial Pacifist: In his own words, Guo Jing doesn't want to kill or hurt people, but he doesn't want to get killed or injured himself. Hong Qigong cites this as Guo Jing having the perfect temperament for the 18 Dragon Subduing Palms.
Meaningful Name: Invoked by Qiu Chuji, who named Guo Jing and Yang Kang after the Jingkang Incident when the northern Song dynasty fell, to "remind them of the humiliation of the year Jingkang, when Kaifeng was sacked and the Emperor captured by the Jin". Guo Jing's given name of 'Jing' translates to "Serenity".
My Country, Right or Wrong: Regarding the Mongolian Army.
Nice Guy: He really is. He's generous, loyal, kind, and selfless. Growing up and having to function and travel on his own makes him wiser, but he loses none of his great heart. Zhou Botong comments on it, and says that Wang Chongyang would have liked Guo Jing and would have taught him everything.
Oblivious to Love: Until he gets married.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Somehow delivering it to Genghis Khan, calling him out for his ambition to expand his land and to kill the innocents despite that he can't take any of them with him to his grave.
Signature Move: The 18 Dragon-Subduing Palms become his go-to style, but he also learns the Technique of Ambidexterity and the Luminous Hollow Fist from Zhou Botong, which both serve him well and serve as things to set him apart from others as a martial artist.
Spanner in the Works: Guo Jing repeatedly and largely unknowingly foils Wanyan Honglie's schemes.
- His capture of Wang Khan's grandson is what let Temujin stall until reinforcements could come and save the battle, foiling a years-long scheme of Honglie's to make the other two great Mongolian chieftains destroy Temujin.
- He saves the Mongolian delegation from being massacred by Honglie's personally led forces when he randomly came across the attack.
- He later beats Honglie to the Book of Wumu, but this time he was actually trying to keep Honglie from getting it.
- To a lesser extent, he does this to Liang Ziweng as well; Liang had spent years specially nurturing a rare snake so he could drink its blood and gain enormous health and strength benefits. It attacks Guo Jing and almost constricts him to death, but Guo Jing bites its neck and drinks it dry in desperation and gets one of his many powerups from the effects Liang had intended for himself.
Surpassed the Teacher: While Ke Zhen'e is mourning his martial siblings, he gets into a quarrel with Guo Jing and tries to strike his uncomprehending student. Guo Jing, by this point, vastly outstrips his first shifu and in a reflexive attempt to defend himself, knocks a couple of Zhen'e's front teeth out.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Spends several days with Ouyang Feng, both of them adrift at sea and clinging to a piece of a ship's mast to stay afloat. They catch and share fish to eat. They wash up on the same island as Lotus Huang, Hong Qigong, and Ouyang Ke, and have to spend a couple weeks together until they get picked up by a passing ship.
Took a Level in Badass: Guo Jing gets several in Legend of the Condor Heroes.
- First, Ma Yu teaches him qi control, which makes his ten years of training from the Seven Freaks click.
- Then he drinks the blood of Liang Ziweng's special alchemical snake and gets an all-around performance boost and resistance to venoms and poisons.
- Later he learns the Dragon-Subduing Palms from Hong Qigong, giving him a fighting style that perfectly pairs with his high strength and excellent qi control and probably puts him on roughly equal footing with his original individual teachers, the Seven Freaks of the South.
- After that he memorizes the text of the Nine Yin Manual while he also learns Zhou Botong's eclectic kung-fu skills; the most notable of Zhou's techniques lets him use a different fighting style with each hand and fire off attacks in ways not even the Greats anticipate because Guo and Zhou are the only people who can fight like this.
- The manual continues to give him powerups as periodically a penny drops for him and he comprehends and incorporates more of the manual's concepts into his kung-fu; most spectacularly when he finally understands an obscure passage about internal energy control that uses the constellations as a metaphor and he turns that understanding into temporarily being a one-man army taking on essentially the entirety of the Beggar's Sect and winning until they get their act together. By the end of the story, he has enough high technique and strange variables in his favor that he can hold out against one of the Greats.
- The final portion of the manual, when translated for him, gives him some final refinements to his internal energy practice. By the end of it, the foundation is laid for him to become one of the Greats in just a few more years of practice and experience.
- He gets hold of the Book of Wumu — which is a sort of military equivalent to the Nine Yin Manual — and becomes more than competent in formations and tactics (with some advice and pointers from Lotus who understands what it's getting at, usually).
- In a more openly antagonistic example, Ouyang Feng later holds Guo Jing more or less prisoner in an abandoned village, having endless sparring matches to try to see the kung-fu derived from the Nine Yin Manual so he could learn it himself. Ouyang brings them food to eat and they coexist in mutual hatred for the time being. On the upside, the constant practice against a hostile opponent sharpens Guo Jing's edge even further.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Believes in everything lawfully good for his period's standard. He gets Older and Wiser as the novel goes on, but he maintains his belief in his values.

Huang Rong / Lotus Huang (黃蓉)

The beautiful but spoiled daughter of Apothecary Huang, the master of the Peach Blossom Island. A rebellious spirit not unlike her father, Lotus got into an argument with him and flee from home, disguising herself as a beggar.

She meets Guo Jing and begins to stick around him as she gets attached to the man. She reveals herself as a woman and journeys with Guo Jing. She later becomes a master of 'Dog Beating Staff' art and becomes the new leader of the Beggar Sect, working as Jing's brain to prevent Song from being invaded by the Jin Empire.

In The Return of the Condor Heroes, she temporarily becomes Yang Guo's teacher and surrogate mother. Due to her personal fear of the boy turning evil like Yang Kang and eventually trying to kill her, she becomes strict and biased when taking care of him, driving a wedge between them.

She eventually perishes in the fall of Xianyang against Mongolian force sometimes after the second novel and before the event of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre along with her husband.

The Artful Dodger: Pretends to be a bratty beggar despite her actual status as the daughter of a wealthy, educated, and powerful man. Ironically, she eventually succeeds in the Beggar Sect's martial arts and becomes their boss.
Bratty Teenage Daughter: Introduced this way. She runs away from home claiming to argue with her father over something Jing considers trivial.
Character Development: Mellows down her attitude a lot as the story goes.
Chef of Iron: An excellent chef and an equally good fighter. She use her dishes to convince Hong Qigong to teach Guo Jing the full Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.
Clingy Jealous Girl: Before her Character Development.
Dub Name Change: Downplayed. Her name in the original Chinese version is Rong (as rendered by Mandarin pinyin), which is a poetic name for the lotus flower. The English translation changes her name to Lotus directly. The "Notes on the Text" in the appendix of A Hero Born reveal that this was enforced.
Anna Holmwood: Lotus Huang is known to many fans by the pinyin transliteration of her name, Huang Rong. I wanted to translate her name as Lotus, however, as at this point in the story we the readers are let in on a secret that Guo Jing is not party to. As soon as we see her name written down, we know at once this "beggar boy" is, in fact, a girl — the character for "lotus", "rong" 蓉 is far too girly to be used for a boy's name. But due to the fact that there are several Chinese characters that could be pronounced the same way or similar, Guo Jing doesn't pick up on this. We know that Guo Jing is barely literate in Chinese, so he can be forgiven for his mistake. He is an honest young man, but clearly not the most perceptive, and this moment in the novel is an important way in which Jin Yong develops Guo Jing's character, while letting Chinese readers in on the joke. If I had kept Lotus' name in the pinyin, we English readers would be left feeling just as dim as poor Guo Jing.
Everyone Has Standards: Despite being as rude as her daughter, she was also right to call out Guo Jing for attempting to chop off their daughter's arm in retribution for what she did to Yang Guo.
Genki Girl: Perky little mischievous ball of sunshine who likes running around. She's not a reserved, dignified girl by nature.
Guile Heroine: Definitely smarter than her boyfriend/husband.
Hero Antagonist: Becomes this in The Return of the Condor Heroes, where not only did she become a jerk towards Yang Guo, but at the same time, she prevents Yang Guo from learning martial arts when he was a kid, as well as trying to separate him from Xiaolongnü when they grow older...
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She was a jerk when she was much younger. However, despite going through some character development that made her less of a jerk in the sequel than she was before the events of the first story, she remains antagonistic towards Yang Guo just because he's the son of the main antagonist of the first book. Hell, she even admitted to planning on chopping off Yang Guo's arm if she were to ever be in her daughter's position! Despite the above mentioned, she is still a kind and caring mother who eventually becomes nicer as the novel passes by.
Lady of War: When she's not being bratty, she can be very dignified and regal. She's also a fighter of considerable skill.
Last Girl Wins: Lotus is near the last girl to meet Guo Jing, and she's the one who captures his heart. Him treating her morally and respectfully even when he thought she was a dirty bratty beggar boy made her decided to clean up and let Guo know she was a lady.

Martial Arts Staff: She gains the "Dog-Beating Staff" from Hong Qigong after succeeding him and learns the requisite moves for its use, giving her a very powerful set of techniques that reward creativity, guile, and quick thought.
Never My Fault: When Guo Jing gets angry at Huang Rong for spoiling their daughter and defending her when she clearly did something wrong in the first place, Huang Rong acts as if Guo Fu was an innocent girl who didn't know any better (even though she does since she's old enough to control her temper), even wanting to do the same thing to Yang Guo had she been in her daughter's place.
Tomboy: Very tomboyish for the setting's standard, especially since she effectively pretends to be a boy when she first meets Guo Jing.
Took a Level in Badass: She doesn't get as many as Guo Jing, but she does learn some strengthening kung-fu from the Nine Yin manual and the Dog-Beating Staff from Northern Beggar Hong. The style depends heavily on the user's quick thinking, creativity, and deviousness, which suits Lotus down to the ground.
Took a Level in Jerkass: Becomes this in The Return of the Condor Heroes as she not only becomes openly antagonistic towards Yang Guo, but even spoiled her daughter who had the audacity to chop off Yang Guo's arm. And what does she do about it? She openly blames Yang Guo for having gotten his arm chopped off in the first place, when she clarly spoiled her daughter so much that it directly led to said events happening. Despite this, she does somewhat become much nicer after the timeskip...

Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Because she spoiled her eldest daughter into the monster she was, she ended up chopping off Yang Guo's arm and indirectly separating him from Xiaolongnü; for 16 years...

Yang Kang (楊康)

Yang Tiexin's son and the rival to Guo Jing. He was adopted by Wanyan Honglie, the sixth prince of the Jin Empire and become a noble.

Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: How he acts when he first meets Guo Jing.
Bad People Abuse Animals: In the first book, A Hero Born, he snaps a rabbit’s legs. He then presents it to his mother pretending he’d found it wounded.
Cain and Abel: The Cain to Guo Jing's Abel, with Guo Jing being his sworn brother.
Can't Catch Up: At first, his martial skill is superior to Guo Jing. After Guo Jing studies the Nine Yin Manual and receives training from Zhou Botong and Hong Qigong, Kang can't even touch him and he later got his ass kicked by Lotus Huang in the Beggar's Sect meeting.
The Casanova: For Mercy Mu specifically. The poor woman is smitten with Yang Kang's good looks and charm, and earnestly believes he could use his position as a prince of the Jin Empire to do something great for the rival Song dynasty, because Yang Kang's parents were Song patriots. Unfortunately for her, Yang Kang has a really healthy and loving relationship with his adoptive father and never seriously entertains transferring loyalties for more than a day or so. On multiple occasions, he uses his charm to blind her of his true character.
Combat Pragmatist: Uses dirty tricks rather than adhering to the honor of the wulin. He sets up a trap to poison Wang Chuyi, his shifu's martial brother, in retaliation for getting between him and Guo Jing in "A Hero Born" (the first part of the English translation).
Death by Irony: An apprentice of a poison user, getting killed by poison.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: He really does love his mom and her death rattles him; finding out the nitty-gritty details of how Wanyan Honglie deceived his mother drives a wedge between the two for awhile.
Gender-Blender Name: Qiu Chuji remarked when naming Yang Kang before his birth that the name he chose could be used regardless of his sex.
Greater-Scope Villain: Is this in The Return of the Condor Heroes as his actions not only left a horrible impact on his son's life, but at the same time, it would lead to one of his enemies (Huang Rong) making Yang Guo's life as miserable as possible (albeit indirectly)...
Happily Adopted: Kang's father might not be blood, but their bond is as tight as blood family.
Humiliation Conga: He goes through a rough patch more than halfway through the story where he makes several plays to advance the Jin empire's agenda and suffers for it. Claiming to be the new Chief Beggar initially works but the entirety of the Beggar Clan lines up to hock a loogie on him; a new Chief is spat on by the clan as part of the inauguration. He thinks he's going to show off by exposing the legendary Qiu Qianren's fraudulent reputation with a bone-crushing handshake and almost gets his hand torn off when it turns out to be the real Qiu Qianren, who really can do all the incredible things his Con Man identical twin claims he can. This also serves as the real Qianren's introduction.
Karmic Death: Gets poisoned with one of his master's brews when he tries to strike Huang Rong's shoulder.
Meaningful Name: Invoked by Qiu Chuji, who named Guo Jing and Yang Kang after the Jingkang Incident when the northern Song dynasty fell, to "remind them of the humiliation of the year Jingkang, when Kaifeng was sacked and the Emperor captured by the Jin". Yang Kang's given name of 'Kang' translates to "Vitality".
Royal Brat: Has become this by a time of his appearance in A Hero Born, an arrogant prince who acts out when things don’t go his way.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His actions in the first novel would only ruin his son's future in the sequel series...
You Are What You Hate: Refuses to marry Mercy Mu despite the terms of the competition, declaring peasants are beneath him. He doesn’t realize his mother was initially a peasant girl before marrying the Jin prince.

Mu Nianci / Mercy Mu (穆念慈)

Yang Tiexin's adopted daughter and the love interest of Yang Kang. She is the mother of Yang Guo, the protagonist in the sequel novel, Return of the Condor Heroes.

Beauty Equals Goodness: Jin Yong describes her appearance as "firm like a piece of jade, despite appearing weather-beaten, she is beautiful, with bright eyes and sparkling white teeth". She is one of the nicest characters in the novel.
Best Her to Bed Her: Her adopted father stages martial art contests to find a suitable spouse for her. The contestant must defeat Mercy Mu to win her hand-in-marriage. One day, a young Jurchen prince join the contest out of mischief...
Love Hurts: Her love interest is an amoral, opportunistic, unscrupulous spoiled brat who is out for himself only. She keeps trying to change him for good to no avail. Mercy discovers Yang Kang's villainous deeds eventually and decides to leave him for good. They never met each other again. However, she is already pregnant with his child and still loves him despite his misdeeds.

Main Characters' Parents

Guo Xiaotian / Skyfury Guo (郭嘯天)

Guo Jing's father. He made an agreement with his sworn brother, Yang Tiexin (Ironheart), for their children to become either sworn siblings (if they are of the same sex) or a married couple (if they are of opposite sexes). He is killed by Justice Duan Tiande's men.

Disappeared Dad: He was killed before Guo Jing was born.
Dub Name Change: Downplayed. His name in the English translation, Skyfury, isn't that far off from his Chinese name in the original, which translates to "roaring/howling at the sky".
Heroic Lineage: Skyfury Guo is descended from Prosperity Guo (郭盛), one of the heroes of the Marshes of Mount Liang.
Last Stand: Stayed behind to fight the government goons to allow his sworn brother's family to escape.

Li Ping / Lily Li (李萍)

Guo Xiaotian's wife and Guo Jing's mother. She survived the raid on Niu Family Village (Ox Village) but was captured by Justice Duan Tiande. She manages to escape and settle down in Mongolia, where she gives birth to her son. She remains in Mongolia for the rest of her life and never returns home. She commits suicide to remind her son of his heritage when Genghis Khan tries to force Guo Jing to help him conquer the Song Empire.

Action Survivor: Lily endured a huge ordeal in the first three chapters alone—her husband dying, and her being taken captive by his murderer and forced to trek north from Zhejiang to the Mongolian steppes. While fleeing from said murderer, she ran until she went into labor and proceeded to survive off of the corpses of men and horses who perished in battle, and then trekked further east with her son "for days" until she was rescued by Mongolian shepherds. For a country girl who grew up farming and never learnt any martial arts, she's pretty damn tough.
Damsel in Distress: Got kidnapped and used as hostage by the corrupted Justice Duan. However, she still remained strong-willed and defiant.
Defiant Captive: While kidnapped by Justice Duan after her husband's murder, Lily Li remained defiant and "spent ever waking hour wailing and cursing her captor", and even tried to stab him once. When the assassination attempt failed, she tried to attract others' attention by Obfuscating Insanity to give the Han cousins (Ryder and Jade of the Seven Freaks of the South), who were trying to rescue her, a trail to follow.
Driven to Suicide: Knowing that Genghis Khan is using her as hostage to force her son to go against his country, she commits suicide.
Dub Name Change: The English translation changes her name to Lily, while in the original, her name refers to the duckweed plant.
Floral Theme Naming: Her given name is derived from a plant in both the Chinese original and the English translation.
Plain Jane: Described as plain-looking, if not outright ugly in the novel. The English translation describes her to be "a somewhat plain country girl with unbound feet".
Pregnant Badass: She survived the raid on Ox Village and escaped from captivity all while being pregnant with her son, and gives birth on her way to Mongolia.

Yang Tiexin / Ironheart Yang (楊鐵心)

Yang Kang's father. He specializes in the martial art 'Yang Family Spear', which has been passed down for generations in his family. He survived the attack on Niu Family Village (Ox Village), renames himself Mu Yi (穆易), and adopts Mu Nianci (Mercy) as his daughter. He is reunited with his family later but his son refuses to acknowledge him. He commits suicide with his wife after being cornered by Wanyan Honglie and his men.

Disappeared Dad: He was severely injured in the attack on Ox Village and lost contact with his wife and son for years.
Dub Name Change: Downplayed. His name in the Chinese original very literally translates to 'iron heart', so in his case, it's more of a name translation than transliteration or Romanization.
Heroic Lineage: Ironheart Yang is the great-grandson of General Triumph Yang (楊再興, or Yang Zaixing), a general of the Southern Song dynasty under Yue Fei who fought against the Jurchen Jin.
Shoot the Shaggy Dog: Spent years finding his wife and son, only to have his son refuse to acknowledge him as father and him dying together with his wife.
Sue Donym: His new name, Mu Yi (穆易), hints at his original surname of Yang (楊), as 穆 is a homophone of 木 ("tree/wood") in Chinese and his original surname of 楊 ("aspen/poplar tree") contains the radical 木.

Bao Xiruo / Charity Bao (包惜弱)

Yang Tiexin's wife and Yang Kang's mother. Soft-hearted and empathetic, she survives the raid on Niu Family Village (Ox Village) and is saved by Wanyan Honglie, who brings her back to the Jin Empire and marries her. Her love for Yang Tiexin never fades. She commits suicide to join Yang Tiexin when they are cornered.

Driven to Suicide: She commits suicide with Yang Tiexin (Ironheart) after being cornered by Wanyan Honglie and his men.
Dub Name Change: Downplayed. The meaning of her name in the English translation is more or less the same to her original Chinese name.
Friend to All Living Things: As her name implies. She even refuses to slaughter her farm animals and takes care of every injured bird and deer she finds.
Meaningful Name: Her Chinese name translates to "pity the weak", which hints at her kindly personality. The same applies in the English translation, with her being given the name "Charity".
Charity had always been exceptionally kind-hearted, ever since she was a young girl. She was forever bringing home injured sparrows, frogs and even insects, which she would nurse back to health, and those she could not save she would bury, the tears flowing down her cheeks. Her father, a country scholar from Red Plum Village, had named her for this unusual sensitivity, and her mother was never allowed to slaughter any of their roosters or hens. Any chicken served at the Bao family table for dinner had to be brought home from the market. Indeed, Charity had not changed much as she grew older, and this was one of the things Ironheart Yang loved about her. Their backyard was still a sanctuary for chickens, ducks and every other sort of small creature that chose to make its home there.
Save the Villain: She saves Wanyan Honglie's life and nurses him back to health, which then helps kick off the plot of the novel.
Together in Death: With her first husband, Ironheart Yang.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Her saving Wanyan Honglie enables him to wreck destruction on her village and home.

Seven Freaks of the South

The "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan", also known as the "Jiangnan Qi Guai" in Mandarin Chinese (江南七怪), or the "Seven Heroes of the South" to be polite, is a group of seven chivalrous martial artists from Jiangnan, the lands south of the Yangtze. They were Guo Jing's first martial arts teachers.

Accent Interest: Ryder and Jade Han were noted to speak "with heavy Jiaxing dialects", most likely as an indication that they were locals to the region where they were first introduced.^note
Badass Teacher: To Guo Jing, as all seven of them have partaken in their fair share of conflicts. Deconstructed, however, as although they are all masters in their own field of martial arts, they don't necessarily have the best teaching methods (with the exception of Zhang A'sheng, had he not been killed off within the first few chapters), leaving Guo Jing very confused and ultimately unskilled before he started taking internal kung-fu lessons in secret from Ma Yu.
Dwindling Party: At the end of the novel, only Ke Zhen'e is still alive.
Overshadowed by Awesome: They're fairly good martial artists, but later characters like Apothecary Yang or Ouyang Feng completely outclass them. Qiu Chuji, a middle-ranked fighter, can fight all seven of them to an effective draw at once. Ouyang Feng eventually killed nearly all of them with ease.
Quirky Miniboss Squad: A heroic example. Each one has their own distinctive gimmick and style. One of them even fights with the pieces of a merchant's scale.
Stern Teacher: They are fairly strict with Guo Jing and his training.
True Companions: They share their lives and fortunes, and only internally quarrel a few times. Many martial groups call their peers 'brother' or 'sister' but with the Freaks, there's a sense they truly mean it.

Ke Zhen'e (柯鎮惡)

Nicknamed "Flying Bat" (飛天蝙蝠), he's the oldest among the seven. Even though he is blind, he is highly skilled in using the staff and dart-throwing.

Berserk Button: Becomes absolutely unreasonable when he thinks someone is mocking his blindness.
Blind Weaponmaster: Blinded years ago, Ke Zhen'e's hearing is sufficient he can track and place every person moving around him, and fight such that he's the best of the Seven Freaks. He uses a staff and throws poisoned projectiles called "devilnuts".
Disability Superpower: Has super-hearing and uses that in place of his sight.
Handicapped Badass: Blind but very skilled.
Hot-Blooded: Like so many of the characters in the wulin, Zhen'e doesn't have much in the way of middle gears.
It's Personal: One of the reasons for his hatred for Twice Foul Dark Wind is that they killed his brother, Ke Bixie the Talisman, and blinded him.
Meaningful Name: In the English translation, his name in the character listing is translated as "Ke Zhen'e, Suppressor of Evil". The 'title' listed after his name is actually the literal translation of his name into English.
Overshadowed by Awesome: Ke Zhen'e gets an especially poignant one when, as he mourns his martial siblings, he gets into a quarrel with Guo Jing and tries to strike his uncomprehending student. Guo Jing, by this point, vastly outstrips his first shifu and in a reflexive attempt to defend himself, knocks a couple of Zhen'e's front teeth out. Ke takes his student's superiority badly.
Sole Survivor: Of the Seven Freaks by the end of Legends of the Condor Heroes.

Zhu Cong (朱聰)

Nicknamed "Marvellous-Handed Scholar" (妙手書生; "Quick Hands" in the English translation), he's the wisest among the seven. He specializes in the art of thieving and his martial arts center around pressure points and precise attacks. Killed by Yang Kang and Ouyang Feng on Peach Blossom island.

Chekhov's Skill: His pick-pocket skills. Early on, he swipes a poem from Qiu Chuji mid-battle and reads it out; it convinces Qiu of the Seven's peaceable intentions because Zhu Cong could have knifed him if he'd wanted and Qiu Chuji wouldn't have seen it coming. When Ouyang Feng and Yang Kang massacre the seven on Peach Blossom Island, he manages to snatch a personal item on Yang Kang's body and hides it, allowing Lotus to figure out the culprit.
Chessmaster Sidekick: To Ke Zhen'e. Zhu Cong can also make some harsh calls, but he's not nearly as hotheaded and touchy as his elder martial brother. He's also frequently the one to make what they need happen — he disarms Qiu Chuji's temper, tricks an antidote out of Tiger Peng to save Ma Yu's life, figures out Qiu Qianren's tricks, and snatches the vital clue to reveal who the murderer of the Seven Freaks is as he's dying.
Lovable Rogue: Casually picks the pockets of people he meets. Plays pranks, acts like a buffoon, but he's an entertaining rascal who's on the side of the good guys.
Meaningful Name: In the English translation, his name in the character listing is translated as "Quick Hands Zhu Cong the Intelligent". Much like Ke Zhen'e, the meaning of his name is stated after it, in his case, 'intelligent'.
The Pig-Pen: Frequently described as dirty and unwashed, he also fights with a fan whose metal frame is broken.

Han Baoju / Ryder Han (韓寶駒)

Nicknamed "Horse Deity" (馬王神; "Protector of the Steeds" in the English translation), specializes in horse-riding and the whip. Killed by Yang Kang and Ouyang Feng on Peach Blossom island.

Dub Name Change: Downplayed in the English translation. While 'Ryder' is most certainly a Western name, his original Chinese name does translate to "treasured foal", and both names evoke his specialty in horsemanship.
Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Ryder Han is roughly three feet tall, but he's almost as wide as he is tall. Despite his height, he's one of the best horsemen in the novel and he's strong enough to catch a ceremonial metal urn filled with wine — all together weighing upwards of two hundred pounds — and return it up a set of stairs.

Nan Xiren / Nan the Merciful (南希仁)

Nicknamed "Southern Hill Woodcutter" (南山樵子), he's a reticent individual who taught Guo Jing to use the saber and staff. Killed by Ouyang Feng's venomous snake on Peach Blossom island.

Meaningful Name: The second character in his given name, 仁, refers to the Confucian/traditional Chinese virtue of "benevolence" and "altruism".

Zhang A'sheng (張阿生)

Nicknamed "Laughing Buddha" (笑彌陀), he's specialized in meat-and-potatoes brawling. He is slain by Chen Xuanfeng.

Adaptation Name Change: In the 1983 TV series, the name displayed on his tombstone is 張亞生. Downplayed in that 亞 and 阿 sound virtually the same, especially in Cantonese.
Ironic Name: His name contains the Chinese word for "life/birth", 生. He's the first of the Seven Freaks to die and doesn't even live past the first few chapters of the novel.
Reasonable Authority Figure: The Freaks as a whole aren't very good teachers — they're largely too impatient and their diverse skills emphasize divergent areas of expertise and development. It's mentioned that if Zhang A'sheng had lived, he would have been the best teacher for Guo because of his kindness, patience, and fellow-feeling for Guo Jing — both of them are slow learners who have to work hard to understand things, so Zhang would have been able to break martial concepts down and feed them in at a pace that wouldn't overwhelm the poor kid. Sadly, things went another way and Guo Jing spent a lot of time being confused and overwhelmed by the surviving Freaks, who were feeling the pressure of their bet with Qiu Chuji and weren't always able to keep their frustrations buttoned in.
Sacrificial Lion: He is one of the first heroic characters to die in the novel, after Skyfury Guo (who died in the first chapter).
Stout Strength: Zhang A'sheng is somewhat overweight, but that fat rides over some heavy muscle; he's a very physically powerful fighter and the padding helps him absorb hits.
Unrequited Love Lasts Forever: He carries a secret love for his martial sibling Jade Han and never mentions it until he's mortally wounded.

Quan Jinfa / Gilden Quan (全金發)

Nicknamed "Hidden Hero in the Busy City" (鬧市俠隱; "Cloaked Master of the Market" or "Masked Haggler" in the English translation), he's a merchant who fights using the different pieces of a merchant's scale — the balancing arm, the weights, and the plates. Killed by Ouyang Feng on Peach Blossom island.

Dub Name Change: Downplayed in the English translation. His name in the English translation, Gilden, refers to the character 金 (lit. "gold") in his name.
Meaningful Name: In the English translation, his name in the character listing is translated as "Gilden Quan the Prosperous, Clocked Master of the Market". Much like Ke Zhen'e and Zhu Cong, the meaning of his name is stated after it but is also combined with his translated given name — "gold profit/prosperity". He also happens to be a merchant.

Han Xiaoying / Jade Han (韓小瑩)

Nicknamed "Yue Maiden Sword" (越女劍; "Maiden of the Yue Sword" in the English translation), is Zhang A'sheng's beloved and the only woman among the seven. She taught Guo Jing how to use the sword. Committed suicide on Peach Blossom island to join her brothers.

Dub Name Change: Downplayed in the English translation. Ultimately, the word 瑩 in her original Chinese name does translate to "jade" (as do a few dozen other words in Chinese).
Heroic Lineage: She is descended from the heroine A'qing (阿青) from Jin Yong's later novella The Sword of the Yue Maiden.
The Smurfette Principle: The only woman of the Seven Freaks.
Unrequited Tragic Maiden: She never realized how she felt about Zhang A'sheng until he was mortally wounded and unburdened himself of his feelings right before he died. She accepts his feelings, returns them, and considers herself a widow forever after. In the end, the loss of most of her martial siblings is too much and she commits suicide to join them in death.

Mongols

Temujin / Genghis Khan

Initially an important warlord and chieftain of the Mongolians, he is not yet THE Genghis Khan. Wanyan Honglie recognizes Temujin's ambition and the threat he poses to the Jin Empire if he successfully unites the Mongolians, and therefore plots to take him out. Genghis survives the trap and turns it into a victory. He unifies the Mongolians, ascends to become Genghis Khan, and ultimately destroys the Jin Empire.

A Father to His Men: He tries to cultivate this image. Part of Temujin's rise is he discards traditional Mongolian social practices and rewards the warriors above the rest of the tribe's population; he uses the promise of wealth and status to lure men from other tribes to his cause and promises to treat them like this. To be fair, his ruthlessness is matched by his responsibility: He really is a great boss, he demands tremendous discipline from his men but exhibits it himself, and he rewards standout warriors as promised.
Historical Domain Character: He is Genghis Khan, after all.
Pet the Dog: Gets a moment early on when Guo Jing and his own son Tolui are six years old. Temujin expects the same discipline out of his sons and generals that he demands out of his common soldiers, and the pair aren't in formation for Temujin to address the troops; punishments for not being in place in time are known to be harsh. They show up a few minutes late and tell Temujin they've sworn brotherhood to each other, and Temujin recognizes this to be a moment of great personal importance for the two. He just tells them to take care of each other from now on and get in their places.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Prevented during a campaign to take the city of Samarkand. One of Genghis's grandsons is killed during the fighting and it sets Genghis Khan right off. While the Khan initially intended to take tribute and loot from the city and leave it bloodied but alive, the loss of his kin makes him decide to have everyone in the city massacred. The city is only spared because the Khan promised Guo Jing (who was instrumental in breaking the siege and capturing the city) a boon in exchange for his valor, and Guo pleads for the Khan's mercy towards the city, even if his forgiveness is too much to ask. The event drives a wedge between the two that's never fully repaired.

Tolui (拖雷)

One of Temujin's youngest sons and Guo Jing's best friend in Mongolia. They swear an oath of brotherhood at the age of six and grow up together.

Huazheng / Khojin (華箏)

One of Temujin's youngest daughters, only a couple years younger than Guo Jing. Guo Jing spends a lot of time with her older brother and she develops a serious romantic interest in Guo Jing in their teens. Temujin even betroths her to Guo Jing after his ascension to Genghis Khan, causing romantic complications for Guo down the line.

All Love Is Unrequited: Although she's romantically interested in Guo Jing, whom she had been betrothed to by her father, Guo Jing does not reciprocate these feelings and only views her as a younger sister figure.
Arranged Marriage: At first to Tusakha, and later to Guo Jing.
It's All My Fault: She is overwhelmed by guilt for unintentionally causing Lily Li's suicide and lives as a recluse for the rest of her life.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When she discovers that Guo Jing is planning to disobey her father's order to attack the Song Empire, she secretly reports Guo to her father in the hope that Guo Jing will be forced to remain in Mongolia. However, in doing so, she unknowingly brings big trouble to Guo Jing and indirectly causes his mother to commit suicide.

Jebe (哲別)

Initially an enemy commander of a rival Mongolian tribe to Temujin's, his bravery and talent impress Temujin enough to make a job offer despite the arrow Jebe put in him just hours before. Jebe was likewise impressed with Temujin's fairness and accepts the position. He becomes one of Temujin's most powerful generals and trusted subordinates. He also trains Guo Jing (who was involved in the incident where Temujin recruited Jebe) in archery and Mongolian wrestling.

Badass Teacher: He taught Guo Jing how to shoot and wrestle, and he's himself skilled enough to impress Temujin and fight alongside him in battle later down the line.
Historical Domain Character: Is based on a real life historical figure.
Master Archer: He is very skilled with a bow and arrow.

Quanzhen Sect

A real branch of Taoism, here in the story their religious importance is augmented by their martial skills. Most everyone acknowledges the Quanzhen Sect as having refined the cultivation of internal energy further than any other school of martial arts practice.

Double Sun Wang Chongyang (王重陽)

The founder of the Quanzhen Sect and Zhou Botong's senior, titled the "Central Divinity" (中神通) for his incredible martial skills and saintly character. He found the Nine Yin Manual and created the first martial arts contest on Mount Hua to determine the manual's owner. Died before the events of the novel. Also a real historical figure (if exaggerated enormously here).

Authority Equals Asskicking: The founder of Quanzhen Sect and the most powerful member. He is called "Central Divinity" and considered the best of the Five Greats.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Handed one out to Western Venom Ouyang Feng on the day of his own death, even though the other Greats weren't that far behind him and a straight fight would have been protracted. Wang faked his death well enough to fool even his subordinates. During the wake he lay in the coffin waiting for Ouyang to get close because he knew Ouyang Feng would make a play for the Nine Yin manual as soon as Wang was dead. His planning was validated when the Western Venom tore through the Quanzhen Temple and all of Wang's disciples and Zhou Botong to get to Wang's body. When Wang burst from the coffin, he hit the shocked Ouyang with an attack he'd developed specifically with the aim of one-shotting the Western Venom. Ouyang was caught off-guard and took a clean hit that didn't kill him, because Wang was a merciful sort of man, but it harmed his internal energy to a degree that it took years for Ouyang to recover and make up the ground he lost. Sadly Wang really was dying and passed away just a few minutes after Ouyang Feng fled, but he died happy with his work.
Faking the Dead: Doing this to lure Ouyang Feng into his trap, knowing that Ouyang Feng will wait until he dies to take the Nine Yin Manual. He dies shortly afterwards.
Historical Domain Character: He is based on a real life historical figure.
Nice Guy: Reputed to be legendarily so. Zhou, his close friend, says Wang and Guo would have gotten along famously.
Posthumous Character: Died before the story starts but his legacy has a long reach and you hear a decent bit about him.

Zhou Botong (周伯通)

Zhou Botong is the junior of Wang Chongyang, the founder of Quanzhen Sect. He is the most senior of all Quanzhen members after Wang Chongyang's death. He is nicknamed "Old Imp" (老頑童) in the first novel and becomes the "Central Imp" (中頑童) of the Five Greats at the end of the second novel to replace "Central Divinity" Wang Chongyang. His most notable trait is his childish and mischievous personality. He enjoys playing pranks and games like an immature child, and constantly seeks fun and entertainment even at an old age.

Bunny-Ears Lawyer: A man of about sixty years old, a peer and sworn brother of the Central Divinity who was the Greatest Fighter Under The Heavens, a master martial artist who invents incredibly sophisticated martial styles rooted in the Quanzhen Sect's orthodox internal energy cultivation and insightful application of Taoist philosophies about action and inaction. An immature jackass who throws tantrums when he's snubbed or when he doesn't get his way, and generally has the sense of humor and demeanor of someone fifty years younger.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Despite his giddy and childish demeanor, he's initially only a little below the Greats in martial skill, and he eventually surpasses them to become the strongest. He's also remarkably versed in philosophy and metaphysics, though he himself isn't a Taoist. He invents a couple of subtle and powerful martial skills that are remarked as being unprecedented and unrelated to anything that's come before, making them extremely hard to analyze and counter.
Didn't Think This Through: Taunted Apothecary Huang over the death of his wife. He got imprisoned on Peach Blossom Island for 15 years for his trouble.
Dumb Is Good: The key to master his Technique of Ambidexterity. His mind and later Guo Jing and Xiaolongnnü are described as "simple, innocent and utterly without distraction" which allowed them to use vastly different style with each arms. In contrast, it's specifically noted that Lotus Huang and Yang Guo are too calculating to learn this techniques.
Manchild: Despite being about sixty when he and Guo Jing meet, he's immature and childish. He openly and unashamedly loves games of all sorts, and even always carries a bag of marbles with him so he can play whenever he finds someone else. His sense of humor is immature, too—he pranks Apothecary Huang with jars of urine and poop in the bottom of a pit trap, and later seriously suggests that Ouyang Feng's forfeit for losing a bet to Zhou should be letting rip a massive fart on the spot in front of a Prince and several martial masters (masters have such exquisite control of their body that they could hypothetically fart at will). Thankfully, someone else with more sense suggests a better forfeit would be making Ouyang undo the pressure point block he put on someone just a moment ago.
Mr. Exposition: Explains the origin of the Nine Yin Manual to Guo Jing.
Noodle Incident: Don't ever mention Yinggu around him.
Power Limiter: Ties his hands as he makes his escape from Peach Blossom Island so he won't use the technique from Nine Yin Manual (Wang Chongyang forbade him to learn the skills in the manual and he wants to honor his senior's wish).
Signature Move: He has two to his credit:
- The Technique of Ambidexterity. During his fifteen-year-imprisonment on Peach Blossom Island, he brute-force taught himself how to split his focus and control each hand independently, making himself ambidextrous not just with his hands but with his mind. Now he can use a different set of martial arts technique for each hand and fight with himself. He thought it was a neat exercise and entertaining diversion. It takes Guo Jing pointing out the combat application before he realizes he's created a force multiplier that almost doubles his effectiveness in combat. In actual fights, he uses this skill to simultaneously attack and defend against multiple opponents and is even able to create doppelgänger illusions purely from the blazing speed and confusing movements of two styles used simultaneously. He teaches this skill to Guo Jing and Xiaolongnü later.
- Luminous Hollow Fist: A complex style of seventy-two moves designed to deflect and diffuse the force of incoming attacks, he developed it as a counter to Apothecary Huang's Cascading Peach Blossom Palm, which hits hard when it does hit. It also serves in general as a good counter-style to other hard-striking styles. Hong Qigong, who specializes in hard styles, thinks it's quite fascinating when he sees Guo Jing using it.
Took a Level in Badass: At first his skill was inferior to the Greats (losing to both Apothecary Huang and Ouyang Feng), but after studying the Nine Yin Manual, he becomes stronger than them.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Literally. Ouyang Feng, a master snake user, has no trouble taking advantage of this.

The Seven Immortals of Quanzhen

The seven students of Wang Chongyang. They lead the sect after their teacher's death. The seven are:

Ma Yu (馬鈺)

Taoist name Danyangzi (丹陽子), aka "Scarlet Sun". He teaches Guo Jing some inner energy skills. The senior of Wang Chongyang's seven disciples.

Hermit Guru: What he wants to be. If he had his druthers, he'd spend all his time meditating and contemplating the Dao and roaming if he wished to roam. Unfortunately for him, he disapproves of Qiu Chuji's habit of running around and getting involved in worldly affairs, making bets and causing trouble, and further disapproves of Qiu getting the Freaks to train Guo Jing instead of doing it himself. He decides to slip Guo Jing some help to even the contest.
Old Master: Is an elderly man, and an undisputed master of internal kung-fu.
Stealth Mentor: Literally, in his case. Every night for two years, he teaches Guo Jing the Quanzhen Sect's formidable neigong cultivation techniques, but doesn't tell Guo the significance of what he's learning and asks Guo tell no one about it. He also doesn't tell Guo his name or his status until his hand is forced by the arrival of Cyclone Mei in their patch of Mongolia.

Tan Chuduan (譚處端)

Taoist name Changzhenzi (長真子), aka "Eternal Truth". He is killed by Ouyang Feng in a fight.

Liu Chuxuan (劉處玄)

Taoist name Changshengzi (長生子), aka "Eternal Life".

Qiu Chuji (丘處機)

Taoist name Changchunzi (長春子), aka "Eternal Spring". He befriends the Guo and Yang families in the first chapter. He becomes Yang Kang's teacher later. He's the best martial artist of Wang Chongyang's seven disciples, but the worst Taoist of the bunch.

Charles Atlas Superpower: Could carry a cauldron holding several hundreds of kilograms of liquor without breaking a sweat.
Cultured Badass: Qiu Chuji is highly skilled in martial arts, and writes poetry in his spare time.
Historical Domain Character: Is based on a historical figure.
Hot-Blooded: Hotheaded is more like it. He's prideful and quick to take offense, and isn't one to de-escalate a confrontation that results from a misunderstanding. Despite that, he's also a terrific friend and ally once he's on your side.
In-Series Nickname: He is sometimes known as "Elder Eternal Spring", his Taoist name.
Mundane Utility: He uses his inner energy to expel liquor through his leg during a drinking contest.
My Greatest Failure: His failure to teach Yang Kang to become a righteous man.
A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: Qiu Chuji is quick to anger and prideful and it matters. He initially provokes a confrontation with Ironheart Yang and Skyfury Guo because he assumes them, with their northern accents, to be Jin spies sent to try to trap him when they offer their hospitality. It takes a fight where he recognizes Yang's spear style before he realizes the mistake in his assumption—they're northern refugees from Jin depredations. Shortly later, to rather more cost, he refuses to calm down and rationally explain to the Seven Freaks of the South what's going between him and a Buddhist abbot with whom he's having a dispute, sparking a confrontation that directly leads to Justice Duan Tiande escaping with Lily Li and Guo Jing's birth in Mongolia where it takes the Seven Freaks six years to find him. Later, one of his fellow Quanzhen Sect members vetoes his idea to go talk to Apothecary Huang for an explanation of recent events, citing that they're both hotheaded and touchy and Apothecary Huang would take Qiu Chuji apart in a fight when they inevitably came to blows.

Wang Chuyi (王處一)

Taoist name Yuyangzi (玉陽子), aka "Jade Sun". He befriends Guo Jing after learning that Guo Jing learnt some Quanzhen skills from his senior, Ma Yu, before. Guo Jing helps him recover when he was injured by Lingzhi Shangren.

Historical Domain Character: Is based on a historical Chinese philosopher.

Hao Datong (郝大通)

Taoist name Guangningzi (廣寧子), aka "Infinite Peace".

Sun Bu'er (孫不二)

Taoist name Qingjing Sanren (清靜散人), aka "Sage of Tranquility". She's the only woman of Wang Chongyang's seven disciples, and was married to Ma Yu before they joined the order and took vows of celibacy.

Historical Domain Character: In real life, she's one of the Seven Taoist Masters of Quanzhen.
The Smurfette Principle: The only woman among Wang Chongyang's seven disciples.

Other characters

Yin Zhiping / Harmony Yin (尹志平)

One of Qiu Chuji's apprentices. He goes to Mongolia to remind Guo Jing of his scheduled match with Yang Kang.

Brass Balls: Stands in the face of Apothecary Huang, one of the Five Greats and a man who's recently pulled an arm off another man, and neither flinches nor retracts the cursing he's heaped upon Huang's name without realizing Huang could hear. Huang despises the hollow politeness of normal society, and admires the younger man's conviction and bravery enough to let him off with a warning.
Dub Name Change: Downplayed. The Chinese character 平 translates to 'peace' or 'harmony' in English.

Cheng Yaojia (程瑤迦)

Sun Bu'er's apprentice. She was almost raped by Ouyang Ke but Guo Jing and Lotus Huang saved her. She later marries Lu Guanying under Apothecary Huang's arrangement.

Attempted Rape: Courtesy of one Ouyang Ke, but she is saved.

Peach Blossom Island

A real island on China's east coast. In the story, it serves as the home of Apothecary Huang, the Eastern Heretic, who has sculpted the island into a parklike maze of fantastic beauty while also being absolutely baffling to anyone who doesn't know the layout. In real life, it is now a sort of mecca for fans of the series now—there's an annual martial arts tournament held on the island and a statue of Jin Yong, the author himself.

Apothecary Huang (黃藥師)

Master of Peach Blossom Island and father of Lotus Huang. One of the Five Greats, his nickname is "Eastern Heretic" (東邪) for being an unorthodox radical who behaves as he wishes without showing any regard for formalities or moral ethics. Apart from being a formidable martial artist, he is also versed in other fields such as military strategy, music and divination. His eccentric personality causes him to be feared and shunned by others.

Arranged Marriage: Tries to match his daughter Lotus with Ouyang Ke, Ouyang Feng's nephew. It fails. Later on, he conducts and witnesses Lu Guanying's and Cheng Yaojia's marriage after cheerfully bullying them into the idea. They loved each other from first sight, Huang argues, so they might as well do something about it and flip the bird at societal norms which would dictate a tactful and lengthy courtship.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Boy howdy, is he EVER. Apothecary Huang is incredibly prideful, and absolutely loathes admitting a mistake.
- He initially can't stand the idea of Guo Jing as a son-in-law because he sees the dense and uneducated Guo as utterly unsuitable company for his own genius and culture.
- He snubs the Seven Freaks, refusing to even perfunctorily exchange the usual compliments and pleasantries involved when famed martial artists meet.
- He spends considerable time coming up with a therapy program to allow his former disciples to walk, but names it after an existing style because doing otherwise would be admitting he was in the wrong when he broke their legs.
Cultured Badass: An accomplished mathematician, calligrapher, musician and fengshui master. He also one of the strongest martial artists in the novel.
Curb-Stomp Battle: In a story notable for the protracted fights, where even one-sided battles can take a while because the weaker party has enough to not lose immediately, Apothecary Huang is notable for handing out a few of these.
- He dislocates Guo Jing's wrist with an inner energy rebound at their first proper meeting, when he's testing him.
- He bodies members of Wanyan Honglie's Quirky Miniboss Squad when they dare to try him, most notably ripping Browbeater Hou's arm off from the word go when the man tries to attack him.
Death Seeker: Spends a good fifteen years intending to commit suicide and join his wife in death after he's secured a good marriage for his daughter. He even has it planned out—that he'll take a specially-constructed boat built to fall apart in rough water, sail out with her remains, and play their favorite song on his flute as the boat falls apart from underneath them. Needless to say, he doesn't get to do it.
Disproportionate Retribution: Broke his students' legs and expelled them from his island for a crime they didn't commit. Breaking people's legs as punishment is sort of his thing, anyway. The narration mentions he even enjoys excuses to cut loose and dole out excessive punishments to people.
Doting Parent: To Lotus.
The Dreaded: The most feared among the Five Greats, even more than Ouyang Feng, mostly due to the horrible punishment he supposedly dishes out to people who crossed him. He's actually not that bad, but enjoys the reputation anyway.
Flash Step: Not exactly teleporting, but the Greats are capable of moving so swiftly they seem to disappear, thanks to a mix of excellent internal energy and lightness kung-fu.
Flower Motifs: The peach blossom, obviously.
Heroic BSoD: Apothecary Huang doesn't handle grief well. He was very much a dangerous person to be around after his wife died, and he was shaping up to be that way learning of his daughter's apparent death. She survives and he calms down.
Hero with Bad Publicity: While he is not a hero per se, he is nowhere near as bad as his reputation would imply. For example, the jianghu speculates that the servants on Peach Blossom Island were rendered deaf and mute by Apothecary Huang so they could not reveal his secrets. In fact, they are all horrible criminals who got captured by Apothecary Huang, he cut off their tongues, busted their eardrums and forced them to serve him as punishment for their crimes according to his own brand of justice. Still kinda bad, but not evil. Apothecary Huang deliberately spreads rumors about his evilness so people won't bother him. He's also got the stigma of the Twice Foul Dark Wind, Cyclone Mei and Hurricane Chen, being his former students; a lot of people assume he's the one who taught them their devastating martial arts and turned them loose on the world.
Honor Before Reason:
- Ouyang Feng killed five of the seven freaks of Jiangnan and framed Apothecary Huang for the crime. Instead of explaining himself, he claimed it was his doing due to his pride.
- In a lesser example, he realizes the the slew of shattered and ruined legs he doled out among his expelled disciples years ago was a completely excessive overreaction compared to their actual offenses, and he develops an exercise and therapy regimen to allow them to one day walk again. He won't admit he was wrong, and he named the procedure after an existing martial art so he wouldn't have to admit that he invented something new out of remorse.
Iconic Item: His jade flute.
Insane Troll Logic: After his students Hurricane Chen and Cyclone Mei eloped, taking his copy of the Nine Yin Manual, his heavily pregnant wife tried to rewrite the manual from her memory months after she'd originally done it. The mental stress of writing such a complicated document caused her to go to labor early and die. He somehow blames the manual for her death and vows to burn it as an offering to console her spirit.
Limited Wardrobe: Always wears green clothes.
Musical Assassin: He can channel his inner energy through his jade flute to devastating effect.
Signature Move: He has a few:
- The one most known among martial artists is Divine Finger Flick. He channels a great amount of inner energy into a single finger and releasing it with a precise amount of control. It can be used to propel objects with both force and accuracy.
- He also invented the Cascading Peach Blossom Palm. It serves as his default style and it's what he teaches his students. He came up with it watching flower petals drift on the wind—it has graceful drifting feints that turn into sharp strikes.

Qu Lingfeng / Tempest Qu (曲靈風)

Apothecary Huang's student. After being expelled from Peach Blossom Island, he settled at Niu Family Village (Ox Village) and opened an inn. He would periodically steal valuable treasures from the royal court, hoping to one day give them to his master as a penance and olive branch. Killed by a royal guard after one such attempt. Apothecary Huang eventually accepts Qu Lingfeng's daughter, Sha'gu, as his grand-students.

Chen Xuanfeng / Hurricane Chen (陳玄風)

Apothecary Huang's student. He fell in love with fellow student Mei Chaofeng (Cyclone) and eloped with her, taking Apothecary Huang's copy of the Nine Yin Manual. Killed by Guo Jing during his fight with the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan.

Achilles' Heel: He's trained and developed his resilience to physical harm until he's nigh-invulnerable to all but the greatest of martial arts, but at the cost of having a fatal weak point in a pressure point located right below his navel—and it's right where an unknowing six-year-old Guo Jing stabs him while Chen's dismantling the Seven Freaks of the South.
The Dreaded: Together with his wife, they are known as "Twin Killers in the Dark Wind" (黑風雙煞; "Twice Foul Dark Wind" in the English translation). They killed a lot of people to practice Nine Yin White Bone Claw and Heart Shattering Palm.
Made of Iron: Hurricane Chen has practiced techniques and skills to develop his physical resilience.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Also known as "Copper Corpse" for his yellow skin and emotionless expression.
Unholy Matrimony: With Cyclone, his wife.

Mei Chaofeng / Cyclone Mei (梅超風)

Apothecary Huang's student. She fell in love with fellow student Chen Xuanfeng (Hurricane) and eloped with him, taking Apothecary Huang's copy of the Nine Yin Manual. After Hurricane was killed and she was blinded by Ke Zhen'e, she escaped and vowed to avenge her husband. She meets Apothecary Huang in Guiyun Manor and he forgives her and tells her to find his other four apprentices. She is killed by Ouyang Feng.

Achilles' Heel: Cyclone Mei, like her husband, has become nigh-invulnerable to conventional martial arts, at the cost of a fatal weakpoint. It isn't used because she gets taken out by a hit that's just that hard, but she says hers is a pressure point under her tongue.
Adaptational Attractiveness: Described as hideous in the novel, she was played by the gorgeous Yang Liping in the 2003 TV series.
Disability Superpower: Cultivates exceptional hearing after losing her sight.
The Dreaded: Together with her husband they are known as "Twin Killers in the Dark Wind" (黑風雙煞; "Twice Foul Dark Wind" in the English translation). They killed a lot of people to practice Nine Yin White Bone Claw and Heart Shattering Palm. Her sending an advance warning that she's coming makes a wealthy and powerful man move directly into settling his affairs and paying his staff their owed wage. This same man also knows her and knows exactly of what she was capable of in the old days and rightly assumes she's even more terrifying now.
Gory Discretion Shot: Surprisingly averted but serves to make the case of how utterly lethal she is. When she's temporarily lost the use of her legs from improper internal energy training, she has a run-in with Ouyang Ke and four of his concubines. He ignores her in the mistaken impression that she's harmless, and goes to walk by her with his squad of concubines. Using only her hands, she launches herself at him and his women. Ouyang loses a handful of cloth from the front of his robe where she took a swipe at him and he barely managed a panicked evasion. His four concubines had their skulls clawed open in that same rush.
Handicapped Badass: Still kicking a lot of ass after being blinded.
Made of Iron: Like her husband, she's trained herself in techniques to increase her physical resilience.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Also known as "Iron Corpse" for her pale skin and emotionless expression.
Signature Move: Nine Yin White Bone Claw, which makes the fingers so strong it's trained by piercing skulls with fingertips, leaving behind five clean bullet-like holes in the bone. She teaches this technique to Yang Kang. Later, after she's blinded, she takes up the Silver Python Whip.
Taking the Bullet: Dies by taking Ouyang Feng's strike intended for Apothecary Huang.
Unholy Matrimony: With Hurricane, her husband.

Lu Chengfeng / Zephyr Lu (陸乘風)

Apothecary Huang's student. After being expelled from Peach Blossom Island, he settles in Guiyun Manor near Lake Tai and nicknames himself "Handicap of Five Lakes". He once rallied a number of allies in a futile attempt to capture Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng for his teacher. He shares the same passion for the arts as Apothecary Huang and inherits his teacher's knowledge of medicine and strategic formations. He also leads a group of pirates who rob the rich and corrupt to help the poor. He moves to Dasheng Pass with his family and followers after his home is destroyed by Ouyang Feng. He died of illness.

Cultured Badass: Like his master Apothecary Huang, Lu is deeply moved by all of the arts. He enjoys poetry, music, calligraphy, and painting. He also structured his mazelike manor house based on the complex divination and symbolic principles his teacher used to mold Peach Blossom Island.

Wu Mianfeng / Galeforce Wu (武眠風)

Apothecary Huang's student. Died of illness.

Feng Mofeng / Doldrum Feng (馮默風)

Apothecary Huang's student. After being expelled from Peach Blossom Island, he becomes a blacksmith and is killed by Jinlun Guoshi in the sequel.

Feng Heng (馮衡)

Apothecary Huang's wife and Lotus Huang's mother. She was very clever, beautiful and had eidetic memory. Died in childbirth after exhausting herself attempting to rewrite the Nine Yin Manual from her memory after the copy was stolen.

Death by Childbirth: She lost her life giving birth to Lotus. However, being under the immense strain from her husband to rewrite the Nine Yin Manual from memory after its theft likely contributed to this.
Missing Mom: To Lotus.
Photographic Memory: One of her most well-known traits. Ultimately exploited by her husband after the theft of the Nine Yin Manual.
Posthumous Character: Died in childbirth and never seen alive on page, but her presence has an effect on the story.

Sha'gu (傻姑)

Qu Lingfeng's mentally handicapped daughter. Apothecary Huang accepts her as his grand-student.

Meaningful Name: Her name means "foolish girl", most likely a dig at her mental disability.
Spanner in the Works: She is crucial in exposing Yang Kang as Ouyang Ke's killer.

Lu Guanying (陸冠英)

Lu Chengfeng's son. Apothecary Huang accepts him as his grand-student and later officiates at the very strange wedding between him and Cheng Yaojia.

Love at First Sight: With Cheng Yaojia.

Iron Palm Sect

A prominent martial art sect in Southern Song. Originally a heroic organization, the sect has become a Wretched Hive under the leadership of Qiu Qianren.

Qiu Qianren (裘千仞)

Leader of the Iron Palm Sect. He is one of the most powerful fighters in the jianghu after the Five Greats, and is nicknamed "Iron Palm Skimming on Water" for his prowess in martial arts and qinggong. He committed various heinous crimes, including killing Yinggu's infant son and collaborating with Jin soldiers to terrorise Song citizens. He is saved by Reverend Yideng after falling off a cliff and repents. He is renamed to Ci'en and becomes Yideng's apprentice.

Authority Equals Asskicking: Head of the Iron Palm Sect, and one of the most powerful fighters in the story. He ranks just below the Greats and didn't participate in the contest at Mount Hua because he knew he'd be unable to beat Wang Chongyang. He spends most of the twenty-five years before the next tournament in intensive training to take the top spot and not roaming far from his mountain stronghold, so he might well have equaled the Greats, who didn't focus on training martial skill quite so obsessively.
Butt-Monkey: Most of his scenes involves him being chased around by Zhou Botong.
Les Collaborateurs: Collaborate with Wangyang Honglie to invade the Southern Song empire.
Flash Step: Ranks just below the Greats in terms of skill, and as such has such grace and lightness kung-fu that he can seem to disappear from the point of view of lesser-skilled people.
Heel–Face Turn: Eventually repents and become a monk under Yideng's guidance.
Meaningful Rename: After repenting, he changes his name to Ci'en (慈恩), which means 'kindness'.
Signature Move: His Iron Palm technique, said to be slightly weaker than the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm but has more variety.
Would Hurt a Child: One of his most notable crimes was killing Liu Ying's infant son.

Qiu Qianzhang (裘千丈)

Qiu Qianren's twin brother. He is inferior to his brother in terms of moral character and martial arts prowess, and relies on impersonating his brother to con and deceive others for a living. He falls to his death from Iron Palm Peak.

Con Man: His forte. Too bad Lotus Huang and Zhu Cong are way too smart to fall for his ploys.
Disney Death: Falls to his death from Iron Palm Peak.

Kingdom of Dali

Reverend Yideng / Duan Zhixing (一燈大師/段智興)

Formerly the King of Dali Kingdom^*, Duan Zhixing abdicates the throne and becomes a Buddhist monk. Now known as Reverend Yideng, he has mostly withdrawn from the outside world and focuses on study and meditation. One of the Five Greats, he is known as "Southern Emperor" (南帝). He is famous for his signature martial arts technique, the Yiyang Finger. He reunites with his concubine Liu Ying and lives together with her and Zhou Botong in the sequel, Return of the Condor Heroes.

The Atoner: Lives as a monk to hopefully wash away his sins.
Badass Pacifist: Refrains from violence most of the time, he still can kick your ass if the need arises.
Bare-Fisted Monk: Hong fights with a cane and Ouyang with a staff, Huang will use needles or other projectiles and sometimes his jade flute, but the good Reverend prefers his bare hands.
Big Good: Because of the sins of his past, Yideng is dedicated to helping others. His retainers purposefully act to foil visitors and supplicants because they know Yideng's commitment to selfless service of others will make him help whoever requests it of him, no matter his personal cost.
Green-Eyed Monster: He is so jealous with Zhou Botong and Liu Ying's romance that he let their son die.
Healing Hands: His Yiyang Finger could treat wounds caused by strong inner energy.
Historical Domain Character: Is a figure in Chinese history in real life.
My Greatest Failure: He becomes to a monk to atone for his crime—refusing to save Liu Ying's son out of jealousy.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: He's the former king of the Kingdom of Dali, a nation to the south of the Song Empire. He's also one of the Five Greats and aids Guo Jing on his journey and translates a final portion of the Nine Yin manual that's been written in Sanskrit.
Signature Move: The Yiyang Finger.
Took a Level in Badass: Guo Jing recites the final portion of the Nine Yin Manual—a phonetic Chinese rendering of Sanskrit—and the good Reverend translates it for. It turns out to be some straightforward but extremely apt and useful methods of internal energy cultivation. The Reverend was stunned—he'd exhausted and burned his internal energy using the full Yiyang Finger and reckoned he'd be recovering for five years just to get back where he was. With the Manual's wisdom, he cuts his recovery time down from five years to three months.

Liu Ying / Yinggu (劉瑛/瑛姑)

Nicknamed "Divine Mathematician" (神算子). She was Duan Zhixing's concubine but he neglected her due to his obsession with martial arts. She had an affair with Zhou Botong and bore him a son, but the child was severely injured by a masked attacker (Qiu Qianren). She pleaded with Duan to save her son but he refused and the infant died. Since then, she has been leading a reclusive life in the Black Swamp while plotting revenge on Duan and searching for Zhou Botong and her son's killer. During this time, she tutors herself in mathematics and martial arts. She reunites with Zhou Botong and live together with him and Yideng in the sequel, the Return of the Condor Hero.

Ax-Crazy: The death of her son has made her dangerously unstable. Just by hearing her son's killer's voice send her into a murderous frenzy.
Despair Event Horizon: After her son died, her hair turned white and her face rapidly aged.
The Hermit: She lived alone in a swamp for more than twenty years, honing her skills of calculation and mathematics with the aim of cracking the layout of Peach Blossom Island so she can ask the Eastern Heretic a boon.
Revenge Before Reason: She becomes utterly enraged and irrational around people involved in her son's murder (understandably so), and she's also prone to fits of venomous jealousy when she sees Guo Jing and Lotus Huang's healthy and support relationship—even acting to her own detriment because of it.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: What she intends to do to King Duan and his servants. She goes a fair way towards acting it out, but finds it isn't as satisfying as she'd hoped.
The Unfettered: She will get revenge on Yideng and find Zhou Botong, anything else is trivial.

Yideng's aides

Formerly high-ranking officers in the royal court, they follow Yideng into his exile and act as his bodyguards.

Chu Dongshan (褚東山)

Nicknamed "Reclusive Fisherman of Diancang" (點蒼漁隱), he's disguised as a fisherman and was previously an admiral of Dali's navy.

Zhang Shaoshou (張少守)

Disguised as a woodcutter, was previously a general of Dali's army.

Wu Santong (武三通)

Disguised as a farmer, was previously the chief of Dali's palace guards.

Zhu Ziliu (朱子柳)

Disguised as a scholar, was previously Dali's premier.

Indian Monk (天竺僧人)

Yideng's junior and an expert in medicine and healing. He translates for Guo Jing and Lotus Huang the part of the Nine Yin Manual that was written in Sanskrit.

Beggars Sect

The famous martial arts sect with most of its member being beggars, but some of them are from other walks of life. They are noticeable in public for their dress code and behavior. The members adhere to a strict code of conduct and maintain the utmost respect for ranks and hierarchy. They uphold justice and help those in need through acts of chivalry. The Beggars' Sect is also one of the supporting pillars in the defense of ancient Han Chinese society from foreign invaders. The sect has a wide network of communications and the members are reputed for their excellent information-gathering skills. This is due to the sect's large size and the nature of its members, which allows them to blend into different parts of society easily.

Hong Qigong (洪七公)

Leader of the Beggars' Sect and the "Northern Beggar" (北丐) of the Five Greats. Although he appears as a happy-go-lucky old beggar who idles his time away, he actually uses his skills to help those in need and perform chivalrous deeds. His most famous skills are Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms and Dog Beating Staff Technique. He teaches Guo Jing the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms and Lotus Huang the Dog Beating Staff Technique.

He dies together with Ouyang Feng on Mount Hua in the event of the sequel, Return of the Condor Heroes.

Animal Motifs: The dragon.
Badass in Distress: Loses his inner energy after being bitten by Ouyang Feng's snake and has to rely on Guo Jing and Lotus Huang for protection. He gets better.
Badass Teacher: One of the Five Greats, by definition one of the biggest ass-kickers in the world, and also a fantastic teacher. Three days of instruction elevated a common girl above people who had years of martial practice. When he teaches Guo Jing and Lotus Huang, his merest tip and pointer is heavy with decades of practice and insight. He has enough martial theory and education that he can often correctly interpret what the Nine Yin Manual is getting at. In a subversion, despite being an amazing teacher, he's lazy and hates the frustration and drudgery of dealing with a student. Until Guo Jing and Lotus Huang came around he only ever taught people for brief periods on a personal whim or as a reward for exemplary service in the Beggar Clan; it took the siren song of Lotus's fantastic gourmet cooking to make him exert the effort of drilling the 18 Dragon-Subduing Palms into Guo Jing's head.
Big Eater: A gourmand and a bottomless pit for top-quality food. When he meets Lotus and Guo Jing, he has no trouble eating an entire roasted chicken she's made, and he still wants more after.
Big Good: Leader of the largest sect in jianghu and a major player in the Jin resistance movement. Also the strongest fighter on the good side, together with Zhou Botong and Yideng.
Cool, but Inefficient: Hong's own assessment of one of the styles he knows, Wayfaring Fist. It's showy and fun to do, but the move repertoire is lacking in power and potential for development. He teaches it to Lotus on a whim and as a reward for treating him to a magnificent meal, and she uses it sometimes but mostly just enjoys doing it.
Genius Bruiser: He doesn't ostentatiously show it off as much as some other characters, but Hong Qigong is a remarkably intelligent man capable of dissecting and explaining extremely abtruse martial theories into practical lessons, and he's not as unlearned as he likes to portray himself. He also readily invents countermeasures to any martial attack or style or situation he sees; it might not be immediate but with time to think he'll come up with a way to nullify most anything. He's also recognized as the wulin's single greatest exponent of hard-striking styles, with more physical force behind his attacks than any other fighter's, making him the King of the Bruisers.
Good Is Not Soft: When confronted with an evil man who asserts everyone present has killed people and is therefore no different from him, Hong answers back that he's personally ended two hundred and eighteen lives and each one of them was someone he vetted, after consultation with his Beggar Sect elders, until he was certain that their death would make the world a safer and happier place for other people, and states he's at peace with himself and sleeps just fine at night—and he's about ready to make it two hundred and nineteen. Hearing it gives Guo Jing, who'd been wrestling with complicated feelings about violence and guilt, some clarity when he really needs it.
King of the Homeless: Was head of the Beggars' Sect until he named Lotus Huang as his successor.
The Mentor: To Guo Jing and Lotus Huang.
Obfuscating Stupidity: Looks like any old beggar and acts like one, but he is actually one of the most powerful fighters around.
Passing the Torch: Select Lotus as the new leader of the Beggar's Sect because he is incapacitated after the fight with Ouyang Feng.
Renowned Selective Mentor: Had never taken disciple before Guo Jing and Lotus Huang, because he'd never found anyone to be a worthy enough successor that he'd be interested in teaching him. Guo's first shifus, the Seven Freaks of the South, are overjoyed to learn that Guo's been taken under Hong's wing.
Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony. He actually has once failed a mission after overindulgence in fine cuisine, leading to the death of an innocent. He severed one of his fingers to remind him of this.
Signature Move: Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and Dog-Beating Staff Technique, the best palm technique and staff technique in the jianghu, respectively.
Simple, yet Awesome: The first move of the 18 Dragon-Subduing Palms is called Haughty Dragon Repents. It's a straight palm thrust with some esoteric internal energy principles behind it; the upside is it hits so hard it can't be blocked by normal means without the recipient likewise having some fancy internal-energy laden technique to clash against it, the other party must get out of the way or get smashed.
Spanner in the Works: Help Guo Jing win Lotus Huang's hand in marriage and ruins Ouyang Feng's plan to get close to Apothecary Huang's copy of the Nine Yin Manual.
Trademark Favorite Food: He's known to favor beggar's chicken, though apparently Lotus Huang makes it the way he likes it.

The Four Great Elders of Beggars' Sect

The highest ranking members of Beggars' Sect after the leader. Take care of day-to-day business. They are Lu Youjiao (魯有腳), Elder Peng (彭長老), Elder Jian (簡長老) and Elder Liang (梁長老). Lu Youjiao eventually becomes the Beggars' Sect leader after Lotus Huang.

White Camel Mount

Ouyang Feng / Viper Ouyang (歐陽鋒)

Master of White Camel Mountain Manor and one of the strongest fighters in the novel. He is one of the Five Greats, the top five champions of the wulin. His nickname is "Western Venom" (西毒) due to his skill in using poison and venomous snake in combat. Renowned as an evil, ruthless martial artist who resorts to all sorts of unscrupulous means to achieve his goal of becoming the most powerful martial artist in the jianghu. He eventually acquires the Nine Yin Manual from Guo Jing and becomes the strongest fighter in the jianghu but goes insane due to practicing a deliberately altered version of the manual courtesy of Hong Qigong and Guo Jing. His martial art skills are based on various venomous creatures like toads or snakes.

He dies together with Hong Qigong on Mount Hua in the event of the sequel, Return of the Condor Heroes.

Affably Evil: He is polite, well-mannered and an accomplished musician. He's also willing to kill scores of people to get the Nine Yin Manual to become the most powerful martial artist in the jianghu.
Animal Motifs: The toad and the snake. It is reflected in his other nickname, "Old Venom".
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Normally having a veneer of civility, he nonetheless has a couple moments where he domineers others under the reality of his incredible skill. There comes a point when someone is dying from one of his poisons and he tells the bystanders to remain bystanders or he'll kill them. He boasts no doctor could cure this poison quick enough to save the victim.
The Chessmaster: Ouyang knows King Duan's Yiyang Finger can null out the offensive power of his Exploding Toad skill, his signature and most potent kung fu, and has hatched multiple schemes to try to make King Duan remove himself from participating at the tournament at Mount Hua. He used Qiu Qianren and Liu Ying as catspaws to try to make Duan use the Yiyang Finger to its full extent, which would put Duan at reduced capability for the next few years and render his participation in the tournament pointless.
Combat Pragmatist: Makes his specially-bred pet snake bite Hong Qigong in the back, as soon as Hong saved his life on a burning ship.
Doting Parent: To Ouyang Ke, his nephew but actually his son.
Dub Name Change: His Chinese name in the original refers to the 'sharpness' of a blade, but in the English translation, it's changed to "Viper".
Dying as Yourself: He finally regains his memory and dies at peace alongside his nemesis Hong Qigong on Mount Hua.
Flash Step: All of the Greats have enough speed, lightness kung-fu, and inner strength to virtually disappear from the point of view of less-skilled people (i.e. practically everyone).
Foil: To Hong Qigong. Hong is a beggar, Ouyang Feng is a rich landlord. Hong is righteous, rough, straight-forward and all-around a heroic character; Ouyang Feng is polite, well-mannered and a complete and utter dick.
Good Adultery, Bad Adultery: A bad one. He had an affair with his brother's wife and she gave birth to Ouyang Ke. His brother died mysteriously afterwards.
Limited Wardrobe: Always wears a white outfit.
Musical Assassin: He can use a zither to project his internal energy to attack an opponent's emotions and organs. When Apothecary Huang believes his daughter to be dead and he's more than a little unhinged with grief, Ouyang Feng wishes he hadn't lost his zither because right then it'd be really easy to push Apothecary Huang into a heart attack.
Poison Is Evil: A famous poison user and a very evil martial artist.
Signature Move: His Toad Skill. Its power is on par with Hong Qiqong's Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm. Its greatest weakness is that it can be overcome by a combination of Wang Chongyang's 'First Heaven Skill' and Duan Zhixing's 'Yiyang Finger'. He also has pet venomous snakes that are kept in a hollow chamber in his serpent staff, and he can release them.
Ungrateful Bastard: Hong Qigong saves Ouyang Feng from flaming debris during their fight at sea. He returns the favor by making his snakes bite Hong Qigong immediately after.
World's Strongest Man: Becoming this after winning the second Mount Hua martial art contest, defeating Apothecary Huang, Hong Qigong and Guo Jing, only to go insane immediately.

Ouyang Ke / Gallant Ouyang (歐陽克)

Ouyang Feng's nephew but he is actually Ouyang Feng's illegitimate son. A lecherous fiend, he enjoys preying on young and beautiful maidens, especially Lotus Huang, Mercy Mu and Cheng Yaojia. He initially is part of Wanyan Honglie's Quirky Miniboss Squad but becomes Guo Jing's rival in winning Lotus Huang's affections. His attempts on Lotus end in failure and shame for himself every time. His legs were crushed by a boulder in a booby trap set by Lotus. He is murdered by Yang Kang eventually after attempting to molest Mercy Mu and Cheng Yaojia in Niu Family Village (Ox Village).

Asshole Victim: Let's say that his death make nobody sheds a tear except for his uncle.
Foil: To Guo Jing. Guo Jing is virtuous, chaste, loyal, naive, uneducated, and dense. Ouyang Ke is very much his opposite on every one of those points. Well, he is dense on one particular point—he has this unshakeable belief that Lotus will warm up to him, despite repeated instances where she proves she wants nothing to do with him, including her making multiple attempts to outright murder him.
Handsome Lech: A tall, elegantly-dressed, exceptionally handsome man, Ouyang Ke is completely unable to keep it in his pants. He travels with a harem of twenty-four beautiful women he's taught some martial arts, and he's constantly harassing beautiful women he encounters to add to their number. He's not even above kidnapping a woman and coercing her. His one "rule" there is he will not outright rape a woman—he thinks he can charm anyone.
Humiliation Conga: The heroes low-key make a sport out of humiliating him during the middle of the story when they begin to approach and surpass his level of power.
- Hong Qingong accurately threw his leftover, freshly-gnawed chicken bones into his mouth.
- He got hit with several of Lotus Huang's needles.
- His ribs are broken by Guo Jing which comes as a total shock because he thought he was going to blindside Guo.
- He loses the contest to win Lotus Huang's hand in marriage to Guo Jing.
- He literally gets pissed on by Guo Jing and Hong Qigong who are, uh, raining defiance on the Ouyangs who have them trapped atop a ship's mast.
- Guo Jing breaks his arm when he tries to eject Guo Jing from a lifeboat.
- His ceaseless harassments and eventual borderline rape attempt on Lotus leads him into a prepared trap and his legs are crushed by a boulder, disabling him for the rest of his life.
- Finally, Yang Kang kills him to stop his attempt to molest Yang's beloved, Mercy Mu.
Ladykiller in Love: A renowned philanderer, he seems to genuinely be lovestruck by Lotus's combination of wit, beauty, and perky charm.
Pet the Dog: Even though he's well aware that Lotus Huang deliberately set the trap that destroyed his legs and ended his future as a martial artist, he doesn't hold a grudge and promises Lotus that he won't tell his uncle about it. He does seem to feel about her in a way he hasn't ever before and he knows his more heartless uncle would kill Lotus in a heartbeat if the truth came out.
Smug Snake: He could be the trope mascot. He's educated, handsome, intelligent, wealthy, and knows it. He enjoys that his combination of worldly and martial power lets him do pretty much as he wishes to women and people who annoy him. He even subtly mouths off to Hong Qigong's face, and Hong Qigong doesn't hand out the beating he deserves because he doesn't want to risk bad blood with Ouyang Ke's uncle.
Unrequited Love Lasts Forever: Possibly because Lotus Huang is completely unimpressed by his looks, station, and talent, Ouyang Ke is smitten with her from their first meeting. She only has eyes for Guo Jing, and finds Ouyang Ke's blandishments insulting and irritating. His repeated attempts to gain her favor only raise her ire, but the man never gives up. He should have called it quits when Guo Jing won her father's approval on their marriage, but Ouyang Ke kept up the pressure on a deserted island when it was just her, her teacher, and him. When he finally crosses the line into an impending rape attempt, she's prepared a booby trap which destroys his legs. Even then he doesn't resent her and promises to never tell his uncle, to protect her from the Western Great's wrath.

Jin Empire

Split away from the Song Empire in the early 1100s, roughly a century before the story starts. They have fewer people than the Song empire but sharper leadership, which let them maintain a certain parity with the corrupt and lazy Song government.

Wanyan Honglie (完顏洪烈)

The sixth prince of the Jin Empire. He meets and falls in love with Yang Kang's mother, Charity Bao, and is determined to marry her despite knowing she's already married. To win over her, he bribes Song troops to kill Charity's husband, Ironheart Yang, so he can arrive to be a Knight in Shining Armor and rescue her during the attack. He marries her and raises Yang Kang as his own son. He is obsessed with finding the Book of Wumu as he intends to use the knowledge acquired from the book to eliminate the Jin Empire's enemies and become a hero of his people. His plans are foiled by Guo Jing and Lotus Huang, who obtain the book instead. He later travels to Samarkand to form an alliance between the Jin Empire and Khwarezm Empire as part of a last-ditch effort to counter the Mongols. He is eventually captured by Mongol forces and meets his end.

Been There, Shaped History: Loosely based on a real historical figure, Wanyan Honglie's actions in the story are pivotal to history: His arranged attack on Charity's village directly leads to Guo Jing being born and raised in Mongolia. His attempts to manipulate the other Mongolian khans into destroying Temujin fail (thanks to Guo Jing), and even accelerate Temujin's rise to become Genghis Khan.
The Chessmaster: Subtly and successfully stokes resentment and division between Temujin and other Mongolian chieftains, and organizes Temujin's near defeat ten years later. Unfortunately, thanks to Temujin's own ruthlessness and Guo Jing's intervention, the incident fuels the ascension of Temujin as Genghis Khan, which ultimately is what destroys Wanyan's own home, the Jin Empire.
Comforting the Widow: After he meets Charity, he gets the idea of indirectly widowing her so he can come to the rescue and take her to the safety of the Jin capital in the north. It works, she never fully discovers his duplicity and even though she loves her missing, presumed dead, husband more, she eventually marries him and becomes his consort.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Genuinely loves and cares about his wife and his adoptive son.
Opportunistic Bastard: When heading north with Charity Bao, he witnesses Ryder Han's arrival in a town he's passing through. The Freak's spectacular horsemanship makes Honglie drop what he's doing and follow Han into a restaurant with the idea of buying him a drink and meal and talking him into coming to work for the Jin as a high officer training their cavalry. It's not a bad idea with the information available to him, but he doesn't know the Seven Freaks, Ryder Han included, are fierce Song patriots.
Quirky Miniboss Squad: Employs a villainous group of martial artists who agree to further his ends in exchange for status and wealth.

Sha Tongtian / Hector Sha (沙通天)

Famous throughout China and elder martial brother of Hou Tonghai, he's a highly skilled warrior. He commands his own sub-squad of his four students, who each wield a different weapon with a different style he's taught them—but he's too impatient and demanding and bad-tempered to teach them properly, making their skills not significantly higher than a common soldier's.

Dub Name Change: Possibly the most egregious one of the English translation, as his name is, for some reason, rendered as the ancient Greek-based name Hector.
Improbable Weapon User: Fights with an iron oar.

Hou Tonghai / Browbeater Hou (侯通海)

Younger martial brother of Sha Tongtian, he's an accomplished martial artist in his own right but outshone by the others; he has some key deficiencies in his martial training that severely hamper his effectiveness against other martial artists.

Brass Balls: Browbeater Hou is no coward. This practically will serve as his epitaph, considering how much trouble his misaimed bravery lands him in.
Butt-Monkey: Poor Browbeater Hou. He's ugly even without his famous three cysts on his forehead. He's the weakest of the Quirky Miniboss Squad and he's slow and clumsy by wulin standards—Lotus Huang can outrun him all day. He takes a lot of pratfalls and suffers a lot of humiliation, which contributes to his bad temper. His one virtue, such as it is, is that he's no coward—and his unwillingness to back down costs him a lot especially when he takes a swing at Eastern Heretic Apothecary Huang, who responds to it by pulling his arm off.
Dub Name Change: From "ocean-crosser" in the original Chinese version to Browbeater in the English translation.
Humiliation Conga: He takes some hit to his pride in almost every appearance he makes—being tricked into punching himself in his own cysts, getting shown up by a teenager who can outrun him, covering himself in dung to fight a "ghost", getting his ears cut off and having his arm ripped off by different people in the same day, Browbeater Hou catches hell throughout the book.

Liang Ziweng / Greybeard Liang (梁子翁)

An amoral man who only practices kung-fu for its benefits to his longevity. He is obsessed with gaining immortality. He's an extremely skilled herbalist and pharmacologist, and spends most of the novel trailing Guo Jing to kill him and drink his blood.

Bald of Evil: Inflicted on him twice. Once, years ago, Northern Great Hong Qigong caught him raping a couple-dozen virgin women to gain supposed health benefits from the act; Hong gave him a punitive beating and pulled all the hair from his head. His hair grows back over the years, only for him to lose it again when Zhou Botong is having a grand time terrorizing the Quirky Miniboss Squad.
Dub Name Change: Downplayed. His name in Chinese indicates through the character 翁 that he's an old man, and the name Greybeard in the English translation reflects that.
Hate Sink: Greybeard Liang will cross any line in his pursuit of immortality. He got his start when he murdered a traveler staying as his guest for the traveler's book of longevity practices and medicines, and once raped two dozen maidens for the supposed health benefits of deflowering a virgin. He also quickly comes to the idea of biting Guo's throat out to drink his blood after Guo (in self-defense) does the same to Liang's specially-nurtured and reared rare snake.
Immortality Seeker: He's obsessed with gaining immortality.
I'm a Humanitarian: Attempts to bite Guo King’s throat and drink his blood after the death of his snake.
Older Than They Look: His hair is silver, but his face is smooth and young-looking thanks to his pursuit of longevity.
Pet the Dog: Subverted. He sheds tears upon seeing his snake dead but is upset over the loss of his work in cultivating it rather than any affection for the animal.
Superhuman Transfusion: Has spent years raising a snake in order to drink its blood for immortality. His plan is foiled when Guo Jing kills it.

Lingzhi Shangren / Lama Supreme Wisdom Lobsang Choden Rinpoche (靈智上人)

A creepily tall, lean lama from Kokonor^*, Lingzhi is possibly the strongest of the group.

Poison Is Evil: Surprises Wang Chuyi of the Quanzhen Sect with a poisonous attack.
Signature Move: Five-Finger Blade kung-fu.
The Worf Effect: He gets the least amount of combat time of the Quirky Miniboss Squad because he's less inclined to show off, but he's implied to be the best of the bunch—or at least tied for the position. He doesn't stand a chance when he goes against one of the Five Greats: His skills are immediately analyzed, countered, and rendered insignificant by them.

Peng Lianhu / Tiger Peng (彭連虎)

Known as the "Butcher of a Thousand Hands" (千手人屠), he's an infamous and feared bandit leader.

Dub Name Change: Downplayed. The Chinese character 虎 translates to 'tiger' in English.
Hate Sink: Leads bandits over a huge chunk of China, and he has taken lives by the hundreds. He has killed so many he has completely lost empathy and he's quick to resort to treachery and casual murder.
Poison Is Evil: Like Lingzhi, he uses a surprise poison attack on one of the Quanzhen Sect, this time Mu Yu. He's also renowned as being the lord of the bandits of a huge chunk of China, and is reputed to have slain hundreds of people himself.

Others

Huang Shang (黃裳)

No relation to Apothecary Huang, the Eastern Heretic. Created the Nine Yin Manual which causes much of the plotline of the wulin to move. Roughly two hundred years before the Condor Heroes story began, Shang was an intelligent government official working for the Emperor of the time. The Emperor wanted to be a devout Taoist, so he ordered Shang to read and copy every known Taoist tract—well over five thousand volumes—into a master archive, and it was the work of years to do it. The Taoist tracts contained a lot of wisdom about martial arts and internal energy and Shang was a brilliant man who managed to teach himself incredible kung-fu purely from reading it in the Taoist manuals he was copying.

He had no knowledge of the social and moral codes that governed the society of the wulin and he violated a lot of them during a war, specifically the complex ethics involved in just when you're permitted to kill a fellow martial artist. In retribution for their slain compatriots many outraged wulin killed his family and friends. He couldn't fight them all off at once, not one man against such a variety of moves he was seeing for the first time. Shang escaped with his life and went into seclusion, and thought about all the moves he'd seen. He invented counters to them, eventually developing styles to best any enemy and refining his understanding of internal energy to incredible heights.

He lost track of time though, and when he finally set out for revenge he found out that only one of his old antagonists was still alive—he'd been lost in martial arts practice for forty years, and all the rest had died of various causes in the decades since he'd gone into seclusion and the last was dying of old age. Saddened and aware he was at the end of his own life he wrote the Nine Yin manual, a compilation and unification of all his martial wisdom. In time, he grew older and died, leaving the Manual behind.

Badass Bookworm: Sort of his whole thing.
Posthumous Character: He's been dead for well over a century, but a good chunk of a chapter is dedicated to his biography, as told by Zhou Botong, and his life's work, the Nine Yin Manual, is a major motivating force in the plot and the center of great contention among the wulin.

Yue Fei (岳飛)

A Song general and patriot executed sixty years before the story starts. He was a brilliant tactician and a fair martial artist in his own right, skilled enough to swiftly win the war with the Jin. The Jin knew it, too, and took him out via politics and corruption in the Song court as an act of self-preservation. Despite being betrayed by his own, he remained a loyal patriot and while he was imprisoned to await his unjust execution he wrote volumes of poetry that were apparently nonsense but in fact encoded a book of his strategies and tactical acumen if you broke his cipher—the Book of Wumu.

Posthumous Character: Dead for sixty years, but like Huang Shang, you hear a good bit about him and his life and deeds contribute to the current situation.

Duan Tiande / Justice Duan (段天德)

An officer in the Song army, he's corrupt and takes orders from Wanyan Honglie. His troops are the ones who attack on Niu Village at the Jin prince's behest, leading to the death of Skyfury Guo and the separation of the parents of the main characters. A coward who's smart enough to know when he's outmatched, he manages to evade and bareface his way out of any lethal trouble after the attack—even if he does get captured by the Jin with Lily Li and made to march to the border with Mongolia—and even comes back to the Song Empire and gets promoted past his old rank in the eighteen years that pass. When he's finally caught, he tells Guo Jing and Yang Kang the facts of the attack and the reasons for it, and Yang Kang kills him while he's gibbering apologies and begging for mercy.

Characters / The Legend of the Condor Heroes

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