List of The Return of the Condor Heroes characters
The following is a list of characters from Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes.
The Condor
The Condor (神鵰) is a giant eagle-like creature living alone in a valley. Its former companion was Dugu Qiubai. After roaming the land in search for someone to rival his great swordplay skills, Dugu came to a cave near a forest and lived there as a hermit. Many years after his death the Condor encounters Yang Guo by chance during a fight with a giant serpent.
Yang learns from the Condor the swordplay techniques of Dugu Qiubai. As he has lost his right arm, Yang trains relentlessly with his single arm to wield Dugu Qiubai's Heavy Iron Sword (玄鐵重劍). Eventually after attaining a high level of accomplishment in martial arts, he ventures out with the Condor in search of Xiaolongnü.
Although it is described as a rather unattractive or ugly bird, the Condor possesses human intelligence and fighting skills that can rival some of the best in the jianghu.
Main characters
Guo family and associates
- Guo Fu (郭芙) is Guo Jing and Huang Rong's older daughter. Though beautiful and attractive in appearance, she is spoilt by her parents and behaves insolently. She has been unfriendly towards Yang Guo since childhood, and later slices off his arm with a sword in a heated quarrel.
- Guo Xiang (郭襄) is Guo Jing and Huang Rong's younger daughter. When she was a newborn baby she was abducted by Li Mochou but was later saved by Yang Guo, whom she has a crush on when she grows up. She is nicknamed "Little Eastern Heretic" (小東邪).
- Guo Polu (郭破虜) is Guo Xiang's twin brother. The sequel revealed that 14 years after the events of The Return of the Condor Heroes, he died with the rest of his family (except Guo Xiang) when the city of Xiangyang fell to Mongol invaders.
- Wu Dunru (武敦儒) and Wu Xiuwen (武修文) are Wu Santong's sons. Li Mochou caused their mother's death and their father went berserk and disappeared after that. The brothers were raised by Guo Jing and Huang Rong and taught martial arts. Both of them have a crush on Guo Fu and almost fought each other to the death to win her love, but the dispute is resolved by Yang Guo. They marry Yelü Yan and Wanyan Ping respectively, and are said to be expecting children with their wives near the end of the novel.
- Yelü Qi (耶律齊) is Zhou Botong's secret disciple. He is a descendant of the Liao royal family and a son of Yelü Chucai. He marries Guo Fu and succeeds Lu Youjiao as the Beggars' Sect's chief.
- Yelü Yan (耶律燕) is Yelü Qi's younger sister. She marries Wu Dunru.
- Wanyan Ping (完顏萍) is a descendant of the Jin royal family. Her parents died when the Jin Empire was conquered by the Mongols and she swears vengeance on Yelü Chucai, whom she blames for her losses. She fails to assassinate him and loses to his children in a fight. She eventually reconciles with the Yelüs and marries Wu Xiuwen.
The Greats
Mongol Empire
- Jinlun Guoshi (金輪國師; literally: Golden Wheel Royal Advisor) is one of the key antagonists of the novel. Originally a Tibetan lama, he was appointed as Royal Advisor of Mongolia and he represents the Mongols in challenging the Han Chinese wulin (martial artists' community). He is defeated by Yang Guo in a battle at Xiangyang and dies after a pillar collapses on him. He is known as "Jinlun Fawang" (金輪法王; literally: Golden Wheel Guardian King) in earlier editions of the novel.
- Huodu (霍都) is a Mongol prince and Jinlun's third student. A cunning and witty person, he is not very loyal to his teacher and would be the first to escape and abandon his teacher in dangerous situations. He disguises himself as a beggar called He Shiwo (何師我) and attempts to take control of the Beggars' Sect, but is exposed by Yang Guo and eventually killed by Da'erba.
- Da'erba (達爾巴) is a Tibetan monk and Jinlun's second disciple. In contrast with Huodu, he is honest and loyal towards his teacher, but very slow witted. He surrenders to Yang Guo and helps the latter eliminate Huodu.
- Möngke Khan (蒙哥汗) is the Mongol ruler who personally leads his army to attack Xiangyang. He is slain by Yang Guo in the final battle.
- Kublai Khan (忽必烈) is Möngke Khan's younger brother. He is one of the commanders of the Mongol army attacking Xiangyang.
- Yelü Chucai (耶律楚才) is the Mongol Empire's chancellor and a descendant of the Liao royal family.
- Yelü Jin (耶律晉) is Yelü Chucai's elder son.
Mercenaries
- Xiaoxiangzi (蕭湘子) is a pugilist from Xiangxi. He steals the Nine Yang Manual from Shaolin Monastery with Yinkexi and hide it inside the stomach of a white gorilla. They become suspicious and kill each other eventually.
- Yinkexi (尹克西) is a merchant from Persia.
- Nimoxing (尼摩星) is a pugilist from India. He has his legs amputated after falling into Li Mochou's poison needles trap set by Yang Guo. He is slain by Yang Guo in Xiangyang sixteen years later.
- Ma Guangzuo (麻光佐) is a pugilist from Xinjiang. He is the most lawful of the four mercenaries. Yang Guo persuades him to leave the Mongols. His name is written as 馬光佐 in the earlier editions.
Passionless Valley (絕情谷)
- Gongsun Zhi (公孫止) is the valley's master. Although he appears extraordinary, noble and gentlemanly, he is in fact cold hearted, ruthless and lecherous. He is skilled in martial arts and wields a sword and a saber in combat. He attempts to force Xiaolongnü to marry him but fails and his true colours are revealed when his wife returns. He is blinded in one eye and forced to flee from the valley. He returns later to take revenge on his wife and plunges to his death together with her eventually.
- Qiu Qianchi (裘千尺) is Qiu Qianren's younger sister and Gongsun Zhi's wife. An insolent and domineering woman, she gradually falls out of her husband's favour, and he breaks her limbs and casts her into an underground pit and was assumed dead. She masters a skill that overcomes her disability while struggling to survive, allowing her to use inner energy to suck distant objects into her mouth and fire them as projectiles towards enemies with extreme force and accuracy.
- Gongsun Lü'e (公孫綠萼) is Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi's daughter. Unlike her parents, she is kind hearted and compassionate. She has a crush on Yang Guo and eventually sacrifices herself to help him.
- Fan Yiweng (樊一翁) is Gongsun Zhi's oldest disciple. He has a long white beard and becomes the "Long Bearded Ghost" later.
- Rou'er (柔兒) was a servant girl whom Gongsun Zhi fell in love with. Qiu Qianchi discovered their illicit relationship and forced her husband to kill Rou'er.
Ancient Tomb Sect (古墓派)
- Li Mochou (李莫愁), nicknamed "Red Fairy" (赤練仙子), is Xiaolongnü's senior. She was more powerful in martial arts than her junior at the start of the novel. Although she is beautiful in appearance, she morphs into a vicious killer after her lover betrayed her. However she appears as a motherly figure to the baby Guo Xiang, whom she kidnaps from her parents. She is seen trying to take the Jade Maiden Sutra from Xiaolongnü on several occasions at the beginning of the novel, but has never been successful. She commits suicide by throwing herself into the fire in Passionless Valley.
- Lin Chaoying (林朝英) was the sect's founder. She was both a rival and lover of Wang Chongyang, and equalled him in martial arts prowess.
- Granny Sun (孫婆婆) is an old woman who lives with Xiaolongnü in the Ancient Tomb. She saves Yang Guo from the bullies at Quanzhen Sect and wants to help him fend off the priests. She is accidentally killed by Hao Datong during the scuffle. Before her death she makes Xiaolongnü promise her to take care of Yang for the rest of his life.
- Hong Lingbo (洪凌波) is Li Mochou's apprentice. She is rather sympathetic to Lu Wushuang, who was Li's slave then. She is used as a cushion by her teacher to escape from the love flowers and dies after being pricked by the poisonous flowers.
Lu family
- Cheng Ying (程英) is Lu Liding's niece and Lu Wushuang's cousin. Her uncle and his family are killed by Li Mochou. She is saved by Huang Yaoshi and becomes his disciple. She has a crush on Yang Guo but becomes his sworn sister eventually.
- Lu Wushuang (陸無雙) is Lu Liding's daughter and Cheng Ying's cousin. She was abducted in her childhood by Li Mochou, who killed her family. Li crippled her and made her a slave. She escapes later and meets Yang Guo. She also has a crush on Yang but becomes his sworn sister eventually.
- Lu Zhanyuan (陸展元) was Li Mochou's former lover. He reneged his promise and married He Yuanjun instead.
- He Yuanjun (何沅君) was Lu Zhanyuan's wife.
- Lu Liding (陸立鼎) is Lu Zhanyuan's younger brother. He and his family are murdered by Li Mochou at the start of the novel.
Quanzhen Sect (全真教)
- The "Seven Immortals of Quanzhen" (全真七子) are Wang Chongyang's seven disciples. They lead Quanzhen after their teacher's death. One of them, Tan Chuduan (譚處端), was killed by Ouyang Feng in the first novel.
- "Danyangzi" Ma Yu ("丹陽子" 馬鈺)
- "Changshengzi" Liu Chuxuan ("長生子" 劉處玄)
- "Changchunzi" Qiu Chuji ("長春子" 丘處機)
- "Yuyangzi" Wang Chuyi ("玉陽子" 王處一)
- "Guangningzi" Hao Datong ("廣寧子" 郝大通)
- "Qingjing Sanren" Sun Bu'er ("清靜散人" 孫不二)
- Zhao Zhijing (趙志敬) is the most senior of all Quanzhen students. He was Yang Guo's master when the latter was in Quanzhen. He dislikes the boy and does not teach him any practical martial arts, and allows his students to bully Yang. Later in the novel he collaborates with the Mongols to seize the leadership position of his sect, but his plans are foiled and he is killed by Xiaolongnü's jade bees.
- Zhen Zhibing (甄志丙) is a senior student of Quanzhen. He has a crush on Xiaolongnü and is unable to restrain himself and blindfolds and rapes Xiaolongnü when the latter was immobilised by Ouyang Feng. Xiaolongnü is unaware that Zhen was the one who raped her and she wrongly accused Yang Guo until the truth is revealed several years later. He sacrifices himself to save Xiaolongnü from death. He was called Yin Zhiping (尹志平) in earlier editions. The amendment is due to Jin Yong's reluctance to vilify Yin Zhiping, whose historical namesake is a notable Taoist.
Kingdom of Dali
- Liu Ying (劉瑛), also known as Yinggu (瑛姑), is nicknamed "Divine Mathematician" (神算子). She was originally Duan Zhixing's concubine and had an affair with Zhou Botong. She leads a reclusive life in the Black Swamp with only a pair of Nine Tailed Divine Foxes (九尾靈狐) to keep her company.
- Wu Santong (武三通) is one of Yideng's disciples and the father of the Wu brothers. He went mad and disappeared when his wife sacrificed herself to save him after he was poisoned by Li Mochou. He only appears again several years later when his boys have grown up.
- Wu Sanniang (武三娘) was Wu Santong's wife and the mother of the Wu brothers. Her husband was injured and poisoned by Li Mochou, and she saved his life by sucking out the venom from his wound, but died from poisoning.
- Zhu Ziliu (朱子柳) is one of Yideng's disciples. He participated in the martial arts contest at Dasheng Pass, and later appears to help the protagonists in defending Xiangyang from the Mongol army.
Peach Blossom Island
- Ke Zhen'e (柯鎮惡) is the sole survivor of the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan". He lives with the Guos and is regarded as an elder in the family. Despite holding a grudge against Yang Guo's father for the deaths of his fellows, he treats the boy like the rest of the Guo children. Years later, he relates the story of Yang Kang to Yang Guo at the Temple of the Iron Spear. He admires Yang Guo for his chivalry, and is also grateful to Yang for saving his life from Sha Tongtian and company. He decides to forgive Yang Guo's father and promises to help Yang reconstruct his father's tomb.
- Shagu (傻姑; literally "foolish girl") is the orphaned daughter of Qu Lingfeng. She was taken into Huang Yaoshi's care and became his student. Upon learning that she was present at the scene of his father's death, Yang Guo attempts to force her to tell him the details about the incident. However her unclear answers cause Yang to mistakenly believe that Guo Jing and Huang Rong murdered his father.
- Feng Mofeng (馮默風) is the only living one of Huang Yaoshi's first six disciples. He was maimed and banished from Peach Blossom Island by his teacher in anger and becomes a blacksmith. He sacrifices himself to buy time for Guo Jing and Yang Guo to escape from the Mongol camp.
Shaolin Sect (少林派)
- Jueyuan (覺遠) is the librarian of Shaolin. He was forbidden to practise martial arts but he builds up immense inner energy after reading the Nine Yang Manual.
- Zhang Junbao (張君寶) is Jueyuan's apprentice. He renames himself "Zhang Sanfeng" later and founds the Wudang Sect. He memorises part of the Nine Yang Manual from his teacher.
- Tianming (天鳴) is the abbot.
- Wuse (無色) is the head of the Arhat Hall.
- Wuxiang (無相) is the head of the Bodhidharma Hall.
Guo Xiang's friends
- The "Ghosts of the Western Mountain Cave" (西山一窟鬼) are a group of pugilists who dress up as phantoms and ghosts to scare people. They befriend Guo Xiang and become Yang Guo's allies. Some of them are:
- Long Bearded Ghost (長鬚鬼) was Gongsun Zhi's eldest disciple Fan Yiweng. He is killed by Jinlun Guoshi.
- Big Headed Ghost (大頭鬼) is killed by Jinlun Guoshi.
- Hanged Ghost (弔死鬼)
- Life Taking Ghost (催命鬼)
- Impermanence Ghost (無常鬼)
- Debt Collecting Ghost (討債鬼)
- Fearsome Deity Ghost (煞神鬼)
- Death Ghost (喪門鬼)
- Pretty Ghost (俏鬼)
- Smiling Ghost (笑臉鬼)
- The Five Shi brothers (史家五兄弟) live in Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Manor (萬獸山莊). They are known for their abilities to tame all kinds of wild beasts. They befriend Guo Xiang and become Yang Guo's allies. The five are:
- "Mountain King with a White Forehead" Shi Bowei ("白額山君" 史伯威)
- "Guanjianzi" Shi Zhongmeng ("管見子" 史仲猛)
- "Golden Armoured Lion King" Shi Shugang ("金甲獅王" 史叔剛)
- "God of Great Strength" Shi Jiqiang ("大力神" 史季強)
- "Eight Handed Immortal Ape" Shi Mengjie ("八手仙猿" 史孟捷)
- Zhang Yimang (張一氓)
- Abbess Shengyin (聖因師太)
- Human Cook (人廚子)
- Hundred Herbs Fairy (百草仙)
Others
- Qiu Qianren (裘千仞) was the chief of the Iron Palm Sect (铁掌帮). He is nicknamed "Iron Palm Skimming on Water" (鐵掌水上飄) for his prowess in martial arts and qinggong. He was notorious for committing heinous crimes in the past but was saved from death by Yideng and repents. He becomes Yideng's student and renames himself "Ci'en" (慈恩). He dies in peace after Zhou Botong and Yinggu forgive him for killing their infant son.
- Lu Youjiao (魯有腳) is Huang Rong's successor as the Beggars' Sect's chief. He is slow witted but honest and loyal. He is lured into a trap and slain by Huodu, who takes the Dog Beating Staff from him.
- Lu Guanying (陸冠英) is the son of Lu Chengfeng, one of Huang Yaoshi's first six disciples. He becomes the master of Guiyun Manor (歸雲莊) and leader of the Pirates of Lake Tai after his father's death. He plays host to the Heroes' Feast at Dasheng Pass (大勝關).
- Cheng Yaojia (程瑤珈) is Sun Bu'er's student and Lu Guanying's wife.
- Sha Tongtian (沙通天), Hou Tonghai (侯通海), Lingzhi Shangren (靈智上人) and Peng Lianhu (彭連虎) were previously the followers of Wanyan Honglie in the first novel. They were defeated on Mount Hua and captured by Zhou Botong and imprisoned in Quanzhen Sect's headquarters Chongyang Palace. They manage to escape later, encounter Ke Zhen'e in Jiaxing and attempt to kill him for fear that he would alert Guo Jing of their whereabouts. Yang Guo comes to Ke's aid and defeats them in a brief fight. They later relate the story of Yang Kang to Yang Guo.
- Lü Wende (呂文德) is the commander of Xiangyang's military forces. He dies ten years after the events of the novel. His brother Lü Wenhuan (呂文煥) takes over his command.
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The Greats
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Film adaptations |
The Legend of the Condor Heroes
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The Return of the Condor Heroes
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The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber
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The Legend of the Condor Heroes
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The Return of the Condor Heroes
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The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber
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Others
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