List of The Legend of Qin characters explained

This is the list of The Legend of Qin characters.

Main protagonists

Jing Tianming

He is a bright and cheerful boy, at the age of 12. He is playful and mischievous though protective of his friends. He has a crush on Gao Yue (Yue-er), a girl under the care of Mohists, though he thinks that her big sister, Duanmu Rong, is a cold person whose face is 'stiff as a board'. He treats Ge Nie as his father, and aspires to become a swordsman just like him. He also has a continuous rivalry with Xiang Shaoyu, and a playful relationship with Master Ban. He has a 'passionate' love for food and immediately goes berserk if someone eats his food or destroys it. Although quite shallow in certain aspects, his loyalty, braveness and innocence stand out as some of his more positive traits. Perhaps the most driving aspect of his character, is his belief that his father will return to him one day, thus motivating him to become one of the most famous swordsmen in the world.

Gao Yue

Gao Yue (also known as Yue-er) is a princess of the former Yan Kingdom and Yan Dan's daughter and an orphan. She is quite cheerful, playful and generous, as well as kind and innocent. She often gets along easily with almost everyone. She and Tianming are good friends, and she treats Duanmu Rong as her sister, referring her as "Sister Rong". She is extremely bright and intelligent and can analyse things very accurately. She solved many mysteries in the Forbidden Land when nobody else knew the answers. She possesses great talent in Yin-Yang techniques and is taken into the Yin-Yang School by Moon Goddess. She is told that her real name is Ji Ru and her courtesy name is Qianlong, bearing the same family name as Moon Goddess.

Xiang Shaoyu

Xiang Shaoyu is from a royal family of a tribe of Chu, and is a brilliant military strategist. He acts both as a brother and rival to Jing Tianming. He and Tianming treat each other as brothers and as rivals. He is quite cheerful, and strives to become a good leader. Shao-Yu is shown to have a superb martial arts skill when fighting when training with his men. He defeated Tian Ming in a short duel and is a brilliant strategist. It is said that Shao-Yu also holds a super human strength with the ability to lift up a solid Bronze cauldron when competing with Big Hammer only with strength and not fighting skills.He is also an orphan.

Shi Lan

A very quiet and mysterious character. She works in Chief Ding's restaurant, but is extremely skilled in martial arts and lightness skills. She is also good at magic arts and once saved Shaoyu and Tianming. Shaoyu seems to have fallen for her. She's real name is Xiao Yu from the Shu tribe. It is highly possible that she is inspired by the historical figure Yu Ji, Xiang Yu's most loved consort. In season 4, she is mentioned to be a Shushan princess.

Duanmu Rong

She makes her official debut in the third episode of season 1. Although, she is portrayed as a cold and emotionless character, she shows sisterly affection to Yue-Er. She is a young lady around the age of 24. Her real name is Duanmu Rong, but is commonly referred to by Yue-Er as "Sister Rong" and treats her like a little sister. She possesses unique medical talents, and is fluent in identifying various diseases and curses. She is mentioned as the most powerful doctor in that era, with a knowledge of a person's pressure points and a wide knowledge of medicine. Although a healer, she refused to treat patients who did not satisfy her conditions: 'Ge' should not be their family name, they should not work for the Qin Empire, they should not be swordsmen. However after she saved the life of the swordsman Ge Nie, she gradually evolved into a more soft-hearted person.She is also proficient in martial arts and uses needles as her weapons. Later at the Mohist School, she was severely wounded defending Ge Nie.

Ge Nie

Ge Nie is a central character to the plot, approximately 30 years old. His clothes consist of white and gray robes and possesses Rainbow Abyss, the #2 sword in the Sword manual. He is a master of the "Hundred Steps Flying Sword" (百步飞剑,pinyin: bǎi bù fēi jiàn)technique and is reputedly the greatest swordsman in the world. He studied in the Gui Gu school Ghost Valley School), a Directionist School of Thought alongside Wei Zhuang. The two students became rivals and fought after Ge Nie was selected to be the master's successor. He was in the employ of the Qin Empire, but at the request of his friend, he left the Empire to take care of his friend's son, Jing Tianming. His first appearance is in the pilot episode where kills 300 Qin Troops, dispatched to eliminate him and Tianming. He is injured in the process and is reluctantly helped by Duanmu Rong under pressure from Jing Tianming who sees him as a hero and mentor.

Hundred Schools of Thought

Directionists

The Directionist School was a mysterious school, also called the Guigu (Ghost Valley) School. The school name means Longitudinal and Latitudinal, named after Longit Union and Latit Bonds which separately fought against and assisted Qin Kingdom. There are only two students in each generation, and one of them has to be defeated and die. The living one will control the rise and fall of all under heaven. "When they rise the kings are frightened; when they settle the world rests in peace."

Mohists

The Mohist School was developed by Mozi and this school holds upon the ideas of "No war" and "Equal love". The Mohists are masters of machinery skills and build Machinery City. The city is a paradise for the people and is protected by all kinds of machines and traps. Many of the Mohists are martial art masters.

Confucianists

The Confucianist School is one of the most respected schools and is the school of Master Confucius. The school has very orthodox beliefs, teaching the students to study for the country. However, the emperor sees this school as a big threat due to its great influence. They are based at the Junior Sage Village near Shanghai. In the latter half of Season 3, Tianming and Shaoyu study there as Confucianist disciples.

Taoists

The Taoist School of Lao-tzu is divided into two sections: the Heaven Clan and the Human Clan. The former focuses on self-cultivation and the nature, while the latter cares about the policies and situations, which causes conflicts between the two.

Heaven Clan

Human Clan

Yin-Yang School

The Yin-Yang School in Chinese history focused on astrology, the mysteries of the five elements and the Eight Diagrams. Many within the Yin-Yang School are said to have studied divinity. Therefore, in this story, Yin-Yang School possess magical powers. Some of their names belong to the gods and goddesses in The Nine Odes by Qu Yuan, the first poet of ancient China.

Peasant School

The Peasant Family or School, also known as Shennong Order (t, s, p Shénnóngshì) followers of Shennong or Agriculturists: In Chinese history, it's the school that studied agriculture. Here in the plot, the Shennong leader can only be appointed by the Xia Kui of the Peasant School. However, the last Xia Kui died mysteriously three years ago. The school is the one of masters hidden among normal people. Because the school has the most disciples, the school is divided into Six Halls: Shennong Hall, Lieshan Hall, Gongong Hall, Kuiwei Hall, Chiyou Hall, and Siyue Hall.

Shennnong Hall

Lieshan Hall

Gonggong Hall

Kuiwei Hall.

Chiyou Hall

Siyue Hall

Others

Others

Other antagonists

Quicksand

The Quicksand and Inverse Quicksand/Quicksand Rebels is a group of mercenaries was formed by Wei Zhuang who were hired by the Qin Empire to capture Ne Gie and Jing Tianming.

Qin Empire

The Qin Empire (秦帝国) sought to unite and control all of China by defeating the other independent kingdoms. (Except for Gongshu Chou, the following characters in this section have prototypes in the history of Qin; Gongshu's name probably derives from that of Gongshu Ban who was a contemporary of Mozi.)

The first emperor in Chinese history who destroys the other six kingdoms and unifies China. He has wild ambitions and wants everyone in the empire to abide by him. If not, they are seen as enemies and must be eliminated. He is considered a cruel emperor in Chinese history, but he also contributed to the country by unifying the characters, languages and units.

Ying Zheng's eldest son. A very fair-minded and noble young man. Tianming and Master Xun once save his life, and he is determined to find them. In Chinese history, perhaps Qin wouldn't have been defeated so quickly if he became the new emperor. He is later murdered by Zhao Gao, Huhai and Li Si.

Ying Zheng's 18th son, who was also his favorite. He appears to be childish and innocent, however, he wants to murder his own brother, Fusu. Having close ties with Zhao Gao, they failed the first attempt of taking Fusu's life. Historically, he became the second emperor of China's Qin dynasty.

From the Legalist School. A servant under Ying Zheng. He is also a very powerful minister and Ying Zheng communicates with him thoroughly. His opinions or ideas in a situation influences Ying Zheng's actions. He was once a Confucianist disciple, but now he tries to destroy them for Ying Zheng's sake.

A powerful eunuch and the leader of the Net Trap Organization, also translated as "Snares"". He controls numberless killers who have black spider tattoos. His best six assassins are called the "Six Sword Slaves", named after their swords: Zhengang (True Firm), Duanshui (Cutting water), Luanshen (Chaotic spirit), twin sisters Zhuanpo (Twisting souls) and Miehun (Destroying souls), Wangliang (an evil demon). Will appear in Season 4. In Chinese history, he murdered Fusu.

An excellent general, the leader of the Golden Fire Cavalry, who fights wholeheartedly for Ying Zheng. He was formerly General of the Soaring Dragon Army and fought with General Ying Bu, leader of the Shadow Tiger Army in the Chu Empire following Lord Chanping and the King. In Chinese history, his family was destroyed by Li Si and Zhao Gao.

An excellent general, the leader of the Shadow Division "Yingmiwei". He takes direct orders from the Qin Emperor himself and has never come back empty–handed. Due to his stubbornness of never letting go of his enemies, his nickname is Bum Bettle, which Dao Zhi calls him by. In Chinese history, Zhang Han finally surrendered to Xiang Yu.