What was the point of Guo Po Lu?

[CDonC]

I've never really understood why this guy was included in the story. I mean, I guess there was the shock value after Guo Xiang was born, and them yelling "there's another one!", and he was the first owner of the Dragon Saber, but what else was there to this character?

During their birthday celebration, all the attention is focused on Guo Xiang, and he's harldly mentioned. Hell, even the chapter of their birth is named "Baby Girl of a Falling City."

So, is there an underlying reason for why the character of Guo Po Lu was created?

[HuangYushi]

That Guo Jing -- argubly the most well-known Jin Yong hero of all time -- would have a son???


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[lilchilipepper]

That Guo Jing -- argubly the most well-known Jin Yong hero of all time -- would have a son???


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lol...yes that and also to set up future fanfic writers with material to write about Guo Jing's descendants...

[PJ]

Inevitably, this must-have son had to be made vastly inferior to the protagonist of the story so that Yang would stand out.

[kidd]

Maybe Jin Yong plan to write about this twins in the 3rd book of the Condor Trilogy but later change his mind.

[Ardor]

Maybe Jin Yong originally intended to surprise everyone by having Guo Fu kill Yang Guo. Guo Xiang in this scenario has been traded to Passionless Valley for the antidote. Xiao Long Nu, learning that her man was murdered, decided to take a man away from the Guo family, and the only man she is strong enough to take was Guo Po Lu. Years later, she unleashes Guo Po Lu on Guo Jing's family killing the hero and giving the Mongolians entry to China.

[WuxiaMaster]

Wow...that's imaginative...

But seriously, his purpose is to "take after this father".

[Ken Cheng]

It was kind of pointless to give Gwok Jing a son only to have that son killed off along with both of his parents post-ROCH. ROCH would not have changed *at all* (in any significant way) if Gwok Por Lo didn't exist.

He's the ultimate wallflower character.

[shortsight]

Burying his Dugu 9 Jian manual under an epitaph, Dugu Qiubai felt he has left his legacy for the next generation. He then moved to Shaolin to study Buddhism, sweep floors and tap elite fighters. .

Wonder if the monk who sweep floors and tap elite fighters in your theory is the Sweeper Monk in DGSD. Nice theory, but then you have it reversed(?), as the time was DGSD before LOCH and ROCH.

[CDonC]

Maybe Jin Yong originally intended to surprise everyone by having Guo Fu kill Yang Guo. Guo Xiang in this scenario has been traded to Passionless Valley for the antidote. Xiao Long Nu, learning that her man was murdered, decided to take a man away from the Guo family, and the only man she is strong enough to take was Guo Po Lu. Years later, she unleashes Guo Po Lu on Guo Jing's family killing the hero and giving the Mongolians entry to China.

Well, at least then, he would have served some purpose. I just didn't see the point of Guo Jing having a son who's barely mentioned and then just dies.

[Bangs]

I too feel that Guo PoLu was totally useless. JY should've at least made something out of his character, he was way too unnecessary.

[frymantis]

i too think it was a set up for a maybe future installment. certainly be a story idea in itself, more novels, mor emoney. he didn't really need him to do much in the cause JY could alway go back in later editions.