Wuxia heroes: the Protectors and the Killers

[Ken Cheng]

The way I see it, there are two general categories of wuxia heroes. One category is the Protector. The Protector hero is primarily interested in upholding justice and saving lives. They are often willing to kill, but do so only when necessary and don't particularly relish it (some might even have feelings of associated about it). Killers, on the other hand, will also protect, but they are more keen on punishing evil than protecting lives. Killers don't always kill, and they are still heroes after all so they generally don't kill wantonly, but they are much less hesitant about going lethal than the Protectors. If there is evil to be punished and lethality is the best option, the Killers will go after it with few reservations.

Here are lists of whom I characterize as Protectors and Killers among popular wuxia heroes:

Protectors

Deun Yu
Hui Juk
Gwok Jing
Yeung Gor
Cheung Mo Gei
Ling Wu Chung
Luk Siu Fung
Fa Mun Lau
Chor Lau Heung


Killers

Kiu Fung
Sai Mun Chui Sheut
Ding Pang
Lee Chum Foon
Ah Fei

Please add to these lists or discuss why a certain hero might belong more to one group or the other.

[flyingfox2002]

The way I see it, there are two general categories of wuxia heroes. One category is the Protector. The Protector hero is primarily interested in upholding justice and saving lives. They are often willing to kill, but do so only when necessary and don't particularly relish it (some might even have feelings of associated about it). Killers, on the other hand, will also protect, but they are more keen on punishing evil than protecting lives. Killers don't always kill, and they are still heroes after all so they generally don't kill wantonly, but they are much less hesitant about going lethal than the Protectors. If there is evil to be punished and lethality is the best option, the Killers will go after it with few reservations.

Here are lists of whom I characterize as Protectors and Killers among popular wuxia heroes:

Protectors

Deun Yu
Hui Juk
Gwok Jing
Yeung Gor
Cheung Mo Gei
Ling Wu Chung
Luk Siu Fung
Fa Mun Lau
Chor Lau Heung


Killers

Kiu Fung
Sai Mun Chui Sheut
Ding Pang
Lee Chum Foon
Ah Fei

Please add to these lists or discuss why a certain hero might belong more to one group or the other.

Oh I disagree wholeheartedly with Lee Chum Foon (Li Xun Huan). He is one of the most noble characters out there. He pretends to be a scoundrel for the interest of the one that he loves but actually he is as gentle a man as there is.

Kiu Fung should not be named a killer either. He had one lapse of control at Hero Mansion, but it wasn't even entirely his fault. It wasn't until those clowns went after Ah Zhu that he flipped out and started the bloodshed. I woulda killed even more of those punks. For the lives of those who rejected and persecuted him (the Han), he abdicated his post and was risking death for not following the Emperor's mandate.

[Areaofdefect]

Xiao Feng is not a HERO in the KILLERS!!! Xiao Feng did not kill the shaolin monk at juxian manor which is doing wrong!!! Xiaofeng is a Hero in the protectors.

[Ken Cheng]

Some of these guys, Kiu Fung included, straddle the line. He would lean more towards the Killers group than, say, Gwok Jing or Cheung Mo Gei.

In general, the Gu Long heroes tend to fall into the Killers category more (although I'm not entirely sure about Lee Chum Foon; some of it has to do with the martial arts they practice and his is infamously lethal, which factors into it). Quite a number of Gu Long heroes are rather coldblooded.

[flyingfox2002]

LXH does not even kill all of his targets. He never misses with his daggers, but it doesn't mean he kills them all. He often killed only because the enemy was trying to kill him or he had to kill the enemy to save someone - e.g. the first time he saved Ah Fei he had to kill AF's ambusher as AF had no idea the man he just saved seconds ago would try to kill him. I dunno how TVB portrays LXH, but the LXH of the novel is a very sentimental man who would not hesitate for a second to lay down his life for his friends or loved ones. He knew that his best friend betrayed him and wanted him dead but he did not have an ounce of hatred and actually sympathized with him. He also tries to avoid conflict and it's always other people challenging him.

GJ killed more people than KF ever did. If KF is a "killer," so is GJ.

A different categorization of heroes would be kuang xia vs. ru xia (kwong hup vs. yu hup). This is an actual categorization of JY heroes that readers and critics have divided characters into. The former group is naturally good and they act as they feel like without being bound by the what society says is right. The latter group is the classic "hero." They always like to do the "right thing" because the Sages like Confucius or Mencius said that is what they have to do. They feel bound by obligation and they sometimes will go against their own morals (those that do still have their own morals and not simply morals that the Sages said they should have) to do things "by the book."

[kidd]

Some of these guys, Kiu Fung included, straddle the line. He would lean more towards the Killers group than, say, Gwok Jing or Cheung Mo Gei.

In general, the Gu Long heroes tend to fall into the Killers category more (although I'm not entirely sure about Lee Chum Foon; some of it has to do with the martial arts they practice and his is infamously lethal, which factors into it). Quite a number of Gu Long heroes are rather coldblooded.

Maybe just I happen to read novels that have kind-hearted heroes. But of the few GL novels I have read, the heroes are mostly the 'value life' type. Like the hero in Righteous Blood Clensing Silver Spear. Eventhough the hero has threaten to kill a guy if the guy annoyed him anymore in chapter 1, he never actually killed anyone throughout the novel. In fact, he risked his life to save a stranger and a person who has been wanting to kill him since chapter 1.

[PJ]

At the end of novel, Xiao Feng became the ULTIMATE protector of everyone.

[Ken Cheng]

At the end of novel, Xiao Feng became the ULTIMATE protector of everyone.

Would you say he reached the "peak of perfection" of protecting people?