Who was the last *new* character to appear in each Jin Yong novel?

[Ken Cheng]

Jin Yong's novels are long, and their huge casts of characters are typically introduced gradually through the course of the novel rather than dumped on readers en masse in the first chapter. Many characters, including significant ones, aren't introduced until late in the story. In ROCH, notoriously, two new characters (Cheung Gwun Bo and Gok Yeun the Monk) were introduced towards the end of the last chapter, and would play significant roles not in ROCH, but in its sequel, HSDS.

So, looking through the canon, who were the last new characters to be introduced in each Jin Yong novel?

[pannonian]

LOCH has a tight cast if you don't include historical characters. The last named historical character to be introduced is probably Qiu Chuji's interpreter, Yelu Chucai, in chapter 37. The last story-internal character to be introduced is Yideng, in chapter 30. Ebert's theory of character conservation applies rigorously to LOCH.

[PJ]

LOCH: the unnamed Jin embassador who visited Genghis Khan.

DGSD: Xuanming and Xuanshi? (2 Xuan generation monks of "losing to a few soldiers" fame)

[Ken Cheng]

LOCH has a tight cast if you don't include historical characters. The last named historical character to be introduced is probably Qiu Chuji's interpreter, Yelu Chucai, in chapter 37. The last story-internal character to be introduced is Yideng, in chapter 30. Ebert's theory of character conservation applies rigorously to LOCH.

LOCH: the unnamed Jin embassador who visited Genghis Khan.

DGSD: Xuanming and Xuanshi? (2 Xuan generation monks of "losing to a few soldiers" fame)

For LOCH, although 1 Deng was the last new character introduced with an actual speaking/action part, wouldn't the last new character of significance introduced be Yeung Gor? Granted, Yeung Gor wouldn't do much until ROCH (his dialog and actions in LOCH probably being limited to gurgling).

[Laboomsikashod]

SSwRB - Wu Sangui, Chen Yuanyuan and if it counts, Jiunan, who all had significant roles in DoMD

[PJ]

In HSDS, maybe it's guy who couldn't shut up and thus got himself shot up at Lion Slaying Conference.

[Kenny]

I have a list of all JY characters with page number of first appearances saved up on my PC. It's compiled by an author of a fan site over a decade ago, and I saved it for future references. It was a very informative site but I don't think it exists anymore.

It's typed in Big-5 (Chinese) code, so unfortunately for those who can't read Chinese, this won't be useful for them. And since the list was compiled so long ago, it's obviously based on the 2nd Edition of the novels. The list also includes unnamed characters so that people such as "this soldier" or "that officer" are also listed.

I'll upload it somewhere later in case anyone wants a copy of it. Again, I am not the author of the list so all credits go to the original owner of that fan site. But since it was already available to the public before, I'm sure the original owner wouldn't mind my sharing it w/ you guys either.

[Kenny]

Okay, here's the d/l link to that webpage I saved:
http://lily.physics.hku.hk/~kmlee/jy/jychar.html

(Edit: Just realized the fansite's still around. Changed the link to the fansite's address instead.)

I just noticed the author said he's only listing what he considered to be important characters, but then he did include things such as "this soldier" or "that old man," so we can probably assume all named characters are on the list.

And for those who can't read Chinese, I'll type in the answers in English. All names are spelled in Cantonese pronunciations. I'll only mention named characters that are alive (there are some named corpses that appear last lol):

Book and Sword: a lama named Fu Yum Hak.

Sword Stained with Royal Blood: Lui Sei Leung (does not actually appear in the novel, but is mentioned to be one of Ah Gau's (the one-armed nun) future students.) If you want to find the last named character that actually appears, not just mentioned in the narratives or someone else's dialog, then it would be a guy named Sek Jun, a member of Wah Shan Sect.

LoCH: Lui Mun Duk, the governor of the city of Sheung Yeung.

RoCH: Cheung Gwun Bo, who later changed his name to Cheung Sam Fung.

Flying Fox: Mr. Miu, Miu Yun Fung's father (only appears in someone's dialog) or Ping Ah Sei, the guy who raised Wu Fei (actual appearance).

Blade-dance of the Two Lovers (aka Yuen Yeung Doe): Yeung Bak Chung, the female main char's father (only appears in dialog) or Cheung Ma (lit: Granny Cheung), some old servant who worked in the female main's house (actual appearance.)

White Horse: Ha Bak Lai Mo, an knowledgeable Elder in that Muslem village Lee Mun Sau grew up in.

Young Flying Fox: Go Yuk Lik, some weakling officer killed by Yuen Sing.

HSDS: Liu Wing Jung, one of Chu Yuen Cheung's generals.

A Deadly Secret: Mr. Go, a butler who worked for Yin Dat Ping.

DGSD: Hoi Fu Yi, some military officer in Kingdom Liao.

Ode to the Gallantry: Mui Fong Gu, the lady who kidnapped Sek Poh Tin when he was a baby.

Sword of the Yue Maiden: Ah Ching, the female main!

Smiling, Proud Wanderer: Ling Hui, Chung Hui's "see dai" (only appears in dialog) or Yee Mun, a Hang Shan Sect member.

DoMD: Shu Fa Lung, a member of the Heaven & Earth Society.

They are mostly "kelefes," so I had to look them up to provide the short descriptions.

[PJ]

Kenny: nice to see you here again after a 10 year hiatus!

--------------------
The above was quite the ELOC list.

[Kenny]

Kenny: nice to see you here again after a 10 year hiatus!

Thanks.

The above was quite the ELOC list.

Some interesting topics you guys come up with here.

[Ken Cheng]

Kenny: nice to see you here again after a 10 year hiatus!

Best part is that now that the *real* Kenny is back, you guys can stop calling *me* "Kenny."

Granted, that is my legal name...but I haven't used it regularly since I graduated from high school. I've introduced myself to people as "Ken" and have used that name regularly since I turned eighteen.

[PJ]

you guys can stop calling *me* "Kenny."

I'll stick to "Kennybaby" then.

[goodrick]

Jin Yong's novels are long, and their huge casts of characters are typically introduced gradually through the course of the novel rather than dumped on readers en masse in the first chapter. Many characters, including significant ones, aren't introduced until late in the story. In ROCH, notoriously, two new characters (Cheung Gwun Bo and Gok Yeun the Monk) were introduced towards the end of the last chapter, and would play significant roles not in ROCH, but in its sequel, HSDS.

So, looking through the canon, who were the last new characters to be introduced in each Jin Yong novel?

Speaking of ROCH, even Guo Xiang can be considered a late entrant, no? I mean agreed that she wasn't exactly introduced at the very end, but still when she is introduced, the story is 90% done and she qualifies as a major character, no?

[Ken Cheng]

Speaking of ROCH, even Guo Xiang can be considered a late entrant, no? I mean agreed that she wasn't exactly introduced at the very end, but still when she is introduced, the story is 90% done and she qualifies as a major character, no?

Depends on what you mean by "introduced." If you mean her debut as a speaking, thinking, independently-acting character, then yeah...pretty late. If you mean as a newborn infant, then just about halfway. If, as an unborn fetus, then she debuted during the first half of the story.

[goodrick]

Depends on what you mean by "introduced." If you mean her debut as a speaking, thinking, independently-acting character, then yeah...pretty late. If you mean as a newborn infant, then just about halfway. If, as an unborn fetus, then she debuted during the first half of the story.

Thats true!