Over the years, many adaptations have been made of the beloved wuxia novel “Legend of the Condor Heroes” (射曕英雄传), written by the late Jin Yong. Let’s investigate these adaptations’ legacy.
Counting Eight Dramatic Reimaginings
If you watch TVB, you might have seen a recreation of “Legend of the Condor Heroes” based on the year of your birth. A new version was issued every ten years:
- 1976: Michelle Yim and Jason Pai
- Felix Wong and Barbara Yung in 1983
- 1994: Athena Chu and Julian Cheung
There was also a 1988 Taiwanese version starring Idy Chan and Howie Huang. Every few years, copies have also been manufactured in mainland China:
- 2003: Zhou Xun and Li Yapeng
- Hu Ge and Ariel Lin (2008)
- 2017: Li Yitong and Yang Xuwen
- 2024: Bao Shangen and Ci Sha
We recently uploaded the eighth modification this year, for a total of already seven.
Introducing Heroes: The Legend (2024)
The 2024 adaptation, titled “Legend of Heroes” (金庸武侠世界), is based on Jin Yong’s wuxia novel “Legend of the Condor Heroes,” which is really the first of three parts. The Chinese title of the adaption translates to “New Jin Yong Wuxia Universe.” Five components will make up this adaptation:
- Warm-blooded (铁血丹心)
- Western Venom and Eastern Heresy (渜邪西毒)
- Emperor of the South and Beggar of the North (南帝北渐)
- 湝阴真经, or the Nine Yin True Sutra
- Mount Hua duel (华䱱论剑)
“Legend of Heroes: Hot Blooded,” starring Ci Sha and Bao Shangen, is the first episode of the series and depicts the Condor Heroes tale that many wuxia enthusiasts are familiar with from their infancy. If you’ve watched earlier iterations, the plot is the same but with fresh performers. The stories of other significant figures, like Vengo Gao as Ouyang Feng, Zhou Yiwei as Huang Yaoshi, and Ming Dao as Hong Qigong, will be further explored in the next four sections. Chen Duling, Peter Ho, Hanikezi, Meng Ziyi, and He Yu join them.
Huang Rong and the New Guo Jing
Ci Sha portrays the new Guo Jing; he is well-known for his part in “Creation of the Gods.” Despite being a well-known character who rises to great status, he nevertheless has a fairly wooden personality and even calls himself “dumb.” Although he isn’t really so, his characteristics make casting him difficult. As of right now, Bao Shangen captures Huang Rong’s cunning and mischievous side, while Ci Sha does a good job of portraying Guo Jing’s strength, simplicity, and integrity.
Wang Hongyi, the star of “Lost You Forever,” also portrays Yang Kang, a clever and complicated character. Piggy Huang Yi, who plays Mu Nianci, a valiant heroine and Yang Kang’s romantic interest, completes the major cast. Her recent roles in the popular dramas “The Legend of Shen Li” and “The Tale of Rose” may be what brought her to your attention. Meng Ziyi, who portrayed Mu Nianci in the 2017 adaptation, is currently credited with the role of Mei Chaofeng.
There’s also a Film Version
What are your thoughts on the new cast then? There is another well-known film version with Xiao Zhan playing the new Guo Jing and Sabrina Zhang playing the new Huang Rong, so this remake won’t be the last. Even after his death, Jin Yong would have turned 100 years old this year. Some people question whether there are too many retellings of the same tale, but maybe there is a favorite for every generation.
