About Chinese Paladin, XianJian QiXia Zhuan game & drama

XianJian QiXia Zhuan Game
(The Legend of Sword and Fairy)

XianJian QiXia Zhuan 仙劍奇俠傳 (also known as ‘The Legend of Sword and Fairy’ and “PAL”) is an adventure role-playing game created by Taiwan’s Softstar Entertainment Inc. The game is considered by many as one of the most iconic and influential Chinese RPG games of all time. Since its first release in 1995 (DOS version), many new versions and sequels (including a prequel) were created. However, none could replace the breath-taking and tragic tale it was born from. Here, we meet our protagonist Li Xiaoyao; an aspiring martial artist and the lovely Zhao Ling’er, a charismatic Nuwa descendant. The game does not have an official English release but fans are working on a translation project. You can check it out here.

For more information on the game and various versions, click here.

XianJian Game synopsis

19 year old Li Xiaoyao lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his aunt. When Xiaoyao’s aunt falls ill, Xiaoyao embarks on a quest to find a legendary fairy, who lives on a nearby island, for help. The fairy is Zhao Ling’er, a 16 year old maiden who lives with her grandmother in a hidden palace on the island. Initially, Ling’er is reluctant to help him, but being an orphan herself, she is touched by Xiaoyao’s filial heart and gives him a magical medicine. Due to a series of events on the island, he ends up marrying her. He promises to return after he brings the medicine back to his aunt, and bids her farewell for now.

After Xiaoyao gives his aunt the medication, he faints and loses his memory because he was given a memory-loss pill before he left to the island by a man who was planning to penetrate Ling’er’s island. Xiaoyao’s aunt recovers, and forgets that she was ever sick at all. However, Xiaoyao had already unknowingly broken the spell concealing the location of the palace during his journey there. Ling’er’s enemies break into the palace and kidnap her after a bloody battle.

Xiaoyao accidentally finds Ling’er in his motel and saves her. He does not remember her but promises to help her return to the island and help the people remaining there. The duo return to the palace to save her grandmother but they were too late. With her dying breath, Ling’er’s grandmother reveals that Ling’er’s mother may still be alive and entrusts her granddaughter to Xiaoyao’s care.

When they return home, Xiaoyao’s aunt finds out about his marriage with Ling’er, and tells her nephew to take her together with him to find Ling’er’s mother. Xiaoyao’s aunt’s plan is that when he finds Ling’er’s mother, he will ask her for her hand in marriage, and be married officially. She had no idea that Xiaoyao does not remember that happening. The two of them set off on their journey.

Chinese Paladin TV Series

Due to the game’s popularity & large fan base, a TV drama was produced in 2005 and was titled “Chinese Paladin”. New actor Hu Ge 胡歌 takes the role of protagonist Li Xiaoyao, and Zhao Ling’er is played by Crystal Liu Yifei 劉亦菲, where the actors shot to fame. It is generally faithful to the game, however there were many additions as well as changes made in terms of both the personality of characters and relationships. Some fans were outraged by the change in Zhao Ling’er’s character which was altered in a less favourable way. Nevertheless, the couple stay true to each other and it could be argued their love has never been stronger.

TV series synopsis

Determined to save his ill aunt, carefree hooligan Li Xiaoyao (Hu Ge) sets sail to the mysterious Dream Island where he is told a cure can supposedly be found. There he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Zhao Ling’er (Crystal Liu Yifei), and they seal their love in marriage. What Xiaoyao doesn’t know is that his trip to Dream Island was actually set up by the evil Lunar Sect Cult as part of their plan to capture Ling’er. He heads home with his aunt’s cure in hand and his promises to Ling’er in heart, but when he wakes up, all his memories of Dream Island have disappeared…

Purchase the DVD with Cantonese/Mandarin audio and English Subtitles

About the actors 胡歌 and 劉亦菲

Want to know more about the actors? Hu Ge and Liu Yifei’s profile