Mo Dao Zu Shi

Wei Ying (Chinese: 魏婴; pinyin: Wèi Yīng), courtesy name Wuxian (simplified Chinese: 无羡; traditional Chinese: 無羨; pinyin: Wúxiàn), thus also known as Wei Wuxian (simplified Chinese: 魏无羡; traditional Chinese: 魏無羨; pinyin: Wèi Wúxiàn).

Voiced by (Mandarin): Zhang Jie (animation), Lu Zhixing (audio drama – adult, web series), Ye Zhiqiu (audio drama – child)

Voiced by (Japanese): Tatsuhisa Suzuki (audio drama), Ryohei Kimura (web series)

Played by: Xiao Zhan (adult), Su Yaxin (child)

Wei Wuxian is the protagonist of the series, born as the only son of Cangse Sanren (Chinese: 藏色散人; pinyin: Cángsè Sàn Rén) and Wei Changze (simplified Chinese: 魏长泽; traditional Chinese: 魏長澤; pinyin: Wèi Zhǎngzé). He is a bright, optimistic, mischievous but good-hearted cultivator, whose intelligence and strength lie more in his ability to invent new spiritual techniques and inventions not defined by conventional cultivation methods. He was a former disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect (simplified Chinese: 云梦江氏; traditional Chinese: 雲夢江氏; pinyin: Yúnmèng Jiāng Shì) and later created the Demonic Path (Chinese: 鬼道; pinyin: guǐ dào), thus earning him the title of Yiling Patriarch (Chinese: 夷陵老祖; pinyin: Yílíng Lǎozǔ). He died in the First Siege of the Burial Mounds (simplified Chinese: 乱葬岗大围剿; traditional Chinese: 亂葬崗大圍剿; pinyin: Luànzànggǎng Dàwéijiǎo), which is thirteen years prior to the start of the story. He was then incarnated into the body of Mo Xuanyu (Chinese: 莫玄羽; pinyin: Mò Xuányǔ) through a sacrificial ritual (simplified Chinese: 献舍; traditional Chinese: 獻舍; pinyin: Xiànshě). He travels with Lan Wangji to solve a curious case of a powerful walking corpse and along the way manages to clear his name. He also begins to fall in love with Lan Wangji and later becomes cultivation partners (simplified Chinese: 道侣; traditional Chinese: 道侶; pinyin: Dàolǚ) with him.

Lan Zhan (Chinese: 蓝湛; pinyin: Lán Zhàn), courtesy name Wangji (Chinese: 忘机; pinyin: Wàngjī), thus also known as Lan Wangji (Chinese: 蓝忘机; pinyin: Lán Wàngjī).

Voiced by (Mandarin): Bian Jiang (animation, web series), Wei Chao (audio drama – adult), Shan Xin (audio drama – child)

Voiced by (Japanese): Satoshi Hino (audio drama – adult), Madoke Hirade (audio drama – child), Shinnosuke Tachibana (web series)

Played by: Wang Yibo (adult), Chen Junkai (child)

Lan Wangji is the second young master of the Lan Sect. Titled as Hanguang-Jun (Chinese: 含光君; pinyin: Hánguāng-jūn; lit.: 'Light-Bearing Lord'), he is one of the Two Jades of Lan (simplified Chinese: 姑苏双璧; traditional Chinese: 姑蘇雙璧; pinyin: Gūsū Shuāngbì) alongside his older brother, Lan Xichen. He is known for his cold, aloof and strict nature. In his youth, he became friends with and fell in love with Wei Wuxian. When Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch, he often tried to persuade him to stop following the dark arts and attempted to protect him from being murdered by the other cultivation sects, but to no avail. After thirteen years of mourning, he recognized Wei Wuxian in the body of Mo Xuanyu and helped to clear Wei Wuxian's name. The two live alongside each other as cultivation partners.

The Gusu Lan Sect (Chinese: 姑苏蓝氏; pinyin: Gūsū Lán Shì) is a cultivational sect based in the Cloud Recesses (simplified Chinese: 云深不知处; traditional Chinese: 雲深不知處; pinyin: Yúnshēnbùzhīchù), a residence on a remote mountain outside the city of Gusu. The current leader is Lan Xichen. The real-life counterpart to the sect's location is Gusu (a region where Suzhounese is spoken) in Jiangsu province.

Lan Huan (Chinese: 蓝涣; pinyin: Lán Huàn), courtesy name Xichen (Chinese: 曦臣; pinyin: Xīchén), thus also known as Lan Xichen (Chinese: 蓝曦臣; pinyin: Lán Xīchén).

Voiced by (Mandarin): Jin Xian (animation), Wang Kai (audio drama – adult), Yan Meme (audio drama – child), Ling Fei (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Toshiyuki Morikawa (audio drama, web series)

Played by: Liu Haikuan (adult), Shen Yifeng (child)

Lan Xichen is the first young master of the Lan Sect. Titled as Zewu-Jun (Chinese: 泽芜君; pinyin: Zéwú-jūn), he is one of the Two Jades of Lan alongside his younger brother, Lan Wangji; and one of the Three Zuns alongside his sworn brothers Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue. He has a warm and gentle personality in contrast to Lan Wangji. He is trustful and loyal to others and his kindness is not limited to those of his sect. This is especially shown through his relationship with Jin Guangyao, as he was the only person who did not look down on Jin Guangyao despite his status as the son of a prostitute. However, Lan Xichen does possess a temper and is deeply protective of those he cares for, especially his younger brother. His anger is best seen towards Wei Wuxian, whom he developed a grudge against because Lan Wangji had defended Wei Wuxian and betrayed the Lan sect to protect him. He even refers bitterly to Wei Wuxian as "the only mistake Lan Wangji made in his life".

Lan Qiren (Chinese: 蓝启仁; pinyin: Lán Qǐrén)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Liu Cong (animation), Song Ming (audio drama), Zhang Wentian (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Tarusuke Shingaki (audio drama)

Played by: Huang Ziteng

Lan Qiren is an elder of the Lan Sect known for producing outstanding students, even out of the most hopeless ones. He is the uncle of Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. Having watched his brother Qingheng-jun (Chinese: 青蘅君) drive himself into self-destruction over love, he took guardianship of his nephews, teaching them strictly in an effort to prevent them from following their father's footsteps, although Lan Wanji eventually eloped with Wei Wuxian. He is hence infamously known to be a pedantic, stubborn, and strict teacher.

Lan Yuan (Chinese: 蓝愿; pinyin: Lán Yuàn), courtesy name Sizhui (Chinese: 思追; pinyin: Sīzhuī), thus also known as Lan Sizhui (Chinese: 蓝思追; pinyin: Lán Sīzhuī).

Voiced by (Mandarin): Chenzhang Taikang (animation), Qian Wenqing (audio drama – adult), Yu Shuhan (audio drama – child), Chen Jinwen (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Yūsuke Kobayashi (audio drama)

Played by: Zheng Fanxing (adult), Jiang Yiting (child)

Lan Sizhui is a disciple of the Lan Sect. He was originally born to the Wen Sect with the name Wen Yuan (simplified Chinese: 温苑; traditional Chinese: 溫苑; pinyin: Wēn Yuàn). He was found by Wei Wuxian among the remains of the Wen Sect who were forced to work in a valley in Yiling. Wei Wuxian then started raising him. After the First Siege of the Burial Mounds, when he was only three years old, he lost both Wei Wuxian and his home. He was later found by Lan Wangji who came searching for Wei Wuxian's remains. But he fell into a high fever and lost all memories of his past. He was then re-named as Lan Yuan, and presumably given the courtesy name Sizhui in the same year that Wei Wuxian returned to the living world. Thirteen years after the First Siege, he is finally reunited with Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning, although he only remembered his past memories much later. In the present setting, he is close friends with Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling.

Lan Jingyi (Chinese: 蓝景仪; pinyin: Lán Jǐngyí)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Wang Chenguang (animation), Cao Xupeng (audio drama), Liu Kang (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Hiro Shimono (audio drama)

Played by: Guo Cheng

Lan Jingyi is a disciple of the Lan Sect. He is short-tempered and dislikes people who don't follow rules and are noisy, even though he is ironically noisy himself when angered. However, despite his prideful nature, he is caring. He will stand up for his friends, even for Wei Wuxian whom he had initially disliked because of his reckless personality. He is close friends with Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling.

The Lanling Jin Sect (simplified Chinese: 兰陵金氏; traditional Chinese: 蘭陵金氏; pinyin: Lánlíng Jīn Shì) is a cultivational sect based in Carp Tower, Lanling. The real-life counterpart to the sect's location is Lanling in Shandong province.

Meng Yao (Chinese: 孟瑶; pinyin: Mèng Yáo), renamed as Jin Guangyao (Chinese: 金光瑶; pinyin: Jīn Guāngyáo)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Yang Tianxiang (animation), Jiang Guangtao (audio drama), Su Shangqing (web series)

Played by: Zhu Zanjin

Titled as Lianfang-zun (simplified Chinese: 敛芳尊; traditional Chinese: 歛芳尊; pinyin: Liǎnfāng-zūn; lit.: 'Hidden Fragrance Lord'), Jin Guangyao was the leader of the Jin Sect after the death of Jin Guangshan. He was the illegitimate son of Jin Guangshan and uncle to Jin Ling. Due to the power of the Jin Sect before and during his reign, he also became the first Chief Cultivator (Chinese: 仙督; pinyin: Xiān Dū), which can be seen as the leader among all cultivation sects. He is also known as one of the Three Zuns alongside his sworn brothers Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue. He sought greater amounts of power due to the fact he had often been looked down upon due to his status as the son of a prostitute. However, this is with the exception of his sworn brother Lan Xichen, whose kindness was the reason he held Lan Xichen to the highest esteem. He had accomplished many achievements in his life, such as building lookout towers and helping to rebuild the Cloud Recesses' libraries. However, his desire for power had led him to team up with shady characters like Xue Yang to harness the power of the Stygian Tiger Seal (simplified Chinese: 阴虎符; traditional Chinese: 陰虎符; pinyin: Yīn Hǔ Fú), which was once deemed too powerful and broken in half to prevent any more damage. He also murdered anyone who got in his way, including his father, brother, wife, son, master, and friend. His murdering of Nie Mingjue led Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji to solve the mystery of a particular fierce corpse, which turned out to be Nie Mingjue. In the end, when his deeds were revealed, everyone quickly turned against him and Nie Huaisang tricked Lan Xichen into murdering him.

Jin Guangshan (Chinese: 金光善; pinyin: Jīn Guāngshàn)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Li Longbin (animation), Xiao Tan (audio drama), Yang Mo (web series)

Played by: Shen Xiaohai

Jin Guangshan was the former leader of the Jin Sect who had many illegitimate children, among them are Jin Guangyao and Mo Xuanyu. Jin Zixuan was his only legitimate son.

Jin Ling (Chinese: 金凌; pinyin: Jīn Líng), courtesy name Rulan (Chinese: 如兰; pinyin: Rúlán), thus also known as Jin Rulan (Chinese: 金如兰; pinyin: Jīn Rúlán)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Su Shangqing (animation), Li Lanling (audio drama – adult), Jiang Yingjun (audio drama – child), Zhang Si Wang Zhi (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Ayumu Murase (audio drama)

Played by: Qi Peixin

Jin Ling is a disciple of the Jin Sect. He is the son of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, and the nephew of both Jin Guangyao and Jiang Cheng. He is currently taken care of by Jiang Cheng. He is the only living, legitimate child of the Jin Sect, therefore he will inherit the sect leader position after Jin Guangyao. He owns a spiritual dog which he had named as Fairy, which was given to him by Jin Guangyao. He is prideful and short-tempered, which caused him difficulty getting along with his peers and he doesn't have many friends his age. Although he became who he is due to his life circumstances, he is still kind at heart and strives to become a better person. He is close friends with Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi.

Jin Zixuan (Chinese: 金子轩; pinyin: Jīn Zixuān)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Gu Jiangshan (animation), Liu Mingyue (audio drama), Shi Zekun (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Hiroki Takahashi (audio drama)

Played by: Cao Yuchen

Jin Zixuan was Jiang Yanli's husband and the father of Jin Ling. He was Jin Guangshan's only legitimate child. He was arrogant and had no issue insulting Jiang Yanli while her brothers were in range to hear. However, he was shown to have a sense of justice, shown by his willingness to stand up to Wen Chao when the latter ordered them to seize Mianmian to be sacrificed in order to lure a monster, protecting her alongside Lan Wangji even though he knew his actions would bear consequences.

Qin Su (Chinese: 秦愫; pinyin: Qín Sù)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Ye Zhiqiu (audio drama)

Played by: Jin Luying

Qin Su was the legal wife of Jin Guangyao. She was the daughter of Qin Cangye, the leader of the Laoling Qin Sect, a subsidiary of the Jin Sect. After Jin Guangyao saved her life during the Sunshot Campaign (Chinese: 射日之征; pinyin: Shèrìzhīzhēng), she fell in love with him and did not give up until they were married. She then became Jin Guangyao's official wife and the mistress of Carp Tower. It is revealed that she was actually one of Jin Guangshan's illegitimate children as Jin Guangshan once raped her mother while he was drunk. But because Qin Cangye was an advent supporter of Jin Guangshan, her mother could not tell him. When her mother told Jin Guangyao the truth that he and Qin Su were siblings, Qin Su was already pregnant. Jin Guangyao still married her to not lose the support of her stepfather and Jin Guangshan. When their son was around three, Jin Guangyao murdered him as one of his plans to rise up to the Chief Cultivator title. After learning of this secret, she committed suicide in front of a crowd of people the night of the Discussion Conference hosted at Carp Tower.

Mo Xuanyu (Chinese: 莫玄羽; pinyin: Mò Xuányǔ)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Zhang Jie (animation), Tong Yin (audio drama)

Voiced by (Japanese): Nakayama Kazuhisa (audio drama)

Played by: Xiao Zhan

Mo Xuanyu was one of Jin Guangshan's illegitimate sons and a former disciple of the Jin Sect. He sacrificed his soul to summon Wei Wuxian to exact revenge on the Mo family on his behalf. In his living days and even during Wei Wuxian's possession of his body, he was described as a lunatic. In his past, he was tortured with meeting the expectations of his servant mother to gain recognition of his father. He was then sent to Jin Sect to learn cultivation, but was cast out after harassing Jin Guangyao, as he is a cut-sleeve (homosexual). He returned to Mo Village and his mother died soon after, leaving him in the care of his abusive aunt, Mistress Mo, and her son, Mo Ziyuan (simplified Chinese: 莫子渊; traditional Chinese: 莫子淵; pinyin: Mò Zǐyuān). Both were resentful of his wasted opportunity at becoming a cultivator of a prolific sect, and hence physically beaten and verbally abused him to the point of insanity.

The Qinghe Nie Sect (simplified Chinese: 清河聂氏; traditional Chinese: 清河聶氏; pinyin: Qīnghé Niè Shì) is a cultivational sect that resides in the Unclean Realm. Its current leader is Nie Huaisang. The real-life counterpart to the sect's location is Qinghe in Hebei province.

Nie Mingjue (Chinese: 聂明玦; pinyin: Niè Míngjué)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Yin Xia Lao Gui (animation), Feng Sheng (audio drama), Zhao Yi (web series)

Played by: Wang Yizhou

Titled Chifeng-zun (simplified Chinese: 赤锋尊; traditional Chinese: 赤鋒尊; pinyin: Chìfēng-zūn), Nie Mingjue was the former leader of the Nie Sect and the older half-brother of Nie Huaisang. He is known as one of the Three Zuns alongside his sworn brothers Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen. Nie Mingjue's personality was defined by strictness, a bad temper and an intolerance for anything deviating from the moral good. While this attitude won him acclaim and reputation, the shift in power towards the Jin Sect after the Sunshot Campaign (Chinese: 射日之征; pinyin: Shèrìzhīzhēng) also marked him as a great opposition to their power. Furthermore, as the trademark cultivation of his sect affected his temper, his intolerance grew and he could not accept that two of his subordinates were killed by Jin Guangyao when they were captured with him and brought before Wen Ruohan in Nightless City (Chinese: 不夜城; pinyin: Bùyèchéng). This was despite Jin Guangyao pointing out that Nie Mingjue himself would have died if they did not, since all three had offended Wen Ruohan. He was murdered by Jin Guangyao and turned into a fierce corpse.

Nie Huaisang (Chinese: 聂怀桑; pinyin: Niè Huáisāng)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Liu Sanmu (animation), Qi Sijia (audio drama), Ji Li (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (audio drama)

Played by: Ji Li

Nie Huaisang is the current leader of the Nie Sect and the younger half-brother of Nie Mingjue, as well as an old school friend of Wei Wuxian. He is well known for his incompetence, thus being called Head-Shaker (simplified Chinese: 一问三不知; traditional Chinese: 一問三不知; pinyin: Yī Wèn Sān Bù Zhī; lit.: 'Being asked one question, reply by saying "I don't know" three times.') amongst both the common people and cultivators alike. He was pegged by Wei Wuxian to be the mastermind behind the events around his summoning by Mo Xuanyu and the chain of events which subsequently led to Jin Guangyao's death at the hands of Lan Xichen.

The Qishan Wen Sect (simplified Chinese: 岐山温氏; traditional Chinese: 岐山溫氏; pinyin: Qíshān Wēn Shì) is a cultivational sect based in the Nightless City (Chinese: 不夜城; pinyin: Bùyèchéng). The real-life counterpart to the sect's location is Qishan in Shaanxi province.

Wen Ruohan (Chinese: 温若寒; pinyin: Wēn Ruòhán)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Yan Ming (animation), Chen Siyu (audio drama), Liu Cong (web series)

Played by: Xiu Qing

Wen Ruohan was the previous sect leader of the Wen Sect, and father to Wen Xu and Wen Chao. He was a known megalomaniac with an unpredictable temper.

Wen Xu (Chinese: 温旭; pinyin: Wēn Xù)

Played by: Wang Rong

Wen Xu was the eldest son of Wen Ruohan. He accused the Lan Sect of some wrongdoing and forced them to burn down the Cloud Recesses under the guise of cleansing the place so that it could be "reborn from the firelight". Eventually, he was decapitated by Nie Mingjue, with his head hung up as a demonstration to the Wen Sect's cultivators, and his body cut into pieces and ground up by the cultivators of the Nie Sect.

Wen Chao (Chinese: 温晁; pinyin: Wēn Cháo)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Liang Xiaoqiang (animation), Hao Xianghai (audio drama), Wen Jingyuan (web series)

Played by: He Peng

Wen Chao was the youngest son of Wen Ruohan and leader of the Wen Sect. He enjoyed looking at ladies even though he had a wife and a lover, to the point of harassing them. One instance was with Mianmian (simplified Chinese: 绵绵; traditional Chinese: 綿綿; pinyin: Miánmián), which ended with Wei Wuxian saving her by diverting his attention to fake erotic arts. Because of his and Wen Ruohan's malicious intent, they caused great destruction to the Lan Sect and Jiang Sect by destroying their residences and killing the entire Jiang Sect, except the three children (Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli) who went into hiding. He was also responsible for throwing Wei Wuxian into the Burial Mounds (simplified Chinese: 乱葬岗; traditional Chinese: 亂葬崗; pinyin: Luànzàng Gǎng), which resulted in his own death when Wei Wuxian returned to end his clan with his newfound demonic abilities.

Wen Qing (Chinese: 温情; pinyin: Wēn Qíng)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Qiao Shiyu (animation, web series), Shan Xin (audio drama)

Played by: Meng Ziyi (adult), Lin Chenxi (child)

Wen Qing was a member of the Wen sect and Wen Ning's older sister. As part of the branch families, she is a descendant from the Wen Sect founder Wen Mao, although she does not belong to the Wen Sect's main clan. She was the greatest physician in the history of the Wen Sect and had a fairly high level of cultivation abilities. When Jiang Cheng lost his Golden Core due to the Wen Sect, she helped to transfer Wei Wuxian's core to him, by Wei Wuxian's request.

Wen Ning (Chinese: 温宁; pinyin: Wēn Níng), courtesy name Qionglin (Chinese: 琼林; pinyin: Qiónglín), thus also known as Wen Qionglin (Chinese: 温琼林; pinyin: Wēn Qiónglín)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Shao Tong (animation), Teng Xin (audio drama), Li Xin (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Sōichirō Hoshi (audio drama)

Played by: Yu Bin (adult), Su Qiuyi (child)

Wen Ning was a member of the Wen sect and Wen Qing's younger brother. As part of the branch families, he is a descendant from the Wen Sect founder Wen Mao, although he does not belong to the Wen main clan. When he was alive, he was a stutterer and was shy around people. After Wei Wuxian praised his archery skills and defended him against Wen Chao, he started trusting Wei Wuxian and continues helping him even after became a fierce corpse. Known as the Ghost General (simplified Chinese: 鬼将军; traditional Chinese: 鬼將軍; pinyin: Guǐ jiāngjūn), he is the first fierce corpse to retain his consciousness, and serves as Wei Wuxian's right-hand man during and after his Yiling Patriarch days.

Zhao Zhuliu, renamed as Wen Zhuliu (Chinese: 温逐流; pinyin: Wēn Zhúliú)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Hu Yajie (animation), Tu Xiaoya (audio drama), Chang Wentao (web series)

Played by: Feng Mingjing

Wen Zhuliu was a servant of the Wen Sect and acted as one of Wen Chao's protectors. He was more commonly known as Core-Melting Hand (Chinese: 化丹手; pinyin: Huādān shǒu) due to his ability to melt a Golden Core, which stores and controls a cultivator's spiritual energy. He was responsible for melting away Jiang Cheng's Golden Core when he was captured by the Wen Sect during hiding. Along with Wen Chao, he died in Wei Wuxian's hands.

Wang Lingjiao (Chinese: 王灵娇; pinyin: Wáng Língjiāo)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Qiu Qiu (animation, web series), Yan Mengmeng (audio drama)

Played by: Lu Enjie

Wang Lingjiao was a former maid of Wen Chao's principal wife and later his lover. Despite only achieving her status by engaging in sexual activities with Wen Chao, she was arrogant and pompous. She also guarded her status as Wen Chao's favorite, and did her best to eliminate any competition, like volunteering Mianmian as a sacrifice when she witnessed Wen Chao flirting with her. She died in Wei Wuxian's hands, and later became a fierce corpse where she turned against Wen Chao in an attempt to kill him.

The Yunmeng Jiang Sect (simplified Chinese: 云梦江氏; traditional Chinese: 雲夢江氏; pinyin: Yúnmèng Jiāng Shì) is a cultivational sect located in Yunmeng's Lotus Pier (simplified Chinese: 莲花坞; traditional Chinese: 蓮花塢; pinyin: Liánhuā Wù). The current leader is Jiang Cheng. The real-life counterpart to the sect's location is Yunmeng in Hubei province.

Jiang Fengmian (Chinese: 江枫眠; pinyin: Jiāng Fēngmián)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Tang Shuiyu (animation, web series), Zhang Zhen (audio drama)

Played by: Lu Jianmin

Jiang Fengmian was the former leader of the Jiang Sect. He was the husband of Yu Ziyuan and the father of Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. He was friends with Wei Wuxian's father, Wei Changze, who was a servant of the sect. He was also familiar with Wei Wuxian's mother, Cangse Sanren, and it was rumored that he was in love with her. When he heard that both parents had died on a night-hunt (simplified Chinese: 夜猎; traditional Chinese: 夜獵; pinyin: Yè Liè), he dedicated himself to finding their son. He eventually found Wei Wuxian on the streets of Yiling and fed him a piece of melon before carrying him home to Yunmeng. Because of his treatment to Wei Wuxian which was seen as better than how he treated his own son, he and his wife often argued. Along with his wife, he died in Wen Sect's hands during their invasion of the Lotus Pier.

Jiang Cheng (Chinese: 江澄; pinyin: Jiāng Chéng), courtesy name Wanyin (Chinese: 晚吟; pinyin: Wǎnyín), thus also known as Jiang Wanyin (Chinese: 江晚吟; pinyin: Jiāng Wǎnyín)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Guo Haoran (animation), Peng Yao (audio drama), Wang Kai (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Hikaru Midorikawa (audio drama, web series)

Played by: Wang Zhuocheng (adult), Huang Zhenchen (child)

Jiang Cheng is the current leader of the Jiang Sect. Titled Sandu Shengshou (simplified Chinese: 三毒圣手; traditional Chinese: 三毒聖手; pinyin: Sāndú Shèngshǒu), he is the brother of Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian, and the uncle of Jin Ling. He is a straight-laced and strict man who abides by the rules. He has a deep care for his family and friends and knows to respect his elders. At the beginning, he had a good relationship with Wei Wuxian, despite the latter often annoying him with his mischief. However, his hatred for the Wen Sect caused a great strain in their relationship. This eventually became pure hatred when Wen Ning accidentally killed his brother-in-law (Jin Zixuan) and his sister died while protecting Wei Wuxian. However, ultimately, he gives up this hatred after learning how Wei Wuxian had sacrificed his Golden Core for him. Though despite all these, he still loves his nephew Jin Ling, and acts in a strict manner like his mother had did to him as a child.

Jiang Yanli (Chinese: 江厌离; pinyin: Jiāng Yànlí)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Li Shimeng (animation), Qiao Shiyu (audio drama), Bai Xuecen (web series)

Voiced by (Japanese): Saori Hayami (web series)

Played by: Xuan Lu (adult), Ye Xuantong (child)

Jiang Yanli was the daughter of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan, and older sister of Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. She was a very kind person who would always protect her younger brothers and offer them emotional support. She had an arranged marriage with Jin Zixuan as their mothers were very close. But she did not like Jin Zixuan at first, and was even mocked at by him for being average. The engagement was called off until Jin Zixuan realised his mistake and pursued her again. They were then blessed with a son, Jin Ling, but were unable to raise him for long as they died in the hands of Wen Ning.

Yu Ziyuan (Chinese: 虞紫鸢; pinyin: Yú Zǐyuān)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Ji Guanlin (animation), Zhang Kai (audio drama), Li Jinyan (web series)

Played by: Zhang Jingtong

Yu Ziyuan was the wife of Jiang Fengmian, and mother of Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. She had a cold and assertive personality which did not come off as likeable. Titled Madam Yu (Chinese: 虞夫人; pinyin: Yú Fūrén) and Violet Spider (Chinese: 紫蜘蛛; pinyin: Zǐ Zhīzhū), she was a formidable cultivator whose name alone could scare quite a few people away. She had a poor relationship with Wei Wuxian, as she viewed him as the cause of all problems that befall her family. She would often speak poorly of him in her conversations with Jiang Fengmian. She obliged to whip him with Zidian (simplified Chinese: 紫电; traditional Chinese: 紫電; pinyin: Zǐ Diàn) when Wang Lingjiao demanded him to be punished. However, she showed some care towards Wei Wuxian when she did not chop off his hand despite Wang Lingjiao's demands. Along with her husband, she died in Wen Sect's hands during their invasion of the Lotus Pier. During her final moments, she told Wei Wuxian to protect Jiang Cheng with his life.

During Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's mission, they arrived at Yi City (Chinese: 义城; pinyin: Yì chéng) and bumped into Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling and some other disciples from different sects during their night hunt. From there, they uncover the truth of Xiao Xingchen's death and found the missing right arm for the mission.

Xiao Xingchen (Chinese: 晓星尘; pinyin: Xiǎo Xīngchén)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Chen Hao (audio drama), Chenzhang Taikang (web series)

Played by: Song Jiyang

Also known as Daozhang (Chinese: 道长; pinyin: Dàozháng), Xiao Xingchen was one of Baoshan Sanren's (Chinese: 抱山散人) students who left the mountain for the mortal world. He and his best friend Song Lan were once called "the bright moon and cold breeze Xiao Xingchen, the distant snow and cold frost Song Zichen" (Chinese: 明月清风晓星尘，傲雪凌霜宋字琛). He first met A-Qing who was in the midst of using her fake blindness to steal money, and the latter started following him around. After finding an injured person lying unconscious on the street, later revealed to be Xue Yang, the three of them started living in an uninhabited coffin house. During their time here, he once told them stories about some of Baoshan Sanren's disciples, including Wei Wuxian's parents. Throughout the years, he went on night-hunts with Xue Yang, unknowingly killing innocent people who were put under Corpse Poisoning by the latter. After finding out the truth about Xue Yang's identity from A-Qing, he told her to run away while he confronted Xue Yang. However, the truth of him unintentionally killing Song Lan put him in great misery, hence he committed suicide. As this method of death caused his soul to be shattered, Xue Yang was unable to turn him into a fierce corpse. Not willing to let him go, Xue Yang stored his soul in a spirit-trapping pouch, which was later presented to Wei Wuxian when he sought his help to restore it. At the end, after hearing A-Qing's story, the disciples cried and mourned over their deaths while they burned incense money for him and A-Qing right outside Yi City.

Song Lan (Chinese: 宋岚; pinyin: Sòng Lán), courtesy name 子琛 (Chinese: 子琛; pinyin: Zichēn), thus also known as Song Zichen (Chinese: 宋子琛; pinyin: Sòng Zichēn)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Wu Lei (audio drama), Lu Lifeng (web series)

Played by: Li Bowen

Song Lan was a cultivator from Baixue Temple, and best friend of Xiao Xingchen. He was described by Xiao Xingchen to be "a man with strong sense of righteousness". He and Xiao Xingchen were once called "the bright moon and cold breeze Xiao Xingchen, the distant snow and cold frost Song Zichen". He once had his eyes blinded and poisoned by Xue Yang when Baixue Temple was destroyed. But Xiao Xingchen dug out his own eyes and gave them to him after bringing him to Baoshan Sanren's residence and begging her to save him. While searching for Xiao Xingchen after his sudden disappearance, he came across A-Qing who was out playing on her own. A-Qing then helped him get to Xiao Xingchen. When they arrived at the coffin house, he recognised Xue Yang immediately and advised A-Qing to stay away from this matter, although she then followed him secretly. During his fight with Xue Yang, the latter gave him Corpse Poisoning and cut off his tongue, hence he was rendered mute. Xue Yang later tricked Xiao Xingchen into killing him. In his final moments, he did not make a sound as he did not want to let Xiao Xingchen know it was him. After his death, Xue Yang turned him into a fierce corpse who will obey him, and he was also summoned to fight Wei Wuxian. But Wei Wuxian managed to return his consciousness and gave him the spirit-trapping pouch that contained Xiao Xingchen's and A-Qing's souls. When asked what he would do with Xiao Xingchen's body, he lamented that he would cremate his body, roam the world with Xiao Xingchen's sword Shuanghua (Chinese: 霜华; pinyin: Shuānghuá) to eliminate evil, and await for his return so he could tell him that this was never his fault.

A-Qing (Chinese: 阿箐; pinyin: Ā-qīng)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Yang Neng (audio drama), He Wenxiao (web series)

Played by: Chen Zhuoxuan

A-Qing was a young maiden who lived on the streets prior to meeting Xiao Xingchen and she was an expert at pretending to be blind. After encountering Xiao Xingchen, she started following him against his will at first, but they eventually started living together in an uninhabited coffin house with Xue Yang. Throughout the years, she was extremely cautious about Xue Yang and protective of Xiao Xingchen, hence she would follow them sometimes, uncovering Xue Yang's secrets in the process. When she witnessed how Xue Yang tricked Xiao Xingchen into killing Song Lan, she immediately decided to bring Xiao Xingchen away to keep him safe. However, Xiao Xingchen told her to run away instead while he confronted Xue Yang himself. As she went around searching for a powerful cultivator to seek revenge for Xiao Xingchen, Xue Yang found her. After continuously insulting Xue Yang in anger, the latter lost his patience and dug out her eyes and cut her tongue, resulting in her death. When Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and the disciples arrived at Yi City, as a walking corpse, she kept on warning them about Xue Yang. However, her muteness brought about confusion until Wei Wuxian finally figured out her intentions. To learn more about her story, Wei Wuxian used Empathy, a rite that allows a spirit to use one's body as a medium, allowing oneself to see, feel and hear their memories. After hearing her story, the disciples cried and mourned over her death while they burned incense money for her and Xiao Xingchen right outside Yi City.

Xue Yang (Chinese: 薛洋; pinyin: Xuē Yáng), courtesy name 成美 (Chinese: 成美; pinyin: Chéngměi), thus also known as Xue Chengmei (Chinese: 薛成美; pinyin: Xuē Chéngměi)

Voiced by (Mandarin): Hui Long (audio drama), Liu Sanmu (web series)

Played by: Wang Haoxuan

Xue Yang was a guest disciple of the Jin Sect who recreated the other half of the Stygian Tiger Seal. He was found by Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing while he was injured and unconscious on the streets. He was then brought to an uninhabited coffin house where the two tended to his injuries. As the two did not know his real identity, he used Xiao Xingchen's blindness to his advantage and ended up living with them for years through deception. However, he was exposed when A-Qing witnessed his malicious intent. He fought Xiao Xingchen and ultimately revealed the truth, which caused Xiao Xingchen to commit suicide. As Xue Yang was unable to turn him into a fierce corpse, he stored his shattered soul in a spirit-trapping pouch. He later found A-Qing who was seeking revenge, and killed her by digging her eyes and cutting her tongue out. When Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and the disciples arrived at Yi City, he pretended to be Xiao Xingchen and tricked them to get himself some alone time with Wei Wuxian. Revealing that he has been searching for the Yiling Patriarch, he then presented Wei Wuxian the spirit-trapping pouch and threatened him to restore it. Wei Wuxian saw through his act and quickly found out he was Xue Yang. The two then got into a fight, and Lan Wangji subsequently took over while Wei Wuxian goes to find A-Qing with the disciples. After knowing the whole truth about the past, Wei Wuxian returned to the battle to aid in killing him. However, he was taken away by the gravedigger in the middle of battle. It was unclear whether he had died, but both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji believed that his injuries were too serious to be healed.

The original novel was written by its author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (Chinese: 墨香铜臭) from 2015 until 2016, and published on the online platform Jinjiang Wenxuecheng (Chinese: 晋江文学城).[18] The paper book was published by Pinsin Studio (Chinese: 平心工作室) in 2016 in Traditional Chinese, and then published by Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House (Chinese: 四川文艺出版社) in 2018 in Simplified Chinese.

Mo Dao Zu Shi also has a manhua adaptation with the same name, officially published by KuaiKan Manhua (Chinese: 快看漫画).[19] The first chapter was published on December 8, 2017, with a new update releasing every Saturday (GMT +08:00), and subsequently changed to every Monday (GMT +08:00).

The manhua was awarded the silver award for Best Web Popularity Comic Adaption at the 16th China Animation Golden Dragon Award.[20] The manhua was awarded the Best Manhua award at the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival (1st Network Drama Awards).[21]

Mo Dao Zu Shi was adapted as an audio drama (Chinese: 魔道祖师广播剧; pinyin: Módào zǔshī guǎngbòjù), produced by Polar Penguin Studios and supervised by the original novel's author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.[22] It consists of three seasons and is broadcast on the Chinese audio streaming website MissEvan.com (Chinese: 猫耳FM).[23] The first season aired from June 8 to August 24, 2018 with a total of 12 episodes along with some extras. The second season aired from October 5, 2018 to April 5, 2019 with a total of 16 episodes along with some extras.[24] The theme song is "何以歌" (pinyin: Héyǐ gē; lit.: 'What To Sing'), and is performed by Aki阿杰. Starting from Episode 11 of Season 2, the theme song has changed to "忘羡" (pinyin: Wàngxiàn; lit.: 'Forgetting Envies'). This is a duet between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, and is performed by Wu En and Zhu Qiang. The third and final season aired from June 17 to December 29, 2019 with a total of 17 episodes along with some extras.[25] The theme song for Season 3 is "人间纵我" (pinyin: Renjian zongwo; lit.: 'Untamed as I am'), and is performed by Wu En and Yu Xia.

The audio drama proved to be a critical and financial success, praised for its storyline, high production value, and the voice actors' performances. It has amassed hundreds of million playbacks across all three seasons, with each episode placing on top of the weekly rankings during their original run. All three seasons still remain as the website's top 3 most listened to series in the overall ranking, months after they ended.

The Chinese audio drama's massive popularity led to it being brought over to Japan for a localized adaptation, produced by Brave Hearts and in close collaboration with the original Chinese audio drama team.[26] Known as Ma Dou So Shi (魔道祖師日本語版ラジオドラマ, lit. "Ma Dou So Shi Japanese Radio Drama"), it is simultaneously broadcast on the Japanese audio streaming app MiMiFM[27] and the Chinese audio streaming website MissEvan.com[28] every Friday at 6pm Japan Standard Time (GMT +09:00). The first season started airing on January 24, 2020.

Mo Dao Zu Shi was adapted for a live action web series titled The Untamed (Chinese: 陈情令; pinyin: Chén qíng lìng), produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures and New Style Media.[29] It stars Xiao Zhan as Wei Wuxian and Wang Yibo as Lan Wangji.[30] It aired in China on Tencent Video from June 27, 2019 to August 20, 2019 for 50 episodes; with two episodes every Thursday and Friday (GMT +08:00), but was changed to every Monday and Wednesday (GMT +08:00) starting July 1, 2019.[31] The theme song, sang by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, was titled "忘羡" (pinyin: Wàngxiàn; lit.: 'Forgetting Envies') before being renamed to "无羁" (pinyin: Wú jī; lit.: 'Without Restrain').[32]