Biao Ren
Chinese manhua and donghua series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Biao Ren (Chinese: 镖人), also known as Blades of the Guardians, is a Chinese manhua written and illustrated by Xianzhe Xu. It began serialization in July 2015 and is set during the late Sui dynasty, incorporating elements of wuxia and historical fiction. The series follows Dao Ma, a wandering escort, against the backdrop of political and military turmoil in the final years of the dynasty.[7] A 2023 profile published by Phoenix reported that the series had accumulated more than two billion readings across more than 50 online platforms in mainland China.[8] The manga has also been published overseas, including in Japan and South Korea.[9] Thirteen collected volumes had been published by January 2026.[10]
- Beijing United Publishing Company
- Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing
- New Comics
- Tencent Comics
by Xianzhe Xu
| Biao Ren | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Biao Ren: Blades of the Guardians |
| 镖人 | |
| Created by | Xianzhe Xu[3] |
| Based on | Biao Ren [3]by Xianzhe Xu |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by |
|
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer |
|
| Opening theme | Ju (局)[5] |
| Ending theme | Bei Yan (北雁) — Cheng Zhichao and Zoey (Yang Ziyi)[5] |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | China[6] |
| Original language | Chinese |
| No. of seasons | 2[3][4] |
| No. of episodes | 23[3][4] |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Yu Beibei[4] |
| Producer | Niu Xiuyu[4] |
| Running time | 25 minutes[4] |
| Production company | Colored Pencil Animation[6][4] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Tencent Video[6][3] |
| Release | 1 June 2023[6][3] – 23 July 2026[4] |
An animated television adaptation premiered on Tencent Video on June 1, 2023. The series was produced by Tencent Video and New Comics, with Colored Pencil Animation serving as the animation production studio.[11] Its second season premiered exclusively on Tencent Video on June 11, 2026.[12] The season concluded on July 23, 2026, after eight episodes.[4]
A live-action film adaptation, Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert, was directed by Yuen Woo-ping and stars Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, Yu Shi, and Jet Li. It was released in China on February 17, 2026.[13] A live-action television adaptation is also in development at Youku.[14]
Plot
Set during the final years of the Sui dynasty, Biao Ren follows Dao Ma, a skilled and hardened bodyguard who makes a living escorting people and goods across the dangerous western frontier of China. After accepting a seemingly ordinary escort assignment, Dao Ma becomes entangled in a larger conflict involving political intrigue, rival factions, bandits, and the shifting balance of power during the collapse of the Sui state.
The journey brings Dao Ma into contact with Xiao Qi, a young boy whose circumstances are closely connected to the political and military struggles surrounding them. Although initially motivated primarily by survival and payment, Dao Ma gradually becomes responsible for Xiao Qi's safety. Their relationship develops against the backdrop of a violent frontier where professional escorts, soldiers, bandits, merchants, and local rulers pursue conflicting interests.
As Dao Ma and Xiao Qi travel westward, they encounter a succession of warriors and factions whose personal ambitions are intertwined with the wider political upheaval. The story moves between large-scale conflicts and more personal struggles, exploring loyalty, survival, revenge, and the consequences of violence. Dao Ma's reputation as a formidable fighter repeatedly draws him into confrontations, while his past and his reasons for living as an escort gradually become clearer.
The narrative combines the conventions of wuxia with elements of historical fiction and frontier adventure. Historical events and figures from the late Sui period provide the broader setting, while the characters and their individual conflicts drive the story. The decline of the dynasty forms an increasingly important backdrop as competing powers attempt to establish influence in the regions through which Dao Ma and Xiao Qi travel.
Throughout their journey, Dao Ma is forced to choose between the pragmatism that has allowed him to survive and the bonds he forms with others. His relationship with Xiao Qi becomes increasingly important to both characters, while the dangers surrounding them grow as their movements bring them into contact with more powerful political and military forces. The resulting conflict expands from a seemingly routine escort mission into a struggle involving the lives and interests of numerous factions.
Creation
Development
According to an interview with The Paper, Xu Xianzhe spent more than four years preparing Biao Ren before its publication. Xu had no formal training in fine arts and initially found it difficult to translate the images in his imagination into finished drawings. He therefore spent years practising his drawing skills while simultaneously developing the story and researching its historical setting.[16]
Xu later described the preparation period as a process of continuous experimentation. He said that when the story lacked sufficient depth, he turned to historical sources to establish a stronger foundation, while questions concerning historical details were researched through consultation with specialists and other sources.[17]
The development process also involved substantial revision before serialization. Contemporary accounts of Xu's early work describe a large body of preliminary material and storyboards produced while he was developing the published version of the manga. One later account, drawing on material from the author's early development, states that more than 2,000 pages of discarded drafts had been produced before the first volume was completed.[18]
Xu has said that he did not approach the work primarily with the expectation of commercial success. Instead, he emphasised the importance of making a work that met his own standards and maintaining sincerity in the creative process.[17]
Influences
Xu's conception of Biao Ren was influenced by manga, cinema and historical fiction. In a 2018 interview, he described the series as being built around a historical foundation while incorporating elements from Hong Kong films, Italian Westerns and Japanese sword-fighting films. He also expressed a longstanding interest in the spirit of the wuxia tradition and sought to combine these influences into a cinematic martial-arts story.[19]
Japanese manga was another important influence on Xu's artistic development. Accounts of the series' creation have specifically associated his work with artists including Takehiko Inoue and Hiroshi Hirata, while Vagabond, Blade of the Immortal and Sōten Kōro have been cited when discussing the visual influences surrounding Biao Ren.[18]
The comparisons with Japanese manga have also been discussed in the context of Xu's efforts to establish his own visual identity. A 2023 profile of the author described the influence of Japanese artists while presenting Biao Ren as the result of Xu's own development as a largely self-taught artist rather than as a direct reproduction of another artist's style.[18]
Xu's cinematic influences were reflected in the way he approached action and composition. His interviews indicate that films were an important part of his visual education, and that he often drew inspiration from cinema alongside manga and historical material.[19]
Historical research
Historical research became a central part of the development of Biao Ren. Xu studied the Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty, using historical material to give the story a stronger foundation and to inform details of the fictional world.[17]
The historical research extended beyond major political events. Xu has discussed researching weapons and other historical details, while contemporary profiles of the manga describe his use of historical references concerning weapons, architecture and clothing when constructing the world of the series.[18]
The late Sui period was particularly suitable for Xu's approach because it provided a historical environment marked by political instability and social upheaval while leaving room for fictional characters and martial-arts narratives. Rather than treating the manga as a straightforward historical chronicle, Xu used the period as the historical framework for a fictional story.[20]
The combination of historical research and genre influences consequently became one of the defining features of the series. Xu used the historical setting as the foundation while incorporating the conventions of wuxia, Westerns and action cinema, giving the work a deliberately cinematic and historically grounded identity.[20]
Characters and visual design
Dao Ma was among the earliest characters associated with Xu's conception of the series. The character's role as a wandering escort travelling through a period of political and social disorder reflects the author's interest in combining the wandering-hero tradition of wuxia with a historical road-story structure.[19]
Xu also drew upon cinematic references when developing his characters. Contemporary coverage has reported that Dao Ma's visual appearance was influenced in part by Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-fai.[21]
Xu's approach to character creation was closely connected with his broader view of comics. In a 2021 interview, he described his preference for creating from a personal and sincere standpoint rather than designing the work primarily around proving its commercial or artistic superiority.[17]
Publication
After several years of preparation, Biao Ren began serialization in China in 2015. The series subsequently expanded into international markets, including Japan, where Shōnen Gahōsha published the Japanese edition under the title 鏢人 -BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS-. The first Japanese collected volume was released on September 25, 2018.[22]
The Chinese collected edition has been published in thirteen volumes. The first volume was published by Beijing United Publishing Company on April 1, 2018, while the thirteenth volume was published in late 2025. The thirteenth volume collects chapters 118–122.[23][24]
Volume list
| No. | Chinese release date | Chinese ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 1, 2018[25] | 978-7-5596-1297-7 | |
| |||
| 2 | June 1, 2018[26] | 978-7-5596-1546-6 | |
| |||
| 3 | August 1, 2018[27] | 978-7-5596-2275-4 | |
| |||
| 4 | October 1, 2018[28] | 978-7-5596-2579-3 | |
| |||
| 5 | January 1, 2019[29] | 978-7-5596-2844-2 | |
| |||
| 6 | June 1, 2019[30] | 978-7-5596-3030-8 | |
| |||
| 7 | July 1, 2019[31] | 978-7-5596-3167-1 | |
| |||
| 8 | September 1, 2019[32] | 978-7-5594-3169-1 | |
| |||
| 9 | January 1, 2020[33] | 978-7-5594-4162-1 | |
| |||
| 10 | July 1, 2020[34] | 978-7-5594-4943-6 | |
| |||
| 11 | March 1, 2022[35] | 978-7-5596-5914-9 | |
| |||
| 12 | August 1, 2024[36] | 978-7-5596-7756-3 | |
| |||
| 13 | December 31, 2025[23][24] | 978-7-5596-8899-6 | |
| |||
Adaptations
Donghua
A donghua adaptation of Biao Ren was announced by Tencent Penguin Pictures in 2020. The series was produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures in collaboration with Colored Pencil Animation Design and its Japanese counterpart, Colored Pencil Animation Japan. A promotional video for the adaptation was released in September 2021.[37]
Season 1
The first season premiered on Tencent Video on June 1, 2023. It consists of 15 episodes and concluded on August 17, 2023.[38][39]
The first season was produced by Colored Pencil Animation Design. The production sought to preserve the historical atmosphere and action-oriented visual style of Xu Xianzhe's manga while adapting the story for animation.[37]
Following the conclusion of the first season, The Beijing News published an interview with Xu Xianzhe discussing the relationship between the historical setting of the series and its fictional elements. The report stated that the first season concluded with a score of 8.8 on the platform referenced by the publication.[39]
The production team also discussed the visual influence of Hong Kong martial-arts cinema on the adaptation. In an interview published during the first season's broadcast, the creators expressed an interest in reproducing the lighting and atmosphere associated with the film New Dragon Gate Inn while maintaining the visual characteristics of the original manga.[40]
Season 2
A second season was promoted at the 2025 Tencent Video Animation Awards, where a new promotional video for the series was presented.[41]
The second season premiered on Tencent Video on June 11, 2026. It consists of eight episodes, with the first two episodes released on the premiere date and subsequent episodes released weekly.[42]
Animation Digital Network also began broadcasting the second season on June 11, 2026, as a simulcast with Chinese audio and German subtitles. ADN lists the second season as an eight-episode production animated by Colored-Pencil Animation Design, with Deng Zhi Wei as director.[43]
The second season was subsequently included in ADN's July 2026 simulcast line-up, where it was listed as an eight-episode series with new episodes released on Thursdays.[44]
The second season continues Dao Ma's journey toward Chang'an, where his escort mission becomes connected to a wider conflict involving political intrigue and martial-arts factions. The international synopsis published by ADN describes Dao Ma as a mercenary who becomes involved in a conspiracy after accepting an assignment to escort a mysterious prisoner to the imperial capital.[43]
Episode list
The animated series consists of two seasons and 23 episodes. The first season consists of 15 episodes, which aired on WeTV from June 1 to August 17, 2023. The second season consists of eight episodes, which aired from June 11 to July 23, 2026.[45]
Season 1 (2023)
15
| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Escorts Outside the Great Wall 塞外镖客" | June 1, 2023 |
| 2 | "Two-Headed Snake 双头蛇" | June 1, 2023 |
| 3 | "Turbulent 风起云涌" | June 8, 2023 |
| 4 | "Jade Face and Beauty 玉面与红颜" | June 8, 2023 |
| 5 | "Trade 交易" | June 15, 2023 |
| 6 | "Chess and Game 棋与局" | June 15, 2023 |
| 7 | "Wolf Children 狼的孩子们" | June 22, 2023 |
| 8 | "Sandstorm Is Coming 风沙将至" | June 29, 2023 |
| 9 | "People of the Desert 荒漠之民" | July 6, 2023 |
| 10 | "The Great Sandstorm 大沙暴" | July 13, 2023 |
| 11 | "Hua Yan Tuan 花颜团" | July 20, 2023 |
| 12 | "The Khan and the General 可汗与将军" | July 27, 2023 |
| 13 | "The Truth 真相" | August 3, 2023 |
| 14 | "The Winner and the Crown 胜者与王冠" | August 10, 2023 |
| 15 | "Daughter of the Desert 大漠的女儿" | August 17, 2023 |
Season 2 (2026)
The second season consists of eight episodes. The first two episodes aired on June 11, 2026, followed by weekly releases through July 23, 2026. TheTVDB lists the episodes as "Episode 1" through "Episode 8", with runtimes ranging from 20 to 28 minutes.[46]
8
| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | June 11, 2026 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | June 11, 2026 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | June 18, 2026 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | June 25, 2026 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | July 2, 2026 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | July 9, 2026 |
| 7 | "Episode 7" | July 16, 2026 |
| 8 | "Episode 8" | July 23, 2026 |
Production and staff
The donghua adaptation was produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures and Colored Pencil Animation. The first season was directed by Shi Juansheng and Deng Zhiwei, with the production team adapting Xu Xianzhe's original manga for animation. The series retained the manga's historical setting and martial-arts focus while using an ink-inspired visual style.[37]
For the second season, Shi Juansheng and Deng Zhiwei were credited as directors, with Wang Mengqi serving as series composer. The writing team included Wang Mengqi, Zhao Laile and Ma Yiran, among others. Production credits also list Shi Juansheng, Deng Zhiwei and other artists in the character-design and animation departments.[47]
The second season continued to be animated by Colored Pencil Animation. Its production retained the series' emphasis on detailed character animation, large-scale action sequences and an ink-wash-inspired visual presentation.[48]
International distribution
The donghua was subsequently distributed outside mainland China. In 2026, Animation Digital Network included the second season among its simulcast programming, making the continuation available to international viewers alongside its Chinese broadcast.[43]
Animation Digital Network subsequently listed the series among its July 2026 simulcasts, confirming its continued availability on the platform during the second season's broadcast period.[49]
Historical and cultural material
The second season was accompanied by a series of historical and cultural featurettes released through Tencent. One feature published on July 23, 2026 focused on the Guanlong Group, a political and military aristocratic network that played an important role in the history of the Northern Zhou, Sui and early Tang periods. The featurette provided additional historical context for the world depicted in the animation.[48]
The use of historical featurettes alongside the animated series reflects the production's emphasis on the historical background of Xu's original manga. Rather than treating the Sui-era setting solely as a fictional backdrop, the promotional material also presented historical institutions, political groups and cultural elements associated with the period.[48]
Live-action film
A live-action film adaptation of Biao Ren, titled Blades of the Guardians, was announced in 2023. Yuen Woo-ping was attached to direct, with Wu Jing serving as producer and starring as Dao Ma alongside Nicholas Tse. Filming began in Xinjiang in July 2024, with Jet Li and Yu Shi later joining the cast. The film was released in China in February 2026.[50]
Television series
A live-action television series adaptation of Biao Ren is in development at Youku. The series is directed by Xu Hongyu and written by Chen Shu, and is produced by Youku in association with White Sea Turtle and Rex Animal. It is based on Xu Xianzhe's Biao Ren manga.[51][52][53]
In September 2024, Xu Hongyu stated that production of the series was planned after the post-production of I Am Nobody and the production of The Days.[54]
Reception
Manhua
Biao Ren has received favorable attention for its artwork, action sequences, historical setting, and detailed depiction of its characters and environments. The series also attracted attention in Japan, where manga editors and artists took an interest in the work. A 2019 report by Mainichi Shimbun noted the series' reception in Japan and reported praise from manga artists including Rumiko Takahashi and Tōru Fujisawa.[55]
The manga achieved strong commercial and online readership in China. Phoenix New Media reported in 2018 that the first collected volume sold more than 100,000 copies within one month of publication, while a later report stated that the first ten collected volumes had sold more than one million copies.[56][57] In June 2023, Phoenix New Media reported that the series had accumulated more than two billion views across more than 50 Chinese online platforms since its 2015 debut.[58]
The manga was also published internationally, including in Japan by Shōnen Gahōsha, where it was released under the title Hyoujin - Blades of the Guardians.[59]
Critical response
Reviews of Biao Ren have highlighted its detailed artwork, action sequences, historical setting, and combination of wuxia elements with historical storytelling. A 2026 review by Manga-News of the French edition's first volume described the series as combining action and historical elements and praised Xu Xianzhe's detailed visual style. The review also discussed the artistic influences associated with Xu's approach to historical and martial-arts storytelling.[60]
Reviews of the German editions have similarly emphasized the manga's artwork, action, and expanding narrative. Manga Passion, in its review of volume 6, discussed the series' detailed artwork and action, while its review of volumes 7 and 8 examined the expanding cast and broader scope of the story.[61]
Chinese commentary has also emphasized the manga's historical subject matter and its use of Chinese cultural elements. A 2023 article by China Youth Network discussed Biao Ren in the context of Chinese comics and its use of historical material to construct a martial-arts narrative, while also highlighting the series' visual and narrative characteristics.[62]
Japanese coverage has also documented the manga's reception among professional manga creators and editors. A 2019 Mainichi Shimbun report described Biao Ren as attracting attention in Japan and reported positive assessments of the work from manga creators including Rumiko Takahashi and Tōru Fujisawa. The article also discussed the manga's expansion into the Japanese and Korean markets.[63]
Donghua
The donghua also attracted strong audience attention upon its release. A July 2023 report carried by Xinhua News Agency, citing Guangzhou Daily, stated that the series had received positive reactions from both industry observers and viewers for its distinctive visual style, faithful adaptation of the source material, and bold use of color. The report also noted that the series had reached a 9.0/10 rating on Douban during its initial broadcast period.[64]
The first season also received recognition from Chinese animation institutions and broadcasters. Biao Ren won the Silver Award for Best Series Animation at the 20th China Animation Golden Dragon Award in 2023 and received multiple honors at the 2023 Tencent Video Golden Goose Honors. The series was subsequently included among the animation entries of the 29th Shanghai Television Festival in 2024.[65][66][67]
Critical response
Critical response to the Biao Ren donghua has largely focused on its visual style, action animation, faithfulness to the source material, and treatment of wuxia themes. Contemporary Chinese coverage praised the adaptation for retaining the original manga's distinctive visual identity while translating its large-scale action and historical setting into animation. The Paper described the series at its June 2023 premiere as a highly faithful adaptation, highlighting its hard-edged action, distinctive linework, restrained color palette, and the strong visual impact of its opening episodes.[68]
A subsequent review in The Paper argued that the adaptation had successfully captured the "flavor" of Xu Xianzhe's original manga. The review particularly praised the handling of the protagonist Dao Ma, the relatively faithful early story structure, and the emphasis placed on the major action sequences. It also identified the difficulty of adapting the manga's distinctive artistic style and extensive action choreography, while concluding that the anime had made a strong start.[69]
China Youth Daily likewise highlighted the donghua's visual and historical presentation. Its coverage praised the use of desert-inspired colors, ink-like linework, and carefully researched costumes, architecture, weapons, and other period details. The report also noted the production team's reconstruction of horseback combat and large-scale action scenes, emphasizing the adaptation's effort to combine historical research with the visual language of wuxia animation.[70]
Beijing Daily also reported positively on the production's visual and technical approach before its premiere. Coverage of an advance screening emphasized the series' treatment of the late-Sui setting, its attention to character design and sound production, and the use of environmental sound recording to strengthen the sense of place. The report also noted that Xu Xianzhe regarded the animation as adding new expressive possibilities to the manga through its visual presentation and action sequences.[71]
A later The Paper overview characterized the first season as an upper-tier Chinese animated production, noting that although the animation was somewhat less rough in appearance than the manga, it retained the source material's story and visual character while receiving particular praise for its action design, music, and voice acting.[72]
International coverage also drew attention to the adaptation's visual qualities. Collider described the trailer as featuring distinctive animation and striking imagery, presenting the series as a visually ambitious adaptation of Xu Xianzhe's Chinese comic.[73]
Reception of the second season has been more divided. The Beijing News praised the continuation of the series' wuxia and historical themes and described the second season as expanding the narrative into a broader political setting, while maintaining its distinctive visual identity and action-oriented approach.[74]
A July 2026 review published by The Paper praised the second season's action production, describing its fight scenes as more numerous and more elaborate than those of the first season and highlighting the speed, intensity, and use of 2D animation in its major combat sequences.[75]
At the same time, audience reception to the second season was less uniformly positive. Bangumi users praised aspects of its historical material and production quality but also criticized pacing, dialogue, dubbing, narrative focus, and the increased use of 3D animation in some scenes. These comments represent user reception rather than a formal critical consensus.[76]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 20th China Animation Golden Dragon Award | Best Series Animation | Biao Ren | Won (Silver Award)[77] |
| 2023 | Tencent Video Golden Goose Honors | Animation of the Year with the Best Reputation | Biao Ren | Won[78] |
| 2023 | Tencent Video Golden Goose Honors | Best Art | Biao Ren | Won |
| 2023 | Tencent Video Golden Goose Honors | Animation Directors of the Year | Deng Zhiwei and Shi Juansheng | Won |
| 2024 | 29th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Animation / Best Animation Screenplay | Biao Ren | Nominated[79] |
