Born from the Demon Pill when he should have embodied the Spirit Pearl, Nezha grew up rejected by everyone. The first film saw him defy his fate; the second puts him through an even greater trial alongside Ao Bing.
Personality
Insolent, impulsive and bursting with energy, Nezha hides beneath his provocations a deep need to be loved. He is loyal to his parents and to Ao Bing, and refuses all injustice.
Powers & abilities
As the incarnation of the Demon Pill, he has immense destructive power. He wields the fire-tipped spear and the wind-fire wheels, and has his body rebuilt from lotus by his master, Taiyi Zhenren.
History
After the heavenly lightning that closes the first film, his soul survives thanks to Taiyi Zhenren. To give Ao Bing a body back, he must share his own with him and pass a series of trials, before uncovering a far larger conspiracy within Heaven itself.
Relationships
Ao Bing is his friend, rival and double. His parents, Li Jing and Lady Yin, love him unconditionally. Taiyi Zhenren is his master, as eccentric as he is devoted.
Key moments
- His famous line "My fate is mine, not heaven's" in the first film.
- His forced cohabitation with Ao Bing in a single body.
- The revelation of the heavenly conspiracy.
In the adaptations
Ne Zha (2019) and Ne Zha 2 (2025), directed by Jiaozi, became the biggest hits in Chinese animation history. The second is the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
Did you know?
- Nezha is a character from the classic novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi).
- Director Jiaozi spent several years on Ne Zha 2, with more than 1,900 visual effects shots.
Our take
Nezha is the character who took Chinese animation to another level. His rebellion against fate moves children and adults alike.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan