Known as the Sword Saint, Gai Nie is the greatest swordsman of his time. Formerly the King of Qin's chief sword master, he betrays the empire to protect young Tianming, son of the assassin Jing Ke, and becomes his master and protector.
Personality
Taciturn, calm and in total control of himself, Gai Nie speaks little and acts with precision. Beneath his apparent coldness lies a deep sense of justice and responsibility, which drives him to give up his position for a child he had no obligation to save.
Powers & abilities
A master of the Zongheng school, he wields the sword Yuanhong and the famous Hundred-Step Flying Sword technique, which gives the first season its name. His speed and reading of combat make him almost unbeatable.
History
Trained alongside Wei Zhuang by the master of the Zongheng school, Gai Nie enters the service of the King of Qin. After Jing Ke's death, he flees with Tianming, hunted by imperial armies and assassins. His wanderings take him to the Mohists and the great schools, where he protects Tianming while remaining caught in his rivalry with Wei Zhuang.
Relationships
Tianming is a disciple and almost a son to him. Wei Zhuang, his fellow Zongheng disciple, is his lifelong rival: the two men embody the two opposing paths of their school. He has an ambiguous bond with the First Emperor, whom he served before betraying him.
Key moments
- His escape with Tianming, facing the Qin cavalry alone.
- His duels with Wei Zhuang, choreographic high points of the series.
- The revelations about his past in the service of the King of Qin.
In the adaptations
Gai Nie is one of the donghua's most popular characters, carried by beautifully crafted fights. In the drama The Legend of Qin (2015) he is played by Lu Yi.
Did you know?
- Gai Nie is inspired by a swordsman mentioned in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, whom Jing Ke had met.
- His rivalry with Wei Zhuang echoes the opposition between the Zongheng school's two strategies, the vertical and horizontal alliances.
Our take
Gai Nie is the archetypal silent master, and the donghua draws magnificent scenes from him. His fights with Wei Zhuang alone are a reason to watch Qin's Moon.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan