About “Mo Dao Zu Shi” in a few words:

Mo Dao Zu Shi is a Chinese web novel series written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It follows the story of Wei Wuxian, a mischievous and talented cultivator who is resurrected after his death and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind a series of conspiracies and mysteries. Along the way, he reunites with his old friend Lan Wangji, a stoic and honorable cultivator, and the two form a powerful bond as they battle evil forces and unravel the secrets of their past.

Meet the characters from Mo Dao Zu Shi

Wei Wuxian

Oh man, Wei Wuxian is pure, chaotic joy with a razor edge — he laughs first and then burns the rulebook, probably while playing a terrible song on his flute. He’s equal parts prankster, careless genius, and stubbornly loyal, which means he’ll do something reckless for the people he loves and grin the whole time. There’s this tragic, softer underlayer that sneaks out when he’s alone and you can tell he remembers everything (and also forgets nothing), which is maybe why he collects weird trinkets and snacks in his pockets. He’s infuriatingly warm and infuriatingly complicated, and yes he absolutely would adopt stray animals at midnight.

Lan Wangji

Lan Wangji is the calm mountain you want to argue with — unreadable at first, but secretly cataloging every awkward joke and every tiny kindness you’ve ever done. He is stoic to the point of art, strict about rules but will break so many of them for one person (don’t tell anyone I said that). He gives off this whole noble, white-clothed vibe and then, surprise, his dry sarcasm lands like a soft, unexpected punch. Quiet, principled, and also inexplicably fond of scolding people with precise eyebrow raises.

Jiang Cheng

Jiang Cheng is fire and salt and steel; he’s stubborn, fiercely honorable in his own bruised way, and carries decades of grudge like a favorite cloak. He yells a lot but it’s mostly because he cares so hard that he’s terrified of admitting softer things — pride as armor, vulnerability as compost. There’s this really tragic loyalty to his family and home that makes him brittle but also heroic when it counts, and yes he hoards ridiculous numbers of handkerchiefs or something equally domestic. He’s not subtle, he’s not polite, but when the chips are down he explodes into action and kind of saves everything in the most aggravating way.

Nie Huaisang

Don’t let the clumsy, dumb-act fool you — Nie Huaisang is the schemer who smiles and hands you tea while secretly moving chess pieces you didn’t even know were on the board. He fumbles with manners, forgets names on purpose sometimes, and then somehow knows exactly what will make everyone panic five steps from now. There’s a fondness for tiny baubles and embroidery and a ridiculous, unreliable laugh that hides a razor intellect. He’s petty in the most adorable way but also surprisingly brave when the plot needs it, which makes him wildly unpredictable in the best way.

Jin Guangyao

Polished, brilliant, and deliciously dangerous — Jin Guangyao is velvet-gloved ambition; he smiles like sunlight and cuts like winter. He’ll charm entire rooms, broker deals, and keep a ledger of favors that reads like a novel, all while quietly stacking power until you notice you’re standing on his chessboard. He seems urbane and soft but there’s an iron core that remembers slights and capitalizes on them, and he’s awkwardly into very specific teas and little gifts for literally everyone. It’s impossible to trust him completely but also, honestly, he’s fascinating to watch unspool.

Lan Xichen

Lan Xichen is the older-brother archetype turned into a person — calm, considerate, annoyingly fair, and somehow always knowing the right song to hum at the right sad hour. He embodies reason and patience and also has this low-key warmth that makes people uncrinkle their faces around him, which probably explains the whole “everyone confides in him” vibe. He’s a principled leader who can also be unexpectedly mischievous in a very refined way, like someone who eats dumplings with chopsticks as a personal rule. Gentlemanly energy, but don’t mistake that for weakness; he can be quietly, devastatingly decisive.

Wen Ning

Wen Ning is this giant soft wrecking ball of kindness who, for reasons, also ends up being terrifyingly protective when provoked — gentle as a dove and solid as a fortress. He smiles a lot (maybe too much) and has a weird affection for snacks, which is the most wholesome thing ever when contrasted with his reputation. He’d rather avoid fighting but becomes this unstoppable guardian if someone threatens his friends, which is both tragic and heroic. Innocent, brave, and oddly comforting, like a very big teddy bear that knows how to use a sword.

Xue Yang

Xue Yang is pure, gleeful chaos with a horror-movie grin — the kind of person who treats calamity like an art form and bad jokes as high comedy. He is theatrical, unpredictable, and loves messing with people’s heads, which makes him equal parts fascinating and terrifying (and also suspiciously into weird props). He’ll speak in riddles, wink at the wrong moments, and somehow make morbidity feel almost like a performance piece — very, very wrong but also oddly charismatic. He’s the sort of villain you keep watching because you can’t believe someone is actually this delightfully awful.