Jade Empire/Characters

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Playable Characters

The Spirit Monk

The Player Character. Master Li's favorite pupil. Shortly after learning that s/he is the last Spirit Monk, his/her hometown of Two Rivers is destroyed and Master Li is captured. This prompts him/her to go on a journey to find Master Li and learn what his/her destiny is.

• Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: Closed Fist
• Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny: It seems your master trained this flaw in you to make you easier for him to kill. Incredibly, after defeating a small army, all it takes to kill you is to throw some bauble up in the air, you look up, and get blind sided as your master sucker punches you. The bastard...
  • Potentially Justified: as a Spirit Monk, you are likely attuned to spirits, and the bauble in question was the Water Dragon's spirit shard so it attracts your attention much more than the "spirit" of your mortal foes.
  • Interestingly enough, most of the people who point out this flaw are allies. Perhaps you let your guard down when you're not fighting to the death.
• Calling Your Attacks: Loudly announces every style they bring into combat.
• The Chosen One: Double Subverted: there's nothing particularly special about you Spirit Monk wise, you're just a kid who was born a few days before shit went down. However, with Sun Li's training and your status as the last of your kind, you're the only person in a position to end the problem of the walking dead.
• Cool Big Sis: How Dawn Star sees you if you're female.
• Deadpan Snarker: In true bioware tradition, almost every dialogue has a potential snarky response.
• Doomed Hometown: Twice, losing Dirge (born) and Two Rivers (raised).
• A God Am I: In the Closed Fist ending after absorbing the power of the Water Dragon.
• Heroic Mime
• Laser Guided Tykebomb
• Last of His Kind
• Martial Pacifist: The Open Palm path has you try to avoid conflict unless necessary to save yourself or others.
• The Messiah: Again, Open Palm.
• Player Character
• The Social Darwinist: The "Closed Fist" path.
• Unwitting Pawn: "He trained you to fight a tyrant, but with a flaw. He wanted you to be vulnerable in your moment of triumph.

Dawn Star

Voiced by: Kim Mai Guest

The Spirit Monk's childhood friend. She has the ability to sense spirits that cannot be seen by anyone else. This has led to her being scorned by most of the townsfolk of Two Rivers. She was named after a bright fire that was seen when she was born. This fire was the burning of the Temple of Dirge. She is Master Li's daughter, although neither of them are aware of this. A potential love interest for a male Spirit Monk.

• All of the Other Reindeer: Shunned by many of the villagers who are wary of her ability to communicate with the dead.
• Betty and Veronica: Dawn Star as the Betty and Silk Fox as the Veronica.
• Childhood Friend Romance: Whether she's victorious or unlucky depends on the player.
• The Empath: She is sensitive to the spiritual world.
• Fire-Forged Friends: Spends much of the game arguing with Silk Fox, but they come to respect each other after fighting together at the bridge of Dirge.
• The Heart
• Heroes Prefer Swords
• Heterosexual Life Partners: With the female Spirit Monk. The two of you are very close, and she loves you like a sister.
• Leitmotif
• Luke, You Are My Father: Subverted when Master Li doesn't believe her and tells her that he wouldn't care if he did.
• Show Some Leg

Sagacious Zu

Voiced by: Robin Atkin Downes

An old man who the Spirit Monk meets in the swamp outside of Two Rivers. After Two Rivers is destroyed, he admits to being a former Lotus Assassin and agrees to accompany the party for his own reasons. When the party's attempt to infiltrate the Lotus Assassin Fortress fails, he sacrifices himself to kill Death's Hand. He left the Lotus Assassins when he was ordered to kill Master Li's family: he killed Li's wife but spared his newborn daughter Dawn Star.

• Anti-Hero: Arguably Type III, since he's not above killing enemy minions who have surrendered.
• Bald of Awesome
• Dead Ex Machina
• Deadpan Snarker
• Defector From Decadence
• Enemy Mine: In the Closed Fist ending, he still pulls his Dead Ex Machina to save you. He knows that you may become a tyrant after you kill Sun Li, but Sun Li is a tyrant, and killing him has a chance of making things better.
• Fake Defector: Leaves your party to go to the Lotus Assassin fortress, but helps you while there.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: A weird mixture of the two, but he IS covered in them, head to toe.
• Heel Realization: As a Lotus assassin, he honestly thought he was doing necessarily evil acts to keep the empire in order until the above incident.
• Heroic Sacrifice
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice
• My Master, Right or Wrong: Even knowing that the Lotus Assassins are evil, he often finds himself defending the Emperor and denying that he could know about the Assassins' wrongdoing.
• Retired Monster: Apart from the killing of Li's family, he has no remorse about what he did.
• Shell Shocked Senior
• Simple Staff: His weapon of choice.
• Stealth Hi Bye: Frequently in the Lotus Assassin Fortress.
• Zen Survivor

Silk Fox

Voiced by: Masasa Moyo

A ninja-like character who attacks the party believing them responsible for the destruction of Two Rivers. She is secretly Princess Sun Lian, the heir to the Empire. She joins the party to prove that her father is being manipulated by Death's Hand. A potential love interest for a Spirit Monk of either gender.

• Bare Your Midriff: Silk Fox's princess outfit.
• Betty and Veronica: Silk Fox as the Veronica and Dawn Star as the Betty.
• Bi the Way
• Broken Pedestal: Let's just say her father is NOT being manipulated by Death's Hand (indeed, it is the exact inverse) and she is not happy to find that out. She wonders if the revelation that Li was the mastermind absolves him, but realizes that it does not.
• Death Glare: Gives one to Kang as he's being disrespectful to her.
• Even the Girls Want Her: Borderline case, in-game.
• Fire-Forged Friends: Spends much of the game arguing with Dawn Star, but they come to respect each other after fighting together at the bridge of Dirge.
• Gay Option
• Heroes Prefer Swords
• It Was a Gift: As the Princess, has an attendant give you a gem at the start of Act III.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Typically snipes at the other party members, especially Dawn Star, but cares strongly about doing the right thing.
• Leitmotif
• Rebellious Princess
• Tsundere

Sky

Voiced by: Cam Clarke

A Lovable Rogue who seeks revenge on the crime lord Gao the Greater for murdering his five-year-old daughter. He joins the party after they beat him to it. A potential love interest for a Spirit Monk of either gender.

• Berserk Button: Slavery of any kind. It's Personal, you see. He may not give a rip about The Laws of Heaven, but he is pretty ticked about the Brothers Sun enslaving a goddess.
• Bi the Way
• Dual-Wielding
• Dummied Out: An ending in which he is not forgiven for his seeming betrayal at Diege and pursues his campaign of revenge until it claims his life.
• Fake Defector: Lets Death's Hand into the inner Dirge Temple under offer of his daughter being brought back to life, so that he can spring a trap on him.
• Gay Option
• Heartbroken Badass: Despite his laid-back demeanor, he clearly misses his deceased wife and little girl.
• Heroes Prefer Swords
• Hide Your Gays: In order to have a same-sex romance with him, you have to make it absolutely clear that you are not interested in neither Dawn Star nor Silk Fox (which pretty much means you have to insult them) and then say the right things to him. Even then, the scene where you kiss is censored (but easily restored on the PC version).
• Hot Dad
• Ladykiller in Love: Starts of playfully flirting with you, but he doesn't know quite what to make of you at first. It will eventually evolve into love if you return his affections.
• Leitmotif
• Lovable Rogue: If you're a female Closed Fist player, and you romance him, the ending mentions that he becomes a Complete Monster instead.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: On one when the player meets him. In cut content, if the player decides not to forgive him for his betrayal, he resumes fighting against the people behind Gao until he ultimately gets poisoned.

The Black Whirlwind

Voiced by: Victor Brandt

A mercenary who is most famous for storming a fortress while naked, screaming and drunk. He used to be an arena fighter of some renown, but left when Kai Lan the Serpent's schemes prompted him to kill his brother.

• Abusive Parents: His father, whom he killed.
• An Axe to Grind: Two axes to be specific.
• Ax Crazy
• Blood Knight
• Boisterous Bruiser
• Defeat Means Friendship: He mistakes you for a ghost and attacks you
• Establishing Character Moment: His meeting with you showcases his love of combat and his tendency to act before thinking.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Disgusted by a man forcing a girl to go into the dangerous crypts to pay back her debt under threat of being sent to the Wall. He also dislikes the treatment of the dead Water Dragon, believing she deserved a clean and final death.
• I Call It Vera His axes, the Twins.
• Let's You and Him Fight: How you first encounter him.
• Mercy Kill: His finishing off his brother, who was brainwashed to serve as the Ravager can be interpreted as this.
• Odango Hair: Of all the hairstyles to have...
• Parental Abandonment: He killed his father and his mother disowned him.
• Refuge in Audacity: His backstory and his ending. Never have killing and mutilating lots of mostly innocent people sounded more fun!
• Self-Made Orphan: He killed his abusive father.

Wild Flower

Voiced by: Nicky Pugh

A little girl who channels two opposing demons Chai Ka and Ya Zhen.

• Back from the Dead: She was killed during the flooding of Old Tien's Landing, but was resurrected by Chai Ka.
• Battle in the Center of the Mind: The final confrontation between Chai Ka and Ya Zhen.
• Children Are Innocent: Decidedly Open Palm in her responses to moral decisions.
• Creepy Child: Not so much when Chai Ka is speaking through her, but with Ya Zhen; a sneering male voice and furious red aura? Brr.
• Willing Channeler: To Chai Ka. She likes the big guy. Ya Zhen is a different matter entirely.

Chai Ka

A benevolent demon that is channeled by Wild Flower. He is often called "The Guardian".

• Defeat Means Friendship: Like Silk Fox, he demands a fight before he'll join you, as a result of mistaking you for an enemy.
• Gentle Giant
• Mighty Glacier
• My Master, Right or Wrong: He dislikes the actions taken by a Closed Fist Spirit Monk, but has sworn to serve him/her. He changes his mind if you side with Ya Zhen.
• Noble Demon

Ya Zhen

Voiced by: Gord Marriott

Chai Ka's Evil Counterpart. He is trying to forcibly take over Wild Flower. He is often called "The Other".

• Deal with the Devil: Offers one to the Spirit Monk.
• Evil Sounds Deep: His voice is considerably deeper than Chai Ka's, or any of the other companions.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: When he's in control of Wild Flower, her eyes glow red.

Henpecked Hou

Voiced by: Josh Dean

A former Drunken Master who currently works as a cook. While his abusive wife forbids him from drinking and fighting, he is still able to give wine to the Spirit Monk to allow him/her to use the Drunken Master style.

• Alliterative Name
• Butt Monkey
• Chef of Iron: Although he has sworn off fighting.
• Drunken Master: Retired.
• Henpecked Husband
• Non-Action Guy: He's no longer in any shape to fight as a result of his wife's efforts to get him to stop. Unless you try to sacrifice him.
• Took a Level in Badass: If you try to sacrifice him, the Water Dragon grants him her strength, allowing him to fight the party.

Kang the Mad

Voiced by: Paul Eiding

A Mad Scientist forced to develop flyers for Gao the Greater. He eventually decides that he has had enough of Gao's mistreatment and joins the party. He is actually the Inventor God Lord Lao, although he does not remember this.

• Amnesiac God
• Cloudcuckoolander
• The Dog Bites Back: Turns on Gao and Lim over being mistreated.
• Mad Scientist
• Non-Action Guy: Toward the end of the game, you have to protect him as he blows up a bridge.
• Talkative Loon

Zin Bu the Magic Abacus

Voiced by: Brian Stepanek

A member of the Celestial Bureaucracy. He used to be responsible for determining where people stand on the wheel of life, but his inability to keep up with the actions of the Spirit Monk caused him to be demoted. He decides to sell Essence Gems to the Spirit Monk to prove to his superiors that he is competent.

• Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: He overcharges you. Considering that you got him demoted, understandable.
• Beleaguered Bureaucrat: And HOW, but nothing compare to the entire department assigned to Black Whirlwind.

Abbot Song

Voiced by: Armin Shimerman

The ghost of the Abbot of the Temple of Dirge. He has been forced to relive the Battle of Dirge for the last twenty years due to the imprisonment of the Water Dragon. After the Spirit Monk is killed, he explains the truth behind the fall of Dirge. He fights alongside the Spirit Monk until he restores the Water Dragon's power, whereupon he is finally able to rest in peace.

• Bald of Awesome
• Guest Star Party Member
• Is That What He Told You?: Reveals that virtually everything Sun Li told you about his own actions was a lie.
• Mr. Exposition
• You Shall Not Pass: Does this to Sun Kin and Sun Li in Death's Hand's armor, and is killed.

Other Characters

Death's Hand

Voiced by: Sherman Howard

The leader of the Lotus Assassins and is widely believed to be corrupting the Emperor. Or at least, that's what we're initially told. He is actually Sun Hai's very loyal second-in-command. He used to be Sun Kin, the youngest of the Brothers Sun and former leader of the Order of the Lotus (the precursor to the Lotus Assassins). He was killed by Sun Hai when he tried to commit fratricide himself as Hai was draining the Water Dragon's power. Sun Hai then bound his soul to Master Li's discarded armor. After he is defeated, the Spirit Monk has the opportunity to bind his soul, gaining him as a party member.

• And I Must Scream: Having your soul bound is not a pleasant experience.
• The Atoner: If the Spirit Monk binds his soul but kills the Water Dragon, Sun Kin regains control and becomes one.
• Disc One Final Boss
• The Dragon: To Sun Hai, then Sun Li and potentially to the Spirit Monk.
• The Dreaded
• Dual-Wielding: A long sword and a much shorter one.
• Eleventh-Hour Ranger: If recruited.
• Enemy Without: The Spirit Monk defeats him by releasing the spirit of Sun Kin, which defeats Death's Hand.
• Evil Chancellor: Subverted when he is revealed to be a decoy for Sun Hai.
• Evil Sounds Deep
• Expy: Death's Hand is absolutely not Darth Vader. Or Darth Nihlus. He just isn't, okay?
• Hero-Killer: As Sagacious Zu can attest.
• Optional Party Member
• Reforged Into a Minion
• That Man Is Dead: His reaction to being called Prince Kin.
• Tin Tyrant

Master Li

Voiced by: Barry Dennen

The Master of Two Rivers school, the unofficial mayor of Two Rivers and the Spirit Monk's Master. He reveals early on that he is Sun Li the Glorious Strategist, who betrayed the Emperor by attempting to stop the massacre at Dirge. Shortly afterwords, Two Rivers is burned and he is captured. He was actually the mastermind behind the massacre at Dirge. He manipulates the Spirit Monk into killing Sun Hai, whereupn he kills him/her and steals the power of the Water Dragon.

• Affably Evil
• Authority Equals Asskicking
• Badass Grandpa: Almost Literally, more like a Badass Dad, but definitely no Papa Wolf: he's Dawn Star's father, but he doesn't care one bit.
• Bigger Bad
• Broken Pedestal: To the Spirit Monk and Dawn Star.
• The Chessmaster: While he does play on people's emotions as well, his major strength lies in manipulating events.
• The Chooser of the One: He, not the Water Dragon, was the one who set up the conditions for you to be The Chosen One.
• Deadpan Snarker: Although it's easy to miss.
• Elderly Sensei
• Evil Counterpart: To the Player Character if played Open Palm. In fact, if you listen to his Motive Rant and recall Smiling Mountain's lecture about the dangers of the way of the Open Palm back at the beginning, you'll realize that he's the perfect example of the "dark" side of Open Palm Mountain had described.
• Famous Last Words: "I'm a better teacher... than I thought."
• A God Am I
• Hoist by His Own Petard: See the Famous Last Words entry above.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: He's a deconstruction. He started his scheme when he realized that he would be a far better emperor than Sun Hai.
• Lack of Empathy: He is incapable of seeing people as anything more than tools. He claims that his initial reaction at learning that Sun Hai executed his family was anger at his brother for destroying his possessions without permission.
• The Man Behind the Man: In a manner of speaking. He did manipulate events in his favour, but by the time the forces of evil answer to him, he has already stepped out in the open.
• Manipulative Bastard
• Mr. Exposition
• The Obi-Wan: Subverted when he is revealed to be The Man Behind the Man.
• Papa Wolf: Do not harm his students at least until he needs you to. Although he'll probably kill you anyway.
• The Social Expert
• Stern Teacher: It's said that he doesn't praise his students overly much, but inwardly cares for their development. In truth, he doesn't care at all.
• Treacherous Advisor
• Villainous Breakdown: After he is cut off from the Water Dragon's power, he yells a very satisfying scream.
• We Can Rule Together: He offers the Spirit Monk the chance to die a martyr for his utopia.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist

Emperor Sun Hai

Voiced by: Armin Shimerman

Eldest of the Brothers Sun and ruler of the Jade Empire. He presided over the empire during the Long Drought, which he ended by binding the Water Dragon to his control. Now, problems are plaguing the kingdom, and it is feared that he is ineffectual in the face of Death's Hand's manipulation. In reality, Death's Hand and the Lotus Assassins answer to him and he cares only for his own power.

• Authority Equals Asskicking
• Barrier Change Boss: One of your types of moves will be ineffective against him at any given time, and he changes which one it is.
• Big Bad
• Broken Pedestal: To Silk Fox.
• Climax Boss
• Disc One Final Boss
• Duel Boss
• A God Am I: "I AM GOD-EMPEROR SUN!"
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: After taking the Water Dragon's heart, he gets figuratively and literally stabbed in the back by his brothers, but it does nothing, and Li runs away, abandoning Kin.
• It's All About Me: He sees himself as entitled to the throne and refuses to accept that his rule or his empire will end.
• Older Than They Look: As a result of absorbing the Water Dragon's power, he hasn't aged in 20 years.
• Rebuilt Pedestal: Subverted. Silk Fox, after learning that Li was the mastermind, wonders if it absolves him, but concludes that it does not.
• This Cannot Be!: Shortly before his defeat.
• Unwitting Pawn: Said to be one to Death's Hand, but he's actually the one who is controlling Death's Hand.

Gao the Lesser

One of Master Li's strongest students at Two Rivers

• Arrogant Kung Fu Guy
• Cutscene Power to the Max: He's able to take down an ogre in a few hits and knock it under collapsing rubble.
• Duel Boss: In the match at the school, and potentially in the cave.
• Jerkass: Frequently tries to hit on Dawn Star and acts superior to everyone else.
• Kill It with Fire
• Rival Turned Evil

Gao the Greater

A nobleman who controls a group of pirates and slavers, and is allied with the Lotus Assassins.

• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: His son, Gao the Lesser.
• Evil Sorcerer
• Kill It with Fire
• Papa Wolf
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With Inquisitor Lim.
• Villainous Breakdown: After hearing of his son's death.

Inquisitor Lim

A Lotus Assassin agent who is hunting pieces of the amulet near Tien's Landing.

• Arc Villain: The main antagonist of Chapter 2.
• Bald of Evil
• The Brute
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Evil scars are on his face.
• The Starscream: Intends to personally deliver the amulet fragment to Death's Hand in order to get back at Jia.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: He and Gao the Greater dislike each other, and tend to insult each other, argue and shift blame.
• Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: Says this of Gao the Greater's son.
• You Have Failed Me...: Threatens to leave Kang with the captive demons if he doesn't finish in time. This is possibly deconstructed when he realizes he'll be killed for his failures if he returns, and decides to kill the Spirit Monk and take the other amulet fragment in the hopes that it will make up for it. He fails and loses the amulet fragment, a setback to the Assassins' plans.

Grand Inquisitor Jia

One of Death's Hand's top lieutenants in the Lotus Assassins.

• Blow You Away
• Cool Mask: She takes it off when you confront her.
• Evil Genius
• Just Between You and Me: She reveals that the Emperor knew about what the Assassins were doing shortly before your battle.

The Water Dragon

Voiced by: Jocelyn Ahlf

The Goddess who is responsible for seeing that souls are able to pass between this world and the next. She was killed at the Battle of Dirge, but her spirit appears to provide guidance to the Spirit Monk. Sun Hai has kept her alive using a machine, both to end the Great Drought through the water that she bleeds and to absorb her powers. Her goal is to have the Spirit Monk Mercy Kill her.

• And I Must Scream
• Big Good
• The Chessmaster
• Ms. Exposition
• Spanner in the Works: In the moments between when Master Li kills the Spirit Monk and when he starts to drain her power, she is able to bring the Spirit Monk's spirit to Dirge, where s/he can help her begin to regain her power.
• Too Dumb to Live: She tells the Spirit Monk how s/he can drain her power while cutting Li off from it. Granted, Abbot Song had already told the Monk how traitorous Spirit Monks used blood in the same manner, but this isn't very smart.

Sir Roderick Ponce von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastard

Voiced by: John Cleese

Outlander explorer and adventurer that has decided to 'educate' the Jade Empire after being shipwrecked there.

• Big Freaking Gun: Mirabelle
• Glass Cannon: He's almost helpless in close range, but his gun does a lot of damage.
• Graceful Loser: He accepts defeat in a surprisingly dignified manner, and is honorable. He'll even give you his beloved Mirabelle if you demand it.
• I Call Her "Vera": Mirabelle.
• Jerkass Has a Point: In the "debate", he brings up a few legitimate criticisms of the Empire, as well as lampshading how the Magitek shouldn't really work.
• The Mean Brit
• Mighty Whitey: Subverison, Parody and Deconstruction.
• Mister Danger
• Quintessential British Gentleman: Of the snobbish variety.
• Smug Snake: Even though his name indicates otherwise.
• Stiff Upper Lip