Li Kui
Encyclopedia
Li Kui is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 22nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Black Whirlwind".
Li Kui is a native of Baizhang Village, Yishui County
, Yizhou (in present-day Linyi
, Shandong
). He flees from home after killing someone in his hometown, to avoid arrest from the authorities. He comes to Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi
) and becomes a warder in the prison there under the chief warden Dai Zong. He meets Song Jiang
, who has been sentenced to exile in Jiangzhou. He does not recognise Song Jiang during their first encounter and tries to extort money from Song for gambling. When Song Jiang refuses, Li Kui threatens to beat him up but Dai Zong arrives and stops him. Dai Zong introduces Song Jiang to Li Kui and Li is stunned to hear that the man before him is actually the famous philanthropist he has always admired. He apologises for his earlier rude behavior and becomes friends with Song Jiang.
Later, Dai Zong and Li Kui bring Song Jiang to a restaurant for a meal. Song Jiang has a sudden craving for fish and the waiter says that the restaurant does not serve fish. Li Kui volunteers to get fish from the nearby fishmarket and he gets involved in a brawl with Zhang Shun
. He wins Zhang Shun on land but loses when the fight takes place in the water. Luckily, Song Jiang and Dai Zong arrive on time and stop the fight. Li Kui and Zhang Shun then have a good laugh over the fight and become friends.
Li Kui reaches home and meets his cowardly brother Li Da. Li Da scolds him for being an outlaw and leaves to get some men to help him capture Li Kui to claim the bounty. Li Kui flees from home with his mother and carries her on his back. They travel along a path through the woods and up the hill. Along the way, Li Kui's mother complains that she is thirsty so Li immediately rushes off to find water for her. When he returns, he is shocked to discover that his mother has been attacked and killed by tigers. Li Kui is overwhelmed with grief and he charges into the tigers' lair and slays all four tigers in blind rage. He becomes famous in the town later for his brave act but he is still deeply saddened by the loss of his mother.
The wealthy Squire Cao pretends to compliment Li Kui for his heroic deed. Actually, Cao met Li Gui's wife earlier and learnt that Li Kui is actually a wanted man by the authorities and a large bounty has been placed on his head. They plot to capture Li Kui and hand him over to the county office. Li Kui is unaware and he becomes unconscious after drinking drugged wine. The magistrate sends the constable Li Yun and some men to escort Li Kui, who is bound and carried on a stretcher, back to the county office. Along the way, Zhu Gui
and Zhu Fu
rescue Li Kui by serving the guards drugged food and wine. Li Kui kills the guards after getting free and he wants to kill Li Yun but is stopped. When Li Yun regains consciousness, he sees that he has no other choice but to become an outlaw and he follows them back to Liangshan.
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. Li Kui had earlier tore the imperial edict in anger after the first negotiations for amnesty between the outlaws and the government, which turns out to be an utter failure. He is one of the few lucky survivors after the campaigns and is appointed by the emperor as an official in Runzhou
, Zhejiang
. Often depressed, Li Kui shows little interest in his career and spends most of his time drinking with friends.
When Song Jiang realizes that he has been tricked into drinking poisoned wine by the corrupt officials in the imperial court, he is worried that Li Kui might stir up trouble after his death. If Li Kui does attempt to avenge his death, the Liangshan heroes will be branded as outlaws instead of loyal subjects to the nation. Thus, Song Jiang summons Li Kui to Chuzhou under the pretense of discussing important issues. He allows Li Kui to imbibe the poisoned wine until he is half drunk, only then did he reveal that the wine is poisoned. Li Kui, however, happily embraces his fate and only requests to be buried together with Song Jiang after his death. He is dead by the time he and his entourage return to Runzhou. Although Song Jiang is responsible for Li Kui's demise, Li nonetheless reappears in the last chapter in Emperor Huizong's dream, brandishing axes and seeking revenge for both his and Song Jiang's wrongful deaths.
, Li Kui is one of the strongest in terms of physical strength, of all the 108 Liangshan heroes. He seldom takes a steed to the battlefield, and instead charges into battle on the front lines brandishing his axes. Often stripped to the buff, he hacks his way through his foes. His actual combat skills outside of physical strength is questioned, as he was easily defeated in a contest of wrestling by Jiao Ting
, and he is not efficient in tactics such as dodging attacks (he was an easy target for arrows fired from the Zeng Family Fortress). Thus, he typically fights with shield bearers at his side. It is presumed that he is only average in a one-on-one duel with named generals, and probably cannot defeat most of the Liangshan heroes if they were pitted in a fight. Despite his aggressiveness and impetuousness, Li Kui is fiercely loyal and filial, and respected for his unwavering moral beliefs. He was once even willing to kill Song Jiang after the latter was falsely accused of a kidnapping a man's daughter. From tearing up the amnesty decree to breaking up the meeting between Song Jiang and Li Shishi
, Li Kui's controversies are usually preceded by a heavy drinking session.
Li Kui is one of the most memorable characters in Water Margin, often ridiculed and used for comedic effect. He represents both a light and dark side of the outlaws. His exploits with Taoist Luo and his journeys with Yan Qing
represent the most humorous side of the novel. He is perhaps the most controversial character in the story. Often depicted as reckless, violent and cannibalistic, he kills indiscriminately whenever his blood lust is aroused. Men from even his own combat unit were sometimes afraid to go near him during battle. At the behest of Song Jiang and Wu Yong, he once killed a four-year-old child to force Zhu Tong
to become an outlaw. Taoist Luo nonetheless describes Li Kui as a Heavenly Spirit sent to Earth to destroy the wicked.
by Bioware, a character who resembles Li Kui and also goes by his nickname The Black Whirlwind joins your party during the game. He features many of the same personality characteristics as the literary character and the same fighting weapons of choice (twin axes).
The OVA adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama
's Giant Robo
was unable to license the original supporting cast of the manga or the live-action series, so they used characters from Yokoyama's body of work, including his adaptation of The Water Margin. The character of Tetsugyu (which roughly translates to "Iron Ox"), the Black Whirlwind is based on Yokoyama's depiction of Li Kui.
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly regarded by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well known to most Chinese readers...
of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
. He ranks 22nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Black Whirlwind".
Background
The Water Margin describes Li Kui as a muscular man with a dark complexion and fiery eyes. He is as strong as an ox, which earns him the nickname "Iron Ox". However, he is more popularly referred to by other pugilists as "Black Whirlwind" for his berserk behavior in combat and dark complexion. Li Kui has a bad temper and a strong penchant for wine and is known to be a hardcore gambler. He strikes fear in the hearts of many and a mere glare from him is said to frighten away aggressors. He is a tough melee fighter and uses a pair of axes in battle, often charging ahead of his men on the front line.Li Kui is a native of Baizhang Village, Yishui County
Yishui County
Yishui County is a county of south-central Shandong province, People's Republic of China, located in the foothills region of the province. It is under the administration of Linyi City.The population was in 1999.- External links :*...
, Yizhou (in present-day Linyi
Linyi
Linyi is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The largest prefecture-level city in Shandong both by area and total population, Linyi borders Rizhao to the east, Weifang to the northeast, Zibo to the north, Tai'an to the northwest, Jining to the...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
). He flees from home after killing someone in his hometown, to avoid arrest from the authorities. He comes to Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) and becomes a warder in the prison there under the chief warden Dai Zong. He meets Song Jiang
Song Jiang
Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
, who has been sentenced to exile in Jiangzhou. He does not recognise Song Jiang during their first encounter and tries to extort money from Song for gambling. When Song Jiang refuses, Li Kui threatens to beat him up but Dai Zong arrives and stops him. Dai Zong introduces Song Jiang to Li Kui and Li is stunned to hear that the man before him is actually the famous philanthropist he has always admired. He apologises for his earlier rude behavior and becomes friends with Song Jiang.
Later, Dai Zong and Li Kui bring Song Jiang to a restaurant for a meal. Song Jiang has a sudden craving for fish and the waiter says that the restaurant does not serve fish. Li Kui volunteers to get fish from the nearby fishmarket and he gets involved in a brawl with Zhang Shun
Zhang Shun
Zhang Shun is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 30th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "White Stripe in the Waves".-Background:...
. He wins Zhang Shun on land but loses when the fight takes place in the water. Luckily, Song Jiang and Dai Zong arrive on time and stop the fight. Li Kui and Zhang Shun then have a good laugh over the fight and become friends.
Joining Liangshan
When Song Jiang and Dai Zong are arrested and sentenced to death, Li Kui joins in the fray as the Liangshan outlaws storm the execution ground to rescue them. The outlaws manage to escape to White Dragon Temple on the riverbank, killing innocent bystanders all along the way and only stops at Chao Gai's insistence. The government sends troops to besiege the temple and eliminate the outlaws. Li Kui is the first to charge out and engage the enemy in a fierce battle. The outlaws score a major victory over the government forces and return to Liangshan in triumph.Fetching his mother and slaying four tigers
Li Kui leaves Liangshan later to fetch his mother to join him. Along the way, he encounters Li Gui, who impersonates him and robs passersby in the woods in his name. Li Kui defeats Li Gui after a fight and wants to kill the latter for discrediting him. However, after believing Li Gui's account that he has no choice but to rob to feed his 80 year old mother, Li Kui softens and lets Li Gui off. He even gives Li Gui some money and tells him to take good care of his mother. Shortly after, Li Kui runs into Li Gui again and overhears a secret conversation between Li Gui and his wife. They are plotting to capture him and hand him over to the authorities to claim the bounty on his head. Li Kui is furious and he bursts in and kills Li Gui but Li Gui's wife escapes.Li Kui reaches home and meets his cowardly brother Li Da. Li Da scolds him for being an outlaw and leaves to get some men to help him capture Li Kui to claim the bounty. Li Kui flees from home with his mother and carries her on his back. They travel along a path through the woods and up the hill. Along the way, Li Kui's mother complains that she is thirsty so Li immediately rushes off to find water for her. When he returns, he is shocked to discover that his mother has been attacked and killed by tigers. Li Kui is overwhelmed with grief and he charges into the tigers' lair and slays all four tigers in blind rage. He becomes famous in the town later for his brave act but he is still deeply saddened by the loss of his mother.
The wealthy Squire Cao pretends to compliment Li Kui for his heroic deed. Actually, Cao met Li Gui's wife earlier and learnt that Li Kui is actually a wanted man by the authorities and a large bounty has been placed on his head. They plot to capture Li Kui and hand him over to the county office. Li Kui is unaware and he becomes unconscious after drinking drugged wine. The magistrate sends the constable Li Yun and some men to escort Li Kui, who is bound and carried on a stretcher, back to the county office. Along the way, Zhu Gui
Zhu Gui
Zhu Gui is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 92nd of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 56th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Dry Land Alligator".-Background:...
and Zhu Fu
Zhu Fu
Zhu Fu is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 93rd of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 57th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Smiling Tiger".-Background:...
rescue Li Kui by serving the guards drugged food and wine. Li Kui kills the guards after getting free and he wants to kill Li Yun but is stopped. When Li Yun regains consciousness, he sees that he has no other choice but to become an outlaw and he follows them back to Liangshan.
Campaigns and death
Li Kui becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the Grand Assembly. He follows the heroes on their campaigns against the LiaoLiao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. Li Kui had earlier tore the imperial edict in anger after the first negotiations for amnesty between the outlaws and the government, which turns out to be an utter failure. He is one of the few lucky survivors after the campaigns and is appointed by the emperor as an official in Runzhou
Runzhou District
Runzhou is a county-level city administered by Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province.To the east of Runzhou lies the Grand Canal and Jingkou district with Zhenjiang New District to the souheast. The district has an area of 132.68 sq km. By the end of 2004, the total population was 237,100 people....
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
. Often depressed, Li Kui shows little interest in his career and spends most of his time drinking with friends.
When Song Jiang realizes that he has been tricked into drinking poisoned wine by the corrupt officials in the imperial court, he is worried that Li Kui might stir up trouble after his death. If Li Kui does attempt to avenge his death, the Liangshan heroes will be branded as outlaws instead of loyal subjects to the nation. Thus, Song Jiang summons Li Kui to Chuzhou under the pretense of discussing important issues. He allows Li Kui to imbibe the poisoned wine until he is half drunk, only then did he reveal that the wine is poisoned. Li Kui, however, happily embraces his fate and only requests to be buried together with Song Jiang after his death. He is dead by the time he and his entourage return to Runzhou. Although Song Jiang is responsible for Li Kui's demise, Li nonetheless reappears in the last chapter in Emperor Huizong's dream, brandishing axes and seeking revenge for both his and Song Jiang's wrongful deaths.
Evaluation of character
Alongside Lu ZhishenLu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but...
, Li Kui is one of the strongest in terms of physical strength, of all the 108 Liangshan heroes. He seldom takes a steed to the battlefield, and instead charges into battle on the front lines brandishing his axes. Often stripped to the buff, he hacks his way through his foes. His actual combat skills outside of physical strength is questioned, as he was easily defeated in a contest of wrestling by Jiao Ting
Jiao Ting
Jiao Ting is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 98th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 62nd of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Faceless".-Background:...
, and he is not efficient in tactics such as dodging attacks (he was an easy target for arrows fired from the Zeng Family Fortress). Thus, he typically fights with shield bearers at his side. It is presumed that he is only average in a one-on-one duel with named generals, and probably cannot defeat most of the Liangshan heroes if they were pitted in a fight. Despite his aggressiveness and impetuousness, Li Kui is fiercely loyal and filial, and respected for his unwavering moral beliefs. He was once even willing to kill Song Jiang after the latter was falsely accused of a kidnapping a man's daughter. From tearing up the amnesty decree to breaking up the meeting between Song Jiang and Li Shishi
Li Shishi (Song Dynasty)
Li Shishi was a prostitute in Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty, and Emperor Huizong was a regular client of hers.In the classical novel Water Margin, Li Shishi encounters the outlaws from Liangshan Marsh on two occasions; on the second, more important encounter, she befriends Yan Qing and...
, Li Kui's controversies are usually preceded by a heavy drinking session.
Li Kui is one of the most memorable characters in Water Margin, often ridiculed and used for comedic effect. He represents both a light and dark side of the outlaws. His exploits with Taoist Luo and his journeys with Yan Qing
Yan Qing
Yan Qing is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 36th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Wanderer" or "Prodigal"....
represent the most humorous side of the novel. He is perhaps the most controversial character in the story. Often depicted as reckless, violent and cannibalistic, he kills indiscriminately whenever his blood lust is aroused. Men from even his own combat unit were sometimes afraid to go near him during battle. At the behest of Song Jiang and Wu Yong, he once killed a four-year-old child to force Zhu Tong
Zhu Tong
Zhu Tong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 12th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Lord of the Beautiful Beard".-Background:...
to become an outlaw. Taoist Luo nonetheless describes Li Kui as a Heavenly Spirit sent to Earth to destroy the wicked.
Other cultural depictions of Li Kui
In the video game Jade EmpireJade Empire
Jade Empire is an action role-playing game developed by Canadian developer BioWare and first published in 2005 by Microsoft Game Studios as a worldwide release for the Xbox. The later, two-disc Limited Edition contained extra content...
by Bioware, a character who resembles Li Kui and also goes by his nickname The Black Whirlwind joins your party during the game. He features many of the same personality characteristics as the literary character and the same fighting weapons of choice (twin axes).
The OVA adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama
Mitsuteru Yokoyama
was a Japanese manga artist born in Suma-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo. His personal name was originally spelled , with the same pronunciation. His works include Tetsujin 28-go, Giant Robo, Akakage, Babel II, Sally, the Witch, Princess Comet, and adaptations of the Chinese classics Outlaws of the Marsh and...
's Giant Robo
Giant Robo
is an original video animation series written and directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa , and inspired by Mitsuteru Yokoyama's manga series of the same name....
was unable to license the original supporting cast of the manga or the live-action series, so they used characters from Yokoyama's body of work, including his adaptation of The Water Margin. The character of Tetsugyu (which roughly translates to "Iron Ox"), the Black Whirlwind is based on Yokoyama's depiction of Li Kui.
See also
- List of Water Margin minor characters#Li Kui's story for a list of supporting minor characters from Li Kui's story.