The Summit of Martial Arts
The Five Greats (五绝) are the supreme martial artists of their generation in Jin Yong's Condor Heroes trilogy. Their contest on Mount Hua — the Hua Mountain Sword Contest (华山论剑) — to determine the world's greatest fighter is one of the most iconic events in wuxia fiction.
The Original Five
Eastern Heretic — Huang Yaoshi (东邪 黄药师)
- Master of Peach Blossom Island
- Genius in music, medicine, mathematics, and martial arts
- Eccentric and unpredictable; follows no conventional morality
- His "heretic" title comes from his rejection of social norms, not true evil
Western Poison — Ouyang Feng (西毒 欧阳锋)
- Master of the White Camel Mountain
- Specializes in poison techniques and the Toad Technique
- The most openly villainous of the Five, driven by ambition
- His rivalry with Hong Qigong defines the series
Southern Emperor — Duan Zhixing (南帝 段智兴)
- Emperor of the Dali Kingdom
- Master of the One Yang Finger
- Later abdicates to become the monk Reverend Yideng
- Represents the tension between worldly power and spiritual pursuit
Northern Beggar — Hong Qigong (北丐 洪七公)
- Chief of the Beggar Sect
- Master of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms
- A joyful gourmand with an iron moral compass
- The mentor figure who shapes Guo Jing's martial arts
Central Divine — Wang Chongyang (中神通 王重阳)
- Founder of the Quanzhen Sect
- The strongest of the original Five
- Appears mainly in backstory but his shadow covers the entire trilogy
- Historical figure incorporated into fiction
The Second Generation
In Return of the Condor Heroes, the Five Greats are succeeded:
| Position | First Generation | Second Generation | |---|---|---| | East | Huang Yaoshi | Huang Yaoshi (remains) | | West | Ouyang Feng | Yang Guo | | South | Duan Zhixing | Reverend Yideng (remains) | | North | Hong Qigong | Guo Jing | | Central | Wang Chongyang | Zhou Botong |
Why the Five Greats Concept Works
The Five Greats system brilliantly organizes the martial world:
- Geographic — Each master commands a region (East/West/South/North/Central)
- Philosophical — Each represents a different approach to martial arts and life
- Elemental — The five positions echo the Chinese five elements
- Narrative — Creates natural rivalries and alliances
The Hua Mountain Sword Contest
The contest atop Mount Hua is wuxia fiction's ultimate tournament:
- Held to determine who possesses the Nine Yin Manual
- Each participant fights all others over seven days
- Wang Chongyang emerges victorious
- The contest itself becomes legendary, referenced across multiple novels
The Five Greats represent Jin Yong's vision of martial arts at its peak — five different philosophies of combat and life, each valid in its own way, competing and coexisting in a world that needs all of them.