Jiang Ziya (film)

Lore & Background

The film tells the story of Jiang Ziya, a mortal who becomes renowned during a war across the three realms after a fox spirit causes the downfall of the Shang dynasty. After capturing the fox spirit, Jiang Ziya is tasked with executing it, but hesitates when the spirit shows a young girl inside her. He is stripped of his powers and banished to the North Sea for his hesitation. Ten years later, he encounters Xiao Jiu, an amnesiac young fox spirit resembling the girl, and accompanies her to Youdu Mountain, where he learns she is tied to the original fox spirit. Jiang Ziya eventually discovers that Heaven is corrupt, destroys the bridge between the human and heavenly realms, and is later framed as a true hero by his friend Shen Gongbao.

Reader's Guide

Jiang Ziya is significant as a follow-up to the 2019 hit Ne Zha, continuing a shared animated universe based on Chinese mythology. The film grossed over $243 million worldwide, becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2020 and the second highest-grossing Chinese animated film ever at the time. It received positive reviews, with an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and strong scores on Chinese aggregator sites. The film's release was delayed from January to October 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its legacy includes influencing later Chinese animated films and expanding the mythological storytelling of the Investiture of the Gods into modern cinema.

Did You Know?

• The film was initially scheduled for release on 25 January 2020 but was delayed to 1 October 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• It is a follow-up to the 2019 film Ne Zha.
• The film's official English title in China is Legend of Deification.
• In a mid-credits scene, Jiang Ziya has dinner with the characters of Ne Zha.

Narrative & Thematic Depth

The film's plot centers on Jiang Ziya, a mortal who rose to prominence through war against a fox spirit that toppled the Shang dynasty. His moral crisis—hesitating to execute the fox spirit after seeing a young girl within her—sets the story in motion. Stripped of his powers and banished to the North Sea, he spends ten years in desolation with his friend Shen Gongbao and pet Si Bu Xiang. The narrative then follows his journey with Xiao Jiu, an amnesiac fox spirit, to Youdu Mountain, where the truth about the fox spirit's origins as Su Daji is revealed. The story's climax subverts expectations: the Gate of Reincarnation is exposed as an abyss trapping innocent war souls, and Heaven itself is revealed as corrupt. Jiang Ziya ultimately destroys the bridge between mortal and divine realms, asserting that his true power stems from self-confidence rather than heavenly will. The film frames him as a hero who defies a corrupt system rather than one who ascends to godhood.

Creative Origins & Character Reimagining

Directed by Cheng Teng and Li Wei, Jiang Ziya draws its narrative foundation from Investiture of the Gods, a Ming-dynasty shenmo novel traditionally attributed to Xu Zhonglin. The film serves as a follow-up to the 2019 animated hit Ne Zha, sharing a mythological universe. In traditional Chinese fiction, Jiang Ziya is depicted as a Taoist adept within folk religion and Taoism. This film reimagines him as a middle-aged man with a complex past who insists on following his heart. The voice cast includes Zheng Xi as the titular character, Yang Ning as Xiao Jiu and Su Daji, Tutehameng as Shen Gongbao, Yan Meme as Si Bu Xiang, Ji Guanlin and Shan Xin as the Jiuwei and Demon Queen, and Jiang Guangtao as Yuanshi Tianzun. The production weaves various existing myths into a wider narrative while preserving the moral complexity of its literary source.

Release & Box Office Performance

Originally slated for a 25 January 2020 Chinese New Year release, the film was forced to delay after the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled all Chinese New Year releases. It eventually premiered on 1 October 2020, launching simultaneously across China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Its English titles varied by region: Legend of Deification in China, and Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Commercially, the film was a phenomenon. Pre-sale tickets reached 90 million yuan, and it grossed 297 million yuan within just eight hours of release, surpassing Ne Zha to become the highest-grossing animated film opening day in China at 308 million yuan. By the end of its first week it had earned 1.037 billion yuan, and its final domestic total reached 1.6 billion yuan, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2020 and the second-highest-grossing animated film that year behind Demon Slayer.

Critical Reception & Franchise Legacy

The film received positive reviews from critics upon its October 2020 release, with audiences and reviewers responding favorably to its animated spectacle and thematic ambition. Its worldwide gross exceeded $243 million, cementing its place in the broader Chinese animation landscape. The connection to Ne Zha (2019) is reinforced in a mid-credits scene where Jiang Ziya shares dinner with characters from that film, establishing a shared cinematic universe. Another post-credits moment shows three gods posted to guard a heavenly prison, hinting at further narrative possibilities. The story's epilogue, narrated by Shen Gongbao to a disciple, frames Jiang Ziya as a hero above all others, while a young girl and dog—reincarnations of Xiao Jiu and Si Bu Xiang—play together, offering a bittersweet sense of closure. The film's willingness to question divine authority and portray Heaven as corrupt set it apart within the genre, resonating with audiences seeking more complex storytelling in animated fantasy.