Mo Dao Zu Shi
Also known as The Founder of Diabolism, this gorgeous Chinese donghua adapts the iconic xianxia danmei by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu and blends mystery, tragedy, war, devotion, and one of the most unforgettable central relationships in the genre.
魔道祖师 · Mó Dào Zǔ Shī卷Overview
Also known as: The Founder of Diabolism
Created by: Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Based on: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Written by: Liang Sha, Liu Xing, Zhu Ke
Directed by: Xiong Ke, Ma Chendi
Voices of: Zhang Jie, Bian Jiang
Composers: Sun Yujing, Weng Teng, Feng Shuo
Country of origin: China
Original language: Mandarin
Running time: 24 minutes
Production companies: Tencent Penguin Pictures, B.C May Pictures
Network: Tencent Video
Original release: July 9, 2018 – October 16, 2021
Related: The Untamed
云Synopsis
Despite his efforts during the Sunshot Campaign to bring down the tyrannical Wen Clan, Wei Wuxian was feared by the world for the unorthodox cultivation path he created. Thirteen years after he was killed, he is summoned into the body of Mo Xuanyu, a man rejected by his clan and despised by his family, who sacrifices his own body to Wei Wuxian so he can be avenged.
It is in the Mo house where Wei Wuxian comes across a dismembered left arm causing death and havoc. His attempts to uncover the mystery of the left arm guide him to a familiar face from the past, Lan Wangji, and together they embark on a journey that will unravel what truly lies behind the tragedies that destroyed so many lives, including Wei Wuxian’s own.
画Visual Gallery
A beautiful promotional-style visual that fits the moody, elegant atmosphere of the donghua.
Another visual highlight that works better as part of a full series gallery rather than for a single character profile.
A wider cast-focused visual that captures the larger cultivation world and ensemble energy of the series.
季Episode Guide
| Season 1 | 15 episodes · First released July 9, 2018 · Last released October 6, 2018 |
| Season 2 | 8 episodes · First released August 3, 2019 · Last released August 31, 2019 |
| Season 3 | 12 episodes · First released August 7, 2021 · Last released October 16, 2021 |
主Main Characters
Wei Wuxian is the title protagonist of the series. He is the founder of the Demonic Path (鬼道), earning him the title Yiling Laozu (夷陵老祖). He is intelligent, optimistic, mischievous, and good-hearted. Talented and infamous, his unorthodox methods and unrestrained nature put him at odds with the rest of the cultivation world.
Orphaned at a young age and taken in by Jiang Fengmian, he is raised in the Yunmeng Jiang Clan where he grows up with Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. During his youth he studies at Cloud Recesses and meets Lan Wangji, with whom he develops a complex bond that deepens over time.
After the Qishan Wen Clan’s war, Wei Wuxian becomes both hero and outcast. Thirteen years later, reborn through Mo Xuanyu’s sacrificial ritual, he returns to unravel a murder mystery alongside Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji, titled Hanguang-Jun (含光君), is the second young master and one of the Twin Jades of the Gusu Lan Clan. Despite his exquisite bearing and incomparable beauty, his strict and aloof nature makes him appear distant and unreadable.
He is renowned for his strength, moral integrity, and the way he helps others without caring for fame or glory. At the beginning of the story, he is a teacher of Lan Clan disciples and reunites with the resurrected Wei Wuxian at Mo Village, where he becomes his strongest protector and closest companion.
族Clans and Characters
Gusu Lan Clan
Base: Cloud Recesses (云深不知处), a remote mountain residence outside Gusu.
Clan Motto: Upright; Righteous (雅正)
Clan Emblem: Rolling Clouds (卷云纹)
All disciples wear white forehead ribbons, with additional embroidery for inner disciples from the main family line.
Lanling Jin Clan
Base: Golden Carp Tower, Lanling.
Qinghe Nie Clan
Base: Unclean Realm.
Qishan Wen Clan
Base: Nightless City (不夜天城)
Clan Emblem: The Sun — to compete with the sun and live as long as the sun.
The clan was destroyed during the Sunshot Campaign, though some survivors were later protected by Wei Wuxian.
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
Base: Lotus Pier (莲花坞), Yunmeng.
Clan Motto: Knowing it’s impossible, attempt to achieve it (明知不可为而为之)
Clan Emblem: Nine-petal lotus (九瓣莲)
城Yi City Arc
During Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s mission, they arrive at Yi City and cross paths with Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling, and other junior disciples. There, they uncover the truth behind Xiao Xingchen’s death and the horrifying deception woven by Xue Yang.
- Xue Yang: A dangerous manipulator who recreated half of the Yin Tiger Tally and deceived Xiao Xingchen for years.
- Xiao Xingchen: A noble cultivator who gave his eyes to Song Lan and later tragically took his own life after learning the truth.
- Song Lan: Xiao Xingchen’s close friend, tricked into a brutal fate by Xue Yang.
- A-Qing: A street girl whose memories become vital in exposing Yi City’s tragedy.
缘Relationship Chart
A visual look at the tangled loyalties, family bonds, sworn brotherhoods, rivalries, and devastating connections that define the cultivation world.
声Cast Tables
Main Characters
| Character | Mandarin | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wei Wuxian | Zhang Jie | Shim Gyu-hyuk | Ryohei Kimura |
| Lan Wangji | Bian Jiang | Ryu Seung-gon | Shinnosuke Tachibana |
Gusu Lan Clan
| Character | Mandarin | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lan Xichen | Jin Xian | Kim Yeong-sun | Toshiyuki Morikawa |
| Lan Sizhui | Chengzhang Taikang | Nam Do-hyung | Shimba Tsuchiya |
| Lan Jingyi | Wang Chenguang | Jeong Joo-won | Soma Saito |
| Lan Qiren | Liu Cong | Lee Chang-min | Mitsuhiro Sakamaki |
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
| Character | Mandarin | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jiang Cheng | Guo Haoran | Jang Min-hyuk | Hikaru Midorikawa |
| Jiang Yanli | Li Shimeng | Gang Eun-ae | Saori Hayami |
| Jiang Fengmian | Tang Shuiyu | Seoh Won-seok | Kenji Hamada |
| Yu Ziyuan | Ji Guanlin | Jeon Suk-gyeong | Takako Honda |
| Jinzhu and Yinzhu | Yi Xing / Xu Xu | Yukako Kiuchi |
Lanling Jin Clan
| Character | Mandarin | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jin Guangyao | Yang Tianxiang | Lee Ho-san | Akira Ishida |
| Jin Ling | Su Shangqing | Lee Kyeong-tae | Yuki Kaji |
| Jin Zixuan | Gu Jiangshan | Kim Hyun-wook | Kenji Akabane |
| Jin Guangshan | Li Longbin | Bak Sang-hun | Sho Hayami |
| Jin Zixun | Yang Lei | Kozo Dosaka | |
| Madam Jin | Zhang Kai | Harashima Kozue | |
| Qin Su | Qian Chen | Chie Nakamura | |
| Jin Chan |
Qinghe Nie Clan
| Character | Mandarin | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nie Huaisang | Liu Sanmu | Kim Myung-joon | Natsuki Hanae |
| Nie Mingjue | Guan Shuai | Lee Hye-on | Hiroshi Shirokuma |
Qishan Wen Clan
| Character | Mandarin | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wen Ning | Shao Tong | Kim Ji-yul | Nobunaga Shimazaki |
| Wen Qing | Qiao Shiyu | Kim Yul | Ayako Kawasumi |
| Wen Ruohan | Yan Ming | Kim Jin-hong | Kenta Miyake |
| Wen Chao | Liang Xiaoqiang | Kim Jin-hong | Hiroyuki Yoshino |
| Wen Zhuliu | Hu Yajie | Kwon Chang-uk | Keiko Sakai |
Others
| Category | Character | Mandarin | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultivators from Other Clans | Su She | Sun Lulu | Masafumi Kobatake | Masafumi Kobatake |
| Cultivators from Other Clans | Wang Lingjiao | Qiu Qiu | Gang Si-hyeon | Kana Asumi |
| Cultivators from Other Clans | Clan Leader Yao | Zhang Lei | Hajime Iijima | |
| Rogue Cultivators | Mo Xuanyu | Zhang Jie | Shim Gyu-hyuk | Ryohei Kimura |
| Rogue Cultivators | Luo Qingyang | Xu Jiaqi | Lynn | |
| Non-Cultivators | Mo Ziyuan | Xing Chao | Cho Jin-suk | Yusuke Sasaki |
| Non-Cultivators | Madam Mo | Liao Jing | Sin Gyeong-sun | Saori Okamoto |
| Non-Cultivators | A-Tong | Zhang Fuzheng | Yu Okano | |
| Yi City | A-Qing | Nie Xiying | Aoi Yuki | |
| Yi City | Song Lan | Liu Kang | Takuya Eguchi | |
| Yi City | Xiao Xingchen | Qian Wenqing | Kaito Ishikawa | |
| Yi City | Xue Yang | Wai Wai | Kouki Uchiyama |
乐Soundtrack
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drunken Dreams of the Past (Opening, Seasons 1 and 2) | Sun Yujing | Sun Yujing | Terry Lin | 04:31 |
| 2 | Drunken Dreams of the Past (Duet Version) | Sun Yujing | Sun Yujing | Zhang Jie and Bian Jiang | 03:42 |
| 3 | Asking the Zither (Season 1 Eps 1–8, 14–15) | Sun Yujing | Sun Yujing, Feng Shuo | Yin Lin | 03:16 |
| 4 | No Envies (Season 1 Eps 9–13) | Miao Boyang | He Liang | S.I.N.G | 04:28 |
| 5 | Unchanging Youth (Season 2) | Cheng Yi, He Siwei | Lin Hai | R1SE | 04:20 |
| 6 | As Promised (Season 3 Opening) | Luan Jie | Tan Xuan | Lin Zhixuan | 04:18 |
| 7 | Unforgettable (Season 3 Ending) | Sun Yujing | Sun Yujing | Jane Zhang | 04:45 |
| 8 | Envying Clouds (Theme Song) | Sun Yujing | Sun Yujing | Hita | 03:00 |
| 9 | Envying Clouds (Duet Version) | Sun Yujing | Sun Yujing | Zhang Jie and Bian Jiang | 03:05 |
| 10 | With You (Lan Wangji Character Song) | Shi Zhou | Oliver Kim / Ethan Jin / Jason Lee | Ayanga | 04:33 |
| 11 | Creating Change (Wei Wuxian Character Song) | Ye Xiaomo | Oliver Kim / Ethan Jin / Jason Lee | Liu Yuning | 04:38 |
誉Reception
The series received overwhelmingly positive reviews for its high production quality and storyline, while building a huge online fandom in China and internationally.
- Douban rating: 8.8/10, making it one of the best-received donghua of 2018 in China.
- Tencent platform views: 4.63 billion as of July 2022.
- Tencent and WeTV rating: 9.5/10.
播International Broadcast
- South Korea: Laftel, with both subtitled and dubbed broadcasts.
- Russia: FAN Film.
- Japan: WOWOW, Tokyo MX, BS11, Amazon Prime, Abema TV, Rakuten TV.
- International: YouTube, WeTV, Crunchyroll.
Outside China, Tencent officially released the donghua on YouTube on August 27, 2019. WeTV offered subtitles in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, and Indonesian, while YouTube provided at least 12 subtitle language options for the first few episodes.
On December 10, 2024, Crunchyroll announced streaming for the first two seasons in most countries except Japan, Korea, mainland China, and Russian-speaking territories under the title The Master of Diabolism.
奖Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 12th Tencent Video Star Awards | Fictional Character of the Year | Wei Wuxian | Won |
| 2018 | 12th Tencent Video Star Awards | Best Voice Actor | Zhang Jie | Won |
| 2018 | 12th Tencent Video Star Awards | Reputable Animation of the Year | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won |
| 2018 | 15th China Animation Golden Dragon Awards | Best Serial Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won |
| 2018 | Golden Bud – The Third Network Film and Television Festival | Best Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won |
| 2019 | 7th China Xi’an International Original Animation Competition | Best New Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won |
| 2019 | 12th Xiamen International Animation Festival | Best Animated Series | Mo Dao Zu Shi | 2nd |
| 2019 | 20th China Video Awards | Animation of the Year | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won |
| 2019 | Golden Bud – The Fourth Network Film and Television Festival | Best Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Nominated |
| 2019 | Tencent Video All Star Awards | Fictional Character of the Year | Lan Wangji | Won |
| 2020 | 5th Golden Spider Academic Award | Best Online Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won |
| 2021 | 2021 Weibo Cartoon Festival | Most Influential Chinese Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi, Season 3 | 1st |
趣Trivia
- Though the original novel mixes elements from multiple ancient Chinese time periods, the animation uses the era-style name Xuanzheng and dates events according to the Chinese sexagenary cycle.
- As the donghua’s largest sponsor, the ice cream company Cornetto used its Chinese name 可爱多 (Kě’ài duō), meaning “a lot cuter,” as a tagline for the series.
藏Merch Highlights
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🌸 The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Collection 🌸
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Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Danmei
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Read Character Spotlight 💕💖 Thanks for reading! 💖
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