The following is a list of characters from the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong. Some of these characters are fictionalised personas of, or are based on, actual historical figures, such as Wang Chongyang, Qiu Chuji, Duan Zhixing, Kublai Khan, and Yelü Chucai.
Main characters
Yang Guo () Xiaolongnü ()
The Condor The Divine Condor () is a giant eagle-like creature living alone in a valley and a former companion of the swordsman Dugu Qiubai. After roaming the land for years and failing to find someone who can rival him in swordsmanship, Dugu Qiubai came to a cave near a forest and spent the rest of his life there as a hermit. Several years after his death, the Condor encounters Yang Guo by coincidence while he was fighting with a giant serpent. Yang Guo learns Dugu Qiubai's swordsmanship from the Condor. As he has lost his right arm, Yang Guo trains relentlessly and overcomes his disability to use Dugu Qiubai's Heavy Iron Sword with only one arm. After accomplishing a high level of proficiency in swordsmanship, Yang Guo ventures out with the Condor to search for Xiaolongnü and reunite with her.
Guo family and associates
Guo Jing () Huang Rong () Guo Fu () is Guo Jing and Huang Rong's elder daughter. Even though she is gorgeous, she is spoiled and insolent and has been rather unfriendly towards Yang Guo since they were young. At one point, she gets into a heated quarrel with Yang Guo while confronting him about how he lied to the Wu brothers that her parents have agreed to let him marry her, and ends up cutting off his right arm with a sword. She marries Yelü Qi and, after realizing that her true feelings for Yang Guo and jealousy towards Xiaolongnü in the past, reconciles with them in the end. Guo Xiang () is Guo Jing and Huang Rong's younger daughter. When she was a newborn baby, she was abducted by Li Mochou but was saved by Yang Guo, whom she has a crush on when she grows up. She is nicknamed "Little Eastern Heretic" () after her maternal grandfather, "Eastern Heretic" Huang Yaoshi. In her middle age, she becomes a Buddhist nun and establishes the Emei Sect. Guo Polu () is Guo Xiang's twin brother. In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, it is revealed that 14 years after the events of The Return of the Condor Heroes, he died along with his parents during the Battle of Xiangyang. Wu Dunru () and Wu Xiuwen () are Wu Santong's sons. After their mother died, their father became insane and went missing for years. The boys were then raised by Guo Jing and Huang Rong, who also taught them martial arts. Both of them have a crush on Guo Fu and, at one point, nearly fight each other to the death to win her love. However, Yang Guo resolves their dispute by lying that Guo Fu's parents have agreed to let him marry her. The Wu brothers believe Yang Guo and give up on Guo Fu; they eventually marry Yelü Yan and Wanyan Ping respectively, and are said to be expecting children with their wives near the end of the novel. Yelü Qi () is Yelü Chucai's son and Zhou Botong's secret apprentice. He marries Guo Fu and succeeds Lu Youjiao as the chief of the Beggar Clan. Yelü Yan () is Yelü Qi's younger sister who marries Wu Dunru. Wanyan Ping () is a surviving member of the royal family of the former Jin Empire. Her parents died when the Jin Empire was conquered by the Mongols, and she swears vengeance on Yelü Chucai, whom she blames for her losses. She fails to assassinate him and loses to his children in a fight. She eventually reconciles with the Yelüs and marries Wu Xiuwen.
Mongol Empire Jinlun Guoshi (; literally "Golden Wheel Royal Adviser") is one of the antagonists in the novel. Originally a Tibetan lama, he serves the Mongols and represents them in challenging the wulin. He is defeated by Yang Guo during the Battle of Xiangyang and dies while saving Guo Xiang from being burnt alive. The "Golden Wheel" refers to his weapon, which resembles a gold-coloured chakram. Despite his evil nature, he is shown to be gentle towards Guo Xiang, whom he favours because of her intelligence, and has been considering taking her as his fourth apprentice. Huodu () is a Mongol nobleman descended from Jamukha, and Jinlun's third apprentice who wields a hand fan in combat. He is infatuated with Xiaolongnü and proposes to her but gets rejected immediately. A cunning and witty person, he is not very loyal to his master. When Jinlun, Huodu and Da'erba are fighting with Yang Guo, Huodu realises that they are losing so he abandons his master and flees. Later, he disguises himself as a beggar, He Shiwo (), murders Lu Youjiao, and tries to become the chief of the Beggar Clan. Yang Guo exposes his identity and leads Daerba to him. Daerba defeats him for betraying their master. Daerba () is a Tibetan monk and Jinlun's second apprentice. In contrast with Huodu, he is honest and loyal towards his master even though he is slow-witted. Having been outsmarted by Yang Guo at one point, he has since believed that Yang Guo was Jinlun's deceased first apprentice in his past life. When Jinlun, Huodou, and Daerba are fighting with Yang Guo, Huodu abandons his master and flees while Daerba tries his best to protect his master's life. Yang Guo realizes that he is truly a good person, so he spares his life. 16 years later, he helps Yang Guo eliminate Huodu. After that, to repay Yang Guo for sparing his life, he promises to return home and never leave Tibet again. Möngke () is the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and the eldest son of Guo Jing's deceased anda Tolui. He personally leads his army to attack Xiangyang and is slain by Yang Guo in the final battle. Kublai () a Mongol prince and the younger brother of Möngke. When Guo Jing meets him, he notices that Kublai bears a striking resemblance to his father, Tolui. This similitude causes intense emotional conflict for Guo Jing, as he must now treat the sons of his late sworn brother as enemies. After leading the Mongol assault on Xiangyang, Kublai navigated more than a decade of succession wars triggered by Möngke's death. He ultimately claimed the title of Great Khan and founded the Yuan dynasty, consolidating his rule over China, Manchuria, and the eastern Mongolian Plateau. Yelü Chucai () is the premier of the Mongol Empire and a descendant of the royal family of the former Liao Empire. Yelü Jin () is Yelü Chucai's elder son.
Mercenaries hired by the Mongols Xiaoxiangzi () is a martial artist from Xiangxi. Along with Yinkexi, he steals the Jiuyang Zhenjing from the Shaolin Sect and hides it in the stomach of a white gorilla. After that, they grow suspicious of each other and kill each other. Yinkexi () is a merchant and martial artist from Persia. Nimoxing () is a martial artist from India. He has his legs amputated after falling into a trap set by Yang Guo using Li Mochou's poison needles. He is slain by Yang Guo in Xiangyang 16 years later. Ma Guangzuo () is a martial artist from Xinjiang. Unlike the other mercenaries, he has helped Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü before. Yang Guo later persuades him to leave the Mongols.
Passionless Valley Gongsun Zhi () is the master of Passionless Valley (). Although he appears extraordinary, noble and gentlemanly, he is in fact cold-hearted, ruthless and lecherous. A highly-skilled martial artist, he wields a pair of blades in combat. After he first meets Xiaolongnü, he tries to make her marry him until Yang Guo shows up and stops him. His true colours are revealed as the story progresses, particularly after his wife returns to seek vengeance on him. He flees the valley after he is blinded in one eye, but returns later to take revenge on his wife and dies together with her when they both fall off a cliff. Qiu Qianchi () is Qiu Qianren's younger sister and Gongsun Zhi's wife. An insolent and domineering woman, she gradually fell out of her husband's favour and he decided to get rid of her. After drugging her, he broke her limbs and threw her into an underground pit and left her for dead. While struggling to survive, she mastered a skill which allowed her to overcome her disability by using her neigong to suck distant objects into her mouth and fire them as projectiles towards enemies with extreme force and accuracy. Several years later, Yang Guo encounters her by chance and brings her back to confront Gongsun Zhi, revealing his dark past and true nature. She ultimately falls to her death off a cliff along with her husband. Gongsun Lü'e () is Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi's daughter. Unlike her parents, she is kind-hearted and compassionate. She has a crush on Yang Guo and eventually sacrifices herself to help him. Fan Yiweng () is Gongsun Zhi's most senior apprentice. He has a long white beard and becomes the "Long Bearded Ghost" later. Rou'er () was a servant girl whom Gongsun Zhi fell in love with. Qiu Qianchi discovered their illicit relationship and forced her husband to kill Rou'er.
Ancient Tomb Sect
Lin Chaoying () was the sect's founder. She was both a rival and lover of Wang Chongyang, and equalled him in fighting prowess. Li Mochou (), nicknamed "Red Fairy" (), is Xiaolongnü's senior who was expelled from the sect. She attempts to seize the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra from Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo on several occasions but never succeeds. Granny Sun () is an elderly woman who lives with Xiaolongnü in the Ancient Tomb. She saves Yang Guo from the bullies at the Quanzhen Sect and wants to help him fend them off. She is accidentally killed by Hao Datong during the scuffle. Before her death, she makes Xiaolongnü promise her to take care of Yang Guo. Hong Lingbo () is Li Mochou's apprentice. She is rather sympathetic to Lu Wushuang, who was Li's slave then. She is used as a cushion by her master to escape from the love flowers and dies after being pricked by the poisonous flowers.
Lu family Cheng Ying () is Lu Wushuang's cousin. After Lu Wushuang's family was murdered by Li Mochou, Cheng Ying was saved by Huang Yaoshi, who took her as his apprentice. Later, she meets Yang Guo and has a crush on him, but ultimately becomes his sworn sister. Lu Wushuang () is Lu Liding's daughter and Cheng Ying's cousin. When she was still a child, her family were murdered by Li Mochou, who abducted and enslaved her for years. She manages to escape later and encounters Yang Guo, whom she develops a crush on. She ultimately becomes Yang Guo's sworn sister. Lu Zhanyuan () was Li Mochou's former lover who had died three years before the events of the novel take place. He had reneged his promise to marry Li Mochou and married He Yuanjun instead. This led to Li Mochou holding a grudge against the Lu family, whom she massacres at the start of the novel. He Yuanjun () was Lu Zhanyuan's wife who committed suicide to join her husband after he died of illness. Lu Liding () is Lu Zhanyuan's younger brother. Except for his daughter Lu Wushuang, the entire Lu family was brutally murdered by Li Mochou at the start of the novel.
Quanzhen Sect
Wang Chongyang (), nicknamed "Central Divine" (), was the founder of the Quanzhen Sect. Regarded as the most powerful martial artist in the wulin in his time, he was the first among the five winners of the martial arts contest on Mount Hua and had won the Jiuyin Zhenjing as his prize. Zhou Botong (), nicknamed "Old Imp" () for his childish behaviour despite his old age, is Wang Chongyang's junior and a formidable martial artist. Towards the end of the novel, he becomes the first among the new five winners of the martial arts contest on Mount Hua and replaces Wang Chongyang in the central position as the "Central Imp" (). The "Seven Immortals of Quanzhen" () are Wang Chongyang's seven apprentices who lead the Quanzhen Sect after their master's death. One of them, Tan Chuduan (), was killed by Ouyang Feng in the first novel. Ma Yu (), also known as Danyangzi () Liu Chuxuan (), also known as Changshengzi () Qiu Chuji (), also known as Changchunzi ()