15 Best wuxia and xianxia dramas

In an era when demons have dominion over cultivators and mortals, the cultivator elders believe it is imperative to send someone back in time to discover the origin of the demon lord and prevent his resurrection. Li Su Su accepts the mission and assumes the identity of mortal Ye Xi Wu, the second daughter of General Ye. She's married to Tantai Jin, the captive prince and future demon lord, and is determined to destroy him, aware that in the future he will come to massacre many. But as witness to Tantai Jin's past life and rise to power, an unexpected tale emerges, one complicating her quest. 

(Source: RedLotusPavilion at MyDramaList; edited by CK Warrior and others at MyDramaList)

According to legend, in order to obtain terrible power, Dongfang Qing Cang of the Moon Tribe became an emotionless monster. He killed his father, seized the position of Moon Supreme and led an army of 100,000 Moon Tribe soldiers on a path of devastation. Shuiyuntian (the immortal fairy realm), Cangyan Sea (the Moon Tribe), and Yunmeng Lake (the mortal world) were in grave danger. To save the world and stop Dongfang Qing Cang and his army, the first God of War of Shuiyuntian destroyed her primordial spirit. Dongfang Qing Cang’s army and primordial spirit were sealed and his body was locked away in Haotian Tower under the immortal bonds of the Haotian Matrix. However, if his primordial spirit was restored and Dongfang Qing Cang were to break free from his tower, the world would be in danger once more.

Legend says that only the Goddess of Xishan can prevent this catastrophe, but she vanished without a trace. 30,000 years after the first God of War’s sacrifice, there was a disturbance in the Haotian Matrix. While attempting to help the new God of War reinforce the Matrix, Orchid, a weak and low-ranking flower fairy, accidentally finds herself inside Haotian Tower and face-to-face with the Moon Supreme himself. Their encounter sets off a chain of events that threatens to change the fate of the world once again. 

(Source: Wikipedia, Netflix; edited by AH at MyDramaList)

A thousand years since the battle between the demons and heavens took place, the souls of the Star of Mosha and the God of War are sent to the mortal realm to serve penance. In the mortal realm, Chu Xuan Ji, daughter of the Shaoyang Sect Leader, is deprived of her six senses. At a tournament, she meets Yu Si Feng, a skilled disciple of Lize Palace who was born on the same day as her, and the two develop a friendship. Promising to meet again, Si Feng returns to his sect, where he is punished for breaking the rules and forced to wear a mask that could potentially harm his life, while Xuan Ji leaves her home to train in martial arts. Four years later, their destinies intertwine anew. While traveling together, recovered memories from their past lives surface, revealing secrets and conspiracies involving themselves and the three realms; demon, heavenly, and mortal. These revelations have a profound impact on their relationship, creating an imbalance in all three realms. 

(Source: linfifi8 at MyDramaList)

Zi Fen, the Flower Deity, dies after giving birth to a daughter, Jin Mi. Before her death, Zi Fen foresaw that Jin Mi would encounter a fatal love trial and fed her daughter an 'Unfeeling Pill' to prevent her from developing any romantic feelings. Zi Fen also instructed the leaders of the Flower Realm to keep Jin Mi's identity a secret and had her kept locked in a water boundary within the Flower Realm. Several thousand years later, Jin Mi has grown up into an innocent and naive sprite who longs to see the world outside of the Flower Realm. When Xu Feng, the Fire Deity and second son of the Heavenly Emperor, accidentally lands in the Flower Realm after being attacked during his phoenix rebirth process, Jin Mi nurses Xu Feng back to health and demands that he takes her along with him when he leaves the Flower Realm. This is where Jin Mi's adventure and love trial begins as she explores the realms and meets various immortals & demons.

(Source: MyDramaList)

Ten years ago, Li Xiang Yi, the master of the Sigu Sect, dominated with his superior swordsmanship and was a symbol of light in the martial arts world. However, he suddenly disappeared along with Di Fei Sheng, the leader of the Jinyuan Alliance, after they arranged to battle in the East Sea. Ten years later, Li Lian Hua is a countryside doctor who travels dragging around a lotus tower. He accidentally becomes "famous" and gets pulled into the pugilistic world that he no longer wants to have any connections with. Fang Duo Bing, a passionate youth who dreams of becoming a hero, realizes that Li Lian Hua is not a simple man and vows to find proof that Li Lian Hua has been impersonating a famous doctor. Meanwhile, Di Fei Sheng, who has always regarded Li Xiang Yi as a fierce enemy, has also reemerged in the pugilistic world and recognizes that the unremarkable doctor Li Lian Hua is none other than Li Xiang Yi. After a series of cases, Li Lian Hua, Di Fei Sheng and Fang Duo Bing gradually come to forge a deep friendship and join hands in solving mysterious cases to uphold justice. 

(Source: ChineseDrama.info; edited by MyDramaList)

Yan Dan and her twin sister, Zhi Xi, are the sole descendants of the ancient tribe the Four-Leaved Lotus. Yan Dan’s entire being is a treasure trove of medicines. She and twin sister Zhi Xi transformed into human form a century before while attending the Queen Mother's Feast, but Yan Dan faced the greatest trial of her life - the love trial. Falling in love with Lord Ying Yuan resulted in her wasting the following 900 years trying to forget him. Such a high price to pay! Now the supportive Yu Mo enters her life, encouraging her daily to perform good deeds. While punishing evil, they encounter Lord Ying Yuan's current reincarnation, Tang Zhou, the demon hunter. They assist Tang Zhou in his quest to locate the four ancient artifacts, uncovering an even more mysterious secret. Can the trio find the evidence they need despite the dangers? 

(Source: DramaWiki, edited by Lee C at MyDramaList)

Having lost his mother at a very young age, Tang San grew up relying on his father just as much as his father relied upon him. Meticulous and mature for his age, with extraordinary talent and wit, he was sent to Nuoding Academy at the age of sixteen to begin pursuing his dream of becoming a great soul master. There, under the tutelage of Yu Xiao Gang, he befriends an orphan by the name of Xiao Wu, and together they begin the long and difficult journey of cultivation. As time passes, the two friends draw ever closer, eventually swearing to look out for each other as siblings for life. As their power and connection grow, Yu Xiao Gang realizes they need more guidance than he can provide. Sending the pair to the Shrek Academy, Tang San and Xiao Wu join five other prodigies from various academies in their journey of cultivation. Strong in their power, the seven students become known throughout the land as the “Shrek Seven Devils”. With their fame ever-growing, the talents of the Seven are eventually noticed by a few very prominent nobles who invite them to continue their cultivation at the esteemed Tian Dou Royal Academy. Not long after accepting the invitation, the Seven Devils find themselves caught up in an imperial struggle for power between the first and fourth princes. At the same time, Tang San uncovers a long-hidden secret about his mother’s death. Suddenly facing battles on many fronts, Tang San finds himself forced to fight, not only to protect those he loves but to bring honor to his sect, save his country, and complete his quest to become the greatest soul master of all time. 

(Source: Viki)

The world of Dahuang was once divided into three kingdoms: Xiyan, Chenrong, and Haoling. Xiyan and Chenrong were at war, and General Chi Chen led the forces of Chenrong. At the last minute, the daughter of Xiyan’s Emperor was called on to lead Xiyan’s forces as the General Princess. She defeated General Chi Chen at the cost of her own life, and succeeded in turning the tide of the war. Chenrong lost its momentum and was conquered by Xiyan. Before her death, the General Princess had two children in her care: her daughter nicknamed Xiao Yao, and her nephew Cang Xuan. After her death, Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan were left alone with no one to rely on except each other. But Xiao Yao was sent to Jade Mountain, and the two were separated. Xiao Yao endures many hardships, but 300 years later she has changed her gender and appearance, and is running a small clinic under the name Wen Xiao Liu. This doctor, his servant, a wine-maker, and a demon military advisor cross paths in Qingshiui Town. In this town outside of Xiyan Kingdom and Haoling Kingdom's control, these meetings will change the future of all of Dahuang.

 (Source: CPOPHome.com; edited by AH at MyDramaList)

Ling Bu Yi, the foster son of Emperor Wen and a talented & ruthless general of the Black Armour Army, was on a personal mission to uncover hidden truths about the past, which had led to the massacre of an entire city and of his clan when he met Cheng Shao Shang during a mission to apprehend a fugitive in a rural village. The young Cheng Shao Shang had been left behind because her parents had gone off to fight in the war. Neglected and uneducated, she had been a thorn in her aunt's and grandmother's side until the unexpected return of her parents after many years on the frontlines. Having always lacked a loving family, Shao Shang had been looking forward to being reunited with her parents, but the many years of separation inevitably led to some estrangement. Shao Shang, however, is unfazed and determined to live for herself, and her unruly and audacious nature, and her quick wits, begin to catch the attention of quite a few people in the capital, including Ling Bu Yi. 

(Source: MyDramaList)

In the affluent city of Yangzhou, in Tang Dynasty China’s Jiangsu Province, powerful parents from the Du and Li clans are planning marriages for their daughters, with the weddings coincidentally slated to take place on the very same day. Du Bing Yan’s intended husband is the sickly Qi Tian Lei, the third son of the Qi family. The Qi hope that marrying Qi Tian Lei off to a beautiful woman will reverse the man’s bad luck, and restore his health. But rumor has it that Qi Tian Lei is actually on the verge of death. Du Bing Yan is dismayed by the fact that she must marry such a sick individual, but bows to her parents’ wishes. Meanwhile, the Li family has agreed to marry their daughter Li Yu Hu to a general named Yuan Bu Qu, a man with a reputation for ferocity and roughness. Li Yu Hu is equally distraught by this choice of a husband, but also acquiesces to her family’s wishes. But while they travel by sedan to their respective weddings, they both take refuge from a rain shower in a temple they pass along the way. When a monk warns them that bandits are going to attack the temple, their respective entourages panic. In the confusion, the two women are taken off in the “wrong” sedans – and end up heading to weddings with the other woman’s intended husband! Will Cupid be able to sort out the mess? Or will chaos ensue for this quartet? 

(Source: VIKI, Baike)

Xiang Yun was originally a cloud, but was later transformed into a fairy by the Red Thread Master and worked in the Marriage Pavilion. Xiangyun volunteered to help her master to find Immortal Chu Kong, the God of War, a marriage partner but later got caught auctioning his marriage. The two quarrelled and accidentally messed up the red thread of fate, leading to an entanglement between the two that last for several lifetimes. However, their fate started way earlier, in a memory that both of them didn't have. 

(Source: iQIYI)

Xiao Yan is a genius child who suddenly loses all his powers. In a world governed by strength and power, Xiao Yan’s lack of talent is an embarrassment to his family. At 15, Xiao Yan accidentally summons Yao Lao from his mother’s ring. With the elder’s help, Xiao Yan’s skills improve by leaps and bounds. After his entire family is assassinated, Xiao Yan embarks on a journey to find his family’s killer and return peace to the martial world.

 (Source: IMDb)

After a lover's betrayal, the ancient dragon Tian Yao found himself badly wounded and heartbroken. The woman he loved betrayed him by dismembering him and stripping him of his dragon scales and then sealing his body parts in five places. Only by luck did his soul escape. Now reborn, he encounters Yan Hui, who vows to protect him as he retrieves his missing bones. Discovering a seal within a lake, Tian Yao sees his opportunity. After meeting Yan Hui, Tian Yao became hopeful, knowing she possessed his heart protection scale that could break that seal. Tian Yao uses Yan Hui to retrieve his stolen body parts. Yan Hui then plans her escape only to fail. Surprisingly, she finds their relationship deepening over time. Tian Yao admires Yan Hui's repeated efforts to save him, while Yan Hui appreciates the strong bond they have created. Mysteries will abound as Yan Hui comes to learn of her true origin.

 (Source: ChineseDrama.info; edited by MyDramaList)

Yun Xiang, a disciple of Yuntai, entered the world to exact revenge for his massacred family after fifteen years of cultivation. Though lacking any martial arts skills, but having an incredible intelligence about him, while traveling Yun Xiang made several friends who shared his aura of intrigue and mystique. Shu Ya Nan, an orphan taken in by Yun Xiang's master, possessed amazing martial art skills but also had many secrets she was hiding, Jin Biao was a master swordsman with a sense of his own justice, and Su Ming Yu, who hid his skills and due to his travels, possessed an uncanny ability to understand almost every martial art skill and name as well as its weakness. Yun Xiang and his friends spent a period getting to know each other through various means of unveiling secrets to determine whether they were really friends or foes. With the ever growing in-depth investigation of past tragedies, Yun Xiang unearthed more appalling secrets, and things began to unravel as much was not as he had originally thought including Yuntai itself. Throughout all of this, he and his friends experienced deception, betrayal, and many life and death struggles. Could Yun Xiang and his group determine who all of the villains were and bring justice to the land as well as get their revenge or would they lose to the evil in the end? (Source: MyDramaList)

Wu Xin is a wandering immortal who has no recollection of how long he has lived or how he came to be, but he has supernatural powers where he can see and deal with spirits (good and evil) that still roam the living world. He pretends to be a travelling monk to make a living. During one of his travels, he was thrown off a cliff and buried underneath a pile of leaves. Li Yue Ya was passing by and stopped to eat a steamed bun when Wu Xin sniffed it, was hungry, and emerged from the pile of leaves asking for food. He gave Yue Ya a fright, but she was kind enough to give him half her bun. Ever since then, Wu Xin decided to accompany Yue Ya to provide for her and to look after her, eventually falling in love as they encountered a series of supernatural adventures together. (Source: MyDramaList)