Explaining Wuxia’s Magic System Using Star Wars

With its myriad of foreign terms and concepts, wuxia can be a difficult genre for an English-speaking or western audience to understand. However, even if you’ve never heard of the term “wuxia”, you may already have an intuitive understanding of the genre’s distinct “magic” system… if you know about Star Wars.

This article doesn’t aim to classify Star Wars as wuxia (a controversy on its own) but rather, to help people understand the perimiters of Chinese fantasy’s magic by drawing a connection to a more familiar story. We’ll use Star Wars to explore key tropes in wuxia as well as important nuances which separate the magic of Star Wars from that of wuxia.

The Force

Most wuxia stories share a similar magic or cultivation system. The implication is that once you understand how magic works in one wuxia story, you’ll have a rough understanding of how magic works in the next one.

The Force in Star Wars is very similar to the concept qi, the universal energy cultivated by wuxia martial artists. The Force and qi may be used for benevolent or malevolent purposes. The light and dark duality of the Force specifically mirrors the yin yang philosophy central to Taoism—whose influence permeates much of eastern fantasy. Force-sensitivity in Star Wars occurs due to the pressence of midichlorians (some kind of bacteria) in a person’s blood. This phenomenon is observed only in a select few individuals. However, qi is generally innate to all living things.

Knights, & Martial Artists

Jedi, like wuxia martial artists, harness the Force/qi to (usually) champion the side of good while observing a specific moral code. Jedi and wuxia martial artists rely on meditation and physical training to elevate their command of the force. This presents a key limitation to application of the Force’s great powers: You have to learn the techniques and practice. However, unlike in Star Wars where only certain individuals possess force-sensitivity, anyone can cultivate qi given proper training.

While the Jedi temple is often treated as a single entity (at least in the movies), wuxia martial artists often join sects/schools with unique techniques. Martial artists from the same group tend to fight with a similar style, a point which has implications for the plot The distinction between sects often becomes a major source of conflict. They wage war against each other in a way reminiscient of feuding noble houses or kingdoms.

Old Martial Arts Master

Mentor figures are certainly not exclusive to Star Wars or wuxia. However, experienced martial art masters play a particularly significant role in Star Wars and wuxia. Often, a martial artist’s specific skills available to them are determined by who their master is and how much said master taught them. In this type of fiction—which places heavy emphasis on physical action—techniques and mastery over them play decisive roles in the outcome of conflict.

Telekinesis & Levitation

While wuxia shares plenty of similarities with tales of Arthurian knights, I hesitate to compare the genre to western medieval fiction because people often approach wuxia expecting a certain standard of realism. One of wuxia’s defining traits is the way its stories approach violence more akin to superhero movies. Realism is not the point. Modern Chinese martial arts themselves have theatrical influences. Wuxia’s fantastic action sequences tend to reflect this idea that there is some kind of beauty in physical combat.

Wuxia is no stranger to martial artists leaping gracefully through the air as if in flight. Telekinesis, though relatively less common, makes an appearance in stories where martial artists can suspend weaker opponents midair using their powers.

Force Healing

Force healing finds precedent in the common wuxia practice of healing others using one’s own qi. Force and qi healing demonstrate cultivation’s physiological connection. The energy required to heal others must come from somewhere, specifically from the person performing the healing who loses physical vitality in the process. While said vitality can replenish, a healer’s abilities are limited to the strength they can muster at the given time.

Force Lightning

Force lightning is one such Star Wars ability which generally lacks an wuxia counterpart. However, xianxia and xuanhuan stories sometimes present comparable qi-based powers. Essentially, the ability to expel energy to destructive effect makes a common appearance in Chinese fantasy.

Deflecting Flying Projectiles With Swords

This technique reflects the dramatic flair which often characterizes wuxia fight sequences where martial artists may parry arrows with spinning staffs or swords. It also serves as a good example of how the wuxia genre expects the audience to suspend their understanding of speed.

Conclusion

The “magic” of Star Wars might not be the same as that of Chinese fantasy, but it gives you a rough idea of the limitations and applications of wuxia martial arts. Magic is fairly consistent across wuxia stories, so once you develop a rough understanding, you’ll be able to enjoy them without grappling with complex rules each time. For fans of wuxia, explaining the genre to a broader audience can be difficult. Some of us rely on familiar stories (Star Wars in my case) to disill key genre elements in the form of simple analogies. Although some will point out that wuxia is defined by more than its magic system, if you like the action of Star Wars, this might be the genre for you.