Nine Songs of the Moving Heavens - TV Tropes (2024)

Hán Fēi (Chinese: 韓非)

The Prince of the Han Kingdom.

• Chick Magnet: Is a popular visitor of the Purple Orchid Brothel.
• Foregone Conclusion: His first "appearance" in the series is in the fourth season of Qin's Moon, where we find out he was killed by the Yin-Yang School's curse.
• He Knows Too Much: The reason why the Yin-Yang School cursed him and caused his death; he was aware of the secret of the Azure Dragon.
• Non-Action Guy: Does not fight.
• Nice Guy: In the first episode he gives his dinner to a pair of homeless orphans.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Tries to defend Zinu when a barrage of arrows by using his body as a shield, he lives, albeit a few injuries.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red to Zhang Liang's Blue but the Blue to Hong Lian's Red.

Zhāng Liáng (Chinese: 张良)/Zǐfáng (Chinese:子房)

For tropes used in Qin's Moon, see Qin's Moon

Voice by: Zhai Wei

• Non-Action Guy: Since he's still in his teenage years, he possesses no martial art skills.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Han Fei's red.

Wèi Zhuāng (Chinese: 卫庄)

For tropes used in Qin's Moon, see Qin's Moon

Voiced by: Wu Lei

• White Hair, Black Heart: Although he's not really evil this time around, being more of an Anti-Hero with white hair.

Zǐ Nǚ (Chinese: 紫女)

The owner of the Purple Orchid Brothel. She has a mysterious past, many connections, and is highly skilled in martial arts.

• Action Girl: Is really skilled with the Whip Sword.
• Facial Markings: Has an face tattoo in the right side of her face.
• Foregone Conclusion: Given she is never seen or mentioned in Qin's Moon and her signature Chilian sword comes in Hong Lian's possession (who renames herself after the sword), it's pretty obvious to viewers that she'll probably be dead by the series' end.
• Whip Sword: Wields one for combat. It will eventually end up in Hong Lian's possession, as a gift from Wei Zhuang.

Nòng Yù (Chinese: 弄玉)

A prisoner of Sparrow Pavilion who White Phoenix falls in love with. Unlike many of Ji Wuye's prisoners, she was more calmer and quiet compared to the ones that usually cry. She plays the zither that White Phoenix leaves as a gift, which angers Ji Wuye.

Voiced by: Hong Haitian

• Action Girl: An assassin working under Quicksand.
• Bridal Carry: After getting severely weakened by Ji Wuye, Baifeng carries her in this style for the majority of the finale.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Soft-speaking and polite when Baifeng first meets her but her true colors is that she's vulgar and uses her status as Ji Wuye's prisoner to snitch on Moya when he finds out about her true identity.
• Combat Haircomb: Wears a head dress and a hair pin, which doubles as her weapon to assassinate Ji Wuye.
• Clothing Damage: After her assassination of Ji Wuye fails, her glass shoulder ornaments break.
• Death by Origin Story: Dies after poisoning herself.
• Gilded Cage: Where she is imprisoned, Sparrow Pavilion, where it has a really beautiful interior and exterior.
• Kicking Ass in All Her Finery: Played with, She first appears wearing elegant robes, but she changes outfits in episode two of the OVA to a more fancier gown before she goes to assassinate Ji Wuye.
• Impossibly Low Neck Line: Her default outfit is this.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Appears really elegant and kind, but Moya notices her true motivations, that she is secretly an assassin sent by the Quicksand.
• Yamato Nadeshiko: Subverted, she's actually an assassin sent to kill Ji Wuye and uses her faux kind personality to play tricks on him.

Hóng Lián (Chinese: 红莲)

The Princess of the Han Kingdom, and Han Fei's younger sister. She is fondest of Han Fei out of all her siblings and makes that very, very clear.

For tropes used in Qin's Moon, see Qin's Moon

Voiced by: Hong Haitian

• Annoying Younger Sibling: Towards Han Fei, on top of being a generally outspoken person.
• Break the Cutie: Tied to Foregone Conclusion, as the entirety of Nine Songs expands on her backstory given in Season 3 of Qin's Moon. Han Fei dies, the man she loves is tortured by her father, she's married off to Ji Wuye as a reward, and later watches her kingdom burn down to ashes.
  • She is taken hostage by the Remnants of Baiyue, and when Han Fei is given the choice between her or the Crown Prince... and he picks the Crown Prince over her. Not that he had any intention of giving her up, though.
• Damsel in Distress: Gets kidnapped by the Remnants of Baiyue and spends a rather long time being held prisoner.
• Genki Girl: Is really cheerful and is the most expressive character.
• Late-Arrival Spoiler: She's Chilian's former alias.
• Love at First Sight: When she first met Wei Zhuang.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Han Fei's blue.
• Royal Brat: Uses her high status as a reason to bully citizens in the streets.

The fourth prince of the Han Kingdom, and older brother to Han Fei and Hong Lian.

• Ambition Is Evil: While he's mostly just another conspirator in the Han Kingdom's rapidly-increasing Gamit Pileup and not completely evil, he's willing to sacrifice his family for power. Ji Wuye openly believes he machinated the Crown Prince's death to make his seat open up, and before that, he promised Ji Wuye Hong Lian's hand in marriage as a reward for cooperation.

Jī Wú Yè (Chinese: 姬无夜)

The general of the Han Kingdom, first appearing in Crimson Snake's past involved in an arranged marriage with her. He reappears in Birdsong in Hollow Valley, serving as the main antagonist who likes to keep prisoners in a tower before turning them into his mistresses.

Voiced by: Meng Xianglong

• Ascended Extra: Only appears in Crimson Snake's flashback for a short time before being killed in Qin's Moon, is the main antagonist in Birdsong in Hollow Valley, and is a recurring antagonist in Nine Songs.
• Bad Boss: Strangles his pet Falcon to death and also his concubines, although he still keeps them alive.
• Beard of Evil: A recurring antagonist throughout all of his appearances and has a beard to boot.
• BFS: his sword.
• Big Bad: of Birdsong in Hollow Valley
• Evil Laugh: Makes a lot of them.
• Large and in Charge: A tyrant general of the Han Kingdom and is very muscular and older compared to our protagonists and his henchmen.
• The Bad Guy Wins: In Birdsong in Hollow Valley, since he gets killed by Wei Zhuang in season 4, Moya's No-Holds-Barred Beatdown was only enough to cripple him, before he dies from his wounds, and Nong Yu's assassination attempt has failed, and she ends up dying as well due to poison. Even though his own attempts to kill Han Fei fail multiple times, Han Fei is eventually killed by the Yin-Yang School, presumably before Ji Wuye himself is killed.

Mò Yā (Chinese: 墨鸦)

An assassin working under Ji Wuye and the secondary protagonist of Birdsong in Hollow Valley. Very wise and acts a bit of a mentor to Baifeng.

Voiced by: Xia Lei

• Almost Dead Guy: Was still breathing and able to speak clearly despite having an arrow go right through his chest. He still lives after getting hit by the second arrow, although in critical condition. He lives longer to give Ji Wuye a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown, before falling again. He then finally dies after Baifeng and Nong Yu have escaped completely.
• Animal Motifs: Crows
• Anti-Villain: He may be one of Ji Wuye's subordinates but he only follows his orders for the sake of his own life and genuinely looks after Baifeng, even sacrificing himself to help him escape from him.
• Arrow Catch: Catches Ji Wuye's piercing arrow that went through his body so Baifeng and Nong Yu don't get hit with it too.
• Braids of Action: Has two thin braids at the side of his neck.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Dresses in all black, talks about how the Crow is linked to death, but has no second thought about saving Baifeng and Nong yu from Ji Wuye.
• Death by Origin Story: Dies at the end of Birdsong in Hollow Valley, a story about how Baifeng came to join Quicksand.
• Face Death with Dignity: Knew he would die saving Baifeng and Nong Yu from Ji Wuye, as he is easily no match against the general, but this was his own choice as he believes Baifeng has a lot to learn and should not embrace death too early.
• Facial Markings: Wears eye make up and has tattoos at the side of his eyes.
• Glass Cannon: Gets fatally wounded by Ji Wuye's piercing arrows really easily, but it does not prevent him but giving him a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown before he succumbs to his wounds and dies.
• Go Out with a Smile: Spend the last moments of his life smiling as he watches Baifeng escape from Ji Wuye.
• Handsome Lech: During his bet with Baifeng on who can catch the bird first, he jumps into a house full of women and flirts with them.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Baifeng.
• Hidden Weapons: Has a dagger tucked underneath this arm guard.
• Meaningful Name: In contrast to Baifeng's phoenix motif, as the bird of resurrection, Moya is named after the crow, the bird of death. He even lampshades this at the end of Birdsong in Hollow Valley.

  Ink Crow: "A crow is a legendary bird that can predict death. And today, I probably had already smelled the breath of death."

• The Mentor: Is faster and stronger than Baifeng, usually has a proverb to tell to him, and also dies at the finale.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The scheming and obedient blue to Baifeng's emotional and naive red.
• Shipper on Deck: Likes to tease Baifeng about his feelings for Nong Yu.

Bái Fèng (Chinese: 白凤)

An assassin serving Ji Wuye along with Moya. He is less experienced and more naive.

For tropes used in Qin's Moon, see Qin's Moon

Voiced by: Xie Tiantian

• A Day In The Lime Light: In Birdsong in Hollow Valley, where it showcases him as a teenager working in the Han kingdom before meeting the Quicksand.
• Break the Haughty: At the end of Birdsong in Hollow Valley.
• Bridal Carry: In Birdsong in Hollow Valley, he carries Nong Yu this way as well.
• Clothing Damage: At the end of his special, his arm and shoulder ornaments shatter when he tries to take Nong Yu away from the Han General.
• Foregone Conclusion: Anyone who watches Qin's Moon or Birdsong in Hollow Valley before Nine Songs will know that Baifeng eventually joins Quicksand.
• The Quiet One: Does not talk much unless he's with Moya.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The emotional and impulsive Red to Moya's more obedient blue.

Lǐ Sī (Chinese: 李斯)

A student of the Confucius School, who sets off for the Qin kingdom instead of accompanying Han Fei to the Han kingdom.

For tropes used in Qin's Moon, see Qin's Moon

• The Bus Came Back: He was briefly introduced in episode 1, and returns as an emissary of the Qin State in episode 47.

A teacher of the Confucius school, where both Han Fei and Li Si were his students.

For tropes used in Qin's Moon, see Qin's Moon

• The Mentor: To Han Fei and Li Si, and later Zhang Liang too.