In recent years, Chinese fantasy dramas have seen soaring popularity, especially with the international audience. One genre that is a growing pop culture phenomenon in China is Xianxia. The term means immortal heroes in literal terms. ‘Xian’ refers to supernatural beings whereas ‘Xia’ refers to the heroes of justice. Often the dramas' theme is these extraordinary heroes fighting evil and pursuing for the greater good of the society. The enchanting storylines and the beautiful graphics aren’t to be missed so here is a list of the top 10 xianxia dramas for you.
1. The Starry Love
Two princesses from the earthly realm are the focus of the narrative. The older sister is kind and gentle and has been promised as the Heavenly Consort to the Immortal tribe. The younger sister, the Demon Consort, is bright and cunning and is engaged to the Demon clan. Chaos ensues as there is an unintended mix-up while marrying off the sisters. If you want your xianxia drama to have a good sprinkling of comedy, go for it!
2. Love Between A Devil And A Fairy
Ten thousand years after being wiped out by the demon Dongfang Qingcang, the goddess of the Pixin tribe was reincarnated in the heavenly realm as a lowly fairy. Dongfang Qingcang must give up the soul of Xiao Lan Hua in order to break the magic that has bound his body in order to be set free. However, along the way, he falls in love with the female lead. This drama has all the tropes - a forbidden romance, a love triangle, enemies to lovers and some soul-swapping- making it a wholesome watch.
3. Love And Destiny
Jiu Chen, the God of War, fought an evil demon king to save the earth ten thousand years ago and then went to a deep slumber. Now, Jiu Chen must make a painful decision between saving his love and defending the world from darkness when the lovely fairy maiden Ling Xi, who has the ability to free the demon, awakens him. A thoughtful male lead and a strong female lead without the superpowers, along with some wonderful side characters give this series a lot many reasons to be watched and rewatched again.
4. Love And Redemption
The Star of Mosha and the God of War's souls are sent to the mortal realm for atonement 1,000 years after the great conflict between demons and the heavens. The daughter of the Shaoyang Sect Leader, Chu Xuan Ji, makes friends with Yu Si Feng, a Lize Palace disciple. Four years later, as they recollect memories from earlier lifetimes, their paths cross as they uncover information that upsets the peace between the demon, heavenly, and mortal realms. Released in 2020, this drama has a lot of life lessons to give. Except it won’t be a boring philosophy class, since it has the beautiful graphics and the romantic chemistry of the actors that makes it so exciting.
5. The Untamed
Wei Wu Xian and Lan Wang Ji make friends in a place where the dominant Wen clan rules, and together they find proof of the Wen clan's evil scheme. Wei Wu Xian vanishes after their initial attempt to stop the Wen clan fails, worrying everyone. A string of inexplicable deaths occurs sixteen years later, driving Wei Wu Xian to return and reunite with Lan Wang Ji. They work together once more to conduct an investigation and make sure they succeed this time. It is remarkable to note that it is adopted from a BL fiction novel. Although China has a ban on queer representation, the bromance between the two male leads still sizzled well.
6. Eternal Love
High Goddess Bai Qian puts her life in danger and suffers memory loss in an effort to imprison a destructive ghost lord. She meets Ye Hua after she is transported to the mortal world to retrieve her powers, and the two have a passionate romantic relationship. However, when Ye Hua makes another attempt to seek Bai Qian when they both recover immortality, Bai Qian ignores his advances. This is a classic story of star-crossed lovers. Spanning over 2 seasons, this series is perfect to take up as a fantasy-heaven ride whenever you are tired of real life.
7. Ancient Love Poetry
In a trial 60,000 years ago, Shang Gu, the head of the four ancient immortals, gave her life in order to survive, and she awoke as the High Immortal of Qingchi Palace with diminished abilities and no memory. Despite this, her old lover Bai Jue, who willingly gave up his reincarnation for her, has been patiently waiting for her for millennia. She vowed to be patiently waiting for him forever even as his soul vanishes. The plot is fascinating enough to keep you on your toes, as things take a great turn from episode 16.
8. Immortal Samsara
A four-leaf lotus tribe member named Yan Dan and Lord Ying Yuan, one of the ruling lords in the realm of the heavens, are involved in a forbidden love tale in this Chinese drama. With both of their memories lost, their tale continues in the mortal realm. Although it has a general run time of 59 episodes, it is still fast-paced compared to other xianxia dramas. This heart-touching love story also has a strong Chinese aesthetic visualization, so if you are into Chinese culture and history, your search stops here.
9. Blue Whisper
Ji Yunhe, a Yuling master under the influence of poison, intends to employ the trusty merman Chang Yi to get her freedom. However, as their paths diverge, Chang Yi's kindness softens her heart and turns them from rivals to lovers. They deeply love each other, yet fate forces them to hurt each other and part ways. Perhaps the best part of this drama is its music. It is soulful and complements the drama very well.
10. Ashes Of Love
The Flower Goddess imprisoned her daughter, Jin Mi, within the Water Barrier for 10,000 years to avoid an expected love trial, and gave her the Loveless Pill to protect her from passionate love. The second son of the Heaven Emperor, Xu Feng, unintentionally crosses the Water Barrier and falls in love with Jin Mi, who is not aware of her true nature. They overcome the obstacles of love, retaliation, and fate to arrive at their predetermined happy ending as Jin Mi becomes involved in a love triangle with Xu Feng and his older brother, Run Yu. The storyline is absolutely intriguing, so you can rest assured about its 63-episode run time.
