| “ | How romantic. Men will tell you what you want to hear, Sparrow. But in the end, they will leave you with nothing. | „ |
| ~ Ni-Chang |
Ni-Chang is the secondary antagonist in the 2008 Chinese-American fantasy adventure film The Forbidden Kingdom.
She was portrayed by Li Bingbing.
Role in the film[]
Ni-Chang, also known as the White-Haired Witch, is sent by the evil Jade Warlord to find and recover the Monkey King's mystical staff in exchange for the Elixir of Immortality. Along with a group of loyal assassins, Ni-Chang heads to a teahouse and interrogates the owner about the whereabouts of Jason Tripitkas, a young boy prophesied to return the staff to its rightful owner, Lu Yan, an old drunk man, and a soldier monk who escaped with them. She later ends up murdering the owner and a bodyguard, who refuse to give her any information. The owner's wife gives Ni-Chang a blade that belonged to Golden Sparrow, an orphan girl who seeks revenge on the Jade Warlord for murdering her parents years ago.
Ni-Chang and her henchmen then follow the four, who cross a desert called "The River of Sand". In an attempt to steal the staff, Ni-Chang and her henchmen ambush the four travelers in a forest, who ultimately subdue and kill the assassins. However, soldiers of the Jade Army force the four to escape. Jason and his followers, Lu Yan, the Silent Monk and Golden Sparrow, escape from Ni-Chang but she fires an arrow at Lu Yan which nearly kills him. Jason realities that only the elixir of immortality can save Lu Yan so he travels to the Warlord's palace alone to exchange it for the Monkey King's staff.
Ni-Chang invites Jason inside but claims the Warlord had promised to give the elixir to her, though Jason reminds the Warlord that he is the one who has brought the staff to him and therefore he should be given the elixir instead. The Warlord then arranges a fight to the death between Jason and Ni-Chang to decide who the elixir should be given to. Jason is easily outmatched and quickly beaten by Ni-Chang, but before the Warlord can kill him, the other protagonists arrive to fight off the Warlord and his minions. While Golden Sparrow engages in a vicious duel with Ni-Chang, Jason manages to grab the elixir and throws it towards Lu Yan, who drinks it and is momentarily revived. Lu Yan then fights Ni-Chang on the palace balcony and knocks her over the edge, though her long hair prevents her from falling. However, before she can climb back up, Lu Yan cuts her hair with a knife and sends her plunging into the misty darkness below.
Personality[]
Due to her abilities, Ni-Chag is exceptionally manipulative, egocentric and arrogant, which proves fatal during her final confrontation with Lu Yan. With a stone-cold and silent demeanor, she generally communicates through a slight and smug smirk. She is notably traitorous, self-centered, merciless, cruel and relentless, with her reaching to the full extent of her abilities to either defeat her enemies or accomplish her objective.
Gallery[]
