Mo Dao Zu Shi
A donghua series about the founder of the Demonic Path.
Mo Dao Zu Shi is a Chinese donghua series based on the novel of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It is produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures and B.C May Pictures and depicts a fictional xianxia world where humans cultivate toward immortality. The series follows Wei Wuxian, who deviates from conventional cultivation to create Guidao (the Ghost Path), and his journey after being resurrected thirteen years after his death.
- field
- Donghua (Chinese animation)
- known_for
- Adaptation of the novel Mo Dao Zu Shi; depiction of the Demonic Path (Guidao)
- first_season_air_date
- July 9 to October 6, 2018
- final_season_air_date
- August 7 to October 16, 2021
- total_episodes
- 35 (across three seasons plus a chibi series)
Lore & Background
The series is set in a fictional xianxia world where humans attempt to cultivate to a state of immortality known as xian. The protagonist, Wei Wuxian, due to certain circumstances, deviated from the conventional cultivation path and eventually created Guidao (the Ghost Path), earning him the title Yiling Laozu. Despite his efforts during the Sunshot Campaign to bring down the tyrannical Wen Clan, he was feared by the world for his unorthodox methods. Thirteen years after he was killed, he is summoned into the body of a man named Mo Xuanyu, who sacrificed his own body so Wei Wuxian would avenge him. In the Mo house, Wei Wuxian encounters a dismembered left arm causing death and havoc, and his attempts to uncover its mystery guide him to a familiar face from the past, Lan Wangji, with whom he embarks on a journey to unravel the tragic events that caused many deaths, including his own.
Reader's Guide
Mo Dao Zu Shi is significant as a donghua adaptation of a popular Chinese novel, bringing the story of Wei Wuxian and the Demonic Path to a visual medium. The series spans three seasons and a chibi spin-off, with the first two seasons released on Crunchyroll in December 2024. Its legacy lies in its exploration of unorthodox cultivation, the consequences of power, and the mystery surrounding Wei Wuxian's death and resurrection. The series features a large cast of characters from various cultivation clans, including the Gusu Lan Clan and the Lanling Jin Clan, and delves into their relationships and conflicts. The donghua has contributed to the global popularity of the Mo Dao Zu Shi franchise, which includes the original novel, audio dramas, and other adaptations.
Did You Know?
- The first season, titled Qian Chen Pian, aired from July 9 to October 6, 2018, for 15 episodes.
- The third and final season, titled Wán Jié Piān, aired from August 7 to October 16, 2021, for 12 episodes.
- A chibi series titled Mo Dao Zu Shi Q aired from July 31, 2020, to January 29, 2021, for 30 episodes.
- The first two seasons were released on Crunchyroll on December 11, 2024.
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