Zhang Ruoyun is not the first! The most shocking identity reversal in Chinese dramas is her, who was thought to be a pure girl but turned out to be the ultimate great demon king

The most engaging scenes in Chinese mainland dramas are not when the villain suddenly turns evil, but when the identity of a character that the audience has believed in is completely overturned at a critical moment. Some transform from a gentle prince to a behind-the-scenes demon king, some who were thought to have died return years later as the true mastermind, and some have their names, origins, factions, and past experiences all meticulously crafted as lies. This article, referencing discussions on Weibo and Douban about character discrepancies, foreshadowing, and the shock of truth revelations, compiles the 'Top 10 Most Shocking Identity Reversals in Chinese Dramas.' The following content contains major spoilers, so viewers who haven't finished watching should read with caution.

10th Place: Qiao Zhenyu in 'Ancient Sword Odd Tales' Qiao Zhenyu plays Ouyang Shaokong in 'Ancient Sword Odd Tales.' Upon his first appearance, he is a refined young man skilled in music and medicine, a senior elder of the Qingyu Danxi Cave. He is humble and often helps Bai Li Tusu and his companions in times of danger, appearing to be a trustworthy travel companion. However, Ouyang Shaokong's true identity is actually the heavenly musician prince Changqin, who has been using the soul-transference technique to prolong his life due to his incomplete soul. He is also the ultimate antagonist who has been manipulating people's fates and orchestrating multiple tragedies. The reason Ouyang Shaokong's reversal is classic is that Qiao Zhenyu, in the early stages, hardly shows any signs of being a 'villain.' His gentle smile and composed demeanor actually make people let their guard down. Some netizens admitted they came for 'Ouyang Shaokong and Master Ziyun,' and others thought the evil smile he showed before the village massacre was extremely impactful. It's only when the shell of a humble gentleman is peeled away that the audience realizes that every help and encounter might have been calculated in advance.

9th Place: Jing Tian in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' Jing Tian plays both Si Teng and Bai Ying in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes.' Si Teng is a proud and cold beauty with immense power from the Yezhi tribe. After her resurrection, she begins to investigate the truth behind her murder years ago. Bai Ying, on the other hand, is portrayed as a mysterious woman with opposing views, driven mad by love. As the past gradually pieces together, it is revealed that Bai Ying is not a sudden new enemy but another part of Si Teng, split from her due to internal conflict. In fact, Bai Ying is the one who killed Si Teng, causing her to sleep for decades. This setup turns their confrontation from a simple clash of good and evil into a reckoning with one's own desires, trauma, and choices. Audience opinions on Bai Ying are quite polarized, with some bluntly stating, 'Bai Ying's acting was too fake, wasting the foreshadowing earlier.' This shows that the role's madness and acting style have sparked controversy. However, the truth that Si Teng and Bai Ying were originally one has successfully transformed external persecution into a self-destruction.

8th Place: Wang Churan in 'The Legend of Xiao Chuo' Wang Churan plays Liu Mian Tang in 'The Legend of Xiao Chuo.' At the beginning of the story, she suffers severe injuries and loses her memory, mistakenly recognizing Huaiyang Wang Cui Xingzhou as her husband 'Cui Jiu.' She then opens a porcelain shop and manages the family business as an ordinary merchant's wife. Cui Xingzhou originally wanted to use her to lure out the leader of the Yangshan stronghold, Lu Wen, but he didn't know that the enemy he had been searching for day and night was right in front of him. Liu Mian Tang herself was the leader of the Yangshan forces under the name Lu Wen. The most attractive aspect of Liu Mian Tang is that after regaining her memory, she didn't passively wait for others to save her but quickly regained her judgment and began to observe Cui Xingzhou's lies. Netizens described her as 'Liu Mian Tang's business fans are reassured; she can solve anything with a turn of her mind.' From a weak, amnesiac woman to a wise and courageous master of Yangshan, Wang Churan's performance of the role's before-and-after aura changes is quite distinct, also making the back-and-forth of the male and female leads hiding their identities more interesting.

7th Place: Chen Xingxu in 'The Palace' Chen Xingxu plays both Gu Xiaowu and Li Chengyin in 'The Palace,' approaching Xiao Feng. Gu Xiaowu seems to be a tea merchant without a prestigious background, willing to take risks for Xiao Feng, catch fireflies, and save her from danger, gradually winning her heart. However, his true identity is the prince Li Chengyin of the Feng Dynasty, approaching Xiao Feng with other political motives. Their love is thus entangled with the Danchi massacre, the struggle for the throne, and national hatred. After Gu Xiaowu's identity is revealed, all the romantic scenes from the early stages are tinged with deception and calculation. A netizen's sentence, 'Xiaowu, I want to wrap and forget you,' expresses Xiao Feng's despair upon discovering the truth. Another comment directly recreates their dialogue: 'I am Xiaowu,' 'This time, I am really going to forget.' It's hard for the audience to completely separate Gu Xiaowu from Li Chengyin, precisely because he might have had genuine feelings, but the harm caused is also irreparable.

6th Place: Jing Bo Ran in 'Rebirth' Jing Bo Ran plays Fei Ke in 'Rebirth,' a man who leaves behind many mysteries even after death. Five people who had close ties with him are invited to a memorial service but discover that each person's Fei Ke has different educational backgrounds, occupations, families, and life experiences. As they exchange clues, Fei Ke's real name, Li Zexi, gradually comes to light. Those seemingly perfect identities are almost all scams he tailored to his targets. The title and the character's name are also seen as clues by the audience. Someone immediately associated Fei Ke with 'Fake?' after seeing him, and someone pointed out, 'He said from the beginning that he was fake.' Jing Bo Ran switches his demeanor in different victims' memories, sometimes a gentle lover, sometimes a financial elite, and sometimes a pitiful person in need of help. When all versions are put together, the audience realizes that the person everyone loved or trusted might not have been the same person.

5th Place: Zhang Ruoyun in 'The Longest Day' Zhang Ruoyun plays Fan Chuan in 'The Longest Day,' who grew up as Fan Jian's illegitimate son in Danzhou. After entering the capital, he is drawn into the power struggles of the Imperial Depot, the Bureau of Inspection, and the royal family. Fan Chuan's real parents are actually Ye Qingmei and the Emperor Jing, meaning he is not the son of an ordinary official but the Emperor Jing's long-lost son. This relationship reinterprets the Emperor Jing, Chen Qingqi, and Fan Jian's years of protection, testing, and scheming for him. The revelation of Fan Chuan's lineage increases his weight in the power game but also draws criticism from some viewers. A comment criticizes, 'Even if the lineage is forced, his intelligence level is also severely lowered.' This reflects the audience's differing views on the protagonist's halo and the plot arrangement. However, after becoming the Emperor Jing's son, every conversation between Fan Chuan and the Emperor Jing adds a layer of dangerous meaning of father and son testing and guarding each other.

4th Place: He Gang in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' He Gang plays Dan Gu Dao in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes,' the elder brother whom Li Xiangyi has been longing for for many years. Ten years ago, everyone believed that Dan Gu Dao was killed by the Golden Swan Alliance. Li Xiangyi also launched a great war to avenge his teacher, ultimately being poisoned by Bi Cha and the collapse of the Sigu Door. Ten years later, the truth is revealed: Dan Gu Dao actually faked his death and secretly established the Wansheng Dao, using Li Xiangyi's trust in him to incite Jianghu conflicts, becoming the mastermind behind the long-term conspiracy. The setting of Dan Gu Dao transforming from a deceased elder brother to the biggest villain is quite impactful, but the preparation for his return is also criticized. Viewers bluntly state, 'Dan Gu Dao's appearance is inexplicable, and he knows everything,' and someone keeps asking, 'Why did Dan Gu Dao self-destruct in the end?' These comments show that although the audience is shocked by his resurrection and betrayal, they still have many doubts about the logic of the later plot and the character's motives.

3rd Place: Gong Jun in 'The Longest Day' Gong Jun plays Wen Ke Xing in 'The Longest Day.' On the surface, he is a dashing gentleman who travels around with a folding fan, loves to joke, and gradually approaches Zhou Zishu. The real Wen Ke Xing, however, is the master of the Ghost Valley in Qingyae Mountain and also the descendant of the divine doctor, Zhen Yan. He witnessed his parents being killed in his childhood and then grew up in the Ghost Valley surrounded by evil ghosts, relying on ruthless means to sit on the position of the valley master, and then returned to the human world as Wen Ke Xing to take revenge. The charm of Wen Ke Xing lies in the huge gap between his elegant appearance and his crazy heart. Someone expressed after seeing the clip, 'Wen Ke Xing is really cool,' and someone described, 'Wen Ke Xing's eyes made me excited.' When Zhou Zishu finds out that he is the master of the Ghost Valley, Wen Ke Xing is not afraid of being hunted by the righteous, but that the person he cares about most cannot accept the real him, also making the identity revelation an important turning point for the role to seek redemption.

2nd Place: Li Gengxi in 'The Longest Season' Li Gengxi plays Shen Mo in 'The Longest Season,' a young woman studying at university with a quiet personality. After the dismembered body case occurred many years ago, the police and the Shen family once believed that the victim was Shen Mo. It was not until many years later that the truth was revealed: Shen Mo did not die. She mixed her little finger into the body fragments, causing the body of Yin Hong to be mistakenly identified as herself, and then fled to live abroad under the identity of Yin Hong. Shen Mo's reversal did not bring a light feeling of rebirth but made the entire story even heavier. A netizen wrote, 'Shen Mo, the body is alive, but the identity and soul are also fading with revenge.' Although she got rid of the name Shen Mo, the past injuries did not truly disappear. It was not until the end that the audience understood that in the dismembered body case, besides Yin Hong, the one who really died also included Shen Mo, who once believed in love and yearned for a normal life.

1st Place: Yuan Bingyan in 'Lotus' Yuan Bingyan plays Chu Xuanji in 'Lotus.' At first, she is the daughter of the leader of the Shaoyang sect, born with a defect in her six senses and unable to feel pain, sweetness, and love like ordinary people, appearing to be an ordinary and naive girl. As her past-life memories revive, it is revealed that she is the reincarnation of the heavenly war god, and the original soul of the war god actually comes from the soul of a human being killed decades ago. Chu Xuanji's reversal is that she is the reincarnation of the heavenly war god, and the original soul of the war god actually comes from the soul of a human being killed decades ago.