Dugu Qiubai is a fictional character who is mentioned by name in three wuxia novels by Jin Yong. He does not appear in any of the novels because he lived in an era long before the events of the novels took place. Nicknamed "Sword Devil" to reflect his prowess in and devotion to the practice of swordplay, he attains the philosophical level of "swordsmanship without a sword", which means that he uses swordplay techniques in combat without the physical existence of a sword.
Name
Dugu Qiubai's family name Dugu meant that he was a Xianbei. His given name "Qiubai" literally means "seek defeat". His full name thus roughly translates to "Loner Who Seeks Defeat". It represents his status as an invincible swordsman who is haunted by solitude as no one can defeat or equal him in swordplay.
Roles in the novels
;The Return of the Condor Heroes In this novel, set in the late Song dynasty, Yang Guo inherits Dugu Qiubai's 'Heavy Sword Technique'. He encounters the Condor, a giant eagle-like creature that was once a companion of Dugu Qiubai. The Condor saves Yang Guo after he lost his arm, and leads him to Dugu Qiubai's Tomb of Swords. Yang Guo learns Dugu Qiubai's skills with the help of the Condor and inherits the Heavy Iron Sword. The Heavy Sword Technique has a rigorous requirement on inner energy. It emphasises simple swings and moves accompanied by potent inner energy exertion. Although it lacks the fancy and stylish movements of typical swordplay styles, it is more effective than the most complicated form of sword attacks. When Yang Guo was learning this technique, he commented that average swords would be broken immediately when he channels his inner energy into the sword during fights. The sword's weight would also boost the power of his swings and thrusts. Yang Guo mastered the inner energy technique used by Dugu Qiubai and fulfilled the requirement. ;The Smiling, Proud Wanderer Dugu Qiubai's swordplay technique 'Nine Swords of Dugu' is featured in this novel. The protagonist, Linghu Chong, learns this technique from the reclusive swordsman Feng Qingyang, which aids Linghu in his fight against its unorthodox counterpart 'Bixie Swordplay'. ;The Deer and the Cauldron In a very brief inner monologue, Chengguan, a knowledgeable but naive Shaolin monk ponders about two great swordsmen in the past who performed swordplay without following any defined stances: Dugu Qiubai and Linghu Chong.
Nine Swords of Dugu
Created by Dugu Qiubai, the 'Nine Swords of Dugu' are nine independent sword stances created to overpower all sorts of weapons, including swords, spears, clubs, whips, and arrows, as well as barehanded attacks. This swordplay has nine stances, each of which is designed to counter a particular form of martial arts. The mastery of all nine forms allows the swordsman to counter a wide range of martial arts moves. The first core element of the swordplay is speed: The swordsman is trained to quickly predict and identify the weaknesses in the martial arts moves executed by an opponent, and then attack those weak points. The second core element of the swordplay is its formless nature and adaptability: Unlike typical martial arts styles described in wuxia stories, the moves of the 'Nine Swords of Dugu' do not follow any fixed sequence or pattern. As such, it is impossible for an opponent to predict the moves of the swordplay. The key to mastering the swordplay is to understand the two core elements instead of rigidly memorising all the stances. Once the swordsman has grasped the essence of the swordplay, he can use it in endless forms and variations, hence the swordplay has no fixed sequence or pattern. During combat, the less the swordsman remembers, the less restricted he is by the original stances. He is thus able to customise and adapt the swordplay accordingly. In the novel series, the known individuals has practiced this swordplay are Dugu Qiubai, the Condor, Yang Guo, Feng Qingyang and Linghu Chong.
Nine stances
Tomb of Swords
Dugu Qiubai's final resting place is known as the Tomb of Swords. In The Return of theCondor Heroes the Condor leads Yang Guo to the Tomb, where Yang reads a statement which Dugu Qiubai carved in stone: Yang Guo also read this at the Tomb of Swords:
