This article will analyze the meanings of the names and personalities of these characters, while also identifying who possesses the highest martial arts skills.
Characters with Special Names
All 15 classic novels by Jin Yong feature characters with the word “Bất” (meaning “not” or “no”) in their names. Jin Yong’s choice of names for both martial arts and characters is infused with profound implications.
According to Sohu, in his works, Jin Yong added the character “Bất” to the names of many characters, most of whom are not heroic figures; some even possess top-tier martial arts skills. Let’s take a look at who they are!
First, we must mention Bao Bất Đồng, a character from “Tian Long Ba Bu.” His name implies a viewpoint that is always contrary to others. When others say east, he says west, clearly knowing he is wrong but remains obstinate. Bao Bất Đồng is one of the four great divinities of Mộ Dung Phục and possesses top-tier martial arts skills.
Unfortunately, when Mộ Dung Phục wanted to acknowledge Đoàn Diên Khánh, the leader of the four great villains, as his adoptive father, Bao Bất Đồng could not hold back and voiced his opposition, which ultimately cost him his life.
Trác Bất Phàm appears in “Tian Long Ba Bu” and even proclaims himself as the Sword God. This character was deep in the mountains, where he obtained a sword manual and practiced diligently for 30 years before descending the mountain, claiming to possess the best martial arts in the world. He is portrayed as extremely arrogant, but Trác Bất Phàm truly has remarkable skills, astonishing everyone with his swordsmanship.
Dương Bất Hối appears in “Ỷ Thiên Đồ Long Ký” as the daughter of Quang Minh Tả Sứ Dương Tiêu and Kỳ Hiểu Phù, the great disciple of Nga My. Like Trương Vô Kỵ, she is the product of a relationship between the demonic and righteous sects. Her parents’ love story is fraught with obstacles, heavily restricted due to conflicts between the two factions. Nevertheless, this woman was born and named Bất Hối by Hiểu Phù, signifying that her mother would never regret meeting her father, even unto death.
In the Complete Truth Seven Disciples, there is only one woman, named Tôn Bất Nhị. This character possesses average martial skills and is quite petty, lacking any compassion typical of women. In “Thần Điêu Đại Hiệp,” she is the one who harbors the greatest dislike for Dương Quá and Tiểu Long Nữ. When Dương Quá refuses her sword, she is resentful until Dương Quá saves her life, which leads her to understand him better.
One of the Five Scatterers of the Ming Sect is Thuyết Bất Đắc. As a disciple of the Ming Sect, which is often labeled as an evil cult, the monk Thuyết Bất Đắc, true to his name, speaks little. However, his bag of Càn Khôn Nhất Khí helped Trương Vô Kỵ achieve great success in mastering the Cửu Dương Thần Công. Yet, at that time, Thuyết Bất Đắc appeared very ostentatiously, only to later fade into the crowd.
Đông Phương Bất Bại from “Tiếu Ngạo Giang Hồ” lives up to his name; indeed, no one in the martial world can rival him. When his name is mentioned, people express both fear and respect.
During the great battle at Hắc Mộc Nhai, Nhậm Ngã Hành, Lệnh Hồ Xung, Hướng Vấn Thiên, Thượng Quan Vân, and Nhậm Doanh Doanh surrounding Đông Phương Bất Bại could not do anything against him. Yet, he lost his life while saving Dương Liên Đình.
Speaking of Nhạc Bất Quần and other characters with the word “Bất” from the Hoa Sơn sect, it can be said that none are truly good people. Nhạc Bất Quần is known as the Gentleman Sword, yet he is a hypocritical rogue who ultimately becomes a soulless person, abandoning his wife and children, distancing himself from his students in pursuit of his dream to become the leader of martial artists. Nhạc Bất Quần, Thành Bất Ưu, and Bảo Bất Khí are ultimately petty individuals who only know how to scheme internally.
Đinh Bất Tam and Đinh Bất Tứ from “Hiệp Khách Hành” are both strange and cruel killers. They do not differentiate between good and evil, disregard human dignity, and always consider themselves exceptional, claiming to be heroes. Possessing high martial arts skills, they are also extremely arrogant. To demonstrate their supposed mercy, they even set a rule to kill no more than three people a day, and no more than four in total.
Phùng Bất Truy and Phùng Bất Phá are two brothers in “Lộc Đỉnh Ký,” whose father is Phùng Nan Địch. Because their father was a disciple of Hoàng Chân, the chief disciple of Mục Nhân Thanh from the Hoa Sơn sect, these two have some status in the martial world due to their father’s reputation.
Among those mentioned, the one with the highest martial arts skills is undoubtedly Đông Phương Bất Bại, while the most hypocritical is Nhạc Bất Quần. It can be said that the author Jin Yong was indeed very thoughtful when naming his characters.
Summary