# Heroes (说英雄谁是英雄)
*Heroes* (说英雄谁是英雄, also rendered *Say Hero Who is Hero*) is a 2022 Chinese costume wuxia television series produced by Penguin Pictures, directed by Li Muge, and starring Zeng Shunxi, Yang Chaoyue, and Liu Yuning, adapted from the novel series of the same name by [Wen Rui'an](https://www.edgepedia.org/wen-ruian) (温瑞安)[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827). It follows the kind-hearted young swordsman Wang Xiaoshi, who leaves his mountain to travel the jianghu (the milieu of martial artists and wandering heroes in Chinese fiction), befriends Bai Choufei, Wen Rou, and Su Mengzhen in the capital, and grows from an inexperienced youth into a hero capable of standing on his own[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827). The 38-episode series premiered exclusively on [Tencent Video](https://www.edgepedia.org/tencent-video) on May 23, 2022, and reached 1.5 billion cumulative views by its members-only finale on June 27, 2022[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827?fromModule=lemma_inlink).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| English titles | Heroes; Say Hero Who is Hero[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827) |
| Format | 38 episodes of about 45 minutes each; costume wuxia genre; Mandarin[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827) |
| Source | Adapted from Wen Rui'an's novel series *Say Hero, Who is Hero*, planned at ten parts[3](https://m.bjnews.com.cn/detail/160549434415069.html) |
| Lead cast | Zeng Shunxi (Wang Xiaoshi), Yang Chaoyue (Wen Rou), Liu Yuning (Bai Choufei), Baron Chen (Su Mengzhen), Meng Ziyi (Lei Chun)[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827) |
| Production | Penguin Pictures production, Linglong Culture production company; filming ran November 16, 2020 to March 28, 2021, 130 days, in Hengdian, Xiangshan, and the Bashang grassland[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827) |
| Broadcast | Tencent Video exclusive from May 23, 2022; 100 million views in 21 hours, 500 million within two weeks, 1.5 billion by the June 27, 2022 finale[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |
| Reception | Douban score 6.3; Ifeng Index public score 5.4 and critic score 5.7, with reviewers praising the visuals but faulting uneven fight scenes[4](https://www.bilibili.com/opus/871831700569587721) • [5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and setting
The story is set in the Northern Song during the period of conflict between Song and Liao, when the court is split between war and peace factions[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ). The jianghu is dominated by two powers: the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower (金风细雨楼), led by Su Mengzhen, which values righteousness and refuses to surrender, and the Six and a Half Hall (六分半堂), which treats the jianghu as a business, favors accommodation, and colludes with court factions seeking to overthrow the Tower[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827) • [5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ).
Wang Xiaoshi, a kind young man leaving his mountain for his first journey, is entrusted by his master with delivering a white jade box tied to the succession of the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower to Su Mengzhen[7](https://hamivideo.hinet.net/product/200407.do?cs=2). Along the way he meets Wen Rou, daughter of the King of Luoyang and Su Mengzhen's junior fellow disciple; the calculating Bai Choufei; and Lei Chun, adopted daughter of the Six and a Half Hall's master Lei Sun, who loves Su Mengzhen in secret[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827) • [5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ). Wang Xiaoshi and Bai Choufei eventually join the Tower, and the main line follows the struggle between the jianghu factions and the court[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ).
The Ifeng review highlights the drama's treatment of the court–jianghu relationship as a distinguishing feature: unlike many wuxia dramas that set the story in a vague era or minimize the government, *Heroes* shows the two worlds as nominally opposed but entangled, with the constabulary (刑部) letting faction battles run at night and arresting fighters by day to keep appearances[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ).
## Source novel
The series adapts *Say Hero, Who is Hero*, a series by the wuxia novelist Wen Rui'an, whom the Ifeng review places alongside [Jin Yong](https://www.edgepedia.org/jin-yong), Liang Yusheng, and Gu Long among the masters of the genre; Wen has written nearly a hundred works of varying length, many unfinished[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ). The series was planned at ten parts: *A Gentle Blade* (温柔一刀), *Drawing the Sword in Anger* (一怒拔剑), *A Stunning Spear* (惊艳一枪), *Sorrowful Arrow* (伤心小箭), *A Spear Toward Heaven* (朝天一棍), *Head of the Dragons* (群龙之首), *There Is an Enemy Under Heaven* (天下有敌), *Invincible Under Heaven* (天下无敌), *Number One Under Heaven* (天下第一), and *Natural Enemy* (天敌), with the last two still awaited; the protagonists of the first five books are Wang Xiaoshi[3](https://m.bjnews.com.cn/detail/160549434415069.html). The drama merges the stories of the first four and a half books centered on Wang Xiaoshi[6](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GHLjMTf5ih). Before this production, the only prior screen adaptation was a 2005 TVB version of one part of the series[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ).
## Production
Penguin Pictures announced the cast with a concept poster on November 16, 2020, the day filming began in Hengdian; the crew shot in Xinchang, Zhejiang, from December 4, 2020, and wrapped on March 28, 2021, after 130 days[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827). The screenplay is credited to Shuang Cheng (chief), Yu Xiaofei, Li Xuetong, and Wang Cong, with [Fang Fang](https://www.edgepedia.org/fang-fang) and Liu Miaomiao as chief producers[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827).
Director Li Muge, previously known for *[Rattan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rattan-ep4vrnrcec)* (司藤) and *Goodbye My Princess* (东宫), is a fan of Wen Rui'an's novels; he described the work as a fairy tale for adults and said it is not a traditional wuxia drama but leans toward a "jianghu drama," aiming to draw values from the costume genre that resonate with modern audiences[8](https://ep.ycwb.com/epaper/ycwb/resfile/2022-05-29/A05/ycwb20220529A05.pdf) • [9](https://www.whb.cn/zhuzhan/yingshi/20220523/468470.html). The drama's opening theme is *Ying Xiong Suo Xiang* (英雄所向) and its closing theme is *Ke Zhui* (可追); an original soundtrack album of 30 tracks was released on June 15, 2022[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827).
## Release and viewership
The series began streaming exclusively on Tencent Video on May 23, 2022, releasing eight episodes at launch[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [10](https://www.gzstv.com/a/d1927841f6844e16878b6b7b0865fd7c). It topped the web-drama viewership chart on premiere day, passed 100 million platform views within 21 hours, and passed 500 million within two weeks[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [10](https://www.gzstv.com/a/d1927841f6844e16878b6b7b0865fd7c). Members finished the series on June 27, 2022, by which point cumulative views had reached 1.5 billion[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827?fromModule=lemma_inlink). Internationally, the series streams on WeTV and iQIYI's international site, and in the United States on Amazon Prime Video[11](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/mx4ox35cb9imrnd-%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84) • [12](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/heroes-2022).
## Reception
**Viewership was strong; reviews were divided.** The premiere drew controversy over the lead actors' performances even as veteran supporting players were praised, and opinion on the fight choreography split[6](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GHLjMTf5ih). The Ifeng Index recorded a public score of 5.4 and a critic score of 5.7; its review found the jianghu plotting and fight scenes erratic, with some battles combining realistic and stylized choreography effectively while others relied on special effects and editing, and it judged that the drama approached, but did not reliably reach, the level of a good series[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ). A later ranking of recent costume wuxia dramas put its Douban score at 6.3[4](https://www.bilibili.com/opus/871831700569587721).
The literary scholar Yang Hui, a lecturer at Capital Normal University's College of Liberal Arts, criticized the adaptation's direction: casting non-actors Liu Yuning and Yang Chaoyue in lead roles tilted the show toward idol-drama conventions, the plot recast the novel's harsh jianghu struggles as a youthful coming-of-age, and the modern acting style left the life-and-death stakes feeling thin, so that the jianghu read more as scenery than a lived world[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827?fromModule=lemma_inlink). Other commentary was more positive: a Guangzhou-based report called it a conscientious work despite fragmented fight editing and slow pacing, noting that Liu Yuning's Bai Choufei became the most-watched character, surpassing the nominal leads in audience attention[10](https://www.gzstv.com/a/d1927841f6844e16878b6b7b0865fd7c).
## References
1. [说英雄谁是英雄（2022年曾舜晞、杨超越等主演的古装武侠剧）, Baidu Baike](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827)
2. [说英雄谁是英雄, Baidu Baike (bkso mirror)](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84/53191827?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
3. [曾舜晞杨超越《说英雄谁是英雄》开机，改编自温瑞安小说, The Beijing News](https://m.bjnews.com.cn/detail/160549434415069.html)
4. [近三年古装武侠剧评分榜TOP10, Bilibili](https://www.bilibili.com/opus/871831700569587721)
5. [凤凰网指数｜《说英雄谁是英雄》：江湖戏、武打戏，水准飘忽不定, Ifeng](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GQpPZwc6DQ)
6. [《说英雄》首播：主角团演技受争议，老戏骨获赞，武打戏评价两极, Ifeng](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/8GHLjMTf5ih)
7. [說英雄誰是英雄, HamiVideo](https://hamivideo.hinet.net/product/200407.do?cs=2)
8. [羊城晚报 2022年5月29日 A05 版](https://ep.ycwb.com/epaper/ycwb/resfile/2022-05-29/A05/ycwb20220529A05.pdf)
9. [曾舜晞、杨超越、刘宇宁"谁是英雄"？今晚见分晓, Wenhui Bao](https://www.whb.cn/zhuzhan/yingshi/20220523/468470.html)
10. [《说英雄谁是英雄》开播引争议，刘宇宁角色热度登顶, Guizhou Radio and Television](https://www.gzstv.com/a/d1927841f6844e16878b6b7b0865fd7c)
11. [说英雄谁是英雄, WeTV](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/mx4ox35cb9imrnd-%E8%AF%B4%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E8%B0%81%E6%98%AF%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84)
12. [Shuo Ying Xiong Shui Shi Ying Xiong (2022), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/heroes-2022)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Chinese wuxia and martial-arts serials*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license