Li Kui (Water Margin)

Li Kui is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Black Whirlwind", he ranks 22nd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Heroes.

Fictional biography

thumb|left|upright|Statue of Li Kui at [[Mount Liang]]

Background

A native of Baizhang Village () in Yishui County (in present-day Linyi, Shandong), Li Kui flees his hometown after committing manslaughter. He ends up in Jiangzhou (; present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi), where he serves as a jailer under the warden Dai Zong.

Meeting Song Jiang

Li Kui gets to know Song Jiang, the eventual chief of the outlaws at Liangshan Marsh, when the latter is exiled to Jiangzhou for killing his mistress Yan Poxi in Yuncheng County. At the time, Song Jiang has just befriended Dai Zong and received the privilege of being able to freely travel around Jiangzhou while serving his sentence. Dai Zong introduces Song Jiang to Li Kui, and the two men take to each other as Song Jiang appreciates Li Kui's forthrightness while Li Kui admires Song Jiang's generosity.

Fight with Zhang Shun

While the three of them are having a meal, Song Jiang has a craving for fish. Since the fish served at the restaurant is not fresh, Li Kui volunteers to get fresh fish from the riverside market, and ends up getting into a fight with the fishmongers when he tries to snatch fish from them before it is ready for sale. The fishmongers' leader, Zhang Shun, confronts Li Kui and fights with him, but Li effortlessly beats him. Dissatisfied, Zhang Shun challenges Li Kui to fight him again, luring him onto a boat. Li Kui, who does not know how to swim, finds himself at a huge disadvantage when Zhang Shun rocks and overturns the boat, causing him to fall into the water. In the water, Zhang Shun easily beats up a now helpless Li Kui and continuously drags him underwater, nearly drowning him. Luckily, Dai Zong and Song Jiang show up and stop the fight. Li Kui and Zhang Shun make peace with each other and become close friends.

In the 13th-century zaju play "Li Kui Offers a Humble Apology" () by Kang Jinzhi, Li Kui wrongly accuses Song Jiang and Lu Zhishen of abducting a poor man's daughter due to a case of mistaken identity, and causes a huge disturbance at Liangshan when he confronts them. Later, after the truth is revealed and the victim is saved, he humbly kneels in contrition before Song Jiang and his fellow Liangshan outlaws, offering to take his own life to atone for his mistake.

Li Kui is also the central character in the 13th- or 14th-century zaju play "Black Whirlwind Makes Double Achievements" () by Gao Wenxiu. In this play, Li Kui displays courage and intelligence in achieving the goals of saving a wrongfully imprisoned man and getting rid of corrupt local elites in Tai'an.

The 19th-century novel Dang Kou Zhi () by Yu Wanchun provides an alternative ending to Water Margin from after the assembly of the 108 Heroes. In the latter half of the novel, the Liangshan outlaws are the villains and they are ultimately defeated by forces loyal to the Song dynasty. Li Kui is captured and taken to the capital, where he is executed by lingchi.

The 20th-century novel Can Shui Hu () by provides another alternative ending to Water Margin after the assembly of the 108 Heroes. In this version, internal conflict breaks out among the Liangshan outlaws due to betrayal, unresolved grievances, etc., resulting in their eventual demise. Li Kui is killed by Hu Sanniang in revenge as he had indiscriminately slaughtered her family members.

Character assessment

left|thumb|261px|"Li Kui storms the Hall of Loyalty", a [[Qing dynasty Yangliuqing woodblock print depicting Li Kui attacking the emperor's emissary. From left to right: Wu Song, Gu Dasao, Sun Erniang, Hu Sanniang, Guan Sheng, the emissary, a maid, Gongsun Sheng, Song Jiang, Wu Yong, Li Kui, Lin Chong, Chai Jin, Zhu Tong, Liu Tang and Yan Qing.]]

The novel describes Li Kui as having a very dark complexion, a reddish-yellow unibrow and fiery eyes. He is as strong as an ox, which is why he is called "Iron Ox". However, he is better known as "Black Whirlwind" for his dark complexion and berserk behaviour. Wielding a pair of axes in combat, he is notorious for his bad temper, drinking habits, and addiction to gambling. He strikes fear in people with just an intense glare. Li Kui is also known for rushing into battle without any clothes on.

Li Kui is notorious for his savagery. Although some of the other 108 Heroes are mentioned in Water Margin to have engaged in cannibalism, Li Kui is one of the more prominent examples. The 20th-century writer Lu Xun, in particular, felt disturbed by the extent of Li Kui's brutality in the novel.

Li Kui, despite being known mainly for his simple-mindedness, remains a popular subject of academic studies of Water Margin characters for his personality. He is considered representative of the peasant's everyday struggles, highlighting class conflict in feudal Chinese society. While some might see Li Kui as a person with incomplete mental faculties which account for his distorted mindset, others see him as a subversive anti-hero in the novel's story arc on the outlaws' quest for amnesty. His alleged "madness" masks deep wisdom and resistance, making him a "wise fool" who appears foolish but is profoundly insightful — a trope in literature where apparent stupidity hides truth-telling. Others analyse Li Kui in more religious aspects, by quoting from the words of Taoist Luo and a famous line from the Tao Te Ching: "Heaven and Earth are impartial; treat all beings as disposable "straw dogs" (used in rituals)". This portrays Li Kui's spiritual character as symbolising the chaotic force of nature, blending divine indifference with animalistic instincts.

Modern references

In the video game Jade Empire by Bioware, a character who resembles Li Kui and also goes by the nickname "The Black Whirlwind" joins the player's party as it gets underway. He displays many of the same traits as the Water Margin character and also wields a pair of axes.

The OVA adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Giant Robo could not obtain the licence for the original cast of the manga or the live-action series, so the creators used characters from Yokoyama's body of work, including adaptations of Water Margin. The character of Tetsugyu (which roughly translates as "Iron Ox"), known too as the Black Whirlwind, is based on Yokoyama's adaptation of Li Kui.