Blades of the Guardians

BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS ⚔️ (2026)
鏢人：風起大漠

“Once the blades are unsheathed, chaos is sure to follow.”



Set during the Sui Dynasty under the oppressive rule of Emperor Yang Guang, BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS follows a skilled mercenary, Biao Ren, as he treks across the unforgiving deserts of China’s Western Regions. Tasked with a seemingly simple escort mission, he’s unknowingly drawn into a deadly conspiracy that promises danger at every turn.

Master filmmaker and legendary action director Yuen Woo-ping brings this historical action epic to the big screen in a sword-swinging, revenge-fueled wuxia adventure.

I came in unfamiliar with the source material or its anime adaptation, but it didn’t matter. The world-building is immersive, the characters distinct, and the action flows with a hypnotic rhythm that’s impossible to resist.

It evokes the same adrenaline rush I felt watching Rurouni Kenshin (2023), where heightened performances and stylized costuming might flirt with camp, but once the blades start swinging, the screen ignites. There’s also an unexpected charm in its ragtag band of travelers, reminiscent of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), a film that similarly won me over with chemistry and momentum.

This movie works in large part due to the performance of Wu Jing. He acts as the stabilizing force across every narrative thread, grounding the emotional stakes while the film barrels forward on pure martial-arts momentum.

The ensemble is stacked: JUN (Wen Junhui) of Seventeen, Winwin of NCT, Nicholas Tse, Yosh Yu, and martial arts icon Jet Li all add charismatic star power to this cross-desert, journey.

Where the film stumbles slightly is in its CGI and digital grading. The glossy, almost sterile finish undercuts the grit of its world. For a story steeped in dust, blood, and betrayal, the image can feel too pristine, as if the harsh desert winds never quite settle on the lens. A more textured, lived-in visual approach might have amplified the raw intensity the narrative is striving for.

Admittedly, I’m not entirely objective here. The western-samurai mythos, the lone-warrior and the cub energy, the moral grayness, this is exactly my cinematic lane. The film knows what it is, and it commits fully. Not only did I enjoy it, I’m genuinely invested in where this story goes next, especially as the journey moves toward Chang’an, a city that looms large in so many Chinese historical epics.

Polished edges and all, when the steel clashes and the dust settles, BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS moves with the conviction of classic wuxia. And if this is only the beginning of the road to Chang’an, I’m ready to follow wherever it leads. 

Enjoy!

7.1/10 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 2hrs05mins

Where: Now Playing In Theatres

The Richmond Reviewer Blades of the Guardians Review - February 18th, 2026.

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