Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Hero

Original title: Ying xiong
  • 2002
  • PG-13
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
195K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,877
10
Maggie Cheung, Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Donnie Yen, and Ziyi Zhang in Hero (2002)
Trailer
Play trailer1:52
3 Videos
99+ Photos
MandarinAction EpicAdventure EpicEpicMartial ArtsWuxiaActionAdventureDrama

A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.

  • Director
    • Yimou Zhang
  • Writers
    • Feng Li
    • Yimou Zhang
    • Bin Wang
  • Stars
    • Jet Li
    • Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    • Maggie Cheung
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.9/10
    195K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,877
    10
    • Director
      • Yimou Zhang
    • Writers
      • Feng Li
      • Yimou Zhang
      • Bin Wang
    • Stars
      • Jet Li
      • Tony Leung Chiu-wai
      • Maggie Cheung
    • 921User reviews
    • 158Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 46 wins & 48 nominations total

    Videos3

    Hero
    Trailer 1:52
    Hero
    Hero
    Trailer 1:45
    Hero
    Hero
    Trailer 1:45
    Hero
    Hero
    Trailer 1:52
    Hero

    Photos455

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 449
    View Poster

    Top Cast31

    Jet Li
    Jet Li
    • Nameless
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    • Broken Sword
    • (as Tony Leung Chiu-Wai)
    Maggie Cheung
    Maggie Cheung
    • Flying Snow
    • (as Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk)
    Ziyi Zhang
    Ziyi Zhang
    • Moon
    • (as Zhang Ziyi)
    Daoming Chen
    Daoming Chen
    • King
    • (as Chen Dao Ming)
    Donnie Yen
    Donnie Yen
    • Sky
    Zhongyuan Liu
    • Scholar
    • (as Liu Zhong Yuan)
    Tianyong Zheng
    • Old Servant
    • (as Zheng Tian Yong)
    Yan Qin
    Yan Qin
    • Prime Minister
    Chang Xiao Yang
    • General
    Yakun Zhang
    • Commander
    • (as Zhang Ya Kun)
    Ma Wen Hua
    • Head Eunuch
    Jin Ming
    • Eunuch
    Xu Kuang Hua
    • Pianist
    Shou Xin Wang
    • Musician
    Heizi
    • Seven Qin Guards
    • (as Hei Zi)
    Hua Cao
    • Seven Qin Guards
    Lei Li
    • Seven Qin Guards
    • Director
      • Yimou Zhang
    • Writers
      • Feng Li
      • Yimou Zhang
      • Bin Wang
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews921

    7.9195.3K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Summary

    Reviewers say 'Hero' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
    Sign in to see this summary and all user reviews
    See opinions from fans, or write your own review.
    Sign in to IMDb
    This extra step helps us keep IMDb's reviews a space for genuine, human voices.

    More like this

    House of Flying Daggers
    7.5
    House of Flying Daggers
    Fearless
    7.5
    Fearless
    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
    7.8
    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
    Curse of the Golden Flower
    7.0
    Curse of the Golden Flower
    The Warlords
    7.0
    The Warlords
    Ip Man
    8.0
    Ip Man
    Fist of Legend
    7.5
    Fist of Legend
    Raise the Red Lantern
    8.1
    Raise the Red Lantern
    Ip Man 2
    7.5
    Ip Man 2
    Unleashed
    7.0
    Unleashed
    Kung Fu Hustle
    7.7
    Kung Fu Hustle
    Shadow
    7.0
    Shadow

    Related interests

    Jonathan Chang in Yi Yi (2000)
    Mandarin
    Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
    Action Epic
    Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
    Adventure Epic
    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Epic
    Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (1973)
    Martial Arts
    Maggie Cheung in Hero (2002)
    Wuxia
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      The "red fight" between Moon and Flying-Snow was filmed in a forest in Mongolia. Director Yimou Zhang had to wait until the leaves turn yellow, and hired local nomads to gather even more yellow leaves in order to cover the ground completely. In fact, he was so fanatic about the leaves, that he had his crew separate the leaves into four different "classes" which were each put at increasingly farther lengths from the camera.
    • Goofs
      On numerous occasions, it is possible to see the glue that molds the sides of Jet Li's wig to his head (it casts a plastic-like reflection in certain light). It's most noticeable during the fight with Ziyi Zhang("Moon"), when he traps one of her blades with his sword and there's a close-up of the side of his face, and at the very end, when he's reached the palace gate and turns towards the camera.
    • Quotes
      • King of Qin: I have just come to a realization! This scroll by Broken Sword contains no secrets of his swordsmanship. What this reveals is his highest ideal. In the first state, man and sword become one and each other. Here, even a blade of grass can be used as a lethal weapon. In the next stage, the sword resides not in the hand but in the heart. Even without a weapon, the warrior can slay his enemy from a hundred paces. But the ultimate ideal is when the sword disappears altogether. The warrior embraces all around him. The desire to kill no longer exists. Only peace remains.
    • Alternate versions
      The Director's Cut was 107:15 minutes, compared to the theatrical version at 96:23 minutes.
    • Connections
      Edited into Ying xiong: Cause - The Birth of Hero (2002)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ10

    • Why did the king tell his own version of events if he didn't even know what happened until just a few moments ago when he realized Nameless' plan?
    • Was the king a dictator?
    • Did the king really had to kill Nameless at the end?

    Details

    • Release date
      • August 27, 2004 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • China
      • Hong Kong
    • Language
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • Héroe
    • Filming locations
      • Dunhuang, Gansu, China
    • Production companies
      • Edko Films
      • Zhang Yimou Studio
      • China Film Co-Production Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $31,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $53,710,019
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $17,800,000
      • Aug 29, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $177,395,557
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 34m(94 min)
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.