Blades of the Guardians (2026)
Original title: 镖人：风起大漠
Blades of the Guardians is a 2026 Chinese-language action movie directed by Yuen Woo-ping, with a running time of 2h 6m. It stars Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse Ting-Fung and Yu Shi.
A wanted man is asked to guard a man wanted even more. Dao Ma, ranked second on the empire's list of fugitives, accepts a debt to the Mo clan and agrees to escort the most-hunted outlaw of all across hostile country to Chang'an. Yuen Woo-ping directs this martial-arts epic from the manhua Biao Ren, with Wu Jing in the lead beside Nicholas Tse, Tony Leung Ka-fai, and Jet Li. Expect close, weighty swordplay and Tang-era intrigue, a road picture where every stop along the way hides someone paid to make sure the cargo never reaches the capital.
Quick answers
What is Blades of the Guardians about?
A wanted man is asked to guard a man wanted even more. Dao Ma, ranked second on the empire's list of fugitives, accepts a debt to the Mo clan and agrees to escort the most-hunted outlaw of all across hostile country to Chang'an. Yuen Woo-ping directs this martial-arts epic from the manhua Biao Ren, with Wu Jing in the lead beside Nicholas Tse, Tony Leung Ka-fai, and Jet Li. Expect close, weighty swordplay and Tang-era intrigue, a road picture where every stop along the way hides someone paid to make sure the cargo never reaches the capital.
When was Blades of the Guardians released?
Blades of the Guardians was released on 17 February 2026.
How long is Blades of the Guardians?
Blades of the Guardians runs 2h 6m.
Who made Blades of the Guardians?
Blades of the Guardians was directed by Yuen Woo-ping.
Where can I watch Blades of the Guardians?
Blades of the Guardians is available on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Plex, Google Play Movies and YouTube.
Where to watch Blades of the Guardians
Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Plex
Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Google Play Movies, YouTube
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A few thoughts on Blades of the Guardians
Rurouni Kenshin shares the same DNA, a wandering swordsman with a past he cannot outrun who keeps drawing his blade to protect others. Rurouni Kenshin For a playable take on that lone-warrior road, Ghost of Tsushima puts a sword and a code in your hands across feudal country, while the manga Blade of the Immortal turns the escort premise bloodier.
Escort missions across hostile territory where every stop hides a blade
Blades of the Guardians turns a straight road to Chang'an into a gauntlet, Dao Ma guarding a fugitive worth more dead than delivered. 14 Blades runs the same Ming-dynasty escort under constant ambush, Lone Wolf and Cub pushes a father and his cart through enemies waiting at every bend, and Seven Swords gathers a handful of blades to hold a line nobody else will defend.
Tang and Three Kingdoms era epics built on real Chinese history
Blades of the Guardians sets its chase during the Tang dynasty, using real geography and court politics as the backdrop for Dao Ma's run to Chang'an. Red Cliff II stages the Three Kingdoms' defining battle at the same historical scale, Dynasty Warriors turns that same war into a full-blown epic, and Flying Swords of Dragon Gate carries the same imperial intrigue into the Ming court.
Wandering swordsmen whose legend outgrows the man
Dao Ma is already the empire's second-most-wanted man before Blades of the Guardians even starts, a reputation built entirely on a blade. Fist of Legend and Golden Swallow are cut from the same cloth, martial artists whose skill turns them into folklore before the credits roll. Return of the One-Armed Swordsman and Rurouni Kenshin both follow warriors trying to outrun what their own legend cost them.
Warriors bound by a code as their world comes under siege
Blades of the Guardians hangs Dao Ma's whole arc on a debt of honor, a code that makes him guard a man he has every reason to distrust. Ghost of Tsushima puts that same warrior code under a Mongol invasion, Blade of the 47 Ronin rebuilds it around a vow of vengeance, and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back tests it against actual demons.