Voila! Finally, the Hero
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the movie directed by Yimou Zhang and
starring Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, Ziyi Zhang, yadda yadda.. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Hero. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
I was orphaned at an early age
I had no name,
so people called me Nameless
Being a nobody,
I studied swordsmanship
After 10 years of practice
I acquired a unique skill
The King of Qin has summoned me
My deeds have astonished the Kingdom
By order of His Majesty
we have brought the mighty warrior
Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword
the three assassins from Zhao
have sought His Majesty's life
for years
His Majesty has known no peace
To the astonishment of all
a mighty warrior of Qin
has smashed them
His Majesty can finally sleep at night!
We rejoice for our King!
This warrior sent from Heaven
has exterminated the assassins
Summon the warrior!
Remain paces from His Majesty
Or you will be executed.
Never forget that
No one is allowed
within paces of me
Do you know why?
To guard against assassins
Yes. That's why I am confined
in this armor
You have removed a great peril for me
How should I reward you?
My service was for Qin, not for a reward
Achievements must be rewarded
Sky's silver spear...
wounded many of my brave warriors
Announce my edict!
By order of His Majesty
he who kills Sky
will receive gold and land
and be allowed to drink
within paces of His Majesty
I am informed you're a citizen of Qin
I am a Prefect from Leng Meng County
A County Prefect over square miles!
Surely the lowest-ranking official in Qin
How did you defeat such opponents?
I took them on one by one
Tell me the details
Does Your Majesty know
Flying Snow and Broken Sword were lovers?
Yes, I do
And that they hadn't spoken
for three years?
For three years? Why?
Flying Snow had an affair with Sky
Broken Sword never forgave her
Why haven't I heard this before?
I went to great lengths to uncover it
To divide Flying Snow and Broken Sword
I first needed to eliminate Sky
I have an idea of what you planned
Your Majesty is wise
What did you use to defeat Sky?
The sword
I must arrest criminals in my county
On the fifth day of the sixth month
Sky attended a chess house
I had learnt he enjoyed playing chess
and listening to music there
So, the seven masters of Qin Palace
We are here to arrest you!
Identify yourself by showing your spear
Halt!
What can a minor official do?
This is my territory
So?
You are on the King's most wanted list
I am placing you under arrest
Old man, please play one more tune
Martial arts and music are different
but they share the same principle
Both stress attaining a supreme state
Sky and I faced each other
for a long time
Neither of us moved
We fought the battle in our minds
How swift thy sword!
I thought I knew everything
about my Kingdom
I didn't know that Leng Meng County
held a talent like yours
Broken Sword
Flying Snow
By order of His Majesty!
Flying Snow and Broken Sword
have teamed up for assassination
He who kills either of them
will receive gold and land
and be allowed to drink
within paces of His Majesty
Three years ago, Flying Snow
stormed the palace with Broken Sword
elite troops couldn't stop them
I've since emptied the palace
so assassins cannot hide
Was your sword swifter
than theirs combined?
No
How did you do it, then?
Disguised as a citizen of Zhao
I sought them in the Kingdom of Zhao
I learned they were hiding
in a calligraphy school
under the names Highcliff and Springbrook
Rumor had it
the Qin army would attack that day
Most of the townspeople had fled
Only the school's students remained
Why have you come at such a time?
Who are you?
I'm from Yi County
in the Kingdom of Zhao
My father's dying wish
was for one of your scrolls
I fear this may be our school's last day
Which calligrapher do you seek?
I respectfully request Master Highcliff
Highcliff was Broken Sword
Legend said his skill as a swordsman
was rooted in his calligraphy
So I had my concerns
I needed to find out if it was true
What do you want written?
"Sword."
You are fond of the sword?
It was my father's dying wish
What size scroll?
Eight feet
For that size I will need red ink
My master has asked me
to borrow some red ink
My master wants to borrow some red ink
Did you hear me, Master Springbrook?
Master Highcliff wants to borrow red ink
Tell him to come himself
Could I have some red ink?
The character "sword"
was still being written
when Your Majesty's troops
arrived at the city gates
Draw!
Your Majesty's army is invincible
not only because it is brave
but also because of its archery
with a greater range than any other army
The Qin archers are like artillery
intimidating the enemy
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Please remember
their arrows might destroy our town
and topple our Kingdom
but they can never
obliterate our culture
Today
you will learn the essence of our culture
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Those Zhao people didn't flee?
They drew strength from their calligraphy
What was so difficult about "sword"?
There are different ways to write it
I asked Broken Sword
for a th way
Both calligraphy and swordplay
rely on one's strength and spirit
The th style would reveal
the essence of his swordsmanship
How odd to write it in ways
It makes the written language
impossible to comprehend
Once I've conquered the six Kingdoms
and all the northern tribes
I will eradicate this problem
by mandating one style of writing
Wouldn't that be ideal?
Your Majesty won't stop
at the six Kingdoms?
The six Kingdoms are nothing!
I will lead my army to conquer vast lands
and establish a great empire
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Master Springbrook
Why are you going outside?
To fend off the arrows
You aren't needed. Stay inside
The Qin archers are powerful
You alone may not stop them
Hail! Hail! Hail!
You are good
You are even better
You didn't come here for calligraphy
Who are you?
I've travelled here to deliver an item
Please meet me in the library at midnight
Great calligraphy
Great swordplay
You didn't even see my swordplay
I couldn't have written without it
At midnight
meet me in the library
Several hundred thousand Qin troops
were readying for the next onslaught
I studied the character all night
trying to unlock the secret of his skills
It would reveal his swordsmanship?
But it's just an ordinary word
Calligraphy and swordplay are similar
One must comprehend their true essence
Did you discover it?
It eluded me
So how did you challenge them?
Sky died by your sword?
Yes
Who are you? Why are you here?
I'm from the Kingdom of Qin
I have a message from Sky
Go on
He said he had lived a life
without responsibilities or commitments
He cared for only one person
Who?
Flying Snow
Sky was certain she'd avenge his death
To fight, meet me at the Qin camp
You can leave now
Go!
I know you saw us!
I let you see us on purpose!
I no longer care about you at all!
We were both very foolish
I'm not going to fight you
Go away!
I will kill you in honor of my master!
You ask to die. I will help you.
Why do you laugh?
What you did last night was stupid
My plan proved successful
When Flying Snow was fighting me
she was disturbed and disoriented
I defeated her easily
I never imagined supreme warriors
like Broken Sword and Flying Snow
allowing their emotions
to be a liability
It sounds as if you did divide them
Yes
In that case, they must have been
petty and narrow-minded
True
Your story sounds logical
But
you have underestimated one person.
Who?
Me
Would you like my impression of them?
Three years ago they stormed the palace
I was impressed
by their valor and dignity
Their character could not be petty
So Flying Snow's affair with Sky is a lie
Their betrayal of one another is a lie
The story you just told is a lie!
Except for one thing
Sky did know one of you
Who?
You
I surmise you two were old friends
And Sky's defeat has only one explanation
What's that?
He permitted it
To kill me, the two of you formed a pact
using my men as witnesses
That was not hard to arrange
The hardest part was to persuade Sky
to put his life in your hands
You were not fast enough to defeat Sky
He died willingly under your sword
Such devotion deserves true respect
He was the first to sacrifice himself
for your mission
Sky was proud
He saw himself as an unrivalled fighter
What convinced him you could succeed
where he had failed?
You have trained, perhaps for years
with one goal, my assassination
You have a great skill
that few can counter
Killing Sky got you within paces of me
So why seek out
Broken Sword and Flying Snow?
I surmise that your skill
requires you to come within paces
You needed a second sacrifice
to claim another reward
to bring you within paces
Although Broken Sword and Flying Snow
had never met Sky
they instantly understood
the reason for his defeat
How far am I from the bookshelves?
About paces
paces is fine
I need one of you to help me
Please decide between yourselves
Meet me at the Qin camp tomorrow morning
How swift thy sword!
True
Sky was a superior warrior
He willingly gave his life to this man
He can kill the King
We must proceed
That means we will die
Then we die together
You were one step ahead of me
Did I hurt you too much?
I should be the one who fights him
I want you to live
If you died, how could I live?
You will live on, promise me
Say it!
All right
Moon is on her way
I had better go
I am Nameless,
Prefect of Leng Meng County
Please allow me to fight this assassin
She is on His Majesty's most wanted list
Now she's here, I will arrest her
The assassin and I have an agreement
to fight one on one
Should I be unable to defeat her
please apprehend her
Your permission is sought
Draw your sword!
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Make your move!
Hail! Hail! Hail!
I die willingly
Make your move
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Hail! Hail! Hail!
How swift thy sword!
I believe you and
Broken Sword also fought
And like your fight with Sky
it was not real
but rather it was
a battle in your minds
A fight to honor Flying Snow.
My master wishes you to have his sword
Why?
He and she are bound in life and death
They will never part,
nor will their swords
It is his dying wish
that you take his sword for your mission
Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword
sacrificed themselves
so you can be within paces of me
All three gave you their lives
The best of friends could not give more
Therefore you are
the most dangerous assassin of all
How did you uncover my plan?
The flames of these candles
are disturbed by your murderous intent
All of you
are willing to die for a cause
I'm ashamed to say
I am not that committed
Your Majesty has seen through our plan
If I had realised this sooner
I wouldn't have allowed you so close
A citizen of Qin would not do this
Who are you?
A man of Zhao
Your Qin soldiers killed my family
I wandered into Qin
and was adopted
I discovered my real identity
years ago
and set my heart on this plan
You've come to avenge Zhao
I see
I would like to know
if your special skill has a name
As Your Majesty guessed
there is only one crucial move
What is that?
"Death within Paces."
"Death within Paces." A good name!
All my guards are paces away
outside the palace
You are within paces
It would seem
that today I am doomed
But I sense your hesitation
Your Majesty is perceptive
However
you too have underestimated someone.
Who?
Broken Sword
I needed to prove to them
that my sword was fast and accurate
Within paces
my sword strikes with surgical precision
If it enters at precise pressure points
it will not cause any fatal injury
If one of you would take a blow
before witnesses, we can fool the King
Such a blow is hardly child's play
How is Sky now?
Fully recovered
His trust in your sword
was extraordinary
The King's security is impenetrable
There was no other way
His Imperial Guards were useless
He should have died three years ago.
What went wrong?
I abandoned the plan
The King must not be killed
He said that?
Yes
Why?
I also asked him
What did he say?
He would not explain that day
Broken Sword is the strongest
of the three
He and I are probably equal in skills
What he told me later
greatly unsettled me
While I'm alive
I'll stop you assassinating the King
I will help you
He let the opportunity go by
This time, we must succeed
See you tomorrow at the Qin camp
Please do me a favor
Help me fight Broken Sword!
Master!
What are you waiting for?
Although I had agreed to help her
attack from behind is dishonorable
so I couldn't draw my sword
But we both knew
if we did not stop Broken Sword
we would never succeed
Moon, don't!
You're no match for him. Stop
I knew this would happen
You can't stop me now
Even wounded, I will still stop you
Then I will kill you!
Did I hurt him too much?
Your special medicine
should heal his wounds in a day
Have you delivered it?
I tended to the wound myself
After the battle, take my sword
and follow Nameless to see the King
Yes
They won't treat a servant harshly
If the assassination succeeds
wave a red flag on your return
If it fails, a yellow one
If something happens to you
any message will be useless
I will smile from Heaven
if I see a red flag
How is Flying Snow?
She is resting
She doesn't know I've come
You said you'd stop me
Please abandon the mission
You know I am a man of Zhao
So am I
Doesn't Qin want to conquer Zhao?
Yes
Isn't the King the enemy of Zhao?
Yes
Who are you trying to defend?
You call yourself a man of Zhao?
Flying Snow has asked me that too
When we first met
I was living a carefree life
She's the daughter of a Zhao general
who died in battle against Qin
She inherited his sword
I knew she would avenge her father
I promised to help her
Calligraphy and swordplay
share the same principles
We did calligraphy to
inspire our swordplay
and to heighten our powers
She knew I'd drifted since childhood
calling no place home
Once we'd killed the King, she said
she would take me to her home
There'd be no more swordsmen
only a man
and a woman
The essence of calligraphy
is from the soul
Swordsmanship is the same
Both aspire to truth and simplicity
Gradually I recognised a greater cause
Three years ago we perfected our skills
Flying Snow insisted on going ahead
Together, we stormed the palace
She asked why I had abandoned the mission
I told her the King must not be killed
That is what calligraphy taught me
I didn't kill the King
After that she refused to talk to me
Please abandon your plan
No
Was your sword forged in hatred?
Yes
For years, it has never tired
I can't stop now
How can I dissuade you?
Only by killing me
Are you that determined?
Yes
Allow me to convey my conviction
in three words
These words express my mind
Please consider
Moon, give my sword to Master Nameless
Flying Snow and I will never part
nor will our swords
Master Nameless
although I am just a humble servant
allow me to say a few words
I've been with my master since
I was eight
He taught me martial arts
and how to be a decent person
Whatever my master does
is for a good reason
The words he has given you
carry a deep meaning
Master Nameless, please take his advice
What were the words he wrote?
"All under Heaven."
All under Heaven...
Broken Sword said
"The people
have suffered years of warfare
"Only the King of Qin can stop the chaos
"by uniting all under Heaven."
He asked me to abandon the assassination
for the greater good of all
He said, one person's suffering
is nothing
compared to the suffering of many
The rivalry of Zhao and Qin is trivial
compared to the greater cause
The person who really understands me
is my most feared enemy
Alone, I have endured so much criticism
So many attempts on my life
No one understands my intentions
Even my court officials
see me as a tyrant
But I never imagined
that Broken Sword, my arch-enemy
would truly understand
and appreciate my real motives
I would like to know
how you mean to kill me
without your sword?
By capturing yours!
This sword has protected me
through all my battles
Having found a true confidant
in Broken Sword
if I die, I am content with my life
Let "All under Heaven"
guide your decision
It's just dawned on me!
This scroll of Broken Sword's
isn't about sword technique
but about swordsmanship's ultimate ideal
Swordsmanship's first achievement
is the unity of man and sword
Once this unity is attained
even a blade of grass can be a weapon
The second achievement is when
the sword exists in one's heart
when absent from one's hand
One can strike an enemy at paces
even with bare hands
Swordsmanship's ultimate achievement
is the absence of the sword
in both hand and heart
The swordsman is at peace
with the rest of the world
He vows not to kill
and to bring peace to mankind
Your Majesty,
your visions have convinced me
that you are committed to the highest ideal
of ultimate swordsmanship
Therefore I cannot kill you
Remember those who gave their lives
for the highest ideal: peace.
No more killing
Nameless went within paces of the King
He could not have missed
There is only one explanation
He must have abandoned the mission
What did you say to him?
I wrote three words
What words?
"All under Heaven."
That is all you care about!
And you
I don't believe you
How can I convince you?
Draw your sword
You've misled Nameless
You've ruined Sky
and the Kingdom of Zhao
Draw!
When we first met...
I had to prove myself to convince you
What can I do this time?
Just draw your sword!
Why didn't you fend off my sword?
So that you'd believe me
I always wanted to go home with you
Sadly, it won't happen now
Take good care of yourself
Why didn't you defend yourself?
Why didn't you defend yourself?
Why didn't you?
No more drifting, no more roaming
I'm taking you home now
Our home
Your Majesty, permission to execute?
Permission to execute?
Your Majesty, permission to execute?
Permission to execute?
He conspired to assassinate Your Majesty
Show no mercy!
This is the law of Qin!
To conquer all under Heaven
the law must be enforced
Set an example for the world!
Execute him! Execute him!
Execute him!
Execute him! Execute him!
Execute him!
Execute him!
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Hail! Hail! Hail!