| “ | I don't give a damn. Friendship isn't real anyway. But how long would you last as my enemy? | „ |
| ~ Jen Yu to Yu Shu Lien |
Jen Yu is the protagonist villain of the martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She is one of the two main antagonists in the film along with her mentor Jade Fox. She is the daughter of a rich family who seeks to escape an arranged marriage and instead live a life of adventure. This prompts her to eventually run away from home, whereupon she becomes an aggressive, misanthropic thrill-seeker who shuns all who attempt to help her.
She is portrayed by Zhang Ziyi who also portrayed Hu Li in Rush Hour 2.
History[]
Born to an influential Manchurian governor, Jen Yu first appears as the docile debutante who meets and becomes friends with the legendary Yu Shu Lien, whom she idolizes as a skillful female warrior who lives by her own rules.
Hidden talents[]
It is later revealed that Jen Yu is the apprentice of the murderous Jade Fox who posing as her governess, and Jen Yu steals the renowned Green Destiny sword owned by another celebrated warrior, Li Mu Bai. Soon enough, Jen Yu senses that Yu Shu Lien has figured out her criminal activities so she returns the sword to save the humiliation her family might face. It is around this time that Jade Fox realizes that Jen Yu has been secretly reading and studying the stolen Wudang manual (which the illiterate Jade Fox could not do) and as a result has now surpassed her master's skills.
Jen Yu is also revealed to be in love with a thief she encountered in the Silk Road named Lo. Although their feelings are genuine, Jen Yu believes they cannot be together due to her status as an aristocrat and her arranged marriage for political reasons.
The Invincible Sword Goddess[]
Feeling despondent and desperate to live, Jen Yu steals the Green Destiny once again and runs away, intending to live a life as a feisty adventurer, calling herself The Invincible Sword Goddess. With the Green Destiny in hand, no warrior seem to match her, as she can destroy their weapons with ease. Yu Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai track her down, but Jen Yu has no intentions of relinquishing the Green Destiny or allowing Li Mu Bai to take her under his wing.
When Yu Shu Lien points out how selfish and insensitive Jen Yu is being, having shown those who are trying to help her nothing but contempt and indifference, Jen Yu declares her to be an enemy. This leads to a strenuous duel between the two warriors. As was the case before, Jen Yu is able to gain the upper hand simply by destroying any weapon raised against her using the Green Destiny. However, Yu Shu Lien manages to use the sword's invincibility against Jen Yu, ultimately winning the fight. With her sword at Jen Yu's throat, Yu Shu Lien asks her again to give back the sword but Jen Yu takes advantage of her mercy and cuts her across the arm. Li Mu Bai arrives to witness Jen Yu's shameful act, and pursues her into the forest as she tries to escape.
After a chase atop a bamboo forest, Li Mu Bai easily takes the Green Destiny from Jen Yu and nonchalantly throws it into a waterfall's plunge pool. He then tries to get her to come with him and become his student, as he still recognizes her potential, but she refuses and instead dives into the water to chase after the sword. Jade Fox, who has been watching, snatches Jen Yu while she floats unconscious in the water.
True poison[]
Jade Fox, now embittered about Jen Yu surpassing her, drugs the young warrior and uses her as bait for her sworn enemy, Li Mu Bai. As he enters the cave where Jen lies frail and sick, Jade Fox shoots poisoned darts and Li Mu Bai is hit before he is able to kill Jade Fox. As she dies, Jade Fox admits that she was aiming for Jen Yu as she spitefully condemns her as being the "true poison". Now remorseful, Jen Yu tries to get Li Mu Bai the antidote he needs, but he expires before she can bring it back to him in time.
Yu Shu Lien urges Jen Yu to be true to herself no matter what she does in life. Going to the Wudang, she is reunited with Lo, but the morning after a night of passion she goes to the edge of the mountain, overlooking the clouds. Earlier, Lo had told her a story of a man who had a wish fulfilled by leaping off the edge into the clouds. Jen Yu asks Lo to make a wish of his own, to which he asks that they go back to the desert together. As Jen Yu leaps into the clouds, Lo smiles.