Thunderbolt Fantasy: The Sword of Life and Death

Thunderbolt Fantasy: The Sword of Life and Death (Thunderbolt Fantasy: 生死一劍, Sandāboruto Fantajī: Seishi Ikken, Thunderbolt Fantasy: Shēng Sǐ Yī Jiàn) is the first feature-length film created by the Thunderbolt Fantasy Project. It was originally released on December 2, 2017 in Japan and December 8, 2017 in Taiwan; it was released on disc on April 4, 2018. The film is split into two parts: the first is an adaption of Shā Wú Shēng's chapter from the Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōriken Kōki Gaiden side novel and follows his past with Lǐn Xuě Yā. The second part takes place a month after Season 1 and follows a comical misadventure involving Shāng Bù Huàn.

Plot
Part one of the film takes place a year before the events of Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 1. Shā Wú Shēng has spent three years working as the Enigmatic Gale's bodyguard. Despite Wú Shēng's reputation as a fearsome assassin, Gale forbids him from killing unnecessarily. Letting his defeated opponents go without killing them is a sentiment that Wú Shēng doesn't understand but abides nonetheless. When Gale is tracked down by a swordsman he has wronged in the past, Wú Shēng fends off the swordsman without killing him.

At an inn, the two of them discuss the topic and their differing opinions on what it means to be a "respectable swordsman." Wú Shēng points out that "Shā Wú Shēng" means "destroyer of life," which should be enough of an indicator as to why he could never be a respectable swordsman. Gale asks why his parents would give him such an awful name. Wú Shēng explains that, on the day he was born, a flock of birds was crying outside of his family's house: an ill omen. When his mother died in childbirth, the midwife pinned the blame on her assistant. The altercation grew so violent that everyone present in the house at the time was killed. When Wú Shēng's father found him, he was crying in a pool of blood while the birds outside continued to cry. Soon after, his father discarded him at the school where Wú Shēng's future master found him. Wú Shēng's head was split open when his father threw him away, and he nearly died from the wound. The note that his father left claimed that Wú Shēng would become "a destroyer of life, a man-eating fiend," and he pleaded that whoever found Wú Shēng should kill him. As Wú Shēng sees it, he has only become the kind of swordsman his name predicted he would be. Gale asks him why he can't simply make a new name for himself and leave his reputation as a destroyer of life behind him. That's when Gale comes up with a new name for him: Míng Fèng Jué Shā, Screaming Phoenix Killer.

At Gale's behest, they attend the Sword Art Assembly's "Sword Hero Tournament:" a swordsmanship competition held every four years. Swordsmen compete for the title of "Sword Hero" and the mark of pride that comes with it. Gale suggests that the competition will be a good opportunity for Wú Shēng to become Screaming Phoenix Killer by showing that he can be a respectable swordsman. Wú Shēng remains skeptical but agrees to compete, if only to humor Gale. Competitors and their guests aren't allowed to leave their rooms during the competition, so, while waiting in their room, Gale explains that the tournament was once called the "Sword Saint Tournament." The name was changed when the reigning Sword Saint remained undefeated for several decades. The Sword Saint, who has since become known as the "Eternal Sword Saint" is Tiě Dí Xiān, and he now attends the tournament as a judge. The winner of the tournament receives the "Sword Hero" title and can choose whether or not they battle Tiě Dí Xiān for the "Sword Saint" title. Wú Shēng reveals that Tiě Dí Xiān is his former master, the same man who found him as a baby, and he suspects that Tiě Dí Xiān will remain a sword saint for the rest of his life.

The first two competitors are Hè Qīng Fēng of the Flying Swallow School versus Cán Xiōng representing the Xuán Guǐ Zōng. The rules of the competition dictate that a winner is declared when one of the opponents yields or is unable to compete. Cán Xiōng manages to overpower Hè Qīng Fēng, but Qīng Fēng refuses to yield. Cán Xiōng uses his Dry Bones Blood Slash technique, killing Qīng Fēng and winning the round. Gale asks if, knowing that he may end up facing Tiě Dí Xiān and taking the Sword Saint title from him, Wú Shēng still wants to compete. Wú Shēng says the possibility of that is exactly why he agreed to participate in the competition. Until he can prove that his sword arm is stronger than the man who taught him to hone it, he will never surpass his former teacher. Hearing him talk in this manner, Gale expresses doubt that simply donning a new name and title will be enough to make a respectable swordsman out of him. Wú Shēng asks what he would even do if he were to become such a swordsman, and Gale suggests that he open his own school; Wú Shēng immediately dismisses the notion.

The second round is led by Léi Liè of the Eight Hard Styles School versus the independent "Shén Jiàn Shôu." The judges intervene and disqualify Shén Jiàn Shôu for using a bow in a sword-fighting competition. Jiàn Shôu mocks the Assembly before firing arrows into the rooms where the competitors are waiting, killing many of them (Wú Shēng catches the arrow that flies into his room). Jiàn Shôu throws a smoke bomb and disappears before he can be apprehended. Gale leaves Wú Shēng's room in disguise, and, when he returns, he explains that, instead of cancelling the competition after the loss of most of the participants, the Assembly is switching it to an elimination tournament.

The third round is Cán Xiōng versus Wú Shēng who is presented for the first time as Screaming Phoenix Killer. Cán Xiōng mocks the name change before attacking. However, Cán Xiōng is only using one hand to fight, and Wú Shēng easily wards him off. Using the uncanny foresight he has gained through years of training, Wú Shēng predicts that the fight will end in three moves if Cán Xiōng continues to fight one-handed. His prediction proves right, and Cán Xiōng surrenders to the man he now acknowledges as Screaming Phoenix Killer. Cán Xiōng reveals that, even though he normally fights with two swords, he was hiding his right hand because it was injured by one of Shén Jiàn Shôu's arrows. Wú Shēng accepts Cán Xiōng's surrender and suggests that they may meet again in the future to fight on fairer terms. Wú Shēng leaves the arena and is declared the winner. Gale expresses his surprise that Wú Shēng willingly let an opponent surrender, and Wú Shēng says that his perspective on the matter is changing.

Techniques

 * Dry Bones Blood Slash - Cán Xiōng
 * Silencing of the Gods - Shā Wú Shēng
 * Black Sky Gem Clatter - Tiě Dí Xiān
 * Song of the Mountain: Rhapsody of Blades - Tiě Dí Xiān

Plot
Part two of the film takes place a month after Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 1.

Techniques

 * Eight-Edged Chaos Dragon Cannon - Wěi

In his retelling of the events of Season 1, Wěi claims to have used this technique in his battle against Qì Tiān Dì (a battle that did not actually occur).

Background
The film was first announced on March 25, 2017 at AnimeJapan 2017.