Xu Da Character Analysis: The Loyal Commander of She Who Became the Sun

Overview

Xu Da enters the story as a fellow novice at Wuhuang Monastery, the first person to offer Zhu help after she assumes her brother's identity. He becomes the character who knows Zhu's secret longer than anyone else, and he evolves from monastery friend to bandit leader to Zhu's most trusted commander. His arc is defined by loyalty—a loyalty tested by violence, separation, hostage-taking, and the moral compromises of civil war.

Plot Role

Xu Da serves as Zhu's anchor to her past and her most reliable ally in the present. He is the only character who knew Zhu before she became a military leader, and his knowledge of her secret creates a bond no other relationship in the novel replicates. He functions as Zhu's second-in-command, her confidant, and—at critical moments—her rescuer. When Chen Youliang takes Xu Da hostage at Zhu's wedding, his captivity becomes a tool of political control, demonstrating how Zhu's personal attachments are weaponized by her rivals.

Motivations and Traits

Xu Da's motivations are rooted in loyalty and a desire to follow someone he believes in. From the monastery onward, he recognizes Zhu's extraordinary desire. At their reunion outside Lu, he tells her she had the strongest desire of anyone he had ever met, even as a child. His loyalty is not blind; he questions Zhu's decisions and expresses doubt, as when he worries about Chen Youliang's intentions at the Grand Canal. But his faith in Zhu ultimately overrides his fear. When Zhu proposes to challenge Ouyang to a duel, Xu Da protests, offering to go in her place. His willingness to sacrifice himself for Zhu is a consistent pattern.

Xu Da is also pragmatic and adaptable. After the monastery's destruction, he survives by joining bandits and eventually leading them. He breaks his monastic vows by killing, and he carries the guilt of those killings. He confesses to Zhu that he wanted to live, so he took a life—and then took more lives deliberately, accepting that he would be reborn into suffering. Yet he does not let that guilt paralyze him. He follows Zhu into war and continues to kill, carrying the weight of his choices.

Chronological Arc

Xu Da's arc spans the entire novel. At the monastery, he is the helpful novice who assists Zhu and later reveals he has long known her secret. After the monastery is burned, he disappears into the countryside, staying in tenant villages before joining bandits. He reunites with Zhu outside Lu, where he confesses his killings and re-commits himself to her cause. He becomes her second-in-command, fighting alongside her at Jiankang and disarming the woman who attempts to assassinate Little Guo. At Zhu's wedding, Chen Youliang demands Xu Da be seconded to Commander Yi, effectively taking him hostage. He is later returned to Zhu's command, and he accompanies her on the disastrous Grand Canal campaign, where he transports her wounded body back to Anfeng after Ouyang severs her hand. In the novel's final movements, he rides with Zhu toward Jiankang and writes letters on her behalf, as seen when Ma receives a letter written in Xu Da's hand.

Relationships

The central relationship of Xu Da's arc is with Zhu. Their bond is established in childhood and deepened by shared secrets and shared violence. Zhu calls him big brother, and their intimacy is marked by physical ease—Zhu slings her arm around his shoulders, takes him by the back of the neck, and speaks to him with a frankness she shows no one else. Xu Da's knowledge of Zhu's secret is the foundation of their trust. When Zhu reflects on him, she says he knows more about her than anyone and calls him her brother.

Xu Da's relationship with Ma Xiuying is more peripheral but significant. He is present at Zhu's wedding to Ma, and he later works alongside Ma to save Zhu's life after the duel with Ouyang. The three form a small circle of people who know Zhu's secret.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Xu Da's most consequential decisions include choosing to follow Zhu after their reunion outside Lu, accepting the role of second-in-command, and enduring hostage-taking by Chen Youliang. His most critical decision comes after Zhu's duel with Ouyang: he seeks Jiao Yu's help to save Zhu's life, and that decision has a direct consequence—Jiao Yu learns Zhu's secret, creating a new vulnerability. Xu Da recognizes this and offers to kill Jiao Yu to protect Zhu, knowing it would be the worst thing he had ever done.

Theme/Symbol Connections

Xu Da connects to the novel's exploration of identity as performance through his role as the keeper of Zhu's secret. He is the witness to her performance of Zhu Chongba, and his acceptance of that performance is what makes it sustainable. He also embodies faith in Zhu's fate—at Bianliang, when all seems lost, he says it is too much to ask an ordinary man to put all his faith in fate, but he has faith in her. This distinction between faith in fate and faith in a person is central to the novel's meditation on fate vs self-determination.

Xu Da's arc also touches on the body as a site of identity and power. His knowledge of Zhu's body—her secret—is what makes him valuable and dangerous. And his own body bears the marks of his choices: the violence he committed as a bandit, the vows he broke, the suffering he endures carrying Zhu back to Anfeng.

Questions and Answers

How did Xu Da first help Zhu at the monastery?

Xu Da helped Zhu when her water bucket rope broke while she was carrying water as a novice. This small act of assistance is the beginning of their friendship.

When does Xu Da reveal he knows Zhu's secret?

Xu Da reveals he has long known Zhu's secret in the aftermath of Zhu's escape from the monastery, after she frames Prefect Fang. He tells her he has known for some time.

What happened to Xu Da after the monastery was destroyed?

After the monastery was burned, Xu Da stayed in tenant villages, then joined bandits when they attacked. He killed a man in self-defense, then took more lives deliberately as he rose to lead the bandits.

How does Chen Youliang use Xu Da against Zhu?

At Zhu and Ma's wedding, Chen demands that Xu Da be seconded to Commander Yi, effectively taking him hostage to ensure Zhu's loyalty during the coming coup.

What role does Xu Da play in saving Zhu's life after the duel with Ouyang?

Xu Da transported Zhu's wounded body back to Anfeng in a wagon over six hundred li, praying for her survival. When she developed a fever, he sought Jiao Yu's help, which saved her life but exposed her secret to Jiao.