Which Characters From The Investiture Of The Gods Are Most Popular?

These days I judge popularity by how often a character pops up in memes, mobile games, and late-night chats. If you look at community polls and in-game pick rates, Nezha, Jiang Ziya, and Erlang Shen consistently rank at the top. Nezha’s universal appeal is straightforward: kids adore his rebellious energy and explosive visuals, while adults appreciate the redemptive themes. Jiang Ziya resonates with strategy lovers and people who like morally gray mentors, and Erlang Shen is the predictable pick for anyone who just wants to see a cool, competent warrior with a dramatic third eye.

Daji’s popularity is interesting because it’s shaped by aesthetics and reinterpretation—modern retellings often emphasize her cunning, tragic past, or supernatural flair, which draws in fans interested in complex villains and strong female characters. Then there are characters like Shen Gongbao and Leizhenzi who enjoy steady cult followings; they aren’t always top-tier mainstream picks but they get huge love from niche corners of the fandom, especially in comics and stage opera adaptations. As someone who’s taught younger cousins about these stories and debated versions online, I can say the roster of popular figures keeps shifting with new media—so a character’s current fame often reflects which adaptation just captured the public’s imagination.

Growing up flipping through myth collections and watching animated retellings, I fell hard for the personalities in 'Investiture of the Gods'—and I still love talking about which ones catch people's imaginations. Top of the list for most fans is Nezha: his bratty-but-noble arc, flashy Wind Fire Wheels, and huge redemption moment make him an instant favorite for kids and cosplay crowds alike. Close behind is Jiang Ziya, the crafty strategist whose slow-burn rise from exile to deified sage appeals to readers who like brains over brawn. His moral ambiguity and scheming side plots give him special replay value in discussions and adaptations.

Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) and Daji are also massively popular, but for very different reasons. Erlang's stoic, third-eyed power and tough-guy clarity make him the poster-boy for cool martial heroes, while Daji—mysterious, seductive, and tragic—draws fascination as a femme fatale whose fox-spirit backstory gets reinterpreted in every drama and mobile game. Shen Gongbao and Leizhenzi show up on lists too: the former as an entertaining rival to Jiang Ziya, and the latter for his raw, thunderous power and visual flair.

Beyond personalities, modern hits like the film 'Ne Zha' and countless game adaptations (heroes in mobile MOBAs, manhua reinterpretations, and animated series) have pushed these characters into mainstream fandom. When I see figures on my shelf or people cosplaying at cons, it’s usually Nezha, Erlang Shen, or Daji—characters who are visually iconic and narratively rich. They each bring something different: rebellion, wisdom, righteous fury, or tragic glamour—so popularity tends to reflect whatever mood fandom’s in that year.

If I had to name the most popular faces from 'Investiture of the Gods' in a hurry: Nezha, Jiang Ziya, Erlang Shen (Yang Jian), and Daji lead the pack, with Shen Gongbao, Leizhenzi, Li Jing, and a few heroic generals like Huang Feihu also enjoying steady popularity. Nezha’s rebellious kid energy and the huge success of the animated film 'Ne Zha' have made him a cultural icon for younger fans, while Jiang Ziya’s strategist vibe clicks with older readers. Erlang Shen’s visual punch (that third eye!) plus Daji’s complex villainy keep them both endlessly reinterpreted in TV dramas, manhua, and games. Personally I find it fun to watch which character rises after each new adaptation—one season it’s Daji thanks to a slick drama, the next it’s Leizhenzi after a viral comic—so popularity feels refreshingly dynamic.