Who Is The Main Antagonist In 'He Who Drowned The World'?

The main antagonist in 'He Who Drowned the World' is the ruthless warlord Zhu Yuanzhang, who's as cunning as he is brutal. This guy doesn't just want power; he thrives on chaos, manipulating entire armies like chess pieces while burning cities to ash. What makes him terrifying isn't just his military genius but his complete lack of mercy - he'll sacrifice thousands without blinking if it means victory. The novel paints him as this force of nature, unstoppable and unpredictable, with a personal vendetta against the protagonist that turns every confrontation into a bloodbath. His rise from peasant to emperor mirrors the protagonist's journey, making their clashes symbolic as well as physical.

In 'He Who Drowned the World', the primary antagonist isn't just one person but a nightmarish duo - Zhu Yuanzhang and his mysterious strategist Liu Bowen. Zhu's the face of evil with his battlefield atrocities, but Liu's the real puppet master, using dark arts and psychological warfare to break enemies before battles even start. Their dynamic reminds me of historical tyrants combined with mythological demons - Zhu charges in like a bull while Liu calculates every move three steps ahead.

What's fascinating is how the author contrasts their villainy with the protagonist's ideals. Zhu believes civilization must drown in blood to be reborn, literally naming himself 'He Who Drowned the World'. His philosophy makes him more than a typical bad guy; he's an ideological foil who thinks he's saving humanity through destruction. The scenes where he purges his own followers to 'test their loyalty' show how warped his vision has become.

Liu Bowen adds another layer as the secret power behind the throne. His ability to foresee events borders on supernatural, and his manipulation of Zhu creates this toxic symbiosis. The way he convinces Zhu that genocide is destiny chills me to the bone. Their combined threat forces the protagonist to question whether defeating them means becoming like them - the novel's central moral dilemma.

For me, the true antagonist of 'He Who Drowned the World' is the system itself - the endless cycle of violence that turns both heroes and villains into monsters. Zhu Yuanzhang embodies this, starting as a rebel against corruption only to become worse than what he fought. His transformation from underdog to tyrant is heartbreaking because you see the exact moment where power corrupts him completely.

The novel cleverly shows how Zhu's environment shaped his villainy. Starvation as a child made him value survival above all else, and betrayal after betrayal taught him trust is weakness. His warped love for his dead wife becomes justification for burning the world, showing how grief can twist into something monstrous. What unsettles me most is his charisma - he genuinely believes his horrific acts are necessary, and his followers adore him for it. That cult leader mentality makes him more dangerous than any supernatural foe could be.