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Overview
Li Bai is an assassin-class hero in Honor of Kings: World. Inspired by the legendary Tang dynasty poet of the same name, Li Bai is reimagined as a wandering swordsman who follows the Way of the Sword a philosophy that treats swordsmanship as an art form no different from poetry. His Flow style combines lightning-fast blade work with aerial mobility, making him one of the most aggressive and mechanically demanding heroes in the game.
Historical inspiration
Li Bai (701–762 CE) is considered the greatest romantic poet in Chinese literary history. Known for his love of wine, wandering, and the natural world, the historical Li Bai was also reputed to be a skilled swordsman. A detail that the Honor of Kings franchise has expanded into his core identity. The game's version leans heavily into the duality of poet and warrior, treating his sword strikes as verses in a lethal poem.
Combat abilities
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Crescent slash | a forward dash attack that passes through enemies, dealing damage along the path |
Moonlit waltz | a series of rapid aerial sword strikes that keep Li Bai airborne and invulnerable |
Drunken sweep | a spinning ground attack with extended reach, reference to his legendary drinking |
Verse of the immortal | ultimate that launches a flurry of sword strikes in rapid succession, each hit more powerful than the last |
Way of the Sword
Li Bai's combat design treats each combo as a 'verse' and each full rotation of abilities as a 'poem.' The more fluidly the player chains his abilities together, the more bonus damage each subsequent hit deals. Breaking the chain resets the bonus. This rewards players who can maintain a continuous flow of attacks without gaps. Playing Li Bai well feels like composing a martial poem in real time.
The mechanic extends to his aerial abilities. Li Bai spends significant time airborne during combos, and his aerial attacks are some of the most visually dynamic in the game. Preview footage from Gamescom 2025 showed players chaining aerial slashes into ground sweeps into dash attacks in sequences that drew comparisons to character action games like Devil May Cry.
Playstyle
Li Bai is a high-risk, high-reward assassin. He has lower health than warriors and mages but compensates with mobility and invincibility frames during his aerial attacks. The ideal approach is to engage with a dash, chain aerial combos for burst damage while avoiding retaliation, and disengage before the enemy can respond. Mistiming any part of the sequence leaves him exposed.
Key details
Action | Key/Button |
|---|---|
Class | Assassin |
Weapon | longsword |
Specialty | aerial combos, burst damage, mobility |
Origin | Tang dynasty poet (701–762 CE) |
Unique mechanic | Way of the Sword, chain bonus damage for fluid combos |