Warning: SPOILERS for the Kung Fu series premiere.

In the Kung Fu series premiere, Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman) was able to hold the magic sword, but Nicky (Olivia Liang) couldn’t touch it without getting burned. It seems that Zhilan, the character that murdered Nicky’s master, may be the main villain of the season. Her attack on the Shaolin Temple and theft of the sword is what kicked off Nicky’s story in CW's reboot of the 1970s Kung Fu TV show.

Based on what Nicky learned from Henry (Eddie Liu), Zhilan and the sword will be central to the show’s overarching plot. Thanks to Henry’s knowledge of ancient Chinese history, Nicky discovered the origins of the sword that was under the protection of the Shaolin Temple. Apparently, it’s known as the Sword of Liang Diayu. It once belonged to a female warrior of the Tang Dynasty. There are legends that say it and seven other weapons were enchanted by a sorcerer. Zhilan, who has her hands on the sword, will now begin looking for the remaining seven weapons.

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One problem that Olivia Liang's character didn’t understand was the fact that Zhilan could wield the sword with ease, whereas it wouldn’t let her hold it. It glowed green as soon as she grabbed the hilt and then scarred her hand with a cryptic message on her skin. According to Henry, the sword’s full power can only be harnessed by its “rightful owner”. This led Nicky to speculate that this person is Zhilan, considering that she wasn’t similarly affected by its touch. As for how she would be recognized as its owner, it’s possible that she’s a descendant of either Liang Diayu or the sorcerer who originally enchanted it with magic.

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While Zhilan’s heritage being the key does seem plausible, there is one reason why Nicky’s theory about her could be wrong. Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai), the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, claimed that the sword wasn’t meant for Zhilan. This suggests that she knew something about the sword (and Zhilan) that Nicky doesn’t. If that’s the case, there must be a different explanation for why she couldn’t use it.

It could be that the correct answer was already revealed during Zhilan’s encounter with Nicky. The villain said, “the sword is too powerful for you.” If she’s right, that would mean Nicky needs to train more; it's not that she can't wield it at all. In many kung fu stories that concern magic, becoming more powerful often requires strengthening one’s internal energy, or “chi”. If the show is following a similar concept, Nicky may not have enough mental discipline or internal energy to control the Sword of Liang Diayu’s power.

If that’s the case, Nicky may have to get stronger as Kung Fu season 1's story continues to unfold, or at least figure out what the message on her hand means, as it might point her in the right direction. If Nicky doesn’t find a way to get past this obstacle, she may not be able to get the other seven weapons before Zhilan can. They could be protected by the same magic.

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