Bat Without Wings is a 1980 Shaw Brothers film directed by Chor Yuen, starring Derek Yee, Auyong Sha-fei, and Ku Feng.
The title refers to a powerful mass murderer in the Ming Dynasty, a fallen warrior who had turned to the dark side; known only by his Red Baron title, the "Bat Without Wings", the Bat enjoys nothing more than killing and raping young women, drinking their blood, and slaughtering anyone who witnessed him, for the sheer joy of bloodlust. A team of 28 warriors managed to confront the Bat, and after a huge battle where twenty-six out of the original twenty-eight heroes are killed by the villain, eventually the Bat is seemingly stabbed and dropped into a ravine.
Or so it seems... five years later, another killing spree had started, and the dreaded Bat Without Wings is back. Xiao Qi (Derek), one of the two surviving heroes from years ago, now a legend in the clans, must seek the other survivor to defeat the Bat and kill him properly this time, but this time the Bat isn't who he seems.
Bat Without Wings Contain Examples of:
- Action Girl: The supporting character Lei Feng can hold her own pretty well in fights, being a bodyguard by profession.
- Anachronism Stew: A movie set in the Ming Dynasty, whose villain cosplays as Gene Simmons from KISS. It's never explained.
- Antagonist Title: The Bat is the main villain of the film.
- Badass Cape: Worn by the titular villain, especially evident when he glides around with his kung fu.
- Booby Trap: The Bat's underground lair is filled with these, including a poisonous pond, exploding boxes, and the like.
- Dark Is Evil: Played absolutely straight with the black-clad Bat.
- Evil Old Folks: The Bat is easily in his sixties, being a veteran warrior in the jiang hu... and also a deranged murderer and rapist.
- Facial Markings: The Bat Without Wings paints his face before going on a killing spree.
- Genre Mashup: Horror, mystery, Wuxia thriller.
- Hero Killer: The titular villain, whom the opening narration, states that has killed twenty six (out of twenty eight!) heroic warriors sent to stop him, before being finally defeated. Post Time Skip, the Bat also killed many of the heroes after him.
- High-Pressure Blood: For many of the Bat's kills.
- In a Single Bound: True to it's nature as a wuxia. Most of the time it's the titular villain who does this, leaping vertically into the air to evade the authorities pursuing him, but Xiao Qi displays this skills when fighting the villain as well.
- Our Vampires Are Different: The titular villain is supposed to invoke a vampire, what with him stalking female victims and having a penchant of chewing his target's throats. But he's a human whose supernatural powers comes from his chi.
- Purple Is Powerful: Xiao Qi, the main character and most powerful swordsmen among the warriors sent to hunt down the Bat Without Wings, is dressed in purple and white satin for the entirety of the film, including most of his fight scenes.
- Red Baron: The villain is simply called the "Bat Without Wings" due to his penchant of wearing black all the time and ability to glide simply by jumping. He's also The Dreaded, whose name strikes fear even among the heroes.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: The Bat Without Wings is seemingly killed in the opening (after killing twenty-six warriors sent after him), but he never actually died. Returning five years later, he's more than ready to continue his rampage.
- Secret Identity: The Bat Without Wings is Szma Zhongyuan, the seemingly-lowly waiter in an inn. Much of the film revolves around Xiao Qi's efforts to uncover his true identity.
- Serial Killer: The Bat Without Wings is a murderer and rapist. A kung-fu version of Jack the Ripper, if you prefer.
- Shout-Out: For some inexplicable reason, the Bat Without Wings when going on a killing spree has his face painted to resemble Gene Simmons from KISS. It's especially weird considering the movie was set centuries before KISS existed. Yes, look at it
. - Time Skip: Five years between the pre-titles opening depicting the Bat Without Wings' rampage, and then coming back to seek bloody revenge on the surviving heroes.
- Unwilling Suspension: The Bat has a penchant of having his captured victims hung above the poisoned pond in his lair.
