In Popular Culture
He is a prominent character in the popular Chinese classic novel Fengshen Yanyi (封神演義), sometimes translated as Creation of the Gods. In this novel he has been known well as Daji's arch-rival, and the one who ordered her execution personally.
There are two xiehouyu about him:
- Grand Duke Jiang fishes - those who are willing jump at the bait (姜太公釣魚──願者上鉤), which means "put one's own head in the noose".
- Grand Duke Jiang investiture the gods - omitting himself (姜太公封神──漏咗自己), which means "leave out oneself".
In the scenario "Chinese Unification" of the Civilization IV: Warlords expansion pack, Jiang Ziya is the leader of the State of Qi.
The protagonist of Hoshin Engi, Tai Kou Bou, is based on Jiang Ziya. But however, his personality is quite comical.
He is also playable in video games Aizouban Houshin Engi, Hoshin Engi 2 and Mystic Heroes. He is kind, humble and just.
Jiang Ziya is also Daji's arch-rival (Jiang Ziya never thought of Daji as his rival while Daji herself actually thought that Jiang Ziya was her rival) as Jiang Ziya can easily see through Daji's plans.
Jiang Ziya is a playable character in Koei's Warriors Orochi 2. In the game he is alternatively referred to as Taigong Wang. A stark contrast to the historical accounts however, would be that he is portrayed as a handsome young man, who is quite arrogant, although he is still a divinely gifted strategist and a good man at heart. He is often referred to by others, namely Fu Xi, Nu Wa and Da Ji as "boy". The reason for his radically improvised design may be to emphasize his rivalry with Da Ji, whose character design depicts her as being young and beautiful as well. Their clashes are loosely inspired by the Fengshen Yanyi.
Read more about this topic: Jiang Ziya
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“People try so hard to believe in leaders now, pitifully hard. But we no sooner get a popular reformer or politician or soldier or writer or philosopher—a Roosevelt, a Tolstoy, a Wood, a Shaw, a Nietzsche, than the cross-currents of criticism wash him away. My Lord, no man can stand prominence these days. It’s the surest path to obscurity. People get sick of hearing the same name over and over.”
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