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Li Ching-Lin (Chinese: 李清麟) was a high-ranking warrior of the Ten Rings and a loyal follower of Xu Wenwu known as Death Dealer. Having trained many of the warriors in the Ten Rings, he took up Wenwu's son Shang-Chi as an apprentice until Shang-Chi fled to the United States. Death Dealer was part of a team tasked to capture the Eyes of the Dragon from Xu Xialing in Macau. Death Dealer tracked down Shang-Chi and Xialing at the Golden Daggers Club, where he fought against Shang-Chi but lost. Death Dealer accompanied Wenwu as they journeyed to Ta Lo to break open a sealed gate where Ying Li was believed to have been held captive. Unbeknownst to them, it had housed the draconic monster Dweller-in-Darkness and an army of Soul Eaters, which killed Death Dealer by sucking out his soul to be harvested for the Dweller.
Death Dealer is seen training warriors of the Ten Rings following the death of Ying Li and Xu Wenwu taking up leadership of the organization once more. When Wenwu brings his son Shang-Chi into the compound to begin his training, Death Dealer looks at Shang-Chi, imposing fear on him. Over the next seven years, under the orders of Wenwu, Death Dealer would train Shang-Chi relentlessly from sunup to sundown, teaching him every possible way to kill a man.[1]
Death Dealer later accompanied the Ten Rings army to Ta Lo, where Xu Wenwu planned to open the gate he believed was the prison of his late wife. However, the gate in reality held a great evil, the Dweller-in-Darkness. He fought alongside the Ten Rings against the villagers and warriors of Ta Lo, led by Ying Nan. When Wenwu began breaking the Dark Gate, it allowed the first of the Soul Eaters to escape. As they flew over the village, they found Death Dealer, grabbed him off the ground, and removed his soul from his body to be consumed by the Dweller.[1]
Personality
Death Dealer is a quiet, cold and uncaring man who subjected the young Shang-Chi to years of abuse in an attempt to train him into the ultimate weapon for the Ten Rings. He showed immense loyalty to Wenwu, following his orders as part of his organization and training Shang-Chi for him. He saw the training as necessary and did not hesitate to injure Shang-Chi, cutting his face with a blade on one occasion.
Abilities
"I trained you so the most dangerous people in the world couldn't kill you."
Death Dealer was an extremely skilled and formidable hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist, training the warriors of the Ten Rings. His greatest student was Shang-Chi, who would become skilled enough to finally surpass him years later. He was skilled enough to match the now adult Shang-Chi ten years later for some time, before being overtaken by his former protégé. He put up a fight with the much older and experienced Ying Nan, before being killed by the Soul Eaters.
Knife Mastery: Death Dealer was extremely skilled at using knives as his preferred weapon in combat.
Staff Mastery: Death Dealer was highly skilled at using a staff in combat.
Master Acrobat: Death Dealer was an extremely skilled acrobat, gymnast, and aerialist.
Master Assassin: Death Dealer used his knives to kill many people.
Bilingualism: Death Dealer was fluent in understanding his native Mandarin, as well as English.
Equipment
Weapons
Daggers: Death Dealer used these knives to train new recruits as well in several battles. He would use them to cut Shang-Chi's face during training, and in later fights such as the fight at the Golden Dagger club.
In the comics, Li Ching-Lin was a double-crossing MI6 agent working for Fu Manchu, known for his extremely brutal methods. After being chased down by the organization and nearly killed by Shang-Chi under order of his sister Fah Lo Suee, he was given the title and attire of Death Dealer by Fu Manchu and became one of Shang-Chi's greatest enemies.
Also in the comics, Cho Lin is the ruthless trainer of Shang-Chi.
Behind the Scenes
Death Dealer's design was created by artistic supervisor Andy Park. His mask was based on a bian lian, the Chinese opera mask.[2][3]
