Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal (2015) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Kui rejected Little Snow because he firmly believed that humans and demons could never truly be united, a conviction rooted in the social and supernatural divide between the two worlds. His rigid worldview clashed with her genuine affection, leaving her heartbroken and prompting her return to Hell. This rejection later becomes a source of deep regret when their feelings resurface in Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal.

Foreshadowing: Kui's belief that the two species cannot coexist foreshadows both the tragedy of their separation and the central conflict that follows his transformation into a hybrid himself.

• zhong kui
• little snow
• rejection
• romance
• flashback

After Kui's suicide following the loss of his examination honors to corruption, Diaoxian resurrected him and gave him a magical elixir that convinced him he was still fully human. In reality, the elixir masked his new hybrid nature, allowing Diaoxian to deploy him as a far more effective demon-slayer. This manipulation forms the foundation of Kui's identity crisis throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: Kui's tragic death by suicide sets up his vulnerability to Diaoxian's resurrection scheme, as he has nothing left to lose.

• zhong kui
• pseudo-demon
• resurrection
• diaoxian
• elixir

The Dark Crystal is a powerful artifact located in Hell, capable of altering the fabric of reality itself. Diaoxian seeks it as the final piece needed to depose the celestial pantheon and rewrite existence according to his will, even if doing so annihilates Hell and the souls of every innocent in the city of Hu. His obsession with the crystal drives nearly every major plot event in Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal.

Foreshadowing: The crystal is referenced as early as Diaoxian's seizure of Hu, hinting that his public worship campaign is merely a distraction from his true goal.

• dark crystal
• diaoxian
• hell
• reality
• celestial pantheon

The current Demon King ruling the realm of Hell closest to Hu was once one of Diaoxian's obedient tools, much like Kui in the present day. When Diaoxian no longer needed him, he betrayed the Demon King, stripped his status, and banished him to demonhood in Hell. Now the Demon King seeks the Dark Crystal to expose Diaoxian's crimes and redeem his kin, making him both a victim and a key antagonist.

Foreshadowing: The parallel between the Demon King's past enslavement and Kui's current puppet state hints that Kui is heading toward the same fate.

• demon king
• diaoxian
• betrayal
• hell
• redemption

Diaoxian deliberately gave Kui a magical elixir alongside his resurrection, which implants a false belief that he remains an ordinary living human. This deception allows Diaoxian to keep Kui compliant and unaware of his hybrid nature, ensuring he continues his demon-slaying missions without questioning his master's true motives. The reveal of his true nature becomes a turning point in his character arc.

Foreshadowing: Kui's occasional lapses in judgment and emotional volatility subtly hint that something within him is more than human.

• zhong kui
• hybrid
• elixir
• illusion
• resurrection

The Demon King sends his sisters into Hu as traveling entertainers to seduce the townsfolk into indulgence and complacency. The goal is to distract the citizens so thoroughly that they neglect guarding Diaoxian's Dark Crystal, creating an opening for the demons to snatch it. Their plan ultimately fails when Kui exposes their true nature, accelerating the conflict in Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal.

Foreshadowing: The Sisters' seductive performances mirror the way Diaoxian himself charms Hu's citizens, suggesting both sides rely on deception to achieve their goals.

• demon sisters
• infiltration
• hu
• dark crystal
• distraction

After Snow defies Diaoxian in front of his followers, he demands that Kui execute her publicly to punish her defiance and reassert his authority over the city. The order also serves as a loyalty test, forcing Kui to choose between his master's command and his love for Snow. Kui's refusal to comply marks the first decisive break in his obedience to Diaoxian.

Foreshadowing: Diaoxian's earlier casual brutality toward the captured Demon Sisters foreshadows his willingness to use Snow as leverage against Kui.

• diaoxian
• execution
• little snow
• loyalty
• public

Kui's loyalty shifts after he witnesses Diaoxian's cruelty firsthand, especially the demand to execute Snow and the manipulation of public sentiment against the demon sisters. Combined with his emerging realization of his own hybrid nature and Diaoxian's deceptions, these injustices ignite his dormant demon powers and push him into open rebellion. His transformation from obedient tool to defiant enemy is the emotional climax of Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal.

Foreshadowing: Kui's earlier hesitation during his drunken encounter with the Demon Sisters foreshadows his growing moral discomfort with Diaoxian's methods.

• zhong kui
• diaoxian
• rebellion
• transformation
• betrayal

After her final confrontation with Diaoxian in Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal, Snow is overpowered and imprisoned within the Dark Crystal as punishment for her defiance and to weaken Kui emotionally. The crystal drains her strength, reducing her to a fading spirit form rather than killing her outright. Her imprisonment is what forces Kui to use the crystal himself to attempt her rescue.

Foreshadowing: Diaoxian's earlier threats against Snow during the public execution scene foreshadow his decision to use her as leverage by trapping her.

• little snow
• dark crystal
• imprisonment
• spirit form
• diaoxian

After his victory over Diaoxian, Kui harnesses the Dark Crystal to restore the cosmic balance and free the spirits that Diaoxian had trapped or corrupted, including the stolen chi of Hu's citizens. He then returns the crystal to its rightful place in Hell, undoing the damage caused by Diaoxian's scheme. This act of restoration earns him recognition from the Jade Emperor and sets up his reincarnation.

Foreshadowing: Kui's earlier instinct to protect the citizens of Hu foreshadows his willingness to wield the crystal for their benefit rather than his own.

• zhong kui
• dark crystal
• restoration
• jade emperor
• spirits

Even after Diaoxian's defeat, Snow has retreated to Hell in weakened spirit form, and the Jade Emperor summons Kui to reincarnate in order to be with her. Rather than remain in the human world as a hero, Kui chooses to descend into Hell so he can search for Snow and attempt a reunion. This bittersweet ending underscores that his victory over Diaoxian came at a heavy personal cost.

Foreshadowing: Kui's love for Snow, established in the three-years-prior flashback, foreshadows that he would never truly leave her behind.

• zhong kui
• hell
• little snow
• jade emperor
• reincarnation
• ending

After passing the imperial examinations with distinction, Kui had his honors stripped due to corruption within the system, destroying his lifelong ambitions and leaving him without purpose. Overwhelmed by the injustice and likely still grieving Snow's departure to Hell, he took his own life. Diaoxian's subsequent resurrection of Kui was possible only because the scholar had nothing left to lose, making him easy to manipulate.

Foreshadowing: Kui's despair over losing his examinations foreshadows his vulnerability to Diaoxian's manipulation, as he has no reason to resist being used.

• zhong kui
• suicide
• imperial examinations
• corruption
• flashback

Many lesser demons actually yearn for redemption rather than wishing harm on humanity, but they are forced to comply with Diaoxian's cruel directives to avoid being hunted down by his relentless demon-slayers. This enforced obedience creates a prison of fear rather than loyalty, with Diaoxian using violence as the primary tool of control. Their hidden desire for redemption is what ultimately allows Kui and Snow to rally them against him.

Foreshadowing: The lesser demons' quiet suffering hints at the rebellion that will later emerge once a stronger leader like Kui gives them a reason to fight.

• lesser demons
• diaoxian
• fear
• redemption
• demon-slayers