The Great Wall (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Tao Tie monsters descend from a meteorite every sixty years, but in this cycle they attacked a week earlier than expected. This early assault caught the Nameless Order completely off guard, creating chaos and forcing them into battle before they were fully prepared. The early attack was ultimately part of a larger strategy, as the monsters were tunneling underneath the Wall as a diversion.

Foreshadowing: The suddenness of the initial assault establishes the Tao Tie's cunning nature and sets up their later deceptive tactics.

• tao tie
• early attack
• great wall
• monsters
• meteorite

Strategist Wang discovers from an ancient scroll that magnets can pacify the Tao Tie. Wang theorizes that the strange stone Garin carries, which allowed him to sever a Tao Tie's arm, contains magnetic properties. During the final battle, Garin throws a magnet at the queen Tao Tie, disrupting its defenses and creating an opening for Lin to deliver the fatal blow. The magnetic interference weakens the monsters' coordination and physical resilience.

Foreshadowing: Wang's early theory about the stone Garin possesses directly leads to the weapon used against the queen.

• magnets
• tao tie
• strategists wang
• queen
• stone

Ballard, an Englishman who had been held captive for twenty-five years, seizes the opportunity during the chaos to steal black powder and escape. When Tovar tries to stop him, Ballard knocks Tovar unconscious and then later betrays him completely, igniting the stolen black powder which causes a deadly explosion. Ballard's long captivity had made him desperate to escape and pursue his own survival, overriding any loyalty he had formed with the other mercenaries.

Foreshadowing: Ballard's initial rescue of Garin and Tovar was motivated by his own desire for freedom, not altruism.

• ballard
• tovar
• betrayal
• black powder
• explosion

After being freed by Ballard during the chaos of the first Tao Tie assault, Garin chose to help defend the Wall because he and Tovar had already proven themselves capable of killing the monsters. They earned the respect of the Nameless Order by saving the young warrior Peng Yong and slaying two Tao Tie. This respect, combined with Garin's curiosity about the stone's properties and his growing connection with the warriors, shifted his motivation from pure escape to genuine participation in the battle.

Foreshadowing: Garin's initial willingness to fight stemmed from his mercenary instinct to survive and prove his worth.

• william garin
• nameless order
• fight
• escape
• peng yong

The surface attacks on the Wall were a deliberate ruse. While the Nameless Order focused on defending the Wall from the frontal assault, two Tao Tie secretly tunneled underneath the structure. This strategic maneuver allowed them to infiltrate from behind, resulting in the death of General Shao and creating panic within the defenses. The tunneling demonstrated that the Tao Tie operate with collective intelligence under the queen's command.

Foreshadowing: The early attack being a week ahead of schedule hinted at the Tao Tie's strategic planning capabilities.

• tao tie
• tunnel
• general shao
• great wall
• infiltration

At the film's end, Garin is offered the reward of black powder, the very treasure he originally sought. Instead, he chooses to bring Tovar back to Ireland with him. This decision represents Garin's complete transformation from a selfish mercenary seeking fortune to someone who values friendship and loyalty over material wealth. The choice marks his redemption arc and personal growth throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: Garin's earlier decision to stay and fight, rather than escape with Tovar, foreshadowed his changing priorities.

• garin
• tovar
• black powder
• ending
• redemption

Strategist Wang deliberately sacrifices himself during the climb to reach the queen, allowing Garin and Lin to ascend higher by using his body as a stepping stone. Wang's selflessness was driven by his dedication to protecting China and his acceptance that his knowledge and strategic thinking would be better served through others surviving to complete the mission. His sacrifice ensured Garin and Lin could reach the position needed to defeat the queen.

Foreshadowing: Wang's earlier willingness to propose dangerous plans showed his commitment to victory over personal survival.

• wang
• sacrifice
• final battle
• strategists
• queen

During the mission to lure the queen using the captured Tao Tie as bait, Peng Yong heroically sacrifices himself to protect Garin and his companions from an ambush by the Tao Tie. His brave act allows the others to continue their mission. Peng's sacrifice demonstrates his growth from the young warrior Garin saved early in the film to a committed defender willing to give his life for the greater good.

Foreshadowing: Garin saving Peng's life in the early battle established a bond that made Peng's eventual sacrifice meaningful.

• peng yong
• sacrifice
• ambush
• tao tie
• mission

After Garin's successful plan to capture a Tao Tie alive validates Wang's theory about magnets, the Imperial envoy claims the creature for transport to the capital. The envoy intends to present it before the Emperor, treating it as a trophy or proof of the threat. However, this decision proves catastrophic because the captured Tao Tie awakens in the capital and signals its queen, triggering the final assault on the city.

Foreshadowing: The envoys' focus on political glory over practical strategy led to the capital becoming the new target.

• imperial envoy
• captured tao tie
• capital
• emperor
• mistake

The Tao Tie are alien creatures descended from a meteorite that arrive on Earth every sixty years. They operate as a hive-minded species with the queen serving as their leader and intelligence center. When the captured Tao Tie awakens in the capital, it signals the queen, who then orchestrates a coordinated assault on the capital. The queen commands the swarm, and defeating her causes the remaining Tao Tie to scatter and die, as they cannot function without her leadership.

Foreshadowing: The monsters' coordinated attacks throughout the film demonstrated their collective intelligence under central command.

• queen tao tie
• hive mind
• command
• swarm
• capital