One-Armed Swordsman Star Wang Yu Passes Away At 80

Veteran Taiwanese actor Jimmy Wang Yu, best known for playing the one-armed swordsman in the 1967 movie of the same name, has died at 80.

His eldest daughter, singer Linda Wong, announced the sad news on Facebook, saying Wang Yu, who suffered his second stroke in 2016, passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning (Apr 5) at Cheng Hsin General Hospital in Taipei.

"My father was loyal and valued his friends. On and off screen, he is an upright and chivalrous person, and his life was brilliant. We will always miss my father. We also believe his handsome one-armed swordsman hero image will forever live in film history and in the hearts of fans,” she wrote.

Wang Yu had a mild stroke in 2011. In 2016, he suffered a second stroke in Bangkok where he fainted at the airport and had to be rushed to the hospital for two emergency brain surgeries. He returned to Taiwan by medical plane that same year and was hospitalised for five years.

He was finally discharged in 2021, but according to his second daughter Carol, who was his main caregiver, he still had to undergo physiotherapy.

Jimmy with eldest daughter, singer Linda Wong (Photo: Apple Daily)

Wang Yu, who started his showbiz career in 1963, shot to superstardom after appearing in 1967 martial arts film One-Armed Swordsman. He starred in some 70 movies over a two-decade period and went into business in his later years.

He made a comeback with Peter Chen's martial arts film Wu Xia in 2011, but later suffered a stroke that resulted in the left side of his body paralysed.

After making a recovery, he returned to acting and won Best Actor for his performance in Soul at the Taipei Film Awards in 2013. He was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Golden Horse Awards.

Wang Yu is survived by three daughters Linda, Carol and Maria, the latter of whom are not in showbiz.

Photos: Apple Daily