Each Past Champion was once the Defender of Derthal and must have been born on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. At their birth they are blessed with a dormant power given to them by the Jade Emperor. Roughly twelve years later they come into that power on the first day of their returning Zodiac cycle becoming the Defender of Derthal. They then spend an entire year filled with trials and quests, similar to what Phelix is facing in book 1 of this series. On the last day of their year of power, each Defender faces a Nian in a final battle to help keep the seal between Derthal and the Rhelm secure. If successful, the Jade Emperor offers them the choice to return to their old life or to become immortal by eating the fruit from the peach tree of immortality. If they choose immortality they join the Jade Emporer’s Army and are allowed to choose an immortal age at any time between that first day and when another Defender of their same Zodiac would be coming into their power, though most choose an age between 13 and 19. If they decide on immortality they move to Peng Lia, the Island of Immortals, which becomes both home and training grounds to live out their immortal life and wait for war.

Thousands of Past Champions have chosen to become part of the Jade Emperor’s Army, below are a few of the Past Champion characters who make a prominent appearance in Book 1 of the series.