LayarHijau – KuYun Data has released its weekly ranking of the 10 most popular Chinese drama characters for Week 33 of 2026. Covering the period from August 10 to 16, the ranking shows a tight race among characters from several currently airing dramas.
The top two spots went to characters from The Road to Splendor (《花开锦绣》) and Overdo (《这一秒过火》). Ding Yuxi’s Zhao Ling claimed the No. 1 spot, while Zhang Linghe’s Murong Qingyi came in second.
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Ding Yuxi takes the top spot, Zhang Linghe follows at No. 2
Zhao Ling from The Road to Splendor ranked first with a peak character heat score of 17,368. The character, played by Ding Yuxi, also recorded an average heat score of 16,909 over the seven-day tracking period.
Murong Qingyi from Overdo took second place. Played by Zhang Linghe, the character posted a peak heat score of 16,310 and an average score of 15,421.
The gap between the two was relatively narrow, with Zhao Ling leading Murong Qingyi by 1,058 points in peak heat.
The Road to Splendor returned at No. 3 with Fu Tingyun, played by Deng Enxi. The character recorded a peak heat score of 16,095 and an average of 15,287.
That means the drama placed two characters in the top three, with Ding Yuxi and Deng Enxi both making the podium.
Johnny Huang and Joseph Zeng make the top five
Chen Yizhou from Forging Justice (《重器》), played by Johnny Huang, ranked fourth with a peak heat score of 16,065 and an average of 15,509.
At No. 5 was Wu Laogou from Mystic Nine (《九门》), played by Joseph Zeng. The character recorded a peak heat score of 15,844 and an average of 15,293.
Mystic Nine appeared again at No. 6 with Zhang Qishan, played by William Chan. The character posted a peak heat score of 15,829 and an average of 14,999.
The race between Wu Laogou and Zhang Qishan was particularly close, with just 15 points separating them in peak heat.
Tian Xiwei and Chen Yao also make the top 10
Lin Zhixia from Genius Girlfriend (《天才，女友》), played by Tian Xiwei, ranked seventh with a peak heat score of 15,694 and an average of 15,140.
At No. 8 was another Mystic Nine character, Huo Xiangu, played by Chen Yao. She recorded a peak heat score of 14,872 and an average of 14,506.
Yu Gaoyuan from Forging Justice, played by Jiang Qiming, took ninth place with a peak heat score of 14,790 and an average of 14,336.
Rounding out the top 10 was Yu Jingxiu from The Road to Splendor, played by Dong Zifan. The character recorded a peak heat score of 14,773 and an average of 13,431.
Mystic Nine and The Road to Splendor lead in number of entries
Looking at the ranking by drama, two titles stand out for the number of characters they placed in the top 10.
The Road to Splendor had three characters on the list: Zhao Ling at No. 1, Fu Tingyun at No. 3, and Yu Jingxiu at No. 10.
Mystic Nine also had three characters in the top 10: Wu Laogou at No. 5, Zhang Qishan at No. 6, and Huo Xiangu at No. 8.
Forging Justice followed with two characters, Chen Yizhou at No. 4 and Yu Gaoyuan at No. 9.
Meanwhile, Overdo and Genius Girlfriend each contributed one character, with Murong Qingyi ranking second and Lin Zhixia ranking seventh.
Overall, characters from five different dramas made it into KuYun’s top 10 for Week 33.
The Road to Splendor stands out not only for having three entries but also for placing characters at both No. 1 and No. 3. Mystic Nine, meanwhile, showed the strength of its ensemble cast by placing three characters within the top eight.
Full list of KuYun’s 10 most popular characters for Week 33
Here is the full ranking based on peak character heat:
- Zhao Ling — Ding Yuxi — The Road to Splendor — 17,368
- Murong Qingyi — Zhang Linghe — Overdo — 16,310
- Fu Tingyun — Deng Enxi — The Road to Splendor — 16,095
- Chen Yizhou — Johnny Huang — Forging Justice — 16,065
- Wu Laogou — Joseph Zeng — Mystic Nine — 15,844
- Zhang Qishan — William Chan — Mystic Nine — 15,829
- Lin Zhixia — Tian Xiwei — Genius Girlfriend — 15,694
- Huo Xiangu — Chen Yao — Mystic Nine — 14,872
- Yu Gaoyuan — Jiang Qiming — Forging Justice — 14,790
- Yu Jingxiu — Dong Zifan — The Road to Splendor — 14,773
KuYun says its character heat index is a comprehensive measure of a character’s popularity. The ranking takes into account factors including viewing data, user engagement across platforms, and the social media activity of the actors playing the characters, with different factors assigned specific weights.
The Week 33 ranking highlights the strong popularity of characters from several currently airing dramas. While The Road to Splendor and Mystic Nine led the pack in terms of the number of characters represented, Ding Yuxi and Zhang Linghe emerged as the two actors whose characters occupied the top two spots.
