In the turbulent year of 1905, Bodyguards and Assassins unfolds against the backdrop of British-ruled Hong Kong, where legendary revolutionary Sun Yat‑sen—called “Sun Wen” in the film—makes a covert visit to meet fellow members of the Tongmenghui. Their goal: to orchestrate a revolution that will overthrow the declining Qing dynasty and usher in a modern republic.

As word of Sun’s secret trip reaches the Qing court, particularly Empress Dowager Cixi, she dispatches a cadre of ruthless assassins led by the fierce Yan Xiaoguo to eliminate him. In response, a dedicated newspaper editor, Chen Shaobai, pre-emptively travels to Hong Kong to alert Li Yutang—an influential businessman covertly funding revolutionary efforts—about the imminent threat.

With the British authorities maintaining a hands-off stance toward Chinese politics, Hong Kong becomes a battleground of ideology and intrigue. When Chen is kidnapped during a deadly raid and his newspaper is forcibly shut down, Li Yutang is compelled to take a bolder stance. He rallies a diverse group of ordinary citizens—rickshaw pullers, street vendors, a beggar, even a former Shaolin monk—to protect Sun at all costs.

This ragtag ensemble includes deeply personal backstories: Shen Chongyang (Donnie Yen), a disillusioned former soldier; Fan Yueru (Fan Bingbing), a tea-house owner mourning her murdered husband; Deng Sidi (Nicholas Tse), a rickshaw driver driven by vengeance for his father’s execution; and Li Yutang’s own son, Li Chongguang, chosen as a decoy to mislead the assassins. Each character brings unique motivations, weaving humanity into the political drama.

When Sun finally arrives, the plot crescendos into a relentless, high-stakes confrontation. The bodyguards execute a carefully orchestrated plan of distractions, decoys, and sacrificial heroism, culminating in a fierce, large-scale battle to buy Sun enough time to escape Hong Kong safely.

Despite heavy losses among the bodyguard ranks, their sacrifice delivers a monumental symbolic victory: Sun Wen boards a ship bound for exile—but full of revolutionary hope. Li Yutang, haunted by the fallen, reflects on the price of freedom and the legacy of those martyrs. The film not only dramatizes a pivotal historical moment but also honors the individual courage and tragic cost behind a nation’s birth.