Overview[]
Sky Wars: Revenge of Assassins is a 1998 epic fantasy-action film directed by Samuel Wrang and produced by LeeWrang Studios. It serves as a sequel to Sky Wars: Revenge of the Republic (1996) and the middle chapter of the Sky Wars Prequel Trilogy, continuing the saga’s descent into political treachery, personal vendettas, and the slow unraveling of a peace that once seemed possible.
Known for its grittier, more intimate tone, Revenge of Assassins introduced the franchise’s most infamous bounty hunter roster, reestablished Shi Yen’s menace, and pushed Prince Kealun further toward his eventual fall. The film received acclaim for its action sequences, assassin character designs, and bold cliffhanger, while dividing some fans with its darker storytelling and unresolved ending.
Sequel: Sky Wars: Revenge of the Prince
previous: Sky Wars: Revenge of the Republic
Release & Reception[]
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 7, 1998 |
| Studio | LeeWrang Studios |
| Director | Samuel Wrang |
| Music | Basil Poledouris |
| Runtime | 136 minutes |
| Rating | PG-13 (for fantasy violence, intense sequences, and dark themes) |
| Budget | $101 million |
| Box Office Gross | $600 million wordwide |
Critical Reception[]
| Source | Score |
|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes | 79% Critics / 88% Audience |
| Metacritic | 72/100 |
| CinemaScore | B+ |
“A leaner, meaner Sky Wars entry, built on lethal set pieces and shadowy intrigue.” — Total Film
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Adrian Ralston | Azi |
| Elias Wren | Prince Kealun |
| Mira Jolane | Princess Beth |
| Hawk Dorian | Shi Yen |
| Crispin Merrik | Mar Mar |
| Tyren Cade | Tanner |
| Raye Narra | Minya |
| Liri Sun | Velra |
| Holt & Dale Voss | The Gorged Brothers |
Plot summary;
Prologue (5 min)[]
In a tense cold open, we follow a hooded figure through a decrepit outpost deep within the Ash Canyons. He exchanges a coded phrase with a shadowy contact, revealing a parchment bearing the faces of Azi, Kealun, and Princess Beth. The contact — Velra, a deadly water-assassin — smirks and burns the paper.
Cut to black.
Title card: SKY WARS: REVENGE OF THE ASSASSINS
ACT I: The Waters Stir (35 min)[]
Opening Conflict — The Water Isles
Azi and Prince Kealun arrive by ship at the Water Isles, a chain of mist-shrouded islands famed for its vast neutral port cities. Here, a tense elemental council convenes to discuss growing pirate attacks along the Metal Trade Route.
Azi, perceptive as ever, senses something off. As a storm swells, he notices silent, masked figures slipping through the crowd. The Blades of the Flame, a league of assassins loyal to Shi Yen, strike.
First Major Set Piece — The Sea Barge Ambush (7 min)
An ambush on a ceremonial barge turns into a sprawling escape sequence across stormy piers and wave-tossed decks. Azi fends off attackers using wind gusts, while Kealun duels a masked flame-dagger assassin aboard a burning ferry.
They barely survive and retreat inland.
Meeting Tanner (5 min)
Fleeing to the outlaw-friendly outskirts, Azi turns to an old contact — Tanner, now living as a grim, grizzled hermit among rusted shipwrecks. The two share terse words, a blend of lingering friendship and old resentment. Tanner reluctantly agrees to help, dusting off his battered, infamous ship: The Shrieking Hawk.
Reunion Montage (6 min)
Princess Beth and Mar Mar (still the same accident-prone trader caught in things he doesn’t understand) arrive via stolen cargo ship. The crew reforms.
First Hint of Kealun’s Darker Edge
That night, Kealun quietly interrogates and executes a captured assassin without Azi’s knowledge, his actions beginning to reflect the man he will one day become.
ACT II: The Hunt Tightens (45 min)[]
The Bounty Unleashed
With a massive bounty announced, elite assassins descend.
Velra’s Attack (8 min)
While navigating a floating market in the Air Territories, Velra ambushes Azi underwater. A beautifully choreographed fight ensues beneath the surface of a glassy lake, with Azi barely surviving as Beth and Tanner intervene.
Tavern Siege in the Sand Canyons (6 min)
At a dusty watering hole amid the dunes, the crew is surrounded by The Gorged Brothers — twin earth-benders famed for demolishing entire villages. The resulting brawl sees Tanner collapse a section of the tavern on one brother while Azi uses a tornado gust to fling the other into the canyon.
Brief Respite — The Sand Temple (5 min)
They shelter in a derelict air temple hidden in the canyon walls. Azi warns Kealun about the dangers of power and vengeance. Kealun’s reply: “Power is neither good nor evil. It’s the man who wields it.”
Minya’s Arrival (12 min)
Minya, an infamous flame-dancer assassin, infiltrates the temple at night. Her duel with Beth is a highlight — a blend of swift, acrobatic flame arcs and spear strikes amid ancient relics.
Kealun intervenes, driving Minya off, but not before she wounds Beth. Tanner narrowly saves Azi with a rifle shot, revealing he still cares for the old crew.
ACT III: The Ashen Ruins (40 min)[]
The Final Stand Begins
Tracking Shi Yen’s forces to the Ashen Ruins, an ancient Fire Nation temple surrounded by rivers of magma, the crew prepares for their last stand.
Multi-Front Battle (20 min)
The assassins converge.
- Velra and her water-magic assassins attack from the riverbanks.
- The remnants of the Blades of the Flame assault the temple’s outer ring.
- Minya reappears, leading an inner sanctum assault.
Key Duels
- Beth vs. Minya — a savage fight amid crumbling relics. Beth defeats Minya by hurling a molten chain around her neck and pulling her into a collapsing stone pillar.
- Azi vs. Velra — an airborne duel across temple spires. Azi finally ends Velra with a precision gust, sending her into the magma river.
- Kealun’s First Kill (5 min) Kealun duels a young assassin. He hesitates, then kills — his first true act of lethal violence. The moment deeply shakes him.
Climax: Shi Yen’s Return (10 min)[]
As dust settles, the crew ventures into the temple’s heart — only to find Shi Yen waiting. A ghost from the past, his face lined by fire scars, his power as menacing as ever.
Face-Off
Words are exchanged.
Kealun: “I thought you were dead.”
Shi Yen: “You thought wrong.”
End Title Card:
TO BE CONTINUED…
Box Office Performance[]
| Region | Gross |
|---|---|
| Domestic (US) | $300 million |
| International | $300 million |
| Worldwide Total | $600 million |
🏆 Legacy[]
Revenge of Assassins became renowned for:
- Its memorable assassin characters
- Its bold cliffhanger ending
- The Shi Yen return reveal, considered one of the saga’s most iconic moments
- The gradual fall of Prince Kealun into moral ambiguity
In fan polls and retrospectives, it’s often ranked among the most underrated yet essential Sky Wars entries.
🔍 Trivia[]
- The film’s assassin sequences were choreographed by legendary martial arts coordinator Chao Li, known for his work on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
- Hawk Dorian (Shi Yen) filmed all of his scenes over just eight days due to scheduling conflicts.
- The Ashen Ruins set was one of the largest indoor practical builds in Sky Wars history, spanning 33,000 square feet.
- Tyren Cade (Tanner) improvised most of his dialogue. His line “I’m too old for this spark-flinging nonsense” became a breakout catchphrase.
- A cut subplot revealed Minya was once a Fire Nation royal assassin under King Lanun.
- Liri Sun (Velra) insisted on performing her own underwater stunts, earning praise from the stunt team.