The Snake, The Tiger, The Crane is a highly rated martial arts flick starring Carter Wong. During the Ming Dynasty, bandits attack the capital and the emperor, facing unsurmountable odds, prepares to commit suicide. Wanting his daughter (Nancy Yen) to join him in death, he cuts off her arm, but she escapes and (with the help of some Buddhist monks) soon recovers. She travels the country seeking followers to help her gain revenge, but faces failure and betrayal which eventually lead her to madness. A young butcher (Carter Wong) takes pity on her and they marry before he pursues his own campaign to kill the bandit leader.