Zhu Xudan, who plays demon hunter Mu Yao in the 2024 fantasy Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, has topped a ranking of the most beautiful supporting actresses in Chinese costume dramas from 2024 to 2026. She edged out Chen Duling, whose scene-stealing cameo came in the same show, and Snow Kong of The Prisoner of Beauty.
How Storm Media Ranked The Supporting Cast
The list was compiled by Storm Media's lifestyle editors from viewer comments on Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media platform, and PTT, Taiwan's largest online forum. Editors weighed what fans said about each actress's costumes, styling, and character in historical and fantasy dramas aired between 2024 and 2026, including guest appearances. It is an editorial ranking, not a public vote.
Chinese costume dramas are rarely short on beauty, and supporting roles often get the most daring looks. Several picks below had limited screen time, yet viewers kept talking about them long after the finale, sometimes more than about the leads.
No. 10: Ai Mi Brings Girl Next Door Charm To The Double
Ai Mi opens the list as Tong'er in The Double, a 2024 revenge drama. Tong'er is the devoted maid of Jiang Li, sharing her hard years at the Zhennü Hall, a strict retreat for disgraced young women, and later following Xue Fangfei, played by Wu Jinyan, back to the capital as a key ally in her quest for revenge.
With plain hair buns and pale dresses instead of elaborate makeup, Ai's fresh features and bright eyes do the work. On PTT, viewers called her "cute" and praised her acting as "natural, not stiff," while one Weibo user wrote: "She's so lively, so pretty and adorable." Her quick, loyal Tong'er also lightens a plot otherwise full of scheming.
No. 9: Zhang Yaqin Looks Like A Tang Dynasty Painting In Flourished Peony
Zhang Yaqin plays Li Youzhen, the Princess of Ji'an, in Flourished Peony, a 2025 drama set in the Tang dynasty. A proud woman of the imperial clan, Li is entangled with Liu Chang, played by Wei Zheming, and grows increasingly obsessive as family interests and marriage politics close in, repeatedly clashing with Yang Zi's heroine, He Weifang.
Her towering hairstyles, lavish headpieces, and rich colors fit her royal status. The character is hard to like, but her looks won fans. "Our Youzhen is a beauty who stepped right out of a Tang dynasty painting of court ladies!" one Weibo user wrote, likening her to a peony grown in the palace gardens.
No. 8: Guo Xiaoting Wields Ice Powers In Fox Spirit Matchmaker
Guo Xiaoting plays Tushan Yaya in the 2024 fantasy Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact. Yaya is second in command of the Tushan fox clan and the younger sister of Tushan Honghong, played by Yang Mi. Armed with powerful ice magic, she idolizes her sister and is blunt, competitive, and always first to step up in a fight.
Her fantasy fox clan costumes and delicate hair ornaments suit a character who can be girlish one moment and fearsome the next. "Yaya is such a lively beauty," one PTT user wrote, and another added: "I like Xiaoting too! So much spirit!" Fans also called the costumes of the three Tushan sisters "beautiful beyond the skies."
No. 7: Former WJSN Member Cheng Xiao Plays A Tea Heiress In Glory
Cheng Xiao, a former member of the K-pop girl group WJSN, plays Rong Junxi in Glory, a costume drama that premiered on iQIYI in late 2025. Rong is the second daughter of the Rong family, a tea dynasty, and a rival to Gulnazar's Rong Shanbao from another branch of the clan as the two fight over family interests and the right to inherit. A gifted grower of tea plants, she looks gentle and proper but quietly pursues her own ambitions.
Elegant updos, fine hairpins, and rich silks give her the reserve of a high-born lady, and her calm expressions make her hard to read. "The second young lady is also beautiful, and very regal," one PTT user wrote, saying Cheng suits the look of a well-bred daughter. Her styling trades sweetness for cool aristocratic pride, setting her apart from the other Rong daughters.
No. 6: Yang Chaoyue's Brief Cameo In The Double Lands Hard
Yang Chaoyue, who rose to fame on the 2018 talent show Produce 101 China, makes a guest appearance in The Double as the real Jiang Li, daughter of the high official Jiang Yuanbai. Framed by her stepmother as a child and sent to the Zhennü Hall, Jiang endures years of hardship before her fate crosses with that of Xue Fangfei.
Yang's screen time is short, but pale dresses, pearl hair ornaments, and a fragile expression capture a girl who stays kind despite years of suffering. Her tearful account of her mistreatment became a key emotional turning point. "Yang Chaoyue's cameo was effective, and she looked really good," one PTT user wrote, while others said her crying scene made Jiang Li's quiet resentment heartbreaking. Better known for a sweet image, Yang won viewers over here with tears rather than glamour.
No. 5: Dai Luwa Turns Villainous In Moonlight Mystique
Dai Luwa plays Fuling, the ruthless demon lord of Lengquan Palace, in Moonlight Mystique, a 2025 xianxia drama, the Chinese fantasy genre built around immortals, gods, and demons. Fuling harbors feelings for Chong Zhao, played by Chang Huasen, and as the story unfolds, her connection to Bai Lu's heroine Bai Shuo comes to light.
In dark purple robes with floral accents at the corners of her eyes and red crystals at her lips, Dai's usually sweet features take on real menace. "The red crystal lip makeup is so eye-catching," one PTT user wrote, adding that the character is "crazy in a beautiful way, and bad in a charming way!" Fans who knew her as the spoiled A'Nian in Lost You Forever saw a very different side, as Fuling swings between obsession and cruelty toward Chong Zhao.
No. 4: Xuan Lu Hides Behind A Golden Butterfly Mask
Xuan Lu plays Su Ehuang in The Prisoner of Beauty, a 2025 romance. Su is poised and glamorous on the surface but driven by a hunger for power. Born into a noble family with early ties to the Wei clan, she is drawn into the struggles between the Wei family and rival factions.
Ornate jewelry and bold colors convey her status, and a later look, with a golden openwork butterfly mask covering part of her face, added mystery. "Xuan Lu's golden butterfly mask look in The Prisoner of Beauty is stunning!" one Weibo user wrote. Another sighed: "Big sister may be bad, but she's just so beautiful!" Viewers who remember her as the gentle Jiang Yanli in The Untamed found her scheming Su Ehuang a striking change.
No. 3: Snow Kong Makes Jealousy Look Sweet In The Prisoner Of Beauty
Snow Kong, also known as Kong Xueer, ranks third for the same drama. She plays Zheng Chuyu, cousin of Wei Shao, played by Liu Yuning, and niece of his mother, Lady Zhu. Raised in the Wei household and in love with her cousin, Zheng grows jealous of Xiao Qiao, played by Song Zuer, and keeps scheming against her, at times becoming a pawn in others' plots.
With bright features and pastel gowns, Kong looks sweet enough to make the character's spite almost forgivable. "The cousin may be a bit dim, but she's really so pretty," one Weibo user wrote, and some viewers were sorry to see her leave the story. Even in a cast packed with beauties, including Song Zuer, Xuan Lu, and He Hongshan, her look stood out.
No. 2: Chen Duling Steals Scenes As The Mirror Demon
Chen Duling makes a guest appearance in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy as the Mirror Demon, a mysterious creature that lives inside a mirror. Because its owner was once betrayed by a groom, the demon despises unfaithful men, testing them at weddings and killing those who give in to temptation.
In a red and gold gown, elaborate gold hair ornaments, and heavy makeup, Chen drops her usual cool, gentle image for something seductive and dangerous. "I didn't know she could be that beautiful," one PTT user wrote. Another said: "The Mirror Demon is truly gorgeous. Chen Duling is perfect for playing villains." Her sharp, sly gaze and unreadable smile showed a side fans had not seen before.
No. 1: Zhu Xudan Wins With Cool Elegance In Love Game In Eastern Fantasy
Top honors go to Zhu Xudan as Mu Yao in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy. A heavenly-rank demon hunter from a family of demon hunters and the older sister of Mu Sheng, played by Ding Yuxi, Mu Yao is steady and principled, carrying the duty of protecting her family and slaying demons. She seems cool and distant but cares deeply about those around her.
Zhu wears mostly blue and white, with flowing sleeves and simple hair ornaments, a look that is both graceful and heroic. She is resolute when fighting demons and softer in her scenes with Liu Fuyi, played by Yang Shize. "The blue outfit is so pretty!" one Weibo user wrote, while a PTT user praised her makeup as "fresh and lovely." Fans who remember her as the heavily made-up villain Xuan Nü in Eternal Love saw a quieter, steelier performer this time.
The Full Top 10 At A Glance
| Rank | Actress | Drama (Year) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhu Xudan | Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024) | Mu Yao |
| 2 | Chen Duling | Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024) | Mirror Demon (cameo) |
| 3 | Snow Kong | The Prisoner of Beauty (2025) | Zheng Chuyu |
| 4 | Xuan Lu | The Prisoner of Beauty (2025) | Su Ehuang |
| 5 | Dai Luwa | Moonlight Mystique (2025) | Fuling |
| 6 | Yang Chaoyue | The Double (2024) | Jiang Li (cameo) |
| 7 | Cheng Xiao | Glory (2025) | Rong Junxi |
| 8 | Guo Xiaoting | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact (2024) | Tushan Yaya |
| 9 | Zhang Yaqin | Flourished Peony (2025) | Li Youzhen |
| 10 | Ai Mi | The Double (2024) | Tong'er |