His swordplay drama is one about the corrupted powers within wealth and that it takes a view from the outside to make certain individuals realize what actually is justice in this world. By no means superbly layered throughout its entire character gallery, Chang still manage to push most of the correct buttons and while he may not have realized it, his themes were ones that still today packs a punch and could easily be applied to modern day as we know it.

Jimmy Wang Yu may have hit his stride as an actor under the direction of Chang Cheh in One-Armed Swordsman but he, along with Lo Lieh and Cheng Lei really do make picture perfect poster boys for righteousness. A favourite theme of Chang's as well as that of sworn loyalty between brothers, where strong love for women become secondary. That's not to say that Chang wasn't a romantic as there are sensitive patches of hopeful romance on display but the violent spiral of events leads to bloodshed that has to take place with the women out of the frame and frey. They do matter in this particular story though as they too ultimately are greatly affected by what goes on outside the sealed doors of wealth and Chang therefore reaches a balance of goals for both his heroes and the women around them.