The "Manchu War of 1636" was a period in which nearly a half-million civilians of the Joseon Dynasty had been taken captive by the Qing Dynasty of China. War of the Arrows tells the story of a young master archer named Nam-Yi, who goes on a journey to save his only sister who is caught among captive civilians. Nam-Yi branded a traitor, but also happens to be the best archer in the Joseon Dynasty. Having a life not worth living for, Nam-Yi's main desire is to keep his sister, Ja-In safe from any harm or strain. However, on the day of his sister's wedding, the villages of Joseon Korea are attacked by the Qing Dynasty of China. The village in which Nam-Yi and Ja-In live is in the path of the invasion and Ja-In gets kidnapped by the elite troop (Niru) of Qing. In order to rescue his sister from Niru, he departs from his demolished village with a bow that his father had bequeathed upon him before dying. Disrupting his mission to save his sister is Jyu Shin-Ta, a fierce Qing warrior who leads the elite troops. They are relentless in their chase to bring down Nam-Yi, who has but one day to save his sister from slavery. As Nam-Yi finally gets a hold of his sister, Jyu Shin-Ta comes between them and a fierce battle between two of the finest warriors unfolds.