The last Chieftain tells a story of a Tujia Village in the Three Gorges wracked by war. Wu Niang, a mute girl gifted with exceptional intelligence, accidentally encounters Li An, an outsider arrested and punished by the Tujia, the chief of the Tujia People, Qin Yao,promises to marry Wu Niang to Li An. However, the night before Wu Niang becomes his bride, she makes a decision that will change their lives forever.