"Hakkenden" is made from the story of "Suikoden," that contains violent parts, new ideas were added and it was established as a moral story of kanzen choaku (rewarding good and punishing evil) based on Confucian ethics, in which loyal subjects, dutiful children and faithful women are rewarded and crafty courtiers, adulterers and evil women are punished.
粗暴な部分もある『水滸伝』の英傑たちの物語を換骨奪胎したものが『八犬伝』であり、忠臣・孝子・貞婦のおこないは報いられ、佞臣・姦夫・毒婦のおこないは罰せられる、儒教的道徳にもとづいた勧善懲悪の物語となっている。