How Black Myth: Wukong perfectly captures iconic powers from Journey to the West

Black Myth Wukong may be an original game, but its titular character is far from new. In fact, Sun Wukong himself is one of the most famous and highly regarded characters in Chinese mythology, and we see tons of those powers throughout the action-adventure.

Before diving into the character’s powers, it’s important to explore the very long and eventful life of Sun Wukong, otherwise known as the Monkey King.

Appearing as a mythological monkey born from a stone in the story Journey to The West, Sun Wukong acquires supernatural powers and seeks immortality after fearing death. Shortly after, he rebels against heaven, fighting and eventually being imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha.

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He is rescued by the monk Xuanzang and begins his journey to retrieve Buddhist sutras from “the West” (hence the myth’s title, Journey to The West).

During the journey, Sun Wukong acquires a plethora of additional powers. He became immortal after eating the peach of immortality and also gained the ability to shapeshift, freeze enemies, and a whole host of other powers that make him unreasonably powerful. 

However, to jump into a game like Black Myth: Wukong and expect to gain all of Sun Wukong’s powers instantly would make it far too easy. Sure, you get a taste of his ultimate power in the game’s opening sequence, but shortly after, you’re back to square one.

So, how are Sun Wukong’s strengths represented in the game?

How are Sun Wukongs powers reflected in Black Myth: Wukong?

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One of the first cutscenes of the Destined One is him shapeshifting into a Peach, which is a reference to the Peach of Immortality, which he stole near the beginning of the Journey to the West novel to quell his fear of death and become immortal.

During the initial cutscene, he bursts out of the illusion and takes down two hungry Yaoguai trying to take a bite. As such, rather than just being a homage, the Destined One uses it almost as bait, trapping unsuspecting enemies into dropping their guard.

On the topic of shapeshifting, in the book, Sun Wukong has the ability of Shen Wai Shen Fa, which loosely translates to Body Outside of Body. Thanks to this, the Destined One can transform each of his hairs into another form, cloning himself or shapeshifting into alternative forms of his choosing.

This is primarily represented through the game’s use of Transformations, A Pluck of Many spell that clones the Destined One, and Spirits, which allow the player to transform into a specific enemy you’ve fought. Speaking of spells, the first ability players get in Black Myth Wukong is called Immobilize. It proves to be incredibly useful throughout the battles, but also has a basis in the original story.

One of Sun Wukong’s most useful powers in the story is his Body Freezing Spell. With a single syllable and a point, he can freeze others into immobility and often uses it against minor demons and monsters. Although, players can use it on bosses just as effectively in the game.

On top of Immobilize, the character does have the ability to almost cloud jump, similar to Sun Wukong. Sure, you can’t jump through the clouds, but with the Cloud Step spell, players can turn invisible, leaving a clone of themselves on the battlefield, and sprint through the air to land a devastating blow on the enemy.

Aside from his many spells, shapeshifting forms, and powers, there’s also his weapon, which is synonymous with Sun Wukong himself.

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His primary weapon, known as Ruyi Jingu Bang is one of the magical pillars of the palace of Ao Guang in Journey to the West. The weapon is known to change its size, elongate, fly, and more, acting as the perfect tool for players in Black Myth: Wukong.

Such a design has also been implemented in the game. Multiple instances occur in which the player sees the Destined One pull his weapon from his ear, before spinning it around ready for combat. Then there’s the Stances players can use, showcasing the staff elongating, balancing the Monkey King, and dealing devastating blows.

Ultimately, Black Myth: Wukong has taken considerable inspiration from Journey to the West and popular Chinese mythology. Through the two iterations of Sun Wukong, we see plenty of his most memorable powers being showcased, his immortality (given the fact we respawn), Longevity potions and pills, and his multiple spells.

Before diving into Black Myth Wukong, be sure to check out our review of the game, as well as some of the achievements you can earn, or our key beginner tips.