Black Myth: Wukong - 8 Best Journey To The West References

In case you were somehow unaware, Black Myth: Wukong is based on a 16th-century Chinese novel called Journey to the West. There are plenty of callbacks to that story, and while you can still enjoy the game without knowing it, it does make the journey more satisfying when you understand where everyone comes from.

What Is Black Myth: Wukong's Story Based On?

Whether it's familiar or a new tale, here's what you need to know about the lore surrounding Black Myth: Wukong and the story it's based on.

While not immediately apparent when you first start the game, Black Myth: Wukong is a sequel to the events of the novel, with plenty of characters referencing events and relationships from long ago. While the most important ones are explained, others are only understood when you know where it all came from.

8 The Bull King

And His Son, The Red Boy

Chapter 5 of Black Myth: Wukong is one large reference to the main antagonist of the novel, the Bull Demon King. This King wasn’t behind every single test the group from Journey to the West had to go through, but he was the most dangerous, and as Zhu Bajie explains, the Bull King is strong enough to beat Wukong in single combat.

His son, the demonic Red Boy, also makes an appearance and ends up being the real boss of the chapter. His presence is a bit strange, since he was supposedly purified during the events of the novel, but him being the character that came the closest to kill Wukong in the past, letting the players fight him warranted the retcon.

7 The Spider Clan

A Pig’s Love Story

Fans with passing knowledge of Journey to the West might be puzzled by the revelation that Zhu Bajie and the Violet Spider had a sort of affair. The direct reference here is shown during the 2D cinematic at the end of the chapter, when Zhu Bajie transforms into a fish to spy on the bathing girls.

While that does happen in the novel, it doesn’t seem to end up with the Pig and the Spider all lovey-dovey. But a lot of people have interpreted it that way over time, with Black Myth: Wukong grabbing that idea and using it to flesh out many of its characters.

6 The Golden Headband

Wasn’t Removed After All

The key item that kick-starts this whole story is the Golden Headband, a circlet of sorts around Wukong’s head that prevents him from challenging the heavens. It was placed there when he was captured before the novel began, and it is removed once Wukong completes his quest with the Tang Monk.

The Headband was removed by Buddha at the end of the novel, and this is even shown during the novel’s recap at the end of the True ending, so it is hard to know why Wukong has the Headband on his head again.

Knowing about this item gives a lot of context during the game's Bad ending, since seeing that item being placed on the Destined One’s head can only spell out bad things. This is what pushes Wukong to die and then test a future Destined One so he can be reborn without the Headband’s limitations.

5 The Wise Man

Could It Be The Tang Monk?

An enigmatic man you’ll encounter during your travels is the Wise Man, an NPC that seems to be on your side, buffing your gourd and teaching you spells. With such a generic name but a relevant role, he could be none other than the Tang Monk, the main character of Journey to the West.

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To be fair, the center of action and attention is on Wukong, but the one all the demons are hunting is the Tang Monk, since eating him would expand their lifespan greatly. It would make sense then that, after all they went through, the Tang Monk would be looking for ways to aid Wukong with his plans of resurrection.

4 The Stone Monkey

Wukong’s Original Form

When diving into Wukong’s memories, you eventually find the Stone Monkey, a larger and more feral version of Wukong that serves as the first fight. Afterward, the stone cracks and the fully realized Wukong appears, with the full getup and staff, but why was he made of stone to begin with?

Well, it turns out that stone form is how Wukong came to be until he eventually met a master that taught him the way of immortality, naming him Sun Wukong. This makes the Stone Monkey the earliest rendition of Wukong, almost as if he had reversed back to his childhood during his time in stasis.

3 Zhu Bajie’s Reveal

Fitting For An Admiral

When you first find Zhu Bajie in Chapter 3, he’s trapped inside a base and unable to leave, your boss fight against Kang-Jin Star being the catalyst for his release. We then see a dramatic close-up of an angry furry animal of sorts, until it is revealed it is Zhu Bajie, the small pig ally of Wukong.

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This works on a lot of levels, since Zhu Bajie’s design fits the idea depicted on Journey to the West rather perfectly, but it was a nice bait and switch of expectations. Still, Zhu Bajie is strong on his own and serves as a great source of exposition for the rest of the game.

2 The First Fight Against Erlang Shen

Makes It Feel Like A Prequel

When you first start the game, you take control of the real Sun Wukong as he goes to fight the armies of heaven, led by Erlang Shen. If you know nothing about the game, that whole moment feels like it is depicting Wukong’s capture just before the start of the novel, when it turns out this is happening after.

They could have Wukong and Erlang fight in any sort of scenario, but the way they set it up was in clear reference to that ancient original fight. It is only when Wukong mentions his friend the pig that you start to realize when this is happening, and that something must have gone terribly wrong between Wukong and the heavens for them to be hunting him after his redemption.

1 The True Ending

It Is A Literal Recap Of The Novel

Once you unlock the True ending, you’ll be treated to a beautifully animated 2D scene where you see Wukong’s life, from his death to the moment he decided to raid the heavens. The vast majority of these events happen during Journey to the West, making this moment the biggest reference to the novel.

The biggest key moments are when his Headband is removed, and when he crosses off his name from Death’s list. It is interesting that we are shown this, when the events depicted in this Black Myth show that Wukong still has his Headband, and that he can die, clearly showing that the Buddhist systems in place aren’t as perfect as they might think they are.

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