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Annie Cheung

Warning – this article contains spoilers.
Ever since it reportedly sold 10 million copies in the first three days after its August 20 release, Black Myth: Wukong, an action role-playing video game based on the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West, has become a gamer favourite. There is even talk of it being named “Game of the Year” for 2024.
Its core story, developed by Tencent Holdings-based start-up Game Science, follows Wukong the Monkey King, who is on a quest to regain his senses, which have been split into six relics that have been scattered across China after he loses a battle with the gods in the heavenly Celestial Court.
The inclusion of certain characters from the original novel – some of which have been turned into formidable, but beatable, bosses in the game – has sent a number of gamers to Google to find out more about them.
Here are five notable NPCs (non-player characters) and their fascinating backstories.

1. Elder Jinchi
In Black Myth: Wukong, one of the accessible secret areas in chapter one is the Ancient Guanyin Temple. There, various spirits and monsters – with Elder Jinchi as their boss – roam the grounds of the ruins.
In Journey to the West, as the temple’s head abbot, Elder Jinchi plays host to Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang – one of the protagonists in the novel – and Wukong when they make a stop on their journey. In a moment of greed, the abbot decides he wants to take the cassock, or religious robe, worn by Tang Sanzang and he cooks up a plan to burn down the temple and kill his guests.
2. Princess Iron Fan
Rakshasi, as she is known in the game, has an important game storyline that revolves around her husband, the Bull King – one of Wukong’s sworn brothers who happens to possess one of the six relics he craves – and her son, Red Boy. In Black Myth, to spare her son’s life, Rakshasi offers her powerful, fire-extinguishing Plantain Fan to Wukong.

Princess Iron Fan is one of the most memorable characters in the book and she has been portrayed in many television and movie adaptations. Her Plantain Fan, better known as the “Banana Leaf Fan”, is said to be so powerful that it could extinguish the fire of the Flaming Mountains for a full year with just one wave.
3. Red Boy
In the game, Red Boy seeks to take control of one of the six relics to defeat Wukong. He is the son of Rakshasi but not of the Bull King. The story goes that Rakshasi was forced by the gods to drink from the River of Child-bearing after her husband joined forces with Wukong to rebel against the Celestial Court.


In the original novel, Red Boy is the unruly son of Princess Iron Fan and the Bull King. He wants to imprison Tang Sanzang so that he and his father can attain eternal life by eating the Buddhist monk’s flesh. Wukong ultimately thwarts his plan and, upon his repentance, Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, takes Red Boy in as an attendant.
4. Yellow Brows Great King
Players first encounter the Yellow Brows Great King in child form, before he transforms and becomes a full-blown three-phase boss fight for the player.
The Yellow Brows Great King is a demon lord, who was once a servant boy to the bodhisattva Maitreya, in Journey to the West. Among other things that he does, he tries to trap Wukong in items he steals from his former master.
His story ends when Maitreya, on the path to Buddhahood, asks Wukong to shape-shift into a watermelon. After Yellow Brows Great King eats the fruit, Wukong wreaks havoc inside his stomach. The demon eventually surrenders and is taken back by his master.

5. Erlang Shen
Erlang Shen – an all-powerful Celestial god – is the one who defeats Wukong at the start of the game. Once Wukong recovers all six relics, can he finally defeat him in turn? Hint: Black Myth has (for now) two endings.
In Journey to the West, the Jade Emperor – considered the ruler of Heaven – orders his nephew Erlang to subdue Wukong after he causes a scene at a Celestial Court banquet. While Erlang and Wukong are equally powerful, the Monkey King is finally captured by the Celestial after help from other gods.
Black Myth: Wukong is available on the PlayStation 5 and PC.


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Erlang Shen is the god who defeats Wukong at the start of the game. Photo: Game Science

A still of Wukong from Black Myth: Wukong. We profile five characters in the video game and their analogues in the classic novel Journey to the West. Photo: Game Science

A still of Elder Jinchi in the game. He can be found in the Ancient Guanyin Temple. Photo: Game Science

Lady Rakshasi, or Princess Iron Fan, in the video game. She has been portrayed in many television and movie adaptations. Photo: Game Science

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The story of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, from Journey to the West, dates back 500 years. Illustration: Shutterstock

Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, in a still from the Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong, based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. Photo: Game Science

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The Monkey King (Sun Wukong) in Black Myth: Wukong. Photo: Xinhua

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Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong is based on the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West. We profile five characters in the game and their analogues in the book.


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