The Monkey King – (Sun Wukong)The Monkey King
Type: Monkey Spirit
Home: Water Curtain Cave, Mount Huaguo.
Sun Wukong is a Monkey Spirit born from a crystal that fell from Heaven to The Mountain of Flowers and Fruit (Mount Huaguo) in the Eastern Sea. The crystal came from the body of Princess Nuwa – pre-determining him to become a Heavenly Deity.
Wukong possesses great powers that he employed to protect and provide for his monkey tribe, thus being crowned “The Handsome Monkey King.” He is also known as “The Great Sage Equal of Heaven”.
The name Sun Wukong, given to him by his teacher and spiritual guide Master Subhuti, means “monkey awakened to emptiness.”
Though good-hearted and well meaning, The Monkey King’s naiveté and rambunctiousness often lead to more trouble than good.
Type: Monkey Spirit
Powers:
- Super-strength – he can lift over 8 tons and leap 33,554 miles.
- He can transform each hair on his body into a clone of himself, capable of fighting independently before joining back together again.
- The 72 Transformations, taught to him by Master Subhuti. enable Wukong to transform into a variety of creatures including tigers, rhinos, dragonflies, and humans – although his human disguises are always marred by his inability to hide his monkey tail.
- He is a highly skilled fighter who can somersault through the air for thousands of miles, shrink himself or various objects and also freeze humans, demons and gods in their tracks.
The Monkey King’s Weapons and Armor:
- The Ruyi Cudgel is a gold-ringed iron pillar that can change size according to the whims of its master.It was originally embedded by Yu The Great in the floor of the Dragon King’s undersea palace to calm the seas. Because it weighs almost 9 tons, the Dragon King arrogantly offered it to The Monkey King if he could lift it out of the ocean floor – which he did. When not fighting, The Monkey King shrinks the Cudgel and keeps it in his ear.
- The Gold-chain Armor changes from its normal appearance to a blackened, evil appearance depending on the character of whoever wears it.
- The Cloud Walking Boots allow the Monkey King to walk in the sky. The armor and the boots were “borrowed from” the Dragon King.
- His Tail – The Monkey King’s tail is a formidable weapon which he can grow to great lengths to use as a whip or lasso or as a catapult-like spring.
- Flaming Eyes – Wukong’s eyes, burned by Samahdi Flame in Heaven’s Elixer Furnace, glow when he senses danger and allows him to detect evil.
Prince NezhaThe Monkey King
Type: Protection Deity
Home: Chengtang Pass
Nezha is a warrior deity, who became a student and an immortal. He was commanded by Erlangshen and The Jade Emperor.
Type: Deity
Powers:
- Flight
- He has the ability to spit rainbows
Weapons:
- Red Armillary Sash around his shoulders and a Fire-Tipped Spear.
- The Wind Fire Wheels.
Silver Fox – (Ruxue)The Monkey King
Type: Fox Spirit
Home: Earth
Silver Fox/Ruxue is a spirit who can transform from a white fox to a beautiful woman. As a young kit she found The Monkey King in the fallen crystal and asked Buffalo Demon King to free him. In return, the demon asks that she fulfill a favor for him at a later date. She is thus drawn unwittingly into his sinister plot to trick Sun Wukong into joining forces with the demon attack on Heaven.
As a minor spirit, she has a finite lifespan of about 200 years which propels Wukong’s quest to acquire The Breath of Life.
Type: Fox Spirit
Powers:
- Transforms from a fox to human form – although her tail and ears remain that of a fox.
Weapons: None
Buffalo Demon KingThe Monkey King
Type: Demon
Home: Flaming Mountain
The Buffalo Demon King is the most powerful demon and ruler of all demons. He seeks to overthrow the Jade Emperor and make demons the supreme beings over deities. His wife, Princess Iron Fan, is the sister of the Jade Emperor, making his sworn enemy his brother in law. After an unsuccessful attempt to attack Heaven, The Jade Emperor banished all demons to the Flaming Mountain on Earth, where Buffalo Demon King bides until he can strike again. He is very charismatic and can win over creatures not allied with Heaven.
This King of The Demons is a transformed white water buffalo who in the novel Journey to The West is called The Bull Demon King.
Type: Demon
Powers:
- Flight
- Smoke which chokes its victims
- Magic which lets him levitate people or objects
- Transformation into a Giant Bull
Weapons:
- The Demon Axe is a magic axe which can be empowered by sacrificing miserable demon souls to it. When fully empowered it can enhance Buffalo Demon King’s magic power beyond that of even The Jade Emperor.
Jade EmperorThe Monkey King
Type: Deity
Home: Jade Palace, Heaven
The Jade Emperor is the son of the Creator and his successor as the immortal ruler of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. It took millions of years for him to achieve Golden Immortality and another 100-million years to succeed his father on the throne. Thus he is very wise and compassionate and has obtained immense magic power. According to legend he created the stars of the Zodiac.
However, in Havoc In Heaven’s Palace he is not all powerful or all-knowing, and his reign is constantly challenged by Buffalo Demon King, his demon brother-in-law.
After repelling another attack led by Buffalo Demon King, he banished all demons to the Flaming Mountain, and warned them never to return to Heaven under penalty of complete extermination.
His birthday is a major festival in China and Taiwan.
Type: Deity
Powers:
- Flight
- Transformation into a giant Gold Dragon
- Breath of Life – can resurrect the dead
- Other unspecified magic powers
Weapons:
- The Jade Dragon is Jade Emperor’s pet. He can sense danger and transform into The Jade Sword which the Emperor uses in battle.
Princess Iron FanThe Monkey King
Type: Deity
Home: Flaming Mountain
As the beautiful wife of Buffalo Demon King and sister of The Jade Emperor, Princess Iron Fan is caught up in the eternal struggle between gods and demons. She hopes that her unborn half-deity half-demon child, Red Boy, will bring peace to the world.
She is banished from Heaven by The Jade Emperor along with her husband after Buffalo Demon King’s attack on the Heavenly Palace.
Also known as Demonic Lady.
Type: Deity
Powers:
- Can produce a giant banana leaf fan she can shrink and hide in her ear.
- Flight
Weapons:
- Magic Banana Leaf Fan – The Princess can shrink or grow her powerful Fan that is capable of producing giant whirlwinds.
Heavenly King – (Li Jing)The Monkey King
Type: Deity
Home: Heaven
Li Jing, The Pagoda Bearer, is a Heavenly King and a former high-ranking military commander.
Li’s youngest son is the once rebellious Prince Nezha who he eventually controlled by trapping in a Golden Pagoda given to him by the magical Randeng Daoren (Burning Lamp Taoist) who lived on Mount Condor.
Type: Deity
Powers:
- Ability to travel at incredibly high speed underground.
Weapons:
- Magical Golden Pagoda – he uses to trap and store any spirit, demon, or deity.
- A purple cloud that emerges from his sleeve to capture adversaries.
Princess NuwaThe Monkey King
Type: Deity
Home:Heaven
Princess Nuwa is a goddess in ancient Chinese mythology best known for creating mankind and repairing the pillars of heaven.
In The Monkey King, Princess Nuwa is the daughter of the Jade Emperor and takes the form of a half-crystal, half-human figure.
After the failed demon attack on Heaven, she disintegrated herself into thousands of crystals, restoring Heaven and forming the Southern Heavenly Gate. Now, any demon would burn to ash upon touching one of the crystals.
As Nuwa completed her work, a crystal fell from Heaven and landing on Mount Huaguo on an island in the East Sea. Inside was the embryo of a magical monkey who one day will become The Monkey King.
Type: Deity
Powers:
- Can dissipate into magic crystals – but cannot reform after.
- Can create humans out of clay.
Weapons: None
GuanyinThe Monkey King
Type: Protection Deity
Home: Heaven
Guanyin, the immortal Goddess of Mercy exists as a higher god than the other deities, appearing to select characters during the story.
She appears to Master Subhuti and later to The Monkey King at critical moments in Havoc in Heaven’s Palace, serving as Guardian Angel to Wukong providing him with guidance and compassion.
Guanyin appears as a tall beautiful woman in flowing white robes with the children Longnu and Shancai at her sides. Longnu holds the Pearl of Light, given to Guanyin by the Dragon King. Guanyin is revered in China as the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion, protector of women, children and the unfortunate.
Type: Protection Deity
Powers:
- Mental and physical healing.
- Can incarnate as a human at will.
Weapons: None
Erlang-ShenThe Monkey King
Type: Deity
Home: Heaven
Endowed with the truth-seeking third eye, Erlang-Shen is known as the greatest warrior god of Heaven. His name means “Second Son God”
A nephew of The Jade Emperor, Erlang-Shen, also known as Erlang, is a most powerful figure who has been placed in charge of Heaven’s security.
Though respected for his magic and combat skills, he is unsatisfied with the role his uncle has given him and is determined to replace him on the Throne of Heaven.
In Havoc In Heaven’s Palace, Erlang conspires with The Buffalo Demon King to trick The Monkey King into unwittingly help them overthrow the Jade Emperor.
This leads to a long running duel in which Sun Wukong and Erlang employ numerous transformations. While Erlang is the stronger adversary, Wukong always manages to stay ahead and at times get the better of him thanks to his quick wits.
Type: Deity
Powers:
- Third Eye – His Third Eye, known as “The Eye of Heaven” allows him to “see what is unseen” and often see through Wukong’s transformations. It has the ability to differentiate truth and lies, and see through deceptions and disguises.
- Super Strength – Possesses vast, superhuman strength (he was able to cleave an entire mountain with his axe to save his mother in just one stroke).
- Transformation – Erlang-Shen has mastered the 72 Transformations and can instantly turn into numerous objects and creatures – including humans.
Weapons:
- “Ji” – A magic pole axe that he can materialize at will. It is a three-pointed spear with two cutting edges of a saber powerful enough to penetrate and cleave through steel and stone.
The Dragon King – (Ao Guang)The Monkey King
Type: Deity
Home: Undersea Palace, East Ocean
The Dragon King rules over the East Sea from his underwater Dragon Palace. He has three brother Dragon Kings who rule the North, West, and South seas. His treasures include many ancient weapons including the Ruyi Cudgel, which controlled the sea until The Monkey King lifted it out of the ocean floor causing a huge tidal wave.
Humans worship and give gifts to the Dragon Kings to spare them from floods and droughts. As a result their palaces are filled with treasures.
When The Monkey King invaded the Under Sea Palace looking for weapons the Dragon King ordered him killed.
The clever Monkey King foiled the plot and not only made off with the Ruyi Cudgel, but also the gold-chain armor, cloud-walking boots and the phoenix feather cap.
Type: Deity
Powers:
- The ability to bring chaos by forming droughts, storms and other disasters.
- Can transform into snake or fish or appear as human with dragon head.
- Commands army of sea-creatures.
Weapons:
- Many ancient weapons including the Golden Cudgel, which controlled the ebb and flow of the sea.
Master SubhutiThe Monkey King
Type: Deity
Home: Tri-Star Cave
In the Chinese legend Master Subhuti is a wise master who teaches his students magical powers including the 72 transformations. He also instills them with good character and spiritual refinement.
Sent by Guanyin to teach The Monkey King and help him fulfill his divine destiny, he takes him from his monkey tribe on Mount Huaguo to study at Tri-Star Cave. Subhuti names monkey “Sun Wukong” which means, “awareness of nothing.”
Subhuti is also a confidant of the Jade Emperor and travels to and from Heaven on a pet crane.
In India, Subhuti is revered as one of the ten great disciples of Gautama Buddha, upon whose teachings Buddhism was founded.
Powers:
- Flight
- 72 Transformations
- Breath of Life – can resurrect the dead
- Magic energy waves
Weapons:
- The Divine Lasso – magic lasso which can extend incalculable distances. The rope can only be destroyed by burning it in a powerful divine flame – like the Samadhi Flame used in the elixir furnace.
Chang’eThe Monkey King
Type: Lunar Deity
Home: Heaven
Chang’e is the Goddess of the Moon. a deity who in Havoc in Heavens Palace story lives in Heaven where she collects divine energy for the elixir furnaces in which the elixir pill is forged. The elixir pill will multiply its user’s magical power and grant them eternal youth and the ability to resurrect the dead.
Type: Lunar Deity
Powers:
- Collect and direct divine energy
- Flight
Weapons: None
The Rock Monster – (Demon King of Confusion)The Monkey King
Type: Demon
Home: Mount Huaguo
The Rock Monster, known in the original novel Journey to The West as The Demon King of Confusion, is a monster creature who tries to seize control of the Water Curtain Cave while Sun Wukong is away at Tri Star Cave studying with Master Subhuti
In Havoc in Heaven’s Palace he is a beast made of rocks that terrorizes the inhabitants of The Monkey King’s homeland (Mountain of Fruits and Flowers), bringing fear and destruction wherever he goes.
Type: Demon
Powers:
- The ability to shrink into little Rock Monsters.
- Huge mass and strength that tramples everything in his path.
Weapons:
- Giant Swords of great strength.
Pigsy The Monkey King
Type: A Fish Spirit, ex-Marshall of Heaven, ex- Ferocious Monster
Home: Cave on Fuling Mountain
Pigsy (Zhu Bajie) appears as a disciple of the monk TRIPITAKA in Journey To The West.
He was originally a heavenly marshal, commander-in-chief of 80,000 Heavenly Navy Soldiers. Unfortunately he was a glutton and a womanizer. Following a drunken attempt to make romantic advances that offended the Goddess of the Moon, he was banished from Heaven by the Jade Emperor.
On Earth, he accidently fell into a pig well and was reborn as a man-eating pig-monster known as Zhu Ganglie (“strong-maned pig”).
Looking for help for TRIPITAKA, GUAN-YIN converted him to Buddhism and he was tamed by SUN WUKONG.
PIGSY symbolizes the “instinctive center”, constantly looking out for himself. He is basically interested in food, sleep and women. He is in constant conflict with SUN WUKONG and tries to make him look bad in the eyes of TRIPITAKA.
Powers:
- He has great strength and is a powerful warrior.
Weapons:
- Pigsy wields a jiǔchǐ-dīngpá, a nine-tooth iron muck-rake from Heaven that weighs about 5,048 kilos (or roughly 11,129 pounds).
Sandy The Monkey King
Type: Man-Eating Sand Demon, ex-Heavenly General
Home: The Kaidu River
Sandy (Shā Wùjìng) is one of the three disciples of the Buddhist pilgrim Tripitaka (Xuanzang). He appears as a character in Wu Cheng’en’s Ming Dynasty novel Journey to the West, although versions of his character predate the novel.
In the novel, his background is the least developed of the pilgrims and he contributes the least to their efforts. He is called Sandy (or Sand) and is known as a “water buffalo” due to his seemingly less developed intelligence.
He was originally a general in Heaven, but was banished by the Jade Emperor when he accidently destroyed a valuable vase. The Emperor had him struck 800 times with a rod and exiled to earth, where he was reincarnated as a terrible man-eating sand demon, attacked daily by flying swords sent from heaven. As a result, he had to live in the river to avoid the punishment.
Wujing’s appearance was rather grisly; he had a red beard and his head was partially bald; a necklace consisting of skulls hung around his neck.
Guan-yin recruited him as a bodyguard for Tripitaka in exchange for some relief from his suffering. In light of his good heart she gave him his Buddhist name which means “sand aware of purity”
Powers:
- His fighting skills are not as great as that of Wukong or Pigsy but he is still a great warrior and can use his intellect as well as his strength. He knows only 18 forms of transformation.
- Sandy has the ability to be at two places at one time.
Weapons:
- A double-headed staff with a crescent-moon blade at one end and a spade at the other, with six rings in the shovel part to denote its religious association.