Black Myth: Wukongweaves a rich tapestry of characters throughout the game, and although the story provides significant context for some of them, many can come across as somewhat mysterious. As a retelling ofJourney to the Westthat takes place 500 years after the classical Chinese novel,Black Myth: Wukong’s details will make the most sense to those familiar with the source. EvenJourney to the Westveterans might find themselves confused in one instance, however, and it turns out that the creators of the game might be just as mystified.
For the most part,Black Myth: Wukong’s journal entriesprovide the easiest reference for gaining a greater understanding of the game’s characters. Although the journal entries often provide limited context or specific scenes rather than rich character biographies, they provide clear identifications and make it easy to engage in further research. Obviously, it gets trickier if a character has no journal entry at all, which is the case for one character that appears briefly in an animated scene to close out Chapter Four.
Black Myth: Wukong Has One Man Of Mystery
Chang’e’s Lover In Chapter Four Isn’t Confirmed
Chapter Four’s animated cutscene tells a part of Zhu Bajie’s backstory, recounting a tale of love that begins before he was ever turned into a pig-like creature. The focus is on him falling in love with a woman cursed to be a spider, but it also seems to show his infatuation with Chang’e, the moon goddess that he propositioned in the events before theoriginalJourney to the West. Bajie’s attempt to seduce Chang’e is what spurred the Jade Emperor to ultimately exile him from heaven, leading to his awkward form of reincarnation.
What Happens To The Destined One In Black Myth: Wukong
The Destined One’s journey in Black Myth: Wukong sees him overcome plenty of trials, but the ultimate payoff for his adventures might be worth it.
In the Chapter Four animation,a woman that appears to be Chang’e is shown embracing another man in front of the moon, and Bajie is cast down to earth after they catch him watching from afar. It’s a gentler version of the story, and with much of the detail from the novel removed, it’s hard to be confident in the intent. A behind-the-scenes video shared bygamecoreson Chinese site taptap (referenced on Reddit byNoProgress9082and cited bysopp) features an answer fromBlack Myth: Wukongart director Yang Qi, and it’s not much of an answer at all.
According to Yang Qi, the animators behind the cutscene asked to add the shot, and he told them it could be kept if they accepted a 20% discount on their initial quote. Consequently,the art director doesn’t know who the man in question is, as it was a choice made by the animators rather than a depiction of something that GameScience requested. It’s a humorous anecdote, and if taken sincerely, one that points to the creative value of embracing uniquely styled animations rather than typical in-engine cutscenes.
Who Black Myth: Wukong’s Unknown Man Might Be
There’s More Than One Possibility
Despite Yang Qi’s lack of a definitive answer, it’s still possible to make an educated guess as to the character’s identity.The simplest explanation would be that the man is Hou Yi, a legendary archer of Chinese mythology who was married to Chang’e. There aren’t any details that specifically denote Hou Yi in the man’s depiction, but there’s no more likely candidate for someone that Chang’e would be passionately embracing.
A secondary possibility is that the man is the Jade Emperor, the powerful ruler of heaven whose nephew Erlang Shen fights Sun Wukong at the beginning of the game (and shows up againahead of the secret ending). The Jade Emperor is the one who banished Bajie from heaven, and the scene depicts that event the moment after Bajie comes upon the couple.Journey to the Westdidn’t include any relationship between Chang’e and the Jade Emperor, however, so it’s more likely that events are being compressed for style and efficiency, especially if the scene wasn’t originally requested by GameScience.
Goddess of the moon Taiyin Xingjun has elsewhere been associated with the Jade Emperor as one of his princesses, and it’s possible that both are depicted here, but the Chang’e mentioned in Bajie’s backstory is distinct from Taiyin Xingjun.
Another alternative opens up if the woman in the scene isn’t Chang’e at all, but instead the Moon rabbit (also known as the Jade rabbit), a trusted companion of Chang’e. Although the Moon rabbit isn’t the object of Bajie’s lust inJourney to the West,Black Myth: Wukongnods in this direction with hair that resembles rabbit ears and aJade Moon Rabbitcurio acquired after the Destined One beats Bajie in a fight.
Black Myth: Wukong - All Yaoguai Chief Boss Locations
Black Myth: Wukong features a staggering ninety-one boss battles split across six chapters, including main bosses, side bosses, and secret bosses.
If the woman in front of the moon is the Moon rabbit, then the man could be the three-legged crow that represents the sun, a possibility raised by Reddit userAceyleafeo. This theory is principally supported byBlack Myth: Wukong’s inclusion of theGold Sun Crow, another curio that has an enhanced effect if paired with the Jade Moon Rabbit.
Black Myth: Wukong Probably Includes The Archer Hou Yi
The Simplest Answer Is Often The Most Likely One
Ultimately, however,the curios might be better proof of the theory that the couple is Chang’e and Hou Yi. The Jade Moon Rabbit curio could simply be used to represent Chang’e, as it connects to her well-known companion. The Gold Sun Crow might similarly be a calling card for Hou Yi, as his most legendary feat was shooting down nine of the ten suns, each of which was a three-legged crow, before ultimately leaving the last one alive.
8 Best Curios In Black Myth: Wukong
The best Curios in Black Myth: Wukong can be found, purchased, or awarded from boss fights, and can significantly enhance players' skills.
There’s certainly someone out there with a definitive answer as to who the man in front of the moon is, as the animators had to have a character in mind when creating the moment. That doesn’t mean that the answer will necessarily be stated publicly, however, and it’s an interesting scene to speculate about with the current lack of concrete information. More likely than not, the man inBlack Myth: Wukong’s Chapter Four cutscene is the legendary archer Hou Yi, but without further clarification from GameScience or the animators, it may never be possible to know for sure.
Source:gamecores/taptap, Reddit (NoProgress9082,sopp,Aceyleafeo)
Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG game from the developers at GameScience. Based on the original Chinese novelJourney to the West,players take on the role of Sun Wukong, a legendary monkey warrior who fights against mythical beasts and beings to save his world.
