Sun Wukong
Sun Wukong, or the Monkey King, is an immortal tr
ickster god that was developed in the 16th-century in Chinese novels. The Monkey King is a monkey born from a magic stone that learns the practices of Taoism, which eventually gives him his magical powers. His powers include strength, transforming into the shape of other animals and objects, summoning clones or weapons with a strand of his hair, freezing his opponents with his breath, and he is also a very skilled fighter. He is usually portrayed with gold fur and holding a gold staff named Ruyi Jingu Band, a magical staff that is immensely heavy in which the Monkey King had to search for in an underwater kingdom.
His story started when the Monkey King was born and his eyes casted two golden beams of light toward the Jade palace. The jade palace is ruled by no other than the Jade Emperor, a god in Chinese culture. Although the Jade Emperor sent out two of his men to find the source of where the light came from, he dismissed them when he found out it was from a baby monkey, thinking he was insignificant. Later, the Monkey King declared himself as the King of Monkeys from a game him and his monkey companions made where the one who was brave enough to jump into the waterfall and find stream’s source would be declared that title.
The Monkey King has shaped the pop culture we have immensely by influencing many present-day characters, as well as having movies, TV shows, and stories of its own. Forbidden Kingdom, one of my favourite movies growing up, starred Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and other famous actors in a movie revolved around the Monkey King’s story. The Saiyan race in the anime Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super were also influenced by Wukong. Mostly, Son Goku in Dragon Ball as he carried characteristics, such as supernatural strength, a tail, and welding a staff to fight his enemies.
Monkey King. (2019, November 23). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_King.
Hamilton, M. (n.d.). Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Retrieved from https://mythopedia.com/chinese-mythology/gods/sun-wukong/.
McClanahan, J. R. (2019, November 24). The Origin of Sun Wukong’s Magic Hairs. Retrieved from https://journeytothewestresearch.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/the-origin-of-sun-wukongs-magic-hairs/.