Referenced By / Journey to the West

See also DerivativeWorks/JourneyToTheWest.

References to Journey to the West are made in:

Anime & Manga

• The Digimon franchise has taken to doing this in recent years; it started with Kamemon's Perfect form, Shawujingmon, in Digimon Data Squad, and years later Digimon Jintrix introduced a whole slew of mons based on it: Gokuwmon, ChoHakkaimon, Sagomon, Sanzomon, Shakamon, Kinkakumon and Ginkakumon, several of whom have shown up in Digimon Xros Wars: The Young Hunters Who Leapt Through Time.
• Dirty Pair TV episode 4 briefly showed a pro wrestling match with one wrestler in a Sun Wukong costume (including the circlet and staff).
• More than one Doraemon story references this work:
  • One of Doraemon's gadgets is a hairspray that create miniature duplicates of a person, by plucking out their hair and blowing on it. To enforce the reference, the story featuring this gadget has Nobita watching a cartoon based on Journey to the West where Sun Wukong defeats the Bull Demon by duplicating himself via blowing his plucked hair.
  • There's also the anime-exclusive Big Damn Movie, Doraemon: The Record of Nobita's Parallel Visit to the West where a malfunctioning gadget causes monsters from Sun Wukong's world to enter our reality, leading to Nobita, Doraemon and their friends becoming Wukong and the pilgrims to defeat the demons.
  • In Doraemon: Nobita's Dorabian Nights, before the gang made it to the world of Arabian Nights, Gian and Suneo first entered the world of Journey where they nearly gets roasted alive by the fire of Mount Flames. With Gian asking Sun Wukong, "What's taking you so long?"
• In Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, Kazami’s old force Mu Dish motif themselves after this story. Kazami himself is based on Zhu Bajie the Pig, as he causes problems for others in vain attempts to make himself look cool (He gets better).
• High School D×D introduces the descendant of Son Goku named "Bikou" who also has his staff. Also, the original one appears in this series too and he's really strong.
• Inuyasha:
  • A Villain of the Week in the anime's 6th season is a boar demon who claims to be a descendent of Zhu Bajie, while he hauls around a goofy looking kappa and monkey that he insists are, likewise, descendents of Sha Wujing and Sun Wukong respectively.
  • Also, Inuyasha has an enchanted necklace around his neck which lets Kagome force him to the ground by yelling "Sit, boy!", an obvious reference to Sun Wukong's headache-inducing headband. The entire main cast of Inuyasha can effectively be seen as a group of expys - Inu-Yasha himself as Wukong (imprisoned for centuries, hot-tempered, and kept in control by a magic item), Kagome as Monk Xuanzang (pure of heart, the reincarnation of a great holy person, often in need of rescue), Miroku as Bajie (sleazy and viceful), and Sango as Wujing (the sensible foil to Inuyasha and Miroku), with Kirara as the Horse (the Team Pet). Shippo is basically just an additional Team Pet.
• The Last Saiyuki has a lot references to the story and characters.
• An entire chapter of Love Hina is devoted to the main characters putting on a play of this story for a bunch of children. Naru is initially Sun Wukong, Keitaro is Sanzang, Suu is Bajie, and Motoko is Wujing, with Shirai and Haitani sharing the role of Yulong until they're revealed to be demons. Keitaro's main rival for Naru's affection, Seta, steps in to play the One-Horned King, and Naru and Keitaro switch characters so that Seta and Keitaro can have an epic one-on-one fight in the climax.
• The appropriately titled episode, "Lupin's Big Saiyuuki" of the Lupin III: Part II TV series, where the Lupin gang are cast as the characters from the tale. It's likely a Homage to Monkey, which debuted shortly before the Lupin version came about. To be specific: Fujiko is Sanzo (carrying forward the gender-bending casting gag), Jigen is Hakkai, Goemon is Gojo, and Lupin is, of course, Son Goku.
• One episode of MegaMan NT Warrior (2002) has the main characters infiltrating in the base of the bad guys during a costume party, and so they arrive in costume as the cast from Journey to the West: Lan as Son Goku, Dex as Cho Hakkai, Yai as Sha Gojo, Maylu as Sanzo, Masa/Commander Beef as the Ox King and Yu/Misteryu and Sal/Black Rose as the White Dragon Horse.
• Naruto contains several shout outs to Journey To The West:
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, is capable of summoning Enma the Monkey King, who wears a tiger-striped kimono and can transform into a telescoping bo staff.
  • Two of the Edo Tensei'd villains, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, derive their names, weapons, and abilities from a pair of half-Youkai warlords.
  • The Four-Tailed Ape is named Son Goku, and even introduces himself with all the titles he has in Journey to the West.

• In Yoroiden Samurai Troopers aka Ronin Warriors, Shu Lei Faun/Kento of the Hardrock (Diamond) is a clear homage of Sun Wukong from his Chinese origin (in the original version), gold headband, element, headband, staff, antics and comparisons (in both versions) to being a monkey.
• SD Gundam World Heroes' main protagonist, Wukong Impulse Gundam, is based off of Journey to the West’s own main protagonist, Sun Wukong, and he has two other personalities, Zhu Bajie Silhouette and Sha Wujing Silhouette, based off of Wukong's comrades Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. There’s also a character based off of Sanzang the Priest.

• Episode 31 of Yo Kai Watch has the characters kidnapped by a yokai and forced to act out the events of the story.

Comic Books

• A Chinese crime lord in the Marvel Universe who'd taken the name of the Monkey King ventured into Sun Wukong's 'tomb' to claim the treasure Wukong had been buried with. There, he encountered the spirit of the real Monkey King, who gave him a test to see if he was worthy of his powers - break out of the hellish realm of the Eighth City. He succeeded, becoming Wukong's avatar, and inheriting his staff and powers, which he put to use fighting crime - having been to Hell, he really didn't want to go back.
• At the end of Lucifer, Yahweh tells the title character a story about the Monkey King (drawn as a literal monkey in golden armor, able to leap from one end of the universe to the other in a single bound) and the Buddha.
• Recurring character Monkey Khan in Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics).
  • Also the bull Mobian Iron King and Overlander Iron Queen resemble the Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan, enemies of Wukong.
• DC Comics:
  • The Monkey Prince is the Monkey King's son; he wields the Jingu Bang, has Pigsy as his Shifu, and has a circlet that tightens every time Pigsy chants.
  • The Devil Nezha from Batman/Superman: World's Finest is very loosely inspired by the Heavenly General of the same name. Batman vs. Robin ties him to the Monkey Prince's enemy King Fire Bull (the son of the Monkey King's enemy Bull Demon King), and a back-up strip in the resultant Crisis Crossover Lazarus Planet has Pigsy explain to Marcus why the Nezha his father knew was so different from the one Batman and Superman fought (turns out the Red Armillary Sash is actually a Restraining Bolt).

Eastern Animation

• Sun Wukong has appeared in New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021) as the Masked Man.

Fan Works

• Some Word of God in Top Dog (in the author's FF.net forum) has Sun Wukong as one of the Amerai clanlords, mentioned in context as an insanely-powerful Supernatural Martial Artist. Given Top Dog's Mega Crossover nature, it's uncertain whether this is a reference to Journey to the West or to Dragon Ball, though if it's the latter the name Wukong as opposed to Goku certainly at least acknowledges the character's origin.

Film

• Boonie Bears film, Entangled Worlds / Fantastica, has the beginning (and ending) set in Sun Wunkong's universe, where his staff is stolen by the Tech Boss's crew to set up for the plot.
• In 2023, an American-Chinese animated film called The Monkey King premiered on Netflix, produced by Stephen Chow and animated by both Pearl Studio and Reel FX Creative Studios. Jimmy O. Yang stars as the powerful but arrogant titular character who tries to make a name for himself.
• At one point, Paprika, from the film of the same name, is shown dressed as the Monkey King as she rides on a cloud.

Literature

• In Dragon Cauldron, and the other books in the same series, Monkey makes an appearance as a main character, constantly referencing the events that led to his imprisonment under a mountain.
• In the Grand Central Arena, several of the main characters are refugees from a rogue scientific establishment that attempted to create genetically-engineered replicas of fictional heroes; one of them, Wu, was modeled on Sun Wukong.
• Kitty's Big Trouble takes place largely in San Francisco's Chinatown, and the title character runs into a fellow named Sun around halfway through the book.
• The short story "Sir Harold and the Monkey King", from the Harold Shea series of fantasy short stories
• Heretical Edge has Sun Wukong as the infamous tenth prisoner of Gehanna, where he was locked up after an interstellar rampage that the beginning of Journey to the West was based on. He finally makes a personal appearance in the sequel, where he intends to take the protagonist's place while Gehanna's first prisoner calls her for a meeting.
• The Bladedancer stories of the Whateley Universe, especially the first one, in which Chou's journey to Whateley Academy is closely based on Xuanzang's journey. Sun Wukong has in fact been established as a recurring supporting character, and he's still good at stealing the show each time he pops up.
• The first chapter of Kim Stanley Robinson's The Years of Rice and Salt is written in the style of Journey To The West.

Live-Action TV

• Kamen Rider:
  • The heroes of Kamen Rider Ghost can channel the spirits of historical and folk heroes, one of which is Sanzo (an alternate name for Sanzang). Sanzo's powers are mainly used by Kamen Rider Necrom, and they include the ability to summon Sun Wukong, Zhu Wuneng, and Sha Wujing to assist him; and the three can turn into a cloud like Wukong's.
  • Kamen Rider Saber is similarly themed around stories and fairy tales. Saber himself gains powers based on this story under the title Saiyuu Journey, which primarily gives him a gauntlet with Wukong's Telescoping Staff as a kind of Blade Below the Shoulder; and special attacks can use other aspects of the story like the flying cloud.
• A Korean Odyssey, a modern South Korean comedy retelling that begins with the release of Sun Wukong/Son O-Gong and the reincarnation of Tang Sanzang/Samjang.
• In the Sesame Street special Big Bird in China, Sun Wukong in full theater glory gives Big Bird the clues to find the Phoenix i.e. Feng Huang.
• Super Sentai:
  • Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger featured a Monster of the Week named Dora Kinkaku based on one of the best-known villains in the story. Incidentally, Bandora had gotten Pleprechaun to make him because she hated how the monsters always lost to Sun Wukong.
  • The characters of Ninja Sentai Kakuranger are all based on the main characters (except Jiraiya), with Sasuke corresponding to Sun Wukong (the Hot-Blooded hero), Seikai to Zhu Bajie (a Big Eater obsessed with women), Tsuruhime to Xuanzang (the leader whom the guys have been assigned to accompany), and Saizou to Sha Wujing (the extra fighter). Likewise, they also fight lots of youkai and journey around the country.
  • Wukong's size-changing staff was one of the treasures sought by the main characters and the villains in GoGo Sentai Boukenger.
  • The Sixth Ranger of Avataro Sentai Donbrothers, Don Doragoku/Don Torabolt, is in part inspired by Sun Wukong, in contrast to the rest of the team being inspired by Momotarō instead. His principal weapon, the Ryukonogeki, is a Telescoping Spear and a cloud appears in his Transformation Sequence.

Tabletop Games

• In Fabula Ultima, the Nine-teeth Rake is one of the strongest weapons in the spear category of the core rulebook. It deals as much damage as the Longinus and the Gungnir, the other two strongest weapons of its category, and it gives its wielder the ability to absorb poison damage.
• The "Monk, Eh?" campaign setting in the Pyramid article "The Hubland Mountains for GURPS Discworld" pastiches the already tongue-in-cheek Monkey, with a very obviously female monk called Trickiparka accompanying the orangutan god Buna on his journey to the Rim.
• In Pathfinder, Sun Wukong is one of the major deities of the setting's East Asia-analogue Tian Xia and the Chaotic Neutral god of trickery, drunkenness, and nature. He was a stone statue given life who became king of all monkeys and then achieved godhood by learning magic under Qi Zhong, the Tian Xia god of magic, and erasing his name from the records of Pharasma, the goddess of death.
• The Handsome Monkey King is one of the gods included in the Chinese pantheon in Scion, and is available as a player character's divine parent.

Video Games

• ANNO: Mutationem: At Skopp City, the entrance to Siberius' shop has an art display featuring the Flowers and Fruit Mountain.
• Occasionally referenced in Asura's Wrath, where the main character, just like Son Goku, is sealed underneath a mountain for 500 years, and Augus's extendable blade is basically this to Son Goku's extendable staff. One of the more memorable scenes is referenced back in the climax of the most recent movie version of the story. Don't believe us? Watch this side by side comparison and twist your head around that.
• In Bookworm Adventures, Volume 2, the vast majority of enemies in The Monkey King are inspired by Journey, and you even get to recruit Wukong as a partner once you beat him in combat.
• The time travelers in Dinosaur King spend several episodes visiting with Sanzo Hoshi, aka Tripitaka.
• Dragalia Lost has a few raid events inspired by the story:
  • "Echoes of Antiquity" is the first. The main focus is on the teacher, Xuan Zang, who is teaching her student Wu Kong about Qilin relics. Wu Kong, like his namesake, has a mischievous streak. His mishandling of a dangerous relic, Jin Gu Er (the golden headband), caused him to transform into the raid boss Qitian Dasheng who bears a stronger resemblance to the Monkey King. Also featured is Yulong, a recruitable dragon who serves as Xuan Zang's steed like his namesake.
  • The characters return a year later in "Timeworn Torment", with Wu Kong as the main character this time and Promoted to Playable. Another issue develops with the Jin Gu Er, as it turns out to have been the seal on a dangerous fiend named Mei Hou Wang — albeit one who has a good side, which Wu Kong has to defend to Xuan Zang. Wu Kong has picked up a few traits of the Monkey King in the interrim, and ironically starts wearing the Jin Gu Er to keep someone else under control (since it can exert an influence on Mei Hou Wang). The story also introduces the game's versions of Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing as followers of Xuan Zang (if sometimes annoying and unwanted ones); with Zhu Bajie as a brash yet honorable Blood Knight and Sha Wujing as a Mad Scientist weapons designer.
• Qitian Dasheng serves as the final boss of Swallow's Compass dungeon in Final Fantasy XIV. He spends most of the fight swinging his signature Telescoping Staff, and after you survive his ultimate he drops two clones and runs off. "Qitian Dasheng" is notably not a version of the name "Sun Wukong"; it’s the title he gave himself ("Great Sage Equal to Heaven") in response to the court of Heaven not giving him a fancy title he believed he deserved.
• Fortnite has a Wukong skin available, though he lacks Sun Wukong's tail. His Jingu Bang staff is another optional cosmetic.
• Granblue Fantasy has Andira, the Erune descendant of Sun Wukong. She inherited most of his powers and tools like the Self-Duplication using hairs, the flying cloud and staff. The player character reminds her of Xuanzang so she decides to go on a journey with them to try to find Tenjiku (or in pinyin, "Tianzhu"; the Chinese/Japanese name for India).
• One of Kirby's Copy Abilities in Kirby Star Allies and Kirby Fighters 2 is Staff. The hat associated with the ability includes Sun Wukong's headband, and the staff itself has the same ability to extend as Wukong's. The Chinese name of the ability is even named after Sun Wukong's staff.
• Live A Live: The Imperial China chapter features a cast of one Old Master training three former bandits, setting up a cast that looks very based on the Journey to the West. The Heart of the Mountain Shifu naturally represents Sanzang (with a bigger dose of Badass because he's a martial artist). Wukong is represented by the token girl Lei Kuugo, who's an abrasive girl too eager to pick a fight and used to live in the forests and the lessons she took at heart was similar to Wukong: To become kinder. Additionally, her surname looks like a reversal of Wukong's Japanese name (Go-kuu -> Kuu-go) and coincidentally, she's also a Breakout Character similar to Wukong. Bajie is represented by Sammo/Hong Hakka, he's fat and likes to eat a lot, it's an easy comparison. This leaves out Yun Jou as the representative of Wujing, they're more similar in a way that they're more unassuming than the rest.
• In Mario Party 7, the variation of the "group photo" Bowser Time event on Pagoda Peak has the characters stand behind a cutout based on Journey to the West, taking the roles of Goku, Hakkai, Gojo and Sanzo (in 8 players mode, the extra characters take the roles of the White Dragon Horse and random background elements).
• The Genesis Unit of Wily Tower in the Sega Genesis remake collection Mega Man: The Wily Wars are based on Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing. There's also Hanumachine from Mega Man Zero.
• Various Multiplayer Online Battle Arena have characters based on Wukong himself, it's almost an unwritten law that a MOBA would not be complete until they have a Wukong representation.
  • The original Defense of the Ancients has Wukong become a secret boss and the first Dota 2 exclusive hero (whose Chinese voice actor was Sun Wukong in the 1986 Animated Adaptation).
  • Monkey King from Heroes of Newerth is based on, but not quite the exact Wukong from the literature.
  • The actual Sun Wukong is also a playable character in Smite as the game is about Crossover Cosmology and Chinese Pantheon is included.
    • Also, their Wukong just to drive home allusions is also voiced by Sean Schemmel, the English voice of the aforementioned Wukong/Gokū from Dragon Ball.
  • Heroes of the Storm only has the Wukong reference via a Legendary skin of Samuro that turns him into a Wukong-like character, simply because Blizzard Entertainment has no major Wukong-like character throughout their games. The cancelled Paragon (2016) also featured a direct reference with its own hero named Wukong.
  • The character Wukong the Monkey King in League of Legends. He even has the same Japanese voice as Dragon Ball's version of Wukong/Gokū that everyone knows.
  • Since Honor of Kings is based on Chinese figures from myth, stories and history, it goes without question that Sun Wukong is included as one of the heroes. Surprisingly, both Tang Sanzang (referred as Jin Chan) and Zhu Bajie also become available as heroes, along with the Bull Demon King Niu Mo Wang (Just rendered as 'Niu Mo'). Wukong is the only one who makes the jump to Arena of Valor and he's the only returning heroes (aside of Lu Bu and Diaochan) who kept his default kit. When the game is given an actual international translation, only Wukong makes the jump as certain countries may find both Niu Mo and Bajie violating their cultures. Therefore, they're replaced with their Arena of Valor counterparts (Lumburr and Ata, respectively). The jury's still out for Tang Sanzang/Jin Chan, because he's not anyone's counterpart.
  • Mobile Legends: Bang Bang features a monkey king hero with staff and the ability to produce clones to overwhelm his enemies, and lore-wise, he's also born from a particularly hard rock within Cadia Riverlands. His name is... Sun.
• The Twin Demon Owls Lechku and Nechku from Ōkami are based on the gold and silver bros.
• A very rare yet classic beat-em-up game known as Oriental Legend (made by the Taiwanese company IGS) features the trio, the dragon horse (and one original character, Xiaolongnü; lit. Little Dragon Girl; probably based on and named after the heroine of The Return of the Condor Heroes, another epic that has no relations with Journey to the West) as playable characters. The un-localized sequel with extra elements added features a few more characters while also adding Sanzang himself as an unlockable character.
• The theme to the above-mentioned Monkey series was included as a bonus stage in the second Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan game.
• Overwatch had an event based on the Chinese New Year in January 2017, and 4 characters (Winston, Roadhog, Reinhardt, and Zenyatta) specifically got skins based on Journey.
• The Chimchar line in Pokémon is at least partially based on Sun Wukong, especially the gold armor on Infernape. The Tepig line is also based on Zhu Bajie.
• The main characters of Project × Zone, Kogoro Tenzai and Mii Koryuji, are based on Sun Wukong and Xuanzang respectively.
• One of the productions of the Imperial Theater Troupe in Sakura Wars.
• Seiten Taisei (or in pinyin as "Qitian Dasheng"), i.e. Sun Wukong/Son Gokū, appears as a demon in many Shin Megami Tensei games.
  • Persona 5: Seiten Taisei, as a mythic figure who stole the secrets of immortality from the gods, serves as the ultimate Guardian Entity of your party's Lancer, Ryuji Sakamoto.
• One of Soulcalibur V's new fighters, Xiba, is very clearly inspired by (if not outright implied to be) Sun Wukong. Likewise akin to his many other expies, he tends to be one of the hungry ones.
• In Sonic Blast, the boss of Yellow Desert Zone has Robotnik's mech patterned after Sun Wukong.
• A statue in Yang's stage of Street Fighter III Second Impact has a statue of Sun Wukong/Son Gokū himself trapped in his prison of Wuxingshan/Gogyouzan (lit. Five Elements Mountain^note though it's known as Wuzhishan/Goshizan (Five Fingers Mountain) in most Chinese sources), which can be broken if a strong enough impact occurs around it; doing so will have the Wukong/Gokū statue itself will be freed in prime condition.
• Sun Wukong is the direct inspiration of the Warframe Wukong, with a powerset based on his most famous abilities like cloud walking and his staff which can grow infinitely large and wide. Fittingly, he was released in China's version of the game first before seeing a worldwide release; much like his fellow Chinese story-based Warframe Nezha.
• Post-Journey Wukong (going by the pronunciation of Son Gokū in the Japanese version) is an antagonist in Warriors Orochi, implied to have gotten bored with the sacred realm and now running around causing trouble. Sanzang chases after him to try to get him back. When Sanzang in the third installment is recruited into the party, an allusion to the original journey is made, with Hideyoshi -> Wukong/Gokū, Goemon -> Bajie/Hakkai and Ling Tong -> Wujing/Gojou.
  • Ironically in Ling Tong's case, Sha Wujing/Gojou is even an NPC in the third installment. Oh by the way, Sanzang is a girl here.
• The World Heroes series has a character based off of Sun Wukong, Son Gokuu.

Web Animation

• DEATH BATTLE! has "Hercules vs Sun Wukong" as one of its episodes, using the specific mythological/folklore incarnations of the two. Sun Wukong manages to defeat his Greek opponent.
• In RWBY, where each character is based off a mythological or storybook character, Sun Wukong is an easygoing, rogueish monkey faunus.

Western Animation

• The Monkey King antagonized the heroes a few times in Jackie Chan Adventures, portrayed as The Prankster who fancies himself as the King of Comedy. He is cursed with the form of a doll unless somebody pulls his leg, at which point Monkey King comes to life and the puller is trapped as a doll instead. This can be reversed if Monkey King pulls this person's leg himself, but since of course he'd never do that himself he has to be tricked. The irony here is that this version of him in Japanese is voiced by Ryūsei Nakao, who happens to be the voice of Frieza. Talk about having your voice portray a closer-to-original version of your nemesis.
• Both Sun Wukong and Baigujing are major characters in Season 2 of Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny. The first episode of season two is even titled "Journey to the East".
• An episode of Mighty Max involved him teaming up with four "washed up" literary/legendary figures from around the world; one of them was Sun Wukong, who had given up life as the Monkey King to laze about at a zoo.
• Miraculous Ladybug: The current holder of the Monkey Miraculous goes by King Monkey. According to the creators, Sun Wukong himself was a Monkey wielder.
• Sun Wukong appears in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, revealed to be one of many sentient animals (the Egyptian deities, Quetzalcoatl, Professor Pericles, and Scooby himself included) that are members/descendants of a race of inter-dimensional beings who visited Earth and took the form of animals to assist mankind.
• The Monkey King appears in The Simpsons episode "Bart's in Jail!", in which he is one of the many forms of the Norse god Loki throughout millennia.
• Xiaolin Showdown: The Monkey Staff is a nod to Sun Wukong.