Sun Wukong (Journey to the West)

Sun Wukong, also known as The Great Sage Equal to Heaven or the Monkey King, is an iconic hero of Chinese folklore and the main protagonist of the 16th-century Chinese classic novel by the late Wu Cheng'en, and its multiple adaptations. He is a magical monkey who wields a pole known as Ruyi Jingu Bang which can extend to any length, and weighs about 17,857 pounds, and had achieved immortality and omnipotence.
==Portrayals==
===Live Action===
*In , he is played by Chinese actor .
*In the Hong Kong television series , he is played by 
*In , he is played by Chinese actor Fei Zhenxiang.
*In , he is played by Chinese actor .
*In , he is played by Chinese Hong Kong actor .
*In , he is played by Chinese Hong Kong actor .
*In , he is played by Chinese Hong Kong singer .
*In , he is played by Chinese Hong Kong actor .
*In , he is played by Chinese actor .
===Animated and Video Games===
*He was voiced by in Warriors Orochi series. 
* in Saiyuki Journey West in Japanese and in English.
*In the 2021 animated film, Monkey King Reborn, he is voiced by Jason Kesser.
*In , he is voiced by Zhang Hanyu in Chinese in initial episodes and later by Shen Xiaoqian Shen Xiaoqian in the remaining episodes, and by in the English version.
==Biography==
===Past===
Sun Wukong was born from a magical stone formed from chaos. He joined a clan of monkeys, and discovered a secret cave that the monkeys could use as their new home, named it Mount Huguo. The monkeys were grateful and accepted Wukong as their king. However, Sun Wukong was not happy only ruling over monkeys, as he wanted Immortality. To find it, he travelled and found the Buddhist Patriarch Bodhi, who, with some uncertainty, took him on as his disciple. Wukong became a favorite disciple of Bodhi, and learned to read and write, as well as learning how to transform into anything in the universe. Here he also learned how to jump 33 miles in a single jump. However, Wukong started bragging to the others, and Bodhi banished him from the temple.
Wukong travelled through the seas, where he found a staff that could extend to any length, and weighed about 17,857 pounds, called the Ruyi Jingu Bang. He defeated the four water dragons, and took from them Golden Armor, A Phoenix Helmet, and Boots that allowed him to walk on clouds. To make sure he would never die, he erased his own name from the Book of Life and Death. The Emperor of Heaven heard about this, and to stop Wukong from becoming too dangerous he offered him a place among the gods. 
However, he was given the lowest ranking job possible, and was offended to the point where he allied with the demons of Earth in a Battle against Heaven. The gods were forced to recognize him as "Great Sage Equal to Heaven", however, Wukong once again rebelled when he found out that he was not invited to a royal banquet. He stole peaches, pills, and wine that would keep his immortality, and fought 100,000 Celestial Warriors. 
He was locked into a cauldron, and eventually escaped, with the ability to recognize any evil. With no options left they called to Buddha, who bet that Wukong couldn't escape from his palm. Wukong jumped, wrote on five pillars, and returned, only to discover that the pillars were Buddha's fingers. Buddha quickly sealed him away with a talisman, and Sun Wukong was forced to wait for his path of redemption.
===Redemption===
500 years later Tang Sanzang, a young monk, seeks to journey to India to receive some sacred scriptures. Wukong was told that if he joined him he would be freed. He is tricked into putting on a headband that would tighten if Sanzang said a special chant to keep him well-behaved. He helps Sanzang with his pilgrimage, and becomes the latter's strongest and most important disciple. After Sanzang and his disciples receive the sacred scriptures and accomplish the 81 challenges, Wukong prospers. Then the Buddha appoints Wukong to be the "Victorious Fighting Buddha" by his eminent skills of fighting the evil.
==Quotes==
==References==
*Chinese actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong sets record with huge Journey to the West collection
==Trivia==
*The famous hero and protagonist of the Dragon Ball series, Son Goku is heavily inspired by Sun Wukong, and also technically shared the same name, as "Son Goku" means "Sun Wukong" in Japanese. Coincidentally, both the classic adaptation of the novel and the original Dragon Ball anime series were released in 1986.
**Other examples of characters based of the characters are Jin Mo-Ri (who's true idendity is Sun Wukong) from The God of High School, Samon Gokuu from Nanbaka.
* Sun Wukong is considered to be Liu Xiao Ling Tong's most iconic role, so much that people comment on how no matter how many roles he would later play, they always see Sun Wukong in those.
*Originally, Sun Wukong's role was meant to be for Liu Xiao Ling Tong's older brother, Xiao Liu Ling Tong. However, Xiao Liu Ling Tong soon died of leukemia, so Liu Xiao Ling Tong was cast instead.
*Xiao Ling Tong also won the Guiness Record for the largest collection of Sun Wukong, comprising of 1,508 items in total from the Journey to the West franchise..
*Sun Wukong appeared in the 162nd Episode of the Popular webseries DEATH BATTLE, where he Fought against the Mythological Version of Heracles, and won.
==External links==
* on the 
*.
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