The following contains spoilers forBlack Myth: Wukong.
As it is based on the 16th-century Chinese novelJourney to the West,Black Myth: Wukonghas a pool of pre-established characters to pull from to tell its story. Throughout theirtime inBlack Myth: Wukong, players will get to meet many of these characters, some friends and some foes, but they’ll spend the majority of their playthrough with Zhu Bajie, a humanoid pig yaoguai who is otherwise known as “Pigsy” inJourney to the West.
Bajie is one of the most familiar characters inJourney to the Westand one of the most lovable, despite possessing a few off-color personality traits.Black Myth: Wukongrepresents the first time Bajie has ever been realized as a video game character, which means this particular adapted version of his character could differ from the original. That said, Game Science has done an excellent job remaining faithful to the novel in its adaptation of Bajie, especially consideringBlack Myth: Wukongis set five centuries afterJourney to the West. Still, there are some subtle differences between this version of Bajie and the original that are worth taking a look at.
How Black Myth: Wukong’s Bajie Compares to Journey to the West’s Bajie
Black Myth: Wukong’s Bajie Maintains the Complexity of the Original
Zhu Bajie is one ofJourney to the West’s most complex characters, primarily due to his bipolar personality traits that can make him both endearing and off-putting at times. The same couldn’t be more true ofBlack Myth: Wukong’s Bajie, whose love for Sun Wukong comes out in his loyalty to the Destined One, but he often uses the other side of his mouth to talk down to the protagonist all the same. Bajie persistently complains as though he’s being forced beyond his will to help the Destined One, but he continues to show up and help anyway, despite not actually being forced to do so. He’s a complicated character, both inJourney to the WestandBlack Myth: Wukong, but that’s what makes him one of each story’s best.
Not All of Bajie’s Journey to the West Characteristics Are Represented in Black Myth: Wukong’s Bajie
While Bajie’s disposition is the same in bothJourney to the WestandBlack Myth: Wukong, not all of his characteristics are represented in the game. Specifically, Bajie is known for being very lustful inJourney to the West, as he allows his desires to cloud his judgment and get him into trouble. In fact, Bajie’s struggle with lust is one of the more humorous parts of his character, as it shows his own frailty and therefore makes him more relatable than someone like Sun Wukong. However, Bajie’s iconic lustfulness is not one of hisdefining characteristics inBlack Myth: Wukong.
InJourney to the West, despite all his flaws, Bajie is a kind, loyal friend whose laziness sometimes contributes to his discontent — but in the most lighthearted and endearing way possible. InBlack Myth: Wukong, he is the exact same person from the novel, as it’s often very easy to see his true nature in his kind eyes. Bajie has several moments inBlack Myth: Wukongwhere he wears his heart on his sleeve, with one of his most emotional reckonings happening after thefinal boss fightof Chapter 4.
One of the reasons Bajie is so lovable is because he is relatable. As an everymantype of yaoguai, he embodies the weaknesses and strengths of the average person, and his journey full of growth and self-reflection is much like what anyone would experience.Black Myth: Wukongwouldn’t have been able to make such a character without the help of hisJourney to the Westcounterpart. Thankfully, the two are nearly identical so even those who haven’t read the novel can experience the true Bajie.
