@@farizr.batarai8271you'll know what happened if you fight and win against wukong's broken shell at the final fight after fighting erlang. That's the true ending, and it'll show you a cutscene of journey to the west backwards as your character recalls his memories as wukong, coz this is not a secret ending. It's just a requirement to get the true ending. There are only two ending: bad ending if you didn't find this fight, and true ending if you found this fight.
@@farizr.batarai8271 my comment disapeared, maybe got deleted? I'll just paste this here too. This is not a secret ending. This fight is just a requirement to get the true ending. There are only two endings. Bad ending if you didn't do this fight. True ending if you do this fight then fight the final boss.
I'm honestly curious where Black Myth is going. Since Wukong and Erlang already rebelled, it wouldn't surprise me if Nezha join them if they decide to tackle the Heavens.
@@LadCarmichaelif the leaks about 2 DLC coming for Black myth wukong...I'm pretty sure it'll be about wukong going up agaisny eastern and western gods. Some sort of GoW kind of treatment lmao
There are game files indicating 2 other endings not in the game yet. 1 where wukong causes trouble in hwaven again but finds he is not strong enough, he goes back to the past to stop the Destined One from killing the demon kings. The other endings involves raiding the heavens with the allied demon kings.
@@DANirulable i call bs a wukong who is strong enough to beat the other full powered wukong and erlang shen + the 4 heavenly kings in a 1 on 1 and 1 on 5 fight respectively. could 100% take heaven by himself like besides the buddha everyone else should be fodder (like we beat a full powered wukong using our own strength then at the end got his strength added onto ours)
In Chinese there is a phrase that specifically describe the relationship between Erlang Shen and the Jade Emperor: 听调不听宣. It roughly translates to "Do your bidding, but don't recognize your authority". i.e. Erlang will aid the Jade Emperor in time of crisis, but in normal times he doesn't recognize the Jade emperor as his superior. In real life, the phrase is often used to describe the dynamics between a weak/young emperor and a powerful warlord/general and it originates from Erlang' lore.
相当于一个雇佣军队或者外包公司，只执行命令，不接受直接管理。It is equivalent to a mercenary army or outsourcing company that only follows orders and does not accept direct management.
The dynamic between Wukong and Erlang is what essentially inspired the hot-headed impulsive protag and their cool-headed serious bestie/rival trope in Asian literature & media. They're both outcasts, often butting heads but ultimately have mutual respect. They're friends as well as rivals, the quintessential example of 'frenemies' in Chinese literature.
@FelisImpurrator Erlang's counterpart is actually Tien (3rd eye and all). Hence why Tien was first introduced as Goku's rival in the og series, later turned ally. Vegeta is said to be based on the six-eared macaque aka Wukong's evil twin who tried to steal his identity 😂 He is one of the four celestial monkeys in the JTTW universe. The other three's dragonball counterparts are Goku, Nappa & Raditz. Let's just say Toriyama was deeeep in his journey to the west lore lol
Wukong and Erlangshen are two of the three famous deities who had rebelled against the heaven. Nezha was the third one, he appeared in chapter 5 ending animation along with his father, Li Jing, who was holding a pagoda
Spoiler! Attention please. Erlang has been guarding the last relic for Wukong. ErLang is the leader of MeiShan(plum blossom mountain) seven saints. Moreover, his subordinates-the Meishan Six Yaoguai-have been helping us throughout the entire storyline. They include the white-robed scholar who helps you obtain the fireproof mantle, the wild boar in yellow who helps you get the wind tamer , the bamboo hat wearer who leads you to the true Maitreya Buddha, the centipede man who guides you to find the Embroidered Needle, and the bull demon who leads you to the final passage to Meishan. The Arms-Extending Monkey, the last one of the six, also known as the four god money In chaos era, has not yet appeared, and its whereabouts are currently unknown. All the Yaoguai above has referred someone “brother” in the game, that’s ErLang.
Basically right in every aspect, except for that Bull Demon King is not one of the Mei Mountain Brothers, he helped us simply because he was Wukong's oath brother and feel regretted after Wukong's death.
Some say Yuanhong the monkey of the 7 brothers is Sun Wukong. Or a previous reincarnation of him. Bamboo hat guy has goat legs, he is probably Yangxian the goat guai. So the one missing is the dog
@@bowmanc.7439 Nah, they are two characters. The reason someone says that is because other Meishan brothers used to call Wukong second brother in the JTTW. Basically, Wukong was chasing a yaoguai at that time, and he ran into Erlang and his brothers. The brothers know that Wukong is the heavenly great sage and equally powerful as Erlang (they worship Erlang a lot), thus they called him second brother (they still think that Erlang is the best lol). After the fight 500 years ago, Erlang and Wukong kinda became friends because they seldomly find a match. After talking with each other, Erlang and his brothers helped Wukong to defeat that Yaoguai.
You are truly are the master of deception, so I guess I'll play along (whilst I am the best of seeing through deceptions out of all people- so you're safe with me) - Er Lang Shen
8:00 杨二郎/Yang Erlang fighting the flood was a real event in Chinese history. Except the real Erlang was a man, not a god. After that, people started to worship Erlang as a hero who saved countless lives, then rumors gone wild, novalists and artists began to paint him as a "God among us". That's why he was originally discribed as a water god, until he became a war god 1000 yrs later, tales gone even more wild... His old title 灌江口二郎 baseaclly means "Erlang the River Ruler". He is a perfect example of a mortal that eraned people's heart, was made a god by the people. And that's how pretty much half of the Chinese gods came from. The most recent one, I believe, is Professer Yuan Longping (1930.9.7-2021.5.22.), people actually started to call him the God of Agriculture and Harvest on the day he passed away.
oh man in my 40s, finally the game of my favorite novel growing up is made with beautiful graphic and story, your explanation is awesome btw!!! I believe Game Science has done a phenomenal job of expanding the original story! The secret ending is perfect, my parents told me Journey to West teaches us a lot of lessons in life, one of it is "nothing is more valuable than freedom", not even immortality!!
I have read Journey to the West long time ago. Black Myth tells amazing new stories of Wukong. I watched a lot of Black Myth videos recently. I think your video is the best interpretation of the background story! The personal story of Erlang Shen himself is the reason for his role in the true ending. Thanks for your deep dive.
The third eye of Erlang Shen is actually a physical representation of the Open Sky Eye in Daoist practice, which grants the ability to foresee the future.
Erlang Shen does not directly serve in the heavenly court, and he does not usually stay there. When Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace and the Jade Emperor's forces were unable to subdue him, Erlang Shen was called upon to assist.
Er-Lang Shen is basically the most prominent God of War in medieval pagan Chinese mythology in the mythos he is known to be the one whom often tasked to take out the greatest threats. He is like Chinese Ares but not as dumb and have more virtue
Mythologically, Erlang is more like Thor/Athena rather than Tyr/Ares, he doesn't represent violence nor warfare, but of harvesting & hydraulic engineering and political authority. He is built to be powerful, but not a figure in charge of invasive/defensive social mobolization
@@魏子茗-q8c Erlang Shen is more like the Official who can actually fight, repair and manage cities equally well. In a Strategy Game, he would be that OP versatile guy whose War, Intelligence Politics and Charisma are all above 95 (out of 100.)
The belief in Erlang Shen has a history of nearly 2,000 years. As early as 1,000 years before the novel Journey to the West, the legend about building water conservancy projects may be the earliest origin of Erlang Shen. It may be the father and son Li Bing, who built water conservancy projects in the Qin State in the central and southwestern region. There have been many versions, and the names are different. The unchanged sacrifice is sheep. By the time of the novel, the more popular version is the surname Yang (pronounced like sheep).
Please also do a video on the tragic love between Bajie and the Violet Spider Lady! That story alone would spill a lot of us viewers's tears, teas, and cookies as well!
It is notable that he planned it all, the cinematic after the Bull King chapter shows a wukong bereft of his artifacts, almost like he sent them down ahead of time to plan for his reincarnation. The Old monkey is plotting against Wukong, even Bajie mentions the he is up to something. I want DLC to reunite with Bajia, and maybe even Tripaka to show he is the true rebirth of Wukong. I think Bajie deserves the closure.
I am thrilled by this ending! I have always felt that Erlang did not completely "bent the knee" to the Celestial Court in his original lore, but only suppressed his feeling of injustice for the overall greater good of both heaven and earth. This ending matches that interpretation perfectly. The author of the original Journey to the West also used his masterpiece as a masked satire against the corruption of the Ming dynasty of his era. Back Myth: Wukon continues that direction well. But let's hope that this direction would not raise any eyebrow in the current "Celestial Court", or we won't be seeing DLC or sequel anytime soon.
LOL! The market in China is more than big enough for a sequel. No need to worry about "Celestial Court" convening a senate subcommittee to sanction this game in the name of national security.
When you realised none of the game's bosses are villains, they are all victims of the celestial court. Cant wait for the DLC where we deal with the Jade Emperor, the true villain of the story
In Chinese novel................is a No........even Buddha And Godess Guanyin side Jade Emperor....that is why Wukong was held under the 5 fingers hill by Buddha...end up go on mission for the journey to the west..............hahahaaaaaaaa
@@jacksmith-mu3eebuddha “assisted wukong” by putting a headband on him, removing his freedom, and giving him buddhahood (a job/title, which further limits his freedom). The buddha be planning the whole journey to the west and pulling the strings, Tang Seng (the monk) is Buddha’s disciple’s reincarnation lol. They shady they ain’t on Wukong side if he’s free, if Wukong still was a buddha, ofc they would, they would be his boss and order him around why wouldn’t they be on his side?
Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong forged a friendship after their epic duel. During Wukong's imprisonment, Erlang was the ONLY god who visited him. During the assault against Huaguo Mountain, Erlang Shen made sure the majority of Wukong's subjects survived. He has no choice but to burn a part of the mountain, but he did make sure to shield most of Wukong's subject/family. As such, Wukong feels indebted to him. The Plum Mountain demons call Wukong "2nd brother Sun" (as they call Erlang the Eldest Brother). Wukong also refers to Erlang as his brother.
why would erlang help wukong and the destined one? edit: i read erlang's lores: so erlang (yang jian) got issues with jade emperor (his uncle) about his mother (jade emperor's younger sister) who is married to a male mortal (erlang's father). Erlang's big brother dies, and his younger sister got proctection from Queen Mother of the West. His mother was punished by being imprisoned in a mountain on earth for loving a mortal. His father dies cuz he was still grieving for his wife so he didn't care about the affairs of the court and he was demoted to a poorer commoner than before. He also fell ill and passed away. From then on, yang jian (erlang's mortal name) became a taoist and practiced taoism. He used his giant axe to split the mountain to save his mother and made many meritorious deeds for the people. His filial piety and kindness moved the Jade Emperor, who then appointed him as the Erlang of Guankou (guankou is his birthplace).
One minor thing. the seventy two changes, is not really allowing to transform to 72 things. It's more a astrology naming. Based on the novel journey to the west, it's more a skill which allows the person to escape from some disaster. It's a common mistake that people do
@@shadowclaw7210 well the reason that wukong chose 72 is because of 72 is bigger than 36. The number is pure constellar naming. I'm not sure I know the pun that you mentioned
@@jiaruochen3167 I either gaslighted myself. Or I swear there is supposed to be word play on whole 72 transformation title. That 72 in Chinese is somehow connected to constellation and in actuality means limitless transformation. Either my memory falling me or I was lied.
The 72 Transformation is actually 72 skills or abilities. For example, 1 of the 72 skills is shapeshifting so he can transform to whatever he wants to be be. So that one skill alone covers all the transformation. So he has 71 more skills left. And another skill is making clones. Another skill is his soul can leave his body. Another skill is he can copy other's powers. Another skill is cloud riding. So you get the idea.
I can’t even begin to imagine how loyal a dog would be after doing all of that for it… most of us do the bare minimum for our dogs and they are still the most loyal creatures on the planet..imagine granting them immortality and teaching them spells 😮
Who else wants a dlc where Erlang and Wukong are allies and finnaly bring down the corrupt heavenly court? Exacting vengeance on the Jade Emperor, perhaps even stumbling upon Nezha.
Erlang is a gigachad! I mean if he is living in our modern day society he would be someone who has 6 pack apps, runs multiple billion dollar businesses, and beats iron man championship every year!
Talk about the Erlang Shen's flood control, that project exists. It's in Sichuan Province, called Dujiangyan. It harnessed the river using a new method of channeling and dividing the water rather than simply damming it, which is a genius design and made Sichuan the richest province of China since ancient time. In the history book, the project was overseen by Li Bing and his son, whose legendary status has led many to associate him with Erlang Shen.
Now I want, Erlang Shen and The Destined One destroy the Jade Palace and fight other gods and Jade emperor 🔥 also Ne Zha for Secret Ending would be fire! 🔥
Erlang, Nezha, Wukong, famous enough. Bi Fang, Niu Mo also able to master the 72 change, and ofc again rebelled against Heaven. Difference in power: Erlang - Third eye, 9 turn complex (gd translation), golden eagle, heaven dog Wukong - Fiery Eyes (vulnerable to smoke), impenetrable skin (hence him being stab to death in the beginning is not justified), his rod is also the strongest weapon in the list. Nezha: rollerblade wheels, his scarf Bi fang: Flame Niu Mo: kinda recruited a lot of Yao guai including the Monkey King against heaven.
Deception is the only way to win any overpowered entity. Kratos did thesame to zeus when he saw that zeus was going to win. He layed down is arms and knelt down asking zeus to come and release him from the torment of his life by killing him. Just when zeus grabbed the sword, Kratos jumped him and stabbed him multiple times.
Erlang Shen in Chinese means, loosely, “second born God” (er, 二 means second; lang, 郎 means son; shen, 神 means god). Folklores say he’s actually an only child, but he calls himself “second” because he sees himself only second to heaven. Quite an amusing comparison with Sun Wukong, who calls himself “great sage equal to heaven”, considering similarities and distinctions of their respective story arcs.
would be really cool if we're somehow told that Nezha was also part of this rebellion, we fight him as a boss in the DLC and later on it is revealed that he's also in on the plan and the 3 of them take on the rest of the imperial court
Phenomenal video!! In regards to the secret ending where in the video game do we find out Wukong and Erland were working together ?? I've done absolutely everything in the game but didn't catch that nod. Or are we just going off by what Erland said before battle in his secret area, which seems very vague imo. Still a great video!! 🍻
Erland is the #1 candidate for part 2 of this game. Either the journey of Erland himself against the heaven court or with the help of Wukong. They both take revenge on the heaven court
Wukong can create infinity clones as strong as himself so it's easy win for him. He'll have a larger army of Wukongs. That is why the Jade Emperor fears him.
@@DanielYuan-cf2og I know. :) Even the idea Wukong giving up Buddhahood would have not be possible if one understand the enlightened state of Buddha. But for the sake of the game's tale, it must be done and he must be nerf.
Erlang own history with the heaven was never pretty to begin with. It felt so good to know that, in this game, he support Wukong to get rid of the thing that bound our monkey king to the heavenly court. It will be fun if in the DLC Wukong and Erlang join force!
Hmmm. Have you noticed that the story of Erlang Shen actually includes details from the myth of Houyi (slaying the nine suns) and of Yu the Great (taming the floods with engineering)? I found that interesting.
@@yellowsoy2475 I'm actually wondering if some alternative version of the Erlang Shen story just incorporated the other ones, because that happens sometimes.
For all the story of Yang Jian, the goddess of the Erlang, you can watch a Chinese TV series from more than a decade ago called 《宝莲灯前传》, which covers the story of Yang Jian's rescue of his mother Yao Ji
Great video, now I see what all this seemingly senseless killing was about. Haha. I just wanted to chill on a mountain but the King of space was scared I might go crazy so came and pissed on my bonfire. I paraphrase lol. I can fight for that!
@@storieswithcookieOne theory is that the old monkey is actually SanZang唐三藏, the old master of WuKong, he represents the Buddha's power, you will hear him sighed when he put on the headband, and he called the pig "BaJie", only SanZang would say that.
@@freelnxeri heard that theory too! The only thing confusing is which version of the “mind” is correct - the destined one or Wukong’s memories in Erlang, apparently you only get the mind relic after True Ending (getting memories) so the mind mentioned by the old monkey is “fake”. I rly can’t tell which version is true but he either is Tang Seng (which is 👍) or an agent sent by the Celestial Court or the Buddha (which is not 👍)
@@shortBP520The interpretation I read was that the Celestial Court wants a new, easier to control version of the Monkey King, and if you do the normal ending that's what happens. But if you get the true ending, with Wukong's real memories the Destined One rejects the headband and completes Erlang and Wukong's scheme to escape the control of Buddha.
@@FelisImpurrator yes, correct! there’s also the idea that “the journey is the most important” not the result. That if becoming wukong is all you cared about, you will fail to see the conspiracy behind it all (controlling wukong by creating an obedient reincarnation”
i have a thing for the dlc **like in elden ring, required certain requirements being met,** 1. Mohg and radahn being beaten for this game it might be beating the game 3 times to have the wukong stance, you'll be playing as the destined one replaying wukongs journey **OR** you'll play as the real wukong during his journey to the west and dlc ends when hes granted buddhahood **probably** breaking free from the headband due to players actions during it, or being forced and the ending of the dlc ties into the start of the base game and it ties into the destined one, but breaking free during the dlc would probably give something special or they could let us down and add 3 different things
In BMW, you have to dig every detail to get the full puzzle completed. The reason why Wukong got back to his mountain is because he found that the so called immortality of the god is taking wills of mortals and yaoguai which you will gain every time you kill the enemies, and this hypocrisy made Wukong feel so sick that he gave up his position
For those who is still confused on the Animation of the Secret ending. It is the Destined one gaining Wukong's memory from End to Start that he got from Erlang. This means that Erlang stabbing him and Wukong saying that he will break free from the Crown is the end and should be the indicator for the Destined one and The player itself that the purpose of this elaborate plan of the two is for Wukong's freedom from the Crown itself. The last one where he drank alone surrounded by weapons is when he got it from the River dragon for his people to use to protect themselves while he is gone as well as when he just Obtained his armor and his infamous Ruyi Jingu Bang staff before crashing out to the Celestial Palace and getting Stacks of immortality (Unintentionally) Just letting you all know, especially for those who haven't read or watched anything Journey to the West related.
Since Goku is based on Wukong, is it fair to say Vegeta takes inspo from Erlang? Either way, what beautiful character. I'm so happy China and Game Science chose to share their story through such an amazing game!! Also, a DLC is almost but guaranteed down the road. I wonder if they'll give us an option to play as Erlang Shen?
er umm no. Kinda similar but not really. Bc in the lore ... Erlang is actually stronger than Wukong. Especially when you also consider the Feng Shen novel where Erlang is basically an upgraded version of Wukong every way. Erlang is far more battle-hardened than Wukong and Equal in strength. Not only does he excel in combat, but he also possesses all of Wukong's abilities. (this is proven in Fengshen's novel where Erlang fight abundant of Being far greater than Wukong during the Deify/Fengshen war) So no... Similar in some ways but not the same P/s aside from the lore part. I think what you said can be happening. it's up to the interpretation of the Studio after all. But I don't think they would let go of the opportunity to let people play one of the most beloved characters aside from Wukong.
The old monkey is Wukong's master during the journey, tang san zang. He is the buddhas's head pupil. And huangmei(yellow brow) is the buddha's second place pupil. In the original lore where the gods have flaws but are much kinder, tang san zang is reincarnated into mortal and sent to fetch scriptures for the sake of experiencing hardships, so that the buddha feels more appropriate to give tang san zang a god position. In this process tang san zang died 9 times and only on his 10th reincarnation he met wukong and successfully retrieved the scriptures. In blackmyth wukong, tang san zang was punished to become mortal. This is because his beliefe is that gods shouldn't set them self higher than mortals and only help mortals who are useful to gods. He believe gods should walk the earth just like mortals and actively help mortals without seeking anything in return. As the big pupil of the buddha, having this sort of belief is not accepted. Because how can gods secure their position and immortality without worship and offering from the masses? Tang san zang triggered a red line due to his attempt of revolutionizing the system, so the buddha turned him mortal and sent him on a trip with 81 challenges to teach him a lesson. After the journey and wukong killed himself. tang san zang willingly became mortal again in the form of monkey to be with the destined one. But he will not interfere. The buddha think his big pupil tang san zang is betting on wukong to overthrow the systemits as way of rebelling against him, and remarks among other gods that if one bet, then one may lose(Buddha is threatening tang san zang). But tang san zang say he is not betting, just observing. Hence why if destined one do not get possessed by wukong, tang san zang simply puts the head band on and let the destined one go secure his god position, and tang san zang will wait for the next reincarnation of wukong's relic on the mountain as a monkey. Tang san zang doesn't interfere because one, the buddhas don't let him, and two, because he believe he doesn't need to. He believe there will be a wukong's reincarnation that successfully overthrows the system. Wukong is undying and limitless so his rebel will will always manifest. You can read the old monkey's lore book, and also watch the chapter three animation, you can figure it out.
while the lotus lantern is not really that accurate in telling er lang's origin, it nice to see it used here. i only remember watching it when i was young when i saw erlang's giant axe.
Erlang's brothers helped and challenged players from Chapter 1 to 5. When the NPC died and said "I failed my brother" they mentioned Erlang. They are Whiteclad Noble in Chapter1. The pig open the door to kingdom of sahali in Chapter 2. The guy with a big hat who is freezing to death need you cast ability to warm himself in Chapter 3. The guy you need to loot a hand in Chapter 4. The buill helped you in Chapter 5.
Hopefully they do a sequel with Erlang Shen as the main protagonist and another sequel with Nezha as the main protagonist of that game so we can build to a third game with all three gods and allies against the heavens.
@@takerweapon1 Now that is a fantastic idea. So the next game could be called "Black Myth: Erlang Shen" and then "Black Myth: Zezha" and finally the conclusion "Black Myth: Celestial War"
Erlang had his nephew Liu Chen Xiang have their share of tragic having to save their mother. Liu Chen Xiang was taught powers by Wukong. The Axe was the weapon of Liu Chen Xiang
15:00 First of all, both Wukong and Yang Jian can defeat this nine-headed monster, but Wukong cannot make it surrender. Erlangshen Yang Jian appears, and Yang Jian's third eye shoots one of the nine-headed monster's heads. He becomes an eight-headed monster. This monster runs to Japan and becomes the Yamata no Orochi in Japanese mythology. Who is Yamata no Orochi: Anyone who has played King of Fighters 97 knows that the boss of the final level is Yamata no Orochi
Erlang had already formed a deep hatred with the Heavenly Court before becoming a god. But he is not only powerful, but also a cunning human (compared to monkeys). He knew he couldn't seek immediate revenge, he knew his abilities were not enough to confront all the gods and Buddhas. So he has to wait for the right moment. Although he is a god, he never fulfills his duties in the heavenly court. He is too lazy to go see the Jade Emperor, and unless there is an urgent matter or a generous reward from the Heavenly Court, he never pays attention to it. Faced with such a powerful person who disregards the authority of the Heavenly Court, the court will definitely strictly supervise him and set up unimaginable ears and eyes around him to monitor him at any time. He waited until he heard that there was a monkey causing trouble in the Heavenly Court, and he became interested. Because there are too many people monitoring him, it's not easy for him to show himself to the Heavenly Court. He just listens to news. He heard that this monkey had become a small official in the Heavenly Court, and after being ridiculed and underestimated by others, he proclaimed himself the Great Sage of Qi Tian. He heard that the monkey had a fight with people from the Heavenly Court, and this monkey has extraordinary abilities. Is it true? Perhaps... it can be a comrade in arms? The cautious Erlang plans to witness it with his own eyes. As expected by Erlang Shen, the monkey's personality led to increasingly severe conflicts in the incident. Erlang finally received the command from the Heavenly Court to send him to rescue him from the heavens. Thank God, I have never looked forward to the Heavenly Court's command so much! He met the monkey as he wished and tried his skills to test its abilities. That's right, it deserves to be a comrade of Erlang Shen, and like him, it is destined not to like the Heavenly Court. Erlang Shen has never been so happy before. But now is not the right time, he needs to rethink and make the monkey understand his thoughts. There are too many people watching the battle on the battlefield, and he cannot explain it to the monkey in detail. Moreover, the monkey does not understand the true darkness of the Heavenly Court, it is only ridiculed and angered. He continued to wait. He heard that the monkey was trapped at the foot of the Five Elements Mountain, but he was not in a hurry. He knew that the Heavenly Court would not forget the powerful ones who had enough abilities to rival him. He waited for 500 years and heard that the monkey had been released and was going west, so he continued to wait. He heard that the monkey had successfully obtained Buddhist scriptures, become a Buddha, and become a deity. He knew the time was coming and continued to wait. He heard that the monkey had seen through the darkness of the Heavenly Court, resigned from the throne, and had a falling out with the Heavenly Court. He is still waiting. He received the command from the Heavenly Court: to eliminate the monkeys. He knows that the time has come. The dialogue in the opening CG of the game is full of helplessness towards the commands of the Heavenly Court, and this method is also used to tell the monkey that he cannot speak clearly because the Heavenly Court is monitoring him. As long as the monkey can understand his words. Erlang Shen knows that monkeys can definitely understand! Because it is the same as him. Also, because Erlang Shen knew that monkeys could understand, he knew that monkeys would definitely join forces with him! The two of them cherish each other's hearts, and there is no need for further discussion. Just follow each other's ideas to achieve the same goal! (As for why he assumed that the monkey would understand him? Oh, Erlang Shen is so confident because almost everyone knows that he doesn't want to obey the orders of the Heavenly Court, so he guessed that the monkey must know that he wants to rebel against the Heavenly Court.) In the battle, under the gaze of the gods and Buddhas in the sky, Erlang Shen asked him: What does it matter if you become a buddy? That headband has always been on your head The monkey smiled and said, 'Keep those eyes wide open.' watch me rip it off and breakfree! (Note that monkeys have a way to preserve the will and memory of the Great Sage in the third eye of Erlang God, so what the monkey really wants to say to Erlang God is: Open the third eye! I want to use this method to get rid of it!)
The art of language in this game is at its peak. The dialog in the opening CG Erlang Shen saides: - Here's my offer, if you lose, I'll take you to the celestial court. - They will stay and level your mountain - But if I lose, I shall certainly take revenge - And they will level your mountain nonetheless! By using “they” instead of “we”, he's telling Wukong that he and “they” don't share the same command. The order to destroy your beloved home was not given by me, but by the Court. So, Wukong, do you understand? It's okay for us to fight, but I didn't give the order to destroy your beloved home!. And then he goes on to say: - You were one of the Court; we don't need to resort to violence. It's funny, Erlang Shen never bothered to go to Court and never cared about the other gods, and now he's starting to care about his coworkers? He just told Wukong that he didn't even want to fight. The cost of rebellion is too high, everyone must be careful with their words.
Many ppl mistaken 72 transformations as 72 transformations of you but actually, this is 72 transformations of the earth. You can change the earth in 72 ways
@@phamduy1906 it is indeed called 72 transformations of the earth, though 72 is the number of earth, so some say earth is just a way to discribe the number
It could also be 72 abilities. To name of few, he can make clones is one ability, he can copy any ability of his foe is another, and another ability is his soul can leave his body. So 72 transformation isn't about shapeshifting, even though one of the 72 ability is shapeshifting.
7:07 Little off topic but Erlang killing 9 sun gods and sparing one is weirdly similar to another story from chinese mythology I heard of. It's the origin of the Moon Goddess and our mooncakes. So basically 10 suns (giant fire birds) started showing up in the sky, creating drought to the humans down below. Out of sheer rage, this random guy decided to climb up the tallest mountain in China and fucking sniped 9 of the 10 sun birds with a bow and arrow. He then threatened the bird to basically act like our sun (rise and fall during set intervals) or find the same fate as his brothers. For this gesture, the heavens blessed him with heavenly immortality pills which he gave to his wife for safekeeping. Life was all good from that point until one of his students who caught knowledge of the pills decided to take them for himself one day. Once the man wasn't home, he snuck in and threatened the wife to give him the pills or else. Out of fear and knowing she shouldn't give this psycho immortality, she decided to swallow all of them at once. This made her all sparkly and slowlg float towards the sky, freaking the absolute shit outta the student. She then resided on the moon ever since as the Moon Goddess. Her husband rightfully sad, decided to make it a yearly tradition to offer her favorite snacks, some sweet chinese pastries at the same time every year, thus is the origin of our moon cakes. Aside from that long story, I find it a bit weird seeing two different versions of the story in the same mythology no less. Can anyone more knowledgeable explain this?
They are two separate tales. Yang Jian in the historical literature was NEVER involved with the killing of the 9 suns. The character who actually killed them was a guy called Hou Yi and he is the husband of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. Also, rather than it being some kind of vendetta against the 10 suns, he was actually authorized by the Jade Emperor to sort them out. I don’t know where this person researched this from or if this is a recent thing but I grew up with these stories and I never heard Yang Jian’s involvement with the 10 suns before.
The prologue did not happen. It’s a tale told by the Old Monkey to push countless monkeys on the quest. The part where Wukong died in Bull King arms was the real version of what happened.
Lingshan and the Celestial Court wanted Wukong subdued but used the demon kings under Erlang’s leadership instead to take out Wukong and split his relics. But Erlang was already in cahoots with Wukong so he took the most important Mind until a worthy Destined monkey comes along.
Great and informative video! You seem to have trouble picking a consistent pronounciation for Yang Jian. In English, you should pronounce it like "Yang Jen", sounds closest to native pronounciation.
The biggest misconception about the Jade Emperor is that he begged for Buddha's help. In mythology, the Jade Emperor is considered far superior to Buddha. When Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor was disturbed by the noise and asked for Buddha to be sent from the West to resolve the matter. Wukong didn’t even get a chance to meet the Jade Emperor, unlike in the TV series.
What do you think of the secret ending?
It was cool hope they make a sequel about what happened after the secret ending
Smell a heavenly civil war
@@farizr.batarai8271you'll know what happened if you fight and win against wukong's broken shell at the final fight after fighting erlang. That's the true ending, and it'll show you a cutscene of journey to the west backwards as your character recalls his memories as wukong, coz this is not a secret ending. It's just a requirement to get the true ending. There are only two ending: bad ending if you didn't find this fight, and true ending if you found this fight.
The ending is definitely setting us up for a sequel 🤞🏻
@@farizr.batarai8271 my comment disapeared, maybe got deleted? I'll just paste this here too. This is not a secret ending. This fight is just a requirement to get the true ending. There are only two endings. Bad ending if you didn't do this fight. True ending if you do this fight then fight the final boss.
Erlang: rebeling from shadow
Wukong : rebeling when confronted
Nezha : rebel is his first and last name
LMAO, makes me wanna watch that one chinese drama that has all three of them as the main character again
They treated him so poorly since birth it's no surprise at all he rebelled against everyone and everything.
Nezha was betrayed by everyone except his mother. It's actually so infuriating to read his story/watch the TV adaptations.
I'm honestly curious where Black Myth is going. Since Wukong and Erlang already rebelled, it wouldn't surprise me if Nezha join them if they decide to tackle the Heavens.
@@LadCarmichaelif the leaks about 2 DLC coming for Black myth wukong...I'm pretty sure it'll be about wukong going up agaisny eastern and western gods. Some sort of GoW kind of treatment lmao
Erlang Shen, Nezha, and Sun Wukong are the three major rebels of the Heavenly Court. I hope to see them fighting together in DLC
That would be awesome!
It'll be interesting if they do a dlc or if they just start production on a sequel. Either way, it would be awesome to see them in their next project
Yep see you in 2030
There are game files indicating 2 other endings not in the game yet. 1 where wukong causes trouble in hwaven again but finds he is not strong enough, he goes back to the past to stop the Destined One from killing the demon kings. The other endings involves raiding the heavens with the allied demon kings.
@@DANirulable i call bs a wukong who is strong enough to beat the other full powered wukong and erlang shen + the 4 heavenly kings in a 1 on 1 and 1 on 5 fight respectively. could 100% take heaven by himself
like besides the buddha everyone else should be fodder (like we beat a full powered wukong using our own strength then at the end got his strength added onto ours)
In Chinese there is a phrase that specifically describe the relationship between Erlang Shen and the Jade Emperor: 听调不听宣. It roughly translates to "Do your bidding, but don't recognize your authority". i.e. Erlang will aid the Jade Emperor in time of crisis, but in normal times he doesn't recognize the Jade emperor as his superior. In real life, the phrase is often used to describe the dynamics between a weak/young emperor and a powerful warlord/general and it originates from Erlang' lore.
That is so interesting, thank you!
@@storieswithcookieErlang shen is the most handsome. That is why in Chinese drama Erlang shen's actor are all good looking.
听调不听宣
调=调遣（派遣）
宣=宣召（见面）
这是一种私人武装，割据势力的特权
相当于一个雇佣军队或者外包公司，只执行命令，不接受直接管理。It is equivalent to a mercenary army or outsourcing company that only follows orders and does not accept direct management.
The dynamic between Wukong and Erlang is what essentially inspired the hot-headed impulsive protag and their cool-headed serious bestie/rival trope in Asian literature & media. They're both outcasts, often butting heads but ultimately have mutual respect. They're friends as well as rivals, the quintessential example of 'frenemies' in Chinese literature.
I can totally see that, thanks for sharing!
just like sasuke and naruto, midoriya and bakugou, goku and vegeta...
@@Juanchomagro Hinata & Kageyama, Ichigo & Uryu, Natsu & Gray,
@Juanchomagro Goku is literally an anime adaptation of Sun Wukong... So Vegeta really is his Erlang Shen.
@FelisImpurrator Erlang's counterpart is actually Tien (3rd eye and all). Hence why Tien was first introduced as Goku's rival in the og series, later turned ally. Vegeta is said to be based on the six-eared macaque aka Wukong's evil twin who tried to steal his identity 😂 He is one of the four celestial monkeys in the JTTW universe. The other three's dragonball counterparts are Goku, Nappa & Raditz.
Let's just say Toriyama was deeeep in his journey to the west lore lol
Wukong and Erlangshen are two of the three famous deities who had rebelled against the heaven. Nezha was the third one, he appeared in chapter 5 ending animation along with his father, Li Jing, who was holding a pagoda
Nezha is the kid on fire wheels. He also has a story and it involves a lotus root or something.
Monkey rebelles openly, Erlang rebelles quietly, and Nezha rebelles when he wants to
In movie Jupiter Ascending , u can see Nezha ,s fire wheel
Li Jing not Nezha's father, the tower in Li Jing's hand is
@@madaraqin718 the tower is nezha's father?🤡
Erlang is a really cool character and one of my favorite chinese gods! Thank you for making the video!
He’s awesome. Thank you for watching 😊❤️
Spoiler! Attention please.
Erlang has been guarding the last relic for Wukong. ErLang is the leader of MeiShan(plum blossom mountain) seven saints. Moreover, his subordinates-the Meishan Six Yaoguai-have been helping us throughout the entire storyline. They include the white-robed scholar who helps you obtain the fireproof mantle, the wild boar in yellow who helps you get the wind tamer , the bamboo hat wearer who leads you to the true Maitreya Buddha, the centipede man who guides you to find the Embroidered Needle, and the bull demon who leads you to the final passage to Meishan. The Arms-Extending Monkey, the last one of the six, also known as the four god money In chaos era, has not yet appeared, and its whereabouts are currently unknown. All the Yaoguai above has referred someone “brother” in the game, that’s ErLang.
Basically right in every aspect, except for that Bull Demon King is not one of the Mei Mountain Brothers, he helped us simply because he was Wukong's oath brother and feel regretted after Wukong's death.
@@YingjieYang-ChampY The bull which I mentioned is not the father of Yaksha, is the one lead you to a gate, then he died.
That's correct 💯
Some say Yuanhong the monkey of the 7 brothers is Sun Wukong. Or a previous reincarnation of him.
Bamboo hat guy has goat legs, he is probably Yangxian the goat guai.
So the one missing is the dog
@@bowmanc.7439 Nah, they are two characters. The reason someone says that is because other Meishan brothers used to call Wukong second brother in the JTTW. Basically, Wukong was chasing a yaoguai at that time, and he ran into Erlang and his brothers. The brothers know that Wukong is the heavenly great sage and equally powerful as Erlang (they worship Erlang a lot), thus they called him second brother (they still think that Erlang is the best lol). After the fight 500 years ago, Erlang and Wukong kinda became friends because they seldomly find a match. After talking with each other, Erlang and his brothers helped Wukong to defeat that Yaoguai.
Erlang Shen best actor helped Sun Wukong come back while cheating the whole court
He is!
You are truly are the master of deception, so I guess I'll play along (whilst I am the best of seeing through deceptions out of all people- so you're safe with me) - Er Lang Shen
8:00 杨二郎/Yang Erlang fighting the flood was a real event in Chinese history. Except the real Erlang was a man, not a god. After that, people started to worship Erlang as a hero who saved countless lives, then rumors gone wild, novalists and artists began to paint him as a "God among us". That's why he was originally discribed as a water god, until he became a war god 1000 yrs later, tales gone even more wild...
His old title 灌江口二郎 baseaclly means "Erlang the River Ruler".
He is a perfect example of a mortal that eraned people's heart, was made a god by the people. And that's how pretty much half of the Chinese gods came from. The most recent one, I believe, is Professer Yuan Longping (1930.9.7-2021.5.22.), people actually started to call him the God of Agriculture and Harvest on the day he passed away.
So interesting, thank you!
oh man in my 40s, finally the game of my favorite novel growing up is made with beautiful graphic and story, your explanation is awesome btw!!! I believe Game Science has done a phenomenal job of expanding the original story! The secret ending is perfect, my parents told me Journey to West teaches us a lot of lessons in life, one of it is "nothing is more valuable than freedom", not even immortality!!
They really have. That’s a great life lesson 😊
I have read Journey to the West long time ago. Black Myth tells amazing new stories of Wukong. I watched a lot of Black Myth videos recently. I think your video is the best interpretation of the background story! The personal story of Erlang Shen himself is the reason for his role in the true ending. Thanks for your deep dive.
Aww thank you, that means a lot! I really appreciate you ❤️😊
The third eye of Erlang Shen is actually a physical representation of the Open Sky Eye in Daoist practice, which grants the ability to foresee the future.
Erlang Shen does not directly serve in the heavenly court, and he does not usually stay there. When Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace and the Jade Emperor's forces were unable to subdue him, Erlang Shen was called upon to assist.
Er-Lang Shen is basically the most prominent God of War in medieval pagan Chinese mythology in the mythos he is known to be the one whom often tasked to take out the greatest threats.
He is like Chinese Ares but not as dumb and have more virtue
Mythologically, Erlang is more like Thor/Athena rather than Tyr/Ares, he doesn't represent violence nor warfare, but of harvesting & hydraulic engineering and political authority. He is built to be powerful, but not a figure in charge of invasive/defensive social mobolization
@@魏子茗-q8c Erlang Shen is more like the Official who can actually fight, repair and manage cities equally well. In a Strategy Game, he would be that OP versatile guy whose War, Intelligence Politics and Charisma are all above 95 (out of 100.)
The belief in Erlang Shen has a history of nearly 2,000 years. As early as 1,000 years before the novel Journey to the West, the legend about building water conservancy projects may be the earliest origin of Erlang Shen. It may be the father and son Li Bing, who built water conservancy projects in the Qin State in the central and southwestern region. There have been many versions, and the names are different. The unchanged sacrifice is sheep. By the time of the novel, the more popular version is the surname Yang (pronounced like sheep).
Im loving your videos. you are amazing! Erlang was one of the coolest bosses in this game, the sidesteps mid fight were insane..
Thank you for the sweet comment, that means a lot! 😊❤️ Yeah Erlang is such a cool boss, and you could tell he had a deep history with Wukong
Wow, this game truely has some of the best lore i have ever seen. I really hope we will be able to fight some of the celestial court in the DLC
Seriously!
And these folklores literally have all existed for centries before the game developers make them into game plot...
Please also do a video on the tragic love between Bajie and the Violet Spider Lady! That story alone would spill a lot of us viewers's tears, teas, and cookies as well!
Stay tuned 😉
It is notable that he planned it all, the cinematic after the Bull King chapter shows a wukong bereft of his artifacts, almost like he sent them down ahead of time to plan for his reincarnation. The Old monkey is plotting against Wukong, even Bajie mentions the he is up to something. I want DLC to reunite with Bajia, and maybe even Tripaka to show he is the true rebirth of Wukong. I think Bajie deserves the closure.
That would be awesome!
Good job for putting the intro of the journey to the west as the background music.
😊
I am thrilled by this ending! I have always felt that Erlang did not completely "bent the knee" to the Celestial Court in his original lore, but only suppressed his feeling of injustice for the overall greater good of both heaven and earth. This ending matches that interpretation perfectly.
The author of the original Journey to the West also used his masterpiece as a masked satire against the corruption of the Ming dynasty of his era. Back Myth: Wukon continues that direction well. But let's hope that this direction would not raise any eyebrow in the current "Celestial Court", or we won't be seeing DLC or sequel anytime soon.
I know exactly what you mean 😅
LOL! The market in China is more than big enough for a sequel. No need to worry about "Celestial Court" convening a senate subcommittee to sanction this game in the name of national security.
Ah yeah ccp is bad take, like the west gov is the best. Smh western moral supermacy hypocrite
ha ha ha ha, well spoken. I also understand what that Celestial Court "CC" today. :P
@@AmerthaManuabaLOL😂
When you realised none of the game's bosses are villains, they are all victims of the celestial court. Cant wait for the DLC where we deal with the Jade Emperor, the true villain of the story
Seriously! Can’t wait to see the arc where everyone teams up against the jade emperor
In Chinese novel................is a No........even Buddha And Godess Guanyin side Jade Emperor....that is why Wukong was held under the 5 fingers hill by Buddha...end up go on mission for the journey to the west..............hahahaaaaaaaa
There is no dlc . They launched a full game
@@BadBoy-so2pq u do know that Buddha is above the jade emperor .
Buddha assisted wukong
@@jacksmith-mu3eebuddha “assisted wukong” by putting a headband on him, removing his freedom, and giving him buddhahood (a job/title, which further limits his freedom). The buddha be planning the whole journey to the west and pulling the strings, Tang Seng (the monk) is Buddha’s disciple’s reincarnation lol. They shady they ain’t on Wukong side if he’s free, if Wukong still was a buddha, ofc they would, they would be his boss and order him around why wouldn’t they be on his side?
Great video, listened to it while working so i'm going to rewatch it again later 😁
So great to hear, thank you! 😊
ok Game Science, please make Black Myth 2: Erlang, Black Myth 3: Nezha, and finally Black Myth 4: Avengers Assemble! kthxbai.
Love it 😂
@@storieswithcookie Next Chapter is BlackMyth: Jiang Ziya. And that's also the story telling where Erlang Shen comes from
Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong forged a friendship after their epic duel.
During Wukong's imprisonment, Erlang was the ONLY god who visited him. During the assault against Huaguo Mountain, Erlang Shen made sure the majority of Wukong's subjects survived. He has no choice but to burn a part of the mountain, but he did make sure to shield most of Wukong's subject/family.
As such, Wukong feels indebted to him. The Plum Mountain demons call Wukong "2nd brother Sun" (as they call Erlang the Eldest Brother). Wukong also refers to Erlang as his brother.
why would erlang help wukong and the destined one?
edit: i read erlang's lores: so erlang (yang jian) got issues with jade emperor (his uncle) about his mother (jade emperor's younger sister) who is married to a male mortal (erlang's father). Erlang's big brother dies, and his younger sister got proctection from Queen Mother of the West. His mother was punished by being imprisoned in a mountain on earth for loving a mortal. His father dies cuz he was still grieving for his wife so he didn't care about the affairs of the court and he was demoted to a poorer commoner than before. He also fell ill and passed away.
From then on, yang jian (erlang's mortal name) became a taoist and practiced taoism. He used his giant axe to split the mountain to save his mother and made many meritorious deeds for the people. His filial piety and kindness moved the Jade Emperor, who then appointed him as the Erlang of Guankou (guankou is his birthplace).
this is some deep stuff man. The Chinese really know how to write deep stories
There are so many layers to every story, super fascinating to discover 🔎😊
Chinese already existed as state 3000 years ago .. whole most of Europe excluding Latin, is still barbarian.
One minor thing. the seventy two changes, is not really allowing to transform to 72 things. It's more a astrology naming. Based on the novel journey to the west, it's more a skill which allows the person to escape from some disaster. It's a common mistake that people do
Also isn’t it pun that relates to constellation?
@@shadowclaw7210 well the reason that wukong chose 72 is because of 72 is bigger than 36. The number is pure constellar naming. I'm not sure I know the pun that you mentioned
@@jiaruochen3167 I either gaslighted myself. Or I swear there is supposed to be word play on whole 72 transformation title. That 72 in Chinese is somehow connected to constellation and in actuality means limitless transformation. Either my memory falling me or I was lied.
@@shadowclaw7210 there's way too many word play I chinese. Maybe I simple dont know.
The 72 Transformation is actually 72 skills or abilities. For example, 1 of the 72 skills is shapeshifting so he can transform to whatever he wants to be be. So that one skill alone covers all the transformation. So he has 71 more skills left. And another skill is making clones. Another skill is his soul can leave his body. Another skill is he can copy other's powers. Another skill is cloud riding. So you get the idea.
the more i dive into this lore the more invested i get, holy shit this is like anime on roids
Haha Agreed, the mythology has so much depth 😊
I meant DBZ was based of this to begin with.
3 eyes guy who fought goku in the battle and became his rival
Western and Eastern agree one thing: Parent issue.
I can’t even begin to imagine how loyal a dog would be after doing all of that for it… most of us do the bare minimum for our dogs and they are still the most loyal creatures on the planet..imagine granting them immortality and teaching them spells 😮
Haha seriously, dogs are special animals 🐕 😊
Erlang Shen is such cool god character. I wish Lego Monkie Kid would add his character in their show already and see how he gets along with Wukong
You give such good summaries of the characters of the Wukong saga. Learned a lot. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed and learned something new! I appreciate you 😊
Great work for finding all those cut scenes of different Chinese movies and TV shows
Thank you, it took a lot of time so I am happy you appreciate it 😊❤️
Half God Yang Erlang is also in another mythical story as well good to find out😊
One of the best explanation of the story line!
Thank you, that means a lot 😊❤️
Who else wants a dlc where Erlang and Wukong are allies and finnaly bring down the corrupt heavenly court? Exacting vengeance on the Jade Emperor, perhaps even stumbling upon Nezha.
That would be so epic! ⚔️
DLC is on the way
🔥🔥🔥
Brother you are greatly appreciated for the dedication you put into these videos truly helpful
Thank you so much! ☺️ ❤️
Erlang is a gigachad! I mean if he is living in our modern day society he would be someone who has 6 pack apps, runs multiple billion dollar businesses, and beats iron man championship every year!
I wouldn’t doubt it!
Wukong’s combat skills are so smooth, I’m convinced he’s got a personal choreographer!
Seriously!
Talk about the Erlang Shen's flood control, that project exists. It's in Sichuan Province, called Dujiangyan. It harnessed the river using a new method of channeling and dividing the water rather than simply damming it, which is a genius design and made Sichuan the richest province of China since ancient time. In the history book, the project was overseen by Li Bing and his son, whose legendary status has led many to associate him with Erlang Shen.
Very interesting-thank you so much for sharing!
Now I want, Erlang Shen and The Destined One destroy the Jade Palace and fight other gods and Jade emperor 🔥 also Ne Zha for Secret Ending would be fire! 🔥
🔥
@@storieswithcookiethat won't happen. There will be no dlc . They released a complete game
There is a saying among certain Taoist believer that erlang Shen is going to take over the position of the jade emperor after his term is expired.
How interesting!
Wukong always getting jumped
Too true 😂
They have to because he’s so amped 😂
@@krashdummiez007 and PTSD they won't want to experience the beat down and jump on wukong on them
Erlang, Nezha, Wukong, famous enough. Bi Fang, Niu Mo also able to master the 72 change, and ofc again rebelled against Heaven.
Difference in power:
Erlang - Third eye, 9 turn complex (gd translation), golden eagle, heaven dog
Wukong - Fiery Eyes (vulnerable to smoke), impenetrable skin (hence him being stab to death in the beginning is not justified), his rod is also the strongest weapon in the list.
Nezha: rollerblade wheels, his scarf
Bi fang: Flame
Niu Mo: kinda recruited a lot of Yao guai including the Monkey King against heaven.
Deception is the only way to win any overpowered entity. Kratos did thesame to zeus when he saw that zeus was going to win. He layed down is arms and knelt down asking zeus to come and release him from the torment of his life by killing him. Just when zeus grabbed the sword, Kratos jumped him and stabbed him multiple times.
22:32 the dude moved the cloud to block the sun
Never noticed that 😂 Nice catch!
What an awesome little detail, good eye
He moved the cloud because he must block the fight from the gods eye in heaven.
@@blackdurian3601 I meant the sun god is of court no?
omg! what a sick detail you discovered,
Yes! Water Management Success is truly the sign of a god.
😂
Erlang Shen in Chinese means, loosely, “second born God” (er, 二 means second; lang, 郎 means son; shen, 神 means god). Folklores say he’s actually an only child, but he calls himself “second” because he sees himself only second to heaven. Quite an amusing comparison with Sun Wukong, who calls himself “great sage equal to heaven”, considering similarities and distinctions of their respective story arcs.
Interesting, thank you!
二郎神原型是战国时期治理水患的李二郎，不过中间演化了很多次
@@来去-y7l 是的，建都江堰的李冰父子、一位赵姓蜀地郡守、川西古羌人原始的二郎神崇拜，杂糅成了蜀地的水神
would be really cool if we're somehow told that Nezha was also part of this rebellion, we fight him as a boss in the DLC and later on it is revealed that he's also in on the plan and the 3 of them take on the rest of the imperial court
The story of Wukong is fascinating with its ties to Journey to the West. Immersive Translate helped me dive deeper into these cultural aspects.
Yaoguai kings are AWARDED for the souls because they all join Erlang Shen to fight WuKong at the battle of Intro, as well as couple of other gods
Phenomenal video!! In regards to the secret ending where in the video game do we find out Wukong and Erland were working together ?? I've done absolutely everything in the game but didn't catch that nod. Or are we just going off by what Erland said before battle in his secret area, which seems very vague imo. Still a great video!! 🍻
Erland is the #1 candidate for part 2 of this game. Either the journey of Erland himself against the heaven court or with the help of Wukong. They both take revenge on the heaven court
I can smell a heavenly civil war where some god see this injustice comsic order with erlang shen and wukong this is war baby
Let the epic showdown begin
Wukong can create infinity clones as strong as himself so it's easy win for him. He'll have a larger army of Wukongs. That is why the Jade Emperor fears him.
@@walden6272 hey hey, it's a game so they gotta nerf him "abit" to make it actually fun
@@DanielYuan-cf2og I know. :) Even the idea Wukong giving up Buddhahood would have not be possible if one understand the enlightened state of Buddha. But for the sake of the game's tale, it must be done and he must be nerf.
Erlang own history with the heaven was never pretty to begin with. It felt so good to know that, in this game, he support Wukong to get rid of the thing that bound our monkey king to the heavenly court.
It will be fun if in the DLC Wukong and Erlang join force!
Hmmm. Have you noticed that the story of Erlang Shen actually includes details from the myth of Houyi (slaying the nine suns) and of Yu the Great (taming the floods with engineering)? I found that interesting.
Because they are two seperate myths.
I don’t know where she researched this from but it was indeed Houyi the Sun slayer who killed the 9 suns not Yang Jian. They are two separate tales.
@@yellowsoy2475 I'm actually wondering if some alternative version of the Erlang Shen story just incorporated the other ones, because that happens sometimes.
For all the story of Yang Jian, the goddess of the Erlang, you can watch a Chinese TV series from more than a decade ago called 《宝莲灯前传》, which covers the story of Yang Jian's rescue of his mother Yao Ji
Thank you!
Great video, now I see what all this seemingly senseless killing was about. Haha.
I just wanted to chill on a mountain but the King of space was scared I might go crazy so came and pissed on my bonfire. I paraphrase lol.
I can fight for that!
😂 Thanks, I’m happy it helped!
You can learn more about Erlang in the Prelude of Lotus Lantern
Thank you!
gave you a like because u pronounced erlang shen correctly
☺️❤️appreciate you!
none of the names were prounounced correctly??
Does that make the old monkey a bad guy for trying to imprison the destined one in the headband again? Like a double agent for the court
That’s an interesting theory!
@@storieswithcookieOne theory is that the old monkey is actually SanZang唐三藏, the old master of WuKong, he represents the Buddha's power, you will hear him sighed when he put on the headband, and he called the pig "BaJie", only SanZang would say that.
@@freelnxeri heard that theory too! The only thing confusing is which version of the “mind” is correct - the destined one or Wukong’s memories in Erlang, apparently you only get the mind relic after True Ending (getting memories) so the mind mentioned by the old monkey is “fake”. I rly can’t tell which version is true but he either is Tang Seng (which is 👍) or an agent sent by the Celestial Court or the Buddha (which is not 👍)
@@shortBP520The interpretation I read was that the Celestial Court wants a new, easier to control version of the Monkey King, and if you do the normal ending that's what happens. But if you get the true ending, with Wukong's real memories the Destined One rejects the headband and completes Erlang and Wukong's scheme to escape the control of Buddha.
@@FelisImpurrator yes, correct! there’s also the idea that “the journey is the most important” not the result. That if becoming wukong is all you cared about, you will fail to see the conspiracy behind it all (controlling wukong by creating an obedient reincarnation”
i have a thing for the dlc **like in elden ring, required certain requirements being met,**
1. Mohg and radahn being beaten
for this game it might be beating the game 3 times to have the wukong stance, you'll be playing as the destined one replaying wukongs journey **OR** you'll play as the real wukong during his journey to the west and dlc ends when hes granted buddhahood **probably** breaking free from the headband due to players actions during it, or being forced and the ending of the dlc ties into the start of the base game and it ties into the destined one, but breaking free during the dlc would probably give something special
or they could let us down and add 3 different things
Wow that would be super interesting! Can’t wait to see what they end up creating 😊
In BMW, you have to dig every detail to get the full puzzle completed. The reason why Wukong got back to his mountain is because he found that the so called immortality of the god is taking wills of mortals and yaoguai which you will gain every time you kill the enemies, and this hypocrisy made Wukong feel so sick that he gave up his position
Thank you so much for the great explanation! You have earned a new subscriber 😊
That’s so sweet! Welcome aboard 😊❤️🍪
The next game should be wu kong nezha n erlang going up against the jade emperor n heaven
He has his own territory and army, and his status is like a prince
Sun wukong and Erlang Shen are my favorite chinese gods.
For those who is still confused on the Animation of the Secret ending. It is the Destined one gaining Wukong's memory from End to Start that he got from Erlang.
This means that Erlang stabbing him and Wukong saying that he will break free from the Crown is the end and should be the indicator for the Destined one and The player itself that the purpose of this elaborate plan of the two is for Wukong's freedom from the Crown itself.
The last one where he drank alone surrounded by weapons is when he got it from the River dragon for his people to use to protect themselves while he is gone as well as when he just Obtained his armor and his infamous Ruyi Jingu Bang staff before crashing out to the Celestial Palace and getting Stacks of immortality (Unintentionally)
Just letting you all know, especially for those who haven't read or watched anything Journey to the West related.
Since Goku is based on Wukong, is it fair to say Vegeta takes inspo from Erlang? Either way, what beautiful character. I'm so happy China and Game Science chose to share their story through such an amazing game!!
Also, a DLC is almost but guaranteed down the road. I wonder if they'll give us an option to play as Erlang Shen?
Be careful .. congress might pass a bill banning china for overcapacity of games
目前遊戲官方註冊了黑神話姜子牙 姜子牙是封神榜內的故事人物 這個神話故事內容包含哪吒 楊戩 姜子牙 雷神雷震子 托塔天王 四大天王 就是那四個巨人😂哪吒就是砍了牛頭的那個人 托塔天王就是哪吒旁邊拿了一個鐵塔的 他是哪吒的父親關係很複雜
er umm no. Kinda similar but not really. Bc in the lore ... Erlang is actually stronger than Wukong. Especially when you also consider the Feng Shen novel where Erlang is basically an upgraded version of Wukong every way. Erlang is far more battle-hardened than Wukong and Equal in strength. Not only does he excel in combat, but he also possesses all of Wukong's abilities. (this is proven in Fengshen's novel where Erlang fight abundant of Being far greater than Wukong during the Deify/Fengshen war) So no... Similar in some ways but not the same
P/s aside from the lore part. I think what you said can be happening. it's up to the interpretation of the Studio after all. But I don't think they would let go of the opportunity to let people play one of the most beloved characters aside from Wukong.
Vegeta is inspired from *Six-Eared-Macaque* a.k.a Wukong's evil doppelganger.
Not Vegeta, Tianshinhan is inspired by erlang shen, see their third eyes???
Ngl I hope in the upcoming dlc they expand on the "your journey has just begun" line 😭❤️🙏🏽
The old monkey is Wukong's master during the journey, tang san zang. He is the buddhas's head pupil. And huangmei(yellow brow) is the buddha's second place pupil. In the original lore where the gods have flaws but are much kinder, tang san zang is reincarnated into mortal and sent to fetch scriptures for the sake of experiencing hardships, so that the buddha feels more appropriate to give tang san zang a god position. In this process tang san zang died 9 times and only on his 10th reincarnation he met wukong and successfully retrieved the scriptures. In blackmyth wukong, tang san zang was punished to become mortal. This is because his beliefe is that gods shouldn't set them self higher than mortals and only help mortals who are useful to gods. He believe gods should walk the earth just like mortals and actively help mortals without seeking anything in return. As the big pupil of the buddha, having this sort of belief is not accepted. Because how can gods secure their position and immortality without worship and offering from the masses? Tang san zang triggered a red line due to his attempt of revolutionizing the system, so the buddha turned him mortal and sent him on a trip with 81 challenges to teach him a lesson. After the journey and wukong killed himself. tang san zang willingly became mortal again in the form of monkey to be with the destined one. But he will not interfere. The buddha think his big pupil tang san zang is betting on wukong to overthrow the systemits as way of rebelling against him, and remarks among other gods that if one bet, then one may lose(Buddha is threatening tang san zang). But tang san zang say he is not betting, just observing. Hence why if destined one do not get possessed by wukong, tang san zang simply puts the head band on and let the destined one go secure his god position, and tang san zang will wait for the next reincarnation of wukong's relic on the mountain as a monkey. Tang san zang doesn't interfere because one, the buddhas don't let him, and two, because he believe he doesn't need to. He believe there will be a wukong's reincarnation that successfully overthrows the system. Wukong is undying and limitless so his rebel will will always manifest. You can read the old monkey's lore book, and also watch the chapter three animation, you can figure it out.
Wukong is a rebel of justice, his reincarnation must have this trait to become him.
Can't wait for Black Myth: Erlang Shen
🙌🔥
i pray to one of god, erlangshen, everyear in taoism temple, now they are making game on him. cool =)
That’s cool!
while the lotus lantern is not really that accurate in telling er lang's origin, it nice to see it used here. i only remember watching it when i was young when i saw erlang's giant axe.
Yeah the visuals fit! Even though the story is reversed.
Loved ur explanation 👏👏
Aww thank you! ❤️❤️
Thank you for the great video. Where does the clip at 6:53 come from? Is it a movie?
Erlang's brothers helped and challenged players from Chapter 1 to 5. When the NPC died and said "I failed my brother" they mentioned Erlang. They are Whiteclad Noble in Chapter1. The pig open the door to kingdom of sahali in Chapter 2. The guy with a big hat who is freezing to death need you cast ability to warm himself in Chapter 3. The guy you need to loot a hand in Chapter 4. The buill helped you in Chapter 5.
Ngl I’m happy tht they finally diving into the Chinese mythos cuz I love they culture and old tales (I’m black btw)
I agree, it’s cool to get a glimpse into Chinese mythology!
Super duper awesome story and storytelling❤
Thank you so much 😊❤️
ALL Chinese celestial drama involves some kind of rebellion against heavenly rules
This video tells me that the developers can’t just stop with this game. They need to do a sequel or dlc
100% agree!
Hopefully they do a sequel with Erlang Shen as the main protagonist and another sequel with Nezha as the main protagonist of that game so we can build to a third game with all three gods and allies against the heavens.
@@takerweapon1 Now that is a fantastic idea. So the next game could be called "Black Myth: Erlang Shen" and then "Black Myth: Zezha" and finally the conclusion "Black Myth: Celestial War"
@@walden6272chill your pants.
The registered trademark for the next Game Science titles are "Black Myth : Jiang Ziya" and "Black Myth : Zhong Kui" 😂
Erlang had his nephew Liu Chen Xiang have their share of tragic having to save their mother. Liu Chen Xiang was taught powers by Wukong. The Axe was the weapon of Liu Chen Xiang
Interesting!
So Erlang Shen is Snape/Itachi of black myth wukong? I love that!
Good ending. Thanks for the explanation ❤❤❤
You're welcome 😊
15:00 First of all, both Wukong and Yang Jian can defeat this nine-headed monster, but Wukong cannot make it surrender.
Erlangshen Yang Jian appears, and Yang Jian's third eye shoots one of the nine-headed monster's heads. He becomes an eight-headed monster. This monster runs to Japan and becomes the Yamata no Orochi in Japanese mythology.
Who is Yamata no Orochi: Anyone who has played King of Fighters 97 knows that the boss of the final level is Yamata no Orochi
Erlang had already formed a deep hatred with the Heavenly Court before becoming a god. But he is not only powerful, but also a cunning human (compared to monkeys).
He knew he couldn't seek immediate revenge, he knew his abilities were not enough to confront all the gods and Buddhas.
So he has to wait for the right moment.
Although he is a god, he never fulfills his duties in the heavenly court. He is too lazy to go see the Jade Emperor, and unless there is an urgent matter or a generous reward from the Heavenly Court, he never pays attention to it.
Faced with such a powerful person who disregards the authority of the Heavenly Court, the court will definitely strictly supervise him and set up unimaginable ears and eyes around him to monitor him at any time.
He waited until he heard that there was a monkey causing trouble in the Heavenly Court, and he became interested.
Because there are too many people monitoring him, it's not easy for him to show himself to the Heavenly Court. He just listens to news.
He heard that this monkey had become a small official in the Heavenly Court, and after being ridiculed and underestimated by others, he proclaimed himself the Great Sage of Qi Tian.
He heard that the monkey had a fight with people from the Heavenly Court, and this monkey has extraordinary abilities. Is it true? Perhaps... it can be a comrade in arms? The cautious Erlang plans to witness it with his own eyes.
As expected by Erlang Shen, the monkey's personality led to increasingly severe conflicts in the incident.
Erlang finally received the command from the Heavenly Court to send him to rescue him from the heavens. Thank God, I have never looked forward to the Heavenly Court's command so much!
He met the monkey as he wished and tried his skills to test its abilities. That's right, it deserves to be a comrade of Erlang Shen, and like him, it is destined not to like the Heavenly Court. Erlang Shen has never been so happy before.
But now is not the right time, he needs to rethink and make the monkey understand his thoughts. There are too many people watching the battle on the battlefield, and he cannot explain it to the monkey in detail. Moreover, the monkey does not understand the true darkness of the Heavenly Court, it is only ridiculed and angered.
He continued to wait.
He heard that the monkey was trapped at the foot of the Five Elements Mountain, but he was not in a hurry. He knew that the Heavenly Court would not forget the powerful ones who had enough abilities to rival him.
He waited for 500 years and heard that the monkey had been released and was going west, so he continued to wait.
He heard that the monkey had successfully obtained Buddhist scriptures, become a Buddha, and become a deity. He knew the time was coming and continued to wait.
He heard that the monkey had seen through the darkness of the Heavenly Court, resigned from the throne, and had a falling out with the Heavenly Court. He is still waiting.
He received the command from the Heavenly Court: to eliminate the monkeys.
He knows that the time has come.
The dialogue in the opening CG of the game is full of helplessness towards the commands of the Heavenly Court, and this method is also used to tell the monkey that he cannot speak clearly because the Heavenly Court is monitoring him.
As long as the monkey can understand his words. Erlang Shen knows that monkeys can definitely understand! Because it is the same as him.
Also, because Erlang Shen knew that monkeys could understand, he knew that monkeys would definitely join forces with him! The two of them cherish each other's hearts, and there is no need for further discussion. Just follow each other's ideas to achieve the same goal! (As for why he assumed that the monkey would understand him? Oh, Erlang Shen is so confident because almost everyone knows that he doesn't want to obey the orders of the Heavenly Court, so he guessed that the monkey must know that he wants to rebel against the Heavenly Court.)
In the battle, under the gaze of the gods and Buddhas in the sky, Erlang Shen asked him: What does it matter if you become a buddy? That headband has always been on your head
The monkey smiled and said, 'Keep those eyes wide open.' watch me rip it off and breakfree! (Note that monkeys have a way to preserve the will and memory of the Great Sage in the third eye of Erlang God, so what the monkey really wants to say to Erlang God is: Open the third eye! I want to use this method to get rid of it!)
The art of language in this game is at its peak.
The dialog in the opening CG Erlang Shen saides:
- Here's my offer, if you lose, I'll take you to the celestial court.
- They will stay and level your mountain
- But if I lose, I shall certainly take revenge
- And they will level your mountain nonetheless!
By using “they” instead of “we”, he's telling Wukong that he and “they” don't share the same command.
The order to destroy your beloved home was not given by me, but by the Court.
So, Wukong, do you understand? It's okay for us to fight, but I didn't give the order to destroy your beloved home!.
And then he goes on to say:
- You were one of the Court; we don't need to resort to violence.
It's funny, Erlang Shen never bothered to go to Court and never cared about the other gods, and now he's starting to care about his coworkers?
He just told Wukong that he didn't even want to fight.
The cost of rebellion is too high, everyone must be careful with their words.
Many ppl mistaken 72 transformations as 72 transformations of you but actually, this is 72 transformations of the earth. You can change the earth in 72 ways
there are many interpretation of it
@@hanliu3707 well, at least from what i read about Taoism
@@phamduy1906 it is indeed called 72 transformations of the earth, though 72 is the number of earth, so some say earth is just a way to discribe the number
It could also be 72 abilities. To name of few, he can make clones is one ability, he can copy any ability of his foe is another, and another ability is his soul can leave his body. So 72 transformation isn't about shapeshifting, even though one of the 72 ability is shapeshifting.
What an amazing story, GOTY
Agreed, the game has so much depth 😊
Pretty sure the next installment of Black Myth series, which should be Jiang Zi Ya, will flush out Erlang Shen's story more.
What are the clips you’re using from!? I’d love to check out more media about Erlang
14:50 oh my god, lego monkie kid!
Such a classic 😂 I couldn’t believe it and just had to include it!
7:07
Little off topic but Erlang killing 9 sun gods and sparing one is weirdly similar to another story from chinese mythology I heard of.
It's the origin of the Moon Goddess and our mooncakes. So basically 10 suns (giant fire birds) started showing up in the sky, creating drought to the humans down below. Out of sheer rage, this random guy decided to climb up the tallest mountain in China and fucking sniped 9 of the 10 sun birds with a bow and arrow. He then threatened the bird to basically act like our sun (rise and fall during set intervals) or find the same fate as his brothers.
For this gesture, the heavens blessed him with heavenly immortality pills which he gave to his wife for safekeeping. Life was all good from that point until one of his students who caught knowledge of the pills decided to take them for himself one day. Once the man wasn't home, he snuck in and threatened the wife to give him the pills or else.
Out of fear and knowing she shouldn't give this psycho immortality, she decided to swallow all of them at once. This made her all sparkly and slowlg float towards the sky, freaking the absolute shit outta the student.
She then resided on the moon ever since as the Moon Goddess. Her husband rightfully sad, decided to make it a yearly tradition to offer her favorite snacks, some sweet chinese pastries at the same time every year, thus is the origin of our moon cakes.
Aside from that long story, I find it a bit weird seeing two different versions of the story in the same mythology no less. Can anyone more knowledgeable explain this?
They are two separate tales. Yang Jian in the historical literature was NEVER involved with the killing of the 9 suns. The character who actually killed them was a guy called Hou Yi and he is the husband of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. Also, rather than it being some kind of vendetta against the 10 suns, he was actually authorized by the Jade Emperor to sort them out. I don’t know where this person researched this from or if this is a recent thing but I grew up with these stories and I never heard Yang Jian’s involvement with the 10 suns before.
We need a DLC that we can f*ck the Celestial Court up for the second time, for Wukong!
🔥
The prologue did not happen. It’s a tale told by the Old Monkey to push countless monkeys on the quest. The part where Wukong died in Bull King arms was the real version of what happened.
Lingshan and the Celestial Court wanted Wukong subdued but used the demon kings under Erlang’s leadership instead to take out Wukong and split his relics. But Erlang was already in cahoots with Wukong so he took the most important Mind until a worthy Destined monkey comes along.
Great vid! What's the title of the animation in 5:06?
New Gods: Yang Jian 😊
@@storieswithcookie Thank you!
Great and informative video!
You seem to have trouble picking a consistent pronounciation for Yang Jian. In English, you should pronounce it like "Yang Jen", sounds closest to native pronounciation.
Thank you!
I watched couples episode of yang jian on ott platform but forgotten which one.
Nice background music from journey to the west
☺️
The biggest misconception about the Jade Emperor is that he begged for Buddha's help. In mythology, the Jade Emperor is considered far superior to Buddha. When Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor was disturbed by the noise and asked for Buddha to be sent from the West to resolve the matter. Wukong didn’t even get a chance to meet the Jade Emperor, unlike in the TV series.
Appreciate this.
Thank you 😊