Saint (manhua)
Saint is a manhua by Hong Kong comics artist Khoo Fuk Lung. It follows the life and adventures of [|Sun Wukong], the monkey king from the novel Journey to the West. It was first published by Jade Dynasty and is licensed by Yuk Long Limited.
Summary
A stone monkey is born from the divine rock as a child of the Heaven and Earth. [|Di Shi Tian], the Jade Emperor who presides over Heaven, orders thunder deity Lei Gong to inflict Heavenly Punishment on the monkey, but Lei Gong is unable to do so. The monkey studies the 73 transformations from [|Puti Laozu] the Master of the Sun, and is given the name Sun Wukong. Lei Gong attempts to eliminate him again with Heavenly Punishment, but Sun uses his abilities to protect his master and his fellow students.Sun receives the title of Bumayun from Di Shi Tian, and finds the position to be lowly. He fights with some deities, including Tianpeng Yuanshai. He rescues 108 demons from Pangu's temple. [|Dashan Ru Lai] captures Sun and imprisons him in Mount Wu Xing. Di Shi Tian punishes [|Sanyan Zhanshen] and Beidou-Xingjun for their carelessness.
A strange old man provokes [|Xuanzang]. Erlang, the reincarnation of Sanyan Zhanshen, commits many crimes by killing demons, and gets [|Taizong], the Tang Dynasty Emperor, and his servants involved. Yuchi Gong dies. Xuanzang uses a divine rod to eliminate the demons attacking the emperor. Taizong gives Xuanzang the title of Saintly Monk.
Xuanzang recruits Sun Wukong, [|Zhu Bajie], [|Sha Wujing] and [|Xiao Bailong] to his group and goes on the mission to retrieve the Sanzangjing from the West. On the way they fight Jinjiao and Yinjiao. They defeat Jinjiao, kill the Scorpion King, and Hei Nuhou. They become friends with Jinjiao and Tianxun Niang. They challenge Baoluwang. Sun and Baoluwang become sworn brothers. Sun then helps Baoluwang and Feng Hou fight against the Heavenly Punishment. Erlang combines Jimo Yuansu with Baoluwang's son, and transforms him into a jimo.
Characters
Sun Wukong
Sun Wukong is a child of the Heaven and the Earth, born from a divine rock. In the early chapters, Di Shi Tian orders the thunder deity Lei Gong to eliminate him, but Lei Gong is unable to. In his youth, Sun leads the monkeys and monsters in the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit and sets camp in Shuilian Cave. After an old monkey dies, Sun travels to the fairy island to learn skills and magic from grandmaster [|Pútí], including 73 transformations. Because he gives Puti trouble, he leaves his master and instigates a rebellion against Heaven. While fighting Sanyan Zhanshen, he rescues 108 demons, which angers Di Shi Tian and which provokes Dashan [|Ru Lai]. As a result, he is imprisoned inside Mount Wu Xing. He steals Pangu's Ruyi Jingu Bang staff and eats the empress Tianmu Niangniang's "Peaches of Immortality". He is based on Sun Wukong from the Journey to the West stories.Xuanzang's group
Xuanzang is the title character of Saint. He is a Buddhist monk who was reincarnated from Jinchanzi, a disciple of Ru Lai. He assembles and leads a group of characters to recover the Sānzàngjīng, the "Three Collections of Scriptures".Xuanzang's group includes the following characters:
- , a pretty demoness that Sun Wukong rescues from Lei Yin Temple. She makes friends with Sun, and when he is confined in Mount Wu Xing, she follows Ru Lai's orders to find Sun's heart and return it to him. When she and Sun fight Bingpo Daxian, she is destroyed to ice dust. Xiaoshan Guanyin promises to revive her.
- Xiaobao, an insect demon, is a friend of Sun from his first day with his Grandmaster.
- Shawang, a demon who was Sha Wujing and Xiao Bailong's master. Although he is forced to help Sun Wukong three times, he later becomes Sun's friend.
- , formerly known as Tianpeng Yuanshuai, an exiled deity. He is based on Zhu Bajie. He has a fiancée named Gao Ruolan, whose name is loosely similar to her Journey to the West counterpart Gao Cuilan.
- , a former servant of the sand king. He is based on Sha Wujing.
- , the prince of the East Sea, and the son of sea king Jiao Ye. He is based on the Bailongma.
Heaven
- , based on the Chinese supreme god and the Buddhist deity Śakra. The manhua refers to him as the Heavenly Sovereign of the heaven. Di Shi Tian has a master who taught him martial arts, his name is Heavenly Sovereign of True Martial Arts.
- , Di Shi Tian's wife. She is based on Xi Wangmu.
- , a wargod with three eyes. He assumes several different names in the series, from Sanyan Zhanshen to Erlang Shen to Sanyan Moshen when he joins Wansui Yaodi's demon world. He is based on the deity Erlang Shen. He has a hound named Heavenly Dog.
- Yuanshi Tianzun, based on character of the same name.
- Zheng Tianwang , based on Li Jing. His son is Xie, who is based on Nezha, son of Li Jing.
- Jiao E, the sea king, the dragon king.
- Bai Juweng
- Weituo, based on Weituo.
- Zhu Rong, a firegod based on the deity with the same name.
- Bingpo Daxian, a blizzard god who indirectly destroys Yunyu. He follows Di Shi Tian's order to inflict Heavenly Punishment on the son of Baoluwang and Feng Hou. His name is based on the Taoist immortals.
Four Weather Gods
- Feng Bo, the wind deity. He takes over after Feng Hou leaves. He is portrayed as not smart but loves fighting. He is based on Feng Bo.
- Yu Shi, the rain deity. He has loved Feng Hou for a long time but she does not feel the same, and thus hates Baoluwang for taking her. He is based on Yu Shi.
- Lei Gong, the thunder deity. He is ordered by Heaven to destroy Sun Wukong after his birth, but he is unable to do so, and retreats with the reason "Heaven doesn't want him dead, so he's alive". He later joins the Heavenly Punishment to punish Baoluwang, but he does not fight a lot because of his old friendship with Feng Hou. He is based on Lei Gong.
- Dian Mu, the lightning deity. She is Lei Gong's wife and joins in the Heavenly Punishment against Baoluwang, but like Lei Gong, she does not fight a lot because of her friendship with Feng Hou. She is based on Dian Mu.
Four Gatekeeper-Gods
- East Gatekeeper-God uses a pipa as a weapon. He was killed in Sun's rebellion. He is based on Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
- West Gatekeeper-God uses a great serpent as a weapon. He was killed in Sun's rebellion. He is based on Virūpākṣa.
- North Gatekeeper-God uses an umbrella as a weapon. He is alive after Sun's rebellion. He later gets orders from Di Shi Tian to assist Xuanzang's group to defeat Xuemo. He is based on Vaiśravaṇa.
- South Gatekeeper-God uses a sword as a weapon. He was killed in Sun's rebellion. He is based on Virūḍhaka.
Four Guardians
- Qing Long , the guardian of the East, based on the same character.
- Bai Hu, the guardian of the West, based on the same character.
- Xuan Wu, the guardian of the North. He is a little monk who as his reincarnation "Enanni" prevents Sun Wukong destroying Ru Lai's statue. He is based on the same character.
- Zhu Que, the guardian of the South, based on the same character. She is a goddess whose reincarnation is a crimson firebird who has helped Yaowang.
Realm of the Dead
The Realm of the Dead, or Hells led by King Yanluo, who is based on Yama in Chinese mythology, and is in charge of Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Black and White Impermanence. One of the demon hunters in the Realm is Zhong Kui who was formerly a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings in the human world, based on the character of the same name.Buddhists
The Buddhists are part of the Lei Yin Temple. They are led by master, who defeats Sun Wukong after he causes a rebellion against Tianjie. He arranges for Sun Wukong to assist his disciple Xuanzang to get the Three Collections of Scriptures. Da Shan Ru Lai is based on Siddhārtha Gautama, the chief Tathāgata. Other Buddhists involved in the series include Xiao Shan Guan Yin, a nun who helps Xuanzang's group many times and has attracted Sun Wukong's interest. She is based on Guan Yin or Avalokiteśvara. Also serving the Lei Yin Temple are the Eighteen Arhats.Tang Dynasty
The manhua features the following rulers and government officials from the Tang Dynasty:- Li Shimin, also known as, the presiding emperor.
- Wei Zheng, the empire minister. He is based on Wei Zheng, a hero from the historical novel Shuo Tang.
- Yuchi Gong, one of the founding generals. In Saint, he is eaten by the demons that attack Taizong.
- Qin Shubao, one of the founding generals.
- Li Chunfeng, the empire strategist.
Taoists
Demons
72 Caverns
The stories with the 72 caverns feature the following kings:- Xiong Shiwang, also known as Jinshan Dongzhu
- Xiong Luwang, also known as Yinpan Dongzhu
- Yishu Longwang, also known as Lingshe Dongzhu
Huoyan Zu
- Baoluwang, the Ox-Demon-King, based on the character Niúmówáng.
- , the wife of Baoluwang. She used to be Feng Hou, the wind deity, but falls in love with Baoluwang and leaves Heaven. She is based on the character Princess Iron Fan.
- Huo Hai'er, the son of Baoluwang and Tie niangzi. He is based on the character Red Boy.
Demon Realm
- Baimo Shi, the Demon Lord's messenger. He is based on Baigujing. Baimo's black half is called Heimo Shi, and together they form Yin-Yang Mowang.
- Xiongling Wang is a spirit cat who absorbs the evil spirits of the heroes from the past, and gets them to fight for him. He has nine souls and can control up to nine spirits. He first captures Lü Bu, a hero from the Three Kingdoms period. The second spirit he claims is Xiang Yu, a hero from the Qin period. The third spirit he captures is Zhang Jiao, a leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the Eastern Han period. He absorbs Bai Di, the mythological son of the sun with a lion face and a human body. When he absorbs Puti Laozu, he discovers he cannot absorb any more and is forced to return Laozu's spirit to Wukong, although the spirit is destroyed by Lei Gong by accident. Xiongling Wang has a servant named Xuemo.
- Yaowang is a powerful demon who challenges the wargod Zhenwu Tianhuang one hundred times but loses every time. He then challenges Sun Wukong. He is later revealed to be Wansui Yaodi's younger brother. He has a servant demon named Jiannu.
- Moxin is a powerful spirit which incarnates from Wukong's evil heart. According to Wansui Yaodi, Maxin has the champion's power which allows him to defeat opponents.
Yiwa Feng
- Sishen-jiangjun is a demon who wears a skull mask. He disguises Sun Wukong in order to fool Sanzang. He is based on Six-ear Macaque.
- Jianweishi is Zishen Jiangjun's assistant. His lover, Xueji, is killed by Yunyu.
- Yanzhi-xiang loves Jianweishi; she stops him from killing Yunyu to avenge the death of Xueqi.