Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong is chock-full of challenging bosses, totaling a staggering 113, including the optional minibosses.

Taking huge inspiration from soulslikes and the God of War franchise, these boss fights demand on-the-fly thinking, using everything you have at your disposal to avoid certain death.

None of the game’s bosses are pushovers by any measure. However, there are a few who would give even the most hardened souls-like players a hard time, with difficult-to-predict attacks or mechanics that are tough to manage.

But if you properly learn their behaviors and play smart, your journey to the West might just be a little more tolerable. This list should at least prepare you for what they’ll do while doubling as a mini-guide.

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Warning: Major Spoilers ahead

10 Wandering Wight

The Dark Souls Of First Bosses

Starting off with the first optional boss, you face the Wandering Wight. Despite his lumbering demeanor, don’t underestimate him, especially if this is your first playthrough. His attacks are simple but hard-hitting, capable of sweeping, stomping, and powerful shockwaves that may end your journey.

The Wandering Wight is the first major obstacle you will encounter, as the game demonstrates how punishing it will be if you’re not careful.

All you have is your barebones kit: basic attacks, Immobilize, and only three Gourd sips. Luckily, the Wandering Wight’s attacks are telegraphed clearly, so all you need to defeat him is to stay calm and manage your resources wisely.

After you beat him, you can later absorb his spirit to use in your playthrough, passively giving you +20 defense and a quick head slam attack upon activation.

9 Yellow Wind Sage

Rats, Rats, We’re The Rats

The final boss of Chapter 2, the Yellow Wind Sage is a powerful rat yaoguai who tries to overwhelm you with sweeping attacks and slashing wind projectiles.

His first phase isn’t a tough fight, but his most annoying attack is when he delivers a command grab in the form of a swift kick, which he will then impale and stomp you, dealing massive damage.

Once you whittle down his health to its midpoint, he will then whip up a sandstorm, empowering his attacks and allowing him to zip around the arena.

Fortunately, the best way to deal with this is to do a secret mission to beat Fuban and acquire the Wind Tamer Vessel.

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8 Tiger Vanguard

Here, Kitty, Kitty

The Tiger Vanguard Tiger Vanguard (Yaoguai King) doesn’t have many flashy tricks, but he is still an adept martial artist and a bloodthirsty foe more than capable of putting you to the sword.

You face him in a pool of blood as he attacks you with a ferocity that perfectly exemplifies a tiger’s. This boss’s attacks are relentless, chaining brutal combinations of punches, kicks, and blade swipes.

Each boss fight is a lesson, and this one teaches you to read and understand enemy combos, punishing any complacency.

There are two attacks that you need to watch out for: after his basic one-two combo, he can sweep you, dealing a moderate amount of damage. This can get pretty frustrating, especially when you think he’s finished his attack chain.

Another attack to be wary of is his sword attacks – he swipes twice and spins, swinging a delayed attack that is reminiscent of what you would see in many soulslikes, including (but not limited to) Elden Ring. Panic rolling can only take you so far.

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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Monkey

7 Yin Tiger

Don’t Pick A Fight With The Blacksmith

Yin Tiger is the resident blacksmith of the Zodiac Village, sequestered in another section from his deity friends and quietly tending to his smithy. While you can buy and upgrade armor and weapons, you can also challenge him to a duel, which he enthusiastically accepts.

Wielding a giant sword that puts any other buster sword to shame, Yin Tiger’s explosive attacks betray his stoic demeanor. Not only can he dodge your attacks, but he can block and absorb them, charging his blade to unleash devastating strikes that erupt the earth beneath him.

His incredible speed is what makes this fight tough, as he can disappear and reappear anywhere. Don’t worry, though–even if you lose, he’s always ready for another friendly spar.

6 Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master

You NEED the Weaver’s Needle!

You take on the half-centipede abomination, the Hundred-eyed Daoist Master, after he betrays the Violet Spider and her daughters. Complete with a poison breath and magical sword; this boss has given many players a hard time.

Fighting the Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master becomes virtually impossible in the second phase without a secret vessel, as he significantly diminishes your stamina bar while increasing his attacks with Thunder damage.

Even with the help of the Spider guais, this boss is not to be trifled with. Not only that, he is an undeniably evil monster, making his defeat all the more satisfying.

5 Yaksha King

Daddy Issues Personified.

After beating Red Boy, he steals the Relic from you and transforms into the Yaksha King, an incredibly well-designed and intimidating demon with new thorn-based attacks.

Complete with an amazingly composed soundtrack and emotionally driven plotline, Yaksha King’s fight is awesome beyond measure. His combos are relentless, and his thorn attacks are nothing to sneeze at, either.

His strongest attack is when he sprouts long spikes from his elbows and sweeps the entire arena in a 5-hit combo, dealing heavy damage with each strike.

Yaksha King is an incredibly challenging fight, even with Zhu Bajie helping you out, who retreats mid-fight. But beating this fight is bittersweet, as though you are closer to reuniting Wukong’s Relics, you also leave behind a broken family.

4 Bishui Golden-Eyed Beast

A Savage Combination Of Fire And Ice.

To access this boss, you need to first complete the Five Elemental Carts questline, granting entrance to the elusive Bishui Cave. This beast is the epitome of pure savagery, as it angrily flails around with its deadly claws and engulfs the arena in fire. Its wild attacks hurt a lot, and it doesn’t give you any time to rest.

If you’re having a hard time with this boss, you have two options: use the Fireproof Mantle to nullify its flames, or let it break the ice wall to open two extra arenas, switching its elemental damage to ice. Keep in mind, though, that it doesn’t make it much easier, as getting frozen is just as frustrating.

Defeating the Bishui Beast not only nets you several rewards, but also unlocks a secret cutscene that expands upon Red Boy’s tragic origins.

3 Supreme Inspector

Talk To The Hand.

In Chapter 6, you and Zhu Bajie are ambushed by the Supreme Inspector, a heavenly general with a hand for a face, deadly wings, and a sword wreathed with flames and lightning.

This fight is a true test of everything you’ve learned up until this point, as this boss deals Scorch and Thunder damage. This silent boss can quickly damage you with a clawed kick or thrust his piercing wings at you.

His feathers can also harden and act as a shield, disrupting any combo you throw at him. He summons flaming wheels on which he can ride; if you’re locked onto him, his sheer speed can also mess with the camera, making this fight all the more frustrating.

In his third phase, he envelops the arena with a ring of fire, empowering his attacks and making the fight even tougher than it already is. The best way to deal with that is to use the Plantain Fan Vessel you get from Chapter 5, which would extinguish the flames and give you some breathing room.

Heaven isn’t pulling any stops, but if you beat him, you earn Wukong’s most iconic steed: his Somersault Cloud (or the Flying Nimbus if you’re a DragonBall fan).

2 The Great Sage’s Broken Shell

He Is Truly Equal To Heaven

You’ve overcome all the challenges the game has thrown at you, earning each piece of Wukong’s armor and Relics, becoming more and more like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Your final task is to enter the Birthstone and merge all the Relics to carry on Wukong’s legacy.

After defeating the The Stone Monkey, you face the hollow shell of the Monkey King himself. Combined with the amazing remix of the original 1986 Journey to the West soundtrack and a beautiful sunset, this is truly a jaw-dropping duel.

Wukong attacks using the same combos that you’ve learned throughout your journey, except with much more finesse and power. He evades just like you, creates clones just like you, and can even use the same spells. After all, this is a fight with the OG himself.

But not so fast–even if you beat him, he has a second phase, where he steals your abilities to empower his attacks. The difficulty ramps up to 11, as his attacks get more relentless, and he even taunts you in various ways during the fight (you’ll have to find out yourself).

Once you beat him, you’ll complete the story and be allowed to begin a new journey through New Game+.

1 Erlang, The Sacred Divinity

His Third Eye Sees All

If you think the game’s final boss is the hardest, then you haven’t experienced the sheer nightmare of fighting Erlang Shen (Part 2), Wukong’s archrival in the original Journey to the West story. Erlang, the Sacred Divinity, might just be the hardest boss fight in the entire game, NG+ or not.

You may fight Erlang anytime if you have completed the secret areas of Chapters 1 through 5. Completing the Treasure Hunter Quest also unlocks the towering Great Pagoda in Chapter 3, giving you access to the hidden Mount Mei, where Erlang awaits.

In comparison, the Erlang Shen (Part 1)you fought at the beginning of the game was a piece of cake because you were fighting him as Wukong, with whom he is equally matched.

As the Destined One, however, fighting Erlang is a monumental task, since he now has a stance meter above his HP bar, which you will have to deplete to stun and deal any meaningful damage to him.

Erlang has a total of three phases, each increasing in difficulty. Be mindful of his long combo chains with his trusty celestial dog, freezing axe, and eye lasers. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ERLANG, as he will easily mop the floor with you if you’re not careful.

There are many ways to beat Erlang, but one of the more reliable methods is to use poison damage and the Plantain Fan, which can easily whittle down his stance meter.

Beating him will lead to a final stand of epic proportions, but that’s all we can say. It’s best that you experience this battle yourself.

Good luck. You’re going to need it.

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Black Myth: Wukong

An action-RPG set against the backdrop of Chinese mythology, Black Myth: Wukong is a Soulslike adventure game retelling the story of Journey to the West.