Black Myth: Wukong - How To Unlock All Transformations
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Black Myth: Wukong is based on Journey to the West, a novel where a Monkey King is able to shapeshift into numerous creatures. Naturally, the hero of this game, the Destined One, can use these amazing abilities. Here's our guide on how to unlock all transformations in Black Myth: Wukong. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains major spoilers.
How to unlock all transformations in Black Myth: Wukong
There are several Black Myth: Wukong transformations that can be acquired throughout the course of the campaign. When you defeat specific bosses, the Destined One siphons their power, which you can then utilize in combat by way of unique attacks and abilities. Here are some additional tidbits to remember:
- Transformations are equipped via the Self-Advance - Set Spells option in the shrine/waypoint interface.
- Each transformation you obtain unlocks a major node in the Self-Advance - Reignite the Sparks panel. You can allocate skill points for certain perks, which remain active as you're playing even if you're not shapeshifted.
- The smaller/minor nodes at the bottom of the screen offer boosts related to your transformed state, such as those that affect health, damage, and might (the resource used when transforming).
- Once you've shapeshifted into a boss creature, you'll notice a separate health bar, as well as a might gauge. Might dwindles over time, whereas health is lost if you take damage. If either gauge is fully depleted, you revert back into your monkey form with your original health bar.
Note that we also have other related guides:
- Spells guide - These are magical abilities that you can cast in combat.
- Spirits guide - These allow you to turn into elite enemies that you've defeated. Compared to actual transformations in Black Myth: Wukong, these only cast that creature's spell or skill. You don't have a separate health bar and the creature can't be manually controlled.
Wolf Guai: Red Tides
- How to unlock: Chapter 1 - You'll battle a boss named Guangzhi early in the campaign. Defeating him nets you your first Black Myth: Wukong transformation.
- Unique talent: Moon Roam - Each level increases the damage of your next attack following a perfect dodge; up to three ranks.
- Transformation trait: All attacks build up scorch bane.
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Moon Dance - Continuously slash at an enemy while building up focus.
- Heavy attack: Moon Chase - Unleash a series of dash attacks. At full focus, dodging in any direction and following up with a dodge triggers a powerful new move.
Rock Guai: Azure Dust
- How to unlock: Chapter 2 - Complete the Man-in-Stone side quest.
- Unique talent: Steadfast - Each level moderately increases your defense; up to three ranks.
- Transformation trait: Immunity to all four banes (i.e. status effects).
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Earth Shatter - Strike the enemy three times with your head, with each blow more powerful than the last.
- Heavy attack: Mountain Splitter - Dash forward with full force; can be charged to dash further so you can ram all hostiles in your path.
- Spell: Rockfall - Build up focus, then leap high and smash into the ground to cause an area-of-effect (AoE) shockwave.
Rat Guai: Ashen Slumber
- How to unlock: Chapter 2 and 3 - The Black Myth: Wukong Ashen Slumber transformation is actually part of a side quest. Here's how it goes:
- During Chapter 2, make sure you defeat both the First and Second Rat Princes.
- Then, speak to the rat NPC who's barricaded himself inside a house. He can be found in the Sandgate Village entrance, just past where you fought the Earth Wolf spirit elite. You can see this location in the image above.
- Make sure you exhaust all dialogue to learn that the Third Prince is somewhere in "Buddha's realm to the West."
- From there, continue onward to Chapter 3 in The New West region. Complete the entirety of the Pagoda Realm wards and prisoner quest.
- Now that you can unlock the doors that had purple wards, go up one floor from where you found the prisoner. At the end of the pathway is a side tunnel. This triggers a cutscene and a boss fight against the Third Prince. Defeating this foe lets you pick up his blade to gain the Ashen Slumber transformation.
- Note that you can still get the Ashen Slumber transformation much later even if you missed it the first time. Just make sure that you exhaust all dialogue when talking to the rat NPC in the barricaded house.
- Unique talent: Rage Burst - Each talent level slightly increases scorch damage; has six ranks.
- Transformation trait: Attacks build up scorch bane.
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Chop Wood - Swing your iron blade several times to build up focus.
- Heavy attack: Blow Fire - Hold the heavy attack button to spew scorching flames.
- Spell: Fiery Burst - Cause your shapeshifted form to explode, which also makes you de-transform. The explosion deals massive AoE fire damage.
Yin Tiger: Ebon Flow
- How to unlock: Chapter 3 onward - Complete Chen Loong's side quest to gain access to the Painted Realm. Then, defeat the Yin Tiger blacksmith in battle.
- Unique talent: Cold Edge - Moderately reduces the cooldown of all Alteration spells.
- Transformation trait: Has deflection and teleport dash moves.
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Onslaught Blade - A series of slow but devastating swipes and slashes that build up focus.
- Heavy attack: Rift Cleaver - A brutal cleaving blow with a long charge time; higher damage depending on the focus resource.
- Deflection: Blacksmith - Hold the assigned button/keybind to block attacks with your greatsword, allowing you to build up more focus.
- Spell: Windwalker - Converts all focus into swiftness during this state, where dodging turns you into a gust of wind.
- Light attack: Stormsurge (Windwalker state) - Doing a light attack lets you close in on your target rapidly to deliver a mighty blow.
Monk from the Sea: Hoarfrost
- How to unlock: Chapter 3 - In New Thunderclap Temple, follow the path along the right-hand side. This miniboss will emerge from an altar overlooking a plaza.
- Unique talent: Snow Veil - Each level slightly increases the frost damage that you deal; up to six ranks.
- Transformation trait: Attacks inflict frost bane.
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Tentacle Flick - Hit enemies with your tentacles to increase focus.
- Heavy attack: Tentacle Sweep - Do a swinging motion with your tentacles to gain more focus.
- Spell: Ice Sheet - Use the focus that you've amassed to create an area covered in ice, which inflicts frost bane on targets within the AoE.
- Light attack: Snowball Fight and Heavy attack: Avalanche (Ice Sheet) - Attacking while standing on an Ice Sheet triggers different abilities.
Macaque Chief: Umbral Abyss
- How to unlock: Chapter 3 - You unlock this Black Myth: Wukong transformation automatically once you complete this chapter.
- Unique talent: Red Eyes - Slightly increases attack for a long duration when you defeat an enemy; can stack up to 30 times; up to two ranks.
- Transformation trait: Attacks inflict frost bane.
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Do multiple slashes with your blade, with the last hit dealing more damage and granting more focus.
- Heavy attack: Slower but stronger attacks that grant extra focus.
- Spell: Cold Heart - Enter the Cold-hearted state, which empowers all your blade attacks, while also turning you into mist when you dodge.
- Spell: Cold Resolution - Lets you quickly close the gap between yourself and an enemy to deliver a deadly strike.
Worm Guai: Violet Hail
- How to unlock: Chapter 4 - Getting this Black Myth: Wukong transformation might take a while. Basically, you need to gain access to the Chapter 4 secret area so you can defeat a boss named Daoist Mi. This leads to a cutscene where you're given this reward.
- Unique talent: Filthy Malice - Each level slightly increases poison damage; up to six ranks.
- Transformation trait: Immunity to poison; attacks inflict poison bane; self-wounding and self-healing mechanic.
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Slash - Hit your opponent with your blade.
- Heavy attack: Self-Torment - Wound yourself (slightly depletes HP) to imbue your blade with up to four larvae. Each light attack you do afterward infests an enemy with larvae.
- Spell: Hive Mind - Command all larvae to explode and deal instant damage; absorbs part of the hatched swarm to recover lost health.
- Spell: Detonation - The de-transforming command also automatically causes all larvae to explode.
Yellow Loong: Golden Lining
- How to unlock: Chapter 4 - Obtain the Loong Scale so you can fight the first three secret loong bosses. After that, you can challenge this warrior at the Relief of the Fallen Loong shrine in Chapter 4.
- Unique talent: Lightning Flash - Moderately increases invincibility duration when seeing through an enemy.
- Transformation trait: Immunity to shock and thunder bane-infused attacks; can see through enemy.
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Lightening Dance - Slash foes repeatedly.
- Heavy attack: Fatal Shadow - Charge your attack and execute a fatal strike upon release.
- Counter: See Through - Follow a light attack with a heavy attack to see through an enemy's move and counter; builds up +1 focus point.
- Heavy attack: Death Trilogy - Replaces Fatal Shadow if you perform a heavy attack with at least +1 focus point built up. This causes you to jump into the air, infusing your spear with thunder, before crashing down on an enemy. This move can be repeated up to three times if you have more focus points.
Horse Guai: Dark Thunder
How to unlock: Horse Guai quest - You need to meet and rescue the Horse Guai, Ma Tianba, in all previous chapters:
- Chapter 1 - Inside a cave to your left after exiting Guanyin Temple. It's also where you'll find a Meditation Spot.
- Chapter 2 - At the village where you battle the Earth Wolf spirit elite. The Horse Guai is all tied up, so go chat with him.
- Chapter 3 - At the left-hand side of New Thunderclap Temple just before the side hall with the Non-Void boss fight.
- Chapter 4 - Found in the Hollows just after you encounter the Centipede Guai.
- Chapter 5 - This is part of the Five Element Carts quest that unlocks the Chapter 5 secret area. At the right-hand side of Furnace Valley, you'll see a destroyed cart guarded by several enemies. The Horse Guai is trapped inside the cart and you need to pull the rope three times.
Transformation trait: Immunity to thunder; attacks inflict thunder bane on enemies.
Note: Do NOT pull the rope three times until you've met the Horse Guai in all previous chapters. In our playthrough, we completed this step prior to the game's launch and there was no dialogue. Since we hadn't encountered the Horse Guai in Chapter 3 when we did this step, he no longer spawned when we revisited the area and we're now locked out of the reward.
Thanks very much to Twitter user @Myriadwastaken for providing us with the necessary info.
Important: Please note that the next entry in this article contains major spoilers.
Stone Monkey: Azure Dome
- How to unlock: Secret ending - There are a series of encounters that are unlocked well after defeating the final boss. In it, you do battle against a familiar foe, as well as his "royal" friends. Once you've defeated them, you'll receive this reward. We discuss the steps further in our boss guide.
- Unique talent: Indestructible - Considerably increases Four Banes resistance; this talent node requires six points to activate.
- Transformation trait: Immunity to shock and poison; convert frost and scorch to empower yourself; can cast spells.
- Abilities:
- Light attack: Primal Punch - Unleash a flurry of punches to build up focus.
- Heavy attack: Earthshatter Slam - Leap into the air and crash down on your opponent; partially restores your health.
- Spells: Monkey Mind - Allows you to cast a variety of spells based on those you have equipped. For instance, you can still use Rock Solid or Cloud Step, as well as A Pluck of Many. When choosing between Immobilize or Ring of Fire, you can imbue your fists with ice or fire respectively.
These are the Black Myth: Wukong transformations that we've unlocked so far. We'll update this guide once we've discovered others, so stay tuned. In the meantime, we suggest checking our spirit locations guide and spell unlocks guide.
Black Myth: Wukong takes you to realms filled with mysterious beings and numerous challenges. For more tips and tactics, you can visit our Black Myth: Wukong guides hub.