Black Myth: Wukong – Quick Tips & Tricks (Spoiler-Free Guide)

Centuries have passed since the Great Sage was sealed in stone. Now, you, the Destined One, walk a path shrouded in myth and peril. The echoes of his power linger, waiting to be reclaimed. This scroll is your guide, a collection of whispers and forgotten arts to aid your journey through the world of Black Myth: Wukong. This comprehensive, spoiler-free guide contains plentiful tips for players of all skill levels, from their first steps to mastering the endgame.

This guide is written with clear, concise language for readability and will touch upon in-game accessibility options where applicable, such as colorblind modes and subtitles. Your legend awaits.

Part I: First Steps on the Path – Essential Knowledge for Black Myth: Wukong

Before you can wield the power of a god, you must first learn to walk the earth. These first lessons are the foundation upon which your legend will be built. This section covers the fundamental principles of the game, dispelling common misconceptions and setting you up with the right mindset for success in Black Myth: Wukong.

Understanding the World of Black Myth: Wukong

1. This is Not a Traditional Souls-like. While the combat in Black Myth: Wukong is challenging, the game deviates from a key genre staple: there is no penalty for death. You will not lose currency (Will) or experience upon being defeated. This design choice fundamentally changes the approach to gameplay, encouraging bold experimentation and risk-taking without the fear of losing progress.
2. Dying is a Learning Opportunity. Because death carries no penalty, you should treat every failure as a chance to learn. Use each attempt against a tough enemy to study their attack patterns, test your dodge timing, and experiment with different abilities. The game is not testing your ability to preserve resources across multiple lives; it is testing your ability to solve the immediate combat puzzle in front of you.
3. Follow the Golden Trail. The world of Black Myth: Wukong does not feature a persistent mini-map. If you find yourself disoriented, your primary navigation aid is a golden trail of light. This trail appears when you are near a Keeper’s Shrine and will guide you toward the next one, ensuring you always have a path forward.
4. Learn to Navigate Without a Mini-Map. The lack of a constant on-screen map is a deliberate design choice to enhance immersion. You must learn to navigate by paying attention to your surroundings. Use iconic landmarks, environmental cues from the sculptural geography, and the in-game map (which can be accessed from the menu or at shrines) to orient yourself.
5. Use Photo Mode to Scout Ahead. The in-game Photo Mode is more than just a tool for capturing beautiful screenshots. It allows you to pause the action and freely move the camera. Use this to your advantage to scout the area ahead, spot hidden paths below a cliff, get a closer look at distant enemies, or plan your route through a treacherous area.

The Keeper’s Shrine: Your Sanctuary in Black Myth: Wukong

6. Understand the Keeper’s Shrine. These shrines are your central hub. They serve multiple critical functions: resting to replenish health and resources, fast traveling to other discovered shrines, allocating skill points in the Self-Advance menu, crafting new weapons and armor, and brewing custom enhancements for your healing Gourd.
7. Resting is a Choice. When you discover a new shrine, it is automatically activated as a checkpoint and fast travel point. However, your health and Gourd charges are only replenished if you manually choose the “Rest” option. Be aware that resting will cause most non-boss enemies in the area to respawn. Sometimes, it is strategically better to push forward with low resources rather than resetting all the enemies you just defeated.
8. Check Shrines Frequently for New Wares. The store and crafting menus at Keeper’s Shrines are not static. They update with new recipes and items as you defeat major bosses and progress through the story. A red dot next to a menu option is your signal that something new is available for purchase or crafting.
9. Missed Spirits Appear at Shrines. Early in the game, you may defeat enemies that drop a “Spirit” before you have the ability to absorb them. Do not worry—you have not missed out permanently. Any uncollected Spirits will automatically be sent to the nearest Keeper’s Shrine for you to retrieve later.

The Art of Gathering

10. Harvest Everything You See. As you explore, you will find countless plants, mushrooms, and other materials. Collect them all. While many of these items won’t have an immediate use until you unlock medicine crafting in Chapter 2, building a large stockpile from the very beginning is essential and will save you from having to farm for materials later.
11. Smash Every Jar. The world is littered with breakable jars and pots. Get in the habit of destroying them on sight. Most contain a small amount of Will, the game’s primary currency. While the individual amounts are small, they add up significantly over the course of your adventure. Occasionally, you may even find rare crafting materials inside.
12. Beware of Impostor Items. Not every glowing plant is what it seems. Some enemies, like the tricky Ginsenginling, disguise themselves as harvestable items. They will ambush you the moment you attempt to collect them, so always be prepared for a fight when gathering resources.
13. Sell Your Gold Pieces. You will occasionally find items described as “Gold Pieces” or similar treasures. These items serve no crafting or gameplay purpose. Their only function is to be sold to merchants at a Keeper’s Shrine for a quick injection of Will. Sell them whenever you need currency for an important upgrade.

Part II: The Dance of the Staff – Mastering Combat in Black Myth: Wukong

The Ruyi Jingu Bang is not mere iron; it is an extension of your will. To master it is to master the rhythm of battle itself. Learn its dance, and no foe can stand against you. This part provides a comprehensive breakdown of the combat system in Black Myth: Wukong, from the absolute basics to the advanced techniques that define high-level play.

The Rhythm of Battle: Combat Fundamentals

14. Master Stamina Management. Your yellow stamina bar, located beneath your health, is your most critical resource in combat. Every action—attacking, dodging, and sprinting—consumes it. If you deplete your stamina bar completely, your movement and attacks will become drastically slower, leaving you wide open to punishment. Learn the flow of combat to feather your actions and ensure you never run out at a critical moment.
15. Dodging is Your Lifeline. In Black Myth: Wukong, you do not have a default block or parry button. Your primary method of avoiding damage is the dodge. The dodge roll has a generous window of invincibility frames (i-frames), making it a reliable defensive tool once you get the timing down.
16. Don’t Panic Dodge. Mashing the dodge button is a common mistake that will be severely punished. Many bosses have attacks with delayed timing specifically designed to catch players who dodge preemptively. Watch your enemy, learn their combos, and dodge with deliberate timing and intention.
17. Master the Perfect Dodge. If you time your dodge to activate just as an enemy’s attack is about to connect, you will perform a “perfect dodge.” This is visually indicated by phantom replicas of your character appearing and may momentarily slow down time. A perfect dodge not only prevents damage but is also a primary method for building your Focus meter.
18. Dodge Into Attacks. It may feel counterintuitive, but dodging toward and through an enemy’s attack is often more effective than dodging backward or sideways. This tactic keeps you within melee range, allowing for an immediate counter-attack, whereas dodging away forces you to close the distance again.
19. Press Dodge to Recover Quickly. If you are knocked to the ground by a heavy attack, you don’t have to wait for the full recovery animation to play out. Pressing the dodge button as soon as you hit the ground will trigger a quick-recovery roll, getting you back on your feet and into the fight much faster.
20. Learn the Five-Hit Light Attack Combo. Your basic light attack string is a five-hit combo with a distinct rhythm. It consists of three quick initial strikes, followed by a slower, more deliberate fourth hit, and culminates in a powerful fifth finishing blow that has a high chance to stagger smaller enemies.
21. Know Your Animation Committals. You are not invincible while attacking. The fourth and fifth attacks in your light combo have longer animations during which you are “animation locked,” meaning you cannot immediately cancel the move to dodge. Be mindful of this commitment; if you see an enemy winding up a big attack, it may be wiser to stop your combo after the third hit.
22. Use Jump Attacks for Safety and Offense. Jump attacks are a versatile tool. A light jump attack performs a quick kick that propels you toward an enemy and then safely back. A heavy jump attack is a fast way to expend all of your stored Focus for a single, powerful overhead slam, often capable of defeating regular enemies before they can react.
23. Roll to Extinguish Fire. If you are afflicted with the burning status effect, which deals damage over time, you can put the flames out by repeatedly mashing the roll/dodge button.
24. Toggle Target Lock for Crowd Control. When fighting multiple enemies, it can be easy to lose track of threats. Quickly toggling your lock-on between different targets is an effective way to maintain situational awareness and manage the flow of a group fight.

Unleashing True Power: Focus and Stances in Black Myth: Wukong

The combat of Black Myth: Wukong revolves around a crucial resource management game layered on top of the action: the Focus economy. Every action in a fight should be viewed through the lens of how it builds or spends Focus. A light attack isn’t just for chipping away health; it’s an investment toward a Focus Point. A perfect dodge isn’t just a defensive maneuver; it’s a massive deposit into your Focus bank. The goal of every exchange is to come out “Focus positive,” as this resource is the key to your most powerful and fight-altering attacks.

25. Understand the Focus System. The curved yellow meter in the bottom-right corner of your screen is your Focus meter. Landing successful attacks and performing perfect dodges will fill this meter. When the meter is full, you gain one Focus Point, which is stored in the circles above it.
26. Heavy Attacks Consume Focus. Unlike in many other action games, heavy attacks are not a standard alternate move. They are special, high-damage attacks that consume your stored Focus Points. They can be used in two primary ways: as a standalone charged attack or as a “Varied Combo” finisher.
27. Prioritize Charged Heavy Attacks over Varied Combos. A Varied Combo is performed by pressing the heavy attack button in the middle of a light attack combo. It’s fast and effective. However, a standalone heavy attack, which can be charged by holding the button to consume multiple Focus Points at once, deals significantly more damage and has a much higher chance to stagger even the toughest bosses. In major fights, creating an opening for a fully charged heavy attack should be your primary goal.
28. Always Start Fights with a Charged Heavy Attack. Whenever possible, begin an encounter with a fully charged heavy attack. This can be achieved by holding the heavy attack button from a distance before the enemy notices you. Landing this powerful opening blow can immediately take a huge chunk of an enemy’s health and may even grant you an instant stagger, giving you a massive advantage from the start.
29. Unlock All Three Stances ASAP. You begin the game in Smash Stance. Your first priority upon reaching Level 5 should be to spend a Spark to unlock the Pillar Stance. Likewise, at Level 20, you should immediately unlock the Thrust Stance. Each stance fundamentally changes your moveset and tactical options, and mastering all three is essential.
30. Master Smash Stance for Aggression. This is your default, high-risk, high-reward stance. It focuses on aggressive, close-range flurries. Its charged heavy attack is a devastating overhead smash, and with the “Force Unbound” skill, you can uniquely charge this attack while sprinting to close the distance.
31. Use Pillar Stance for Defense and Aerial Superiority. The Pillar Stance’s signature move allows you to hop onto your extended staff by holding the heavy attack button. This lifts you out of the reach of most ground-based attacks and enemy sweeps. It is an incredible defensive tool for creating space, avoiding damage, and safely observing an enemy’s attack patterns to find your next opening.
32. Use Thrust Stance for Range and Counter-Attacks. The Thrust Stance is a more defensive and calculated style. Its charged heavy attack is a long-range, single-target thrust, perfect for poking enemies from a safe distance. It also incorporates a unique “Tactical Retreat” mechanic, making it excellent for a hit-and-run playstyle.
33. Swap Stances Mid-Combat. The true genius of the single-weapon system in Black Myth: Wukong is the ability to swap stances instantly with the press of a button. Adapt to the flow of battle on the fly. Use Thrust Stance to poke a boss from a safe distance, switch to Smash Stance when you see an opening for a high-damage stagger, and then immediately swap to Pillar Stance to leap into the air and avoid a retaliatory ground slam.

Advanced Techniques of the Great Sage

34. Master the Staff Spin for Projectiles. By holding the designated button, you can spin your staff to deflect incoming projectiles like arrows or magical bolts. This is your primary defense against ranged enemies.
35. Unlock Mobile Spin Immediately. The “Mobile Spin” skill is one of the most important early-game unlocks in the Martial Arts tree. It allows you to move forward (albeit slowly) while performing the Staff Spin. This simple upgrade transforms a stationary defense into a mobile assault, allowing you to safely close the distance on archers and mages while remaining completely protected from their attacks.
36. Understand “Resolute Counterflow” – Your Parry. This key Smash Stance skill is the game’s hidden parry mechanic. The in-game description can be confusing, but the execution is simple: during a light attack combo, time a heavy attack input (which consumes one Focus Point) to connect with an incoming enemy strike. If timed correctly, your staff will glow red, you will nullify all damage from the attack, and you will automatically unleash a powerful counter-attack that deals heavy stagger damage.
37. Follow Up with Skyfall Strike. After a successful Resolute Counterflow parry, you can immediately press the heavy attack button again to spend another Focus Point and perform “Skyfall Strike.” This follow-up move launches you into the air for a devastating downward slam, adding another layer of damage to your successful parry.
38. Master “Offense in Defense” – The Tactical Retreat. This is the signature skill of the Thrust Stance. By pressing heavy attack immediately after a light attack, you will perform a quick, evasive backstep instead of a standard attack. This is a fantastic tool for creating space, dodging quick attacks, and repositioning without having to commit to a full dodge roll.
39. Chain Tactical Retreat into Forceful Thrust. The true power of the Tactical Retreat is its follow-up. After backstepping, you can immediately press the heavy attack button again (if you have at least one Focus Point) to lunge forward with a powerful “Forceful Thrust.” This “in-and-out” rhythm of Light Attack > Heavy (Retreat) > Heavy (Thrust) is the core combo of the Thrust Stance and makes it incredibly versatile and safe.
40. Aim for Stagger-Lock Combos. True mastery in Black Myth: Wukong comes from chaining your abilities to keep an enemy permanently staggered. A successful charged heavy attack might cause an initial stagger. Use that opening to land a full five-hit light combo, whose finisher causes another stagger. Follow that with a high-stagger Spirit Attack (like the Wandering Wight’s headbutt) for a third stagger. As the enemy recovers, hit them with an Immobilize spell to freeze them for another full combo. Learning to chain your staggering moves together is how you dominate the most difficult bosses.

Part III: The 72 Transformations – A Guide to Spells and Abilities in Black Myth: Wukong

The Sage’s power was not limited to his staff. He could freeze time, vanish into thin air, and call upon the forms of demons. Learn these arts, for your own journey through Black Myth: Wukong will demand more than just martial prowess. True mastery involves layering the game’s three distinct power systems: tactical, Mana-based Spells; rhythmic, combat-based Focus; and strategic, cooldown-based Abilities. Use a spell to create a safe window to build Focus, spend that Focus to create a stagger, and use that stagger to unleash a devastating Transformation.

Mystical Arts: Your Core Spells

41. Abuse the Immobilize Spell. This is arguably the single most powerful spell in your starting arsenal. It fires a projectile that freezes most enemies and even bosses in place for several seconds. This creates an invaluable window for dealing uninterrupted damage, healing safely with your Gourd, or applying buffs. You should invest Sparks into its skill tree early to increase its duration and reduce its cooldown.
42. Time Immobilize for a “Crash.” The Immobilize spell has an advanced property called “Evanescence” or “Crash.” If you cast the spell at the precise moment an enemy is about to land an attack on you, it will trigger this enhanced effect. The enemy will be immobilized for a longer duration, and they will take increased damage from all your attacks for the duration of the spell. Mastering this timing turns a great spell into a game-breaking one.
43. Use Cloud Step for Stealth and Evasion. This spell is your ultimate “get out of jail free” card. When cast, it leaves behind a decoy that taunts enemies while you become invisible. Use it to escape a relentless boss combo, create a safe moment to heal, or sneak past a large group of enemies. Attacking from invisibility performs a high-damage “Unveiling Strike.”
44. Use Spells Defensively. Your Mana bar is a precious and limited resource, with few ways to replenish it mid-fight. Because of this, the best use for a spell is often defensive. Casting Immobilize not to attack, but to give yourself three seconds to safely drink from your Gourd, is a far more valuable use of Mana than landing a few extra hits.
45. Use Ring of Fire for Healing and Focus. This spell creates a fiery circle on the ground. While standing inside it, you will slowly recover health and generate Focus at an accelerated rate. It is an excellent choice for aggressive playstyles, rewarding you for staying in the thick of the fight.
46. Unlock Rock Solid for a True Parry. While Resolute Counterflow is a parry tied to an attack combo, the “Rock Solid” spell is a dedicated defensive parry. When activated with precise timing against an incoming attack, it will deflect the blow and heavily stagger the enemy. Upgrading it can even allow it to restore Mana on a successful deflection, making it a self-sustaining defensive tool.
47. Pre-Cast Spells Like “A Pluck of Many.” Some spells, like “A Pluck of Many” which summons duplicates of yourself, have a long casting animation. If you are interrupted while casting, the spell will fail and go on a long cooldown. To avoid this, it is best to cast these types of abilities before entering a fight, so your duplicates are already active and ready to engage the enemy as you approach.

Harnessing Inner Demons: Spirits, Vessels, and Transformations

48. Use Cooldown Abilities Early in Boss Fights. Your most powerful abilities—Transformations, Spirit Attacks, and Vessels—are not tied to Mana but to long individual cooldown timers. To maximize your usage, activate them as early as possible in a boss fight. This starts the cooldown timer immediately, increasing the likelihood that you will be able to use them a second time before the encounter ends.
49. Transformations are an Extra Health Bar. When you use a Transformation spell, you shapeshift into a powerful creature with its own unique health bar, stamina bar, and moveset. This health bar is completely separate from your own. If you are low on health and out of Gourd charges, transforming is an incredible defensive maneuver that effectively gives you a second life to continue the fight.
50. Don’t Hoard Your Transformations. Because they provide a free health bar and are on a cooldown rather than a limited resource, you should use your Transformations aggressively. Pop one at the start of a fight to quickly burn through a boss’s first phase without using any of your own healing resources, saving your Gourd for the more difficult later phases.
51. Understand Spirit Attacks. Spirit Attacks are quick, single-use abilities that briefly transform you into a defeated enemy to perform one of their signature moves. They are excellent for extending a combo, interrupting an enemy attack, or inflicting a quick burst of stagger damage.
52. Equip Spirits for Their Passive Buffs. Every Spirit you have equipped provides a constant passive bonus, even when its active ability is on cooldown. These buffs can range from increased defense to a higher critical hit chance. Always choose a Spirit whose passive effect complements your overall build, not just one with a flashy attack.
53. Defeat Glowing Blue Enemies for New Spirits. As you explore, you will occasionally encounter standard enemies that are surrounded by a distinct, bright blue glowing aura. These are elite versions of normal foes. Defeating them will guarantee that they drop their Spirit, allowing you to capture their essence and add their ability to your collection.
54. Seek Out Vessels from Secret Bosses. Vessels are powerful, reusable artifacts that provide both a passive buff and a strong active ability. There are four in total, and they are typically found as rewards for defeating the major secret bosses hidden in each chapter.
55. Prioritize the Wind Tamer and Weaver’s Needle Vessels. While all Vessels are useful, two stand out. The Wind Tamer, found in Chapter 2, provides a passive defense boost and an active ability that creates a flash, stunning enemies and even interrupting powerful boss attacks. The Weaver’s Needle, from Chapter 4, passively boosts your critical hit chance and damage, and its active ability unleashes a relentless flurry of jabs.

Part IV: Forging the Monkey King – Character Progression and Builds in Black Myth: Wukong

A Sage is not born, but forged. Through discipline, you will sharpen your skills. Through wisdom, you will choose the right tools for the trials ahead. This is the path to true power in Black Myth: Wukong. This section will guide you through the game’s deep RPG systems, explaining how to level up, what skills to prioritize, and how to create powerful, synergistic character builds.

The Path to Power: Skills and Sparks

56. Level Up Anytime from the Menu. You do not need to be at a Keeper’s Shrine to upgrade your character. You can spend your skill points, called “Sparks,” at any time by accessing the “Self-Advance” tab in the pause menu.
57. Hunt for Meditation Spots. Scattered throughout the world are scenic Meditation Spots. Interacting with one for the first time will not only provide a moment of calm but also reward you with a free Spark. Your in-game journal will track how many spots are in each region, so you can hunt down any you have missed.
58. Respec for Free, and Often! Black Myth: Wukong features one of the most forgiving respec systems in the genre. At any Keeper’s Shrine, you can choose to “Reignite the Sparks” and refund every single skill point you have spent, at no cost. This encourages constant experimentation. If you are stuck on a boss, do not hesitate to completely reallocate your skills to try a different strategy.
59. Invest in Foundation Skills First. When you are just starting out, it is wise to invest your Sparks in the “Foundation” skill tree. This tree is divided into Stamina, Martial Arts, and Survival, and the skills within it provide universal benefits—like more health, less stamina consumption, and stronger basic attacks—that will be useful for the entire game, regardless of which advanced build you eventually choose.
60. Prioritize Key Early-Game Skills. With so many options, it can be daunting to know where to spend your first Sparks. Focus on skills that provide the biggest and most immediate impact on gameplay. The table below outlines our top recommendations for any new player.
61. Unlock “Composure” for Fluid Combat. This skill, found in the Stamina tree, is one of the most important in the entire game. It allows you to dodge in the middle of a light attack combo without interrupting the combo chain. This completely transforms the flow of combat, allowing you to weave defensive dodges into your offense seamlessly.
62. Invest in Health and Stamina Early. Your first few Sparks should go into the Robust Constitution (Max Health) and Rampant Vigor (Max Stamina) skills in the Survival tree. The extra survivability and ability to perform more actions will make the challenging early-game bosses much more manageable.
63. Don’t Spread Your Sparks Too Thin. While it may be tempting to dabble in every skill tree, it is far more effective in the early and mid-game to focus your Sparks into two or three trees that synergize well. A focused build will be much more powerful than a character who is a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none.
64. Understand Transformation Skill Tree Passives. The Transformation skill tree contains large nodes that are unlocked by defeating major bosses. These nodes provide powerful passive bonuses that are active at all times, even when you are not in a transformed state. Be sure to check this tree and spend Sparks on the passives that best suit your build.

Table 1: Recommended Early-Game Skill Unlocks

Skill Name	Tree	Reason for Prioritizing
Robust Constitution	Survival	Increases max health for better survivability in tough early fights.
Rampant Vigor	Survival	Increases max stamina, allowing more attacks and dodges.
Composure	Stamina	Allows dodging without interrupting your light attack combo. Essential for fluid combat.
Pillar Stance	Staff Stances	Unlocks a new stance at Level 5, adding crucial defensive and aerial options.
Mobile Spin	Martial Arts	Allows you to move while deflecting projectiles, neutralizing ranged threats.
Force Unbound	Smash Stance	Lets you charge a powerful heavy attack while sprinting, perfect for opening a fight.
Stagnation	Mysticism	Extends the duration of the incredibly powerful Immobilize spell.

The Sage’s Armory: Gear, Gourds, and Medicines

65. Upgrade Your Gear Regularly. Your character’s power scales significantly with the quality of your equipment. Make it a habit to return to a Keeper’s Shrine after major encounters to use the materials you have collected to upgrade your staff and armor.
66. Pay Attention to Armor Set Bonuses. Equipping multiple pieces of armor from the same set will activate powerful set bonuses. These effects, such as gaining Focus on a perfect dodge or reducing spell cooldowns, are often far more impactful than a minor increase in raw defense from mixing and matching gear.
67. Don’t Craft Everything. You will unlock new crafting recipes for weapons and armor very frequently. Unless you are willing to spend a lot of time farming for Will and materials, it is more economical to craft one new, fully upgraded set of gear per chapter rather than trying to craft every single piece as soon as it becomes available.
68. Customize Your Healing Gourd. Your healing Gourd is a highly customizable tool. At a shrine’s “Brew” menu, you can combine different “Drinks,” which determine the amount and speed of healing, with “Soaks,” which add powerful secondary effects like temporary poison resistance or a buff to a specific spell.
69. Memorize Your Gourd’s Sip Count. The UI for your healing Gourd displays an icon representing its charges, not a number. The number of sips you get per icon only changes when you upgrade the Gourd itself. Learn how many sips you have available at all times to avoid the fatal mistake of trying to heal with an empty Gourd.
70. Absorb Green Wisps to Refill Gourd Charges. Once you have acquired the appropriate Gourd upgrade early in the game, the small green spirit wisps you find floating in the world will no longer just grant Will. Absorbing them will also replenish one charge of your healing Gourd, allowing you to stay out in the field longer without resting.
71. Absorb Elite Spirits for a Full Refill. When you defeat a powerful elite enemy or a mini-boss that drops a blue or purple spirit, absorbing that spirit will instantly and completely refill all charges of your Gourd. If you are low on health, it is a good idea to drink your remaining charges before absorbing the spirit to maximize the free refill.
72. Use Medicines for Tough Fights. Do not neglect your consumable medicines. While you may be tempted to save them, they provide powerful temporary buffs that can be the difference between victory and defeat in a tough boss fight. Use them to boost your attack, increase your defense, or grant critical resistance to an element you are struggling with.
73. Understand Elemental Medicines. The utility of elemental resistance medicines is deeper than it appears. An item like “Body Cooling Powder” not only grants resistance to fire damage, but it also reduces all damage you take from any enemy that is capable of using fire attacks, even if the specific attack that hits you does not involve fire.
74. Craft Your Own Medicines. After completing a side quest for the NPC Xu Dog in Chapter 2, you will unlock the ability to craft your own medicines at any Keeper’s Shrine. This makes it much easier and cheaper to maintain a healthy supply of buffs for every encounter.
75. Activate Your Relics. After defeating the final boss of a chapter, you will obtain one of the Six Sage Relics. This is not the final step. You must then go to a Keeper’s Shrine, enter the “Self-Advance: Reignite the Sparks” menu, and navigate to the “Relics” tab to manually activate a powerful passive perk associated with that relic. You can change which perk is active at any time.

Part V: Vanquishing Legends – A Spoiler-Free Approach to Enemies in Black Myth: Wukong

The path is guarded by Yaoguai of immense power. Brute force will fail you. You must become a student of your enemies—learn their rage, their rhythm, their weakness. Only then can you triumph. The game’s difficulty is not set in a menu; it is set by your willingness to explore. If you hit a wall, the solution is not just to “get good,” but to “get exploring.” The world is full of optional power-ups—free skill points, secret bosses guarding powerful gear, and hidden abilities—that act as a player-controlled difficulty slider.

General Enemy and Boss Strategies

76. Study, Don’t Just Fight. When you first encounter a new boss, do not go in with the intention of winning. Dedicate your first few attempts purely to observation. Focus on dodging, learning their attack patterns, and identifying the safe windows for counter-attacks. Patience is your greatest weapon.
77. Identify Telegraphed Attacks. Every boss combo is preceded by a “tell”—a specific animation, a vocal cue, or a sound effect. Learning to recognize these telegraphed signals is the key to mastering your dodge timing and knowing what attack is coming next.
78. Know When to Be Aggressive. While defense is important, Black Myth: Wukong rewards calculated aggression. Many bosses will flinch or become fully staggered if you land a powerful heavy attack or complete a full five-hit light combo. When you see an enemy reel back, press your advantage and unleash as much damage as you can.
79. Know When to Run. Not every fight is a mandatory one. Some optional mini-bosses, like the infamous Wandering Wight in the first area, are significantly more difficult than the main story bosses of that chapter. There is no shame in running past a powerful optional foe and returning later when you are stronger and better equipped.
80. Use the Environment to Your Advantage. The battlefield itself can be a weapon. In some arenas, you can trick larger enemies into charging headfirst into stone pillars, large trees, or walls. This will often break the object and cause the enemy to become stunned, giving you a large window for free damage.
81. Bait Out Attacks from Shielded Enemies. Enemies with shields have a separate durability bar for their shield. Instead of wasting time breaking it, play defensively and bait them into attacking. This will often leave their flank or back exposed for a few seconds, allowing you to bypass their guard and damage their health directly.
82. Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Break. If you find yourself hitting a wall and getting frustrated with a boss, the best thing you can do is step away from the game. Take a break for a few hours or even a day. When you return, you will be surprised how much your muscle memory has improved and how much calmer you are, often leading to a quick victory.
83. Listen for Audio Cues. The sound design in Black Myth: Wukong provides critical combat information. Enemies may have conversations that hint at upcoming threats, and nearly every major attack has a distinct audio cue that signals the timing for your dodge. Playing with headphones can be a significant advantage.
84. Explore Thoroughly Before a Big Fight. If a boss feels impossibly difficult, it is a sign that you may be “under-explored.” The game’s difficulty is balanced around the assumption that you are finding optional upgrades. If you are struggling, backtrack and search for missed Meditation Spots, hidden side quests, or secret bosses that may reward you with the gear or ability you need to overcome the challenge.

Creating Your Legend: Recommended Builds

85. Early Game – The Agile Survivor (Thrust Stance + Stamina). This is a safe and highly effective build for beginners. It focuses on the defensive capabilities of the Thrust Stance, particularly its tactical backstep, and pairs it with high stamina for frequent dodging. This build teaches you the fundamentals of spacing and survival.
86. Early Game – The Aggressive Brawler (Smash Stance + Martial Arts). For players who prefer a high-risk, high-reward playstyle. This build centers on the Smash Stance and its “Resolute Counterflow” parry. It focuses on staying in the enemy’s face, trading blows, and overwhelming them with powerful, staggering finishers.
87. Early Game – The Spell-Slinger (Immobilize + Martial Arts). This powerful build requires crafting the Bronze armor set. The set’s “Evil Crasher” bonus massively enhances the Immobilize spell, reducing its cooldown and increasing damage when you “Crash” an enemy. It allows you to lock down targets for devastating combos.
88. Mid Game – The Ghostly Assassin (Wind Bear Build). This build is all about the Cloud Step spell. It uses the Wind Bear Staff and the Ebongold Armor set to maximize the damage of the “Unveiling Strike” you perform when attacking from invisibility, allowing you to deal massive burst damage and then disappear.
89. Endgame – The Unstoppable Force (Bull King Build). This is the ultimate tank build. It uses the full Bull King armor set and the Dark Iron Staff. The build converts your high defense stat directly into attack power. More importantly, the armor grants “Tenacity” when you are below half health, which prevents you from being staggered by enemy attacks, allowing you to trade blows with even the most powerful bosses.
90. Endgame – The Mana-Fueled God (Spellbinder Build). This is an advanced, high-damage build that uses the “Spell Binder” skill to convert your maximum Mana into a massive damage boost. It synergizes with the Pilgrim Armor (which increases damage while sprinting) and the Jingubang Staff (which grants a fourth Focus Point) to deliver enormous critical hits.
91. Endgame – The Sekiro-Inspired Duelist (Thrust Stance + Rock Solid). For players who love high-skill, precision-based combat. This build forgoes tankiness and focuses on mastering perfect dodges and Rock Solid deflections. It uses the Thrust Stance’s tactical retreats and counters to create a fluid, fast-paced dueling style where timing is everything.

Secrets of the World

92. Always Check Behind Waterfalls. It is a classic video game trope for a reason. In Black Myth: Wukong, waterfalls very often conceal hidden caves, secret boss arenas, or chests containing valuable treasure.
93. Look for Cracks and Gaps in Walls. Many of the game’s secrets are not in plain sight. Keep an eye out for subtle cracks in rock faces or small holes in walls that you can crawl through. These often lead to hidden paths and rewards.
94. Use Transformations to Explore. Some secret areas are physically inaccessible in your normal form. You may need to use a transformation to become a tiny insect to fly through a small crack or a bird to reach a high ledge. Exploration and transformation are deeply intertwined.
95. Backtrack with Key Items. As you progress, you will acquire key items, such as the Loong Scales which allow you to part waterfalls. These items can be used to open up previously inaccessible paths in earlier chapters. It is always worth revisiting old areas after acquiring a new major ability.
96. Ring the Bells in Chapter 1. To access the “Ancient Guanyin Temple” secret area in Chapter 1, you must find and ring three large bells. Each bell is located in one of the main boss arenas of the chapter. Ringing all three will automatically transport you to the hidden temple.
97. Collect the Buddha’s Eyes in Chapter 2. To summon the secret boss Shigandang in Chapter 2, you must first collect six “Buddha’s Eyes” scattered throughout the Fright Cliff region. Once you have all six, return to the arena where you fought the Stone Vanguard and place them into the large, multi-faced rock relief.
98. Use the Old Rattle-Drum. After defeating the Tiger Acolyte in Chapter 2, you will receive the Old Rattle-Drum. This key item can be used at three specific, seemingly insignificant locations throughout the chapter. Using it at all three will reveal a hidden well near Sandgate Village, which leads to the Mad Tiger secret boss.
99. Interact with the Chapter-End Cutscenes. The beautiful, stylized paintings that are displayed between chapters are more than just loading screens. You can zoom in and move a cursor around the image. Certain elements can be clicked on to reveal extra lore and hidden details about the story.
100. Check Your Journal for Missing Collectibles. Your in-game journal serves as a completion tracker. It will tell you how many Meditation Spots, bosses, and other secrets are in each region. Use this as a checklist to see if you have fully explored an area before moving on.
101. Don’t Worry About Missing Things on Your First Playthrough. Black Myth: Wukong features a New Game+ mode. This allows you to carry over your progress and play through the story again, giving you another chance to find any secrets or bosses you may have missed. Enjoy your first journey without the stress of 100% completion.

Bonus Tips: The Final Sutras

102. Use the Pillar Stance to Reach High Ledges. The height you gain from holding a charge in Pillar Stance is not just for combat. It can be used as a platforming tool to reach ledges and platforms that are just out of reach of your normal jump.
103. Use Jump + Heavy Attack to Gain Extra Height. Similar to the Pillar Stance, performing a heavy attack in mid-air provides a small but noticeable vertical boost. This can be used to clear slightly longer gaps or grab onto ledges that are just too high.
104. Break Bronze Walls with Powerful Attacks. In some areas, you may find large, ornate bronze walls blocking a path. These can be destroyed to reveal secrets. You can either bait a powerful enemy into attacking the wall for you, or use your own high-impact abilities, like the Wandering Wight’s headbutt spirit attack or the Azure Dust transformation’s ground slam.
105. Turn on Damage Numbers. In the game’s settings, you can enable floating damage numbers. This provides precise, real-time feedback on how much damage your attacks are dealing, which is invaluable for testing different builds and understanding your effectiveness.
106. Consider Compatibility Mode on PC. If you are experiencing performance issues like lag or stuttering on PC, the game offers a “Compatibility Mode” option when you launch it. This mode will lower certain graphical settings to provide a more stable framerate on older hardware.
107. Understand the Lore. Black Myth: Wukong is set after the events of the classic 16th-century novel Journey to the West, but its darker tone is heavily inspired by a modern retelling called Wukong Biography. Having a basic familiarity with the key characters and events of the original tale will greatly enhance your appreciation of the game’s narrative and world.
108. You Can’t Pause Cutscenes. Be aware that while you can skip most cutscenes, you cannot pause them. Make sure you are ready before triggering a narrative moment.
109. There Are No Manual Saves. The game uses a robust auto-save system. Your progress is saved automatically when you rest at a Keeper’s Shrine or after key events and boss fights.
110. You Can’t Pause Mid-Attack. Just as you can be animation-locked out of dodging, you can also be locked out of pausing the game during certain attack animations.
111. Listen for the Gourd Steal. A specific, challenging late-game boss has a unique grab attack where they steal your healing Gourd. This attack is telegraphed by a distinct audio cue and a 360-degree spin animation. When you see or hear this, dodge immediately.
112. The Light Attack Combo Can Be Extended with Spirits. Using a Spirit Attack in the middle of your light attack combo does not always reset the chain. Certain Spirits flow smoothly into your attacks, allowing you to extend your combo for even greater pressure.
113. Forceful Thrust Grants I-Frames. The forward-lunge follow-up to the Thrust Stance’s Tactical Retreat, known as Forceful Thrust, has a brief window of invincibility frames. This makes it a powerful tool that is both an attack and a dodge at the same time.
114. Use Cloud Step to Cancel Your Own Attacks. If you commit to a long attack animation, like the fourth or fifth hit of a light combo, and suddenly see the enemy winding up a devastating attack, you can cast Cloud Step to instantly cancel your own animation and become invisible, dodging the incoming blow.
115. Some Bosses Fight Each Other. In rare encounters where you face multiple bosses at once, it is sometimes possible to position yourself so that they damage each other with their wide, sweeping attacks. Use their aggression against them.
116. The Monkey Stance is a Secret Endgame Stance. A hidden, fourth stance called the “Monkey Stance” can be unlocked. By equipping the full, authentic Wukong armor set in Chapter 6, your stance will change, blending moves from the other three stances and granting you powerful stagger resistance.

Disclaimer: This is an unofficial fan work, all trademarks and copyrights for Black Myth: Wukong belong to the developer Game Science.

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