How to get the secret ending in Black Myth: Wukong

Beyond the regular ending, there’s a secret ending in Black Myth: Wukong. What transpires at the real conclusion of the game is quite a treat for fans of Journey to the West. But you’ll need to get through a lot of boss battles to see it. This Black Myth: Wukong guide will show you how to unlock the secret ending, covering all the of the steps (and various optional activities I completed) to reach it. Needless to say, this article contains major spoilers. How to unlock the secret ending in Black Myth: Wukong [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/black-myth-wukong-secret-ending-guide-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Here’s a quick summary on how to unlock the secret ending in Black Myth: Wukong: * You must have access to the Great Pagoda in chapter 3. * You have to complete a variety of objectives in secret areas. * If you meet the above requirements, a cutscene will trigger in the Great Pagoda and you’ll be taken to a hidden realm. * This leads to a series of boss battles against Erlang and the Four Heavenly Kings. * After claiming your rewards, you need to defeat the final boss to see the new ending. (Update, Aug. 26: An earlier version of this guide suggested you need to defeat the final boss before unlocking Mount Mei. You only need to defeat the final boss after completing all of the other objectives listed in this guide, including unlocking Mount Mei. But also, we’d recommend seeing the “original” ending before chasing down the secret ending, so if you haven’t done so yet, go ahead and beat the final boss.) Where to find the Great Pagoda in chapter 3 [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/black-myth-wukong-secret-ending-guide-2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Your first order of business is accessing the Great Pagoda. After escaping from the Pagoda Realm prison in chapter 3, you should stumble upon the Snow-Veiled Trail Shrine. Instead of taking the sloping path uphill, cross the bridge to the other plateau. You’ll see the Great Pagoda looming in the distance. Enter it and be sure to tag the shrine. The most peculiar aspect of this location is that the walls themselves show the tapestries at the end of each chapter, giving you a clue as to your overall progress. You won’t need to do anything here for now, so just continue progressing further into the campaign. Defeat the Stone Monkey and Great Sage final boss [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/black-myth-wukong-secret-ending-guide-3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Continue all the way to chapter 6, where your goal is to collect the Monkey King’s mythical armor and weapon. Afterward, you have to enter an “Obsession Realm,” which leads to the final boss of the campaign. The first bout is against the Stone Monkey, whereupon the boss will summon an exact duplicate of himself. The second battle is against the Great Sage’s Broken Shell, essentially a Sun Wukong that has lost his godly powers. However, during the next phase of this bout, your opponent will empower himself with all your collected Relics, making this part significantly tougher. If you manage to succeed against the final boss, you’ll get to watch the default ending of the game. It shows the Destined One accepting Sun Wukong’s crown. He’ll not only be a prisoner of his fate, but also that of the magical stone that previously housed Sun Wukong’s spirit. After the credits roll, you’ll be back at the main menu. There’s an option called “Start a New Cycle,” which begins a New Game Plus run. Do not select New Game Plus. Instead, choose to “Continue” so you can resume your current playthrough. How to unlock the Mount Mei secret area [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/black-myth-wukong-secret-ending-guide-5.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] This next part is a bit tricky. If you revisit the Great Pagoda after beating the campaign, you’ll notice that all six paintings are on the walls, representing the six chapters that you completed. However, the wall at the back is still blank. You then need to complete a series of optional activities. Get the Monkey King armor set and Jingubang. These mythical gear pieces should be yours since they’re acquired in chapter 6 just before you battle the final boss. Treasure Hunter side quest. Complete the Treasure Hunter’s quest in chapter 3. He can be found in the following locations: * First location and quest starting point: Enter the small temple grounds at the left-hand side of the North Shore of the Bitter Lake. Defeat the enemies there to rescue the Treasure Hunter NPC. * Second location: At the Towers of Karma shrine, go near the Treasure Hunter, who’s looking for a source of fire. Cast your Ring of Fire spell next to him to trigger a cutscene. * Third location: From the Brook of Bliss shrine, follow the river until you’re at the cliff’s edge. Hop down the ledges to reach the Melon Field waypoint and defeat the Treasure Hunter to obtain the Spell Binder spell. Complete secret areas. Complete the main objectives in the secret areas in all other chapters: * Chapter 1: Ancient Guanyin Temple * Chapter 2: Kingdom of Sahali * Chapter 4: Purple Cloud Mountain * Chapter 5: Bishui Cave What’s not required: As an aside, we can tell you that acquiring all other transformations up to this point, as well as defeating other optional bosses (except the ones in secret areas), is not necessary at all. Moreover, you do not need to complete the secret Loong quest line nor acquire the Skandha items. In any case, once you’re done with the aforementioned requirements, fast travel back to the Great Pagoda. Make sure you equip the full mythical Monkey King armor set and the Jingubang weapon when you approach the back of the chamber. If you did everything right, you should trigger a cutscene where the Child Buddha approaches you once more. The Child Buddha will reveal a hidden realm called Mount Mei. This also unlocks the “Mei of Memory” achievement. How to beat Erlang the Sacred Divinity [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/black-myth-wukong-secret-ending-guide-6.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Once you do have access to Mount Mei, you’re all set for the Black Myth: Wukong secret ending. However, a familiar foe bars your path. It’s none other than Erlang Shen, the general of heaven and the same warrior you faced in the prologue. The Black Myth: Wukong Erlang Shen boss fight is significantly tougher compared to all encounters you’ve previously experienced. We’d go so far as to compare him to Malenia and Promised Consort Radahn in Elden Ring. For one thing, he’s a tricky fellow, and he has a penchant for sidestepping at the last moment to avoid your heavy attacks. Likewise, he has numerous abilities that can easily take you out. Here are some examples: * Spear Combo. Erlang’s spear combo is a multi-hit sequence, often up to five slashes and swipes. * Xiaotian Summon. From time to time, Erlang will be joined by his Celestial Hounds, shadowy dogs that will also attack you. * Spear Throw Grab. If Erlang jumps high up into the air, he’ll throw his spear to impale you. This also leads to a grab sequence that deals tremendous damage. * Parry Grab. Alternatively, if Erlang deflects your blows, stop what you’re doing. If you continue hitting him, he’ll perform a different grab sequence. * Piercing Sword. The boss will do a wind-up animation and throw his sword, dealing high damage to your character. This can also be done as part of a spell that hits numerous times. * Elemental Infusion. Erlang will periodically switch to different elements, such as fire, frost, shock, and poison, granting him new abilities. * Phase Transition Sequences. The boss also has various abilities that are triggered at certain health intervals. These include casting an arcing beam, creating a clone of himself that fires lasers, and smashing you with a gigantic axe. You have two more battles to get through. How to beat the Four Heavenly Kings [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/black-myth-wukong-secret-ending-guide-7.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Up next, you have to face the Four Heavenly Kings in Black Myth: Wukong. These are Buddhist deities that are said to watch over each of the four cardinal directions and regions. Having to fight four bosses at the same time might seem like a daunting task. Thankfully, you’re playing as a souped-up version of your character. Think of it as a “kaiju battle” since everyone is a giant entity — or, better yet, like you’re Oozaru, the great ape from Dragon Ball Z. Your Giant Stone Monkey form has access to several new powers: * Light attack: Primal Punch. Strong blows that grant focus. * Heavy attack: Earthshatter Slam. Leap up into the air and slam down on your target. This also heals your character depending on the number of focus points that you’ve built up. * Spell: Rock Solid. Just like your regular spell, this allows you to deflect attacks to gain focus. * Spell: Ice Bath. Infuses your melee attacks with frost, which can freeze your opponents. The battle against the Four Heavenly Kings can take a while, but keep at it and try to use your heavy attack if you need to restore your health. Each deity that you defeat also triggers a “fatality-like” scene until everyone has been finished off. How to beat Erlang Shen (Transformed) [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/black-myth-wukong-secret-ending-guide-8.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Finally, it’s time to take on Erlang Shen, who’s also in a transformed state as a Great Lion. He tends to be more aggressive and hard-hitting compared to the Four Heavenly Kings, and he even wields a flaming sword. However, you shouldn’t worry too much due to the healing capabilities of your heavy attack. Eventually, you should be able to bring him down. Rewards for beating Erlang Shen and the Four Heavenly Kings [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/black-myth-wukong-secret-ending-guide-10.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] After this battle, a cutscene will play. Erlang Shen will lie beaten, and he’ll end up giving you his own weapon. He’ll also push you away, saying that your journey has just begun. For your efforts, you’ll receive the following rewards: * Weapon: Tri-Point Double-Edged Spear (mythical). This has spear-like attacks that increase the damage of Thrust Stance moves. Performing a Forceful Thrust also causes numerous swords to strike your target. * Transformation: Stone Monkey (Azure Dome). Shapeshift into the Stone Monkey from before, albeit just a human-sized version. * You can infuse your melee attacks with frost if you equip the Immobilize spell, and with fire if you equip the Ring of Fire spell. * Your heavy attacks can still heal your character. * It’s possible to cast A Pluck of Many, which creates one Stone Monkey duplicate. * Materials: 1x Kun Steel and 2x Celestial Ribbon * Achievement: “Meet the Match” Black Myth: Wukong secret ending, explained [Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP-G0k8nzHQ] You’re not done yet. If you want to obtain the Black Myth: Wukong secret ending, you have to return to the Mount Huaguo magical stone. Challenge the final boss once more and defeat him in battle. If you succeed, you’ll get to watch an entirely different cutscene. Here’s a quick summary: * The elder will pick up Sun Wukong’s crown. But, before he can place it on the Destined One’s head, the screen will flash. * A colorful animated scene will play. It depicts the adventures of Sun Wukong and company, which Journey to the West readers should be familiar with. You’ll even see glimpses of Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing. * At the very end, Sun Wukong exclaims that it’s time to attack the Celestial Palace. He gets ready for battle, which leads to the events shown in the game’s prologue. If you’re interested in seeing the full cinematic, you can watch the video above.