Black Myth: Wukong Six Relics Explained – Powers, Chapters & Meaning
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The Six Relics in Black Myth: Wukong are far more important than ordinary upgrades.
They form the backbone of the Destined One's journey, connect every major chapter to Sun Wukong's fragmented legacy and ultimately help explain one of the game's biggest themes: whether inheriting the Monkey King's power means becoming him or finding a different path.
The Relics are associated with six sensory roots:
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Eyes
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Ears
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Nose
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Tongue
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Body
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Mind
Five of them are recovered through the main progression of Chapters 1–5.
The sixth works differently.
Understanding that difference is essential for interpreting the hidden endgame involving Erlang Shen, Sun Wukong's memories and the true significance of the Destined One's journey.
This guide explains all Six Relics in Black Myth: Wukong, where they appear, what they do and what they represent.
EXPLORE BLACK MYTH: WUKONG MERCH
What Are the Six Relics in Black Myth: Wukong?
The Six Relics are fragments connected to Sun Wukong's existence and legacy after the events surrounding his fall.
Rather than being presented simply as six pieces of conventional equipment, they correspond to the six sensory roots:
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Craving Eyes
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Fuming Ears
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Hubris Nose
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Envious Tongue
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Grieved Body
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Mind
The first five are acquired across Chapters 1 through 5.
Each becomes part of the game's Relics progression system and provides selectable gameplay effects.
The sixth root is more complicated and tied to the game's endgame structure.
This makes the Relic system both a gameplay mechanic and an important narrative device.
Why Did Sun Wukong Leave Behind Relics?
Black Myth: Wukong begins after Sun Wukong's attempt to escape the control imposed upon him.
The opening confrontation involving Wukong and Erlang Shen leads into the larger mystery surrounding his fate.
Following those events, his legacy becomes fragmented.
The Destined One is later sent on a journey to recover the pieces associated with that legacy.
At first, this resembles a traditional quest to restore a legendary hero.
However, the game gradually complicates that assumption.
Recovering Wukong's power does not necessarily mean restoring Wukong himself.
The Relics therefore raise a deeper question:
What exactly can be inherited from another person?
Power?
Memory?
Personality?
Desire?
Or simply the possibility of continuing what they started?
The Six Relics in Order
The main Relic progression follows this structure:
| Relic | Associated Root | Main Progression |
|---|---|---|
| Craving Eyes | Eyes | Chapter 1 |
| Fuming Ears | Ears | Chapter 2 |
| Hubris Nose | Nose | Chapter 3 |
| Envious Tongue | Tongue | Chapter 4 |
| Grieved Body | Body | Chapter 5 |
| Mind / Freed Mind | Mind | Hidden endgame & postgame progression |
The first five create a clear chapter-by-chapter pattern.
The final root deliberately breaks that pattern.
1. Craving Eyes – Chapter 1
Craving Eyes is the first Relic obtained during the Destined One's journey.
It is associated with sight.
Chapter 1 takes place around Black Wind Mountain and introduces several important figures connected to the corrupted history surrounding the Guanyin Temple.
The visual theme of craving fits the chapter particularly well.
Seeing something desirable can create attachment.
Beauty, wealth, status and sacred objects can all become sources of obsession when perception becomes desire.
This idea echoes themes associated with the story of Elder Jinchi and the kasaya in Journey to the West.
What Does Craving Eyes Do?
Like the other standard Relics, Craving Eyes provides selectable gameplay effects.
Its available talents can affect areas such as:
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Focus generation
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Critical damage
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Combat timing
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Spell interactions
One of the interesting features of the Relic system is that players do not simply receive a single fixed bonus.
Instead, each Relic offers choices that can support different builds.
Why Is Craving Eyes Symbolically Important?
The name connects physical sight with desire.
Eyes do not merely observe.
They can also create attachment to what is seen.
Black Myth: Wukong repeatedly turns this idea into a broader theme.
Characters are often destroyed not because an object possesses them directly, but because they cannot stop wanting what they perceive.
That makes Craving Eyes an appropriate beginning to the Relic sequence.
2. Fuming Ears – Chapter 2
The second Relic is Fuming Ears.
It is associated with hearing and becomes connected to the events of Chapter 2.
The chapter revolves around Yellow Wind Ridge, a fallen kingdom, the Yellow Wind Sage and a region shaped by spiritual corruption.
Hearing can represent more than sound.
It can also relate to:
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Rumors
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Praise
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Insults
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Anger
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Judgment
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Reaction
The word Fuming suggests emotional agitation.
What someone hears can provoke anger before they understand the full truth.
What Does Fuming Ears Do?
Fuming Ears provides selectable combat enhancements.
Its talents can influence areas such as defensive timing and combo performance.
Mechanically, the Relics become increasingly important because players can adapt them to complement preferred combat styles.
Rather than merely collecting story fragments, the Destined One gradually converts Wukong's fragmented legacy into functional abilities.
3. Hubris Nose – Chapter 3
The third Relic is Hubris Nose.
It is acquired through Chapter 3, which takes the Destined One into the New West and the domain associated with Yellowbrow.
The word hubris refers to excessive pride or self-confidence.
That concept fits especially well with Chapter 3.
Yellowbrow constructs his own distorted religious order and presents himself with spiritual authority.
His environment imitates sacred structures while twisting them around his own ego and ambitions.
The chapter repeatedly asks whether outward holiness actually reflects inner enlightenment.
Why Is Hubris Nose Connected to Smell?
In the six-root framework, nose corresponds to smell.
Black Myth: Wukong gives each sensory root a more emotionally charged title.
That transforms ordinary perception into attachment.
The issue is not simply smelling.
It is the judgment, pride and desire that can become attached to sensory experience.
Hubris Nose and Yellowbrow
Yellowbrow is particularly relevant because he represents false certainty.
He believes he understands desire, spirituality and human nature.
Yet his supposed wisdom becomes inseparable from arrogance.
The Relic's name therefore complements one of Chapter 3's central conflicts:
the difference between genuine understanding and believing oneself enlightened.
4. Envious Tongue – Chapter 4
The fourth Relic is Envious Tongue.
It corresponds to taste and is associated with Chapter 4.
Chapter 4 takes the Destined One into Webbed Hollow and introduces the spider guai family, the Violet Spider and the Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master.
It also develops one of the game's most emotionally complex storylines involving Zhu Bajie and the Violet Spider.
The word Envious immediately introduces themes of longing and comparison.
A person may desire what another possesses.
That desire can involve:
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Love
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Beauty
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Status
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Freedom
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Power
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Immortality
The Tongue and Desire
Taste is particularly closely connected to wanting.
Something pleasurable is experienced, then desired again.
This makes the tongue a natural symbol for attachment.
The chapter's characters repeatedly demonstrate the consequences of clinging to relationships, memories and ambitions that cannot easily be restored.
Fourth Sister and Chapter 4
The Fourth Sister also provides another perspective on the chapter's themes.
Unlike characters trapped completely by the systems surrounding Webbed Hollow, she appears interested in escaping the conditions imposed upon her.
Her interactions with the Destined One create one of the game's most mysterious unresolved character threads.
READ THE FOURTH SISTER STORY EXPLAINED
5. Grieved Body – Chapter 5
The fifth Relic is Grieved Body.
It corresponds to the body and becomes central to Chapter 5.
This is one of the most emotionally appropriate Relic names in the game.
Chapter 5 focuses heavily on:
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The Bull King
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Princess Rakshasi
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Red Boy
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The Yaksha lineage
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Sun Wukong's former relationships
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Family trauma
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Physical suffering
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Inherited resentment
Almost every important character in the chapter carries some form of grief.
The Bull King and Grieved Body
The Bull King possesses the Relic during this part of the story.
His connection to Wukong is especially significant because the two once shared a complicated friendship and history.
By the time the Destined One reaches him, the Bull King is older, physically diminished and burdened by decisions made long before the current journey.
The Relic therefore connects bodily decline with emotional regret.
Red Boy and the Relic
Red Boy wants the power contained within the Relic.
His motivation is connected to the destroyed Yaksha people and his own complicated family history.
Eventually, that search for power leads into his transformation as the Yaksha King.
The moment demonstrates another recurring Black Myth theme:
inheriting power does not automatically heal inherited pain.
READ RED BOY & THE YAKSHA KING EXPLAINED
What Is the Sixth Relic in Black Myth: Wukong?
The sixth root corresponds to Mind.
This is where the Relic system becomes more complicated.
Unlike the first five, the sixth is not simply awarded through ordinary Chapter 6 progression in exactly the same way.
The hidden endgame involving Erlang Shen, Mount Mei and the alternative ending is critical.
The postgame Relic associated with this path is known as Freed Mind.
This distinction matters because the sixth root is connected not merely to another physical sense, but to thought, desire, memory and freedom.
Recent analyses of the released game distinguish between the broader Mind Is Desire concept and Freed Mind, the postgame Relic tied to the hidden route.
What Is Freed Mind?
Freed Mind functions differently from the first five Relics.
To reach the relevant progression, players need to engage with the hidden path involving Erlang Shen and then complete the ending/postgame transition.
This design is significant.
The game does not simply place Wukong's mind inside another boss and allow the Destined One to pick it up.
Instead, the final element is tied to understanding, memory and freedom.
That makes sense thematically.
A body part can be inherited.
A memory can be transferred.
But can one person's mind truly become another person's?
Black Myth: Wukong deliberately leaves space around that question.
Why Is Erlang Shen Important to the Sixth Relic?
Erlang Shen is one of the most important characters in understanding the hidden ending.
At first, he appears primarily as Wukong's celestial rival.
The opening battle reinforces that interpretation.
However, later optional content reveals that his role is more complicated.
The encounter at Mount Mei becomes essential to understanding:
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Wukong's memories
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The final Relic
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The Destined One's inheritance
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The hidden ending
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Wukong's attempt to escape control
Erlang therefore becomes more than a secret superboss.
He acts as a gatekeeper to information the Destined One needs before completing Wukong's legacy.
How Do You Unlock the Hidden Erlang Route?
The Erlang path requires players to complete important secret-area progression across the game.
The sequence ultimately leads through the Great Pagoda toward Mount Mei.
This is why the fight is often described as hidden or optional.
It does not simply appear during straightforward main-story progression.
Players who want the deeper ending context therefore need to engage with a considerable portion of the game's optional content.
DISCOVER THE SECRET BOSSES IN BLACK MYTH: WUKONG
Do You Need All Six Relics for the True Ending?
The terminology around a "true ending" is often used by players, but secret ending or alternative ending is safer when describing the game itself.
The hidden Erlang route provides additional story context that significantly changes how the conclusion can be interpreted.
The crucial distinction is that the sixth root does not behave like the five standard chapter rewards.
Players pursuing the deeper ending should focus on:
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Completing the relevant secret areas
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Unlocking the Great Pagoda progression
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Reaching Mount Mei
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Defeating Erlang
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Completing the ending sequence
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Entering the subsequent cycle where the additional Relic progression becomes available
The Six Relics and the Six Senses
The structure of the Relics draws upon the idea of six sensory faculties:
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Eye
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Ear
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Nose
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Tongue
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Body
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Mind
These are important concepts within Buddhist frameworks concerning perception and attachment.
Black Myth: Wukong adapts them into more emotionally loaded titles:
Craving Eyes
Fuming Ears
Hubris Nose
Envious Tongue
Grieved Body
Mind
The transformation is important.
The game is not simply listing sensory organs.
It is connecting perception to desire.
Why Does Black Myth: Wukong Use the Six Senses?
The story repeatedly explores what happens when perception becomes attachment.
Seeing can produce craving.
Hearing can produce anger.
Identity can produce pride.
Taste can produce desire.
The body can suffer.
The mind can remain trapped by memory, expectation and control.
Sun Wukong's original story is deeply connected to attempts to control desire, ego and freedom.
Black Myth: Wukong reinterprets those ideas through a darker narrative about inheritance.
The Destined One does not merely gather power.
He gathers parts of a legacy shaped by attachment.
Are the Relics Literally Pieces of Sun Wukong?
The game treats them as fragments of Wukong's legacy and power, but reducing them to simple physical body pieces misses much of their narrative function.
They correspond to sensory and mental aspects.
Their meaning is therefore simultaneously:
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Physical
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Spiritual
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Symbolic
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Mechanical
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Narrative
The Destined One collects them as progression rewards, but each one also represents another step toward understanding the figure whose path he is following.
Do the Relics Make the Destined One Sun Wukong?
Not necessarily.
This is one of the game's most important distinctions.
The Destined One can inherit:
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Wukong's Relics
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Wukong-inspired equipment
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Staff techniques
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Memories
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Abilities
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The mantle associated with the Great Sage
But possessing those things does not automatically make him identical to Sun Wukong.
READ: IS THE DESTINED ONE SUN WUKONG?
The Relics and the Golden Headband
The golden headband becomes one of the most important symbols in interpreting the ending.
In the original Journey to the West, Wukong's headband is connected to discipline and control.
Black Myth: Wukong gives that symbolism renewed importance.
If the Destined One merely inherits Wukong's role while remaining subject to the same system of control, then the cycle has not truly been broken.
The hidden endgame creates another possibility.
By recovering more complete knowledge of Wukong's memories and intentions, the Destined One may inherit the legacy without simply repeating the same captivity.
What Does the Sixth Relic Represent?
The sixth Relic is therefore fundamentally different from the others.
Eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body relate directly to sensory experience.
Mind determines what is done with that experience.
The mind:
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Remembers
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Interprets
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Desires
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Chooses
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Resists
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Obeys
That makes it the ideal final piece of Wukong's legacy.
A warrior can receive another person's strength.
But genuine freedom requires something more than strength.
It requires the ability to choose.
Six Relics and Their Meaning
| Relic | Root | Broad Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Craving Eyes | Sight | Desire created by what is seen |
| Fuming Ears | Hearing | Emotional reaction and anger |
| Hubris Nose | Smell | Pride and false certainty |
| Envious Tongue | Taste | Wanting and attachment |
| Grieved Body | Touch / Body | Suffering, loss and physical existence |
| Mind / Freed Mind | Mind | Memory, desire, choice and freedom |
These thematic descriptions are interpretive rather than an official developer-provided symbolism chart.
That distinction is important because Black Myth: Wukong deliberately leaves many of its narrative symbols open to interpretation.
Relic Abilities and Gameplay
Relics are not only lore objects.
They also provide gameplay bonuses through the Self-Advance system.
Each of the first five standard Relics offers multiple selectable effects.
Players can use these bonuses to complement different combat approaches.
Depending on the Relic, effects may support areas such as:
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Focus generation
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Critical damage
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Dodging
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Combo timing
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Spells
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Resources
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Heavy attacks
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Combat efficiency
This makes the system unusually effective narratively.
The Destined One does not merely carry Wukong's legacy.
The player actively integrates pieces of that legacy into their build.
Can You Unlock Every Relic Ability?
Not during a single initial progression through each Relic.
The system becomes more important in New Game Plus.
Subsequent journeys can allow additional Relic effect activations, gradually expanding the available bonuses.
This creates an interesting relationship between gameplay and story.
The journey repeats, but progression does not completely disappear.
The Destined One returns carrying more of what he learned before.
Why the Relic System Works So Well in New Game Plus
Many games use New Game Plus simply to let players replay the story with stronger equipment.
Black Myth: Wukong's Relics make repetition more meaningful.
A new cycle can represent another step in mastering the legacy inherited during the previous journey.
This connects directly to the game's themes of cycles.
The world repeats patterns.
Characters inherit unresolved conflicts.
Wukong struggled against control.
The Destined One follows a path shaped by him.
The central question becomes whether repetition must always produce the same result.
The Relics and Journey to the West
Black Myth: Wukong does not retell Journey to the West directly.
Instead, it assumes a world profoundly shaped by its events.
The Relics allow the game to transform the Monkey King's legacy into something the player can gradually reconstruct.
This makes them an effective bridge between:
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Classical mythology
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Journey to the West
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Sun Wukong
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The Destined One
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Modern action-RPG progression
READ BLACK MYTH: WUKONG AND JOURNEY TO THE WEST EXPLAINED
The Relics and Sun Wukong's Identity
There is also an important philosophical question behind the entire system.
Imagine collecting every physical and spiritual element associated with another person.
Would that make you that person?
Black Myth: Wukong repeatedly suggests the answer is more complicated.
Identity also comes from:
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Experience
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Memory
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Choice
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Relationships
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Intention
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Freedom
The Relics give the Destined One access to Wukong's legacy.
His own decisions determine what that inheritance becomes.
Six Relics vs Sun Wukong's Equipment
The Relics should not be confused with Wukong's legendary equipment.
His iconic gear includes recognizable objects such as his staff and armor.
The Relics serve a different function.
Equipment represents Wukong's image.
His armor and staff immediately make the Destined One visually resemble the Great Sage.
Relics represent Wukong's fragmented legacy.
They move beyond appearance toward sensory, spiritual and narrative inheritance.
Together, the two systems create the temptation for the Destined One to become another Sun Wukong.
But the story ultimately asks whether copying Wukong is actually the goal.
READ ABOUT THE RUYI JINGU BANG
Black Myth: Wukong Relics FAQ
How many Relics are there in Black Myth: Wukong?
There are six sensory roots associated with the Relic framework: Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue, Body and Mind.
What are the first five Relics?
They are Craving Eyes, Fuming Ears, Hubris Nose, Envious Tongue and Grieved Body.
What is the sixth Relic?
The sixth root is associated with Mind. The postgame Relic tied to the hidden endgame progression is Freed Mind.
Do you get one Relic in every chapter?
Chapters 1–5 follow a one-Relic-per-chapter structure. The Mind root works differently and is tied to hidden endgame and postgame progression rather than functioning as a standard Chapter 6 reward.
What Relic do you get in Chapter 1?
Chapter 1 provides Craving Eyes.
What Relic do you get in Chapter 2?
Chapter 2 provides Fuming Ears.
What Relic do you get in Chapter 3?
Chapter 3 provides Hubris Nose.
What Relic do you get in Chapter 4?
Chapter 4 provides Envious Tongue.
What Relic do you get in Chapter 5?
Chapter 5 provides Grieved Body.
Is Freed Mind the sixth Relic?
Freed Mind is the postgame Relic associated with the sixth sensory root after completing the relevant hidden endgame progression.
Do you need to defeat Erlang Shen?
Erlang is central to the hidden route that provides the deeper ending context associated with Wukong's memories and the sixth-root progression.
Can you unlock more Relic abilities in New Game Plus?
Yes. Repeated cycles allow the Relic system to develop beyond the selections available during the first journey.
Are the Relics parts of Sun Wukong?
They represent fragmented aspects of Wukong's power and legacy, structured around the six sensory roots. Their role is simultaneously mechanical, narrative and symbolic.
Do the Six Relics turn the Destined One into Sun Wukong?
The game deliberately makes this more complicated than simple resurrection. The Destined One inherits elements of Wukong's legacy while remaining central to a separate question about identity and freedom.
The Six Relics Are the Key to Understanding Black Myth: Wukong
The Six Relics connect almost every major element of Black Myth: Wukong.
They connect the chapters.
They connect the Destined One to Sun Wukong.
They connect gameplay progression to Buddhist-inspired symbolism.
And they connect the game's opening rebellion to its final question about freedom.
Craving Eyes, Fuming Ears, Hubris Nose, Envious Tongue and Grieved Body can be recovered throughout the journey.
The final Mind root requires something different.
That difference is precisely what makes it important.
Sun Wukong's legacy was never simply about obtaining enough power.
He was already immensely powerful.
His real struggle concerned whether that power could ever make him truly free.
By the time the Destined One reaches the end of the journey, the Six Relics turn the same question toward a new character:
Will he simply inherit Sun Wukong's destiny—or finally escape it?