BulL Demon King (牛魔王, Niú Mówáng?), titled Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven (平天大聖, Píngtiān Dàshèng?), is a major antagonist character in Journey to the West. He is the husband of the Princess Iron Fan and father of Red Boy. He is a Demon King based in Sky Scraping Cave on Accumulated Thunder Mountain (積雷山; Jīléi-shān).
Synopsis[]
In the early chapters of the novel, he becomes sworn brothers with Sun Wukong and six other demon kings, the Saurian Demon King (蛟魔王; Jiāo Mówáng), the Single-Horned Demon King (單角魔王; Dānjiǎo Mówáng), the Roc Demon King (鵬魔王; Péng Mówáng), the Lion Spirit King (獅狔王; Shīnǐ Wáng), the Macaque Spirit King (獼猴王; Míhóu Wáng) and the Snub-nosed monkey Spirit King (禺狨王; Yúróng Wáng). He is ranked the most senior of the seven, and styles himself "Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven" (平天大聖). He marries Princess Iron Fan and has a son, Red Boy, with her. He appears again in a later chapter when the protagonists arrive at the Flaming Mountains along their journey. Sun Wukong disguises himself as Bull Demon King to deceive Princess Iron Fan and takes away her Banana Leaf Fan. The real Bull Demon King visits Princess Iron Fan, who then realises she has been tricked. Bull Demon King disguises himself as Zhu Bajie to trick Sun Wukong and retrieves the fan. In the ensuing fight against Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, Bull Demon King reveals his true form, a giant white bull, and attempts to charge towards his opponents. Nezha shows up, captures Bull Demon King, and brings him to Heaven to let the Jade Emperor decide his fate.
Trivia[]
- Bowser, the main antagonist of the Mario video game franchise, was inspired by the Bull Demon King. Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that he first envisioned Bowser as an ox, basing him on the Bull Demon King from the 1960 anime film Alakazam the Great, an adaptation of Journey to the West.