Pigsy from Journey to the West

Way back when, Pigsy was a dignified immortal, a heavenly admiral with more than 80,000 naval warriors under his command. One evening, he got drunk and made inappropriate advances toward the beautiful goddess of the moon Chang’e. He was flogged 2,000 times and banished to the mortal world.

Conceived in the womb of a female boar, he emerges on earth as a humanoid pig monster, complete with a huge belly, pointy ears, and a snout. He makes his home in a cave on the side of Fuling Mountain, living a wretched life.

Then one day Pigsy gets a reason to be helpful. The goddess Bodhisattva Guanyin happens by—she is looking for a few brave travelers to journey westward with a monk in search of sacred scriptures. Guanyin convinces the remorseful Pigsy this is his chance for salvation—join the quest, protect the monk, and gain merit. “Wait for the others,” she tells him.

But Pigsy has a hard time mending his lustful ways. He visits the nearby Gaolao Village to kidnap a young lady and force her into marriage.

Just then, the Monkey King and Tang Monk, already on their journey, pass by the anxious villagers. Seeing this wicked scheme, the Monkey King, armed with his golden cudgel, goes after Pigsy, who is armed with a rake. The magical Monkey defeats him, rescuing the petrified maiden and pacifying the villagers.

Monkey King is about to thoroughly take care of Pigsy when, not a moment too soon, Bodhisattva Guanyin reappears, telling them they are intended to be brethren on the same journey. Pigsy becomes a disciple of Tang Monk on the spot, and the three set off toward ancient India.