The same inspiration powers the 3 most popular manga ever.
Despite the obvious differences and the never-ending comparisons, manga heavyweights Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece share a common source of inspiration and ideas in Sun Wukong - the irrepressible Monkey King who is the protagonist of the Chinese epic Journey to the West.
It's a connection that not only marks the Monkey King's indelible influence on the Shonen Jump manga series but also makes titles much more alike than their fandoms may realize. SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Journey to the West is a 16th-century Chinese novel attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It's one of the greatest parables of human civilization and a classic tale of heroes, demons, and Gods that is as widely known in China - its country of origin - and Japan as King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table is in the West. Moreover, just as King Arthur serves as a constant source of inspiration for the Western comic book industry, Journey to the West is one of the deepest sources of content for Japanese manga. This is most obviously demonstrated in the tale's influence on three of the most iconic and influential manga in the history of the industry. While Sun Wukong's influence on Dragon Ball's Son Goku is pretty straightforward and well-known, fans will be surprised to learn that the Monkey King has his paws also in Luffy and Naruto. Sun Wukong's Adventure Is the Quintessential Hero's Journey Journey to the West follows the story of Sun Wukong, an incredibly powerful being with a serious naughty streak who, believing himself to be invincible, decides to invite himself to Heaven. While powerful, the Gods have never really been challenged in their own home. That proves their downfall as Wukong uses every trick in the book to overcome their abilities. Ultimately, the Gods call on Guanyin for help, who quickly incapacitates Sun Wukong and places a mountain on top of him to stop him from escaping. Hoping that the Monkey King will use the time trapped to reflect on his criminal behavior, Guanyin orders that he'll remain trapped by the mountain until a "pure" soul finds him and teaches him, in essence, humility. After 500 years, the Buddhist monk Tang Shen happened upon Sun Wukong. Sent by the Emperor to retrieve sacred Buddhist texts from India, Tang Shen's purity lifts Guanyin's command. However, rather than being unconditionally freed, Wukong's freedom is only guaranteed if he can help Tang Shen successfully complete his journey. So begins the Monkey King's hero's quest. Along the way, he hones and improves his impressive abilities by protecting Tang Shen. But most importantly he learns the humility, patience, kindness, and diligence, that Guanyin believed he always possessed. During this journey, Sun Wukong is tasked with overcoming myriad dangers, temptations, and sorrows. Of course, he also gets into plenty of fights. As such the story provides a deep pot of rich content that manga creators can and have drawn ideas to use in their works. Dragon Ball's Goku Is The Monkey King The Monkey King's influence on Dragon Ball is evident from the very first page of the saga. "Son Goku" is the literal Japanese translation of the Monkey King's name Sun Wukong. There's also the fact that while both can fly, they originally got around riding a magic cloud. The influences, however, do not stop there. Like Wukong, Goku is also a primate with near-invincible powers to wreak havoc. Indeed, the wild, uncontestable, and frenzied attacks Goku performs in his Great Ape form are similar to Wukong's crazed and unstoppable rampage through Heaven that got him in trouble. The magic staff that Goku uses early in his adventure is also inspired by the Jingu Bang wielded by the Monkey King. There's also Goku's slow but steady progression toward "enlightenment". No fan can deny that Goku has grown a lot during his adventures, and he's a very different character in Dragon Ball Super than he was in Dragon Ball. Each battle, each defeat, and each success has allowed him to unlock another level of mental toughness that is expressed in his different "power up" forms. These developments mirror the Monkey King's similar progress over the course of his journey from a cocky but good-hearted bully to a serious, thoughtful warrior. Naruto's Shinobi Share Powers With The Monkey King While the Monkey King's influence on Naruto is not as obvious as it is with Dragon Ball, it is just as critical an element of the story. However, rather than being concentrated on one character, its most obvious focus is on the abilities and skills. One of the Monkey King's most powerful abilities is loosely translated as the "smokey fire golden eye". It's a special ocular power that lets the Monkey King see miles into the distance, as well as through the various transformations, illusions, and disguises of the monsters, ghosts, and spirits he encounters on the journey. In Naruto, the Monkey King's ocular powers are depicted in the coveted Dojutsu abilities of certain Shinobi. Like the Monkey King, Dojutsu abilities in Naruto are immensely powerful capabilities that make a holder nearly invincible. Another basic ability the Monkey King commonly uses to defeat enemies or get out of tight situations is the ability to make over 80,000 duplicates of himself, with each duplicate being a complete copy - including his trusted weapons - of the original. In Naruto, this ability is depicted in the Shadow Clone Technique. Like the Monkey King's duplication power, the Shadow Clone Technique allows a user to create actual physical clones that are exact copies of the user, and it became one of the most iconic features of the Naruto franchise. One Piece's Broad Adventures Reimagine Sun Wukong's Journey West The easiest way to see the Monkey King's influence on One Piece is through its main character, who like Dragon Ball's Goku is literally named after him. But there's more to it than just his name. Monkey D. Luffy's fun-loving prankish attitude even when facing life-or-death circumstances is typical of the Monkey King. While wreaking havoc in Heaven, the Monkey King also ate a bunch of Peaches of Immortality, which could have been one of the inspirations behind One Piece's Devil Fruits. In addition to extending the life of whoever eats them, the Peaches of Immortality can also bestow a range of extraordinary abilities such as the power of flight and eternal youth, and eating them makes the Monkey King all the more powerful. Perhaps the deepest influence that the Monkey King has on One Piece is best found in Luffy's years-long search for the Pirate King's treasure. It's a journey to the promised land that mirrors the Monkey's own years-long expedition with Tang Shen to retrieve the sacred Buddhist texts. In both cases, the exact location of the destination is not known so Luffy and the Monkey King must figure it out on the way. Moreover, while the trips start out with just the Monkey King and Tang Shen in Journey to the West and Luffy in One Piece, they meet and befriend various people - often after fighting them - who ultimately become trusted friends and key members of the expedition. Sun Wukong's Influence on Manga Reaches Far And Wide It should be noted that the Monkey King's influence is not isolated to Shueisha's manga but it's rather a common trait found within the manga and anime industries as a whole. There are more than a few manga from Kodansha - the other major manga publisher in Japan - that are heavily influenced by the Monkey King. Indeed, if his influence is so strong in manga as well-known and beloved as Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece, which then inspired countless other works, there is really no telling how far Sun Wukong and Journey to the West's influence on the industry actually goes.
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