Oda often draws inspiration from various real-world entities to create different kinds of entities. Examples of these inspirations are scattered across a vibrant range of classifications from individual pirates to entire countries. Following that line of thought, let’s look at all the resemblances between Luffy’s Gear 5 and Sun Wukong.
Who is Sun Wokong?
Sun Wokong, also known as the “Monkey King” is the main protagonist of the Chinese novel, “Journey to the West”. He is stated to a be monkey born from a magical stone imbued with Yin and Yang energy, who gained supernatural abilities through the practice of Taoism.
The inspiration for Sun Wokong is still a matter of debate and speculation. It is believed that the Monkey King could’ve been a product of an array of influences from several different religions and mythologies with similar characters.
Regardless of his origins, Sun Wokong in turn has inspired several characters across fiction, especially in anime. Some of the most popular ones are:
- Son Goku (Dragon Ball)
- Mori Jin (God of Highschool)
- Sun Wokong (RWBY)
- Monkey Prince (DC)
- Mushra (Shinzo)
- Kongo (Monkey Magic)
Abilities of Sun Wokong
As the Monkey King, Sun Wokonmg has quite an impressive line-up of abilities, putting him on par with some of the strongest shounen characters out there.
- Supernatural Strength:Â Sun Wokon is said to possess the strength required to support two heaven mountains on his shoulders.
- Speed and Agility:Â Sun Wokong has been described to be as fast as a meteor. As the Monkey King, he is extremely agile and could cross about 54,000 km in one somersault.
- 72 Earthly Transformations:Â Sun Wokong has the ability to tap into and use 72 unique powers which allow him to transform into various types of animals and objects.
- Magic:Â Sun Wokang also can utilize “Magic”, through which he creates clones of himself, paralyze people in a place or manipulate the weather to a certain extent.
Parallels between Sun Wokong and Gear 5
The Sun God Nika is described as a “Warrior of Liberation” whose body has the properties of rubber. These themes perfectly fit the style of the Monkey King as well, especially when we analyze how Gear 5 Works.
- Awakening: Even though Luffy calls it “Gear 5”, this is actually his fruit’s awakening. Even though it’s a Mythical Zoan, Gear 5 allows Luffy to turn everything around him into rubber and manipulate their properties at will. This is quite similar to Sun Wokong’s “Magic” and 72 Transformations.
- Appearance: During the transformation, Luffy’s hair takes a flame-like appearance, and a flamy cloud envelops his shoulders. His limbs become extremely flexible and his acts are incredibly agile, akin to a Monkey. These factors can also be found in the Monkey King’s appearance.
- Abilities: Luffy’s physical strength, Haki, and Fruit abilities are all already enhanced, acting as a nod to Sun Wkon’s supernatural abilities. Luffy used the technique Gomu Gomu no Bajrang Gun, which is essentially a punch the size of Onigashima. “Bajarang” refers to the Hindu God Hanuman, who’s a potential inspiration for Sun Wokong.
- Lightning Manipulation:Â Luffy turned a lightning strike into rubber and threw it onto Kaido. This feat is quite similar to the Monkey King’s weather manipulation abilities.
- Humor and Mischief: The whole fighting style of Luffy in Gear 5 takes a cartoony undertone, throwing all seriousness out the window. This is also akin to a more carefree style portrayed by the Monkey King.
Conclusion
Overall, there are many different parallels between Sun Wokong and Gear 5. Gear 5 is essentially the awakened form of the Hito-Hito no Mi: Model Nika, which gives Luffy access to all the powers of the Sun God Nika. It is very evident that Gear 5 draws heavy inspiration from Sun Wokong, while also adding its own twist to the legendary character’s abilities.