Sha Wujing
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Shā Wùjìng (沙悟凈 WG: Sha Wu-ching) is one of the three helpers of Xuanzang in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. In the novels, his background is the least developed of the pilgrims.
Like Zhū Bājiè, Wùjìng was originally a general in Heaven. Once, he became very furious and destroyed a valuable vase. Other sources mention that he did this unintentionally. Nevertheless, he was punished by the Jade Emperor, who had him struck 800 times with a rod and exiled to earth, where he was to be reincarnated as a terrible man-eating Sand Demon. There he lived in a river with sandy waters. Every seven days a sword would be sent from heaven to stab him 100 times in the chest before flying off.
Shā Wùjìng's appearance was rather grisly; he had a red beard and his head was partially bald; a necklace consisting of skulls made him even more terrible. Still, he used the weapon he had in heaven, namely a staff with blades (one crescent-shaped, the other like that of a shovel) on either end. There is an interesting story about the necklace of skulls. An earlier group of nine monks on a pilgrimage West to fetch the scriptures met their end at the hands of Wùjìng. Despite their pleas for mercy, he devoured them, sucked the marrow from their bones, and threw their skulls into the river. However, unlike his other victims who found their way to the river bottom, the skulls of the monks floated. This fascinated and delighted Wùjìng, who strung them on a rope and played with them whenever he was bored.
Later, Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion, and her disciple Prince Moksa came searching for powerful bodyguards in preparation of Sanzang's journey west. She recruited Wùjìng in exchange for some relief from his suffering. She then converted him and gave him his current name, Shā Wùjìng. His surname "Shā" means "Sand", while his Buddhist name Wùjìng means "Awakened to Purity" or "Aware of Purity". Finally, he was instructed to wait for a monk who would call for him. When Wùjìng does meet Sanzang, the dragon is mistaken for an enemy and attacked by Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Guanyin was forced to intervene for the sake of the journey.
After everything was cleared up, Shā Wùjìng became the third disciple of Sanzang. Now, he was clad in a Buddhist pilgrim's robe and his skull-necklace was turned into a monk's one. His appearance also changed; from now on he looked more like a human, yet still ugly. During the Journey to the West, his swimming ability was quite useful. Shā Wùjìng was actually a kind-hearted and obedient person and was very loyal to his master, among the three he was likely the most polite and the most logical. At the journey's end, Lord Buddha transformed him into an arhat or luohan.
As the third disciple, even though his fighting skills are not as great as that of Wukong or Bajie, he is still a great warrior protecting Sanzang and can use his intellect as well as his strength to beat the enemy. He knows 18 transformations.
Shā Wùjìng in Other Media
Shā Wùjìng had a Mortal Kombat character who much like him is a drunkard and is obese (in most of the incarnations). The character's name is Bo' Rai Cho.
In Japan he was seen as a kappa, another fearsome kind of water demon.
In the manga/anime Saiyuki, Sha Gojyo (or Gojou) is loosely based on Shā Wùjìng, with the same weapon, and also previously being a general in heaven. However, Sha Gojyo is described as being half human, half kappa, instead of the Sand Demon that Wùjìng is.
Mega Man: The Wily Wars had a character based on Shā Wùjìng named Mega Water.S in the unlockable "Wily Tower" game. Mega Water.S later made an appearance in the CD Database for Mega Man & Bass.ja:沙悟浄 zh:沙悟淨