Mythology, Religion & Legend β Power Ranking TOP 100
I wrote a book ranking the most powerful gods, monsters, and heroes from world mythology, religion, and legend! The ranking is heavily influenced by my own perspective, but every placement is grounded in the actual lore and episodes from each mythology, so I think it makes for a satisfying read.
In this post, Iβd like to introduce some of the characters featured in the ranking. There are many more beyond the ones mentioned here, so if youβre interested in mythology, religion, or legend, I think youβll enjoy it!
Rank 81: Zhu Bajie (Chinese Mythology / Journey to the West)
Overview
Zhu Bajie is a demon-immortal from the Chinese novel Journey to the West who travels alongside Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing as a disciple of the monk Tripitaka.
He was formerly a high-ranking divine general βMarshal Tianpeng (Tianpeng Yuanshuai)β who commanded the Heavenly Navy, but he was expelled from heaven after drunkenly making unwanted advances toward the celestial maiden Changβe, incurring the wrath of the Jade Emperor.
After being cast down to earth, he accidentally reincarnated into the body of a pig, becoming a pig demon. He was living quietly in a rural village married to a human woman when he met Tripitaka and Sun Wukong, after which he joined their pilgrimage to the West.
In Journey to the West, Zhu Bajie tends to serve as the comic relief, but given his origins as the powerful divine general Tianpeng Yuanshuai, he has in fact defeated many powerful demons and monsters during their journey β including Huhu Xianfeng and Fox A-Qi.
His weapon is the βJiuchi Dingpa (Nine-Toothed Rake),β shaped somewhat like a farm tool with nine prongs. It is said to weigh approximately 3 tons, which gives a good sense of the extraordinary physical power of Zhu Bajie who wields it freely.
Why This Ranking
Zhu Bajie tends to be seen primarily through his comedic image, but as his origins as commander of the Heavenly Navy make clear, he is a genuine divine general-class powerhouse.
In particular, when he swings his Nine-Toothed Rake, it is said to be able to shatter mountains and even raise a vortex of fire and wind.
While he cannot match the absolute top tier of Heaven β Sun Wukong or Erlang Shen β he at minimum possesses the power to overwhelm demons and lower-ranking immortals, and can also employ divine powers including transformation techniques.
All of this puts him clearly in a different league from human-level heroes, and in terms of raw power he can hold his own against even upper-tier divine beings.
However, while he is tough, his immortality is limited, and he has a tendency to slip up even in Journey to the West β suggesting he would have few advantages in a battle against an opponent of equal or higher standing. Taking all of this into consideration, I judged this position in the ranking to be appropriate.
