Wu Cheng'en is the titular main protagonist of the 2010 television series Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West. It is claimed that the character is based on his historical counterpart, though the claim is heavily disputed.
Wu Cheng'en was portrayed by Liu Xiao Ling Tong and Wu Cheng'en's young self was portrayed by Zhang Haotian.
His Good Ranking[]
What Makes Him Close to Being Pure Good?[]
- Wu Cheng'en rescued the kidnapped Ye Yun.
- Though initially hesitated, Wu Cheng'en saved Luo Pang's life despite the latter had done actions against Wu Cheng'en and his allies.
- Wu Cheng'en gave a begger his money.
- Wu Cheng'en directly expressed his criticisms of the political environment of Ming Dynasty, which caused him nearly being executed.
- Wu Cheng'en devoted himself to the writing of Journey to the West, a fantasy novel that Wu Cheng'en put his writing talent and his criticisms of the injustices into it, and considered it his life.
- Wu Cheng'en told Shen Kun, one of his friends, that he hoped Shen Kun not to become a corrupt official.
- When Wu Cheng'en is in the capital of Ming Dynasty, he knows that the capital is under invasion by force from the north and Yan Song covers the invasion, Wu Cheng'en angrily criticizes Yan Song's action and decides to do his best to stop the invasion by himself without hesitation. Wu Cheng'en managed to successfully scare away the invading force by himself.
- Wu Cheng'en accepted and trusted Zei Er to be in his side after Zei Er decided to abandon Luo Pang's side and stand with Wu Cheng'en's side, despite Zei Er had done actions against Wu Cheng'en and his allies before.
- After knowing that Yan Song ordered his inferiors to catch the monkeys to eat the brain of monkeys, Wu Cheng'en did his best to stop Yan Song's action to harm monkeys. Wu Cheng'en accepted the deal with Yan Song that if Wu Cheng'en could survive being whipped 100 times and leave Yan Mansion, Yan Song would stop catching monkeys. Wu Cheng'en managed to survive the whipping, and left the Yan Mansion before completely fainted.
- As an official, Wu Cheng'en decided to provide the local grain reserves to the starved people as famine happened, despite knowing that his official position would be removed, he would be arrested and even potential executed as a result of his decision.
What Prevents Him From Being Pure Good?[]
- Wu Cheng'en is a reckless person and he has put himself into danger many times. Most of times, he would be overpowered by the danger he encountered if without the help from his allies, and Wu Cheng'en's actions sometimes indirectly cause the death of his allies. Most of his allies are willingly to die for Wu Cheng'en's ideal, Wu Cheng'en never forces them to do so and Wu Cheng'en is grief-stricken every time his allies die.
- Wu Cheng'en has noticeable heat-up moments. For example, Wu Cheng'en rushes across the street and repeatedly says "I'll have a wife! I'll have a wife! I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy!" after Luo Pang taunted Wu Cheng'en that no woman would love Wu Cheng'en and Wu Cheng'en is a loser. Most of his heat-up moments are justified as they are usually his reaction to something injustice, which have driven him to do something admirable. The rest of his heat-up moments are about something he cherished, such as his allies, the monkeys and the Journey to the West, which are minor prevention, if not justified.
- Wu Cheng'en has a minor lethal moment where Wu Cheng'en put a centipede into Luo Wanjin's teacup. The context is that a begger Wu Cheng'en helped thanked to and admired Wu Cheng'en and called more beggers, who complained that Luo Wanjin forcefully demolished their houses, expelled them from their home, forbade them from returning, which caused them become homeless beggers. The beggers complained that Luo Wanjin ordered his servants to beat one of them because a centipede scared Luo Wanjin. Angered by Luo Wanjin's actions, Wu Cheng'en decided to take the centipede that had frightened Luo Wanjin and put it in Luo Wanjin's teacup as a punishment. Thus, it is a minor prevention.