Do we like them?

Do we like Sun Wukong?

A character from Journey to the West (16th century)

Our score: 8 out of 10. Cheeky, proud and quick to anger, but he is loyal, brave and the reason the pilgrimage survives. We'd back him, and we'd keep an eye on his temper.

Sun Wukong is born from a magic stone on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. He emerges fully formed and becomes king of the monkeys. He is clever, fast and very strong, and he wields a magic staff. He can fly and change shape, and he can make armies of monkeys from his plucked hairs. Journey to the West follows a monk, Tang Sanzang, on a long journey to fetch holy scriptures, and Wukong is the most popular figure in it.

His early adventures show him as a proud rebel who thinks no one is his equal. He causes chaos wherever he goes and is hard to control. The goddess Guanyin gives the monk a magic band to rein him in. Wukong then joins the pilgrimage as the monk's disciple and protector, along with other supernatural companions.

Why 8/10: he is reckless, vain and easily offended, and he can be harsh with his enemies. But he is also devoted, resourceful and funny, and he fights for his master over and over, even when he is scolded or punished unfairly. He is the one we would pick to have on the road.

By the end of the journey his efforts are rewarded. He is granted the title Victorious Fighting Buddha and reaches Buddhahood, which marks how far the rebel has come.