Zhong Kui: China's Most Fierce Guardian Deity?
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Introduction
At the pre-show conference of Gamescom 2025, the second installment of the Black Myth series, "Black Myth: Zhong Kui," based on the famous character from Chinese folklore, released its first CG teaser trailer, quickly becoming a hot topic among global gamers.
Why Zhong Kui, the deity known for his "fierce countenance that shakes all directions, and thousand-year legend that subdues evil spirits"?
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Among numerous deities, Zhong Kui stands out as a god with a fierce appearance yet highly revered by the world. He is honored as the Sacred Lord who bestows blessings and protects homes, possessing divine duties to drive away evil and eliminate malevolent spirits. He is also Taoism's only "God of Universal Response" - serving as both door god and underworld deity, granting fortune to those who seek it, wealth to those who desire it, answering every prayer of the common people.
Appearance & Character
Wearing a hat, dressed in blue robes, with one arm bare, feet clad in animal-hide boots. His red face burns like charcoal fire, an iron whip gleaming coldly in his palm, round eyes glaring like copper bells, with fanged teeth that seem to emit intimidating growls against evil spirits - this is Zhong Kui, the "Ghost-Catching Judge."
According to records in "Tang Yi Shi" (Tang Dynasty Anecdotes) and "Li Dai Shen Xian Tong Jian" (Comprehensive Mirror of Immortals Throughout Dynasties), Zhong Kui was a native of Zhongnan Mountain during the early Tang Dynasty, with rather peculiar features - leopard-like head with round eyes, iron face with curly beard.
As the saying goes, one should not judge by appearance. Though Zhong Kui was remarkably ugly, he was exceptionally talented and upright in character. In the first year of Xiantian (the year Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji ascended the throne), Zhong Kui came to Chang'an to take the imperial examination. Due to his outstanding performance, the examiners ranked him first among the tribute scholars.
Origins & Death
Regarding Zhong Kui's cause of death, different documents vary slightly: "Tang Yi Shi" records that "during the Wude period, he failed the imperial examination, was ashamed to return to his hometown, and died by striking his head against the palace steps." Meanwhile, "Ping Gui Zhuan" (Subduing Ghosts Chronicle) states: "During the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, there was a scholar surnamed Zhong, named Kui, styled Zhengnan, from Zhongnan Mountain. He was highly talented and learned, but due to his ugly appearance, he didn't achieve top honors. In anger, he committed suicide by cutting his own throat."
Afterlife Appointment
The afterlife became Zhong Kui's new beginning. According to "Zhong Kui Zhan Gui Zhuan" (Chronicle of Zhong Kui Slaying Ghosts), after death, Zhong Kui arrived at the underworld. The King of Hell, seeing his upright character and exceptional courage, and pitying his unrecognized talents, petitioned the Heavenly Court.
The Jade Emperor was moved by his loyalty and integrity, appointing him as the "Demon-Expelling Great God," bestowing upon him the "Ghost-Slaying Sword" and "Monster-Seeking Mirror," making him oversee the judges and ghost soldiers of the underworld, specifically to capture evil spirits and demons causing trouble in both the mortal and spirit worlds.
Partnership with Guan Yu
So, this deity once appointed by the Jade Emperor as "Demon-Expelling True Lord" and "Demon-Expelling Emperor," whose main responsibility was to eliminate ghosts and demons, once served alongside the Sacred Emperor Guan mentioned in "Zhou Chu Eliminates Three Evils"?
The Sacred Emperor Guan refers to Guan Yu, the foremost of the Five Tiger Generals, styled Yunchang, known for his beautiful beard and unparalleled martial prowess. During the primordial chaos when heavenly order was newly established, the three realms were not completely stable, and evil ghosts and demons frequently caused trouble. To strengthen heaven's judicial and military power, the Heavenly Emperor established a special department - the "Demon-Subduing Hall."
The Demon-Subduing Hall was responsible for patrolling the three realms, specifically capturing and judging those powerful demons and great evils that disrupted yin and yang. It required two commanders: one upright and knowledgeable in law who could intimidate ghosts with authority, and another with supreme martial arts and righteousness who could suppress evil with force.
Thus, the Heavenly Emperor made the following appointments: Zhong Kui as "Supreme Demon-Subduing Judge," overseeing trials and arrests. With his impartial iron face, wielding the judge's brush and green-edged sword, he could see through evil spirits' crimes at a glance. Guan Yu as "Supreme Demon-Subduing Commander," overseeing conquest and defense. Leading heavenly troops and generals, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade was invincible, striking terror into demons and monsters.
One civil, one military; one judging, one executing - they cooperated seamlessly, becoming one of heaven's most formidable combinations.
Underworld Hierarchy
To understand how high Zhong Kui's level was within the "bureaucratic system," let's first understand the structure of underworld positions. Zhong Kui served in the Punishment Division of the Four Great Judge Departments, at the same level as Meng Po of the Reincarnation Division and the City God of the Yin-Yang Division.
Below them, the Four Great Judge Departments managed the Ten Great Yin Marshals and ghost messengers, such as Ox-Head and Horse-Face, and Black and White Impermanence - ordinary ghost messengers. Above them, they reported to the Ten Palace Kings of Hell, the most familiar being the Fifth Palace King of Hell, Bao Zheng (Judge Bao).
Further up were the secondary rulers of the underworld - the Five Direction Ghost Emperors, and the three highest rulers of the underworld: the Great Emperor of Eastern Peak, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the Great Emperor of Fengdu, though they didn't actively work, serving as the underworld's management layer.
Duties & Powers
In widely circulated legends, Zhong Kui held the position in the underworld's Punishment Division, ranking equivalent to the Six Case Merit Officials, subordinate to the Ten Palace Kings of Hell. His specific function was: all arriving souls first passed before the Sin-Revealing Mirror to display their good and evil deeds, distinguishing between good and bad.
All evil spirits who committed crimes in life were handled by him. He sentenced them according to the King of Hell's "Four Nos and Four Withouts" principle: Four Nos - no loyalty, no filial piety, no fraternal respect, no trustworthiness; Four Withouts - without propriety, without righteousness, without integrity, without shame.
Light crimes received light punishment, heavy crimes heavy punishment, then they were handed over to yin messengers to be sent to punishment platforms, dispatched to the eighteen levels of hell until their sentences were complete, then transferred to the Reincarnation Hall to be reborn as cattle, horses, insects, or dogs, returning to the yang world.
Divine Status
Seeing this, you might think Zhong Kui's position in the underworld was actually equivalent to a "middle management cadre." Zhong Kui's function belonged to the Ten Palace Kings of Hell framework, appearing to be just a minor official, but don't overlook the special nature of his power source. After all, Zhong Kui was one of the Three Great Demon-Subduing Emperors personally appointed by the Jade Emperor, equal in rank to the True Martial Great Emperor and Sacred Emperor Guan, with power directly sourced from the Heavenly Court, forming a vertical department spanning heaven and earth, specializing in specific affairs, not subject to the Great Emperor of Fengdu's jurisdiction - a high-ranking orthodox deity.
In Chinese folk tradition, the ranking "Zhong Kui holds the highest position among the Three Demon-Subduing Emperors, followed by the King of Hell, then the Judges" is widely circulated.
