Sanzo (★★)

Status: Secondary Star (★★)

Sanzo is, alongside Goku, one of the main characters of Tezuka’s “Hsi Yu Chi,” or “Journey to the West” stories (this title is usually seen in Japanese translated as “Saiyuki”). Sanzo is the high-ranking Buddhist monk who rescues the Monkey King from his prison and gives him the name Son Goku. He picks up Goku, as well as disciples Cho Hakkai and Sa Gojyo, on his way to the Tenjiku (which means “Western Country,” and refers to India in Japanese Buddhist texts) to recover a precious Buddhist scripture. In Tezuka’s adaptation, as in the original, Sanzo is an old man but an extremely wise one, who nonetheless relies on his supporters for safety on his long and dangerous journey.