All transformations in Black Myth: Wukong, ranked

One of the major mechanics that sets Black Myth: Wukong apart from other soulslikes or action RPGs is its transformation system. Heavily inspired by the source material, in which Sun Wukong is a master shape-shifter, the Destined One in this game is also able to take on many forms. Unlike that story, though, you only have a few transformations to pick from, but they are incredibly powerful. Not only do they give you new moves and abilities in a fight, but they also have their own health bar. That means a tactical transformation during a boss fight can be your golden ticket to success. Still, not all of your transformations are created equal. Based on our experience, we’ve ranked all possible transformations from worst to best.

Azure Dust

At the bottom of our list is the transformation that turns you into a big stone-headed beast and is called Azure Dust. The only inherent buff this transformation gives you is immunity to all status ailments, but those are such a rare threat that there’s little reason to need to dedicate an entire transformation to avoid them.

When you actually use it in combat, you’re going to be frustrated with its slow movement and attack speed. Its primary attack is a three-hit combo with your big head that can do decent damage if you land the entire string, but almost no enemy stands still long enough to pull it off. Your charge attack doesn’t have a lot of utility against bosses, but the Rockfall spell isn’t bad. It allows you to leap into the air and slam down to deal area of effect damage. If timed right, it can be a good way to avoid a hit and hit back with your own.

Red Tides

The first transformation you get is OK, but rather basic compared to most that come later. You could probably guess based on this form’s burning blades, but this transformation’s quirk is that it can inflict burning on enemies. While that sounds powerful when you notice how burn can rip through your own health bar, it isn’t that impressive on the other foot.

Red Tides