Sanzo Ikkou

This article lists the main protagonists from the manga series Saiyuki.



Genjyo Sanzo (玄奘三蔵) See main article Genjo Sanzo


 * The 31st priest of China, Sanzo - as the others call him - is a serious man with unusual golden hair and deep violet eyes. He carries a special gun that he uses on demons and his companions (usually in a humorous situation). He's been described as the 'father figure' of the group and constantly swears at Gojyo and Goku for fighting, sometimes hitting the latter with a special paper fan. Not very priestly in the fact that he smokes, drinks, gambles and swears, Sanzo has a very difficult past; he was abandoned by his parents and left in a basket that floated on a river. He was rescued by Koumyou Sanzo, whom became a sort of adopted father to Sanzo. Koumyou named the boy Kouryuu (flow of the river) and he used that name until he was thirteen. When he became a Sanzo priest, one of the first things he did was find the "annoying voice" that had been calling him. This led him to a cursed mountain that he climbed despite the villager's warnings and found Son Goku at the summit.

Son Goku (孫悟空) See main article Son Goku


 * Goku was imprisoned by the kami (gods) for 500 years. He is based off the Monkey King that appears in many Chinese and Japanese legends and folklore. His companions, - except maybe Hakkai - refer to him as 'Monkey' or 'Stupid Monkey'. He is faithful to Sanzo for setting him free after 500 years and often people mistake him - along with Gojyo and Hakkai - as Sanzo's personal servants.
 * As of yet, Goku's true age is unknown, but for the most part, he looks and acts like a young man. This is mainly because when he was imprisoned by the gods, they made him unable to grow and become hungry. Thus, when Sanzo set him free, he almost instantly complains of a grumbling stomach. He is constantly hungry/thinking about food. Most of the group pick on him because he is somewhat gullible and fast to anger, but they become furious when something happens to him; as shown when an unknown enemy (later identified as a Sanzo priest) tried and nearly succeeded in killing Goku.
 * Because he is a heretic, Goku wears a limiter like Hakkai in the form of a diadem. When this diadem is broken or removed, Goku assumes his true form: "Seiten Taisei" ("Great Sage, Equal to Heaven"). He becomes more demon-like with sharper teeth and claws that can rip flesh instantly. His speed, stamina, and durability are also enhanced, to the point that fighting him can seem almost impossible. When he is in this form, Goku looses all reason to think and act as he did with his diadem on. He will attack anything that moves without hesitation - be it friend or foe. So far, the only beings known to be able to recreate the diadem when it has been broken are the gods themselves and Sanzo. Because Goku looses his mind when he becomes the Sage, he almost never takes off his power limiter; it usually breaks due to emotional stress (mostly when Sanzo or another companion has been fatally hurt) or someone else taking it off.

Sha Gojyo (沙悟浄) See main article Sha Gojyo


 * Gojyo, a cross between a youkai (demon) and a human - also known as a hanyou - is a man that holds nothing in high regard, except maybe his life and - even though he would never openly admit it- the lives of his companions. His long red hair and scarlet eyes reflect his parentage and is often seen by others as unclean or a taboo in society life. With a loud mouth and an even louder appeal to women, Gojyo has proved more than once that he is a strong fighter and is determined to keep living for himself. Over the course of the series, he has shown compassion to women and children that are in sticky situations; an example of this is when he tries to save a youkai boy that almost killed Gojyo's companions. He wields the shakujo; a long, staff-like weapon with a crescent moon on the end. It can extend due to the chain concealed inside of it, allowing Gojyo to hit opponents from a far range. He is normally the instigator, picking fights with Goku and getting scolded by Sanzo. He sees Hakkai as a true friend and mostly spends his time talking to him.

Cho Hakkai (豬八戒) See main article Cho Hakkai


 * Hakkai is the polite and courteous member of the group. He is 22 years old and stands at 181 cm (about 5'11). He has dark, short hair and a monocle that he uses to cover his right eye. He was a human that became a youkai after slaying a thousand youkai in order to save his precious Kanan. She died, refusing to live on with a demon baby living inside of her, and Hakkai's life was changed forever. Not long after that, he met Gojyo, - who treated him like an equal and friend - Sanzo and Goku. He is currently traveling with them to stop the Minus Wave; a deadly sound wave that is making youkai become unstable. To stop the Wave from affecting him, he wears power limiters on his ears. He only removes them in dire situations, and his youkai form is never fully shown until volume 7 of Reload.
 * Hakkai is usually seen doing the laundry, cooking, and cleaning. He is polite to other people but does not usually let them know what he is thinking. When he becomes truly angry, he becomes so ruthless that even Gojyo and Goku are afraid of him. He owns a pet dragon named Hakuryuu that can transform into the jeep they drive around in.

Jeep (ジープ ?)  See main artilce Hakuryuu


 * also known as Hakuryuu (はくりゅう ?) in the anime (though this version is also displayed in the manga on occasion), is Hakkai's pet dragon. Jeep has the ability to transform into a Jeep that the Sanzo party travel in. Though usually the size of a domestic cat, Jeep's transformation renders him much larger than his usual form. Jeep has also shown the ability to breathe fire. In his past life, he was actually the god Goujun, the Dragon King of the West and a commanding officer (Kenren Taisho's immediate superior) of Heaven's army.