Who is Zhong Kui, demon hunter, ‘King of Ghosts’ and new Black Myth character?

First came Wukong, now Chinese deity Zhong Kui is being adapted for the Black Myth universe. But just who is the ‘King of Ghosts’?

Arriving in the Black Myth universe on the back of a large, tigerlike beast is Zhong Kui, the title character of Black Myth: Zhong Kui.

The upcoming game is the latest in a franchise that put the Hangzhou, China-based video game developer Game Science on the international gaming scene with its 2024 bestseller Black Myth: Wukong.

His appearance at this year’s Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, has caused a huge stir on Chinese social media, with “Zhong Kui” becoming one of the most widely searched terms on platforms such as Weibo and Bilibili shortly after the new game’s announcement.

But who is Zhong Kui? Here are five things you need to know about the OG ghostbuster and one of the best-known deities in Chinese legend.