Overview
The King of Ghosts (鬼王, gui wang) is the supernatural title held by Zhong Kui, granted to him by Yanluo Wang after his death. The title gives Zhong Kui absolute authority over evil spirits, the power to command 80,000 demons, and the mandate to hunt and destroy supernatural threats across both the mortal world and the Chinese underworld. Despite the ominous name, the King of Ghosts is not an evil figure. He is a protector of humanity who uses his dominion over ghosts to keep the living safe.
The Appointment
After Zhong Kui's suicide at the palace gates, his soul descended to the underworld. There, the judges of Hell recognized what the mortal emperor had refused to see: a spirit of extraordinary capability and moral conviction. Yanluo Wang, the most prominent of the Ten Courts' kings, appointed him King of Ghosts and tasked him with capturing evil spirits that threatened the living. The appointment was both a reward and a mission. Zhong Kui gained power beyond anything his mortal examination title could have provided, but the power came with an eternal obligation.
Titles and Epithets
Zhong Kui accumulated several titles over centuries of folk religion and Taoist tradition:
Title | Meaning |
|---|---|
King of Ghosts | (鬼王, gui wang): The primary title, denoting supreme authority over the spirit world. |
Ghost-CatchingHeavenly Master | (捉鬼天师, zhuo gui tianshi): Emphasizes his role as an active hunter of evil spirits rather than a passive ruler. |
DemonQueller | (驱魔真君, quma zhenjun): Highlights the exorcistic dimension of his authority. |
God of Ten Thousand Responses | : A folk title reflecting the belief that Zhong Kui answers prayers for protection against evil. |
Fortune-Granting House-Protecting Sacred Lord | : A domestic title used in the context of household protection and New Year rituals. |
The Meaning of the Name
The character Zhong (钟) is his surname. The character Kui (馗) means "crossroads." Taken together, "Zhong Kui" can be read as "Zhong at the crossroads," a name that symbolizes his position at the intersection of life and death, the human world and the spirit world. He stands where the paths diverge, directing traffic between realms. The name is not accidental. It encodes his mythological function.
Commander of 80,000 demons
A defining aspect of the King of Ghosts title is command over an army of 80,000 demons. These are not enemies. They are subordinates, spirits pressed into service under Zhong Kui's authority. In mythology and in art, Zhong Kui is frequently depicted surrounded by small demons who carry his belongings, attend to his needs, and assist in ghost-catching operations. The Gamescom 2025 trailer shows this directly: ogres and goblins march alongside Zhong Kui, carrying his ghost-slaying sword.
The dynamic is important because it inverts the typical relationship between a hero and demons. Zhong Kui does not fight all supernatural beings. He commands many of them. The evil spirits he hunts are specifically those who defy the order of the underworld, spirits acting outside their assigned roles, causing harm to the living without authorization. The King of Ghosts enforces the rules of a supernatural bureaucracy.
A Benevolent King
The title "King of Ghosts" sounds villainous to ears unfamiliar with Chinese mythology. In Western folklore, a "ghost king" would typically be an antagonist. But in Chinese tradition, the title designates a lawful authority figure operating within the structured hierarchy of the afterlife. Zhong Kui is closer to a supernatural sheriff than a dark lord. His authority is legitimate, sanctioned by the rulers of Hell, and directed entirely toward the protection of humanity.
This is what makes the character compelling for a video game protagonist. He occupies a morally complex space. He is dead. He commands demons. He devours ghosts. He rules a realm of horror. And yet he is, unambiguously, the good guy.
Role in the Game
Game Science describes Zhong Kui as a "ghost-catching god who wanders between Hell and Earth." This framing draws directly from the King of Ghosts mythology, positioning the player character as someone who moves freely between the mortal world and the underworld, using his supernatural rank to confront threats in both domains. The title is not just backstory. It is the premise of the game.