Entering Chapter 5: Golden Child, Crimson Blood of Black Myth: Wukong, you will discover the true identity of Pingping is Red Boy, a challenging Yaoguai King found in the Field of Fire. Do not underestimate this opponent – he is extremely agile, wielding scorching Samadhi Fire and deadly duplicates. This article will provide a detailed guide, analyzing his attacks and sharing practical tips to help you overcome Red Boy effectively. Although this is a tough fight, with thorough preparation and the right strategy, victory is entirely within reach.
How to find Red Boy
To encounter Red Boy, you need to progress towards the end of Chapter 5, following the main path in the Field of Fire area. After passing the Fallen Furnace Crater Shrine, head straight up the slope. You will trigger a cutscene where Pingping talks to the Bull King and reveals his true identity; the battle against Red Boy will begin immediately after. Before diving into this fiery confrontation, thorough preparation is extremely important. Since Red Boy primarily uses fire-based attacks, ensure you are fully equipped with fire-resistant items: Body-Cooling Powder (to extinguish burning effects and reduce accumulated fire damage) is a must-have in your quick-use slots, and the Fireproof Mantle (increases fire defense stat) is also a highly recommended option if you have it. Regarding weapons and other equipment, prioritize items that enhance your mobility or increase your ability to inflict stagger (a dazed state that interrupts the opponent’s actions), as one of Red Boy’s weaknesses is that he can be momentarily staggered by well-timed Heavy Attacks.
Red Boy Boss Fight and Guide
Phase 1
Entering the battle, you will immediately notice Red Boy’s incredible agility. He constantly moves, spins, and lunges to attack with his flaming spear. Fortunately, his combos (consecutive attack chains) in this phase are usually quite short. The most effective strategy is to try and stay close to Red Boy. This not only makes it easier to counter-attack after his short combos but also limits his use of troublesome ranged attacks.
Let’s analyze Red Boy’s main attacks in this phase and how to deal with them:
Basic Spear Combo: Red Boy will perform a series of strikes, sweeps, and thrusts with his spear. Usually, dodging 2-3 times is enough to avoid the entire combo. Immediately after is your opportunity – rush in, deliver 2-3 quick attacks, and then prepare to defend again. Don’t get greedy trying to land your full combo.
Momentary Stance: Sometimes, Red Boy will stand still for a few seconds to prepare an attack. This is a golden opportunity for you to deal damage. However, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WARNING: Immediately after you hit him a few times while he’s stationary (or right after his combo), he will breathe fire in a small arc directly in front of him. It is mandatory to jump back immediately after landing 2-3 hits to avoid being burned.
Ring of Fire Toss: He will spin his spear to create a large ring of fire and then throw it towards you. This ring will bounce multiple times around the arena. Don’t panic! Stay calm, keep moving, and look upwards to track the ring’s trajectory and avoid its landing spots. This move looks dangerous but is quite easy to dodge if you don’t stand still. After the ring bounces a few times, Red Boy will dive down to retrieve his weapon – there’s a precious short pause here, quickly dash in to attack.
Complex Combo (Spear Spin -> Ground Slam -> Somersault -> Fire Breath): He performs a continuous sequence: spins the spear around himself -> jumps up and slams the spear into the ground -> somersaults towards you -> breathes fire from his spear. It’s best to prioritize dodging this entire combo as it happens very quickly and is difficult to attack in between. Wait for him to finish the fire breath before counter-attacking.
Ground Fire Stream: If you maintain too much distance, Red Boy might shoot a stream of fire along the ground towards you. Dodge sideways to avoid it. This is another reason why staying close is more effective in this fight.
Exploiting Weakness – Heavy Attack: As mentioned, Red Boy can be staggered. Make use of your Heavy Attack. With precise timing, a heavy blow can make him stumble, even interrupting some of his attacks completely. Try to build Focus (energy for heavy attacks or special skills) by performing safe, short combos or using items/skills that help generate Focus faster.
Phase 2
When you’ve depleted about 50% of Red Boy’s health bar, the fight will enter a new, more dangerous phase. The clearest sign is that he will stop attacking on the ground and launch straight into the air, hovering at a significant height. This is when you need to brace yourself for one of his most signature and dangerous attacks. Maintain distance and stay focused, as the second phase is about to begin.
While Red Boy is hovering in the air, he will unleash his signature and extremely dangerous move: the Duplicate Attack. Red Boy will create numerous fire duplicates around himself. These duplicates don’t attack simultaneously but will charge towards you sequentially, starting with one, then two at once, and finally three at once. Each duplicate explodes upon hitting the ground or you, dealing massive fire damage.
Maintain Distance: As soon as he flies up, lock-on to the main Red Boy and retreat as far back as possible within the arena. More distance means more reaction time.
Utilize Terrain: If there are any undestroyed rocks, you can temporarily use them as cover, but don’t rely on them too heavily as duplicates can go around or destroy them.
Continuous Dodging: This is where your dodging skills are tested to the max. Dodge sideways or diagonally as soon as you see a duplicate charging. When 2 or 3 duplicates come at once, use a double tap dodge to get longer invincibility frames and cover more distance.
Consider Cloudstep: If you have the Cloudstep spell equipped (creates an illusion to attract enemies), this is a good time for it to potentially distract a few duplicates or buy you more time to dodge.
Warning: Absolutely do not underestimate this attack. The damage from the explosions is enormous and can wipe you out very quickly if you get hit by several in succession. Focus 100% on dodging!
Immediately After the Duplicate Attack: When the wave of duplicate attacks ends, Red Boy won’t stay airborne forever. He will dive straight down from above to execute a powerful finishing blow. Be ready to dodge immediately when you see him descending.
After returning to the ground, Red Boy’s fighting style will change noticeably. He becomes more aggressive, moving even faster. His basic attacks are similar to Phase 1, but now they have a wider range and hit harder. For example, he might spin his spear longer, creating a large area of fire around him, or his attacks might leave trails of fire on the ground, making movement difficult for you.
The strategy for this final phase is essentially applying what worked in Phase 1: try to close the distance when safe, dodge combos, counter with short attacks, and use Heavy Attacks to find opportunities to stagger him. However, since he is now stronger and more dangerous, this is the perfect time to go all out. If you still have plenty of MP (mana for spells) or powerful consumables, don’t hesitate to use your strongest offensive or supportive Spells to end the fight as quickly as possible, minimizing the risk of facing his increased aggression for too long.
After relentless effort, you finally defeat Red Boy. He falls, and in the following cutscene, the Bull King will reveal the mysterious stone hidden inside Red Boy. Just when it seems the battle is over as Red Boy’s body begins to dissipate, don’t celebrate just yet! This is where the plot twist occurs.
Red Boy actually used a False Death Talisman to trick you. He abruptly reappears, swallows the stone the Bull King just revealed, and immediately, right before your eyes, transforms into a much more terrifying new form: Yaksha King.
Extremely Important Note: The fight IS NOT OVER! Immediately after Red Boy transforms, you will have to face Yaksha King right away in a new battle (you could consider this phase 3 or the true phase 2 of this entire boss encounter, depending on how you look at it). The boss’s entire health bar will be refilled as Yaksha King. Therefore, prepare to continue fighting immediately, don’t let your guard down. Another thing to remember is that valuable rewards like the Celestial Ribbon, Fine Gold Thread, etc., will only drop AFTER you defeat Yaksha King, not Red Boy.
Red Boy is undoubtedly one of the memorable challenges in Black Myth: Wukong, demanding players to fully utilize their reflexes, spatial awareness, and thorough preparation. From high-speed combos to the deadly fire duplicate assault, the key to victory lies in equipping full fire resistance, mastering dodges for tricky attacks (especially the close-range fire breath and the duplicate attack), countering intelligently after openings, and using heavy attacks to control the fight’s tempo. Although defeating Red Boy is merely preparation for the true confrontation with Yaksha King, mastering these tactics is crucial. Good luck, and may you soon overcome this fiery trial!