Official first-party spirit guide
Chinese mythology spirits.
Three bonds, twelve forms.
At Water Curtain Cave, players choose Little Stone Monkey, Little Drillwind, or Benbo’erba. All three can be obtained before Chapter I ends, so the first choice begins a relationship—it does not erase the other two.
- 3
- starter bonds
- 12
- revealed forms
- 150
- spirits in the full compendium
- 7
- affinities
What “spirit” means here
A cultural starting point, not a claim that Chinese mythology has one fixed creature taxonomy.
Chinese supernatural stories use overlapping terms such as yao, guai, jing, shen, gui, and xian. YaoBound therefore uses spirit for bondable companions without pretending it is the single correct translation for every Chinese supernatural being.
Each public compendium entry separates the inherited motif from YaoBound’s original design. That distinction lets the game draw honestly from Journey to the West while giving every companion a new life beyond a borrowed name.
Read the Chinese supernatural-being terminology guide →Starter evolution lines
Evolution follows temperament, bonds, and choices—not capture rarity alone.
Branch choices are irreversible for an individual spirit, but repeatable sanctuaries let players raise another companion without permanent content loss. A failed tribulation keeps the invested materials.
01Earth · Guardian
Little Stone Monkey
Source boundary: The stone-born monkey motif comes from Journey to the West, Chapter 1. This creature, its history, and the full evolution line are original to YaoBound.
02Wood · Control
Little Drillwind
Source boundary: The name and mountain-scout motif trace to Journey to the West, Chapter 74. Its later forms and personal story are original adaptations.
03Water · Balanced
Benbo'erba
Source boundary: Benbo'erba and Babo'erben draw from the minor Bipotan spirits in Journey to the West, Chapters 62–63. The final form and evolution story are original.
Spirit compendium questions
What are the Chinese mythology spirits in YaoBound?
YaoBound uses “spirit” as a gameplay term for a bondable being with its own will. The roster draws from Journey to the West and wider Chinese mythic motifs, then distinguishes those sources from original characters, forms, relationships, and evolution stories.
Is every YaoBound spirit taken directly from Chinese mythology?
No. Some names or motifs come from classical literature, while many forms and storylines are original to YaoBound. Every revealed starter line includes a source-boundary note so inspiration is not presented as recovered folklore.
How many spirits are planned for YaoBound?
The complete launch compendium is designed around 150 bondable spirits. This public page currently reveals the first three starter lines and twelve forms.
Can one playthrough obtain all three starter spirits?
Yes. The first choice determines the opening bond, but Little Stone Monkey, Little Drillwind, and Benbo’erba can all be obtained before Chapter I ends.
Adaptation principles
Inspired by the classics. Built as a new world.
YaoBound identifies the classical motifs it borrows and treats new forms, relationships, mechanics, and plotlines as original work. The compendium will expand as more regions and spirits are revealed.
Learn what yaoguai means →