Sun Wukong/Behind the Scenes

Throughout the production of a series, a lot goes on behind the scenes in regards to planning and design, which often go through multiple stages before resulting in the final version that is seen on screen. Some concepts and ideas can have an effect on the show and characters, and unexpected occurrences during production can also lead to changes and additions to the plans for the show.

Character Basis
Sun Wukong alludes to the character Sun Wukong from the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the West. This allusion has had the following influences on the character and the show:
 * Sun is a monkey Faunus. The original Sun Wukong is a monkey.
 * He fights with a staff named Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang, similar to the original Sun Wukong's staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang.
 * His Semblance allows him to produce clones of himself. The original Sun Wukong could create clones of himself from strands of his hair.
 * Coincidentally, Monty once tweeted that his computer began lagging when he put three Suns in a scene, as well as the fact that most of Sun's polygons are in his hair.
 * In Volume 1, Sun identifies Blake as a Faunus right away. This may be a reference to the original Sun Wukong's ability named "huǒyǎn-jīnjīng" (火眼金睛, lit. "fiery-eyes golden-gaze"), which enabled him to see through disguises and illusions.
 * In "Of Runaways and Stowaways", he says the line "It'll be a regular journey to the east! Yeah, I like the sound of that." This is a reference to the title of the novel.