For most of Journey to the West, he bears the nickname Sanzang (三藏 San-tsang), a play on words connecting his real name to the "three baskets" of the Pali canon ("sanzang" in Chinese). In some English translations, the nickname is rendered as Tripitaka ("tripitaka" is the original Sanskrit term for "sanzang"), thus losing the pun.
He is also commonly referred to as 唐僧 (tang2 seng1; Monk of Tang), a courtesy name that reflects his relationship with the emperor.
In the story, he is constantly terrorized by monsters and demons, because of a legend that stated that immortality could be obtained by dining on his flesh.
As Tripitaka he is a leading character in the cult TV series Monkey.
Xuanzang is occasionally mistaken for Ksitigarbha, a bodhisattva, due the fact that Ksitigarbha is often portrayed with the robes and staff of a monk.
Son Goku, the central character in the Japanese manga Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z and anime Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT, is partly based on Sun Wukong.
The character Son Goku in the manga Gensomaden Saiyuki, whose plot is loosely based on Journey to the West, is partly based on Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong is on the shortlist of candidates for the mascot of the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing.
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