Black Myth: Zhong Kui Theory Sparked by New Game Science Art Post

Game Science art director Yang Qi shared a new clay sculpture photo, and fans think a Heron figure from a Miyazaki film could hint at Black Myth: Zhong Kui's story setup.

Game Science co-founder and art director Yang Qi just dropped a new post on Xiaohongshu, and the community is already reading tea leaves. The post's caption was just the date, but the image was a live photo of clay sculptures. Front and center: a big-nosed clay figure. Behind it: a smaller clay figure that looks a lot like Yang Qi himself.

Let's talk about that big-nosed one, because it's the interesting bit. It clearly resembles the Heron from Hayao Miyazaki's 2023 animated film The Boy and the Heron. In the movie, the Heron is actually a man who can take human form, and he's the key figure who guides the protagonist, Mahito, into the other world. Once they're there, he tags along with Mahito and acts as a guide through parts of the story.

So why does that matter for Black Myth: Zhong Kui? Here's where fan theories kick in. Players have previously speculated that the character you control in Black Myth: Zhong Kui might not be Zhong Kui himself, but rather his friend Du Ping. In that scenario, Zhong Kui would need to guide Du Ping in some way after death.

That guess lines up with a bit of the 15-minute gameplay footage Game Science has already shown. In that demo, a mysterious character appears alongside the protagonist, and that character's face model is provided by National First-Class Actor Li Guangfu. In the footage, this figure serves as a guide and also ties up enemies in combat while offering some support.

To be clear, though: all of this comes from player community speculation and theory-crafting, not from anything Game Science has officially confirmed. So take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the theorizing for what it is.

Still, it's hard not to wonder when an art director posts a clay Heron right after the internet spent weeks connecting guide characters to Zhong Kui lore. Is it a wink, a coincidence, or just a cool sculpture? We won't know until Game Science says something official.

What do you think — is the Heron a genuine hint about Black Myth: Zhong Kui's setup, or are we all overanalyzing a lump of clay? Drop your theories below.