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AgilityAgility · Melee

Monkey King

Springs from the cover of the tree tops

CarryDisablerEscapeInitiatorModerate to play
Monkey King portrait

Win rate

45.8%

D across all ranks

Pick rate

5.3%

of public matches

Public picks

178.7K

in the sample

Pro scene

2

4 bans · 50% win rate

Win rate by rank

  • Herald1Herald47.0%
  • Guardian2Guardian45.8%
  • Crusader3Crusader45.1%
  • Archon4Archon45.0%
  • Legend5Legend45.5%
  • Ancient6Ancient46.6%
  • Divine+7Divine+47.1%

Bars start at 50%. Sample sizes: Herald 5.3K · Guardian 15.2K · Crusader 26K · Archon 39.1K · Legend 45.2K · Ancient 28.4K · Divine+ 19.6K.

Last 6 days

46.0%

Popular item build

Starting items

Bought before the horn

  1. 1

    Iron Branch

    55g
  2. 2

    Circlet

    155g
  3. 3

    Tango

    90g
  4. 4

    Faerie Fire

    65g
  5. 5

    Quelling Blade

    100g
  6. 6

    Slippers of Agility

    140g

Laning

The first minutes

  1. 1

    Boots of Speed

    500g
  2. 2

    Power Treads

    49%1,400g
  3. 3

    Wraith Band

    505g
  4. 4

    Blade of Alacrity

    1,000g
  5. 5

    Void Stone

    700g

Mid game

Core items

  1. 1

    Desolator

    58%3,500g
  2. 2

    Black King Bar

    51%4,050g
  3. 3

    Echo Sabre

    48%2,700g
  4. 4

    Diffusal Blade

    53%2,500g
  5. 5

    Yasha

    56%2,100g

Late game

The full build

  1. 1

    Black King Bar

    51%4,050g
  2. 2

    Eye of Skadi

    5,900g
  3. 3

    Skull Basher

    2,875g
  4. 4

    Harpoon

    4,700g
  5. 5

    Monkey King Bar

    5,000g
  6. 6

    Nullifier

    4,350g

Most-bought items for Monkey King in OpenDota’s sample of parsed public matches (1,762 purchases counted). Bars compare each item with the most-bought one in its phase. The percentage is the win rate in games where Monkey King bought the item by minute 30 (green or red when it is clearly above or below Monkey King’s average). Teams that are ahead buy items sooner, so a high number shows the item goes with winning games, not that it causes the win. Items with fewer than 100 games show no percentage. Cheap components are hidden from the mid and late game.

Best win rate by purchase time

Bought ≤ 12 min

  1. Diffusal Blade

    69 games

    62%
  2. Perseverance

    72 games

    51%
  3. Mithril Hammer

    63 games

    51%

Bought 12–15 min

  1. Mithril Hammer

    88 games

    57%
  2. Diffusal Blade

    73 games

    55%
  3. Echo Sabre

    64 games

    47%

Bought 15–20 min

  1. Desolator

    82 games

    59%
  2. Mithril Hammer

    253 games

    54%

Bought 20–30 min

  1. Ultimate Orb

    73 games

    79%
  2. Harpoon

    69 games

    71%
  3. Aghanim's Shard

    112 games

    67%

Final items compared within the same purchase window (at least 60 games each), so they are not simply ranked by how late or expensive they are. Still a correlation: a team that is far ahead can buy anything sooner.

What these items do

  • Iron Branch

    55

    • +1 All Attributes

    Use: Plant Tree: Targets the ground to plant a happy little tree that lasts for 20 seconds.

  • Circlet

    155

    • +2 All Attributes
  • Tango

    90

    Use: Devour: Consumes a target tree to gain 7 health regeneration for 16 seconds. Consuming an Ironwood Tree doubles the heal duration. Comes with 3 charges.

  • Faerie Fire

    65

    • +2 Damage

    Use: Imbue: Instantly restores 85 health.

    Full description

    5s

    Use: Imbue. Instantly restores 85 health.

  • Quelling Blade

    100

    Active: Chop Tree: Destroy a target tree.

    Full description

    4s

    Active: Chop Tree. Destroy a target tree.

    Passive: Quell. Increases attack damage against non-hero units by 8 for melee heroes, and 4 for ranged.

    • Effects of multiple quelling blades do not stack.
  • Slippers of Agility

    140

    • +3 Agility
  • Boots of Speed

    500

    • +45 Move Speed

    Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

  • Power Treads

    1,400

    • +25 Damage

    Active: Switch Attribute: Switches between +10 Strength, +10 Agility, or +10 Intelligence. Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

    Win rate when bought48.6% · 481 games

    • ≤ 12 min49%470
    • 12–15 min–5
    • 15–20 min–3
    • 20–30 min–3
    Full description

    Active: Switch Attribute. Switches between +10 Strength, +10 Agility, or +10 Intelligence. Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

    • Power Treads can be built using a Belt of Strength, Band of Elvenskin, or a Robe of the Magi.
  • Wraith Band

    505

    • +5 Agility
    • +2 Strength
    • +2 Intelligence
    • +6 Damage
    • +1.75 Armor
  • Blade of Alacrity

    1,000

    • +10 Agility
  • Void Stone

    700

    • +1.75 Mana Regen
  • Desolator

    3,500

    • +55 Damage

    Passive: Corruption: Your attacks reduce the target's armor by -6 for 7 seconds.

    Win rate when bought58.3% · 175 games

    • ≤ 12 min–7
    • 12–15 min–21
    • 15–20 min59%82
    • 20–30 min57%65
    Full description

    Passive: Corruption. Your attacks reduce the target's armor by -6 for 7 seconds.

    Passive: Soul Stealer. Desolator gains +2 damage every time an enemy hero dies while affected by Corruption, to a maximum of 30.

    • Armor reduction works on buildings.
  • Black King Bar

    4,050

    • +10 Strength
    • +24 Damage

    Active: Avatar: Applies a basic dispel. Grants 60% magic resistance and immunity to reflected and pure damage.

    Win rate when bought50.8% · 256 games

    • ≤ 12 min–2
    • 12–15 min–5
    • 15–20 min–22
    • 20–30 min51%227
    Full description

    95s50

    Active: Avatar. Applies a basic dispel. Grants 60% magic resistance and immunity to reflected and pure damage. For the duration of the effect, any negative effect from enemy spells has no effect. Duration: 9 / 8 / 7s Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    • Purchasing another Black King Bar will not reset its immunity duration.
    • Avatar duration is not affected by increases to buff duration.
  • Echo Sabre

    2,700

    • +20 Damage
    • +15 Strength
    • +1.75 Mana Regen

    Passive: Echo Strike: Causes melee attacks to attack twice in quick succession. The double attacks apply a 100% movement slow for 0.8 seconds on the first strike.

    Win rate when bought48.3% · 203 games

    • ≤ 12 min60%40
    • 12–15 min47%64
    • 15–20 min53%57
    • 20–30 min33%42
    Full description

    5s

    Passive: Echo Strike. Causes melee attacks to attack twice in quick succession. The double attacks apply a 100% movement slow for 0.8 seconds on the first strike.

  • Diffusal Blade

    2,500

    • +15 Agility
    • +10 Intelligence

    Active: Inhibit: Targets an enemy, slowing it for 4 seconds.

    Win rate when bought52.5% · 200 games

    • ≤ 12 min62%69
    • 12–15 min55%73
    • 15–20 min38%40
    • 20–30 min–18
    Full description

    15s25

    Active: Inhibit. Targets an enemy, slowing it for 4 seconds.

    Passive: Manabreak. Each attack burns 40 mana from the target, and deals 1 physical damage per burned mana. Illusions do not burn mana.

    • Does not stack with other diffusal blades.
  • Yasha

    2,100

    • +16 Agility
    • +15 Damage
    • +10% Move Speed

    Win rate when bought55.6% · 124 games

    • ≤ 12 min–4
    • 12–15 min–12
    • 15–20 min57%49
    • 20–30 min47%59
    Full description
    • Yasha-based movement speed bonuses from multiple items do not stack.
  • Eye of Skadi

    5,900

    • +35 All Attributes

    Passive: Cold Attack: Attacks lower enemy movement by -25% if they are melee and -50% if they are ranged.

    Full description

    Passive: Cold Attack. Attacks lower enemy movement by -25% if they are melee and -50% if they are ranged. Attacks also lower enemy attack speed by -25% and Health Restoration by 50%. Lasts for 3 seconds.

  • Skull Basher

    2,875

    • +30 Damage
    • +10 Strength

    Passive: Bash: Grants melee heroes a 25% chance on hit to stun the target for 1.2 seconds and deal 100 bonus physical damage. Bash chance for ranged heroes is 10%.

    Full description

    2.3s

    Passive: Bash. Grants melee heroes a 25% chance on hit to stun the target for 1.2 seconds and deal 100 bonus physical damage. Bash chance for ranged heroes is 10%.

    • Does not stack with other sources of Bash.
    • The following heroes cannot trigger Bash on this item: Spirit Breaker, Faceless Void, Slardar, and Kez while in Sai mode.
    • Does not grant Bash to Clones and Tempest Doubles.
  • Harpoon

    4,700

    • +25 Damage
    • +25 Strength
    • +10 Agility
    • +10 Intelligence
    • +2 Mana Regen

    Active: Draw Forth: When targeting an enemy, fire a harpoon at them, that pulls you and the target closer together, up to 35% of the distance between you and your…

    Full description

    19s50

    Active: Draw Forth. When targeting an enemy, fire a harpoon at them, that pulls you and the target closer together, up to 35% of the distance between you and your target. If the caster is melee, the hero and target are always pulled to within melee distance of each other. Targeting a tree always pulls you all the way to that tree.

    Passive: Echo Strike. Causes melee attacks to attack twice in quick succession. The double attacks apply a 100% movement slow for 1 seconds on the first strike. Echo Strike cooldown: 5s

  • Monkey King Bar

    5,000

    • +50 Damage
    • +50 Damage

    Passive: Pierce: Grants each attack a 80% chance to pierce through evasion and deal 70 bonus magical damage.

  • Nullifier

    4,350

    • +75 Damage
    • +10 Armor

    Active: Nullify: Dispels the target and applies a debuff for 4 seconds. Continuously dispels and slows the target. Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    Full description

    10s

    Active: Nullify. Dispels the target and applies a debuff for 4 seconds. Continuously dispels and slows the target. Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    • Can be cast on invulnerable units.

Abilities

Boundless Strike

24 / 21 / 18 / 15s85 / 90 / 95 / 100

Monkey King enlarges his staff and slams it against the ground, stunning enemies in a line and damaging them with bonus damage and a critical hit based on his attack. Has True Strike.

STUN DURATION
0.7 / 0.9 / 1.1 / 1.3
CRITICAL DAMAGE
120 / 140 / 160 / 180%
BONUS DAMAGE
20 / 40 / 60 / 80
DISTANCE
1100

Aghanim’s ShardBoundless Strike applies Primal Spring with 35% of the max channeling duration power to enemies along the staff and at the end of the staff. When Boundless Strike is set to alt-cast, Monkey King leaps to the end of his staff.

Tree Dance

0.9 / 0.6 / 0.3s

Monkey King jumps to a tree and perches atop it. While perched, he gains the Primal Spring ability-a channeled leap attack. If Monkey King's tree is destroyed, he falls and is stunned for 3s. Taking damage while on the ground puts Tree Dance on cooldown.

DISTANCE
900
DAMAGE COOLDOWN
3
  • Tree Dance cooldown starts upon landing.
  • Right-clicking the ground will have Monkey King drop from the tree.
  • Movement is interrupted if Monkey King is stunned, hexed or banished.

Jingu Mastery

Monkey King's attacks awaken the Jingu Bang's power. Upon the fourth hit on the same enemy hero, Monkey King earns 4 charged attacks that have bonus damage and lifesteal.

REQUIRED HITS
4
COUNTER DURATION
5.5 / 7 / 8.5 / 10
BONUS DAMAGE
30 / 80 / 130 / 180
BONUS LIFESTEAL
20 / 40 / 60 / 80%
BUFF DURATION
35
  • Hitting an enemy with Boundless Strike adds to the hit counter.
  • Repeatedly hitting an enemy refreshes the Jingu Mastery debuff duration.
  • Hit charges on enemies cannot be dispelled.
  • Jingu Mastery buff on self can be dispelled.
  • Break disables the gaining of new stacks.
  • Break does not disable the bonuses from existing stacks.

Mischief

Innate24.5s

Changes Monkey King's shape to deceive opponents, using the environment nearby as inspiration for the disguise. Taking damage, attacking, or using any item or ability breaks Monkey King's disguise. Grants damage immunity for 0.1 seconds upon transforming.

BONUS MOVE SPEED
8%
COOLDOWN
24.5

Wukong's Command

Ultimate100 / 90 / 80s100

Monkey King creates a circular formation of soldiers that spread out from his position. If Monkey King leaves the area his soldiers disperse. The soldiers have Monkey King's attack that attacks at a fixed rate of 1.1s, and only targets enemy Heroes. Monkey King is granted bonus armor for the spell's duration. Monkey King can transform into any one of his soldiers during Wukong's command, taking its place for a short duration, becoming indistinguishable from other soldiers, and leaving another soldier in his stead.

BONUS ARMOR
15 / 20 / 25
DURATION
14
SOLDIER SPAWN INTERVAL
0
SOLDIER DURATION
0
  • Soldiers do not receive Jingu Mastery bonuses.
  • Soldiers do not copy Basher or Abyssal.

Aghanim’s ScepterSpawns a monkey soldier near Monkey King at regular intervals. Soldiers do not spawn while invisible or on trees. Soldiers only attack buildings when Monkey King himself is nearby. Soldiers can now gain Jingu Mastery charges independently.

Changing of the Guard

5s

Monkey King can transform into any one of his soldiers during Wukong's command, taking its place for a 1.5s, becoming indistinguishable from other soldiers, and leaving another soldier in his stead. While transformed, Monkey King is invulnerable, but cannot attack or cast spells

Talents

-1 Jingu Mastery Required Hits

25

Additional Wukong's Command Ring

Jingu Mastery Undispellable

20

+60% Boundless Strike Critical Damage

0 Cooldown Primal Spring

15

+110 Jingu Mastery Damage

+300 Tree Dance Cast Range

10

+0.2s Boundless Strike Stun Duration

Base stats

Attributes

  • StrengthStrength19+2.8/lvl
  • AgilityAgility23+3.7/lvl
  • IntelligenceIntelligence20+1.8/lvl

At level 1

Damage
52–56
Attack time
1.6s
Attack range
300 (melee)
Move speed
300
Armor
4.8
Magic resistance
25%
Health
538 (+2.9/s)
Mana
315 (+1/s)
Vision day / night
1800 / 800

Recent changes

latest 12 patches
  1. 7.41c
    • Base Agility decreased from 24 to 23
    • Damage at level 1 decreased from 53-57 to 52-56
    • Ability 5724:Movement Slow decreased from 35/50/65/80% to 30/40/50/60%
  2. 7.41b
    • Changing of the Guard:Cooldown increased from 3s to 5s
    • Talents:Level 10 Talent Tree Dance Cast Range decreased from +350 to +300
  3. 7.41
    • Mischief:No longer levels with Wukong's Command
    • Cooldown changed from 24/20/16/12s to 24.5s - 0.5s per level
    • Tree Dance:Cast point increased from 0.1s to 0.2s
    • Cast Range / Perched Tree Cast Range increased from 800 to 900
    • Cooldown decreased from 1.4/1.2/1.0/0.8s to 0.9/0.6/0.3/0s
    • Leap speed decreased from 700 to 600
    • Leaping between trees can now be interrupted by Roots and Leashes
    • Previously it was only interrupted by Stunned, Hidden, or Hexed statuses
    • Wukong's Command:Now has Changing of the Guard sub-ability by default
    • While Wukong's Command is active, Monkey King gains a Changing of the Guard ability which allows him to transform into any one of his soldiers. Upon cast, Monkey King takes the place of the soldier closest to the target location for 1.5s, and leaves another one in his stead. While Transfigured, Monkey King is indistinguishable from other soldiers and invulnerable, but can't issue commands. Cast Point: 0.3s. No Mana Cost. Cooldown: 3s
    • Changing of the Guard:Ability appears in place of Wukong's Command and starts on a 1s cooldown after casting Wukong's Command. Can't be cast while rooted and can't target soldiers created by Aghanim's Scepter effect. Monkey King disjoints projectiles upon transformation.
    • The possessed soldier has a small ring around it which is visible only to Monkey King and his allies. When the effect is over, Monkey King becomes his usual self leaving the overtaken soldier's position empty.
    • Talents:Level 10 Talent +90 Primal Spring Max Damage replaced with +350 Tree Dance Cast Range
    • Level 15 Talent +450 Tree Dance Cast Range replaced with 0 Cooldown Primal Spring
    • Level 20 Talent 0 Cooldown Primal Spring replaced with Jingu Mastery Undispellable
  4. 7.40c
    • Jingu Mastery:Bonus Damage increased from 30/75/120/165 to 30/80/130/180
    • Talents:Level 10 Talent Primal Spring Max Damage increased from +85 to +90
  5. 7.40b
    • Wukong's Command:Duration increased from 13s to 14s
    • Aghanim's Scepter Soldier Duration increased from 12s to 15s
  6. 7.40
    • Base Armor decreased by 1
    • Base Attack Time improved from 1.7s to 1.6s
    • Base Attack Speed decreased from 100 to 95
    • Tree Dance:Stun duration from falling off the cut tree decreased from 4s to 3s
  7. 7.39e
    • Boundless Strike:Aghanim's Shard portion of Primal Spring's max power decreased from 40% to 35%
    • Tree Dance:Movement is now cancelled if Monkey King is interrupted
    • Talents:Level 10 Talent Primal Spring Max Damage decreased from +100 to +85
  8. 7.39d
    • Boundless Strike:Aghanim's Shard portion of Primal Spring's max power decreased from 60% to 40%

Lore

For 500 years the mountain pressed down upon him, only his head free from the crushing weight of the stonewrought prison the elder gods had summoned to halt his childish rebellion. Moss grew along the lines of his exposed face, tufts of grass sprouted from his ears; his vision was framed in wildflowers reaching from the soil around his cheeks. Most thought him long dead, tormented by the gods for waging war against the heavens until naught but his legend survived. But, as the stories go, the Monkey King cannot die. So he waited. Until the gods came to offer a chance at absolution, he endured. And when they did come to name the price, Sun Wukong accepted their charge: he would accompany a young acolyte on a secret pilgrimage, protect him from demons and dangers of the road, and guide the man home in possession of a coveted relic. Do that, and humbly obey the human's commands in service to their holy mission, and Wukong would prove himself reformed. For a change, Sun Wukong fulfilled his oath to the gods with honor, and atoned for the sins of past insurrections. The acolyte, much learned in hardships, was returned to his home temple, relic in hand; and Wukong-finding himself for the first time in proper standing with any gods of consequence-was content for a short while to give up his old thirst for adventure and glory. But the Monkey King was born for mischief...and offending the gods never gets old.

Win rates come from public Dota 2 matches (OpenDota), 3.4M matches counted, refreshed Oct 24, 2026. Tiers use the win rate in the chosen rank: S 52.5%+, A 51%+, B 49%+, C 47.5%+, D below; heroes with too few games are left unrated. Hero data and patch notes are Valve’s. Builds Forge is an unofficial fan site, not affiliated with Valve.