▁soft ens ▁the ▁original ▁story , ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁hero es ' ▁negative ▁characteristics ▁removed , ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁villa ins ▁surv iving ▁at ▁the ▁end . ▁ ▁The ▁game ' s ▁plot ▁are ▁heavily ▁based ▁between ▁Buddh ism ▁and ▁H indu ism . ▁Buddh ism ▁is ▁the ▁main ▁religion ▁in ▁this ▁game ▁where ▁San zo ▁and ▁his ▁party ▁member ▁must ▁save ▁Bud d ha , ▁while ▁gods ▁from ▁H indu ism ▁are ▁the ▁main ▁ant agon ists . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁ ▁Main ▁characters ▁The ▁characters ▁below ▁are ▁listed ▁in ▁rec ruit ing ▁order , ▁with ▁six ▁main ▁characters ▁and ▁six ▁optional ▁characters . ▁Ex cluding ▁San zo , ▁the ▁main ▁characters ▁have ▁six ▁W ere Att acks ▁( optional ▁characters ▁have ▁only ▁three ), ▁typically ▁matching ▁their ▁natural ▁element . ▁W ere Att acks ▁can ▁be ▁obtained ▁during ▁f ights ▁( except ▁Do jo ) ▁by ▁raising ▁the ▁W ere ▁G au ge ▁level ▁through ▁acqu iring ▁EX P ▁in ▁W ere form . ▁ ▁San zo ▁- ▁Port ray s ▁the ▁r igh te ous ▁Buddh ist ▁mon k , ▁based ▁on ▁Tang ▁San z ang . ▁His / her ▁element ▁is ▁Wood . ▁Although ▁the ▁player ▁can ▁choose ▁either ▁gender , ▁the ▁original ▁Tang ▁San z ang ▁is ▁a ▁male ▁and ▁thus ▁is ▁usually ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁game ▁as ▁male ▁( in ▁the ▁game ▁cover ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁opening ). ▁He / she ▁has ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁sum mon ▁Guard ians ▁in ▁battle , ▁which ▁are