Template:Character Master Monkey is a member of the Furious Five and a master over the Monkey style of Hung Ga Kung Fu.
Biography
Beginnings
As described in the episode "Monkey in the Middle" from Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Monkey and his older brother Wu Kong used to play tricks on other people as children. But Wu Kong eventually turned to crime and was sent to prison, causing his family to be shamed.
Years later, Monkey battled Wu Kong when Wu Kong escaped. Their mother saw them fighting and she died of a broken heart. Before she passed away, however, she made Monkey swear to always protect the family.
In Secrets of the Furious Five
Young Monkey in his hometown village
Po tells the rabbit children of how Monkey used to be the laughingstock of some children in his hometown village when he would accidentally slip on banana peels and have his pants slip down. Growing up into a teenager, he sought revenge for that incident by earning himself the title of the trouble-making hooligan in his village who often played tricks on other people (often making people slip on banana peels from bananas that he would eat and/or "pantsing" them) and made the habit of stealing bananas from the markets. The townspeople didn't want him around anymore and told him to leave, but he wouldn't.
They sent many powerful warriors to force him out of town dead or alive, but Monkey humiliated each and every one of them with his banana peels and "pantsing" maneuvers. He finally faced defeat when the townspeople sent Master Oogway, who, other than not wearing pants, used his shell to dodge all of Monkey's attacks. Not expecting him to dodge so easily, Monkey slipped underneath a falling beam, only to be saved by Oogway. Humiliated in front of the whole town by the Kung Fu Master and his own tricks, Monkey surrendered, apologized, and agreed to leave. But Oogway instead taught him compassion and placed Monkey in the Jade Palace where he trained under Master Shifu's tutelage until he became a member of the Furious Five.
In Kung Fu Panda
Monkey and the rest of the Five at the Dragon Warrior Tournament
Monkey was first seen training with Master Shifu, along with the rest of the Furious Five, in the Training Hall's courtyard, where Shifu told him to improve on his speed. After Master Oogway envisioned Tai Lung breaking out of prison, Monkey later partook in the Dragon Warrior Tournament at the Jade Palace, though his singular performance was not seen. When Oogway sensed that the Dragon Warrior was among them, Monkey gathered along with his fellow team members for the choosing of the warrior. Just as it seemed that Tigress would be chosen, Monkey and everyone else present were stunned when a giant panda by the name of Po fell out of the sky and landed right in front of her. Oogway saw this as a sign and declared Po as the Dragon Warrior, leaving Monkey, the Five, Shifu, the villagers, and Po himself astonished.
After the tournament, Monkey and the others of the Five went over to the Training Hall to train. It was here that Po eventually entered the Hall as well (with Shifu accompanying him) to see the Five training with the various contraptions, Monkey with the Seven-Talon Rings. He and the Five stopped their training to watch Po spar with the Adversary, who then got thrown into the course and failed every stage.
That night, Monkey joined the Five in mocking Po as they headed for the student barracks, unaware that the panda had heard every word and was disheartened. In the barracks, when Po was having an awkward conversation with Crane, he attempted to imitate some Kung Fu moves, only to create a hole in the paper wall separating Crane and Monkey's rooms, where Monkey was seen clearly scowling after having been disturbed from his meditating.
The next morning, it appeared that Po had quit when his bedroom was found empty. However, when the Five and Shifu arrived at the training courtyard, it was revealed that Po has gotten there first and was even attempting to use the apparatus designed for honing flexibility. When the panda's training began, Monkey was the second Kung Fu master to spar with Po, beating him senseless with a bamboo staff. When Shifu sparred with Po himself, and then literally kicked him out of the palace and down the long stairs in frustration, Monkey and the Five walked outside to watch him tumble. Tigress, who had contempt for the panda, stated that "if [Po was] smart, he won't come back up those steps." Monkey, however, was the first to note Po's tenacity, and replied that he will, causing her to walk back inside in annoyance.
Back in the student barracks, Po was unsuccessfully being administered acupuncture by Mantis and Viper, and Monkey was seen trying to ignore Po's yells while meditating. He then later listened in with Crane silently as Tigress told Po the history between Shifu and Tai Lung.
In the kitchen later that same night, Monkey and the Five (sans Tigress) began to warm up to Po some more after enjoying a bowl of his delicious noodle soup. Monkey and the Five (again sans Tigress) also began laughing when Po ate his soup and ended up having a noodle string on his lip resembling Shifu's mustache, and Monkey responded the greatest when Po began making amusing impressions of the old master. Their enjoyment was cut short when the real Shifu arrived with some bad news: Tai Lung had just escaped from prison, and Oogway was dead. Tigress pleaded with Shifu to let her and the rest of the Five go and stop Tai Lung, but Shifu refused, finally believing that Po was the Dragon Warrior. After it soon became clear that neither Po nor Shifu had any idea how Po would be able to defeat the snow leopard, Tigress decided to go anyway alone, though she was soon pursued by Monkey and the rest of the Five. When Viper stated that they were not trying to stop Tigress, but were coming with her, Monkey gave their team leader the "thumbs-up" in agreement.
After days of travel, Monkey and the Five eventually intercepted Tai Lung at the Thread of Hope, an enormous rope bridge above a bottomless chasm outside the Valley of Peace. Monkey assisted in battle by rescuing Viper after Tai Lung caught her by the throat, and then beat him back along with the rest of the Five. Just when it seemed like they had won, Tai Lung took them by surprise when he soon recovered and struck Monkey with a nerve attack, paralyzing him instantly. Tai Lung proceeded to paralyze the rest of the Five except Crane, who was forced to carry his defeated comrades back to the Palace as a message to Shifu and the Dragon Warrior.
Shifu reviving Monkey
Crane managed to carry Monkey and the rest of the Five back to the Jade Palace, where Shifu quickly freed them from paralysis and decided that Po was ready to receive the Dragon Scroll, having succeeded in training him while the Five where absent. Monkey was present when Po opened the scroll, and was surprised along with everyone else when the scroll, the secret to limitless power, was revealed to be blank.
As a last resort, Shifu ordered the Five and Po to evacuate the Valley while Shifu stalled Tai Lung in a battle, which he and everyone else knew would inevitably cost him his life. Shifu and his students gave each one last respectful bow before departing. During the evacuation, Monkey helped a young child find their mother. Later, just as they were all leaving the Valley, Monkey, his comrades and the villagers were surprised to see a rippling explosion in the village. The Five and the villagers returned to investigate and found that Po had succeeded where the Five had failed: he defeated Tai Lung. Amazed at the panda's skill, Tigress led Monkey, the rest of the Five, and the villagers in a respectful bow to Po as a Kung Fu Master.
In Kung Fu Panda Holiday
Monkey and the other Five
In the holiday special, Monkey and the rest of the Furious Five were surprised to hear that Po was to host the sophisticated Winter Feast at the Jade Palace. Later, when Po was to select a chef for the event, Monkey waved a greeting to him and Po waved back, unintentionally dismissing a chef named Wo Hop with the gesture, which had disgracing him and his village. The Five were later called upon by Po to help prepare for the Feast, and Monkey used his swift Kung Fu moves to arrange place settings for the dinner.
Monkey with Crane at the Jade Palace's formal Winter Feast dinner
When completed, he was seen seated with the rest of the Kung Fu masters at the table. When Po talked about his own family traditions and mentioned his uncle Yang's tendency to spurt noodles out of his nose from laughing so hard, Monkey agreed with Crane about wanting to see that himself. After Po left the feast, the Furious Five later joined him at the Noodle Shop and enjoyed the holiday-themed soup, and the other masters from the Palace eventually arrived at the celebration as well. Sure enough, Monkey and Crane got a chance to see Uncle Yang's habit, and Monkey joined the rest of the Five, Po, Shifu, and Wo Hop in posing for a portrait.
In Art of Balance
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"Art of Balance"
Monkey appeared at the start in Po 's dream as he and the rest of the Furious Five faced a large number of villains, though the heroic moment was ruined when Po fell on top of them. Monkey was last seen battling the villains before Po woke up from his dream.
"The Dragon Chef"
Monkey and Crane passing out noodles
Monkey was enlisted along with the rest of the Furious Five to help at the Noodle Shop as Mr. Ping was suffering from the Goose flu. He helped by passing out noodles while being carried and flown around by Crane. However, this method led to soup getting all over the customers, and the day was disastrous. Fortunately, Mr. Ping returned, having recovered, and set things right in a matter of minutes. Impressed, Monkey and the others praised him as the Dragon Chef.
"Touch of Destiny"
During a game of elimination tag with Po and the rest of the Furious Five, Monkey tagged Viper by swinging from a tree and taking her by surprise. However, he later discovered Mantis on his back and was also tagged. Later on, after Tigress won the game, Monkey and the Five reappeared and Po asked them if they wanted to play another game.
In Kung Fu Panda 2
Like the rest of the Five, Monkey was first seen cheering on Po, who was trying to fit forty bean buns in his mouth. When Crane slapped Po on the back in congratulations, Monkey was knocked backwards by a multitude of buns.
Later that day, he helped fight off wolf bandits in the Artisan Village, and later helped Po save a pig from falling to his death. When the lead wolf attempted one last assault on Po, Monkey was as surprised as the others when Po froze. After the wolf hit Po in the face with his hammer and fled, Monkey, like the others, was curious as to why Po hesitated.
Some time later, Monkey and his friends learned some sinister news: Master Thundering Rhino has been killed in Gongmen City by a peacock called Lord Shen, and a mysterious weapon which could destroy even Kung Fu. As the Five and Po left for Gongmen City to combat this threat, the six of them were stopped by Mr. Ping, who had packed things for Po. Monkey laughed when Mr. Ping told (and showed) Po that he had packed Po's action figures.
During the last part of their journey by boat, Monkey and his friends were awoken when they overheard Po and Tigress talking outside the cabin, and stepped outside to give Po emotional support. Their conversation was cut short, however, when they arrived in Gongmen City.
Monkey and his friends attempted to sneak through the city towards Shen's palace by traveling across the rooftops. After a while, they realized that Po was missing, and then were gobsmacked when they spotted the panda attempted to sneak through the streets in a dragon costume. The Five stealthily joined Po inside the costume: Monkey was the first inside, and was accidentally slapped by a startled Po. They soon learned from a sheep they had rescued that Masters Storming Ox and Croc, two Kung Fu masters who had witnessed Thundering Rhino's death, were still alive and imprisoned in Gongmen Jail. The six were soon spotted by Boss Wolf and his pack, but were able to escape and reach the jail.
When the Five and Po snuck into Gongmen Jail, Monkey volunteered to be on watch for any enemies, and he'd alert them with "crane noises" (which was "Ka-kaw, ki-ki!"), much to Crane's indignation. After three wolves (including Boss Wolf) discovered them (with Monkey giving the signal after they had entered), Monkey and Crane defeated two of the wolves and Boss Wolf fled. The six of them then raced after Boss Wolf through Gongmen City until they were surrounded by an army outside the palace. Po finally surrendered on behalf of the group, much to everybody else's confusion.
The Five and Po were placed in cuffs and led into the palace, where they were placed before Lord Shen himself. After some back and forth banter between Po and Shen, Shen attempted to fire his cannon at the six, but the fuse was put out each time the wolf tried to light it. It was then revealed that Po had placed his Mantis action figure in the cage in place of the real Mantis, and Mantis was the one that kept dousing the fuse. Viper successfully picked the lock on Tigress' cuffs, and then Tigress proceeded to free the others before they destroyed Shen's cannon. Everything went awry, however, when Po froze once again when facing Shen, and the peacock was able to escape the tower. Monkey and the others stared after him, and were horrified to see that he had a multitude of cannons which he proceeded to fire at the tower. Thanks to Tigress' quick thinking, the Five and Po were able to escape and disappear into the city.
Back in Gongmen Jail, Monkey and the others confronted Po over letting Shen get away. When Po refused to tell the truth, Tigress ordered that he stay behind while the Five go after Shen. Po attempted to leave the jail, and Monkey and the others watched in fear as he and Tigress fought. Po was swiftly subdued and finally revealed that Shen knew what had happened to his parents, and then claimed that the "hardcore" (meaning Tigress) couldn't understand. Tigress lunged at Po, seemingly angered. Expecting Tigress to attack Po further, Monkey and the others got a shock when she hugged him instead. However, Tigress made it clear that she did understand and did not want Po to get himself killed, and the Five left without him. When Crane tried to take advantage of Tigress' empathetic moment by asking if she did not want him to get killed and she told him to stop being a wimp, Monkey commented that "she's back."
The Five followed Shen to the Fireworks Factory, quickly plotting to destroy the building and the arsenal of cannons inside by blowing it up with nearby kegs of gunpowder, which they'll roll inside with a wheelbarrow. The Five had done so and had turned to leave before they caught a glimpse of Po battling Shen high up on a ledge. They quickly doused the fuses and were set upon by dozens of wolves. During their struggle, the Five heard a cannon fire above them, and watched in horror as Po was blasted out of the factory seemingly to his death.
Monkey and the rest of the Furious Five were then captured by Shen. The night after the factory battle, Monkey was the first to try to rally the Five after Po's apparent death while the group was chained up, heading for execution as Shen and his armada make their way out of the city. He turned to Tigress for some support, only to see that she had lost all hope.
However, Po returned alive, and while fighting Shen's army, Po tossed up an axe which Monkey grabbed with his tail and broke the chains with. They battled against Shen's army, and were soon joined by Master Shifu, who had arrived from the Valley of Peace, as well as Masters Ox and Croc. Monkey and the other Kung Fu masters almost won, but were blasted into the Gongmen Harbor by Shen's cannon, leaving them all badly injured. Monkey watched, along with everybody else, watched in shock as Po stood on an upturned boat in the middle of the harbor, and deflected all of Shen's cannonballs.
By the time Shen was killed, Monkey was up on dry land along with the rest of the Five. And when Po emerged out of the water, Monkey was one of the first to hug Po, along with Mantis and Viper. Monkey then happily watched the fireworks along with all of his friends.
In Legends of Awesomeness
- "Monkey is an unpredictable prankster who is as fierce as he is clever and funny. While he likes to goof off as much as Po, in a fight Monkey always has your back. With his distinctive style of kung fu fighting, Monkey's unpredictable moves and unique personality always keeps his attackers guessing."[1]
Personality
Friendly, playful and enthusiastic, the mischievous Monkey is the most approachable of the Furious Five. His easy-going attitude masks his cunning martial arts ability. Monkey is morally the most fluid of the Five, knowing his way around the sometimes less than honorable world outside the Valley of Peace. Monkey also likes a good joke and enjoys the spectacle of a panda named Po trying to do Kung Fu.[2]
While going by Shifu's strict teachings, it would appear that Monkey in general has taken Oogway's teachings more to heart, being similarly relaxed and displaying a calmer side to his personality.
Monkey was the first of the Five to recognize Po's determination, even though he shared in the Five's general decision of the panda until Po proved himself to be the Dragon Warrior. He's also the first of the Five to have called Po by name. Monkey seems to harbor the strongest sense of humor within the Five, responding most strongly to Po's sense of comedy.
Monkey is also known to exaggerate, as seen from a Legends of Awesomeness clip that previewed from the San Diego Comic-Con when he says "[he'll] never be able to eat for the rest of [his] life" upon hearing that the others can't have lunch until Po does five pull-ups.
Fighting Style
The traditional Monkey fighting style is acrobatic, playful, comical, unpredictable, quick, and energetic. Monkey is the only one of the Five who fights with an apparatus, mainly a staff — a traditional and well-known weapon of the Shaolin temple monks. He confuses his enemies by striking at will from any position with speed, deception, agility and emotion, with blows from his hands, feet and tail that seem to come from everywhere all at once.[2]
Relationships
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His mother
Coming soon!
Wu Kong
Coming soon!
Oogway
Monkey thanking Master Oogway for teaching him compassion
When Master Oogway was summoned to get rid of Monkey, Monkey was suprised by this new foe, as all the previous warriors were far more fearsome looking. Still, Monkey was confident that he would defeat the tortoise. But since Oogway didn't wear any pants, he was a match for Monkey as he avoided his speedy tricks and mischievous pranks. When Monkey was about to be crushed by a falling beam, Oogway pulled him out of the way, surprising Monkey with his compassion. When asked why he had saved him, Oogway gently told Monkey that between his mischief and great skill, he sensed great pain from his youth. This brought Monkey to tears, and he turned to leave the village as per their agreement. Oogway stopped him and assured him that he should stay and use his compassion to help others who didn't give it to him, therefore Oogway taught him a great lesson in dignity and compassion. Later in life, Oogway presumably accepted Monkey in the Jade Palace for further training under his old friend and student, Master Shifu.
Shifu
Master Shifu instructing Monkey during training
As Master Shifu's student, Monkey greatly respected his master and followed his teachings to the letter.
The Furious Five
Monkey training with the Furious Five and Shifu
Monkey appears to be the jokester of the Five and gets along well with them most of the time, but also tries to trick them from time to time. This is shown in the episode "Good Croc, Bad Croc" from Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness when he tried to get Tigress to shake his hand rigged with a joy buzzer.
Po
As seen in "Scorpion's Sting" from Legends of Awesomeness, these two appear to enjoy having a good laugh with one another. When Monkey was hypnotized by Scorpion into destroying Po, the panda managed to snap him out of it by making him remember their friendship. However, Monkey has more than been landed on by the accident-prone panda.
Clothing/Outfit
Monkey in his basic clothing
Monkey's outfit consists of basic clothing most students would wear to practice the art of Kung Fu in. However, unlike the other Furious Five, Monkey is the only member to wear studded leather wristbands. He also wears loose brown sweatpants with the waist and ankles wrapped in the style of a Shaolin leg wrap (noted to help increase kicking and stance endurance[3]). The waist sash is colored gold.
In Kung Fu Panda Holiday (during the Winter Feast dinner at the Jade Palace and later at the Noodle Shop), Monkey and the other members of the Furious Five each wear an outfit similar to their normal attire, but with colors that match the colors of the holiday. Monkey wears golden studded leather wristbands with patterned red pants and a dark golden Shaolin waist wrap.
In Secrets of the Furious Five, it is revealed that Monkey wore orange pants and a red sleeveless coat when he was a young child.
Trivia
General
- There are conflicting scenes concerning Monkey's position when Tai Lung struck him with chi blocking in the first film. When depicted, it shows that Tai Lung surprises the Furious Five and strikes Monkey without giving Monkey time to react, causing Monkey to slump to the ground. However, when brought back to the Jade Palace, Monkey is shown to have been apparently paralyzed mid-punch (which he accidentally hits Po with when his mobility is restored).
- It was revealed in "Rhino's Revenge" from Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness that Monkey's battle weakness is his tail.
- In Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Master Monkey is voiced by James Sie. James Sie also voiced a character based on, and named after Jackie Chan, Master Monkey's movie voice actor, in the television series Jackie Chan Adventures
In popular culture
Po and the Furious Five parodied in MAD.
- A spoof version of Monkey appeared in a MAD episode called "Kung Fu Blander", where he, Po, and the others of the Furious Five faced Shen before being hit by an angry bird. He did not speak in the episode, and thus had no voice actor.[4]
Gallery
Images
Videos
Coming soon!
Quotes
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References
- ↑ Nick.com - "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness Characters: Monkey"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Monkey
- ↑ Wing Lam Kung Fu Federation - "Shaolin Leg Wraps" by Sifu Wing Lam
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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