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[[File:LegendaryWarrior.jpg|thumb|Po's dream with the [[Furious Five]]]] |
[[File:LegendaryWarrior.jpg|thumb|Po's dream with the [[Furious Five]]]] |
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| − | At heart, Po was a huge fan of kung fu, as his room was decorated with posters and [[Furious Five Action Figures|action figures]] of the Furious Five, and he would imagine himself as an [[Legendary Warrior|unbeatable warrior]] who would fight alongside them. Po knew, in detail, many things about kung fu, from techniques to various weapons and legends. Although this encyclopedic knowledge showed Po as somewhat of an expert on kung fu, it was only in the form of a fan who fantasized he could be part of it, not as someone who had any real experience. |
+ | At heart, Po was a huge fan of kung fu, as his room was decorated with posters and [[Furious Five Action Figures|action figures]] of the Furious Five, and he would imagine himself as an [[Legendary Warrior (Po)|unbeatable warrior]] who would fight alongside them. Po knew, in detail, many things about kung fu, from techniques to various weapons and legends. Although this encyclopedic knowledge showed Po as somewhat of an expert on kung fu, it was only in the form of a fan who fantasized he could be part of it, not as someone who had any real experience. |
It was seemingly by mistake, then, that he was chosen to become the [[Dragon Warrior (legend)|Dragon Warrior]]. Po was ecstatic when he heard of a [[Dragon Warrior Tournament|tournament]] being held to determine which of the Furious Five would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, something he declared would be the "greatest day in kung fu history". He abandoned his task of selling noodles in order to see the tournament, but couldn't make it in time, as the gates closed on him, shutting him out. |
It was seemingly by mistake, then, that he was chosen to become the [[Dragon Warrior (legend)|Dragon Warrior]]. Po was ecstatic when he heard of a [[Dragon Warrior Tournament|tournament]] being held to determine which of the Furious Five would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, something he declared would be the "greatest day in kung fu history". He abandoned his task of selling noodles in order to see the tournament, but couldn't make it in time, as the gates closed on him, shutting him out. |
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Revision as of 02:02, 19 July 2014
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| “ |
| Skadoosh! |
| —Po, Kung Fu Panda |
Master Po Ping (known simply as Po) is the main protagonist of the Kung Fu Panda series. He is the adopted son of Mr. Ping as well as one of Master Shifu's students at the Jade Palace. He is also the foretold Dragon Warrior of legend, and a master of the Panda Style of kung fu.
Biography
Early years
Po's father protecting his baby son from the wolves
Po was born in a remote farming village populated entirely by pandas. There he grew up happily with his biological mother and father, until one day the village was invaded by an evil, power-hungry peacock named Shen, who sought to avert a prophecy by eliminating any threat to his rule.
As his wolf followers slaughtered the pandas and destroyed the village, Po's mother fled with her son, while his father stayed behind to try and fight them off. As the wolves quickly started to close in on her, Po's mother managed to temporarily elude the wolves and found a crate of radishes, which she hid her child in. Mother and son shared one final moment of farewell before his mother caught the attention of the wolves and lead them away from him, sacrificing her life for her son.
Kung Fu Panda 2 Baby Po
Baby Po's arrival at the noodle shop
The crate Po was in was eventually shipped far away to a village in the Valley of Peace, where the owner of a noodle shop, Mr. Ping, found the baby panda. Though hesitant to get involved at first, the goose felt pity for the infant and brought him inside where he fed him and gave him a bath, and as he continued to care for him, he grew to love the cub. Eventually realizing that no one was looking for the child, Mr. Ping decided to adopt him, giving him the name "Po" and raising him as his own son.
A portrait of young Po and a younger Mr. Ping
Since then, Po had been happily raised in the noodle shop, learning all he knew as a noodle maker from his adoptive father. Until the events in the second film, Po never questioned Mr. Ping about whether he was adopted, as both father and son shared a deep mutual love and respect. He did, however, carry doubts that they were related.
In Kung Fu Panda
Po had grown up into an adventurous dreamer who hoped to become a kung fu legend some day, on par with the Furious Five, whom he idolized. However, he didn't think he could pursue his dream, as he was an out-of-shape panda who worked at a noodle shop, which Mr. Ping enthusiastically expected him to some day run in his place. Though Po showed little interest in continuing this family tradition, he complied, not wanting to let his father down.
Po's dream with the Furious Five
At heart, Po was a huge fan of kung fu, as his room was decorated with posters and action figures of the Furious Five, and he would imagine himself as an unbeatable warrior who would fight alongside them. Po knew, in detail, many things about kung fu, from techniques to various weapons and legends. Although this encyclopedic knowledge showed Po as somewhat of an expert on kung fu, it was only in the form of a fan who fantasized he could be part of it, not as someone who had any real experience.
It was seemingly by mistake, then, that he was chosen to become the Dragon Warrior. Po was ecstatic when he heard of a tournament being held to determine which of the Furious Five would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, something he declared would be the "greatest day in kung fu history". He abandoned his task of selling noodles in order to see the tournament, but couldn't make it in time, as the gates closed on him, shutting him out.
Po being selected by Master Oogway as the Dragon Warrior
After many failed, desperate attempts to get inside and watch the event, including strapping fireworks to a chair and lighting them in order to lift him up and into the arena, Po was about to give up and go back to work with his father——when the fireworks suddenly shot him into the sky, flying over the arena. Po abruptly landed inside the tournament grounds just as Oogway was about to choose who would be the Dragon Warrior, and Po fell in front of the Furious Five——with Oogway's claw pointed directly at him. Inspired by the panda's sudden appearance, Oogway took this as a sign that the universe had brought them all the Dragon Warrior. Everyone else, including Po, was surprised by this.
The Valley celebrated, and Po was carried (with difficulty) on a palanquin (which he broke through) to the Jade Palace. Po was dropped inside the palace, where he became distracted as he discovered the many legendary kung fu artifacts kept within. After awing at several displays, he was met by Shifu, who had objected that a "flabby panda" couldn't possibly be the Dragon Warrior, and the red panda tried to intimidate Po upon meeting him, insulting his portliness, hygiene, and threatening Po with potential use of the Wuxi Finger Hold, promising the panda that he would regret ever being chosen.
Po in the Training Hall
Shifu afterwards led Po to the challenging Training Hall, where the members of the Furious Five were training. Po, thrilled at being in the presence of the Five (who were all observing him), was nervous but eager to try some kung fu moves. But being an unwary beginner, he was hurtled, burnt, punched, and thrown through the various obstacles. The Furious Five later joked about his incompetence, which Po happened to overhear, making him feel inferior.
Po talking with Oogway under the peach tree
That night, after making accidental damages in the student barracks, Po had an awkward conversation with Crane (where Po himself revealed that he didn't think he belonged at the Jade Palace). He was then given a rebuke from Tigress, who told him stern and straightforward, that he didn't belong in the Jade Palace, was a disgrace to kung fu, and should leave by morning. Po, disheartened, retreated to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, upset and overeating, cramming his mouth full with peaches. Oogway, upon finding him, listened to Po as the panda related how he had doubts about ever becoming a kung fu warrior. The tortoise gave him some kindly advice, telling Po that instead of being concerned about what was and what would be, he should focus on the opportunity he had at the moment.
The next morning, Po surprised Shifu and the Furious Five by not only staying, but by arriving first at the training courtyard to practice. Once again, Po was put through a kung fu thrashing, beat up by the Furious Five and Shifu long into the day, but Po showed no signs of pain or indignity, as he was so amazed by the skill he witnessed and only welcomed the privilege to spar with the kung fu masters. This optimism and sheer tenacity at such treatment frustrated Shifu, who, even after literally kicking Po out of the palace, was unsuccessful in making him quit.
The Furious Five, with the exception of Tigress, became impressed at Po's fortitude, and came to warm up to to him more in the evening. Mantis and Viper tried helping Po feel better with acupuncture, and Mantis assured him about his own small size as a warrior compared to Po's. After inadvertently confirming his suspicions that Shifu was indeed trying to get rid of him, Viper and Mantis explained to Po that the old master was not always so strict. Having overheard their conversation, Tigress shared the story of Shifu's past involving how he had raised Tai Lung, who became evil, and Po was rendered speechless. However, due to an unintentional mistake on his facial nerve by Mantis, he ended up making a spastic expression, which angered Tigress.
Po later made the Furious Five some noodle soup, which he was praised for, and made most of them laugh when he did an imitation of Shifu——only moments before the master himself appeared. He announced that Tai Lung had broken out of Chorh-Gom Prison, and that it was Po's destiny to defeat him, also relaying that Oogway had passed away. Startled and frightened, Po ran off in a panic, only to be stopped shortly by Shifu, who, despite his prior disapproval, declared that Po was the Dragon Warrior.
Refusing to believe this, Po confronted Shifu on how he'd never believed in him, and had been trying to make him quit since his first day, while Shifu reminded Po that he had chosen to stay, despite all the harsh treatment. Po revealed that he had been hurt both inside and out, but had stayed because, to him, it was better than living every day just being himself, and wanted so badly for the kung fu master to change him into something better. When Po questioned Shifu on just how he planned to make him the Dragon Warrior capable of defeating the mighty Tai Lung, the red panda admitted he didn't know, and departed.
Discouraged, Po again fled to food for comfort, and had nearly ravaged the kitchen in the barracks, punching through cupboards and drawers, even doing a perfect split at one point, when Shifu discovered him the next morning. He stood amazed, seeing that the panda had inadvertently showed a knack for kung fu while merely trying to find food in his distressed state. Shifu decided to use this perceived weakness as a teaching tool to motivate and train Po.
Po and Master Shifu playing "keep-away"
Led through the Wu Dan Mountains to the Pool of Sacred Tears, Shifu told Po the origins of kung fu. Po agreed to learn from Shifu, astounded and emotional from finally getting a chance to live his dream. And so began his first serious step in kung fu training.
Po was put through various exercises, from push-ups to ten-mile hikes, to balancing soup bowls, defending his own meals from attack, and a game of keep away, using chopsticks and a dumpling as a reward. Through determination, and with Shifu's teaching, Po's senses grew sharper, he became more confident, and in time, had achieved tremendous improvements in body, mind and spirit.
But the Furious Five, led by Tigress, had left to fight Tai Lung on their own. Despite putting up a courageous fight on the Thread of Hope that morning, each of them was overwhelmed by Tai Lung's superior skill, but left alive as a warning. Crane weakly carried his comrades back to the Jade Palace, where Po and Shifu found the rest of the Five all paralyzed, struck by Tai Lung's nerve attack. Seeing his heroes wounded before him, Po was worried about facing Tai Lung himself, but Shifu assured him that he could beat Tai Lung——with the help of the Dragon Scroll.
Po being awarded the Dragon Scroll by Shifu
He retrieved it, giving it to Po and promising him extraordinary powers of sight and sound when he would read it. Po opened the scroll, only to find it was nothing but a golden, reflective surface that was completely blank. This confused and disappointed both him, Shifu, and the Five, leaving Po to believe that he really had been picked to be the Dragon Warrior by accident. With little options left, Shifu told the Furious Five to evacuate the Valley, saying that he would fight Tai Lung himself to buy them all time. They obeyed, Po reluctantly leaving with the others.
The Five split up to escort the villagers out, leaving a dispirited Po to seek out his father. Mr. Ping was glad to see him again, tying an apron around Po and talking to him about future plans for a new noodle shop as they fled with the rest of the Valley. Having come so close at becoming the kung fu warrior he'd aspired to be, and being pulled back into his former life as if nothing had happened, Po unhappily lingered for a moment, his hopes crushed. Mr. Ping tried to assure his son that he still had a destiny at the noodle restaurant. Not encouraged by this, Po remarked that he sometimes couldn't even believe he was the goose's son.
Po realizing the secret of the Dragon Scroll
Mr. Ping, taken aback, tried to comfort Po by finally telling him the truth: the secret ingredient of the noodle shop's secret ingredient soup——was nothing. He explained that he never needed to add anything more to ordinary noodle soup. By simply believing it to be special, it became special on its own. Astounded, Po took out the Dragon Scroll, and found himself looking into his own reflection. Mr. Ping's words made the connection, and at last Po understood the meaning of the Dragon Scroll, the secret to "limitless power".
Po challenging Tai Lung with the Dragon Scroll
He made his way back to the Jade Palace, climbing the stairs (which exhausted him), and arrived just in time to distract Tai Lung and save Shifu, who was nearly unconscious as a result of his battle with the snow leopard. Facing Tai Lung, Po proclaimed that he was the true Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung laughed at the claim, and Po smugly revealed that he the Dragon Scroll in his possession. This lead to a back-and-forth struggle for the scroll which soon turned into a battle that spread down into the Valley, both Po and Tai Lung trying to get the Dragon Scroll as it fell from place to place.
Po used his creative cunning to keep the scroll away from Tai Lung, even using noodles and a cart propelled by fireworks in the battle, as well as the same maneuvers in his game of "keep-away" with Shifu. Despite his ongoing success, Po finally collapsed when Tai Lung met him with a powerful punch, pummeling the panda to the ground. When Tai Lung finally had the scroll, he was disappointed and stunned when he discovered it was blank. Po, as he was getting up, told him that he hadn't got the scroll's meaning the first time either, and explained that "There is no secret ingredient; it's just you." Infuriated, Tai Lung threw down the Dragon Scroll and struck Po, but his deadly nerve attacks only served to have a ticklish effect on Po, making him laugh.
Po using the Wuxi Finger Hold on Tai Lung
Again, the two fought, Po besting and outsmarting Tai Lung again and again, developing his own improvised style in the process. Eventually, Po caught Tai Lung in the Wuxi Finger Hold, declaring to have figured out the secret to the mysterious technique on his own, and with the word "Skadoosh" and the flexing of his pinky, Po performed the move, sending a massive golden shock wave throughout the Valley of Peace and beyond and defeating Tai Lung.
When the Furious Five and villagers returned, they watched Po emerge from the haze in silence, and became elated, the villagers cheering for his triumph. Mr. Ping raced to his son, overjoyed and proud of his victory as a kung fu warrior. Tigress stepped forward and bowed to Po in respect, smiling and calling him "Master," and the rest of the Furious Five and the Valley followed suit. Po was modestly pleased, but quickly remembered that Shifu was hurt back at the palace. He rushed back and found Shifu still injured, and told him he had defeated Tai Lung.
Po and Shifu eating a meal by the Peach Tree
Shifu weakly thanked Po for bringing peace both to the Valley and to him, afterwards trailing off and closing his eyes, leaving Po to momentarily mistake him as dying, to which Shifu exclaimed he wasn't. After a quiet, meditative moment, Po asked him if he wanted to get something to eat. He and Shifu later enjoyed a meal of dumplings by the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, overlooking a new day in the Valley of Peace.
In Secrets of the Furious Five
Po and his kung fu class
Po was instructed by Shifu to teach a class of new kung fu students, made up of rambunctious rabbit children. Shifu told Po that it may very well be the toughest challenge he's ever faced, and left a dubious Po to teach the class himself. After calming down the excited group, Po told them stories of how each of the Furious Five learned the secrets of kung fu. When Shifu returned to check on Po's progress, he first thought that Po had taught the rowdy students that kung fu is all about fighting; but after hearing the children point out the lessons of having patience, courage, discipline, compassion, and confidence, Shifu found that Po had taught them well, and allowed him to keep teaching the class.
In Kung Fu Panda Holiday
Wo Hop attacking Po with a wooden spoon
It was the time of the Winter Festival, and Po was informed by Master Shifu in noodle shop that he was to host the Winter Feast at the Jade Palace. The Furious Five were surprised when Po told them this news, and offered to help him prepare for the sophisticated dinner. However, Po was confident that he could do it himself, and was excited about the chance to host the formal gathering. But soon enough, he became overwhelmed by the many tasks of preparing for the Feast, and was burdened further by not being able to have his father come to the event.
After accidentally rejecting and disgracing a rabbit chef named Wo Hop with the "Hun-Shu Wave of Dismissal", Po decided to intentionally dismiss the other chefs trying out for the Feast by tasting and saying their dishes were awful, and he later offered the job to his father, along with the Golden Ladle, in hopes that the two of them could spend the holiday together. However, Mr. Ping refused, stating he couldn't be away from the restaurant and let his customers down. After Po told him he couldn't be home during the holiday, Mr. Ping grudgingly told him to to the palace feast, resulting in Po feeling guilty.
Po struggling with a decision of loyalty
Afterwards in the palace kitchen, Po was challenged by Wo Hop to a fight to the death in order to restore his honor, and the rabbit chef made several attempts to attack Po and end his own life, the panda preventing him from doing so again and again. After several disasters, including the kitchen being set of fire and an ice dragon sculpture being beheaded, Po fell into despair, believing that he had disappointed everyone. After a comment from Wo Hop about kung fu being unable to solve everything, Po decided to call on the Furious Five and Wo Hop to help him in his preparations for the Feast. With their extra efforts, everything came together just in time. Tending to a last-minute detail, Po left to fetch some ground jasmine, and saw the village houses decorated with colorful lanterns, and was sullen at seeing families together for their own feasts.
Later, when seated with Shifu, the Five, and the visiting kung fu masters at the Jade Palace, Po was complimented by Shifu for creating the perfect feast. However, Po himself was unhappy as he sat with his fellow masters, and found that he could not enjoy the ceremony, as much as he admired the kung fu heroes present. He explained to them his own traditions of having fun with his family, friends, and neighbors during the holiday. He then politely excused himself (much to Shifu's dismay), and then ran off to join his father at the noodle shop.
Po, Shifu, the Furious Five, Mr. Ping, and Wo Hop posing for a portrait
At the shop, Mr. Ping was pleased to see him, and apologized to Po for making him feel guilty, and Po offered to help him cook. They then worked together to make several bowls of holiday-themed noodle soup for the customers, who cheered for them. The Furious Five and the visiting masters later showed up at the restaurant and took part in the festivities as well. Po also presented the Golden Ladle to Wo Hop (whom had shown up to try and attack Po again), restoring honor to him and his home village.
Shifu also came to the noodle shop, still upset that Po had "ruined" the palace feast, but upon seeing the happy celebration taking place inside, Shifu came to appreciate Po's decision. When spotted by the panda, the master was invited inside, and though reluctant to join in the feast, Po insisted, telling him that he was part of his family as well. They joined the others, posing for a group portrait, and Po was able to appease everyone, thanks of his unorthodox, yet sincere actions.
In Kung Fu Panda Issue 1
"Po the Inmate"
Po and the Furious Five were led on a tour to evaluate the newly-designed Chorh-Gom Prison, where Po briefly embarrassed the Five by getting stuck in a cell. The new warden, like Vachir, was adamant about the prison's security, and about the added installments. Elsewhere, a rhino guard carelessly swung another onto a lever by accident, which resulted in the prison's mechanisms being triggered and Po, the Five, and the warden were trapped. After the warden tried kicking the door open and passed out, Po and the Five used their kung fu to fight off the Slaying Slicers (swinging, spiked rings) and the Bashing Beam (a gigantic falling mass of wood, which Po and Tigress worked together to hold up while the others reduced it to sawdust with the slicers).
In an effort to help, two guards from another room triggered the Logs of Lamentation to work as stairs for Po and the others to climb, and they did so, each taking turns in carrying and tossing the warden to one another like a hot potato before reaching a platform. However, stepping onto the platform only activated yet another trap as arrows were set off, targeted at them. Having an idea, Po reacted by jumping off, snapping one of the chains that helped hold the logs in the air, and kicking it up to serve as a shield for the arrows. Seeing this was effective, the Five followed his example with success. Po thanked the Five for their help, and a ladder was offered to them from the guards, who were alarmed when they heard a rumbling noise, thinking it was another trap, only to find was Po's stomach growling.
In Kung Fu Panda Issue 2
"Special Delivery"
Po was anticipating a package in the mail, but discovered that it was taken, along with the whole mail cart, by a gang of crows, and that such incidents had been happening a lot recently. To uncover the reason for this, Po had Mr. Ping take out a mail cart, while he hid inside and as expected, the crows appeared, and (with difficulty) carried the cart away. When they reached their destination, Po found himself in a palace surrounded by similar carts full of undelivered mail, and was soon confronted by a fox named Qinchu, the presumably the self-elected official of Mount Penglai. Qinchu told Po that he was trespassing and made no room for argument, declaring that he had worked hard to create order in the city by keeping outsiders out and residents in.
With that, he ordered his crows to throw Po out, and the panda was tossed down Mount Penglai. When he awoke from the painful fall, Po met the former official and his son, who had similarly been thrown down Mount Penglai. Po learned about Qinchu's takeover of the city as well as his goal to find the key to Mount Penglai, which was the reason for the hijacking of so many mail carts, as the key was always passed from one location to another so no one could ever know its exact whereabouts. In his quest for a "paradise" of order and organization, Qinchu aimed to use the key to lock the gates and isolate the city.
After hearing this, Po took action and crashed through the roof of the palace. He faced Qinchu in a showy display, and the fox stood before him unimpressed. After some back-and-forth banter, Po and Qinchu engaged in combat. This resulted in Po kicking Qinchu and throwing him down, where he then trapped the fox in a roll of carpet. He then told Qinchu it was about time he meet his "public", with the palace door opening to reveal many angry citizens of Mount Penglai, including the former-official and his son.
They took Qinchu and carried him away, resolving to have him thrown down the mountain himself. Later, the official's young son came to Po, joyfully showing him an action-figure in Po's likeness. It was the very package that Po had been looking forward to, but he decided instead to let the boy keep it, and then resolved to help deliver the rest of the missing mail.
"Pong"
Po was introduced to a young piglet named Pong, whom Master Shifu brought to Po as his new student. Pong was in awe upon meeting the panda, as he was a big fan of the Dragon Warrior. As Po worked with him in different exercises, Pong demonstrated his hero worship, as he quoted Po, showed excitement by touching the bamboo pole Po touched, was thrilled to be able to watch him sleep (while keeping him up), and used his sweat rag as a napkin. Po, fed up with this extreme behavior, snapped at the young pig to stop obsessing over everything he did and said, which resulted in Pong walking away with tears in his eyes.
Later, Po related the problem to the Furious Five, who were surprised and taken aback, and pointed out Po's similar "obsessive" behavior with them, from making paper maché replicas of them, trying on and ruining their uniforms, to wanting an autograph on a half-eaten dumpling. Po then regretted yelling at Pong, seeing he was only an excited and eager fan just as he himself was. Afterward, he visited Pong in his room and apologized. He explained that nothing was wrong with looking up to someone, but he also wanted Pong to find his own way and "be his own Pong", and the young pig, still a fan, agreed to keep learning from Po.
In Kung Fu Panda Issue 3
"It's Elemental!"
Legend told of a time when the world would be cast in darkness, and the five elements would assume physical forms to replace the current protectors. One day, a quintet of warriors claiming to be the elements came to the Jade Palace and demanded that Po and the Furious Five step aside and let them enter. Po refused, stood up to "Earth" and called on his comrades to attack. Unfortunately, Po had not informed the Furious Five of the planned attacked beforehand, and so they failed to get the cue. All six warriors were subsequently overwhelmed and captured.
As they were being marched back to the palace, Po and the Five assured the "elements" that they would not get away with this, as Master Shifu was still at the palace. They received a shock when Shifu, rather than attack the warriors, instead greeted them as honored guests. While Shifu continued to voice his praises for the elements, Po and the Five were bound to a post. When "Fire" got close to a questioning Monkey to demand respect, Po smelled a familiar scent. He noted that the flamingo smelled funny, and when Mantis agreed and stated Fire didn't smell like fire, Fire retaliated by shooting a flame over their heads.
At this point, Po realized what the scent was and became suspicious. The panda then told the Five that he had a plan. He used his weight to make the pole that he and the others were tied to come out from the ground, and shifted to hit the five warriors while still tied up. Soon released from the ropes, Po and Furious Five stood to do battle, declaring that they would never let the warriors enter the Jade Palace. "Metal" stepped forward, threatening Po with a giant blade, but was received with a kick in the back of the head by Shifu, who cued his students to attack. While they battled, Shifu told them that he knew he couldn't fight the five warriors by himself, so he had kept the enemy close until the Po and the others were free.
Po then told the others that the five warriors were not the real elements, even though each of them showed a demonstration of their elemental namesakes. Po had recalled the smell from Fire: sesame oil. The group of warriors attacked in response, and the battle resumed, the elements using fire, water, wooden spikes, and a metal sword to aid them as they fought. While battling Fire, he soon discovered the flamingo was indeed carrying a hidden supply of sesame oil to ignite his flames when he snapped a hidden pipe. This confirmed his suspicion that the Elements were imposers. Near the end of the battle, Po and Tigress worked together to take down Fire, "Water" and "Wood" by throwing each one on top of the other and knocking them all unconscious.
Soon all but one of the warriors were brought down, leaving Earth surrounded. When Po told him to reveal the truth, he revealed that they had meant to deceive them so that they would be allowed into the Jade Palace in order steal its priceless treasures. He demanded they stay back, and Mantis then appeared from behind and struck him with a powerful kick, and the tigard[source?] fell. With the imposers tied up, Po and the Five uncovered how the group had made their "powers" by using sesame oil and hidden containers. Shifu ended with saying Earth was supposedly the "brains" of the operation, as Earth is considered the ultimate element according to the Wu Xing philosophy. Po remarked that the real elements would have been smarter, and would have done better kung fu.
In Kung Fu Panda Issue 4
"Best Friends For Never"
One afternoon, Po was eating in the noodle shop when the bowl of noodles was suddenly shoved into his face. When he recovered, he was shocked to recognize the laughing pig who had played the prank: Heng, his old childhood friend. Though Heng claimed that they had some good times together, Po remembered differently: when they were children, Heng was cruelly competitive towards the panda. When the Furious Five entered the noodle shop to bring Po back to the Jade Palace, Po introduced him to them. The introduction got off to a bad start when Heng misnamed the team as the "Fabulous Five" and attempted to flirt with Tigress, prompting her to floor him after he took her paw.
Some time later, Po and Heng conversed over dinner, during which Heng explained that after learning that Po had become the Dragon Warrior, he decided that he had to see for himself, and pulled out a diagram they had drawn as children of an obstacle course called the Infinite Obsta-Gauntlet Course of Trapishness. Po was stunned to discover that Heng had not only planned the course, but had also built it. Heng then proceeded to challenge Po to a race. Though at first reluctant, Po remembered Heng's past treatment of him, and seized the opportunity to finally best him.
Thanks to his kung fu skills, Po maintained a steady lead throughout the course, and relished the fact that he was finally winning. However, during the last run to the finish line, the panda remembered a foot race Heng had won when they were children, and how Mr. Ping had warmly expressed his pride in Po's efforts, while Heng's parents had coldly admonished him for being "slow" despite his win. Po realized that Heng's competitiveness stemmed from a need to prove his self-worth, and in an act of compassion he pretended to trip mere meters from the finish line, allowing Heng to win.
Heng was ecstatic and slightly humble in his victory, but then revealed that due to the funds required to have the course built, he had lost his home and his money. Shocked, Po demanded why Heng would do such a thing, and the pig explained that when he learned that Po had become the Dragon Warrior, he became obsessed with proving that he could still beat him. Po told Heng that he didn't have to prove anything, and admonished him for treating everything as a competition. Realizing that Po was right, Heng bid him farewell, only to be stopped by the panda, who had an idea to help Heng get his home back.
And so, with the help of the Furious Five and Mr. Ping, they converted the obstacle course into a kid-friendly playground which promoted kung fu training. With the new course proving a lucrative success, Po told Heng that he would get his old house back in no time. Heng revealed that he wasn't going back to his old home, but was intending to buy a mansion even bigger than Po's. Po reminded him that he lived in the Jade Palace, with Heng asking him if it was for sale, much to the panda's annoyance.
"Let The Fur Fly"
One day, Po was summoned from the Noodle Shop to the Jade Palace for an emergency: Tigress had fallen seriously ill from the poison-tipped blade of a bandit's sword. Master Shifu explained that the only cure for the poison was the rare botongy plant, found only in the Forest of Isolation. The rest of the Furious Five weren't allowed to accompany Po, as it was against everything the forest stands for. Though initially reluctant to venture alone, being told that Tigress would not recover without his help convinced Po to agree to make the journey.
After a long journey through many hazardous locations, Po finally reached the Forest of Isolation, which was full of sticky mushrooms. Po quickly discovered the botongy plant, but was confronted by the Chinese Pangolin, the guardian of the forest. In reference to the Pangolin's claims that the greatest offense is a defense, his body was covered in plates, making physical blows useless and painful.
Po persisted, striking the Pangolin all over while drenching him in sticky mushroom goop. The arrogant Pangolin stood completely still during this, and questioned Po over his apparently futile attempts. Po explained that he had no intention of letting Tigress down, and that his blows were meant to disguise his true intentions; the Pangolin then grew aware that the sticky mushrooms in his plates had immobilized him. After commenting that the greatest offense was actually the ability to problem-solve, Po departed with the botongy plant.
Back at the Jade Palace, Shifu explained to Po that thanks to the botongy plant, Tigress was recovering. However, no matter how many times Shifu tried to explain, Tigress seemed convinced that the source of her illness was actually food poisoning from the dumplings Po had dropped some time ago. This resulted in a furious Tigress bursting from her room and chasing Po, who stated that he should have stayed in isolation.
In Kung Fu Panda Issue 5
"Discipline and Disorder"
At the beginning of the story, Po and Tigress were being chased by assassins in the Forbidden Forest. Their differing ideas over how to deal with the situation were complicated by the fact that they were stuck together with a Chinese finger trap, which frequently put them at odds with each other, particularly when Tigress attempted to use one of the flying arrows to cut through the finger trap, to which Po panicked and yanked it and Tigress away at the last second, as it was aimed to his foot. In exhausted despair, Po exclaimed that their being stuck together was tearing them apart.
The cause of their predicament had happened two days prior, when Shifu sent them on a mission to Wu Zhu Village on the other side of the Forbidden Forest, which was under threat from the warlord Mei. The two warriors traveled to the village and confronted Mei and her soldiers the next day. However, Mei's ability to suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke enabled her to outsmart Po and Tigress, and eventually put them in the finger trap, forcing them to flee.
Back in the present, Po and Tigress attempted to find a hiding spot, but were eventually forced to confront the pursuing soldiers. They attempted to fight them separately in their own way, which again was disastrous, and were only saved when Po accidentally yanked Tigress over a cliff and into the rapids below. After they emerged exhausted from the river, the two realized that they were failing because they both kept thinking that their way was best, and were working against each other instead of with each other. With that, they pushed their fingers together within the trap instead of pulling them apart, and were immediately released. Now free, Po and Tigress returned to the village and take Mei down.
They arrived just as Mei was forcing the mayor to sign a document giving her total control of the village. Shocked that they managed to escape her finger trap, Mei ordered her soldiers to attack. By combining their combat techniques, Po and Tigress effortlessly defeated them, leaving Mei to combat the two warriors alone. When her bladed fans and melee attacks failed, the fox resorted to her disappearing technique. However, Po could smell the egg rolls she had eaten on her breath, and swiftly knocked the warlord out. As Mei was taken into custody, Po and Tigress departed, with Tigress complimenting Po on his work and stating that she would stick with him any day.
In Kung Fu Panda Issue 6
"The Slow Fast"
One day, Po and the Furious Five were meditating while Shifu explained to them the concept of fasting. However, while the Five had successfully cleared their minds, Po was daydreaming about food. Shifu informed Po that while his kung fu skills had grown, so had his weight, and that he needed to discipline himself. The red panda then ordered him to fast for the next twenty-four hours, and the panda ran off in horror, with Mantis and Crane betting as to how long Po would last, while Tigress remarked that she believed Po could do the full twenty-four hours.
Meanwhile, Po fled in terror, first seeing his reflection in a pond morph into food, and ran into the forest in an attempt to escape temptation. However, he then walked into a berry bush, resulting in berries falling into his mouth that he avoided swallowing. Po then decided to sleep out the rest of the fast, but his snores shook the watermelon tree he was sleeping under, causing a watermelon to fall into his mouth. By spitting it out, he accidentally knocked the watermelon tree by doing so, and had to flee from the falling fruit. He then came to a nearby stream to take a drink, only to run away screaming after remembering that fasting involved avoiding food and drink.
Po managed to escape the forest, but his relief was short lived when he found himself in the Annual Dumpling Festival. Desperate, the panda resolved to take a vow of silence for the rest of the fast to keep any more food from going into his mouth. At that moment, a gang of bandits interrupted the Dumpling Eating Contest, and decided to take all the food, as well as the the prize for the contest, the golden dumpling. Though rendered speechless because of his vow of silence, Po took on the bandits. However, since weapons were not allowed at the festival (a rule the bandits broke), Po struggled to fight them, until he eventually defeated them and forced them to flee by using the enormous variety of food around him as improvised weapons.
With the bandits gone, the grateful citizens rewarded Po with the golden dumpling, but the mute panda gave them a note, explaining that he could not accept it because he did not and would not partake in the eating contest. Just then, Shifu and the Furious Five arrived, and Shifu informed Po that the fast was completed, and commended the panda for achieving discipline. Immediately after this, Po scarfed down all the dumplings and won the contest. Bemused, Shifu stated that he may have spoken too soon.
In Art of Balance
"The Art of Balance"
Po facing "himself"
Po had a dream about him and the Furious Five in a battle, but in the dream he was attacked by a sinister version of himself, and was soon awoken to find himself in the noodle shop with his head in a bowl of soup. Mr. Ping noticed his son's exhaustion, and Po replied that he wasn't yet used to the busy life he now had working in the restaurant and being the Dragon Warrior. Later on, he trained near the Jade Palace with Shifu, and was subsequently hit by the dummy he was fighting. Shifu questioned Po on why he was distracted, and Po told him about his dream, leaving Shifu to ponder.
Later, Po stumbled upon Kuo, who claimed to be a fan of Mr. Ping and his cooking skills. Seeing that the restaurant was packed, Kuo offered to help for free, Po hired Kuo on the spot, glad for the extra help. When Kuo entered the kitchen, he impressed Mr. Ping with his chopping skills, and asked the goose how to create the right consistency for the "Dragon Warrior's Soft Crunch Noodles". Mr. Ping humbly replied that it was a secret, after which Kuo stared angrily at him as he walked away.
Po practicing "Hing Kung"
At training the next day, Shifu explained to Po how Oogway had helped him find balance by learning Hing Kung, which appeared be a way to balance on fragile objects. After many failed attempts, Po gradually grew better, though still had not obtained perfect balance.
Kuo throwing knives at Po
Po returned to the shop to find Kuo holding Mr. Ping captive, demanding Po for his recipes and sharing how he'd failed in his own restaurants because of Mr. Ping's. Po tried to reason with Kuo, telling him that he had let his misfortunes imbalance him, though this resulted in Kuo angrily throwing a bundle of knives at the panda. Po then dodged and leaped, appearing to trod upon the knifes in the air. He then delivered a kick to Kuo, and then freed Mr. Ping, who thanked Po for saving him. Shifu then prevented Kuo from escaping, knocking him out, and then congratulated Po on finding his balance, as he had solved the problem he made as Po by being the Dragon Warrior.
"The Dragon Chef"
Mr. Ping was sick from the "goose flu", leaving Po to take care of the restaurant all day. Because of the overwhelming amount of customers, he enlisted the help of the Furious Five. Though the kung fu quintet tried to serve successfully, they failed to bring customers their food, instead getting it all over them. Soon, Mr. Ping recovered in time to help, cooking with incredible ease and speed. Po and the Five praised him, regarding him as the "Dragon Chef".
In Legends of Awesomeness
Po's dreams of kung fu adventure came true the day that Master Oogway named him the legendary Dragon Warrior. Now a master himself, Po gets to live out his dream everyday at the Jade Palace as he sharpens his kung fu skills with Master Shifu, battles bad guys with the Furious Five and of course, takes a snack break every now and then. With the Furious Five by his side, Po will stop at nothing to keep evil out of the Valley of Peace.[12]
In Kung Fu Panda 2
Po stuffing forty bean buns in his mouth
Some time after defeating Tai Lung, Po, cheered on by the Furious Five in the Training Hall, attempted to see how many bean buns he could stuff into his mouth. After reaching forty, he was soon summoned to the Dragon Grotto where he witnessed Shifu meditating. The master then performed a technique that allowed him to catch and guide a falling water droplet upon his paws without breaking it, much to Po's fascination. Shifu specified that he could do this because he'd found inner peace, and that it was the next step in Po's training. Before they could proceed with the lesson, Tigress arrived and told Po that the Musicians' Village was under attack by bandits. Po immediately rose to the challenge and left with the Five.
Po facing Boss Wolf in battle
As Po and the Furious Five fought the invading pack of wolves, they worked together in battle and managed to save most of the metal the wolves were attempting to steal. The pack had been chased off, and the village celebrated their heroes. Suddenly, Po turned to see another wolf still present and prepared to fight him off. But before he could do so, he noticed the symbol on the wolf's armor and received a vision of his mother, which temporarily dazed him long enough to take the wolf's hammer to the face, knocking him down and allowing the wolf to escape.
Po questioning Mr. Ping about his origins
Not knowing what to make of this vision, Po then went to the Noodle Shop to seek answers from Mr. Ping. After explaining what he'd seen, he nervously asked the goose where he came from. Mr. Ping hesitantly admitted the truth that he had adopted him, and showed him an empty radish crate, telling him the story of how he had found him in it as a baby, and had taken care of him, growing to love him and raise him as his son. Wishing to know more, Po was dissatisifed with what little information he‘d gained. Though his father tried to comfort him, reminding him that he had a good life regardless of how his story began, Po remained troubled with lingering questions about his past.
Soon time later, Shifu received a message that Master Thundering Rhino of Gongmen City had been killed by a powerful weapon that Lord Shen had made, which was capable of making kung fu obsolete. Shifu then told Po and the Five to go to Gongmen City, destroy the weapon, and defeat Shen, though Po was concerned about how they would be able to "stop something that stops kung fu", to which Shifu advised him that anything was possible—if he had inner peace.
Mr. Ping watching Po depart the Valley
Before Po and the Five could leave the Valley, they were stopped by Mr. Ping, who gave Po a backpack full of his favorite foods, paintings of their moments together, and Po's action figures. Fearing for his son, Mr. Ping pleaded with him not to go, but Po remarked that he had to fulfill his duty as the Dragon Warrior, asking rhetorically what he would be if he didn't go to save kung fu. Mr. Ping supplied that he was his son, to which Po merely stared at him, not answering when the goose questioned whether he agreed. Pressed to leave with the others by Tigress, Po said goodbye to the goose and set off on his journey as Mr. Ping sadly watched him go.
Po and the Furious Five traveling on a sampan boat to Gongmen City
They spent several days traveling across China, crossing snowy mountains and huge deserts. One night while sleeping on a river in a small boat, Po had a dream about his parents replacing him with a radish, and woke in distress. He went outside the boat to try and do the technique Shifu had showed him. However, droplets of water kept falling on him, eventually causing him to yell in frustration. Po was then confronted by Tigress, who started to spar with him. Po shared how he had found out that Mr. Ping had adopted him, though tried to shrug off that this bothered him, and complimented Tigress‘ "hardcore" ability to not feel anything, his comment making Tigress pause in thought.
Po trying to get Storming Ox to leave his cell
When they arrived at Gongmen City, they found that the wolves that had raided the Musicians' Village had taken over the city, harassing the citizens. Po soon separated from the Five and snuck in with a dragon costume, the Five eventually joining him in his disguise. He eventually found a sheep, who told him that Master Storming Ox and Croc were being kept inside Gongmen Jail. Upon arriving at the jail, Po and the Five burst the masters' prison cell door open. However, the two masters refused to come with them and instead were resilient to stay in their cell, stating that kung fu was dead.
Po in a rickshaw chase in Gongmen City
Taken aback by this, Po tried again and again to force them out of their cells, but was unsuccessful, though remained convinced that kung fu still lived. However, before he and others turned to depart, Boss Wolf and two of his wolves found them. Although the two wolves were quickly taken down by the Five, Boss Wolf fled and Po tried to catch him, their battle becoming a frantic chase that led out into the streets, until eventually they ended up in front of Shen's palace, where all of Shen's wolves surrounded them. Po then surrendered, though he stated that he had a plan.
After they were taken up to Shen, Po found a small figurine of the weapon and destroyed it, but his triumph turned to horror when he saw the actual, larger weapon. He met Lord Shen, who laughed at the sight of him in chains, and conversed with the Soothsayer about the panda having had “A lifetime to plan his revenge”. Po began to sense that Shen and the Soothsayer knew something that he didn't, but Shen gave no answers, and ordered Boss Wolf to fire the cannon at him and the Five. When he tried to light the fuse, however, Mantis (who had actually been replaced by Po's action figure of him in a cage when they were captured) was quick to put it out, and attacked Boss Wolf.
Po and the Five battling Shen and his minions
Meanwhile, Viper had successfully picked and unlocked Tigress' cuffs, freeing her and the others. Po and the Five then rose to fight, the Five proceeding to destroy the weapon and Po taking on Shen himself. When Po had the chance to fight the peacock, however, he received another vision, this time of Shen, and realized that he had some connection to his past. With Po frozen before the peacock, Shen escaped and the panda and the Five soon found to their horror that ‘’more’’ cannons had been produced. Seeing that they were trapped inside, they made their way up to escape and reached the top of the palace, where they jumped and evaded the fire arrows being shot at them.
Tigress ordering Po to stay behind
They returned to Gongmen Jail, where Masters Storming Ox and Croc asked what was happening. Tigress confronted Po as to why he had let Shen escape, telling him to stay while they went to stop Shen after he didn't answer. After Po made many efforts to leave, only to be stopped by Tigress, he finally told her that Shen knew what had happened to his parents, and that had to know the truth about his past, adding that “The hardcore can‘t understand“. He was then surprised when Tigress unexpectedly hugged him, telling him that she did understand, but didn't want to see her friend die. She then left with the rest of the Five as Po stayed behind.
Po facing Shen
However, Po later found his own way into the cannon foundry, and eventually found the peacock. They ensued in a battle, the Five struggling against Shen's minions to reach Po while the panda demanded Shen to tell what had happened. The peacock told him with satisfaction that he'd seen his parents abandoned him and that they didn't love him. Taking advantage of Po's shock at hearing this, he revealed one of his largest cannons and fired at the panda. Although Po had shielded himself with a wok pan, the force still shot him out of the factory and into a nearby river, where he drifted unconscious and badly-injured.
After floating down the river, Po was eventually rescued by the Soothsayer, who brought him to a derelict village and healed him. The Soothsayer brought up his troubling visions, and told him how she had long ago foreseen that Shen would be defeated by a warrior of black and white. As Po looked around the village, he saw more flashes in his mind from his past, and even recognized an old burnt panda doll. At the advice of the Soothsayer, Po allowed the visions to come freely instead of fighting them, until his full memory finally came back, and he remembered what had happened.
Po in a meditative state as he remembers his past
He saw his parents happily living with him in the village when he was a baby, and saw Shen and his wolves attacking pandas in the village. While raindrops fell as the story flowed through his mind, Po managed to perform the same water drop technique Shifu had demonstrated. He saw that his parents had not abandoned him as Shen claimed, but had both risked their lives to save him, and his mother had hidden him in a crate of radishes before distracting Shen and the wolves to follow her alone. Though saddened at discovering this, Po then recalled all the good memories of his past, as well as the happiness he had in the present. He realized that he had led a fulfilling life since being adopted by Mr. Ping, and, finally knowing who he really was, found inner peace.
Po then returned to Gongmen City, and saw the Furious Five tied up in chains above Shen's fleet, which was just about to leave the city to begin his conquest of China. But Shen noticed the panda, and ordered his wolves to fire at him. Po made it on the boat and attacked the wolves, freeing the Five and fighting alongside them. Later in the battle, Storming Ox and Croc joined in, along with Shifu, who had traveled to the city after sensing Po's near-death-experience. As the battle raged on, Shen managed to take control of a cannon and aimed it Po. Before he fired, however, Tigress pushed Po out of the way, taking most of the impact of the cannon, and she and the other kung fu warriors were blasted into the water.
Po facing Lord Shen's fleet in the city harbor
After surveying the rest of his friends, who were weak and exhausted as they hung on to the wreckage, Po saw to the injured Tigress, and held her paw in concern. Angered at Shen, Po swam to an overturned boat and stood before the entire fleet as the others watched. Shen fired at him once more, and Po, concentrating on inner peace, evaded the cannonball, redirecting it with ease similarly to the technique Shifu had shown when he had guided the water droplet. Shen ordered to fire at him again and again, but Po continued to evade and throw the blasts elsewhere, until he caught one of the cannonballs and struggled with its force. Before releasing the cannonball, he said "Skadoosh", then threw it at Shen, and it collided with his cannon, destroying it and his entire fleet.
Po later found Shen among the remains, and the peacock asked him how he managed to find peace after all he had done to him. Po told him that he had simply left his past behind, and urged Shen to do the same. Shen instead started attacking Po in a rage, with Po evading most of his strikes, until Shen had inadvertently cut loose his destroyed cannon, which then fell on top of him and exploded as Po dived out of range and into the water. Po surfaced near the dock and was greeted by Tigress, who then helped him out of the water and complimented his actions as "pretty hardcore". Po then hugged her, shocking her and the rest of the warriors who were watching nearby. Shifu then came and and congratulated Po on achieving inner peace. All of the villagers then cheered as Po and the other masters watched the fireworks display above the city.
Po reuniting with his father
Bringing with him two crates of radishes as well as his old panda doll, Po returned home to Mr. Ping, who was dealing with a unsatisfied customer and her son, and was beset with worry for Po. Relieved to see him, he hugged Po happily and asked him if he saved China, to which Po confirmed he had. Po then told him that he had found out about his origins and how he had ended up in the radish basket as a baby. Po declared to Mr. Ping that he knew who he was: he was his son. The two shared a long tearful hug before they went into the noodle shop's kitchen, both insisting to cook for each other.
Meanwhile, far away from the Valley and unknown to Po, his still-living panda father had suddenly become aware that his son was alive, and appeared hopeful as he overlooked the view his small village, inhabited by other pandas.
In Secrets of the Masters
Po went to explore the Masters' Council exhibit with Tigress and Mantis, whom he had told there was an "emergency". After crashing through the ceiling, Po started studying the exhibit in awe, and told Tigress and Mantis the story of how Thundering Rhino, Storming Ox, and Croc were brought together.
Later, Shifu arrived and dismissed Tigress and Mantis, and tasked Po with fixing the roof of the exhibit. Before he could start, Po slipped on the floor and fell into the Sarcophagus of Su Wu, which he was trapped in for a presumably long period of time.
Personality
| “ |
| There is no secret ingredient. It's just you. |
| —Po, Kung Fu Panda |
Po posing in front of his Furious Five action figures
Po is usually easygoing, playful, and cocky like a big kid, as well as rather "fanboyish" when expressing his love for kung fu. In the first film, he is seen as a huge fan of the martial art, owning posters and action figures of his favorite warriors, but is himself clumsy, portly, and having low self-confidence, only dreaming he could be a great warrior while feeling stuck in his unfulfilling life at his father's noodle shop. But when given the chance, he is all too eager to learn kung fu the hard way, enduring physical beatings and insults in hopes of changing who he is. After learning that "there is no secret ingredient", Po shows the inner strength to save the Valley of Peace by using his own skills and ingenuity, and in the end becomes his own hero.
Po usually displays an action-craving attitude along with a natural affinity for humor, and isn't below acting clownish and dishing out quips, even making fun of himself, in order to entertain others. Imaginative and adventurous, he continues to act excitable and marvel over his heroes even after he has become the Dragon Warrior, at times leaving them embarrassed by his behavior. As Po tends to be less serious and disciplined than his fellow kung fu masters, he also tends to think more outside the box, and will find different, creative ways to solve a problem if need be.
Po being motivated with a bowl of dumplings during training
Additionally, despite often acting immature and oblivious, Po is able to take things seriously when it is called for, and not hesitant to accept heavy responsibility—at times taking on more than he can handle. Po can also learn things very quickly with the right motivation, and has memorized a vast amount of knowledge about kung fu, even being reliable enough to teach a class on his own.
Po also possesses a kind and selfless nature, and is willing to sacrifice himself in order to protect others and do what's right. He tries earnestly to live up to the expectations of those close to him, even agreeing with them half-heartedly in some matters. Although he has grown more confident, he does have moments of intimidation and self-doubt. And though he is generally friendly and approachable, he also carries a sense of dignity and abrasiveness, as shown in the first film when he objected to Shifu as the master insulted him upon his arrival, and later when he and the red panda argued as Po attempted to leave the palace.
Po at his father's noodle shop
Though Po tries to balance both sides of his busy life—that of his family with Mr. Ping, and his duties as the Dragon Warrior—this is at times difficult for him. Always having a deep reverence for kung fu and his fellow warriors, Po is nevertheless willing to put family ahead of his responsibilities as Dragon Warrior, even if it means passing on prestigious events and disappointing others who count on him. Po has also broken some rules and traditions (as well as still having a habit of breaking physical things), though this is often unintentional. Po will also often try to talk tough, however, this boisterous behavior tends to become more comical than threatening, and is perhaps a front for the panda's insecurities.
In the second film, he also developed confusion about his own identity after learning he was adopted by Mr. Ping, and seeing visions of his biological parents. This inner struggle also showed Po to be rather stubborn when it comes to admitting his problems, even to his friends, as he tries to stay true to his idea of a strong "hardcore" warrior who is unaffected by emotions. He was also persistent enough to not heed the warning of his friends and endanger himself in order to find answers about his past. However, after finding the truth about what happened to his parents, the panda was able to let go of this dilemma by retaining an appreciation for the life he had led, and achieved inner peace by not letting tragedy define who he was.
Po and Shifu returning from a day of training
Po has hardly changed since his days before learning kung fu, but his unlikely triumph as the Dragon Warrior has changed those around him. Simple, good-natured, and fueled by determination, Po doesn't seem to hold grudges, even against those who doubt him or treat him with contempt, and is selfless when it comes to protecting those in need, even being able to show compassion for his enemies. Po is much like the opposite of Tai Lung, in that he shows light-heartedness and humility instead of arrogance and desire for more power. It is these qualities, as well as his great respect for kung fu and his loving heart, that mark Po as the Dragon Warrior, able to defeat Tai Lung when no one else could.
Fighting style
| “ |
| My fist hungers for justice! [stomach belches] That was my... fist. |
| —Po, Kung Fu Panda 2 |
Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and study kung fu alongside the Furious Five, Po began training under Master Shifu. But it was soon apparent that the traditional styles of kung fu aren't a good fit for a six-foot-two-inch, 260-pound panda. Shifu discovers that for Po to become the Dragon Warrior, he must embrace Po's inherent panda nature and exploit his physical attributes... including his generous belly and rear end. In the end, Po created his own style that uses his perceived weaknesses as his strengths.[1]
Po often uses an improvised style when he fights. For example, in his fight against Tai Lung in the first film, Po was able to use his bulky physique to block the snow leopard's nerve attacks and send back hard blows. This ultimately, like Shifu explained to him during training, allowed Po to take Tai Lung's strength and use it against him. Po would also use anything in the surrounding area to his advantage such as when he confused Tai Lung by using makeshift stilts to mix up pots and pans which hid the Dragon Scroll, and when he used fireworks to allow him to reach the scroll before his opponent.
Po's bulk has also been shown to make him incredibly resistant to severe physical hits. In the first film, Po fell from incredible heights, stumbled through the Training Hall's courses, took an entire day of rigorous training from the Furious Five and Shifu, and defeated Tai Lung; although he sometimes appeared dazed, battered, or weak, Po didn't take on any permanent damage or injuries from any of these events. Another example is during the second film where he took a near-direct hit from one of Shen's largest cannons (using a wok to shield him from some of the blow), was flung a large distance into a nearby river, and still managed to survive. However, he had been knocked unconscious and had to be treated by means of acupuncture, a temporary cast-wrap, and an unknown medicine.
Despite his size, Po has shown to be extremely agile, being capable of holding his own against Master Shifu, who was arguably the swiftest living kung fu master, during training. Furthermore, once he achieved "inner peace" with his horrific memories of his past, Po was able to do martial arts feats his comrades would have considered impossible. Namely, he modified a water drop catching technique to redirect Shen's cannon fire against his armada with devastating effectiveness, and dodging the strikes of Lord Shen, who's fighting style relied on a deadly yet graceful combination of speed and precision. Not only did Po avoid every one of Shen's strikes, but he also caused the peacock to seal his own doom by slicing through the ropes that prevented his largest cannon from falling on top of him.
And despite readily claiming that stealth is not his strong point, Po has demonstrated being able to sneak past Shifu's attention when the latter was informing him and the Furious Five that Tai Lung had escaped.
In fighting alongside the Furious Five, Po has come up with a few techniques of his own. He demonstrated a "Feet of Fury" technique, at which he rapidly kicked at his opponents, particularly a group of wolves that leaped into the air. He has also learned to work with the members of the Five and perform attacks with them, such as when he and Tigress did a "Double Death Strike" against their opponents.
Po attacking a wolf minion with a liuqin
Po has also demonstrated some skill in the use of various weapons. One example in Kung Fu Panda 2 showed him using rudimentary skill in sword combat against Shen's wolves by using metal musical instruments; combined with his recently-acquired acrobatic skills, he held his own and overwhelmed them by use of an apparent technique of spinning on top of his head. Similarly, Po managed to throw a tuning fork at Shen and nail him to the wall without piercing the peacock's neck. This skill may have been obtained from his habitual use of throwing stars.
Throughout Legends of Awesomeness, Po has shown the uncanny ability to perform powerful kung fu techniques after seeing them only once or simply reading about them for a minimum of time. This has amazed his friends and foes alike. He also invented a few types of fighting styles by himself.
Relationships
Family
Mr. Ping
| “ |
| That's my boy! That big lovely kung fu warrior is my son! |
| —Mr. Ping cheering for Po's victory, Kung Fu Panda |
Mr. Ping tying a cooking apron around Po
Po has a close relationship with his adoptive goose father. Presumably up until the first film, he had been pretending to share his father's interest in noodles and inheriting his noodle shop. Mr. Ping was delighted at the idea of Po following the family business, though seemed oblivious to the fact that Po was actually a big fan of kung fu. Despite his dream to become a kung fu warrior, Po complied to work in the noodle shop half-heartedly, not wanting to disappoint his father.
When Po confessed his true interest was in kung fu, Mr. Ping was flabbergasted, and even more so after Po was declared the Dragon Warrior. However, the goose seemed to think little would come of it, as he only carried on absentmindedly after Po returned home after seemingly failing in becoming a kung fu warrior, merely bringing Po back into the noodle business while they evacuated the Valley. But when he noticed Po was despairing, he expressed he was sorry things hadn't worked out, but added that he still had a future to look forward to, as they were "noodle folk".
When this didn't cheer him up, Po revealed that he sometimes thought it was hard to believe he was the goose's son. Mr. Ping was taken aback, but again tried to comfort his son by telling him the secret of his "secret ingredient soup", which helped Po to understand the meaning of the Dragon Scroll and eventually succeed in his dreams. At the end of the film, Mr. Ping was proud and overjoyed in his son's heroics, and the two embraced in a hug.
Po and his father cooking together in Kung Fu Panda Holiday
In Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Po had the difficult choice of deciding whether to be with his father during the holiday, or to follow his duties as the Dragon Warrior and attend the feast at the Jade Palace. This led to a mild argument between the two as Po tried to fix things so his father could come, while Mr. Ping insisted he had to stay at his restaurant, begrudgingly telling Po to "do the right thing". In the end, Po dismissed himself from the banquet at the palace, unable to enjoy it, and spent the holiday cooking with Mr. Ping, who apologized to Po for making him feel guilty.
Po greeting his father in Kung Fu Panda 2
Their bond was tested even further in the second film, when Mr. Ping finally told Po that he adopted him as a cub. An awkwardness grew between them as a result, with Mr. Ping fearful for his son as he left to stop a new threat, and Po unable to answer Mr. Ping when he asked him if he was still his son. However, Po discovered his horrific past and realized that he had led a happy life with Mr. Ping. When he returned to the Valley of Peace, he saw Mr. Ping had been deeply worried for him and was overjoyed to see him again, though was apprehensive when Po stated that he had found where he was born, and now knew who he was. Po declared that he was his son. The two heartily embraced, and then insisted on cooking for one another, reunited again as a family.
Masters of the Jade Palace
Shifu
Shifu threatening Po with the Wuxi Finger Hold
Though Po had merely been trying to see which of the Furious Five would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, he himself ended up being selected by Oogway instead of any of Shifu's students. Though Oogway had foretold that whoever he'd choose would bring peace to the Valley and to Shifu himself, Shifu refused to accept that a "flabby panda" could be the true Dragon Warrior. Outraged at this turn of events, he immediately determined that he would make the unwitting panda quit his training by morning, and later met Po in the Jade Palace, quickly showing his disapproval for the panda by mocking his pudgy appearance. Though Po tried to talk back, he was quickly caught in the Wuxi Finger Hold by the master, who threatened that he would regret ever being chosen.
Daunted, Po was then shown into the Training Hall, but being a big fan of kung fu, he showed a willingness to do some moves himself. However, he clumsily came upon several training mechanisms, Shifu and the Five merely watching him in his struggle, and Shifu only pleased to see the panda having a hard time. Though Po was discouraged that Shifu could ever make him into the Dragon Warrior, he received some advice from Oogway to concentrate on the moment instead of doubting his abilities.
That next morning the red panda was convinced Po had quit as his quarters were empty, but he saw that Po had instead arrived at early the training courtyard to "warm up". Annoyed, Shifu later set him up with many brutal sparring matches with the Five and himself, again hoping it would drive the panda to quit. However, Po only demonstrated an eager fearlessness to continue despite failing and getting pummeled every time. Infuriated, Shifu kicked the panda out of the training grounds and down the palace stairs himself.
However, Po still didn't quit, and was later seen with the Five, mimicking Shifu's stern personality much to their amusement, until Shifu himself appeared a moment later and shared the grim news that Tai Lung had escaped prison and was returning, and that Po was the only one who could stop him. Po was alarmed and fled, but was stopped by Shifu outside the palace stairs. Po then confronted the master about how he'd been trying to get rid of him, and that neither of them really thought he was the Dragon Warrior. Shifu asked him why he hadn't quit in spite of everything, and was taken aback when Po admitted that being beat and humiliated was still better than living every day being himself, and hoped that by staying, the kung fu master could change him. When Po demanded just how Shifu could actually help him to win against Tai Lung, Shifu was at a loss and quietly retreated without an answer.
Po and Shifu bowing to each other
The next morning, Po was discovered raiding the barracks' kitchen, eating everything he could find in his distraught state. Shifu was astounded to see that Po displayed an unintentional talent in kung fu while trying to rummage the place for more food, even making a perfect split while doing so. Shifu understood that the best way to teach him was to use food as motivation, and with that, he took the panda to the Wu Dan Mountains. He proclaimed that he would be Po's master and would teach him kung fu, much to the elation of the panda. During an intense period of training, the two formed a bond of friendship and trust, and Shifu saw Po's mastery and humility in a final test of "keep away" using a dumpling as the prize. Though Po won, he gave back the dumpling, declaring with confidence that he wasn't hungry, and ended bowing respectfully to his master, with Shifu bowing to him in return.
By the time they returned to the Jade Palace, Shifu believed that Po was ready to receive the Dragon Scroll, and used his name instead of calling him "panda" when addressing him. But when the scroll turned out to be blank, both Po and Shifu were confused, neither seeing how Po could defeat the snow leopard on his own. With Tai Lung approaching, the Five were ordered to to evacuate the Valley, while Shifu declared he would fight Tai Lung himself. Po was reluctant to let Shifu fight alone, afraid he would be killed, but he obeyed and left with the Five. Once he reunited with his father and realized the true secret of the Dragon Scroll, Po returned to the palace just in time to save an injured Shifu from Tai Lung's attack.
Po speaking to a weakened Shifu
After Po defeated Tai Lung, he again returned to the palace and found Shifu, who weakly thanked him for saving the Valley and bringing him peace, seeing that Oogway had indeed been right, and that Po was the Dragon Warrior foretold of in legend. After the master trailed off and closed his eyes, the panda pleaded with him not to die, only for Shifu to yell back that he wasn't dying, he was only at peace, and master and student shared a long meditative moment side by side, until Po interrupted, asking if Shifu wanted to get something to eat, which the red panda agreed to after a sigh. Po and Shifu then shared a meal of dumplings at the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, together as two friends.[13]
Although Shifu has accepted Po, he continues to show some impatience with the panda, and later stated that the day Po was chosen as Dragon Warrior was the worst day of his life, though also noted that Po had not been the real cause of his turmoil, but rather it was his own expectations and presumptions. He also appeared to be slightly jealous that Po had mastered inner peace at such a young age, though he was deeply impressed at Po's incredibly swift mastery and how he used it to defeat Lord Shen.[14] The two now continue to sustain a good friendship, with only the occasional quarrel, and Po has also come to consider Shifu as being part of his family.[15]
The Furious Five
Po flying into battle with the Furious Five in Kung Fu Panda 2
As a big fan of the Furious Five, Po's admiration for them is great, so much that his bedroom is covered in posters and he owns an action figure set he had carved himself. He was willing to make several comedic and potentially dangerous attempts to get into the palace arena, just to see the Five perform in the Dragon Warrior Tournament. Po was disheartened when the Five were disdainful of him after being chosen as the Dragon Warrior, though he was eventually able to win them over with his cooking skills and his tenacity.[13]
In the second film, Po has joined forces with the Furious Five, and now stands as good friends with them. However, he has a tendency to embarrass them from time to time, for example when he indiscreetly sneaked into Gongmen City donning a Dragon Costume, and when he later destroyed a model of Shen's cannon, mistaking it for the real one, with the Five staring at him in shock and embarrassment. However, the Five deeply care for Po, evidenced by their despair when Po was seemingly killed, and their ecstasy when he returned alive.
Tigress
Tigress telling Po to leave
After being chosen as the Dragon Warrior, presumably before it seemed Tigress was about to be chosen, Po was treated with contempt by her, as shown during his first night in the Palace's barracks, and he was upset when Tigress blatantly told him he was a disgrace to kung fu and should leave. Although Tigress continued to display resentment towards Po for the majority of the film, he never held a grudge against her for it. It wasn't until the film's end that Tigress finally accepted Po as the Dragon Warrior, and Po seemed appreciative of it.[13]
In the events depicted in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Po's friendship with Tigress gradually grew. While Po's immaturity, clumsiness and habit for hasty decisions still frequently annoyed Tigress, she has come to realize that he is a resourceful warrior who truly deserves to be the Dragon Warrior. However, their differences came to a head when Po's antics annoyed Tigress to the point that she finally lost her temper and suggested that Oogway had made the wrong choice about Po. It was then that Po finally spoke against her, stating she sucked at friendship and "funship". However, he didn't hesitate to come to her rescue when she was captured by Fung and his bandit gang. After the battle, Tigress took back her earlier statement and the rift between them was mended.[16]
In the sequel, Po and Tigress seemed to have developed a closer friendship with each other since the events of the first film. This was first seen when Po stuffed forty bean buns in his mouth, and Tigress encouraged him, joining in on the fun with he rest of the Five. Furthermore, like the rest of the Five, Tigress has learned to work in unison with Po in combat, as shown when they fought off the wolf bandits in the Musician Village.
Tigress telling Po to stay behind
When Po became afflicted with an identity crisis when he learned the truth about his adoption, Tigress alone persuaded him to talk about his emotional problems, but during their conversation Po unknowingly made Tigress feel uncomfortable when he claimed that she couldn't feel anything.
Despite their close friendship, Po was extremely reluctant to tell Tigress about his discovery of Shen's involvement in his past when she interrogated him in Gongmen Jail. When Tigress ordered Po to stay behind in the prison after he had allowed Shen to escape, he insisted on leaving, leading to a minor one-sided duel between them. Po eventually revealed his wish to learn the truth about his parents, and stated that the 'hardcore' wouldn't understand. He received a shock when she hugged him instead of lunging at him. She told Po she did understand, but wouldn't allow her friend to be killed, showing him that she wasn't as unfeeling as Po thought she was.
Po hugging Tigress
Near the end of the movie, during the battle in the canal, Tigress shoved Po out of the line of fire a second before Shen fired his cannon and sent the kung fu warriors flying into the harbor. After the explosion, Po swam for Tigress after spotting her lying motionless on a piece of driftwood, and gently took her paw. Seeing how badly injured she was, Po locked eyes with Shen, giving him a long burning glare. He then pushed Tigress out of firing range before swimming away to face Shen's armada for the last time.
After Shen was defeated, Po hugged Tigress after she had complimented his heroic actions as "pretty hardcore". Tigress was bewildered and didn't hug back, but stood alongside Po and the others and happily watched the fireworks above Gongmen City in wake of Po's victory.
Monkey
Like others of the Furious Five, Monkey expressed doubts about Po being the true Dragon Warrior, but also took it humorously. Though Monkey joked and laughed at the panda, he also laughed the loudest at Po's own jokes, such as his impersonation of Shifu. Po's perseverance in training moved Monkey to respect Po's determination, and he eventually accepted him as the Dragon Warrior and a fellow kung fu master with the rest of the Five.[13]
It is seen in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness that Po and Monkey often laugh and joke with each other, sometimes at the expense of the rest of the Five. They both also have a bit of a competitive streak with each other, shown in "Scorpion's Sting" when they tried to gain points over each other in their feats. However, their friendship was strong enough to break Scorpion's control over Monkey, and allowed them to work together to overcome defeat her.
In the series, Po has referred to Monkey as his best friend, even protecting him when a mob of villagers suspected he was behind a number of robberies in the Valley (which Monkey's brother committed), and he stopped Monkey from fleeing the Valley because of it, eventually helping to clear his name, with Monkey thanking him and calling him "bro".[17]
Mantis
Like the rest of the Five, Mantis didn't believe Po was the real Dragon Warrior at first, and expressed mild, humorous disrespect towards him. He once joked that whenever Po walked, the very ground shook (unaware that at the time, Po was listening in). However, as Mantis gradually warmed up to him along with the others, he rather unsuccessfully tried to treat Po using acupuncture after a painful first day of training, claiming it would help him feel better, and noted that he himself had no right to discount someone based on their size. He was also the first to note Po's excellence in cooking.[13]
In the Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness episode "Hometown Hero", Po was shocked when he discovered that Mantis had told everyone in his hometown that he was the Dragon Warrior to get back at his ex-fiancee, Hao Ming. Despite this, he displayed his great loyalty by allowing Mantis to continue to facade and rub Hao's nose in it, while Po would disguise himself as his sidekick. However, this led to a brief rift in their friendship when Mantis began to frequently let Po down, choosing to spend time with Hao rather than help Po in a duel with Hao's ex-boyfriend, Dosu. The friendship was mended when Mantis eventually realized that Hao only wanted to marry him for his title, and rescued Po when he received another pummeling from Dosu.
Viper
Of the Five, Viper was the only one who showed a more kind and compassionate disbelief that Po was the Dragon Warrior, as she feared that Po would just wind up getting hurt or worse. Shown in their brief spar (where she apologized after beating him to the ground), Viper was more friendly towards the panda, and was the first to notice his determination to not quit his training. Like the rest of the Five (sans Tigress), she warmed up to Po more after she was treated to his good cooking and sense of humor.[13]
Crane
Like the rest of the Five, Crane showed disbelief that Po was the true Dragon Warrior, sarcastically and dramatically proclaiming, "He is so mighty - the Dragon Warrior fell out of the sky in a ball of fire!" Additionally, he had no problem mocking Po behind his back, but was more awkward when speaking to him directly, as shown in their first conversation together.
Throughout the film, Crane mellowed out towards Po, who had eventually won most of the others over with his cooking and sense of humor. When Shifu ordered them all to evacuate the Valley, Crane led Po out of the palace, understanding his loyalty to their master. Shown in the second film, Crane has come to work with Po very well, usually helping Po land safely from high altitudes or helping him with aerial maneuvers and techniques.
Oogway
Oogway talking with Po in Kung Fu Panda
Oogway was the main reason that Po became the Dragon Warrior in the first film. He was the one that was first inspired and told the world of Po's destined calling, much to everyone's disbelief.
When Oogway had found Po sitting under the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom one night, Oogway sensed the panda's pain and asked why he was upset. Po explained his position with Shifu, the Furious Five, and his previous life at the noodle shop with his father, to which the old tortoise kindly gave him advice about concentrating on the present instead of worrying about the past or the future. This comforted Po and encouraged him to keep trying to achieve his dreams and fulfill his destined calling as the Dragon Warrior.[13]
Though Po respected Oogway, he possibly thought he was a bit senile as well, as he commented that Oogway was a "crazy old turtle after all" when the Dragon Scroll that was meant to be the secret to limitless power was revealed to be blank.
Masters of Gongmen City
Storming Ox and Croc
Po trying to get Storming Ox to leave his cell in Kung Fu Panda 2
Po first met Masters Storming Ox and Croc in Gongmen Jail during the events of Kung Fu Panda 2. Po was first under the impression that both Ox and Croc were actually in need of rescuing. When they revealed their decision to stay in prison, Po tried to convince the two that Lord Shen needed to be stopped. Masters Ox and Croc were both adamant that any attempt to stop the peacock would merely result in Shen's cannon being turned against the citizens of Gongmen City, and refused time and again to leave their cell. Po was beside himself to see the prestigious kung fu masters seem so easily defeated, and was even more dismayed at Storming Ox's proclamation that kung fu was dead. Having lost patience with the hopeless duo, Po told them to remain in their cell to wallow in their shame.
His belief in them was restored during the Battle of Gongmen City, when Ox and Croc unexpectedly joined in the battle after all, having been persuaded by Master Shifu.
Villains
Tai Lung
Po about to use the Wuxi Finger Hold on Tai Lung in Kung Fu Panda
Po already knew some things about Tai Lung (specifically the leopard's mastery of all one thousand scrolls of kung fu and his eventual incarceration), but he had never actually met him. But when Shifu told Po one night that Tai Lung was returning to the Valley of Peace and he was the only one who could stop him, Po instantly became baffled and fear-stricken. Similarly, when Tai Lung had escaped prison, his only thought was to battle the Dragon Warrior and claim the Dragon Scroll, which he thought was rightfully his.
When they finally met, Tai Lung was taken aback, as he had never dreamed that the legendary Dragon Warrior would be a panda. As they fought each other, their determination and rivalry were constantly tested when they tried to outdo each other. Even after Tai Lung had victoriously retrieved the scroll and Po explained the truth about its message, in that it's blank, reflective surface symbolized that the power was only to believe in oneself. Enraged, the snow leopard continued to fight him to the point of exhaustion. As Po gained the upper hand, he finally performed the Wuxi Finger Hold, which served to defeat the snow leopard and prove to all that he was indeed the true Dragon Warrior.
Shen
Po facing Shen in Kung Fu Panda 2
Until the events of the second film, Po had only heard of the peacock's name days before confronting him in Gongmen City, and was unaware of what Shen had done to his family and birth village. Before finding out the truth, he had treated Shen like any other ruthless villain; but when he saw a vision of Shen and what had happened to his village, Po tried numerous times to get information from him about what exactly happened the night that the pandas were massacred.
Shen merely saw this as an opportunity to be cruel. He told Po numerous lies, stating that he had been abandoned by his mother and father, and even stating that Po's parents never truly loved him in the first place. After finding inner peace and discovering that Shen had lied, Po bravely stood up to the peacock before his fleet could leave the city and spread destruction across the country. And after defeating him and his army, Po boldly confronted Shen, and tried to talk him into letting go of his past, commenting that "The only thing that matters is what you choose now". Shen responded by choosing to attack him, and Po stayed on the defensive until Shen's strikes inadvertently led to the peacock's own death.
Boss Wolf
Ever since Boss Wolf whacked Po in the face with a hammer during their encounter at the Artisan Village, Po took an intense dislike to the wolf and attempted to pay him back when Crane pointed him out in Gongmen City. As enemies, Po struggled against Boss Wolf, and Boss Wolf taunted and insulted the panda at every opportunity, but unlike Shen, he did not underestimate him, having witnessed his kung fu skill first hand.
It was later revealed that Boss Wolf and Po had met before: When Shen and his army attacked a panda village years ago, Boss Wolf had attacked Po when he was an infant, but Po's father intervened and struck him in the face with a farming tool before he could harm the child. This incident scarred Boss Wolf's left eye. While Po was eventually able to remember this encounter, Boss Wolf most likely never knew that Po was the same panda he had tried to murder as a baby.
Kuo
At first Po thought Kuo was just another fan of the Dragon Warrior, and even yanked out some of his fur to give to the antelope as a souvenir, though Kuo quickly stated otherwise. Po saw him as an extra pair of helping hands for the Noodle shop, and was unaware of Kuo's grudge and ulterior motives to steal his father's recipes, until he returned to find Mr. Ping being held hostage. Po attempted to reason with Kuo, but ultimately was forced to beat him to protect his father.
Scorpion
Po getting ready to fight Scorpion in the episode "Scorpion's Sting"
Po was considered an enemy by Scorpion, but she also saw him as an adorable panda and wanted his head for her collection of skulls. When Po and Monkey visited the Valley of the Scorpion to find a sun orchid, Scorpion hypnotized Monkey into trying to kill Po for her. However, Po managed to free Monkey from her mind control and after a short battle defeated her and claimed the orchid. Scorpion held a strong grudge against Po after this incident.[18]
They later met again when Scorpion became Mr. Ping's girlfriend in to gain access to the goose's mooncakes. Remembering their last encounter, Po was extremely reluctant to accept her, but eventually decided to give her a chance for his father's sake. However, his suspicions were ultimately proved correct when Scorpion revealed her plot to poison everyone in the valley with the mooncakes, poisoning Po himself and locking him in the cellar to keep him from interfering. Po later managed to escape and defeat her using his "dizzy kung fu".[19]
Temutai
When Po first met Temutai in "The Princess and the Po", the warrior king didn't believe he was the Dragon Warrior. But when he was challenged to a fight and lost, Temutai admitted defeat and allowed Po and his friends to go free. However, he continued to hold a grudge against the panda. When they briefly met again in "Owl Be Back", Temutai claimed that he had lost their previous battle because of a head cold.[20]
Temutai returned with his nephew later to host a festival event in the village. He wanted revenge on Po as well while he was at the festival event, but was forced to let it go for the time being because the festival was the Peace Jubilee. Po aided Temutai when he was attacked by an enraged Peng, and was one of those who apologized after Po managed to stop the fight. They then proceeded to perform the ceremonial tai chi.[21]
They returned to being enemies when Temutai invaded the Jade Palace in search of the Helmet of the Invincible Thunder Kick. He and Po battled each other over possession of the helmet, with Temutai eventually succeeding. However, Po managed to defeat Temutai by tossing the Your-Own-Worst-Enemy Helmet on top of the other helmet, causing Temutai to kick himself out of the palace.[22]
Taotie
Po asking Taotie to fix the Training Hall
Po first learned of Taotie's existence in "Sticky Situation" after seeing his mark in the destroyed Training Hall, and asked for his assistance. Taotie agreed to help him repair the Training Hall, deceiving him as he has other motives to have his revenge on Shifu. When Po found out about the plan, he used his skills to defeat Taotie's machine.
They encountered each other again in "Fluttering Finger Mindslip" and "Big Bro Po", the latter episode in which Taotie was sent to Chorh-Gom Prison after failing to defeat Po again. Po then had to watch Taotie's son while the warthog was gone. After Taotie broke out and returned to the Jade Palace for revenge, he again fought Po, even though the panda had been watching over his son in his absence.
Bian Zao
Po teaching Bian Zao how to cut foods in the Noodle Shop in "Big Bro Po"
Po helped watched over Bian Zao in "Big Bro Po", bonding with him as they baked mooncakes while his father was in prison. He commented that Bian Zao was like a little brother to him, leaving the young warthog confused about whether to side with him or his father. After Po found out that Bian Zao put machine parts in the mooncakes he'd brought to Taotie to break out, Po was angry at Bian Zao and told him to stay out of the battle. When Po and Taotie fought, they were shown to be equal in strength, and Bian Zao choose to aide his father, helping him escape. However, while escaping, he intentionally disbanded Taotie's weapon as a means to protect his friend, with Po responding with "Thanks, buddy."
Hundun
When Po first met Hundun, he was both sympathetic towards the rhino's woes and afraid of him learning that he was the Dragon Warrior. So Po unwisely taught Hundun kung fu moves, and told Hundun the weaknesses of his friends in order to cheer him up. Hundun eventually found out that Po was the Dragon Warrior, and immediately forgot their friendship, attacking Po with the intent to kill him. Despite Po's efforts to appeal to Hundun, the rhino rebuffed Po continuously and the panda was forced to defeat him and send him to the prison that he used to work at.[7]
When they met again in "Challenge Day", Po treated Hundun like any other enemy, presumably having accepted the fact that Hundun no longer cared about their previous friendship.
Fenghuang
When Po learned of Fenghuang and the story of how she turned evil, he became afraid that he would eventually turn evil like her. Fearing for the safety of his friends, Po left the Valley and wandered into the northern mountains, where he unexpectedly met Fenghauang herself. When Po accidentally revealed to Fenghuang that Oogway was gone, she was ecstatic at the opportunity to finally claim the Jade Palace for herself. She offered Po to join her, as he was also the most powerful of the Five, but when the panda refused, she left for the Jade Palace alone. Po followed her to the palace and fought her to protect Shifu, and she was defeated when Po pretended to turn evil and join her, tricking her into letting down her guard long enough for him to trap her in an owl-shaped cage. As Fenghuang was sent to prison she shouted to Po that she would have her revenge on him.[20]
Junjie
Unaware of the fox's true colors, Po was ecstatic upon meeting Junjie at the Jade Palace, but he was disappointed when he learned that he was not allowed to see the sparring match. Taking advantage of this, Junjie tricked Po into disobeying orders, and the panda was blinded by Junjie's Golden Lotus Clap in the process, leading to a disastrous performance in front of Master Chao. Shifu was banned from the palace for being unable to properly discipline Po and. Junjie became the master of the in his place, just as he had secretly planned. Out of spite, Junjie replaced the five and Po, enraging the panda into nearly confronting him until Tigress stopped him. Po eventually found out about Junjie's plan, and that Shifu had been taken prisoner after attempting to confront him himself. With the help of the Furious Five (once Mr. Ping convinced them to trust him again) Po then defeated Junjie, and Junjie was sent to Prison while Shifu was reinstated as master.[23]
Junjie later made another attempt in "Ghost of Oogway" to take over the Jade Palace by disguising himself as the ghost of Master Oogway. With this guise, he manipulated Po in becoming relaxed, which in turn caused all the warriors in the palace to let down their guards. Just like before, he was eventually discovered and defeated by Po.
Bad Po
Bad Po
Po had unleashed his evil counterpart by looking at his reflection in the Mystical Mirror of Yin and Yang. Bad Po wreaked havoc on the Valley of Peace, locking up the original Po and Shifu in the Training Hall's artifact room. After managing to free themselves, Po and Shifu found Bad Po and tried to reason with him, but he showed no regard. In the end, Po fought Bad Po and defeated him by merging the two back together with the mirror that separated them.[24]
Others
The Soothsayer
Po and the Soothsayer in Kung Fu Panda 2
Po's relationship with the Soothsayer started out as a bit unexpected and non-existent, as Po had never seen her before. Po had thought she was sided with Shen, which made the Soothsayer realize that he didn't know what had happened in his past.
They were soon caught up in matters that delayed their relationship to develop any further, but after Po was blasted from the Fireworks Factory and knocked unconscious in the river, she took him in and nursed him back to heath. Po, at first, thought she was still working for Shen and tried to escape, but then she told him that she only wanted to help him. Po then asked why she saved him, and she replied that he needed to fulfill his destiny. She aided Po in recovering the long-lost memories of his past and helped him see his true calling of the warrior he was born to be. This left Po more sure and more aware of himself than he ever was.
Po most likely never held a grudge towards the Soothsayer for making the prophecy that led to his village's destruction.
Peng
Once Po asked Peng to train at the Jade Palace, he acted boastful and treated him as if he would never learn everything. Nevertheless, Peng still treated him with respect. Po even admitted that he was jealous of Peng getting all the respect. After the incident fight, Peng became Po's friend again. Peng also told Po that Tai Lung is his uncle, which horribly surprised Po.[21]
Song
Song kissing Po on the cheek before leaving
Song appears to be in love with Po. However, Po seems to only see her as a friend and was surprised when she kissed him on the cheek before she left with the Ladies of the Shade after she turned on the former leader Su. Po also found out that the Ladies of the Shade were bandits and was upset at Song for not telling him.
Po battled the bandits, and knew that Song was a good person. Po trusted Song and saw that she never gone with Su's evil plan. Song thanked Po for helping the Ladies of Shade find a new path. Song gave Po another kiss on the cheek before departing the valley.[25]
Clothing
Po in his regular clothes
Po wears a simple pair of burlap pants that consists of patchwork done in different colors, which occasionally sags down Po's waist. He also wears a striped red-and-gold strap around his waist, wraps around his ankles, and sandal-like shoes.
Po's formal Winter Feast outfit
In Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Po's casual winter clothes consisted of a red snow hat with yellow-dotted black stripes and a yellow scarf. At the Jade Palace's formal Winter Feast dinner, Po wore his same pants, but with a tall dark coronet-like hat on his head and a large dark cape around his neck.
At one point in Kung Fu Panda 2, he also wore a small straw hat for a short time when he went to confront Shen's fleet in Gongmen City.
Trivia
General
- Po's full name, Po Ping (simplified Chinese: 宝平?; traditional Chinese: 寶平; pinyin: "bǎo píng"), translates to "precious peace" in Chinese.[26]
- Po has a special "fighting fist" control that he only uses when he's engaging in kung fu.[27]
- In the first film, Po mentions that he has "no claws", but he does appear to have them, albeit stubby ones.
- According to Jack Black, Po is technically the "leader" of the Furious Five, but not a member of the quintet. [28]
- Po's favorite Furious Five member is Tigress, despite the fact that she showed considerable disrespect and disgust at him throughout most of the first film.[29]
- According to Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Po never went to school as a cub.[22] However, during the credits of Kung Fu Panda 2, young Po is seen in a schoolhouse.
- In an interview with "Po" for Scholastic News Online, Po shares how Crane told him the giant panda is called a "large bear-cat" in China. This actually comes from the literal translation for "giant panda" in Chinese (traditional and simplified Chinese: 大熊貓; pinyin: dà xióng māo).[30]
- In the opening sequences of the first film (during Po's dream), he rapidly kicked his enemies in mid-air. This move was used for real by Po during the first fight scene in Kung Fu Panda 2, calling the move "Feet of Fury".
- In Kung Fu Panda 2, when Po supposedly fit forty bean buns in his mouth, there were actually only nine.[31]
In development
- Earlier versions of Po's character had him not as a fan of kung fu, and he was "rather hateable and stupid and dead-end". However, Jack Black's performance helped to change and define Po's personality as more of a vulnerable kind instead.[26]
- In development, Po went through a variety of origins. Among these were living in a panda village with his mother, working in a chime factory, and being an indentured servant to Mr. Ping.[32]
- In earlier story treatments, Po's adoptive father was going to be Shifu.[33]
- The "weirdest" animation control was for Po's uvula.[27]
- Po's cheeks were rebuilt during the first film to allow him to stuff his mouth with more food.[27]
In popular culture
Po and the Furious Five parodied in MAD
- Baseball player Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants is nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda."
- As a tribute to the star of the films, a newborn giant panda cub in Zoo Atlanta—the only one born in the U.S. in 2010—was named Po. Jack Black was present for the naming of the newborn cub.[34]
- A spoof character of Po, known simply as "Kung Fu Panda", appeared in the 2008 parody film Disaster Movie.
- Spoof versions of Po have appeared in the Cartoon Network TV series MAD in the episodes "Are You Karate Kidding Me?", "TwiSchool Musical/Avenger Time", "Kung Fu Blander", and "PO-blivion". Po was voiced in all episodes by Brian T. Delaney[35], who had also voiced Mantis in the first Kung Fu Panda video game.
- Po made short appearances at the 2011 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on April 2, 2011, in which he interrupted the show and eventually annoyed the host, his voice actor Jack Black. This was done as a tribute to one of the show's sponsors, Kung Fu Panda 2.
Gallery
Images
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Videos
Quotes
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References
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Po
- ↑ Used as an adjective that means "little" (traditional and simplified Chinese: 小?; pinyin: xiǎo)
- ↑ Revealed in "Fluttering Finger Mindslip" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 5, Season 1. Written by Jessica Gao & directed by Jim Schumann. Originally aired November 9, 2011.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Revealed in "The Way of the Prawn" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 6, Season 3. Written by Gene Grillo & directed by Michael Mullen. Originally aired July 1, 2013.
- ↑ Revealed in DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010). Written by Jonathan Groff, Jon Pollack & directed by Tim Johnson.
- ↑ Revealed in DreamWorks Animation's Secrets of the Furious Five (2008). Written by Paul McEvoy, Todd Berger & directed by Raman Hui. Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Revealed in "Rhino's Revenge" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 12, Season 1. Written by Scott Kreamer & directed by Michael Mullen. Originally aired November 27, 2011.
- ↑ Revealed in "Royal Pain" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 2, Season 2. Written by Gene Grillo & directed by Lane Lueras. Originally aired September 26, 2012.
- ↑ IMDb.com - Jack Black
- ↑ IMDb.com - Mick Wingert
- ↑ IMDb.com - Kung Fu Panda 2: Full cast list
- ↑ Nick.com - "Po from Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedkfp - ↑ Revealed in DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011). Written by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Charlie Kaufman & directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedkfph - ↑ Revealed in "Chain Reaction" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 4, Season 1. Written by Kevin Seccia & directed by Michael Mullen. Originally aired November 8, 2011.
- ↑ Revealed in "Monkey in the Middle" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 26, Season 1. Written by Gene Grillo & directed by Lane Lueras. Originally aired April 5, 2012.
- ↑ Revealed in "Scorpion's Sting" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 1, Season 1. Written by Doug Langdale & directed by Jim Schumann. Originally aired September 19, 2011.
- ↑ Revealed in "Love Stings" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 23, Season 1. Written by Joshua Hamilton & directed by Juan Meza-Leon. Originally aired April 2, 2012.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Revealed in "Owl Be Back" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 9, Season 1. Written by Doug Langdale & directed by Michael Mullen. Originally aired November 26, 2011.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Revealed in "The Kung Fu Kid" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 15, Season 1. Written by Kevin Seccia & directed by Juan Meza-Leon. Originally aired November 30, 2011.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Revealed in "In With the Old" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 21, Season 1. Written by Kevin Seccia & directed by Michael Mullen. Originally aired January 16, 2012.
- ↑ Revealed in "Sight for Sore Eyes" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 11, Season 1. Written by Doug Langdale & directed by Juan Meza-Leon. Originally aired November 27, 2011.
- ↑ Revealed in "Bad Po" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 10, Season 1. Written by Jon Ross & directed by Luther McLaurin, Jim Schumann. Originally aired November 26, 2011.
- ↑ Revealed in "Ladies of the Shade" from Nickelodeon's Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Ep. 16, Season 1. Written by Joshua Hamilton & directed by Michael Mullen. Originally aired December 1, 2011.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Miller-Zarneke, Tracey. The Art of Kung Fu Panda, p. 24. ISBN: 1933784571.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Kung Fu Panda Fun Facts by HP
- ↑ ComingSoon.net - "CinemaCon: Kung Fu Panda 2 . . . Interviews"
- ↑ Revealed in the DVD audio commentary of DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda (2008). Narrated by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne (directors).
- ↑ Scholastic.com - "Kung Fu Panda-monium!" by Marie Morreale
- ↑ Revealed in the DVD audio commentary of DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011). Narrated by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (director), Melissa Cobb (producer), Raymond Zibach (prod. designer), and Rodolphe Guenoden (sup. animator & fight choreographer).
- ↑ Revealed in the DVD audio commentary of DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda (2008). Narrated by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne (directors).
- ↑ Miller-Zarneke, Tracey. The Art of Kung Fu Panda, p. 34. ISBN: 1933784571.
- ↑ DreamworksAnimation.com - "Zoo Atlanta and DreamWorks Animation Announce Panda Cub's New Name"
- ↑ IMDb.com - Brian T. Delaney