History Characters / KungFuPandaSecondMovieCharacters

[[center: [- [[Characters/KungFuPanda Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/KungFuPandaTheJadePalace The Jade Palace]] | [[Characters/KungFuPandaMasterPoPing Po]] | [[Characters/KungFuPandaMasterTigress Tigress]] | [[Characters/KungFuPandaFirstMovieCharacters First Movie Characters]] | '''Second Movie Characters''' | [[Characters/KungFuPandaThirdMovieCharacters Third Movie Characters]] | [[Characters/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomenessTVSeries Legends of Awesomeness]] | [[Characters/KungFuPandaOtherCharacters Other Characters]]]]-]
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[[foldercontrol]]

!!Gongmen City Council

[[folder:Master Thundering Rhino]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Thundering_Rhino_4_5071.png]]
->"That is a warning. You are no match for our kung fu."

->'''Voiced by:'''\\
Creator/VictorGarber

The benevolent leader of the Kung Fu Council, which protects the vast metropolis of Gongmen City. He has descended from a long line of masters and is the son of the legendary Master Flying Rhino.
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* AdvertisedExtra: He was all over the official website and other advertisements. In the film itself, he gets a good three minutes of screen time before [[spoiler: being killed off]].
* AscendedExtra: He gets a ''much'' bigger role in ''Secrets of the Masters''.
* CallBack: He is the son of Master Flying Rhino, whose armor is stored in the Jade Palace, as mentioned in the first Kung Fu Panda movie.
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:Blown to bits by a giant cannon]].
* DropTheHammer: Wields a cloud hammer as his signature weapon. [[spoiler: After his death, it's all that's left of him]].
* GentleGiant: Outside of battle, [[InformedAbility he is well known for his sense of humor and vast wisdom]]. This is backed up by his appearance in the ''Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special'', where he happily [[FriendToAllChildren regales a group of children with tales of his adventures]].
* GoryDiscretionShot: [[spoiler:You never actually see him get blasted, just the cannonball firing and the crater afterwards]].
* TheJuggernaut: Tigress says he is impervious to all techniques. [[spoiler: This is why Shen does not use a technique.]]
* TheLeader: Of the Kung Fu Council.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Initially agreed to help defeat the Wu Sisters because he thought he would be rewarded with great financial riches, [[spoiler: though it's implied that he also thought it would make him more like his father.]]
* RealityEnsues: He was a very formidable combatant and master of his martial art craft, giving Shen some trouble. [[spoiler:However, when up against Shen's cannon, it... doesn't end well for him. Somewhat justified since firearms were never seen before this point in the series setting, so he didn't know what he was facing.]]
* RhinoRampage: His Unstoppable Force charge; once he gets going, nothing can stop him. [[spoiler:Except for Shen's cannon.]]
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Killed off mainly to show that Shen means business.]]
* StoneWall: His main strategy is to tank hits, as his skin is impervious to all techniques. [[spoiler:But not to cannonballs...]]
* TemptingFate: The above quote.
* WeaponTombstone: [[spoiler:His cloud hammer is planted in the crater let behind by Lord Shen's cannon. The villains left it there as a reminder of their weapon's power]].
* WellDoneSonGuy: For a long time he felt as though he could never quite live up to his father's heroic legacy.
* TheWorfEffect: Is shown to be very powerful and formidable to make Shen [[spoiler:and his cannon]] seem like more of a threat.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Master Storming Ox]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Storming_Ox_2_7567.png]]
-->"It's time to surrender, panda. Kung fu is dead."

->'''Voiced by:'''\\
Creator/DennisHaysbert

Thundering Rhino's star pupil and loyal friend, and a member of the Kung Fu Council of Gongmen City.
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* AchillesInHisTent: After seeing how much damage Shen's cannon can cause, he becomes a PlayAlongPrisoner together with Croc, and tells Po that they will not join him in his fight against Shen. However, both Ox and Croc join the final battle after Shifu convinces them off-screen.
* AnAxToGrind: His weapons used against Lord Shen.
* AwesomeByAnalysis: Is capable of analyzing his opponents weaknesses, but may not be able to capitalize on this information on his own.
* DualWielding: The above axes.
* EarlyBirdCameo: He's in Po's dream (as a bad guy) in the first film.
* GeniusBruiser: Despite his size and strength, his real specialty is analyzing his opponent's weaknesses at a glance.
* HeroicBSOD: After seeing the power Shen's weapon possesses and getting imprisoned, he and Croc decide they'd rather stay in a jail they could easily break out of. [[spoiler:Shifu talks them out of it.]]
* HairTriggerTemper: Seems to lose his temper pretty easily as it doesn't take much for Shen to provoke him into attacking.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: He doesn't wear a shirt, though he does wear some kind of harness thing over his chest.
* ALoadOfBull: His horns are his deadliest weapons.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Initially agreed to help defeat the Wu Sisters because he thought he would be rewarded with great financial riches.
* PlayAlongPrisoner: The Gongmen City prison bars don't keep him imprisoned. He could leave whenever he wanted but he doesn't because of his fear of Shen's cannon, and because he fears that if he and Croc don't play along, Shen will turn the cannon on the city.
* TopHeavyGuy: How does he even ''stand''?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Master Croc]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Croc_2_9602.png]]
-->"The only hero in this town is a dead one."

->'''Voiced by:'''\\
Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme

A former bandit gang leader who [[HeelFaceTurn had a change of heart]] and acts as a member of the Gongmen Kung Fu Council.
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* ActorAllusion: When he arrives to fight the Wolf Army, he performs Van Damme's signature split kick.
* BadassCape: Owned at least one in his lifetime.
* BewareMyStingerTail: That big spiky ball on the end of his tail isn't just for show.
* CallBack: He's the former leader of the Wool-Stealing Crocodile Bandits that Mantis battled in ''Secrets of the Furious Five''.
* TheCameo: Returns in the third film as one of the masters who goes after Kai before becoming a jombie. [[FridgeHorror The lack of Master Ox carries disturbing implications]].
* CarryABigStick: A metal club he used against Lord Shen.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: According to WordOfGod, he was a lawless bandit who decided to use his skills for good after being defeated and spared by Thundering Rhino. Later [[{{Retcon}} Retconned]] when ''Secrets of the Masters'' talked about a completely different story on how he became a good guy and met up with Thundering Rhino, which also included Ox and Oogway.
* EarlyBirdCameo: He's in Po's dream (as a bad guy) in the first film. He also shows up in Mantis' story from ''Secrets of the Furious Five.''
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: One of his [[AllThereInTheManual greatest victories]] was beating up a bunch of Badger Bandits for insulting his mother.
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Does a spinning leap out of the water when turning up to help the Five and Po. Presumably a reference to how crocodiles latch onto their prey and spin in the water to drown them.
* FingerlessGloves: Wore a pair during his time as a street fighter.
* GlorySeeker: Out of the three masters in their youth, he sought fame above all else.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: Never seen with a shirt.
* InkSuitActor: He looks like a crocodile version of Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme.
* MadeOfIron: His 'Impenetrable Hide'. Unfortunately, the rest of him isn't quite as durable.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: While KFP characters aren't exactly known for their authentic accents, Croc being inexplicably ''french'' stands out.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Initially agreed to help defeat the Wu Sisters because he thought he would be rewarded with great financial riches.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Soothsayer]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Soothsayer_2_882.png]]
-->"Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be!"

->'''Voiced by:'''\\
Creator/MichelleYeoh

An elderly goat with the power of [[{{Seer}} foresight]], who served as an adviser to the ruling family of Gongmen City, the Peacocks. Upon request by Lord Shen's parents, she had foretold what the future held for their son should he continue his current path: defeat at the hands of a warrior of black and white.
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* TheAtoner: She holds tremendous guilt for telling Shen the prophecy that he would be defeated by a "black and white" warrior, inadvertently making herself responsible for the ensuing panda genocide. She helps Po recover his forgotten memories of the traumatic event and helps him achieve inner peace by reminding Po of the wonderful life he's had despite the tragedy.
* CoolOldLady: While helpful and funny, she replaces Oogway's serenity with a good dose of [[ScrewPolitenessImASenior bluntness]].
* DeadpanSnarker:
-->'''Soothsayer:''' (telling Shen's fortune) I see...*plucks Shen's feather*...pain...\\
'''Shen:''' Ow!\\
'''Soothsayer:''' And anger... [[ExtremeOmniGoat *bites Shen's robes*]]\\
'''Shen:''' How dare you! That is the finest silk in the province!\\
'''Soothsayer:''' ...followed by denial...\\
'''Shen:''' This is not fortune-telling! You're just saying what's happening right...\\
'''Soothsayer:''' ... now?
* DefiantCaptive: Shen keeps her as a prisoner and while she never tries to escape, she still doesn't make her imprisonment easy for him. Indeed, she irritates and lectures him.
* DidntSeeThatComing: A tragic one, as she notes that while she saw what would happen to Shen, she could have never predicted his reaction to it and is clearly remorseful for unintentionally instigating the genocide of the pandas.
* EverybodyCallsHimBarkeep: Her actual name is never revealed.
* ExtremeOmniGoat: Played with; although she does take a bite out of Shen's silk robe, close inspection reveals that it - and the feather she plucked - are dropped in her scrying bowl (using the magical principle of contagion.) But she must have liked the taste - or liked messing with Shen - because she keeps trying to go back for more.
* GirlsWithMoustaches: Or rather, a lady with a beard. {{Justified|Trope}} because she's a goat.
* TheGoodChancellor: Loyally serves the rulers of Gongmen City, estranged son included.
* ItsAllMyFault: She blames herself for telling Shen a panda would stand in his way.
-->'''Soothsayer:''' This was a thriving village. Young Shen was in line to rule Gongmen City. But he wanted more. I foretold that someone would stand in his way. A panda. ''But I never could have foretold what came next.''
* MoralityPet: The only shred of Shen's conscience is how he acts around the Soothsayer.
* NeutralFemale: Averted. She isn't ''physically'' capable of stopping Shen, but she regularly gives him the KirkSummation or AndThenWhat as she tries to push him away from his EvilPlan. She also saves Po's life after finding him floating in the river have taken a cannonball to the chest.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Shen. AllThereInTheManual, though some of her interactions with Shen imply this. You get the feeling that if ''anyone'' else tried to take a bite out of his robes, they would get a knife to the throat. When Shen first appears, notice there's a hopeful look from Soothsayer before it collapses into annoyance because it's apparent Shen hasn't changed. She later ''begs'' Shen to not continue, knowing it'll be his undoing.
* ProphecyTwist: [[spoiler: It turns out that the "warrior of black and white" she foretold leading to Shen's downfall ''wasn't'' a panda at all. [[EvilAlbino It was Shen himself.]]]]
* {{Seer}}: Though she is a true seer, she does not prophesize on command or bother using her powers if the original prophecy has not changed. Instead, [[ObfuscatingStupidity she states the obvious until Lord Shen gets mad]].
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: With Master Oogway gone in the first film, she replaces him as a wise old mentor to Po.
* UnsettlingGenderReveal: Po mistakes her for a man when he first meets her. He claims the beard threw him off.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: She predicted that Shen would be defeated by a black and white warrior if he didn't renounce his current ways. Shen reacted by trying to exterminate all pandas to change his destiny.
* VisualPun: She's a literal "old goat". Shen calls her such directly when he returns to Gongmen.
* WellSeeAboutThat: She gives this line to Shen when he returns from his exile.
-->'''Shen''': Ah, there you are, Soothsayer. It seems your fortune-telling skills are ''not'' as good as you thought.
-->'''Soothsayer''': We shall see, Shen.
-->'''Shen''': [[NoYou No, you shall see]], old goat...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shen's parents]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shens_parents.png]]

The previous rulers of Gongmen City. When their son Shen started to use the art of fireworks to create new destructive weapons, they became concerned for him and asked the Soothsayer to predict his future.
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* AdultFear: They had to face the fact that their son was a monster willing to commit genocide in order to further his own ambitions.
* BlueIsHeroic: They are blue, in contrast to Shen's [[EvilAlbino white]].
* DeathByDespair: The Soothsayer reveals that the grief of having to banish their son for his crime ended up killing them.
-->'''Soothsayer''': It is time to stop this madness.
-->'''Shen''': ''[dismissive]'' Why on earth would I do that?
-->'''Soothsayer''': So your parents can rest in peace!
-->'''Shen''': My parents ''hated'' me, do you understand?! They ''wronged'' me, and I, I ''will'' make it right.
-->'''Soothsayer''': They ''loved'' you. They loved you ''so much'' that having to send you away killed them...
* TheGoodKing: Their reign is said to have brought great joy and prosperity to Gongmen City.
* MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave: The Soothsayer tries to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this trope when she tries to convince Shen to stop his EvilPlan, using their memories to try to reach him. However, even though [[HopeSpot Shen briefly hesitates]], [[RedemptionRejection it doesn't work]].
* NoNameGiven: Their names are never revealed.
* ParentalAbandonment: {{Subverted}}. While Shen sees his banishment as an act of abandonment, they were justified in their decision to punish him, as he basically committed a genocide.
* ParentsAsPeople: They tried to raise their son well, but it's implied that they let the Soothsayer do a good chunk of the actual parenting and when their son basically committed a genocide they were left with no choice but banishing him as punishment.
* PosthumousCharacter: Both are long dead when the story begins and only appear in a flashback.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: They only appear in one flashback at the beginning of the second movie, but they are the ones who asked the Soothsayer to predict their son's future. Had this prediction not happened, the events of the trilogy would have been very different.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: They only wanted to help their son change his ways by asking the Soothsayer to predict his future. The result... [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope was not]] [[MoralEventHorizon what they expected]].
[[/folder]]

!!Lord Shen and His Army

[[folder:Lord Shen]]
[[quoteright:375:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lord_shen.png]]
-->"Call in the wolves! All of them! I want them ready to move! The Year of the Peacock begins now!"

->'''Voiced by:'''\\
Creator/GaryOldman

The BigBad of the second film. He's a wicked peacock whose clan rules over Gongmen City. However, that wasn't enough for him as he is possessed by a desire to take over all of China. For that, he invented the cannon, which poses a threat to the very existence of kung fu itself.
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* AgentPeacock: Perfect {{Pun}} aside, by the time the credits roll, you ''will'' believe a peacock can be a skilled fighter and a cruel and terrifying villain.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Ever since Shen became obsessed with his invention, he desires power for the sake of power. When Soothsayer points this to him, Shen sort of admits that [[AndThenWhat he doesn't really know what he's going to do with all this power if he succeeds at taking over China,]] [[IgnoredEpiphany but immediately shrugs the thought off]].
* AndThenWhat: The Soothsayer asks him if conquering China and destroying kung-fu will finally make Shen happy. Shen is clearly shocked, never having considered what he'll do after he's done conquering and if it will even be worth everything he's lost but is quick to push away his doubt.
* AudibleSharpness: His many bladed weapons.
* AwesomeButImpractical: His cannons. Yes, they're extremely powerful and can [[spoiler:overpower and kill kung fu masters]], but they have a number of tactical flaws.
** They require a lot of metal to forge. Shen's soldiers have to steal pots and tools from the farthest villages in order to find enough metal.
** They're extremely heavy and difficult to transport, as seen when two gorilla mooks complain about having to move one a little to the left.
** They're slow and hard to aim. [[spoiler:Even [[MightyGlacier Po]] can run faster than the wolves can move and aim the cannons, and takes advantage of this fact during the final battle to confuse them.]]
** The above also means that they can only hit stationary or immobilized opponents, and firing one into a crowd will kill unintended targets. [[spoiler:Wolf Boss recognizes this and refuses to fire at Po when it means his own soldiers would be caught in the crossfire.]]
** And--although Shen had no way of anticipating it--they are [[spoiler:useless against an opponent who has some way of redirecting the cannonballs...such as, say, a kung fu warrior who has mastered inner peace]].
* AxCrazy: Is constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown and plagued by paranoid delusions about his parents not loving him. He deals with all of them by starting wars and committing genocide, which he sincerely thought would make his parents proud.
** As befitting the most AxCrazy villain in the movies, Lord Shen is the only character seen who unambiguously kills someone on-screen. Though Tai Lung's escape from prison is very heavily implied to have killed most, if not all, of the guards, we never see a dead rhino on screen. However, there is no cutaway when Shen throws his knives into [[spoiler:Wolf Boss's]] throat and watches him fall overboard.
* BadassBookworm: Studied gunpower from fireworks to make his cannons.
* BadassLongRobe: His clothes, plus his ''tail feathers''.
* BadassMustache: Two thin feathers grow from the corners of his beak, resembling a Fu Manchu mustache.
* BadBoss: Had no problem whatsoever [[WeHaveReserves firing at his own men]] to defeat Po and the Five and kills the Wolf Boss just because [[EvenEvilHasStandards he ''did'' have a problem with that]]. He also once punched a Gorilla soldier in the face.
* BeingEvilSucks: Spends decades plotting his revenge and relentlessly pursuing his ambition to rule over China in an attempt to assuage his emotional pain and find happiness. This only succeeds in making him feel more bitter and miserable.
* {{BFG}}: He ''invented'' the cannon, in order to destroy Kung Fu and take over China.
* BigBad: Of the second film.
* BigOlEyebrows: Of the "match-the-width-of-his-shoulders-so-he-can-fit-through-gaps" variety.
* BladeOnAStick: His signature close-quarter combat weapon is his guan dao with the blade resembling a flamberge.
* BreakThemByTalking: Successfully does this to Po in the Fireworks Factory.
* TheCameo: [[spoiler:Briefly appears in the third film in the same flashback from the end of the second]].
* CombatPragmatist: Uses throwing knives in addition to his spear, conceals his movements with his tail, and the entire purpose of inventing the cannon was to deal with kung fu masters he can't beat one-on-one. When confronted with a fight he can't possibly win, against Po and the Furious Five, he flies out the window and calls down a barrage of cannon fire to destroy his own tower.
* TheComicallySerious: Despite being the evilest foe Po has faced so far, he has his hilarious moments, usually when Po is in the same scene.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: Tai Lung was a physically formidable Kung Fu fighter and a OneManArmy who worked alone and whose main goal was to get the Dragon Scroll. Shen is physically smaller but a genius noble who has an army to do his bidding, and his goal is to destroy Kung Fu and take over China. While Tai Lung didn't have any kind of past history with Po, the conflict with Shen becomes more of a personal matter to Po due to Shen's connection with his past.
* CowardlyLion: His first response to a battle not going his way is to flee and/or hide behind his cannons. In particular, he tries to avoid a direct confrontation with Po because of the prophecy. However, since he ''does'' fight rather well when necessary, it's likely that these actions are due more to pragmatism than fear.
* CurbStompBattle: Using a cannon to win a fight certainly helps. [[CombatPragmatism It's not treachery, it's pragmatism!]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: No one approved of his life goal of creating the cannon. Not even his own parents, who then consulted a soothsayer, who then predicted that should he not turn away from his ambitions, he would meet his death at the hands of a panda. This spurred him into committing genocide, and he was exiled for it.
** If one takes into account his expanded backstory it's even worse: Shen was born ill and his parents were so ashamed they left him in the care of the Soothsayer (this aspect can still be seen in the way Shen tolerates the Soothsayer's attitude and when he lets her go).
* DeathByIrony: He's [[spoiler: flattened by his own invention.]]
* EpicFlail: Uses a meteor hammer to incapacitate Master Ox at one point.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: The Soothsayer effectively raised him, and he clearly cares about her to some extent, albeit not enough to stop his plans. He shows hints of this when he encounters Po and the Furious Five for the first time. Despite being at the end of his patience, he never actually loses it unless Po makes a comment about the Soothsayer, the second time driving him to point a knife in Po's face. His treatment of the Soothsayer is more akin to that of a family member than a prisoner. The Soothsayer is also the only character in the movie that he never physically harms – as embittered as he is – despite the snarky, disrespectful attitude (and the prophecies) she gives him.
* EvilAlbino: In real life, white peacocks aren't actually albino, instead of having a genetic mutation called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucism leucism]]. But since real white peacocks have blue eyes and Shen has red eyes, it's likely that he was intended to be an albino in this setting.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: [[spoiler:Is ''shocked'' that Po doesn't hold what he did to his species, his family, against him, and that he was able to let go of his pain, because his own pain has never gone away, and he doesn't believe it ever will.]]
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Po. Both have parental abandonment issues and are real animals likened to mythical beasts (Po the Panda is the Dragon Warrior, while Shen the peacock is clearly meant to be a phoenix with his [[PlayingWithFire passion for fire]]). Both are nervous and unsure of themselves, having many a FailedAttemptAtDrama moment. Both are black-and-white animals who are (apparently) the last of their kind, and both fight using unconventional methods. They achieved their places of power by using fireworks and by defeating highly skilled masters (Tai Lung and the Masters' Council) who stood in their way. Both their destinies were set in motion when the Soothsayer predicted their eventual conflict, and both sought inner peace to deal with their tragic pasts. However, while Po was able to move on from the tragedies of his past, Shen was unable to do so and found only defeat.
** His backstory has significant parallels with that of Tai Lung -- promised power by his parent figure, denied and exiled, returns to claim his place and prove himself. However, Shen's FreudianExcuse is weaker and his vengeance is more sinister. Tai Lung wanted the Dragon Scroll to prove to himself and Shifu he was worthy of it and was a WorthyOpponent to Po, whereas Shen wants to conquer China and casually kills because he has done too much harm, come too far to stop, and has nothing else left in his life.
** Though they never interact with each other, Shen can be seen as Master Shifu's villainous foil. They both had a clairvoyant elder who watched their development (the Soothsayer and Master Oogway) and who foretold a disaster (Shen's demise and Tai Lung's return). Both proteges then tried to avert said disaster, [[SelfFulfillingProphecy only to inadvertently cause it to happen]]. Like with Shifu in the first movie, Shen's present is influenced by the pains of the past, making him demanding and biased, with his high expectations in regards to his subordinates mirroring those of Shifu with his students. In particular, neither of them believed initially that someone like Po could be a mighty warrior, only for the determined panda to defy their expectations. Their main difference is in regards to the advice offered to them by their mentors; Shifu didn't want Oogway to leave and afterward respected his master's wish to train Po despite his doubts, but Shen eventually sends the Soothsayer away when he decides he can't find happiness from her advice. Shifu ultimately found inner peace by listening to Oogway while Shen could find peace only in death through his own self-destructive decisions.
* EvilGenius: He discovered that fireworks could also serve as gunpowder, and then invented the cannon to put that discovery to use.
* EvilIsBurningHot: He is strongly associated with fire and [[LightIsNotGood bright light]]--his smoking forges and torches, his fireworks factory, his cannon that "breathes fire and spits metal", and his burning of the panda village. At one point, he even lights his sword aflame in a burning brazier and uses it to [[SpreadingDisasterMapGraphic incinerate a map of China]] as a symbol of his EvilPlan.
* EvilOldFolks: He was banished as an adult when Po was a baby, and took thirty years to ready his forces. This puts him within his fifties at least during the film.
* EvilTowerOfOminousness: His home in Gongmen City, which [[IHaveTheHighGround he's shown perching atop of]] during a travel montage.
* EvilPlan: [[TakeOverTheWorld Take over China]] and destroy Kung Fu while he's at it.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: When [[spoiler:his cannon is about to fall on him, he just closes his eyes and accepts it. It's not made clear if he was too far beyond the DespairEventHorizon from seeing his ambition he sacrificed so much for crumble around him or if he simply realized that ''he'' was the foretold warrior that would lead to his downfall.]]
* FailedAttemptAtDrama: He has his moments.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's polite, well-spoken, and composed... until something gets him angry when he shows the true AxCrazy monster beneath it all.
* FeatheredFiend: Well, he is voiced by Creator/GaryOldman, who (according to WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch) "can go from zero to psycho in 2.5 seconds".
* FeatherFingers: Uses them for his knife throwing.
* FeatherFlechettes: Averted. He doesn't actually attack with his feathers, but rather with throwing knives concealed by his feathers. Still invoked symbolically, because his knives have patterns carved on them to resemble feathers.
* FeatherMotif: Peacock feathers symbolize vainglory, especially appropriate for Lord Shen. Unlike normal peacock feathers, however, his are white and red, for madness and death.
* FighterMageThief: The Thief to Tai Lung's Fighter and Kai's Mage.
* FireIsRed: As a consequence of this color motif, the fires that Shen and his mooks use, both in the cannon and in regular torches, are of an unusual crimson tone. Justified as in Shen is explicitly stated to be working off of firework chemicals, so it stands to reason his cannonballs would have a colorful glow to them.
* {{Flight}}: [[CaptainObvious He's a bird]] (peafowls can fly, though not very long nor far). The only time he uses this ability, however, [[CombatPragmatist is to run away]]. He "flees" or "flew", if you will, [[JustForPun thus putting the term "flight" in a different light]]. Confused yet?
* FragileSpeedster: Physically frail, but blindingly fast when the situation requires it: he can cover short to moderate distances in an instant. Paired with his KnifeNut skills, his speed makes him an extremely dangerous opponent.
* FreudianExcuse: His parents decided to banish and disown him for massacring the pandas. He saw this as an act of [[ParentalAbandonment abandonment]] and has let the pain and resentment fester in him ever since. This being said, it is shown that he was heading down the path of villainy even before his banishment, so it is likely that the exile only accelerated his decline.
* FurryReminder: He occasionally lets out a peacock scream.
* GenocideBackfire: Shen overhears a prophecy that he will be defeated by "a warrior of black-and-white". He proceeds to massacre a panda village. However, [[spoiler:Po's mother leaves the infant panda in a case of groceries that get delivered to Mr. Ping]]. This results in Po being in the right place and the right time to become the Dragon Warrior, receiving the training he will need to stop Shen. In fact, it's remembering [[spoiler:the massacre and his mother's sacrifice that allows Po to master the skill he needs to overcome Shen's cannons.]]
* GlassCannon: Very agile and quick and has a lethal aim with his throwing knives, but he's one of the few characters who is not MadeOfIron and is clearly at a disadvantage when his blades aren't enough to overwhelm a more defensive foe.
* GoodColorsEvilColors: White is the traditional color of death in eastern Asian cultures, which alludes to his health issues and villainy.
** In Wu Xing, white is metal and red is fire. He has both as his weapons in the form of the cannon, which is even described by Shifu as "it breathes fire, and spits metal".
** Given that red is associated with positive emotions like joy and luck in Chinese imagery, his red motif can also be seen as a distortion of his relationship with his parents.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: His feet are covered in burn scars from weapon forging. He partly hides them with his metal talons.
* HeroKiller: [[spoiler: He very nearly kills Po in the Fireworks Factory. If the Soothsayer hadn't been around...]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard[=/=]KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Crushed by the very weapon he was going to use to conquer China, which only happened because he accidentally cut the ropes holding it up while trying to kill Po.]]
* HumiliationConga: His cannons, which he spent thirty years to invent, are obliterated in mere seconds by Po's cannonball deflection technique. Even more so as the event unfolds right before the eyes of the Kung Fu Masters and the entire population of Gongmen City, to the point where they actually ''cheer''. [[spoiler:He eventually gets crushed to death by his own cannon.]]
* IgnoredEpiphany: When the Soothsayer tells him his parents did love him, so much that it killed them to banish him, Shen looks genuinely moved for a few seconds before closing his eyes and brushing the information aside.
* IJustWantToBeLoved: Gary Oldman mentions this in an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id5oUB5HSaw interview]].
* IveComeTooFar: It's implied that this is the reason why he feels compelled to go on with his evil instead of repent.
-->'''Shen:''' ''(solemnly)'' The dead exist in the past, and I ''must'' tend to the future.
* ItsPersonal: Played with. Shen ''expects'' this of Po. He ordered the panda genocide [[spoiler:, and even has the implied circumstances that he personally had a hand in killing Po's mother]]. However, when Shen actually meets Po, he's surprised and extremely amused that Po ''has no idea'' of what Shen did. [[spoiler: And then at the end, when Po finally ''does'' know what happened, he's not interested in revenge on Shen at all, instead of finding inner peace because of knowing it]].
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: The introduction shows him to be experimenting with a more destructive side of fireworks, which isn't downright evil in itself [[spoiler:[[MoralEventHorizon ... until the genocide happened.]]]]
* KillerRabbit: Who knew a peacock could be such a threatening, efficient villain?
* KnifeNut: He hides an arsenal of blades under those robes of his and he is terrifyingly skilled with them.
* KnightOfCerebus: Tai Lung craved only the Dragon Scroll and there has been no solid on-screen evidence he ever murdered anyone. The second film ''opens'' with Shen ordering the genocide of the pandas, and ten minutes later he kills Thundering Rhino with a cannon before going on to wage a war against China and Kung Fu. Tai Lung was little more than an arrogant, swaggering thug; Shen is a mass-murdering warlord.
-->'''Shen:''' Kill him, ''somebody'' '''kill him'''!
* LargeHam: He has his moments. Here's his [[Creator/GaryOldman voice actor]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc74bU6w0tk hamming it up while recording him in the studio.]]
* LastVillainStand: He spends the entire film running from a direct confrontation with Po because of the Soothsayer's prediction. In the end, [[spoiler:after he's killed [[TheDragon his own second-in-command]], [[HumiliationConga had everything he built be obliterated before his eyes]], and Po tries to impart to Shen the secret to inner peace, he finally stops running and fights Po with everything he has if only out of pure anger]].
* {{Leitmotif}}: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbNE35ttc0w Ancient China/Story of Shen]]", which is first played in the opening scene, and accompanies Shen at a few points afterward, most prominently during the Fireworks Factory battle.
* LightIsNotGood: Both to Chinese and Western imagery. In the west, white is obviously seen as the "good" color, while red is the "good" color in China (white is actually symbolic of death there). Add this to the fact that his name can be translated as "divinity", his association with fire and the resemblance to the mythological [[ThePhoenix Feng Huang]], and you got yourself a heavenly monster.
* ManInWhite: A given thanks to his white plumage and colors.
* ManipulativeBastard: He was able to manipulate Master Storming Ox into striking first during his return to Gongmen City and subsequently imprisoned both Masters Storming Ox and Croc with fear. That and the entire exchange with Po in the Fireworks Factory.
--> '''Shen''' [to Po]: Your parents ''didn't love you''.
* MeaningfulName:
** One of the meanings of "Shen" (神) is "divinity", which relates to his quest for power and attention.
** An alternate reading of Shen (焴) is "flame", which connects to his cannons.
** ''Literature/TheBookOfLordShang'' anyone?
* TheMentallyDisturbed: He seems to suffer from chronic depression, paranoia (as far as his parents are concerned, thinking they never loved him), and is deeply insecure.
* MoralSociopathy: The creators' commentary implies that part of his denial to recognize how wrong he is because it's the only way he can justify his genocidal actions.
* NeverMyFault: When his parents banish him for committing genocide, he takes it as further proof they don't care about him instead of as punishment. Even more so because being banished as opposed to being executed may have been an act of mercy on their part.
* ObiWanMoment: [[spoiler:He just closes his eyes before he is flattened by the weapon he knocked onto himself.]]
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Despite being a sickly albino, relying on artillery and trickery over brawn, Shen is still a deadly skilled [[KnifeNut blade wielder.]] It's just that the kung fu masters are so powerful they overshadow him.
* PetTheDog:
** He lets the Soothsayer go, unharmed, with no selfish intent behind it. Indeed, he ''never'' harms her, in spite of the attitude she gives him (and the fact that she keeps eating his clothes).
** He was also rather kind to the wolves in his youth, which is what made them swear their loyalty to him. Of course, one could argue that [[FauxAffablyEvil this was all he was really after]], as he's [[BadBoss not so kind]] to them in the present. However, given his slow and gradual decay, it could also be argued that he once legitimately used to be AFatherToHisMen, at least before his VillainousBreakdown.
* ThePhoenix: What he is meant to symbolize.
* RazorWings: His throwing knives are in the shape of feathers to help him conceal them, and he also uses his tailfeathers as a weapon and distraction similar to what real-life martial-arts styles with metal folding fans do.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Aside from his regular eyes, the eyespots on his tail are also red, reflecting his EvilAlbino status.
* SerratedBladeOfPain: Both his BladeOnAStick and sword have wavy edges,
* ScrewDestiny: Shen's goal to conquer China is partially motivated by his desire to prove the Soothsayer wrong about her prediction that he will be defeated by a panda. His actions to change his fate led to him being banished.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: He originally planned to sail out of China with his armada in three days. After he fails to kill Po the first time, he decides to leave immediately rather than try to confront him again.
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: If Shen had not killed the panda village, his nemesis would never have had any reason to go after him, let alone become the Dragon Warrior. Even if all the pandas were dead, ''[[ProphecyTwist he]]'' [[ProphecyTwist was the "warrior in black and white" who led to his own downfall]].
* SelfMadeOrphan: He is an indirect example. He massacred a village of pandas and was banished by his parents as a result. According to the Soothsayer, the grief of sending him away caused them to [[DeathByDespair die from despair.]]
* SignatureMove: Throws a quick flurry of knives, accompanied by a staccato whirring noise.
* SinisterScrapingSound: Shen's walking is accompanied by his metal talons scraping the ground.
* SoftSpokenSadist: For the most part, he's very calm, cool, and collected, and his voice is usually monotone.
* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: A clear step above Tai Lung, not in skill, but in overall threat level.
* StartOfDarkness: He discovered a practical use for fireworks and subsequently became obsessed with it.
* SuperOCD: He wants everything to be '''perfect.''' He practices his PreAssKickingOneLiner before meeting Po and demands his weapon be placed "a little to the left."
* ThirdTimesTheCharm: Po confronts him three times throughout the film (tower, factory, harbor) before finally getting over his HeroicBSOD and defeating him.
* TragicVillain: All he wanted was to make his parents proud, and thought that a path of conquest was the way to do it. It's hinted several times that he knows full well conquering China will do nothing to ease his pain and [[WordOfGod Word of God]] paints him as a somewhat remorseful figure. [[spoiler:At the end, when he's finally beaten, he calmly accepts his death, perhaps realizing that his defeat truly was inevitable, or perhaps believing that death is the only way to end his torment]].
* TranquilFury: After Po decimates his armada and proceeds to lecture him about his inner pain, his rage finally breaks and he begins fighting Po to the death with only a DeathGlare to show his anger.
* TwitchyEye: Who could also be an ActorAllusion: Gary Oldman previously voiced [[WesternAnimation/QuestforCamelot Ruber]] who had the same tic.
* UnstoppableRage: [[spoiler: After Po destroys his fleet, Shen goes into a very calm rage and attacks Po with the intent to kill him. However his rage also speeds along his death as in his fit of anger he cuts a cannon loose, which falls and crushes him.]]
* VileVillainSaccharineShow: He is bent on destroying kung fu with heavy artillery, terrorized many innocent pigs and bunnies with his army of wolves, and almost pushed the entire panda species (which includes Po) to the point of extinction. All of this is enough to make Tai Lung, the snow leopard villain of the first ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' film look like a scaredy cat. When Shen's right hand and the leader of the wolves objects to him [[BadBoss opening fire on his own soldiers to get at the heroes]], Shen responds with a [[YouHaveFailedMe dagger]] [[BackStab to his back]], making it the first time in a [[Creator/DreamWorksAnimation DreamWorks]] movie a villain actually offs someone onscreen.
* VillainHasAPoint: Shen has a smaller example of this when Po tries to tell him to let go of his past, correcting the panda that it's wounds that heal rather than scars.
* VillainousBSOD: Is at a loss for words when [[spoiler:Po achieves inner peace and uses his kung fu to redirect Shen's cannon fire to destroy his armada]].
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:When Po returns after being hit by cannon fire and assumed dead, Shen, in a fit of fearful desperation, loses it and opens fire on his own men after killing his second-in-command. After Po obliterates his armada by redirecting cannon fire, Shen is left in a VillainousBSOD, not only because that he'd lost everything he'd spent years creating, but because Po had managed to overcome his own troubled past without succumbing to rage, instead of finding inner peace. Po tries to explain that the secret to inner peace is the acceptance of the pain of the past. This only succeeds in angering Shen.]]
** Best summed up in his rant during the final battle:
-->'''Lord Shen:''' [[AttackAttackAttack Keep firing! KEEP FIRING!!]]
* WeakButSkilled: Physically unimpressive, but man, can he [[KnifeNut hurl blades]] with the best of them.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Has an insecure relationship with his parents and is deeply hurt by his parents' rejection of him for his evil ways, causing him to believe they never loved him. Considers it an AwfulTruth when Po demands to know about his parents and Shen lies, claiming that his parents didn't love him. He is also completely unable to understand how Po is able to come to terms with him killing Po's parents because he was never able to properly cope with the loss of his own.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: It's implied in background material that the former is partially responsible for the latter.
* WhyWontYouDie: He never says this outright, but his shouted orders to his gun crews after Po [[spoiler: starts deflecting cannonballs]] hints that this is his mindset:
-->'''Lord Shen:''' Kill him! ''Somebody KILL him!!''
** A straighter version of the trope occurs when Shen witnesses Po's return to Gongmen City.
-->'''Lord Shen:''' How many times do I have to kill the same stinking panda?
* WalkingArmory: He always carries a large number of knives and wears metal claws on his feet. Besides that, he uses a BladeOnAStick and a meteor hammer at different points. He also uses a sword against Master Ox and Master Croc.
* WolverineClaws: Shen wears metal talons for both combat and to cover up the burn scars on his feet. They also resemble the ornaments Chinese nobles wore to protect their long nails.
* YouCannotFightFate: Played with. It was predicted that a "warrior of black and white" would defeat him, but it was also mentioned that he could change his fate if he stopped his destructive ways.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wolf Boss]]
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/275px-bosswolf_7511.jpg]]
-->"Guess nobody told you: If you mess with the wolf, you get the fangs."

->'''Voiced by:'''\\
Creator/DannyMcBride

Lord Shen's oldest (and probably only) friend and most loyal servant. He is the commander of the wolf army.
----
* {{Adorkable}}: For being a brutal warrior, he has many dorky features, like whimpering when his toe is stomped or annoying Shen with out of place comments. See also TrashTalk below.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He's the best fighter among the wolves.
* BarefootCartoonAnimal: Him and every other wolf.
* TheBrute: Strong, not very bright, and has only rudimentary kung fu skills.
* CharacterDeath: Most likely, considering he was [[spoiler:hit in the throat with several of Shen's knives point blank]]. WordOfGod via DVDCommentary states that he's alive but that particular comment about him being "alive" was a joke by Rodolphe Guenoden ("But he's not dead! He just fell off... yeah..."). While it's never confirmed that he's alive, it is true that it's never confirmed he is dead, either; in fact, Melissa Cobb did mention that she wondered if he ever died, and that she didn't know.
** If he did die, that would make him the only character to be murdered on-screen in the 3 primary movies and 1 of only two (the other being Oogway) to die onscreen rather than being killed off-screen or kicked/punched out of frame. The movies usually cut away just before the moment of death.
* CombatPragmatist: Aside from being a dirty fighter, he also knows when to strategically retreat.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Prone to this. When Shen tells him that the "year of the peacock" has begun, he gets confused because it's already the middle of the year.
* DarkIsEvil: Dark grey fur and armor.
* TheDragon: To Lord Shen.
* DropTheHammer: Occasionally uses a giant war hammer as a weapon.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He refuses to fire at Po while knowing [[spoiler:his own men would be caught in the crossfire. Shen kills him for it.]] Makes sense, since wolves operate as a ''pack''. You can't just attack one and hope to get away with it. Fits nicely into the animal motifs.
* {{Expy}}: Of [[VideoGame/StarFox Wolf O'Donnell]]. Wolf? Check. Mohawk? Check. Bad eye? Check, and points for being the same eye. [[SpikesOfVillainy Shoulder spikes]]? Check. HellBentForLeather? Check. A natural leader who is himself TheDragon to someone else? Check. EvenEvilHasStandards? Total check.
** Like Wolf and Fox, he's also NotSoDifferent than Po in terms of attitude--it's just their morals and their choice of allies that sets them apart, as they can both be silly or serious, and their short battle has elements of YouFightLikeACow.
** Unlike Wolf O'Donnell, he does not serve for money but rather out of loyalty to Lord Shen. He is not particularly skilled at his "profession" and he isn't overly smart.
* EyeScream: He lost his eye during the attack on the Panda Village. [[spoiler:When he tried to attack baby Po, Po's father smashed his face with a hammer.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: He and his wolves used to be the royal guards of Gongmen City, but flocked to Shen's side because he treated them better than the rest of the royal family.
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: Considering the BloodlessCarnage of the rest of the series and its focus on slapstick kung-fu fighting, [[spoiler:taking a volley of throwing knives to the throat and falling to the side is pretty brutal]].
* FamilyUnfriendlyViolence: [[spoiler:The whole "eye ripped out with a hammer" thing isn't very kid-friendly either]].
* AFatherToHisMen: [[spoiler:He stands up to Shen for ordering him to fire on his own men, and gets killed for it.]]
* HandicappedBadass: He lost one eye during the attack on the panda village, [[spoiler:after Po's father smashed his face with a hammer]]. Despite this, he can still fight well.
* HellBentForLeather: Dressed ([[BarefootCartoonAnimal almost]]) entirely in leather armor.
* KickTheDog: Not above throwing innocent bystanders in front of danger to slow down his foes. He even throws ''children''.
* LargeAndInCharge: He's a good deal larger than all of the other wolves, making him easily stand out.
* LaughablyEvil: He's really more comic relief than anything.
* LogicalWeakness: Wolves operate as a pack, so he's not much of a threat when he's alone. When he faces Po with only two mooks and they're instantly taken out by Monkey and Crane, he says, "uh-oh" and [[KnowWhenToFoldEm runs for it.]]
* NoNameGiven: He is only listed as "Wolf Boss" in the credits. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin That's what he does]].
* NobleWolf: One would think he would belong to SavageWolves for the villainy but as stated above he's similar to Po and has a solid pack oriented mentality.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Given his more comedic nature, it's easy to forget that he was at the forefront of the panda genocide and in fact would've ''killed'' Po if not for his dad stepping in.
* PapaWolf: Since the alpha male of a wolf pack is also the father of many members, it could apply.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler:He refuses to fire on his own men in the final battle, and takes a knife or five to the throat for it]].
* SavageWolves: Despite [[EvenEvilHasStandards having a code of honor]], he's still TheDragon of Shen and is willing to threaten innocents.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: While the credits refer to him as Wolf Boss, {{Fanon}} often switches it around and calls him Boss Wolf instead. Probably because it sounds closer to an actual name.
** Even the official art book calls him Boss Wolf, so apparently the creators use it too.
* SpikesOfVillainy: Has a couple on his armor. His fur is also a bit on the spiky side.
* StupidSexyFlanders: He can't seem to stop talking about how soft and cuddly Po is. Somewhat justified, as one of Po's main strategies in a fight is to use his... er... bulk, as a weapon, so he was probably exposed to the "Soft and Cuddly," nature of Po several times...
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Heilang and the Lin Kwei wolves in ''Legends Of Awesomeness''.
* TopHeavyGuy: Like Storming Ox, his legs are ''way'' smaller than the rest of his body.
* TrashTalk: PlayedForLaughs. His "insults" consist of calling Po big, soft and cuddly... except that he talks about Po that way even when Po isn't around, and he isn't making fun of him. He describes him to Lord Shen as "Big and furry, soft and squishy... uh, kind of plush and cuddly."
* UnskilledButStrong: He doesn't seem particularly skilled in kung fu, but he sure knows how to use that hammer.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Characters

[[folder:SPOILER CHARACTER]]
!!Po's Mother
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/posmother1.jpg]]

Po's biological mother, who sacrificed herself to save her son from Lord Shen.
----
* BigEater: Li Shan mentions she had a tremendous appetite in the third film.
* HeroicSacrifice: Hides Po in a radish crate to protect him from Shen's wolves. Unlike Li, she doesn't make it out of this.
* LightIsGood: During Po's flashback of her, she's literally glowing a golden light.
* MamaBear: A literal example, [[PandaingToTheAudience since she is a panda bear]]; she made sure Po was in a relatively safe place before pulling her HeroicSacrifice.
* NoNameGiven: Is only known as Po's mother.
* NothingIsScarier: Her death isn't actually shown. All you see is her running off-screen, chased by Shen and his wolves, then the scene just fades away over the sound of Po's crying. Though if you listen closely, just after Shen is shown you hear the characteristic noise of Shen throwing [[SignatureMove his flurry of knives]].
* PosthumousCharacter: Is long dead by the start of the series and is only seen in flashbacks.
* TheVoiceless: Doesn't say a word throughout any of her brief appearances (save "Shh!".) Po's dream version of her does speak, but it's only Creator/JackBlack doing an intentionally-poor feminine voice.
[[/folder]]
----

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: To Master Oogway.

* DirtyCoward: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. His first response to a battle not going his way is to flee and/or hide behind his cannons. In particular, he tries to avoid a direct confrontation with Po because of the prophecy. However, since he ''does'' fight rather well when necessary, it's likely that these actions are due more to pragmatism than fear.

* RealityEnsues: He was a very formidable combatant and master of his martial art craft, giving Shen some trouble [[spoiler: however when up against Shen's cannon, it...doesn't end well for him. Somewhat justified since firearms were never seen before this point in the series setting, so he didn't know what he was facing.]]

-->"That is a warning. You are no match for our kung fu."

** There's a question to whether she's even a captive. When the Soothsayer makes her final plea, he dismisses his parents (and her) as the past, then tells the guards to let her go because she's no longer relevant.
*** Shen tells his gorilla mook to set her free, so yes she is a captive.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: When [[spoiler:his cannon is about to fall on him, he just closes his eyes and accepts it]].

*** She's in chains and Shen's orders are to set her free, so yes she is a captive.

-->'''Soothsayer''': They ''loved'' you. They loved you so much that having to send you away killed them...

* BlueIsHeroic: They are blue, in contrast to Shen's white.

* TheVoiceless: Doesn't say a word throughout any of her brief appearances. Po's dream version of her does speak, but it's only Creator/JackBlack doing an intentionally-poor feminine voice.

* SelfFulfillingProphecy: If Shen had not killed the panda village, his nemesis would never have had any reason to go after him, let alone become the Dragon Warrior.