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[[header:[[center:''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' [[Characters/KungFuPanda franchise character index]]\\
[-[[Characters/KungFuPandaTheJadePalace The Jade Palace]] ([[Characters/KungFuPandaMasterPoPing Po]])\\
'''First Film''' | [[Characters/KungFuPanda2 Second Film]] | [[Characters/KungFuPanda3 Third Film]]\\
''[[Characters/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness Legends of Awesomeness]]'' | ''[[Characters/KungFuPandaThePawsOfDestiny The Paws of Destiny]]'' | ''[[Characters/KungFuPandaTheDragonKnight The Dragon Knight]]''\\
[[Characters/KungFuPandaOtherCharacters Other Characters]]-]]]]]
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[[foldercontrol]]
!!Chorh-Gom Prison
[[folder:Tai Lung]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tai_lung_icon.png]]
-->"Fly back there and tell them... the ''real'' Dragon Warrior is coming home."
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/IanMcShane, Creator/AndreSogliuzzo (TV Series during Po's illusion), Creator/MichelleRuff (as a baby)
The BigBad of the first film. One of Master Shifu's earlier students and adopted son, Tai Lung is an arrogant Snow Leopard who turned evil and went on a rampage. For that, he was imprisoned for twenty years. It is the prophecy of his escape that sets the events of the series into motion and his defeat at the hands of Po that affirms Po as the Dragon Warrior.
----
* AlasPoorVillain: He was adopted and groomed by Shifu into being the Dragon Warrior of prophecy but felt abandoned once Oogway told him that he wasn't the Dragon Warrior because Shifu did nothing to sway his opinion or justify his decision to Tai Lung.
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler:He at long last gets the Dragon Scroll only to find it completely blank save for a gold reflective surface. He spent his entire life lusting for the power of the scroll, only to find it has no such power and he fails to understand its message.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Shifu told him throughout his childhood that he was destined for greatness and trained him accordingly. Over time he became convinced that he would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior.
* AxCrazy: He tries to keep himself composed, but he's very quick to resort to positively vicious violence when remotely provoked, as seen when he tore through the entire Valley over being denied the Dragon Scroll. This insanity was the main reason he was locked up in the first place.
* BadassBoast: Upon learning that the Dragon Warrior's name is Po, Tai Lung gloats that he will enjoy a legendary battle with each other.
* BigBad: Of the first film. His impending return and desire for revenge is what kicks off the plot, necessitating the choosing of the Dragon Warrior and thus beginning Po's journey.
* BloodKnight: Clearly relishes the idea of fighting the actual Dragon Warrior, as his BadassBoast on the bridge against the Furious Five demonstrates:
-->'''Tai Lung''': So that is his name... Po. Finally, a {{worthy opponent}}. Our battle will be ''legendary''!
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Tigress' Abel, with Tigress being the foster sister.
* CatsAreMean: Aside from being the BigBad, he's also kind of a jerk in general. Look no further than his conversation with Tigress.
* TheCameo: He returns in the third film [[FreezeFrameBonus as a jade amulet on Kai's waist,]] but he is never utilized as a jombie.
* TheChosenWannabe: When he was denied the chance to be the Dragon Warrior, he decided to simply take the scroll by force.
* DeadpanSnarker: When he feels like it. Just like his father figure.
-->'''Shifu:''' This is no longer your home. And I am no longer your master.\\
'''Tai Lung:''' Oh, yes. You have a new favourite. So where is this "Po"? Did I scare him off?
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Whether or not it was intentional, Tai Lung is one for the traditional Kung-Fu Hero that is exiled or imprisoned by his enemies and returns to claim what (he thinks) is his. The movie also deconstructs in Tai Lung's character the idea of TheChosenOne, MasterOfAll, and RoaringRampageOfRevenge. While Tai Lung was imprisoned by his father figure, it was for a good reason as Tai Lung would do anything to get the Dragon Scroll and attacked his mentor/father figure without mercy and showed he would go to [[ItsAllAboutMe extreme lengths to get what he wants.]] Tai Lung believed he was the chosen one due to his father figure raising him into becoming the best student from the temple. While in most Kung-Fu stories, he would be the chosen one, the [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong nature of the Dragon Scroll]] renders that belief meaningless and indeed, anathema to the purpose of Kung-Fu. Being raised to crave outside validation for accomplishments was detrimental to Tai Lung's personal growth, who instead needed to look to himself rather than others. While Tai Lung was very much TheAce and a prodigy, learning 1,000 scrolls worth of techniques, he only looked to the physical and technical aspects of Kung-Fu and never focused on spiritual enlightenment or peace within himself. Lastly, Tai Lung was let down by Shifu by not supporting Tai Lung in the ways that mattered most, and for leaving him to rot in prison for 20 years without trying to reach out to his son or helping him in a way that could have given Tai Lung a chance at redemption. Tai Lung had become so bitter and selfish that even when Shifu admits his own faults and apologizes, Tai Lung still ignores him and not only attacks Shifu but is also harming innocent people. While Shifu was at fault for some of the wrongs that resulted, Tai Lung became a cold and brutal beast willing to destroy anyone and anything to get what he wanted.
* DesperatelyCravesAffection: [[spoiler:His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despite Shifu’s training giving him the impression that he was the prophesied dragon warrior.]]
* TheDeterminator: Nothing gets in his way. Not armies, not arrows, not ballista bolts, not falling stalactites, not five of the greatest Kung-Fu warriors, not his own master, and father. He often encounters obstacles that should have permanently ended him, but he keeps finding off-the-cuff solutions to overcome them and roar back into the fight.
* DoorstopBaby: He was abandoned at the Jade Temple door as an infant.
* TheDreaded: ''Everyone'' fears him. Even Vachir, the prison warden, loses his cocky bravado once it becomes clear that Tai Lung has made it past all Chorh-Gom's defenses (and is about to throw a bunch of dynamite into his face).
* DudeWheresMyRespect: His attitude, his demeanour and his ego put the erroneous impression into his head that he was the prophesied Dragon Warrior but felt betrayed and besmirched when he was denied the title.
* EarlyPersonalitySigns: Even as a young cub, he showed physical strength and talent in kung fu, as seen when he kicked a punching bag hard enough to send it flying across the room.
* EtTuBrute: [[spoiler:The true reason behind his wrath. It wasn't so much the fact that he was denied the Dragon Scroll that caused him to become so violent as it was the fact that Shifu, who had acted as his paternal figure, did nothing to try to change Oogway's mind or even explain Oogway's reasoning why he was denied. Add to that the fact that Shifu never once visited Tai Lung after he was imprisoned, and you can understand why he'd feel that his father figure had abandoned him.]]
* EvilBrit: A villain who has his voice actor's natural English accent.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: His arrogance prevents him from understanding the secret of the Dragon Scroll that the secret to limitless power [[spoiler:lies within himself. WordOfGod says this is the only thing that prevents him from making a HeelFaceTurn. As far as he’s concerned why would need to because he’s under the impression he in the right when it turns out he could not be more wrong about that.]] His ego also prevents him from seeing why Oogway said he wasn’t the Dragon Warrior Because his attitude was the very antithesis of the one needed to be the Dragon Warrior.
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Po -- Both are orphans whose life had something to do with Kung Fu and being the Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung was shown to be gifted at Kung Fu and groomed for the role of the Dragon Warrior, but was not chosen as the Dragon Warrior and became the BigBad he is; Po had to work his way to being a Kung Fu master and was chosen as the Dragon Warrior. Also, while Po is a HumbleHero (bordering on HeroicSelfDeprecation), Tai Lung is an ArrogantKungFuGuy (which is his FatalFlaw).
** To Tigress -- Both do not know their real parents (the latter was raised in an OrphanageOfLove, the former was a DoorstopBaby), and [[WellDoneSonGuy just wanted their teacher's love]]. Like Tai Lung, Tigress believed that she would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior by Oogway, and resented Po for 'stealing her thunder'. Also, both are big [[CatsAreMean felines]] who suffer from {{Pride}} and [[BerserkButton a bad temper]]. Unlike Tai Lung, Tigress remained honorable by choosing to become an even better and more worthy warrior. This decision, combined with her defeat at the Thread of Hope, kept her from following the same path as him.
* EvilFormerFriend: To Shifu, his master.
* EvilIsHammy: He isn't a subtle character.
* EvilSoundsDeep: His overall assertive demeanor is matched by a firm, commanding voice.
* FaceHeelTurn: In a flashback, he went from Shifu's beloved son and prize pupil to a destructive FallenHero that went on a rampage through the Valley and tried to kill his own mentor when he was deemed unworthy of the Dragon Scroll.
* FallenHero: Used to be a great hero in the Valley. Then Oogway decided that he wasn't ''enough'' of a hero to deserve the Dragon Scroll and it all went downhill from there. [[spoiler: At least, that's how it went down in his head. The truth is that his arrogance and refusal to look beyond combat and pursue self-enlightenment is the reason that Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll.]]
* FatalFlaw: Hubris. How much of this is his fault and how much of it is Shifu's is a matter for debate, but Tai Lung's immense arrogance ultimately winds up being his downfall three separate times, each worse than the last. Firstly, it prevents him from reflecting on himself enough to understand why Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll. Secondly, it drove him to go on a destructive rampage through the Valley of Peace and challenge Oogway to a duel, a duel he loses badly. Finally, it prevents him from understanding or appreciating the true meaning of the Dragon Scroll, even when Po spells it out to him. Po offered him a chance to change, and Tai Lung's pride made him throw it away, sealing his fate.
* FauxAffablyEvil: After fighting his way out of the prison, Tai Lung roughly {{Neck Lift}}s Zeng, strokes his head, and amicably tells the goose to deliver his message to the Valley of Peace before helpfully throwing him up to catch flight. All the while with explosions caused by the snow leopard occurring in the background. He also compliments the Furious Five for their performance against him before subduing them with his nerve attacks. And finally, he acts nearly respectfully upon first meeting his master for twenty years, but he drops the act upon Shifu's answer that they ''must'' fight.
-->'''Tai Lung''': I'm glad Shifu sent you. ''[brings his paw close to the shivering Zeng before stroking the goose's head]'' I was beginning to think I'd been forgotten. Fly back there and tell them... the ''real'' Dragon Warrior is coming home.
* FighterMageThief: The Fighter to Shen's Thief and Kai's Mage; While sometimes turning his opponents' own weapons and environment against them, for the most part he fights using pure Kung Fu- unlike Shen- and [[spoiler:while his nerve attacks can paralyze with a touch, they bear no similarity to Kai's chi manipulation]].
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric - [[ArrogantKungFuGuy arrogant]], [[UnstoppableRage destructive]] and HotBlooded.
* FreudianExcuse: He turned evil because he was denied the Dragon Scroll by Oogway, [[spoiler:and Shifu did not challenge that decision despite the tremendous amount of support he gave Tai Lung before.]]
* FreudianTrio: The Id to Shen's Superego and Kai's Ego. Tai Lung is the most aggressive and physically capable of the three and is also by far the most temperamental.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: He went from a sweet orphan to TheDreaded.
* FurryReminder: He punctuates a lot of his dialogue with growls and snarls.
* GeniusBruiser: Not only is Tai Lung TheJuggernaut, but he's clever enough to pick up one of Zeng's loose feathers with his unrestrained tail and use it to pick the intricate lock of his chi-disrupting restraints.
* TheGift: Though it's to his detriment. He has a severe [[ArrogantKungFuGuy ego problem]] that prevents him from being [[spoiler: truly receptive of the Dragon Scroll's wisdom]]. This is why Oogway refused to make him the Dragon Warrior. His response to this was less than cordial.
* HairTriggerTemper: It takes a LOT of things to make him mad, especially being denied something he wants.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: He only wears a belt and a pair of pants. Interestingly, the color of his pants seems to match the blanket he was wrapped in when he was found as a baby.
* HerosEvilPredecessor: Downplayed. Tai Lung is Master Shifu's former pupil and a talented Kung Fu fighter who trained since his early age, and Shifu thought he was certain to become the legendary Dragon Warrior. Master Oogway didn't agree, leading to Tai Lung rebelling against the masters and then getting imprisoned for his troubles. Twenty years later, our hero Po is made the Dragon Warrior and then he's informed that he's fated to defeat Tai Lung, the former candidate for the title.
* IncendiaryExponent: He is so badass he can set his paws on fire and not even get burned!
* IncompletelyTrained: Shifu taught him to focus on the physical side of kung fu, not the spiritual one, preventing him from becoming enlightened [[spoiler: and realizing the true wisdom of the Dragon Scroll]].
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Raised to believe he would be named the Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung became arrogant in his skill, entitled to his destiny, and convinced of his own heroism and perfection. However, when he yells at Shifu that "all I ever did, I did to make you proud!" it becomes obvious that Tai Lung believed he needed the validation of the Scroll to have any real worth and earn Shifu's love and pride. This is made poignantly clear when he first stares into the scroll seeing only his reflection and declares [[RuleOfSymbolism "It's nothing!"]], missing the entire lesson of the scroll.
* InterspeciesAdoption: He was a snow leopard that was adopted by Shifu, a red panda.
* IResembleThatRemark: Oogway deemed him unfit to receive the Dragon Scroll, seeing a darkness in his heart. Tai Lung responded by destroying the entire Valley of Peace in a fit of rage.
* {{Jerkass}}: Tai Lung used to be an adorable cub, but he grew up egotistical and smug before turning evil, partly thanks to Shifu neglecting to teach him humility. He looks down on ''everyone'' in his delusions of invincibility, refusing to accept blame for his undoings, and ultimately rejecting his mentor's heartfelt apology.
* TheJuggernaut: A thousand rhino warriors don't get a hit on him, the Furious Five can't stop him and even ''Master Shifu'' is solidly defeated by him. Master Oogway seems to be the only character who stands any sort of chance against him. However, Master Oogway is confident that ''Po'' is up to the challenge.
* KiManipulation: His signature nerve strike causes the flow of ki in an opponent's body to become blocked causing paralysis.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Once he's set free, one of the very first things he does is go on a rampage and take his revenge on Vachir. Considering how much of a bully Vachir was with harassing Zeng and abusing Tai Lung when he was captive, practically no one can feel sorry for Vachir.
* KnightOfCerebus: The tone of the first film completely darkens whenever he's around.
* LightIsNotGood: He is a pale snow leopard with golden glowing eyes and the BigBad.
* LightningBruiser: He's big and muscular while also incredibly agile.
* MeaningfulName: His name (太龍, tàilóng) means "great dragon", which is everything but what he actually is (i.e., the Dragon Warrior). As Shifu gave him this name, it drives home the incredible expectations placed on him.
* MeaninglessVillainVictory: He gets to read the Dragon Scroll, but he can't understand its message.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Oddly, his mouth is almost filled with tiny incisors, for his two lower fangs.
* NeverMyFault: He blames Shifu and Oogway for not being named the Dragon Warrior and his imprisonment. While there is some truth in regards to Shifu's accountability, Tai Lung had no right to lash out at everyone in arm's reach for not getting a title he wasn't fit for.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Tai Lung was already an adult when he was imprisoned, and even after spending 20 years in there -- during which he wasn't even allowed to ''move'' -- by the time he escapes he not only looks no older but didn't even grow any more frail, with Shifu remarking that he's somehow in ''better'' shape than when he was first locked up. Given that he was TheAce, it's evident he's just that good.
* OneManArmy: ''No'' number of conventional soldiers is a match for him. His prison boasted of a thousand rhino guards and he took them all out within minutes. Sure, he used dynamite for the last group, but it's likely it would have only taken him a few more minutes to clean house the old-fashion way.
* PantheraAwesome: Of the snow leopard variety.
* TheParalyzer: His nerve strike which he learned from the [[AwesomenessByAnalysis restraining shell that held him imprisoned]].
* PlotArmor: He receives a combined beatdown from every member aside from Mantis, gets tied up completely with vines by Crane, gets slugged by Tigress, and is sent flying into the misty chasm, screaming the whole time. He then flings himself back across the chasm and OneHitKO[=s=] the Furious Five, primarily because the plot needs him to win so he can have his showdown with [[TheHero Po]].
* ThePoorlyChosenOne: He was adopted by Shifu, who recognized his natural talent for kung fu and told him he was destined for greatness. He trained all his life in expectation of becoming the Dragon Warrior, but when he asked for the scroll, Oogway refused him. Tai Lung destroyed the entire village in a fit of rage, and was locked up in a TailorMadePrison for the next twenty years.
* PrehensileTail: Tai Lung uses his unrestrained tail to pick up Zeng's loose feather and use it to pick the lock of his restraint.
* PurpleIsPowerful: He wears purple trousers and not much else.
* RageAgainstTheMentor: Combined with CallingTheOldManOut, his fight with Shifu is nothing but this, as Tai Lung lashes out against his master and adoptive father [[spoiler:for getting his hopes up and driving him to push himself to his physical limit over some great destiny only to say nothing after Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll.]]
* RedemptionRejection:
** "I don't want your ''apology''! I want my ''Scroll!''" Made worse by the fact that for a moment, Tai Lung ''is'' visibly moved and it [[HopeSpot really looked like he was going to accept]] Shifu's unexpected apology, but [[IveComeTooFar then remembered why he was there]].
** Near the end of his battle with [[spoiler: Po, as Tai Lung finally opens the Dragon Scroll. Po calmly comforts him and tries to explain to him what the scroll's message actually means. Tai Lung won't have any of it and tries to attack Po again who regretfully has to take the fight up a notch.]]
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His irises are red, and he's a murderous ArrogantKungFuGuy.
* RefusedByTheCall: Tai Lung firmly believed that he deserved to be the Dragon Warrior, only for Oogway to refuse to give him the Dragon Scroll.
* TheResenter: Deeply resents Shifu, and to a lesser extent, Oogway, for denying him the Dragon Scroll.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: He was this when he was young, believe it or not.
* RunningOnAllFours: Like Tigress, he seems to do this by default.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: A variant - he gives a deeply undignified startled-kitten squeak when Po tricks him into biting his own tail.
* SealedEvilInACan: Chorh-Gom Prison exists for the sole purpose of keeping Tai Lung, and ''only'' Tai Lung, locked up. The one thing that keeps him immobilized is a turtle shell-shaped harness with acupuncture needles in his back... and the only thing he needed to escape from [[TheAlcatraz the prison carved out of a mountain that goes down for miles and is guarded by a thousand rhinoceri]] is a ''single feather''.
* ShadowArchetype:
** He represents what Po could have been with a bad teacher. Both of them are incurable show-offs, even when the situation calls for dead seriousness. When Tai Lung appeared before Shifu out of nowhere before their confrontation, he was hiding at a distance for some time and waiting for Shifu to blink, so that his entrance could be appropriately dramatic (as explained in DVD commentary).
** Also Tigress, due to their similar InferioritySuperiorityComplex and TheResenter role for not being chosen as the Dragon Warrior. However while Tigress' honour code and loyalty to Shifu still offset that slight, Tai Lung's sense of entitlement made him turn on his masters.
* SoreLoser: His response to being told he was not the Dragon Warrior was to rampage through the Valley of Peace, and even when moments away from his final defeat, he refuses to accept that a big fat panda, of all things, can crush him in a battle.
* StarterVillain: Tai Lung is [[ZigZaggedTrope an interesting variation]] in that he's the first proper villain that Po faces in the entire franchise. He's already reached a high level of mastery by the time he's faced the Furious Five and Po and is more powerful and skilled than Shen, the sequel villain. However, threat level-wise, Shen is still greater than Tai Lung because he has an entire army, advanced weaponry, and more grand country-wide ambitions and Tai Lung is completely eclipsed by Kai from the third movie in both threat level and power. On the other hand, taking into consideration the different animated shows, Tai Lung would be utterly crushed by major arc villains like Ke-Pa, Jindiao, the White Bone Demon, and Zuma with the Tianshang weapons but is likely still far more dangerous and powerful compared to some of Po's regular RoguesGallery like Fung, Hundun, Tong Fo, Temutai, and Taotie, placing Tai Lung in that unique niche of being a StarterVillain who stays strong relative to the entire franchise since there are some later villains who surpass him in power and threat level, but not every single major villain Po faces at a later date reaches his level either.
* StartOfDarkness: He [[UsedToBeASweetKid Used to be a Sweet Cub]], but his own talent and Shifu's high expectations of him caused him to believe that he was worthy of being the Dragon Warrior. But Master Oogway realized that he wasn't capable of actually ''understanding'' the secret of the Dragon Scroll, and refused him. Tai Lung refused to accept this, and tore apart the temple in his search for the scroll before Oogway paralyzed him and he was imprisoned in Chorh-Gom.
* SuperStrength: Having a giant boulder hanging on a chain from each paw was not enough to restrain him. He sends rhinos flying like rag dolls with his strikes and slams through a prison door barricaded by two of them barely slowed down, and tears a piece of stone bigger than himself from the temple's stairway to hurl it at Shifu. He distinguishes himself even in the world where unnatural strength automatically comes with Kung Fu mastery.
* TemptingFate: When Tai Lung first sees Po, he mockingly asks, "What are you going to do? Sit on me?" Guess what happens to him.
* TragicVillain: Tai Lung could have been a great hero if Shifu could have helped curb his growing monstrous ego and emotional insecurities, or if he had the strength of character to feel secure within his limits to do it himself.
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler: At the end of the first film, Tai Lung was banished to the Spirit Realm after Po used the Wuxi Finger Hold. From there, it was never really explained what had happened to him there but it's eventually and canonically confirmed through [[BlinkAndYoullMissIt a brief cameo]] that Kai overpowered and caught him. Afterwards, he's not shown again when Kai is defeated, making it unclear if he was revived as one of the fallen warriors.]]
* UnderestimatingBadassery: He does this the first time he lays eyes on Po, mocking the panda and asking if Po will sit on him. Of course, this attitude helps contribute to Tai Lung's defeat.
* TheUnfavorite: Mentioned when Tai Lung returns to the Jade Palace:
-->'''Tai Lung''': I have come home, master.
-->'''Shifu''': This is no longer your home, and I am no longer your master!
-->'''Tai Lung''': Oh, yes. You have a new favorite. So where is this Po? [''evil chuckle''] Did I scare him off?
** {{Subverted|Trope}} when Shifu mentions how he had become so proud of him that he failed to see what he had become.
-->'''Tai Lung''': [''furiously beating Shifu with flaming fists''] Everything I did, I did! To make! You! Proud! Tell me how ''proud'' you are, Shifu! Tell me! ''TELL ME!'' [''Tai Lung knocks Shifu to the ground'']
-->'''Shifu''' [''with a regretful sadness'']: I have...always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been...proud of you. And it was my pride that blinded me. I loved you too much to see what you were becoming. What I...was turning you into. I'm s... I'm sorry. [''Tai Lung pauses, then grabs Shifu by the throat'']
-->'''Tai Lung''': I don't want your apology! ''I want my scroll!''
* TheUnfettered: He will stop at nothing to get the Dragon Scroll, even if it means [[spoiler: trying to kill his adoptive father and mentor]].
* UsedToBeASweetKid: What was once Shifu's greatest pupil and adopted son, is now a power-hungry monster. He's even the current trope image.
* VillainHasAPoint: [[spoiler: His grievance with Shifu is not unwarranted: Tai Lung went through hell with his training and was raised with fatherly love and support from Shifu, who believed Tai Lung to be the Dragon Warrior... and yet when Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll, Shifu did ''absolutely nothing'' to change his mind or explain why to Tai Lung. When Tai Lung was sent to prison, Shifu never visited him or tried to contact him. Even when directly confronted about this, Shifu still refused to explain why Tai Lung wasn't meant to be the Dragon Warrior, and the only answer Shifu could give on the matter can be summed up as "Because Oogway said so". From Tai Lung's perspective: Shifu abandoned him once Oogway said Tai Lung was not the Dragon Warrior, discarding their relationship on a whim just because Oogway said so. If Shifu truly loved Tai Lung despite this; he should have remained in contact, tried to explain Oogway's decision to him, and met Oogway's decision with more resistance than just "oh well" and then doing nothing.]]
* VillainRespect: His compliment to the Furious Five on how Shifu must have taught them everything they knew, and are right to be proud, only to [[CurbStompBattle show just how far the gap really was between them]].
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: After learning the secret of the Dragon Scroll was not what he expected the key to limitless power to be, he becomes BlindedByRage with his attacks, allowing Po to easily counter them and beat him more easily.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Never wears a shirt.
* WallCrawl: He can use his claws for this purpose, as shown when he breaks out of Chorh-Gom.
* WellDoneSonGuy: It’s implied based off his fight against Shifu that since childhood, he did everything he could to make Shifu proud. While he was initially taunting Shifu about wondering how proud Shifu was of him during their fight, some part of him still sought Shifu’s praise and approval.
* TheWorfEffect: It's revealed in ''3'' that Tai Lung is one of the warriors who was defeated by Kai and had his chi stolen from him. Downplayed in that it happened offscreen.
* WrongGenreSavvy: He seems to think he's TheHero of the story, which WordOfGod has said was intentional, and is why Tai Lung has golden eyes -- [[ColorMotif the color gold represents glory and heroism]]. Tai Lung's scenes are framed as an archetypical action HerosJourney: he is betrayed by his master and denied prestige he feels he deserves and is imprisoned for years before escaping, and he fights his way back to his homeland (including an encounter with a QuirkyMinibossSquad of his master's pupils) to confront his old master and his new favorite student and claim the destiny they denied him. Unfortunately for Tai Lung, he ''isn't'' TheHero of this story, Po is.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Tai Lung believed that he was supposed to be the prophecised Dragon Warrior, but after Oogway denied him the title, Tai Lung believed he had been abandoned and stripped of his identity by his adoptive father.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Commander Vachir]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Vachir_2_8787.png]]
-->"You doubt my prison's security?"
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan
The head of security at Chorh-Gom Prison, where Tai Lung was held for twenty years.
----
* BassoProfundo: With Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan, a deep, imposing voice is a given.
* BerserkButton: Having his prison and its guards insulted. Shifu's mild FreakOut about Oogway's vision causes him to send a message to Chorh-Gom Prison with an order to double the guards, which infuriates Vachir and prompts him to make a demonstration of how effective the prison is and inadvertently providing Tai Lung with the means of escape.
* BigWhat: His very first line, indicating he's not very happy with Shifu's concerns.
* BraidsOfAction: What hair he does have is in a long braid.
* TheBully: He unnecessarily badgers Shifu's messenger and makes a point of tormenting Tai Lung to show how tough he is.
* DropTheHammer: His preferred weapon is a hammer.
* GoodIsNotNice: He runs a heavily secured prison keeping Tai Lung imprisoned, but he's not very generous and comes off as a bully in an important position more than anything.
* {{Jerkass}}: He is disrespectful, boastful, and uncompromising.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Calling him a Hero is a stretch, but he knocks out Zeng's feather, and Tai Lung uses it as a lockpick to escape.
* NominalHero: Technically on the side of the good guys as he is keeping a public enemy imprisoned, but he's such a {{Jerkass}} that it's hard to see him as respectable for such a duty.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: He's fairly confident that he can prevent Tai Lung from escaping, up until Tai Lung climbs onto the ceiling stalactites and grabs the dynamite.
-->'''Zeng''': ''(as Tai Lung is flying towards them, wielding a bundle of dynamite on a rope)'' Can we run now?!\\
'''Vachir''': ''(nervously whimpers)'' Yes.
* PoliceBrutality: Evil and destructive Tai Lung's rampage might have been, but there's nothing beneficial nor in Vachir's job requirements involving degrading and inflicting physical pain on him while he's [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown already completely immobilised]]. Even without knowing about Tai Lung's status as a TragicVillain, Vachir's treatment of the imprisoned villain shows the rhino to be unnecessarily and [[TheBully cravenly]] cruel.
* RhinoRampage: {{Inverted}}, he's not the rampager, Tai Lung is. His guards are supposed to prevent Tai Lung from rampaging.
* ScaryBlackMan: Courtesy of Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan.
* SmugSnake: He constantly brags how escape-proof Chorh-Gom prison is, not realizing that the restraining shell is the main, if not the only thing that keeps Tai Lung there... and indirectly provides Tai Lung means to escape.
* UncertainDoom: His final scene shows him utterly terrified as Tai Lung hurls explosives at him and his soldiers. After that, we see the subsequent explosion blowing open the entrance door with many rhinos falling out onto the ground and some even falling off the cliff, and [[DeadHatShot then his golden horn clattering down right in front of Zeng]] before Tai-Lung grabs the messenger by the throat. Beyond that, it's not clear if Vachir himself survived, got killed by the explosion, or was among those rhinos who fell off the cliff to their doom.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: His smug assurance that Tai Lung could be kept in prison is quickly proven wrong as the former prisoner bulldozes through all of his guards and security measures.
[[/folder]]
----
[-[[Characters/KungFuPandaTheJadePalace The Jade Palace]] ([[Characters/KungFuPandaMasterPoPing Po]])\\
'''First Film''' | [[Characters/KungFuPanda2 Second Film]] | [[Characters/KungFuPanda3 Third Film]]\\
''[[Characters/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness Legends of Awesomeness]]'' | ''[[Characters/KungFuPandaThePawsOfDestiny The Paws of Destiny]]'' | ''[[Characters/KungFuPandaTheDragonKnight The Dragon Knight]]''\\
[[Characters/KungFuPandaOtherCharacters Other Characters]]-]]]]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
!!Chorh-Gom Prison
[[folder:Tai Lung]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tai_lung_icon.png]]
-->"Fly back there and tell them... the ''real'' Dragon Warrior is coming home."
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/IanMcShane, Creator/AndreSogliuzzo (TV Series during Po's illusion), Creator/MichelleRuff (as a baby)
The BigBad of the first film. One of Master Shifu's earlier students and adopted son, Tai Lung is an arrogant Snow Leopard who turned evil and went on a rampage. For that, he was imprisoned for twenty years. It is the prophecy of his escape that sets the events of the series into motion and his defeat at the hands of Po that affirms Po as the Dragon Warrior.
----
* AlasPoorVillain: He was adopted and groomed by Shifu into being the Dragon Warrior of prophecy but felt abandoned once Oogway told him that he wasn't the Dragon Warrior because Shifu did nothing to sway his opinion or justify his decision to Tai Lung.
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler:He at long last gets the Dragon Scroll only to find it completely blank save for a gold reflective surface. He spent his entire life lusting for the power of the scroll, only to find it has no such power and he fails to understand its message.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Shifu told him throughout his childhood that he was destined for greatness and trained him accordingly. Over time he became convinced that he would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior.
* AxCrazy: He tries to keep himself composed, but he's very quick to resort to positively vicious violence when remotely provoked, as seen when he tore through the entire Valley over being denied the Dragon Scroll. This insanity was the main reason he was locked up in the first place.
* BadassBoast: Upon learning that the Dragon Warrior's name is Po, Tai Lung gloats that he will enjoy a legendary battle with each other.
* BigBad: Of the first film. His impending return and desire for revenge is what kicks off the plot, necessitating the choosing of the Dragon Warrior and thus beginning Po's journey.
* BloodKnight: Clearly relishes the idea of fighting the actual Dragon Warrior, as his BadassBoast on the bridge against the Furious Five demonstrates:
-->'''Tai Lung''': So that is his name... Po. Finally, a {{worthy opponent}}. Our battle will be ''legendary''!
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Tigress' Abel, with Tigress being the foster sister.
* CatsAreMean: Aside from being the BigBad, he's also kind of a jerk in general. Look no further than his conversation with Tigress.
* TheCameo: He returns in the third film [[FreezeFrameBonus as a jade amulet on Kai's waist,]] but he is never utilized as a jombie.
* TheChosenWannabe: When he was denied the chance to be the Dragon Warrior, he decided to simply take the scroll by force.
* DeadpanSnarker: When he feels like it. Just like his father figure.
-->'''Shifu:''' This is no longer your home. And I am no longer your master.\\
'''Tai Lung:''' Oh, yes. You have a new favourite. So where is this "Po"? Did I scare him off?
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Whether or not it was intentional, Tai Lung is one for the traditional Kung-Fu Hero that is exiled or imprisoned by his enemies and returns to claim what (he thinks) is his. The movie also deconstructs in Tai Lung's character the idea of TheChosenOne, MasterOfAll, and RoaringRampageOfRevenge. While Tai Lung was imprisoned by his father figure, it was for a good reason as Tai Lung would do anything to get the Dragon Scroll and attacked his mentor/father figure without mercy and showed he would go to [[ItsAllAboutMe extreme lengths to get what he wants.]] Tai Lung believed he was the chosen one due to his father figure raising him into becoming the best student from the temple. While in most Kung-Fu stories, he would be the chosen one, the [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong nature of the Dragon Scroll]] renders that belief meaningless and indeed, anathema to the purpose of Kung-Fu. Being raised to crave outside validation for accomplishments was detrimental to Tai Lung's personal growth, who instead needed to look to himself rather than others. While Tai Lung was very much TheAce and a prodigy, learning 1,000 scrolls worth of techniques, he only looked to the physical and technical aspects of Kung-Fu and never focused on spiritual enlightenment or peace within himself. Lastly, Tai Lung was let down by Shifu by not supporting Tai Lung in the ways that mattered most, and for leaving him to rot in prison for 20 years without trying to reach out to his son or helping him in a way that could have given Tai Lung a chance at redemption. Tai Lung had become so bitter and selfish that even when Shifu admits his own faults and apologizes, Tai Lung still ignores him and not only attacks Shifu but is also harming innocent people. While Shifu was at fault for some of the wrongs that resulted, Tai Lung became a cold and brutal beast willing to destroy anyone and anything to get what he wanted.
* DesperatelyCravesAffection: [[spoiler:His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despite Shifu’s training giving him the impression that he was the prophesied dragon warrior.]]
* TheDeterminator: Nothing gets in his way. Not armies, not arrows, not ballista bolts, not falling stalactites, not five of the greatest Kung-Fu warriors, not his own master, and father. He often encounters obstacles that should have permanently ended him, but he keeps finding off-the-cuff solutions to overcome them and roar back into the fight.
* DoorstopBaby: He was abandoned at the Jade Temple door as an infant.
* TheDreaded: ''Everyone'' fears him. Even Vachir, the prison warden, loses his cocky bravado once it becomes clear that Tai Lung has made it past all Chorh-Gom's defenses (and is about to throw a bunch of dynamite into his face).
* DudeWheresMyRespect: His attitude, his demeanour and his ego put the erroneous impression into his head that he was the prophesied Dragon Warrior but felt betrayed and besmirched when he was denied the title.
* EarlyPersonalitySigns: Even as a young cub, he showed physical strength and talent in kung fu, as seen when he kicked a punching bag hard enough to send it flying across the room.
* EtTuBrute: [[spoiler:The true reason behind his wrath. It wasn't so much the fact that he was denied the Dragon Scroll that caused him to become so violent as it was the fact that Shifu, who had acted as his paternal figure, did nothing to try to change Oogway's mind or even explain Oogway's reasoning why he was denied. Add to that the fact that Shifu never once visited Tai Lung after he was imprisoned, and you can understand why he'd feel that his father figure had abandoned him.]]
* EvilBrit: A villain who has his voice actor's natural English accent.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: His arrogance prevents him from understanding the secret of the Dragon Scroll that the secret to limitless power [[spoiler:lies within himself. WordOfGod says this is the only thing that prevents him from making a HeelFaceTurn. As far as he’s concerned why would need to because he’s under the impression he in the right when it turns out he could not be more wrong about that.]] His ego also prevents him from seeing why Oogway said he wasn’t the Dragon Warrior Because his attitude was the very antithesis of the one needed to be the Dragon Warrior.
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Po -- Both are orphans whose life had something to do with Kung Fu and being the Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung was shown to be gifted at Kung Fu and groomed for the role of the Dragon Warrior, but was not chosen as the Dragon Warrior and became the BigBad he is; Po had to work his way to being a Kung Fu master and was chosen as the Dragon Warrior. Also, while Po is a HumbleHero (bordering on HeroicSelfDeprecation), Tai Lung is an ArrogantKungFuGuy (which is his FatalFlaw).
** To Tigress -- Both do not know their real parents (the latter was raised in an OrphanageOfLove, the former was a DoorstopBaby), and [[WellDoneSonGuy just wanted their teacher's love]]. Like Tai Lung, Tigress believed that she would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior by Oogway, and resented Po for 'stealing her thunder'. Also, both are big [[CatsAreMean felines]] who suffer from {{Pride}} and [[BerserkButton a bad temper]]. Unlike Tai Lung, Tigress remained honorable by choosing to become an even better and more worthy warrior. This decision, combined with her defeat at the Thread of Hope, kept her from following the same path as him.
* EvilFormerFriend: To Shifu, his master.
* EvilIsHammy: He isn't a subtle character.
* EvilSoundsDeep: His overall assertive demeanor is matched by a firm, commanding voice.
* FaceHeelTurn: In a flashback, he went from Shifu's beloved son and prize pupil to a destructive FallenHero that went on a rampage through the Valley and tried to kill his own mentor when he was deemed unworthy of the Dragon Scroll.
* FallenHero: Used to be a great hero in the Valley. Then Oogway decided that he wasn't ''enough'' of a hero to deserve the Dragon Scroll and it all went downhill from there. [[spoiler: At least, that's how it went down in his head. The truth is that his arrogance and refusal to look beyond combat and pursue self-enlightenment is the reason that Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll.]]
* FatalFlaw: Hubris. How much of this is his fault and how much of it is Shifu's is a matter for debate, but Tai Lung's immense arrogance ultimately winds up being his downfall three separate times, each worse than the last. Firstly, it prevents him from reflecting on himself enough to understand why Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll. Secondly, it drove him to go on a destructive rampage through the Valley of Peace and challenge Oogway to a duel, a duel he loses badly. Finally, it prevents him from understanding or appreciating the true meaning of the Dragon Scroll, even when Po spells it out to him. Po offered him a chance to change, and Tai Lung's pride made him throw it away, sealing his fate.
* FauxAffablyEvil: After fighting his way out of the prison, Tai Lung roughly {{Neck Lift}}s Zeng, strokes his head, and amicably tells the goose to deliver his message to the Valley of Peace before helpfully throwing him up to catch flight. All the while with explosions caused by the snow leopard occurring in the background. He also compliments the Furious Five for their performance against him before subduing them with his nerve attacks. And finally, he acts nearly respectfully upon first meeting his master for twenty years, but he drops the act upon Shifu's answer that they ''must'' fight.
-->'''Tai Lung''': I'm glad Shifu sent you. ''[brings his paw close to the shivering Zeng before stroking the goose's head]'' I was beginning to think I'd been forgotten. Fly back there and tell them... the ''real'' Dragon Warrior is coming home.
* FighterMageThief: The Fighter to Shen's Thief and Kai's Mage; While sometimes turning his opponents' own weapons and environment against them, for the most part he fights using pure Kung Fu- unlike Shen- and [[spoiler:while his nerve attacks can paralyze with a touch, they bear no similarity to Kai's chi manipulation]].
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric - [[ArrogantKungFuGuy arrogant]], [[UnstoppableRage destructive]] and HotBlooded.
* FreudianExcuse: He turned evil because he was denied the Dragon Scroll by Oogway, [[spoiler:and Shifu did not challenge that decision despite the tremendous amount of support he gave Tai Lung before.]]
* FreudianTrio: The Id to Shen's Superego and Kai's Ego. Tai Lung is the most aggressive and physically capable of the three and is also by far the most temperamental.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: He went from a sweet orphan to TheDreaded.
* FurryReminder: He punctuates a lot of his dialogue with growls and snarls.
* GeniusBruiser: Not only is Tai Lung TheJuggernaut, but he's clever enough to pick up one of Zeng's loose feathers with his unrestrained tail and use it to pick the intricate lock of his chi-disrupting restraints.
* TheGift: Though it's to his detriment. He has a severe [[ArrogantKungFuGuy ego problem]] that prevents him from being [[spoiler: truly receptive of the Dragon Scroll's wisdom]]. This is why Oogway refused to make him the Dragon Warrior. His response to this was less than cordial.
* HairTriggerTemper: It takes a LOT of things to make him mad, especially being denied something he wants.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: He only wears a belt and a pair of pants. Interestingly, the color of his pants seems to match the blanket he was wrapped in when he was found as a baby.
* HerosEvilPredecessor: Downplayed. Tai Lung is Master Shifu's former pupil and a talented Kung Fu fighter who trained since his early age, and Shifu thought he was certain to become the legendary Dragon Warrior. Master Oogway didn't agree, leading to Tai Lung rebelling against the masters and then getting imprisoned for his troubles. Twenty years later, our hero Po is made the Dragon Warrior and then he's informed that he's fated to defeat Tai Lung, the former candidate for the title.
* IncendiaryExponent: He is so badass he can set his paws on fire and not even get burned!
* IncompletelyTrained: Shifu taught him to focus on the physical side of kung fu, not the spiritual one, preventing him from becoming enlightened [[spoiler: and realizing the true wisdom of the Dragon Scroll]].
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Raised to believe he would be named the Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung became arrogant in his skill, entitled to his destiny, and convinced of his own heroism and perfection. However, when he yells at Shifu that "all I ever did, I did to make you proud!" it becomes obvious that Tai Lung believed he needed the validation of the Scroll to have any real worth and earn Shifu's love and pride. This is made poignantly clear when he first stares into the scroll seeing only his reflection and declares [[RuleOfSymbolism "It's nothing!"]], missing the entire lesson of the scroll.
* InterspeciesAdoption: He was a snow leopard that was adopted by Shifu, a red panda.
* IResembleThatRemark: Oogway deemed him unfit to receive the Dragon Scroll, seeing a darkness in his heart. Tai Lung responded by destroying the entire Valley of Peace in a fit of rage.
* {{Jerkass}}: Tai Lung used to be an adorable cub, but he grew up egotistical and smug before turning evil, partly thanks to Shifu neglecting to teach him humility. He looks down on ''everyone'' in his delusions of invincibility, refusing to accept blame for his undoings, and ultimately rejecting his mentor's heartfelt apology.
* TheJuggernaut: A thousand rhino warriors don't get a hit on him, the Furious Five can't stop him and even ''Master Shifu'' is solidly defeated by him. Master Oogway seems to be the only character who stands any sort of chance against him. However, Master Oogway is confident that ''Po'' is up to the challenge.
* KiManipulation: His signature nerve strike causes the flow of ki in an opponent's body to become blocked causing paralysis.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Once he's set free, one of the very first things he does is go on a rampage and take his revenge on Vachir. Considering how much of a bully Vachir was with harassing Zeng and abusing Tai Lung when he was captive, practically no one can feel sorry for Vachir.
* KnightOfCerebus: The tone of the first film completely darkens whenever he's around.
* LightIsNotGood: He is a pale snow leopard with golden glowing eyes and the BigBad.
* LightningBruiser: He's big and muscular while also incredibly agile.
* MeaningfulName: His name (太龍, tàilóng) means "great dragon", which is everything but what he actually is (i.e., the Dragon Warrior). As Shifu gave him this name, it drives home the incredible expectations placed on him.
* MeaninglessVillainVictory: He gets to read the Dragon Scroll, but he can't understand its message.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Oddly, his mouth is almost filled with tiny incisors, for his two lower fangs.
* NeverMyFault: He blames Shifu and Oogway for not being named the Dragon Warrior and his imprisonment. While there is some truth in regards to Shifu's accountability, Tai Lung had no right to lash out at everyone in arm's reach for not getting a title he wasn't fit for.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Tai Lung was already an adult when he was imprisoned, and even after spending 20 years in there -- during which he wasn't even allowed to ''move'' -- by the time he escapes he not only looks no older but didn't even grow any more frail, with Shifu remarking that he's somehow in ''better'' shape than when he was first locked up. Given that he was TheAce, it's evident he's just that good.
* OneManArmy: ''No'' number of conventional soldiers is a match for him. His prison boasted of a thousand rhino guards and he took them all out within minutes. Sure, he used dynamite for the last group, but it's likely it would have only taken him a few more minutes to clean house the old-fashion way.
* PantheraAwesome: Of the snow leopard variety.
* TheParalyzer: His nerve strike which he learned from the [[AwesomenessByAnalysis restraining shell that held him imprisoned]].
* PlotArmor: He receives a combined beatdown from every member aside from Mantis, gets tied up completely with vines by Crane, gets slugged by Tigress, and is sent flying into the misty chasm, screaming the whole time. He then flings himself back across the chasm and OneHitKO[=s=] the Furious Five, primarily because the plot needs him to win so he can have his showdown with [[TheHero Po]].
* ThePoorlyChosenOne: He was adopted by Shifu, who recognized his natural talent for kung fu and told him he was destined for greatness. He trained all his life in expectation of becoming the Dragon Warrior, but when he asked for the scroll, Oogway refused him. Tai Lung destroyed the entire village in a fit of rage, and was locked up in a TailorMadePrison for the next twenty years.
* PrehensileTail: Tai Lung uses his unrestrained tail to pick up Zeng's loose feather and use it to pick the lock of his restraint.
* PurpleIsPowerful: He wears purple trousers and not much else.
* RageAgainstTheMentor: Combined with CallingTheOldManOut, his fight with Shifu is nothing but this, as Tai Lung lashes out against his master and adoptive father [[spoiler:for getting his hopes up and driving him to push himself to his physical limit over some great destiny only to say nothing after Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll.]]
* RedemptionRejection:
** "I don't want your ''apology''! I want my ''Scroll!''" Made worse by the fact that for a moment, Tai Lung ''is'' visibly moved and it [[HopeSpot really looked like he was going to accept]] Shifu's unexpected apology, but [[IveComeTooFar then remembered why he was there]].
** Near the end of his battle with [[spoiler: Po, as Tai Lung finally opens the Dragon Scroll. Po calmly comforts him and tries to explain to him what the scroll's message actually means. Tai Lung won't have any of it and tries to attack Po again who regretfully has to take the fight up a notch.]]
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His irises are red, and he's a murderous ArrogantKungFuGuy.
* RefusedByTheCall: Tai Lung firmly believed that he deserved to be the Dragon Warrior, only for Oogway to refuse to give him the Dragon Scroll.
* TheResenter: Deeply resents Shifu, and to a lesser extent, Oogway, for denying him the Dragon Scroll.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: He was this when he was young, believe it or not.
* RunningOnAllFours: Like Tigress, he seems to do this by default.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: A variant - he gives a deeply undignified startled-kitten squeak when Po tricks him into biting his own tail.
* SealedEvilInACan: Chorh-Gom Prison exists for the sole purpose of keeping Tai Lung, and ''only'' Tai Lung, locked up. The one thing that keeps him immobilized is a turtle shell-shaped harness with acupuncture needles in his back... and the only thing he needed to escape from [[TheAlcatraz the prison carved out of a mountain that goes down for miles and is guarded by a thousand rhinoceri]] is a ''single feather''.
* ShadowArchetype:
** He represents what Po could have been with a bad teacher. Both of them are incurable show-offs, even when the situation calls for dead seriousness. When Tai Lung appeared before Shifu out of nowhere before their confrontation, he was hiding at a distance for some time and waiting for Shifu to blink, so that his entrance could be appropriately dramatic (as explained in DVD commentary).
** Also Tigress, due to their similar InferioritySuperiorityComplex and TheResenter role for not being chosen as the Dragon Warrior. However while Tigress' honour code and loyalty to Shifu still offset that slight, Tai Lung's sense of entitlement made him turn on his masters.
* SoreLoser: His response to being told he was not the Dragon Warrior was to rampage through the Valley of Peace, and even when moments away from his final defeat, he refuses to accept that a big fat panda, of all things, can crush him in a battle.
* StarterVillain: Tai Lung is [[ZigZaggedTrope an interesting variation]] in that he's the first proper villain that Po faces in the entire franchise. He's already reached a high level of mastery by the time he's faced the Furious Five and Po and is more powerful and skilled than Shen, the sequel villain. However, threat level-wise, Shen is still greater than Tai Lung because he has an entire army, advanced weaponry, and more grand country-wide ambitions and Tai Lung is completely eclipsed by Kai from the third movie in both threat level and power. On the other hand, taking into consideration the different animated shows, Tai Lung would be utterly crushed by major arc villains like Ke-Pa, Jindiao, the White Bone Demon, and Zuma with the Tianshang weapons but is likely still far more dangerous and powerful compared to some of Po's regular RoguesGallery like Fung, Hundun, Tong Fo, Temutai, and Taotie, placing Tai Lung in that unique niche of being a StarterVillain who stays strong relative to the entire franchise since there are some later villains who surpass him in power and threat level, but not every single major villain Po faces at a later date reaches his level either.
* StartOfDarkness: He [[UsedToBeASweetKid Used to be a Sweet Cub]], but his own talent and Shifu's high expectations of him caused him to believe that he was worthy of being the Dragon Warrior. But Master Oogway realized that he wasn't capable of actually ''understanding'' the secret of the Dragon Scroll, and refused him. Tai Lung refused to accept this, and tore apart the temple in his search for the scroll before Oogway paralyzed him and he was imprisoned in Chorh-Gom.
* SuperStrength: Having a giant boulder hanging on a chain from each paw was not enough to restrain him. He sends rhinos flying like rag dolls with his strikes and slams through a prison door barricaded by two of them barely slowed down, and tears a piece of stone bigger than himself from the temple's stairway to hurl it at Shifu. He distinguishes himself even in the world where unnatural strength automatically comes with Kung Fu mastery.
* TemptingFate: When Tai Lung first sees Po, he mockingly asks, "What are you going to do? Sit on me?" Guess what happens to him.
* TragicVillain: Tai Lung could have been a great hero if Shifu could have helped curb his growing monstrous ego and emotional insecurities, or if he had the strength of character to feel secure within his limits to do it himself.
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler: At the end of the first film, Tai Lung was banished to the Spirit Realm after Po used the Wuxi Finger Hold. From there, it was never really explained what had happened to him there but it's eventually and canonically confirmed through [[BlinkAndYoullMissIt a brief cameo]] that Kai overpowered and caught him. Afterwards, he's not shown again when Kai is defeated, making it unclear if he was revived as one of the fallen warriors.]]
* UnderestimatingBadassery: He does this the first time he lays eyes on Po, mocking the panda and asking if Po will sit on him. Of course, this attitude helps contribute to Tai Lung's defeat.
* TheUnfavorite: Mentioned when Tai Lung returns to the Jade Palace:
-->'''Tai Lung''': I have come home, master.
-->'''Shifu''': This is no longer your home, and I am no longer your master!
-->'''Tai Lung''': Oh, yes. You have a new favorite. So where is this Po? [''evil chuckle''] Did I scare him off?
** {{Subverted|Trope}} when Shifu mentions how he had become so proud of him that he failed to see what he had become.
-->'''Tai Lung''': [''furiously beating Shifu with flaming fists''] Everything I did, I did! To make! You! Proud! Tell me how ''proud'' you are, Shifu! Tell me! ''TELL ME!'' [''Tai Lung knocks Shifu to the ground'']
-->'''Shifu''' [''with a regretful sadness'']: I have...always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been...proud of you. And it was my pride that blinded me. I loved you too much to see what you were becoming. What I...was turning you into. I'm s... I'm sorry. [''Tai Lung pauses, then grabs Shifu by the throat'']
-->'''Tai Lung''': I don't want your apology! ''I want my scroll!''
* TheUnfettered: He will stop at nothing to get the Dragon Scroll, even if it means [[spoiler: trying to kill his adoptive father and mentor]].
* UsedToBeASweetKid: What was once Shifu's greatest pupil and adopted son, is now a power-hungry monster. He's even the current trope image.
* VillainHasAPoint: [[spoiler: His grievance with Shifu is not unwarranted: Tai Lung went through hell with his training and was raised with fatherly love and support from Shifu, who believed Tai Lung to be the Dragon Warrior... and yet when Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll, Shifu did ''absolutely nothing'' to change his mind or explain why to Tai Lung. When Tai Lung was sent to prison, Shifu never visited him or tried to contact him. Even when directly confronted about this, Shifu still refused to explain why Tai Lung wasn't meant to be the Dragon Warrior, and the only answer Shifu could give on the matter can be summed up as "Because Oogway said so". From Tai Lung's perspective: Shifu abandoned him once Oogway said Tai Lung was not the Dragon Warrior, discarding their relationship on a whim just because Oogway said so. If Shifu truly loved Tai Lung despite this; he should have remained in contact, tried to explain Oogway's decision to him, and met Oogway's decision with more resistance than just "oh well" and then doing nothing.]]
* VillainRespect: His compliment to the Furious Five on how Shifu must have taught them everything they knew, and are right to be proud, only to [[CurbStompBattle show just how far the gap really was between them]].
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: After learning the secret of the Dragon Scroll was not what he expected the key to limitless power to be, he becomes BlindedByRage with his attacks, allowing Po to easily counter them and beat him more easily.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Never wears a shirt.
* WallCrawl: He can use his claws for this purpose, as shown when he breaks out of Chorh-Gom.
* WellDoneSonGuy: It’s implied based off his fight against Shifu that since childhood, he did everything he could to make Shifu proud. While he was initially taunting Shifu about wondering how proud Shifu was of him during their fight, some part of him still sought Shifu’s praise and approval.
* TheWorfEffect: It's revealed in ''3'' that Tai Lung is one of the warriors who was defeated by Kai and had his chi stolen from him. Downplayed in that it happened offscreen.
* WrongGenreSavvy: He seems to think he's TheHero of the story, which WordOfGod has said was intentional, and is why Tai Lung has golden eyes -- [[ColorMotif the color gold represents glory and heroism]]. Tai Lung's scenes are framed as an archetypical action HerosJourney: he is betrayed by his master and denied prestige he feels he deserves and is imprisoned for years before escaping, and he fights his way back to his homeland (including an encounter with a QuirkyMinibossSquad of his master's pupils) to confront his old master and his new favorite student and claim the destiny they denied him. Unfortunately for Tai Lung, he ''isn't'' TheHero of this story, Po is.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Tai Lung believed that he was supposed to be the prophecised Dragon Warrior, but after Oogway denied him the title, Tai Lung believed he had been abandoned and stripped of his identity by his adoptive father.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Commander Vachir]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Vachir_2_8787.png]]
-->"You doubt my prison's security?"
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan
The head of security at Chorh-Gom Prison, where Tai Lung was held for twenty years.
----
* BassoProfundo: With Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan, a deep, imposing voice is a given.
* BerserkButton: Having his prison and its guards insulted. Shifu's mild FreakOut about Oogway's vision causes him to send a message to Chorh-Gom Prison with an order to double the guards, which infuriates Vachir and prompts him to make a demonstration of how effective the prison is and inadvertently providing Tai Lung with the means of escape.
* BigWhat: His very first line, indicating he's not very happy with Shifu's concerns.
* BraidsOfAction: What hair he does have is in a long braid.
* TheBully: He unnecessarily badgers Shifu's messenger and makes a point of tormenting Tai Lung to show how tough he is.
* DropTheHammer: His preferred weapon is a hammer.
* GoodIsNotNice: He runs a heavily secured prison keeping Tai Lung imprisoned, but he's not very generous and comes off as a bully in an important position more than anything.
* {{Jerkass}}: He is disrespectful, boastful, and uncompromising.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Calling him a Hero is a stretch, but he knocks out Zeng's feather, and Tai Lung uses it as a lockpick to escape.
* NominalHero: Technically on the side of the good guys as he is keeping a public enemy imprisoned, but he's such a {{Jerkass}} that it's hard to see him as respectable for such a duty.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: He's fairly confident that he can prevent Tai Lung from escaping, up until Tai Lung climbs onto the ceiling stalactites and grabs the dynamite.
-->'''Zeng''': ''(as Tai Lung is flying towards them, wielding a bundle of dynamite on a rope)'' Can we run now?!\\
'''Vachir''': ''(nervously whimpers)'' Yes.
* PoliceBrutality: Evil and destructive Tai Lung's rampage might have been, but there's nothing beneficial nor in Vachir's job requirements involving degrading and inflicting physical pain on him while he's [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown already completely immobilised]]. Even without knowing about Tai Lung's status as a TragicVillain, Vachir's treatment of the imprisoned villain shows the rhino to be unnecessarily and [[TheBully cravenly]] cruel.
* RhinoRampage: {{Inverted}}, he's not the rampager, Tai Lung is. His guards are supposed to prevent Tai Lung from rampaging.
* ScaryBlackMan: Courtesy of Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan.
* SmugSnake: He constantly brags how escape-proof Chorh-Gom prison is, not realizing that the restraining shell is the main, if not the only thing that keeps Tai Lung there... and indirectly provides Tai Lung means to escape.
* UncertainDoom: His final scene shows him utterly terrified as Tai Lung hurls explosives at him and his soldiers. After that, we see the subsequent explosion blowing open the entrance door with many rhinos falling out onto the ground and some even falling off the cliff, and [[DeadHatShot then his golden horn clattering down right in front of Zeng]] before Tai-Lung grabs the messenger by the throat. Beyond that, it's not clear if Vachir himself survived, got killed by the explosion, or was among those rhinos who fell off the cliff to their doom.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: His smug assurance that Tai Lung could be kept in prison is quickly proven wrong as the former prisoner bulldozes through all of his guards and security measures.
[[/folder]]
----
to:
[-[[Characters/KungFuPandaTheJadePalace The Jade Palace]] ([[Characters/KungFuPandaMasterPoPing Po]])\\
'''First Film''' | [[Characters/KungFuPanda2 Second Film]] | [[Characters/KungFuPanda3 Third Film]]\\
''[[Characters/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness Legends of Awesomeness]]'' | ''[[Characters/KungFuPandaThePawsOfDestiny The Paws of Destiny]]'' | ''[[Characters/KungFuPandaTheDragonKnight The Dragon Knight]]''\\
[[Characters/KungFuPandaOtherCharacters Other Characters]]-]]]]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
!!Chorh-Gom Prison
[[folder:Tai Lung]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tai_lung_icon.png]]
-->"Fly back there and tell them... the ''real'' Dragon Warrior is coming home."
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/IanMcShane, Creator/AndreSogliuzzo (TV Series during Po's illusion), Creator/MichelleRuff (as a baby)
The BigBad of the first film. One of Master Shifu's earlier students and adopted son, Tai Lung is an arrogant Snow Leopard who turned evil and went on a rampage. For that, he was imprisoned for twenty years. It is the prophecy of his escape that sets the events of the series into motion and his defeat at the hands of Po that affirms Po as the Dragon Warrior.
----
* AlasPoorVillain: He was adopted and groomed by Shifu into being the Dragon Warrior of prophecy but felt abandoned once Oogway told him that he wasn't the Dragon Warrior because Shifu did nothing to sway his opinion or justify his decision to Tai Lung.
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler:He at long last gets the Dragon Scroll only to find it completely blank save for a gold reflective surface. He spent his entire life lusting for the power of the scroll, only to find it has no such power and he fails to understand its message.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Shifu told him throughout his childhood that he was destined for greatness and trained him accordingly. Over time he became convinced that he would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior.
* AxCrazy: He tries to keep himself composed, but he's very quick to resort to positively vicious violence when remotely provoked, as seen when he tore through the entire Valley over being denied the Dragon Scroll. This insanity was the main reason he was locked up in the first place.
* BadassBoast: Upon learning that the Dragon Warrior's name is Po, Tai Lung gloats that he will enjoy a legendary battle with each other.
* BigBad: Of the first film. His impending return and desire for revenge is what kicks off the plot, necessitating the choosing of the Dragon Warrior and thus beginning Po's journey.
* BloodKnight: Clearly relishes the idea of fighting the actual Dragon Warrior, as his BadassBoast on the bridge against the Furious Five demonstrates:
-->'''Tai Lung''': So that is his name... Po. Finally, a {{worthy opponent}}. Our battle will be ''legendary''!
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Tigress' Abel, with Tigress being the foster sister.
* CatsAreMean: Aside from being the BigBad, he's also kind of a jerk in general. Look no further than his conversation with Tigress.
* TheCameo: He returns in the third film [[FreezeFrameBonus as a jade amulet on Kai's waist,]] but he is never utilized as a jombie.
* TheChosenWannabe: When he was denied the chance to be the Dragon Warrior, he decided to simply take the scroll by force.
* DeadpanSnarker: When he feels like it. Just like his father figure.
-->'''Shifu:''' This is no longer your home. And I am no longer your master.\\
'''Tai Lung:''' Oh, yes. You have a new favourite. So where is this "Po"? Did I scare him off?
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Whether or not it was intentional, Tai Lung is one for the traditional Kung-Fu Hero that is exiled or imprisoned by his enemies and returns to claim what (he thinks) is his. The movie also deconstructs in Tai Lung's character the idea of TheChosenOne, MasterOfAll, and RoaringRampageOfRevenge. While Tai Lung was imprisoned by his father figure, it was for a good reason as Tai Lung would do anything to get the Dragon Scroll and attacked his mentor/father figure without mercy and showed he would go to [[ItsAllAboutMe extreme lengths to get what he wants.]] Tai Lung believed he was the chosen one due to his father figure raising him into becoming the best student from the temple. While in most Kung-Fu stories, he would be the chosen one, the [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong nature of the Dragon Scroll]] renders that belief meaningless and indeed, anathema to the purpose of Kung-Fu. Being raised to crave outside validation for accomplishments was detrimental to Tai Lung's personal growth, who instead needed to look to himself rather than others. While Tai Lung was very much TheAce and a prodigy, learning 1,000 scrolls worth of techniques, he only looked to the physical and technical aspects of Kung-Fu and never focused on spiritual enlightenment or peace within himself. Lastly, Tai Lung was let down by Shifu by not supporting Tai Lung in the ways that mattered most, and for leaving him to rot in prison for 20 years without trying to reach out to his son or helping him in a way that could have given Tai Lung a chance at redemption. Tai Lung had become so bitter and selfish that even when Shifu admits his own faults and apologizes, Tai Lung still ignores him and not only attacks Shifu but is also harming innocent people. While Shifu was at fault for some of the wrongs that resulted, Tai Lung became a cold and brutal beast willing to destroy anyone and anything to get what he wanted.
* DesperatelyCravesAffection: [[spoiler:His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despite Shifu’s training giving him the impression that he was the prophesied dragon warrior.]]
* TheDeterminator: Nothing gets in his way. Not armies, not arrows, not ballista bolts, not falling stalactites, not five of the greatest Kung-Fu warriors, not his own master, and father. He often encounters obstacles that should have permanently ended him, but he keeps finding off-the-cuff solutions to overcome them and roar back into the fight.
* DoorstopBaby: He was abandoned at the Jade Temple door as an infant.
* TheDreaded: ''Everyone'' fears him. Even Vachir, the prison warden, loses his cocky bravado once it becomes clear that Tai Lung has made it past all Chorh-Gom's defenses (and is about to throw a bunch of dynamite into his face).
* DudeWheresMyRespect: His attitude, his demeanour and his ego put the erroneous impression into his head that he was the prophesied Dragon Warrior but felt betrayed and besmirched when he was denied the title.
* EarlyPersonalitySigns: Even as a young cub, he showed physical strength and talent in kung fu, as seen when he kicked a punching bag hard enough to send it flying across the room.
* EtTuBrute: [[spoiler:The true reason behind his wrath. It wasn't so much the fact that he was denied the Dragon Scroll that caused him to become so violent as it was the fact that Shifu, who had acted as his paternal figure, did nothing to try to change Oogway's mind or even explain Oogway's reasoning why he was denied. Add to that the fact that Shifu never once visited Tai Lung after he was imprisoned, and you can understand why he'd feel that his father figure had abandoned him.]]
* EvilBrit: A villain who has his voice actor's natural English accent.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: His arrogance prevents him from understanding the secret of the Dragon Scroll that the secret to limitless power [[spoiler:lies within himself. WordOfGod says this is the only thing that prevents him from making a HeelFaceTurn. As far as he’s concerned why would need to because he’s under the impression he in the right when it turns out he could not be more wrong about that.]] His ego also prevents him from seeing why Oogway said he wasn’t the Dragon Warrior Because his attitude was the very antithesis of the one needed to be the Dragon Warrior.
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Po -- Both are orphans whose life had something to do with Kung Fu and being the Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung was shown to be gifted at Kung Fu and groomed for the role of the Dragon Warrior, but was not chosen as the Dragon Warrior and became the BigBad he is; Po had to work his way to being a Kung Fu master and was chosen as the Dragon Warrior. Also, while Po is a HumbleHero (bordering on HeroicSelfDeprecation), Tai Lung is an ArrogantKungFuGuy (which is his FatalFlaw).
** To Tigress -- Both do not know their real parents (the latter was raised in an OrphanageOfLove, the former was a DoorstopBaby), and [[WellDoneSonGuy just wanted their teacher's love]]. Like Tai Lung, Tigress believed that she would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior by Oogway, and resented Po for 'stealing her thunder'. Also, both are big [[CatsAreMean felines]] who suffer from {{Pride}} and [[BerserkButton a bad temper]]. Unlike Tai Lung, Tigress remained honorable by choosing to become an even better and more worthy warrior. This decision, combined with her defeat at the Thread of Hope, kept her from following the same path as him.
* EvilFormerFriend: To Shifu, his master.
* EvilIsHammy: He isn't a subtle character.
* EvilSoundsDeep: His overall assertive demeanor is matched by a firm, commanding voice.
* FaceHeelTurn: In a flashback, he went from Shifu's beloved son and prize pupil to a destructive FallenHero that went on a rampage through the Valley and tried to kill his own mentor when he was deemed unworthy of the Dragon Scroll.
* FallenHero: Used to be a great hero in the Valley. Then Oogway decided that he wasn't ''enough'' of a hero to deserve the Dragon Scroll and it all went downhill from there. [[spoiler: At least, that's how it went down in his head. The truth is that his arrogance and refusal to look beyond combat and pursue self-enlightenment is the reason that Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll.]]
* FatalFlaw: Hubris. How much of this is his fault and how much of it is Shifu's is a matter for debate, but Tai Lung's immense arrogance ultimately winds up being his downfall three separate times, each worse than the last. Firstly, it prevents him from reflecting on himself enough to understand why Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll. Secondly, it drove him to go on a destructive rampage through the Valley of Peace and challenge Oogway to a duel, a duel he loses badly. Finally, it prevents him from understanding or appreciating the true meaning of the Dragon Scroll, even when Po spells it out to him. Po offered him a chance to change, and Tai Lung's pride made him throw it away, sealing his fate.
* FauxAffablyEvil: After fighting his way out of the prison, Tai Lung roughly {{Neck Lift}}s Zeng, strokes his head, and amicably tells the goose to deliver his message to the Valley of Peace before helpfully throwing him up to catch flight. All the while with explosions caused by the snow leopard occurring in the background. He also compliments the Furious Five for their performance against him before subduing them with his nerve attacks. And finally, he acts nearly respectfully upon first meeting his master for twenty years, but he drops the act upon Shifu's answer that they ''must'' fight.
-->'''Tai Lung''': I'm glad Shifu sent you. ''[brings his paw close to the shivering Zeng before stroking the goose's head]'' I was beginning to think I'd been forgotten. Fly back there and tell them... the ''real'' Dragon Warrior is coming home.
* FighterMageThief: The Fighter to Shen's Thief and Kai's Mage; While sometimes turning his opponents' own weapons and environment against them, for the most part he fights using pure Kung Fu- unlike Shen- and [[spoiler:while his nerve attacks can paralyze with a touch, they bear no similarity to Kai's chi manipulation]].
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric - [[ArrogantKungFuGuy arrogant]], [[UnstoppableRage destructive]] and HotBlooded.
* FreudianExcuse: He turned evil because he was denied the Dragon Scroll by Oogway, [[spoiler:and Shifu did not challenge that decision despite the tremendous amount of support he gave Tai Lung before.]]
* FreudianTrio: The Id to Shen's Superego and Kai's Ego. Tai Lung is the most aggressive and physically capable of the three and is also by far the most temperamental.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: He went from a sweet orphan to TheDreaded.
* FurryReminder: He punctuates a lot of his dialogue with growls and snarls.
* GeniusBruiser: Not only is Tai Lung TheJuggernaut, but he's clever enough to pick up one of Zeng's loose feathers with his unrestrained tail and use it to pick the intricate lock of his chi-disrupting restraints.
* TheGift: Though it's to his detriment. He has a severe [[ArrogantKungFuGuy ego problem]] that prevents him from being [[spoiler: truly receptive of the Dragon Scroll's wisdom]]. This is why Oogway refused to make him the Dragon Warrior. His response to this was less than cordial.
* HairTriggerTemper: It takes a LOT of things to make him mad, especially being denied something he wants.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: He only wears a belt and a pair of pants. Interestingly, the color of his pants seems to match the blanket he was wrapped in when he was found as a baby.
* HerosEvilPredecessor: Downplayed. Tai Lung is Master Shifu's former pupil and a talented Kung Fu fighter who trained since his early age, and Shifu thought he was certain to become the legendary Dragon Warrior. Master Oogway didn't agree, leading to Tai Lung rebelling against the masters and then getting imprisoned for his troubles. Twenty years later, our hero Po is made the Dragon Warrior and then he's informed that he's fated to defeat Tai Lung, the former candidate for the title.
* IncendiaryExponent: He is so badass he can set his paws on fire and not even get burned!
* IncompletelyTrained: Shifu taught him to focus on the physical side of kung fu, not the spiritual one, preventing him from becoming enlightened [[spoiler: and realizing the true wisdom of the Dragon Scroll]].
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Raised to believe he would be named the Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung became arrogant in his skill, entitled to his destiny, and convinced of his own heroism and perfection. However, when he yells at Shifu that "all I ever did, I did to make you proud!" it becomes obvious that Tai Lung believed he needed the validation of the Scroll to have any real worth and earn Shifu's love and pride. This is made poignantly clear when he first stares into the scroll seeing only his reflection and declares [[RuleOfSymbolism "It's nothing!"]], missing the entire lesson of the scroll.
* InterspeciesAdoption: He was a snow leopard that was adopted by Shifu, a red panda.
* IResembleThatRemark: Oogway deemed him unfit to receive the Dragon Scroll, seeing a darkness in his heart. Tai Lung responded by destroying the entire Valley of Peace in a fit of rage.
* {{Jerkass}}: Tai Lung used to be an adorable cub, but he grew up egotistical and smug before turning evil, partly thanks to Shifu neglecting to teach him humility. He looks down on ''everyone'' in his delusions of invincibility, refusing to accept blame for his undoings, and ultimately rejecting his mentor's heartfelt apology.
* TheJuggernaut: A thousand rhino warriors don't get a hit on him, the Furious Five can't stop him and even ''Master Shifu'' is solidly defeated by him. Master Oogway seems to be the only character who stands any sort of chance against him. However, Master Oogway is confident that ''Po'' is up to the challenge.
* KiManipulation: His signature nerve strike causes the flow of ki in an opponent's body to become blocked causing paralysis.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Once he's set free, one of the very first things he does is go on a rampage and take his revenge on Vachir. Considering how much of a bully Vachir was with harassing Zeng and abusing Tai Lung when he was captive, practically no one can feel sorry for Vachir.
* KnightOfCerebus: The tone of the first film completely darkens whenever he's around.
* LightIsNotGood: He is a pale snow leopard with golden glowing eyes and the BigBad.
* LightningBruiser: He's big and muscular while also incredibly agile.
* MeaningfulName: His name (太龍, tàilóng) means "great dragon", which is everything but what he actually is (i.e., the Dragon Warrior). As Shifu gave him this name, it drives home the incredible expectations placed on him.
* MeaninglessVillainVictory: He gets to read the Dragon Scroll, but he can't understand its message.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Oddly, his mouth is almost filled with tiny incisors, for his two lower fangs.
* NeverMyFault: He blames Shifu and Oogway for not being named the Dragon Warrior and his imprisonment. While there is some truth in regards to Shifu's accountability, Tai Lung had no right to lash out at everyone in arm's reach for not getting a title he wasn't fit for.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Tai Lung was already an adult when he was imprisoned, and even after spending 20 years in there -- during which he wasn't even allowed to ''move'' -- by the time he escapes he not only looks no older but didn't even grow any more frail, with Shifu remarking that he's somehow in ''better'' shape than when he was first locked up. Given that he was TheAce, it's evident he's just that good.
* OneManArmy: ''No'' number of conventional soldiers is a match for him. His prison boasted of a thousand rhino guards and he took them all out within minutes. Sure, he used dynamite for the last group, but it's likely it would have only taken him a few more minutes to clean house the old-fashion way.
* PantheraAwesome: Of the snow leopard variety.
* TheParalyzer: His nerve strike which he learned from the [[AwesomenessByAnalysis restraining shell that held him imprisoned]].
* PlotArmor: He receives a combined beatdown from every member aside from Mantis, gets tied up completely with vines by Crane, gets slugged by Tigress, and is sent flying into the misty chasm, screaming the whole time. He then flings himself back across the chasm and OneHitKO[=s=] the Furious Five, primarily because the plot needs him to win so he can have his showdown with [[TheHero Po]].
* ThePoorlyChosenOne: He was adopted by Shifu, who recognized his natural talent for kung fu and told him he was destined for greatness. He trained all his life in expectation of becoming the Dragon Warrior, but when he asked for the scroll, Oogway refused him. Tai Lung destroyed the entire village in a fit of rage, and was locked up in a TailorMadePrison for the next twenty years.
* PrehensileTail: Tai Lung uses his unrestrained tail to pick up Zeng's loose feather and use it to pick the lock of his restraint.
* PurpleIsPowerful: He wears purple trousers and not much else.
* RageAgainstTheMentor: Combined with CallingTheOldManOut, his fight with Shifu is nothing but this, as Tai Lung lashes out against his master and adoptive father [[spoiler:for getting his hopes up and driving him to push himself to his physical limit over some great destiny only to say nothing after Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll.]]
* RedemptionRejection:
** "I don't want your ''apology''! I want my ''Scroll!''" Made worse by the fact that for a moment, Tai Lung ''is'' visibly moved and it [[HopeSpot really looked like he was going to accept]] Shifu's unexpected apology, but [[IveComeTooFar then remembered why he was there]].
** Near the end of his battle with [[spoiler: Po, as Tai Lung finally opens the Dragon Scroll. Po calmly comforts him and tries to explain to him what the scroll's message actually means. Tai Lung won't have any of it and tries to attack Po again who regretfully has to take the fight up a notch.]]
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His irises are red, and he's a murderous ArrogantKungFuGuy.
* RefusedByTheCall: Tai Lung firmly believed that he deserved to be the Dragon Warrior, only for Oogway to refuse to give him the Dragon Scroll.
* TheResenter: Deeply resents Shifu, and to a lesser extent, Oogway, for denying him the Dragon Scroll.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: He was this when he was young, believe it or not.
* RunningOnAllFours: Like Tigress, he seems to do this by default.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: A variant - he gives a deeply undignified startled-kitten squeak when Po tricks him into biting his own tail.
* SealedEvilInACan: Chorh-Gom Prison exists for the sole purpose of keeping Tai Lung, and ''only'' Tai Lung, locked up. The one thing that keeps him immobilized is a turtle shell-shaped harness with acupuncture needles in his back... and the only thing he needed to escape from [[TheAlcatraz the prison carved out of a mountain that goes down for miles and is guarded by a thousand rhinoceri]] is a ''single feather''.
* ShadowArchetype:
** He represents what Po could have been with a bad teacher. Both of them are incurable show-offs, even when the situation calls for dead seriousness. When Tai Lung appeared before Shifu out of nowhere before their confrontation, he was hiding at a distance for some time and waiting for Shifu to blink, so that his entrance could be appropriately dramatic (as explained in DVD commentary).
** Also Tigress, due to their similar InferioritySuperiorityComplex and TheResenter role for not being chosen as the Dragon Warrior. However while Tigress' honour code and loyalty to Shifu still offset that slight, Tai Lung's sense of entitlement made him turn on his masters.
* SoreLoser: His response to being told he was not the Dragon Warrior was to rampage through the Valley of Peace, and even when moments away from his final defeat, he refuses to accept that a big fat panda, of all things, can crush him in a battle.
* StarterVillain: Tai Lung is [[ZigZaggedTrope an interesting variation]] in that he's the first proper villain that Po faces in the entire franchise. He's already reached a high level of mastery by the time he's faced the Furious Five and Po and is more powerful and skilled than Shen, the sequel villain. However, threat level-wise, Shen is still greater than Tai Lung because he has an entire army, advanced weaponry, and more grand country-wide ambitions and Tai Lung is completely eclipsed by Kai from the third movie in both threat level and power. On the other hand, taking into consideration the different animated shows, Tai Lung would be utterly crushed by major arc villains like Ke-Pa, Jindiao, the White Bone Demon, and Zuma with the Tianshang weapons but is likely still far more dangerous and powerful compared to some of Po's regular RoguesGallery like Fung, Hundun, Tong Fo, Temutai, and Taotie, placing Tai Lung in that unique niche of being a StarterVillain who stays strong relative to the entire franchise since there are some later villains who surpass him in power and threat level, but not every single major villain Po faces at a later date reaches his level either.
* StartOfDarkness: He [[UsedToBeASweetKid Used to be a Sweet Cub]], but his own talent and Shifu's high expectations of him caused him to believe that he was worthy of being the Dragon Warrior. But Master Oogway realized that he wasn't capable of actually ''understanding'' the secret of the Dragon Scroll, and refused him. Tai Lung refused to accept this, and tore apart the temple in his search for the scroll before Oogway paralyzed him and he was imprisoned in Chorh-Gom.
* SuperStrength: Having a giant boulder hanging on a chain from each paw was not enough to restrain him. He sends rhinos flying like rag dolls with his strikes and slams through a prison door barricaded by two of them barely slowed down, and tears a piece of stone bigger than himself from the temple's stairway to hurl it at Shifu. He distinguishes himself even in the world where unnatural strength automatically comes with Kung Fu mastery.
* TemptingFate: When Tai Lung first sees Po, he mockingly asks, "What are you going to do? Sit on me?" Guess what happens to him.
* TragicVillain: Tai Lung could have been a great hero if Shifu could have helped curb his growing monstrous ego and emotional insecurities, or if he had the strength of character to feel secure within his limits to do it himself.
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler: At the end of the first film, Tai Lung was banished to the Spirit Realm after Po used the Wuxi Finger Hold. From there, it was never really explained what had happened to him there but it's eventually and canonically confirmed through [[BlinkAndYoullMissIt a brief cameo]] that Kai overpowered and caught him. Afterwards, he's not shown again when Kai is defeated, making it unclear if he was revived as one of the fallen warriors.]]
* UnderestimatingBadassery: He does this the first time he lays eyes on Po, mocking the panda and asking if Po will sit on him. Of course, this attitude helps contribute to Tai Lung's defeat.
* TheUnfavorite: Mentioned when Tai Lung returns to the Jade Palace:
-->'''Tai Lung''': I have come home, master.
-->'''Shifu''': This is no longer your home, and I am no longer your master!
-->'''Tai Lung''': Oh, yes. You have a new favorite. So where is this Po? [''evil chuckle''] Did I scare him off?
** {{Subverted|Trope}} when Shifu mentions how he had become so proud of him that he failed to see what he had become.
-->'''Tai Lung''': [''furiously beating Shifu with flaming fists''] Everything I did, I did! To make! You! Proud! Tell me how ''proud'' you are, Shifu! Tell me! ''TELL ME!'' [''Tai Lung knocks Shifu to the ground'']
-->'''Shifu''' [''with a regretful sadness'']: I have...always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been...proud of you. And it was my pride that blinded me. I loved you too much to see what you were becoming. What I...was turning you into. I'm s... I'm sorry. [''Tai Lung pauses, then grabs Shifu by the throat'']
-->'''Tai Lung''': I don't want your apology! ''I want my scroll!''
* TheUnfettered: He will stop at nothing to get the Dragon Scroll, even if it means [[spoiler: trying to kill his adoptive father and mentor]].
* UsedToBeASweetKid: What was once Shifu's greatest pupil and adopted son, is now a power-hungry monster. He's even the current trope image.
* VillainHasAPoint: [[spoiler: His grievance with Shifu is not unwarranted: Tai Lung went through hell with his training and was raised with fatherly love and support from Shifu, who believed Tai Lung to be the Dragon Warrior... and yet when Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll, Shifu did ''absolutely nothing'' to change his mind or explain why to Tai Lung. When Tai Lung was sent to prison, Shifu never visited him or tried to contact him. Even when directly confronted about this, Shifu still refused to explain why Tai Lung wasn't meant to be the Dragon Warrior, and the only answer Shifu could give on the matter can be summed up as "Because Oogway said so". From Tai Lung's perspective: Shifu abandoned him once Oogway said Tai Lung was not the Dragon Warrior, discarding their relationship on a whim just because Oogway said so. If Shifu truly loved Tai Lung despite this; he should have remained in contact, tried to explain Oogway's decision to him, and met Oogway's decision with more resistance than just "oh well" and then doing nothing.]]
* VillainRespect: His compliment to the Furious Five on how Shifu must have taught them everything they knew, and are right to be proud, only to [[CurbStompBattle show just how far the gap really was between them]].
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: After learning the secret of the Dragon Scroll was not what he expected the key to limitless power to be, he becomes BlindedByRage with his attacks, allowing Po to easily counter them and beat him more easily.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Never wears a shirt.
* WallCrawl: He can use his claws for this purpose, as shown when he breaks out of Chorh-Gom.
* WellDoneSonGuy: It’s implied based off his fight against Shifu that since childhood, he did everything he could to make Shifu proud. While he was initially taunting Shifu about wondering how proud Shifu was of him during their fight, some part of him still sought Shifu’s praise and approval.
* TheWorfEffect: It's revealed in ''3'' that Tai Lung is one of the warriors who was defeated by Kai and had his chi stolen from him. Downplayed in that it happened offscreen.
* WrongGenreSavvy: He seems to think he's TheHero of the story, which WordOfGod has said was intentional, and is why Tai Lung has golden eyes -- [[ColorMotif the color gold represents glory and heroism]]. Tai Lung's scenes are framed as an archetypical action HerosJourney: he is betrayed by his master and denied prestige he feels he deserves and is imprisoned for years before escaping, and he fights his way back to his homeland (including an encounter with a QuirkyMinibossSquad of his master's pupils) to confront his old master and his new favorite student and claim the destiny they denied him. Unfortunately for Tai Lung, he ''isn't'' TheHero of this story, Po is.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Tai Lung believed that he was supposed to be the prophecised Dragon Warrior, but after Oogway denied him the title, Tai Lung believed he had been abandoned and stripped of his identity by his adoptive father.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Commander Vachir]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Vachir_2_8787.png]]
-->"You doubt my prison's security?"
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan
The head of security at Chorh-Gom Prison, where Tai Lung was held for twenty years.
----
* BassoProfundo: With Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan, a deep, imposing voice is a given.
* BerserkButton: Having his prison and its guards insulted. Shifu's mild FreakOut about Oogway's vision causes him to send a message to Chorh-Gom Prison with an order to double the guards, which infuriates Vachir and prompts him to make a demonstration of how effective the prison is and inadvertently providing Tai Lung with the means of escape.
* BigWhat: His very first line, indicating he's not very happy with Shifu's concerns.
* BraidsOfAction: What hair he does have is in a long braid.
* TheBully: He unnecessarily badgers Shifu's messenger and makes a point of tormenting Tai Lung to show how tough he is.
* DropTheHammer: His preferred weapon is a hammer.
* GoodIsNotNice: He runs a heavily secured prison keeping Tai Lung imprisoned, but he's not very generous and comes off as a bully in an important position more than anything.
* {{Jerkass}}: He is disrespectful, boastful, and uncompromising.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Calling him a Hero is a stretch, but he knocks out Zeng's feather, and Tai Lung uses it as a lockpick to escape.
* NominalHero: Technically on the side of the good guys as he is keeping a public enemy imprisoned, but he's such a {{Jerkass}} that it's hard to see him as respectable for such a duty.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: He's fairly confident that he can prevent Tai Lung from escaping, up until Tai Lung climbs onto the ceiling stalactites and grabs the dynamite.
-->'''Zeng''': ''(as Tai Lung is flying towards them, wielding a bundle of dynamite on a rope)'' Can we run now?!\\
'''Vachir''': ''(nervously whimpers)'' Yes.
* PoliceBrutality: Evil and destructive Tai Lung's rampage might have been, but there's nothing beneficial nor in Vachir's job requirements involving degrading and inflicting physical pain on him while he's [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown already completely immobilised]]. Even without knowing about Tai Lung's status as a TragicVillain, Vachir's treatment of the imprisoned villain shows the rhino to be unnecessarily and [[TheBully cravenly]] cruel.
* RhinoRampage: {{Inverted}}, he's not the rampager, Tai Lung is. His guards are supposed to prevent Tai Lung from rampaging.
* ScaryBlackMan: Courtesy of Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan.
* SmugSnake: He constantly brags how escape-proof Chorh-Gom prison is, not realizing that the restraining shell is the main, if not the only thing that keeps Tai Lung there... and indirectly provides Tai Lung means to escape.
* UncertainDoom: His final scene shows him utterly terrified as Tai Lung hurls explosives at him and his soldiers. After that, we see the subsequent explosion blowing open the entrance door with many rhinos falling out onto the ground and some even falling off the cliff, and [[DeadHatShot then his golden horn clattering down right in front of Zeng]] before Tai-Lung grabs the messenger by the throat. Beyond that, it's not clear if Vachir himself survived, got killed by the explosion, or was among those rhinos who fell off the cliff to their doom.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: His smug assurance that Tai Lung could be kept in prison is quickly proven wrong as the former prisoner bulldozes through all of his guards and security measures.
[[/folder]]
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* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Whether or not it was intentional, Tai Lung is one for the traditional Kung-Fu Hero that is exiled or imprisoned by his enemies and returns to claim what is his. The movie also deconstructs in Tai Lung's character the idea of TheChosenOne, MasterOfAll, and RoaringRampageOfRevenge. While Tai Lung was imprisoned by his father figure, it was for a good reason as Tai Lung would do anything to get the Dragon Scroll and attacked his mentor/father figure without mercy and showed he would go to [[ItsAllAboutMe extreme lengths to get what he wants.]] Tai Lung believed he was the chosen one due to his father figure raising him into becoming the best student from the temple. While in most Kung-Fu stories, he would be the chosen one, the [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong nature of the Dragon Scroll]] renders that belief meaningless and indeed, anathema to the purpose of Kung-Fu. Being raised to crave outside validation for accomplishments was detrimental to Tai Lung's personal growth, who instead needed to look to himself rather than others. While Tai Lung was very much TheAce and a prodigy, learning 1,000 scrolls worth of techniques, he only looked to the physical and technical aspects of Kung-Fu and never focused on spiritual enlightenment or peace within himself. Lastly, Tai Lung was let down by Shifu by not supporting Tai Lung in the ways that mattered most, and for leaving him to rot in prison for 20 years without trying to reach out to his son or helping him in a way that could have given Tai Lung a chance at redemption. Tai Lung had become so bitter and selfish that even when Shifu admits his own faults and apologizes, Tai Lung still ignores him and not only attacks Shifu but is also harming innocent people. While Shifu was at fault for some of the wrongs that resulted, Tai Lung became a cold and brutal beast willing to destroy anyone and anything to get what he wanted.
* DesperatelyCravesAffection: [[spoiler:His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despite indoctrinating him with the idea that he was the prophesied dragon warrior.]]
* DesperatelyCravesAffection: [[spoiler:His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despite indoctrinating him with the idea that he was the prophesied dragon warrior.]]
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* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Whether or not it was intentional, Tai Lung is one for the traditional Kung-Fu Hero that is exiled or imprisoned by his enemies and returns to claim what (he thinks) is his. The movie also deconstructs in Tai Lung's character the idea of TheChosenOne, MasterOfAll, and RoaringRampageOfRevenge. While Tai Lung was imprisoned by his father figure, it was for a good reason as Tai Lung would do anything to get the Dragon Scroll and attacked his mentor/father figure without mercy and showed he would go to [[ItsAllAboutMe extreme lengths to get what he wants.]] Tai Lung believed he was the chosen one due to his father figure raising him into becoming the best student from the temple. While in most Kung-Fu stories, he would be the chosen one, the [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong nature of the Dragon Scroll]] renders that belief meaningless and indeed, anathema to the purpose of Kung-Fu. Being raised to crave outside validation for accomplishments was detrimental to Tai Lung's personal growth, who instead needed to look to himself rather than others. While Tai Lung was very much TheAce and a prodigy, learning 1,000 scrolls worth of techniques, he only looked to the physical and technical aspects of Kung-Fu and never focused on spiritual enlightenment or peace within himself. Lastly, Tai Lung was let down by Shifu by not supporting Tai Lung in the ways that mattered most, and for leaving him to rot in prison for 20 years without trying to reach out to his son or helping him in a way that could have given Tai Lung a chance at redemption. Tai Lung had become so bitter and selfish that even when Shifu admits his own faults and apologizes, Tai Lung still ignores him and not only attacks Shifu but is also harming innocent people. While Shifu was at fault for some of the wrongs that resulted, Tai Lung became a cold and brutal beast willing to destroy anyone and anything to get what he wanted.
* DesperatelyCravesAffection: [[spoiler:His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despiteindoctrinating Shifu’s training giving him with the idea impression that he was the prophesied dragon warrior.]]
* DesperatelyCravesAffection: [[spoiler:His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despite
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* DudeWheresMyRespect: He was raised with the idea that he was the prophesied Dragon Warrior but felt betrayed and besmirched when he was denied the title.
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* DudeWheresMyRespect: He was raised with His attitude, his demeanour and his ego put the idea erroneous impression into his head that he was the prophesied Dragon Warrior but felt betrayed and besmirched when he was denied the title.
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* EvilCannotComprehendGood: His arrogance prevents him from understanding the secret of the Dragon Scroll that the secret to limitless power [[spoiler:lies within himself. WordOfGod says this is the only thing that prevents him from making a HeelFaceTurn.]]
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* EvilCannotComprehendGood: His arrogance prevents him from understanding the secret of the Dragon Scroll that the secret to limitless power [[spoiler:lies within himself. WordOfGod says this is the only thing that prevents him from making a HeelFaceTurn.]] As far as he’s concerned why would need to because he’s under the impression he in the right when it turns out he could not be more wrong about that.]] His ego also prevents him from seeing why Oogway said he wasn’t the Dragon Warrior Because his attitude was the very antithesis of the one needed to be the Dragon Warrior.
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* TheWorfEffect: It's revealed in ''3'' that Tai Lung is one of the warriors who was defeated by Kai and had his chi stolen from him.
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* TheWorfEffect: It's revealed in ''3'' that Tai Lung is one of the warriors who was defeated by Kai and had his chi stolen from him. Downplayed in that it happened offscreen.
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* TheWorfEffect: It's revealed in ''3'' that Tai Lung is one of the warriors who was defeated by Kai and had his chi stolen from him.
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* VillainHasAPoint: [[spoiler: His grievance with Shifu is not unwarranted; Tai Lung went through hell with his training, was raised with fatherly love from Shifu, and when Oogway denied him the scroll, Shifu did nothing to change his mind or explain why to Tai Lung. When Tai Lung went to prison: Shifu never visited him or tried to contact him, he still refused to explain why he wasn't the Dragon Warrior, and the only answer Shifu could give on the matter can be summed up as "Because Oogway said so". From Tai Lung's perspective: Shifu abandoned him once Oogway said Tai Lung was not the Dragon Warrior, discarding their relationship on a whim because Oogway said so. If Shifu truly loved Tai Lung despite this; he should have remained in contact, tried to explain Oogway's decision to him, and met Oogway's decision with more resistance than just "oh well" and then doing nothing.]]
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* VillainHasAPoint: [[spoiler: His grievance with Shifu is not unwarranted; unwarranted: Tai Lung went through hell with his training, training and was raised with fatherly love and support from Shifu, who believed Tai Lung to be the Dragon Warrior... and yet when Oogway denied him the scroll, Dragon Scroll, Shifu did nothing ''absolutely nothing'' to change his mind or explain why to Tai Lung. When Tai Lung went was sent to prison: prison, Shifu never visited him or tried to contact him, he him. Even when directly confronted about this, Shifu still refused to explain why he Tai Lung wasn't meant to be the Dragon Warrior, and the only answer Shifu could give on the matter can be summed up as "Because Oogway said so". From Tai Lung's perspective: Shifu abandoned him once Oogway said Tai Lung was not the Dragon Warrior, discarding their relationship on a whim just because Oogway said so. If Shifu truly loved Tai Lung despite this; he should have remained in contact, tried to explain Oogway's decision to him, and met Oogway's decision with more resistance than just "oh well" and then doing nothing.]]
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* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Tai Lung believed that he was supposed to be the prophecised Dragon Warrior but after Oogway denied him the title, Tai Lung believed he had been abandoned and stripped of his identity by his adoptive father.]]
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* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Tai Lung believed that he was supposed to be the prophecised Dragon Warrior Warrior, but after Oogway denied him the title, Tai Lung believed he had been abandoned and stripped of his identity by his adoptive father.]]
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* KickTheSonOfABitch: Once he's set free, one of the very first things he does is go on a rampage and take his revenge on Vachir. Considering how much of a bully Vachir was with harassing Zeng and abusing Tai Lung when he was captive, practically no one can feel sorry for Vachir.
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* PoliceBrutality: Evil and destructive Tai Lung's rampage might have been, there's nothing beneficial nor in Vachir's job requirement involving degrading and inflicting physical pain on him while he's [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown already completely immobilised]]. Even without knowing about Tai Lung's status as a TragicVillain, Vachir's treatment of the imprisoned villain shows the rhino to be unnecessarily and [[TheBully cravenly]] cruel.
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* PoliceBrutality: Evil and destructive Tai Lung's rampage might have been, but there's nothing beneficial nor in Vachir's job requirement requirements involving degrading and inflicting physical pain on him while he's [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown already completely immobilised]]. Even without knowing about Tai Lung's status as a TragicVillain, Vachir's treatment of the imprisoned villain shows the rhino to be unnecessarily and [[TheBully cravenly]] cruel.
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** "I don't want your ''apology''! I want my ''Scroll!''" Made worse by the fact that for a moment, it looked like [[HopeSpot he was going to accept]] Shifu's unexpected apology, but [[IveComeTooFar then remembered why he was there]].
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** "I don't want your ''apology''! I want my ''Scroll!''" Made worse by the fact that for a moment, Tai Lung ''is'' visibly moved and it [[HopeSpot really looked like [[HopeSpot he was going to accept]] Shifu's unexpected apology, but [[IveComeTooFar then remembered why he was there]].
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* GoodIsNotNice: He runs a heavily secured prison keeping Tai Lung imprisoned, but is not very generous.
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* GoodIsNotNice: He runs a heavily secured prison keeping Tai Lung imprisoned, but is he's not very generous.generous and comes off as a bully in an important position more than anything.
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* NominalHero: Technically on the side of the good guys as he is keeping a public enemy imprisoned, but he's such a {{Jerkass}} that it's hard to see.
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* NominalHero: Technically on the side of the good guys as he is keeping a public enemy imprisoned, but he's such a {{Jerkass}} that it's hard to see.see him as respectable for such a duty.
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* PoliceBrutality: Evil and destructive Tai Lung's rampage might have been, there's nothing beneficial nor in Vachir's job requirement involving degrading and inflicting physical pain on him while he's [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown already completely immobilised]]. Even without knowing about Tai Lung's status as a TragicVillain, Vachir's treatment of the imprisoned villain shows the rhino to be unnecessarily and [[TheBully cravenly]] cruel.
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* OlderThanTheyLook: Tai Lung was already an adult when he was imprisoned, and even after spending 20 years in there -- during which he wasn't even allowed to ''move'' -- by the time he escapes he not only looks no older but didn't even grow any more frail, with Shifu remarking that he's somehow in ''better'' shape than when he was first locked up. Given that he was TheAce, it's evident he's just that good.
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* StarterVillain: Tai Lung is [[ZigZaggedTrope an interesting variation]] in that he's the first proper villain that Po faces in the entire franchise. He's already reached a high level of mastery by the time he's faced the Furious Five and Po and is more powerful and skilled than Shen, the sequel villain. However, threat level-wise, Shen is still greater than Tai Lung because he has an entire army, advanced weaponry, and more grand country-wide ambitions and Tai Lung is completely eclipsed by Kai from the third movie in both threat level and power. On the other hand, taking into consideration the different animated shows, Tai Lung is far below powerful enemies like Ke-Pa, Jindiao, and the White Bone Demon but is likely still far more dangerous and powerful compared to some of Po's regular RoguesGallery like Fung, Hundun, Tong Fo, Temutai, and Taotie, placing Tai Lung in that unique niche of being a StarterVillain who stays strong relative to the entire franchise since there are some later villains who surpass him in power and threat level, but not every single major villain Po faces at a later date reaches his level either.
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* StarterVillain: Tai Lung is [[ZigZaggedTrope an interesting variation]] in that he's the first proper villain that Po faces in the entire franchise. He's already reached a high level of mastery by the time he's faced the Furious Five and Po and is more powerful and skilled than Shen, the sequel villain. However, threat level-wise, Shen is still greater than Tai Lung because he has an entire army, advanced weaponry, and more grand country-wide ambitions and Tai Lung is completely eclipsed by Kai from the third movie in both threat level and power. On the other hand, taking into consideration the different animated shows, Tai Lung is far below powerful enemies would be utterly crushed by major arc villains like Ke-Pa, Jindiao, and the White Bone Demon Demon, and Zuma with the Tianshang weapons but is likely still far more dangerous and powerful compared to some of Po's regular RoguesGallery like Fung, Hundun, Tong Fo, Temutai, and Taotie, placing Tai Lung in that unique niche of being a StarterVillain who stays strong relative to the entire franchise since there are some later villains who surpass him in power and threat level, but not every single major villain Po faces at a later date reaches his level either.
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* ThePoorlyChosenOne: He was adopted by Shifu, who recognized his natural talent for kung fu and told him he was destined for greatness. He trained all his life in expectation of becoming the Dragon Warrior, but when he asked for the scroll, Oogway refused him. Tai Lung destroyed the entire village in a fit of rage, and was locked up in a TailorMadePrison for the next twenty years.
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* BigBad: Of the first film. His impending return is what kicks off the plot and necessitates the choosing of the Dragon Warrior, thus beginning Po's journey.
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* BigBad: Of the first film. His impending return and desire for revenge is what kicks off the plot and necessitates plot, necessitating the choosing of the Dragon Warrior, Warrior and thus beginning Po's journey.
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* SoreLoser: He refuses to accept that a big fat panda (i.e. Po), of all things, can crush him in a battle.
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* SoreLoser: He His response to being told he was not the Dragon Warrior was to rampage through the Valley of Peace, and even when moments away from his final defeat, he refuses to accept that a big fat panda (i.e. Po), panda, of all things, can crush him in a battle.
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* DesperatelyCravesAffection: His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despite indoctrinating him with the idea that he was the prophesied dragon warrior.
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* DesperatelyCravesAffection: His [[spoiler:His desire to be The Dragon Warrior stems from feelings of inadequecy and abandonment since he felt betrayed when his adoptive father, Shifu, did nothing to change Oogway's belief that Tai Lung was not the prophesied warrior despite indoctrinating him with the idea that he was the prophesied dragon warrior. warrior.]]
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* FreudianExcuse: He turned evil because he was denied the Dragon Scroll by Oogway, and Shifu did not challenge that decision despite the tremendous amount of support he gave Tai Lung before.
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* FreudianExcuse: He turned evil because he was denied the Dragon Scroll by Oogway, and [[spoiler:and Shifu did not challenge that decision despite the tremendous amount of support he gave Tai Lung before.]]
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* AxCrazy: He tries to keep himself composed, but he's very quickly to resort to positively vicious violence when remotely provoked, as seen when he tore through the entire Valley over being denied the Dragon Scroll. This insanity was the main reason he was locked up in the first place.
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* AxCrazy: He tries to keep himself composed, but he's very quickly quick to resort to positively vicious violence when remotely provoked, as seen when he tore through the entire Valley over being denied the Dragon Scroll. This insanity was the main reason he was locked up in the first place.
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Removed a defunct part of the "Shadow Archetype" entry.
Changed line(s) 99 (click to see context) from:
** He represents what Po could have been with a bad teacher. Notice one of his first lines (see LargeHam) is similar, if less funny, to Po's first line. Also both of them are incurable show-offs, even when the situation calls for dead seriousness. When Tai Lung appeared before Shifu out of nowhere before their confrontation, he was hiding at a distance for some time and waiting for Shifu to blink, so that his entrance could be appropriately dramatic (as explained in DVD commentary).
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** He represents what Po could have been with a bad teacher. Notice one of his first lines (see LargeHam) is similar, if less funny, to Po's first line. Also both Both of them are incurable show-offs, even when the situation calls for dead seriousness. When Tai Lung appeared before Shifu out of nowhere before their confrontation, he was hiding at a distance for some time and waiting for Shifu to blink, so that his entrance could be appropriately dramatic (as explained in DVD commentary).
