History Characters / KungFuPanda2

[[header:[[center:''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' [[Characters/KungFuPanda franchise character index]]\\
[-[[Characters/KungFuPandaTheJadePalace The Jade Palace]] ([[Characters/KungFuPandaMasterPoPing Po]])\\
[[Characters/KungFuPanda1 First Film]] | '''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]]

!!Gongmen City Council

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

->'''Voiced by:'''\\
Creator/VictorGarber ([=KFP2=])\\
Creator/PaulScheer (''Secrets of the Masters'')

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

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

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

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

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

->'''Voiced by:'''\\
Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme (films)\\
Tony Leondis (''Secrets of the Masters'')

A former bandit gang leader who [[HeelFaceTurn had a change of heart]] and acts as a member of the Gongmen Kung Fu Council.
----
* ActorAllusion: When he arrives to fight the Wolf Army, he performs Van Damme's signature split kick.
* BadassCape: Owned at least one in his lifetime.
* BewareMyStingerTail: That big spiky ball on the end of his tail isn't just for show.
* CallBack: He's the former leader of the Wool-Stealing Crocodile Bandits that Mantis battled in ''Secrets of the Furious Five''.
* TheCameo: Returns in the third film as one of the masters who goes after Kai before becoming a jombie. Ox isn't seen along him, however, but it's possible that the latter had already fell victim to Kai by that point.
* CarryABigStick: A metal club he used against Lord Shen.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: According to WordOfGod, he was a lawless bandit who decided to use his skills for good after being defeated and spared by Thundering Rhino. Later [[{{Retcon}} Retconned]] when ''Secrets of the Masters'' talked about a completely different story on how he became a good guy and met up with Thundering Rhino, which also included Ox and Oogway.
* DemotedToExtra: Granted, he wasn't that prominent in Kung Fu Panda 2, but in Kung Fu Panda 3, he doesn't have any lines [[spoiler:and spends most of the story as a jombie]].
* EarlyBirdCameo: He's in Po's dream (as a bad guy) in the first film. He also shows up in Mantis' story from ''Secrets of the Furious Five.''
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: One of his [[AllThereInTheManual greatest victories]] was beating up a bunch of Badger Bandits for insulting his mother.
* GlorySeeker: Out of the three masters in their youth, he sought fame above all else.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: Never seen with a shirt.
* InkSuitActor: He looks like a crocodile version of Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme.
* MadeOfIron: His 'Impenetrable Hide'. Unfortunately, the rest of him isn't quite as durable.
* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Averted, he used to be a bandit leader, but he reformed and became a benevolent kung fu master. And we soon learn that Lord Shen is a lot more dangerous than him.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Initially agreed to help defeat the Wu Sisters because he thought he would be rewarded with great financial riches.
* SpectacularSpinning: Does a spinning leap out of the water when turning up to help the Five and Po. Presumably a reference to how crocodiles latch onto their prey and spin in the water to drown them.
* UnexplainedAccent: KFP characters usually speak in American accents, occasionally Chinese, with the odd EvilBrit. Being played by Jean-Claude Van Damme, Master Croc is rather inexplicably Belgian. It gets worse in ''Secrets of the Masters''; Tony Leondis doesn't put much effort into sounding like Van Damme and makes Croc very distinctly French.
[[/folder]]

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

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

An elderly goat with the power of [[{{Seers}} foresight]], who served as an adviser to the ruling family of Gongmen City, the Peacocks. Upon request by Lord Shen's parents, she had foretold what the future held for their son should he continue his current path: defeat at the hands of a warrior of black and white.
----
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: She clearly takes no offence to [[InnocentlyInsensitive Po]] winding out about how she [[GirlsWithMoustaches has a beard]], reacting with nothing more than an amused smile while stroking said beard.
* TheAtoner: She holds tremendous guilt for telling Shen the prophecy that he would be defeated by a "black and white" warrior, inadvertently making herself responsible for the ensuing panda genocide. She helps Po recover his forgotten memories of the traumatic event and helps him achieve inner peace by reminding Po of the wonderful life he's had despite the tragedy.
* CoolOldLady: While helpful and funny, she replaces Oogway's serenity with a good dose of [[ScrewPolitenessImASenior bluntness]].
* DeadpanSnarker:
-->'''Soothsayer:''' (telling Shen's fortune) I see...*plucks Shen's feather*...pain...\\
'''Shen:''' Ow!\\
'''Soothsayer:''' And anger... [[ExtremeOmniGoat *bites Shen's robes*]]\\
'''Shen:''' How dare you! That is the finest silk in the province!\\
'''Soothsayer:''' ...followed by denial...\\
'''Shen:''' This is not fortune-telling! You're just saying what's happening right...\\
'''Soothsayer:''' ... now?
* DefiantCaptive: Shen keeps her as a prisoner and while she never tries to escape, she still doesn't make her imprisonment easy for him. Indeed, she irritates and lectures him. Subverted in that she was never really a prisoner, and Shen simply sends her away, presumably to get out of the line of fire once things get violent.
* DidntSeeThatComing: A tragic one, as she notes that while she saw what would happen to Shen, she could have never predicted his reaction to it and is clearly remorseful for unintentionally instigating the genocide of the pandas.
* EveryoneCallsHerBarkeep: Her actual name is never revealed, she has foresight, and she's called The Soothsayer.
* ExtremeOmniGoat: Played with; although she does take a bite out of Shen's silk robe, close inspection reveals that it - and the feather she plucked - are dropped in her scrying bowl (using the magical principle of contagion.) But she must have liked the taste - or liked messing with Shen - because she keeps trying to go back for more.
* GirlsWithMoustaches: Or rather, a lady with a beard. {{Justified|Trope}} because she's a goat.
* TheGoodChancellor: Loyally serves the rulers of Gongmen City, estranged son included.
* ItsAllMyFault: She blames herself for telling Shen a panda would stand in his way.
-->'''Soothsayer:''' This was a thriving village. Young Shen was in line to rule Gongmen City. But he wanted more. I foretold that someone would stand in his way. A panda. ''But I never could have foretold what came next.''
* MoralityPet: The only shred of Shen's conscience is how he acts around the Soothsayer. When he makes his final decision to conquer China, he simply tells her to leave, the last of his conscience being gotten rid of.
* NeutralFemale: Averted. She isn't ''physically'' capable of stopping Shen, but she regularly gives him the KirkSummation or AndThenWhat as she tries to push him away from his EvilPlan. She also saves Po's life after finding him floating in the river have taken a cannonball to the chest.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Shen. AllThereInTheManual, though some of her interactions with Shen imply this. You get the feeling that if ''anyone'' else tried to take a bite out of his robes, they would get a knife to the throat. When Shen first appears, notice there's a hopeful look from Soothsayer before it collapses into annoyance because it's apparent Shen hasn't changed. She later ''begs'' Shen to not continue, knowing it'll be his undoing.
* ProphecyTwist: [[spoiler: It turns out that the "warrior of black and white" she foretold leading to Shen's downfall ''wasn't'' a panda at all. It was Shen himself.]]
* {{Seers}}: Though she is a true seer, she does not prophesize on command or bother using her powers if the original prophecy has not changed. Instead, [[ObfuscatingStupidity she states the obvious until Lord Shen gets mad]].
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: With Master Oogway gone in the first film, she replaces him as a wise old mentor to Po.
* UnsettlingGenderReveal: Po mistakes her for a man when he first meets her. He claims the beard threw him off.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: She predicted that Shen would be defeated by a black and white warrior if he didn't renounce his current ways. Shen reacted by trying to exterminate all pandas to change his destiny.
* VisualPun: She's a literal "old goat". Shen calls her such directly when he returns to Gongmen.
* WellSeeAboutThat: She gives this line to Shen when he returns from his exile.
-->'''Shen''': Ah, there you are, Soothsayer. It seems your fortune-telling skills are ''not'' as good as you thought.
-->'''Soothsayer''': We shall see, Shen.
-->'''Shen''': [[NoYou No, you shall see]], old goat...
[[/folder]]

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

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

!!Other Characters

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

Po's biological mother, who sacrificed herself to save her son from Lord Shen.
----
* BigEater: Li Shan mentions she had a huge appetite in the third film.
* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Po has only happy memories of her giving up her life to save him. Li Shan speaks of her highly and with wistfulness.
* HeadbuttOfLove: Her last gesture to Po is to press her forehead to his, before leaving him in the radish crate.
* HeroicSacrifice: Hides Po in a radish crate to protect him from Shen's wolves and then waves at the enemies to chase after her in the other direction. Unlike Li, she doesn't make it out of this.
* HopeSpot: She seems to outrun the wolves with a baby in her arms, fleeing the village as it burns. There's a moment where she loses them briefly. Then the realization hits her as the wolves come closer, and she places Po in the radish crate. Given her expression, she knows she'll never see him again.
* KilledOffForReal: When we find out a village of pandas survived, including Po's father, there's hope that maybe she survived. The third movie confirms, however, that Li Shan's wife didn't make it out of the bloodbath.
* LightIsGood: During Po's flashback of her, she's literally glowing a golden light.
* MamaBear: A literal example, [[PandaingToTheAudience since she is a panda bear]]; she made sure Po was in a relatively safe place before pulling her HeroicSacrifice. Unlike most examples, she's more of a GuileHero than an ActionMom given that her method of saving her son is luring the threat away instead of standing her ground.
* NoNameGiven: Is only known as Po's mother.
* NothingIsScarier: Her death isn't actually shown. All you see is her running off-screen, chased by Shen and his wolves, then the scene just fades away over the sound of Po's crying. Though if you listen closely, just after Shen is shown you hear the characteristic noise of Shen throwing [[SignatureMove his flurry of knives]].
* PosthumousCharacter: Is long dead by the start of the series and is only seen in flashbacks.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Her HeroicSacrifice introduced the Dragon Warrior to the Valley of Peace, as well as ensuring that Shen's destiny would come to light.
* TheVoiceless: Doesn't say a word throughout any of her brief appearances (save "Shh!".) Po's dream version of her does speak, but it's only Creator/JackBlack doing an intentionally-poor feminine voice.
[[/folder]]
----

!!Lord Shen and His Army

[[folder:In general]]
* AwesomeButImpractical: Their cannons. Yes, they're extremely powerful and can [[spoiler:overpower and kill kung fu masters]], but they have a number of tactical flaws.
** They require a great deal of metal to forge. Shen's soldiers have to rob the farthest villages of pots and tools in order to find enough metal to make them.
** Being made of solid metal, they're extremely heavy and difficult to transport, as seen when two super-strong gorilla mooks complain about having to move one a little to the left.
** They're slow and hard to aim. [[spoiler:Even [[MightyGlacier Po]] can run faster than the wolves can move and aim the cannons, and takes advantage of this fact during the final battle to confuse them.]]
** The above also means that they can only hit stationary or immobilized opponents, and firing one into a crowd will kill unintended targets. [[spoiler:Boss Wolf recognizes this and refuses to fire at Po when it means his own soldiers would be caught in the crossfire, which promptly gets him killed by Shen.]]
** And -- although Shen had no way of anticipating it -- they are [[spoiler:useless against an opponent who has some way of redirecting the cannonballs... such as, say, a kung fu warrior who has mastered inner peace]].
** All of the above, except that last one, is very much a LogicalWeakness and a case of SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome. Cannons, as anyone with half a brain could tell you, are an artillery weapon meant for blasting enemy fortifications to pieces and cutting swaths through tightly clustered enemy troops - both being very large targets. The idea of using a cannon to hit an individual person, let alone one that is superhumanly mobile such as the kung fu masters of this movie, is a long shot at best and laughable overkill at worst.
* BadassArmy: A large group of powerful fighters.
* EvilMakesYouMonstrous: The 2D flashback Po has of his home village destruction makes Shen and his wolves look like monsters.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: In the 2D flashback, Shen's are [[RedEyesTakeWarning red]]
[[/folder]]

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

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

The BigBad of the second film. He's a wicked peacock whose clan rules over Gongmen City. However, that wasn't enough for him as he is possessed by a desire to take over all of China. For that, he invented the cannon, which poses a threat to the very existence of kung fu itself.

* AgentPeacock: Perfect {{Pun}} aside, by the time the credits roll, you ''will'' believe a peacock can be a skilled fighter and a cruel and terrifying villain. And sure enough, on top of his glorious white-and-red train, he dresses in elegant and expensive clothes, wields exquisite masterwork weaponry (compare his spotless shining feather-pattern knives to Boss Wolf's [[DropTheHammer basic maul]]), and is exactly as vain as he is badass. The best indicator is when Shen angrily points out to the Soothsayer that his robes are made of "the finest silk in the province" when she [[ExtremeOmniGoat starts chewing them]].
* AlbinosAreFreaks: It's heavily implied that his childhood as a sickly albino is what fed into his power-hungry nature.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Ever since Shen became obsessed with his invention, he desires power for the sake of power. When Soothsayer points this to him, Shen sort of admits that [[AndThenWhat he doesn't really know what he's going to do with all this power if he succeeds at taking over China]], [[IgnoredEpiphany but immediately shrugs the thought off]].
* AndThenWhat: The Soothsayer asks him if conquering China and destroying kung-fu will finally make Shen happy. Shen is clearly shocked, never having considered what he'll do after he's done conquering and if it will be worth everything he's lost but is quick to push away his doubt.
* AnimalFacialHair: Two thin feathers grow from the corners of Shen's beak to give the impression of a Fu Manchu mustache.
* ArchEnemy: [[DefiedTrope Defied.]] Shen is the one who orphaned Po, is arguably the most dangerous villain in China during the time of the second movie and is the one antagonist with the most personal connection to Po's past. Throughout the movie, Shen repeatedly tries [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this with Po, lying to him about his parents, trying a big dramatic speech and trying to torment Po about the panda genocide. The problem is Po does not hold a grudge and he was too young to know his birth family. Most importantly, what little trauma there is Po is able to let go of and find inner peace. Shen's just an annoyance to him, and Po tells him so to his face. This [[EvilCannotComprehendGood dumbfounds]] Shen.
* AudibleSharpness: His many bladed weapons. Even his train feathers and flight have an almost mechanical sound to them.
* AxCrazy: As befitting the most deranged villain in the movies, Lord Shen is the only character seen who unambiguously kills someone on-screen ([[spoiler:his right-hand man]]). Furthermore, he's constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown and plagued by paranoid delusions about his parents not loving him. He deals with all of them by starting wars and committing genocide, which he sincerely thought would make his parents proud.
* BadassBoast: Overlapping with EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor, Shen is ''very'' confident in the strength of his new weapons, and as the Kung Fu masters of Gongmen City soon discover, he has every right to be:
--> '''Master Ox:''' What's in the box, Shen?
--> '''Shen:''' You want to see? It's a gift! It's your "parting" gift, in that it will "part" you; [[LudicrousGibs Part of you]] ''[[LudicrousGibs here]]'', [[LudicrousGibs part of you]] ''[[LudicrousGibs there]]'', [[LudicrousGibs part of you ]]''[[LudicrousGibs waaay]]'' [[LudicrousGibs over there,]] '''''[[LudicrousGibs staining the wall.]]'''''
--> --
--> '''Master Rhino:''' You are no match for our Kung Fu.
--> '''Shen:''' I agree. But [[{{BFG}} this]] is!
* BadassBookworm: Studied gunpowder from fireworks to make his cannons.
* BadassLongRobe: His clothes, plus his ''train feathers''.
* BadBoss: Had no problem whatsoever [[WeHaveReserves firing at his own men]] to defeat Po and the Five and kills the Boss Wolf just because he '''did''' [[EvenEvilHasStandards have a problem with that]]. He also once punched a Gorilla soldier in the face.
* BeingEvilSucks: Spends decades plotting his revenge and relentlessly pursuing his ambition to rule over China in an attempt to assuage his emotional pain and find happiness. This only succeeds in making him feel more bitter and miserable.
* {{BFG}}: He ''invented'' the cannon, in order to destroy Kung Fu and take over China.
* BigBad: Of the second film. His campaign to conquer all of China and destroy kung fu is the main conflict and his genocide of the pandas is an integral part of Po's character arc in that film.
* BigOlEyebrows: Of the "match-the-width-of-his-shoulders-so-he-can-fit-through-gaps" variety.
* BladeOnAStick: His signature close-quarter combat weapon is his guan dao with the blade resembling a flamberge.
* BreakThemByTalking: Successfully does this to Po in the Fireworks Factory.
* BrokenAce: Shen is incredibly intelligent, ambitious and charismatic, commands the respect and loyalty of entire armies and is skilled enough to give ''Po'' a run for his money in combat (he's also the villain who came closest to killing him). Underneath all this, however, Shen possesses some deep-rooted issues and a [[HiddenDepths very complex internal struggle.]]
* ButForMeItWasTuesday: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Shen massacred Po's village in an attempt to kill him, but Po has no memory of this until later in the movie. Shen finds this quite entertaining.
* TheCameo: [[spoiler:Briefly appears in the third film in the same flashback from the end of the second]].
* CombatPragmatist: Uses throwing knives in addition to his spear, conceals his movements with his train, and the entire purpose of inventing the cannon was to deal with kung fu masters he can't beat one-on-one. When confronted with a fight he can't possibly win, against Po and the Furious Five, he flies out the window and calls down a barrage of cannon fire to destroy his own tower.
* TheComicallySerious: Despite being the evilest foe Po has faced so far, he has his hilarious moments, usually when Po is in the same scene.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist:
** Tai Lung was a physically formidable Kung Fu fighter and a OneManArmy who worked alone and whose main goal was to get the Dragon Scroll. Shen is physically smaller but a genius noble who has an army to do his bidding, and his goal is to destroy Kung Fu and take over China. While Tai Lung didn't have any kind of past history with Po, the conflict with Shen becomes more of a personal matter to Po due to Shen's connection with his past.
** His backstory has significant parallels with that of Tai Lung -- promised power by his parent figure, denied and exiled, returns to claim his place and prove himself. However, Shen's FreudianExcuse is weaker and his vengeance is more sinister. Tai Lung wanted the Dragon Scroll to prove to himself and Shifu he was worthy of it and was a WorthyOpponent to Po, whereas Shen wants to conquer China and casually kills because he has done too much harm, come too far to stop, and has nothing else left in his life.
* CowardlyLion: His first response to a battle not going his way is to flee and/or hide behind his cannons. In particular, he tries to avoid a direct confrontation with Po because of the prophecy. However, since he ''does'' fight well when necessary, it's likely that these actions are due more to pragmatism than fear.
* CurbStompBattle: Using a cannon to win a fight certainly helps. [[CombatPragmatism It's not treachery, it's pragmatism!]]
* DeathByIrony: He's [[spoiler: flattened by his own invention.]]
* DeathGlare: [[spoiler: As Po sends all his weaponery back at him and his armada is about to blow up, Shen, rather than panicking, just fixates on Po with pure hatred.]]
* ElementalMotifs: Fire and metal, which in Chinese culture are associated with [[WhiteAndRedAndEerieAllOver red and white]], respectively.
* EpicFlail: Uses a meteor hammer to incapacitate Master Ox at one point.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: An understated aspect of his character, but Shen employs armies of wolves and gorillas and sees no issue with it whatsoever. You'd actually think he'd be the opposite considering his {{Pride}} at being a peacock. It might be because they're easy for him to use, however, but the fact he's not ashamed of having different species working for him heavily implies he has this viewpoint.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: The Soothsayer effectively raised him, and he clearly cares about her to some extent, albeit not enough to stop his plans. He shows hints of this when he encounters Po and the Furious Five for the first time. Despite being at the end of his patience, he never actually loses it unless Po makes a comment about the Soothsayer, the second time driving him to point a knife in Po's face. His treatment of the Soothsayer is more akin to that of a family member than a prisoner. The Soothsayer is also the only character in the movie that he never physically harms – as embittered as he is – despite the cynical, discourteous attitude (and the prophecies) she gives him.
** It's made clear that for all his posturing, Shen genuinely loved his parents and wanted nothing more than to live up to their expectations. Pretty much all of the horrible things he did in his life were his own '''frighteningly misguided''' way of trying to make them proud. The Soothsayer's words about their love for him is the only time in the movie Shen seems to be human again and the consequences of his actions truly sink in.
--> '''Soothsayer:''' They ''loved'' you. They loved you ''so much'' that having to send you away killed '''them.'''
--> ''[Shen's face is stricken with MyGodWhatHaveIDone.]''
* EvilBrit: Is ''very'' evil, and has his voice actor's accent.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: [[spoiler:Is ''shocked'' that Po doesn't hold what he did to his species, his family, against him, and that he was able to let go of his pain, because his own pain has never gone away, and he doesn't believe it ever will.]]
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Po. Both have parental abandonment issues and are real animals likened to mythical beasts (Po the Panda is the Dragon Warrior, while Shen the peacock is clearly meant to be a phoenix with his [[PlayingWithFire passion for fire]]). Both are nervous and unsure of themselves, having many a FailedAttemptAtDrama moment. Both are black-and-white animals who are (apparently) the last of their kind, and both fight using unconventional methods. They achieved their places of power by using fireworks and by defeating highly skilled masters (Tai Lung and the Masters' Council) who stood in their way. Both their destinies were set in motion when the Soothsayer predicted their eventual conflict, and both sought inner peace to deal with their tragic pasts. However, while Po was able to move on from the tragedies of his past, Shen was unable to do so and found only defeat.
** Though the closest point they come to interacting with each other is the second movie's final battle, Shen can be seen as Master Shifu's villainous foil. They both had a clairvoyant elder who watched their development (the Soothsayer and Master Oogway) and who foretold a disaster (Shen's demise and Tai Lung's return). Both proteges then tried to avert said disaster, [[SelfFulfillingProphecy only to inadvertently cause it to happen]]. Like with Shifu in the first movie, Shen's present is influenced by the pains of the past, making him demanding and biased, with his high expectations in regards to his subordinates mirroring those of Shifu's in regards to his students. In particular, neither of them believed initially that someone like Po could be a mighty warrior, only for the determined panda to defy their expectations. Their main difference is in regards to the advice offered to them by their mentors; Shifu didn't want Oogway to leave and afterwards respected his master's wish to train Po despite his doubts, but Shen eventually sends the Soothsayer away when he decides he can't find happiness from her advice. Shifu ultimately found inner peace by listening to Oogway, while Shen could find peace only in death through his own self-destructive decisions.
* EvilGenius: He discovered that fireworks could also serve as gunpowder, and then invented the cannon to put that discovery to use.
* EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor: He presents his cannon to the kung fu masters as "your parting gift, in that it will part you. Part of you here, part of you there, and part of you ''way over there'', STAINING THE WALL!"
* EvilIsBurningHot: He is strongly associated with fire and [[LightIsNotGood bright light]]--his smoking forges and torches, his name that can be translated as "flame", his fireworks factory, his cannon that "breathes fire and spits metal", and his burning of the panda village. At one point, he even lights his sword aflame in a burning brazier and uses it to [[SpreadingDisasterMapGraphic incinerate a map of China]] as a symbol of his EvilPlan.
* EvilIsHammy: He has his moments. Here's his [[Creator/GaryOldman voice actor]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc74bU6w0tk hamming it up while recording him in the studio.]]
* EvilOldFolks: He was banished as an adult when Po was a baby, and took thirty years to ready his forces. This puts him within his fifties at least during the film.
* EvilPlan: [[TakeOverTheWorld Take over China]] and destroy Kung Fu while he's at it.
* EvilTowerOfOminousness: His home in Gongmen City, which [[DramaticHighPerching he's shown perching atop of]] during a travel montage.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: When [[spoiler:his cannon is about to fall on him, he just closes his eyes and accepts it. It's not made clear if he was too far beyond the DespairEventHorizon from seeing his ambition he sacrificed so much for crumble around him or if he simply realized that ''he'' was the foretold warrior that would lead to his downfall.]]
* FantasticRacism: A notable aversion. Shen may have led the genocide against the Pandas, but he's never shown to outright ''hate'' them; he only ever targeted them in the first place because of the prophecy. The implication seems to be had the Soothsayer predicted his downfall would come from any other warrior (say a crane or a boar) he'd have done the same thing. Shen may be prideful, but he never displays any outright bigotry (which frankly seems almost out of character [[AxCrazy considering the sort of person he is)]]. Additionally, as stated before, his armies consist of gorillas and wolves and he doesn't bat an eye at it, a trait that someone with this viewpoint would be very unlikely to do.
* FailedAttemptAtDrama: He has his moments.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's respectful, well-spoken, and philosophical ... until something makes him mad, then he shows the true AxCrazy monster beneath it all.
* FeatheredFiend: Well, he is voiced by Creator/GaryOldman, who (according to WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch) "can go from zero to psycho in 2.5 seconds".
* FeatherFingers: Uses them for his knife throwing.
* FeatherFlechettes: Averted. He doesn't actually attack with his feathers, but rather with throwing knives concealed by his feathers. Still invoked symbolically, because his knives have patterns carved on them to resemble feathers.
* FeatherMotif: Peacock feathers symbolize vainglory, especially appropriate for Lord Shen. Unlike normal peacock feathers, however, his are white and red, for madness and death.
* FighterMageThief: The Thief to Tai Lung's Fighter and Kai's Mage. Unlike Tai Lung, Shen is in no hurry to fight his own battles, as he fears a prophesy foretelling his defeat by a "warrior of black and white". So instead he sends out armies of underlings to do his fighting for him, though unlike Kai these minions are just normal wolves and gorillas and not magically enslaved spirits of kung-fu masters embodied in jade. But when he personally joins the field he fights dirty, making use of numerous throwing knives, concealed weapons, and mind games and misdirection. And should a fight not go his way, he has no qualms about flying off and calling in the artillery.
* FireIsRed: As a consequence of the series' color motif, the fires that Shen and his mooks use, both in the cannon and in regular torches, are of an unusual crimson tone. Justified as in Shen is explicitly stated to be working off of firework chemicals, so it stands to reason his cannonballs would have a colorful glow to them.
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric -- He is commanding, controlling, decisive, and a born leader. He also has a spontaneous hint of aggressiveness when things don't go his way.
* FragileSpeedster: Physically frail, but blindingly fast when the situation requires it: he can cover short to moderate distances in an instant. Paired with his knife skills, his speed makes him an extremely dangerous opponent.
* FreudianExcuse: His parents decided to banish and disown him for massacring the pandas. He saw this as an act of [[ParentalAbandonment abandonment]] and has let the pain and resentment fester in him ever since. This being said, it is shown that he was heading down the path of villainy even before his banishment, so it is likely that the exile only accelerated his decline.
** If one takes into account his expanded backstory it's even worse: Shen was born ill and his parents were so ashamed they left him in the care of the Soothsayer (this aspect can still be seen in the way Shen tolerates the Soothsayer's attitude and when he lets her go).
* FreudianTrio: The Superego to Tai Lung's Id and Kai's Ego. Shen has a more outwardly suave demeanour than the other two villains, and is the most likely to think before acting (hence the gradual creation of his slew of cannons in preparation for his obliteration of kung fu).
* FurryReminder: He occasionally lets out a peacock scream.
* GenocideBackfire: Shen overhears a prophecy that he will be defeated by "a warrior of black-and-white". He proceeds to massacre a panda village. However, [[spoiler:Po's mother leaves the infant panda in a case of groceries that get delivered to Mr. Ping]]. This results in Po being in the right place and the right time to become the Dragon Warrior, receiving the training he will need to stop Shen. In fact, it's remembering [[spoiler:the massacre and his mother's sacrifice that allows Po to master the skill he needs to overcome Shen's cannons.]]
* GlassCannon: Very agile and quick and has a lethal aim with his throwing knives, but he's one of the few characters who is not MadeOfIron and is clearly at a disadvantage when his blades aren't enough to overwhelm a more defensive foe.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: His feet are covered in burn scars from weapon forging. He partly hides them with his metal talons.
* HeroKiller: [[spoiler: He very nearly kills Po in the Fireworks Factory. If the Soothsayer hadn't been around...]]
* HiddenWeapons: He hides an arsenal of blades under those robes of his and he is terrifyingly skilled with them.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard[=/=]KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Crushed by the very weapon he was going to use to conquer China, which only happened because he accidentally cut the ropes holding it up while trying to kill Po.]]
* HumiliationConga: His cannons, which he spent thirty years to invent, are obliterated in mere seconds by Po's cannonball deflection technique. Even more so as the event unfolds right before the eyes of the Kung Fu Masters and the entire population of Gongmen City, to the point where they actually ''cheer''. [[spoiler:He eventually gets crushed to death by his own cannon.]]
* IgnoredEpiphany: When the Soothsayer tells him his parents did love him, so much that it killed them to banish him, Shen looks genuinely moved for a few seconds before closing his eyes and brushing the information aside.
* InformedFlaw: Downplayed. Despite the claims that he was born weak and sickly enough for his parents to be ashamed of him, he is a deadly, acrobatic fighter - a whirlwind of white feathers and steel death in combat, skilled enough to pose a serious challenge to [[TheHero Po]] in a one-on-one duel, and falling short of [[OvershadowedByAwesome only the greatest of kung fu masters]] in battle. Of course, a lot of time has passed since his childhood, and he has likely mostly recovered from whatever illness was plaguing him by now. To this day, though, his fighting style [[FragileSpeedster does emphasize agility over strength or durability]].
* IJustWantToBeLoved: According to Gary Oldman in this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id5oUB5HSaw interview]].
* IveComeTooFar: It's implied that this is the reason why he feels compelled to go on with his evil instead of repent.
-->'''Shen:''' ''(solemnly)'' The dead exist in the past, and I ''must'' tend to the future.
* ItsPersonal: Played with. Shen ''expects'' this of Po. He ordered the panda genocide [[spoiler:, and even has the implied circumstances that he personally had a hand in killing Po's mother]]. However, when Shen actually meets Po, he's surprised and extremely amused that Po ''has no idea'' of what Shen did. [[spoiler: And then at the end, when Po finally ''does'' know what happened, he's not interested in revenge on Shen at all, instead of finding inner peace because of knowing it]].
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: The introduction shows him to be experimenting with a more destructive side of fireworks, which isn't downright evil in itself [[spoiler:[[MoralEventHorizon ... until the genocide happened.]]]]
* KillerRabbit: Who knew a peacock could be such a threatening, efficient villain?
* KnightOfCerebus: Tai Lung craved only the Dragon Scroll and there has been no solid on-screen evidence he ever murdered anyone. The second film ''opens'' with Shen ordering the genocide of the pandas, and ten minutes later he kills Thundering Rhino with a cannon before going on to wage a war against China and Kung Fu. Tai Lung was little more than an arrogant, swaggering thug; Shen is a mass-murdering warlord.
-->'''Shen:''' Kill him, ''somebody'' '''kill him'''!
* LaughablyEvil: His threat level is played ''dead'' seriously, however characterisation-wise, he routinely breaks his own mystique with his bleak sense of humour and occasional tantrums and awkwardness, still filling his quota for the series' standard humour.
* LastDisrespects: One of the first things he does when he finally comes back to his family's mansion is find his father's throne and kick it out the window. He later does this on a much broader scale by trapping the heroes in the main tower and firing cannonballs at it.
* LastVillainStand: He spends the entire film running from a direct confrontation with Po because of the Soothsayer's prediction. In the end, [[spoiler:after he's killed [[TheDragon his own second-in-command]], [[HumiliationConga had everything he built be obliterated before his eyes]], and Po tries to impart to Shen the secret to inner peace, he finally stops running and fights Po with everything he has if only out of pure anger]].
* {{Leitmotif}}: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbNE35ttc0w Ancient China/Story of Shen]]", which is first played in the opening scene, and accompanies Shen at a few points afterward, most prominently during the Fireworks Factory battle.
* LightIsNotGood: Both to Chinese and Western imagery. In the west, white is obviously seen as the "good" color, while red is the "good" color in China (white is actually symbolic of death there). Add this to the fact that his name can be translated as "divinity", his association with fire and the resemblance to the mythological [[ThePhoenix Feng Huang]], and you got yourself a heavenly monster.
* ManOfKryptonite: Even though he falls short of Tai Lung when it comes to martial arts, he gives Po one hell of a run in their final duel and mainly loses solely because he basically '''defeats himself''' in his wild frenzy. Indeed, his focus on bladed weapons makes him as much of a counter to Po's StoneWall fighting style as Po himself was to Tai Lung: the panda's [[{{Kevlard}} bulk]] is great at repelling bare-handed and other blunt attacks, especially those aiming for pressure points... but against a sharp blade, it mostly just makes him an easier target to gut like a fish.
* ManipulativeBastard: He was able to manipulate Master Storming Ox into striking first during his return to Gongmen City and subsequently imprisoned both Masters Storming Ox and Croc with fear. That and the entire exchange with Po in the Fireworks Factory.
--> '''Shen''' [to Po]: Your parents ''didn't love you''.
* MeaningfulName:
** One of the meanings of "Shen" (神) is "divinity", which relates to his quest for power and attention.
** An alternate reading of Shen (焴) is "flame", which connects to his cannons.
** His ''official'' Chinese dub name (沈) means "to sink".
* TheMentallyDisturbed: He seems to suffer from chronic depression, paranoia (as far as his parents are concerned, thinking they never loved him), and is deeply insecure.
* MoralSociopathy: The creators' commentary implies that part of his denial to recognize how wrong he is because it's the only way he can justify his genocidal actions.
* {{Narcissist}}: Shen is highly prideful and vain, extremely assured of his victory and despises anyone interrupting or contradicting him. He also loves to envision himself in a grandeur fashion and can't stand it when something doesn't go his way.
* NeverMyFault: When his parents banish him for committing genocide, he takes it as further proof they don't care about him instead of as punishment. Even more so because being banished as opposed to being executed may have been an act of mercy on their part.
* ObiWanMoment: [[spoiler:He just closes his eyes before he is flattened by the weapon he knocked onto himself.]]
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Despite being a sickly albino, relying on artillery and trickery over brawn, Shen is still a deadly skilled blade wielder. It's just that the kung fu masters are so powerful they overshadow him.
* ThePerfectionist: He wants everything to be '''perfect.''' He practices his PreAssKickingOneLiner before meeting Po and demands his weapon be placed "a little to the left."
* PetTheDog:
** He lets the Soothsayer go, unharmed, with no selfish intent behind it. Indeed, he ''never'' harms her, in spite of the attitude she gives him (and the fact that she keeps eating his clothes).
** He was also rather kind to the wolves in his youth, which is what made them swear their loyalty to him. Of course, one could argue that [[FauxAffablyEvil this was all he was really after]], as he's [[BadBoss not so kind]] to them in the present. However, given his slow and gradual decay, it could also be argued that he once legitimately used to be AFatherToHisMen, at least before his VillainousBreakdown.
** A ''very'' minor one; but he doesn't harm the Furious Five (even though they represent the best of Kung Fu and he's actively trying to destroy it) and instead opts to simply [[ForcedToWatch chain them up and make them watch him enter the "new age".]] Oddly, he doesn't really express any real desire to kill them either, possibly because he didn't really need to at that point.
* ThePhoenix: What he is meant to symbolize.
* PracticallyJoker: His AxCrazy behavior, MoodSwinger tendencies, [[EvilIsHammy Hammy]] tendencies, taste for violence, and the fact that he is a villain with a rather sober humor (despite being LaughablyEvil) makes him a noticeable parallel to Creator/HeathLedger's [[Film/TheDarkKnight Joker]].
* ProudPeacock: His ego leads him to attempt to take over China and commit genocide against the pandas. Being a villainous example, his feathers are [[WhiteAndRedAndEerieAllOver mostly white with red eyespots on his train]] rather than colorful, giving him a more eerie appearance than most other peacocks. At one point, Shen declares it "Year of the Peacock" effective immediately. His lackey, Boss Wolf, points out that it's the middle of the year. [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem Shen simply glares at Boss Wolf]], and Boss Wolf [[SycophanticServant quickly agrees]] that it's the Year of the Peacock.
* PsychologicalProjection: He never recovered from the pain of being exiled by his parents and thinks they never loved him. He believes it must be the same for Po, and tries to abuse this perceived trauma to his advantage, toying with Po's emotions and claiming that his parents didn't love him either. He assumes this would break Po the same way it broke him, so when Po achieves inner peace in spite of his manipulation, [[EvilCannotComprehendGood Shen is thoroughly shocked]].
* RazorWings: His throwing knives are in the shape of feathers to help him conceal them, and he also uses his train feathers as a weapon and distraction similar to what real-life martial-arts styles with metal folding fans do.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Aside from his regular eyes, the eyespots on his train are also red, reflecting his albino status.
* SatanicArchetype: He is not only the KnightOfCerebus of the entire franchise and represents a great threat to China, but also his fall is announced from a prophecy in which a savior (Po, a MessianicArchetype) is going to defeat him. Consumed by his SocialDarwinism and blinded by his [[{{Narcissist}} narcissism]], {{pride}}, and thirst for power, Shen attempted to commit genocide against the species he feared. The fact that his scenes are associated with fire and dark colors only enhances his Satanic qualities. In fact, the flashback of Po recalling the trauma of his village being decimated by Shen gives us Shen himself surrounded by fire, almost as if he were {{Satan}}.
* SerratedBladeOfPain: Both his BladeOnAStick and sword have wavy edges,
* ScrewDestiny: Shen's goal to conquer China is partially motivated by his desire to prove the Soothsayer wrong about her prediction that he will be defeated by a panda. His actions to change his fate led to him being banished.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: He originally planned to sail out of China with his armada in three days. After he fails to kill Po the first time, he decides to leave immediately rather than try to confront him again.
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: If Shen had not killed the panda village, his nemesis would never have had any reason to go after him, let alone become the Dragon Warrior. Even if all the pandas were dead, ''[[ProphecyTwist he]]'' [[ProphecyTwist was the "warrior in black and white" who led to his own downfall]].
* SelfMadeOrphan: He is an indirect example. He massacred a village of pandas and was banished by his parents as a result. According to the Soothsayer, the grief of sending him away caused them to [[DeathByDespair die from despair.]]
* SicklyChildGrewUpStrong: While he's known to have been weak and sickly when he was younger, he's now a very skilled and dangerous fighter.
* SignatureMove: Throws a quick flurry of knives, accompanied by a staccato whirring noise.
* SinisterScrapingSound: Shen's walking is accompanied by his metal talons scraping the ground.
* TheSociopath: He certainly is. As an extreme {{Narcissist}} who believes that he is above all others, Shen has inordinate self-worth, a sense of self-entitlement, is violent, unsympathetic and more than willing to kill anyone who questions him.
** That being said, unlike most sociopaths, he ''does'' have some moral fibre buried deep down (the writers and the movie strongly suggest the reason he doesn't abandon his goals is [[IveComeTooFar because he knows how awful his actions were and he seems to silently acknowledge he has no chance of redemption]]) and has some connection to humanity. Just look at his interactions [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes with the Soothsayer]] or [[VillainousBreakdown his plead with Po to understand how he moved on from all that happened to him.]] In fact, it was the [[WellDoneSonGuy paranoia that his parents didn't love him]] that caused his StartOfDarkness, rather than any superficial or greedy motivation (though it was shown he was heading towards a dark path even back then. His delusions just made it worse).
* SoftSpokenSadist: For the most part, he's very calm, cool, and collected, and his voice is usually monotone.
** SuddenlyShouting: ...At least until someone angers him, or something doesn't go his way.
* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: A clear step above Tai Lung, not in skill, but in overall threat level.
* StartOfDarkness: He discovered a practical use for fireworks and subsequently became obsessed with it.
* ThirdTimesTheCharm: Po confronts him three times throughout the film (tower, factory, harbor) before finally getting over his HeroicBSOD and defeating him.
* TokenMinority: Of the three main villains in the films, he's the only bird: Tai Lung is a [[CatsAreMean snow leopard]] and Kai is a [[BrutishBulls yak]].
* TranquilFury: After Po decimates his armada and proceeds to lecture him about his inner pain, his rage finally breaks and he begins fighting Po to the death with only a DeathGlare to show his anger.
** And much earlier in the movie, when Po is brought before him as a prisoner, and Po's antics finally get on his nerves, he points one of his blades at the panda's face and says the following line in a low, quiet tone that is utterly ''drenched'' in venom.
---> '''Shen:''' ''The only reason you are '''still alive''' is that I find your stupidity...'''mildly''' amusing...''
* TwitchyEye: Who could also be an ActorAllusion: Gary Oldman previously voiced [[WesternAnimation/QuestforCamelot Ruber]] who had the same tic.
* UnstoppableRage: [[spoiler: After Po destroys his fleet, Shen goes into a very calm rage and attacks Po with the intent to kill him. However his rage also speeds along his death as in his fit of anger he cuts a cannon loose, which falls and crushes him.]]
* VileVillainSaccharineShow: Easily the darkest villain of the entire franchise. He is bent on destroying kung fu with heavy artillery, terrorized many innocent pigs and bunnies with his army of wolves, and almost pushed the entire panda species (which includes Po) to the point of extinction. All of this is enough to make Tai Lung, the snow leopard villain of the first ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' film look like a scaredy cat. When Shen's right hand and the leader of the wolves objects to him [[BadBoss opening fire on his own soldiers to get at the heroes]], Shen responds with a [[YouHaveFailedMe dagger to his neck]], making it the first time in a [[Creator/DreamWorksAnimation DreamWorks]] movie a villain actually offs someone onscreen.
* VillainHasAPoint: Shen has a smaller example of this when Po tries to tell him to let go of his past, correcting the panda that it's wounds that heal rather than scars.
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:When Po returns after being hit by cannon fire and assumed dead, Shen, in a fit of fearful desperation, loses it and opens fire on his own men after killing his second-in-command. After Po obliterates his armada by redirecting cannon fire, Shen is left in shock, not only because that he'd lost everything he'd spent years creating, but because Po had managed to overcome his own troubled past without succumbing to rage, instead of finding inner peace. Po tries to explain that the secret to inner peace is the acceptance of the pain of the past. This only succeeds in angering Shen.]]
** Best summed up in his rant during the final battle:
-->'''Lord Shen:''' [[AttackAttackAttack Keep firing! KEEP FIRING!!]]
* WeakButSkilled: Physically unimpressive, but man, can he hurl blades with the best of them.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Has an insecure relationship with his parents and is deeply hurt by his parents' rejection of him for his evil ways, causing him to believe they never loved him. Considers it an AwfulTruth when Po demands to know about his parents and Shen lies, claiming that his parents didn't love him. He is also completely unable to understand how Po is able to come to terms with him killing Po's parents because he was never able to properly cope with the loss of his own.
* WhiteAndRedAndEerieAllOver: An albino peacock with red eyespots on his train, Lord Shen is a frightening villain whose association with red and fiery imagery is contrasted by his white feathers and robe. (See LightIsNotGood above).
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: It's implied in background material that the former is partially responsible for the latter.
* WhyWontYouDie: He never says this outright, but his shouted orders to his gun crews after Po [[spoiler: starts deflecting cannonballs]] hints that this is his mindset:
-->'''Lord Shen:''' Kill him! ''Somebody KILL him!!''
** A straighter version of the trope occurs when Shen witnesses Po's return to Gongmen City.
-->'''Lord Shen:''' How many times do I have to kill the same stinking panda?
* WalkingArmory: He always carries a large number of knives and wears metal claws on his feet. Besides that, he uses a BladeOnAStick and a meteor hammer at different points. He also uses a sword against Master Ox and Master Croc.
* WolverineClaws: Shen wears metal talons for both combat and to cover up the burn scars on his feet. They also resemble the ornaments Chinese nobles wore to protect their long nails.
* WouldHurtAChild: He clearly didn't hesitate with trying to kill Po when he was just a cub.
* YouCannotFightFate: Played with. It was predicted that a "warrior of black and white" would defeat him, but it was also mentioned that he could change his fate if he stopped his destructive ways. [[spoiler: [[MoralEventHorizon He doesn't.]]]]

[[folder:Boss Wolf]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wolf_boss.png]]
-->"Guess nobody told you: If you mess with the wolf, you get the fangs."

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

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

!!Other Characters

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

Po's biological mother, who sacrificed herself to save her son from Lord Shen.
----
* BigEater: Li Shan mentions she had a huge appetite in the third film.
* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Po has only happy memories of her giving up her life to save him. Li Shan speaks of her highly and with wistfulness.
* HeadbuttOfLove: Her last gesture to Po is to press her forehead to his, before leaving him in the radish crate.
* HeroicSacrifice: Hides Po in a radish crate to protect him from Shen's wolves and then waves at the enemies to chase after her in the other direction. Unlike Li, she doesn't make it out of this.
* HopeSpot: She seems to outrun the wolves with a baby in her arms, fleeing the village as it burns. There's a moment where she loses them briefly. Then the realization hits her as the wolves come closer, and she places Po in the radish crate. Given her expression, she knows she'll never see him again.
* KilledOffForReal: When we find out a village of pandas survived, including Po's father, there's hope that maybe she survived. The third movie confirms, however, that Li Shan's wife didn't make it out of the bloodbath.
* LightIsGood: During Po's flashback of her, she's literally glowing a golden light.
* MamaBear: A literal example, [[PandaingToTheAudience since she is a panda bear]]; she made sure Po was in a relatively safe place before pulling her HeroicSacrifice. Unlike most examples, she's more of a GuileHero than an ActionMom given that her method of saving her son is luring the threat away instead of standing her ground.
* NoNameGiven: Is only known as Po's mother.
* NothingIsScarier: Her death isn't actually shown. All you see is her running off-screen, chased by Shen and his wolves, then the scene just fades away over the sound of Po's crying. Though if you listen closely, just after Shen is shown you hear the characteristic noise of Shen throwing [[SignatureMove his flurry of knives]].
* PosthumousCharacter: Is long dead by the start of the series and is only seen in flashbacks.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Her HeroicSacrifice introduced the Dragon Warrior to the Valley of Peace, as well as ensuring that Shen's destiny would come to light.
* TheVoiceless: Doesn't say a word throughout any of her brief appearances (save "Shh!".) Po's dream version of her does speak, but it's only Creator/JackBlack doing an intentionally-poor feminine voice.
[[/folder]]

* GreaterScopeVillain: Of the entire franchise. The Kung Fu Panda universe would have played out ''very'' differently if Shen hadn't led his army against the pandas and killed Po's mother.

* ArchEnemy: [[DefiedTrope Defied.]] Shen is the one who orphaned Po, is arguably the most dangerous villain in China and is the one antagonist with the most personal connection to Po's past. Throughout the movie, Shen repeatedly tries [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this with Po, lying to him about his parents, trying a big dramatic speech and trying to torment Po about the panda genocide. The problem is Po does not hold a grudge and he was too young to know his birth family. Most importantly, what little trauma there is Po is able to let go of and find inner peace. Shen's just an annoyance to him, and Po tells him so to his face. This [[EvilCannotComprehendGood dumbfounds]] Shen.

* SuperOCD: He wants everything to be '''perfect.''' He practices his PreAssKickingOneLiner before meeting Po and demands his weapon be placed "a little to the left."

* TragicVillain: All he wanted was to make his parents proud, and thought that a path of conquest was the way to do it. It's hinted several times that he knows full well conquering China will do nothing to ease his pain and [[WordOfGod Word of God]] paints him as a somewhat remorseful figure. There's also an implication that he had some budding mental health issues (see TheMentallyDisturbed section) which were never acknowledged or treated, which no doubt caused his downward spiral to accelerate. [[spoiler:At the end, when he's finally beaten, he calmly accepts his death, perhaps realizing that his defeat truly was inevitable, or perhaps believing that death is the only way to end his torment]].

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He's the best fighter among the wolves.

* WeaponOfChoice: His guan dao.

* WeaponOfChoice: Wields a big, heavy, studded war hammer.

* AnAxToGrind: His weapons used against Lord Shen.

* TopHeavyGuy: How does he even ''stand''?

* FragileSpeedster: Physically frail, but blindingly fast when the situation requires it: he can cover short to moderate distances in an instant. Paired with his KnifeNut skills, his speed makes him an extremely dangerous opponent.

* KnifeNut: He hides an arsenal of blades under those robes of his and he is terrifyingly skilled with them.

* OvershadowedByAwesome: Despite being a sickly albino, relying on artillery and trickery over brawn, Shen is still a deadly skilled [[KnifeNut blade wielder]]. It's just that the kung fu masters are so powerful they overshadow him.

* WeakButSkilled: Physically unimpressive, but man, can he [[KnifeNut hurl blades]] with the best of them.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: They only wanted to help their son change his ways by asking the Soothsayer to predict his future. The result... [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope was not]] [[MoralEventHorizon what they expected]].

* AmbitionIsEvil: Ever since Shen became obsessed with his invention, he desires power for the sake of power. When Soothsayer points this to him, Shen sort of admits that [[AndThenWhat he doesn't really know what he's going to do with all this power if he succeeds at taking over China,]] [[IgnoredEpiphany but immediately shrugs the thought off]].

* PapaWolf: Since the alpha male of a wolf pack is also the father of many members, it could apply.

* ArchEnemy: [[DefiedTrope Defied.]] Shen is the one who orphaned Po, is arguably the most dangerous villain in China and is the one antagonist with the most personal connection to Po's past. Throughout the movie, Shen repeatedly tries [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this with Po, lying to him about his parents, trying a big dramatic speech and trying to torment Po about the panda genocide. The problem is Po does not hold grudge and he was too young to know his birth family. Most importantly, what little trauma there is Po is able to let go of and find inner peace. Shen's just an annoyance to him, and Po tells him so to his face. This [[EvilCannotComprehendGood dumbfounds]] Shen.

* EvilTowerOfOminousness: His home in Gongmen City, which [[IHaveTheHighGround he's shown perching atop of]] during a travel montage.

* {{Expy}}:
** He shares many similarities with [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney Judge Claude Frollo]]. Like Frollo, Shen is a [[KnightTemplar genocidal fascist]] with a [[IrrationalHatred deep hatred]] towards an ethnic group, so he's prepared to commit genocide towards that group. And, like Frollo, Shen is also a character full of moral contradictions and internal conflicts, and constantly fights against them. The only real difference is that one knows he's evil while the other doesn't.
** Likewise the fact that [[LightIsNotGood he wears light clothing]], [[YouKilledMyFather killed the hero's loved one]], has loads of {{Mooks}} at his disposal, a [[TheDragon Dragon]] second-in-command that gets killed later in the film and an AxCrazy, hammy personality makes him reminiscent of [[Film/TheProfessional Norman Stansfield]], another villainous character played by Oldman. However, Shen has a FreudianExcuse for why he's evil and a person he actually cares about whereas Stansfield is just a straight up villain.

* ArchEnemy: [[DefiedTrope Defied.]] Shen is the one who orphaned Po, is arguably the most dangerous villain in China and is the one antagonist with the most personal connection to Po's past. Throughout the movie, Shen repeatedly tries [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this with Po, lying to him about his parents, trying a big dramatic speech and trying to torment Po about the panda genocide. The problem is Po does not hold grudge and he was too young to know his birth family. Most importantly, what little trauma there is Po is able to let go of and find inner peace.. Shen's just an annoyance to him, and Po tells him so to his face. This [[EvilCannotComprehendGood dumbfounds]] Shen.

''[[Characters/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness Legends of Awesomeness]]'' | ''[[Characters/KungFuPandaThePawsOfDestiny The Paws of Destiny]]''\\

* DarkAndTroubledPast: No one approved of his life goal of creating the cannon. Not even his own parents, who then consulted a soothsayer, who then predicted that should he not turn away from his ambitions, he would meet his death at the hands of a panda. This spurred him into committing genocide, and he was exiled for it.
** If one takes into account his expanded backstory it's even worse: Shen was born ill and his parents were so ashamed they left him in the care of the Soothsayer (this aspect can still be seen in the way Shen tolerates the Soothsayer's attitude and when he lets her go).

* ParentalAbandonment: {{Subverted}}. While Shen sees his banishment as an act of abandonment, they were justified in their decision to punish him, as he basically committed a genocide.

* PosthumousCharacter: Both are long dead when the story begins and only appear in a flashback.

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: The Soothsayer effectively raised him, and he clearly cares about her to some extent, albeit not enough to stop his plans. He shows hints of this when he encounters Po and the Furious Five for the first time. Despite being at the end of his patience, he never actually loses it unless Po makes a comment about the Soothsayer, the second time driving him to point a knife in Po's face. His treatment of the Soothsayer is more akin to that of a family member than a prisoner. The Soothsayer is also the only character in the movie that he never physically harms – as embittered as he is – despite the snarky, disrespectful attitude (and the prophecies) she gives him.

** He shares many similarities with [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney Judge Claude Frollo]]. Like Frollo, Shen is a [[KnightTemplar genocidal fascist]] with a [[IrrationalHatred deep hatred]] towards an ethnic group, so he's more than willing to commit genocide towards that group. And, like Frollo, Shen is also a character full of moral contradictions and internal conflicts, and constantly fights against them. The only real difference is that one knows he's evil while the other doesn't.

* FauxAffablyEvil: He's polite, well-spoken, and composed ... until something gets him angry, then he shows the true AxCrazy monster beneath it all.