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- Po soon learns that the valley is being approached by Tai Lung, an evil kung fu warrior who has escaped from prison to take revenge for being denied the Dragon Scroll, and despairs he will be unable to defeat him. However, Shifu discovers that Po is capable of martial arts when motivated by food, and successfully trains him to learn kung fu.
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Po's (played by Jack Black in the films) main interest lies in kung fu. He developed a comprehensive knowledge of the lore of warriors, famous combat moves, dates and historical artifacts.
- Overview
- Biography
- Personality
- Fighting style and abilities
- Relationships
- Clothing
- Trivia
Master Po Ping (known simply as Po, and originally named Lotus) is the main protagonist of the Kung Fu Panda franchise. He is the adopted son of Mr. Ping and the biological son of Li Shan and Li's wife, as well as one of Master Shifu's students at the Jade Palace. He is also the foretold Dragon Warrior of legend, and a master of the Panda Style of kung fu.
Originally born in a farming village to his birth parents, Po was separated from his family as a result of a massacre instigated by Lord Shen. He was eventually found by Mr. Ping, who adopted him, hoping for Po to inherit the family noodle shop some day. However, Po was drawn to kung fu, and his unwavering enthusiasm led him to be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, after which he began training under Master Shifu. Though clumsy and unaccepted at first, Po persevered and fulfilled the destiny of the Dragon Warrior by defeating Tai Lung and discerning the Dragon Scroll, proving himself as a hero to everyone, including himself.
Early years
Po was born as "Lotus" in a remote farming village populated entirely by pandas. There, Lotus grew up happily with his biological father Li Shan and his mother, until one day the village was invaded by the evil, power-hungry peacock named Shen, who sought to avert a prophecy by eliminating any threat to his future rule. As a last resort to protecting her child, Lotus's mother hid him in a crate of radishes. They share an emotional goodbye, before she is tragically killed by Shen and his wolf army. The crate Lotus was in was eventually shipped far away to the Valley of Peace, where the owner of a noodle shop, Mr. Ping, found the baby panda, who had eaten the radishes. Though reluctant to take him in at first, Mr. Ping, upon realizing that no one was looking for him, eventually took him in giving him the name "Xiao Po" and raising him as his own son. Since then, Po had been happily raised in the noodle shop, learning all he knew as a noodle maker from his adoptive father. Until the events in the second film, Po never questioned Mr. Ping about whether he was adopted as both father and son shared a deep mutual love and respect. He did, however, carry doubts that they were related.
In Secrets of the Scroll
Po grew into his teenage years with a lack of focus and of his father's skill in cooking, which later led to Master Shifu getting food poisoning after Po prepared a meal for the Jade Palace while his father was away on business. Afterwards, Po began to consider other possible career paths, such as a cleaner, comedian, dancer, or doctor, and made a list of them on a scroll. This scroll later inadvertently ended up in the hands of Tigress, who mistook it for a list made by Shifu of four warriors she was to gather in order to face the villainous Boar. This led to her recruiting Crane, Monkey, Viper, and Mantis, who were quickly dismissed by Shifu who also ordered the evacuation of the valley. During this time, Po revealed to his father that he had caused Shifu's illness, which his father took as good publicity, and was then sent to gather ingredients for meals to be served to the fleeing villagers. From the hilltop his father had specified, Po then watched as the future Furious Five battled Boar, and quickly determined what he wanted to do with his life: practice Kung fu. He later made a set of Furious Five action figures which he treasured for years, only for his father to give them away to a customer. Po attempted to recover them, but after seeing the youngster developing his own love for Kung fu came to feel that they had come to the right place; it appears that at some point he later created a new set.
In Kung Fu Panda
Po, now a young adult, is an idealistic dreamer with hopes of becoming a Kung fu legend alongside his heroes, the Furious Five. Due to his love of Kung Fu, he has developed an encyclopedic knowledge of everything related to it. However, this knowledge was only obtained as a fan, as Po's soft, large, and untrained body made such a goal seem ridiculous to Po and everyone around him, so he kept his dreams secret, even from his father Mr. Ping. Instead he resigned to the idea that his future would be running the family's noodle shop. It was seemingly by mistake, then, that he was chosen to become the Dragon Warrior. Po was ecstatic when he heard of a tournament being held to determine which of the Furious Five would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior. He abandoned his task of selling noodles in order to see the tournament, but couldn't make it in time, as the gates closed on him, shutting him out. After many failed attempts to get inside, Po's final idea was to strap fireworks to a chair and light them in order to lift him up and into the arena. When his plan initially failed, Po was about to give up and go back to work with his father, but then the fireworks suddenly shot him into the sky, flying over the arena. Po plummeted to the ground, landing just before Oogway's claw which, when he regained consciousness, was pointed directly at him. Oogway took this as a sign that the universe had brought them all the Dragon Warrior. Everyone else, including Po, was surprised by this. The Valley celebrated, and Po was carried to the Jade Palace where he was met by Shifu, who was openly hostile and critical of Po, particularly with respect to Po's physique. Shifu then brings Po to the Training Hall in hopes that, after seeing the level of training required, the panda would quit. In front of the Furious Five, Po's inexperience lead to him being injured and humiliated. On their way to the Student barracks, Po overhears the Five joke about his incompetence. Later, Tigress even tells him directly that he is a disgrace to kung fu and that, if he actually respected Kung fu and what the Furious Five represent, he should leave. Po, disheartened by his heroes' comments, retreated to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Oogway, upon finding him, listened to Po as the panda related how he had doubts about ever becoming a kung fu warrior. Oogway advises Po that instead of being concerned about what was and what would be, he should focus on the opportunity he had at the moment. The next morning, the others find that Po is not in his room and believe he left only to find he was already in the training courtyard. Shifu, still trying to get rid of Po, does not go easy on him. Po spars with the Five (sans Tigress) and is badly beaten each time, but still remains enthusiastic. Losing patience, Shifu himself spars with Po. Po is flung down the palace stairs, but his determination and fortitude impress some of the Five. Later that night, Mantis and Viper are the first to reach out to Po. During the acupuncture session, the three talk about Shifu and why he is so harsh. Overhearing their conversation, Tigress shares Shifu's story, revealing how he had raised Tai Lung as a son and had his heart broken by Tai Lung's betrayal. Later, Po and the Five continue to bond over the noodle soup that Po makes them, though Tigress is still resistant. While making the Five laugh by doing a Shifu impersonation, Shifu himself appears. He announces that Tai Lung had broken out of Chorh-Gom Prison, and that it is Po's destiny to defeat him, also relaying that Oogway had passed away. Startled and frightened, Po runs off but is stopped by Shifu who, despite his prior disapproval, declares that Po is the Dragon Warrior. Po confronts Shifu on this claim, stating how Shifu never believed in him, and had been trying to make him quit. Shifu then demands to know why Po hadn't left despite being aware of his intentions, forcing Po to reveal that he had been hurt both inside and out, but had stayed because, to him, it was better than living every day just being himself and that, in his mind, Shifu had the best chance of bringing out any change in him. When Po demands to know how Shifu planned to make him into a warrior capable of defeating Tai Lung, Shifu admits he didn't know. Discouraged, Po again seeks comfort in food and ravages the kitchen in the barracks, punching through cupboards and drawers, even doing a perfect split at one point. When Shifu sees this, he finally understands how Po differs from the Five, and how he can use this perceived weakness as a teaching tool to motivate and train Po. Shifu leads Po through the Wu Dan Mountains to the Pool of Sacred Tears, and in the very place where Oogway first created kung fu, Shifu begins to train Po to become the Dragon Warrior. Using food to motivate him, Po's skills and strength begin to develop. As a final test, Po must steal back the dumpling that Shifu is keeping from him. In the end, Po is able to beat Shifu, and they two bow to each other in mutual respect. But the Furious Five, led by Tigress, had left to fight Tai Lung on their own. Despite putting up a courageous fight, Tai Lung had defeated them using a nerve attack. Crane had been permitted to return with the wounded Five in order to scare Po, but Shifu assured him that he could beat Tai Lung—with the help of the Dragon Scroll. However, when Po opened the scroll, everyone was shocked to find it was nothing but a golden, reflective surface that was completely blank, causing Po to believe that Oogway was a crazy old turtle who had picked him as the Dragon Warrior by accident. With no legendary powers to help them, Shifu orders the Five to evacuate the Valley, saying that he would fight Tai Lung himself to buy them all time. They obeyed, Po reluctantly leaving with the others. The Five split up to escort the villagers out while Po returned to his father to help him pack and leave. Po, heartbroken that he had come so close to reaching his dream only to be forced to return to his mundane life, falls behind. Mr. Ping tried to cheer up his son by finally telling him the truth: the secret ingredient of the noodle shop's secret ingredient soup—was nothing. By Mr. Ping simply believing it to be special, it became special on its own. Astounded, Po took out the Dragon Scroll, and found himself looking into his own reflection. Mr. Ping's words made the connection, and at last Po understood the meaning of the Dragon Scroll, the secret to "limitless power". He made his way back to the Jade Palace, and arrived just in time to save Shifu. Facing Tai Lung, an out-of breath Po proclaimed that he was the true Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung laughed at the claim, and Po smugly revealed that he the Dragon Scroll in his possession. This lead to a back-and-forth struggle for the scroll which soon turned into a battle that spread down into the Valley, both Po and Tai Lung trying to get the Dragon Scroll as it fell from place to place. Physically, Tai Lung was stronger, faster and more agile, however, by using all of his own trials and tribulations, Po kept the kung fu prodigy at bay. Despite Po's ongoing success, Tai Lung manages to get a strong kick crashing the Dragon Warrior into the ground and then fell down on him with enough force and momentum to leave a crater. A defeated and momentarily stunned Po watched Tai Lung get a hold of the scroll and open it, only to be shocked that it was blank. Po reveals to Tai Lung the meaning behind the scroll, that in just believing you are special is enough. Infuriated, Tai Lung throws down the Dragon Scroll and uses his deadly nerve attack on Po, but it doesn't work on Po due to his girth. Again, the two fought, Po besting and outsmarting Tai Lung again and again, developing his own improvised style in the process. His greater durability proved to infuriate the angered Tai Lung. Eventually, Po catches Tai Lung in the Wuxi Finger Hold and uses it on him, sending a massive golden shock wave throughout the Valley of Peace and beyond. When the Furious Five and villagers return to see that Po defeated Tai Lung, they cheer and bow to him, accepting him as the Dragon Warrior. Po was modestly pleased, but quickly remembered that Shifu was hurt back at the palace. He rushed back and found Shifu still injured, and told him he had defeated Tai Lung. Shifu weakly thanked Po for bringing peace both to the Valley and to him. Po lays next to the resting Shifu for several moments before asking him if he wanted to get something to eat. He and Shifu later enjoyed a meal of dumplings by the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, overlooking a new day in the Valley of Peace.
Po is usually easygoing, playful, and cocky like a big kid, as well as rather "fanboyish" when expressing his love for kung fu. In the first film, he is seen as a huge kung fu fan, owning posters and action figures of his favorite warriors, but is himself clumsy, portly, and having low self-confidence, only dreaming he could be a great warrior while feeling stuck in his unfulfilling life at his father's noodle shop. But when given the chance, he is all too eager to learn kung fu the hard way, enduring physical beatings and insults in hopes of changing who he is. After learning that "there is no secret ingredient", Po shows the inner strength to save the Valley of Peace by using his own skills and ingenuity and in the end becomes his own hero.
Po possesses a kind and selfless nature, and is generally friendly and laid-back. He also has a strong sense of justice, and is willing to risk his life to protect others. Though immature and oblivious in some situations, Po is able to take things seriously when it is called for, and is not hesitant to accept heavy responsibility—at times taking on more than he can handle. He is also capable of learning things very quickly with the right motivation, as shown in the first film, and has memorized a vast amount of knowledge about kung fu, even being reliable enough to teach a class on his own.
Po also displays an action-craving attitude along with a natural affinity for humor, and isn't above acting clownish and dishing out quips, even making fun of himself, in order to entertain others. Imaginative and adventurous, he continues to act excitable and marvel over his heroes even after he has become the Dragon Warrior, at times leaving them embarrassed by his behavior. As Po tends to be less serious and disciplined than other masters, he also tends to think more outside the box, and will find different, creative ways to solve a problem if need be. Po has also broken some rules and traditions (as well as still having a habit of breaking physical things), though this is often unintentional. Po's lack of discipline and flippant personality often give him an unintentional advantage over his enemies, since, combined with his appearance, it causes them to disregard him or struggle to take him seriously, so they are often shocked when he proves to be a tenacious and incredibly skilled warrior.
One of the recurring plot lines in the television series is Po's struggle to not let his title affect his ego. Throughout the series, he is shown to have many adoring fans and he welcomes the attention, occasionally to the point that it begins to negatively impact his duties or those around him. Despite this, he also possesses the self-awareness to realize when he has made a mistake, and is willing to accept responsibility for his actions.
Though having grown more confident since becoming the Dragon Warrior, Po nevertheless has moments of intimidation and self-doubt. Even as he tries to talk tough, this boisterous behavior tends to become more comical than threatening, and is perhaps a front for the panda's insecurities. Despite this, Po does have a sense of dignity and defiance, as shown in the first film when he argued with Master Shifu as he tried to leave the palace, and in the second film when he argued with Tigress in order to seek out Shen.
Additionally in the second film, Po was revealed to be rather stubborn when it comes to admitting his problems, even to his friends, as he developed confusion about his own identity after learning he was adopted by Mr. Ping, and seeing visions of his biological parents. This inner struggle showed that Po tries to stay true to his idea of a strong "hardcore" warrior who is unaffected by emotions. He was also persistent enough to not heed the warning of his friends and endanger himself in order to find answers about his past. However, after finding the truth about what happened to his parents, the panda was able to let go of this dilemma by retaining an appreciation for the life he had led, and achieved inner peace by not letting tragedy define who he was.
Po often uses an improvised style when he fights and is the originator of Panda Style. In his battle with Tai Lung in the first film, Po's bulky physique made him naturally immune to Tai Lung's nerve attacks (which were blunted so much that to Po it felt like he was being intensely tickled), and his portliness making him incredibly resistant to severe physical hits, allowing Po to take Tai Lung's strength and use it against him. Additionally in the second film, Po took a near-direct hit from one of Shen's largest cannons (using only a wok to shield him) and still managed to survive.
Po will also use anything in the surrounding area to his advantage, such as when he confused Tai Lung by using makeshift stilts to mix up pots and pans which hid the Dragon Scroll, and when he used fireworks to allow him to reach the scroll before his opponent. Po has also demonstrated some skill in the use of various weapons. In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po was shown using a sword against Shen's wolves by using metal musical instruments; combined with his recently-acquired acrobatic skills, he held his own and overwhelmed them by use of an apparent technique of spinning on top of his head. Similarly, Po managed to throw a tuning fork at Shen and nail him to the wall without injuring him.
Despite his size, Po has shown to be extremely agile, able to hold his own against a master as swift as Shifu during training. Furthermore, once he achieved "inner peace", Po was able use the same water drop catching technique as Shifu demonstrated in order to redirect Shen's cannon fire against his armada and was later able to dodge Shen's strikes in a one-on-one confrontation.
In battling alongside the Furious Five, Po has come up with a few techniques of his own. He demonstrated a "Feet of Fury" technique, at which he rapidly kicked at his opponents. He has also learned to work with the members of the Five and perform attacks with them, such as when he and Tigress did a "Double Death Strike" against their opponents.
One of Po's most astounding skills is his quick learning speed; he grasps various kung fu techniques over an incredibly short span of time, whereas others would spend years perfecting such skills. This has amazed his friends and foes alike. In just a manner of days with the right motivation, Po was able to grow proficient enough to match kung fu masters like Shifu and Tai Lung, and Po is also able to beat the Furious Five whether one-on-one, or "one-on-five" even with mind control, which he demonstrated on sparring or real fight, and achieved inner peace at a very young age. Throughout Legends of Awesomeness, Po has also been shown performing powerful kung fu techniques after seeing them only once or simply reading about them. He also invented a few types of fighting styles by himself like Dizzy Kung Fu which is (or maybe) an alternative to Drunken Kung Fu.
He also learned special moves like the Silken Moon Touch, Paralyzing Touch Point, The Golden Lotus Clap which he learned by observation alone and two of the Twelve Impossible Moves, such as the Thundering Wind Hammer and the Mongolian Fireball.
FamilyMasters of the Jade PalaceVillainsOthersPo wears nothing from the top, but does wear burlap pants that consist of patches stitched in, with a variety of different colours and hues. He also wears a red and yellow striped portion of his pants above, and wears gauze wraps around his ankles, and shoes that look like panda toes, and panda paws on the bottom.
In Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Po's casual winter clothes consisted of a red snow hat with yellow-dotted black stripes and a yellow scarf. At the Jade Palace's formal Winter Feast dinner, Po wore his same pants, but with a tall dark coronet-like hat on his head and a large dark cape around his neck.
At one point in Kung Fu Panda 2, he also wore a small straw hat for a short time when he went to confront Shen's fleet in Gongmen City.
In Kung Fu Panda 3, Po is also shown in a new outfit that appears to match his fur, with a white robe that has black trimming, and long, black sleeves trimmed with gold. With this, he wears a long gold cape, a red sash across his waist, and a straw hat. This appearance greatly resembles that of the dream Po from the first film, and only appears when Po is in the Spirit Realm. While there, Po was also eventually given a special staff by Oogway himself.
General
•Po's full name, Po Ping (traditional Chinese: 寶平?; simplified Chinese: 宝平; pinyin: bǎo píng; Cantonese: bou2 ping4), translates to "precious peace" in Chinese. The name uses Cantonese romanization, hinting that Po is most likely a native speaker of Cantonese. •Po has a special "fighting fist" control that he only uses when he's engaging in kung fu. •When the real Po is first seen in Kung Fu Panda, he is shown upside down. This was meant as a visual motif, as Po is also shown upside down in the final scene of the film. •According to Jack Black, Po is technically the "leader" of the Furious Five, but not a member of the quintet. •Po's favorite Furious Five member is Tigress, despite the fact that she showed considerable disrespect and disgust at him throughout most of the first film. •In the first film, Po mentions that he has "no claws", but he does appear to have them, albeit stubby ones. •According to Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Po never went to school as a cub. However, during the credits of Kung Fu Panda 2, young Po is seen in a schoolhouse. •In an interview with "Po" for Scholastic News Online, Po shares how Crane told him the giant panda is called a "large bear-cat" in China. This actually comes from the literal translation for "giant panda" in Chinese (traditional and simplified Chinese: 大熊貓?; pinyin: dà xióng māo). •In the opening sequences of the first film (during Po's dream), he rapidly kicked his enemies in mid-air. This move was used for real by Po during the first fight scene in Kung Fu Panda 2, calling the move "Feet of Fury". •In Kung Fu Panda 2, when Po supposedly fit forty bean buns in his mouth, there were actually only nine. •In the end credits of Kung Fu Panda 2, it is revealed that Po carved his Furious Five action figures himself. •In the comic "Pong" from Issue #4 of the KFP comics, Po created paper mache sculptures of The Five to honor them. This clearly shows his dedication and loyalty to his heroes.
In development
•Earlier versions of Po's character had him not as a fan of kung fu, and he was "rather hateable and stupid and dead-end". However, Jack Black's performance helped to change and define Po's personality as more of a vulnerable kind instead. •In development, Po went through a variety of origins. Among these were living in a panda village with his mother, working in a chime factory, and being an indentured servant to Mr. Ping. •In earlier story treatments, Po's adoptive father was going to be Shifu. •The "weirdest" animation control was for Po's uvula. •Po's cheeks were rebuilt during the first film to allow him to stuff his mouth with more food.
In popular culture
•Baseball player Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants is nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda." •As a tribute to the star of the films, a newborn giant panda cub in Zoo Atlanta—the only one born in the U.S. in 2010—was named Po. Jack Black was present for the naming of the newborn cub. •A spoof character of Po, known simply as "Kung Fu Panda", appeared in the 2008 parody film Disaster Movie. •Spoof versions of Po have appeared in the Cartoon Network TV series MAD in the episodes "Are You Karate Kidding Me?", "TwiSchool Musical/Avenger Time", "Kung Fu Blander", and "PO-blivion". Po was voiced in all episodes by Brian T. Delaney, who had also voiced Mantis in the first Kung Fu Panda video game. •Po made short appearances at the 2011 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on April 2, 2011, in which he interrupted the show and eventually annoyed the host, his voice actor Jack Black. This was done as a tribute to one of the show's sponsors, Kung Fu Panda 2. •Po appears as a crossover playable character in the 2D platform fighter game Brawlhalla. •Po is featured as a playable character in the online Nickelodeon flash crossover versus fighting game Super Brawl 3: Good vs Evil.
Sep 11, 2023 · Po, also known as the Dragon Warrior, is the lovable and clumsy protagonist of the popular animated film series, Kung Fu Panda. Created by DreamWorks Animation, Po has captured the hearts of viewers young and old with his infectious enthusiasm and unwavering determination.
- THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS. When Oogway proclaimed Po as the new Dragon Warrior, Shifu was very vocal about his stance on it. He simply did not agree with the decision.
- ENJOY THE PRESENT. At first, Po was a little bit daunted with the idea and the responsibility of being the Dragon Warrior. When he was about to give up, Master Oogway shows up to drop some wisdom: “Yesterday is history.
- BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. After Oogway nominated Po as the Dragon Warrior, everyone was pretty sceptical about his decision. Shifu himself said many times to Po that he wasn’t “the one”.
- DON’T HAVE AN EGO. To be honest, the world does not owe you anything. Why did Tai Lung fail? He wasn’t humble enough. To earn the title of Dragon Warrior you have to possess the right set of skills and the right mindset.
Po is at least 20 years old, as it is stated by Mr. Ping in Kung Fu Panda 3 that he "raised Po for 20 years before [he] finally told him that he was adopted", and that he "lied to him [Po] for 20 years..."
May 21, 2024 · Speaking with Screen Rant, Mitchell revealed how Po's new role as a mentor for Zhen sets up a new storyline after Kung Fu Panda 4. The director explained how the main character's new role could add plenty of humor to the story, while also focusing on how his pupil evolves over time.
Realizing that Po was right, Heng bid him farewell, only to be stopped by the panda, who had an idea to help Heng get his home back. And so, with the help of the Furious Five and Mr. Ping, they converted the obstacle course into a kid-friendly playground which promoted kung fu training.
