Lord Shen - Kung Fu Panda's Greatest Villain (Kung Fu Panda 2)
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- čas přidán 17. 05. 2024
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Huang, Kun. "Comparative Study Between Chinese and Western Culture in Kung Fu Panda 2." Studies in Literature and Language 6.3 (2013): 70-73.
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between tai lung, shen, and kai, who is your favourite villain from the kung fu panda trilogy?
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Tia lung
Shen. Although Tai Lung is relatable,Shen is my favorite because it's rare I see a villain whose defeat and whole character revolves around paranoia
❤️
I got first tai lung, then shen and kai last
kai is pretty wasted, i love the first battle between po and him, he just procede to take the shit out of po, then they just screwed up with second fight.
same with the town of pandas (i forget its name) it would be really asomme to see them as something more than a living joke
Tai Lung was Shifu’s villain
Kai was Oogway’s villain
But Shen was Po’s villain
Tai Lung was shifus step son 🥵
@@GhostRider-vm1su 😐
@@GhostRider-vm1sutake a break
The Chameleon has to be Tigress's villain.
@GhostRider-vm1su Why tf are you using that emoji here you weirdo?
"I scarred you for life."
"That's the thing Shen, scars heal."
"No they don't. WOUNDS heal."
"Oh yeah. What does scars do? They fade I guess?"
"I don't care what scars do!"
Kung Fu Panda 2 also had the funniest dialogue of the trilogy.
and it's so tragic yet. You can see how Shen can't let the past go and how Po accepted his past: he doesn't have hate but he understands himself, he understands he has family and others. Shen on the other hand tried to let go the past but he failed, he still lives by a thought of his parents abondoning him.
Po's scars faded, even though they're still there, they don't hurt anymore.
Shen's scars have never faded, even though he could go further powered by his hatred (wounds heal), his scars - thoughts of his parents abondoning him have never faded away, he can see them: he sees them in himself, in Po, in his father's throne, in Soothsayer's words... If he had accepted his parents loved him and all his conquers and genocides had been pointless, that might have let his scars "fade away" because he could start his life once again (through I believe he's beyond repair). But he fears that too much. So he rather chose death instead of seeking a new life.
@@recordofragnarokisapurehyp6660 agree, the only villain in the series who choose death. That's such a mature content.
@@farrel_ra True, Shen's a really deep, mature and complex character if you look closer.
What does scar do? Dramatically let you fall to death
Shen "I don't care what scars do!"
Scar: *crying in the corner*
Tai Lung chased his destiny but never found it.
Shen tried to avoid his destiny and still met it.
Tai Lung failed to achieve his destiny, because he lacked an understanding of what the Dragon Scroll truly meant. He believed it could give him power, when the actual power was within himself. He was so focused on becoming as powerful as he could to make Shifu proud that he overlooked the fact that he already WAS powerful and Shifu already WAS proud of him. This prevented him from understanding the true purpose of the Dragon Scroll and not getting the power he wanted.
Tai Lung chased a destiny that wasn't his
no way....
Ironic
Tai Lung could of found his destiny ,if Shifu told him NOT to put his eggs in one bowl.
Each villain in the trilogy represents a different aspect of being that Po had to master in order to become the Dragon Warrior.
Tai Lung: the physical.
Shen: the psychological
Kai: the spiritual
I strongly agree
KFP1: Body
KFP2: Mind
KFP3: Spirit
So for the 4th movie it probably going be Balance
Each villain and each movie. The first focuses a lot on Po's body. Him being fat (or fluffy) no one really knowing panda physiology for acupuncture, etc
The second focused on Po's PTSD and increasing frustration and ultimately deciding for himself who he wants to be. (His state of mind)
The third dealt a lot with literal spirits but I guess Po truly conceptualizing who he is and cementing his identity as dragon warrior is a journey of the spirit
wow I just realized that, 🙏🏼
Po is the best protagonist. He doesn’t have that typical black-white morality. He saw how Tai Lung and Shen were in pain and wanted to help them. He knows what pain feels like, and he wants to make sure others don’t feel that pain. That’s a true hero.
Yes! That is what I love about the series!
It’s also why Po was easily able to master the arts of inner peace and qí- because he already has a sense of inner peace because he faced and overcame trauma at a young age.
@@cthonisprincess4011 Oh, that is a really cool take on it!
It's a bit of a stretch to say he wanted to help tai lung.
@@fightingmedialounge519 he tried to be honest with him. Tai Lung was the one who didn’t listen.
this whole trilogy gets criminally underrated because it’s labeled as a children’s movie
That’s because there’s this sector of people who says that animated films should only be for kids, and that adults should watch live action things only
@@MrGokuson22 that’s such a narrow mindset to have honestly, i don’t understand why people make that correlation between each type of media and it’s intended audience.
Adults can watch these movies too because they are family movies. Just because they are pg doesn't mean that they are not ment only for kids
There’s just some things that animation can portray and convey that live action can’t. Like emotion. When shen talks to the soothsayer, he’s coming off like he’s trying to convince himself of what he’s doing. That he’s attempting to validate everything he’s done. And with with Tai Lung, when he had his outburst against shifu. “All I ever did, I did to make you proud.” He linked shifu being proud to him to being the dragon warrior. So if he couldn’t be the dragon warrior, he couldn’t make his father proud.
@@MrGokuson22
Imo i think it's people placing too much of an expectation on what it means to be "mature". U can still watch Anime, Spider-Man, and Steven universe, but also be a highly respectable and responsible adult. If anything some shows actually HELP u be a better person.
To block themselves off of such enjoyment, yet criticize others 4 enjoying it says more about that person than it does about u.
"The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth."
Suits so much Shen.
Diavolo 😳
Naruto?
The ignored became the one no one can ignore
@@John_C_J No yah weeb, it’s an Old African proverb.
i sceenshoted that nft
The fact that he just closed his eyes and accepted death breaks my heart somehow. the monologue he said to po about how did he find peace was so heart wrenching… he was a poor child too and only if he wasn’t evil he would really live a good life and be loved
Even now, every time I watch or hear that scene(Scene as Shen closes her eyes and accepts her own death) from the KFP 2 movie again, it really breaks my heart and makes me bitter.
He struggled to avoid his fate, but it is heartbreaking to see that his own fate is ultimately determined by his actions and he faces his own ruin.
Crucially, if Shen hadn't committed an evil deed in the first place, not blindly believing in fate, he wouldn't have brought himself to ruin. This fact hurts even more.
i fail to see how he was a "poor child" when he was quite literally a wealthy adult in a position of power(quite literally the young master and heir of the peacocks who ruled the city and was possibly loved and spoiled by his own parents as well) who had the capability to lead an army of wolves to commit genocide. it was implied in the beginning narration he had already thought to use firecrackers as weapons, which is what caused his parents to seek out a soothsayer. everything he's done were decisions he himself made, and it was his own decisions that caused his downfall as he dug himself deeper in his own grave.
i love shen and as painful as it is to see him conflicted in trying to avoid his own fate, he's still a villain and is probably one of few the kfp villains who're the least deserving of sympathy, which is really why he's such a great villain.
@@HetaClaude Of course, Shen's downfall was all due to his own decisions, but He's downfall did not begin when he thought he would use firecrackers as a weapon.
Shen's downfall began when he slaughtered the pandas.
Using firecrackers as a weapon is not a problem at all, and in a positive light it can make a huge contribution to the defense of a city or country. If using firecrackers as a weapon in the first place is a problem, then the existence of weapons itself should be banned.
@@578destroy7 his*
@@578destroy7 you're right. I don't understand why his parents were so freaked out by his weapon research instead of using it to protect their citizens. But I guess it's just kind of metaphor for him seeing (and searching) dark and dangerous side of peacocks legacy.
Imagine a child clicking this video and then becoming existentialist before teenage years
I've always been an existentialist
Hey, they might have parents they can actually discuss that shit with lol
CZcams is 13+
@@kariissmol9172 not necessarily. My sister has a CZcams channel and she's only 12.
Not like she's posted any vids or anything tho
Lord Shen reminds me of a Greek tragedy protagonist. He goes to insane lengths to prevent a bad prophecy from happening, only for his actions to cause said prophecy's fulfilment
Oh i got it Edip's tragedy.
I agree as some one who has read many Greek Tragedy's,the whole point of Greek tragedy is the prevention of a prophecy of coming true only for it to come to pass any way tho it is done differently here
Or macbeth
@@robbu2445 Yes. He's also similar to magbeth.
to sum up in oogway's words, one often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it
Honestly Shen is like one of my favourite fictional characters EVER. I didn't realise how cool he is before, but when I watched movie again I was like: wOwW. He's well written, has cool design and voice actor. Perfect match in my opinion.
Yeah same I saw this as a kid in 2011 and thought the movie was pretty decent but when I rewatched it grown up I realized how freaking good it was, especially Shen. Shen is just such an interesting villain, too bad the KFP movies have a time limit so they couldn’t add more to his story. Criminally underrated movie and best of the trilogy
Exactly!
This is gonna sound silly, yet my younger self had a crush on Shen when I first watched the movie.
Looking back, I now see why I adored him so much despite him being the antagonist. His design, personality, and reasoning seemed so cunning to me, expecially in comparison to some of the more "flat" characters in the movie. The extent to how well a character is written is crucially important, and when done right, makes a character quite memorable and pristine, just like Shen.
Nowadays writing doesn't seem to much of a focus in shows and movies. Making a character look attractive or look cool doesn't always work. Personality, motives, and the character as a person is equally appealing and important. This "rule" also applies beyond making a character seem attractive. Making a rude, relatable, or cutesy character (to name a few) goes beyond the surface of appearance and shallow personalities.
My apologies for rambling a bit, but hopefully this mindump finds purpose as by appealing to someone's curiosity!
@@daisydusk4179 i crush on him too
FOR REALLL
@@daisydusk4179 me too hahaha
Shen's martial art is also the most unique out of the three main villains throughout the series. His weapons are curved Guan Dao, bladed claws and throwing knives. His style of fighting is deceptive and agile almost like a dance. He's not particularly strong but he surely knows how to manipulate the fight into his favor.
Looking through the wiki, I found something similar to what you said. So near officially, the martial art style Shen uses is similar to Choy Lee Fut, otherwise known as Cai Li Fo. It's a weaponry specialising martial art that is known for using a metal fan for defense and distraction. Along with a peacock using its feathers as a display, they use their feathers for confusing predators or prey. Its a perfect combo for a sly, deceptive and lethal villain, matching skill and physiology
👏👏👏 Good opinion
His style is good in agility, attack and even defense with the way he displays his feathers.. it is a very unique fighting style. Both elegant and lethal.
“You want to see? It’s a gift. It’s 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”
You insolent fool!
*starts fighting*
God that line is pretty bold with it being a family movie, the delivery was an amazing one as well
I loved that bit
@@jugemujugemugokonosurikire4735 *Epic fight ends*
That is a warning,you are no match for our kung fu!
@@maryray4960 I agreed... But this is. *Flying back standing on the cannon*
Kung Fu Panda 2 showed me the horrors of genocide in ways my history teachers could only dream of.
Big facts
This sounds like a hyperbolic youtube comment but damn it's actually true.
Horrors? Maybe because it was animated and affected the main character so we had a sense of realism and how it can affect people but in history we learn from books
😐 ..... 😤 ..... 😒
Dafuq did I just read?
@@shallter455 we don't "have" to learn from books , School decided to use them and even worse it decided to make them as dull as possible making kids bored and immediately forget what they're supposed to learn
That final moment of him asking Po, "How did you find PEACE?!" Even as an elementary schooler at that time, I actually cried for Shen, who was the bad guy. *CHILDREN ARENT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT*
You should watch this analog horror short called “Kung fu panda’s greatest villain”
I’ve seen it and I can see it being canon before the events of kung fu panda three. Basically it’s about Po having nightmares where Shen is still taunting him and tormenting him even after his death.
I know the movie talks about how he found inner peace but did he really? Maybe he finally did at one point but I like to believe he is still haunted by shen in his nightmares for a while.
Shen was presented in such a creepy way too in the short. It opens with the flashback of Shen saying “How did you find inner peace? I took away your parents, everything, I scarred you for life…”
Then you see a demonic version of Shen staring down at Po and continuing “…. Haven’t I? Oh yes that’s right… scars heal. Perhaps your scars have healed Po, but I will still take my opportunities… even after my death..."
@@daderowley4514 thank you for explaining what it was about I was really confused
@@daderowley4514 finnaly someone else who saw vibing leaf's video
@@daderowley4514 Maybe Lord Shen suffers from multiple personality disorders
@@daderowley4514doesnt make much sense for po to have nightmares when he beat him mentally and physically, the nightmares could happen between 1 and 2 but not 2 and 3
As a therapist and movie enjoyer, I think, the most terrifying thing about Shen is how actually human his motivation and character are. Tai Lung was a cool and great villain, but his motivation and actions are very fictional in the sense that you would expect a kung fu villain would do. The same goes for Kai. Both wanted to be the strongest there is, building on a different history. But Shen's actions are based on an arrogant son who only wanted to make his parents proud in the way he thought would be the best/most pragmatic. A panda will be my downfall? Alright, then I will make sure there'll be no more pandas. He also doesn't rely on supernatural relics or powers, grounding kung fu, the martial art that seems unbeatable unless you use it yourself. He created his own way to conquer this force. That is a very formidable act.
Tai Lung and Kai were also incredibly sympathetic. You can feel their side of the story, but Shen knows he's a villain and he accepts it. Tai Lung and Kai think they are the heroes. It makes Shen stand out so much more.
Shen was truly the most grounded of the three in realism. He doesn't defeat the pandas through some ungodly kungfu magic, but rather he used very real things like power and authority to commit genocide. He doesn't defeat master rhino with kungfu. In fact he's actively on the defensive throughout the whole fight. He defeats master rhino with a real weapon, a fucking cannon and an army of loyal wolves. Shen is a politician given the power and means to enact brutal change. He is ironically enough the most human of the trio of villains and history is full of men like Shen.
I agree with @Muhammad Hanzo. He's way better (or worse) than a politician. He can fight on his own, but he just chooses not to, because he wants immediate results... very evident in the "Year of the Peacock, begins now" scene. So instead of using his martial arts, he wants to defeat his enemies in the soonest possible time... and he would fire a cannon at a kung-fu master at point blank range, to prove his point.
@Muhammad Hanzo True. Being able to face-off with Master Ox and Master Croc, at the SAME time... is an impressive feat in itself.
But it's also a testament to how good Po has gotten with his kung-fu, that he was able to overpower Shen in the weapons factory, using only a wok and a tuning fork (but then, he almost got himself killed by Shen too). 😁
How can you say that?
Out of the two villains, it is Tai Lung's motivation that makes the most sense, because we can see his entire story clearly. Shifu promised him something that was never meant to be his, along with expecting excellence from his son. Tai Lung didn't only become perfectionist because of this, he also began to chase after something he could never truly get. When he was eventually denied the scroll, and the person who he loved and looked up to the most seemingly turned away from him, he broke apart. Tai Lung worked for the scroll his entire life, he can't let it go, and the fact that he is an exemplary kung fu master reinforces his beliefs. Who would be worthy to become the dragon warrior if not him? He also wants to get his vengeance on his father.
What is Shen's main motivation? No idea, we know almost nothing about his origins, no clear picture of his background. We only know that he saw the darker power within the fireworks, but we never get to know why did he want to make weapons out of it. We could theorise for sure, but that wouldn't be a true answer. Even though Shen is built up well and what he does would be good, the foundation of the 2. film's entire story is greatly flawed, and in the end this makes Shen a good villain only on the surface. Kai is a bad villain too because he just turns evil for no reason, and we know nothing about him prior to that.
Tai Lung is simpler than Shen in terms of inner conflict, but his entire thought process in easy to understand from the very beginning. Shen on the other hand only makes sense if we leave his origins out of the picture, which we really shouldn't
Apparently,Shen was supposed to be written weak and somewhat a reject by his parents for the fact that he is an white peacock (which is the color of death in China),it really puts into perspective of his motives. In the end it wasn't Po the warrior of black and white that finished him man..
It was himself.
Shen is destroying himself by going after evil and because he didn’t listen and rejected by his own parents for his looks, it leads to his doom but passed peacefully and finally let’s go of pride and realizes the guilt of what he’d done to Po’s entire species.
The white peacock with a black soul, a warrior in black and white
you are correct.
Soothsayer is also supposedly a parental figure to Shen which you can see in the movie with him putting up with her occasional nonsense.
Supposedly in the novel version of the movie Shen was weak as a child (never read the book so i can't confirm this to be true) but him becoming very good at kung fu to get some more of his parents love that he felt he lacked makes sense to me. He was also planned to be weak in earlier version of the films story but then it became him being weak as a child which is why the novel got it but then the movie removed that completely.
The movies ended up leaving a fair bit out on Shen
@@jammygamer8961 can't judge them. Apparently,Shen was the hardest character the folks had to animate. And it kinda makes sense,because of the feathers and such. However I would love to see an show that focuses on the villains of Kung fu panda. That would be gold
Surprising, white is also the color of death in India too.
The scene where Po uses the raindrop to confront his PTSD is one of the most memorable scenes in the series. Shen was an underrated villain, considering he committed an actual atrocity. He didn't singlehandedly beat his way past 1000 guards or send China's greatest martial artists to the "spirit world". He actually ran a *genocidal campaign* against pandas to the point where (as far as anyone else knew) Po was the only one left.
What about all the pandas in KFP 3?🗿
@@esjf2190 The point is everyone believed Po was the only panda. The ending of KFP 2 where it's revealed some survived wasn't actually supposed to be there but was put in to keep kids from having to contemplate a subject as serious as genocide, from what I know.
@@esjf2190 some of them probably survived that's why there are still pandas in China nowadays XD
Reminds me of Avatar:The Last Airbender.
But jokes aside, KFP2 Is my favorite movie of all time, ALL TIME I TELL YOU! ALL TIME!!!
@@esjf2190 they only survived by escaping to a secret village, and by never letting anyone else know where the village was, or that it even existed at all. To Shen, by committing genocide he had ridden the world of pandas.
"It's your parting gift...in that it will part you. Part of you here, part of you there, and part of you waaay over there, _staining the wall!"_
That would be a pretty dark line even a mature story. And Kung Fu Panda is fundamentally a family movie.
Even when i watched KFP 2 for the first time, i thought that was actually really dark for an animated movie meant for kids.
A little morbid but I really wanna see the aftermath of that...
Always loved that line
@@Spingerex guts and blood splattered all over the floor. It would be so disturbing to see that.
Shen accepting his death is such a powerful moment.
if you think about it he's the only villain to undergo any sort of character development
While still trying to kill Po, he already given up his life at that point
"I can't believe my parents kicked me out! You commit one act of genocide, and suddenly they "don't know who you are anymore"!"
Seriously though; the final scene between Shen and the Soothsayer, where she tells him that his parents died of grief from having to banish him still makes my heart ache.
Shen had convinced himself that his parents hated him as a way to justify his actions. Finding out that wasn't the case, and he only had himself to blame for the way his life had turned out, must've been the moment he truly broke.
@Otaku Man007 Who's cutting onions??! 😡☹
@@tolerance711 I think Mr ping is cutting the onions!
you’re so right. he did finally break once he realized he had nobody to blame but himself for his life. but his pride would never let him believe that. he had to justify his anger somehow.
He himself realizes it that all the hatred and anger he has used as motivation throughout his banishment was ultimately pointless, that there was no feasible way to justify his atrocity and that his actions not only killed an entire village but the only people who loved him unconditionally. And so he still resumes his ambition, thinking it will fill some void in his soul because he knows he's in too deep, he is beyond redemption and beyond forgiveness, he will burn all of China or die trying and he'll be pleased either way because beyond that he has nothing
@@thehermit8618
Shen truly is a masterfully written antagonist. A beautiful peacock that basically used pride to hide his evil and fear to get what he wants. Kung fu lands really did not need to make a villain this menacing.
Why not? Do you think they should have given the movie a 1 dimensional villain because it’s a kid’s movie?
@@ChildOfChaos07 hell no I’m literally just saying that dreamworld didn’t need to make shen this menacing and well written when a lot of movies of the demographic would’ve just decided to make a one dimensional mustache twirler. This movie is great example of movie not talking down to kids.
that was so misleading
And then, to top it off, they got GARY FECKING OLDMAN to voice him.
Yes
Shen's last words to Po before shooting him are "Let me heal you". I think he really belives that dying is the only way to get the peace he craves, and in the meantime he plans to inflict his own pain on as many people as possible
It's clear than in the second part of the movie he is increasingly suicidal and deranged.
His parents, after seeing their own son make dangerous fireworks, decided to figure out how to stop him. They didnt try and talk with him, maybe he was already going through something but it once again fits Oogway's quote. "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it". In seeking out the a way to stop him he got angered and did worse than what they were trying to stop.
Almost correct answers, but there is one thing wrong.
It's not wrong to weaponize gunpowder in the first place.
@@578destroy7 no but they were frightened by it. Think about that, your own parents not trusting you with their own gift to the world
@@christoffersjberg933 What do you mean? I don't quite understand the content of the reply.
Anyway, weaponizing gunpowder is not wrong. Because it's not illegal, and it's a huge help in defending a city or country.
@@578destroy7 Not necessarily, but Shen weaponizing gunpowder opened the door for a lot of potential damage and future pain. Shen’s parents feared the destruction that could have come as a result of his innovation.
@@578destroy7 the 1st Gunpoweder weapons were Fire arrows, but its likely the Chinese never knew of its explosive and propelent properties until later in the 13th Century and thats also the period when the 1st Guns and Canons were used for warfare.
Ironically or fittingly depending on your POV it was the Mongols that spread the use of Gunpowder eventually finding its way into Europe and saw extensive use of it in the 15th century.
I love how the prophecy regarding Shen’s defeat, about the warrior of black and white, could very well refer to Shen himself rather than Po
Yes, his own feathers white, his machines that are an extension of his own, black, he was defeated by a warrior of black and white, and even in death he thought falling by the hands of his own machine would make him escape his own destiny but he fell for it again
@@TsulaAngenati2292 lol imagine him squishing himself just to survive anyway
@@jammygamer8961 Shen: *plays dead* destiny can’t get to me if it can’t find me
@@TsulaAngenati2292 being serious if Shen was to some how survive i wouldn't really care as long as he was written well like in KFP 2
@@jammygamer8961 same
Kung Fu Panda 2 is a masterpiece and Shen helped by being the perfect villain to Po.
I think the scene when his invention was about to fall and him and he closes his eyes it really just showed how he truly had nothing to live for anymore.
Even if he accepted po's mercy he had nothing.
No empire, no family, no love, nothing to fill the void in his heart so he just accepted the fate which he tried to avoid his entire life.
Feels man.
@@edgelord8337 going out on your own terms is as much as we can hope for
Smash cut to three And the Villain Become Tai Lung's bad Copy Paste Villain
@@thewildcardperson he is every right a True Warlord
I like this movie but I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, but it is your opinion.
Shen is the primary reason why Kung Fu Panda 2 is my favorite in the trilogy. I will never get tired of watching it again and again for Shen alone. That's not to say he's the ONLY thing I like about the movie tho, because the movie's got great writing and great character building...Shen just elevates the whole experience into something truly phenomenal.
And the comedy is just 👌🏼✨
What makes Shen an amazing villain is he stuck to his beliefs and principals even in defeat
He literally chose blissful oblivion then to admit to Po what he did was wrong. That meant even in death he had no shame over what he did.
"Scars dont heal. Wounds do. Scars Fade." - Shen.
I always thought his very last moment was basically giving up and letting go of the internal fear and pride that was causing him so much pain.
The last line is mainly innovated by Po not Shen
Scars don't heal wounds do? Excuse me Shen smartie pants, but what is the difference between scars and wounds? 🤣🤣🤣
@@saradoka4539 scars are a mark of a wound that is there. a wound is just basically a wound yes.
the difference between them is that a scar can stay there forever while a wound can just close and disappear
That’s another thing I like about him even though it’s a bad trait he never wavered in his plan and continued with her goal despite knowing he couldn’t really win, he couldn’t just give up without a fight. He knows he won’t be fulfilled when he takes over China but he wants wants it anyway.
Lord Shen was a much more intimidating villain cause like you said his connection with Po, even if he is not the strongest. Tai Lung just felt wronged and wanted what he believed was rightfully his (I mean he worked his entire life for)!
I watched someone watching a blind viewing of Panda 2. He saw Shen and said something along the lines of "I don't know if I can find a peacock intimidating...". My only response was "give it a minute. By the time the credits roll, you'll be scared to death of him." Out of the three villains, Shen is the one that scares me. Tai Lung wouldn't threaten me, I'm utterly beneath him as I have nothing to do with his goals. Kai wouldn't threaten me directly, he wants to gather power and then presumably conquer the world. Shen on the other hand, also wouldn't see me as any sort of obstacle to his plans...but he'd likely kill me anyway, just for not moving out of his way fast enough.
This raise an interesting question of mine cwhich i still don't know the answer:
Is Tai Lung dead?
I mean after the explosion i was sure he died, i felt it made sense, but then, after watching the sequel, at the ending Po gave Shen a chance for redeption, he shown mercy, while against Tai lung, he just snapped his finger and Kaboom, and Tai lung wasn't even as evil, he was just angry and only against his master specifically
@@bruschetta7711 He's dead. We've seen what the Wu Xi finger hold does, and even if that weren't the case, Kai specifically had hide jade statue.
@@TheKyrix82 well, Tai Lung didn't even have a chance, what a horrible way to go
I love first Kung fu Panda 1 but movies final battle felt like two strangers. I mean it is kinda weird on rewatch, because Po had no stakes in that conflict. He saw Tai Lung first time in his life and it was basically battle between two strangers. Kung fu panda 2 is on the ohter deeply personal and awesome battle.
I always found it pretty sad but poetic how in this universe the Pandas are also endangered but not through poaching by humans but because of genocide and that helps explains why Po is the only one of his kind in the first movie
So ... Because he is the only panda left ... Then there is no way panda race can Revive at all .
@@annguyenlehoang7779 Well, I mean....the third movie exists...
@@themightypancake5695 Plus, there was the end scene of the 2nd movie, also showing the Pandas in the 3rd movie.
@@satriosukarji1777 Oh yeah, that's right! I nearly forgot about that. I liked it, it was a good teaser for the final movie
I guess that’s pretty Po-etic
Shen is my favourite villain because of his dominant trait. (Intelligence.)
This trait is shown not only through his actions, but also his appearance.
1: Shen crafted metal/iron armour for his feet to protect them, light his cannons, and hold a heavier grip on opponents. (It may also be to weigh him down, giving him a more stable balance.)
2: He also designed his metal/iron blades to blend in with his feathers, hiding them behind his sleeves so that no one could tell when he was armed. Therefore, giving his enemy less time to react.
*Another thing I noticed about his blades is that Shen decides the number of knives he throws based on the size, distance, and emotional vulnerability of his opponent.
If the opponent is larger and harder to incapacitate, he will fire many blades at once.
The same is true for an extremely distant opponent, to ensure that he won’t miss.
However, if the opponent is small, near, or doesn’t expect the attack, he won’t waste more than one unless needed.
Good analyzing
It helps that Gary Oldman delivered a fantastic performance that really brought Shen to life.
Some movie actors don't take animation/cgi movies seriously, but Oldman really threw himself into this one.
"let's a gooooo....."
- Mario Pratt
He appears so unsure in the kung fu interviews, you’d never expect him to pour so much into this character if you had only seen those
Shen felt dangerous and his threat was real
He wasn't overly strong or powerful, but damn was his presence so great and you could feel the effects of his actions.
And what makes him even darker is his actions in his backstory
Gary Oldman's vocal presence
Shen was more powerful then the others he can use explosive projectiles and has that thing that revert the oponents power against himself he could easily defeat the others… its technic against raw strenght.
I loved Shen mostly because KFP2 was basically shen rolling up to Gongmen City and pulling out a glock
This, I second.
This movie is right next to Shrek 2 with just honestly how amazing it is.
Two perfect sequels
And to think people were bitching about it because "it was too dark for an child's movie" Ah ffs-
@@crumblemuffin1257 lmao this WAS my childhood. I watched it so many times and I always adored it especially the scene where Po was wrapped in the bandages and realizing he must live in the present
Shrek 2 is overrated
Shrek 2? Really? That's more of a loose comedy then it is seriously toned
As an adopted kid, I loved how this movie handled adoption. It not something you normally see done in film. The final scene with Po returning home to his dad, after going off to find his family, and telling him he’s his son gets me every time
I just watched this movie for the first time. I love Shen, it’s that combination of cowardice and intimidation that really sells it. He’s scared, his actions are driven by fear, but it’s a focused fear, the fear that gives him clarity and cunning and ruthlessness. I don’t think I’ve seen a villain pull that off better anywhere
More notes on Shen's design: he echoes Po in many different ways, all of them subverted somehow. Firstly, both of them predominantly feature the colour white, but Po complements it with his black patches, which creates the illusion of depth. Shen's secondary colour is red, which as well as being more violent has the effect of bleaching him. Where the blackness of Po makes the white richer, Shen's reds turn him into the same colour as bone.
As well as this, Po is all round edges. His fighting style, while technically masterful, is also less elegant than others, often relying on his strength and throws more than anything (like his contribution to the ship blockade at the end). You never get the sense during his combat that he could kill someone with his moves, it's all blunt force. This goes very well with his design. Shen is sharp, slender and jagged. His neck tapers, his beak is hooked and cruel, his body descends into talons. When he's fighting, he wants to kill and hurt the opponent, and we can sense from the way he looks that he could do it too.
Finally, the clothes. Po dresses simply, just a pair of short pants (I'm sure there's an actual Chinese name for the garment, but I don't know it). He's unpretentious and content in himself. He has nothing to hide. Shen is all about subterfuge, with his plots and hidden blades, so he dresses in a long regal gown (again, probably a non-Anglicised term for it) that looks expensive. Despite the fact that he's at best a disgraced nobleman, he dresses like a king before his coup is even pulled off. His clothes feel like compensation, like he's hiding all his insecurities and inadequacies behind ostentatious, surface-level power.
Very nice analysis!
This was awesome to read!! You perfectly captured their essence respectively!
Holy shit youre really good at noticing details
Bro you're using . And , in reverse
Nice
Shen's destiny was to be defeated, not killed, but maybe his definition of defeat is the same as death, that when you lose to someone, you are too weak to stay in this world.
I think this end for shen was perfect. And in the end when he closes his eye, I think it was shown that he finally found peace because he was killed by his own creation and not by po aka the black and white warrior. Which meant that he changed his destiny. So if my idea is not wrong it should be more like he died but won
@@randomstranger2122 0:43 look closely
@@TBHWHOKNOWS in that instance, Po is black and red. Shen predominantly black and white. So, basically self-fulfilling prophecy.
He sounds like Hitler
In Asian culture defeat = killed 99% of the time
2 takeaways
1) Shen being the "warrior in black and white" actually makes sense once you break it down, as he chose to let his own creation kill him rather than try to escape and fall by Po's hand.
2) Shen being an albino peacock just adds to the symbolism, as white symbolizes death in Chinese culture, not black. (I know KFP mixes Eastern and Western concepts a lot, but when you look into the symbolism in the series, a lot of it than you might think is Eastern.)
White being the symbol of death is actually better than general, plain black.
He really scares me til this day. He was truly terrifying. Tai lung was fluffy but this guy was really scary
Regarding how Shen had escaped destiny by killing himself on the wreck of his ship, it could also be argued that when Shen was caught in the explosion the soot and ash partially covering his body could also indicate that he was the warrior of black and white all along. The writing for Shen was truly masterful when people really dive deeper into it.
Or maybe by defeat the prophecy meant that Po would win through words not violence and Shen then accepts his own death knowing he lost the battle with Po
That's bruuuuuutally tragic but very very real. Our most repentant villains often suffer the brutal deaths ( Samson in the bible ) and I think Shen wanted a second chance in the spirit world. Soothsayer's fear mongering is what hits me because religion is a serious deal in the real world we live in. I feel bad thinking more and more about it.
or perhaps, because shens eyelids are black, as is his beak(?) but his feathers/skin are white, that soothsayer meant he would cause his own downfall the entire time, but shens mind thought "Black and white... pandas!"
@@yee1704 Samson is not a villian tf
@@vitorbowen2347 Well technically from the view point of the Phaelistines... He kind of was? And Delilah was your tragic diagonist as well...
Shoutout to Gary Oldman, for his one of his most underrated roles. Really captured the perfect dichotomy of fear and arrogance in Shen's character.
So true.
He's also the one who played Reznov in COD, which explained a lot
Shen is what happens when Commissioner Gordon let himself go.
Shen has the most freaking interesting story and lore. I think the movie would’ve been a real masterpiece if they added more footage of Shen’s story bc it would go more into detail of his motives. Too bad the movies have a short time limit. I would pay $100 to see a 3 hour kung fu panda movie
If it wasn’t for the prophecy, he might have been a quite decent ruler or a mighty conqueror. He was a strong fighter and a master of strategy.
I agree
An inventive, creative one at that!
I love Shen’s voice. So calm yet evil
Ikr such a good villain
He is anything but calm. A typical hypomanic person: they hide inner pain and self-loathing under thick layers of grandeur and activivty.
In fact, it's speculated that such persons are formed to events such traumatic that they go beyond forming depressive persons: psyche just can't take and drops screen just to keep personality coherent. When Soothsayer tried to drop that screen, Shen immediately sends her away as defensive mechanism, and when Po does so, he basically kills himself just to avoid further contact with inner pain.
Try to hear it in Italian, the Italian voice actor is fantastic: czcams.com/video/HLYSo0FKLck/video.html
Shen reminds me of Hiddleston's loki
His voice and.....
I shall never forget the smooth sentences of that skillful speaker!
That's Gary Oldman for ya
It's freaking incredible that he is the definition of deadly beauty. Everything he does defies your expectations and he's voiced by a cinematic chameleon - Gary FREAKING Oldman.
Im in love with that guy aka gary oldman. He such a great actor
Gary Oldman also did Victor Reznov, another favorite character of mine.
O shit sirius black
8:30 Another addition to Shen being killed by a warrior of black and white is that he solidified the prophecy, for he killed himself. In other words the dark path of living in fear and vengeance will lead to your own demise. It was self-sabotage.
Honestly, I loved Shen as a villain, not only did we get the stunning imagery of a peacock fighting but we got to see a more devious enemy
For me, I always recognized Shen telling Po that his parents didn’t love him as a reflection on himself, as he states those very lines about his parents during the movie. Shen knows the pain that comes with thinking that your parents don’t love you because he’s felt it himself.
except, his parents loved him. they both know that their parents loved him. shen knows it but his vengeance and fear is what makes him blind. Po accept this as he isnt vengeful or afraid of anything because he was loved by his friend and his teachers.
@@lucoa460 The scene where Shen hears that his parents loved them and implied that kicking him out led to suicide with Soothsayer was honestly really sad looking at it.
@@kyleb7974 Either that or they both passed away from a broken heart.
@@sonomni Yes, it’s not clear. However we do know that kicking Shen out was what broke them hard enough to kill them.
@@kyleb7974 True dat
Pretty sad that all three villains of the KFP trilogy felt betrayed in some way.
Tai Lung felt as though Shifu gave up on him.
Shen felt as though his parents hated him.
Kai was pretty much literally betrayed by Oogway.
Strangely, Tai Lung was the only one who didn’t actually do anything evil beforehand.
Tai Lung is the tamest one but Kai is the most boring one
@@degenerateprick3288 Yeah, ngl... Kai’s only saving grace was how powerful he was imo.
Id say kai was lying to himself for the past 500 years,
Like Tai Lung, Shen and Kai are not innately villainous characters.
Shen didn't do anything evil before he heard a prophecy of his own fate, and he wasn't a bad character.
Kai was a character who did his best for his friend, until he found out that pandas had a chi.
Tai Lung's actions weren't as bad, but he still destroyed the village, and probably killed quite a few citizens.
One of the reasons I love this trilogy so much is the expressivity and depth of the characters. It deserves so much more praise for its storytelling.
Very true. Especially they're literally expressive. Who knew a peacock could express human emotions just like that. Very unlike the 3D Lion King.
Kung Fu Panda 2 truly was a masterpiece. I have never seen such a heart warming (and heart breaking) movie that is absolutely beautiful at the same time.
And what I'll remember most from it is my dad's love for it too. He's not really a fan of animated things, especially movies and children's shows and such. But he commented how spectacular and moving this movie was. And how he thought out of all of the movies in his lifetime he thought Lord Shen to be the best executed villain of all time. He still talks about it today if he's asked who his favorite villain is. He's pretty much a fanboy of Lord Shen :D.
Anyways, I completely agree with everything, I kind of subconsciously thought the same things about Shen, never truly realized it until it's said. He's one of those lovable villains, despite the literal genocide he commited.
Despite committing genocide, it's clear that Shen is a very charming and lovable villain character.
I first saw this movie as an 8-year-old and now 10 years later Lord Shen still gives me shivers with how good he is as a villain.
Wtf! It has been 10 years? Omg where has time gone. Great, now I am having existential crisis. 💀💀💀
WHAT it’s 10 years old !?!! Brooooooo I remember watching this in cinemas when I was 7-8 years old and I’m pretty sure I cried
I see
@@bobnavonvictorsteyn9017 I remember both children and adults cried in my cinema, it nearly made me as well.
@@bobnavonvictorsteyn9017 I watched this series in 2017.
I CRIED
Shen: “ A part of you here, A part of you there, A part of you *WAY OVER THERE STAINING THE WALL!* ”
Such a savage!
YOU INSOLENT FOOL
@@midnightthesmartfox9981 *starts fighting and gets several blades broke off* “show off...”
@@CharlieMoonStar8723 that is a warning you are no watch for our kung fu
@@evastarunit7361 I agreed.. But this is. *Quickly flies back and reveals the cannon*
@@CharlieMoonStar8723 BOOM!!💥💥
I always loved Shen because he was so beautiful, which somehow makes him more menacing, but it also makes it sadder because such a beautiful creature is so broken
I can't help but think "what if Shen never saw the soothsayer's prophecy"
I love how you admit that just because Tai Lung is your favorite, objectively Shen is the best. A LOT of CZcams channels have that problem with trying to convey that "this is my favorite, so therefore it is the best". Amazing analysis too!
Both of them ARE really good antagonists. I think it really comes down to what you prefer, but Shen was a better villain TO Po.
*subjectively
Me and my friends as a kid were puzzled at how Shen tolerated the soothsayer's antics. We always thought in a way Shen was seeking validation from the soothsayer for some odd reason.
That's a very interesting take!
Maybe it's because she is the last direct connection he has to his parents, to his old life before he was banished
Somebody here commented that it's canon that Shen was a sickly child and his parents weren't around much so the soothsayer took care of him. That's why Shen put up with her silliness like her eating his robes and stuff. I guess he looked up to her as a parental figure?
This is still my interpretation.
@@onlystarsknow767 not sure about the canon stuff but there are scenes that establish that Shen has underlying health problem
- his clear albinism while his parents are relatively normal (albino animals don't usually last long in the wild)
- him constantly getting out of breath after fighting the kung fu masters - notice how rarely he gets physical with other fighters, instead preferring quick strikes or ranged attack
This physical disability contributes to his inferior complex and people with inferiority complex are more likely to seek validation from their parental figure, hence him weaponizing gunpowder and averting his fate as a (messed up) way of seeking his parents approval. Doesn't help that his health problem means that he is more likely to be afraid of death than anyone else
To add to shen’s menace, he’s an example of how real world history and knowledge can affect how we see a villain as a threat. In the film he uses firework powder to develop the first cannon/gunpowder, he’s in a sense the physical representation of modern warfare replacing weapons/fighting based war so the threat is made very much real in are heads because we know the power of guns and how they completely replaced old combat (so the challenge is all the more daunting for po)
8:15 this Shen's death explanation is way clearer than Isaac's 9 min video of only answering "why?"
Fun fact: There's a very good reason why Chen is an almost pure white Peacock.
The color black in Chinese opera usually implies a decisive or impartial nature. White has a different meaning in China as well. In the West white typically denotes purity. Someone adorned in white is usually going to function as the hero, or at least inspirational figure, of a story. But in China white is usually associated with death or mourning.
Which is why villains in chinese opera are often represented wearing white or just mostly white in general.
Shen is a really well written character in my eyes, they gave him a backstory that some can identify with, yet you can see the monster he is, in a way he is a parallel to our hero (kind of like Grimmel the Grisly), he wants inner peace but cannot obtain it, letting his hate and bitterness seethe, he’s the antithesis of Po yet Po doesn’t hate him, in fact he tries to help him, Po by achieving inner peace has to let go of Shens deeds yet Shen can’t even let go of his own destiny (like Tai Lung), his parent still loved him yet he forgot that “My parents never loved me..” and he tries to reflect his own insecurities on Po since he uses Po’s parental need in a sense, Shen is not a fully sympathetic villain but he has so much character, the best I can compare him is to Kai Chisaki or Overhaul.
That’s a very interesting comparison with Chisaki and Overhaul why would you say all three can be compared to one another? (I’m just curious)
@@sunniesyde3637 of course, so the reason why I compare Grimmel to Shen is that they share a common background with their protagonist both having something that ties them both; For Grimmel this is the fact that when he was a young and weak boy [in his own words] he shot a night fury and when he came across is he killed it, therefore stemming his conquest to dominate and destroy nightfuries, thus making him the complete antithesis of Hiccup. Now for Shen, both Shen and Po struggle with inner peace but for different reasons, but they are tied because their destinies are intertwined via ying and yang, Po and Shen weren’t able to let go of their parents but Po was able to let go of that, and Shen was able to finally at least find some sort of peace right before his death. And as for general comparisons, both villains are bloodthirsty and geonocidal characters that both became that way for a lust of power, “I killed it where it stood... I was finally seen for who I was, a hero.” -Grimmel “Happiness must be taken... I’ve never felt peace.”
Now Overhaul and Shen are really similar in my opinion, two characters who use an unknown weapon of some kind to get an advantage over their enemies (the quirk destroying bullets and Shens cannon), both use a thing they dislike over their weapon for their own cause when they have to (Kai’s Overhaul quirk and Shen’s sizable mastery of martial arts), both have troubled childhoods that stem from some sort of lack of sympathy which hardened them to be literally 99% irredeemable (Shen being that he thought he was never love by his parents due to his banishment, he also was shunned as a child for his color,
and expanded in a book he was friends with Boss Wolf (the wolf who gets killed by Shen by doing a worthy thing) who was his childhood friend but they had a fallout and they grew distant as they are in the movie, The Soothsayer also says that Shen was never the monster he was now when he was younger, now Kai’s history before he became Overhaul isn’t too known yet but from what we do know is that he was abandoned and had to survive foraging and stealing, Kai wasn’t as heartless as he is now as he stole to help unfortunate people as well, then he was taken in and he had a father figure, from then on that was when Kai became cold and well we know the rest of his wicked deeds. lastly these two show the smallest semblance of humanity, Kai though does show regret for permanently incapacitating his father figure and when his quirk is taken away he actually has remorse for something (albeit combined with rage for losing his quirk) showing what’s left of his humanity, Shen gets two moments, When The Soothsayer tells Shen that his parents did love him he pauses for three seconds and almost accepts it, but he quickly disregards it and says his parents never loved him (like how Kai disregards how his father figure loved him yet he does know and tries to suppress it), and when Shen finally sees his cannon fall he stops and closes his eyes and if you look in the shot where Po is running away Shen is in an arm opening stance of acceptance.
So yeah those are my reasons of comparison, apologies if this was long, I’m glad I could answer your question though!
@@SamuelTheAdept no problem thanks for answering so in-depth! I will say I’d rather deal with Shen than Chisaki. While Shen did commit mass genocide at the end of the day I’d rather have to deal with him than Chisaki. That man was off his rocker albeit he does seem to have some sort of tragic backstory but you probably get what I mean in regards to his actions in the show.
I like how they made a Peacock more intimidating and terrifying than a snow leopard and a Bull.
Lord Shen just standing there and accepting his death is honestly my favorite Kung-fu Panda movie moment.
Lord Shen isn't just Kung Fu Panda's greatest villain, he is DreamWorks' greatest villain ever.
100%
Definitely
Him and maybe Rumple as a second
I agree. He's got charisma with that voice too 👀✨
THIS
'Scars dont heal.WOUNDS heal'
Iconic
And Po's line after that "They just fade don't they?" or something like that LOL
@@RB01.10 shen - i dont care what scars do!
Let's just say. All 3 Villains was a masterpiece
All were good but Shen is just superior
@@sussybaka4276yeh and tai lung superior to kai cenat
Fun fact: Shen is the main antagonist of the Kung Fu Panda franchise as a whole. I guess it makes sense because he's the reason why Po ended up in the Valley of Peace and he's the one who is the most personal to Po
Shen is easily my favorite villain in the series. He had wrapped up his entire identity around his destiny and conquering China that even when the Soothsayer tried to turn him away from his path, he couldn't even see another option. He was so broken inside that he felt that he was too far gone down the path that he was on to turn back.
He most likely was hurt so much by his parents treating him as if he was a villain that he became a villain.
His parents were entirely justified though. Dude killed dozens of innocent men, women and children in that village of pandas out of nothing more than fear. He was treated like a villain because he did villainous things.
@@dylancross1039 i think he meant like before that.
@@dylancross1039 in the official website for the movie, there was extended lore, and it stated that Shen’s parents were ashamed of him because he’s white and he was mostly raised by the soothsayer. Now there are only the dvd for sale on the website tho :/
@@Fivzk The only problem with that is that dialogue from the Soothsayer directly contradicts that idea.
Soothsayer: The cup you choose to fill has no bottom! It is time to stop this madness!
Shen: And 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. I... will make it right.
Soothsayer: They loved you! They loved you so much, that having to send you away killed them!
@@dylancross1039 I mean his parents are the ruler and in that time period having a weak child could actually make it hard for them to rule, so it’s possible that Shen’s parents love him, but they have to sorta hid him away.
I’m so surprised Shen is underestimated.
It’s insane. He’s such a good well-written villain.
His the perfect villain.
I think he's underestimated because people kept comparing him to Tai Lung. But honestly take a the compare game out, Shen is an awesome villain, one of the best DreamWorks villains and possibly one of the best villains in an animated movie
Shen is one of Dreamworks greatest villains. A cold and ruthless leader who committed genocide against the peaceful and benevolent pandas. But also really complex as his downfall was pretty much his own fault and he chose not to accept inner peace due to his own selfishness, and he knows this so well. Can’t see what new villain KFP 4 Will cook up and if he/she brings something new and heartbreaking to the table to confront Po.
And to quote the great 2013 movie Free Birds, Shen is indeed a very Angry Bird.
Gary oldman and the animation team hit gold with shen. A very well developed, insane and tragic villain
my favorite villain in the trilogy would have to be tai lung, however, i love that lord shen despite not being an animal that normally is intimidating but rather is seen as gorgeous, was able to strike fear especially the way he spoke. kfp 2 was about po’s self identity and shen was the perfect villain in his journey of inner peace. as oogway said “ One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it” which perfectly applies to lord shen as he would be defeated from the very same thing that he created to kill the pandas. shen created the circumstances that po was forced to live with, and despite all that, po didn’t choose rage and vengeance against him but rather wanted to actually talk to him and even help him out. overall, shen was an amazing villain who not only had a unique style of fighting especially with his peacock tail, a master of manipulation when he baited po to look into his past and remember the horrible event, but also died while finally being able to control his life the very last moment and making that decision. i believe that him dying was the perfect ending for his tragedy.
Damn this is so deep and such a good analysis. Honestly kp is such a great movie series with such deep and meaningful messages.
i usually hate villains that are guided or motivated by prophecies. but not this one. lord shen is definitely one of my favorite villains ever.
What about Disney villains?
But why do you hate villains like that? Maybe lazy writing but anything more?
@@JesterJestro external reasons
@@kichiwas-hargan4775 frollo is basically introverted shen lol
i remember being a kid and seeing shen close his eyes as the canon fell on him. those few seconds stuck with me and made me appreciate the character even more
Lord Shen is truly Kung Fu's greatest villain and will remain to be one of the all time greatest of all times.
Tai Lung was badass, Shen was intimidating and complex, and Kai was a power hungry tank. All three villains played a big part in Po's journey, but I do believe Shen affected him the most out of them all. Seeing the way he slowly but surely broke down Po and his spirit over the course of the movie was crushing and gave so much struggle for Po. Conversely, Po’s reintroduction into Shen’s life brings out the insecurities and slipping mind we see In Shen, as he brings himself closer to his own oblivion. The dynamic between Po and Shen is one of the most beautiful yet horrifying one I’ve ever seen
I think Tai lung teaches Po his most valuable lesson, but Shen has the most interesting character and story. I really like Kai too, he’s nowhere near as complex as the other characters, but he’s definitely the strongest and I kind of like when a bad guy is just a bad guy.
Man these villains are a lot more complex than I thought when growing up.
That moment when a peacock and a panda are better written than most other movie characters.
Tai lung sent someone back as a warning to send his message. Shen killed countless beings and a master to send his message. That itself speaks volumes. I’d rather cross tai lung rather than Shen
Yeah he also let the furious five go aswell as a message
I remember reading somewhere that the Kung Fu Panda movies are all centered around a different part of one’s being
Kung Fu Panda 1 is body-Po needs to fortify and train his body to defeat Tai Lung.
Kung Fu Panda 2 is mind-Po has to fortify his mind and overcome his PTSD to defeat Shen.
Kung Fu Panda 3 is spirit-Po has to learn chi, an energy that comes from the spirit, in order to defeat Kai
@@myleswolfe5139 Po will finally battle the Asian peoples' worst enemy: African-Americans.
@@myleswolfe5139 I hope that’s not true. I feel like it ended on the perfect note. Po finally mastered the power of the dragon warrior and found his father
@@myleswolfe5139 What? I thought it was a trilogy👀
@@randompanda2391 it is currently but I guess they planned on having 6 movies or something. They might not be anymore given that 3 came out in 2014 though so I’m really not sure.
@@zach415 I agree, I feel like they’d have to plan out the next three extremely well if they wanted to make them successful. A master at teaching after he’s mastered king fu and inner peace seems like the peak so idk what they’d have him learn.
I love Shen as a character so much, its a shame that Kai didn't live up to that standard
He did not. He was boring.
A comedic villain like Kai could work in theory, but not after following two incredibly intimidating and deep villains.
@cosmic edits Agreed
I thoroughly enjoyed Kai
While Kai is the most powerful out of the three, he's also the weakest in term of character. How ironic
this character analysis made me so emotional. I love Lord Shen so much, and it's really nice to see a break down of his character, his psyche, his brokenness...all things that make him such a tragic character. every time i (re)watch Kung Fu Panda 2, I always want to hug Shen. and in a very twisted way, i'm glad he died by his own will :
I was a kid when I watched kungfu panda 2 for the first time, and Shen's death really confused me. Why he would choose that over a second chance at life? Then I grew up and saw how far people would go to justify their wrongdoings and avoid guilt
in a way shen and tai lung are sort of opposites
tai lung was a prodigy and shifu loved him so much he couldn't see what he was becoming
and couldn't accept defeat
while shen was born sick and his parents were never around and was rased by soothsayer
and he accepted his death
(some of this information come form the director and other sources)
"while shen was born sick and his parents were never around and was rased by soothsayer
and he accepted his death"
Just want to say thanks for mentioning this lol.
Its never been stated outright to be canon but it can be seen by how much of Soothsayers silliness Shen puts up with such as her eating his robes makes it likely she is a parental figure to him.
Shen being born sick but learning Kung Fu to overcome his physical weakness also makes sense as this would be him trying to impress his parents.
@@jammygamer8961 in that sense shen wouldve treated his parents the same way tai lung did to shifu.
@@Rish24 probably
One thing is disagree with is that Tai lung was wrong. He wasn't evil and his father just couldn't see it. He was raised to be the Dragon warrior he sacrificed EVERYTHING love family etc just to fulfill this roll that was promised to him. He did everything as he was told and when finally his time had come he was turned away..... why? Because he was being punished for something he yet had done. Its literally what happens in Panda 2 judging people for a future that has yet happened is never a gd thing. Why should he be punished just because he has darkness in him? Why couldn't his own father see that his son had enough love him to fight this darkness THAT is what pushed him over the edge because if ur parent tells u, u r a monster..... isn't that exactly what u would become? This proven by the fact that even for a moment he still hesitates to kill his father.
@@tmd-w1552 i could have explained myself better but what i ment is that shifu was to bllinded by his love and pride
to see that tai lung was obsessed with becoming the dragon warrior and when he needed shifu the most
he did nothing while shen parents took to long to see something may be wrong with shen in summary
tai lung is
what happens when you nurture someone to much while shen is what happens if don't nurture someone enough
The fact that they made a PEACOCK of all animals seem perhaps more menacing than a SNOW LEOPARD is why Shen is one of my favorite KFP villains.
Even more than a bull too
Tai lung: most ferocious
Shen:Most menacing
Kai: most powerful
I agree with everything you said. Shen is a fantastic villain, we love to hate him and hate to love him, he's so well-writed that he's SCARIER than a leopard and a bull... A peacock. An evil, insane, genocide peacock. By the way, your voice is so beautiful and good to hear 🥰
As cool as Shen is he legitimately terrified me as it kid watching this movie into this day still can't look him in the eye
same, avoided this movie till last year bc the message was delivered so strongly back then.
I was equally fascinated and terrified 😂
His tail feathers terrified me as a kid, but now his personality and motives is what rlly makes me uncomfortable
I wasn't terrified...it's just a cartoon
Oh thank god, I wasn't the only one O__O;;;;;
I STILL can't look this bird in the eye.
It's respect Lord Shen hours.
let them know hailey
@@SagesRain Gladly.
Shen is the coolest character in the series. He’s like Douma from Demon Slayer. He’s so evil that you just can’t hate him.
Shen Is Both Muzan and Douma
Keep this in mind. Shen was a warrior of white black and red. However his red markings were not focused on in his death scene. Just the black soot on his white feathers. By choosing to escape the "warrior" of black and white, Poe, he inadvertently proved destiny right.
HE was the warrior of black and white, and he was felled by his own actions.
my favourite part of the character design is that Po’s adoptive father is also a bird who is the exact opposite of Shens parents. What Shen attempted to rob Po of is what delivered Po to the path that Shen desired
"He doesn't have any identity beyond vengeance"
Fuck man, why you gotta make me cry at 8 in the morning?
The part where Lord Shen dies might be one of my favourite villain deaths in animation. Its not even because of how he died, its the fact that the reason why he died a villain's death is because he carried his evil side to the bitter end, even after Po offers him a chance to turn his life around. It fits in so well to the thematic message of, who you were doesn't define you as much as who you choose to be.
It's such a shame that Kung Fu Panda 3, and evidently a case, Kung Fu Panda 4, went in such a different direction than what Kung Fu Panda 2 achieved. Like, you can watch 3 without having seen 2, serving as a solid continuation from the first. And that will never NOT be a crime to me, because 2 will always be the best, and Lord Shen is but one element of why.
Is it me or any trilogy that Dreamworks has, I always end up liking the second movie the best?
I feel the same way.
RIGHT?! It’s always the SECOND movies the same thing with shrek, httyd, and even madagascar
The first movie sets everything up. Because the rules and world are already established, the second films can focus on building a story rather than setting everything up
Shrek 2 was a pretty good sequel ngl
Even Madagascar?
Everyone is their own best enemy. Do not get caught up in your self, collecting injustices and walking in revenge. You only end up hating yourself for letting go of who you were/wanted to be for the sake of proving a meaningless point to no one.
True
Great
Oh, shut up. Vengeance is good when it is justified.
Interesting, thanks for commenting that!
This is generally true. But I do not 100% agree on the no-vengeance thing, since it depends on how bad is the crime. Like someone murdering my family, oh that I will definitely commit vengeance or die trying.
Shen reminds me of Frieza.
1. Genocidal maniacs
2. Have attempted to wipe out a race whose legends say will have a mythical warrior who can defeat them
3. Both seeking to conquer lands/civilizations
4. Racists
5. Rocking a white color scheme