General Li

General Li is a minor character in the 1998 Disney film, Mulan. He was the father of Li Shang.
==Background==
Little of General Li's background is revealed, except that he was the Head of the Chinese Imperial Army and that Li Shang is his son. He is shown to be very loyal to the Emperor, offering to station his army in the Imperial City to protect the Emperor. He complies immediately, however, when ordered to protect their people instead. He seems to have a great deal of faith and pride in Shang, choosing to promote his son to an army Captain for his accomplishments, despite Shang's young age and the great responsibilities of the position.
==Role in the film==
General Li, as his title suggests, is the General of China's Imperial Army. When the Huns invade China, the General meets with the Emperor to discuss defense plans. Though General Li suggests moving the army to the Imperial City to protect the Emperor, he is instead ordered to protect their people. When the Emperor ordered that new recruits be conscripted into the army, General Li believes that his current troops would be enough to defeat Shan Yu and the Hun army, but the Emperor is not willing to take that risk.
General Li is next seen at the military camp where new army recruits are meeting. In a tent, he discusses war plans with his son, Shang. The General reveals his intention to stop the Huns at the nearby Tung Shao mountain pass, as it is the quickest way to the Imperial City and the site of a village in need of protection. He promotes Shang to captain and tasks him with training the new recruits. When Chi-Fu protests that Shang is not ready (citing the fact that it is an enormous responsibility to take in), General Li lists Shang's numerous skills, as well as his "impressive military lineage." Chi-Fu is tasked with observing the training and allowing the new recruits to join the regular army when he feels they are ready. General Li mounts his horse and wishes Shang good luck before leaving with his army, unaware this is the last time he will see his son. 
General Li is not seen for the rest of the film. When Shang and his troops arrive at the village where the general had intended to intercept Shan Yu, they find it ravaged to the ground and Li's army completely massacred, having severely underestimated the size and strength of the Hun army (along with the fact that Shan Yu and his men were able to learn the imperial army had been waiting for them thanks a doll from the village that Shan Yu's falcon had brought them). While searching for survivors, Chien Po discovers that General Li is among the dead and brings the General's helmet to Shang as proof. Shang takes a moment to mourn, setting up a makeshift shrine to honor his father. Mulan also places the doll (which Shan Yu had mockingly left behind) she had found in the village's remains at the shrine to honor all the lives that have been lost.
When Li Shang presents the sword of Shan Yu to the Emperor, the sovereign praises the young captain, assuring him that his father would have been proud.
==Trivia==
*Although General Li does not physically appear in the 2020 remake, the scene where Commander Tung's army passes by the remains of the Fourth Battalion who were killed by the Rouran army on their way to the Mountain-Steppe Garrison is an indirect reference to General Li - specifically the scene where Chien Po finds Li's helmet on their way to battle as a reference to the original 1998 film, despite the fact that Li does not physically appear in the remake.
==Gallery==
Shang 1.PNG|"The Huns have struck here, here, and here."
Shang 2.PNG|"You will stay and train the new recruits."
Shang 7.PNG
Mulan-disneyscreencaps.com-6037.jpg|Chien Po shows what has become of General Li.
Mulan-disneyscreencaps.com-6050.jpg
Mulan-disneyscreencaps.com-6118.jpg|Shang mourning over his father's death
DSS-General Li.png|As a crew member in Disney Speedstorm
pt-br:General Li
fr:Général Li
Category:Mulan characters
Category:Males
Category:Deceased characters
Category:Heroes
Category:Animated characters
Category:Chinese characters
Category:Adults
Category:Parents
Category:Swordsmen
Category:Military characters
Category:Soldiers
Category:Generals
Category:Characters in the Disney animated features canon
Category:Disney characters
Category:Disney Crossy Road characters
Category:Widows/Widowers