Po

**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 someday. 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.

*This section is in need of a cleanup. You can help Punch Time Exploders Wiki by re-organizing parts of the article, checking grammar and spelling, and doing other helpful things to correct the article.*

## Biography

### 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*

Information in this section may conflict with previously established canon.

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*

#### Dreaming of becoming a kung fu master

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.

#### Being chosen as the Dragon Warrior

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.

#### First day of training

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.

#### Second day of training

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.

#### The real training

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".

#### Battle against Tai Lung

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.

### In *Secrets of the Furious Five*

Po was instructed by Shifu to teach a class of new kung fu students, made up of rambunctious rabbit children. Shifu told Po that it may very well be the toughest challenge he's ever faced, and left a dubious Po to teach the class himself. After calming down the excited group, Po told them stories of how each of the Furious Five learned the secrets of kung fu. When Shifu returned to check on Po's progress, he first thought that Po had taught the rowdy students that kung fu is all about fighting; but after hearing the children point out the lessons of having patience, courage, discipline, compassion, and confidence, Shifu found that Po had taught them well, and allowed him to keep teaching the class.

### In *Kung Fu Panda Holiday*

It was the time of the Winter Festival, and Po was informed by Master Shifu in noodle shop that he was to host the Winter Feast at the Jade Palace. The Furious Five were surprised when Po told them this news, and offered to help him prepare for the sophisticated dinner. However, Po was confident that he could do it himself, and was excited about the chance to host the formal gathering. But soon enough, he became overwhelmed by the many tasks of preparing for the Feast, and was burdened further by not being able to have his father come to the event.

After accidentally rejecting and disgracing a rabbit chef named Wo Hop with the "Hun-Shu Wave of Dismissal", Po decided to intentionally dismiss the other chefs trying out for the Feast by tasting and saying their dishes were awful and he later offered the job to his father, along with the Golden Ladle, in hopes that the two of them could spend the holiday together. However, Mr. Ping refused, stating he couldn't be away from the restaurant and let his customers down. After Po told him he couldn't be home during the holiday, Mr. Ping grudgingly told him to to the palace feast, resulting in Po feeling guilty.

Afterwards in the palace kitchen, Po was challenged by Wo Hop to a fight to the death in order to restore his honor, and the rabbit chef made several attempts to attack Po and end his own life, the panda preventing him from doing so again and again. After several disasters (including the kitchen being set of fire and an ice dragon sculpture being beheaded), Po fell into despair, believing that he had disappointed everyone. After a comment from Wo Hop about kung fu being unable to solve everything, Po decided to call on the Furious Five and Wo Hop to help him in his preparations for the Feast. With their extra efforts, everything came together just in time. Tending to a last-minute detail, Po left to fetch some ground jasmine and saw the village houses decorated with colorful lanterns, and was sullen at seeing families together for their own feasts.

Later, when seated with Shifu, the Five, and the visiting kung fu masters at the Jade Palace, Po was complimented by Shifu for creating the perfect feast. However, Po himself was unhappy as he sat with his fellow masters, and found that he could not enjoy the ceremony, as much as he admired the kung fu heroes present. He explained to them his own traditions of having fun with his family, friends, and neighbors during the holiday. He then politely excused himself (much to Shifu's dismay), and then ran off to join his father at the noodle shop.

At the shop, Mr. Ping was pleased to see him, and apologized to Po for making him feel guilty, and Po offered to help him cook. They then worked together to make several bowls of holiday-themed noodle soup for the customers, who cheered for them. The Furious Five and the visiting masters later showed up at the restaurant and took part in the festivities as well. Po also presented the Golden Ladle to Wo Hop (whom had shown up to try and attack Po again), restoring honor to him and his home village.

Shifu also came to the noodle shop, still upset that Po had "ruined" the palace feast, but upon seeing the happy celebration taking place inside, Shifu came to appreciate Po's decision. When spotted by the panda, the master was invited inside, and though reluctant to join in the feast, Po insisted, telling him that he was part of his family as well. They joined the others, posing for a group portrait, and Po was able to appease everyone, thanks of his unorthodox, yet sincere actions.

### In *Kung Fu Panda 2*

#### Battle of the Artisan Village

Some time after defeating Tai Lung, Po is finally living his dream, having proved himself as the Dragon Warrior and earned the friendship of the Furious Five. However, Shifu reminds Po that there is still much to learn. In the Dragon Grotto Shifu shows Po the technique of catching and guiding a water droplet without breaking it. Shifu explains that achieving inner peace was the only way this technique could be mastered, and that it was the next step in Po's training. But before finishing the lesson, Po and the Five were called into action to protect Musicians' Village from bandits.

Po and the Five worked together to drive off the invading pack of wolves, but as the battle neared its end, Po noticed a symbol on the lead wolf's armor. This triggered a flashback of his mother's face, distracting Po long enough to take the wolf's hammer to the face, knocking him down and allowing the wolf to escape.

#### Learning where he came from

Not knowing what to make of his vision, Po speaks to his father Mr. Ping. During their converstion, Mr.Ping reveals that Po is adopted and that he found Po as a baby in a radish crate that had been delivered to the restaurant. Po wants to know more, but Mr. Ping has no more information, leaving Po troubled about his past.

#### Journey to Gongmen City

Some time later, Shifu received a message that Master Thundering Rhino of Gongmen City had been killed by a powerful weapon crafted by Lord Shen, which was capable of making kung fu obsolete. Shifu then told Po and the Furious Five to go to Gongmen City, destroy the weapon, and defeat Shen, though Po was concerned about how they would be able to "stop something that stops kung fu," to which Shifu advised him that anything was possible—if he had inner peace. But before Po and the Five could leave the Valley, they are stopped by Mr. Ping, who gives Po a backpack of comfort items for the road.

While Mr. Ping reminisces about Po's childhood, Po's conflicting feelings of where he came from and where he belongs deepen. When Mr. Ping affirms that Po, with or without kung fu, would always be his son, Po is unable to return the sentiment. Po bids his father goodbye as he and the Five leave, but his troubling thoughts follow him through their travels. One night while sleeping on a river in a small boat, Po dreams about his parents replacing him with a radish, and wakes in distress. Tigress notices his absence and goes to speak with him. Just as Po begins to open up, their conversation is cut short when the others join them and they arrive at their destination.

#### Breaking out Storming Ox and Croc

Once in Gongmen City, they find that the wolves that had raided the Musicians' Village had taken over the city, harassing the citizens. Po and the Five sneak into the city disguised in a giant dragon costume. A citizen informs them that Master Storming Ox and Croc were being kept inside Gongmen Jail. They locate the jail and find the masters within, but the two masters refuse to leave their cell, stating that Shen will use the weapon on the city if they do.

They are forced to leave without the masters, but before they do they are discovered by Boss Wolf who flees the scene, forcing the Five and Po to chase after him. Po eventually catches the wolf, but their chase leads them to Shen's palace, where all of Shen's wolves surrounded them. Po surrenders and he and the Five are put in cuffs, though he assures his friends that he has a plan.

#### Meeting Shen for the first time

They are taken to Shen, who laughs at the sight of Po in chains. Shen taunts Po at his failure in planning when he had "a lifetime to plot his revenge." Po began to sense that Shen and the Soothsayer knew something that he didn't, but Shen gave no answers, and ordered Boss Wolf to fire the cannon at him and the Five. When he tried to light the fuse, however, Mantis was quick to put it out, and attacked Boss Wolf.

This distraction allows the Five to escape their bonds. The Five destroy the weapon while Po goes after Shen himself. Before Po can capture Shen, the pattern on Shen's feathers causes another vision. Po realizes that Shen had been there the last time he had seen his parents. Shen takes advantage of Po's hesitation and escapes. Having made additional cannons in secret, Shen brings down the Tower with the Five and Po still inside. They escape, however, and return to Gongmen Jail.

The Five, particularly Tigress, confront Po on why he let Shen escape. Po struggles to reveal his feelings in front of the others but finally admits to his need to know where he came from, and that Shen knows about his past. Tigress sympathizes with him, but due to Po's emotional involvement, insists that he stays behind. Unbeknownst to the Five, though, Po sneaks into the cannon foundry, thereby ruining their plans to blow up the building.

Po finds Shen and demands answers as the Five struggle against Shen's minions to reach Po. When Po finally corners Shen, the peacock claims that he'd seen Po's parents abandon him and that they didn't love him. Taking advantage of Po's shock, Shen fires a cannon at Po and sends him flying out of the factory and into a nearby river, where he drifted unconscious and badly injured.

The current eventually brings him to an abandoned village where he is rescued by the Soothsayer. When Po awakens, the Soothsayer shares the story of how she had long ago foreseen that Shen would be defeated by a warrior of black and white, and how that relates to Po's present and past. As Po looks around the village, more memories arise. The Soothsayer, noticing that Po has been resistant in allowing his repressed memories to come back to the surface, she advises Po to stop fighting them and to let them flow, and in doing so, Po finally remembers what really happened.

In his memory, he saw his parents happily living with him in the village when he was a baby, and saw Shen and his wolves attacking the villagers. Using raindrops, Po manages to perform the same water drop technique Shifu had demonstrated and uses them to guide his memories. He sees that his parents had not abandoned him, as Shen claimed, but had both risked their lives to save him. His mother had hidden him in a crate of radishes before distracting Shen and the wolves to follow her alone. The tragedy of Po's past weighs heavy on him, but the Soothsayer reminds Po that it's his actions in the present that define him. Po reflects on all that he's accomplished, his friends and family, and finally understands who he is, thus finding inner peace.

#### Battle of Gongmen City

Po returns to Gongmen City just as Shen and his fleet are about to embark on his conquest of China. Po is able to free the captured Five and they fight their way towards Shen. Later in the battle, Storming Ox, Croc and Shifu, having sensed Shen's earlier attack on Po and coerced the other two into helping, join and, all together, the warriors almost reach Shen. Shen, however, fires a cannon directly at the group of warriors and blasts them out into the harbour. With the other masters weak and exhausted, Po is left to defeat Shen alone. Adapting the water droplet technique, Po is able to redirect the cannonballs, and uses them to destroy Shen's fleet and main ship.

#### Battle against Shen

Po finds Shen in the wreckage, and urges him to let go of the past or else he would never find peace. Unwilling to change, Shen instead attacks Po in a rage, until Shen accidentily cuts loose his destroyed cannon, which falls on top of him and explodes. Po rejoins his fellow masters on the docks as they watch the fireworks display above the city. Having achieved inner peace, Po is able to return to his adoptive father Mr. Ping with the confidence of knowing he is where he belongs.

### In *Secrets of the Masters*

Po went to explore the Masters' Council exhibit with Tigress and Mantis, whom he had told there was an "emergency". After crashing through the ceiling, Po started studying the exhibit in awe, and told Tigress and Mantis the story of how Thundering Rhino, Storming Ox, and Croc were brought together.

Later, Shifu arrived and dismissed Tigress and Mantis, and tasked Po with fixing the roof of the exhibit. Before he could start, Po slipped on the floor and fell into the Sarcophagus of Su Wu, which he was trapped in for a presumably long period of time.

### In *Secrets of the Scroll*

Po finds out that Mr. Ping was giving his valuables away. When Mr. Ping accidentally gives a young rabbit Po's Furious Five action figures, Po sets out to retrieve them. While searching, he sees the young rabbit playing with his action figures. Deciding that he doesn't need them anymore, the Furious Five appear and ask if he needs help with finding them, having been told what happened by Mr. Ping. Po replies that he thinks they are right where they are meant to be and that he "has the real things right here", while wrapping his arms around the Five and walking back with them to the palace. It appears that at some point he will later create a new set.

### In *Legends of Awesomeness*

> Po's dreams of kung fu adventure came true the day that Master Oogway named him the legendary Dragon Warrior. Now a master himself, Po gets to live out his dream everyday at the Jade Palace as he sharpens his kung fu skills with Master Shifu, battles bad guys with the Furious Five and of course, takes a snack break every now and then. With the Furious Five by his side, Po will stop at nothing to keep evil out of the Valley of Peace.
>
>

### In *Kung Fu Panda 3*

#### First day of teaching

The content below could use some extra attention. You can help by editing it!

Greatly enjoying his status as Dragon Warrior, Po is stunned when Shifu announces that he is leaving the training of the Furious Five to Po in order to pursue his own studies in the art of controlling Chi. After a miserable first day, Po learns that Shifu knew that such would be the case, but that he knows that new challenges are the only way for Po to reach his full potential. He tells Po there is more to being the Dragon Warrior than fighting and running through town giving high-fives. However, instead of emboldening his greatest student, Shifu's words plant the seeds of doubt in Po about his own identity.

#### Meeting his real father

When he returned to the noodle shop to play with his action figures while bathing, Po is caught in the act by Mr. Ping, who could tell that something was bothering him. Po soon opened up about his insecurities about being a teacher and whether he was still the Dragon Warrior. Mr. Ping only caught the first half and became excited, knowing that it puts Po in a higher position to expand their franchise.

Then suddenly, a pig burst in, announcing that a stranger was beating Po's dumpling eating record. Po went to the restaurant to investigate and was surprised to see the challenger to be another panda. The panda introduced himself as Li Shan and stated he was looking for his son. Both pandas were slow on the uptake until the assembled crowd groaned and Po and Li warmly embrace each other. Though a jealous Mr. Ping attempts to dispute whether Li was actually Po's biological father, the pandas ignored him as Po learned how to belly gong. Li then shared with Po that learned of his survival via "a message from the universe", and that there was a secret village of pandas.

The pair spend some time goofing off in the Jade Palace, before being discovered by Shifu and the Five. After they identified Li as his father, Shifu suggested that Li observe Po teach a class. Thankfully for Po, they then heard a bell signaling that the valley was under attack by strange monsters made out of jade, whom Po and Monkey quickly dub jombies. Po then recognized their attackers as Masters Badger Twins and Porcupine, who were supposed to be deceased. As the fight moved to the floor of the noodle shop, Po used his "Dumplings of Doom" technique so he and his friends could subdue the jombies. An ominous voice then spoke from the creatures, identifying himself as Kai, vowing to take their chi, before the jombies turn into jade statuettes and flew off.

#### Journey to the Panda Village

Returning to the Jade Palace, Shifu found an obscure scroll, revealing Kai was once a comrade of Oogway's five hundred years. Po became deeply interested in the tale when it mentioned that pandas were once great practitioners of chi, who taught Oogway the art, but Kai abused the power to take chi from others, leading to Oogway banishing him to the Spirit Realm. The tale ended stating that only a true master of chi could defeat Kai, which Po assumed Shifu qualified, but was told otherwise as he had barely grasped the concept himself. Li then stated that he could teach him, but to do so, Po had to come with him to the secret village to rediscover the true meaning of being a panda. Believing his father's arrival was a sign from the universe, Po agreed to accompany him.

Journeying to the panda village with Li Shan - and being accompanied by Mr. Ping - Po meets other pandas, including his cousins Dim and Sum and the ribbon dancer Mei Mei, and learns more about his mother. However, when Tigress arrives with word that the other masters have all been defeated and turned into jombies by Kai, Po is dealt a second unpleasant surprise: his father has been lying to him about knowing how to control Chi out of the misguided belief that he was protecting his son from Kai's rampage. Angered, Po resolves to take Kai head on, but Tigress insisted Kai couldn't be beaten in a head-on fight, so Po insisted on using the Wuxi Finger Hold instead. However, Tigress poked the holes in his plans by reminding that Kai sees through the eyes of his jombies, making it impossible to sneak up on him. They are then approached by Li, Mr. Ping, and the other pandas, who volunteer to stand with him and learn kung fu to battle Kai. Po is initially hesitant, but when Li claimed that they could learn to be like Po, he then realizes what Shifu tried to help him learn: that in teaching others he needs to help them become their best selves, not duplicates of their teachers. He thus set about helping the pandas become kung fu warriors in their own way, and soon his "army" faced off with Kai's force of jombies.

#### Battle against Kai

Po's plan worked to perfection, until he learned the unfortunate truth: the Wuxi Finger Hold was ineffective against Spirit Warriors like Kai. Kai then summoned the jombies back and used his supernatural strength to throw Po onto the frozen lake. The charging bull quickly managed to catch the tripping Dragon Warrior and then heaved him high up to the air, before leaping an delivering a back-flip kick. Unconscious and beaten, Po crashed through the Panda village entrance and grimly proclaimed to the others to flee. However, Po then hit upon an alternative strategy, and used the hold on himself while grabbing Kai in order to send them both to the Spirit Realm. Furious, Kai began to knock Po back and after barely dodging his jade swords, the Spirit Warrior pulled a large rock which caught Po and used a chi-enhanced punch through it. He then started to steal Po's Chi as he had the other masters', but Po then received unexpected aid: the villagers and Tigress unlocked the power of their chi and in so doing helped Po master his own. With his new power, Po manifests his chi in the form of a dragon while acknowledging that as the son of a panda, the son of a goose, a student, and a teacher, is what makes him the Dragon Warrior, and fought Kai again. After destroying his two jade swords, Kai swore to take Po's chi even if it took him another five hundred years, to which Po only mocked him, provoking him into attacking. Po then willing gave his chi to Kai, overloading him with the immense power, destroying him and freeing the masters he had captured, including Oogway.

The battle having knocked him out, Po was roused by Oogway, who was pleased with how much Po had matured. He revealed that he was the one who sent Li the "universe mail". He also revealed that reason why he chose Po as Dragon Warrior was because when he first laid eyes on him, he saw the future of kung fu in Po, as well as the pandas who taught Oogway chi in the past, making Po the perfect embodiment of the yin-yang and Oogway's true successor. Oogway then presented Po with a Yin-Yang staff. Though Po was hesitant to take it, he accepted after Oogway mentioned he possessed a bigger staff. After fencing with his new staff, Po asked Oogway what was going to happen next. The tortoise then seemed to vanish in a cloud of petals, making Po panic, only to discover that Oogway wasn't going anywhere, as he was already home. After being told that he could decide whether or not to return, Po was able to use his chi to return to the physical realm. Having emerged triumphant, Po was happily embraced by his fathers and fellow masters. As he greeted Shifu, the latter expressed his pride that the student had finally become the teacher, but got caught off after noticing Po's new staff. Po explained that it was a gift from Oogway, to Shifu's annoyance, before asking if Po could teach him.

Po and his extended family all return to the Valley of Peace, where they continue practicing their chi, as Po proudly gazes upon his legacy in the spot where his journey began.

### In *The Paws of Destiny*

In "Enter the Dragon Master", the panda children Nu Hai, Bao, Jing, and Fan Tong get into an argument after all four of them want to play Po in one of their pretend games. Po himself later arrives in the village to bless a Sacred Peach Statue at the invitation of his father Li, only to find the village wrecked by the children's antics. After gaining the chi of the Four Constellations, the children ask Po to train them, but he initially refuses. However, he is then summoned to the Spirit Realm by Oogway, who informs him that it is his destiny to be the master of the new Constellations. After seeing them in action in battle with Jade Tusk and her warriors, Po eagerly embraces his unexpected new role.

## Personality

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.

In the third film, as Po is continuously pushed to his limits, first by Shifu making him the Master of the Furious Five and then the arrival of Kai and subsequent defeat of most of his friends, as well as having found his biological father and having to please both him and Ping, Po finally starts to reveal how for all his lightheartedness and optimism, he is not without limits. While confident in his fighting ability, Po is forced to reflect inwardly and rely on his mind and spirit in order to fully understand himself and, therefore, master Chi. He approached the challenge enthusiastically and diligently, but displayed anger, frustration, and doubt when Li admitted to lying. Po was quick to forgive his father, and, quickly adapts to his circumstances to defeat Kai.

Po has not only matured since his days before learning kung fu, but his unlikely triumph as the Dragon Warrior has changed those around him. Simple, good-natured, and fueled by determination, Po has never held grudges, not even against those who doubt him or treat him with contempt, and is selfless when it comes to protecting those in need, even being able to show compassion for his enemies. Po is much like the opposite of the foes he faces, such as Tai Lung, Shen, and Kai, in that he shows lightheartedness and humility instead of arrogance and desire for more power. It is these qualities, as well as his great respect for kung fu and his loving heart, that mark Po as the Dragon Warrior, able to defeat such villains when no one else could.

## Fighting style and abilities

> Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and study kung fu alongside the Furious Five, Po began training under Master Shifu. But it was soon apparent that the traditional styles of kung fu aren't a good fit for a six-foot-two-inch, 260-pound panda. Shifu discovers that for Po to become the Dragon Warrior, he must embrace Po's inherent panda nature and exploit his physical attributes... including his generous belly and rear end. In the end, Po created his own style that uses his perceived weaknesses as his strengths.
>
>

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.

Despite Po's physiological limitations, he is extremely quick and agile, able to overpower and go toe-to-toe with some of the greatest threats he has ever faced, such as Tai Lung, Shen or even the supernatural entity, Kai. Like any panda, Po's physiology is also extremely durable, being able to take a powerful blows from Tai Lung, with only minor injuries. He even withstood a hit from Lord Shen's biggest Cannon, with only some injuries and went into a temporary comatose state for a short time. His greatest showcase of durability was when he managed to take a focused strike from Kai, a being who has supernatural strength with only some bruises. His physiology is also immune to any stun-based attacks, making Tai Lung's special attacks pointless against him.

In *Kung Fu Panda 3*, Po was shown the power of chi by Master Shifu, who was able to use it to make a flower bloom. Eventually, Po confronted the supernatural warrior Kai, who was stealing chi from dozens of kung fu masters and turning them into jade zombies that would become his henchmen. Po eventually ended up bringing the both of them into the Spirit Realm, where he was able to use the power of chi himself, so proficiently that he was able to form a dragon-shaped embodiment of light around himself. Po likely has the most amount of chi in the whole series and history as a whole, being able to encompass the entire Spirit Realm, an infinite plane of existence, with it when awakening as the Dragon Warrior. Aided by his best friends and family, Po was able to gather enough chi to overpower and destroy Kai and return to the mortal realm, having once again demonstrated how swiftly he can learn a new skill.

Like Kai, Po is now technically a "Spirit Warrior" himself, having been sent to the Spirit Realm and made his way back to the physical world. And similarly to Kai, this could mean that Po is now impervious to certain kung fu techniques, such as the Wuxi Finger Hold.

Unlike his Dragon Warrior/Master form. In the spirit realm of episode 12 of Paws of Destiny he can fully transform into a dragon but when he went back to his home world in episode 13 he transforms back to his normal self.

Raised as a son from a long line of noodle makers by Mr. Ping, Po is a talented noodle maker and an excellent chef, having worked in his father's restaurant for years. He can chop up items rapidly and with precision. The first time he cooked for the Furious Five in the barracks kitchen, noodle soup from scratch, the other warriors said they were the best noodles they'd ever had. In *Kung Fu Panda Holiday*, he ends up attempting to cook the entire Winter Feast for the Jade Palace by himself, only really failing because he didn't have enough time to do so alongside all his other responsibilities. At no time did he demonstrate that he didn't know how to cook something in the kitchen.

## Role in the series

Po retains his role in the Nicktoons Unite Adventures.

However, since he, Shifu and the Furious Five are allies and members of the Nicktoons Hero Gang, they occasionally join in their adventures.