Po

Po from Kung Fu Panda

Master Po Ping (known simply as Po) is the main protagonist of the Kung Fu Panda series. He is the adoptive son of Mr. Ping and one of Master Shifu's students at the Jade Palace. Po is also the prophesied Dragon Warrior, as well as the warrior of black and white (as foretold by the Soothsayer in Kung Fu Panda 2).&nbsp

Biography

Po was born in a remote farming village populated entirely by giant pandas (as revealed in Kung Fu Panda 2). There, he grew up happily with his biological

Po
Activities	Being the Dragon Warrior and protecting the Valley of Peace.
Term of Service	2008-present
Combat status	Will fight Baloo

mother and father. But one day, the village was invaded by an evil, power-hungry peacock named Shen, who sought to avert a prophecy by eliminating any threat to his rule. As his wolf followers slaughtered the pandas and destroyed the village, Po's mother fled with her son in an attempt to save him, while his father stayed behind to try and fight them off. As the wolves quickly started to close in on her, Po's mother managed to temporarily elude the wolves and found a crate of radishes, which she hid her child in. Mother and son shared one final moment of farewell, and then Po began to cry as he watched his mother catch the attention of the wolves and lead them away from him, sacrificing her life for her son.

The crate was eventually shipped across China to a village in the Valley of Peace, where the owner of a noodle shop Mr. Ping found the baby panda. Placing the infant in his care and eventually realizing that no one was looking for the panda, Mr. Ping decided to raise him as his son, giving him the name "Xiao Po" (小宝).

In Kung Fu Panda

Po had grown up into an adventurous dreamer who hoped to become a Kung Fu legend some day, on par with the Furious Five, whom he idolized. However, he didn't think he could pursue his dream, as he was an out-of-shape panda who worked at a noodle shop, which his enthusiastic, simple father Mr. Ping expected him to some day run in his place. Even though Po showed little interest in continuing this family tradition, he complied, not wanting to let his father down. At heart, Po was a huge fan of Kung Fu, as his room was decorated with posters and action figures of the Furious Five, and he would imagine himself as an unbeatable warrior who would fight alongside them. Po knew, in detail because of this, many things about Kung Fu, from techniques (such as the Wuxi Finger Hold), to various weapons and legends, like the Sword of Heroes and the Battle of Weeping River. Although this knowledge showed Po as somewhat of an mental expert on Kung Fu, it was only in the form of a fan who fantasized he could be part of it, not as someone who had any real experience within Kung Fu.

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, something he declared would be the "greatest day in Kung Fu history". He abandoned his task of selling noodles in order to see the tournament, but couldn't make it in time, as the gates closed on him, shutting him out. After many failed, desperate attempts to get inside and watch the event, Po was about to give up and go back to work with his father — when the fireworks that he had strapped to a chair lit up and shot him into the sky, flying over the arena. Po abruptly landed inside the tournament grounds just as Oogway was about to choose who would be the Dragon Warrior, and Po fell in front of the Furious Five — with Oogway's claw pointed directly at him. Inspired by the panda's sudden appearance, Oogway took this as a sign that the universe had brought them all the Dragon Warrior. Everyone else, including Po, was surprised by this.

The Valley celebrated, and Po was carried (with difficulty) on a palanquin (which he broke through) to the Jade Palace. Po tried to point out that he was picked by accident to the carriers who dropped him in, but it was within the palace that Po discovered the many legendary Kung Fu artifacts kept there. However, the Furious Five and Shifu, Po's master, thought his being chosen was a mistake. Shifu objected that a "flabby panda" couldn't possibly be the Dragon Warrior, and tried to intimidate Po upon his arrival, insulting his large body weight and threatening Po with potential use of the Wuxi Finger Hold. Shifu promised Po that he would regret ever being chosen, and afterwards set him up in the challenging Training Hall. Po, awed by being in the presence of the Furious Five (who were all observing him), was nervous but eager to try some Kung Fu moves. But being an unwary beginner, he was hurtled, burnt, punched, and thrown through the various obstacles. The Furious Five later joked about his lack of skill and his incompetence, which Po happened to overhear, making him feel inferior and sad.

That night, after making accidental damages in the student barracks, Po had an awkward conversation with Crane (where Po himself revealed that he didn't think he belonged at the Jade Palace). He was then even more disheartened after a rebuke from Tigress, who told him in a stern, straightforward and unfriendly voice that he didn't belong in the Jade Palace, was a disgrace to Kung Fu, and should leave by morning, and then slammed her door in his face. Po, disheartened, retreated to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, upset and overeating, stuffing his mouth with peaches he picked from the sacred branches. Upon finding him, Oogway gave Po some kindly advice, telling Po that he should focus on the moment and the present opportunity he had, instead of giving up and doubting himself.

The next morning, Po surprised Shifu and the Furious Five by not only staying, but by arriving first at the training courtyard to practice. Once again, Po was put through a Kung Fu thrashing, beat up by the Furious Five and Shifu long into the day, but Po showed no signs of pain or indignity, as he was so amazed by the skill he witnessed from the warriors, and only welcomed the privilege to spar with the Kung Fu masters. This enthusiasm, optimism and sheer indefatiguable tenacity at such treatment frustrated Shifu, who, even after literally kicking Po out of the palace, was unsuccessful in making him quit.

The Furious Five, with the exception of Tigress, who have became impressed at Po's fortitude, came to warm up to to him even more in the evening. Mantis and Viper tried helping Po feel better with acupuncture, and Mantis assured him about his own small size as a warrior compared to Po's. After inadvertently confirming his suspicions that Shifu was indeed trying to get rid of him, Viper and Mantis explained to Po that the old master was not always so strict, though were reluctant to say what had caused him to change. Having overheard their conversation outside, Tigress entered the room and declared that Tai Lung was the reason. Po then listened as Tigress told him of Shifu's terrible past involving his first student and son, and was rendered speechless. Po later made the Furious Five some noodle soup, which he was praised for, and he made them laugh (except Tigress, who still resented him) when he did an imitation of Shifu — only moments before the master himself appeared. He announced that Tai Lung had broken out of Chorh-Gom Prison, and that it was Po's destiny to defeat him.

Startled and frightened, Po ran off in a panic, only to be stopped shortly by Shifu, who declared that Po was the Dragon Warrior. Refusing to believe this, Po confronted Shifu that he'd never believed in him and had been trying to make him quit since his first day, while Shifu reminded Po that he had chosen to stay, despite all the harsh treatment and resentment. Po revealed that he had been hurt both inside and outside due to their remarks, but he had stayed because, to him, it was better than living every day just being himself, and wanted so badly to be changed by the famous Kung Fu master. When Po questioned Shifu on just how he planned to make him the Dragon Warrior, capable of defeating the mighty Tai Lung, the red panda admitted he didn't know, and departed.

Disheartened and discouraged, Po again fled to food for comfort, and had nearly ravaged the kitchen in the Jade Palace, breaking cupboards and drawers, even doing a perfect split at one point, when Shifu discovered him the next morning. He stood amazed, seeing that the panda had inadvertently showed a knack/skill for Kung Fu while merely trying to find food in his distressed state. Shifu decided to use this perceived weakness as a teaching tool to motivate and train Po.

Led through the Wu Dan Mountains to the Pool of Sacred Tears, Shifu told Po the origins of Kung Fu. Po agreed to learn from Shifu, astounded and emotional from finally getting a chance to live his dream. And so began his first serious step in Kung Fu training. Po was put through various exercises, from push-ups to ten-mile hikes, to balancing soup bowls, defending his own meals from attack, and a game of keep away, using chopsticks and a dumpling as a reward. Through determination, and with Shifu's teaching, Po's senses grew sharper, he became more confident, and in time, Po had achieved tremendous improvements in body, mind and spirit.

But the Furious Five, led by Tigress, had left to fight Tai Lung on their own. Despite putting up a courageous fight on the Thread of Hope that morning, each of them was overwhelmed by Tai Lung's superior skill. Crane weakly managed to carry his comrades back to the Jade Palace, where Po and Shifu found the rest of the Five all paralyzed, struck by Tai Lung's nerve attack. Seeing his heroes wounded before him, Po was worried about facing Tai Lung himself, but Shifu assured Po that he could beat Tai Lung — with the help of the Dragon Scroll. He retrieved it, giving it to Po and promising him extraordinary powers of sight and sound when he would read it, and feeling "the universe in motion around you". Po opened the scroll, only to find it was nothing but a golden, reflective surface that was completely blank. Confused and disappointed, Po thought this only proved that he really had been picked to be the Dragon Warrior by accident and became discouraged again.

Shifu told the Furious 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, leaving a dispirited and an emotionally disgraced Po to seek out his father. Mr. Ping was glad to see him again, tying an apron around Po and talking to him about future plans for a new noodle shop as they fled with the rest of the Valley. Having come so close and failed at becoming the Kung Fu warrior he'd aspired to be, and being pulled back into his former life as if nothing had happened, Po unhappily lingered for a moment, his hopes crushed and his dream vanished. Mr. Ping tried to assure his son, but guaranteed him that he still had a destiny at the noodle restaurant. Po wasn't encouraged by this, and told his dad that he sometimes couldn't even believe he was his son. Mr. Ping, taken aback, tried to comfort Po by finally telling him the truth: the secret ingredient of the Noodle Shop's secret ingredient soup... was nothing. He explained that he never needed to add anything more to plain, ordinary noodle soup. By 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 of wisdom made the connection, and at last, Po understood the meaning of the Dragon Scroll, the secret to "limitless power".

He made his way back to the Jade Palace, climbing the stairs (which exhausted him), and arrived just in time to distract Tai Lung and save Shifu, who almost got killed by Tai Lung during their fight. Facing the snow leopard, Po proclaimed that he was the true Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung laughed, making the remark, "You? Him? He's a panda! You're a panda! What are you going to do, big guy?! Sit on me?!". Po told Tai Lung not to tempt him (though he eventually did end up on top of him during the fight), and smugly revealed he had the Dragon Scroll and told Tai Lung to "come and get it" tauntingly, to which he got punched in the face by the leopard, who then took the scroll — but then Po bounced back to strike an equal blow in return. The two fought, and the battle spread down into the Valley, both Po and Tai Lung trying to get the Dragon Scroll as it fell from place to place. Po used his creative cunning to keep the scroll away from Tai Lung, even using noodles and a cart propelled by firework rockets in the battle, as well as the same maneuvers in his game of "keep-away" with Shifu.

Unfortunately, despite his ongoing success, Po finally collapsed when Tai Lung met him with a powerful punch, pummeling the panda to the ground. When Tai Lung took the scroll (relishing at finally having his hands on it), he was disappointed and stunned when he discovered it was blank. Po, as he was getting up from being pummeled, told him that it's okay since he didn't get it the first time either. Tai Lung was confused, so Po explained to him that "there is no secret ingredient; it's just you." Infuriated, Tai Lung tossed away the Dragon Scroll and struck Po with a yell, but his deadly nerve attacks only served to tickle Po and make him laugh. Again, the two fought, Po besting and outsmarting Tai Lung again and again, developing his own improvised style in the process. Eventually, Po caught Tai Lung in the Wuxi Finger Hold when the snow leopard tried to claw him with two of his fingers, having presumably figured out the secret to the mysterious technique on his own, and with the word "skadoosh" and the inflexing of his pinky, Po delivered the blow, sending a massive, golden shock wave throughout the Valley of Peace and beyond, presumably killing Tai Lung.

When the Furious Five and villagers returned, they watched Po emerge from the haze in silence, and became elated, the villagers cheering for his triumph. Mr. Ping raced to his son, overjoyed and proud of his victory as a Kung Fu warrior. Tigress stepped forward and bowed to Po in respect, calling him "Master," and the rest of the Furious Five and the Valley followed suit; in addition, Tigress had smiled at Po for the first time, feeling honored and proud. Po was modestly pleased, but quickly remembered that Shifu was hurt back at the palace.He rushed back and found Shifu, and told him he had defeated Tai Lung. Shifu weakly thanked Po for bringing peace both to the Valley, and to him. After a quiet, meditative moment, Po asked him if he wanted to get something to eat, and he and Shifu enjoyed a meal of dumplings at the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, overlooking a new day in the Valley of Peace.