Kung Fu Panda is a media franchise that began in 2008 with the release of the animated film of the same name. The franchise follows the adventure of the titular panda, Po Ping, voiced by Jack Black, who is chosen as the next Dragon Warrior and becomes a kung fu master. The franchise mainly consists of three animated films: Kung Fu Panda (2008), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), and Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), with a fourth film in development for release in 2024. There are also three television series, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011-2016), The paws of fate (2018-2019), and The Dragon Knight (2022–present).
Set in a fantastical version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic animals, there are plenty of powerful kung fu warriors running around, both on the side of good and evil. Here are the best fighters in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, ranked.
11 praying mantis
praying mantis is proof that size isn't everything. He is the master of the Mantis style of kung fu, a member of the Furious Five, and a student of Master Shifu. He became a warrior at a young age, when he was captured by the Wool Stealing Crocodile Bandits and forced to sit still for days. From this experience he learned patience to free himself.
He displays great patience, physical strength and his own style of kung fu. However, what makes Mantis really powerful is that he was one of the first to relate to Po in Kung Fu Panda. He knew you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and even though he was short and Po was tall, both could be Kung Fu masters.
10 Crane
Often seen as the pragmatist of the Furious Five, Crane is the master of the Crane Style of kung fu. He previously worked as a janitor at Lee Da Kung Fu Academy. His skill was noticed by his top student, Mei Ling, who encouraged him to pass the school exams and prove his kung fu abilities. He often tries to defuse situations and avoid conflict. However, that doesn't stop him from showing off his talents as a strong fighter. And Crane's ability to fly is of course one of his strongest points.
9 Monkey
As the third member of the Furious Five, Monkey is the master of the Monkey Style. He was trained by both Master Shifu and Master Oogway. In his youth, he often stole from the locals, until Oogway defeated him and encouraged him to take a new path as part of the Furious Five. Like the others, he was skeptical of Po as the Dragon Warrior, but soon came to appreciate his wit and determination.
8 Viper
Viper is a member of the Furious Five and a master of the Viper style of Kung Fu. She is the daughter of the great Master Viper, who was disappointed to learn that she had no teeth at birth, as it was a sign that she could not become a warrior. Instead of training to be a warrior, she became a talented ribbon dancer, using it to save her father from a gorilla bandit. Her skills were evident, Viper eventually grew into a kung fu master and joined the Furious Five. She, too, was skeptical of Po, yet was kind and hospitable to him.
7 Tigress
As a master of the Tiger style of kung fu, Tigress is often referred to as the strongest of the Furious Five. She first lived as a cub in the Bao Gu Orphanage, where Shifu helped her control her strength and temper. Over the years, she trained directly under Shifu's strict instructions and became a powerful fighter with a stern personality. Of the Five, Tigress didn't believe Po was the Dragon Warrior at all, and she didn't hesitate to tell him so. However, she has since accepted his title and they are now loyal friends and allies.
6 Lord Shen
Lord Shen is the main antagonist of Kung Fu Panda 2. The son of the Peacock royal family, he was next in line to the throne of Gongmen City. He was obsessed with using the powder in firecrackers to make weapons in his youth, and overheard his childhood nanny, the Soothsayer, predict that he would be defeated by a warrior of black and white if his addiction continued. In response, he led his wolves on a genocidal attack on the pandas in an attempt to evade the prophecy. He was subsequently exiled and plotted his revenge over three decades.
Shen's greatest weapon is his mind, which makes him a very strong fighter Kung Fu Panda 2. He is cruel, brilliant and a dangerous threat. While he is strong on his own, his army of cannons and gunpowder weapons make him almost unstoppable. It is his obsession with his past wounds that is both his weakness and the driving force behind his strength.
5 Master Shifu
Master Shifu is one of the main supporting characters of the Kung Fu Panda franchise. He is currently the senior master of the Jade Palace and has trained many kung fu fighters, including the Furious Five, Po and Tai Lung. When introduced, he is seen as a strict, aloof, and uncompromising teacher. He is a small, fast and talented warrior. As the master of the Jade Palace, he even rivaled Master Oogway, who was considered by many to be the greatest warrior in kung fu history.
Shifu knows many kung fu styles and can use paralyzing nerve attacks that block and disable the opponent's chi. Additionally, although he never fully uses it, the Wuxi Finger Hold is said to be Shifu's signature move.
4 Tailong
Tailong is the main antagonist of Kung Fu Panda. He was a warrior trained by Shifu and determined to become the Dragon Warrior. However, when Oogway denied him, he revealed his dark nature by ravaging the village. He was imprisoned for twenty years before breaking out and returning to claim the Dragon Scroll. His skills as a kung fu warrior are immense, as he blasts his way through numerous opponents while escaping prison, defeating the Furious Five and Shifu before finally being defeated by Po.
Every inch of Tai Lung's body has been sharpened. His superb physical prowess shows when he battles the Furious Five, whether using just one leg or arm to keep his entire body on the bridge. Like Shifu, he shows a mastery of speed and can cover great distances at lightning speed without getting tired.
3 Master Oogway
Before his death, Master Oogway was revered as the greatest kung fu warrior of all time. He is credited with finding the Valley of Peace, the creator of kung fu and the developer of the Dragon Warrior legend. An advocate for peace and harmony, his long life allowed him to greatly hone his skills, while gaining superior knowledge of kung fu to pass on to other masters at the Jade Palace.
Although he was the founder of kung fu, he did not have his own signature technique or fighting style. On the contrary, he had mastered all existing kung fu techniques, even those others might not have heard of. Throughout the franchise, Oogway is shown to have defeated many powerful opponents without much effort, including Tai Lung, General Kai, and Fenghuang.
2 General Kai
General Kai is the main antagonist of Kung Fu Panda 3. He fought alongside Oogway as best friends and led an army with him. However, he learned how to steal other people's chi and turned to evil. Oogway banished him to the Spirit Realm, where he was imprisoned for 500 years until he returned as a Spirit Warrior with the goal of stealing every kung fu master's chi to destroy Oogway's legacy.
A formidable warrior, Kai's skills earned him the title of warlord, and he was able to fight even Oogway in a battle so intense it "shook the earth." 500 years in the spirit realm only increased Kai's skills and he was able to defeat most of the kung fu masters in China. As a Spirit Warrior, he possesses magical powers and is immune to fatigue, old age, disease, and most forms of physical injury in the mortal world. Each time he absorbed chi from other warriors, his own physical powers would increase exponentially.
1 Po Ping
Po Ping is the protagonist of the Kung Fu Panda franchise. He is the prophesied Dragon Warrior of legend, a master of the Panda style of kung fu, and one of Master Shifu's students at the Jade Palace. Though initially clumsy and initially not accepted by the other warriors, Po persevered and fulfilled his destiny as a Dragon Warrior. He was able to defeat Tai Lung, who was unable to defeat Shifu Kung Fu Panda and discerned the Dragon Scroll. Later, he was able to defeat Lord Shen and General Kai, two formidable enemies who threatened to destroy China.
Po has a natural inclination for chi and masters every fighting style out there. While he has shown to lose to Tigress and Shifu, it's not because they are stronger than him. He poses no threat to his allies, but can take out the strongest villains.
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