Tai Lung

Tai Lung Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary! Gender: Male Type: Arrogant Kung Fu Guy Age: Unknown Species: Snow Leopard Portrayed by: Ian McShane Status: Deceased Media of origin: Kung Fu Panda

Tai Lung is the main antagonist of the first Kung Fu Panda. He was the adoptive son and former student of Shifu, as well as a powerful master of the Leopard Style of Kung Fu.

Why He's a Worthy Opponent

1. Tai Lung is an intimidating fighter who is willing to fight to the extreme, and is both resourceful and unpredictable, having mastered various styles of Kung Fu.
2. Tai Lung also possesses immense physical strength and was able to punch and tear his way through numerous armored opponents, as well as lift rocks weighing at least multi-tens ton each and many other barriers.
   • His signature moves include the nerve attack, which, ironically, was the same technique Oogway used to defeat him in his first attempt to steal the Dragon Scroll.
   • He punctuates a lot of his dialogue with growls and snarls.
3. His impending return and desire for revenge is what kicks off the plot, necessitating the choosing of the Dragon Warrior and thus beginning Po's journey.
4. His backstory was a bit sad, as he was adopted and trained by Shifu into being the Dragon Warrior of prophecy, and he wanted the Dragon Scroll, but Oogway saw darkness in him and refused. He felt betrayed and abandoned because Shifu did nothing to sway his opinion or justify his decision to Tai Lung.
5. The way he escapes the prison was badass, showing how he was able to take down hundreds of rhino warriors, arrows, ballista bolts, even falling stalactites, and blows them up with dynamites, all without breaking a sweat or getting even a scratch.
6. After fighting his way out of the prison, Tai Lung roughly neck lifts Zeng, strokes his head, and amicably tells the goose to deliver his message to the Valley of Peace before helpfully throwing him up to catch flight, showing he is not all heartless.
7. His fight against the Furious Five was amazing, as he was able to take them on by himself despite being outnumbered. He receives a combined beatdown from every member aside from Mantis, gets tied up completely with vines by Crane, gets slugged by Tigress, and is sent flying into the misty chasm, but he manages to fling himself back across the chasm and immobilized them with his nerve attack.
   • Though Tai Lung ultimately overpowered them in battle, he seemed to grow some trace of respect for the Furious Five after fighting them as he praised their efforts, but added that Shifu didn't teach them everything.
8. During the fight with Shifu at the Jade Palace, Tai Lung hollered at his adoptive father that all he ever did was only to make him proud, indicating that despite nearly two decades of alienation between the two, he still wants his old master's approval. Once he hears Shifu's confession that he was constantly proud of him and made an apology for letting it blind him to what he became, it seem to hit him a little, but he hardened his heart, stating he doesn't want his apology, he just wants the Dragon Scroll.
9. His defeat was so satisfying, after Po gives him a no hold barrels with a combination of his skills, ingenuity, natural immunity to his nerve attack, high durability and finishes him off with the Wuxi Finger Hold.
10. Ian McShane gives a great performance as Tai Lung.
11. He spawned the meme, "Finally! A worthy opponent".
12. He has a couple of cool quotes:
    • "I'm glad Shifu sent you. I was beginning to think I'd been forgotten. Fly back there and tell them… the real Dragon Warrior is coming home!"
    • "You think I'm a fool? I know you're not the Dragon Warrior—none of you! I heard how he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire. That he's a warrior unlike anything the world has ever seen."
    • "Shifu taught you well. But he didn't teach you everything."
    • "Oh yes, you have a new favorite. So where is this, Po? Did I scare him off?"
    • "I rotted in jail for twenty years because of your weakness!"
    • You knew I was the Dragon Warrior! You always knew. But, when Oogway said otherwise, what did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!!?! NOTHING!!!!!"
    • "Not your fault?! Who filled my head with dreams?! Who drove me to train until my bones cracked?! Who denied me my DESTINY?"
    • "All I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Shifu! Tell me! TELL ME!"
    • "You? Him? He's a panda! You're a panda! What are you gonna do, big guy? Sit on me?!"
    • "You can't defeat me. You… You're just a big fat panda!"
    • "You're bluffing. You're bluffing! Shifu didn't teach you that!"

Unworthy Qualities

1. He turned evil because he was denied the Dragon Scroll by Oogway, and Shifu did not challenge that decision despite the tremendous amount of support he gave Tai Lung before. He responds by destroying the entire Valley of Peace in a fit of rage.
2. He grew up egotistical and smug before turning evil, partly thanks to Shifu neglecting to teach him humility. He looks down on everyone in his delusions of invincibility, refusing to accept blame for his undoing, and ultimately rejecting his mentor's heartfelt apology.
3. Once he finally opens the Dragon Scroll to find it completely blank, Po calmly comforts him and tries to explain to him what the scroll's message actually means. Tai Lung, having spent his entire life lusting for the power of the scroll only to find it has no such power and all he did was for nothing, isn't having any of it and tries to attack Po again, leading to his downfall.

Trivia

• Tai Lung can be considered as a foil to Po as both desperately wanted to become the Dragon Warrior. However, while Po is kind-hearted and humble who is chosen unexpectedly to become a martial artist as a miracle due to how much of a very loving, kind, caring, big-hearted individual he is and that he always dreamed of being a martial artist, Tai Lung is very ambitious, arrogant and overconfident who refuses to change his ways. If Po was raised under Shifu's way of teaching about the Dragon Warrior and was never hooked to kindness, humility, and care, he would've ended up like Tai Lung.

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