Tai Lung | Villains Wiki - Fandom

Villain Overview Synopsis Gallery

Evil-doer

Full Name

Tai Lung

Alias

The Real Dragon Warrior (self-proclaimed; formerly)

Most Dangerous Criminal in ChinaUncle Tai Lung (by Peng)Buddy (once, by Po)Tough Guy (by Commander Vachir)

Origin

Kung Fu Panda

Occupation

Master Shifu's protégé and apprentice

Powerful Kung Fu Master of the Leopard styleBanditPrisoner at Chorh-Gom PrisonJombie (all formerly)Spirit Warrior (currently)

Powers / Skills

Superhuman strengthSuperhuman speedSuperhuman agilitySuperhuman reflexesSuperhuman durabilitySuperhuman staminaSuperhuman enduranceSuperhuman sensesBodily weaponry (via fangs and claws)Fire/Heat resistanceHand-to-hand combat skillsHigh-jumping skillsHigh intelligenceIntimidationKung Fu masteryMaster acrobatNerve attack masteryPressure point masteryParalysis inducementWall-climbing skillsStrong prehensile tail

Goals

Escape Chorh-Gom Prison.Obtain the Dragon Scroll.Find a worthy opponent to fight face-to-face (all succeeded).Destroy Po and the Furious Five.Annihilate the Jade Palace as well as the Valley of Peace.Get revenge on Shifu for nullifying his birthright and imprisoning him for 20 years (all failed).Return to the Spirit Realm with The Chameleon after regaining his Kung Fu (succeeded).

Crimes

AbuseAttempted theftAssault and batteryJailbreakMass murderMass property damagePublic endargermentTerrorismTheftTrespassingTreason

Type of Villain

Vengeful Martial Artist

“	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.	„
~ Tai Lung's first lines after escaping from prison and sending Zeng back to the valley to alert his return.

“	Finally! A worthy opponent! Our battle will be legendary!	„
~ Tai Lung's most famous quote.

“	See you on the other side, Dragon Warrior.	„
~ Tai Lung bidding farewell to Po while taking the Chameleon with him to the Spirit Realm.

Tai Lung is the main antagonist of DreamWorks' 16th full-length animated feature film, Kung Fu Panda, and a supporting character in its sequel, Kung Fu Panda 4.

He is a mighty snow leopard who was Shifu's ex-student, adoptive son, and arch-nemesis, Tigress' adoptive older brother, and Peng's uncle. He was originally trained by Shifu hoping to become the Dragon Warrior. However, Oogway sensed that Tai Lung had darkness in his heart, so the wise turtle denied him the Dragon Scroll. In response, Tai Lung ravaged the Valley of Peace, leading him to be defeated and sent away in prison before returning to face the true Dragon Warrior after his breakout. He is also the former archrival of Po.

He is voiced by Ian McShane, who also played Judas Iscariot in Jesus of Nazareth, Manuel Borbon in Miami Vice, Dr. Brinkman in Agent Cody Banks, Captain Hook in Shrek the Third, Iofur Raknison in The Golden Compass, Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Leigh Emerson in American Horror Story: Asylum, Winston Scott in the John Wick film series, Tobias Moore in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and The Chameleon's form of Tai Lung in Kung Fu Panda 4. His vocal effects were provided by Frank Welker. In the film's video game adaptation, he was voiced by Peter McHugh.

Contents

• 1 Physical Appearance
  • 1.1 Spirit Warrior
• 2 Personality
• 3 Powers and Abilities
• 4 Relationships
  • 4.1 Family
  • 4.2 Enemies
• 5 Victims
• 6 Quotes
  • 6.1 Kung Fu Panda
  • 6.2 Kung Fu Panda 4
• 7 Trivia
• 8 External Links
• 9 Navigation

Quick Answers

What led to Tai Lung's downfall in Kung Fu Panda? Tai Lung's downfall in Kung Fu Panda was primarily due to his overwhelming pride and insatiable desire for power. He viewed himself as the hero of the story, which led him to make choices that ultimately consumed him. His downfall was sealed when Po, the lovable panda, defeated him using the Wuxi Finger Hold. This defeat not only occurred in the mortal realm but also in the spirit realm, where Kai, another antagonist, defeated Tai Lung and took his chi. Despite his downfall, Tai Lung's impact on the Kung Fu Panda universe continued to resonate, influencing the actions and decisions of other characters. Provided by: Fandom Who was Tai Lung's original trainer in Kung Fu Panda? Tai Lung's original trainer in Kung Fu Panda was none other than Shifu. Shifu found Tai Lung when he was just a cub and raised him as his own son. Recognizing his talent in kung fu, Shifu took it upon himself to train Tai Lung, nurturing his skills and abilities. Provided by: Fandom What was Tai Lung's relationship with Shifu in Kung Fu Panda? Tai Lung and Shifu shared a deep and complex relationship in Kung Fu Panda. Shifu found Tai Lung as a cub, abandoned at the Jade Palace, and raised him like his own son. Shifu showered Tai Lung with love and trained him in the arts of Kung Fu, in which Tai Lung showed prodigious talent. Shifu's constant assurance of Tai Lung's destiny boosted his confidence. However, Tai Lung's turn to villainy and subsequent imprisonment filled Shifu with anger, changing their relationship forever. Provided by: Fandom Why was Tai Lung denied the Dragon Scroll in Kung Fu Panda? Tai Lung, the formidable snow leopard in Kung Fu Panda, was denied the Dragon Scroll by Grand Master Oogway. Despite being ready for it, Oogway saw a dark potential in Tai Lung's heart and chose not to give him the scroll. This decision was deeply hurtful to Tai Lung, who had always been supported by his master, Shifu. However, Shifu couldn't defy Oogway's decision, which led to Tai Lung's pride being damaged and his subsequent rampage in the Valley. Interestingly, Tai Lung's insecurities and need for validation were key factors in his downfall, as he couldn't believe in his own abilities without the Dragon Scroll. Provided by: Fandom How did Tai Lung's actions affect the Valley of Peace in Kung Fu Panda? Tai Lung's actions had a profound impact on the Valley of Peace in Kung Fu Panda. His pride and desire for power led him to go on a rampage across the valley, causing destruction and chaos. His resentment towards his master, Shifu, for not defending him led to a violent confrontation. Furthermore, his turn to villainy and subsequent imprisonment filled Shifu with anger, leading him to train Tigress very harshly in an attempt to mold her into a good Kung Fu student. Even after his defeat, Tai Lung's influence lingered, shaping the actions and attitudes of those who remembered his reign of terror. Provided by: Fandom

Physical Appearance

Tai Lung is a tall, slender and muscular gray snow leopard with yellow eyes with golden irises, two teeth sticking out of the bottom of his mouth and whiskers that are shaped like a mustache. He wears loose purple pants and a brown-studded belt, along with beige Shaolin leg wraps.

Spirit Warrior

In Kung Fu Panda 4, his physical appearance remains unchanged. But outside of the Spirit Realm, his body is surrounded by a golden aura representing his Kung Fu.

Personality

“	All I ever did, I did to make you PROUD! Tell me how PROUD you are, Shifu! Tell me! TELL ME!	„
~ Tai Lung lashing out his expressing desperate acceptance at Shifu during their battle.

Tai Lung is best described as a warrior whose pride and ambition led him down a dark path. As a young cub, he was promising in the art of Kung Fu and had a close bond with his master, Shifu who in his eyes was his true father. However, as he grew older and more skilled, he became overconfident, prideful, and vain, until he believed that it was his destiny to receive the Dragon Scroll and become the Dragon Warrior. However, while approached by Oogway, the elderly tortoise saw darkness in his heart and didn’t see him as worthy enough to be the Dragon Warrior. After Shifu neither said nor did nothing after hearing this, Tai Lung considered this an act of treachery and his pride was replaced with anger. Tai Lung went on the warpath across the Valley of Peace, laying waste to everything in his path and chose to take the Dragon Scroll by force. Resenting on Shifu for not defending him, he aggressively ambushed his old master and father figure when the latter, who was hesitating, opposed him.

Subdued by Oogway and remaining in jail for two decades did not soothe his loathe and fury. Instead, he became even more determined that he was the Dragon Warrior, even telling Zeng he was "the real Dragon Warrior" after he got away, even though one was chosen already. Tai Lung retains his pridefulness and aggression; he couldn’t believe for one second that Po, an overweight panda, could be the Dragon Warrior which ironically was a factor in his defeat. Despite his heartless and insensitive exterior, Tai Lung is naturally unassertive and insecure as well, so he never believed in himself to start with, and needed the Dragon Scroll to believe so-Thus ironically as long as he could not believe in himself, he could never win against Po. Whilst fighting Shifu at the Jade Palace, he 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 Tai Lung still wants his old master's approval. Even after hearing Shifu's confession that he was constantly proud of him and made an apology for letting it blind him to what he became, Tai Lung finally saw that Shifu still cared for him, but still he hardened his heart as he wanted the Dragon Scroll.

Many years after his defeat, Tai Lung continues to view Po as an unworthy fool for being chosen by Oogway as Dragon Warrior, though no longer covets the title for himself anymore, showing that he let go of his obsession. Other than that, Tai Lung retained his pride, refusing to share his own talent in Kung Fu with anyone, especially when he quickly deduced that the Chameleon only wanted to use him. His defeat after the Chameleon stole his Kung Fu made Tai Lung bitter and he later viewed Po more as a disappointment for losing the Staff of Wisdom to the Chameleon, which let her steal the other Spirit Warriors' Kung Fu. But once Po and Zhen successfully defeat the Chameleon and restore his Kung Fu, Tai Lung finally sees the panda as worthy of Oogway's choice as the Dragon Warrior and respectfully bows before him, something he has never before been able to do because of his own past selfishness. Tai Lung even admits that Oogway was wise to pick Po as a worthy successor, which comes to show to he has finally developed a certain respect toward Po; he even considered the Spirit Realm as his new home as he personally requested Po to send him and the other spirit warriors back to the Spirit Realm. Even before leaving while taking the Chameleon to make her pay for her crimes, Tai Lung happily bids farewell to Po, promising to meet him in the Spirit Realm when he dies. This comes to show that Tai Lung has abandoned much of his pride and selfishness to posthumously become a better person in spite of his notorious crimes. Thus, ironically, Tai Lung has finally achieved his life long goal of becoming a Dragon Warrior in his own way.

Powers and Abilities

• Immense Durability and Endurance: Along with his formidable strength, Tai Lung also possesses strong resilience to pain and high endurance, having fought non-stop after undoing his chains and not showing much fatigue once the rhino guards were knocked out. He also easily shrugged off attacks from the Furious Five and Shifu. His fight against Po finally got the better of his resilience when the panda sent him flying high into the air before he crashed to the ground, leaving him tired and in poor condition, although without too serious an injury.
• Kung-Fu Mastery: Through his arduous training in Kung Fu since he was very young, Tai Lung is a true force of nature, capable of easily defeating enemies larger than him and has practically spent twenty years locked up without his strength having deteriorated. He was even noted as being the very first to master all 1000 scrolls of kung fu. His main technique is the nerve attack which allows him to paralyze opponents with a strike of the finger and index finger near the heart, although this is unsuccessful against opponents with a lot of belly fat, such as pandas. He defeated the Furious Five in combat, who themselves are skilled and experienced kung fu masters famous across China. During his fight against Shifu, he initially appeared on par with his former adoptive father but Tai Lung ended up surpassing him thanks to his ferocity. Against Po, Tai Lung only slightly had the upper hand over the panda due to being fixated on retrieving the Dragon Scroll rather than fighting until he eventually defeated Po out of frustration, taking out the panda in just two attacks. A few years later, Tai Lung easily defeated the Chameleon's army of lizard warriors, and when using his abilities, the Chameleon was able to completely overwhelm Po and knock him down the ground twice. His eventual downfall in the second round of his fight with Po came from his denial and his underestimation of the panda, as well as his failure to accept that the secret to true power simply comes from within.
• Superhuman Strength: He demonstrated colossal strength, capable of supporting the weight of two huge rocks, breaking a chain handle, throwing giant crossbow bolts into the air, shattering a metal shield, breaking down a steel door, make rhinos waltz with powerful blows, shattering the ground with a kick and making a large crater while also causing a huge shockwave.
• Superhuman Speed and Agility: Despite his muscular physique, Tai Lung is capable of impressive feline agility and speed. As he fell into the Chorh-Gom chasm, Tai Lung jumped from debris to debris until he reached the ceiling. Tai Lung is also quite fast, being able to move in quadruple to gain speed and cover a longer distance, having taken only a few days to reach the Valley of Peace after his escape. He was also able to keep up with Shifu in combat, as well as speed-blitz the Furious Five and Po, with Monkey noting that Tai Lung was too fast.
• Nerve Attack Mastery: Tai Lung masters Shifu's lessons and later incorporates a unique technique that only the strongest warriors utilise. Tai Lung defeats the Furious Five with several nerve attacks, only being saved due to Shifu's knowledge on the technique. Shifu automatically recognises the damage inflicted onto his students could only come from such a warrior as his very own, Tai Lung.

Relationships

Family

• Shifu (adoptive father and former master)
• Tigress (adoptive younger sister)
• Peng (nephew)
• Unnamed biological parents
• Unnamed biological sibling

Enemies

• Po (former archrival, forgiven)
• Shifu (arch-nemesis, possibly forgiven)
• Oogway (former sworn enemy, forgiven)
• Furious Five (possibly forgiven)
  • Tigress
  • Monkey
  • Mantis
  • Viper
  • Crane
• Zeng
• The citizens of the Valley of Peace
• Commander Vachir (victim)
• Chorh-Gom Prison Wardens (victims)
• Kai the Collector (posthumously; formerly)
• The Chameleon

Victims

• Incalculable Unnamed Villagers - Killed by Tai Lung off-screen.
• Commander Vachir - Blown up with dynamite by Tai Lung.
• 100 Rhino Guards - Blown up with dynamite by Tai Lung.

Quotes

Kung Fu Panda

“	Tai Lung: Where's the Dragon Warrior?Tigress: How do you know you're not looking at her?Tai Lung: (laughs) 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.Monkey: Po?Tai Lung: So that is his name... Po. Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary!	„
~ Tai Lung engaging in battle with the Furious Five after knowing who Po is.

“	Shifu taught you well... (uses the Nerve Attack on Monkey, much to the other's shock) ...but he didn't teach you everything.	„
~ Tai Lung defeating the Furious Five with the nerve attack

“	Tai Lung: I have come home, Master.Shifu: This is no longer your home. And I am no longer your master. Tai Lung: Oh, yes. You have a new favorite. So where is this... "Po"? (chuckled) Did I scare him off?Shifu: This battle is between you and me. Tai Lung: So, that is how it's going to be.Shifu: That is how it must be.	„
~ Tai Lung about to fight Shifu.

“	Tai Lung: I rotted in jail for 20 years because of your weakness! Shifu: Obeying your master is not weakness! Tai Lung: You knew I was the Dragon Warrior. (flashback ensues; 20 years ago, in the exact same spot in the Hall of Warriors; Tai Lung awaits Shifu and Oogway's evaluation; Tai Lung proudly believes he will receive the dragon scroll) You always knew. But when Oogway said otherwise, (Oogway turns to Shifu and shakes his head in refusal and walks away) what did you do? (Shifu is about to say something, but remains silent out of respect for his master) What did you do?! (Tai Lung cannot believe what he is hearing and seeing. Then the scene returns to present; Tai Lung is furious) NOTHING!Shifu: YOU WERE NOT MEANT TO BE THE DRAGON WARRIOR! THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT!Tai Lung: (going into a rage) NOT YOUR FAULT?! (angrily knocks down Master Flying Rhino's armor) WHO FILLED MY HEAD WITH DREAMS?! (starts throwing a shield at Shifu) WHO DROVE ME TO TRAIN UNTIL MY BONES CRACKED?! WHO DENIED ME MY DESTINY?!(Tai Lung launches a volley of blades at Shifu, who deflects all of them with ease. Tai Lung kicks a sword at him, and Shifu counters it and redirects it into the floor)Shifu: It was never my decision to make!(Tai Lung growls and leaps to Oogway's shrine. He finally realizes that Oogway is dead and picks up the deceased master's staff and faces Shifu)Tai Lung: It is now.(Shifu charges Tai Lung, hitting him before Tai Lung uses the curved end of Oogway's staff to catch Shifu by the neck and pin him to the ground)Tai Lung: Give... me... the scroll!Shifu: I would rather die!(Tai Lung growls as they both struggle for a beat until finally, the staff snaps in half. Shifu looks back at the pieces and a flutter of peach tree petals fly by. Caught off guard, Shifu gets kicked by Tai Lung into the wall. Shifu leaps from column to column, pursued by Tai lung. Shifu eventually jumps to the rafters and Tai Lung follows and sends them both crashing through the roof. Lightning flashes. Grappling in mid-air, Shifu briefly gets the upper hand before Tai Lung gets his paws around Shifu's throat as they crash back through the roof. They kick apart. Shifu crashes into a column, falls to the floor and lands hard. Tai Lung bounces off the wall, knocking a lantern to the floor. Blue flames go everywhere. Tai Lung's arms are aflame as he charges at Shifu with a roar. Shifu struggles to block his punches)Tai Lung: All I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how PROUD you are, Shifu! Tell me! TELL ME!!!(Tai Lung use his final blow sends Shifu flying across the room. Shifu lands in a heap at the foot of the stairs. Tai Lung extinguishes the blue flames with his paws as Tai Lung stalks forward. Shifu weakly lifts himself slightly)Shifu: (weakly, tired, solemn and sad) I have always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been proud of you.(Tai Lung stops in his tracks)Shifu: And it was my pride, that blinded me; I loved you too much to see what you were becoming...what I was turning you into. I'm... I'm sorry.(Tai Lung taken aback for a moment whiles he hesitates. Shifu waits. After a long moment... Tai Lung's expression goes cold as He grabs Shifu by the throat)Tai Lung: I don't want your apology! I want my scroll!	„
~ Tai Lung, brutally attacking Shifu in pure rage.

“	Tai Lung: What?! WHERE IS IT?! Shifu: Dragon Warrior has taken the scroll halfway across China by now. You will never see that scroll, Tai Lung. Never! Never.	„
~ Tai Lung furiously asking Shifu where the scroll is while strangling him even after the latter apologized to him.

“	Po: Hey! (catches breathe) Stairs.Tai Lung: Who are you?Po: Buddy, I am the Dragon Warrior.Tai Lung: You? (drops Shifu and chuckles) Him? (to Shifu) He's a panda. (to Po) You're a panda. What are you gonna do, big guy? Sit on me?!?!Po: Don't tempt me. (laughs as well) Now... I'm gonna use this. (takes out the Dragon Scroll much to Tai Lung's shock) Ha ha! You want it? Come and get it.(Tai Lung punches Po across the room, grabbing the scroll knocked from Po's paws)Tai Lung: Finally!(Po bounces off a nearby pillar and slams back into Tai Lung sending him flying into a column)	„
~ Tai Lung upon meeting Po before the battle.

“	That scroll is mine!	„
~ Tai Lung to Po while battling over the dragon scroll.

“	The scroll is given him power! NOOOOO!!!	„
~ Tai Lung seeing Po is catching up to the dragon scroll power during the battle.

“	Tai Lung: Finally! Oh, yes. The power of the Dragon Scroll is MINE! (opens the Dragon Scroll, only to find it blank) It's nothing!Po: (groans while getting up) It's okay. I didn't get it the first time, either.Tai Lung: What?Po: There is no secret ingredient. (Tai Lung throws the scroll to the ground) Po: It's just you.	„
~ Tai Lung upon taking the Dragon Scroll, but only to find out it's blank.

“	Tai Lung: (weakly) You... can't defeat me. (painting) You... You're just a big... fat... panda! (tries to punch him, but Po pinches Tai Lung's finger)Po: I'm not a big fat panda. I'm the big fat panda. (lifts up his pinky finger)Tai Lung: (gasps in horror) The Wuxi Finger Hold?!Po: Oh, you know this hold?Tai Lung: You're bluffing. You're bluffing. Shifu didn't teach you that.Po: Nope. I figured it out. (flexes his pinky finger) Skadoosh.	„
~ Tai Lung's final words and moments before Po defeats him by using the Wuxi Finger, sending him to the Spirit Realm, putting an end to his reign of terror once and for all.

Kung Fu Panda 4

“	Chameleon: Tai Lung, big fan.Who are you and what are you doing with that staff? Chameleon: This was given to me by an old friend of yours.The puffy panda? Heh, Po might be an idiot but he'd never willingly hand over Oogway's staff to the likes of you. Chameleon: Who said anything about willingly? (reveals her magic cages)Mmm, apparently, I misjudged you, lizard. Now, why have you brought me back? Chameleon: I summoned you here so that you could teach me your most legendary kung fu moves. I don't share my skills with anyone.(Tai lung attempts to leave) Chameleon: It wasn't a request.	„
~ The Chameleon to Tai Lung, welcoming him back to the land of the living before attempting to steal his kung fu.

“	Tai Lung: What have you done to me?Chameleon: All of your kung fu is now mine! And the best part is: I'm just getting warmed up.	„
~ The Chameleon psychotically revealing to Tai Lung that she now possesses his kung fu and that he was merely the start.

“	Tai Lung: Panda. Oogway made a mistake choosing you as the Dragon Warrior. I just didn't realize how big a mistake it was until now.Po: Whoa! Tai Lung? I'm gonna get that staff back, restore your kung fu and return you all to the Spirit Realm. You'll see.Tai Lung: All I see... is a broken promise.	„
~ Tai Lung and Po reuniting after the events of the first film and the former not believing the latter when he promises to give him back his kung fu.

“	Well, I saw that coming.	„
~ Tai Lung after seeing Po fail to reason with The Chameleon.

“	What? Is that how I sound? I don't sound like that, do I?	„
~ Tai Lung commenting on the Chameleon's imitation of him.

“	Tai Lung: Give 'em a left! A right! Uppercut!Scott: Which one are you rooting for?I'm not sure. This is all very confusing.	„
~ Tai Lung commenting on how the fight confuses him.

“	Maybe Oogway was right about you. You aren't completely useless after all.	„
~ Tai Lung recognizing Po as the Dragon Warrior.

“	I think it's time you send us home, panda.	„
~ Tai Lung requesting to Po that he return him and all the other kung fu villains and masters back to the Spirit Realm.

“	Chameleon: Zhen, do something!!! Zhen: Third rule: No one's interested in your feelings.Tai Lung: See you on the other side, Dragon Warrior. (The Chameleon screams)	„
~ Tai Lung bidding farewell to Po and taking the Chameleon with him to the Spirit Realm.

Trivia

• Tai Lung appeared in the first Kung Fu Panda video game, in which he was the main antagonist again and (just like the film) broke out of jail and went for the scroll. However, unlike the film, the Furious Five get captured by the villainous leopard and his army of wolves. So, it's up to Shifu to go rescue them and stop Tai Lung.

  

• Tai Lung was originally intended to lead a villainous army named the Lang Shadow Army comprised of wolves, as well as gorilla and ox allies in the film. The concept was scrapped, but it was kept in the video game, and it was later reused as Shen's Army instead.
• Tai Lung returns in the video game Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors, in which he is the main antagonist (again), and also the final boss. This time, he comes with a troop of enemies to aid him, but is once again stopped, defeated, and killed by Po and the others.
• Tai Lung is seen roaring several times in Kung Fu Panda. In reality, snow leopards only yowls, not roaring as they lack the vocal cord tissue necessary to create a roar-like sound.
• According to the creator's commentary, the color gold was used to symbolize heroism in the movie, and Tai Lung saw himself as the hero of the story, hence they gave him golden eyes, even though he's the villain of the story.
• Tai Lung and The Chameleon are the only villains of the quadrilogy who refer to Po by his name.
• Tai Lung can be considered a foil and dark parallel to Po and Tigress:
  • Po: Both characters were orphans, raised by adoptive fathers who are comparatively smaller than them. Additionally, they wear only pants that were handmade. The only difference is that Po’s is clearly stitched and patched together while the work on Tai Lung’s is more refined. They were both candidates for the Dragon Warrior status. However, while Po is a kind-hearted and humble individual who is chosen unexpectedly to become a martial artist as a miracle, due to how big-hearted he is and his dreams of being a martial artist, Tai Lung is very ambitious, arrogant, and overconfident, and he refuses to change his ways. They both also harbored deep insecurities and turned to kung fu for self-improvement. If Po was taught under Shifu's way of teaching about being the Dragon Warrior and never saw the spiritual aspect of kung fu, he would've ended up like Tai Lung.
  • Tigress: Both of them are felines who were orphans raised by Shifu. They were trained in the art of kung fu under their surrogate father, and they were physically powerful and desired his praise. They also sought this through becoming the Dragon Warrior, and they tlaere envious when they were passed over for Po. However, Tigress is more honorable, which made her worthy enough that Oogway to have chosen her if not for Po appearing, and compassionate, as she appeared to be remorseful for how she treated Po upon learning of his low self-worth. Tigress receives a lesson in humility when she and the rest of the Five are defeated by Tai Lung. If Tigress hadn't experienced this, as well as been overly praised by Shifu as Tai Lung had been, she would've gone down the same dark path as him.
    • Tai Lung and Tigress are cats: a snow leopard and a tiger, since they are related in the Felidae Family Genus.
• In real life, snow leopards are the natural predator of both the Giant Panda (Po's species) and the Red Panda (Shifu's species). Because of this, Shifu shouldn't have been able to adopt Tai Lung in the first film, and Po shouldn't have been able to earn Tai Lung's trust in the fourth film. However, the film series doesn't depict predator and prey as natural enemies as they would be in real life. This explains why Po and Shifu aren't Tai Lung's enemies in the Kung Fu Panda film series.
• In the TV series, Kung Fu Panda Legends of Awesomeness, he has a nephew named Peng, meaning that he may have at least one sibling.
• Tai Lung and Shifu are shown to have the exact same reaction upon opening the Dragon Scroll, both trying to read it sideways and repeatedly opening it to try and find a message. This is likely symbolic of Tai Lung's insecurities and remaining desire to please him. Furthermore, Tai Lung's whiskers are shaped in a manner similar to Shifu's moustache when he was younger, displaying that deep down he still admires his father and wants to please him.
  • If one pays attention to the dialogues, Po, when opening the Dragon Scroll, says, "it's blank!", while Tai Lung says, "It''s nothing!", after finally retrieving it from Po. This highlights Tai Lung's lack of self-value and Po understanding the value of the Dragon Scroll.
• It's implied that while in the Spirit Realm, Tai Lung reunited with Oogway as he recognized the latter's staff when the Chameleon had it in her possession. It could be that the elderly tortoise played a part in Tai Lung's reduced bitterness before it eventually vanished, and the snow leopard finally acknowledged Po as the Dragon Warrior and bowed to the panda, as well as his successor, Zhen.
• Kai, Shen, Tai Lung, and the other villains bowing to Po after the Chameleon's defeat mirrors how the Furious Five and the Valley of Peace villagers bowed to Po after Tai Lung's defeat in the first film.
• Kung Fu Panda 3 is the only film where the characters don't say Tai Lung's name.
• Tai Lung is Ian McShane's second character in a DreamWorks Animation film. The first being Captain Hook from Shrek the Third.
• Tai Lung is currently the only main antagonist of a Kung Fu Panda film who isn't the master of any of the heroes in his film. The main antagonists of the film's three sequels were the masters of some of the heroes:
  • Lord Shen was the master of the Soothsayer.
  • The Chameleon was the master of Zhen.
  • Kai was the master of most of Po's friends after turning them into Jade Zombies (or "jombies").
• Tai Lung is so far the only main antagonist in the film series to not be significantly associated with any weaponizing paraphernalia. (However, he does desire to obtain the Dragon Scroll, which turns out to be a blank scroll.)
  • Lord Shen has his numerous blades for combat.
  • The Chameleon attempts to use Oogway's Staff of Wisdom for her to gain efficient kung fu prowess.
  • Kai the Collector owns his jade swords when fighting against others.
• Despite their past history, Shifu and Tai Lung never encounter each other in Kung Fu Panda 4.

External Links

• Tai Lung on the Universal Studios Wiki
• Tai Lung on the Kung Fu Panda Wiki
• Tai Lung on the DreamWorks Wiki

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Films Jade Palace Tai Lung Shen's Army Lord Shen | Boss Wolf Spirit Realm Kai the Collector | Jombies Juniper City The Chameleon | Chameleon's Army | Zhen | Granny Boar | Han | Rabbit Trio | Crime bosses Others Criminals | Stingray Short Films Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll Boar Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters Wu Sisters Television Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness Crocodile Bandits: Fung | Gahri | Wall Eye | Irwin | Wong | Lidong Qidan: Temutai Brotherhood of Malfeasance: Junjie | Tong Fo | Hundun | Taotie | Fung | Gahri | Temutai Others: Pang Bing | Ke-Pa |Fenghuang | Scorpion | Bing | Heilang | Bad Po | Bian Zao | Fu-Xi | Underworld Demons | Ding | Alien Rice Weevils | Yaoguai Twins | Wu Kong | Tsao, Lao and Bao | General Tsin | Jong Sung | Mugan Kung Fu Panda: Paws of Destiny Imperial Army: White Bone Demon | Shi Long | General Fang Others: Jindiao | Jade Tusk | Rooster | Wing & Wong | Yaoguai Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight Klaus and Veruca Dumont | Alfie | Sir Drake | Chuntao | Rukhmini | High Priestess | Jayesh | Zuma | Nian Video Games Wu Sisters | Great Gorilla | Fai Suan | Kuai Xun | Kai | Mao Ren | Mei Ling

Villains

Legends Lord Vraxx | Thatch | Lucien | Val | Cross | Mordex | Caspian | Xull | Volkov | Dusk | Loki Crossovers Black Knight | King Knight | Plague Knight | Specter Knight | Enchantress | Raymesis | Grunderbite | Nimue | Gruagach | John Cena | Becky Lynch | The New Day | The Undertaker | Roman Reigns | Asuka | Negan Smith | Tai Lung | Akuma | M. Bison | Storm Shadow | Zuko | The Arbiter | Thel 'Vadam | Cortana | 343 Guilty Spark | The Flood | The Banished | Jiralhanae | Unggoy | Devil Jin | Nina Williams | Darth Vader | Darth Maul Other Demons