Film Theory: Kung Fu Panda, The REAL Reason Po is the Chosen One! 

Anyone else here from the new film theory episode

Imagine Oogway thought about all of this in the split second he raised his finger

And what makes this even more poetic is that Po is the one who originally, “accidentally”, assembled the Furious Five without any of them realizing it. It was a self fulfilling prophecy, he set himself up to eventually become the Dragon Warrior. It was always meant to be him.

I really like the themes of the three Kung Fu panda movies, the first one is about chasing your dream and reaching the goal, Second movie is about some of his Past trauma and that you don't need to be the physical parent to love your child and the third about meeting his real parents and finding the balance + having now a bigger family that cares about him.

Oogway picking the dragon warrior from the furious five, he thinks to himself. "Hmmm which of you is the fattest? Hmmmmmm" *po lands in front of him* "oh thank God"

"Dad, why do you always take notes when we watch disney movie"

The line where PO says "but it could never hurt more than it did every day of my life just being me" as someone who still has issues with body image, this hit so hard. Him overcoming that and beating the bad guy was pretty encouraging.

This is probably one of my favorite film theories. As fun as ‘the dark truth’ ones are I like the more fun and light hearted ones better.

Fun fact. Asian dragons are considered to be a fusion of animals. The head of a stag, the mane of a lion/tiger, the body of a snake (or turtle in some iteratioms), the legs of an eagle and the scales of a fish. Dragons in asia are literaly a unification of beings. Their place in mythogie is also as guardians, both of knowledge and the gods themselves. So the dragon style being a combination of all other styles makes perfect sense. Just some mythology trivia.

It's very simple: Po backwards is O.P.

I love that Po getting adopted by his goose Dad that feeds him as much dumplings and noodle soup as possible factors into his becoming the Dragon Warrior lol

I've always seen Po's passion/fanboyness to Kung fu as his strength. Nobody in the movie was as passionate and excited as him.

The real question: is why didn’t Cinderella shoe disappear

“Are you theorizing son?” -Dadpat, sometime in the future.

As an overweight athlete, I’ve always loved this movie. I know it sounds dumb and cheesy, but it helped me accept myself and showed me to never assume what a person is capable of just by their appearance. Dedication and passion are way more important than being the “ideal body type” and Po never let anyone talk him down. Mad respect

In Chinese mythology, the dragon is referenced as a heavenly animal. Sometimes, only the emperor is allowed to wear a design of dragons as the dragon is a symbol of power.

can't wait for 2040 Matpat Jr debunking his dad's theories

The real question his son is gonna ask “Mommy, why does daddy spend so much time talking to himself in the closet?”

If you think about it Po is also the reason why the furious five got together in the first place.

I got to learn about the creation of Kung Fu Panda. I want to introduce you guys to Grandmaster Chi-Chung “Simon” Kwong. He is one of the top traditional Chinese masters in North America. I was very lucky to have gotten to train under one of his students. He actually ran a Chinese restaurant for years when my teacher was younger and yes his food is absolutely amazing! Master Simon taught Dragon Tiger Eagle Wushu Kung fu. When talking about yin and Yang it stands for complete opposites and how they are even in the world. Push and pull, good and bad. Po shows he can be both focused and fun, lazy yet a hard worker. He’s a perfect student! Another fun fact! Master Simon’s son actually helped create Kung Fu Panda.

Po, was also raised by a duck. His high reaction speed comes as a learned behavior. Making him more comfortable and dangerous to his opponents later in the series.

"I have a TODDLER" HE'S ALREADY A TODDLER, WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE.

Number 3: Why do all the animals in the show have CREEPY HUMAN TEETH? This question is hilarious, honestly I think it's cool that the creators of the movie made the characters very detailed including small features like their well teeth or facial features

While watching this theory I noticed something in the body type section, which he got mostly correct. Other than one single attribute: speed. Like he said in the boxing example, force is mass x acceleration but we can actually re-position this equation so it’s acceleration is force divided by mass. Therefore, the more mass you have the harder it is to accelerate, a key component of any Solely running based sport.

Matpat: "Why was Po chosen as the Dragon Warrior?" Po: (Literally "fell out of the sky on a ball of fire".)

MatPat: "It's not really explained in the movies." Also MatPat: *shows a scene explaining it from the third movie*

I think the way you articulated your points in the video was phenomenal. I also like the video references and insight you gave to these clips. Overall great podcast

One other bit of minutia which very easily gets overlooked: Po is the ultimate Kung Fu fanboy. When he gets dumped into the Jade Palace, he *INSTANTLY* recognizes every artifact on display - he knows their history, their significance, etc. More subtle yet even more reveling is when Sifu grasps Po with the Wu-Xi Finger Hold; for an instant, Sifu is actually impressed that Po not only recognized such an obscure technique but even knew when it was developed and by whom. Knowledge-wise, Po is already more advanced than any of the Furious Five. Two things stand between Po and his already being the Dragon Warrior - physical conditioning and self-confidence. When Sifu recognizes this (as Po is raiding the pantry),he finally understands how to help Po; yet even Sifu's best efforts aren't quite enough. It's only when Mr Ping reveals the secret ingredient of his Secret Ingredient Soup that the last piece of the puzzle falls into place and Po instantly comprehends the true meaning of The Dragon Scroll. Which doubles back to the burning question: How did *Oogway* know that Po was the Dragon Warrior? Simple. While the Furious Five were busy with their demonstrations and Sifu was preoccupied with emceeing, Oogway (being the chill, hyper-observant Zen master that he is) was the sole witness to Po's determination to get inside. While Oogway had no way of knowing how much Po had studied Kung Fu, he saw Po's dedication and perseverance; where such repeated failure would have broken the Furious Five (and, in particular, Sifu), Po just kept at it no matter what. Notice how the one time Oogway chooses to approach Po is when he's on the verge of giving up - in his own esoteric fashion, Oogway simply persuades Po to set aside his worries and focus on the present; to just keep trying.

"Why did Oogway choose Po in the 1st place?" The dude did a perfect split and climbs the top cabinet 3 meter high with no training to get a hidden cookie, all the while getting beaten down and gets back up like it's nothing. Oh, and let's not forget how he casually absorbed Tai Lung's nerve attacks that 1H-KO the Furious Five immediately, and then GETS BACK UP AGAIN. And NOW, you question why Oogway wouldn't pick this beast of a tank?

“why do all the animals have creepy human teeth?” *flashback to first sonic trailer*

3:10 Most were skeptical of Po being the dragon warrior... that actually include Po himself... cause in the first movie, he admits that if anyone who can make him "not him", it would be the greatest kung fu teacher (shifu), he does this while pointing to his stomach

3:33 but they are martial artist ,not your regular fighter. We can see that being physically more powerful won't guarantee you a win when Tai Long easily defeated those enormous Rhinos guarding his cell with just his techniques alone. In the movie, martial artist fight with their techniques instead of brute force.

Oogway: *literally tells Po in detail exactly why he chose him* Matpat: LIES

"why do all animals have themselves creepy human teeth?" Remember Matpat I will be waiting...

It is true body type does not equal ability. Like I have always been skinny with long legs. Most people assume I am a good runner and have told me as much....more than once. Teachers, family, friends all thought this at one point. I have never won a single ribbon in track and field for anything, especially not running and I started in grade 1. I am in my twenties now and you can still outrun me without trying, I am not a runner and never have been.

Every single video I watch that has this intro always got me vibing the intro is amazing 👏 👏👏

"Why is Po the Dragon Warrior?" Long answer: *this video* Short answer: He dummy thicccc

I also love the fact Po fell from a very great height and walked away like it never happened. If I saw a man drop from a ball of fire land safely from 40+ feet and act like nothing happen, I would think he was a super hero.

old Matpat videos remind me of loving teachers that want to make learning more enjoyable and fun by putting jokes into the lessons that the kids may enjoy.

I love this. I really think this is one of your best theories! And I love and watch all of your videos.

“Daddy, why is the fridge full of Diet Coke?” Pat-“Business reasons”

Nobody: Matpat watching kids movies with his son: did u see the way he stepped right there i think he may be a part of the Russian mob

I love your videos! I always get a laugh out of them and you are a great video creator matpat!

I really like these more science-y episodes. They're a lot of fun!

“Oxygen-thief” is the best insult I have ever heard.

"Death-loving oxygen thieves." uhh bro, those are us humans.

this is one of my favorite videos fr this was so cool to knowww

Who’s here in 2024 after watching the replacement kung fu panda video

Oogway: *sees Po fall from 1,000 feet in the sky* Holy crap, that was awesome! Forget the Furious Five, this panda is indestructible!

The answer to your question is “there are no accidents.” Edit: Ever since I was a young warrior, my dream was to get 1,000 like on a comment. I trained hard every day and meditated in a cave for 35 years, finding inner peace and mastering the art of funny comments. I have now fulfilled my destiny. “My time has come.” But seriously guys, thanks for all the likes. It’s the most I’ve ever gotten.

Started binge-watching the trilogy, GREAT TIME for some MatPat. Also, congratulations for your cub man!

More mass=more damage Mantis:😐

9:55 it is like iroh once said: "It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it become rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations, will help you become whole."

“More mass means a stronger punch” “More mass allows you to absorb pain” People working out: 👁👄👁

1:09 that gave me nostalgic memories... 20th century fox...

I love how he takes things from movies and makes them logical.

I mean the third movie quite clearly states that the pandas had the highest levels of chi and well as the greatest potentials so it’s not hard to see why Po was considered the dragon warrior, especially since it was assumed the po was the last of the pandas. It was actually the pandas that taught oogway chi.

Additionally to his body mass and padding and his combination of the styles of all five masters, he also has a mental aspect that qualifies him above the others, above any other Kung Fu practitioner in that fictional version of China: His attitude to King Fu. For everybody else, Kung Fu is a duty and privilege, one that demands absolute discipline and sacrifice. When Po broke into the festival Oogwei has seen his dedication to Kung Fu, to do what it takes to get to the festival. But Po always held Kung Fu as a passion, not a duty. The Furious Five and Master Shifu never actually enjoyed Kung Fu, and neither did Tai Long or Lord Shen or Kai the Destroyer; for them, it was their destiny, their duty, both a privilege and a burden. Long after becoming the dragon warrior, Po still was a total fanboy, doing Kung Fu because of his love and joy for it. I believe, that is the true "future and past of Kung Fu" that Oogwei has seen in him. The love for the art combined with the dedication to effort.

5:03 almost made me cry for some reason idk why

I think the animators did that on purpose, make Po bigger than the others to make him stand out a bit more. The other kung fu warriors are way more lean and thin, while the normal animals are as big as Po. So, I think they must have made him like that on purpose.

Was your son's first words "But that is just a theory."

The real reason he’s the chosen one is because he had the noodle dream

I was the odd kid who started watching a ton of wushu movies when I was just 8 even though NOBODY in my life understood how amazing the genre was I remember holding my pee for the last 30 min of the first Kung Fu Panda because I just loved how an animated kids movie actually took inspiration from so many great artists

I feel like one of my favorite quotes is relevant in this scenario. "It is the emptiness of a cup that makes it useful."

Matpat: "Says pandas take less fall damage" Me: "remembers minecraft panda yeeting off a platform along with its family"

Why is no one talking about how matpats son (Oliver) is genuienly adorable

3:34 Fun fact: Brian baumgartner (who played Kevin on the office) is a great athlete.

Lee told me to watch this

I’ve always had this question: If Po never landed in front of Oogway would he still become the dragon warrior or would one of the furious five become the dragon warrior. Or would Oogway walk past all of them go outside the Jade Palace and still select Po to be the Dragon Warrior

Pandas can digest meat, we should be feeding them more meat, and let them become the dragon warriors they are meant to be.

I like how in the intro the game theory logo changes into the film theory logo hinting that game theory was created first

I was thinking of Daniel Cormier before you even mentioned him lol- he's a great example.

I also have a theory (well not actually mine) on why Oogway chooses Po: This guy on Tumblr named "Wayttthenerd" explains how in the first movie how Oogway points at Po smiling and says "how interesting" at first you think "strange....but then again though out the movie he keeps saying 'there are no accidents' so that's why he chooses him because he doesn't believe in accidents" and you're half right. But watching the second and third movies, that scene has a WHOLE new different layer. After watching the second and third one now you see how Pandas saved Oogway's life and taught him Chi. But also in the second movie lord Shen attacked the panda village and everyone assumed the pandas were wiped out. Po is the only panda anyone has ever seen, and Oogway most likey never seen Po since he always stays at the jade palace. He went decades of never seeing a panda and thought they were extinct. So right when Oogway was choosing a dragon warrior a panda, the same species that healed him with Chi and taught him how to use it, the species he thought were wiped out, falls from the sky. Right infront of his finger. How interesting.

King Fu Panda was such a good trilogy. First one was battle of the body; second, battle of the mind; third, battle of spirit.

Daniel Cormier actually is from my home state and wrestled at a school in my area. We actually had to wrestle against his alma mater this year

Another theory I have is that EVERY SINGLE kung fu warrior in the series seems unable to accept that the Dragon Scroll was NOTHING. Tai lung, the furious five, Shifu himself! Po, having had been living a life where his self esteem was at the bottom of the Jade Palace's stairs, when he realized that he was enough without some mystic power, it threw everyone off. All of these points can be applied, but Po, being literally the bottom of everything, was inspired by the fact that Oogway chose HIM, over every Pig, duck, and tiger in the valley, as enough to defeat the deadliest kung fu warrior in history, that he up and did it.

I feel like MatPat may have missed the part where Po getting body shamed isn't perpetuating anything since it's solely in place to allow Po to break down those stereotypes as part of the movies encouraging message :P

The real reason he's the chosen one was always really because of his dedication. He gets beat down harder than anyone else while being told he's a failure yet the next day, he still shows up. That takes spine. That's the moral of the story

Loving the intro😍

thanks for saying this stuff about the body shape

“Pandas love slides, playing with leaves, and eating 14 hours a day” _Maybe I am a panda_

"They don't get injured, they just get embarrassed." A group of pandas is called an embarrassment of pandas. I guess coz they're always falling out of trees and are in a constant state of "Uh.... that's totally what I meant to do."

This is one of my favourite theories ever snicely done

Why is your vids so good

“Why was Po the chosen one?” This question is answered in the third movie. The panda species helped heal Oogway when he was hurt. They also trained him on how to use chi. When Oogway saw Po land into the stadium, he remembered the potential of pandas and his relationship with them. So, he picks Po as the Dragon Warrior.

Oogway sees po Oogway: ooh the chinese audience will love this

My favourite show, this is really knowledgeable.

wow matpat, I didn't know you could make a video that, not only was for a movie, but outright made it better without changing any core themes

Matpat: ... and why do all the animals have creepy human teeth? Me: *GASP* how did I never notice that ????

"now it's less creepy because I have the toddler" -Matpat 2020

I like the way of the thumbnail matpat saying why him and po saying idk

It's 2023 right now when I'm watching this and all this intro just brings me back, nostalgia.

Sometimes i just completely forget Matpat is actually Dadpat.

I can answer the third question! Why do the animals have human teeth? Animators anthropomorphize animals to make them more appealing and relatable to children. Making them walk on two legs, having them eat human foods, or having human emotions and yes, teeth all play into that. It makes the kid imagine themselves inside the movie, fighting all the baddies and saving the day just like our panda warrior :)

11:07 that "finally a theory" was Soo funny

Oogway said in in KFP 3. He said he saw both the past and future of Kung-Fu in him. It wasn’t originally planned, but he knew it was destined.

Matt Pat: y is po chosen Me: He’s a meat shield and good at tanking as well as he hits like a truck

Matt: "The fatter you are, the more invincible you can be" Me: * lying in bed eating chips while holding a phone * Thanks quarantine

6:36 its called a tank matpat, its amazing!

"oxygen thief" is the souds like what a villain says in a space movie while fighting the main character