between tai lung, shen, and kai, who is your favourite villain from the kung fu panda trilogy? also, if you are interested and able to support me, you can at patreon.com/sagesrain
kai is pretty wasted, i love the first battle between po and him, he just procede to take the shit out of po, then they just screwed up with second fight. same with the town of pandas (i forget its name) it would be really asomme to see them as something more than a living joke
Tai Lung failed to achieve his destiny, because he lacked an understanding of what the Dragon Scroll truly meant. He believed it could give him power, when the actual power was within himself. He was so focused on becoming as powerful as he could to make Shifu proud that he overlooked the fact that he already WAS powerful and Shifu already WAS proud of him. This prevented him from understanding the true purpose of the Dragon Scroll and not getting the power he wanted.
“You want to see? It’s a gift. It’s your parting gift. In that it will part you. Part of you here, part of you there and part of you _way_ over there *_staining_* the wall”
Shen truly is a masterfully written antagonist. A beautiful peacock that basically used pride to hide his evil and fear to get what he wants. Kung fu lands really did not need to make a villain this menacing.
@@ChildOfChaos07 hell no I’m literally just saying that dreamworld didn’t need to make shen this menacing and well written when a lot of movies of the demographic would’ve just decided to make a one dimensional mustache twirler. This movie is great example of movie not talking down to kids.
Yes, his own feathers white, his machines that are an extension of his own, black, he was defeated by a warrior of black and white, and even in death he thought falling by the hands of his own machine would make him escape his own destiny but he fell for it again
Honestly Shen is like one of my favourite fictional characters EVER. I didn't realise how cool he is before, but when I watched movie again I was like: wOwW. He's well written, has cool design and voice actor. Perfect match in my opinion.
Yeah same I saw this as a kid in 2011 and thought the movie was pretty decent but when I rewatched it grown up I realized how freaking good it was, especially Shen. Shen is just such an interesting villain, too bad the KFP movies have a time limit so they couldn’t add more to his story. Criminally underrated movie and best of the trilogy
Exactly! This is gonna sound silly, yet my younger self had a crush on Shen when I first watched the movie. Looking back, I now see why I adored him so much despite him being the antagonist. His design, personality, and reasoning seemed so cunning to me, expecially in comparison to some of the more "flat" characters in the movie. The extent to how well a character is written is crucially important, and when done right, makes a character quite memorable and pristine, just like Shen. Nowadays writing doesn't seem to much of a focus in shows and movies. Making a character look attractive or look cool doesn't always work. Personality, motives, and the character as a person is equally appealing and important. This "rule" also applies beyond making a character seem attractive. Making a rude, relatable, or cutesy character (to name a few) goes beyond the surface of appearance and shallow personalities. My apologies for rambling a bit, but hopefully this mindump finds purpose as by appealing to someone's curiosity!
I always found it pretty sad but poetic how in this universe the Pandas are also endangered but not through poaching by humans but because of genocide and that helps explains why Po is the only one of his kind in the first movie
Apparently,Shen was supposed to be written weak and somewhat a reject by his parents for the fact that he is an white peacock (which is the color of death in China),it really puts into perspective of his motives. In the end it wasn't Po the warrior of black and white that finished him man..
It was himself. Shen is destroying himself by going after evil and because he didn’t listen and rejected by his own parents for his looks, it leads to his doom but passed peacefully and finally let’s go of pride and realizes the guilt of what he’d done to Po’s entire species.
you are correct. Soothsayer is also supposedly a parental figure to Shen which you can see in the movie with him putting up with her occasional nonsense. Supposedly in the novel version of the movie Shen was weak as a child (never read the book so i can't confirm this to be true) but him becoming very good at kung fu to get some more of his parents love that he felt he lacked makes sense to me. He was also planned to be weak in earlier version of the films story but then it became him being weak as a child which is why the novel got it but then the movie removed that completely. The movies ended up leaving a fair bit out on Shen
@@jammygamer8961 can't judge them. Apparently,Shen was the hardest character the folks had to animate. And it kinda makes sense,because of the feathers and such. However I would love to see an show that focuses on the villains of Kung fu panda. That would be gold
"It's your parting gift...in that it will part you. Part of you here, part of you there, and part of you waaay over there, _staining the wall!"_ That would be a pretty dark line even a mature story. And Kung Fu Panda is fundamentally a family movie.
"I scarred you for life." "That's the thing Shen, scars heal." "No they don't. WOUNDS heal." "Oh yeah. What does scars do? They fade I guess?" "I don't care what scars do!" Kung Fu Panda 2 also had the funniest dialogue of the trilogy.
and it's so tragic yet. You can see how Shen can't let the past go and how Po accepted his past: he doesn't have hate but he understands himself, he understands he has family and others. Shen on the other hand tried to let go the past but he failed, he still lives by a thought of his parents abondoning him. Po's scars faded, even though they're still there, they don't hurt anymore. Shen's scars have never faded, even though he could go further powered by his hatred (wounds heal), his scars - thoughts of his parents abondoning him have never faded away, he can see them: he sees them in himself, in Po, in his father's throne, in Soothsayer's words... If he had accepted his parents loved him and all his conquers and genocides had been pointless, that might have let his scars "fade away" because he could start his life once again (through I believe he's beyond repair). But he fears that too much. So he rather chose death instead of seeking a new life.
The scene where Po uses the raindrop to confront his PTSD is one of the most memorable scenes in the series. Shen was an underrated villain, considering he committed an actual atrocity. He didn't singlehandedly beat his way past 1000 guards or send China's greatest martial artists to the "spirit world". He actually ran a *genocidal campaign* against pandas to the point where (as far as anyone else knew) Po was the only one left.
@@esjf2190 The point is everyone believed Po was the only panda. The ending of KFP 2 where it's revealed some survived wasn't actually supposed to be there but was put in to keep kids from having to contemplate a subject as serious as genocide, from what I know.
@@esjf2190 they only survived by escaping to a secret village, and by never letting anyone else know where the village was, or that it even existed at all. To Shen, by committing genocide he had ridden the world of pandas.
I think the scene when his invention was about to fall and him and he closes his eyes it really just showed how he truly had nothing to live for anymore. Even if he accepted po's mercy he had nothing. No empire, no family, no love, nothing to fill the void in his heart so he just accepted the fate which he tried to avoid his entire life. Feels man.
Po is the best protagonist. He doesn’t have that typical black-white morality. He saw how Tai Lung and Shen were in pain and wanted to help them. He knows what pain feels like, and he wants to make sure others don’t feel that pain. That’s a true hero.
It’s also why Po was easily able to master the arts of inner peace and qí- because he already has a sense of inner peace because he faced and overcame trauma at a young age.
His parents, after seeing their own son make dangerous fireworks, decided to figure out how to stop him. They didnt try and talk with him, maybe he was already going through something but it once again fits Oogway's quote. "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it". In seeking out the a way to stop him he got angered and did worse than what they were trying to stop.
@@christoffersjberg933 What do you mean? I don't quite understand the content of the reply. Anyway, weaponizing gunpowder is not wrong. Because it's not illegal, and it's a huge help in defending a city or country.
@@578destroy7 Not necessarily, but Shen weaponizing gunpowder opened the door for a lot of potential damage and future pain. Shen’s parents feared the destruction that could have come as a result of his innovation.
@@578destroy7 the 1st Gunpoweder weapons were Fire arrows, but its likely the Chinese never knew of its explosive and propelent properties until later in the 13th Century and thats also the period when the 1st Guns and Canons were used for warfare. Ironically or fittingly depending on your POV it was the Mongols that spread the use of Gunpowder eventually finding its way into Europe and saw extensive use of it in the 15th century.
Regarding how Shen had escaped destiny by killing himself on the wreck of his ship, it could also be argued that when Shen was caught in the explosion the soot and ash partially covering his body could also indicate that he was the warrior of black and white all along. The writing for Shen was truly masterful when people really dive deeper into it.
Or maybe by defeat the prophecy meant that Po would win through words not violence and Shen then accepts his own death knowing he lost the battle with Po
That's bruuuuuutally tragic but very very real. Our most repentant villains often suffer the brutal deaths ( Samson in the bible ) and I think Shen wanted a second chance in the spirit world. Soothsayer's fear mongering is what hits me because religion is a serious deal in the real world we live in. I feel bad thinking more and more about it.
or perhaps, because shens eyelids are black, as is his beak(?) but his feathers/skin are white, that soothsayer meant he would cause his own downfall the entire time, but shens mind thought "Black and white... pandas!"
More notes on Shen's design: he echoes Po in many different ways, all of them subverted somehow. Firstly, both of them predominantly feature the colour white, but Po complements it with his black patches, which creates the illusion of depth. Shen's secondary colour is red, which as well as being more violent has the effect of bleaching him. Where the blackness of Po makes the white richer, Shen's reds turn him into the same colour as bone. As well as this, Po is all round edges. His fighting style, while technically masterful, is also less elegant than others, often relying on his strength and throws more than anything (like his contribution to the ship blockade at the end). You never get the sense during his combat that he could kill someone with his moves, it's all blunt force. This goes very well with his design. Shen is sharp, slender and jagged. His neck tapers, his beak is hooked and cruel, his body descends into talons. When he's fighting, he wants to kill and hurt the opponent, and we can sense from the way he looks that he could do it too. Finally, the clothes. Po dresses simply, just a pair of short pants (I'm sure there's an actual Chinese name for the garment, but I don't know it). He's unpretentious and content in himself. He has nothing to hide. Shen is all about subterfuge, with his plots and hidden blades, so he dresses in a long regal gown (again, probably a non-Anglicised term for it) that looks expensive. Despite the fact that he's at best a disgraced nobleman, he dresses like a king before his coup is even pulled off. His clothes feel like compensation, like he's hiding all his insecurities and inadequacies behind ostentatious, surface-level power.
@@crumblemuffin1257 lmao this WAS my childhood. I watched it so many times and I always adored it especially the scene where Po was wrapped in the bandages and realizing he must live in the present
Shen is the primary reason why Kung Fu Panda 2 is my favorite in the trilogy. I will never get tired of watching it again and again for Shen alone. That's not to say he's the ONLY thing I like about the movie tho, because the movie's got great writing and great character building...Shen just elevates the whole experience into something truly phenomenal.
It's freaking incredible that he is the definition of deadly beauty. Everything he does defies your expectations and he's voiced by a cinematic chameleon - Gary FREAKING Oldman.
Fun fact: There's a very good reason why Chen is an almost pure white Peacock. The color black in Chinese opera usually implies a decisive or impartial nature. White has a different meaning in China as well. In the West white typically denotes purity. Someone adorned in white is usually going to function as the hero, or at least inspirational figure, of a story. But in China white is usually associated with death or mourning. Which is why villains in chinese opera are often represented wearing white or just mostly white in general.
Me and my friends as a kid were puzzled at how Shen tolerated the soothsayer's antics. We always thought in a way Shen was seeking validation from the soothsayer for some odd reason.
Somebody here commented that it's canon that Shen was a sickly child and his parents weren't around much so the soothsayer took care of him. That's why Shen put up with her silliness like her eating his robes and stuff. I guess he looked up to her as a parental figure?
@@onlystarsknow767 not sure about the canon stuff but there are scenes that establish that Shen has underlying health problem - his clear albinism while his parents are relatively normal (albino animals don't usually last long in the wild) - him constantly getting out of breath after fighting the kung fu masters - notice how rarely he gets physical with other fighters, instead preferring quick strikes or ranged attack This physical disability contributes to his inferior complex and people with inferiority complex are more likely to seek validation from their parental figure, hence him weaponizing gunpowder and averting his fate as a (messed up) way of seeking his parents approval. Doesn't help that his health problem means that he is more likely to be afraid of death than anyone else
Shen is easily my favorite villain in the series. He had wrapped up his entire identity around his destiny and conquering China that even when the Soothsayer tried to turn him away from his path, he couldn't even see another option. He was so broken inside that he felt that he was too far gone down the path that he was on to turn back. He most likely was hurt so much by his parents treating him as if he was a villain that he became a villain.
His parents were entirely justified though. Dude killed dozens of innocent men, women and children in that village of pandas out of nothing more than fear. He was treated like a villain because he did villainous things.
@@dylancross1039 in the official website for the movie, there was extended lore, and it stated that Shen’s parents were ashamed of him because he’s white and he was mostly raised by the soothsayer. Now there are only the dvd for sale on the website tho :/
@@Fivzk The only problem with that is that dialogue from the Soothsayer directly contradicts that idea. Soothsayer: The cup you choose to fill has no bottom! It is time to stop this madness! Shen: And why on earth would I do that? Soothsayer: So your parents can rest in peace. Shen: My parents... hated me. Do you understand? They wronged me. I... will make it right. Soothsayer: They loved you! They loved you so much, that having to send you away killed them!
@@dylancross1039 I mean his parents are the ruler and in that time period having a weak child could actually make it hard for them to rule, so it’s possible that Shen’s parents love him, but they have to sorta hid him away.
What makes Shen an amazing villain is he stuck to his beliefs and principals even in defeat He literally chose blissful oblivion then to admit to Po what he did was wrong. That meant even in death he had no shame over what he did. "Scars dont heal. Wounds do. Scars Fade." - Shen.
@@saradoka4539 scars are a mark of a wound that is there. a wound is just basically a wound yes. the difference between them is that a scar can stay there forever while a wound can just close and disappear
That’s another thing I like about him even though it’s a bad trait he never wavered in his plan and continued with her goal despite knowing he couldn’t really win, he couldn’t just give up without a fight. He knows he won’t be fulfilled when he takes over China but he wants wants it anyway.
It helps that Gary Oldman delivered a fantastic performance that really brought Shen to life. Some movie actors don't take animation/cgi movies seriously, but Oldman really threw himself into this one.
Shen is my favourite villain because of his dominant trait. (Intelligence.) This trait is shown not only through his actions, but also his appearance. 1: Shen crafted metal/iron armour for his feet to protect them, light his cannons, and hold a heavier grip on opponents. (It may also be to weigh him down, giving him a more stable balance.) 2: He also designed his metal/iron blades to blend in with his feathers, hiding them behind his sleeves so that no one could tell when he was armed. Therefore, giving his enemy less time to react. *Another thing I noticed about his blades is that Shen decides the number of knives he throws based on the size, distance, and emotional vulnerability of his opponent. If the opponent is larger and harder to incapacitate, he will fire many blades at once. The same is true for an extremely distant opponent, to ensure that he won’t miss. However, if the opponent is small, near, or doesn’t expect the attack, he won’t waste more than one unless needed.
As an adopted kid, I loved how this movie handled adoption. It not something you normally see done in film. The final scene with Po returning home to his dad, after going off to find his family, and telling him he’s his son gets me every time
The thing I like about the first two movies is that they have a weight to them, that they have some depth and darkness in the them. The third movie, while not bad by any means, just didnt have that same weight.
@@dylancross1039 Yeah but there could have been more elaboration. But it's not a huge issue for me either, I've been grateful that DreamWorks has done not one but 3 good movie trilogies throughout their run so far.
Not sure if its true but I read somewhere that the 3rd movie was gonna be a bit dark but parents were complaining, saying that the 2nd one was too dark and inappropriate for children so they decided to tone down the 3rd movie and just made Kai somewhat of a comic relief instead of a dark villain like Shen. Karens ruined it smh
The first movie sets everything up. Because the rules and world are already established, the second films can focus on building a story rather than setting everything up
@@RYMAN1321 I was in grade school and remember walking my brother to kindergarten. Now I've graduated and began a course while my brother graduates in a few years. This is unbelievable-
Shen is such a perfect evolution from the first movie, that his whole character and story is basically defined by one line from Oogway. Now that moment feels like foreshadowing, even if it wasn't.
Kung Fu Panda 2 truly was a masterpiece. I have never seen such a heart warming (and heart breaking) movie that is absolutely beautiful at the same time. And what I'll remember most from it is my dad's love for it too. He's not really a fan of animated things, especially movies and children's shows and such. But he commented how spectacular and moving this movie was. And how he thought out of all of the movies in his lifetime he thought Lord Shen to be the best executed villain of all time. He still talks about it today if he's asked who his favorite villain is. He's pretty much a fanboy of Lord Shen :D. Anyways, I completely agree with everything, I kind of subconsciously thought the same things about Shen, never truly realized it until it's said. He's one of those lovable villains, despite the literal genocide he commited.
Really wish Kai was half as well written as Shen... KFP 2 is one of my favourite movies ever, it's honestly such a slept-on masterpiece. So glad to see this movie being discussed, and by one of my favorite video essayists at that.
@@tototats16 tbh, if that continues (if they make another movie of kfp), i doubt it will be any better than kfp1 and 2. They're too protective of their kids when in fact, kids should have more exposure to these types of movies because it teaches us a lot of advices that even a grown up would need.
I always loved Shen because he was so beautiful, which somehow makes him more menacing, but it also makes it sadder because such a beautiful creature is so broken
Everyone is their own best enemy. Do not get caught up in your self, collecting injustices and walking in revenge. You only end up hating yourself for letting go of who you were/wanted to be for the sake of proving a meaningless point to no one.
This is generally true. But I do not 100% agree on the no-vengeance thing, since it depends on how bad is the crime. Like someone murdering my family, oh that I will definitely commit vengeance or die trying.
That's a Hell of a list and the thing that binds them all is an inner chaos. Vader sacrificed everything and those around him for the woman he loved and got nothing in return. The Joker is so broken he doesn't even remember what made him the way he is remembering it differently every time he reflects on it. Azula pursuing the love of her father a man only interested in using her for conquest, unloved and slowly falling apart. Lastly Shen the man seeking to avoid destiny until it crashed upon him living in total fear of his fate. All broken individuals, all insane and revel in destruction and all burned by love in one way or another, except maybe the Joker, but again his multiple choice past means he could have been burned by love.
when i was a kid, i really REAALLY just wanted to hug Shen, he seems like the type who really just needs a hug and needs to know he is loved and cared for, ya know?
It's just inevitable he would go evil. He massacred an entire village because of fear and anger. Who even was there to calm him down when his future was read?0
@@junkyyard2273 There is absolutely no guarantee that he would have been forced to become evil. Because everyone has a chance to be good, a chance to choose good. Moreover, in other works, there are cases where a character who was trying to commit a large-scale evil such as murder or genocide stops becoming evil due to the dissuade of other characters. Shen's parents didn't even try to talk to Shen and asked Soothsayer to see Shen's fate, and Shen heard himself fate and committed a massacre of pandas.
i remember being a kid and seeing shen close his eyes as the canon fell on him. those few seconds stuck with me and made me appreciate the character even more
Shen is one of Dreamworks greatest villains. A cold and ruthless leader who committed genocide against the peaceful and benevolent pandas. But also really complex as his downfall was pretty much his own fault and he chose not to accept inner peace due to his own selfishness, and he knows this so well. Can’t see what new villain KFP 4 Will cook up and if he/she brings something new and heartbreaking to the table to confront Po. And to quote the great 2013 movie Free Birds, Shen is indeed a very Angry Bird.
"The dead exist in the past, and I must tend to the future." Another interesting thing about this one is that Shen is, again, failing to live in the *now.* His entire journey up till that point was fueled by slights of the past, and here he resolved to only focus on the journey he had yet to undertake. Always looking forward or backwards, but never at where he stood.
this character analysis made me so emotional. I love Lord Shen so much, and it's really nice to see a break down of his character, his psyche, his brokenness...all things that make him such a tragic character. every time i (re)watch Kung Fu Panda 2, I always want to hug Shen. and in a very twisted way, i'm glad he died by his own will :
He was always my favourite KFP villain and I love that you’ve covered him as well. Your videos are always very poetic and calming and this is no exception. Loved this.
this is my favorite out of the trilogy, I couldn't believe how good it was when i watched it as a kid and the flashbacks never fail to make me feel something for Po
The part where Lord Shen dies might be one of my favourite villain deaths in animation. Its not even because of how he died, its the fact that the reason why he died a villain's death is because he carried his evil side to the bitter end, even after Po offers him a chance to turn his life around. It fits in so well to the thematic message of, who you were doesn't define you as much as who you choose to be.
I remember being in second of third grade and having this film come out. My best friend and I thought Shen was awesome. For some reason we were convinced the next movie was going to have Shen’s parents, each twice as strong as him, come avenge him.
@@lahlybird895 not this again.. Long story short, Kai didn't immediately want to get chi's. He saw that oogway was focusing more on chi than Kai. So Kai wanted to get chi to impress oogway. Ironically,He got locked in spirit realm for 500 years by oogway for that. And in kf3 we actually got to explore po's tragic background
@@OK-69420 hey, I love the movie! It was great! I just didn't fall in as in love with the third villain as I did with the first two, granted he still pleasantly evil but he's just not as heartbreaking as the first two were! I never said he was power hungry from the start, just that in the end his motivation was mostly power while the others wanted power and something else that had to do with their past, he had a pretty darn happy past in comparison! But yeah I do think crazy turtle dude
Tai Lung, at least, retains the general mannerisms of a kung fu master. Compare Tai Lung's dignified movements to the click-sounds of Shen's metal greaves as he saunters maliciously towards master thundering rhino for the first time, it's a scary contrast between the two.
Fun fact: Shen is the main antagonist of the Kung Fu Panda franchise as a whole. I guess it makes sense because he's the reason why Po ended up in the Valley of Peace and he's the one who is the most personal to Po
can we just talk about the fact that this movie will be 10 YEARS old at 5.26? Also the irony that the only good thing Shen had done in the film, releasing the soothsayer when he was about to go to war, indirectly caused his downfall because it was the soothsayer that helped Po to find inner peace.
Lord shen has the most screentime out of the villains in the films, tai lung has 10 mins Kai has 12 and Shen has around 20ish just shows he's the most important villain in the trilogy
To add to shen’s menace, he’s an example of how real world history and knowledge can affect how we see a villain as a threat. In the film he uses firework powder to develop the first cannon/gunpowder, he’s in a sense the physical representation of modern warfare replacing weapons/fighting based war so the threat is made very much real in are heads because we know the power of guns and how they completely replaced old combat (so the challenge is all the more daunting for po)
Keep this in mind. Shen was a warrior of white black and red. However his red markings were not focused on in his death scene. Just the black soot on his white feathers. By choosing to escape the "warrior" of black and white, Poe, he inadvertently proved destiny right. HE was the warrior of black and white, and he was felled by his own actions.
Lord Shen is one of my favourite villains in all of cinema. Everything from his origin, his motivation, presentation and design is incredible and Gary Oldman was perfect for the role. I love how even during his genuinely frightening and intimidating moments, you can still see the pain in his eyes; his entire life was marred by tragedy and in the end only death could end his suffering.
I just rewatched KFP2 last night I didnt like it much when it came out but wow it got the man tears flowing, the giggles outta me and really made me feel for both Shen and Po This trilogy is so great
This is one of my favorite movies simply because it was willing to talk about deep, darker, subjects. Which I as a kid gravitate too. And as a young adult, am in awe of it still. The beauty in the complexity and ideology of both Po and Shen have a special place in my heart.
Damn, I never really thought about Shen's death scene. Seeing it from here, we can truly see he was ready to accept his fate of death in there, especially knowing that he is as quick as Po, and Po DID managed to escape, so Shen should've been able to escape too, but him just closing his eyes just shows that he accepted his fate there.
If movies and books have taught me anything, I need to just sit back and relax to stop a prophecy. Shen made Po. Voldemort made Harry. Villains cause their downfall by trying to stop it.
Reminds me of how Laius also tried to stop the prophecy that his own son, Oedipus, would kill him ans marry his wife, and it backfired, causing the very prophecy to come true 🤦🏼♂️
There is a difference of being defeated and being killed. Po never killed Shen but he did defeat him. in litteral combat 1 on 1 and in the big fight. he accompished that by letting go of the past and being in the present. forgiving shen for all his wrong doings. but he deffinitly defeated him. shen after seeing no real way out chose what was in his mind his last and only option. death
Tai lung sent someone back as a warning to send his message. Shen killed countless beings and a master to send his message. That itself speaks volumes. I’d rather cross tai lung rather than Shen
Fantastic video. One thing I noticed when I rewatched recently - is how many *chances* Shen receives throughout the film to turn things around. He is urged over and over by different people and different circumstances that things didn't need to be this way, that there was still time to turn back and make things right, even up until right before the final battle where he destroys the city bridge (a metaphor for his "bridges/relationships") in order to fulfill his vengeance. There's also a scene where he's speaking to himself as much as the soothsayer, where he sounds like he's trying to convince himself of his motivations moreso than anyone else. He receives chances to turn back, to change, and yet he's so consumed in that concept of fate that he doesn't see those opportunities to change it. It's a really compelling and tragic character arc for what little screentime he had relative to the rest of the cast and the series as a whole, and definitely agree with you that he's an incredible villain.
Yo that's a great analysis. Im saving that, if that's fine for you. I like the metaphor part of this. Also, him ending his relationship with the soothsayer ended up with him about to fulfill his destiny. If he didnt release the soothsayer, who knows what couldve happened to Po (she healed and taught him inner peace to defeat Shen). Shen got defeated when he cut off the last person close to him and even more when he rejected Po's help. But then again, even though he accepted Po's help, he's in a lose-lose situation. Die or rot in prison.
What I love about Shen is how they deconstruct the intimidating master villain image they give him in the start. Scenes like his playfull banter with the soothsayer, him being nervous about Po and trying to rehearse intimidating him in his entrance, him throwing away the throne, and especially his last talk with the soothsayer before freeing her, show that he's still just a confused kid, being ruined by his own fears In the end, I think the soothsayer was wrong about Po. For, the warrior of black and white, the one that would destroy Shen if he didn't change his path, was Shen himself
U did my favorite character good. Lord Shen is truly the reason for me getting so invested in the whole trilogy and he is by far the best character in my opinion
