Villains Wiki

Hi. This is Thesecret1070. I am an admin of this site. Edit as much as you wish, but one little thing... If you are going to edit a lot, then make yourself a user and login. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!!

READ MORE

Villains Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Stop hand

Riddler8

This Article Contains Spoilers - WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all.

Villain Overview

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 words.
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 thanking 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, the first installment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and a supporting character in the 2024 sequel, Kung Fu Panda 4.

He is a mighty snow leopard who was Shifu's former student, adoptive son and arch-enemy, Tigress' adoptive older brother, Peng's uncle and was originally trained by Shifu hoping to become the Dragon Warrior. However, when Oogway denied him the Dragon Scroll, 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.

He was voiced by Ian McShane, who also played Judas Iscariot in Jesus of Nazareth, Dr. Brinkman in Agent Cody Banks, Captain Hook in Shrek 3, Iofur Raknison in The Golden Compass, Gordon in SpongeBob SquarePants, Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Leigh Emerson in American Horror Story: Asylum, Winston Scott in the John Wick film series and Tobias Moore in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In the film's video game adaptation, he was voiced by Peter McHugh.

Appearance

Tai Lung is a tall, slender, 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 moustache. He also wears purple pants and a brown belt.

Due to his banishment to the Spirit Realm, Tai Lung became a Spirit Warrior. His physical appearance remains unchanged but outside of the Spirit Realm, his body is surrounded by a golden aura representing his Kung Fu.

Personality

ZengTaiLung

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 turtle 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. 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, but he no longer covets the title for himself anymore, showing that he got rid 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 failing to stop The Chameleon from stealing the other Spirit Warriors' Kung Fu. Once Po and Zheng successfully defeat The Chameleon and restore Kung Fu, Tai Lung finally sees the panda as worthy of Oogway's choice as a Dragon Warrior and respectfully salutes him, something he has never before been able to do because of his own past selfishness. He also considered the Spirit Realm his home now.

Powers and Abilities

To be added

Relationships

Family

  • Shifu (adoptive father and former master)
  • Tigress (adoptive younger sister)
  • Peng (nephew)

Enemies

  • Po (formerly)
  • Shifu (archenemy/formerly)
  • Oogway (sworn enemy)
  • Furious Five (formerly)
    • Tigress
    • Monkey
    • Mantis
    • Viper
    • Crane
  • Zeng
  • Commander Vachir
  • Chorh-Gom Prison Wardens
  • Kai the Collector (formerly)
  • The Chameleon

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 and Tigress
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? 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
WHAT?! WHERE IS IT!?
~ Tai Lung furiously asking Shifu where the scroll is while strangling him
Tai Lung: Who are you?
Po: Buddy, I am the Dragon Warrior.
Tai Lung: You? (laughs) 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 meeting Po
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)
Po: 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
Tai Lung: (weakly) You...can't defeat me. You...you're just a big...fat...panda! (tries to punch him)
Po: (pinches Tai Lung's finger) 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. (Tai Lung smiles weakly) I figured it out. (flexes his pinky finger, with Tai Lung's eyes widening in an "uh-oh" stare) Skadoosh. (Unleashes a rippling wave of light that vanquishes Tai Lung)
~ Tai Lung's last words of dialogue, 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

I don't share my skills with anyone.
~ Tai Lung refuses to ally with The Chameleon.
All I see... is a broken promise.
~ Tai Lung not believing Po when he promises to give him back his Kung Fu.
I saw it coming.
~ Tai Lung after seeing Po fail to reason with The Chameleon.
Is that how I sound? I don't sound like that, do I?
~ Tai Lung commenting on the Chameleon's imitation of 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 wanting to return to the Spirit World.

Trivia

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

The Lang Shadow Army

  • 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 was kept in the video game and 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 cannot roar 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 is the villain of the story.
  • He is the only villain of the trilogy to mention Po by name at least once.
  • Tai Lung can be considered as a foil to Po and Tigress:
    • Po: 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 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 taught under Shifu's way of teaching about being the Dragon Warrior and never saw the spiritual aspect of kung fu, then he would've ended up like Tai Lung.
    • Tigress: both of them are felines who were orphans raised by Shifu. Trained in the art of kung fu under their surrogate father, they were physically powerful, possessing fierce tempers, and desired his praise. They sought this through becoming the Dragon Warrior and were envious when they were passed over for Po. However, Tigress is more honorable, which made her worthy enough that Oogway would have chosen her if Po didn’t appear, 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. However, Tai Lung is an example of what Tigress would've become if she never experienced humility after she was defeated by Tai Lung as well as been overly praised by Shifu as Tai Lung had been.
  • 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.

External Links

Navigation

           KungFuPandaTitle Villains

Movies
Kung Fu Panda: Tai Lung | Criminals
Kung Fu Panda 2: Lord Shen | Lord Shen's Wolf Army (Boss Wolf)
Kung Fu Panda 3: Kai the Collector
Kung Fu Panda 4: The Chameleon | Chameleon's Army | Granny Boar | Tai Lung | Lord Shen | Kai the Collector

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: Brotherhood of Malfeasance (Hundun, Taotie, Fung, Gahri, Temutai & Tong Fo) | Fenghuang | Junjie | Scorpion | Bing | Heilang | Bad Po | Bian Zao | Fu-Xi | Ke-Pa | Pang Bing | Alien Rice Weevils | Yaoguai Twins | Crocodile Bandits (Fung, Gahri, Wall Eye, Irwin, Wong, Lidong) | Wu Kong | Tsao, Lao and Bao | General Tsin | Jong Sung
Kung Fu Panda: Paws of Destiny: Jindiao | Jade Tusk | Rooster | Wing & Wong | Yaoguai | Imperial Army (White Bone Demon, Shi Long & General Fang)
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight: Klaus and Veruca Dumont | Alfie | Chuntao | Rukhmini | High Priestess | Jayesh | Zuma | Nian

Video Games
Wu Sisters | Great Gorilla† | Fai Suan | Kuai Xun | Kai | Mao Ren | Mei Ling

           BrawlhallaLogo 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 | Nimue | Gruagach | John Cena | Becky Lynch | The New Day | The Undertaker | Roman Reigns | Asuka | Negan | Tai Lung | Akuma | M. Bison | Storm Shadow | Zuko | The Arbiter | Devil Jin | Nina Williams

Other
Demons

Advertisement