Why I Love Tai Lung - The Weight of Expectations (Kung Fu Panda)

Taking a deep dive into Kung Fu Panda's primary antagonist, Tai Lung, and why I love his character.

SOCIAL MEDIA

MUSIC:
LOZ BOTW: Main Theme
Ori - Separated by the storm
Endless Yearning
Rain - Speechless

WRITING PAGE:
@wordsbysage

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[SagesRain]

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[JaydenDimaio]

His name literally means "Great Dragon" and even his eye colour is golden, a colour reserved for greatness throughout the franchise.

[harryblocks]

That Prison Escape was one of the greatest moments in animated history

[agravain]

Helps that his voice actor did a top tier job

[supergoo]

Imagine how things would have went if shifu actually went and visited him every week or month and told him how proud he was of him, and that how he believed he could do better and be a good person.

[Zinlain]

Fascinating obseration but one point to consider: Shifu didnt teach TainLung humility because he lacked it himself. Po helped humble Shifu through the first movie as Shifu's biases get broken through by Po.

[SpammytheHedgehog]

I like how Tai Lung just casually lean on a bridge while four other animals try to keep it together.

[TreyWayz]

"Who filled my head with dreams? Who drove me to train until my bones cracked? Who denied me my destiny?" - Tai Lung

[spongegar]

This is why you gotta give respect to Po’s dad, both Tai Lung and Po were adopted. Yet, Po recieved such pure constructive and unbiased love from his father. Yes, his father would have loved for Po to be a noodle man, but never forced it on him. His room is adorned with all his interests and favourite things and when he realizes Po doesn’t want to follow his direction, he loves him just as much.

Meanwhile, Shifu loved Tai Lung in a very toxic way, he wanted to mold him into this perfect warrior but did not allow Tai lung to explore his own interests. He filled his head with things that weren’t even set in stone, telling him he’s destined for greatness. Without specifying that Tai Lung is already great just for being born, just trying his hardest is great. He sheltered Tai Lung and when Oogway rejected him, he didn’t even comfort his son. Tai lung didn’t have a real purpose in life or a place he still belongs, he was still an orphan while Po had a real family.

After the rejection, Shifu should have left the Jade Palace with Tai Lung. Not forever, but clearly Tai Lung needed to experience a world outside of Shifu’s control to finally find himself. He didn’t even know why he wanted to be the dragon warrior, he just had to be it. Just as he took Po to train, Shifu should have left with Tai Lung.

[yagmur.ah]

what’s even more sad is how when tai lung finally opens the scroll and he sees a reflection of himself, he says “it’s nothing!” this shows how little value he had for himself because he was so determined with trying to earn validation from shifu and getting the scroll that when he was denied of his destiny, he was consumed with rage and hatred. truly a tragic character who really just wanted appreciation from his father figure.

[rhesareeves]

Shifu raised Tai Lung, but that didn't change the fact that he was abandoned by his parents. That can cause a deep inferiority complex, and Tai Lung put everything into becoming stronger and proving that he has worth.

[alaricgoldkuhl]

"Him?! He's a panda! You're a panda! What are you gonna do big guy? Sit on me?"
One of my favorite scenes in movie history. Cracks me up every time.

[roselover]

Baby Tai Lung and baby Tigress make me want to cry. Tai Lung was so affectionate and happy, and Tigress is given nothing but criticism because Shifu is too hurt by his past experience to give Tigress the affection she needed.

[TheVPumpkin]

Anyone ever realize how INSANE the cast was? Jack black, Angelina Jolie, Jacki Chan, Seth Rogan, Michael Clarke freakin Duncan! And so many more A listers

[b_dawg]

Shifu never once visited Tai Lung in prison or even acknowledged his existence until Oogway mentioned he would escape. Shifu abandoned Tai Lung in a way, just like his birth parents did. Which further fueled Tai Lung's desire to get the dragon scroll to prove he is worth something that shouldn't have been abandoned.

[namelessnavnls]

A cool detail about Shifu is that not only is he mentally and emotionally scarred by his mistakes with Tai Lung, but also physically.
He limps because Tai Lung struck him in the legs when he came for the scrolls by force.

[lordstumpy]

After watching the prison break scene as a little kid I was TERRIFIED of Tai Lung, he was the first and one of the only villains to ever make me seriously question whether or not the hero could actually win.

[Rainjojo]

As a kid, I never paid much attention to tai lung and only saw him as an antagonist. However with his backstory I couldn’t help but feel bad. I now realize how justified his feelings were. All that’s hard work he’d done only to be denied and locked for 20+ years when his destiny was denied

[Khalil-pwec]

"Those who are not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel it's warmth." - African proverb

[honeyjm]

One theory that really probably kills me when I hear it, is that oogway denied him the scroll to see how he would react, and see if he had humility, if he did it meant he was ready