Po

Master Po Ping (known simply as Po, and originally named Little Lotus) is the main protagonist of the Kung Fu Panda franchise. He is the adopted son of Mr. Ping and the biological son of Li Shan and his wife, as well as one of Master Shifu's students at the Jade Palace. He is also the foretold Dragon Warrior of legend, and a master of the Panda Style of kung fu.

Originally born in a farming village to his birth parents, Po was separated from his family as a result of a massacre. He was eventually found by Mr. Ping, who adopted him, hoping for Po to inherit the family noodle shop some day. However, Po was drawn to kung fu, and his unwavering enthusiasm led him to be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, after which he began training under Master Shifu. Though clumsy and unaccepted at first, Po persevered, and fulfilled the destiny of the Dragon Warrior by defeating Tai Lung and discerning the Dragon Scroll, proving himself as a hero to everyone, including himself. He now stands with the other Jade Palace masters as a friend and fellow warrior, fighting alongside them to defend the Valley of Peace. He is also the host for the reincarnated hero: Phillip Locke.

Personality
Po is usually easygoing, playful, and cocky like a big kid, as well as rather "fanboyish" when expressing his love for kung fu. In the first film, he is seen as a huge kung fu fan, owning posters and action figures of his favorite warriors, but is himself clumsy, portly, and having low self-confidence, only dreaming he could be a great warrior while feeling stuck in his unfulfilling life at his father's noodle shop. But when given the chance, he is all too eager to learn kung fu the hard way, enduring physical beatings and insults in hopes of changing who he is. After learning that "there is no secret ingredient", Po shows the inner strength to save the Valley of Peace by using his own skills and ingenuity, and in the end becomes his own hero.

Po possesses a kind and selfless nature, and is generally friendly and laid back. He also has a strong sense of justice, and is willing to risk his life to protect others. Though immature and oblivious in some situations, Po is able to take things seriously when it is called for, and is not hesitant to accept heavy responsibility—at times taking on more than he can handle. He is also capable of learning things very quickly with the right motivation, as shown in the first film, and has memorized a vast amount of knowledge about kung fu, even being reliable enough to teach a class on his own.

Po also displays an action-craving attitude along with a natural affinity for humor, and isn't below acting clownish and dishing out quips, even making fun of himself, in order to entertain others. Imaginative and adventurous, he continues to act excitable and marvel over his heroes even after he has become the Dragon Warrior, at times leaving them embarrassed by his behavior. As Po tends to be less serious and disciplined than other masters, he also tends to think more outside the box, and will find different, creative ways to solve a problem if need be. Po has also broken some rules and traditions (as well as still having a habit of breaking physical things), though this is often unintentional. Po's lack of discipline and flippant personality often give him an unintentional advantage over his enemies, since, combined with his appearance, it causes them to disregard him or struggle to take him seriously, so they are often shocked when he proves to be a tenacious and incredibly skilled warrior.

Though Po tries to balance both sides of his busy life—that of his family with Mr. Ping, and his duties as the Dragon Warrior—this is at times difficult for him. Po tries to live up to the expectations of others, even agreeing with them half-heartedly in some matters, as shown in the first film by his deference to work in a noodle shop, being unwilling to disappoint his father. However, this desire to please does not prevent Po from eventually being honest about his own wishes. And despite his deep reverence for kung fu and his fellow warriors, Po is willing to put family ahead of his responsibilities as Dragon Warrior, even if it means passing on prestigious events and disappointing those who count on him, as shown in Kung Fu Panda Holiday.

One of the recurring plot lines in the television series is Po's struggle to not let his title effect his ego. Throughout the series, Po is shown to have many adoring fans and he welcomes the attention, occasionally to the point that it begins to negatively impact his duties or those around him. Despite this, Po also possesses the self-awareness to realize when he has made a mistake, and is willing to accept responsibility for his actions.

Though having grown more confident since becoming the Dragon Warrior, Po nevertheless has moments of intimidation and self-doubt. Even as he tries to talk tough, this boisterous behavior tends to become more comical than threatening, and is perhaps a front for the panda's insecurities. Despite this, Po does have a sense of dignity and defiance, as shown in the first film when he argued with Shifu as he attempted to leave the palace, and in the second film when he argued with Tigress in order to seek out Shen.

Additionally in the second film, Po was revealed to be rather stubborn when it comes to admitting his problems, even to his friends, as he developed confusion about his own identity after learning he was adopted by Mr. Ping, and seeing visions of his biological parents. This inner struggle showed that Po tries to stay true to his idea of a strong "hardcore" warrior who is unaffected by emotions. He was also persistent enough to not heed the warning of his friends and endanger himself in order to find answers about his past. However, after finding the truth about what happened to his parents, the panda was able to let go of this dilemma by retaining an appreciation for the life he had led, and achieved inner peace by not letting tragedy define who he was.

Po has hardly changed since his days before learning kung fu, but his unlikely triumph as the Dragon Warrior has changed those around him. Simple, good-natured, and fueled by determination, Po doesn't seem to hold grudges, even against those who doubt him or treat him with contempt, and is selfless when it comes to protecting those in need, even being able to show compassion for his enemies. Po is much like the opposite of the foes he faces, such as Tai Lung, Shen, and Kai, in that he shows light-heartedness and humility instead of arrogance and desire for more power. It is these qualities, as well as his great respect for kung fu and his loving heart, that mark Po as the Dragon Warrior, able to defeat such villains when no one else could.

Fighting Style
Po often uses an improvised style when he fights, and is a master (and the creator) of Panda Style. In his fight against Tai Lung in the first film, Po was able to use his bulky physique to block the snow leopard's nerve attacks, his portliness making him incredibly resistant to severe physical hits, allowing Po to take Tai Lung's strength and use it against him. Additionally in the second film, Po took a near-direct hit from one of Shen's largest cannons (using only a wok to shield him), and still managed to survive.

Po would also use anything in the surrounding area to his advantage, such as when he confused Tai Lung by using makeshift stilts to mix up pots and pans which hid the Dragon Scroll, and when he used fireworks to allow him to reach the scroll before his opponent. Po has also demonstrated some skill in the use of various weapons. In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po was shown using a sword against Shen's wolves by using metal musical instruments; combined with his recently-acquired acrobatic skills, he held his own and overwhelmed them by use of an apparent technique of spinning on top of his head. Similarly, Po managed to throw a tuning fork at Shen and nail him to the wall without injuring him.

Despite his size, Po has shown to be extremely agile, able to hold his own against a master as swift as Shifu during training. Furthermore, once he achieved "inner peace", Po was able use the same water drop catching technique as Shifu demonstrated in order to redirect Shen's cannon fire against his armada, and was later able to dodge Shen's strikes in a one-on-one confrontion.

In fighting alongside the Furious Five, Po has come up with a few techniques of his own. He demonstrated a "Feet of Fury" technique, at which he rapidly kicked at his opponents. He has also learned to work with the members of the Five and perform attacks with them, such as when he and Tigress did a "Double Death Strike" against their opponents.

One of Po's most astounding skills is his quick learning speed; he grasps various kung fu techniques over an incredibly short span of time, whereas others would spend years perfecting such skills. This has amazed his friends and foes alike. In just a manner of days with the right motivation, Po was able to grow proficient enough to match kung fu masters like Shifu and Tai Lung, and achieved inner peace at a very young age. Throughout Legends of Awesomeness, Po has also been shown performing powerful kung fu techniques after seeing them only once or simply reading about them. He also invented a few types of fighting styles by himself.

Despite Po's physiological limitations, he is extremely quick & agile, being able to overpower & go toe-to-toe with some of the greatest threats he has ever faced, such as Tai Lung or Shen or even the supernatural entity, Kai. Like any Giant Panda, Po's physiology is also extremely durable, being able to take a powerful blows from Tai Lung, with only minor injuries. He even withstood a hit from Shen's biggest Cannon, with only some injuries & went into a temporary comatose state for a short time. His greatest showcase of durability was when he managed to take a focused strike from Kai, a being who has supernatural strength with only some bruises. His physiology is also immune to any stun-based attacks, making Tai Lung's special attacks pointless against him.

Po's Chi was so strong that is took Kai several minutes to nearly absorb all of Chi, whereas it took Kai mere seconds to absorb every other Kung Fu Master's Chi. Po later gains mastery over Chi, which allows him to augment his physical attributes, augment his special attacks & heal anything or himself. His mastery over Chi is so powerful that he was able to form a dragon-shaped embodiment of Chi energy around him. Such a feat could not even be accomplished by the supernatural entity, Kai.

In Kung Fu Panda 3, Po was shown the power of chi by Shifu, who was able to use it to make a flower bloom. Eventually, Po confronted the supernatural warrior Kai, who was stealing chi from kung fu masters and turning them into jade zombies that would become his minions. Po eventually ended up bringing the both of them into the Spirit Realm, where he was able to use the power of chi himself, so proficiently that he was able to form a dragon-shaped embodiment of light around himself. Aided by his friends and family, Po was able to gather enough chi to overpower and destroy Kai.

Li Shan
Like Po, Li is shown to enjoy eating and having a good time. when they first meet, Li is shown stuffing dumplings in a similar manner to Po and the two are both fairly oblivious the other is their family. They enjoy bonding and even played with the weapons of the Hall of Warriors. Po showed off the hall of heroes and his fighting abilities to make Li proud, though this only made Li worry for his safety. Po followed his father to the village when his father claimed to be able to teach Po how to use Chi to stop Kai. His father took him to the village, along with Mr. Ping who snuck in and was introduced to the many relatives and pandas there. His father also began teaching him how to be a true panda such as sleeping in and eating more than one dumpling at a time and yawning and other panda activities. After some bonding time, Li then took Po to the altar with his wife's picture, explaining the grief he felt over not protecting his family. Po promised he wouldn't leave him but after learning his father lied about being able to teach him chi, he felt betrayed since his lie cost him his friends and Po couldn't protect them or the valley as he left to learn chi in the village. He then declared that Li lost him as his son and decides to stay in the village rather than evacuate to train and fight against Kai. Li just wants to protect Po, haunted by the events of the past that separated him from his family which was why he lied but Mr. Ping teaches him that no matter what Po would be his son and forgive him and what was important was that both of them be there for Po. Po's faith in his father is restored when he becomes the first alongside Mr. Ping to volunteer to help, persuading the village to as well. He even aided him against the fight with Kai and his jade zombies. When Po sent himself and Kai to the spirit realm, he watched in horror and was the first to mimic the chi technique he saw in the scroll and gathering the others to follow so he could lend his chi to his son to fight Kai. He and Mr. Ping were overjoyed upon seeing Po alive and he began training under his son alongside the citizens of the valley of peace and the other pandas, proud of Po and the two reunited as family.

Mr. Ping
Po has a close relationship with his adoptive goose father. Presumably up until the first film, he had been pretending to share his father's interest in noodles and inheriting his noodle shop. Mr. Ping was delighted at the idea of Po following the family business, though seemed oblivious to the fact that Po was actually a big fan of kung fu. Despite his dream to become a kung fu warrior, Po complied to work in the noodle shop half-heartedly, not wanting to disappoint his father.

When Po confessed his true interest was in kung fu, Mr. Ping was flabbergasted, and even more so after Po was declared the Dragon Warrior. However, the goose seemed to think little would come of it, as he only carried on absentmindedly after Po returned home after seemingly failing in becoming a kung fu warrior, merely bringing Po back into the noodle business while they evacuated the Valley. But when he noticed Po was despairing, he expressed he was sorry things hadn't worked out, but added that he still had a future to look forward to, as they were "noodle folk".

When this didn't cheer him up, Po revealed that he sometimes thought it was hard to believe he was the goose's son. Mr. Ping was taken aback, but again tried to comfort his son by telling him the secret of his "secret ingredient soup", which helped Po to understand the meaning of the Dragon Scroll and eventually succeed in his dreams. At the end of the film, Mr. Ping was proud and overjoyed in his son's heroics, and the two embraced in a hug.

In Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Po had the difficult choice of deciding whether to be with his father during the holiday, or to follow his duties as the Dragon Warrior and attend the feast at the Jade Palace. This led to a mild argument between the two as Po tried to fix things so his father could come, while Mr. Ping insisted he had to stay at his restaurant, begrudgingly telling Po to "do the right thing". In the end, Po dismissed himself from the banquet at the palace, unable to enjoy it, and spent the holiday cooking with Mr. Ping, who apologized to Po for making him feel guilty.

Their bond was tested even further in the second film, when Mr. Ping finally told Po that he adopted him as a cub. An awkwardness grew between them as a result, with Mr. Ping fearful for his son as he left to stop a new threat, and Po unable to answer Mr. Ping when he asked him if he was still his son. However, Po discovered his horrific past and realized that he had led a happy life with Mr. Ping. When he returned to the Valley of Peace, he saw Mr. Ping had been deeply worried for him and was overjoyed to see him again, though was apprehensive when Po stated that he had found where he was born, and now knew who he was. Po declared that he was his son. The two heartily embraced, and then insisted on cooking for one another, reunited again as a family.

In the third film, Po's biological father is to appear, and Po will apparently have a hard time trying to please both him and Mr. Ping, who "feels very protective", according to Po's voice actor, Jack Black. When Mr. Ping heard Po was going to become a teacher, Mr. Ping thought it was a promotion and that Po should go for it since it would mean one day Mr. Ping could serve noodles in the jade palace. He also became upset when Li showed up and declared himself Po's father. While when he first saw Li and heard his story, he recognized he was Po's father but denied it and tried to separate the two. He even followed them when they went to the Secret Panda village. He tried to be there for Po and prevent him from bonding with his biological father too much. He even tried feeding him buns and tried finding him around the village. When Kai is coming, he decides to stay and be there for his son. He even declared to Li he was scared Li would steal Po from him but realized that Li being in Po's life didn't mean less for Mr.Ping but more for Po. He joined the fight against Kai and when his son was sent to the Spirit Realm, he was extremely worried and sent some of his chi to Po, saying Po gave him a family. He was happy when Po came back and told him never to do that again. By the end of the film, the bond between Po and Mr. Ping remains strong as the two still acknowledge each other as family even when Li is reintroduced into Po's life.

Po's Mother
Po initially had no memories of his mother. When his memories started to resurface, he could only remember her leaving him and he began to think she and his father abandoned him, even having a dream where they replaced him with a kung fu radish. However, with some encouragement from the Soothsayer, he remembered that she in fact sacrificed herself in order to save him, and realized how loving and caring she truly was.

When Po went with his father to his hut, Li showed him a painting of his mother with Po as a cub, and talked fondly about her and how much he'd loved her. Though recalling their loss was saddening, Po was still pleased to hear more about her.

Shifu
Though Po had merely been trying to see which of the Furious Five would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, he himself ended up being selected by Oogway instead of any of Shifu's students. Though Oogway had foretold that whoever he'd choose would bring peace to the Valley and to Shifu himself, Shifu refused to accept that a "flabby panda" could be the true Dragon Warrior. Outraged at this turn of events, he immediately determined that he would make the unwitting panda quit his training by morning, and later met Po in the Jade Palace, quickly showing his disapproval for the panda by mocking his pudgy appearance. Though Po tried to talk back, he was quickly caught in the Wuxi Finger Hold by the master, who threatened that he would regret ever being chosen.

Daunted, Po was then shown into the Training Hall, but being a big fan of kung fu, he showed a willingness to do some moves himself. However, he clumsily came upon several training mechanisms, Shifu and the Five merely watching him in his struggle, and Shifu only pleased to see the panda having a hard time. Though Po was discouraged that Shifu could ever make him into the Dragon Warrior, he received some advice from Oogway to concentrate on the moment instead of doubting his abilities.

That next morning the red panda was convinced Po had quit as his quarters were empty, but he saw that Po had instead arrived at early the training courtyard to "warm up". Annoyed, Shifu later set him up with many brutal sparring matches with the Five and himself, again hoping it would drive the panda to quit. However, Po only demonstrated an eager fearlessness to continue despite failing and getting pummeled every time. Infuriated, Shifu kicked the panda out of the training grounds and down the palace stairs himself.

However, Po still didn't quit, and was later seen with the Five, mimicking Shifu's stern personality much to their amusement, until Shifu himself appeared a moment later and shared the grim news that Tai Lung had escaped prison and was returning, and that Po was the only one who could stop him. Po was alarmed and fled, but was stopped by Shifu outside the palace stairs. Po then confronted the master about how he'd been trying to get rid of him, and that neither of them really thought he was the Dragon Warrior. Shifu asked him why he hadn't quit in spite of everything, and was taken aback when Po admitted that being beat and humiliated was still better than living every day being himself, and hoped that by staying, the kung fu master could change him. When Po demanded just how Shifu could actually help him to win against Tai Lung, Shifu was at a loss and quietly retreated without an answer.

The next morning, Po was discovered raiding the barracks' kitchen, eating everything he could find in his distraught state. Shifu was astounded to see that Po displayed an unintentional talent in kung fu while trying to rummage the place for more food, even making a perfect split while doing so. Shifu understood that the best way to teach him was to use food as motivation, and with that, he took the panda to the Wu Dan Mountains. He proclaimed that he would be Po's master and would teach him kung fu, much to the elation of the panda. During an intense period of training, the two formed a bond of friendship and trust, and Shifu saw Po's mastery and humility in a final test of "keep away" using a dumpling as the prize. Though Po won, he gave back the dumpling, declaring with confidence that he wasn't hungry, and ended bowing respectfully to his master, with Shifu bowing to him in return.

By the time they returned to the Jade Palace, Shifu believed that Po was ready to receive the Dragon Scroll, and used his name instead of calling him "panda" when addressing him. But when the scroll turned out to be blank, both Po and Shifu were confused, neither seeing how Po could defeat the snow leopard on his own. With Tai Lung approaching, the Five were ordered to to evacuate the Valley, while Shifu declared he would fight Tai Lung himself. Po was reluctant to let Shifu fight alone, afraid he would be killed, but he obeyed and left with the Five. Once he reunited with his father and realized the true secret of the Dragon Scroll, Po returned to the palace just in time to save an injured Shifu from Tai Lung's attack.

Furious Five
As a big fan of the Furious Five, Po's admiration for them is great, so much that his bedroom is covered in posters and he owns an action figure set he had carved himself. He was willing to make several comedic and potentially dangerous attempts to get into the palace arena, just to see the Five perform in the Dragon Warrior Tournament. Po was disheartened when the Five were disdainful of him after being chosen as the Dragon Warrior, though he was eventually able to win them over with his cooking skills and his tenacity.[19]

In the second film, Po has joined forces with the Furious Five, and now stands as good friends with them. However, he has a tendency to embarrass them from time to time, for example when he indiscreetly sneaked into Gongmen City donning a Dragon Costume, and when he later destroyed a model of Shen's cannon, mistaking it for the real one, with the Five staring at him in shock and embarrassment. However, the Five deeply care for Po, evidenced by their despair when Po was seemingly killed, and their ecstasy when he returned alive.

Tigress
After being chosen as the Dragon Warrior, presumably before it seemed Tigress was about to be chosen, Po was treated with contempt by her, as shown during his first night in the Palace's barracks, and he was upset when Tigress blatantly told him he was a disgrace to kung fu and should leave. Although Tigress continued to display resentment towards Po for the majority of the film, he never held a grudge against her. It wasn't until the film's end that Tigress finally accepted Po as the Dragon Warrior, and Po seemed appreciative of it.

In the events depicted in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Po and Tigress are shown as friends as allies. Po makes frequent attempts to bond with her throughout the series, though he often gets in his own way, even getting jealous when others get along with her better. Though Po's many flaws and antics frequently annoy Tigress, she realizes that he is a resourceful warrior who truly deserves to be the Dragon Warrior.

In the sequel, Po and Tigress seemed to have developed a closer friendship with each other since the events of the first film. This was first seen when Po stuffed forty bean buns in his mouth, and Tigress encouraged him, joining in on the fun with he rest of the Five. Furthermore, like the rest of the Five, Tigress has learned to work in unison with Po in combat, as shown when they fought off the wolf bandits in the Musician Village.

When Po became afflicted with an identity crisis when he learned the truth about his adoption, Tigress alone persuaded him to talk about his emotional problems, but during their conversation Po unknowingly made Tigress feel uncomfortable when he claimed that she couldn't feel anything.

Despite their close friendship, Po was extremely reluctant to tell Tigress about his discovery of Shen's involvement in his past when she interrogated him in Gongmen Jail. When Tigress ordered Po to stay behind in the prison after he had allowed Shen to escape, he insisted on leaving, leading to a minor one-sided duel between them. Po eventually revealed his wish to learn the truth about his parents, and stated that the 'hardcore' wouldn't understand. He received a shock when she hugged him instead of lunging at him. She told Po she did understand, but wouldn't allow her friend to be killed, showing him that she wasn't as unfeeling as Po thought she was.

Near the end of the movie, during the battle in the canal, Tigress shoved Po out of the line of fire a second before Shen fired his cannon and sent the kung fu warriors flying into the harbor. After the explosion, Po swam for Tigress after spotting her lying motionless on a piece of driftwood, and gently took her paw. Seeing how badly injured she was, Po locked eyes with Shen, giving him a long burning glare. He then pushed Tigress out of firing range before swimming away to face Shen's armada for the last time.

After Shen was defeated, Po hugged Tigress after she had complimented his heroic actions as "pretty hardcore". Tigress was bewildered and didn't hug back, but stood alongside Po and the others and happily watched the fireworks above Gongmen City in wake of Po's victory.

Crane
Like the rest of the Five, Crane showed disbelief that Po was the true Dragon Warrior, sarcastically and dramatically proclaiming, "He is so mighty - the Dragon Warrior fell out of the sky in a ball of fire!" Additionally, he had no problem mocking Po behind his back, but was more awkward when speaking to him directly, as shown in their first conversation together.

Throughout the film, Crane mellowed out towards Po, who had eventually won most of the others over with his cooking and sense of humor. When Shifu ordered them all to evacuate the Valley, Crane led Po out of the palace, understanding his loyalty to their master. Shown in the second film, Crane has come to work with Po very well, usually helping Po land safely from high altitudes or helping him with aerial maneuvers and techniques.

Viper
Of the Five, Viper was the only one who showed a more kind and compassionate disbelief that Po was the Dragon Warrior, as she feared that Po would just wind up getting hurt or worse. Shown in their brief spar (where she apologized after beating him to the ground), Viper was more friendly towards the panda, and was the first to notice his determination to not quit his training. Like the rest of the Five (sans Tigress), she warmed up to Po more after she was treated to his good cooking and sense of humor.

Monkey
Like others of the Furious Five, Monkey expressed doubts about Po being the true Dragon Warrior, but also took it humorously. Though Monkey joked and laughed at the panda, he also laughed the loudest at Po's own jokes, such as his impersonation of Shifu. Po's perseverance in training moved Monkey to respect Po's determination, and he eventually accepted him as the Dragon Warrior and a fellow kung fu master with the rest of the Five.

It is seen in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness that Po and Monkey often laugh and joke with each other, sometimes at the expense of the rest of the Five. They both also have a bit of a competitive streak with each other, shown in "Scorpion's Sting" when they tried to gain points over each other in their feats. However, their friendship was strong enough to break Scorpion's control over Monkey, and allowed them to work together to overcome defeat her.

In the series, Po has referred to Monkey as his best friend, even protecting him when a mob of villagers suspected he was behind a number of robberies in the Valley (which Monkey's brother committed), and he stopped Monkey from fleeing the Valley because of it, eventually helping to clear his name, with Monkey thanking him and calling him "bro".

Mantis
Like the rest of the Five, Mantis didn't believe Po was the real Dragon Warrior at first, and expressed mild, humorous disrespect towards him. He once joked that whenever Po walked, the very ground shook (unaware that at the time, Po was listening in). However, as Mantis gradually warmed up to him along with the others, he rather unsuccessfully tried to treat Po using acupuncture after a painful first day of training, claiming it would help him feel better, and noted that he himself had no right to discount someone based on their size. He was also the first to note Po's excellence in cooking.

While Monkey is stated to be Po's best friend, in many ways Mantis is also shown to get along well with Po, hanging out with Po more often the most of the Furious Five and acting as an older brother figure to Po to ensure he doesn't put himself in danger. Po in turn looks up to Mantis and enjoys his company, often hanging out with him and trying to help him. There have been a number of episodes that focused on or showed their close relationship, including "Sticky Situation", "Hometown Hero", "Kung fu Shoes", "Maltese Mantis", "Huge", and "Mouth Off".

In the Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness episode "Hometown Hero", Po was shocked when he discovered that Mantis had told everyone in his hometown that he was the Dragon Warrior to get back at his ex-fiancee, Hao Ming. Despite this, he displayed his great loyalty by allowing Mantis to continue to facade and rub Hao's nose in it, while Po would disguise himself as his sidekick. However, this led to a brief rift in their friendship when Mantis began to frequently let Po down, choosing to spend time with Hao rather than help Po in a duel with Hao's ex-boyfriend, Dosu. The friendship was mended when Mantis eventually realized that Hao only wanted to marry him for his title, and rescued Po when he received another pummeling from Dosu.

In "Sticky Situation", Mantis was depressed about his girlfriend dumping him because she turned from a catepillar into a butterfly and Po tried to comfort him throughout the episode (as a subplot of the episode).

In "Kung Fu Shoes", he asked Mantis to watch him and make sure if he came close to achieving the status of Celestial Phoenix by performing the three needles test and when Mantis accidentally told him about an illegal market that sold black market which Po went to in order to get kung fu shoes that would allow him to become the celestial phoenix and get out of training, Mantis frequently advised him it was a bad idea.

In "Maltese Mantis", Po insisted that Mantis go to the fest since he wanted to share with Mantis the experience, where enthusiasts came to trade action figures, play games, and reenact famous battle scenes despite Mantis being reluctant due to the fact he heard it was filled with geeks.

In "Huge", when Mantis showed insecurity about his small size after losing to Lidong who is bigger than most, Po tried to comfort him to no success. After Mantis took a Gung-Tao potion to become bigger, Po supported him and said how awesome he was but when things got out of hand after Mantis took more of the potion to deal with Fung and Lidong, Po was the one to go get the antidote to fix Mantis.

In "Mouth Off" he supported Po in his desire to stop his talking habit to improve his kung fu skills.

Oogway
Oogway was the main reason that Po became the Dragon Warrior in the first film. He was the one that was first inspired and told the world of Po's destined calling, much to everyone's disbelief.

When Oogway had found Po sitting under the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom one night, Oogway sensed the panda's pain and asked why he was upset. Po explained his position with Shifu, the Furious Five, and his previous life at the noodle shop with his father, to which the old tortoise kindly gave him advice about concentrating on the present instead of worrying about the past or the future. This comforted Po and encouraged him to keep trying to achieve his dreams and fulfill his destined calling as the Dragon Warrior.

Though Po respected Oogway, he possibly thought he was a bit senile as well, as he commented that Oogway was a "crazy old turtle after all" when the Dragon Scroll that was meant to be the secret to limitless power was revealed to be blank.

Tai Lung
Po already knew some things about Tai Lung (specifically the leopard's mastery of all one thousand scrolls of kung fu and his eventual incarceration), but he had never actually met him. But when Shifu told Po one night that Tai Lung was returning to the Valley of Peace and he was the only one who could stop him, Po instantly became baffled and fear-stricken. Similarly, when Tai Lung had escaped prison, his only thought was to battle the Dragon Warrior and claim the Dragon Scroll, which he thought was rightfully his.

When they finally met, Tai Lung was taken aback, as he had never dreamed that the legendary Dragon Warrior would be a panda. As they fought each other, their determination and rivalry were constantly tested when they tried to outdo each other. Even after Tai Lung had victoriously retrieved the scroll and Po explained the truth about its message, in that it's blank, reflective surface symbolized that the power was only to believe in oneself. Enraged, the snow leopard continued to fight him to the point of exhaustion. As Po gained the upper hand, he finally performed the Wuxi Finger Hold, which served to defeat the snow leopard and prove to all that he was indeed the true Dragon Warrior.

Shen
Until the events of the second film, Po had only heard of the peacock's name days before confronting him in Gongmen City, and was unaware of what Shen had done to his family and birth village. Before finding out the truth, he had treated Shen like any other ruthless villain; but when he saw a vision of Shen and what had happened to his village, Po tried numerous times to get information from him about what exactly happened the night that the pandas were massacred. Shen merely saw this as an opportunity to be cruel. He told Po numerous lies, stating that he had been abandoned by his mother and father, and even stating that Po's parents never truly loved him in the first place. After finding inner peace and discovering that Shen had lied, Po bravely stood up to the peacock before his fleet could leave the city and spread destruction across the country. And after defeating him and his army, Po boldly confronted Shen, and tried to talk him into letting go of his past, commenting that "The only thing that matters is what you choose now". Shen responded by choosing to attack him, and Po stayed on the defensive until Shen's strikes inadvertently led to the peacock's own death.

Boss Wolf
Ever since Boss Wolf whacked Po in the face with a hammer during their encounter at the Artisan Village, Po took an intense dislike to the wolf and attempted to pay him back when Crane pointed him out in Gongmen City. As enemies, Po struggled against Boss Wolf, and Boss Wolf taunted and insulted the panda at every opportunity, but unlike Shen, he did not underestimate him, having witnessed his kung fu skill first hand.

It was later revealed that Boss Wolf and Po had met before: When Shen and his army attacked a panda village years ago, Boss Wolf had attacked Po when he was an infant, but Po's father intervened and struck him in the face with a farming tool before he could harm the child. This incident scarred Boss Wolf's left eye. While Po was eventually able to remember this encounter, Boss Wolf most likely never knew that Po was the same panda he had tried to murder as a baby.

Kai
In the third film, Po is to face Kai, a a villain who can "steal the powers from every kung fu master he defeats", and who has "his sights set on Po." Po, along with most others, had never heard of Kai, much to his annoyance. When he sent his jade warriors to fight the Furious Five and Po, he was happy to have found Po and set his sights on eliminating him. Po went to the Secret Panda Village to learn chi to defeat Kai and when he learned his father had lied about teaching him chi, he decided to stay in the village to confront Kai. Tigress warned him that Kai was too powerful, with Po denying the claim and telling her he would use the Wu Xi finger hold on Kai, but Tigress warned him he wouldn't even be able to get close to him. Po then agreed and trained the villagers to fight Kai to distract him long enough to get a hold of Kai and use the Wu Xi finger hold on him. When he realized that didn't work, he decided to use it on himself and send Kai with him. Kai, angered that Po had sent him back, engaged in a fight with him, which Po ultimately won. The two did not spend much time together but it is clear they hate each other. Po hates him for destroying the Valley of Peace and turning his friends and the other masters into jombies while Kai saw him merely as an obstacle to defeat. Unlike the previous two villains, Kai did have some respect for Po since the very beginning, having understood Po was a formidable opponent he needed to defeat to accomplish his goals. However, he stil underestimated him which led to his downfall. Po also respected Kai's amount of skill, understanding he would need help to get close enough to defeat Kai and thinking his jombies were cool. He also showed his respect when he called Kai by his long self proclaimed titles such as maker of widowers, which made Kai happy enough to almost not want to kill him. However, Po did taunt him at times, calling Kai chatty and using mocking gestures. Kai was annoyed when Po sent him back and promised he would defeat him but ultimately lost.

General

 * Po's full name, Po Ping (simplified Chinese: 宝平?; traditional Chinese: 寶平?; pinyin: "bǎo píng"), translates to "precious peace" in Chinese.
 * Po has a special "fighting fist" control that he only uses when he's engaging in kung fu.
 * When the real Po is first seen in Kung Fu Panda, he is shown upside down. This was meant as a visual motif, as Po is also shown upside down in the final scene of the film.
 * According to Jack Black, Po is technically the "leader" of the Furious Five, but not a member of the quintet.
 * Po's favorite Furious Five member is Tigress, despite the fact that she showed considerable disrespect and disgust at him throughout most of the first film.
 * In the first film, Po mentions that he has "no claws", but he does appear to have them, albeit stubby ones.
 * According to Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Po never went to school as a cub. However, during the credits of Kung Fu Panda 2, young Po is seen in a schoolhouse.
 * In an interview with "Po" for Scholastic News Online, Po shares how Crane told him the giant panda is called a "large bear-cat" in China. This actually comes from the literal translation for "giant panda" in Chinese (traditional and simplified Chinese: 大熊貓?; pinyin: dà xióng māo).


 * In the opening sequences of the first film (during Po's dream), he rapidly kicked his enemies in mid-air. This move was used for real by Po during the first fight scene in Kung Fu Panda 2, calling the move "Feet of Fury".
 * In Kung Fu Panda 2, when Po supposedly fit forty bean buns in his mouth, there were actually only nine.

In Development

 * Earlier versions of Po's character had him not as a fan of kung fu, and he was "rather hateable and stupid and dead-end". However, Jack Black's performance helped to change and define Po's personality as more of a vulnerable kind instead.
 * In development, Po went through a variety of origins. Among these were living in a panda village with his mother, working in a chime factory, and being an indentured servant to Mr. Ping.
 * In earlier story treatments, Po's adoptive father was going to be Shifu.
 * The "weirdest" animation control was for Po's uvula.
 * Po's cheeks were rebuilt during the first film to allow him to stuff his mouth with more food.