The Kung Fu Panda franchise is one of the most popular and beloved animated franchises. It follows the adventures of the titular character Po Ping, who is chosen to be the prophesized Dragon Warrior out of the blue. This new responsibility required Po to become a master of kung fu. Although everyone including himself initially doubted him, he went on to prove his capability as he strived to fulfill his destiny.
In the third installment of this franchise, Kung Fu Panda 3, Po embarks on yet another adventure to restore peace in the world. One particular scene in the movie towards the end is reminiscent of an event in the first movie. However, the throwback is so subtle that most fans might have entirely missed the relation.
Kung Fu Panda Has a Brilliant Scene Towards the End Which Inspired a Scene in the Third Movie
Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great responsibility”. Po seems to have understood this with each new adventure that he undertook. However, this does not mean that he embraced the title of the Dragon Warrior readily. In fact, for the longest time, he struggled to come to terms with his reality as he was suddenly thrust into a position of such huge responsibility.
In the first movie, which was released in 2008, Po (Jack Black) was sent to the Hall of Warriors to meet Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). The master mocked him and even expressed his skepticism regarding Po being the Dragon Warrior. When Po tried to argue, Shifu threatened to use the Wuxi Finger Hold on him. This led Po to back down due to his knowledge of the impact of the move. Shifu chuckled and said:
You know the hardest part of this? The hardest part… is cleaning up afterwards.
For those unversed, the Wuxi Finger Hold is an advanced kung-fu technique that can send mortals to the Spirit Realm. Upon using the technique, the opponent’s chi is affected in such a great way that it causes a brilliant, rippling shockwave of energy that extends for miles.
At the time, what Shifu meant by those words remained unclear. When Po uses the technique on Tai Lung (Ian McShane) at the end of the movie, there is a brilliant flash of golden light. However, the third movie shares a connection to Shifu’s words in this movie.
A Scene in Kung Fu Panda 3 Shared a Connection with Master Shifu’s Words from the First Film
In the movie, during his fight with Kai (J. K. Simmons), Po is once again in a situation that requires him to use the Wuxi Finger Hold. However, this time, his multiple attempts to use it on his opponent are useless because Kai is a Spirit Warrior. So, Po uses it on himself after grappling Kai in a headlock so that they both are transported to the Spirit World.
Just like the first movie, there is a bright flash of golden light. In addition to this, due to the huge amount of force exerted by the move, the peach trees shake so violently that their leaves fall off. These leaves swirl down and scatter to fall around the place where Po and Kai were present before they went to the Spirit World.
The mess caused by the leaves seems to be what Master Shifu was referring to when he was talking to Po about the Wuxi Finger Hold in the first movie. This is a brilliant example of foreshadowing an event beforehand in an animated movie franchise.
Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 3 are available for streaming on Peacock.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hidden connection between Kung Fu Panda 3 and the first film?
The article argues that in Kung Fu Panda 3, when Po uses the Wuxi Finger Hold on himself while gripping Kai, the violent force shakes the nearby peach trees so their leaves fall off and scatter across the ground. According to the piece, this pays off Master Shifu’s cryptic first-film line that the hardest part of the move is cleaning up afterwards, a subtle bit of foreshadowing many fans likely missed.
What is the Wuxi Finger Hold in Kung Fu Panda?
The Wuxi Finger Hold is an advanced kung-fu technique that can send mortals to the Spirit Realm. The article explains that performing it disrupts the opponent’s chi so powerfully that it produces a brilliant, rippling shockwave of energy extending for miles, accompanied by a bright flash of golden light, as seen when Po defeats Tai Lung (voiced by Ian McShane) at the climax of the 2008 original.
How does Po defeat Kai in Kung Fu Panda 3?
According to the article, Po’s repeated attempts to use the Wuxi Finger Hold directly on Kai fail because Kai is a spirit warrior rather than a mortal. Po instead grapples Kai in a headlock and performs the technique on himself, transporting them both to the Spirit Realm. The move triggers the same golden flash of light seen in the original film’s climactic battle against Tai Lung.
