Mulan (Disney character)

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Fa Mulan is the protagonist of the 1998 Disney animated film Mulan and its direct-to-video sequel, Mulan II. She also appears in the Disney/Square Enix Playstation 2 game Kingdom Hearts II. She is inspired by the legendary Hua Mulan from the Chinese poem The Ballad of Mulan. She is voiced by Ming-Na in all three titles (singing voice provided by Lea Salonga), and is one of the nine Official Disney Princesses. In the Japanese dub of the movie, Mayumi Suzuki does both her singing and speaking voices.

Role in Disney canon

At the beginning of the film, Mulan is sent to the town matchmaker to find her a husband, which ends in humiliating failure after she accidentally sets the matchmaker on fire. The Huns, led by Shan Yu, invade China, and Mulan's war veteran father, Fa Zhou, is called up to fight. Despite her protests, her father says that he will go (in spite of his old age and crippled body) and lashes out that Mulan must know her place. Knowing that she will risk her life and family's honor, Mulan decides to go in his place posing as a man, cutting her long hair and stealing her father's armor and horse Khan.

In a forest near the training camp where her father was assigned to, Mulan meets Mushu, a tiny dragon that claims he was sent by her ancestors to guide her so that she won't be caught and recieve a death penalty. Along with Mushu's cricket companion Cri-kee (who came to help Mulan after his own carelessness made her fail the aforementioned matchmaker meeting), Mulan boldly steps into the camp. However, she quickly establishes a heated one-sided dislike by the other soldiers after a series of mistakes (conducted by both Mulan and Mushu) that lead to punishment from their commanding officer, Captain Li Shang.

Under the alias of "Fa Ping," a supposedly never-mentioned son of Fa Zhou, Mulan starts her training. At first, along with the other troops, she fails miserably at the first assignment: retrieving an arrow from the top of a wooden pole using heavy weights. During her early days in training, she turns out to be the worst of all the troops and is, at one point, asked to leave. Before leaving, she tries at the first assignment one more time, and through her own perserverance and improvised way of using the weights, she accomplishes the task no one else could do. "Ping" quickly arises as a top trainee, eventually earning the respect and friendship of fellow soldiers, who follow his example and become excellent soldiers themselves. Soon, she also starts to feel affection toward Shang.

As a result of Mushu's mischiefs, Mulan's division is sent into battle to assist General Li, Shang's father, in a surprise attack against the Huns in a village in a northern mountain passage. However, the troops discover to their horror that the village and General Li's entire army has been destroyed and that they are now the only ones who can protect Shan Yu's goal: the emperor of China. While travelling to the Imperial City to warn the emperor, a stray firework (caused by Mushu) gives away the platoon's position, resulting in a highly outnumbered battle against Shan Yu and his Hun army. Knowing that a single cannon aimed for Shan Yu will not disable his army of thousands, Mulan steals the last cannon and blasts it into a nearby mountain, resulting in an avalanche that engulfs most of the Hun army, though it nearly kills herself, Mushu, Cri-kee, Khan, and Shang.

Because of a sword injury caused by Shan Yu, Ping's treatments result in her secret to be revealed before the entire platoon. Though her life is spared by Shang for saving him, the platoon abandons her. Wondering if she had really done the right thing or if it just disgraced herself and her family, it leads to Mushu confessing that he was never supposed to go with her on her journey and that he was merely a demoted guardian spirit that went for his own cause. He cheers her up, promising that he'll be her friend during the hard times when they return home.

Shortly after this, they witness Shan Yu and some of his men emerge from the snow debris and rush off to the Imperial City to warn Shang. Mulan's attempts to warn anyone are unsuccessful, but Shan Yu evetually reveals himself before a huge crowd and the soldiers, capturing the emperor before their eyes. Mulan, along with her closest friends within her platoon and Shang, plan to rescue him. By distracting the Hun guards with some of them disguising as concubines, her group manages to safely bring the emperor outside, but Mulan hesitates on leaving after Shang is injured by Shan Yu. She then leads the Hun leader away from Shang after Shan Yu recognizes her as the soldier who had caused the avalanche. She leads him to the rooftop, where she manages to steal his sword while Mushu launches a huge firework on him, obliterating the Hun threat and saving China.

The emperor, though peeved that Mulan had risked so much carelessly to join the army, is more grateful than he is insulted to her as she has saved China. Mulan leaves for home, but not after receiving the crest of the emperor and Shan Yu's sword as gifts of remembrance and honor. At home, she is welcomed with open arms from her father and to her surprise, meets Shang, who had come to visit her.

Mulan II

The sequel finds Mulan and Li Shang preparing to marry, but distracted by a task from the Emperor, who wants three princesses escorted to their own marriage ceremony. Their relationship becomes somewhat strained during the trip, as the couple have differing views on various issues. Mushu meanwhile realizes that if Mulan marries Li Shang, she won't need him anymore as her guardian spirit. Taking advantage of this, he manages to trip the two into breaking up. When bandits attack, Mulan and Li Shang fight them off and Mulan is devastated when Li Shang is seemingly killed trying to save her. To make sure the three princesses aren't forced to marry against their will, Mulan takes their place marrying the son of the ruler of the neighboring land. When Li Shang is discovered alive, Mushu poses as the Golden Dragon of Unity to call off the ceremony, allowing Mulan and Li Shang to finally marry. As thanks, Mulan and Li Shang unite their shrines, allowing Mushu to remain Mulan's guardian spirit.

Personality

Mulan is generally determined and strong-hearted for her friends and family, especially after her training in the army. Unlike most young women in her time, Mulan shows many talents and qualities, such as horse-riding, being very clumsy, and most notably, being outspoken. However, she has extraordinary ingenuity which enables her to solve nearly any difficulty quickly and efficiently.

Mulan loves and respects her family, but struggles with the culture's traditions and how they conflict with her own views; she doesn't think that she can be a perfect daughter for her family (as depicted in her signature song "Reflection"). When she returns home as a great hero, she finally feels that she has brought her family honor and knows that she'll see 'someone worthwhile' in her reflection.

Disney Princess: Dance with the Clone Trooper

In the special features of Winx Club: The Island of Crystal Skull DVD, Jasmine, Ariel, Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White, Mulan and Pocahontas will dance with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Saesee Tiin, Aayla Secura, Luminara Unduli, Kit Fisto, Shaak Ti, Army of Clone Troopers in the Jungle and the song is called Pokemon Johto Theme; Much like the Dancing Flubber.

Other Disney media

Mulan is featured in the Disney on Ice shows Princess Classics and Princess Wishes, again, as a princess despite her lack of royal ties, while strangely, Pocahontas, who is an official Disney Princess with royal ties, is not featured in either show.
Mulan makes cameo appearances in various episodes of the Disney's House of Mouse television series and the direct-to-video release Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse.
Mulan appears regularly for meet-and-greets, parades and shows at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
On the Disney Cruise Line ships, Mulan and Shang appear in the stage show The Golden Mickeys. Mulan is also known to come out for meet-and-greets on the ships as well.
Mulan is to make an appearance in the second installment of the Disney Princess Enchanted Tales series of DVDs with Cinderella. It is to premiere in 2008.
Mulan and Mushu (as a kite) make cameo appearances in the Hong Kong Disneyland version of It's a Small World.

Kingdom Hearts II

In Kingdom Hearts II, Mulan (修ラン, Muran) is part of the Land of the Dragons world. She aids Sora in battle, taking the place of either Donald or Goofy. She uses a Chinese sword for regular combat, and her combination attacks include Red Rocket and other fire attacks, thanks to Mushu. She goes under her pseudonym.

Significance

Mulan is one of three Disney Princesses that was not born into royalty. She also never marries a prince. She came close in the sequel but it never happened. The only other Disney "Princess"es not to descend from royal blood are Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella.

References