Panda King (Sly Cooper)

File:Panda King.jpg

Panda King as he appears in Sly Cooper 3: Honor Among Thieves.

Panda King is a character from the Sly Cooper video game series.

History

Born poor on the streets of China, Panda King was fascinated by the fireworks set off by a rich noblemen every New Year. After spending a decade learning the art, Panda King attempted to offer his fireworks to the noblemen. However the Noblemen could not see past his shabby clothes and chased him away. Enraged, he used the tools of his art for crime, becoming the Fiendish Five's demolitions expert.

After acquiring the Thievius Raccoonus' section containing the blueprints of Otto Van Cooper, Panda King set up shop in the Kunlun Mountains of western China. Building a massive explosives factory, he disguised it as a large temple-like facility. In order to finance his crimes, the Panda King pressured local villages for avalanche protection. If they refused, he would set off a firework that would bring a megaton of snow down on them.

Panda King finished his brand new firework technique, Flame Fu, just in time to use it against Sly. Despite Panda King's impressive fighting style blending the martial arts of his homeland with his firework skills, he was unable to defeat Sly. The Panda King was thrown in jail by an irritated Carmelita Fox.

A few years later, Panda King joins Sly and co. as an artillery expert. He joins the gang after they help him save his daughter, Jing King (who's face was never seen in the game) from the evil General Tsao. At first, both Sly and Panda King were highly against this alliance: Sly because the Panda King had helped kill his father, and Panda King because Sly had humiliated him. However, after being forced out of a dream of his previous battle with Sly, the Panda King seemed to get along with the Guru, most likely because of their shared spiritual values. He is also moved by Murray's dedication to the things he cares about. He is extremely confident and boastful of his fireworks.

When the Panda King is brought into the field, he conflicts with his criminal side, a sort of yin-yang split personality that takes the part of yang. He reconciles with his other half to save his daughter, despite the other's wishes to kill Sly. After Jing King is saved, he leaves her with an aunt while paying off his debt to Sly and co. After Dr. M is defeated, Panda King returns home and moves in two doors down from his daughter. Probably fearing another General Tsao incident, she allows him to screen all her suitors, and as yet is unmarried-probably because most of them are deterred by the sight of a muscled old man with a bazooka on his shoulder.

During his initial exploits with the gang in China, a rather awkward moment between Sly and Panda King occurs, where Panda must venture into a dangerous area full of Kuang-Shi like vampire zombies. When Panda King agree's, Sly show's great reserve on the idea exclaiming loudly "There's gonna be fangs everywhere!". Judging by Sly's concerned and uncharacteristically uncertain tone, its implied in this moment that Sly has begun to open up to the Panda King and show concern for him as if he were a friend despite his role in his parents' death. This endearing quality is the main thing which converts Panda King over to the Cooper Gang's side, as he states to his evil half that if Sly is willing to put faith in him and forgive him despite his role in killing his parents, than he himself has no business carrying his vendetta over something as trivial as humiliation.

However, Panda King is still the most antisocial of the Cooper Gang. Often failing to appear at important team gatherings. Such as the unearthing of Dimitri's family treasure as well as the retrieval of an unconscious Sly after their first attempt at breaking into the Cooper Vault.