Li Shang

“	A life for a life. My debt is repaid.	„
	~ Shang sparing Fa Mulan

I'll Make a Man Out of You

Background

Li Shang is the tritagonist of Disney's 1998 animated feature film, Mulan. The son of an army general, Shang aspires to succeed his father as the leader of "China's greatest troops". Shang's dreams are realized when he is appointed the head of a ragtag group of soldiers that must defend China from the tyranny of Shan Yu.

This dropdown contains the synopsis of Shang's story. Read at your own risk as you may be spoiled otherwise!

Shortly after his initial introduction in the film, Shang is appointed as an army captain by his father General Li. The appointment comes at the protest of Chi-Fu, the Emperor's consul, who claims that Shang is too young for such responsibility. General Li defends the choice, noting Shang's numerous accomplishments as well as his impressive military lineage. As a slight compromise, Shang is ordered to train the new recruits, and then, pending Chi-Fu's approval, join the main army in the Tung Shao Pass to halt Shan Yu and his army's advance towards the Imperial City. Shang is initially excited at the prospect but is slightly disappointed when the new recruits are shown to be lacking in skill. During the training montage, when Fa Mulan, disguised as Ping, proves to be unable to make it through any of the training regiment, either failing via Yao, Ling, and Chien Po or trying to cheat thanks to Mushu, which would be putting her fellow troops in danger without strict strength and discipline to protect their lives as well as her own, Shang confronts her one night, hands her the reigns to Khan, and tells her to go home, dismissing her from the unit. However, the next morning, hearing a commotion, Shang emerges from his tent to find, to his shock and surprise, Ping had completed the initial challenge he set at the start of the training regiment with climbing a tall pillar and retrieving the arrow he shot into the top of it, convincing him to allow Ping back into the unit after seeing the other recruits cheering on Ping for "his" success. After hard training, he is able to turn them into respectable soldiers. Shang then goes to Chi-Fu, who refuses to grant his approval, despite Shang's protests. Chi-Fu disparages both the soldiers and Shang, hinting that he believes Shang only became captain because of his father. Chi-Fu then threatens that Shang's troops will never see battle after the General reads his report. A letter later comes for Shang (supposedly from the General, but actually faked by an irate Mushu over hearing Chi-Fu declare that Shang's troops will never see battle and thereby threaten his plans to help Mulan bring honor to the Fa family) ordering him to move his troops to the front and rendezvous at the Tung Shao Pass to reinforce the main Imperial Army waiting for Shan Yu and the Hun army. Coming to a village in the mountain pass that General Li had taken his army to protect, they discover that the village had been razed by the Huns, with no survivors from the residents that had been living there. While searching for potential survivors from either the village or General Li's army, Shang learns that the entire army, including his father, perished in the battle when a nervous Chi-Fu calls Shang over to show him the ravaged remains of what had been General Li and the Imperial Army's best troops that the Emperor's consul had discovered, and Chien Po brings Shang his father's helmet, intact, but with the feathers on it broken and bent. Shang takes a moment to mourn, making a small shrine to his father, before taking his soldiers in pursuit of the Huns, who are headed toward the Imperial City, realizing that with General Li and the main Imperial army destroyed, Shang's smaller force of freshly-trained recruits are the only defense the Emperor has left before the Huns would be able to overtake the Imperial City. They soon meet the Hun army after Mushu accidentally fires a cannon, causing his position to be given away to Shan Yu and the Huns, only to learn that they are hopelessly outnumbered. Shang prepares for a last stand. However, Ping is able to stop the Huns by burying them in an avalanche "he" has triggered. Shang is caught in the avalanche but is saved by Ping. After Shang recovers, he thanks Ping and accepts "him" as a trusted friend. However, while Ping is receiving treatment (due to a slash wound "he" received from Shan Yu), it is discovered that "he" is a woman named Mulan. Though the law states that a woman who is discovered in the army is to be killed, Shang spares her due to a debt he owes her for saving him. Shang then leaves Mulan and leads his army to the Imperial City. Chi-Fu attempts to beg him to execute her, but he angrily refuses as she had saved his life; thus, he repays his debt of gratitude. At the Imperial City, Shang and his troops are honored for defeating the Huns. However, he, along with the rest of his troops (minus Chi-Fu), are seen to be downcast due to Mulan. Mulan suddenly arrives in the city and tries to warn Shang that the Huns are alive (due to having seen them pop out of the snow). Shang refuses to believe her as she had lied about her identity and continues his way to the palace. As Shang presents the sword of Shan Yu to the Emperor, Shan Yu's falcon suddenly snatches the sword away to hand it back to its owner, and several Huns, Shan Yu's elite officers, hidden in one of the parade dragons as performers, capture the Emperor and barricade the palace. Shang and his soldiers attempt to lead a rescue mission but are unable to break through the palace's front doors as the Huns barred it, making an attempt to punch them open with a battering ram to be almost futile. Mulan takes charge and although Shang is initially hesitant to follow her lead, he agrees to join her a little later as they climb up pillars to an upper floor, using the skills he taught them back during training to do so. While Mulan, Yao, Ling, and Chien Po take down the Hun guards, Shang rushes to a balcony and fights Shan Yu, during which the trio takes the Emperor to safety and Mulan prevents Shan Yu from pursuing them. As Shan Yu threatens Shang for robbing him of his victory, Mulan chooses to forgo her own safety to assist him, revealing to Shan Yu that she was the one who decimated his army with the avalanche. After Shan Yu is killed, Shang is seen running outside the palace, where Mulan falls on him. He later defends Mulan as a hero when Chi-Fu begins ungratefully scolding her, nearly being forced to assault the Emperor's consul for his disrespect before the Emperor intervenes. Shang is among the first to bow to Mulan when the Emperor honors her as the hero of China. As Mulan prepares to go home, Shang attempts to tell her how he feels but ends up stuttering out a reference to her fighting talents. Shang is shown to be disappointed in his failure, but after being counseled by the Emperor, he chooses to travel to Mulan's home to see her. He speaks to her, somewhat nervously, under the guise that he is returning her (technically her father's) helmet, which she had left behind. As Mulan's father, Fa Zhou realizes what Shang is trying to say, he motions to Mulan, who then invites Shang to dinner that night, which he greatly accepts.

General Information

Name: Li Shang

Origin: Mulan

Sex:Male

Age: Unknown, is a young adult

Classification: Human, General

Status: Alive

Alignment: Neutral Good (Shang is the general of the Imperial Army and he is shown has honorable not only sparing Mulan's life due to her previously saving his but also aiding her with her plan despite her earlier lies)

Codex Statistics

Tier: High 10-B, 9-C with weapons, Higher with Dragon Firework Cannon

Cardinality: Finite

Dimensionality: 3-D

Attack Potency: Above Average Human level (Shang is a soldier who is trained in martial arts alongside being shown as highly athletic. Shang could also briefly contend with Shan Yu who can destroy a door with a punch and bust through a roof), Peak Human level with weapons (Shang is seen wielding a sword, a dagger and a bow in combat), Higher with Dragon Firework Cannon (the canon was responsible for an Avalanche)

Durability: Above Average Human level

Striking Strength: Above Average Human Class

Lifting Strength: At least Athletic Human (By working with his soldiers, they could lift a large statue)

Travel Speed: Superhuman (Shang who could outrun a bear)

Combat Speed: Superhuman

Reaction Speed: Superhuman

Stamina: High (Shang should be comparable to Fa Mulan who even before her training was completed, could spend most of a night climbing a pole while weighted down despite already have trained all day with likely very little rest.)

Range: Standard Melee Extended Melee with his sword, Hundreds of meters with a bow and Dragon Firework Cannon

Intelligence: Gifted (Shang was chosen to be general due to being number one in his class and having extensive knowledge of training. He could also teach armed combat and unarmed combat to completely skilless soldiers in merely three weeks of training)

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Powers and Techniques

Superhuman Speed, Human Achievements (Shang became general of the Imperial Army), Acrobatics (Shang is shown as acrobatic), Vehicular Usage (Land Vehicles; Shang can ride a horse), Martial Arts (Shang trained his soldiers in unarmed combat), Weapon Mastery and Penetration Damage (Marksmanship, Staff Usage, Sword Usage and Dagger/Knife Usage; Shang is skilled with a bow, a bamboo staff and a sword. He was also shown having a dagger), Immortality (Undead; If Shang was to die, he would become a spirit like his ancestors)

Explosion Manipulation (with Dragon Firework Cannon)

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Equipment

Jian: A regular Jian sword that Shang is seen wielding in combat. Dagger: A regular dagger that he keeps hidden within his belt. He uses it as a last resort weapon.

Horse: Shang's nameless horse which he can be seen riding within the movie.

Optional Equipment

Dragon Firework Cannon: A large canon that bears resemblance to a dragon which can fire powerful fireworks.

Bamboo Staff: A staff that Shang used during the training of his soldiers.

Bow and Arrows: A bow that Shang used during the training of his soldiers.

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Other

Standard Tactics: Shang will typically use his sword and martial arts skills for melee combat as a last resort he'll attempt to use his dagger.

Weaknesses: Nothing Notable

Battle Records

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