![]() ![]() Shan Yu commits a horrific act of mass destruction, and despite being one hundred percent off screen, it’s all felt.Īnd because of how we see Shan Yu, and how methodical and cutthroat he is, we have so, so little doubt that Shan Yu wans’t heavily involved in some carnage. Once he decides to “return the doll”, we are treated to one of the chilling Disney moments, where the the jolly song sung by Shang’s troupe is stopped cold in their tracks, appalled by the sight of a village burned to the ground, everyone inside dead, and nearby, the helmets of the soldiers killed trying to stop them. Simply by smelling a discarded doll, Shan Yu and his men are fully capable of identifying which territory they are nearing. He can afford to be so self assured because in addition to impressive numbers and bulk, Shan Yu is a brilliant planner–infiltrating the Chinese celebration of their own victory passed no doubt incredibly stacked security. “Now all of China knows you’re here!” “Good.” and, if he feels ready, he harbors no subtlety or insecurity in the abilities of himself and his underlings. He outright challenges the Chinese emperor, deliberately attracting attention. Shan Yu is confident, but not arrogant by any means. After he lets them loose, he rubs his chin considerably and asks his archer “How many men does it take to deliver a message?”, to which said archer replies by drawing his bow and hissing, “One.”, Shan Yu is quite simply so well written that he stands out despite not having a ton of background or traits. Recall when he captures two imperial guards, before dispelling both to deliver a message to the Emperor. He isn’t just cruel, he’s cruel in his own flavor. This could absolutely work against a lesser villain, but the writers knew how to write a ruthless warlord so well. Contrary to most villains of his studio, he isn’t intended to entertain or make light of for even a moment, making him feel almost like a Walt era villain in the same tone as Maleficent rather than the more theatrical and even comedic tone of the other Renaissance villains. Right off the bat, Shan Yu cuts an imposing figure, easily one of the scariest looking Disney villains out there. We don’t hear any long story as to how or why he wants the emperor to bow to him, but he’s so driven and proud of his work that you go along with him and buy him as a threat. His evil isn’t a goal so much as it is a lifestyle. Quite simply, the Hun Army is out to terrorize and conquer, because it’s what they do, and the thing is because he’s such a realistic warlord, you never really question him. Shan Yu is the leader of the hun army, and truth is, we don’t know that much else about him. Considering this MO, you’d think that an attempt to create an example of ‘less is more’ wouldn’t end so well, and yet, Mulan wound up carrying a very cool villain in the form of Shan Yu. Disney villains are well known for, like their movies, being over the top and huge in scope, practically exploding with charm and personality and more often than not, a gigantic musical number. ![]()
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