The Perfect Order to Watch Kung Fu Panda

With a lazy weekend coming through after a long week of studying, placements and tutoring, I felt the need to watch a few movies.

Then I thought, how about we go back a few years? Perhaps, we can go through action and watch the "Taken" franchise or we can go through comedy and watch the "Men in Black" franchise?

Hmm.

You've read the title. I watched Kung Fu Panda!

The idea that we should do things in chronological order seems to be a default setting for humans, whether it be getting ready for school, university or work - or how to bake a cake, makes sense right? I mean, we can't just pour the milk into the bowl first and then add the cereal! But with things, such as movies, we sure don't need to go in chronological order.

I'll summarise the order in which I would watch the Kung Fu Panda franchise since I have marathoned them.

Behold, the Dragon Warrior Order!

1. Kung Fu Panda 1 (2008)

2. Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (2008)

3. Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness

4. Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010)

5. Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011)

6. Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll (2016)

7. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

8. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

9. Panda Paws (2016)

10. Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny

THIS is how you watch the Kung Fu Panda movies, and I'm sure Shifu and Oogway would be proud of me! If you haven't yet seen them, copy and paste that order into your notes, and if you've already seen them and want to know why I destined the order like this, stick around. Minor spoilers are ahead.

So, we start with the first Kung Fu Panda (2008) because it's the first one to happen chronologically. It's ideal to learn about that transition of Po from being that waiter at the noodle restaurant to being part of the fireworks display as he stumbled down the stairs of Jade Palace.

We then move on to the first of the short films, Secrets of the Furious Five, which we get to learn about in-depth, in terms of their past and how they became the 'Furious Five'. Even though Po becomes the Dragon Warrior and has earned their respect by protecting the valley, he still admires them - that is kinda wholesome isn't it?

However, we then shift into the TV series Legends of Awesomeness, where we dive deeper into the training Po underwent on his perilous journey to firming the title of the Dragon Warrior. It seems that this series helps us to strengthen this empathetic connection we have with Po, as we see when he finally defeats Tai Lung with the Wuxi Finger Hold.

Skadoosh.

This then leads to the next short film, Kung Fu Panda Holiday, who we get to learn about the responsibilities of the Dragon Warrior. It lives up to the famous quote in the Spiderman franchise: "With great responsibility, comes with great power."

The next short films, Secrets of the Masters, Secrets of the Scrolls, develop further insight into the Masters, Ox, Croc and Rhino and how they ended up in Gongmen City, as well as the Scrolls where we learn more about the Furious Five.

In the second movie Kung Fu Panda 2, we see that team chemistry we have seen as Manchester Centurions did the impossible. To defeat the man - or peacock in this case - who is responsible for stealing the loving, caring family that he had.

Oh, sweet revenge.

Skadooshing to the third movie, we meet Po's biological father and he learns more about his origins and village. This time, with the collective power of his fellow panda villagers and the Furious Five, Po reached an internal state we wish we could reach in reality... peace.

Finally. moving onto the final short film Panda Paws (2016), we now learn about Mei Mei and her journey to becoming the ultimate ribbon dancer. Notice how we are learning more than the names of the characters...

Finally, we end with the television series Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny. Po spreads his expertise, strength and dragonesque skills, through four pandas - like Shifu and Po - who go along a journey to discovering their destiny - to save the world from malevolent powers.

And that is the Dragon Warrior Order!

If you have any questions or if you want to tell me that you've tried it out, please let me know!

Thank you so much for reading, and until next time, there are no accidents.