Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight is a computer-animated series serving as a sequel to ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ and ‘Kung fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny’. Dragon Master Po (Jack Black) teams up with an English Knight, a bear named Luthera the Wanderin Blade (Rita Ora), to find 4 elemental weapons before two evil mages, weasel siblings Klaus (Chris Geere) and Veruca (Della Saba), can use them to raise an army of the dead.

Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers

Story

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 2 opens with Po, his dad Mr. Ping, Blade, and their thief friend, Rukhmini, the Lion-tailed macaque, leaving China behind and traveling to India.

They are still in search of the remaining Tianshang weapons, the storm wheels, and the wind helmet. Rukhmini already has the Whip of Endless Flame, whereas the weasels have the Wugao Gauntlet.

Their adventures in India lead to the group being joined by the spirit of Master Mastodon, who possesses Ping. Meanwhile, Klaus and Veruca get their hands on the wind helmet.

With Mastodon in tow, Po and the gang travel to a Mayan city named Tikal where they are forced to lock horns with their leader, Zuma, who possesses a storm wheel. To make matters worse, the weasels also enter the mix.

Performances

As voice acting goes, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 2 is laden with powerful performances. Jack Black returns as Po and adds his infectious energy to the show. Rita Ora as Wandering Blade is spot on, and even gets a moment to show off her brilliant singing skills.

The rest of the cast including James Hong, Della Saba, Chris Geere, Rahnuma Panthaky, Melissa Villaseñor, Martin Aistrope, Harvey Guillén, and Sarah-Nicole Robles, among others, also add the perfect flavor of entertainment to the show.

Positives

The new season retains the perfect balance of comedy and seriousness that the original trilogy of films was known for. Jack Black’s return as Po adds another dimension of nostalgia, fun, and entertainment to it.

It is interesting to see the show explore other cultures like Indian and Mayan. Although there might be some inaccuracies when it comes to representing them, none of it feels whitewashed, cliched, or derogatory.

The plotlines and character arcs are expanded further brilliantly, and season 2 also boasts some exhilarating action sequences. All the new characters that are introduced have a part to play and don’t feel like unnecessary additions.

Negatives

Season 2 suffers from the same issue its predecessor did, which is sub-par animation quality. Due to possible budget constraints of the show, it doesn’t even come close to the buttery smooth motion and high-quality effects that the films featured.

The final episode is a 45-minute short film that doesn’t add to the main plot. It is just a celebratory piece for the Lunar New Year. Although the intention behind it is earnest, you might not feel like sitting through the entirety of it.

Verdict

Despite the obvious drop in animation quality compared to the films, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 2 is refreshing, fun, and full of rich stories and character arcs. For fans of the franchise, it is a worthy addition to your watchlists.