"When my dadsent me to find the man who killed my mom... I told you I couldn't go through with it. I lied. I thought that I could change my name, start a new life, pretend like it never happened, but... she would hate the person I've become."
Xu Shang-Chi (Simplified Chinese: 徐尚气) is the son of Xu Wenwu and Ying Li, the older brother of Xu Xialing, and the current wielder of the Ten Rings. Since his childhood, Shang-Chi underwent a brutal training regime that turned him into a formidable martial artist; however, on a mission to avengehis mother's death, he chose to abandon the Ten Rings and leave his family past behind. Seeking to start a new life outside of his father's shadow, Shang-Chi fled to the United States of America, maintaining a peaceful life in San Francisco under the name Shaun with his friend Katy Chen. Eventually, the Ten Rings targeted Shang-Chi once again, so he joined forces with Chen and his sister Xu Xialing in order to oppose Wenwu in his quest to breach the Dark Gate of Ta Lo, which unleashed the Dweller-in-Darkness and the Soul Eaters. When his father sacrificed himself to save him, Shang-Chi inherited his mystical rings to defeat the Soul Eaters. Returning home, he began studying the rings when they emitted a signal.
Xu Shang-Chi was born to Xu Wenwu and Ying Li and was raised at the Ten Rings Headquarters in the mountains of China. During his childhood, his mother would often tell him about how his father had been the wielder of a set of mythical rings for thousands of years, how she and his father met, and the legend of Ta Lo and the Great Protector.[1] One night, as a bedtime story, Ying told Shang-Chi and his sister, Xu Xialing, about Ta Lo's guardians. Ying told the siblings about the Shishi protecting each other, which Shang-Chi likened to his protection of Xialing, who Ying then compared to the Jiu Wei Hu. Shang-Chi asked if the Jiu Wei Hu was as smart as the Qilin, which Ying described as unique in that it could swim and fly but chose to protect the grass. Ying explained the Fenghuang next, and Shang-Chi asked about the origami she had made. She explained that it depicted Morris, who would always be on their side. Shang-Chi saw a dragon and suggested it was most like him, which Ying agreed with. Shang-Chi said that he wanted to be a dragon when he grew up, and Ying said that he had a different path. Shang-Chi said that Ying's village was great due to all of the creatures and went to sleep while Ying said that it did not have quite everything.[4] One day, after his mother told these stories while folding origami dragons, she gifted Shang-Chi a green pendant necklace telling him that it could lead him home if he ever got lost.[1]
The family led a happy life until a past rival of his father, the Iron Gang, attacked their home. While Ying Li was teaching Shang-Chi the special martial arts style of the Ta Lo people, the Gang barged through the front gate. His mother sent him and his sister, Xu Xialing inside, where they watched from a window as their mother was killed by the Iron Gang. He then ran outside and held his mother's body as his father returned home and saw the carnage.[1]
Shang-Chi was present when Xu Wenwu decided to reclaim the rings and rebuild his army. After learning of the identity of his mother's killers, Shang-Chi accompanied Wenwu to a bar, where Wenwu attacked and killed several Iron Gang members in an attempt to find their leader. Wenwu then told a traumatized Shang-Chi that "A blood debt must be paid in blood" before asking him if he wanted to join him in his quest to kill his mother's killer. Shang-Chi agreed.
Shang-Chi training
Shang-Chi's father soon became distant from him and his sister, due to them reminding him of their mother. Shang-Chi was trained relentlessly between the ages 7 - 14 to become an expert martial arts fighter and assassin. He was eager to please and would often exercise so hard his knuckles would bleed. However, his father was proud of him and would take care of him. Shang-Chi trained well under the tutelage of Death Dealer, and eventually could beat over ten armed enemies at once.[1]
In 2014, at the age of fourteen, Shang-Chi was tasked by his father to kill the Iron Gang's leader. Before he left, Shang-Chi told Xu Xialing that he would be back in three days. He successful killed his target, getting revenge for his mother's murder, but he decided not to return home and fled to the United States of America.[1]
"I knew Katy was trouble the first day we met in high school. I was getting picked on a lot, all the reasons we all get picked on a lot. Plus, I had just moved to the U.S., so I was struggling with my English."
Shang-Chi moved to San Francisco, California, and changed his name to Shaun to ensure his father would be unable to track him, though he did not realize that he was already being tracked. He enrolled in school, and met Katy Chen, Soo, and John, who became his close friends. Shang-Chi was often bullied in school due to his Asian heritage, with people calling him "Gangnam Style" despite the fact that he was not Korean. Chen combated this bullying by randomly bursting into the song "Hotel California" as a distraction while she stole the bully's keys to his Ford Mustang. Chen, Shang-Chi, and Soo took his Mustang on a joyride. After graduating high school in 2017, Shang-Chi and Chen became valet workers for the Fairmont San Francisco company and Shang-Chi bought his own apartment. Shang-Chi became close to Chen's family during this time, often coming over to the Chen's apartment for breakfast before work.
In 2018, Shang-Chi survived the Snap. Despite the easy job, Shang-Chi and Chen disliked their job as being a valet workers, being bored of doing the same thing all of the time, and hoped to find another job. One day in 2024, Chen decided to take a resident's car for a joyride and pleaded with Shang-Chi to join her. Reluctantly, he went with her.
That night, Shang-Chi and Chen met up with Soo and her husband for dinner, where they discussed how they all met. After Soo told them they should do something with their lives, Shang-Chi and Chen decided to go to karaoke, as opposed to going to sleep. The next day, Shang-Chi went to the Chen Residence to meet up with Chen before work and have breakfast. As they went to leave, Chen's grandmother asked Shang-Chi when he was going to marry Chen, but he told her they were just friends.[1]
Shang-Chi and Katy Chen rode on the bus and were soon confronted by Ten Rings agents. Startled by their presence, Shang-Chi tried to act dismissive until they hurt Chen, forcing him to fight back and reveal his martial arts skills to a very startled Chen. Shang-Chi swiftly knocked down three of the thugs, unaware that Klev, a passenger, was recording the fight. He was then confronted by Razor Fist. Shang-Chi was forced on the defensive to avoid Razor Fist's blade which accidentally destroyed the bus' brakes and the bus driver was accidentally knocked unconscious, and Shang-Chi ran to the driver's seat to drive the bus.
Chen took the driver's seat trying to steer the runaway bus while Shang-Chi continued to fend off Razor Fist. Shang Chi noticed the bus was about to be torn in half and formulated a plan to get rid of the assailants; he tricked Razor Fist into completely breaking the side of the bus he was on while the rest of the passengers moved to the front of the bus while Shang-Chi tossed the other Ten Rings agents off the bus.
Shang-Chi finally instructed Chen to take a hard turn right causing the bus to finally break in half with Razor Fist in it while Shang-Chi jumped back to the front side. As Chen managed to stop the bus by slamming it into a garbage truck, Shang-Chi helped all the passengers exit the broken bus safely. but found out that his pendant had been snatched off his neck during the fight.[1]
Shang-Chi returned to his apartment and began to pack a bag with his belongings, when Katy Chen arrived. Chen demanded he explain to her what had occurred on the bus, but Shang-Chi told her he had no time and that he had to travel to China.
However, Chen told him to wait for her at the airport, as she felt she needed to go with him. Shang-Chi then left his apartment and headed for the San Francisco airport. There he met Chen and while on the flight, explained to her his past and how he was trained to kill by his father. He also revealed that his name wasn't Shaun, but Shang-Chi, which Chen teased him about, due to the two names sounded very similar. After landing in Macau, they headed for the postcard's origin.[1]
Shang-Chi and Katy Chen arrived at the Golden Daggers Club and were taken down an elevator, which seemed unstable. However, after they were dropped off, they were met by Jon Jon who eagerly welcomed them and showed them around the club. Jon Jon led them to the main cage where they watched Wong and the Abomination in a tournament. When Wong won the tournament, Shang-Chi and Chen went to see him in his chamber, but he left along with Abomination before they could speak. Jon Jon then announced that Shang-Chi would be the next contestant.
Shang-Chi prepares to fight his opponent
Shang-Chi was then instructed to take his shirt off and prepare for his opponent. However, when the opponent came into view, he realized that the opponent was Xu Xialing, his sister. Not wanting to fight her, he tried to explain why he was there, but she ignored him.
To his surprise, she demonstrated fighting skills that matched his, despite the fact that she never trained with him. Due to his being distracted and not wanting to fight her, she won the tournament and told him that she wasn't over the fact that he never returned for her years prior.[1]
Shang-Chi followed Xu Xialing and tried to explain to her the reason he was there, but was interrupted when Katy Chen caught up with them. Shang-Chi then told Xialing that he received her postcard and that his pendant had been stolen and hers was in danger. She told him that she hadn't sent him a postcard, but before they could discuss this further, the club was attacked by the Ten Rings agents. Jon Jon led Xialing to safety in an elevator, while Shang-Chi and Chen escaped through the window.
They found themselves on the supports of the building high above ground, and carefully proceeded to walk across. When the agents caught up to them, Shang-Chi told Chen to continue as he fought them off. Some agents chased after Chen and caused her to lose her balance and fall off the building, but she was saved by Xialing.
As they were escaping, Shang-Chi spotted Death Dealer arriving via helicopter and told Xialing to take Chen to safety. He then engaged in a duel against Death Dealer, nearly managing to defeat him, until they were stopped when his father, Xu Wenwu, walked into the area with other agents who had Chen and Xialing in their custody. Wenwu told Death Dealer to stand down and expressed his delight in being reunited with his son. However, Shang-Chi didn't share the same feeling.[1]
"She wants us to find her and bring her home, so we can be a family again." "Dad, Mom's gone. She's not talking to you from behind a gate, and she's not leaving any clues for us."
Shang-Chi, Xu Xialing, and Katy Chen were taken on board the helicopter and flown to the Ten Rings Headquarters. That night, Wenwu had dinner made for Shang-Chi, Chen, and Xialing and sat with them at his dinner table. During dinner, Wenwu told them about a terrorist who had mocked him by the name of Mandarin. Shang-Chi was asked to join Wenwu in his legacy, but Shang-Chi refused.
After dinner, Wenwu explained how he heard his wife's voice calling out to him and brought them to the Dragon statue, where he placed the pendants. This unlocked a small gate that unleashed water that formed a visual of Ta Lo. Wenwu told them that he wanted to go inside Ta Lo in order to rescue his wife. Shang-Chi, along with the others, believed he was mentally unstable. Afterwards, Wenwu ordered Shang-Chi and Xialing to accompany him, but when they refused, he knocked them to the ground and ordered them to be imprisoned. He then had Chen taken into custody as well.[1]
Shang-Chi, Katy Chen, and Xu Xialing found themselves in the prison and immediately heard a loud noise coming from somewhere within their containment. Shang-Chi and Chen went together to check it out and found a lit room with a mirror and a man sitting at a drawer. The man saw them and introduced himself as an actor named Trevor Slattery. Slattery told them what caused him to get there and why he was kept alive. Shang-Chi and Chen both were then startled when an unusual creature walked into the room. Slattery told them he was Morris and that he had come from Ta Lo. He then told them that Morris could help them get to Ta Lo, but that there was a low percentage of Morris remembering how too. They were then interrupted when Xialing broke into the room through a secret passageway and told them to follow her.
The passageway led to Headquarters' garage and they decided to take Razor Fist's Car to escape. When they found the car, Slattery was already inside. Chen took the driver's seat, while Shang-Chi and Xialing filed in the back. As they were driving off, Ten Rings agents arrived to stop them. Shang-Chi jumped out of the car to fight them off, and was soon joined by Xialing. Together, they defeated the agents and hopped back inside the car as they made their escape.[1]
After making their escape, Trevor Slattery interpreted what Morris was saying and by morning, Katy Chen had driven them to the edge of the forest. While driving through the forest, Shang-Chi grew worried after the trees began to move unnaturally and soon the forest appeared to close in on them. Slattery continued giving Chen directions, and they made it to a safe spot, just as the forest did in fact close on them. Slattery then told Chen to drive them through a nearby portal and they were then transported into the alternate dimension of Ta Lo.
As Chen continued to drive them through Ta Lo, Shang-Chi observed mythical creatures such as Shishi, Fenghuang, Jiu Wei Hu, and Qilin. They then came to the end of the road at the Ancient Village. They were greeted by Ying Nan and other Ta Lo natives who recognized Shang-Chi and Xialing due to their mother.[1]
"You are a product of all who came before you. The legacy of your family, the good and the bad, it is all a part of who you are. Stop hiding, nephew. It only prolongs the pain."
Shang-Chi was then given clothes native to Ta Lo and after getting dressed, he wandered around the village and found Ying Nan practicing her fighting skills in one area. After she saw him watching her, she offered for him to learn how to fight like his mother did.
Ying Nan then demonstrated to Shang-Chi how to fight like his mother did, and afterwards, invited him to try. When he had difficulty, she joined in and aided him. Eventually, he was able to master the skill. That night, he sat by the lake and was joined by Katy Chen, who told him that she had been training with archery and asked how he was doing.[1]
The next day, Shang-Chi, Katy Chen, and Xu Xialing were given new suits, while Ying Nan and the villagers prepared at the entrance to the Ancient Village. Xu Wenwu then arrived with Razor Fist, the Death Dealer, and the Ten Rings army. As Wenwu confronted the villagers, Ying told him that his wife was not behind the Dark Gate. Wenwu tried to persuade Shang-Chi, but Guang Bo ordered him to leave the village. Wenwu demanded that he gain passage to the Dark Gate, but instead, the villagers readied themselves for battle, seeing no other option. He had ordered his warriors to burn the village down.
As Wenwu made his way through, Xialing told Shang-Chi to go after their father, while the others fought the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi saw Wenwu walking towards his wife's memorial and ran after him. However, Razor Fist blocked Shang-Chi's path, swiping at him with his blade until Xialing kicked him aside. As Shang-Chi found his father, he approached him as they confronted each other. Wenwu threatened Shang-Chi, but Shang-Chi told him he wasn't afraid.
Pushing him aside, Wenwu taunted him as the two fought, eventually kicking Shang-Chi to the ground. Wenwu reprimanded him for his inactions to save his wife as Wenwu pushed Shang-Chi outside of the memorial. The two continued battling each other until Shang-Chi gained the upper hand using a pole, accusing Wenwu of choosing the rings over his mother. Knocking Wenwu down, Shang-Chi told him that his family needed him, but Wenwu used the rings to send Shang-Chi flying into the lake, leaving him in an unconscious state.
An unconscious Shang-Chi floated to the bottom of the lake. However, after regaining consciousness, he nearly drowned but was rescued by the Great Protector. The Great Protector made eye contact with him and lifted him out of the water. When they surfaced, Shang-Chi saw that Soul Eaters had been released from the Dark Gate and were attacking the Ancient Village. The Great Protector quickly killed some along the way as they made it over to the Village.
After the Great Protector dropped Shang-Chi off by the Dark Gate, Shang-Chi found his father and approached him. During their duel, Shang-Chi gets the upper hand and causes Wenwu to lose control of his rings. Shang-Chi then took possession of the rings and pleaded with his father to just be his father, again, giving the rings back to him. However, they were interrupted when the Gates broke and the Dweller-in-Darkness was released. To Shang-Chi's distress, the Dweller captured Wenwu. In order to save Shang-Chi, Wenwu passed the rings on to him, sacrificing himself as the Dweller devoured his soul.
Shang-Chi was then rescued by Xialing and the Great Protector. However, the Dweller caught up to them and nearly killed the Great Protector, but Chen saved her using the bow and arrow. With Xialing and the Great Protector's help, Shang-Chi then used the rings to destroy the Dweller, ending the battle.[1]
Following this, the Great Protector took Shang-Chi and Xialing back to the Ancient Village. Shang-Chi was then met by Katy Chen, who ran over to hug him. That night, Ying Nan led the villagers in a lantern ceremony, detailing how those who have died will always be with them in spirit. As the villagers placed their lanterns by the water one by one, Chen rested on Shang-Chi's shoulders as he looked towards the lights and saw the Great Protector flying above them.[1]
"I know this is a lot to take in, but you're gonna have to start getting used to that. From now on, the trajectory of your lives will be like nothing you've ever experienced before. And there's no going back. You both have a long journey ahead of you."
Shang-Chi and Katy Chen returned to San Francisco and met their friends, Soo and John, at their favourite restaurant. While they were eating, they told their friends about their recent experiences, but Soo and John didn't believe them. However, an Inter-Dimensional Portal appeared behind them and Wong stepped out into the restaurant. He called for Shang-Chi, and when Shang-Chi stood up, he told him and Chen to come with him, much to their friends and the rest of the public's amazement. Shang-Chi and Chen followed Wong and were transported to Kamar-Taj in Nepal.
There they met Carol Danvers and Bruce Banner via holographic call and Wong discussed the rings, telling Shang-Chi that after he used it, it sent out a beacon to a location unknown. Danvers reported that the rings weren't alien technology and Banner said they weren't vibranium and that they were far older than the thousand years for which Wenwu had been using them. Wong told them that whatever they were and whatever their origin was, it was nothing that had yet been documented in the sorcerers' archives.
With no clear knowledge of what the rings were capable of, Wong explained that he wanted to know where the location of the beacon went. Danvers suddenly had to leave to answer an alert, telling Shang-Chi it was nice to meet him. Banner welcomed Shang-Chi and Chen to their world of heroes before signing off.
Wong then told them that their lives had changed and that there was no going back. He told them to get rest, but Shang-Chi suggested they go to a bar and sing karaoke. Shang-Chi and Chen then returned to San Francisco and were joined by Wong, who accompanied them to a bar where they sang karaoke to the "Hotel California" song.[1]
Personality[]
"It's time for you to take your place by my side." "That's not going to happen."
Shang-Chi is an extremely calm, confident, fearless individual who is not afraid to step up to those who are supposedly above him, as shown by how he was not afraid of his father despite his imposing nature upon him. Despite being an incredibly trained martial artist thanks to his for father Shang-Chi seems to loathe violence to an extent fighting only to protect himself or others, he resisted against fighting the Ten Rings soldiers trying to take his pendant until one of them harmed Katy Chen and only fought Xu Xialing in an attempt to get her to listen to him and even then he fought noticeably to defend rather than attack which cost him to lose the match to Xialing.
Shang-Chi is shown to be an incredibly responsible, loving, and caring person who loves his family and friends, being willing to do anything for their happiness. He cares deeply about his family, no matter how they treat him, as shown by how he did not kill Xu Wenwu, despite how he continuously manipulated him for his own selfish motives. Shang-Chi has a certain aura of justice surrounding him as seen by how he never wanted any innocent people to get hurt during the hijacking of the bus. Also, Shang-Chi was quick to forgive his father for actions and sister for attacking him, as he doesn't blame her for being mad at him.
Shang-Chi was afraid of acknowledging his own past and accepting his mistakes. For the ten years that he lived in San Francisco under the name "Shaun", he would always avoid the topic of his past or his family and was ashamed to see his sister again after abandoning her. Even after being forced to reveal his past to Chen, Shang-Chi still omitted the fact that he did murder the Iron Gang Leader, and instead lied that he got cold feet and ran away from the mission. During his training with Ying-Nan, she pointed out that Shang-Chi was hesitant to use the same martial arts style that his mother used to defeat his father in the past. It was not until Shang-Chi's encounter with the Great Protector and witnessing Wenwu sacrifice his own life to give him the rings that Shang-Chi learned to stop running away from his true self and came to terms with his lineage, both the good and the bad of it.
The Ten Rings granted Shang-Chi with a variety of superhuman abilities, including enhanced strength, durability, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes, nigh-immortality, and the ability to manipulate the rings at will. When the rings were used by Shang-Chi, they generated an aura of orange, golden, and transparent energy currents around them, while an aura of orange and golden dim light was running through the veins of his body, whereas they glowed blue and purple while being used by Wenwu. During his time at Ta Lo, Shang-Chi learned how to master his own innate energy at will, during which he became extremely skilled at using the rings, even possibly surpassing the original user of the rings, his father, Wenwu, who has over a thousand years of experience with them, as Shang-Chi was able to take control of the rings away from Wenwu by using the unique martial arts practiced in Ta Lo to redirect their energy, and later even took control of all the rings. After Shang-Chi obtained all Ten Rings, they demonstrated new abilities when used in conjunction with the abilities granted by the Great Protector. Shang-Chi used the rings to project an energy blast that was powerful enough to kill the Dweller-in-Darkness with a single blow; the energy released from the attack was powerful enough to be detected by the Masters of the Mystic Arts all the way in Kamar-Taj.
Shang-Chi's physical strength is enhanced to a superhuman level by the Ten Rings, numerous times stronger than any normal human being. The enhanced strength granted by the rings is proportional to how many rings Shang-Chi is wearing at once. He usually keeps five rings on each arm to evenly distribute his strength enhancement, but can double the power of his punches by moving all rings to a single arm. When Shang-Chi was fighting against Wenwu, he wore the rings on his leg to enhance the strength of his kicks, using them to kick his father, strong enough to generate a huge shockwave around them. His enhanced strength allows him to equally match against Wenwu, when they both had five rings each, they battled for control over the rings, eventually finding themselves locked in a pull of power between the rings, with each using five of the rings to attempt to pull them away from the other, ending up in stalemate, as well as being able to fling him several metres away. He later was able to successfully prevent Xu Xialing from being grabbed by the Dweller-in-Darkness.
Superhuman Durability: Shang-Chi's durability is enhanced by Ten Rings, making him very resistant to physical and energy damage, as well as being able to withstand falling from immense heights that would definitely kill a normal human. During the battle against Wenwu, Shang-Chi was being launched very high up into the air by one of the rings from his father, and then being shot all five rings onto him at once, causing him to crash into the ground from a considerable height at a very high speed. Shang-Chi was able to withstand and survive all these vicious attacks without any injury. He later dropped down from the Great Protector onto the Dweller-in-Darkness from a considerable height, landing safely and continuing to run afterwards.
Shang-Chi's speed is enhanced by the Ten Rings, allowing him to run and move at great levels of speed. He was able to keep up with the Great Protector even though she was flying, and running on both the Great Protector and the Dweller-in-Darkness at great speeds. He was fast enough to go toe-to-toe with Wenwu when they both had five rings each.
Superhuman Agility: Shang-Chi's agility is enhanced by the Ten Rings, allowing him to coordinate his body with perfect balance, equilibrium, flexibility, and dexterity, as well as leaping great distances and heights with precision. Shang-Chi uses the rings as a means of propulsion to launch himself into the air, or telepathically controlling the rings to be used as platforms to land on and move through the air. During the battle against his Wenwu, Shang-Chi used the rings as platforms to step on in order to gain a higher position to kick him. He was able to contort his body mid-air and maintain his balance when landing after his father was pushing him back several metres away through the air. He later used the rings to launch himself high up into the air and safely land on the Great Protector, and used them as platforms to move through the air to land back onto her, after being flung off when the Great Protector and the Dweller-in-Darkness crashed onto each other. He was also able to jump and leap from the Great Protector onto Dweller-in-Darkness with ease. During the battle against the Dweller-in-Darkness, Shang-Chi used them as platforms to move through the air, swiftly dodging the attacks, and holding one of the rings to swing and safely land on it. Moreover, he was able to easily run on both the Great Protector and the Dweller-in-Darkness without losing balance, even though they were both flying at high speeds. At the very end of the Battle of Ta Lo, he used the rings to launch himself several hundred metres up from the Dweller-in-Darkness towards the sky.
Superhuman Stamina: Shang-Chi's stamina is enhanced by the Ten Rings, allowing him to exert himself at peak capacity for long periods of time without tiring or showing any sign of fatigue. He was able to fight against Wenwu for an extended period of time without tiring, and later had enough strength to battle the Dweller-in-Darkness for a long period of time without showing any sign of fatigue, ultimately killing it.
Shang-Chi's reflexes are enhanced by the Ten Rings, allowing him to react and dodge objects travelling at high speeds. During the battle against Wenwu, his reflexes were sharp and fast enough to dodge or block his father, rapid and powerful attacks at close range with ease. During the battle against the Dweller-in-Darkness, Shang-Chi's reflexes allow him to quickly catch Xu Xialing the moment he saw she was being grabbed away by the Dweller-in-Darkness, and swiftly dodging the Dweller-in-Darkness's tentacles attacks at close range.
Nigh-Immortality: The Ten Rings stop Shang-Chi from ageing as long as they are worn, as well as preventing him to die from natural causes, such as earthly infections, diseases, and disorders, making him near-immortal. However, the rings do not grant him true immortality as they cannot protect the user from fatal injuries or supernatural causes of death, as seen when Wenwu's soul was extracted by the Dweller-in-Darkness.
Weapon Calling: The Ten Rings obeyed Shang-Chi calling as though they were driven by a form of intelligence and self-awareness. He was able to telepathically control and use them as weapons in various ways to attack his opponents, and would return to him whenever he wanted.
Energy Manipulation: Shang-Chi can control and manipulate energy fields emitted by the Ten Rings at will, generating an aura of orange, golden, and transparent energy currents. He can use them for a variety of purposes, such as firing them individually or together as high-powered projectiles, having the rings hover through the air to use them as platforms, extending the rings as energy chain to use as a whip, blocking or deflecting attacks from opponents, creating an energy ball, shooting the rings towards the ground to launch himself high up into the air, creating a rope, and projecting an energy blast.
Shang-Chi can shoot the Ten Rings individually or together as energy projectiles. During his battle against Wenwu, Shang-Chi shot his five rings to attack him while simultaneously deflecting his attacks, and later shooting five of his rings to the mountain right above the Dark Gate, which caused the rocks to collapse and successfully seal the gate, preventing more Soul Eaters from coming out. Shang-Chi can also shoot the rings towards the ground to launch himself high up into the air. After battling against Wenwu, he shot all of his rings towards the ground and launched himself high up into the air and safely landed on the Great Protector, and again launching himself several hundred metres up from the Dweller-in-Darkness towards the sky.
Energy Blast: Shang-Chi can use the Ten Rings to create an energy ball or project an energy blast. After Shang-Chi obtained all Ten Rings, he used them to create an energy ball. As the rings spun faster, the power of it increased, preparing to fire a deadly blast of energy at Wenwu. In conjunction with the abilities granted by the Great Protector, Shang-Chi used the rings to project an energy blast that was powerful enough to kill the Dweller-in-Darkness with a single blow, penetrating inside its body, generating a powerful shockwave and completely disintegrating it as it explodes.
Chain Creation:
Shang-Chi creates an energy chain
Shang-Chi can extend the Ten Rings as energy chain to use as a whip. He used five of his rings to form an energy chain to fight against Wenwu using his own five rings. The rings are strongly held together by a magic energy field, when they battled for control over the rings, neither of them can break each other's energy whip with each using five of the rings to attempt to pull them away from the other, which locked in a pull of power between the rings and ending up in stalemate. He also used them to briefly entangle Wenwu and fling him several meters away.
Platform Creation: Shang-Chi can use the Ten Rings to create platforms under his feet. He used five of his rings to form as a platform to hit on Wenwu with a flying kick.
Rope Generation: Shang-Chi can use the Ten Rings to create ropes. Wearing five rings in each of his arms, he put two rings onto her arm to form an energy rope around both their arms, strong enough to hold onto Xu Xialing and prevent her from being grabbed by the Dweller-in-Darkness, while also putting two rings onto the hair of the Great Protector to prevent both of them from being grabbed by it as he was trying to save his sister.
Superhuman Strength: Through bonding with the Great Protector, Shang-Chi had enhanced strength, as seen in the Battle of Ta Lo, he managed to fight with Xu Wenwu while being empowered by the Ten Rings.
Superhuman Durability: Through bonding with the Great Protector, Shang-Chi had enhanced durability, as seen by how he withstood multiple attacks from Wenwu's Ten Rings. During the fight with his father, he was smashed against a rock by all the Ten Rings; however, he emerged completely unharmed from a blow that would have killed a normal human.
Superhuman Speed: Shang-Chi's speed is enhanced by his bonding with the Great Protector, allowing him to run and move at incredible levels of speed, much faster than any normal human being. He was fast enough to go toe-to-toe with Wenwu while the later wear the Ten Rings.
Superhuman Agility: Through bonding with the Great Protector, Shang-Chi gained far greater agility, equilibrium, flexibility, dexterity, balance, and body coordination than any normal human being. He was able to outmatch his father in agility during their battle, despite the latter possessing the Ten Rings.
Superhuman Stamina: Shang-Chi's stamina was enhanced by his bonding with the Great Protector, allowing him to exert himself at peak capacity for long periods of time without tiring or showing any sign of fatigue. He was able to fight against Wenwu for an extended period of time without tiring.
Superhuman Reflexes: Shang-Chi gained incredible reflexes after bonding with the Great Protector. He was able to react and dodge objects traveling at high speeds, much quicker than any normal human being. This also enhanced his reaction time, to the point where he dodged Wenwu' Ten Rings projectiles at point-blank range.
Air Manipulation: Through bonding with the Great Protector, Shang-Chi can freely manipulate air and thus enhanced several physical attributes including strength, durability, speed and agility. During his battle with his father, Shang-Chi learned to telekinetically use air to control five of the Ten Rings and use them to his advantage. After obtaining all the Ten Rings, he realized that he did not need this power to control the rings as he pleased.
Force-Field Generation: Shang-Chi can create a barrier of air in order to evade attacks from his opponents.
Air Blasts: Shang-Chi can generate powerful air blasts against his opponents.
Hurricane Generation: Shang-Chi can use the Great Protector's blessing to cause small but intense storms with high wind speeds.
Shang Chi is an extremely skilled and formidable hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist, having been trained very harshly and extensively by his father and Death Dealer ever since he was a child, making him one of the most powerful and best fighters on the planet. His fighting style includes several styles of kung fu, such as Shaolin-style, Bajiquan, tai chi, Wing Chun and wushu, as well as taekwondo, muay Thai, silat, Krav Maga, jujutsu, and boxing. Shang-Chi was able to easily defeat unarmed several trained members of the Ten Rings simultaneously. He was even able to defeat his mentor Death Dealer, going toe-to-toe against him and even almost killing him if not for the intervention of his father. After training in Ta Lo for only a short period of time, he became skilled enough to face his father with help from his staff, even when he was using the Ten Rings. At one point, Shang-Chi even temporarily gained the upper hand and knocked him down with a kick, though he was ultimately no match for him. However, after fully understanding the fighting style of Ta Lo, he was finally able to go toe-to-toe with Wenwu and took half of the Ten Rings in the process. Then, he was able to compete with Wenwu in a fair hand-to-hand battle, evenly matched against Wenwu and even gaining the upper hand at times, ultimately ending the fight at a standstill. Shang-Chi has also been trained with all kinds of weapons since the age of seven.
Shang-Chi is extremely skilled at using a staff in combat. He was able to put up a reasonable fight against his father for a while even when he was using the Ten Rings, fending off his attacks and launching his own, and being able to deflect the rings thrown at him as projectiles and even temporarily gain the upper hand, before he was ultimately defeated and his staff was broken. He could also improvise a broken bus pole against several assassins.
Knife Mastery: Shang-Chi is extremely skilled at using a knife in combat. During his fight against Death Dealer, Shang-Chi was able to disarm him and use his knives to fight against him, going toe-to-toe against him and even almost killing him if not being intervened by Wenwu.
Chain Mastery: Shang-Chi is extremely skilled at using a chain in combat, being able to use the Ten Rings to conjure an energy whip. He was able to be evenly matched against Wenwu when they were both using the Ten Rings to conjure a whip during the battle of Ta Lo.
Rope Dart Mastery: Like his sister Xu Xialing, Shang-Chi is extremely skilled at using a rope dart in combat, often using them during his training.
Master Marksman: Shang-Chi is an extremely skilled marksman. He could launch his rings with force and accuracy.
Shang-Chi's years of training have made him an extremely skilled acrobat, gymnast, and aerialist, being able to fluidly dodge attacks from multiple directions using coordinated flips, twists, and sharp turns without losing balance. He often utilizes these talents in combat for both evasive and offensive purposes. He was able to use numerous complex acrobatic manoeuvres with ease during the fight against many members of the Ten Rings, Razor Fist, Death Dealer and later the battle with Wenwu.
"From sun up to sun down, I was taught every possible way to kill a man."
Master Assassin: Shang-Chi is an extremely skilled assassin, being taught every possible way to kill people since he was seven, up until the age of fifteen. Shang-Chi accomplished the difficult task of being able to kill the Iron Gang's leader despite only being fourteen years old, under orders from his father. Further, through his immense skillset, Shang-Chi was able to defeat his former teacher, the Death Dealer, even after the former's attempts to kill him.
"You have to strengthen your mind along with your body."
Gifted Intellect: Shang-Chi has a gifted intellect as shown by his mastery of speaking four languages, being able to deduce when and how to turn the bus. Perhaps the biggest feat of his intellect was being able to deduce how to defeat his father Wenwu from mere memories of his mother many years ago, along with some training with his aunt, Ying Nan.
Multilingualism: Shang-Chi is fluent in four languages, including his native Mandarin, as well as English.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
Knife: At the age of fourteen, before his father sent him to kill the Iron Gang's leader, his father gave him a special dagger so he could kill the leader.
Death Dealer's Daggers: Shang-Chi gained possession of his former mentor's daggers after taking them away after his attempt at assassinating him.
Dragon Scale Staff: Shang-Chi gained the possession of this staff by Ying Nan to prepare for the Battle of Ta Lo and used it against his father, notably deflecting the Ten Rings launched at him.
Ten Rings: After defeating his father Xu Wenwu in combat and proving his worth to him, Wenwu bequeathed the rings to Shang-Chi shortly before the Dweller-in-Darkness consumed his soul.
Other Equipment[]
Eye of the Dragon: It is an emerald pendant from one of two bestowed on Shang-Chi by his mother, Ying Li. While Ying Li was still raising Shang-Chi and Xialing, she gave one of the Eyes to Shang-Chi, reminding him of their family's legacy, while giving the other to his sister Xu Xialing. Together, the Eyes of the Dragon are capable of revealing the safe pathway of Ta Lo, though it could only be shown after they are inserted into the dragon head bust. Shang-Chi's Eye was stolen by Wenwu's gang during the attack on the bus.
Dragon Scale Armor: It is an incredibly durable armour made by dragon scales bestowed on him by his aunt, Ying Nan. At a point in time, Shang-Chi went to Ta Lo and left this for him in her possession. Shang-Chi used this during the Battle of Ta Lo, to protect himself. The armor also allow him to withstand being thrown across the lake by an energy blast projected from the Ten Rings onto his chest without causing major injuries.
In the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of Zheng Zu, and his name means "the rising and advancing of the spirit." Shang-Chi became known for being the master of kung fu and a member of the Avengers.
In the comics, the Mandarin has an estranged son named Temugin, who tried to kill Iron Man under his father's orders but eventually reformed, joining the Atlas Foundation as Jimmy Woo's second in command,.
His surname is Xú (徐). His given name is "尚气" (Simplified Chinese) or "尚氣" (Traditional Chinese). The Hanyu Pinyin system romanizes it as "Shàng qì" (pronounced "Sh-ah-ng chee") in Mandarin and "Seung hei" in Cantonese. The name in the movie (Shang-Chi) is spelt using the older Wade–Giles romanization system. His given name can be translated to "the rising and advancing of the spirit."
Shang-Chi's physical conditioning is similar to that of Iron Fist's training with the Order of the Crane Mother, as they were both repeatedly stricken with wooden poles.
↑Translates from Mandarin to: "I will always be a part of you. And your dad will too. Take everything we've given you and make it your own. I'm so proud of you. Our family needs you. Go."
↑Translates from Mandarin to: I don't want any trouble.
↑Translates from Mandarin to: Then give us the pendant!
↑Translates from Mandarin to: "Stop it! I'm trying to help you! Dad's coming for you. I'm not fighting you."
↑Translates from Mandarin to: "You shouldn't have come back."
↑Translates from Mandarin to: "Hi there! I am Xu Shang-Chi. This is my sister, Xu Xialing. We're Ying Li's children. This is my friend, Katy."
↑Translates from Mandarin to: "Get in your car and go home!"
↑Translates from Mandarin to: "Please. You don't understand."
↑Translates from Mandarin to: "You have the heart of our dragon."
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (flashbacks)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Who Guards My Sleep
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Episode 1.09: Whose Show is This? (photo)
Shang-Chi 2 (unreleased)[2]
.png){kind=link}
.png){kind=link}
