Shaolin Wuzang

Shaolin Wuzang is a Franco-Chinese-produced animated series from 2006.

Many centuries ago, in imperial China, a demon named Heihu is terrorizing the province of Henan. His followers, thugs calling themselves the "Black Foxes", plunder and raze villages, making life miserable. The population turns to the three knights of Shaolin for help, who succeed in sealing Heihu away in a magical prison. The Black Foxes eventually break up, and the land is at peace once more.

Fast forward a thousand years to the early 17th century, where Heihu's prison has finally weakened, allowing him to escape. He possesses a nearby woman who happens to come across his prison, then immediately sets out to restore his power. Gathering a new legion of Black Foxes, he turns his sights to the Books of Power -- sacred artifacts containing the secrets of the gods. Nobody knows where the Second Book of Power is located, but the first is kept at the Temple of Shaolin. He succeeds in stealing it away, despite attempts to stop him.

Well aware of the situation's graveness, the grand master Sanzang consults the spirits of the past grand masters of Shaolin. They tell him that only three people will be able to defeat Heihu for good: the reincarnations of the three Shaolin knights who succeeded against him one thousand years ago. Sanzang finds the three of them -- and they're just kids. They're going to need years of training before they're ready to take on Heihu, but it's the only way. Their names are Hua, Cheng, and Tang; they are the Shaolin Wuzang.

Tropes used in Shaolin Wuzang include:
  • Action Girl: Hua.
  • All There in the Manual: It's never actually mentioned in-series when the show takes place, but the official website (which is in French) says that it takes place in the 17th century, that Heihu was active during the Sui Dynasty, and that he escaped during the Ming Dynasty. Given his thousand year imprisonment, that puts his escape at somewhere from 1600-1618. We don't know how long after that till he makes off with the Second Book of Power, but it's mentioned that he'd been gathering followers at an alarming rate, so at the very least, he's not one to dally.
  • Ancestral Weapon: Tang's sword.
  • Animal Battle Aura
  • Bare Your Midriff: Hua.
  • Big Bad: Heihu.
  • Big Eater: Cheng.
  • The Chosen One
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Master Luong-Doi. Incredibly absent-minded, but a powerful warrior when he's got his act together.
    • Wan Shun, the seemingly cowardly fortune-teller, who was actually part of a ruse to try and retrieve the First Book of Power. By the end of the episode, he becomes one of the few people to know who the trio really are.
  • Defeat by Modesty: Tang has done this against Black Foxes a couple of times.
  • Demonic Possession: The woman who becomes possessed by Heihu.
  • Dramatic Wind: Often.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: Heihu.
  • Eyecatch: Two, both of which feature Cheng making the show's title appear by throwing flames around. Note: nowhere in the actual series does he demonstrate this ability.[1]
  • Faceless Goons: The Black Foxes, who all wear identical clothes and masks.
  • Farm Boy: Cheng. And although it almost never comes up with her, Hua would count as a Farm Girl (the general idea, if not literally).
  • Flat Earth Atheist: Tang.
  • Flynning: Tang, whether he's fighting an enemy or an ally. Is probably strongly tied to the fact that it's a kid's show, and good guys aren't allowed to actually hurt anyone.
    • He even goes so far as to correct his opponents form while fighting them.

Tang: Too high, too low, too slow, too soft- your form is appalling!

  • Future Me Scares Me: "Deep Within The Mirror"
  • Game Face: When Heihu gets really angry, the black mask that forms his face will contract and turn yellow-green.
  • Hime Cut: Hua, although she wears it up most of the time.
  • Ki Attacks: As an incredibly advanced ability.
  • Kid Hero
  • Implausible Fencing Powers: Tang, in most fights. Most often 3 and 7 from the page.
  • Improbable Aiming Skills: Both averted and played straight.
    • The Mystic Bow of Yi makes any arrow strike its mark, even another arrow shot from it.
    • Cheng averts this, being a notoriously bad shot.

Tang: Well if your arrow hadn't hit his backside--
Cheng: It. Was. The. Wind.

  1. ↑ Although, since his tiger aura appears in fiery colors, one could argue that he would eventually develop this ability, just as Hua sometimes showed the ability to control water.
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