Is Master Shifu a red panda or raccoon?

It turns out Kung Fu Panda's Master Shifu is actually a red panda, which despite the name, has no connection to the giant panda family, and is also known by the not very flattering title of "lesser panda." Red pandas are native to places like Nepal and China and are roughly the size of a raccoon.

The films feature Po the panda (Jack Black), tiger Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), a praying mantis named Mantis (Seth Rogen), a snake named Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross).

One of the recent additions to their pack is a mixed breed dog named Master Shifu, who was found abandoned in a marketplace. The sweet little one has rickets, which caused physical deformations and kept him from using his front legs properly.

The correct translation to "tanuki" is raccoon dog. If it is translated as something else, it is most likely that the translator do not fully understood the word and translated to panda for simplicity.

Kai (voiced by J. K. Simmons) is a Chinese Black Pied cattle and the main antagonist of Kung Fu Panda 3. He was originally a friend and brother-in-arms to Grand Master Oogway, and was taught how to use chi by the pandas of the Secret Panda Village.

Master Oogway, the newest resident at the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station in Miami, is a foot-stool sized South American yellow-footed tortoise.

the pandas

Fascinated by the power, Oogway was taught by the pandas how to use it, but Kai was solely interested in increasing his own power, which he discovered he could do by taking the chi of others.

around 60-70 years

Shifu was shown of a younger age during flashback scenes in Kung Fu Panda 2 and the age can be considered to be around 60-70 years. Despite being a younger master, Shifu was a fearless trainer and molded Po in the franchise.

What we can say of Po is that he is at least 20 years old or in his 20s. His adoptive father Mr. Ping was quoted as saying that he “raised Po for 20 years” before finally telling him that he was adopted. Master Tigress is also at least 20 years old or in her 20s.

Tigress is the tritagonist of the Kung Fu Panda franchise. She is the strongest, serious and leader of the Furious Five, five of the strongest masters of Kung Fu in China. Many fans of the series consider her to be the main love interest of Po, the main character of the series.

Tabitha Galavan

Tigress is the name of three different comic book supervillains, all of whom have appeared in various series published by DC Comics. An original incarnation of Tigress called Tabitha Galavan appears in the live-action series Gotham, portrayed by Jessica Lucas.

Tigress first lived at the Bao Gu Orphanage as a cub, where she received help in controlling her strength and temper from Shifu, who later took her in as his student. Over the years, she trained under Shifu's strict instruction, developing into a powerful fighter and forming a stern personality.

Lord Shen

Lord Shen is the main antagonist of the Kung Fu Panda franchise.

Po's mother is a giant panda and the biological mother of Po. She was killed during the massacre of her home village by Lord Shen and his wolves. Her only appearance has been in the memories and dreams of Po in Kung Fu Panda 2 and Kung Fu Panda 3.

Ping is one of the supporting characters in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. He is Po's adoptive father and the owner of the noodle shop in the Valley of Peace.

Master Oogway picked Po on purpose knowing full that he could be the only one to defeat Tai Lung. Master Oogway, writer of the scrolls of Kung Fu, would have known the contents of the Dragon Scroll. Also knowing the Tai Lung's personality would have never fully grasped the scroll, would not have given it to him.

Tai Lung is a snow leopard, which, in the wild, is a predator of both the giant panda and the red panda.