Mulan is the perfect example of a Disney hero. She is brave, and a skilled fighter. She stands up against enemies that she could have only dreamed of, and that would have made even the bravest of men turn tail and run. However, there is much more to Mulan that qualifies her as a hero than her physical skill.
From the very beginning of the film, Mulan demonstrated that she had the heart of a hero. She was not always able to see that for herself, but her decisions throughout Mulan proved that she deserved every honor that was placed on her. Every step of the way, Mulan demonstrated what it meant to be a true hero, and various quotes throughout the movie prove it.
In one of the best songs from Mulan, she sang about how she knew that there was more to her than she or others could see from the outside. She had a warrior's spirit hiding within, but in her life at home, it never had an opportunity to come out.
Identifying that something was missing was Mulan's first step toward discovering her destiny. She tried her best to be who everyone else thought she should be, and she looked the part, but there was more inside just waiting to take over.
The training wasn't easy for Mulan, but she learned during that time that she had the mind and soul to be successful. She was the only one who was able to use the golden weights to retrieve the out-of-reach arrow, and that taught her to trust her instincts and think outside the box.
When battling Shan Yu, she could have easily taken him out with her final cannon. However, this would have still left an army of Huns that they were no match to stop. So she thought outside the box and made a more lasting plan.
Mulan's worst fear ultimately came true, and the fact that she was a woman was discovered. The penalty for this was death, and she knew it.
Instead of begging for her life, Mulan stated who she was, and why she had made the choice she had made. She didn't apologize, because she knew that she would do it again if it meant keeping her father alive. The fact that she knew her life was likely about to end and still maintained that truth was beyond impressive.
Through her training, Mulan started to slowly show her worth. Shang was not an easy man to impress, but her spirit showed through until he couldn't help but acknowledge that she, as Ping, was worthy of his trust.
When she single-handedly defeated the Hun army and saved his life, Shang knew that he owed her everything. He spared her life as a way to repay this debt, but also because she had earned his respect, even if he no longer understood who she was.
After all of her efforts to save her father, her fellow soldiers, and all of China, Mulan found herself alone and disgraced. At this moment, instead of acting out of anger or resentment, she stopped to look within.
She realized that she had not only ended up where she was because she wanted to save her father, but because she wanted to prove herself to be who she felt she could be. This reflection shows the kind of strength and maturity that every hero needs.
Despite having been cast out from the Chinese army, Mulan knew that she must act when she saw the Huns emerge from the snow after the avalanche.
After the way she had been thrown away simply for being a woman, it would have been completely understandable for Mulan to simply go home and warn her own family. However, she knew that that was not an option for who she was: a true hero.
As the head of the soldiers that had made a stand against the Huns, Shang was targeted by Shan Yu. Bent on seeking revenge, Shan Yu had him cornered, and Shang would never have outed Mulan as the one actually responsible for the avalanche.
However, Mulan could not let someone else take the fall for her actions. She dove in to save Shang, and despite the fact that Shan Yu is one of the scariest Disney villains, she revealed herself to him. This was a sacrifice that took the attention away from Shang long enough for him to escape.
The Emperor's summary of all that Mulan had done wrong showed perfectly how thinking outside the box and causing a little trouble could result in a favorable outcome.
No one else in the Chinese army could have done what Mulan had. She was already breaking the rules simply by existing, so she naturally had the bravery to do whatever needed to be done, even if it caused a little chaos. Through all of her actions, Mulan proved that she was a true hero.
Shang might not have immediately understood what the Emperor meant by this line, but it was clear to those who had watched Mulan's journey.
Despite all the pressures that she had been under, Mulan was able to thrive and discover the part of herself that she had always been looking for. The adversity that she faced was everything she needed to become the hero she always was inside.
Mulan was terrified to return home to her family, unsure how they would react to her deception. She came bearing the sword of Shan Yu, as well as a token from the Emperor, hoping that that would show her family that she had earned the honor that she had so wanted to bring them.
However, her father, who is one of the best Disney dads, demonstrated with this line that Mulan had always brought him honor, simply by being his daughter. While it had taken the events of the movie for Mulan to prove to herself that she was a true hero, her father had known it all along.
