Xiaolin Showdown is an American animated television series created by Christy Hui, that originally aired on Kids WB. The series follows four young warriors in training that battle the forces of evil. They do this by protecting Shen Gong Wu (ancient artifacts that have great magical powers) from villains that would use them to conquer the world.
Originally premiering on the Kids' WB block of programming on the WB Network in 2003, the series ran for 3 seasons and 52 episodes. Typical episodes revolve around a specific Shen Gong Wu being revealed which results in both sides racing to find it. Episodes usually reach a head when one good and one evil character must challenge each other to a magical duel called a Xiaolin Showdown for possession of the artifact.
The series later aired on Cartoon Network (including on the Miguzi block) in the United States and on Toonami UK in the United Kingdom.
Xiaolin Chronicles, a loose continuation of the series was previewed on August 26, 2013 on Disney XD and the series began its long-term run on September 14 the same year.
Plot[]
Season One[]
Four young martial artists – Omi, Kimiko, Raimundo, and Clay – are forced into cooperation at the Xiaolin Temple after learning they are the Chosen Ones, monks chosen to become Xiaolin Dragons. At first things are difficult, but soon they become friends and are able to work together to search for Shen Gong Wu. Along the way, they must battle the bumbling Jack Spicer, "evil boy genius", and the Heylin ghost-witch Wuya, who Jack accidentally frees from a 1500 year imprisonment in a puzzle box. Through thievery, Spicer eventually possesses enough Shen Gong Wu to form Mala Mala Jong, an ancient monster that Wuya uses to help her gain control of the world. Raimundo defies orders and fights the monster, causing the remaining monks to fight and defend the remaining Shen Gong Wu in the Temple's possession. All the monks, except for Raimundo, are promoted to Xiaolin Apprentices due to their bravery. Enraged and humiliated, Raimundo joins the Heylin side as Wuya's new assistant and helps her regain her human form.
Season Two[]
Omi travels back in time and receives a second puzzle box from Grand Master Dashi, the Xiaolin monk who initially trapped Wuya. However, with no way back to the future, he freezes himself using the Orb of Tornami. In the present time, the frozen Omi – buried underneath Wuya's palace for 1500 years – breaks free of the ice with the puzzle box in hand. Raimundo, repulsed by the Heylin side, decides that his rightful place belongs in the Xiaolin Temple and traps Wuya in the new puzzle box. After returning to the Temple, the monks continue the search for Shen Gong Wu. Eventually, Master Fung promotes Raimundo to Xiaolin Apprentice along with the others.
After this, the monks are introduced to Xiaolin monk-turned-evil villain Chase Young. Chase takes an interest in Omi and becomes determined to manipulate the young monk's mind into joining the Heylin side. When Master Fung becomes trapped in the Ying-Yang world, Omi asks for help from Chase; he succeeds in rescuing Master Fung, but upon leaving the Ying-Yang world, his bad chi takes over and he joins the Heylin side. Chase restores Wuya to her human form, though he takes her powers. The remaining monks soon learn that Chase had sent Master Fung into the Ying-Yang world knowing the events that would unfold afterwards, including Omi joining his side.
Season Three[]
The monks travel to the Ying-Yang world to retrieve Omi's good chi and return him to the Xiaolin side. After returning Omi's good chi to him and gaining him back, the monks are promoted yet again to Wudai Warriors. They are then introduced to Hannibal Roy Bean, an evil villain who lives in the Ying-Yang world and was responsible for turning Chase Young evil.
Toward the end of their journey, Master Fung tells the monks that they have one final quest before the Shoku Warrior will be revealed. Omi decides that he will stop Hannibal Bean from turning Chase to the Heylin Side; he ends up freezing himself in order to travel to the future to find the Sands of Time, and through time travel, he succeeds by switching the Lao-Mang-Long Soup with pea soup. However, when he returns to his present time, he learns that his actions have made things worse: instead of Chase joining the Heylin side, it is their ally and Chase's former friend Master Monk Guan whom Hannibal Bean turns evil after failing to turn Chase evil. The monks and Chase are captured by Hannibal Bean, Wuya, and the evil Guan; Chase sacrifices his good self to save the monks and give them the opportunity to fight and return everything to the way it was. The monks succeed, and the timeline is fixed.
At the end of the series, Raimundo, who willingly attempted to turn evil for his comrades as well as succeeding in the final Xiaolin Showdown, is revealed as the team leader, also known as Shoku Warrior. The series concludes with every villain attacking the temple, and the Wudai Warriors led by the Shoku Warrior proceeding to counterattack.
Mystical Elements[]
Shen Gong Wu[]
The focus of the series is on collecting the fictional Shen Gong Wu, mystical artifacts that have magical powers, activated by saying the artifact's name aloud. Wuya's release caused Shen Gong Wu to reveal themselves. They are primarily used in Xiaolin Showdowns. The first Xiaolin Showdown was between Grand Master Dashi and Wuya. It was a great battle, in which Dashi used the Shen Gong Wu against Wuya's Heylin magic. Eventually, Grand Master Dashi was the victor, and Wuya was trapped within a mystical puzzle box. Determined to ensure that Wuya would not be able to get her hands on the Shen Gong Wu and rule the world with them, Grand Master Dashi and the dragon Dojo hid them all over the world. Dashi then created the Xiaolin Temple and began a lineage of Xiaolin Warriors to prevent the Shen Gong Wu from falling into the wrong hands. Should Wuya ever be freed, the Xiaolin Warriors would rise up and fight the forces of the Heylin.
A Shen Gong Wu can only be located when it chooses to reveal itself, at that point both Wuya and Dojo can sense its activation and can find its general location. Wuya can tell what Shen Gong Wu has revealed itself, while the Xiaolin must defer to the Ancient Scroll of the Shen Gong Wu to find out which one has been revealed. Chase Young is also capable of anticipating when a new Shen Gong Wu is revealed.
There are two occasions during which astronomical events affect the Shen Gong Wu. When the planets align themselves, the Shen Gong Wu gather to form Mala Mala Jong. When the rare Heylin Comet flies over Earth, the Shen Gong Wu come alive and take over their user. Raimundo was subject to the Heylin Comet's magic in the episode "The Last Temptation of Raimundo", and he was taken over by the Golden Tiger Claws, Third Arm Sash, Helmet of Jong and many other Shen Gong Wu. He was turned into a giant freakish brute until the comet passed, and it was safe to take the Shen Gong Wu off.
Xiaolin Showdowns[]
In the series, when more than one person grabs a Shen Gong Wu at the same time, a Xiaolin Showdown occurs. In this namesake competition, each side wagers a Shen Gong Wu he/she already owns. In some cases, the competitors invoke a Shen Yi Bu Dare, where multiple (usually two) Shen Gong Wu are wagered. The winner obtains all the Shen Gong Wu fought for, totaling five Shen Gong Wu. In some cases, when more than two people touch a Shen Gong Wu at once, a different kind of Xiaolin Showdown occurs: the Showdown Trio is a two-on-one or three-person free-for-all, a Xiaolin Showdown Tsunami is either a two-on-two or a four-person free-for-all Showdown, and an Eight-Way Xiaolin Showdown is a four-on-four Showdown. One can also call for a Cosmic Clash Showdown, allowing the caller to bring more people into the Showdown, who did not touch the Shen Gong Wu.
Generally, the competitors in a Xiaolin Showdown of any type use the Shen Gong Wu that they wagered to compete with. However, there have been instances where a Shen Gong Wu not wagered was used in the Xiaolin Showdown, as in "The Last Temptation of Raimundo" when Wuya used the Shroud of Shadows against the Xiaolin Warriors while she was possessing Raimundo. Another showdown was in "Enter The Dragon" when Omi uses the Reversing Mirror and Shroud of Shadows on Dojo.
The challenge in a Xiaolin Showdown can be anything, but most commonly is some sort of race to the Shen Gong Wu. When the Showdown is called, the world warps around the competitors and by-standers, and the terrain they are on becomes an extreme extent, such as a mountainside becoming a field of rock pillars, or a snowfield becoming a large snowboarding course. Some Showdowns have also affected those involved, such as gaining weight for a sumo wrestling showdown. Other contests have been games of tag, basketball, or combat. The challenge officially begins after the change, and when both (or all) combatants yell "Gong Yi Tanpai!" the decided contest starts. When one is victorious, the terrain returns to normal, and the winner gains possession of all the wagered Shen Gong Wu.
"Gong Yi Tanpai!" is a pseudo-Chinese way of saying, "Ready, Set, Go!".
Omi inadvertently gave the competition its name when he traveled back in time in episode "Days Past" to ask Grand Master Dashi to make another puzzle box to imprison Wuya.
Characters[]
Xiaolin Warriors[]
Omi – The Xiaolin Dragon of Water, Omi is the main protagonist of the series and was the first dragon-in-training to train with Master Fung. At times Omi can be selfish and boastful, and often learns lessons of humility. Having been raised in the monastery, he is naïve about the outside world. As a running gag, Omi routinely confuses idiomatic phrases, from simple changes to lacking any resemblance to the original phrase whatsoever. Omi's signature moves are Tsunami Strike-Water, Tornado Strike-Water, and Wudai-Neptune Water. His Wudai Weapon is the Shimo Staff, and his elemental Shen Gong Wu is the Kaijin Charm. His preferred Shen Gong Wu is the Orb of Tornami as it is a water Shen Gong Wu.
Kimiko Tohomiko – The Xiaolin Dragon of Fire, Kimiko Tohomiko is the only female member of the team. Kimiko is also the most tech-savvy member of the team and comes from Japan. Kimiko changes hairstyles and outfits almost every episode. Kimiko's signature moves are Judolette Flip-Fire and Wudai-Mars Fire. Her preferred Shen Gong Wu is the Star Hanabi, her Wudai Weapon is the Arrow Sparrow, and her elemental Shen Gong Wu is the Cat's Eye Draco. She has the shortest temper, generally at even the slightest provocation. She can however be extremely focused and ignore outer, annoying, distractions.
Raimundo Pedrosa – The Xiaolin Dragon of Wind, Raimundo is stubborn and self-centered, but also does anything to protect his friends. Raimundo is street-smart and the group's self-proclaimed rebel, he comes from Brazil from the city Rio de Janeiro. He joins the Heylin side twice in the series (once out of envy of the success of his friends, and a second time as a ploy to take Shen Gong Wu and the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman from Hannibal Roy Bean). Raimundo's signature moves are Typhoon Boom-Wind and Wudai-Star Wind. His preferred Shen Gong Wu is the Sword of the Storm. His Wudai Weapon is the Blade of the Nebula, and his elemental Shen Gong Wu is the Crest of the Condor. He is named Shoku Warrior in the final episode.
Clay Bailey – The Xiaolin Dragon of Earth, Clay is the team muscle and a homegrown Texas cowboy. Clay sometimes speaks in "cowboy slang", and uses metaphors. Because of his good gentleman manners, he never fights girls.[11] He also has a bad case of stage fright. His large size and sensible demeanor belittles his good-humored and gentle nature. The only time he gets really mad is if someone takes or destroys his beloved cowboy hat. Clay has a sister named Jessie who is an outlaw and leader of the Black Vipers. Clay's signature moves are Seismic Kick-Earth and Wudai-Crater Earth. His preferred Shen Gong Wu are the Fist of Tebigong and the Third-Arm Sash. His Wudai Weapon is the Big Bang Meteorang, and his elemental Shen Gong Wu is the Longhorn Taurus.
Dojo Kanojo Cho – A shapeshifting dragon. The Xiaolin warriors' main mode of transportation and wise-cracking advisor, Dojo can sense Shen Gong Wu. He has no hind legs and is normally about 1.5 feet long, but when the situation requires it, he can shift into a full-sized 40-foot dragon. He has served Grand Master Dashi. Dojo is often seen around Clay in the show; hanging around his arm, sitting on his shoulder or inside his cowboy hat. When Dojo is out of commission, the Xiaolin Warriors use an aircraft Shen Gong Wu called the Silver Manta Ray, or the other transport Shen Gong Wu such as the Crouching Cougar, the Shen-Ga-Roo, or the Tunnel Armadillo.
Master Fung – The Xiaolin Warrior's Master, trainer, and guide, Master Fung is mortified by his charges' behavior at times. He is almost always calm, despite the Warriors' behavior and mistakes.
Villains[]
Jack Spicer – The Xiaolin Warriors' first nemesis. Jack Spicer is notable for his robotic engineering, long rants, overuse of the word "evil" and his repetitive self-proclamation of "evil boy genius". He is responsible for releasing Wuya from the puzzle box that Grand Master Dashi locked her in, and aids her in finding Shen Gong Wu to conquer the world. Jack has aided the Xiaolin Warriors on occasion, and does show occasional leanings toward good. However, he always winds up back on the evil side. As a reflection of his character, his preferred Shen Gong Wu is the Monkey Staff, which was the only Shen Gong Wu he is left with at the end of the series.
Wuya – A 1500-year-old Heylin witch who serves as the principle antagonist to the Xiaolin. After being imprisoned in a puzzle box by Grand Master Dashi for 1,500 years, Wuya's physical form was destroyed. Her goal is to use the Shen Gong Wu to regain a tangible body her magical powers along with it. She, like Dojo, has the ability to sense a Shen Gong Wu's appearance, but does not need the Scroll of the Shen Gong Wu to determine what it does. At one point she leaves Jack to take on Raimundo as partner, but after much debate he returns to the path of good.
Chase Young – A villain introduced in the second season as an even bigger evil threat than Jack. He himself was turned to the Heylin side when Hannibal Bean convinced him to drink the Lao Mang Long Soup in return for remaining forever young. Chase Young controls an army of therianthropic warriors, trapped in the form of jungle cats, and has the ability to turn into a reptilian creature. Chase rarely uses Shen Gong Wu in battle since he claims it distracts him from honing his martial arts skills. During the second season of the show, Chase plots to turn Omi to the Heylin side as part of a plot to rule the world. He succeeds, but later releases Omi as a matter of honor.
Hannibal Roy Bean – Hannibal is a small, bean-shaped demon who spends his time plotting evil and world domination. He is first shown imprisoned in the Ying-Yang world by Chase Young, but tricks the Xiaolin warriors into releasing him. His "primary" Shen Gong Wu is the Moby Morpher, which he uses to shape-shift into other forms and change size, and travels on his bird, Ying-Ying.
Episodes[]
The first episode of Xiaolin Showdown was developed over three years after its conception, and premiered on November 1, 2003. Following the success of its first season, a second twenty-six episode season was ordered, and a third after that, resulting in 3 seasons and 52 episodes. The show has ended and despite heavy promotion in other media, including Postopia, a trading card game, and a video game, a Season One DVD has been released but Warner Bros. has not shown any signs of releasing the second and third seasons on DVD.
The series was followed by Xiaolin Chronicles, which premiered on August 26, 2013.