He's the sage mentor of the title character but exactly what kind of animal is Madagascar series. The Kung Fu Panda movies are among their most popular, with the first entry arriving back in 2008. The story centers on Po (voiced by Jack Black), a clumsy panda determined to learn kung fu despite seemingly having little talent for it. The movie charts his progress through rigorous training as he eventually becomes a master while facing off with villain Tai Lung, and the movie proved to be a charming adventure that became a hit.
Kung Fu Panda 2 arrived in 2011 and cemented the popularity of the franchise. In addition to a third movie, the series also encomes several short films, video games and two cartoon shows. The first was Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, which debuted in 2011 and saw Mick Wingert replace Jack Black as the voice of Po. That ran for three seasons, while Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny - set after the events of the third movie - arrived on Prime in 2018.
Out of all the Kung Fu Panda characters in the series, Master Shifu has emerged as a real fan favorite. He's the mentor of both the Furious Five and Po, though in the original movie he resented having to train the latter and worked him hard in hopes he would quit. Dustin Hoffman voices Shifu, with the character having been mentored by Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim), and over the course of the trilogy, he forms something of a father/son relationship with Po - while still retaining his gruff exterior. During a 2016 Today interview, Hoffman himself revealed he wasn't sure what kind of animal Master Shifu was, believing him to be a 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.
While Dustin Hoffman voices the character in the Kung Fu Panda movies, prolific voice over actor Fred Tatasciore plays the character on the TV shows. For now, it appears the movie franchise might be finished, as there have been no signs of movement on a potential fourth installment.
