Mulan


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 * This article focuses on the character, Mulan. For the Chinese legend, Mulan, see Mulan (Legend).
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"Even if I don't believe in his methods, I am going to honor his wishes. I'm going to keep you safe."

- Mulan to Aurora regarding Prince Phillip's wishes

Mulan is a character on Once Upon a Time. She makes her début in the first episode of the second season. She is portrayed by Jamie Chung and does not have a Storybrooke counterpart.

Mulan is based on the main character from the Chinese legend of "Hua Mulan".

Before the Curse
At some point, Mulan serves in the army of the Emperor of her native land, and she proves herself in battle.

Mulan encounters Belle outside the den of the Yaoguai in her home Empire. Belle lures the creature out of its lair, but it attacks and Belle runs from it. Mulan then fires an arrow at the beast, making it run away. She then goes to Belle, but berates her for scaring the beast and ruining her chance of killing the Yaoguai and saving her village. She storms off into the woods, telling Belle that the best way she can help is to stay out of her way.

When Belle is later accosted in Mulan's village by her former travelling companions, Mulan attacks and drives them away, saving Belle in the process, but receiving a wound to her leg. When Belle inquires as to why Mulan saved her, Mulan tells her that Belle was able to find the Yaoguai and track it in a matter of hours, while it had taken her months to do so. She asks Belle to help her track the beast, and then Mulan will kill it. Belle agrees. As they go after the Yaoguai, Mulan discovers that her injury to her leg is worse than she thought, and tells Belle that it is up to her to go and defeat the Yaoguai. Belle at first refuses, but after Mulan encourages her takes the sword and goes after the Yaoguai.

After turning the Yaoguai back into Prince Phillip, Belle goes to Mulan and introduces the two of them. Belle decides to go back to Rumplestiltskin and leaves the two of them behind. ("The Outsider")

During the Curse
After the previous events, Mulan joined Prince Phillip on his journey to awaken Aurora. She was journeying with Phillip when the Dark Curse was cast by the Evil Queen, however, a small area was spared from the Curse due to Cora's shield spell, merely freezing the people there for 28 years.

After the Curse
When Emma Swan breaks the Curse in Storybrooke, time resumes, and Mulan and Phillip continue their journey.

Mulan is present with Prince Phillip when he awakens Aurora. However, the happy reunion is cut short when a Wraith breaks through the floor of the palace. Phillip fights the creature briefly, but it flies off after losing a medallion it carried. Prince Phillip is unwittingly marked by this medallion. Mulan explains that the Wraith sucks the souls of its victims. Phillip, upon realizing he has been marked, leaves Mulan and Aurora to face the Wraith. Once Mulan realizes this, she sets out after Phillip, but is followed by Aurora. Aurora confronts Mulan, stating that Mulan in fact loves Phillip, and she can see it on Mulan's face. Mulan staunchly denies this, stating that although she and Phillip have fought many battles together, she has no romantic feelings for him. The two discover him in time to witness his demise; the Wraith sucks out his soul and returns to the medallion.

Back at the palace, Mulan and Aurora lay Phillip in state. Mulan explains to Aurora what has occurred during her 28 year-long sleep. She then wraps the Wraith's medallion in a white and gold bag and hands it to Aurora. As the two prepare to leave, Mulan hears a sound from the rubble the Wraith created. Upon investigating the rubble, she and Aurora discover Emma Swan and Mary Margaret Blanchard, Mulan then states the two of them were the reason for the Wraith that killed "our" Prince. ("Broken")

Aurora and Mulan ride away from the palace, and force Emma and Mary Margaret to walk behind them with their hands tied together. They reach a safe haven where many survivors are gathered. Mary Margaret tries to make a run for it by kicking down Aurora giving Emma a head start, but Mulan uses her boleadoras to bring her down. Emma and Mary Margaret are thrown into the pit. ("We Are Both")

Mulan is seen talking to Aurora about Lancelot and then Aurora tells Mulan that she does not trust Emma and Mary Margaret. Mulan warns Aurora not to confuse vengeance with justice. Later, she is seen giving Emma and Mary Margaret weapons for their journey to The Castle. In the woods, Mulan tells the two women that they will make a camp and that they need to get fire and water. When Mary Margaret makes a fire, Aurora attacks her and the two start arguing. Mulan appears and tells Mary Margaret to not talk to Aurora like that and that she will deal with Aurora. Emma appears and fires a gun to try to protect Mary Margaret but has instead summoned ogres. The group splits up and Mary Margaret saves Emma from an ogre. Later on, Mulan tells Aurora to keep up and that it is her own fault that she is not dressed for the woods as she was told to stay in the safe haven. Emma takes pity on Aurora and gives her her jacket. When the group arrives at the castle, Mulan informs Mary Margaret that she and Aurora will keep guard at the gate. The two later go into the castle to rescue Mary Margaret and Emma from Cora, who was disguised as Lancelot. Mulan tells the others that she cannot believe she was fooled by the shape shifter and is not sure about what to tell the survivors once they got back. Mary Margaret tells her that she should tell them the truth, that Lancelot died a heroic death. Mulan then suggests Mary Margaret becomes the new leader. Mary Margaret says that she appreciates it but cannot as she has to get home to Storybrooke with Emma and Mulan and Aurora agree to help the two. ("Lady of the Lake")

On their way back to camp, Mulan states she does not know how she will tell the residents of the camp how Lancelot died. When the four women return to their camp, Mulan is horrified to see that all of her fellow residents were killed, seemingly by Cora ripping everyone's hearts from their bodies. Aurora discovers Hook beneath a pile of bodies, and Hook attempts to deceive the four of them by stating he survived Cora's attack on the camp by hiding under some dead bodies. Mulan is not buying his story and ties Hook to a tree with Emma's help and begins to walk away with the women. Hook then reveals his true identity as a shocked Mary Margaret pulls his hook out of his satchel. He states that he was working with Cora, but will now join forces with Emma and her team. Emma then cuts him free. He leads them to a giant beanstalk stretching up into the sky, with Mulan pointing a sword at his back, stating that there is a magical Enchanted Compass at the top, but first they must deal with the giant. ("The Doctor")

At the base of the beanstalk, Mulan insists that she should be the one to climb the beanstalk, stating she is the most experienced warrior of the four women. However, Emma overrules her, but takes her aside before climbing the beanstalk. She asks Mulan about the strength of her sword, and Mulan states that it is the strongest sword in the land. Emma then asks Mulan that if she is not back in 10 hours, if Mulan will cut the beanstalk down and make sure that Mary Margaret gets back to Storybrooke. Mulan agrees, and then provides Emma with ground poppy in order to knock the Giant unconscious. After Emma and Hook set off, Mulan then draws a line in the sand and sticks a stick in the sand at the end, saying to the other two women it is a way to keep track of the watches each of them should have. When it reaches ten hours, Mulan takes her sword and deals a heavy blow to the beanstalk. She is then tackled by an infuriated Mary Margaret who demands to know what she is doing. Mulan states that it is her daughter's wish. Just then, Emma jumps off the beanstalk, so Mulan does not need to cut the beanstalk down. ("Tallahassee")

In the Enchanted Forest, Mulan is present when Aurora awakens from her dream. Before she can talk to Aurora, the zombies attack the encampment, and Mulan runs off with Aurora in another direction, leaving Mary Margaret and Emma behind to face the zombies. Mulan and Aurora encounter more zombies in the forest, and when Mulan is tackled by one, the other two manage to grab Aurora and get away with her. Mulan beheads the zombie she is being rushed by and then encounters Emma and Mary Margaret, and informs them that the zombies got away with Aurora. Mary Margaret then states that she must be put back to sleep in order to contact Henry, and Mulan reluctantly tells them that in order to do that, they need more Ground Poppy Dust. She tells them that there is a little poppy growing nearby, and from that she can create the dust needed.

As they are hacking their way through the forest with Mulan leading, a raven swoops onto Mary Margaret's shoulder. It communicates to her that if the magical Enchanted Compass is not given to Cora by sundown, then something will happen to Aurora. Immediately Mulan demands the Enchanted Compass from Emma, and when Emma does not give it freely moves to physically take it from her. Emma and Mary Margaret convince her to allow them till sundown to contact Henry and come up with a plan. If that does not work, then they will give the Enchanted Compass to Mulan so she can rescue Aurora. Mulan reluctantly agrees and leads them to the poppy, where she cuts it and crushes it with her dagger. She then blows the powder into Mary Margaret's face, putting her to sleep.

When Mary Margaret wakes up, she and Emma discover that Mulan has taken the Enchanted Compass and run. Mulan is then shown running through the forest, but is stopped when Mary Margaret fires an arrow at her to halt her in her tracks. Mulan turns to face them and a distraught Mary Margaret demands the Enchanted Compass. When Mulan refuses, she tackles Mulan and pulls an arrow out of her quiver and presses it against Mulan's neck. Mulan still refuses to give them the Enchanted Compass, saying that they will have to kill her first. Mary Margaret raises the arrow just as Aurora comes around a tree and tells Mary Margaret to stop. Aurora then tells them all that occurred and asks what they are going to do next. Mulan asks if she is okay before they follow Mary Margaret and Emma. ("Into the Deep")

As the group arrives at Rumplestiltskin's cell in the ruins of the palace, Mulan uses her torch to search the cell for any sign of the squid ink. After Aurora finds Rumplestiltskin's note, Mulan finds a small glass vial that is empty, although it may have contained ink at one point. They are then entrapped in the cell by Cora and Hook, and Cora reveals that she has Aurora's heart in her possession. After Cora and Hook leave, Mulan apologizes to Aurora for allowing Cora to get her heart. Soon after, Mary Margaret uses the squid ink in the note that was written by Rumplestiltskin to open the cell and allows the group to escape. At Aurora's insistence that she cannot be trusted due to Cora holding her heart, Mulan reluctantly ties her to the remnants of the jail cell.

At Lake Nostos, the group arrives to find Hook and Cora about to jump through the portal to Storybrooke. Mulan, Emma, and Mary Margaret immediately attack. Mulan is able to battle Cora using her sword, and is able to deflect her magic with the blade. As Mulan moves to attack Cora, Cora vanishes in a puff of smoke, and Aurora's heart nearly falls into the portal when Hook reaches out and grabs it, tossing it to Mulan. After Emma knocks Hook out, Mary Margaret tells Mulan to go and give Aurora back her heart. Mulan gives Mary Margaret her sword, saying it will deflect Cora's magic before running back to the palace ruins. She is able to put Aurora's heart back in her chest. Aurora then tells Mulan that Cora told her that Phillip may be able to be revived, and the two set off to recover his soul. ("Queen of Hearts")

Trivia

 * During casting, the character was code-named "Magnolia". The name "Mulan" means "magnolia".
 * The casting call described her as "a cool badass Asian chick who is an accomplished fighter and rider and might be a little bit magical. Has a spirituality that enhances her tactical and strategic abilities. She has suffered past betrayals, so her trust is hard-won, but once she gives her oath of friendship her loyalty knows no boundaries."
 * Mulan wears armor (with her face and hair covered) in her first appearance in "Broken," and Aurora thinks she is a man; this alludes to Mulan's original story, where she pretended to be a man to take her father's place in the Chinese Army.
 * When Mulan removes her helmet and reveal she's a woman, her hair is down and free flowing. In the next scene and consequently after, her hair is worn up in a series of gold cuffs.
 * In contrast to the black-green color scheme of Mulan's armor in the Disney film, her armor is red and black with gold ornaments. The red and gold may be a tribute to the dragon guardian from the film, Mushu.
 * Mulan's Sword is claimed to be the most powerful blade in all the realms, and is capable of deflecting magic.  ("Tallahassee") ("Queen of Hearts")
 * When Mulan takes off her helmet in "Broken", Aurora calls her a girl and Mulan says that she is a woman. This mirrors the moment when Prince Charming runs down Snow White and calls her a girl and she says that she is a woman. ("Snow Falls")
 * Mulan is depicted as a very serious character in the series. As a matter of fact, as of now, we have only seen her smile twice: First when Mary Margaret Blanchard successfully destroys the bars in Rumplestiltskin's cell with the Squid Ink, and secondly when she succeeds in placing Aurora's heart back into her body. ("Queen of Hearts")