Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 1 recap “The Trial of Mr. Ping”

Season 3 of Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight has arrived to Netflix! When we last left our heroes, they were on a boat traveling to England, deciding that the best course of action is to destroy the Tianshang weapons.

Trouble is not only do they have to worry about siblings Klaus and Veruca but the pirate Queen Forouzan and her new allies. How does the first episode of the new season begin?

Let’s find out!

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 1 recap – Pirate Queen Forouzan arrives

The episode wastes no time in opening with Po, Wandering Blade, Mr. Ping, Akna and Rukmini getting attacked by pirate Queen Forouzan’s much larger ship. She is there to arrest Mr. Ping for his betrayal.

Although Po believes she has the wrong person, he has yet to know of his father’s rather violent past. With her is Colin and Weimin, ready to fight.

The group puts up a pretty good fight but in the end Mr. Ping, Po and Wandering Blade are captured, leaving Akna and Rukmini to follow behind. What Akna doesn’t know is that they are going to Candlelight Cove, a pirate sanctuary that is extremely dangerous, especially for non-pirates.

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 1 recap – Mr. Ping’s Trial

As Akna and Rukmini try to blend in, Mr. Ping, Po and Wandering Blade are taken to what looks like a pub filled with pirates. This is instead, Mr. Ping’s trial where Queen Forouzan is the judge.

Po relies on Wandering Blade’s intelligence and sophistication to get them out of this mess however the evidence mounted against Mr. Ping is too great. Mr. Ping practically co-captained with Queen Forouzan, and the two engaged in a romantic relationship.

Together they committed countless crimes on the high seas until one day they lose everything in a fight with the British. Queen Forouzan believed Mr. Ping was killed in the battle but later discovers he was the one who guided the ship to the British ships, thus causing their defeat.

Now she’s back for revenge. Po still doesn’t believe the story until it is revealed that a pirate tattoo has been hidden on the top of his father’s head under his hat.

Unfortunately for Mr. Ping he is found guilty and sentenced to death.

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 1 recap – The Pirate Code

Needing a way to save their friends and get off the island, Akna and Rukmini need to learn the Pirate Code. They run into Colin, shocked to find him still alive, and thus the three of them search a library that contains all of the laws in the Pirate Code.

While searching they engage in a fight against pirates, hilariously resulting in finding the law they need for their situation. At Mr. Ping’s execution, Po and Wandering Blade are able to fend off the pirates and save Po’s father.

But before pirate Queen Forouzan can kill her ex, Colin, Akna and Rukmini arrive with the law that can save Mr. Ping. What they don’t know is that the only other option is hardly an option, sounding more like a death tournament where rules do not apply.

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 1 review

The first episode of season 3 started off strong! Although the story diverges from the task at hand, it doesn’t distract from the overall plot.

Having pirate Queen Forouzan arrive when our heroes least expect it was a superb way to bring in action and heart. It provides a break from the Klaus and Veruca story arc without making it any less exciting and interesting.

I’m torn on how I feel about Mr. Ping’s pirate past, as I always viewed him as the typical loving yet embarrassing parent in the Kung Fu Panda films. His backstory was pretty much summed up as a duck who inherited the noodle shop, instead of chasing his dreams of making tofu.

Yet here, Mr. Ping’s past was as violent as possible for the time period. So you can see the disconnect and irony.

Mr. Ping might not have followed his dreams being a pirate, but he didn’t have a dull life like he often insinuated to once having. That said, it is humorous to know Mr. Ping was this bloodthirsty and attractive pirate who ruled the high seas with an iron wing.

A strength of this episode was the way it equally distributed time amongst the heroes. For those who haven’t really seen seasons prior or simply forgot what happens, this episode effectively lets the audience know what these characters are like.

Po is overly positive and the comic relief, Wandering Blade is both a strong and intelligent fighter, Akna is an engineering genius, Rukmini is underhanded yet loyal and Colin is literally the best character ever because he’s unstoppable! I look forward to seeing how season 3 plays out and if our heroes can triumph over the weasel siblings!

What did you think of Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

You can watch Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3 on Netflix.