Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 17 recap “The Beginning of the End”

Now that Klaus has joined our heroes, they are one step closer to defeating Alfie and destroying the Tianshang weapons. In Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3 episode 17, we’ll learn if the last Dumont can find the lost city.

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 17 recap – Follow that leaf

Now that Klaus succeeded in not only discovering his powers but also making contact with the ancient masters, he has to find the lost city. Klaus tries to clear his mind while the group watches on, waiting for something to happen.

After some failed attempts the group disperses, allowing Klaus to try again while alone. It’s here that Wandering Blade expresses her frustrations to Po, annoyed that they have to rely on Klaus while also doubtful he can actually help them.

After enough patience, Klaus is able to use his powers, knowing to follow a specific leaf that crosses his path. Our heroes follow after Klaus, nonstop, without break until they reach a village.

At the village, inspired by African culture, a female hyena is telling a tale about the dreaded rock monster in perfect poetic form. Before she even finished her story, I knew Colin would love it.

As her story comes to a close, the group learns that the tribe is terrified of the rock monster they claim will eat them. Knowing full well what this rock monster is and how to handle it, the group continues forward.

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 17 recap – Return of the rock monster

Impressed by the group and wanting to tell greater stories, the hyena whose name is Kemanzi, decides to join Po and his friends. Sure enough, they meet the same rock monster Rukmini was trapped in for a majority of her life.

So needless to say, she is not pleased about returning. After the group manages to enter the rock monster, after dodging attacks from said monster in a scene that would easily make a fun video game level, there’s no turning back.

As the group searches for the location to where Klaus needs to go in order to contact the ancient masters, Rukmini moans and groans her way through. The longer they are staying, the more irritated she becomes, even to the point where she wants to turn back several times.

Rukmini comes to her breaking point of verbally insulting the rock monster and destroying the figures she made that kept her company all the years she was alone. The rock monster becomes upset and distraught at her treatment.

Kemanzi tries talking sense into Rukmini, in which the monkey thief meaningfully apologizes. The rock monster calms down, viewing Rukmini as a mother.

With the environment calm, the group finds what they are looking for.

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 17 recap – The catch

It seems Klaus’ ability is improving as he’s able to contact the ancient masters…well three of them. They present themselves before the group and become distressed over the issue with the Tianshang weapons.

But our heroes are in luck, the ancient masters can destroy the Tianshang weapons but…they’ll need all of them. Which means the group will need to somehow obtain a Tianshang weapon that contains Master Mastodon.

How are they going to do that? Well, they do figure out that while Alfie is powerful, they can stop his control of the ancient dead army by obtaining at least one of the Tianshang weapons.

This can easily change the game for our heroes, which means victory is still possible. After the events at the rock monster, Rukmini begins to respect it and asks that it leave the village alone.

Kemanzi returns to her village with new tales to tell, much to the delight of the villagers.

Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 17 review

Ah, there is always a catch, isn’t there. To think, the group had access to Master Mastodon for how long when he possessed Mr. Ping…

But that’s ok. They now know what they need to do.

The question is, how will they obtain a Tianshang weapon from Alfie? Especially when there are only two episodes left of the season!

Will the season wrap up in two episodes? Will there be a season 4?

I was going to do a quick Google search but decided against it until I finished watching the season. With all that said, what really stood out to me this episode was more so a reminder of the way characters are designed to fit a location and culture.

In the Kung Fu Panda films, we were pretty much designated to China and Chinese culture. In Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, we get to see other cultures and places inspired by real locations of our world like Africa, Mesoamerica and England.

We also get to see a plethora of new animals that fit the location they reside in or represent. It’s a great and clever way to expand upon the Kung Fu Panda universe, that is truly effective.

This really isn’t at all surprising, as I had mentioned in previous recaps, that character designs, especially villains, go well above and beyond what many would expect from a TV-Y7 program. It’s been fun to see how well written and fleshed out every character becomes on this show and how the creators haven’t lost their touch.

I am both highly anticipating and dreading the season 3 finale, as I don’t want this adventure to end just yet.

What did you think of Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight season 3, episode 17? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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