20 reasons we still love the magic of Mulan 20 years later

6. Shan Yu is a terrifying villain

This may not be a plus to everyone, but it is for some. Disney villains are a huge part of the story, so they need to be special. Not many Disney villains terrified me as a kid, but Shan Yu did.

He’s like the human representation of a hawk. His eyes are menacing, especially when his hood is down where you can see the bright yellow eyes in full effect. Shan Yu is always looking for anyone to take down that is in his way of eliminating the emperor.

The Hun army found two soldiers and brought them to their leader. One of the soldiers says, “The emperor will stop you!” Then, Shan Yu replies: “Stop me? He invited me. By building his wall he challenged my strength. Well I’m here to play his game.”

When there is a villain who simply wants to take down those in his path, it makes for a truly terrifying experience. His anger and appearance frightened me and I’m sure it was the same for many other kids throughout their childhood. With that said, I still love the character.

He adds a special dynamic to the movie and is the biggest reason Mulan ends up saving everyone. So thanks to Disney for creating a character who haunted my dreams as a kid.