SPOILER ALERT: the following article contains massive spoilers, including the ending. If you have not yet seen the movie, proceed at your own risk, or better, come back to this article later!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization. The film also stars Tony Leung as Wenwu, Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, as well as Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu and Ronny Chieng.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Video Summary
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Plot Summary and Synopsis
One thousand years ago, a man named Xu Wenwu finds the ten rings, mystical weapons that grant their user immortality and great power. Wenwu amasses an army of warriors called the Ten Rings and conquers many kingdoms and topples governments throughout history.
In 1996, Wenwu begins searching for the village of Ta Lo, which is said to harbor various mythical beasts, to expand his power. He finds the entrance of the village but is stopped from entering by the village’s guardian, Ying Li. The two eventually fall in love and have two children, Xu Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing.
Wenwu abandons the ten rings and his organization to be with his family.
However, Li is eventually murdered by the Iron Gang, old rivals of the Ten Rings, and Wenwu once again takes up the rings to massacre them and resume his criminal activities.
Shang-Chi is brought to the Ten Rings’ compound to be trained in all forms of combat by the Death Dealer, a high-ranking member of the Ten Rings. At the age of 14, Shang-Chi is sent by Wenwu to assassinate the leader of the Iron Gang.
After fulfilling his mission, a traumatized Shang-Chi abandons the Ten Rings and escapes to the United States, where he adopts the name “Shaun”.
Ten years later, Shang-Chi is living in San Francisco and working as a valet with his best friend, Katy Chen.
One day while on the way to work on the Muni Metro, Shang-Chi and Katy are attacked by members of the Ten Rings led by Razor Fist. Despite fighting them off, Shang-Chi discovers that his pendant given to him by his mother has been taken by them. Fearing that the Ten Rings are going after Xialing for her pendant, Shang-Chi decides to track her down and reveals his past to Katy, who agrees to help him.
They eventually find her at an underground fight club in Macau, of which she is the owner; Xialing expresses her resentment towards Shang-Chi for abandoning their family and their father for neglecting her. The fight club is then attacked by a regiment of the Ten Rings led by Death Dealer. Wenwu unexpectedly arrives during the attack and captures Shang-Chi, Katy, and Xialing.
They are taken back to the Ten Rings’ compound, where Wenwu reveals to them that he believes Li is still alive and is being kept in Ta Lo, using the two pendants to create a map that can be used to enter the village.
Blaming Ta Lo for the circumstances leading to Li’s death, Wenwu plans to destroy the village after freeing his wife and imprisons his children and Katy when they voice their objections.
The three escape the compound with the help of former actor Trevor Slattery, who the Ten Rings imprisoned for impersonating Wenwu.
Guided by Slattery’s companion, Morris, the group drives to Ta Lo to warn the village of the Ten Rings and are introduced to Ying Nan, Li’s sister and Shang-Chi and Xialing’s aunt.
She reveals to the group the history of Ta Lo: thousands of years ago, it was attacked by the soul-consuming Dweller-in-Darkness and his minions. However, the village was saved by a dragon called the Great Protector, who helped seal the Dweller and his minions in a mountain.
According to Nan, the Dweller has been influencing Wenwu into believing Li is still alive and behind the seal so he can use the rings to escape. Nan gifts Shang-Chi and Xialing armor crafted from the Great Protector’s scales and trains Shang-Chi in the fighting style of Ta Lo.
Xialing gains renewed resolve after seeing the village women training as equals alongside the men while Katy takes up archery under the guidance of village elder Guang Bo.
The next day, Wenwu and the Ten Rings arrive to destroy the seal and a battle ensues between them and the village occupants. Wenwu and Shang-Chi fight, which ends with Wenwu casting Shang-Chi into the nearby lake.
Guided by ”Li’s” voice, Wenwu begins breaking down the seal with the rings, which unbeknownst to him causes many of the Dweller’s minions to escape.
The villagers and the Ten Rings call a truce to stop the minions. Shang-Chi is revived by the Great Protector before rising out of the water to battle the minions.
Wenwu and Shang-Chi fight once more, with Shang-Chi emerging victorious by using a combination of the power of the Great Protector and his Ta Lo training to disarm Wenwu.
Strengthened by the souls taken by the minions, the Dweller escapes from the weakened seal. Wenwu sacrifices himself to save Shang-Chi from the Dweller, getting his soul devoured in the process. With his final breaths, a remorseful Wenwu gives Shang-Chi the ten rings.
The Dweller is eventually killed by the combined efforts of Shang-Chi, the Great Protector, Xialing and Katy.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Ending
Shang-Chi and Katy return to San Francisco and have dinner with their friends who do not appear to believe the whole story. Suddenly Wong appears and asks Shang-Chi and Katy to go with him. They go into the portal leaving the astonished friends behind.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Mid-Credits Scene
Wong transports the duo to the Sanctum Sanctorum, where they meet Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers. They discover that the ten rings are emitting a mysterious signal.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Post-Credits Scene
Xialing becomes the new leader of the Ten Rings.
The Ending Explained
Shang-Chi becomes a new wielder of the ten rings and is ready to join the team of saviors of the world, while his sister apparently chooses otherwise.
Cooncel Rating
A story that adds a new layer to the MCU, however, it has a greater emphasis on itself rather than expansion of the current events.
Source: © Cooncel.com.