Why Mushu Couldn’t Awaken the Stone Dragon
Mulan follows the story of Mulan, a regular teenager who does extraordinary things. She becomes a soldier while masquerading as her father’s son so her father doesn’t have to join the army. After she leaves, her ancestors hold a meeting to determine who will serve as her guardian. That’s when Mushu comes in and is tasked with awakening the Great Stone Dragon.
However, the dragon doesn’t wake up. No matter how hard Mushu tries, the Great Stone Dragon is just that—a great stone. According to one theorist, Mushu couldn’t wake the dragon up because Mulan is actually that dragon in human form. Throughout the film, we can see Mulan and symbols of the dragon in the same scenes. Pretty symbolic.