Mulan

In ancient China's Imperial era, Hua Mulan was a spirited and dynamic young woman, much to the chagrin of her parents who envisioned a tranquil life for their daughter as a devoted wife. As she entered adulthood, Mulan was forced to confront the reality of marriage by meeting with a matchmaker, but her anxiety got the better of her during the encounter. A sudden appearance by a wayward spider sent the kettle crashing to the floor, and the matchmaker publicly rebuked her for her clumsiness in front of her family.

Meanwhile, on the northern frontier, the ruthless Rouran warriors, led by Böri Khan, launched a brutal assault on an Imperial outpost. The cunning witch Xianniang utilized her magical prowess to disguise herself as a surviving soldier and report the attack to the Emperor of China, prompting him to issue a conscription decree ordering every family to contribute one man to quell the rebellion.

In Mulan's village, Imperial soldiers arrived to recruit new soldiers for the impending battle. With her elderly and frail father Hua Zhou unable to serve due to his advanced age, Mulan saw no alternative but to flee with his armor, horse, and sword, opting to take his place in the army. Under the guidance of Commander Tung, an old acquaintance of her father's, Mulan transformed into a skilled warrior alongside dozens of other inexperienced recruits without revealing her true identity.

As the Rourans continued their relentless advance, Commander Tung was forced to hasten the training process and send his battalion into battle prematurely. Undeterred, Mulan pursued some stragglers on her own, only to be confronted by Xianniang, who mocked her for attempting to masquerade as a man. The witch attempted to strike Mulan down, but her blows were deflected by the leather armor that had been used to conceal Mulan's feminine form. As she shed her disguise, Mulan re-entered the fray just in time to see the Rourans unleash their trebuchet on her comrades. Utilizing discarded helmets and her exceptional archery skills, Mulan cleverly maneuvered the trebuchet into firing a barrage of projectiles at a nearby snowy mountain, triggering an avalanche that buried the Rouran warriors beneath the snow.

As Mulan gallops back to camp, she makes a daring rescue mission to save Chen Honghui, a fellow soldier who had become a close friend during their time together. However, her true gender can no longer be concealed, and she is subsequently banished from the army, forced to begin her journey home in secret. The path ahead of her is fraught with uncertainty as she reflects on her experiences and the lessons learned within the military ranks.

On her way back, Mulan encounters Xianniang, a mysterious figure shunned by her own people, who now fights alongside Böri Khan out of desperation for acceptance and respect. In a candid moment, Xianniang reveals that the Rourans' repeated attacks on the outposts have been mere diversions, designed to conceal their true intention: capturing and executing the Emperor in retribution for the death of Khan's father at the imperial court. Faced with this alarming revelation, Mulan takes an extraordinary risk by returning to her battalion to sound the alarm and warn them of the impending danger.

Commander Tung, a trusted ally, believes her tale and entrusts her to lead a contingent to the Emperor's palace, where a treacherous trap is set in motion. Xianniang, having grown disillusioned with Khan's tyrannical ways, uses her mystic abilities to impersonate the Imperial Chancellor, convincing the Emperor to accept Khan's challenge to a duel. As the city guards are mysteriously removed from their posts, Khan's forces prepare to execute the Emperor by burning him at the stake.

Meanwhile, Mulan's unit creates a diversion to distract the Rourans while she makes a daring attempt to rescue the Emperor. Just as Khan attempts to strike her down with an arrow, Xianniang, moved by Mulan's bravery and compassion, transforms into a bird and sacrifices herself by intercepting the deadly projectile. With Khan defeated, Mulan retrieves the Emperor from harm's way, but not before he disarms her and destroys her father's treasured sword.

With the Rourans vanquished and order restored, the Emperor offers Mulan a place among his personal guard, which she declines in favor of returning to her humble village. As she is reunited with her family, an emissary from the imperial court arrives, bearing a new sword and a personal invitation from Commander Tung for Mulan to join the Emperor's elite guard.