Mulan tells the story of a young women who courageously takes her elderly father's place in the Chinese army, despite the legal and societal ramifications. The audience follows Mulan on her physical and emotional journey of becoming a successful warrior, eventually saving China, and realizing and respecting who she truly is.
In the beginning of the movie, Mulan does not fit in and cannot live up to the expectations set for women of her age. She meets with a matchmaker, and ends up embarrassing herself and dishonoring her family, due to her inability to fill the expected feminine role. Mulan laments that she can never become the daughter her family deserves, and she contemplates who she really is. When her father is drafted, Mulan decides to take his place, an illegal act. In the middle of the night, Mulan takes her father's sword and armor, cuts her hair, and leaves her home to join the Han army. She is followed by Mushu, a dragon who serves her ancestors, as a guide and sidekick. While disguised as Ping (her male persona), Mulan begins training under Li Shang. At first Mulan is unable to keep up with the other soldiers, but as time goes on she proves herself as a great warrior. She finds friends in comedic characters, Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po, who support her as Ping throughout the movie. While on the move, the Han army is ambushed by the Huns. This is when Mulan really proves herself. She defies orders, and she comes up with plan to set off an avalanche to stop the Huns atack. Rather than aiming a cannon at Shan Yu, Mulan took the cannon and aimed it at the mountain, burying the Hun army. Unfortunately, during this fight, Mulan got injured. While being cared for by a medic, Mulan was discovered as a woman, getting her thrown out of camp. She was almost killed, but, because she saved Li Shang's life in the previous battle, she was spared. Feeling like a failure, Mulan was cast out and left behind in the snow. However, while sitting in the snow trying to decide what to do next, Mulan heard the voices of the Hun army and realized that they were alive and ready to attack the Emperor. Mulan raced to the Imperial City to warn anyone who would listen. No one believed her warnings because she was a woman, and even when she tried to tell Yao, Ling, Chien-Po, and Li Shang, they ignored her because they no longer trusted her. Just as Mulan had predicted, Shan Yu interrupted the celebrations in the Imperial City and kidnapped the Emperor. As Li Shang and his men tried to break down the door, Mulan stopped them with a better idea. Disguised as concubines, Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po, scaled the palace walls and distracted the Hun gaurds, allowing them to reach and save the Emperor. Mulan and Li Shang were left to fight Shan Yu, but when Li Shang got hurt, it was up to Mulan to stop Shan Yu. She leads him up to the roof and disarms him, then, with the help of Mushu, Mulan traps Shan Yu on the roof where he is hit by the fireworks from the celebration. Mulan narrowly escapes, and she arrives back onto the ground, she is met by praise from the Emperor. He expresses his gratitude for saving all of China, and the whole city bows to Mulan. The Emperor bestows Mulan with Shan Yu's sword and the Emperor's Crest, and Mulan returns home to her family. Mulan presents her father with the gifts and asks for forgiveness, but her father ensures her that he has been proud of Mulan all along. Li Shang then comes to Mulan's house and is inivited for dinner, making it clear that they will be happy for a long time.