In Disney’s 1998 animated film Mulan, Mulan uses a sword to cut her hair before joining the army.
After learning that Fa Zhou must report for military service, Mulan decides to impersonate a male soldier. She takes his armor and sword, then cuts her long hair with the sword before leaving home.
The moment is one of the film’s clearest visual signs of transformation. Mulan is not merely putting on armor; she is deliberately changing her appearance to pass as a male recruit in a society where women are excluded from military service.
The sword later remains important to the story as a weapon and symbol of Mulan’s courage. The scene should not be confused with the matchmaker sequence, where Mulan is dressed and prepared according to family expectations rather than making her own choice.