In Disney’s 1998 animated film Mulan, Eddie Murphy voices Mushu.
Mushu is a small red dragon who serves as Mulan’s guide and comic companion. The ancestors initially assign him to awaken the Great Stone Dragon, but after the statue is destroyed, Mushu decides to help Mulan himself. He joins her during military training and repeatedly tries to protect her secret identity.
Eddie Murphy’s rapid, energetic performance makes Mushu one of the film’s most recognizable supporting characters. Mushu is not the film’s villain and is not the same character as Cri-Kee, the cricket who also accompanies Mulan. The 2020 live-action film does not include Mushu in the same form, which is one of the clearest differences between the two Disney adaptations. Mushu’s role combines guardian, adviser, and comic relief while also representing the Fa family’s ancestral traditions.