Yao is the Mulan character voiced by Harvey Fierstein.
Yao is one of Captain Li Shang’s three comic recruits, alongside Ling and Chien-Po. He is the shortest-tempered and most swaggering member of the group, frequently boasting about his toughness while competing with the other soldiers during training.
Harvey Fierstein supplied Yao’s speaking voice in the English-language version. Fierstein’s distinctive raspy delivery helps separate Yao from Ling, who was voiced by Gedde Watanabe, and Chien-Po, who was voiced by Jerry Tondo. Eddie Murphy, by contrast, voiced Mushu, the small dragon guardian who accompanies Mulan.
Yao also sings in the ensemble number “A Girl Worth Fighting For,” performed during the soldiers’ march toward the front. The character trio provides much of the film’s comic relief, but their role changes after the battle: they help Mulan expose her courage and become loyal comrades rather than merely bumbling recruits.