Who is the main villain in Mulan (1998)?

The main villain in Mulan (1998) is Shan Yu.

Shan Yu is the Hun chieftain and general who leads the invasion of China. His forces breach the Great Wall, defeat imperial troops, and threaten the Emperor, establishing him as the film’s central antagonist rather than merely a rival soldier.

The character is voiced by Miguel Ferrer in the English-language version. His trained falcon, Hayabusa, helps locate the Imperial Army, while Shan Yu’s ruthless leadership drives the film’s major conflict. Mulan ultimately confronts him at the Imperial Palace after discovering that he survived the avalanche.

A common mix-up is choosing Li Shang, who commands Mulan’s training unit but is not the villain. Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po are Mulan’s fellow recruits. In the 2020 live-action film, Shan Yu is replaced by Böri Khan, a different character based on him.