I've always loved movies and books that follow the Hero's Journey pattern: the protagonist sets out to meet a goal or to find themself. It's the classic and well-loved story structure that we've talked about so many times. The rise at the end of stories and movies is what makes all of them popular. One of my favorite movies that I used to watch was Kung Fu Panda. I'm sure the resemblance between Po and your average hero is uncanny, maybe because Po is the perfect example of a protagonist.
Like Siddhartha, Po also sets out (or more like is thrown in) in order to accomplish a goal, a quest. Siddartha is attempting to fulfill his self-set goal of finding and achieving enlightenment while Po is in the search of becoming the true Dragon Warrior as well as defeating Tai Lung. These different, but also similar, goals are what identify both Siddhartha and Po as heroes. They're going into the unknown to explore the possibilities and face trials to accomplish something.
Siddharta faces conflicts after acquiring the idea that he can't achieve enlightenment through teachers. He is eventually hit with the realization that he must find himself in order to succeed. Sound a little familiar? Well, Po has almost the exact same realization. The Dragon Scroll reveals to Po that the secret to being a Dragon Warrior is that there is no secret. It's just Po himself. Both of these protagonists go through the epiphany that finding their own identities should ultimately fulfill their goals.
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