in Secrets of the Furious Five
Po told the rabbit children how Master Crane used to be the janitor at the Lee Da Kung Fu Academy twenty years ago, where everybody (even the strict teacher of the academy) looked down upon him due to his particularly skinny build. However, one night, the top student of the class Mei Ling had observed the skills which Crane used to tidy up the place every night. Impressed by his speed and accuracy, she convinced Crane to try out for the school. Even though his nerve faltered at first, Crane accidentally wandered into the obstacle course and quickly found a way to surpass it, passing with flying colors.
It is presumed Crane eventually left the Academy to train at the Jade Palace under the instruction of Master Shifu. He then soon joined with his other fellow students in forming the Furious Five and became a master over the Crane style of Hung Ga Kung Fu.
In Kung Fu Panda
Crane was first seen in the training scene where the Five attempt to ambush Master Shifu. When Shifu evaded them completely, he said he was disappointed, pointing out the problems in each of the Five's attack strategy; he told Master Crane he needed to have greater height before attacking.
He was next shown in the Dragon Warrior Tournament. As he flapped his wings, he caused a gust of wind to slam shut the window Po had been looking through. As the first to showcase of power, he was to dodge the "Thousand Tongues of Fire" — rockets that would be hurtling toward him. Crane gracefully managed to dodge the rockets. After the others had performed (aside from Master Tigress), he lined up with the rest of the Five when Master Oogway announced that the Dragon Warrior was among them. He was just as surprised as the rest when a chubby panda named Po fell out of the sky and landed in front of Master Oogway's pointing claw.
After the tournament, the Five made their way over to the Training Hall. Crane was shown to be working on the Hall's Jade Tortoise, soon sparring with Tigress when she, too, landed on the tortoise bowl to do battle with him. He came up with the rest of the Five when Po started to showcase his skills, watching and flinching as Po tumbled into the training course and failed each section. He joined in with the others that night in making fun of Po afterwards as they walked towards the Student Barracks, sarcastically remarking, "He is so mighty! The Dragon Warrior, fell out of the sky in a ball of fire!" But little did he know that Po was right behind them the whole time and could hear everything they said.
When Po then tried to sneak into his room that same night, he made the floorboards creak every time he moved and, in trying to avoid that, accidentally stumbled into Crane's room while he was sleeping, waking him up. When Po awkwardly tried to start a conversation, Crane told Po, "I've had a long and rather disappointing day, so... yeah, I should probably get to sleep now." An awkward conversation ensued, during which Po accidentally kicked a hole in the material separating Crane and Monkey's rooms, and ended with Po parting with more awkward apologies.
The next day, Crane had to help Po get unstuck from a full-split he had been attempting to do. He later sparred with Po, but before they could attempt to fight, Po fell into the tortoise bowl and banged around for quite a bit, with Crane having jumped off and hovered in the air above him. That night, as Po was being treated to acupuncture by Mantis and Viper, his exclamations of pain caused Crane to mess up a symbol he was painting on some parchment. He later reminded Tigress from his room that they weren't supposed to talk aboutTai Lung when she began telling Po her story, but by the end of it, he and Monkey had opened the door between Crane and Po's room to listen. When the Five and Po ate together that same night, Crane greatly enjoyed Po's noodle soup, and laughed with the rest (excluding Tigress) at Po's "Shifu impression". He and the rest of the Five were later shocked at Master Oogway's death.
When Tigress set off to go fight Tai Lung, the rest of the Five joined her to help. When they finally faced him, Crane helped to cut the rope bridge, saved Tigress from falling to her death, and tie up Tai Lung with a loose rope. When Tai Lung reappeared, he took out all but Crane with nerve attacks, leaving him to carry the rest of the Five back.
When the Valley was evacuated, Crane took a lantern from Tigress and flew up to light the evacuation path for the villagers. He ducked with the rest when a blast of energy came from the center of the village, causing his hat to fly off his head. The Five and the villagers returned to town to investigate, and and joined in the bow to acknowledge Po as a Master and the Dragon Warrior for defeating Tai Lung.
In Kung Fu Panda Holiday
Crane, along with the rest of the Furious Five, was surprised when Po brought news that he was to host the sophisticated Winter Feast at the Jade Palace. Though the Five offered their help in preparing for the intense dinner, Po believed he could handle it himself, but a number of complications soon arose; among them Crane informing Po that the vocalist of the band for the feast had quit. After finding the many tasks too daunting to do himself, Po decided to call on the Furious Five for help. Crane assisted by using a Kung Fu move, using his wings to send a shift of wind across the table, setting plates and dishes.
When all the tasks were done, Crane was later seated with the other Kung Fu Masters for the Winter Feast. However, the ceremony was interrupted by Po, who told the Masters about his family traditions (mentioning his Uncle Yang's tendency of spurting noodles from his nose when he laughs, which Crane andMonkey remarked they'd like to see), and Po left to be at the Noodle Shopwith his father on the holiday. The Five understood Po's reasons for leaving, and they later joined him at the party at the restaurant. There, Crane enjoyed seeing the spectacle of Uncle Yang spurting noodles from his nose as Po described, and Crane later took part in a group portrait with the rest of the Furious Five, Po, Mr. Ping, Shifu, and Wo Hop.
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