Audiences may have been so blinded by Po’s awesomeness in Kung Fu Panda 2 that they missed this subtle detail about his fight with Lord Shen.

Released in 2011 by DreamWorks Animation, Kung Fu Panda 2 is easily one of the studio's most beloved movies. From the smooth animation and incredible kung fu sequences to the lovable characters and touching stories, the Kung Fu Panda franchise has it all, including a consistent color scheme.

Part of what makes the movies so beautiful is the fact that the color schemes remain so consistent. Certain colors tend to be associated with certain characters, so whenever the animation switches between 3D and the more stylized 2D segments, the result is smooth and immersive instead of jarring. This is because of Kung Fu Panda's color theory, which affects every scene in the franchise -- including the final battle with Lord Shen, the main antagonist of Kung Fu Panda 2.

RELATED: The Turbulent Journey of DreamWorks in the 2010s

Explaining Kung Fu Panda's color theory requires explaining Chinese color theory. The franchise delves deep into Chinese culture and symbolism, to the point where even the smallest thing has added symbolism, and the color choices are no different. Yellow is associated with royalty and power and is the center of the Chinese color wheel -- in the franchise, it's the color most associated with Po, the protagonist and center of the series.

The villainous Lord Shen's main colors are red, black and white. Black may be considered the color of death in Western culture -- which he does bring -- but it's considered bad luck in Eastern culture -- which he also brings. Black is also associated with water in Chinese culture, which is a constant presence in Kung Fu Panda 2, from the rainy skies to the waterways and the harbor the cast travels. White, in Chinese culture, is the color associated with death -- which is why Shen is a white peacock. White also represents metal, which his cannons and industrialization use. His final defining color, red, is associated with fire -- as is Shen.

The entirety of Kung Fu Panda 2 leans heavily into this color scheme. After the calming green in the scene where Shifu teaches Po about inner peace, most of the film's lighting is in shades of red, yellow, white or black. Constantly, Po's yellow is competing against Shen's red against a black, watery backdrop, shifting one way or the other depending upon who gains the upper hand; while the first half of the movie frequently has bright yellow scenes, after the midway point, it generally favors black and red.

RELATED: Kung Fu Panda 4 Announcement Has Fans Demanding Shrek 5

And yet nowhere in the film is this color theory so subtle yet effective as in the final fight between Po and Shen: the Zen Ball Master scene. After fighting to prevent Shen's fleet from entering the harbor and failing to do so, Po makes one final stand on a piece of flotsam in the black harbor. As the red light of dawn starts to stain the clouds red and Shen's fiery fleet emerges, Shen gives the order to fire, and a burning red cannonball careens straight for Po. But Po, having finally achieved inner peace, uses the technique that Shifu taught him to redirect the cannonball, dousing the fiery metal in the bay. And in doing so, the cannonball changes color from red to yellow. This happens with every cannonball that Po touches -- the ones he dodges remain red during their entire flight. Even the explosions, when he redirects the cannonballs back to the fleet and begins sinking the ships, are golden yellow compared to the fiery red of when they're fired.

The dawn turns golden as the battle tips in Po's favor, and with the flinging of the final cannonball after a yellow and black yin-yang spin, the lighting becomes fully yellow for the first time since Shen bested him in the tower, symbolizing the white peacock's defeat. The cannonballs changing color are subtle compared to the rest of the scene and not something one notices on the first viewing, but it shows just how much care was put into the making of Kung Fu Panda 2.

Dr. Kelsey Dickson is a writer and artist from Delaware. When she's not actively engaged in creative media, she's catering to the whims of her pets, who most likely run the house. Her degrees include a Bachelor's in Game Art, a Master's in Creative Writing, and a Doctorate in Online Education. She also spends a lot of time writing fanfiction, but we won't hold that against her. You can find her on Tumblr where she contributes fanfiction, fan theories, and general chaos.

Subscribe to the CBR newsletter for exclusive comics, TV & movie news, reviews, interviews & much more!