The CW's Kung Fu is back to fight another day. One woman’s journey to keep the peace will be challenged more than ever, and the streets of San Francisco are sure to run red with sword fights and flying kicks once more. The first season of Kung Fu saw a fantastic and bold re-imagining of the original 1970s television series under the same name, and hopefully, the upcoming installment will continue in that direction.
Starring Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen, a warrior who comes up against many evil forces as bloody quests for revenge and power litter the world around her. A trained fighter in the martial arts after studying at the Shaolin monastery in China in lieu of finishing her college degree at Harvard University, her quarter-life crisis leads her to discover that she comes from a long line of guardians and warriors destined to protect the world from those who wish to control it with supernatural forces. With much to go over before Season 2 is back in full force on March 9, let's lay out what we can expect next.
When Is the Kung Fu Season 2 Release Date?
Season 2 of Kung Fu will premiere on The CW Wednesday, March 9 at 9 p.m. E.T. Its episodes will then be made available to stream exclusively on the CW streaming app. If you need to catch up on all the action so far, Season 1 can be watched in its entirety on both The CW streaming app and HBO Max.
Watch the Kung Fu Season 2 Trailer
The trailer for Season 2 reveals that Nicky’s cousin, Mia, is poised to raise hell and will attempt to harness Biange once more, thanks to partnering up with the ever-growing empire Tan is creating. Masked and dressed in all black, Nicky can be seen fighting against her cousin throughout the trailer in an epic showdown that presumably takes place during the Season 2 premiere, and it seems she’s met her match in battle. Whether Mia sticks with Tan or jumps ship to join Nicky in her fight to save San Francisco and Chinatown from criminals remains unclear, but it’s safe to say Nicky won’t give up without a fight. As Tan now has a whole army behind him, there will be multiple fights across San Francisco as he attempts to seize control of everyone and everything.
Kung Fu Season 1 Recap: What Happened in the First Season?
The Eight Weapons and Biange
First things first, it’s important to address the status of the eight weapons, which were at the center of all the action throughout Season 1. For a refresher to those who need it, when combined the weapons are a lethal force that can channel the ancient power of Biange. Whoever possesses all eight weapons and unlocks its magic can become unstoppable, and Biange is an energy that is neither good nor evil, but can bring about great transformation. The eight weapons are the Sword of Liang Daiyu, Shuang Gou, the Dagger, the Axe, the Meteor Hammer, the Crossbow, the Short Sword, and the Deer Horn Knives.
Both Nicky and her arch-nemesis, the assassin Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman), were seeking out the eight weapons throughout the first season and Zhilan eventually captured all eight of them intending to access Biange for ultimate power. Zhilan started her quest to collect all eight weapons by stealing the Sword of Liang Daiyu at the Shaolin monastery where she murdered Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai), her sister and Nicky's Shifu.
From there, the deadly assassin teamed up with Kerwin Tan (Ludi Lin), the wealthy son of billionaire Russell Tan (Kee Chan), who was also on a quest for the eight weapons. Together, Zhilan and Kerwin stole the rest of the weapons from his father and fell in love in the process, but that didn't stop Zhilan from seemingly murdering Kerwin in a shocking turn of events.
During the Season 1 finale, Zhilan and Nicky possessed and unleashed Biange at the forge in China, but the harnessing of the ancient magic was brief. Russell Tan was also in attendance as he was hoping to take all eight weapons back and exact revenge for his son's death, but he watched helplessly as the women battled. Nicky was able to seize control and take back the ancient magic during her showdown against Zhilan and sent it all back out into the world where it belongs. Currently, no one can harness or access Biange, but that doesn’t mean it's gone forever.
The Aftermath of the Battle at the Forge
As of now, all eight weapons have also been destroyed or buried, and the sword of Liang Daiyu has been returned to the Shaolin monastery. Nicky importantly mentioned when she returned home from China that Biange will never truly be gone from the world and it can be seized again. It’s also crucial to remember that Nicky comes from a long line of guardians to the eight weapons, and is a descendant of the first major female warrior, Liang Daiyu. Since Liang, one woman from each generation in Nicky's family has exhibited extraordinary fighting capabilities and has been given the title of “warrior.”
The Shen Family
With concerns to Nicky’s family, Althea (Shannon Dang) and her fiancé Dennis (Tony Chung), officially tied the knot during the Season 1 finale, with a few hitches along the way. In addition, Althea decided to come clean and uphold her decision to always remain honest with her now-husband and revealed the truth about Nicky and her warrior origins. Nicky’s parents, Jin (Tzi Ma) and Mei-Li (Tan Kheng Hua), have decided to keep their restaurant Harmony Dumplings open despite financial struggles, and they will continue to cook what they want by shaking up the menu with exciting new recipes. Ryan (Jon Prasida) remains heartbroken over his ex-boyfriend Joe’s departure, while Nicky and her now-boyfriend and fellow fighter Henry (Eddie Liu), are enjoying their relationship.
Who Are the Returning Cast Members in Kung Fu Season 2?
All the main players will be coming back for more carnage and dumplings in Season 2 of Kung Fu. The entirety of the Shen family, Nicky, Jin, Mei Li, Ryan, Althea, and Dennis in addition to Nicky’s ex-boyfriend, Evan (Gavin Stenhouse), will return. That means we'll be seeing more of Kung Fu’s leading lady, Olivia Liang, alongside the series regulars Shannon Dang, Eddie Lu, Tan Kheng Hua, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, and Tzi Ma. Vanessa Kai will also return as Nicky’s guiding moral compass and deceased Shifu, Pei-Ling.
It’s also important to note that the actress playing Zhilan, Yvonne Chapman, has been promoted from a recurring character to the main cast. This means that even though she’s now behind bars after getting arrested in China, she’ll still be very much a part of the chaos. There will also be new blood in Season 2, with the additional casting of actors in recurring roles that include Vanessa Yao, Annie Q., and JB Tadena. Yao is slated to play Nicky’s cousin and fellow warrior, Mia, Annie Q. will be portraying the daughter of the criminal Russell Tan (Kee Chan), and Tadena will play Sebastian, a new chef at Harmony Dumplings.
What Can We Expect in Kung Fu Season 2?
Step aside Zhilan, there’s a new bad guy in town. After Nicky successfully thwarted Zhilan’s quest to possess Biange at the forge after stealing all eight weapons, she was arrested by the police in China. Enter the powerful businessman and billionaire Russell Tan, who is on his own quest for both revenge and power, with the end goal of harnessing Biange.
Memorably, Zhilan seemingly murdered his rebellious son Kerwin after the pair teamed up to steal all eight weapons. In the aftermath of the shocking betrayal, Zhilan left Kerwin for dead, but it was later revealed during the Season 1 finale that he’s still alive. Seen in a hospital bed hooked up to various devices and looking worse for wear, time will tell if Kerwin is able to make a swift recovery.
On the other side of things, Nicky’s ex-boyfriend and lawyer, Evan, also stumbled upon some shocking revelations during the finale. With the help of his assistant, they uncovered that Tan has been buying up an alarming amount of property throughout San Francisco, in addition to the loyalties of various politicians and Evan’s boss. This will set up a whole new slew of conflicts for Season 2, as corruption will run rampant throughout The City by the Bay and Chinatown.
Last but certainly not least, Tan reveals in the last few moments of Season 1 that Nicky has a cousin, Mia, who’s the daughter of both a guardian and warrior. Expect Mia to become a dark horse throughout Season 2 and stir up serious trouble as Tan attempts to reclaim Biange, which Mia will be a key player in obtaining as she’s one of the few who can harness it. The last few moments of Season 1 follow an obscured Mia as she visits the grave of Nicky’s deceased aunt and former warrior, Mei-Xue, and it’s hinted that Mia could possibly be her daughter. If that proves to be true, there could be two opposing warriors in our midst.