Some people say he's forgettable but I think people automatically dismiss him just because he's not dramatic, theatrical and "hammy" like other Disney villains. I personally think he's pretty badass and ruthless.

Shan Yu is actually kind of similar to Mulan in that while everyone agrees that they both do remarkable things, some people think their personalities are on the boring side but I think it's unfair to dismiss any princess who isn't overtly dreamy, bubbly atau feisty in some way (Mulan) and any villain who isn't over the bahagian, atas and in your face (Shan Yu) as boring. There are other ways to be villainous.

Shan Yu is aloof and calculating, he does the most psychotic horrific actions with an effortless demeanor. He's not the deepest character but similar to Lady Tremaine, we're not really supposed to understand atau empathize with him, we're just supposed to find him intimidating. And unlike Tremaine, he has way lebih power at his disposal and uses it to devastating effect.

Compared to say the Evil Queen atau Maleficent who have a lot of power but don't really use it all that wisely. They have the archetypical villain look but honestly they're kinda "all style, very little substance". Maleficent has hundreds of minions at her disposal but she never got them to master one simple task, finding Aurora, and the only reason she ultimately found her was because of the fairies' slip up, even her magic can easily be weakened sejak the fairies.

Shan Yu on the other hand, he looks the part, he talks the talk and he walks the walk. He has entire army of killers who are just as vicious and unstoppable as he is. The amount of damage he unleashes, how close he comes to victory, how he uses both brute force and wit to accomplish his goals. He doesn't think twice about taking innocent lives, young and old.

While he isn't as dramatic as other villains, he's still a little self indulgent, he could have easily won if he wasn't so obsessed with trying to get the Emperor to bow to him. Hell, the only reason he's attacking China is because he wants to prove his strength. He has petty motivations like a lot of other villains but few can match his actual capabilities. He is one bad mofo.