Sisudatu, also known by her nickname Sisu, is a fictional character who appears in

Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...

' 59th animated feature ''

Raya and the Last Dragon ''Raya and the Last Dragon'' ( ) is a 2021 American computer-animated fantasy action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 59th film produced by the studio, it wa ...

'' (2021). Created by screenwriter

Adele Lim Adele Lim is a Malaysian American film and television producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a screenwriter for the 2018 movie ''Crazy Rich Asians (film), Crazy Rich Asians''. She has given support to young writers as mentor and speaker f ...

, she is voiced by American actress and rapper

Awkwafina Nora Lum (born June 2, 1988), known professionally as Awkwafina, is an American actress, rapper, and comedian who rose to prominence in 2012 when her rap song "My Vag" became popular on YouTube. She then released her debut album, ''Yellow Ran ...

. Inspired by the

Nāga The Nagas (IAST: ''nāga''; Devanāgarī: नाग) are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. ...

from

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

and

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...

, she is depicted as the last dragon in the land of Kumandra. To get rid of the Druun, monsters who once threatened Kumandra, Sisu compressed her magic into a gem. Humanity later fought over the gem and broke it, leading to Princess of Heart Raya seeking her help to banish the Druun again. Sisu and Raya travel across Kumandra to find the gem pieces, making new friends along the way, and learning the importance of trust. Sisu has received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised her design, sense of forgiveness, self-deprecating comedy, and contribution to the message.

Development

Origins and conception

Voice

voices Sisu. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, Disney sent her an audio production tent for her home recording acoustics. Shurer explained: "When we met Awkwafina, we knew, first of all, that she's an incredible actress with a wide range, and with a very professional and disciplined approach to acting. But Awkwafina fit the dragon that we were looking for— some combination of wisdom and emotion and humor. She brings all those three things together in some magical potion." Director

Carlos López Estrada Carlos López Estrada (born September 12, 1988) is a Mexican-American Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, music video director, commercial director, theatre director, and actor. Born in Mexico, he moved to the United States when he was 12 and lat ...

called her something "amazing" in the film due to her ability to perform both comedy and drama. Director Don Hall stated he could not imagine somebody other than Awkwafina as Sisu. Estrada said she improvised many of the scenes and "brought isuto life in a way that was very exciting to watch."

Design and personality

Story artist Luis Logam stated the directors want Sisu to "completely throw Raya off guard and out of her comfort zone" during their first meeting. Logam was encouraged to add a lot of physicality to Sisu's movement. The directors described Sisu as "funny ndself-deprecating".

Outward appearance

Unlike most dragons from Disney films, Sisu does not have wings and a bulky body. She was inspired by the Southeast Asian dragons known as the

which were tied to the element of water. Similar to depictions of dragons in China, Sisu's body is snake-like and slender. Her form is made up of multiple elements of other animals. Her head is similar to the mane of a lion while her body has dorsal fins and is covered in fish-like scales. Her teeth, feet and claws are similar to that of a tiger which is a trait from

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

. However, unlike typical Chinese dragons, she lacks long

barbel Barbel may refer to: *Barbel (anatomy), a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish (notably catfish, loaches and cyprinids) and turtles *Barbel (fish), a common name for certain species of fish **''Barbus barbus'', a species of cyprinid ...

s. In the film, Sisu possesses

bioluminescence Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some b ...

. The directors wanted Sisu to look "breathtakingly beautiful". Her hair was "meant to make her feel light and ethereal, through its almost magically weightless motion, which accentuates her being divine and mystical." Steve Arounsack, a visual anthropologist and consultant on the film, was collaborated with on Sisu's design. Awkwafina stated she saw parts of her teeth and eyes in Sisu.

Appearances

''Raya and the Last Dragon''

Merchandise

Following the release of ''Raya and the Last Dragon'', Disney released Sisu dolls in both human and dragon form. In a Kumandra figure play set, Sisu was featured. A Sisu plushy was also released.

Reception

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

'' called Sisu the "angel on aya'sshoulder urging her toward forgiveness". ''

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

'' praised her power, courage sweetness, forgiveness, trust and empathy. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' writer David Fear lauded Sisu's sassiness, furriness, snarkiness and funniness. Ben Travis of ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' complimented the effects of her mane. ''

RogerEbert.com ''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times' ...

'' Brian Tallerico commended the "gorgeous" design of Sisu. Writing for ''

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

'',

Justin Chang Justin Choigee Chang (born January 3, 1983) is an American film critic and columnist for the ''Los Angeles Times''. He previously worked for ''Variety''. Early life Justin Chang graduated from the University of Southern California in 2004. Chan ...

said Sisu was "all feel-good vibes". '' Vox'' described her as being a "fun" magical sidekick: "she's wisecracking but earnest, rambunctious but wise, and her loving nature is a good foil for Raya". ''

Firstpost ''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18. The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Raghav ...

'' stated she had a "mix of self-deprecating comedy, occasional wisdom and a

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References

{{Reflist Disney animated characters Fictional dragons Film characters introduced in 2021 Fictional characters with water abilities Fictional shapeshifters Fictional characters with air or wind abilities Female characters in animated films Fictional sole survivors