Katy Chen, known in Mandarin as Chen Ruiwen (Mandarin: 陈瑞文), is Shang-Chi's oldest friend. Having met him in high school, the two lived normal lives in San Francisco where they worked in valet parking together, until she was drawn into her friend's conflict with his father Xu Wenwu and the Ten Rings organization, that started when they were attacked on a bus. Traveling to China with Shang-Chi, they approached his sister Xu Xialing and enlisted her help before they were captured by Wenwu. As they managed to escape his custody with a stolen vehicle, Chen drove her party into the mystical realm of Ta Lo with the assistance of Trevor Slattery and his pet Morris. She later trained with a bow and arrow in preparation for the impending battle, demonstrating a natural talent for archery, using her proficiency to play an instrumental role by saving the Great Protector from the Dweller-in-Darkness.
Katy Chen was born in a family of Chinese immigrants who left Hunan and moved to San Francisco, California. In high school, Chen became friends with Soo and John. One day, she approached a boy named Shaun when a bully attempted to fight him. Chen jumped in and distracted him by singing 'Hotel California' by Eagles, while stealing the keys to his Ford Mustang. Together with Shaun and Soo, Chen went for a joyride in his car. Chen and Shaun remained friends ever since.[1]
Working Together[]
Chen taking a joyride
Having graduated from high school and the University of California, Berkeley, Chen started working at a hotel as a valet, alongside Shaun. In 2018, she survived the Snap. One day in 2024, Chen stole the keys of an expensive BMW that Shaun was supposed to park for yet another joyride. Shaun tried to talk her out of it, but Chen was too stubborn and managed to convince Shaun to join her.
That night, Chen and Shaun joined Soo and John for a drink at a bar, telling them stories about themselves. Soo, however, commented that Chen and Shaun needed to stop fooling around and live up to their potential, although both of them did not like Soo's remarks.[1]
"I know this is confusing. I'll explain when I get back." "No, no, hell no, dude! This is bullshit! I have been by your side for half your life. I get there are things you never wanted to talk about, and I never wanted to push. But a guy with a freakin' machete for an arm just chopped our bus in half, Shaun!"
The next morning, Shaun came over to Chen's apartment and ate breakfast with her and her family. The two then left and got a ride on the bus. However, while they were riding, a group of men confronted Shaun. Feeling that Shaun needed help, Chen tried to intervene but was knocked against the side of the bus. Chen, clutching her cheek, then watched in awe as Shaun fought the men with great skill, much to her surprise. After one of the men used his blade to cut the bus' brakes, the bus driver was knocked unconscious. Shaun rushed to the driver's seat, but Chen told him they needed him in the back.
Chen tries to drive the bus
She then took the seat and tried to drive the bus to safety. However, with the brakes not working properly and half the bus on the verge of separating, Chen found it hard to drive. As they were nearing the harbor, she tried to get past a garbage truck as not to hit it and was forced to drive into parked vehicles. Eventually, coming to a stop, and seeing the damage caused, she apologized awkwardly to the garbage truck's driver.[1]
Chen questioned Shaun about his true identity, and he gave a very vague explanation before telling her he has to go to Macau, China to follow an address which was on a postcard that has been sent him. She agreed, but only if she could come with him and if he told her more. On the plane, he explained that his mother died, how his father trained him to be an assassin, and how after seven years of training, he was sent on a hit, but fled to San Francisco instead changing his name to Shaun from Shang-Chi. Chen tried to pronounce his name but had difficulty in doing so.
After arriving in Macau, they went to the location of the address and found the Golden Daggers Club, an illegal underground fight club. They were met by Jon Jon who enthusiastically welcomed them and gave them a tour of the club, before bringing them to the main tournament where they witnessed the duel between Abomination and Wong. After Wong won, Chen and Shang-Chi walked over to speak with him, but he left before they could. Jon Jon then chose Shang-Chi to join the tournament and Chen was confused when Shang-Chi was instructed to take his shirt off. She then watched as he was pitted against his sister, Xu Xialing.
After being told she could place a bet and win a large sum of money, Chen placed it on Xialing, who won, and Chen received a large pile of money much to her delight. Chen then discovered that Xialing actually owned the club, and that she did not send the postcard. Before Shang-Chi could discuss this with her, they were interrupted when the agents of the Ten Rings broke in. Jon Jon rushed in and led Xialing to safety by way of an elevator, abandoning Chen and Shang-Chi. Panicked about what to do, Chen was told by Shang-Chi to step out onto the scaffolding of the building to try to get to the next elevator on the next floor down.
They escaped onto the scaffolding, but when the Ten Rings agents caught up to them, Shang-Chi told Chen to keep going. She did, but was stopped by an agent and tried to evade him by grabbing onto a pole. However, the pole began to crack and lean away from the building. Shang-Chi attempted to reach her, but the scaffolding broke and the pole fell off the building, however, as she fell she was caught by Xialing on a lower floor.[1]
When Death Dealer arrived, Shang-Chi told Chen and Xialing to escape and that he would meet up with them, but as they tried to escape, they were found by Xu Wenwu, Razor Fist, and the other agents. Outnumbered, they were taken into their custody and were taken to Shang-Chi's location. They were all then taken onto the Ten Rings Helicopter to the Ten Rings Headquarters. Wenwu provided them dinner and told them about his plan to bring back Xialing and Shang-Chi's mother, who had supposedly been locked away behind a gate by the people of her homeland. At first, Shang-Chi and Xialing agree, but when they realize that whatever is calling to Wenwu is not his wife, they attempt to tell him, but are thrown in a prison cell within the base. Chen is subsequently thrown in with them.
In the cell, Chen heard a strange noise, and Shang-Chi decided to see about it, much to her disgust. Behind a metal door they encounter the actor Trevor Slattery, and to Chen's alarm, a small, winged mythical creature named Morris. Morris explained that it truly is not Shang-Chi's mother, rather a soul-sucking creature, known as the Dweller-in-Darkness. Morris is also from Ta Lo, and was taken to the base by Wenwu. It says it wants to go back, and will show them the way if it will help them stop Wenwu from unleashing the Dweller-in-Darkness onto his home. Chen and Shang-Chi agree, and Xialing appeared, having destroyed the wall from the other side and escaping the cell through tunnels under the base.
They followed Xialing into the garage and Chen hopped into Razor Fist's custom car, telling everyone else to get in. Chen drove at full speed towards the exit, where they were blocked by Ten Rings agents. As Shang-Chi and Xialing fight them off, Chen used one of the unconscious agents' fingerprint to trigger the door opening. They made their escape and by morning, they arrived at the entrance of the bamboo forest maze, which led to the entrance to Ta Lo. Morris, as dictated by Slattery, directed Chen through the maze as the unnatural forest began to close in on them.[1]
As the forest closed in on them, Chen was able to drive the car into a small clearing. Slattery then instructed her to drive into a nearby portal, which led to the alternate dimension of Ta Lo. Bewildered by what she was experiencing, she continued to drive on until they reached the Ancient Village. They were then greeted by villagers, including Shang-Chi's aunt Ying Nan. Shang-Chi informed Nan of Xu Wenwu's plan, and she decided to help them all train.
Chen being taught archery
Chen was taught by Guang Bo how to use a bow and arrow, and to her surprise, she appeared to be a natural at archery, shooting very accurately. Much to Chen's shock, she discovers that Shang-Chi lied to her about not carrying out the hit on the person responsible for the death of his mother, and his lament on becoming the very person his mother would despise. Despite her confusion on the situation, Chen consoles her friend, telling him that it wasn't his fault that he was manipulated by his father since the age of seven, being trained to become a killer, telling him to go light on himself. However, much to her shock, he announces that he will kill his father for the involvement for his mother's death, leaving Chen conflicted.
The next day, when Wenwu and his army arrived, Chen stood with the archers as the second line of defense. After the Soul Eaters were released and attacked them, she used her dragon scale-tipped arrows to kill them. She remained by the village acting as a front-line of defense for the dimension, while Shang-Chi, Xialing, and the Great Protector fought the Dweller-in-Darkness.
While the Great Protector was having its soul absorbed by the Dweller-In-Darkness, Chen was warned by Guang Bo that they need to shoot at the throat of the Dweller-In-Darkness. However, just before Guang Bo was able to do so, he unfortunately passed away as one of the Soul Eaters absorbed his soul, giving it to the Dweller, much to Chen's sadness. Later, a frantic Chen then used her last arrow to rescue her by sending the arrow into the Dweller's neck, which made the mark, successfully stopping their enemies from destroying Ta-Lo much to her shock. Following this, Shang-Chi, Xialing, and the Great Protector were able to defeat the Dweller.
That night, Chen sat with Shang-Chi as they watched the lantern ceremony for those who died. As the Great Protector flew above them, Chen rested her shoulder on Shang-Chi and the next day, they left Ta Lo. [1]
Interrupted Dinner[]
Chen and Shang-Chi returned to San Francisco and went out to dinner with their friends from high school. They tell them of the seemingly unbelievable events of the last week, but their friends clearly do not believe them, until an Inter-Dimensional Portal appears behind them, which reveals Wong. Wong enters their restaurant and tells Chen and Shang-Chi to come with him. Their friends stare in shock, along with the rest of the restaurant as they left with Wong to Kamar-Taj.[1]
Upon entering, they were introduced to Carol Danvers and Bruce Banner, who are there via holographic call; Chen was left gaping at the fact they were meeting such legendary heroes. Wong told them that the rings set off a beacon when Shang-Chi used them and the location of where it went was unknown. Danvers asked Shang-Chi when his father had gotten the rings, in which he replied thousand years ago, but Banner noted that they must have been made longer than that due to their nature. Banner reported that the rings weren't made out of vibranium, while Danvers stated they weren't alien either. Danvers then left abruptly after getting an alert, while Banner welcomed them to their world before he signed off as well.
Wong told them that their lives will never be the same now and told them to get some rest. However, Shang-Chi suggested they go to karaoke instead, so Chen, Shang-Chi, and Wong went to a local bar in San Francisco and sung "Hotel California" together.[2]
Personality[]
"I just love how you guys know exactly what you wanna do, and you spend your whole life getting really good at it. I wish I was more like that. It's like every time I get moderately good at something, I just quit and start something new. But I just know my own limits, and I'm not gonna waste my time chasing something that will ultimately be a disappointment for me. That's not me."
Katy is feisty, reckless, something foul-mouthed and loves to have fun in slightly questionable ways, such as going for high-speed joyrides in fast cars. She also loves karaoke, often bringing along Shang-Chi. She is also very loyal and brave, helping to defeat the Dweller-in-Darkness by shooting it in the neck with her dragon scale arrow.
In the beginning, Katy was satisfied with the life she had with Shang-Chi and her family as she didn't see herself doing anything else for herself. However, during her adventure with Shang-Chi, Katy discovered that she had a natural talent for archery and found more about herself. Katy accepted her new life as a hero alongside Shang-Chi and has come to terms that the life she once had wouldn't be the same anymore.
Abilities[]
"I'd only learned how to shoot a bow, like, a day earlier; now I'm on a battlefield killing all these Soul Suckers with Shaun's aunty."
Chen discovered an innate talent in archery while in Ta Lo, which proved crucial in their fight when she wounded the Dweller-in-Darkness by launching a dragon scale-tipped arrow through its throat from a considerable distance.
Destin Daniel Cretton has stated that Chen and Shang-Chi's relationship is purely platonic, as such relationships between men and women are seldom seen in film and television, and also because they felt the story did not require such a relationship.[3]
Destin Daniel Cretton and David Callaham wrote Chen as an experienced driver to break free from "the recurring Hollywood stereotype of Asian women as bad drivers." Both Cretton and Callaham jokingly addressed her as "the best driver of San Francisco, possibly the world."[4]
