Shang-Chi: Every Main Character Ranked From Worst To Best
4. Katy
Though many people still expect Awkwafina to be nothing more than a rat-a-tat one-liner machine, her role as Shang-Chi's best friend Katy is thankfully a lot more nuanced than that.
Awkwafina proved in the acclaimed drama The Farewell that she could act her ass off, serving her well for a role here that demands a little from column A and a little from column B.
Though not suffering through the same heightened familial discord as Shang-Chi, Katy does nevertheless have her own issues to deal with, namely a mother who viewers her as a mere disappointment.
As Shang-Chi's best bud she's the sort of loyal friend everyone wants in their life, and while there are mild hints of a possible romance, it's thankfully not pushed hard at all.
Her sudden mastery of an archer's bow in the third act does feel almost comically rushed, but it's nevertheless fun that she can be a superhero's sidekick who gets occasionally involved in the action.
Awkwafina may not be for all tastes, but she did a great job making Katy a likeable yet just-prickly-enough support character.