5) Shou Lao The Undying
As established in Iron Fist (and reiterated in this show, too), Danny Rand was granted the power of the Fist after he battled a dragon known as Shou Lao the Undying. Frustratingly for fans, we haven’t yet seen the awesome beast on screen… but we come probably as close as we’re going to get in The Defenders.
First glimpsed at the close of episode 7, “Fish in the Jailhouse,” it’s revealed that what lies at the bottom of the pit under Midland Circle is the fossilized skeleton of a dragon. Gao explains that such creatures used to roam all over the place but this is all that’s left of them now.
Interestingly, Danny accuses her of “desecrating Shou Lao,” suggesting that this is the carcass of the dragon he fought. But that surely wouldn’t make sense considering the fossil has clearly been buried underneath New York for thousands of years.
In a fun visual easter egg, that initial reveal of the skeleton also shows that it’s posited just like the dragon tattoo on Danny’s chest.