Benedict Wong credited as playing...
Kublai Khan
- [first lines]
- Marco Polo: [riding up] Eight keshig dead. And ten horses.
- Kublai Khan: My son's horses?
- Marco Polo: No sign of Jingim or Ahmad.
- Kublai Khan: How close to Karakorum?
- Marco Polo: Close enough.
- Kublai Khan: Kaidu...
- Marco Polo: Who else?
- Kublai Khan: To harm my sons...
- Marco Polo: An act of war.
- Kublai Khan: We ride for Karakorum!
- Kaidu: You'd take the word of a round eye over blood?
- Kublai Khan: Sad, isn't it? But his words have proven true.
- Old Woman: [sitting at her pot of potions] Great Khan. How you've grown greater and greater with each passing year. And you, Cousin Shabkana more and more delicate.
- Kublai Khan: Your skin brings to mind fine parchment, or the rose petals I use to clean my ass.
- Old Woman: Your words no longer cut me, Kublai. That is the great gift of age.
- Kublai Khan: Nor yours me. The great, great gift of sovereignty.
- Old Woman: You speak as you rule, like a bull-yak. Your mother's blood has proven unyielding.
- Kublai Khan: [to Byamba] To be mothered by a yak or a nagging witch? Which do you prefer?
- Kublai Khan: What is it about progress that makes you squeal like a pig in heat?
- Kaidu: Sight of my origins. Purity of my ancestors' intent. Lose that and I lose my soul.
- Kublai Khan: Purity is cried by those who follow. Leading is putting your soul on the line, so others may have the freedom to ponder theirs. It's an onus like no other.
- Kaidu: If you so resent it, why not relinquish it?
- Kublai Khan: So that you could tear down everything I built? You really want to be remembered for ruining an empire on the cusp of ruling over all?
- Kaidu: I want to be the one remembered for saving it. From you.
- Kublai Khan: Rhetoric is easy. But it masks envy, lust, greed. Or is just a desire to finally still your old mother's nagging?
- Kaidu: Spoken by the son of a murderous, thieving bitch!