After the death of his grandmother, Tom Lee discovers he is part of a long lineage of magical protectors known as the Guardians. With guidance from a mythical tiger named Hu and the other Zodiac animal warriors, Tom trains to take on an evil force that threatens humanity. Tom Lee, a Chinese-American boy, after the death of his grandmother, has to be apprenticed to the talking tiger Mr. Hu and learn ancient magic to become the new guardian of an ancient phoenix.