KC, on "Hero"

Though the heroine of Disney’s Mulan deviates from her predecessors, the film has been criticized as reinforcing the male dominated stereotype present in other Disney films because though Mulan is a woman, she must disguise herself as a man in order to achieve her goal. While it is true that Mulan does impersonate a man, her true crowning moment of heroism happens after she has been revealed and dismissed as ‘just a woman.’
This song was picked to emphasize how Mulan is a hero, not because she disguises herself as a man, but because of her determination to not be just another face in the crowd. She is not the type of girl who keeps her opinion to herself, and in the end, she is the one who saves everyone, even when the society depicted in the movie states that she should not be able to due to her gender. She understands the risks associated with her actions, but still follows through despite the dangers, finding the hero within herself.