The Panji tales are a cycle of Javanese stories, centred around the legendary prince of the same name (actually a title) from East Java, Indonesia. Along with the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the tales are the basis of various poems, sculpture and painting, dance-drama performances and genres of wayang (shadow puppetry), especially the one known in East and Central Java as wayang gedhog (the meaning here is unclear, as "gedhog" means "a thumping sound"). Panji tales have been the inspiration of Indonesian traditional dances, most notably the topeng (mask) dances of Cirebon, Central Java and Malang, as well as gambuh dance-drama in Bali. Especially in the environs of Kediri, part of the probable homeland of the tales of Panji, local stories grew and were connected with the obscure legendary figure of Totok Kerot. Panji tales have spread from East Java (Indonesia) to be a fertile source for literature and drama throughout Indochina Peninsula (a region that includes modern-day Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, South Vietnam).

The name Panji is actually a Javanese title, literally meaning 'banner' or 'flag'. In these romances, Panji is said to carry deeds traditionally ascribed to mythical ancestors, and it has also been conjectured by Dutch anthropologists that the basis of the story reflects an ancient sun and moon myth. Based on literary references and later Javanese traditions, early twentieth-century scholars conjectured that the figure of Panji may be based on Kameçvara, a twelfth-century Javanese king of Kediri, while the details of Panji's betrothed, Candra Kirana, was based on queen Çri Kirana. This theory is based on the kakawin Smaradhana, the work of the poet Mpu Dharmaja in the early 12th century. That narrative tells of the burning of the love god Kamajaya and his wife, Kamaratih, by the fire of Shiva. The spirits of Kamajaya and Kamaratih fell upon the earth and were incarnated as mortal human beings. Prince Panji and Princess Candra Kirana are considered incarnations of Kamajaya and Kamaratih. One problem with relating this theory to historical kingdoms is that the kingdoms in the tale did not correspond with the historical kingdoms. In the tale, Panji was the prince of Janggala, while the historic Kameçvara was the prince of Kediri. Likewise, in the tale, Chandra Kirana was said to be the princess of Kediri, while the actual historic Çri Kirana was the princess of Janggala. In the Surakarta court poet Rangga Warsita's genealogy Pustaka Radja Mada, the Javanese kings, including Panji, are considered the descendants of the Pandavas of the Mahabharata.

Scenes from the Panji cycles appear in the narrative reliefs of the walls of East Javanese candi from the 13th century, the earliest of which is Candi Jawi. By the 14th century a figure wearing a cap that corresponds to the figure of Panji was featured in many reliefs on temples sponsored by the empire of Majapahit, as well as appearing as separate sculptures from temples, indicating that Panji may have been a figure of worship in Majapahit.

The legendary Javanese Saint who brought Islam to the Island, Sunan Giri, is credited, along with other innovations in wayang, with the creation of wayang gedog in 1553, to enact the Panji stories. Wayang kulit performances of the Panji cycle are in general the same as in performances of the wayang purwa (those based on the Indian epics); however, because of their material, they are considered less significant. In addition, their headdresses are simpler, and the garment worn on the lower body is based on Javanese court dress Plots based on the Panji cycle are also common in East Javanese wayang klitik (using wooden puppets), in West Javanese wayang golek (using three-dimensional rod puppets), and in wayang beber (stories depicted pictorially on scrolls). It is also the principal basis of the stories used in wayang topeng (masked dance-pantomime). In Bali, where the longest and best-known of the tales is called Malat, the story is performed in the Gambuh plays and in the operatic Arja. In Sulawesi, there is a Panji tale written in Makassar language, called Hikayat Cekele . There is also a long Malay-language story, the Hikayat Cekele Wanengpati. In Thailand, these stories are performed in the lakhon nai stage plays as "Inao" (อิเหนา).

The Panji manuscripts of Leiden University Libraries and the national libraries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia were inscribed on 30 October 2017 in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register affirming their global significance.

The Panji manuscripts are also digitally available through Digital Collections

There are differing versions and episodes of the overall Panji story. In one version, The main story of Panji tells of the romance between Prince Panji and Princess Candra Kirana; and Panji's search for his long-lost bride.

Panji and the other characters in the Panji cycle appear with various names (including nicknames) in different versions of the tale, including Raden Panji, Panji Inu Kertapati, Raden Panji Inu, Raden Inu, Inu (of) Koripan, Ino (or Hino) Kartapati, Cekel Wanengpati, and Kuda Wanengpati of Janggala, as well as Raden Panji Asmara Bangun and Panji Asmoro Bangun. The title Panji was used by historical Javanese and Balinese kings and princes, notably Gusti Ngurah Panji Sakti, who ruled North Bali in the seventeenth century. In Thailand, he is called Inao or Enau (Thai: อิเหนา) or Enau (of) Kurepan, or Raden Montree. In Myanmar (formerly Burma), he is known as Inaung or Enaung (Burmese: အီနောင်).