Black Panther: The Young Prince

“I still remember the sight of Klaw, the unsmiling—Klaw, the merciless—ordering my father to give up our sacred mound—our precious eternal rock!”

T’Challa’s first introduction to villainy comes through Klaw, who kills his father for vibranium. This is T’Challa’s origin story as the Black Panther and a hero, as the role of chieftain and protector of Wakanda falls to him, and his pursuit of justice is founded in vengeance against Klaw. The repetition of “our” emphasizes the personal and cultural significance of the sacred vibranium mound to T’Challa and his people, marking the moment as his origin story.

“The knowledge of this and of the destroyed humanity he holds in his arms is reflected in his walk. A somber wake forms this silent procession, all mute with one emotion: mourning!”

When T’Challa returns to Wakanda and finds Killmonger’s men torturing a Wakandan, he realizes that something is amiss. When this man dies, T’Challa carries his body back into the village, and it dawns on him that he is disconnected from Wakanda and that this will cause pain for everyone, including himself. The alliteration in “mute with one emotion: mourning” adds a rhythmic tone that heightens the emotional weight of the scene.

“Jungle bred instincts, nurtured and aided by herbal medicines and rigorous, oft-repeated religious ceremonies, cut through the Panther’s rage.”

Though T’Challa is well-versed with technology, and he himself elevates Wakanda to a technologically advanced society, his status as the Black Panther resides in tradition. It is through ceremonies, medicinal herbs, and traditional trainings that he not only gains the power of the Black Panther, but assumes the title.

“Violence!! That’s always your only answer, T’Challa!”

T’Challa’s advisors are very split throughout these issues on what approach T’Challa should take against Killmonger. More than one of his advisors advises peace and nonviolence, often harshly criticizing T’Challa for jumping to violence. This violence often spills over and hurts more people than just whoever T’Challa is fighting. The use of exclamatory sentence structure here intensifies the speaker’s frustration, illustrating the ongoing conflict between T’Challa’s reliance on action versus the peaceful counsel of others.

“There was a day when he would have kept everything in control. Even anger would stay where he could use it to his advantage!”

As the conflict with Killmonger worsens and T’Challa’s connection to Wakanda becomes more apparently damaged, T’Challa struggles to control his rage. Mendinao, one of the traditional figures behind the Black Panther rituals, sees a different T’Challa. He believes he becomes undisciplined, and lets the anger drive him. This quote employs flashback to contrast past and present, underlining how the conflict with Killmonger has changed T’Challa.

“Wakanda! It is a nation of paradoxes. Technology coexisting with primitive tradition…and not always coexisting peacefully.”

Wakanda is at its core a traditional society, though the technological advancements T’Challa brings in radically changes that society. Suddenly, under T’Challa’s leadership, everyday life in Wakanda changes and the values system in its culture change, creating paradoxes, divisions, and a lack of trust.

“Fingers taut, he takes hold. This grip must not weaken else he will fall beneath these pounding hooves—left maimed and bloody under their tread. And how, he wonders, would that affect his kingdom, held in turmoil as it is by the chaos of Killmonger’s brutal insurrection.”

When T’Challa wrestles the rhinoceros, aiming to kill it and stop its stampede, he thinks of the risk he takes. He recognizes that his actions are meant to protect the people of Wakanda, even on this small scale, but sees the risk as a big benefit for Killmonger. He begins to evaluate his own importance to the fate of Wakanda. The imagery in this passage, such as “pounding hooves” and “left maimed and bloody,” vividly describes the physical danger T’Challa faces, while the metaphor of falling beneath the hooves symbolizes the broader threat of his failure to his kingdom.

“You have allowed this outworlder to desecrate sacred rites…it is only last night you finished the sacrosanct panther ceremony!”

W’Kabi and many others dislike Monica and see her as a threat from the outside world. W’Kabi’s biggest complaint is that she often interrupts or disobeys tradition, and T’Challa refuses to hold her accountable. This only worsens the feeling in Wakanda that he does not care about the radical changes he imposes.

“The Black Panther sits alone in the gathering twilight, staring into the water at his reflection…and hardly recognizes himself—as if he has forgotten who he once was or who he now is!”

Though T’Challa faces many villains throughout these issues, his biggest foe is himself and the self-doubt he forces upon himself. The symbolism of the water’s reflection here highlights T’Challa’s existential crisis, as the reflection becomes a metaphor for his self-doubt. He struggles to remember who he is and his abilities, losing confidence in the face of adversity.

“They seem to fear any beliefs different than their own—as if the very existence of a belief contrary to theirs would negate or threaten their way of life.”

T’Challa considers the reasons behind the Wakandans’ mistrust of Monica and sees a nation and society so entrenched in its ways that it struggles to adapt. This is reflected in the difficulty his people experience in adapting to the changes technology brings to Wakanda.

“In war there is no use crying, ‘I want nothing to do with your feud. I do not want to die!’ Words, unfortunately, can not save you in the midst of combat; and combat also unfortunately, has little respect for age or race or sex or shoe size.”

As the struggle between Killmonger and T’Challa spills over into villages and becomes a full-blown civil war, the indifference of the world becomes apparent. Many, particularly innocent people, suffer during this conflict, placing even more weight on T’Challa, whose role in the war is central. This passage uses personification by attributing combat with the human capacity for respect, which helps underscore the inevitability and brutality of war.

“The rays have transformed him from mere human…and there are few humans that are content with what they are…If that were not the case, I would have no followers to overthrow Wakanda’s great dreamer, T’Challa.”

Killmonger recruits his allies by manipulating their sense of self and promising them better lives. Here, Killmonger exploits the wide sense of distrust toward technological advancements that Wakandans feel even more strongly in T’Challa’s absence. This quote also showcases metaphor, with the “rays” representing more than just physical transformation—they symbolize the allure of power and change.

“Once I trusted our herbalist, Mendinao…but now he stays with these men called dock-tors. Do you know of dock-tors?”

Karota is the greatest example of how Wakandans struggle to adapt to their new society and technology. She is a traditional woman who immediately dislikes Monica because of her status as an outsider. When Monica finally connects with her, Karota makes it apparent that she does not trust these changes, and even doubts those she once trusted because of how they adapt to the new technology and resources.

“He has killed a myth…and his life is lessened by the act. He has lost part of his past without anything to replace it in the future.”

This quote utilizes symbolism, where the killing of the white gorilla represents the destruction of Wakanda’s myths and traditions. T’Challa’s act is framed as more than physical violence; it’s symbolic of the loss of cultural identity. These gorillas are the basis of the second major religion in Wakanda, and when he kills one, he “kills” that myth. This quote also highlights that Wakandans feel that T’Challa erases the past without remaining physically present to help them bridge their traditions to the future.

“Mokadi smiles at him. It is the smile of sorrow, the twist of lips grown accustomed to pain and insanity…that hints that the ways of men are often myopic in design…on small…and large scales.”

Mokadi plays a small part in the story of T’Challa’s war with Killmonger but he represents the existential crisis the conflict presents. Mokadi represents the people of Wakanda, and embodies the pain and confusion caused by the war. Additionally, the many questions he asks and wisdom he dispenses hint at the true threats of war, which can reverberate through generations.

“He was all the spilled blood since this revolution began. I stole his identity from him by doing that…and I am saddened to lose the one for the whole. Do you understand?”

When Taku sees a dead child on the field of battle, the war and its violence becomes real for him. All of the pain and all of the violence is embodied in this one child, and Taku cannot handle it. His reaction is violence and represents the nonsensical nature of war.

“There is always someone who will hate whatever decision you make…no matter how long you take in deliberation! You can never satisfy all of the people. Is that the original thought, T’Challa?”

T’Challa often struggles with the pressure of leadership and over time comes to the realization that he cannot please everyone. He will always leave people unhappy or make enemies with his choices, and must find a way to make decisions anyway, for what he believes is best for Wakanda.

“Oh, I was always aware that the computers and machinery has affected our lifestyle…but never beyond the more obvious changes.”

When T’Challa says this to Monica, he admits to being short-sighted with how technology would impact Wakanda. He initially sees it for its improvement to the way of life and health, but fails to see its cultural implications, leading to Killmonger’s rise.

“But you ain’t always right, Taku. See, revolutions change things, that’s what they do. And that ain’t no illusion, Taku. Didn’t you never think of that? And sometimes those changes are better’n what’s gone down before.”

Venomm and Taku have an interesting relationship over the course of the civil war. They come from opposing sides of the conflict, but are capable of meeting in the middle and understanding each other through patience, kindness, and conversation. Venomm, though he will not commit violence against Taku, disagrees about rebellion, believing that it can change society for the better.

“He seems to be everywhere…lashing out…releasing the rage that he has kept restrained for near a year.”

T’Challa’s rage boils over in his final confrontation with Killmonger and Killmonger’s forces. T’Challa waits an entire year to once again face Killmonger and avenge the violence and pain Killmonger inflicts on Wakanda. This time, however, T’Challa uses the rage as fuel to help guide him to victory, rather than let it overpower him.

“Neither the Panther nor Kantu speak. They look at each other as if they are somehow inexplicably entwined. Youth and adult facing the same adversary in timeless, violent arenas.”

Kantu acts as a mirror to T’Challa throughout these issues, experiencing the same tragedy of losing a father and then avenging that father. There is an unspoken bond between the two, and T’Challa can see himself in Kantu, and recognize how the loss of his father influenced him growing up.

“This is a different rage from that he felt toward Killmonger even as he attacks, he knows that in many ways these people are victims…who have chosen to make others…their victims!”

In the aftermath of the war with Killmonger, T’Challa faces Killmonger’s lover, Madam Slay, and her sidekick Mute. He struggles to see them as fully realized villains, however, recognizing them as victims of the civil war, trying to overcome their pain by inflicting that pain on others.

“Something wrong was happening, and I discovered it…and the idealism that hadn’t withered away in me rose up and said, ‘Blast it, we’re going to do something about this corruption.’”

Kevin Trueblood is an idealistic journalist whose commitment to fighting for what is right echoes T’Challa’s own sense of duty. Trueblood represents a hero without a costume or cape, committed to justice and uncovering the truth, even if it means putting himself in danger to do so.