Unpopular Opinion: Killmonger Is Not the Hero

As I’ve now recently re-watched every single entry of the MCU, as well as having a lot of time on my hands these days, I notice more and more things about these movies. This alone is why I spend my time thinking about logic and continuity in films about super heroes. One of my favorite films in the franchise is Black Panther, both as a stand alone entry, as well as a it being a cultural phenomenon. One of the recurring themes according to fans seems to be that the character of Erik Stevens. a.k.a. Killmonger, is the real hero, and not King T’Challah of Wakanda, the current Black Panther. While I can understand where he was coming from, he clearly went about things the wrong way. Some even might say his intentions were good, as he did make some valid points. However, in my opinion, the negatives outweighs the positives and I’m here to discuss why I think he is not the hero.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m as progressive and liberal as much as the next guy, but there are strong arguments against Killmonger being considered the hero. Even if you don’t think T’Challah is the hero, if anything, maybe the true hero is Nakia, as she seemed to be a balance between Killmonger’s misguided philosophies and the legacy that the late King T’Chaka left behind and installed within the Wakandan culture.

The film begins with the backstory of how Wakanda and it’s leader the Black Panther began, when a meteorite made of Vibranium struck the Earth. Vibranium would become the strongest metal on Earth and is an important aspect to the MCU as a whole. Captain America’s famed shield is made from Vibranium, as is Bucky Barnes’ newest metal arm, and the majority of Vision’s body. It all came from Wakanda. Fast toward to 1992 in Oakland, CA. A young Erik Stevens is playing basketball with friends outside his rundown apartment building while his father Prince N’Jobu, a Wakandan spy, and Zuri, are upstairs. At the door awaits members of Wakanda’s female special forces unit the Dora Milaje, and not far behind is King T’Chaka, the Black Panther at the time. When N’Jobu found out Zuri was also a spy for Wakanda to make sure he did what T’Chaka approved of, he tried to kill Zuri. However, T’Chaka intervened to save Zuri’s life and in doing so, killed his brother N’Jobu, leaving poor Erik without a father during a time not far from LA’s most tumultuous events, the racially provoked riots.

At this point in the story, we come to just after T'Challah defeats M'Baku to officially become King of Wakanda, and Erik Stevens is now all grown up. Throughout the movie, we learn that Erik, now going by Killmonger, had become a Navy Seal with countless kills, and since the death of his father, vowed vengeance against Wakanda and wanting to get Vibranium out into the world. Though Wakanda was the richest nation in the world, to conceal what they had, it was disguised as a third world country to the outside world at large. Killmonger even got Ulysses Klaue in on it, who had been about the spreading of Vibranium for many years, most notably to the viewing MCU audience since Avenegers: Age of Ultron. 

Killmonger killed his girlfriend, and then Klaue, taking his body to Wakanda and presenting it, after T'Challah failed to do so in his mission with Nakia and Okoye. The main reason for the failure was the serious injury to American CIA agent Everett Ross, whom was taken to Wakanda with them so Shuri could cure him. Killmonger then challenged T'Challah to battle for the throne of Wakanda, as well as the title of Black Panther. Killmonger removed his shirt, revealing countless self-inflicting scars, based on his amount of kills. He defeated T'Challah by throwing him off a cliff, seemingly killing him, and drank from the heart shaped herb that gave all those before him the power of the Black Panther. He assumed the throne and then started his own crusade.

There are a few reasons why some view Killmonger as the hero of the movie Black Panther. Since being abandoned in Oakland, he, along with his father N'Jobu, saw the hardships black people endured in America and all over the world. Until his death, N'Jobu wanted to bring Vibranium from Wakanda to the outside world. However, T'Chaka saw this as betrayal. Killmonger felt the same way as his father. There were definitely subtle references to slavery, racism, the Civil Rights movement, and other things black people dealt with for hundreds of years. Of course, combine those things with being abandoned parent-less as a child would do damage to someone's psyche. Because of those things, Killmonger felt that with Vibranium, his people that were wronged could gain power. 

However, here's where it all falls apart. Though some of those reasons are understandable, as well as the spreading of Vibranium somewhat admirable, he ended up being a hypocrite and did it all for the wrong reasons. First of all, after drinking from the heart shaped herb and learning that was the source of all previous Black Panther's powers, he decided to burn the garden containing the herbs to the ground so no one else could gain those powers, thus making him the most powerful man in Wakanda. Who knows, he could have then set his sights on world conquest. That act alone showed immaturity and faults in his reasoning. Another reason he is not the hero is because this was also all related to revenge. I'm not condoning what T'Chaka did. In fact, it would lay the ground work for another father who was not as good as perceived, Odin, father of Thor. T'Chaka not only killed his own brother, but he left poor Erik parent-less and abandoned him. Nakia had pointed out to T'Challah that the spreading of Vibranium could be a good thing. However, her intentions were clearly more admirable than Killmonger's.

T'Challah ended up being saved by the joint efforts of his family and the surprisingly helpful M'Baku and his Jabari Tribe. He returned to battle Killmonger once again, claiming he never yielded and he is still alive. Just before, however, T'Challah visited the ancestral plane once again and scolded his father T'Chaka and other ancestors both on the abandonment of Killmonger and refusing to share Wakandan resources with the rest of the world. However, based on the way Killmonger went about things in his absence, he felt he had to stop him. 

After an epic battle, T'Challah came out on top. He offered to save a severely injured Killmonger. Here's where I have another huge problem in the narrative that Killmonger is the hero. He declined being healed with a reason that just does not sit well with me. His said this to T'Challah; "Why, so you can lock me up? Nah. Just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors who jumped from ships, 'cause they knew death was better than bondage." Killmonger was to be locked up for his crimes as a murderer and thief, among other things. To compare this to slavery in the slightest is insulting. He is both a hypocrite and a coward for this. A criminal is someone who deserves bondage, whereas a slave was forced. As a Caucasian man, I might not have a leg to stand on when it comes to this, but I do have common sense. However, Killmonger still remains a relatable villain, which is what makes villains interesting. On the other end, heroes have their flaws, which makes them interesting. 

Some people say that Killmonger was wrong for the right reasons, noting his noble ideas to share resources with the rest of the world, yet going about it the wrong way. He has many layers as a villain and it's too bad that he died after only one film in the MCU. I can even see correlations between this movie's characters and the Civil Rights movement. T'Challah is like Martin Luther King, trying to do things as peacefully as possible, whereas Killmonger is more like Malcolm X, doing things by any means necessary. Still, despite its flaws, Black Panther remains both one of the best films in the MCU, as well as a cultural event. In the end, he did get what he wanted, even in death, as T'Challah, the true Black Panther, decided to share Wakanda's resources with the world, which was Nakia's humanitarian view in the first place. Wakanda forever!