Most superheroes are a one-off: bit by a spider, traumatized by parents’ death, shipped from an alien planet, fathered by a god, etc. Black Panther comes from an ancestral dynasty. When the former king (his father) dies T’Challa assumes the mantle. Before that moment he’s physically trained and wearing the suit, but he’s imbued with the superpowers because he’s now the king.
All of this is very interesting to me when deciding an Enneagram number for him. A lot of superheroes are Eights or Nines. It’s part of the personality necessary to become that leader. Being a Body Type is essential, in a way. But someone who doesn’t choose? Someone who is passed the crown? He could be anything!
Immediately I want to say that he’s not a Body Type. He almost loses his first fight for the kingship and he definitely loses his second. Although he’s competent, T’Challa doesn’t seem like a natural athlete. The suit and the magic power do a lot of the work.
So, Head or Heart? He’s kind of a softy, isn’t he? The way he seeks out Nakia, who’s way more like a superhero badass than he is, is gentle. He wants to tell her in person of his father’s passing, and he wants to check on her without looking like he’s checking on her. She’s the one on the dangerous mission.
He’s not particularly strategic. His sister Shuri is the brains in the family. She carries a lot on her shoulders. What does he bring to the table?
Uh-oh. I’m sensing a placid Nine. A diplomat. But what about his almost Six-ish fighting trajectory?
None of this seems right. I have huge respect for Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman. They wouldn’t create an incompetent portrayal. I think we’re in a weird zone. He’s got to be a Nine. He avoids conflict until he can’t escape it, and then brings a hammer to correct a problem that could’ve been massaged earlier. His physical vulnerability is probably a plot device so that Killmonger can threaten the world. Every superhero has the underdog moment.
I’m kind of not happy about this, though. I really liked this movie, but now I’m wondering if a soft Nine character build will stand up to repeated viewings.
UPDATE: I’m so terribly sorry to hear of Chadwick Boseman’s passing. What a shocking and tragic loss to his family, the acting community, and the MCU fans. May we who mourn find peace.