ERIK KILLMONGER, EIGHT

Of course he’s an Eight. His anger, his vengeance, his brook-no-arguments leadership are all evidence of his Enneagram number.

What’s truly interesting is that Killmonger is the hero archetype while T’Challa, the actual superhero, isn’t. I believe the filmmakers played this dichotomy on purpose. What does it say when you reverse the superhero trope?

Some people wanted Killmonger to be the protagonist. He’s the corrupted version of a superhero — his methods and goals will cause great harm and he is unrepentant about that — but his core is attractive. That decisiveness and commitment, an unwavering drive, are what we expect in a hero. His origin story is compelling. T’Challa’s just a prince-in-waiting. Part of us wants Killmonger, the underdog warrior, to win.

And yet he is defeated by someone more conflicted, more diplomatic, more democratic. King T”Challa wants to hear from everybody and weigh all sides, as a true leader would. Killmonger dictates and destroys.

In real life humans are more complicated than Killmonger. In stories someone as predictable as Killmonger is a comfort. The catharsis, the sharing of his journey even if it’s a tragedy, is what we crave.