okay, so everyone has set up the main rivalry in Black Panther as Killmonger vs TâChalla. And obviously thatâs the main narrative structure of the story, not arguing with that. But I feel like from a purely character arc standpoint, the actual battle is Killmonger vs Nakia, and she obliterates him.
Erik Stevens is a CIA covert operative; basically, heâs a spy. So is Nakia. And when you look at their various actions through the lens of âwho accomplished their mission better?â, it becomes pretty clear that Erik spent 20-some years preparing to destabilize TâChallaâs reign, including having inside knowledge and a birthright on his sideâŠand Nakia spent roughly 36 hours successfully destabilizing his reign, in turn, with nothing but her incredible ability to network disparate resources.
Letâs just review her actions over those 36 hours okay:
- Gets the surviving members of the royal family successfully out of danger within seconds of the coup (aka the only living people with a competing blood claim to the throne aka the greatest threat to his regime)
- Sows enough doubt in the âgreatest warrior in the countryâ about Killmongerâs ability to lead that when the time comes, Okoye and the entire Dora Milaje all defect (eventually saving hundreds of lives)
- Steals a heart-shaped herb from under his nose as heâs identifying it as the most important power resource in the country and trying to prevent it falling into anyone elseâs hands, lol too late buddy
- Immediately identifies the person in the country with the best platform to mount a counter-insurgency (MâBaku), identifies what it will take to get him on their side, and casually resolves a centuries-long division in their country while sheâs at it
- Correctly predicts Killmongerâs opening move of distributing vibranium to the war dogs, and assists in a comprehensive strategy that shuts it down coldâa strategy they wouldnât have been able to use if she hadnât gotten Shuri, Ross, and TâChalla all in one place with the right information at the right time
As soon as TâChalla is back she takes an immediate backseat again (she said it herself, sheâs a spy, not the leader of an army), but, seriously, if you have to pinpoint the one person who took down Killmonger, itâs undeniably her. And she did it by clearly demonstrating that her skills as a war dog are miles ahead of his as a CIA agent (due in part, Iâm sure, to being trained in a superior country, but also sheâs Just That Good).
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