Why I Still Find Killmonger Fascinating After THREE Years Of The Movie Being Out Is That-

Why I still find Killmonger fascinating after THREE years of the movie being out is that-

He had all the tropes given to heroes, while still being a full-on psychopathic villain.

1) His parents had a forbidden love story: N’Jobu was sent to Oakland as a spy. Starting a family was definitely out of question because fraternizing with and having attachments to a foreigner would have been against the War Dog code.

2) He only heard stories about Wakanda: This might not be exactly a hero trope, but this was what actually made me think that he was the hero in this story. Being disconnected from their homeland/ family is one major point that heroes usually have.

3) He saw his father die... at the hands of a powerful guy: Well, not exactly, but finding the dead body of your parent is a popular scene in hero movies. Either that, or hearing about your parent’s death. And he knew who did it.

4) Wait- He’s an orphan: This actually broke my heart, considering how his mom was killed too, through systemic oppression. They don’t talk about it, but all the implications show that this wasn’t even like having you mother die of something you can’t control (disease, accidents). He knew about Wakanda’s wealth and prosperity and had to helplessly watch his mother suffer because his country didn’t even bother to do anything. At this point, you can’t blame him for wanting the throne.

5) He grew up in a harsh environment, but got to the top anyway: “Graduated Annapolis, age 19, MIT for grad school” is no small thing for anyone let alone a literal kid thrown out into world without anyone to be there for him. He was the best, no doubt, securing top ranks in the military and earning himself a name. All those unseen training montages usually belong in heroes’ stories.

6) He has an heirloom from his (dead) father: That Ring was just a Hero Trope™. (Think- invisibility cloak, lightsaber, sword, mithril shirt, etc...)

7) He Returned To His Home™ to unseat his counterpart: ... who is usually the undeserving one, and let’s face it - T’Challa is technically the Prince Who Had Everything growing up, and N’Jadaka is the one who struggled more. Though eventually, he proved to be a monster and a neat product of his environment and experiences, it’s hard to not see his side.

8) He got a few rebels on his side: In most stories, you find that all the Rebels and the Resistances make up the allies of the hero, (*cough* starwars,harrypotter,hungergames *cough*) But in Black Panther, we see the villain playing the most justified part in a dethroning. To fit into that trope better, he specifically got W’Kabi, a man avenging his family, on his side. 

9) His death was emotional: Most villains don’t get that while still on their villainous arc. Killmonger did not necessarily go back on what he was shown to believe in, but rather caused his opponent to change for the better. Plus, his defeat was shot as if it was centered around him rather than T’Challa, putting more weight into his recurring hero tropes.

10) People’s lives became better because of him: You can’t see that at first glance, but think about it- Wakanda was finally forced to hold itself morally accountable; People started receiving aid all around the globe; Because of that, Nakia was able to pursue her aspiration of helping the underprivileged while reconciling with the man she loved. It’s sad that he didn’t actually get to see the Outreach Centers or live the life he deserved, and that sounds a lot like people living their life oblivious to an unsung hero. Though his intentions were far from that, it’s safe to say that he was a necessary evil in the story.