Black Panther is not just a superhero. He's a cultural phenomenon. As the king of Wakanda's fictional country, the Black Panther is the head of the government and the protector of his people. Given powers by the heart-shaped herb, he has the strength and skill needed to defeat almost anyone who might threaten Wakanda's safety.
As Marvel's first Black superhero, Black Panther was a revolutionary character from his very first appearance. Since starring in his own MCU film in 2018, the current King of Wakanda, T'Challa, has become a household name. Despite this, the secrets of the Royal Family remain unknown to all but the most devoted fans.
10 Annual Ceremonial Combat
Since the release of the 2018 Black Panther film, it has become common knowledge that the Black Panther's role must be won through ceremonial combat. But during the 2005 story Who Is Black Panther, writer Reginald Hudlin added a new dimension to the mythos.
Every year, there is one day where anyone may challenge the reigning Black Panther for the title. This ensures that the king can never get soft if he wishes to defend the crown, and so he will always be strong enough to defend his people.
9 Shuri Was Black Panther
The title of Black Panther is hereditary and is one that has traditionally belonged to men. The most famous character to have the title is T’Challa, who inherited it from his father, T’Chaka, who reigned as king before him.
However, T’Challa’s sister Shuri also was Black Panther for a while, replacing her brother in the role. She had previously tried to gain the position through ceremonial combat, but her brother beat her to the punch on that day.
8 Bast
The Black Panther is not merely a king but also a sacral king who is the nation’s protector. As such, the Black Panther's spiritual duties are as important as those of governing or keeping the nation safe.
The Panther Goddess who watches over Wakanda is named Bast, after the Egyptian Cat Goddess. In the comics, Bast speaks directly to the reigning Black Panther, and sometimes her physical manifestation appears to protect her chosen people.
7 Skybreaker
The X of Swords story revealed the Wakandan Royal Family's oldest and most sacred relic, a legendary sword known as the Skybreaker. Its blade was forged by the very first Wakandan king from the purest vibranium of the Great Vibranium Mound and heated in the fires of a volcano.
This sword has radioactive properties, but more importantly, it can conduct lightning and thunder, for which it is also known as “the Voice of Heaven.” It is the sharpest sword ever forged by human beings, and its blade cannot be dulled. Skybreaker is a sacred relic representing Wakanda's spirit, and it is kept in the Temple of the Heart of Wakanda, where warrior-priests guard it. The weapon is not permitted to leave Wakandan soil, but the X-Man Storm recently broke into the temple and stole it.
6 Other Ceremonial Weapons
Beyond Skybreaker, there are three other weapons of note which are valued by the Royal Family. The first, the Nation Maker, is a spear that belonged to the man who founded Wakanda’s capital city. There are also the Panther Claw’s Claws, a pair of vibranium knives wielded by Black Panthers.
More recently, T’Challa’s father T’Chaka had a sword of his own, the King’s Mercy, which is still revered by the Royal Family and is said to adapt to the person's strength wielding it.
5 Political Marriages
Royal marriages are always politically motivated. A king cannot marry for love unless their lover meets certain requirements that fit into a nation's political needs.
This is true in Wakanda, as it is true anywhere else where the monarchy is still a real political factor. Given Wakanda’s isolationist policies, there are only so many options for marriageable people. When T’Challa married Storm, it was the first time someone born in America had been brought into the Royal Family.
4 Dora Milaje
The Black Panther’s bodyguards as the Dora Milaje, skilled warrior women trained from early girlhood to serve and protect their king. They also serve an additional role, being symbolically married both to Wakanda's nation and to the Black Panther, who may choose any of them as his actual wife, should he choose.
Created by writer Christopher Priest, these amazing spear fighters are actually based on a historical group, the Mino of the Kingdom of Dahomey (nicknamed “Dahomey Amazons” by the French).
3 1,000,000 BC
It is unknown just when the first Black Panther came into existence exactly, but a member of the Panther Tribe among the Stone Age Avengers lived 1,000,000 years ago.
The Stone Age Avengers are part of the Marvel Universe’s version of history. Other members include a red-headed woman possessed by the Phoenix, a caveman version of Ghost Rider whose ride of choice is a woolly mammoth, the sorcerer Agomoto, and the God Odin, who has claimed that the Stone Age Black Panther is the most impressive person he has ever known.
2 Ancestor Worship
As is the case with many Central African peoples, ancestor worship is a key part of Wakanda's religious traditions. In fact, Wakandans do not just honor their ancestors but regularly interact with them.
One of the titles T’Challa has acquired as the Black Panther is King of the Dead. When he refused to kill millions of people to save the Earth—and more importantly, save Wakanda—his ancestors appeared before him as spirits to personally condemn his failure to protect his people.
1 Olumo
Long before there was a Wakanda nation, the first leader of the people who would become Wakandans forged the sword Skybreaker from the vibranium mound. When this happened is uncertain, it was at least a million years ago, given that the Panther Tribe had a Black Panther in the Stone Age Avengers.
The first king’s real name has been lost to the ages, but he is now remembered as Olumo, which means “the Knower.” All of Wakanda’s amazing technology developed due to what he accomplished when he made Skybreaker, so he certainly earned this honored title.