The Reason Why Killmonger Did Nothing Wrong

Marvel

Nov 7

We have all seen memorable villains in books, comics, and movies. These horrible people are so good at what they do that we come to hate them more than anything. However, that is not the only thing that defines a good antagonist. There is a section of people that may be considered villains but end up making much more sense than the hero of the story. One such character is Killmonger from Black Panther. He is presented as an antagonist, a villain if you will, but he is so much more.

Erik “Killmonger” Stevens was born in the United States but his father, a prince from Wakanda, made sure he learned everything about his culture. He returned to Wakanda, took the throne from his cousin T’Challa and started his plan for liberation, providing weapons for War Dogs around the globe so they could overthrow the oppressors. In his lifetime, Killmonger grew resentful towards the people who oppressed others simply for their skin color, and he is in the right to be so enraged.

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Killmonger represents everyone, or at least most of us, at some point in our lives. Most of us have faced some kind of discrimination or oppression. At that moment, when we are full of anger and desperation, we wished we could do something to change it. It is safe to say Killmonger knew firsthand what it was like to face discrimination. He also knew his people, the people of Wakanda, had the power to stop those atrocious acts yet they decided it was better to hide from the world.

Wakanda’s position is only justified by one thing: invasion. If anyone wished to get their hands on Wakanda’s technology and resources, there is no telling what horrible people would do to get to them. Despite all that, Killmonger still believed Wakanda had the power to end such conflicts, even if sacrifices needed to be made. Is a difficult position to be in, after all. It is tempting to use the most advanced weapons on the planet that are in your possession. All things considered, Killmonger’s motives were noble: to help the marginalized and exploited people of the world.

Now, his plan involved a tremendous amount of blood and suffering from all parties. He was willing to sacrifice his people to accomplish his goal. He lost himself in this way, ultimately becoming similar to or worse than those who wronged him before. However, that does not diminish his cause and intentions. Every important revolutionary movement until recently has taken lives in the process, both from the oppressed and oppressor of history. It is never justified to take a life, but when pacifist and reasonable requests are met with violence and indifference, playing by the rules of peace becomes a difficult task. How does one ensure people hear a message when the people spreading the said message get silenced by force?

Killmonger holding his weapons — Imagea Source: Previews World

Killmonger was right in his vision of freeing the oppressed and helping them overthrow the system that exploits them. The moment his cause went beyond that liberation point is the moment he lost himself to the rage and became a villain. He wanted to inspire fear and subjugate the people that were part of the oppressive system all around the globe, essentially just changing who is in power and who is subdued.

After the death of Killmonger, T’Challa decided that he was right and that Wakanda was done hiding from the world. With the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever we will see if Wakanda took this decision seriously. This is a clear reflection of our world, a world broken and divided in which people in power have no wish to change. The correct balance starts with each one of us accepting our differences and making this planet a better place for everyone. Erik Killmonger was ultimately right about one thing. No one should see themselves oppressed by others.

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