Maha Yassin
Marvel has given the world some of the best superhero movies ever. They might have been missing the mark lately, but we can never forget what they gave us over more than ten years. They changed the game. Some may even say they created the game! And one of the MCU’s best works is Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, a movie that put a black superhero on the forefront of cinema for the first time in a long time.
What other way to celebrate the grandeur of Black Panther than to go on a trip revisiting its greatest quotes? We have watched Black Panther and Wakanda Forever and chosen some of the most incredible selections for you. Whether it was T’Challa himself, his family, friends or even his enemies, Black Panther movies have some of the most touching, profound and hilarious quotes in the MCU.
So without further ado, let’s revisit these beautiful words and their associated moments.
The Best Black Panther Quotes
We won’t lie; it was tough choosing only fifteen quotes! Almost every word uttered in Black Panther and Wakanda Forever is quotable and has a deep meaning behind it. We tried to be as versatile as possible, choosing quotes from different characters with varying vibes about them. So here are our favourite fifteen quotes from the Black Panther movies:
“Did he freeze?” – Shuri (Black Panther)
‘’Like a deer in headlights!’’ replies Okoye to Shuri. From the beginning of Black Panther, we get a taste of Shuri’s teasing manner and quick humour. She does not waste a moment to tease her brother. He might be a King to others, but to her, he will always be her brother first.
During T’Challa’s mission with Okoye, they meet Nakia as she frees some kidnapped villagers in the forest. Nakia looks cool and intimidating, fighting the kidnappers and freeing those villagers, and when T’Challa first sees her, he freezes in shock and admiration. Shuri had a bet going with Okoye that T’Challah would freeze or act like a fool when he saw Nakia, and he did!
“Just because something works doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.” – Shuri (Black Panther)
The Wakandan Princess is one of the most brilliant characters in the MCU, if not the smartest. She is the one who develops all of the technology in Wakanda, one of the most advanced nations, not just in Africa but the world. It’s all Shuri’s inventions, from everyday technology to her brother’s superhero suit and weapons to the machines used to dig out the Vibranium.
This Black Panther quote shows how Shuri is never satisfied with her inventions. Just because they work, it does not mean they cannot be better. She says those exact words to her brother as she tries to give him more advanced tools to use in the field. Shuri’s bright nature and innovative mind are one of the main reasons Wakanda is what it is.
“I would make a great queen because I am stubborn — if that’s what I wanted.” – Nakia (Black Panther)
Black Panther has some of the MCU’s best female characters. The Wakandan women have solid storylines and characterisations that make each stand out. One of these incredible women is Nakia.
Nakia is T’Challa’s love interest, but she is also much more than that. She is a warrior and a protector of Wakanda. She refused to join The Dora Milaje, an all-women fighting force and the primary protectors of Wakanda and its King, in favour of working independently. Her firm belief that Wakanda needs to do more for the people outside its borders is evident throughout the movie.
Nakia loves T’Challa and knows that she will make a great queen. However, she believes that at this moment, there are far more critical things T’Challa should be doing. And when the time is suitable, they can think about themselves.
“You are a good man with a good heart, and it’s hard for a good man to be a king.” – King T’Chaka (Black Panther)
Throughout the first Black Panther movie, T’Challa’s journey is to find the balance between being a good king and being a good man. Duty and responsibility make it hard for a person to work with his own ideologies and what he believes to be correct, but T’Challa gets to talk about these things in one moving scene with his father.
Part of the ritual to appoint T’Challa King is to remove his Black Panther powers and then give them back to him when he is accepted as King by all the Wakanda tribes. As he prepares to take his powers back, T’Challa gets to visit the Ancestral Plane, a place in his mind where he can meet someone that will guide him into becoming Kings. T’Challa meets his father, the late King, who tells him that he —the King— might not have done everything right, but he believes that T’Challa can do better because he is a good man with a good heart.
“Guns. So Primitive.” – Okoye (Black Panther)
There is no place on Earth more advanced than Wakanda. Every time our dear Black Panther characters step outside of Wakanda, we are reminded of this fact. This time in a fight scene, the people of the Wakandans were fighting brandish guns (totally normal for us common folk) against Okoye, who scoffs at how primitive their weapons are.
Even though the Dora Milaje spears are used to fight, they are not just normal spears. Thanks to Shuri’s innovations, the spears are made out of Vibranium and can absorb power and use it to attack. Okoye’s comment about how primitive guns are is a nod at how, in our life, Africans are always looked upon as the primitive ones.
“Do you think they paid a fair price? Or did they take it, like they took everything else?” – Killmonger (Black Panther)
Killmonger is arguably the best MCU villain to date. He had a compelling case of what he believed in, even if he went about it incorrectly. Killmonger saw the great injustices that black people worldwide are subjected to, but he also saw Wakandan’s life and did not think this was fair, so he decided to do something about it.
One of the first times we see Killmonger, he is in the British Museum looking at artefacts that look like they are made from Vibranium. When the curator asks to give them to him, she refuses and says they’re not for sale. He claps back by saying who said he was going to buy them? He will take them just like the British stole them from their home.
Killmonger does not play when it comes to avenging black people and taking what belongs to them. He did not do it in the best way possible, but what he believed in was not wrong either. And that is what makes him a great villain.
“Just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors who jumped from ships because they knew death was better than bondage.” – Killmonger (Black Panther)
These are arguably the most emotional quotes and scenes of the entire Black Panther movie. As Killmonger is dying after his defeat against T’Challa, he asks his cousin not to heal and imprison him in Wakanda for his doing. But instead, let him die and bury him in the ocean.
He mentioned his ancestors, the black slaves who were brought to America on ships to serve the white people of the continent. Some of the slaves used to jump off the boats and meet their death in the Atlantic Ocean rather than let themselves be taken into bondage and servitude. For Killmonger, death had more honour than letting himself be a prisoner, even in Wakanda.
“I found your brother in the breeze. gently pushing me with his hand on my shoulder.” – Queen Ramonda (Wakanda Forever)
Wakanda Forever deals with grief over T’Challa’s death and how each character lives through their feelings. The person suffering the most because of his passing was his sister Shuri, who felt like she had failed him by not finding a cure.
Throughout the movie, Shuri struggles with finding a healthy way to deal with grief and, instead, tries to overwork herself in hopes that she won’t have to deal with her feelings. Queen Ramonda takes Shuri on a camping trip away from the city’s hustle and bustle, allowing her to look inward and find peace with her brother’s passing. Queen Ramonda shares with Shuri her resolution about losing her son to let her know that she, too, can find peace one day.
“I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world! And my entire family is gone! Have I not given everything?” – Queen Ramonda (Wakanda Forever)
We got chills when we first heard this Black Panther quote in the Wakanda Forever trailer! And somehow, it is even more daunting and emotional when you see it in the actual film. Queen Ramonda rules Wakanda after her son’s death. She had to work through her grief and put on a solid front to lead one of the strongest nations in the world without ever faltering. That is no easy job.
So when Okoye returns from her failed rescue mission without Shuri or Riri, the Queen cannot take the idea of losing her daughter after losing her son! Unfortunately, she puts all her anger on Okoye, who already feels guilty about losing the Princess. Queen Ramonda has already given everything she had to Wakanda and its people; her daughter is the only thing she has left. So the idea of her possible death might break her forever.
Fun Fact: Angela Basset’s performance as Queen Ramonda earned her an Oscar nomination, and if you watch this one scene, you’ll understand why.
“I took my name from there, Namor, because I have no love for the surface world.” – Namor (Wakanda Forever)
Black Panther once again brings on one of the best MCU villains ever in Namor. Namor is a half-human, half-Talokonil. His mother, an Aztec woman, swallowed a rare flower that allowed her and her people to breathe and live underwater. Namor inherited his mother’s powers and saved his people, and built the Kingdom of Talokan for his people.
Having witnessed how the humans treated his mother’s people when he went to the surface world to bury her, Namor was filled with hatred for the surface people. He witnessed the injustices South Americans faced at the hands of the white colonisers and decided that humans are evil creatures he did not want to associate with. So when the humans start to look for Vibranium in the ocean, Namor is adamant about protecting Talokan even if it means burning the world above.
“The world has taken too much from you for you to still be considered a child.” – M’Baku (Wakanda Forever)
All of our hearts broke into a million pieces when (spoiler!) Queen Ramonda died in Wakanda Forever. But no one’s pain was comparable to Shuri’s, who lost the last living member of her family. Before she can come to peace with her brother’s death, Princess Shuri also loses her mother and is suddenly thrust into being Wakanda’s Queen—a title she never thought she’d hold, nor did she want to.
As she mourns her mother’s death by her grave, Shuri is comforted by M’Baku. M’Baku says that he promised T’Challa that he would look after his little sister after his death, and now more than ever, he thinks Shuri needs him. He agrees when she responds that she is not a child and does not need someone looking after her but says he’ll still do it.
“I just buried the last person who truly knew me. My heart is buried with her.” – Shuri (Wakanda Forever)
One more quote in the event of Queen Ramonda’s death but this time said by the daughter who lost her mother. Shuri’s rage and anger reach its peak with her mother’s death. Whatever held her back after T’Challa’s death did not exist anymore. She felt like she buried her heart and could no longer feel anything.
Shuri’s words about burning her heart allude to escaping grief instead of facing it. She channels her feelings into anger and a need for vengeance so she doesn’t have to accept that she is sad, scared, and alone. These feelings fueled the plot of Wakanda Forever and pushed our Princess to a whole new territory.
“Vengeance has consumed us. We cannot let it consume our people.” – Shuri (Wakanda Forever)
Wise words from a wise princess (no matter how long it took her to get there!). By the end of Wakanda Forever, Shuri concludes that vengeance and violence will not get her anywhere and will cause the destruction of her country and everything she holds dear.
Her resolution is proper to Namor as he learns that he needs Wakanda to protect Talokan. After both royals fight almost to death while their people fight in their name, Shuri and Namor return side by side, deciding to stop the meaningless war and stand united.
“My name is Prince T’Challa, son of King T’Challa.” – Toussaint (Wakanda Forever)
A happily ever after (as much as it can be, anyways!) is represented in T’Challa’s son, which Shuri didn’t even know existed. As Shuri comes to terms with her grief, losses, and gains, she finally accepts Nakia’s invitation to visit her in Haiti. When she arrives, she is met with a surprise that will change everything!
Nakia and T’Challa have a son. They decided to raise him away from the pressure of being the future King of Wakanda, and when T’Challa died, Nakia did not want to come back with him just yet. The little prince is relieved to have been named after his father. It is incredibly endearing and sweet and makes it easy for the MCU to have T’Challa back in the picture at some point.
“Wakanda Forever!”
The Wakandan battle cry is the most famous quote from both movies! It’s strong and rings true to each character’s priority, Wakanda. It’s our favourite Black Panther quote!
If you liked these quotes, maybe it’s time to give the Black Panther movies another watch. They’re much better delivered on screen by the brilliant actors in the film. When quotes like these get stuck in your head after watching a movie, you know that that movie will forever be imprinted on your head.