‘you are a good man with a good heart, and it’s hard for a good man to be king.’
the first time you hear this line, it seems profound. it sounds like good advice from a loving father. and in many ways it is, but upon further reflection, you realise that is actually is a manifestation of t’chaka’s guilt. he led his nation for many years and he believes that power corrupts. regardless of how good of a person you are, t’chaka believes that in order to be a great ruler in any capacity, you have to make difficult decisions for the benefit of your country, and sometimes that means compromising on your morals and doing what is easy rather than what is right.
now of course when he says this, he’s talking about his past wrongdoings – the murder of n’jobu and the abandonment of n’jadaka. it’s obvious that in his mind he’s explained away to himself that while what he did was wrong, it was also necessary for the good of wakanda and his people. and based upon his experiences, he projects the same advice onto t’challa.
this is of course because as a father he wants his son to follow in his footsteps. as a ruler, he wants his successor to lead well. and of course, t’challa looks at his father for guidance and support so t’chaka provides it in the way he knows best, no matter how flawed it may be. i think t’chaka knows his son well – how kind, how thoughtful, how gentle and compassionate he is. and he also knows that these qualities mean you get hurt more often and, in his opinion, you should rather be tougher and less moralistic in order to govern.
so based upon t’challa reverence for his father, painting him in a hallowed image, almost worshipping him, believing his father has never failed him or wakanda, AND t’chaka’s philosophy that moralism and governance are mutually exclusive, it’s all the more impressive when t’challa breaks away from the mould that t’chaka presented to him. he finds out about his father’s mistakes and finally sees him for the person he truly is – a man who tried hard to be a great king but ultimately did fail because he compromised on his morals. t’challa is indignant, furious, he yells and cries and shakes with sadness and loss. and t’chaka is lost for words because he never imagined his son who loves and respects him so much would outright tell him he was wrong.
and he decides then and there that no – he is going to be kind and good and guided by his morals AND still be a great king. he doesn’t have to do as his father says or believe what he believes. and i do think it partially has to do with nakia! she was so loving and caring and almost protective of t’challa when he told her what happened between t’chaka and n’jobu, and how that made him feel as t’chaka’s son. she tells him, ‘you get to decide what kind of king you want to be.’ and he believes her (because he loves, trusts and respects her but that’s another post for another time).
so when he speaks to m’baku, he straight up tells him, ‘i cannot speak for past kings.’ because he doesn’t stand for them or their version of wakanda. he only stands for himself, what he believes is right, what he believes makes wakanda not only great but good. and this is why i love t’challa so much – he would never compromise on his morals to govern. he doesn’t hesitate to learn from the mistakes of the past and grow as a person and as a ruler. he knows how to deal with conflict and to adapt to change. he knows how to step away from his father’s shadow and legacy, and build his own. he knows how to see his father as a three-dimensional person and not an exalted figure. he knows who he is and who he wants to be.
L.J.'s Obsessions 