In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shuri’s evolution shows us the power of grief. Grief is one of the most powerful catalysts for change – with the ability to immobilize, destroy or deepen a person – it can be transmuted for better or for worse. And in the case of Shuri, we aren’t sure if she’ll experience the former or the latter throughout Wakanda Forever. As Shuri’s losses compound, one on top of another, she’s forced to make a choice between what will feel good and what will be good.
TRANSCRIPTION
Grief is one of the most powerful catalysts for change – with the ability to immobilize, destroy or deepen a person – it can be transmuted for better or for worse. And in the case of Black Panther’s Shuri, we aren’t sure if she’ll experience the former or the latter throughout Wakanda Forever.
The depths of grief have been heavily explored in both Black Panther movies – but the second installment also had to bear the loss of its main character – played by Chadwick Boseman – who tragically passed away in 2020. As A.O. Scott of the New York Times notes, “In “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the director Ryan Coogler feeds his own and the public’s grief into the story, infusing the movie with somber notes of family loss and collective mourning.”
When we meet Shuri in the first Black Panther film, she’s a sarcastic princess and science prodigy who lives to tease her older brother and king, T’challa.– even through the loss of their father. And when she’s in more serious settings, Shuri remains effervescent – not only because of her youth but also because of the security and safety she feels from her family.
Wakanda Forever spoilers ahead!
In Wakanda Forever, Shuri is forced to grow up fast, after losing T’challa in the opening scene. His death has massive implications for her, her mother, and the nation she loves. And unlike in Black Panther – Shuri begins to harden after losing a loved one.
Ramonda: “When you think of your brother? Does it give you solace? Or torment?” — Wakanda Forever
As Shuri’s losses compound, one on top of another, she’s forced to make a choice between what will feel good and what will be good. Here’s our take on Shuri’s character arc, and what we can learn about the power of grief from her evolution.
Shuri has always been more than just the baby sister – and the character we met in Black Panther makes her transformation in Wakanda Forever seamless. Most younger siblings think they know it all, but T’challa’s little sister actually knows it all – with her Marvel character description noting that she’s one of the most brilliant minds in the world.
In Black Panther, one of her defining characteristics is her leadership, for which she takes a notably multifaceted approach. She’s a pioneer in engineering and computer science, as well as the medical field. Whereas most characters that study science tend to gravitate toward one sub-section of study, she leads Wakanda’s scientific innovations in multiple disciplines with boundless creativity, designing technology that exceeds the imagination of the highest-ranking government officials of the world.
Everet K. Ross: ”The light panels, what are they.”
Shuri: “Sonic stabilizers.”
Everet K. Ross: “Sonic what?” — Black Panther
And rather than centering her identity on her brilliance, she sees it as just one way she contributes to her community—which is another rarity for an on-screen genius. As easy as it could have been to write Shuri as bored by or cruel towards “normal” people, it’s clear that she loves the people in her life…even if she gives them a hard time. Shuri actually serves as an antithesis to brainy-types in many ways. She’s goofy, courageous, fashion-forward and she enjoys field work – whether it’s hand-to-hand combat or fighting virtually
Shuri’s subversive nature also manifests itself in her bucking of long-held traditions. As much as her family loves her for who she is, it’s clear her tendency to break boundaries has irked some of the traditionalists in the Wakanda nation.
M’Baku: “We have watched with disgust as your technological advancements have been overseen by a child who scoffs at tradition!” — Black Panther.
Regardless of disapproving eyes, Shuri remains self-assured, and that’s likely been informed by her strong family unit that was once composed of T’Chaka, Ramonda, and T’Challa. That type of support system afforded her the resources and space to flourish as a quirky trailblazer. Shuri could have been swallowed by grief in the first Black Panther film, after burying her father at such a young age. She is clearly hurting—but she’s resilient—an indication of what’s to come in Wakanda Forever.
We saw the stark difference of how two individuals handle loss in the first film – while Killmonger channeled his grief into vengeance, T’Challa walked a more righteous path. And from the first, somber moments of Wakanda Forever – we see that Shuri will be faced with that same choice.
We open on Shuri walking to her favorite place, the lab, but her pragmatic, cool approach is gone. She’s panicky and dismissive, uncharacteristically snapping at her colleagues to leave her so she can work alone. As she prints a synthetic version of the purple heart herb, she’s told by her AI system that it has less than a 25% chance of offering the results she desires. On her way to deliver the half-baked herb to T’Challa, her mother, Ramonda, cuts in front of her with a painful message
She fails to rescue her loved one, mirroring how T’challa felt about his father’s death with a crucial difference –Shuri was not by her brother’s side in his final moments. She buries T’challa but is unable to watch his casket be taken away for burial. Skipping forward a year later – indicative of the way grief is often left unprocessed as we’re forced to forge ahead without fully healing – Shuri is frantically working in the lab again, seemingly throwing herself into work for some semblance of control
Ramonda: “Everyone seems to be working diligently.”
Shuri: “There could be any number of unknown threats on the horizon; they’re creating solutions.” – Wakanda Forever.
She’s stepped away from recreating the purple heart herb, switching her focus to designing exoskeletons that enhance Wakandan soldiers in combat. When Ramonda advises Shuri to take time off from the lab to grieve T’Challa on the one-year anniversary of his death – she acquiesces – but we see an angry, darker side to her that we haven’t seen previously when Ramonda asks her to take part in a traditional Wakandan ceremony.
Almost immediately following her remarks, we’re introduced to Namor. Shuri’s soon-to-be nemesis interrupts the moment to warn her and her mother of the looming danger on their horizon, hinting that avoiding her grief will be the biggest “enemy” for Shuri to face.
But Shuri is drawn to their similarities – they’ve both faced an unimaginable loss and have similar motivations. Unlike her brother and father, Shuri doesn’t shut down her enemy. Like any good scientist, she gathers the facts and chooses to speak with Namor – meeting him on his turf, the kingdom of Talokan. She takes an objective look at Namor and explains her perspective to him only after understanding his.
Shuri: “But how?”
Namor: “How? How is never as important as why.” – Wakanda Forever
It seems there could be a peaceful resolution until Shuri is forcibly extracted from Telocan, resulting in the death of one of Namor’s generals. In retaliation, Namor attacks Wakanda, killing Ramonda. And again with Namor – as we saw with Kilmonger – Wakanda finds itself pitted against a villain driven to vengeance by their grief.
Shuri is now orphaned by both of her parents and her brother – and propelled into action. She finishes what she had been working so hard on at the start of the film—the genetic recreation of the purple heart herb that gives the black panthers their power. Her decision to make, and take, the purple herb is a nod to how she will lead Wakanda by being respectful of tradition but not be beholden to it. On the ancestral plane, she expects to see her mother or brother but instead finds Killmonger.
Killmonger: “My little cousin.”
Shuri: “How?”
Killmonger: “The important thing is not how but why, right?” – Wakanda Forever
He and Shuri are not so different, after all. Killmonger isn’t caught on tradition, and he has a clear vision of the future that has been informed by the deeply traumatic loss of his family and by being seen as an outsider in Wakanda. So, will she take the noble path? Or like Killmongerm and Namor, let her rage consume her?
When Shuri finally dons the suit – it seems like her anger might take over her normal, pragmatic decision-making abilities But she ultimately overcomes her desire to exact revenge and focuses instead on protecting her nation and her humanity. She finds empathy for her enemy – something only a true leader could do.
As the film concludes, Shuri grieves her brother’s death by burning the clothes she previously could not – signifying her finally being able to process that grief. She also meets T’Challa’s son, an optimistic closing on a somber, violent journey.
The journalist Robert Caro once said, “Power doesn’t always corrupt. Power always reveals.” Unlike many female leads in recent memory, from Game of Thrones’ Daenerys to Promising Young Woman’s Cassie, Shuri refused to allow her anger and desire for vengeance to consume her. She has every reason to kill Namor – and her choice to let him live is the biggest detraction from her family’s history. Her father covered up the murder of his brother. Even her “noble” brother kills Killmonger.
Despite every temptation and indication that Shuri would lose herself, the power she receives as the new Black Panther pushes her away from becoming morally bankrupt. As one of the only living members of her family, she realizes her actions no longer represent just herself, but her loved ones who are gone.
Shuri’s choice to leave Wakanda open to an enemy who may outmatch them is a bold one. But she trusts herself and her council enough to deal with the threat of Talokan in a better way – in a way that matches who she is in her core, a clever strategist, cutting-edge scientist and caring person who constantly looks out for the ones she loves.
Shuri: “You sure it’s a good idea to take your ex on a mission?” – Black Panther
And it’s not impossible to picture a peaceful resolution between Shuri and Namor – both leaders are thoughtful and intelligent – and have common ground. Shuri’s already laid down foundational trust and mutual respect between herself and her enemy, and that’s more than any previous Black Panthers could say.
Grief forces us to confront the ugliest, most sinister parts of ourselves. Wakanda Forever, and specifically Shuri’s character, delves into what happens when we allow those parts to override everything else within us – and what it takes to overcome that pain. It is often the hardest part of our lives – moments that leave us gasping and breathless that also bring out our most radical empathy. And for that reason, we can’t wait to see what else Shuri is capable of.