Black Panther

Lore & Background

Shuri is the princess of Wakanda who designs new technology for the nation. After her brother T'Challa's death, she is urged by her mother Queen Ramonda to continue her research to create a new Black Panther, but initially refuses, believing the Black Panther is no longer needed. Following an attack by Namor and the Talokanil that results in Ramonda's death, Shuri uses a remnant of the herb that gave Namor's people their superhuman abilities to reconstruct the heart-shaped herb. She ingests it, gaining superhuman abilities and meeting Erik Killmonger in the Ancestral Plane. She dons a new Black Panther suit and is accepted by the other Wakandan tribes as the Black Panther. Despite M'Baku's urges for peace, Shuri initially seeks vengeance on Namor, but ultimately offers a peaceful alliance, which Namor accepts. After the battle, Shuri destroys the last heart-shaped herb, ensuring the Black Panther mantle's future is uncertain.

In Their Own Story

A year after King T'Challa's death from a terminal illness, Wakanda faces pressure from other nations to share their vibranium. Queen Ramonda urges Shuri to continue her herb research to create a new Black Panther, but Shuri refuses. Namor, king of the underwater kingdom of Talokan, confronts Ramonda and Shuri, blaming Wakanda for the vibranium race and giving them an ultimatum: hand over the scientist who created a vibranium detector or he will attack Wakanda. Shuri and Okoye learn the scientist is MIT student Riri Williams. They confront her but are pursued by Namor's warriors, who take Shuri and Williams underwater to meet Namor. Namor shows Shuri his vibranium-rich kingdom of Talokan and proposes an alliance against the surface world. Nakia helps Shuri and Williams escape, and Namor retaliates with an attack on Wakanda during which Ramonda drowns while saving Williams. After Ramonda's funeral, Shuri uses a remnant of the herb that gave Namor's people their abilities to reconstruct the heart-shaped herb. She ingests it, gains superhuman abilities, and dons a new Black Panther suit. She orders a counterattack on Talokan, but during the final battle, she sees a vision of Ramonda and offers Namor a peaceful alliance, which he accepts. In a mid-credits scene, Shuri learns that Nakia and T'Challa had a son named Toussaint, whose Wakandan name is T'Challa.

Reader's Guide

Shuri is the princess of Wakanda who becomes the Black Panther after her brother T'Challa's death. She is a genius inventor who designs new technology for Wakanda. Her powers come from the heart-shaped herb, which she reconstructs using a remnant of the herb that gave Namor's people their abilities. This grants her superhuman abilities. She wears a new Black Panther suit made of vibranium. In the film, she initially seeks vengeance against Namor for her mother's death, but ultimately chooses peace, offering an alliance that Namor accepts. She plants more heart-shaped herbs to ensure the Black Panther mantle's future. Key moments include her confrontation with Namor, her journey to the Ancestral Plane where she meets Killmonger, and her final battle with Namor on a desert beach where she gains the upper hand but chooses mercy.

Did You Know?

• Shuri is played by Letitia Wright in *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*.
• The film is the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the final film in Phase Four.
• Shuri reconstructs the heart-shaped herb using a remnant of the herb that gave Namor's people their abilities.
• In the mid-credits scene, Shuri learns that Nakia and T'Challa had a son named Toussaint, whose Wakandan name is T'Challa.
• The film grossed $859.2 million worldwide, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2022.