MCU: T’Challa [Black Panther] (ISTJ)

T’Challa is a well-loved character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As such, there seems to be quite a bit of controversy surrounding his Myers-Briggs personality type. Most theories of T’Challa, also known as Black Panther, identify his MBTI as either ISFP or an ISFJ. We considered both of these theories when attempting to determine his type. However, we ultimately landed on ISTJ for Black Panther.  We hope you’ll approach this article with an open mind. If you’re interested in reading personality analyses for other characters in the Black Panther movie, check out MCU: Shuri (ENTP), MCU: Okoye (ESTJ), and MCU: Erik Killmonger (ESFP).

Si:

“We are not like these other countries, Nakia. If the world found what we truly are… what we possess… we could lose our way of life.”

“Tell me how to best protect Wakanda.”

“But waging war on other countries has never been our way.”

“I wanted to go old school for my first day.”

“Did you think we would forget?”

“It is my responsibility to make sure our people are safe.”

T’Challa’s primary drive is to protect and preserve the old ways. He expands a bit beyond this by the end of the Black Panther movie, but his impulse toward preserving the old ways above all else is demonstrated clearly. As a king, he believes it to be his responsibility to make sure his people are safe, and he’s always working toward that end. He doesn’t want Wakanda to branch out beyond what they have always done due to the risk it would mean to their way of life. He makes statements to this effect many times. His cautious nature is also further emphasized in moments like when Agent Ross, Okoye, and himself are in possession of Klaue, and Okoye is trying to compel him to prevent Agent Ross from speaking to the villain. T’Challa emphasizes the need to not make a scene.

His preference and respect for the old ways and the past is also demonstrated in the little things, like when he decides to go “old school” on his first day by wearing the traditional sandals. Another can be seen in his impulse to right his father’s past wrongs. (Granted, Fi is playing into this as well.) However, he’s not prone to making statements that set him apart from his father as a unique individual, but rather proclaims himself as “Prince T’Challa son of king T’Chaka“. He takes on his father’s responsibility and past wrongs, and makes references to his father’s past regrets. He also, rather than destroying the building that his uncle was murdered in (as was his sister’s first impulse), instead feels compelled to preserve the building and remake it into something new.

As an introverted perceiving dominant, T’Challa is prone to seeking out advice to ensure that he makes the best possible decision. T’Challa also prefers what he knows and what he knows to work. An example can be seen when his sister, Shuri, tries to retrieve a piece of technology from him in order to update it. He is initially a bit dismayed, and responds with, “Update? No. It worked perfectly.” He also seems bothered when she calls his current Black Panther suit “old”.

Te:

“You are teaching me? What do you know?”

“Klaue is leaving out that door with me. You’ve been warned.”

“Every breath you take is mercy from me.”

“I AM YOUR KING NOW!”

T’Challa has a group-oriented, collectivist mentality, which suggests that he is an extraverted judger (Fe or Te). For instance, he frequently makes collective statements, referring to things as “our way”, “our people”, and “our way of life”. There are also the many “we” statements that he uses when referring to Wakanda. You can see quotes specifically related to this in the Si section, since we were also using them to prove his focus on preserving the past. He also tends to take a cold, depersonalized stance toward others, which is emphasized in statements like “It is not our way to be judge, jury and executioner for people who are not our own.”

T’Challa is rigid, decisive, and comfortable in his role of authority. He very calmly gives out orders, never overcompensating as a lower or more insecure Te user might. He informs Agent Ross of his intentions with Klaue, and walks away once he realizes that Agent Ross won’t budge. He absolutely refuses to make a deal with him. When dealing with Zuri, T’Challa initially tells him in a straightforward fashion to tell him the truth. When Zuri tries to avoid doing so, T’Challa exerts his authority in a much more overt and angry manner, reinforcing the fact that he is king and Zuri has no choice but to obey.

T’Challa is very emotionally controlled. When he sees his father after death (in the vision), he deals with him in a straightforward manner. In spite of telling his father that he’s not ready to be in a world without him, T’Challa never sheds a single tear, or displays any physical sign of remorse. T’Challa also has a more antagonistic relationship with his sister. You don’t see them connecting or bonding in a way that is reminiscent of a feeler. In the first scene with the two of them, he is mildly patronizing, questioning the fact that she appeared to be there to see him off. He also suggests that he is her intellectual superior, and can’t be taught by her. Obviously, they have a good relationship, but it is not one that commonly involves open displays of empathy or emotion.

Fi:

“I cannot just let him die knowing we can save him.”

“Only reason I don’t kill you where you stand is because I know who you are.”

“I must right these wrongs.”

T’Challa is a tertiary Fi user. As mentioned earlier, he doesn’t tend to feel the need to set himself apart as a unique individual. He’s not shown making statements to that fact, and is content to be the son of his father. However, his Fi does struggle quite a bit upon learning the truth of his father, since he had looked up to him and held him in high esteem. He lists off the specific things that bother him to Nakia later, which are the killing of his own brother, failure to perform a proper burial, and abandoning the child.

T’Challa has strong morals which he does act upon. He ignores Okoye’s concerns about bringing an outsider into Wakanda, and states that he can’t let Agent Ross die. His strong sense of honor is what ultimately leads to him accepting Killmonger’s challenge, rather than shutting him down on the spot. T’Challa informs Killmonger that he’s only allowing him to live because he knows who he is. Of course, this all connects back to his need to right his father’s wrongs, and the inner turmoil that he deals with upon discovering what his father had done.

Ne:

“Do not tell me what is possible. Tell me the truth.”

“We let the fear of our discovery stop us from doing what is right!”

T’Challa is not initially on board with the idea of bringing Wakanda into the future, or changing any of their ways, in spite of the influence of people like Nakia and W’Kabi. That is the primary source of conflict in his relationship with these two, and the reason why he and Nakia were no longer together. He learns a valuable lesson in regard to his inferior Ne when finding out about Killmonger. He begins to fear that his father may have created something worse in the way he dealt with his brother’s betrayal. Later, he says that “fear of discovery” had prevented them from doing the right thing, which is a good example of inferior Ne’s fear.

At the end of the Black Panther movie, T’Challa is shown buying and wanting to change the building where his uncle was murdered into something useful and helpful to the community. While this was mentioned in the dominant Si section, we’re calling it out here to emphasize how his inferior Ne is working with dominant Si. He’s not creating something brand new, but rather adapting something already present.