Alright, here's my T'Challa analysis, guys! What a great arc he has had.
We first see T'Challa in Civil War, in the aftermath of T'Chaka's death. We see how he handles it, and we understand the he now has the mantle of both Black Panther and King of Wakanda (explained in a comic that the two are linked, but that you can give up one without the other). We are shown and understand his connection with T'Chaka, and we are completely sympathetic as he goes after Bucky based on the incorrect information he has, it makes sense. So when T'Challa joined Tony's side, despite the movie presenting Tony as the antagonist, we completely understand and are sympathetic. We get it, and we want him to join Cap's side in order to find the real person responsible. This also begins the separation of T'Challa from his father, and therefore his actual story arc.
We then understand T'Challa's true nature in Siberia, after he discovers that Zemo killed T'Chaka. He finds Zero about to kill himself, and decides to save his life. He figures that vengeance for his father's death comes from life, not death. So we understand how much of an upstanding guy T'Challa is, even with personal feelings involved.
This is the supported at the beginning of Black Panther a few weeks later, with the mission with Nakia. Sure, he's interrupting her mission so that she can be there for the incoronation, but he also makes sure to actually stop the traffickers before even mentioning why he's entering the mission. So not only are personal missions better handled without emotional impact or desire for revenge, but T'Challa understands that non personal ones are personal for somebody, and that your emotions shouldn't get in the way, even if he gets nervous around his ex.
He visits his father, establishing that there's still a connection between the two of them, even though T'Challa failed to avenge his father, and we see the connection stays strong. So strong that T'Challa insists on chasing after Klaue. This is, of course, before T'Challa learns about what actually happened to N'Jobu. When Killmonger comes to Wakanda and announces himself as N'Jadaka, and Zuri tells T'Challa the truth, we see the impact it has on T'Challa. We start to see as he understands that T'Chaka screwed up, and maybe he's not the hero that he made him out to be. This, for me, is why T'Challa accepts Killmonger's duel offer. He's already trying to be better than his father, because he recognizes how bad he was.
So, something I initially had a problem with was the stakes in the scene where Killmonger kills T'Challa. However, upon later viewings, we realize that the stakes go beyond who's king or even the personal stakes of T'Challa staying alive. T'Challa isn't fighting to stay alive or to maintain the throne, he's fighting to prove that he's not his father. And he does that really well, even if he ultimately loses the duel.
The next time we see T'Challa's consciousness is when he's in the Ancestral Plane yelling at his ancestors, and man what a scene. T'Challa yells at them because they screwed up. Not only in killing N'Jobu, but in remaining secret. T'Challa has learned through Killmonger that they could have been helping so many people, and he blames Wakanda's past kings for Killmonger sending out weapons to arm black people and create violent revolutions. If Wakanda had been better in the past, things would be better around the world now. They shut people out, and T'Challa recognizes this as a bad thing. So when he fights for the throne back, it's not because he wants to be King, it's not even because of Killmonger's politics. It's because he needs to move outside of his ancestors' shadow and become his own king, better than all of his predecessors. He recognizes that Killmonger has some good points and wants to incorporate them, as opposed to T'Chaka, who killed N'Jobu for even thinking those things.
So when T'Challa becomes king and he and Killmonger have the sunset conversation, he's really earned the Tiel of King and everything it stands for. We get the end credit scene of him taking everything to heart. This is later confirmed by his willingness in Infinity War to let Shuri's operations happen in Wakanda. It's such a well-structured character arc that is very relevant today, as more and more people are being educated outside of their families on political issues and realizing how incorrect old-fashioned beliefs truly are. T'Challa really is the perfect representation of the young person's struggle and I applaud the writers for that.
