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This character has multiple pages, because of it's differences in all the differend movies, series and books.
This article is about the character from Currently all movies, series and books..
You may be looking for Akela (original), Akela (2016), Akela (Mowgli's Story), Akela (2018), Akela (1942), Akela (Shōnen Mowgli), Akela (Jetlag film), Akela (Adventures of Mowgli), Akela (Mowgli's Brothers), Akela (3D TV series) or Akela (1990).

Akela (occasionally called The Lone Wolf or Big Wolf) was a Wolf, chief of the Seeonee wolf pack and presided over the pack's council meetings. It is at such a meeting that the pack adopts the human cub Mowgli as one of its own and Akela became one of Mowgli's mentors. Akela means "alone" in Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi.

Personality[]

Coming soon!

Biography[]

The Jungle Book (original)[]

Nine or ten years after Mowgli's adoption, his enemy Shere Khan the tiger, with the aid of some young wolves he had persuaded to support him, planned to depose Akela so that he would no longer be able to defend Mowgli. A wolf who became too old to hunt was traditionally driven out or killed by his pack. Akela was far from decrepit, but the young wolves deliberately drove a young, healthy buck deer toward him knowing that he would not be able to catch it. When the council met to depose Akela, Mowgli defended him with a blazing branch and drove Shere Khan and his allies away.

After Shere Khan's departure the remaining wolves begged Akela to stay, but he refused to remain pack leader and decided to hunt alone. Phao became the new pack leader, Mowgli returned to humanity, at least for a time, and Akela hunted alone. During this period Akela helped Mowgli to kill Shere Khan with the aid of the human village's water buffalo herd.

Some years later, when Mowgli had been rejected by humanity and the pack was threatened with extinction by a rampaging pack of dhole Akela joined the battle and fought to the death, finally dying in Mowgli's company. Akela's death was a major factor in Mowgli's decision to finally return to human society at the age of 17.

The Jungle Book (1967)[]

In the Disney adaptation of The Jungle Book, Akela only has a brief role at the beginning of the film, when the council of wolves meet after Shere Khan's return to the jungle to decide what to do about Mowgli's future. Acknowledging that the pack is not strong enough to stand up to Shere Khan on their own, they decide to send Mowgli away, with Bagheera volunteering to take Mowgli back to the man-village.

Jungle Cubs[]

A younger Akela also appeared with his mate, Leia, in an episode of the prequel cartoon Jungle Cubs, looking at the animal characters in their youth. In this episode, Akela and Leia run away from their old wolf pack as the pack leader wants Leia for himself, forcing the two younger wolves to escape and retreat to the old temple that serves as the groups' 'Cubhouse'. Although Shere Kahn initially objects to their presence, when the rest of the pack arrives, the young cubs agree to help Akela and Leia, driving the rest of the pack away. At the conclusion of the episode, Akela and Leia become the parents of a group of wolf cubs, with the rest of the characters being appointed the cubs' godfathers. Despite their evident closeness to the other cubs in this episode, Akela and Leia never appeared again in the series.

The Jungle Book (2016 film)[]

Akela appears in the 2016 live-action film adaptation, voiced by Giancarlo Esposito. Esposito has described Akela as "strong and hardened" and welcoming of Mowgli into his pack, but at the same time, worried that Mowgli will one day compromise the safety of his family.

Akela appears in the film as the alpha wolf, the strong patriarch of the Seeonee wolf pack. After his old friend Bagheera finds Mowgli in the jungle, it is Akela who approves of Mowgli's entrance into the pack and lets him be adopted by Raksha. He and Raksha teach Mowgli the ways of the wolves, and over time, Akela comes to disapprove of Mowgli using tools and innovative tricks, saying that they are not the wolf way.

During the drought that hits the Seoni Jungle, the wolves gather with the other animals at the Water Truce, the watering hole where the animals make peace with one another in times of famine to drink safely. During their drinking, Akela notices Mowgli using tools to gather water and gives him a gentle reprimand. When Shere Khan shows himself at the watering hole for a drink, Akela orders Mowgli to stay behind him and refers to the boy as part of his pack when the tiger detects his presence. Shere Khan threatens the pack if they refuse to turn Mowgli over, and causes internal strife with his words. The tiger agrees not to violate the sanctity of the Water Truce and warns Akela that he will return when the monsoon season fills the Water Truce. After the encounter, the entire pack debates on whether or not Mowgli should leave the pack or not. However, Mowgli decides to leave so that no one is hurt because of him. With Bagheera agreeing to take him, Akela agrees that Mowgli should go to the Man-Village, and watches him leave. When Shere Khan returns, he and Akela sit together and discuss Mowgli. Akela says that Mowgli has left the jungle and that with him gone, he and Shere Khan have no quarrel any longer. However, the furious tiger attacks and throws Akela off a cliff, killing him. Shere Khan then assumes Akela's position as alpha of the wolf pack and tells them to spread the word of Akela's demise, hoping it will lure Mowgli back to his death.

Akela's demise spreads quickly through the jungle and has far-reaching consequences, as it causes Mowgli to avenge him after hearing it from King Louie. With the help of Bagheera, Baloo the bear, and the other wolves including Raksha, Mowgli manages to kill Shere Khan, avenging Akela's death. In the aftermath of the battle with Shere Khan, Raksha becomes the new leader of the Seeonee pack while Mowgli is reaccepted by the wolves as part of their family.

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle[]

Coming soon!

Voices of Akela[]

  • John Abbott - The Jungle Book
  • Rob Paulsen - Jungle Cubs
  • Clancy Brown - Mowgli's Story
  • Giancarlo Esposito - The Jungle Book (2016), Lucy
  • Walter Massey - Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli
  • David Kaye - Adventures of Mowgli

Trivia[]

  • In The Jungle Book (1967), originally Akela was to be voiced by David Ogden Stiers, but it's not true, and the role was chosen by John Abbott.

Gallery[]

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