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human
[Black Panther] So how does Wakandan succession work, actually?

In *Black Panther*, we see the ceremony which grants T'Challa his powers, and officially makes him King of Wakanda. He ingest a heart-shaped herb, is buried alive, and communes with the spirits of his ancestors. Based on T'Challa's reaction, it seems like this is the first time that has happened to him.

But in Civil War, T'Challa is already acting as the Black Panther. He not only has the suit, but he's able to go toe-to-toe with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, leaps off of buildings, and can chase down vehicles moving at highway speeds on foot. He's clearly an enhanced human, which means he must have ingested the Wakandan herb.

So how exactly does succession work in Wakanda? Can the king abdicate the role of Panther without giving up the throne? Did T'Challa have to "fight" T'Chaka to claim the mantle? Did T'Challa ingest the herb but pass on being buried alive the first time? Or did they give him a modified version that granted the powers of the Panther but didn't bring him to the afterlife?

Moreover, what happens if a king gives up the title of Panther but stays on the throne? Could Killmonger have challenged T'Chaka for the throne, or would T'Challa have fought in his place?
gpt
The King and the Black Panther are normally the same person but one can choose to give up the duties of the Black Panther and devote all their time to being King, which is what T’Chaka did. In his old age he passed the mantle of BP to T’Challa while retaining the mantle of King. So T’Challa ingested the herb but didn’t go through the burial process and transportation to the Ancestral Plane because he wasn’t taking the mantle of King. Because T’Challa was T’Chaka’s firstborn he was next in line to be king anyway so there was no challenge necessary. Also the king can deny any challenge issued as soon as they become king. So T’Chaka would have just said no to Killmonger if he challenged him.