Kerchak

Kerchak is a secondary character in Tarzan. He is the leader of the gorillas and Kala is his mate.

Personality
Kerchak often appeared to be cold, judgmental, aggressive, and always jumps to conclusions. Tarzan noted that he felt threatened by anyone that was different from gorillas. Throughout most of Tarzan's early life, Kerchak treated him with distain and disapproval and refused to accept him as his son. However after Tarzan returned to rescue Kerchak and his family, Kerchak finally grew to respect him and tried to protect Tarzan from Clayton which cost him his life. While he was dying, Kerchak asked Tarzan to forgive him for never treating him as a member of his family and finally believed that Tarzan was his son.

Before the death of his biological child, Kerchak appeared to be warmer and more playful as he was seen playing with the baby gorilla but after the child was killed by Sabor he grew cold and grumpy. Despite his intimidating demeanor, Kerchak cared deeply about his family and was willing to risk his life to protect them. He did occasionally show a caring side and when Tarzan was presumed dead after falling off a cliff, Kerchak tried to comfort Kala.

Kerchak was a powerful fighter and his massive frame gave him the advantage over most opponents. However he could be outmaneuvered by more agile fighters as shown when he fought against Sabor who used her superior speed to gain the advantage before Tarzan intervened.

Designs
Kerchak is a large, adult male gorilla with black hair and grey skin. His forearms are enormous and his head is rather large. His eyes are brown and small in comparison to the rest of his head.

Tarzan
In the beginning they are shown happy together with a young gorilla child of their own. During the night, the cub wanders off while Sabor the leopard is out hunting it gets too close and kills him. Heartbroken, Kala goes off on her own. Hearing a baby's cries, she goes to a treehouse and finds Tarzan's parents also murdered by Sabor. She finds the baby Tarzan and decides to bring him home with her now that he's an orphan. But first, she has to rescue him from Sabor who has come back. She manages to temporarily subdue her by tangling her in some ropes. She shows him to Kerchak who tells her that he will never be a part of the family because he's not a real gorilla. Over the years, Kerchak becomes annoyed and frustrated with Tarzan for constantly interrupting him. One day, when Tarzan is an adult while gathering fruit for their dinner, Kerchak is attacked by Sabor and nearly succeeds in killing him until Tarzan pounces on her and pulls her off him, and they fight. Tarzan gets wounded by her and receives a scar across his right breast his spear at her, but she's too fast and breaks it and knocks the head into a pit. Tarzan runs after it, and while reaching for it, Sabor pounces on him, and they fall into the pit after some struggling. Everything goes quiet, and Sabor appeared to emerge alone, but it's just Tarzan, pushing her out, and she's actually dead. Tarzan shows Kerchak her body and he finally accepts him as part of the family, and they do a victory roar. When suddenly, they are interrupted by a gunshot scattering the gorillas, Kerchak and Kala warn him to stay away from the people, but he doesn't listen and meets a beautiful young British woman named Jane Porter whom he rescues from some baboons. After a while, she and her father teach him English and about the world outside the jungle. Their guide Clayton is only concerned about his connection to the gorillas, so he can hunt them and send their hides back to England. After a time Tarzan is comfortable enough to introduce the humans to his family, everything goes fine until Clayton points his gun at Kala which enrages Kerchak and tries to kill him, and Tarzan is forced to restrain him after some difficulty. After some time, he tells Tarzan that he should go live with the people and he reluctantly leaves, but first saying good-bye to Kala and his friends Terk and Tantor. Upon entering the ship, Tarzan, Jane, and her father are ambushed by Clayton's men and locked in a cell, he had invited the men over to capture the gorillas. Upon reaching the island, many gorillas are captured. Kerchak tries to fight them off before being tied up, and the wicked Clayton plans to stuff him so he points his gun at his head. Kerchak's rescued by whom had escaped with the help of Terk and Tantor, and they help fight off the men. Tarzan tries to stop Clayton, but gets shot in the arm. Kerchak comes to his rescue, but he also gets shot. Enraged, Tarzan battles Clayton in the treetops, and he breaks his gun, ties him up with vines full of anger, and not thinking clearly, Clayton takes out a machete and starts hacking away at the vines, but fails to notice one wrapping around his neck the vine snaps, and Clayton's body falls to his death until the vine catches on a branch and snaps his neck. Tarzan comes to tend to Kerchak's wounds, but it is too late. He was fatally wounded by the gunshot. In his dying breath, he tells Tarzan that he accept him as his son, names Tarzan as his successor and tells him to protect the family, then passes away in Tarzan's arms. He was voiced by Lance Henrikson.

The Legend of Tarzan
Kerchak appears in a flashback in Tarzan and Tublat's Revenge, where he is shown fighting Tublat. After a young Tarzan threw a rock at him and broke his nose, Tublat angrily attacks the boy, but Kerchak quickly steps in and stops Tublat and banishes the aggressive ape. He tells Tarzan he shouldn't have interfered.

Kingdom Hearts (series)
Kerchak is the leader of the gorillas and Tarzan's adoptive father. He was very nervous about trusting humans, and when Sora and friends came to Deep Jungle, there was no exception.

Kingdom Hearts
When Sora, Donald, and Goofy meet Kerchak, his distrust of outsiders causes him to treat them rather coldly. He even ignores Tarzan's request to take them to the waterfalls. But after Sora and company save the pack from Clayton, he lets them into the waterfalls, where Sora seals the Keyhole of Deep Jungle.