Shere Khan

"No matter how fast you run, no matter where you hide I will catch you!"

- Shere Khan Shere Khan was the main antagonist of The Jungle Book and its sequel, and later an anti-hero in both its television series TaleSpin and Jungle Cubs. A powerful, suave tiger, Shere Khan had nothing but disdain for his victims. His reputation was such that he needed only to show himself to intimidate the inhabitants of the jungle. His only fears were man's gun and fire, which the man-cub Mowgli used fire to his advantage in the first film's climactic battle by tying a burning branch to his tail.

History
As a cub, Shere Khan was best friends with Baloo, Bagheera, King Louie, Hathi and even Kaa. The group went on many adventures. At some undetermined time, Shere Khan became what he truly is, a vicious predator. Shere Khan then lost his friends who ended up becoming his arch enemies. Shere Khan's family was killed by man using guns and fire. He then developed a fear of both. Due to the tragedy of what happened to his family, Shere Khan vowed to kill any human that entered his jungle which would lead up to the main plot of the original film.

Personality
Shere Khan is a large and powerful tiger known for his murderous, cruel and vicious attitude. Everyone knows he's powerful and he knows it too. He is very sophisticated and suave and shown to be incredibly polite when he wants but becomes incredibly dangerous when angered. All animals of the jungle fear Khan and he is often known as the "Lord of the Jungle". The vultures addressed Khan as "Your majesty". His only known fears are man's gun and man's fire which he overcame in the sequel as the climax took place in a temple surrounded in lava, though he didn't seem to care. This fear led to Shere Khan's vow to murder any human that entered his jungle which he has been known to do successfully with the exception of Mowgli. Shere Khan speaks with a British accent and openly thinks high about himself.

The Jungle Book
Despite having been referred to and spoken of several times, he did not make a live appearance in the first film until about two thirds into it. He is first seen stalking a deer as prey. His hunt was ruined when Colonel Hathi came marching by with his heard and scared it away, much to Khan's disgust. After Bagheera stopped them, Shere Khan eavesdropped on their conversation and was delighted when he heard about Mowgli. After they had left, he began his hunt for Mowgli.

After searching some, he heard Kaa singing and became suspicious. He grabbed Kaa's tail and got him to come down. He questioned Kaa about Mowgli and Kaa acted strangely while answering his questions. Kaa's suspicious behavior prompted Shere Khan to search his coils for Mowgli, but was still not totally fooled when he didn't find him. He told Kaa if he did see him, he was to inform him first before continuing his search.

Later he heard the Vultures singing and investigated the occasion. He then found Mowgli and, after being impressed by his courage, gave him ten seconds to run away. Khan became more and more annoyed when he didn't and tried to kill him after he reached ten. Baloo grabbed his tail before he could and stopped him. After a chase, the Vultures got Mowgli to safety.

Shere Khan then became furious, battled Baloo, and nearly killed him. The Vultures intervened, stopped him before he could, and stalled him while Mowgli tied a burning branch to Khan's tail. Khan then became terrified and tried to put out the fire, but failed. He then fled with burning branch still tied to his tail and was burned on his bottom several times while doing so, greatly humiliating him.

The Jungle Book 2


Shere Khan returned once again as the main antagonist in the second film. Unlike in the first, he appeared much earlier. He is first seen smashing a makeshift version of Mowgli's head after Baloo left the area with Bagheera in pursuit. He seeks revenge on Mowgli for embarrassing him at the climax of the original film and wishes for nothing more than his death. Khan travels to the Man-Village where Mowgli dwells.

He had no luck until he heard Shanti, one of Mowgli's friends, calling him. He then found Mowgli's house and was delighted that he would now have his chance for revenge. He became impatient when Mowgli didn't appear. All at once, Mowgli appeared in the air above the house. After Shanti started screaming about a wild animal, Khan noticed it was Baloo with Mowgli and was surprised. After the villagers responded to Shanti's calls, they saw Shere Khan instead of Baloo and chased him out of the village. Khan was attacked by the villagers with torches but they had no power over him. He escaped in rage but overjoyed to hear that Mowgli is now in the jungle. He encountered Kaa afterwards, who had seen Mowgli. Kaa at first insisted he hadn't, but Shere Khan knew better and intimidated him.

Out of fear, Kaa told Khan to search by the swamp. However, when Khan arrived, Mowgli is nowhere to be found. The vultures return and become uneasy when their newest member Lucky begins to taunt him. After a few "jokes", Shere Khan tricks Lucky into revealing Mowgli's whereabouts. Before Khan leaves, he viciously mauls Lucky as revenge for the annoyance and presumably kills him. Later on he found Shanti and Ranjan and cornered them. Mowgli then appeared to find them and Khan confronted him.

Mowgli ran away and Khan pursued him to a temple in the middle of a pool of lava. After Baloo and Shanti teamed up and started to bang gongs with Mowgli, one fell down revealing Shanti. He then said he would kill her if Mowgli wouldn't come out. Mowgli did and he pursued him and Shanti after knocking Baloo aside. Mowgli and Shanti jumped on to a tiger statue right over a pit of lava with Shere Khan right behind them. Before he could kill them, the statue's head fell off towards the lava. Baloo saved Mowgli and Shanti while Khan fell into the pit. Rather than perishing, he landed of a slab of rock and was trapped underneath the statue's head. Lucky then flew down and started to tease Kahn again, much to his annoyance.

TaleSpin


Shere Khan appeared, in a more anthropomorphic form, in the television series TaleSpin. His character, while still villainous, had taken on a more corporate identity. In addition, he had started wearing clothes, as evidenced by a business suit that he usually was seen in. It is not shown what his corporation makes or invests in to show how Shere Khan had accumulated such a sizable bankroll.

Depicted as stereotypical businessman that owned his business that included a fleet of planes and even his own navy, Shere Khan was extremely ruthless and willing to do most anything to make money. None the less, he did have a sense morals and believed in aiding those who have helped him. Despite his threatening presence, he far more frequently appeared as an ally then an antagonist.

This version of Shere Khan also makes a cameo on a mugshot in Bonkers.

Jungle Cubs
Shere Khan appeared as a young cub in the animated series Jungle Cubs. In the this series it was shown that Shere Khan was originally friends with Baloo, Bagheera and others. Shere Khan was more of a bully and cocky in the series rather than a dangerous predator. Khan often tagged along with Baloo and friends on many adventures usually trying to prove he's braver than they are. In the series, Shere Khan is voiced by Jason Marsden who gives Khan an American accent while in other appearances, Khan speaks with a British accent.

House of Mouse
Shere Khan was one of the more recurring villains in the animated series House of Mouse. Share Khan was usually sitting alone and in his most notable appearance, Mortimer Mouse was pretending to be the club's critic to have Mickey and friends obey him and when he became annoying, Shere Khan began to be annoyed and quoted "Do you mind?", to which Mortimer replied "Yeah, as a matter I do mind, Stripey! Somebody get Tigger's evil twin here a ball of yarn!" A dish called Shere Khan's Flawn is named after the villainous tiger. In "Dining Goofy", Shere Khan was accidentally given broccoli by Goofy angering the tiger.

Disney Parks
Shere Khan makes no live appearances at the parks and only appear as apart of parade floats inspired by The Jungle Book.

Journey into the Jungle Book
At Disney's Animal Kingdom, Shere Khan played the role as main antagonist in the show and preys upon Mowgli trying to do away with him as he did in the film.

Flights of Fantasy Parade
Shere Khan makes an appearance at the very top of the jungle float.

Once Upon a Dream
Shere Khan can be seen poking his head out of the tree in the parade.

The Jungle Book
Shere Khan appeared as the final boss in the Virgin Studios video game adaptation of The Jungle Book.

The Jungle Book: Rhythm N'Groove
Shere Khan also appears in The Jungle Book: Rhythm N'Groove PlayStation 2 game.

Trivia

 * The Nostalgia Critic listed Shere Khan as Number 8 on his "Top 11 Disney Villains" list.
 * In the second film, it is revealed that Shere Khan now knows Mowgli's name. It is unknown how he learned this, although it could be that he heard Baloo mentioning Mowgli's name in the final battle scene in the first film.
 * In the original stories by Rudyard Kipling, Shere Khan had a crippled leg and was killed by a stampede of cattle organized by Mowgli and his wolf brothers.
 * In one episode of House of Mouse, Mortimer Mouse called Shere Khan "Tigger's evil twin", although it's never really mentioned if the two are family or not. It's unlikely as Shere Kahn is a real tiger whereas Tigger is a stuffed animal tiger.
 * Bill Lee of The Mellomen sings Shere Khan's part in That's What Friends Are For, due to George Sanders not being available
 * Candy Candido supplies Shere Khan's roaring in The Jungle Book.
 * Shere Khan is a Bengal tiger and they prey on sloth bears so it actually makes sense for Baloo to be one of his enemies.
 * Animator Mit Kahl used the films Jungle Cat and A Tiger Walks as references for the way Shere Khan walks. These same references would also be used for Bagheera as well.
 * Shere Khan's big chin is acutally based off of George Sanders'.
 * Shere Khan's animation was used as a reference for characters from The Lion King.
 * In The Jungle Book 2 and Talespin Khan was voiced by Tony Jay who voiced fellow villian Frollo
 * In "Jungle Cubs" Khan was voiced by Jason Marsden who voices protagonists Max Goof and Kovu.
 * Contrary to popular belief, Shere Khan does not have Kaa as his henchman as the snake does none of the tiger's evil bidding, and the two aparrently dislike each other.