Queen Ramonda is a character from Marvel Comics featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first debuting in the 2018 film Black Panther. She is the queen of Wakanda, portrayed by Angela Bassett.
She is T'Chaka's widow and the mother of T'Challa and Shuri. She was queen following her husband's death and again from 2018 to 2025, after her son was a victim of the snap and his death in 2024.
Queen Ramonda was created by Don McGregor and Gene Colan.
Background
Ramonda was born to Lumumba in the River Tribe. Her marriage to King T'Chaka allowed her to become the Queen of Wakanda. The couple eventually had a son, whom they named T'Challa, and later on a daughter named Shuri. She and her husband would always talk about the day when their son would finally be crowned king. Ramonda raised her children to love and believe in their country, its people, and its legacy.
Personality
Ramonda was shown to be a headstrong, courageous and hard-willed woman who cared deeply for her family and her country. She did not consider other Wakandans as inferior despite her status as the Queen Mother, as shown by her treating Nakia and Okoye as equals. Her care for T'Challa was shown when she supported him as King and was visibly deeply saddened by his apparent death and very relieved when he was still alive.
Ramonda was shown to be very protective of Shuri following her brother's death and her people, and was even willing to start a war between Wakanda and the people who threatened her, which eventually led to her death when saving Riri Williams from drowning. While Ramonda was shown to be a very understanding woman, she was shown to put her family first and have a backbone when it came to standing up to people for the sake of her kids' protection. This was shown when she reacted to Shuri having disappeared after Namor kidnapped her, and Ramonda stripped Okoye of her duties of General to the Dora Milaje for the disappearance, despite their friendship.
Appearances
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Black Panther
Ramonda appears in the film as the wife of the late king T'Chaka and the mother of Princess Shuri and the new king T'Challa. Ramonda is shown to be very protective of her children and supports T'Challa as he becomes the new Black Panther since his father's death. In 2016, Ramonda watches as T'Challa is challenged for the throne by his cousin Erik Killmonger and must obey the antagonist's orders after T'Challa seemingly dies and Killmonger becomes the new king. After T'Challa is revealed to be alive, Ramonda fights alongside her son and Wakanda for the country's safety, even after Killmonger's death. Ramonda supports T'Challa's idea to allow Wakanda to interact with the rest of the world.
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame
Ramonda survives Thanos's snap in 2018, but loses both her children as a result of it and becomes queen of Wakanda once more. In 2023, Ramonda is reunited with T'Chala and Shuri after the Hulk performs the blip by using the Infinity Stones to bring everyone back who was erased from existence five years before. Following Tony Stark's funeral, Ramonda watches over as T'Challa resumes his duties as the King of Wakanda.
What If...?
The first variant of her first appeared at the end of "What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" as her son T'Challa returned home for the first time since he was abducted by the Ravangers.
Another Ramonda appeared in "What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?".
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
In 2024, Ramonda learns that T'Challa is succumbing to an unspecified illness. Despite Shuri's best attempts to create the Heart-Shaped Herb to cure her brother, T'Challa dies from his illness, leaving Ramonda to inform Shuri of his death and Wakanda holds a funeral to honour their fallen king. Following the funeral, Ramonda becomes Queen of Wakanda once more.
One year later, Ramonda visits the United Nations to speak about Wakanda being threatened and unprotected now that the Black Panther is gone. Ramonda then visits Shuri to remind her of the anniversary of T'Challa's death and wants to take her to a nearby island where Shuri can burn her funeral robes in a way to mourn her brother in peace and move on. However, the mother-daughter duo are interrupted by a water God named Namor. Ramonda demands to know who he is and explain why he is here and what he wants. Namor threatens the Queen and informs M'Baku and the Dora Milaje of what Namor told her and listens as the two throw insults at each other.
Ramonda later hesitantly allows Shuri to go with Okoye to Cambridge university - after Okoye convinces her it's good for Shuri to get out of her lab - to speak to a young scientist who created the vibranium detector. However, Shuri goes missing after being kidnapped by Namor, and Ramonda is informed by Okoye. Furious, Queen Ramonda fires Okoye as General and a member of the Dora, who tearfully jabs her spear into the ground and walks out.
Desperate to find her daughter, Ramonda asks Shuri's A.I Griot to find Shuri's Kimoyo Beads to track her and speaks to Everett Ross for help, informing him of their situation. Romonda then travels to Tahiti where she speaks with Nakia, T'Challa's girlfriend, where Ramonda meets her secret grandchild, T'Challa II. While on the beach, Ramonda comes face to face with Namor once more and threatens him and demands he returns Shuri and Riri. Shuri is then reunited with her mother, who emotionally hugs her and Ramonda thanks Nakia for rescuing her daughter.
A while later, Ramonda is giving Riri a tour of Wakanda when Namor attacks the Golden City while Shuri is elsewhere. Ramonda speaks to Shuri on the phone, asking that she returns home immediately, which Shuri refuses and tells her mother she loves her before abruptly hanging up the phone. Ramonda demands that Riri leaves, but the child doesn't want to leave the Queen there on her own. Namor floods the throne room and Ramonda saves Riri from drowning, only to not survive herself. Okoye and Nakia find the two and notice that Ramonda has died, while Riri luckily survived. Ramonda's body is found by Shuri who cries in horror for her mother and a funeral is held for the Queen.
After Ramonda's funeral, Shuri becomes the new Black Panther and vows to kill Namor for being responsible for her mother's death. However, as Shuri is about to make the final blow, Ramonda's spirit reminds her through Shuri's mind, and the Astro Plane, to show Namor who she really is. Shuri decides to spare Namor's life and promises to protect Wakanda's people.
Marvel Animation
Avengers Assemble
Whilst Ramonda doesn't make an appearance, she is mentioned in the episode "The Panther and the Wolf".
Trivia
- Ramonda's name sounds similar to "Ramona", which translates from Spanish as "protector".
- Ramonda has taken on the title of queen three times in her life; first when she married T'Chaka, after her son T'Challa was erased from Thanos' snap in 2018-2023, and again in 2024, after T'Challa died from an unspecified illness.
Gallery
Promotional Images
Photography
Production and Concept
Screenshots
_41.jpg "Black Panther (film) 41.jpg (159 KB)")
_40.jpg "Black Panther (film) 40.jpg (1.44 MB)")
_39.jpg "Black Panther (film) 39.jpg (1.38 MB)")
External Links
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