The relationships of Tarzan.
Romance[]
Jane Porter[]
Tarzan and Jane.
After hearing gunshots, once he finished killing Sabor, Tarzan set off to investigate where he encountered a group of explorers, among them being Jane Porter. Tarzan grew curious about the newcomers as he had never seen other humans since his parents died. Tarzan then instantly took a liking to Jane and her father while watching Jane share a loving embrace with her father upon discovering gorillas did family groups together. He then observed Jane as she drew a sketch of a baby baboon. The baboon liked the sketch and took it from her, but when she took it back, she found that she angered the whole pack of baboons. After Tarzan saved her and gave the sketch back to them, Jane tried to get away, but she found that it started to rain and she was stuck in the tree. Under the shade, Tarzan inspected her to figure out what she is, and found the answer when he pulled off her glove to find a hand similar to his. He also listened to her heartbeat and had her listen to his, much to her discomfort though she did say his heartbeat was nice. Tarzan then quickly picked up how to say Jane's name and his own name in English. After the rain cleared up, Tarzan returned Jane to the human camp where the gorillas had been messing around, but they (sans Jane) didn't stay for long.
Despite Kerchak's orders not to interact with the humans, Tarzan went back to the human camp, where he learned more about humans. In the midst of this, he and Jane started to fall in love. While she was teaching him human culture and how to read, he taught her how to swing on vines. As he went to give her flowers one morning, he was upset about finding that it was time for her to leave to go back to England. He at first tried to convince her to stay, but since that didn't work, Clayton used that situation to convince him to lead the explorers to the gorillas. He ended up doing so, and also taught Jane how to say, "Jane stays with Tarzan" in gorilla speech. He soon got caught by Kerchak and put him in a headlock to let the explorers get away safely.
After Kala showed Tarzan the treehouse, he decided to go back to England instead, being convinced that he belonged with humans, believing he had to be more like the humans and his birth parents, and wanting to be with Jane. The next morning, he boarded the boat with the other humans, but was captured along with Jane and her father. The three of them were saved by Terk and Tantor, who accompanied them to save the gorillas from Clayton and his men. During the rescue, Jane helped Tarzan save Kala by taking out her captors.
Afterwards, Tarzan realized his home all along was in the jungle with his gorilla family, but even then, Kerchak had died so he had to be there for them. At the same time, that meant that he would not see Jane again. However, he and Jane both were sad to depart and after some convincement from her father, Jane decided to stay and be with the man she loves. Tarzan becomes happy to see that Jane has decided to stay as she swims up to him and gives him a kiss. However, Jane quickly becomes embarrassed and apologizes, but Tarzan gets delighted over the kiss where he gently holds Jane's face and the two share a long, romantic kiss. They later marry and continue to spend their lives together in the jungle.
Family[]
Kala[]
- “No matter where I go, you will always be my mother.”
- ―Tarzan to Kala
Tarzan and Kala.
As a baby, Tarzan was found by the gorilla Kala after his birth parents were killed by the leopard Sabor. Kala, who had recently lost her son to Sabor, instantly loved Tarzan right after the moment she discovered him. When Sabor attacked them, Kala protected Tarzan from the leopard and managed to return to her family where she decided to adopt and raise Tarzan as her own. Although Kala said Tarzan could never replace her deceased son, she still decided to adopt Tarzan as she knew that he needed her as he lost his parents while she lost her son.
Throughout Tarzan's childhood, he shared a strong mother-son relationship with Kala. After accidentally causing an elephant stampede, Tarzan, who had been berated by Kerchak, was comforted by Kala who told him that he is the same as the gorillas because their hearts are the same. Tarzan becomes inspired his adoptive mother's words that he vows to become the best ape ever to Kerchak where she playfully responded by tickling him all over.
When Tarzan becomes an adult, Sabor attacked the gorilla family where Kala watched her adoptive son battle the leopard. Kala was horrified and concerned for Tarzan as he fought Sabor, but became relieved when Tarzan revealed himself to be alive and have successfully managed to kill the savage leopard. After Tarzan had met a human woman named Jane Porter, Kala escorted Tarzan back to the gorillas' nesting grounds and tried to get him to listen to Kerchak's orders to stay from the humans, but Tarzan was angry at Kala for not telling him that there were creatures who looked like him.
As Tarzan continued to spend time with the humans, Kala became sad to see that her adoptive son was drifting away from her. When Tarzan brought Jane, her father, and Clayton to the nesting grounds, he introduced them to Kala and tried to reassure her that his new friends were friendly, but Kala was too afraid to be near them. As Tarzan and Jane played with baby gorillas, Kala noticed how happy her adoptive son was around Jane and realized he has fallen in love with her. After Tarzan fought Kerchak to protect his new friends which led to being disowned by the latter, he was comforted by Kala who decided to show him the treehouse where she found him as a baby. When Tarzan found the picture of his birth parents and realized he was adopted, Kala tells him that she wants him to be happy wherever he decides to go. When Tarzan decided to return to society, he comforted Kala by telling her that she'll always be his mother where she tells him that he'll always have a place in her heart. The two sadly embraced each other before Kala sadly watched her adoptive son leave the jungle.
After Tarzan was betrayed by Clayton who revealed himself to be a poacher, Tarzan immediately came to his gorilla family's rescue where Kala became overjoyed to see that her adoptive son had came back. Tarzan then rescued Kala from Clayton's henchmen with the help of Jane where he and his adoptive mother happily reunited. When Kerchak was fatally shot by Clayton, Tarzan was sadly consoled by Kala as Kerchak died where he made Tarzan his successor. When Jane and her father decided to stay in the jungle to be with Tarzan, he presented Jane to Kala who happily accepted her as her adoptive son's wife.
Kerchak[]
- “Take care of them, my son. Take care of them.”
- ―Kerchak's last words to Tarzan before dying
Tarzan and Kerchak.
Kerchak was Tarzan's adoptive father, but he never considered Tarzan his son as he was a human, viewed him as a threat to his family, and didn't want him to be a replacement for his deceased biological son. Though Kerchak allowed Kala to adopt Tarzan and raise him in their family, Tarzan was treated with disdain and disapproval by Kerchak throughout his childhood.
However, Tarzan sought to earn Kerchak's approval as he grew up. One day, when Sabor attacked the gorillas, Tarzan saved Kerchak's life and managed to kill Sabor where Kerchak starts to develop a reluctant respect for him. However, when a group of humans arrive in Africa, Tarzan tries to tell Kerchak that the humans are not dangerous after having spent some time, but Kerchak refuses to listen. Angered by Kerchak's stubbornness and judgmental behavior, Tarzan confronted Kerchak on why he feels threatened by anything he considers different. Stunned by this challenge to his authority, Kerchak warns Tarzan against visiting the humans and orders him to protect the family by staying away from them.
Tarzan disobeyed Kerchak's orders by visiting the humans regularly behind his back and falling in love with Jane Porter. Kerchak discovered Tarzan had disobeyed him by seeing him having brought the humans to the gorillas' nests. After Tarzan stops Kerchak from attacking his new friends, Kerchak berates him for disobeying him and betraying their family, disowning him completely.
When Clayton and his henchmen captured Kerchak and all of the gorillas, Tarzan comes to their rescue with the help of numerous jungle animals as well Terk, Tantor, and the Porters. Kerchak expressed surprise that Tarzan came back, to which Tarzan replied that he came home. The two then reconciled and worked together to free the rest of their family. When Tarzan was shot by a vengeful Clayton, Kerchak tried to attack the poacher, only to receive fatal wounds. Tarzan saw this and angrily fought against Clayton, which led to the poacher's death. Following his battle with Clayton, Tarzan came to Kerchak's side and asked for his forgiveness, but Kerchak instead apologized to Tarzan for not treating him as a part of the family. He then passes on leadership to Tarzan and finally accepts him as his foster son saying "Our family will look to you now. Take care of them my son. Take care of them" before he succumbs to his wounds and dies. Saddened by Kerchak's death, Tarzan mourns for him before deciding to fulfill his promise to Kerchak to lead and protect their family.
Tarzan's parents[]
Tarzan as a baby with his birth parents.
When Tarzan was a baby, his parents loved him very much. When they were stranded in Africa, his parents immediately built a house so they could happily raise their son together. However, they were attacked by the leopard Sabor where Tarzan's parents managed to hide him before they were killed by the leopard as they gave their lives to protect him. Years later, Tarzan managed to avenge his parents' deaths by killing Sabor.
Friends and Allies[]
Terk[]
Tarzan and Terk.
As a baby, Tarzan met a young Terk after Kala found and rescued him from Sabor. Terk described Tarzan as "freaky looking," but when she held Tarzan where he played with her, Terk immediately warmed up to the human baby and welcomed him into her family, accepting him as her new cousin.
As children, Tarzan was close to Terk where the two shared a sibling-like relationship. However, Terk did not want Tarzan to embarrass her in front of her friends, Flynt and Mungo as he was a human and different from the gorillas. When Terk jokingly told Tarzan to get an elephant hair in order to hang out with her and her friends, Tarzan took her advice seriously and went to get the elephant hair, only to accidentally cause an elephant stampede. After escaping the stampede, Terk pulled Tarzan out of the water, pleading with him to not die. When Tarzan regained consciousness, Terk was overjoyed and embraced him before briefly scolding him for putting his life in danger. However, when Tarzan revealed he managed to get the elephant hair, Terk was so surprised and impressed that she gained a better opinion of Tarzan. After Tarzan was scolded by Kerchak, he resolved to earn Kerchak's approval by becoming the "best ape ever" where Terk willingly assisted him in; such as helping him climb up a tree.
By the time they grow into adults, Tarzan and Terk maintain a strong relationship where the two would often playfully wrestle with each other. One day, when Sabor attacked the gorilla family, Terk watched in concern for Tarzan as he fought the leopard. However, after Tarzan emerged victorious by killing Sabor, Terk cheered for and congratulated Tarzan. When Tarzan went missing, due to him going to investigate the sound of gunshots, Terk set off to look for him with Tantor. When Tarzan reunited with Terk, they happily embraced each other and when Terk sees that Tarzan has met another human named Jane Porter, Terk is amazed upon seeing someone like Tarzan as he gestured to her that Jane is friendly before Kerchak arrived to to lead them away.
As Tarzan continued to spend time with Jane and fall in love with her, Terk became sad to see her friend and adoptive cousin distancing away from her that she started to become slightly bitter at Tarzan. When Tarzan asked Terk and Tantor to lure Kerchak out of the gorilla nesting grounds so that Jane and her accomplices can visit and study the family, Terk refused to help him as Tarzan kept begging her, Terk finally relented. When Tarzan decided to leave Africa with Jane after being disowned by Kerchak, Terk rushed to say goodbye to him, was too late upon seeing Tarzan board a rowboat. Terk hid her anger and sorrow on seeing Tarzan leave and sadly returned to the jungle with Tantor.
However, when hearing Tarzan's cries of agony, Terk refused to help him as she was still bitter at him for distancing himself away from her until she was convinced by Tantor to help rescue Tarzan. Upon rescuing and freeing Tarzan, Terk joyfully embraced Tarzan and the two work together in saving their gorilla family from Clayton and his henchmen.
In the aftermath of Clayton's and Kerchak's death, Terk gladly watched Tarzan share a kiss when she decided to stay in the jungle with him, along with Terk accepting Tarzan's romantic relationship with Jane where she would swing vines with them.
Tantor[]
Tarzan and Tantor.
As a child, Tarzan met a young Tantor when he's trying to get an elephant hair in order to be a part of Terk's friend group. When Tantor saw Tarzan trying to get a hair from one of the elephants in his herd, he mistakes the human boy as a piranha, causing a stampede amongst the elephants. After the stampede, Terk informed Tantor that Tarzan wasn't a piranha and was relieved when Tarzan was revealed to have survived. Tantor also realized that Tarzan was trying to get an elephant hair and did not mean any harm. Almost immediately, Tarzan and Tantor formed a friendship that would last forever.
While growing up together, Tantor spent time with and helped Tarzan earn the approval of his adoptive father, Kerchak while Tarzan helped Tantor overcome some of his fears and taught him how to swim in the water. Tantor disliked it when Tarzan and Terk would playfully wrestle with each other, fearing either one of them would get hurt. One day, when the leopard Sabor attacked the gorilla family, Tantor watched in concern for Tarzan as he fought the leopard, but congratulates him when he manages to kill Sabor. When Tarzan goes missing due to investigating the sound of gunshots, Tantor helped search for him with Terk until Tarzan was found.
As Tarzan spent with Jane Porter, Tantor was overjoyed to see his friend happy as the latter had fallen in love with Jane. When Tarzan asked Tantor and Terk to lure Kerchak out of the gorilla nesting grounds so that Jane and her accomplices can visit and study the family, Tantor, unlike Terk at first, was willing to help. When Tarzan decided to leave Africa with Jane after being disowned by Kerchak, Tantor rushed to say goodbye to him, but was too late upon seeing Tarzan board a rowboat. Tantor was sad to see his friend go and woefully returned to the jungle with Terk.
However, when hearing Tarzan's cries of agony, Tantor realized that Tarzan was in trouble and after convincing Terk, Tantor willingly jumped off a cliff and swam to the boat where he managed to rescue Tarzan, Jane, and her father. When Tantor manages to free Tarzan and his new friends, Tarzan is glad to see Tantor and they then work together in saving the gorilla family from Clayton and his henchmen.
In the aftermath of Clayton and Kerchak's deaths, Tantor happily watched Tarzan share a kiss with Jane when she decided to stay in the jungle with him where Tantor happily supported Tarzan and Jane's romance and eventual marriage.
Archimedes Q. Porter[]
Tarzan and Archimedes Q. Porter.
When Tarzan heard gunshots, after killing Sabor, he set off to investigate where he encountered a group of explorers, among them being Professor Archimedes Q. Porter. Tarzan, who had never seen other humans before as he had been raised by gorillas all life, became curious of the newcomers and instantly realized they were not dangerous as he grew to like Professor Porter and his daughter, Jane when they shared a loving embrace over discovering that gorillas did family groups.
When Professor Porter learned from Jane about Tarzan who had rescued her from angry pack of baboons, Porter became interested in hearing about a man being raised by and acting like a gorilla. Then, when Tarzan reveals himself to the professor, Porter became fascinated with Tarzan and believed he could be a missing link to greater aspects of knowledge. Porter then taught Tarzan about humans where he had Tarzan see different stars and comets through a telescope and even showed Tarzan how to ride a bicycle.
When Tarzan showed Porter, Jane, and Clayton his gorilla family, Porter became so excited to see the gorillas that he fainted before he was given a good social grooming by some of the apes. When Tarzan's adoptive father, Kerchak appeared and tried to attack Porter, Jane, and Clayton, Tarzan protected Porter, his daughter, and Clayton, giving them the time to flee the nesting grounds. When Tarzan decided to come to England with the Porters and Clayton, Professor Porter became happy to see that Tarzan has decided to come with them. However, when they were betrayed by Clayton who revealed his intentions to capture the gorillas and sell them for profit, both Tarzan and Porter were angered by Clayton's betrayal and the thought of the gorillas being locked in cages.
Once they were rescued by Tarzan's friends, Tantor and Terk, Tarzan and Porter worked together in saving the gorillas from Clayton and his henchmen. When Kerchak was killed by Clayton where he then passed on the leadership of the gorillas to Tarzan, Porter wanted to go after Tarzan as he led the gorillas away, only to be stopped by his daughter. Porter then came to respect Tarzan's decision to stay in the jungle and sadly waved good-bye, remarking he was going to miss him as he had grown fond of Tarzan during their time together. Porter also came to accept Tarzan's and his daughter's feelings for each other where he convinced Jane to stay with the man she loves before deciding to stay himself. Tarzan then became Porter's son-in-law due his marriage to Jane where he continued to have a good relationship with his father-in-law.
Enemies[]
Clayton[]
- “Not a man like YOU!!!”
- ―Tarzan to Clayton
Tarzan vs Clayton.
One day, when Tarzan went out to investigate the sound of gunshots after killing Sabor, Tarzan encountered a group of explorers, among them being William Cecil Clayton who is known as just "Clayton" to his fellow explorers. Tarzan, who had never seen other humans since the loss of his parents, became curious of the newcomers. Clayton suspected something other than a gorilla was watching him and his group where he fired his gun up into the trees a couple of times, barely missing a well-hidden Tarzan. When Tarzan first heard Clayton's name, he thought that his name meant the sound of a gunshot.
After Tarzan rescued Jane Porter from baboons and left with his gorilla family, she told her story to Clayton and her father, but Clayton did not believe her and found the existence of an "ape man" to be ridiculous. When Tarzan revealed himself to Clayton, he was shocked and tried to shoot Tarzan with his rifle, thinking Tarzan to be a threat, only to be stopped by Jane. Clayton became surprised when Tarzan thought his name meant the sound of a gunshot and realized Tarzan could lead him to the gorillas. However, Clayton was impatient with Tarzan who more fascinated in learning about humans from Jane while Clayton unsuccessfully tried to get the location of the gorillas from Tarzan.
When Tarzan's feelings for Jane were noticed by Clayton, he was manipulated by Clayton to reveal the gorillas' location under the belief that Jane will stay with him if he showed the gorillas. Tarzan eventually showed the gorillas' nesting grounds, much to Clayton's satisfaction as he forges a map of the location before being by Tarzan from an enraged Kerchak who had ordered Tarzan to stay away from the human explorers.
After being disowned by Kerchak, Tarzan decided to go England with the Porters. However, Tarzan was betrayed by Clayton when his thugs restrained him and became shocked by Clayton's casual behavior who revealed his true nature and to be the leader of the thugs. In response, Clayton sadistically stroke Tarzan in the chest and revealed his plan to capture the gorillas and sell them to a zoo for a large amount of money. Tarzan was then tauntingly thanked by Clayton for aiding him before being imprisoned with Jane, Professor Porter, and the other ship's passengers. Eventually, Tarzan was rescued by his friends, Terk and Tantor where he immediately set off to stop Clayton from kidnapping his gorilla family.
Tarzan managed to save his family in time before Clayton and his henchmen brought all of the captured gorillas to the ship. Enraged at Tarzan for interfering with his plans, Clayton tried to kill Tarzan, only to give him a bullet wound in the arm. When Tarzan saw Clayton fatally shoot Kerchak who tried to defend him, Tarzan became enraged and tried to attack Clayton, only to take cover in the trees as he was armed with his rifle.
Clayton followed Tarzan to the treetops where the two brutally wrestled each other. When Tarzan got a hold of Clayton's rifle, he resolved to kill Clayton for his actions, which Clayton urged him to do while mockingly telling him to "be a man." However, Tarzan realized that doing it would only make him no better than Clayton and instead mimics a loud gunshot. Declaring that he will never be a man like Clayton, Tarzan smashed the gun into pieces as Clayton watches in horror as the remains of his gun fall to the jungle floor. Clayton then flew into a rage and tried to kill Tarzan with a machete, startling him where Tarzan ensnares Clayton in a mass of vines before glaring at him. As Clayton aggressively attempted to free himself from the vines, Tarzan noticed that one of the vines had slipped like a noose around Clayton's neck. Tarzan tried to warn Clayton, but he inadvertently hacks the last vine and is hung by the vine around his neck, killing him instantly while Tarzan landed safely on the ground.
Even though Tarzan tried to save Clayton despite the latter trying to capture his gorilla family, harm his family and his friends, and try to kill Tarzan, Clayton was considered to be Tarzan's arch-nemesis in the end.
Sabor[]
Tarzan fighting Sabor.
When Tarzan was an infant, Sabor attacked his home and killed his parents before they managed to hide their son, protecting him from the ferocious leopard. When Kala found Tarzan, Sabor appeared and tried to kill the baby, but Kala protects him and they managed to escape from the leopard.
Years later, when Tarzan grows into a strong, young man, he fights against Sabor when she attacks his gorilla family. Sabor comes close to killing Tarzan, but when they fall into a pit, he manages to kill the leopard by impaling her with his spear. Having vanquished the savage leopard, Tarzan presents Sabor's corpse to his gorilla family and gives out his iconic yell as he managed to avenge both his parents and Kerchak and Kala's baby.
Tublat[]
When Tarzan was just a child, Tublat attacked his family and had a fight with Kerchak to see who would be the leader of the family. But then Kerchak won and Tublat was exiled from the family and lived his life in a cave.