Akela (The Jungle Book) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Akela |
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| The Jungle Book character | |
Akela as depicted on the frontispiece of The Two Jungle Books, published in 1895.
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| First appearance | "Mowgli's Brothers" |
| Last appearance | "Red Dog" |
| Created by | Rudyard Kipling |
| Information | |
| Species | Indian wolf |
| Gender | Male |
| Spouse(s) | Leah (in Jungle Cubs) |
| Children | 8 unnamed puppies |
| Relatives | Two parents (deceased) Leela (grand daughter) Phaona (grand son) |
Akela (also known as The Lone Wolf or Big Wolf) is a character from Rudyard Kipling's famous books, The Jungle Book (1894) and The Second Jungle Book (1895). He is the wise and strong leader of the Indian wolves in the Seeonee pack.
Akela is in charge of the pack's important meetings. During one of these meetings, the wolf pack decides to adopt a human boy named Mowgli. Akela then becomes one of Mowgli's main teachers and guides.
The name Akelā means "single" or "solitary" in Hindi. This is why Kipling also calls him the Lone Wolf.
Kipling shows Akela as a very honorable character. He often talks about the importance of the pack's honor. Akela is a large, grey wolf who leads his pack because he is both strong and clever.
Akela, the great gray Lone Wolf, who led all the Pack by strength and cunning, lay out at full length on his rock, and below him sat forty or more wolves of every size and colour
Contents
Akela in Disney Movies and Shows
Akela has appeared in many Disney movies and TV shows. His role changes a bit in each one.
The Jungle Book (1967 animated film)
In the 1967 animated Disney movie, Akela (voiced by John Abbott) has a small part. He is at the wolf council meeting when Shere Khan returns. The wolves decide that Mowgli must leave the jungle for his safety. Bagheera then offers to take Mowgli to the human village.
Jungle Cubs (cartoon series)
A younger Akela appears in the cartoon series Jungle Cubs. He is voiced by Rob Paulsen. In one episode, Akela and Leah (voiced by Kath Soucie) run away from their old wolf pack. Their old leader, Cain, wanted Leah for himself.
The young wolves find safety at the "Cubhouse" with the other animal friends. The cubs help Akela and Leah fight off Cain and his pack. After this, Akela and Leah become parents to wolf cubs. The other animals become the cubs' godparents.
Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (live-action movie)
In the live-action Disney movie Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story, Akela has a bigger role. He is voiced by Clancy Brown. In this movie, Akela is the father of Mowgli's adopted wolf family. He is also the mate of Raksha.
The Jungle Book (2016 live-action film)
Giancarlo Esposito voices Akela in the 2016 live-action film. Esposito described Akela as a strong and wise leader of the wolf pack. Akela welcomes Mowgli into his pack. However, he also worries that Mowgli might put the pack in danger.
In the film, Akela adopts Mowgli after Bagheera saves him. Years later, Shere Khan threatens the wolf pack because of Mowgli. Mowgli decides to leave to protect his family. When Shere Khan returns, Akela tells him Mowgli is gone. Sadly, Shere Khan then kills Akela by pushing him off a cliff. Shere Khan then takes over the wolf pack.
Akela's death affects the whole jungle. Mowgli hears about it from King Louie and decides to get revenge. Mowgli finally defeats Shere Khan. After this, Raksha becomes the new leader of the pack.
Akela in Other Stories
Akela also appears in other animated shows and movies based on The Jungle Book.
Jungle Book Shōnen Mowgli (Japanese TV series)
Akela is a main character in the Japanese TV series Jungle Book Shōnen Mowgli. He is voiced by Yuzuru Fujimoto in Japanese and Walter Massey in English. Akela is the leader of the wolf pack. As he gets older, he plans to pass on his leadership.
He gives the leadership to Alexander, but takes it back after Alexander's death. Later, Luri takes over as leader, but Akela stays as a trusted advisor. He is called "The Wise Old Wolf." Near the end of the series, Akela is badly hurt in a fight with jackals. He recovers, but is very weak and soon dies.
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (movie)
In Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, Akela is voiced by Peter Mullan. He and his pack adopt Mowgli and keep him safe from Shere Khan. Shere Khan warns Akela that he will return if Akela ever fails to catch his prey. Years later, Akela misses a deer.
Shere Khan and his helper, Tabaqui, arrive and turn some wolves against Akela. Mowgli uses fire to scare them away, but Akela is disappointed. He sadly tells Mowgli to leave the pack. Shere Khan then pushes Akela and his loyal wolves to the edge of the jungle.
When Mowgli asks for help to defeat Shere Khan, Akela first refuses. This is because it would break the jungle law. However, during the fight between Mowgli and Shere Khan, Akela changes his mind. He saves Mowgli from a hunter's bullet, but is sadly hurt himself. Before he dies, Akela apologizes to Mowgli. He gives Mowgli his blessing to lead the jungle animals and the wolf pack.
Adventures of Mowgli (Soviet animated series)
In the Soviet animated series Adventures of Mowgli, Akela is voiced by Lev Lubetsky and Yuri Puzyryov. In a later English version, he is voiced by David Kaye.
Akela's Influence on Scouting
Lord Baden-Powell was the person who started the scouting movement. He used parts of Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories to create Cub Scouting.
In Cub Scouting, many terms come from Kipling's work. These include "Law of the Pack," "Akela" (which means the leader of a group), "Wolf Cub," "Grand Howl," "den," and "pack." Baden-Powell wrote a book called The Wolf Cub's Handbook. In this book, he compared scouting to a wolf pack. He also compared scout leaders to the character of Akela. Cub Scouts often chant, "Akela, we will do our best" during their meetings.
Images for kids
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An illustration showing Akela after his battle with the dholes from the 1895 edition of The Two Jungle Books.
See also
In Spanish: Akela para niños
