Kerchak

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.

Journal entries

Kingdom Hearts

Boss of the gorilla pack. He was against letting Tarzan join the group, but Kala's resolve won him over. Kerchak worries that Tarzan's contact with people will bring danger to the gorilla community.

He established himself as leader of the pack in "Tarzan" (1999).

Story

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.

Personality

"If you want Kerchak to like you, stay away from him!"

—Terk to a young Tarzan after an encounter with Kerchak in Disney's Tarzan

Kerchak is brave, powerful, and loyal. He cares a great deal about the gorilla family he leads, but his cold disposition gained after the death of his son causes those he loves to fear him. Kerchak also has a great hatred-like fear of outsiders of any kind, reacting aggressively when they are near. He is not without a heart, however, kind and almost loving to those he trusts, even outsiders that have gained that trust.

In Kingdom Hearts, Kerchak is leader of his gorilla family, taking great care of each member. He has a severe distrust of outsiders of any kind, as seen by how coldly he treats Sora and his friends. Once he learns he can trust Sora after Clayton's defeat, however, he grants the Keybearer and his friends access to the waterfalls, as Tarzan had previously requested.

In the film Tarzan, Kerchak is again the leader of the gorilla family, a caring and devoted mate and father. He begins to grow cold and distant to everyone, however, once their only infant is killed by Sabor. Kerchak does not accept Tarzan when Kala first brings him into the family, but he reluctantly lets her keep him. However, Kerchak's dislike of Tarzan causes the boy to feel he must prove himself to the elder gorilla, even though his efforts only make Kerchak angrier. A slight trust is built between Tarzan and Kerchak once the man kills Sabor and offers the leopard's body to him, but it is easily shattered when Tarzan betrays the gorilla family by bringing them into contact with humans, specifically Jane, her father, and Clayton. Loyal to his family to the last breath, Kerchak is later shot down by Clayton's gun. However, Kerchak makes amends with Tarzan for returning to save the other gorillas, finally accepting him as his son and successor before his death.

Appearance

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.

Origin

Kerchak makes his film debut in Disney's 1999 film, Tarzan. Leader of a large family of gorillas, he is also a caring and devoted mate and father, heartbroken when his only offspring is killed by the leopard Sabor. When Kala brings the orphaned Tarzan into the family, Kerchak immediately orders her to take him back out of his fear of humans, also saying that he couldn't replace the child they had lost. Kerchak eventually and reluctantly allows Tarzan to stay in the end, not willing to consider the boy his son. His dislike of Tarzan only grows as the boy ages into a man, causing much conflict in the young Tarzan. When Sabor is killed by the boy, a slight respect is sparked between the two as the leopard's body is offered to Kerchak. However, this quickly evaporates when an encounter with the gorilla family and the humans Jane, Professor Porter, and Clayton is made possible by Tarzan and Kerchak agressively attacks the humans in order to protect his family, forcing Tarzan to fight the gorilla off due to the bond that has developed between him and the humans. Kerchak's great might strikes Clayton's interest, however, the man attacking the gorilla family with a band of thugs. Tarzan returns and aids Kerchak, however, Clayton defeated, but not before the hunter shoots Kerchak. Tarzan approaching the dying gorilla, Kerchak makes amends with the boy, making him his successor and finally accepting him as his son.