The Black Panther logo, history and meaning

If you’re a fan of the Marvel Comic Book Universe, you may be familiar with the Black Panther logo. Not to be confused with the Black Panther party logo, this symbol represents one of the better-known characters in the Marvel cinematic and graphic novel landscape.

Like many superheroes over the years, Black Panther, better-known to some as T’Challa, doesn’t have a conventional logo.

Unlike Superman or Wonder Woman, there’s no dedicated symbol associated with the character on a significant scale, though recent designs have emerged to help represent the creation in various branding and marketing campaigns.

Today, we’ll be focusing mainly on the wordmark used to represent Black Panther in both the comic and movie universe. We’ll also explore the history of Black Panther as a character, and the unique elements which make the creation instantly recognizable in any format.

The original Black Panther logo

History of Black Panther

The history of the Black Panther logo begins with the creation of the fictional character, designed by Marvel Comics. According to the Marvel fanbase, Black Panther was created by Stan Lee (the writer and editor commonly associated with Marvel), and Jack Kirby.

Originally, Black Panther, or “T’Challa”, first emerged in episode #52 of the Fantastic Four comic book, in 1966. The character is both the king and protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda.

Aside from a series of enhanced abilities developed over the years, T’Challa also possesses a deep knowledge of science, and an excellent ability for hand-to-hand combat.

When Black Panther was officially introduced as a standalone comic book character, there was no distinctive Black Panther symbol. Many fans simply recognized the character by his unique black outfit, which featured panther-style ears on the head.

The initial wordmark used to introduce the character was a bold black and yellow title, intended to convey ideas of discovery, mystery, and power.

Notably, Black Panther was the first superhero of African descent depicted in a mainstream American comic book. He made his debut several years before many other early black superheroes, including the Falcon, Blade, and even Luke Cage.

Black Panther logo history

Famous Black Panther logos

Over the years, Black Panther has made a number of appearances in various animated films, television shows, and video games.

Many people recognize the character from his depiction by Chadwick Boseman, who played the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Phase 3), during various movies like Captain America: Civil War, and the Avengers franchise.

T’Challa, or Black Panther is most recognizable for his unique outfit, created in the technologically-advanced country of Wakanda. The outfit, which features a set of cat ears, and a completely black design, is a meaningful symbol for the Wakanda region.

Over the years, the wordmark used in the Black Panther comic books evolved to become increasingly modern and refined, though it often stuck to the yellow and black color palette.

The primary changes to the design only occurred when Marvel began introducing the Black Panther franchise to the cinematic universe in 2016.

2016

During 2016, the first version of the Black Panther logo was created by designers from the Comicraft design and lettering studios. According to the designers, the typography choice was intended to reflect some of the common lettering seen in graffiti on the streets of New York.

The word-mark based logo also helps to draw attention to the agile and powerful nature of the character. The sharp edges on the letters remind us of the claws or teeth of a panther, as well as the iconic necklace worn by the title character in the movie.

2018

During 2018, a new Black Panther logo emerged, this time with significantly more detail and depth than the original images. The font style was very similar to the one chosen in 2016, but depictured in a slightly more refined format.

In this version of the logo, we see multiple colors of black, blue, and gold combined together. This reminds us of the design of the character’s costume, as well as the wealth of the country of Wakanda, where the hero sources most of his equipment.

The style is almost art deco in nature, potentially to draw attention to the modern and sophisticated aspects of the character as he has evolved over the years.

Throughout the lifespan of the Black Panther character, we’ve also seen various simplistic symbols emerge as a way of identifying the hero. These are similar in style to many of the other images used in the Marvel Universe, for characters like the Hulk, or Iron Man.

The image showcases the unique lines of the facial mask worn by Black Panther when fighting alongside other Avengers.

Black Panther emblem, elements and meaning

Compared to other superheroes in the Marvel cinematic universe, and the wider comic book landscape, Black Panther’s character hasn’t had the same degree of branding.

This is perhaps because the character hasn’t been quite as popular as some other characters over the years, though he has still maintained a significant following among fans.

The most recognizable element of Black Panther’s visual identity are the wordmarks used to depict the title for the movies created for Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.

While simple, these designs have a great deal of meaning behind them. The sharp letters convey the powerful parts of a panther we often imagine when thinking about the animal, such as teeth and claws.

The color choices chosen for the logos have been meaningful too. Blue represents space, the universe, and discovery, while black is a symbol of the character’s primary color. The golden elements also pull focus to the rich nature of the Wakanda country.

You can find some useful Black Panther resources here:

• Black Panther logo PNG
• Black Panther logo vector

What color is the Black Panther logo?

The Black Panther logo colors have changed a few times over the years. The original shades associated with the character’s wordmark were simply black and yellow, similar to Batman.

However, as the character has evolved, the design has grown increasingly textured and modern.

Some of the colors seen in the Black Panther wordmark today include:

The symbol which sometimes accompanies the Black Panther character depicting just the head of the superhero is simply shown in black and white.

What font does the Black Panther logo use?

One Black Panther logo font was created by the Creative Market Shop owner, Fabian Korn, and is best known as “BENYO”. This is an attractive sans-serif font is evident in the various pieces of text used throughout the Black Panther movie.

The other Black Panther logo font used for the main title of the movies created by the Marvel Universe is a unique typeface designed specifically for the brand. The design is sharp, powerful, and impactful, similar to the character itself.

Celebrating the Black Panther symbol today

The Black Panther logo might not be quite the same as some of the logo designs, we’ve seen in the superhero universe over the years, but it’s still a powerful symbol.

Whether it’s the eye-catching wordmark which grabs your attention, or the simple image of the character’s face, you’re sure to remember these engaging images.

Notably, Marvel even updated its own title card and logo design over the years to draw more attention to Black Panther when the iconic actor playing the character sadly passed away. The Marvel Studios logo was updated with images of Chadwick Boseman in the titular role.

You can find more insights into some of the world’s most famous superhero logos right here on Fabrik.

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