Nuru and Sheeta are a pair of black panthers and recurring antagonists in The Legend of Tarzan.
Characteristics[]
Personality[]
Nuru and Sheeta were aggressive, vicious, feral and ferocious panthers who were well known throughout the jungle. They were a formidable fighter team using their speed and strength to overwhelm opponents. They were not even afraid of guns, as shown in the episode "Tarzan and the Flying Ace" when RAF Captain Nigel Taylor shot at them to unsuccessfully defend himself from them, and they would have killed him had Tarzan not intervened. In the episode "Tarzan and the British Invasion", Nuru and Sheeta proved capable of holding their own against Tarzan and might have killed him if Jane had not intervened.
Appearances[]
The Legend of Tarzan[]
"Tarzan and the Lost Cub"[]
Nuru and Sheeta make their first appearance in this episode.
While out washing her clothes in the jungle, Jane comes across a baby leopard, who follows her. Seeing that it is alone, she convinces Terk and Tantor to watch it while she prepares Tarzan for the idea. He is at first repulsed at the idea and wants the cub to be left alone in the jungle. The leopard cub is very playful, and proves to be a handful, but things take a turn for the worse when the cub upsets the baboon colony. Jane seeing the hopelessness of the situation, goes with Kala to return the cub to other leopards, but none of the cats recognize the cub as their own, and attempt to attack Jane and Kala until Tarzan, Terk, Tantor, and Archimedes Q. Porter rescue them and the cub's mother arrives. Nuru and Sheeta can be spotted amongst the leopards that attack Kala and Jane. They then retreat at the snarls of the cub's mother.
"Tarzan and the Rogue Elephant"[]
Nuru and Sheeta, along with two other leopards ambush Tantor who mistakenly believed that he was a rogue elephant due to him eating African violets earlier. Tantor, upon realizing that a rogue elephant is fearless, uses his supposedly newfound rogue elephant skills to violently attack the leopards until they retreat.
"Tarzan and the Gauntlet of Vengeance"[]
Nuru and Sheeta reappear as minor antagonists of the episode.
Tarzan was then given a challenge by Lady Waltham which was either save those he is close to from danger or head to a mountain she dubbed "Clayton's Peak" where the antidote is. Though Tarzan managed to save his friends and family, he then ended up saving Lady Waltham from Nuru and Sheeta. Afterwards, she gave Tarzan the antidote realizing that Tarzan would never have killed her brother.
"Tarzan and the British Invasion"[]
Nuru and Sheeta reappear as the main antagonists of the episode. Jane's three friends: Greenly, Hazel, and Eleanor arrive and assume Jane is in need of rescue. To their surprise they learn that Jane intended to stay with Tarzan instead of return with them. Jane takes her friends on a picnic when Nuru and Sheeta ambush them, Tarzan comes to their rescue.
"Tarzan and the Flying Ace"[]
Nuru and Sheeta are seen attempting to devour RAF pilot Captain Nigel Taylor who crashed in the jungle but the panthers are thwarted by Tarzan who learns that the pilot was searching for Jane's close friend Robert Canler so as to arrest for high treason to England.
Trivia[]
- Black panthers are actually a color variety of leopards and while they do exist in Africa, they seem to be more common in India than Africa.
- In the Tarzan novels, "Sheeta" is a generic term for a leopard.
- The fact that Nuru and Sheeta are together may be true as leopards can be seen in pairs, but the fact that these leopards are shown in a pack is a factual error, since leopards live in complete solitude.
- While Sheeta's gender is unknown, Tarzan refers Nuru as a male in the episode "Silver Screen".
- Sheeta's name was originally intended for Sabor.
- Nuru and Sheeta's behavior, role in the film and personality are very similar to Sabor.
- Nuru and Sheeta's age are both 3 years old (by leopard years).
- Much like Sabor, Nuru and Sheetah are voiced by Frank Welker.