List of The Jungle Book characters

Mowgli attacking Shere Khan: detail from a clay bas-relief by John Lockwood Kipling, father of Rudyard Kipling, from "The Works of Rudyard Kipling" Vol. VII: The Jungle Book, 1907.

This is a list of characters that appear in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book story collection, its sequel The Second Jungle Book, and the various film adaptations based on those books. Characters include both human and talking animal characters.

In the Mowgli stories

Mowgli made leader of the Bandar Log by John Charles Dollman, 1903

• Mowgli (मोगली Maogalī; feral child) - Also referred to as "Man Cub," he is a boy who was raised by wolves, Bagheera and Baloo.

• Jungle characters - The following characters reside in the jungle.
  • Seeonee Wolf Pack - An Indian wolf pack that Mowgli was raised by.
    • Akela (अकेला Akēlā, "alone"; Indian wolf) - The chief and leader of the wolf pack. He dies during a fight with the Dholes.
    • Raksha (रक्षा Rakṣā, "protection"; Indian wolf) - Also called Mother Wolf, she is Mowgli's adoptive mother. She passed away at some point and was buried in a cave.
    • Rama (रमा Ramā)/Daruka (दरुका Darukā) (Indian wolf) - Also called Father Wolf, he is Mowgli's adoptive father. He passed away at some point and was buried in a cave.
    • Grey Brother (Indian wolf) - The oldest of Father Wolf and Raksha's cubs. He appears on all Disney adaptions expect for 1967's The Jungle Book, 1998's The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story, and 2003's The Jungle Book 2.
    • Leela (लीला Līlā; Indian wolf) - The granddaughter of Akela.
  • Baloo (भालू Bhālū, "bear"; sloth bear) - One of Mowgli's mentors and friend. In Kipling's book, he is described as a sleepy old bear who teaches Mowgli the law of the jungle.
  • Bagheera (बघीरा Baghīrā; بگھیڑا Baghīrā, "black panther"; black panther variety of leopard) - One of Mowgli's mentors and protector.
  • Bandar-log (बन्दर-लोग Bandar-lōg, "monkey-folks"; grey langurs) - A society of monkeys who are treated as pariahs for their scatterbrained anarchy. They kidnap the very young Mowgli, who is rescued by Bagheera, Baloo, and Kaa.
  • Kaa (का Kā; Indian rock python) - Mowgli's wise mentor and friend, though also feared throughout the jungle for his/her mesmerizing "hunger dance". He is absent in 1998's The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story.
  • Hathi (हाथी Hāthī, "Elephant"; Indian elephant) - The chief and leader of the jungle's elephants and the individual called "The True Master of The Jungle".
  • Tabaqui (तंबाकूवी Taṃbākūvī; "Dish-Licking Dog"; golden jackal) - He feeds on scraps from either Shere Khan or the wolves of the Seeonee Pack. In some adaptations, he is a hyena. Tabaqui is the only servant of Shere Khan as well as Shere Khan's spy and messenger. He is killed by Grey Brother after the Grey Brother interrogates him into admitting both what Shere Khan plans to do and where and then crushes the jackal's back in "Tiger! Tiger!". He is absent from all the Disney adaptions of The Jungle Book expect 1998's The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
  • Mang (मङग Maṅg, "go"; bat) - A bat.
  • Shere Khan (शेर खान شیر خان (Śēr Khān, "Tiger King" ("Khan" is a common title of Indian Muslim lordship and royalty); Bengal tiger), - A vicious man-eating Bengal Tiger who is the main villain and the archenemy of Mowgli. He is often known as "a chief among tigers" and in multiple adaptations as the one called "The King of Tigers." Despite being born with a crippled leg and derisively nicknamed "Lungri" ("The Lame One") by his own mother, Shere Khan is ruthless, aggressive, violent, arrogant, self-centered, and sees himself as the rightful lord of the jungle. Tabaqui is his only friend.
  • Rama (रमा Ramā; water buffalo) - A water buffalo.
  • Mysa (मौसा Maisā, "uncle"; water buffalo) - A water buffalo.
  • Chil (चील Cīl, "kite"; brahminy kite), in earlier editions called Rann (रण Raṇ, "battle") - A kite that serves as a messenger.
  • Sahi (इकी Ikī; Indian porcupine) - In earlier editions, he was called Sahi (साही Sāhī, "porcupine"). In later editions, he was called Ikki.
  • Tha (था Thā, "He was"; Indian elephant) - The first of the elephants according to Hathi.
  • Thuu (थू Thū; Indian cobra) - Also called White Hood, Thuu a blind albino cobra. Mowgli gives him the derisory epithet "Thuu" (meaning "it has dried") upon discovering that the supposedly deadly cobra's fangs are in fact withered and dried up from age and disuse. A version of him appeared in the Jungle Cubs episode "The Treasure of Middle Jungle" voiced by Jim Cummings. This version is a giant Indian cobra who guards man's treasure in the Middle Jungle and his fangs drying out remain intact where a shrew exposed that fact to Baloo, Prince Louie, Shere Khan, and Kaa.
  • Dholes - A pack of dholes are the antagonists of the story "Red Dog." Some of the dholes died from the bee stings and the rest drowned upon being swept away by the river's current. The rest swam to shore where the fought Akela's wolf pack. Won-Tolla does a mutual kill with the dhole leader and the rest of the dholes are killed by Akela's wolf pack where Akela was mortally wounded.
  • Oo (ऊ Ū; turtle)
  • Jacala (जाचला Jacalā, "obstacle"; Indian crocodile) - A large mugger crocodile. In "Red Dog", it is stated that Mowgli broke a knife on Jacala's back during a protracted fight with him.
  • Mao (मवा Mavā; Indian peacock) - In earlier editions, he was called Mor (मोर Mōr, "peacock").
  • Won-Tolla (Indian wolf) - An outlier who warns Mowgli's tribe of the dholes who killed his mate and cubs. Before dying of his wounds during the fight between the dholes and Mowgli's tribe, Won-Tolla slays the dhole leader.
  • Chikai (चीकै Cīkai, "squeak"; rat)
  • Phao (फवा Phavā; Indian wolf) - Son of Phaona and leader of The Free People.
  • Phaona (फवाना Phavānā; Indian wolf) - Phao's father and member of The Free People.
  • Ferao (फोडवा Phōṛavā, "woodpecker"; scarlet woodpecker)

• Human characters - The following characters are known humans.
  • Messua - The wife of the richest man of the human village, who decides to adopt the wild Mowgli, believing that he is their long-lost son Nathoo.
  • Messua's husband - An unnamed man who is the richest man of the village.
  • Nathoo (नत्थू Natthū) - The long-lost son of Messua and her husband, who has been snatched by a tiger.
  • Buldeo (बलदेव Baladēvā) - The elderly chief hunter of Messua's village. He is boastful, arrogant, greedy and superstitious, and he is furious when Mowgli, who knows what the jungle is really like, contradicts some of his own more fanciful stories about the jungle. He hopes to kill Shere Khan so he can get a substantial reward placed out as a bounty for the tiger's skin. In the 2018 adaption, he was called John Lockwood (John Lockwood Kipling was Rudyard Kipling's father with the character portrayed by Matthew Rhys) and he is a British hunter. Mowgli found that he beheaded Bhoot and shot the tusk off an unnamed Indian elephant. During Mowgli's fight with Shere Khan, Lockwood tries to shoot Shere Khan only for Akela to take the bullet when it was heading towards Mowgli. Lockwood himself was body-slammed by the same Indian elephant.
  • Mowgli's wife - A woman who fell in love with Mowgli and meets his old friends in the jungle.
  • Mowgli's son - A son of Mowgli and his wife.

Other stories

• "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi"
  • Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (Indian grey mongoose)
  • Nag and Nagaina (Indian cobras) - Nag is the Hindi word for "cobra."
  • Darzee (tailorbird) - Darzee means "tailor" in Hindi.
  • Chuchundra (Asian house shrew, called a muskrat in the story) - His name is derived from "chuchunder", a term used for his species in India.
  • Karait (common krait)
  • The Coppersmith (coppersmith barbet)

• "The White Seal"
  • Kotick (albino seal) - "Котик" means "seal" in Russian
  • Sea Catch (northern fur seal)
  • Matkah (northern fur seal)
  • Sea Vitch (walrus)
  • Sea Cow (Steller's sea cow)
  • Burgomaster Gull (species) (same as Glaucous gull)
  • Limmershin, the Winter Wren

• "Toomai of the Elephants"
  • Toomai
  • Kala Nag (elephant)

• "Her Majesty's Servants"
  • Two-Tails (elephant)
  • Billy (battery-mule)
  • Vixen (a small dog)

• "The Undertakers"
  • The Jackal (Golden jackal)
  • The Adjutant (Lesser adjutant stork, erroneously referred to as a crane)
  • Mugger of Mugger-Ghaut (Mugger crocodile)
  • The Gavial (Gharial) - The Mugger's cousin.

Films adaptations

The following characters appear in the films adaptions:

• King Louie (Disney) - The orangutan who leads the Bandar-log. In the 2016 film, he is a Gigantopithecus. He is voiced by Louis Prima in the first movie, Jim Cummings in TaleSpin, Jason Marsden in Season One of Jungle Cubs, Cree Summer in Season Two of Jungle Cubs, and Christopher Walken in the 2016 film.
• Winifred (Disney) - Colonel Hathi's wife and the mother of Hathi Jr. who serves as Hathi's second-in-command of the Jungle Patrol. She is voiced by Verna Felton in the first movie and by Kath Soucie in "Jungle Cubs."
• Hathi Jr. (Disney) - The baby elephant who is the son of Hathi and Winifred and is a good friend of Mowgli. He is voiced by Clint Howard in the first movie and by Jimmy Bennett in The Jungle Book 2.
• Flunkey (Disney) - King Louie's monkey servant and lieutenant. He is voiced by Leo De Lyon in the first film and by Jim Cummings in The Jungle Book 2.
• Buzzie, Dizzy, Flaps, and Ziggy the Vultures (Disney) - Four vultures who closely resemble the Beatles because of their shaggy moptop haircuts and Liverpool accents. Buzzie resembles Ringo Starr, Dizzy resembles George Harrison, Flaps resembles Paul McCartney, and Ziggy resembles John Lennon. Their song "That's What Friends Are For" was sung in the style of a barbershop quartet instead of a Beatles song. Disney was originally going to have The Beatles voice them, but John Lennon refused the offer. Buzzie was voiced by J. Pat O'Malley in the first film and by Jim Cummings in The Jungle Book 2. Dizzy is voiced by Lord Tim Hudson in the first film and by Baron Davis in The Jungle Book 2. Flaps is voiced by Chad Stuart in the first film and by Jeff Bennett in The Jungle Book 2. Ziggy is voiced by Digby Wolfe in the first film and by Jess Harnell in The Jungle Book 2.
• Shanti (Disney, named only in The Jungle Book 2) - The girl whose song "My Own Home" lured Mowgli into the Man Village in the 1967 film. Shanti later serves as his ally/love interest in the sequel. Shanti is voiced by Darleen Carr in the first film and by Mae Whitman in The Jungle Book 2.
• Ranjan (DisneyThe Jungle Book 2) - Mowgli's adopted younger brother. He is depicted as the son of Messua and her husband. Ranjan is voiced by Connor Funk.
• Lucky (DisneyThe Jungle Book 2) - The vultures' friend who loves teasing Shere Kahn as seen in The Jungle Book 2. He is voiced by Phil Collins.
• Rocky the Rhino (Disney) - Rocky is an Indian rhinoceros. In the earlier production of the first film, Rocky was to appear in the same scene as the Vultures where he would've been voiced by Frank Fontaine. Unfortunately, his part got scrapped. Rocky did appear in the 2016 film voiced by Russell Peters where he was among the animals observing the Water Truce. After telling Mowgli to watch himself after being backed into him upon being accidentally pricked by Ikki's quills, Rocky tells Raquel that Mowgli is a man-cub.
• Raquel the Rhino (Disney 2016 film) - The daughter of Rocky the Rhino. She is voiced by Madeleine Favreau.
• Fred the Pygmy Hog (Disney 2016 film) - A pygmy hog who is one of the neighbors and friends of Baloo. He was voiced by Jon Favreau, who also directed the film.
• Giant Squirrel (Disney 2016 film) - An Indian giant squirrel who is one of the neighbors and friends of Baloo. The Giant Squirrel was the one who supported Baloo's claim to Mowgli that the honey works to soothe the bee stings as he claims that it's nature's ointment where he puts it everywhere. He was voiced by Sam Raimi.
• Pangolin (Disney 2016 film) - An Indian pangolin who is one of the neighbors and friends of Baloo. No voice actor was credited for this role.
• Bhoot (Warner Bros) - An albino wolf cub and Mowgli's friend. The two of them had a falling out when Bagheera made Mowgli fail Baloo's test. Mowgli found that Bhoot was killed and beheaded offscreen by John Lockwood causing Mowgli to see that John is not a nice person. Bhoot is voiced by Louis Ashbourne Serkis.