Okoye

Okoye is a devout member of the Dora Milaje, an elite group of Wakandan women warriors who serve to protect their King. One of the most adept members of her team, Okoye is a devoted bodyguard and skilled chauffer who assures her King's safety and the safety of Wakanda.

Dora

Okoye is Dora Milaje—a member of personal bodyguards that serves alongside the King of Wakanda. Each member of the order is chosen at a young age to represent different tribes from across the nation. This selection process is a political tradition to maintain peace across the country as each member held a role in the royal palace.

Although long inactive, the order of Dora Milaje was reactivated by King T'Challa to smooth over political discord in the kingdom, and so Okoye and her friend Nakia were chosen from their tribes to train in the palace. And though the Dora are traditionally considered wives in-waiting, King T'Challa does not experience romantic feelings towards Okoye or anyone in the order, seeing them more like his children. T'Challa speaks with the Dora Milaje exclusively in Hausa, a Chadic language spoken in Nigeria and Wakanda.

Warrior of Wakanda

Okoye is a skilled warrior and chauffer for the King. She is knowledgeable in martial arts and protects the country’s protector from harm. She typically wields traditional Wakandan weaponry, unless those are unavailable, in which case she has been known to pick up modern arms.

Terrorists and Traitors

When Reverend Doctor Michael Ibn al-hajj Achebe threatened King T'Challa's former fiancée, Monica Lynne, Okoye followed T'Challa's orders to get her to safety. When Achebe later attacked Wakanda, Okoye protected her homeland and fought alongside the King and his allies the Avengers.

While Nakia was a part of the Dora Milaje and grew up alongside Okoye, she became obsessed with becoming T'Challa's queen. Okoye reminded her often that her love for the King was not to be returned, though it drove her to violence and led her to become the villain known as Malice.

Wakandan Compatriots

Okoye is a member of the Dora Milaje, which means ‘adored ones” and is an order of bodyguards for the King of Wakanda. Her fellow Dora, for whom she would give her life, are among her closest allies and trusted companions.

King T'Challa is the leader of Wakanda. He wears the traditional panther suit that's made with Wakanda's signature metal, Vibranium, which can absorb vibrations and kinetic energy directed at it. While he's the King of Wakanda, he is also an Avenger and dons the Black Panther garb during his missions. T’Challa and Okoye share a bond forged in love for country and animated by a quest for peace and justice.

Warrior's Wire

Okoye and her fellow Dora Milaje, Nakia, accompanied T'Challa to the U.S. when a fund scandal needed to be dealt with. Shortly after they arrived to New York, the trio was threatened by Manuel Ramos—chief of a local group of criminals, whose front office was the south courtyard of the East New York housing project where T'Challa was staying. When Ramos pointed a gun at T'Challa and his bodyguards, T'Challa responded with a Wakandan gadget that electrocuted Ramos and the goons he had by his side. T'Challa then ordered his Dora Milaje to take care of the men, though he noted that killing them was unnecessary. Without their traditional weaponry, the Dora used their fighting skills to teach the bad guys a lesson. Later, Okoye and Nakia fought alongside T'Challa against Ramos himself in Hell's Kitchen.

When T'Challa later saved his former fiancée, Monica Lynne, from a scheme by the devious Reverend Achebe, Lynne recalled seeing the Dora Milaje in their early teens from her past time in Wakanda, and acted offended that he would spend time with them now that they are grown. Later, Okoye and the Dora Milaje followed T'Challa's orders to get Lynne to safety—but in the process, were chased by unknown criminals. Okoye, driving the group, stifled a yawn as she shot at the assailants, driving their vehicle into the East River. They emerged in a flying amphibious craft with 150 heavily-armed Wakandan Special Forces Group soldiers on board. The group then returned to Wakanda just as a war broke out at the hands of Achebe.

On the way home, Nakia called Lynne a spoiled American witch in Hausa. Okoye reminded her to not say such things as Lynne has always been the King's beloved. And while Nakia agreed, she said she always despised her. Okoye offered advice to her sister in arms about their station and duty, but Nakia refused to listen, believing that the King loved her and only her. The crew arrived in Wakanda to find it being destroyed by Prowlers, giant robot panthers and doomsday weapons. T'Challa ejected from the craft to deal with the matter as Lynne, finally fed up with the bickering, engaged with Nakia in the cockpit. Lynne called her out for being delusional about her relationship with the King, calling her a child. Nakia then forcibly ejected Lynne from the craft, and later claimed to T'Challa that she was dead. T'Challa refused to believe her and refused her services as Dora Milaje, banishing her from Wakanda.

Nakia was later captured by Achebe and tortured until Killmonger freed her. He used the Altar of Resurrection on her which bestowed enhanced abilities upon her, turning her into Malice, an enemy to Okoye and T'Challa. Meanwhile, Okoye accompanied T'Challa to recruit the Chicago-raised Queen Divine Justice for the Dora Milaje, and ended up working well alongside her.

Later, after a brain aneurysm caused T'Challa to go into hiding, Okoye went with him. They encountered a man named Kasper Cole who was improperly using the garb of the Black Panther as an urban vigilante. T'Challa chose to test Kasper to see if he was worthy of the role. The trial of character aimed to see if Kasper would abandon his pregnant girlfriend due to his attraction to Okoye. Though he was challenged by the test, Cole ultimately won the approval of the Panther, and later fought alongside him.