Shere Khan (Disney)

"Ah, you have spirit for one so small! And such spirit deserves a sporting chance. Now, I'm going to close my eyes and count to ten; it makes the chase more interesting for me. One, two, three, four... you're trying my patience. Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!"

- Shere Khan giving Mowgli a chance to run. "Oh please. Don't insult my intelligence. It makes me...irritable."

- Shere Khan interrogating Kaa on Mowgli's whereabouts, despite the snake truthfully telling him that he has no idea where the Man-Cub is.

Shere Khan (sometimes spelled as Shere-Khan) is the main antagonist of Disney's 19th full-length animated feature film The Jungle Book, and its 2003 sequel The Jungle Book 2. He also appears as a protagonist in Jungle Cubs and the 1994 live action film Rudyard Kiping's The Jungle Book. He is a ferocious Bengal Tiger with an undying hatred of mankind, as well as Mowgli's arch-nemesis.

In the first film, he was voiced by the late George Sanders, who also played Mr. Freeze in the Batman series. However, his singing voice in the first film was provided by the late Bill Lee. In the second film, he was voiced by the late Tony Jay, who also played Galactus in the 1994 Fantastic Four TV series, Baron Mordo in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Khartoum in Disney's Aladdin series, Megabyte in the ReBoot TV series, Monsieur D'Arque in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the Transcendent One in Planescape: Torment, Lickboot in Tom and Jerry: The Movie, and Judge Claude Frollo in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Personality
Shere Khan is a large and powerful Bengal tiger who is known for his sadistic, greedy, intimidating, ruthless and vicious attitude. Everyone including Bagheera knows that he is powerful, especially he himself, resulting in a very arrogant, proud, boastful and supercilious personality. He is very sophisticated and suave, and shown to be incredibly gentlemanly and polite when he wants to, but gets mean and cantankerous when angered. All animals of the jungle fear Shere Khan and he is often known as the "Lord of the Jungle". The vultures addressed him as "Your Highness". He puts on a snooty, yet sociable face, even when about to kill.

His only known fears are man's guns and man's fire which he overcame in the sequel as the climax took place in a temple surrounded in lava, though he didn't seem to care. This fear led to Shere Khan's vow to murder any human that entered his jungle which he has been known to do successfully with the exception of Mowgli. Shere Khan speaks with a British accent and openly thinks highly about himself seeing various other animals namely Colonel Hathi as "ridiculous".

Jungle Cubs
Shere Khan appears as a cub in the animated series Jungle Cubs. In this series it shows that Shere Khan was originally friends with Baloo, Bagheera, and others. He was also more of a cocky bully in the series rather than a dangerous predator, as he usually tags along with Baloo and their friends on many adventures.

The Jungle Book
Despite having been referred to and spoken of several times, Shere Khan did not make a live appearance in the original film until about two-thirds into it. He is first seen stalking a deer, but his hunt was ruined when Colonel Hathi came marching by with his heard and scared it away, much to Khan's chagrin. After Bagheera stopped them, Shere Khan eavesdropped on their conversation and was delighted when he heard about Mowgli. After they had left, he began his hunt for Mowgli.

After searching some, he heard Kaa singing and became suspicious. He grabbed his tail and got him to come down. He politely questioned Kaa about Mowgli and Kaa acted strangely while answering his questions. Kaa's suspicious behavior prompted Shere Khan to search his coils for Mowgli, but still wasn't totally fooled when he didn't find him. He told Kaa if he saw him, he was to inform him first before continuing his search.

Later, he heard several vultures singing and investigated the occasion. He then found Mowgli and easily scared off the vultures with the word "Boo". He intimidates Mowgli and after being impressed by his courage, gave him ten seconds to run away (mainly for his own enjoyment). Refusing to run, Mowgli instead fetches a stick to fight off Khan, causing Khan to become annoyed. However, Baloo, arriving just in time, grabbed Shere Khan's tail before he could get to the boy. After a chase, the vultures help Mowgli get to safety.

Shere Khan furiously attacks Baloo, almost killing him. However, the vultures distract him long enough for an angry Mowgli to tie a burning stick on Shere Khan's tail, much to his shock. As a result, Shere Khan roars in fear and pain as he runs off in defeat as the burning stick hurts his rear.

The Jungle Book 2
Shere Khan returns in the 2003 sequel, where he is determined to kill Mowgli in revenge for humiliating him. He made his way to the Man-Village where Mowgli currently lives, sneaking quietly past the sleeping villagers. He heard one of Mowgli's friends, a girl named Shanti, call out his name and found Mowgli's house. He then waited impatiently for the Man-Cub to show himself. However, he was chased off by the villagers just as he saw Baloo and Mowgli heading into the jungle. He interrogated Kaa on Mowgli's whereabouts; Shere Khan believes Kaa knows where Mowgli is (after hearing him say "Man-Cub"). Though Kaa truthfully has no idea where Mowgli is, Shere Khan doesn't believe him, and continues to threaten the python, which finally forced Kaa to fearfully lie that Mowgli's at the swamp, allowing him to flee.

When Shere Khan arrives at the swamp with Mowgli nowhere to be found, he splashes the water in fury after realizing that Kaa lied to him. Shere Khan then gets annoyed by Lucky, the newest part of the vulture gang. However, he gets alerted of Mowgli's actual location from the unwilling Lucky, whom he seemingly killed as revenge for his utter annoyance. With that in mind, Khan encounters Mowgli, Shanti, and Ranjan. He chases down Mowgli to a place of ruins with a moat of lava. After confusing Khan, one of the gongs fell off, revealing Shanti. Mowgli revealed himself and Shere Khan chased them both. In the end, he gets trapped in the lava gorge with a large head on top. Lucky (who somehow survived Khan's attack, but was left bruised) came back and annoyed him even more as retaliation for attacking him, much to Khan's chagrin.

TaleSpin
Shere Khan appeared, in a more anthropomorphic form, in the television series TaleSpin as a recurring antagonist (and sometimes an anti-hero). His character, while still villainous, had taken on a more corporate identity, as he serves as the CEO of his very own corporation Khan Industries (founded by his ancestors). He wears a white shirt, a red tie, and a blue suit, but he still goes barefoot.

Cameo Appearances

 * The version of Shere Khan from TaleSpin makes a cameos on a mugshot in Darkwing Duck and Bonkers.
 * Shere Khan appears as a regular guest and antagonist in House of Mouse.

Videogames

 * Shere Khan appears as a boss in the Donald Duck game QuackShot.
 * Shere Khan appears as the main antagonist of the Virgin Studios video game adaptations of The Jungle Book and The Jungle Book 2.
 * He appears as the main antagonist of The Jungle Book Groove Party, singing the original song "Run".
 * He appears as a costume in Disney Universe.

Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book
In the 1994 film, Shere Khan appears as a more anti-villainous character, serving as a protector of the jungle who fights back against the oppression of men who hunt for sport.

The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
In the 1998 film, Shere Khan, voiced by Sherman Howard, is a bloodthirsty man-eater who desires to hunt and kill humans to devour them, and wants Mowgli the most.

The Jungle Book (2016)
In the 2016 live action remake of the 1967 film, Shere Khan, voiced by Idris Elba, appears once again as the main antagonist. In this incarnation, Shere Khan has a burn scar on the left side of his face sustained in a fight with Mowgli's father.

The Jungle Book
"What beastly luck. Confound that ridiculous Colonel Hathi."

- Shere Khan annoyed that Colonel Hathi and his herd scared a deer away that he intended to devour.

"How interesting."

- Shere Khan after hearing Bagheera say Man-Cub.

"How delightful."

- Shere Khan delighted to hear that Mowgli ran away.

"Element of surprise? Oh, I say. And now for my rendezvous with the little lost Man-Cub."

- Shere Khan about to begin his own hunt for Mowgli.

"It's me, Shere Khan. I'd like a word with you if you don't mind. (Kaa: Shere Khan. What a surprise.) Yes, isn't it? I just dropped by. Now, forgive me if I've interrupted anything. (Kaa: Oh, no. No. Nothing at all.) I thought perhaps you were entertaining someone up there in your coils. (Kaa: Coils? Someone? Oh, no. I was just curling up for my siesta.) But you were singing to someone. (He reaches towards Kaa and squeezes the python's throat with a paw.) Who is it, Kaa? (Kaa, choking like mad: No... no... I was just singing, uh, to myself.) Indeed? (Kaa: Yes. Yes, you-you see I have... [gulps] trouble with my sinuses.) What a pity. (He releases Kaa's neck and gently pins him to the ground.) (Kaa: Oh, you have no idea. It's simply terrible. I can't eat. I can't sleep. So I sing to myself to sleep. You know, self-hypnosis? [smiles deviously, brings his head close to Shere Khan's face] Let me show you how it works. [He uses his hypnosis technique with his eyes.] Ah, "trust in me....") (Shere Khan pushes Kaa away and pins his head to the ground, unaffected.) Oh no, I can't be bothered with that, I-I have no time for that sort of nonsense. (Kaa: Some other time perhaps?) Perhaps. But at the moment I am searching for a Man-cub. (Kaa: Man-cub? What Man-cub?) The one who's lost. Now where do you suppose he could be? (Kaa: Search me.) (He closes his mouth for telling Shere Khan to search Mowgli on his tentacles.) That's an excellent idea. [chuckles] I'm sure you wouldn't mind showing me your coils, would you, Kaa? (Kaa: Uh, certainly not. Nothing here. [lowering his tail] And nothing in here. [his tail pointing to his mouth open]) (Shere Khan hears Mowgli snoring. Alarmed, Kaa starts snorting and coughs.) (Kaa: My sinuses.) Hmm. Indeed. And now, how about the middle? (Kaa: The middle? Oh, the middle.) (Kaa lowers the middle leaving Mowgli on the tree trunk spinning around and showing Shere Khan the middle of his coils. Shere Khan grabs at Kaa's middle, tickling the snake.) (Kaa: Absolutely nothing in the middle!) Hmm. Really? Well, if you do just happen to see the man cub you will inform me first, understand? (Kaa: [gulps] I get the point. [spinning himself into a bow with his head on top] Cross my heart, hope to die.) Good show. And now I must continue my search for the helpless little lad."

- Shere Khan questioning Kaa about Mowgli.

"That's what friends are for. Bravo, bravo. An extraordinary performance. And thank you for detaining my victim."

- Shere Khan having finally managed to find Mowgli.

"Why should you run? Could it be possible that you don't know who I am? (Mowgli: I know you, all right. You're Shere Khan.) Precisely. Then you should also know that everyone runs from Shere Khan. (Mowgli: You don't scare me. I won't run from anyone.) Ah. You have spirit for one so small. And such spirit is deserving of a sporting chance. Now, I'm going to close my eyes and count to ten. It makes the chase more interesting... for me. One, two... three... four... You're trying my patience. Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!"

- Shere Khan impressed by Mowgli's courage and giving him a chance to run away.

"Let go, you big oaf!"

- Shere Khan to Baloo.

"I'll kill you for this!"

- Shere Khan threatening and viciously attacking Baloo.

"Stay out of this, you mangy fools!"

- Shere Khan's last words in the first film before he runs off in panic after Mowgli ties a burning branch to his tail.

The Jungle Book 2
"(Kaa, with his body tangled in the trees, pulls his head out of a pile of coconuts.) (Kaa: mercy... [A coconut lands on his head and bounces off his nose like a plank. Then Kaa hears an evil chuckle and sees Shere Khan right in the nearby grasses!] Sh-Shere Khan? [whimpers]) (Shere Khan comes closer to Kaa and looks at him before punching the snake's rock bulge with his paw like a punching bag.) Anyone I know? (Kaa: I wish...stupid Man-cub! [Shere Khan grabs him.]) Man-Cub? (Kaa [trying to leave]: Did-did-did I sssay man-cub? well, I...I...I you know...I'd love to ssstay and shoot the breeze and all, but um... [Shere Khan places his paw on Kaa's rock bulge, preventing him from leaving.]) What's your hurry? (Kaa [gulps]: No reason! I-I-I...AWG! (Kaa yelps in terror as Shere Khan lays his claws extended out on the snake's body, barely touching his skin.) Where is he? (Kaa: Who he?) The Man-cub, Mowgli. I know you know. (Kaa: B-B-B-But-But-But I-I-I I don't!) (Shere Khan grabs Kaa by the throat.) Oh, please, don't insult my intelligence. It makes me irritable. (Kaa: Oh...well, he's not in the village. [Shere Khan squeezes Kaa's neck tighter]) I know here he isn't. Now tell me...where...he...IS! (Kaa realizes Shere Khan won't believe him and tries to think of something fast.) (Kaa: Well...he's... at the... err... THE SWAMP! He's at the swamp, yes!) The swamp, eh? (Kaa: [using his hypnotic stare] Yes...Trust...in me...) (Shere Khan rolls his eyes to resist Kaa's spell and drops him. He then starts make his way to the swamp, stepping on Kaa's head in the process.) He'd better be... for your sake. (Kaa: [wheezing] He is, he is! I'd take you there myself, but I'm afraid I'd slow you down. Indigestion and all.)"

- Shere Khan interrogating a terrified Kaa on Mowgli's whereabouts, refusing to believe Kaa when the python truthfully tells him he has no idea where Mowgli is.

"Isn't it ironic that is your name is Lucky?"

- Shere Khan before he viciously attacks Lucky for repeatedly mocking him.

"You seem surprised to see me, man cub. I can't imagine why. I wasn't going to let you get away with what you did to me. You see, you humiliated me, man cub. Surely you realize I simply can't let you live."

- Shere Khan confronting Mowgli a second time.

"No matter how fast you run, no matter where you hide, I will catch you."

- Shere Khan threatening Mowgli.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..."

- Shere Khan hunting Mowgli.

"Well, isn't this a delightful turn of events? So what's it going to be, man cub? You? Or your adorable little girlfriend? I'm waiting. One... two..."

- Shere Khan threatening to kill Shanti.

"No more games, man cub."

- Shere Khan attacking Mowgli.

Disney Parks

 * Khan is the main antagonist of Journey into the Jungle Book at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
 * He appears in the Once Upon a Dream parade at Disneyland Paris.
 * At Hong Kong Disneyland, he appears in Flights of Fantasy, Villains Night Out!, and The Nightmare Experiment.

Trivia

 * Richard Waugh claimed that he got the inspiration for his voice for Albert Wesker on Shere Khan (specifically, the 1967 original classic).
 * The late Don Adams, the late Neville Brand, the late John Carradine, the late William Conrad, the late Hans Conried, the late Richard Devon, the late John Dehner, Clu Gulager, the late Gale Gordon, the late Victor Jory, the late Boris Karloff, the late Sheldon Leonard, the late George Macready, the late Vincent Price, the late John McGiver, the late Claude Rains, the late Basil Rathbone, the late Don Rickles, the late Edward G. Robinson, the late Paul Stewart, Larry Storch, the late Herschel Bernardi, the late Ted Cassidy, the late Robert Middleton, and the late Carleton Young were considered for the role of Shere Khan.