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Mowgli () is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Mowgli stories featured among
Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...
's ''
The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' is an 1894 collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who ...
'' stories. He is a feral boy from the Pench area in
Seoni Seoni, formerly spelled Seeonee, is a city and a municipality in Seoni district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This tribal household dominated district was formed in the year 1956. Rudyard Kipling used the forests of the Satpura Ran ...
,
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
, India, who originally appeared in Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" (collected in '' Many Inventions'', 1893) and then became the most prominent character in the collections ''The Jungle Book'' and ''
The Second Jungle Book ''The Second Jungle Book'' is a sequel to ''The Jungle Book'' by Rudyard Kipling. First published in 1895, it features five stories about Mowgli and three unrelated stories, all but one set in India, most of which Kipling wrote while living i ...
'' (1894–1895), which also featured stories about other (on the basis of marwar king Rao Sihaji) characters.


Name and inspiration

In the stories, the name Mowgli is said to mean "bald", describing his lack of fur. Kipling later said "Mowgli is a name I made up. It does not mean 'frog' in any language that I know of." Part of Kipling's inspiration for the story of Mowgli is believed to have been William Henry Sleeman's account of six cases in India in which wild children had been raised by wolves. That account was first published in the first volume of Sleeman's ''Journey Through the Kingdom of Oude in 1848-1850'' (1858) and reprinted in 1852 as ''An Account of Wolves Nurturing Children in Their Dens, by an Indian Official'' and in ''The Zoologist'' (1888 12 (135): 87-98). One most notable feral child was found in the wolf's den at the
Bulandshahr district Bulandshahr district (also spelled Bulandshahar) is a district in the Meerut region in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), situated between the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. It is a part of the National Capital Region of India, and Bulandsh ...
in 1867 and subsequently brought to the Sikandra orphanage at
Agra Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...
, where he was given the name
Dina Sanichar Dina Sanichar (1860 or 1861–1895) was a feral boy. A group of hunters discovered him among wolves in a cave in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India in February 1867, around the age of six. Sanichar was sent to the Secundra orphanage at Agra, ...
.


Kipling's Mowgli stories

The Mowgli stories, including "In the Rukh", were first collected in chronological order in one volume as ''The Works of Rudyard Kipling Volume VII: The Jungle Book'' (1907) (Volume VIII of this series contained the non-Mowgli stories from the Jungle Books), and subsequently in ''
All the Mowgli Stories All or ALL may refer to: عرص Biology and medicine * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer * Anterolateral ligament, a ligament in the knee * ''All.'', taxonomic author abbreviation for Carlo Allioni (1728–1804), Italian physician and pro ...
'' (1933). "In the Rukh" describes how Gisborne, an English
forest ranger A ranger, park ranger, park warden, field ranger, or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands and protected areas – private, national, state, provincial, or local parks. Their duties include (but are not limi ...
in the Pench area in
Seoni Seoni, formerly spelled Seeonee, is a city and a municipality in Seoni district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This tribal household dominated district was formed in the year 1956. Rudyard Kipling used the forests of the Satpura Ran ...
at the time of the
British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
, discovers a young man named Mowgli, who has extraordinary skills in hunting, tracking, and driving wild animals (with the help of his wolf brothers). He asks him to join the forestry service. Muller, the head of the Department of Woods and Forests of India as well as Gisborne's boss, meets Mowgli, checks his elbows and knees, noting the callouses and scars, and figures Mowgli is not using magic or demons, having seen a similar case in 30 years of service. Muller also invites Mowgli to join the service, to which Mowgli agrees. Later, Gisborne learns the reason for Mowgli's almost superhuman talents; he was raised by a pack of wolves in the jungle (explaining the scars on his elbows and knees from going on all fours). Mowgli marries the daughter of Gisborne's butler, Abdul Gafur, and conceives a son with her. Kipling then proceeded to write the stories of Mowgli's childhood in detail in ''
The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' is an 1894 collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who ...
'', which serves as a prequel to ''In the Rukh''. Lost by his parents as a baby in the Indian jungle during a tiger attack, he is adopted by the
Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
Mother, Raksha and
Father Wolf This is a list of characters that appear in Rudyard Kipling's 1894 ''The Jungle Book'' story collection, its 1895 sequel '' The Second Jungle Book'', and the various film adaptations based on those books. Characters include both human and talki ...
, who call him Mowgli (frog) because of his lack of fur and his refusal to sit still.
Shere Khan Shere Khan () is a fictional Bengal tiger featured in the Mowgli stories of Rudyard Kipling's ''The Jungle Book, Jungle Book''. He is often portrayed as the main antagonist in the book's media adaptations, itself an exaggeration of his role in ...
the tiger demands that they give him the baby but the wolves refuse. Mowgli grows up with the pack, hunting with his brother wolves. In the pack, Mowgli learns he is able to stare down any wolf, and his unique ability to remove the painful thorns from the paws of his brothers is deeply appreciated as well.
Bagheera Bagheera ( / ''Baghīrā'') is a fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories in '' The Jungle Book'' (coll. 1894) and '' The Second Jungle Book'' (coll. 1895). He is a black panther ( melanistic Indian leopard) who serves as frie ...
, the black panther, befriends Mowgli because both he and Mowgli have parallel childhood experiences; as Bagheera often mentions, he was "raised in the King's cages at Oodeypore" from a cub, and thus knows the ways of man.
Baloo Baloo (from ''bhālū'' "bear") is a main fictional character featured in Rudyard Kipling's '' The Jungle Book'' from 1894 and '' The Second Jungle Book'' from 1895. Baloo, a sloth bear, is the strict teacher of the cubs of the Seeonee wolf pa ...
the
bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...
, teacher of wolves, has the thankless task of educating Mowgli in "
The Law of the Jungle "The law of the jungle" (also called jungle law) is an expression that has come to describe a scenario where "anything goes". The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defines the Law of the Jungle as "''the code of survival in jungle life'', now usuall ...
". Shere Khan continues to regard Mowgli as fair game, but eventually Mowgli finds a weapon he can use against the tiger – fire. After driving off Shere Khan, Mowgli goes to a human village where he is adopted by Messua and her
husband A husband is a man involved in a marital relationship, commonly referred to as a spouse. The specific rights, responsibilities, and societal status attributed to a husband can vary significantly across different cultures and historical perio ...
, whose own son Nathoo was also taken by a tiger. It is uncertain if Mowgli is actually the returned Nathoo, although it is stated in " Tiger! Tiger!" that the tiger who carried off Messua's son was similar to the one that attacked Mowgli's parents. Messua would like to believe that her son has returned, but she herself realises that this is unlikely. While herding buffalo for the village, Mowgli learns that the tiger is still planning to kill him, so with the aid of two wolves, he traps Shere Khan in a ravine where the buffalo trample him. The tiger dies and Mowgli sets to skin him. After being accused of witchcraft and cast out of the village, Mowgli returns to the jungle with Shere Khan's hide and reunites with his wolf family, but it is mentioned that he later becomes married and goes back to live among men. In later stories in ''The Jungle Books sequel, ''
The Second Jungle Book ''The Second Jungle Book'' is a sequel to ''The Jungle Book'' by Rudyard Kipling. First published in 1895, it features five stories about Mowgli and three unrelated stories, all but one set in India, most of which Kipling wrote while living i ...
'', Mowgli learns that the villagers are planning to kill Messua and her husband for harboring him. He rescues them and sends elephants, water buffaloes, and other animals to trample the village and its fields to the ground. Later, Mowgli finds and then discards an ancient treasure ("The King's
Ankus The elephant goad, bullhook, or ankusha is a tool employed by mahout in the handling and training of elephants. The pointed tip of an elephant goad or a bullhook could be used to stab the elephant's head if the elephant charged nearby people, r ...
"), not realising it is so valuable that men would kill to own it. With the aid of
Kaa Kaa is a fictional character from ''The Jungle Book'' stories written by Rudyard Kipling. In the books and many of the screen adaptations, Kaa is an ally of protagonist Mowgli, acting as a friend and trusted mentor or father figure alongside Bag ...
the python, he leads the wolves in a war against the
dhole The dhole ( ; ''Cuon alpinus'') is a canid native to South, East and Southeast Asia. It is anatomically distinguished from members of the genus ''Canis'' in several aspects: its skull is convex rather than concave in profile, it lacks a third ...
( "Red Dog"). Finally, Mowgli stumbles across the village where his adopted human mother (Messua) is now living, which forces him to come to terms with his humanity and decide whether to rejoin his fellow humans in "
The Spring Running ''The Second Jungle Book'' is a sequel to ''The Jungle Book'' by Rudyard Kipling. First published in 1895, it features five stories about Mowgli and three unrelated stories, all but one set in India, most of which Kipling wrote while living i ...
".


Play adaptations

Rudyard Kipling adapted the Mowgli stories for ''The Jungle Play'' in 1899, but the play was never produced on stage. The manuscript was lost for almost a century. It was published in book form in 2000. In 2013 Mowgli was portrayed in Mary Zimmerman's The Jungle Book Musical, played by Akash Chopra


Influences upon other works

Only six years after the first publication of ''The Jungle Book'', E. Nesbit's ''The Wouldbegoods'' (1899) included a passage in which some children act out a scene from the book. Mowgli has been cited as a major influence on
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...
who created and developed the character
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...
. Mowgli was also an influence for a number of other "wild boy" characters.
Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson ( ; November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until his death in 2001. Anderson also wrote historical novels. He won the Hugo Award seven times an ...
and
Gordon R. Dickson Gordon Rupert Dickson (November 1, 1923 – January 31, 2001) was an American science fiction writer. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2000. Biography Dickson was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1923 ...
used the Mowgli stories as the basis for their humorous 1957 science fiction short story "Full Pack (Hokas Wild)". This is one of a series featuring a teddy bear-like race called Hokas who enjoy human literature but cannot quite grasp the distinction between fact and fiction. In this story, a group of Hokas get hold of a copy of ''The Jungle Book'' and begin to act it out, enlisting the help of a human boy to play Mowgli. The boy's mother, who is a little bemused to see teddy bears trying to act like wolves, tags along to try to keep him (and the Hokas) out of trouble. The situation is complicated by the arrival of three alien diplomats who just happen to resemble a monkey, a tiger and a snake. This story appears in the collection ''Hokas Pokas!'' (1998) and is also available online.


Mowgli stories by other writers

'' The Third Jungle Book'' (1992) by Pamela Jekel is a collection of new Mowgli stories in a fairly accurate pastiche of Kipling's style. ''Hunting Mowgli'' (2001) by Maxim Antinori is a very short novel which describes a fateful meeting between Mowgli and a human hunter. ''The Jungle Book: Last of the Species'' (2013) by Mark L. Miller is a series of comic books that tells the story of a female Mowgli who unintentionally started a war between animal tribes after killing Shere Khan to avenge the fallen members of the wolf tribe. ''Mowgli's Missionary'' (2017) by James Penrice is a novel which describes Mowgli's unusual encounter with a
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
. ''Mi Hermano Lobo (My Brother Wolf)'' (2020) by Rafael Jaime is a short self published Mexican
memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autob ...
written in
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
in which the author details the deep emotional and physical impact Disney's animated version of Mowgli had during his lonely early childhood years as a symbolic " surrogate brother" figure and
role model A role model is a person whose behaviour, example, or success serves as a model to be emulated by others, especially by younger people. The term ''role model'' is credited to sociologist Robert K. Merton, who hypothesized that individuals compa ...
after learning about his real
twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two ...
brother A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a family, familial relationship, it is sometimes used ende ...
's death one day after their
preterm birth Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the Childbirth, birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks Gestational age (obstetrics), gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 ...
. It also includes an exclusive
interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...
with Diana Santos who voiced the character in the
Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
dub of the 1967 film. An
audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...
version narrated by the author was released on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
in September 2021. It is similar in tone to the 2016 documentary ''
Life, Animated ''Life, Animated'' is a 2016 American independent documentary film by director Roger Ross Williams. It is co-produced by Williams with Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn and Christopher Clements. ''Life, Animated'' is based on journalist Ron Sus ...
''. ''Feral Dreams: Mowgli and his Mothers'' (2020) by Stephen Alter is a novel which describes Mowgli's harrowing process in trying to adapt to civilization and his
coming of age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
within the walls of an
orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...
located in the
Gangetic Plain The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the Northern Plain or North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain spanning across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. It encompasses northern and eastern India, eastern Pakist ...
and run by Miss Cranston, an American
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
who christens him Daniel. At the same time, Mowgli recalls some of his adventures in the jungle prior to his abduction and desperately yearns for his freedom. In this story Mowgli is raised by an elephant matriarch. ''Mowgli and the Elephants' Secret'' (2025) by Sebastian Hale is a novel in which Mowgli has returned from the man-village, drawn back to the wilderness he calls home by a sense of duty and unyielding love for his animal family. Mowgli joins Hathi the wise elephant on a quest to locate a hidden lake rumored to possess life-giving waters—a sanctuary that could save them all. As the sun beats down mercilessly, the once-thriving jungle transforms into a parched expanse of cracked earth and wilting foliage. Mowgli, alongside his loyal companions—Baloo the amiable bear and Bagheera the sleek panther—must navigate the treacherous terrain of dense vines and ancient ruins swallowed by nature. The stakes are high, as the jungle’s most formidable predator, Shere Khan, prowls the shadows, sensing an opportunity amidst the chaos. Meanwhile, Kaa the cunning python lurks, weaving his own enigmatic plans that could either aid or betray Mowgli's mission. This tale weaves themes of stewardship and identity, challenging Mowgli to confront not only the encroaching threat of humans in their lust for expansion but also the deeper questions of belonging and responsibility. As he journeys through the emerald maze of the jungle, Mowgli learns that true courage lies not only in facing external dangers but also in grappling with the complexities of his own dual identity as both man and beast.


Films, television and radio

* The 1942 film version starred Sabu as Mowgli. * Disney's 1967 animated musical film version, where he is voiced by
Bruce Reitherman Bruce Reitherman (born September 15, 1955) is an American filmmaker and former child actor. He voiced Christopher Robin in ''Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree'' and Mowgli in ''The Jungle Book''. Early life and work Born on September 15, ...
, son of the film's director
Wolfgang Reitherman Wolfgang Reitherman (June 26, 1909 – May 22, 1985), also known and sometimes credited as Woolie Reitherman, was a German-American animator, director and producer. As a member of the "Disney's Nine Old Men, Nine Old Men" at Walt Disney Animati ...
(David Bailey was originally cast in the role, but his voice changed during production, leading Bailey to not fit the "young innocence of Mowgli's character" at which the producers were aiming), and its sequel, ''
The Jungle Book 2 ''The Jungle Book 2'' is a 2003 animated adventure film produced by the Australian office at DisneyToon Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. The film was released in France on February 5, 2003, and released ...
'' (2003), in which Mowgli is voiced by
Haley Joel Osment Haley Joel Osment (born April 10, 1988) is an American actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Osment's role in the comedy-drama film ''Forrest Gump'' (1994) won him a Young Artist Award. His breakthrough came with the psychological thr ...
( Jake Thomas auditioned for the role prior to Osment's casting). On three special animated segments for the VHS releases of the ''
Jungle Cubs ''Jungle Cubs'' is an American animated series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation for ABC in 1996, serving as the prequel to the 1967 film ''The Jungle Book'' as it's set in the youth of the animal characters years before the events o ...
'' (1996-1998) animated TV series, Mowgli is voiced by Tyler Mullen. In the 2023 short '' Once Upon a Studio'' Mowgli's singing voice is provided by Phoenix Reisser. * Around the same time – from 1967 to 1971 – five Russian short animated films were made by
Soyuzmultfilm Soyuzmultfilm ( rus, Союзмультфи́льм, p=səˌjʉsmʊlʲtˈfʲilʲm , ''Unioncartoon'') (also known as SMF Animation Studio in English, formerly known as Soyuzdetmultfilm, ''Unionchildcartoon'') is a Russian animation studio, produ ...
, collectively known as ''
Adventures of Mowgli ''Adventures of Mowgli'' (; also spelled ''Maugli'') is an animated feature-length story originally released as five animated shorts of about 20 minutes each between 1967 and 1971 in the Soviet Union. It is based on Rudyard Kipling's '' The Jungle ...
''. * Of all the various adaptations,
Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, painter, voice actor and filmmaker, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He ...
's 1977 animated TV short ''Mowgli's Brothers'', adapting the first story in ''The Jungle Book'', may be the one that adheres most closely to the original plot and dialogue. * There has also been a Japanese animated TV series '' Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli'' (where Mowgli is voiced by
Urara Takano , known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator from Togane, Chiba. She is currently affiliated with and representative of REMAX. Her most prominent role has been in the ''Sakura Wars'' video game franchise, where s ...
in the Japanese and Julian Bailey in the English Dub) based on the Mowgli series and the U.S. live-action series '' Mowgli: The New Adventures of the Jungle Book'' (where Mowgli is portrayed by Sean Price McConnell). * There was also a BBC radio adaptation in 1994, starring actress Nisha K. Nayar as Mowgli,
Freddie Jones Frederick Charles Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for ...
as Baloo and
Eartha Kitt Eartha Mae Kitt (née Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress. She was known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby" ...
as Kaa. It originally aired on BBC Radio 5 (before it became BBC Radio 5 Live and dropped its children's programming). Subsequently, it has been released on audio cassette and has been re-run a number of times on digital radio channel BBC 7 (now
BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It mostly broadcasts archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes, and is the sister station of Radio 4. It is the pri ...
). * ''
Classics Illustrated ''Classics Illustrated'' is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as '' Les Misérables'', ''Moby-Dick'', ''Hamlet'', and '' The Iliad''. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication ...
'' #83 (1951) contains an adaptation of three Mowgli stories. * Between 1953 and 1955
Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark"Wh ...
featured adaptations of six Mowgli stories in three issues (#487, #582 and #620). * Some issues of ''
Marvel Fanfare ''Marvel Fanfare'' was an anthology comic book series published by American company Marvel Comics. It was a showcase title featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe. Volume one ''Marvel Fanfare'' featured characters and setting ...
'' feature adaptations of the Mowgli stories by
Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz , ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day vers ...
. These later were collected as an omnibus volume. * A 1978 live-action sketch titled ''The Wonderful World of Ernie'' from ''
Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew; 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman; 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working ...
'' which parodied "
I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song) "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" is a song from Walt Disney's 1967 film ''The Jungle Book''. The song was written by songwriters Robert and Richard Sherman, and was performed by singer and musician Louis Prima as King Louie, with Phil ...
". Danny Rolnick played Mowgli using a full costume, although lip-synching to
Bruce Reitherman Bruce Reitherman (born September 15, 1955) is an American filmmaker and former child actor. He voiced Christopher Robin in ''Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree'' and Mowgli in ''The Jungle Book''. Early life and work Born on September 15, ...
's original recorded dialogue in the middle of the song. * A 1994 live-action Disney adaptation titled ''Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book'', directed by
Stephen Sommers Stephen Sommers (born March 20, 1962) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer, best known for big-budget action films, such as ''The Mummy (1999 film), The Mummy'' (1999), its sequel, ''The Mummy Returns'' (2001), ''Van Helsing ( ...
, which starred
Jason Scott Lee Jason Scott Lee (; born November 19, 1966) is an American actor and martial artist. He played Mowgli in Disney's 1994 live-action adaptation of ''The Jungle Book'' and Bruce Lee in the 1993 martial arts film '' Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story''. P ...
as Mowgli. He was also played by Sean Naegeli as a young child at the beginning of the story. * P. Craig Russell's ''Jungle Book Stories'' (1997) collects three stories, actually adapted from ''
The Second Jungle Book ''The Second Jungle Book'' is a sequel to ''The Jungle Book'' by Rudyard Kipling. First published in 1895, it features five stories about Mowgli and three unrelated stories, all but one set in India, most of which Kipling wrote while living i ...
'', which originally appeared between 1985 and 1996. * A 1997 live-action
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
film '' The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo'', which starred Jamie Williams as Mowgli. In this story, the character has no spoken dialogue. * In the 1998 live-action Disney adaptation '' The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story'', he was played by Brandon Baker. Ryan Taylor also plays a younger version of the character at the beginning of the story.
Fred Savage Frederick Aaron Savage (born July 9, 1976) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series ''The Wonder Years'' (1988–1993). He has earned several awards and nominations, su ...
narrates the story off-screen as an adult version of the character. * A 1998 live-action
television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...
titled ''The Jungle Book: Search for the Lost Treasure'', which starred Antonio Baker as Mowgli. * A 2010 CGI animated TV series made by DQ Entertainment International where Mowgli was voiced by
Emma Tate Emma Tate is a British voice actress who has worked in various animated films, television shows and video games. Career Tate debuted in a 1991 episode of ''The Bill'' and from 1999, she commenced work in voice acting, mainly in children's prog ...
(seasons 1-2) and
Sarah Natochenny Sarah Natochenny (; born 1987) is an American voice actress. She is best known for voicing Ash Ketchum and various other characters in the English dub of ''Pokémon'', as well as Alicia in the video game '' Bullet Witch''. She has also edited do ...
(season 3). * A 2016 live-action/CGI hybrid remake of Disney's animated version of ''The Jungle Book'' directed by
Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau ( ; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
, which starred newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli. Kendrick Reyes also played Mowgli as a toddler during a flashback sequence narrated by
Kaa Kaa is a fictional character from ''The Jungle Book'' stories written by Rudyard Kipling. In the books and many of the screen adaptations, Kaa is an ally of protagonist Mowgli, acting as a friend and trusted mentor or father figure alongside Bag ...
the python. In 2018, Sethi confirmed that he would reprise the role in an upcoming sequel to the film. * A 2018 live-action adaptation titled '' Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle'', directed by
Andy Serkis Andrew Clement Serkis (born 20 April 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his motion capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Gollum in ''The Lo ...
, which starred Rohan Chand as Mowgli. * A 2024 live-action Mexican
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
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titled ''Mi Hermano Lobo (My Brother Wolf)'' written and directed by Rafael Jaime and based on his 2020
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of the same name, which starred 13-year-old newcomer Héctor Mateo García Díaz Infante as Mowgli. Jaime envisioned Mowgli with an athletic, lean and handsome physical appearance which was based both on Disney's animated version of the character created in 1967 as well as French
illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...
Marcel Laverdet's depiction of the character for a 1999 abridged edition of the original 1894 novel. His warm and kind-hearted personality was based on his first childhood friend, Miguel as well as Matthew Labyorteaux's performance as Albert Quinn Ingalls on ''
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'' from 1978 to 1983,
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's performance as
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in ''
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'' (1984) and
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's performance as
Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...
in ''
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'' (2003). The character also sings a
lullaby A lullaby (), or a cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies, they are used to pass down cultural knowl ...
titled ''Brave Angel'' (A cover version of ''
Beautiful Dreamer "Beautiful Dreamer" is a parlor song by American songwriter Stephen Foster. It was published posthumously in March 1864, by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of New York. The first edition states on its title page that it is "the last song ever written by Steph ...
''). The short film was released on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
on December 3, 2024 (the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities). * In 1984–1985,
Jonathan Larson Jonathan David Larson (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American composer, lyricist and playwright, most famous for writing the musicals ''Rent (musical), Rent'' and ''Tick, Tick... Boom!'', which explored the social issues of mult ...
and Seth Goldman wrote an ultimately unproduced musical called ''Mowgli''.


See also

* Feral children in mythology and fiction *
Rima Rima, also known as Rima the Jungle Girl, is the fictional heroine of W. H. Hudson's 1904 novel '' Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest''. In it, Rima, a primitive girl of the shrinking rain forest of South America, meets Abel, a pol ...
, a
jungle girl A jungle girl (so-called, but usually adult woman) is an archetype or stock character, often used in popular fiction, of a female adventurer, superhero or even a damsel in distress living in a jungle or rainforest setting. A prehistoric depiction ...
character from a 1904 book and 1959 film


References


External links


In the Rukh
Mowgli's first appearance from Kipling's ''Many Inventions''
The Jungle Book Collection and Wiki
a website demonstrating the variety of merchandise related to the book and film versions of ''The Jungle Books'', now accompanied by a Wiki on ''The Jungle Books'' and related subjects {{Authority control The Jungle Book characters Adventure film characters Child characters in animated films Child characters in literature Fictional adoptees Fictional feral children Fictional Indian people in literature Literary characters introduced in 1893 Male characters in animation Male characters in film Male characters in literature Orphan characters in literature