10 Ways Aquaman Is Better Than Black Panther

8. Focus On Protagonist Fighting Prejudice Rather Than Villainizing Prejudiced Characters

Kilmonger's plight was understandable and well-established, but it seemed wrong rooting against the person who was prejudiced and the primary person wronged in the first place. There's no semblance of humanity shown within the character for much of the movie, making any true depth within him not especially apparent until his last moments. The movie dedicates too few moments to illustrate that there's something beneath the anger.

Rather than approach the story from a similar perspective, Aquaman takes the opposite point of view. Arthur is a half human, half Atlantean who is looked down on due to his mixed ethnicity. Since Arthur is the hero AND the one combating bigotry, it makes his mission even easier to get behind, with no reason to feel conflicted.

By the film's conclusion, there's a prominent anti-prejudice message that isn't muddled by the pre-judged character's questionable actions. Arthur is the one in the right, which makes all the racial epithets thrown his way even more reprehensible and displeasing to witness.