| “ | I believe that we can be Kumandra again. But someone has to take the first step. | „ |
| ~ Chief Benja knows that Raya can take her first step. |
Benja is the one of the overarching protagonists (alongside Sisu's Siblings) of Disney's 2021 animated feature film Raya and the Last Dragon. He is the chief of Heart in Kumandra and Guardian of the Dragon Gem, a role shared with his daughter, Raya. Amidst the polarization of Kumandra's five lands, Benja believed that unity would be possible if someone were to “take the first step.”
He was voiced by Daniel Dae Kim.
His Good Ranking[]
What Makes Him Close to Being Pure Good?[]
- For many years he was the protector of the Dragon Gem.
- He trained Raya to be the protector of the Dragon Gem.
- He made the tribes stop fighting each other by inviting them to a feast.
- When the tribes were still fighting each other, Benja offered them two choices - Either fight and let Kumandra fall or live together and make Kumandra a better place. The former proves that he is aware the conflicts between the tribes would cause deaths, so he at least attempted to save.
- He saves his daughter Raya from the Druun at the cost of his own life.
- Overall, his influence had motivated Raya to restore Kumandra throughout the whole movie.
- He had a wonderful reunion with his daughter after he was revived.
- Unlike the other characters who had gradually subverted corrupting factors as the movie progressed, he lacked any from start to finish.
What Prevents Him From Being Pure Good?[]
- Although it's unfair to compare him to the dragons since they are elemental beings with powers he lacked, he still fails the in-story standards to his daughter and Namaari, as he only tried to end the war between the tribes which lacked focus while they had more direct roles in reviving everybody from the Druun and permanently destroying them than him.
External Links[]
- Chief Benja on the Heroes Wiki
- Chief Benja on the Disney Wiki
