In the heart of the jungle, far from cities and castles and traditional Disney fairy tales, a boy is raised by gorillas. No glass slippers. No fairy godmothers. Just a vine-swinging, tree-surfing orphan who grows up surrounded by wild beauty and unconditional love. Disney’s Tarzan isn’t just an adventure film. It’s a rich, emotionally layered story about belonging, identity, and one of the most powerful themes in all of storytelling: found family.
From the very first drumbeat of Phil Collins’ iconic soundtrack, Tarzan tells us this isn’t your average origin tale. This is a story about love found in the most unexpected places. It’s about a gorilla mother who opens her heart to a human child. A goofy elephant and a hyperactive gorilla who become soulmates in friendship. A prim Englishwoman who learns that family doesn’t need to look or speak the same. These characters prove that the bonds we choose are often stronger than the ones we’re born into.
Let’s swing into the trees and explore the unforgettable characters of Tarzan, and how each one helps show the true meaning—and raw power—of found family.
Tarzan: A Man Between Worlds
At the center of it all is Tarzan himself—a child caught between species, cultures, and expectations. Orphaned as a baby and taken in by a gorilla family, Tarzan grows up thinking he’s just… different. Not worse. Not less. Just not like the others. And while he’s loved by his gorilla mother Kala, he’s constantly reminded by Kerchak and others that he doesn’t belong.
This dual identity makes Tarzan one of Disney’s most emotionally resonant protagonists. He’s not trying to escape his life in the jungle—he’s trying to prove that he belongs in it. That he can be worthy, even if he doesn’t look or act like those around him. It’s a feeling so many people relate to—especially those who’ve ever felt like outsiders in their own families or communities.
When Jane and the other humans arrive, Tarzan is forced to face a whole new layer of identity. He sees, for the first time, people who look like him. But it’s not an easy choice. Returning to human society would mean leaving behind the only family he’s ever known. Tarzan’s journey isn’t just about finding where he fits—it’s about redefining what “family” truly means. And in the end, he doesn’t choose one world over the other. He creates his own.
Kala: A Mother’s Love Knows No Bounds
Kala is the emotional heartbeat of Tarzan. From the moment she hears Tarzan’s cries in the treehouse, she becomes more than just a gorilla mother—she becomes a symbol of unconditional love. She risks her life to rescue a human baby, not out of duty, but out of instinct. Out of heart. Out of a desperate need to heal her own grief after losing her child.
Kala doesn’t care that Tarzan is different. She sees a child in need, and she becomes his home. Her lullaby, “You’ll Be in My Heart,” isn’t just a tearjerker—it’s a promise. A vow that love makes a family, no matter what species or background. Through Kala, we see that motherhood isn’t about biology—it’s about presence, protection, and patience.
Even when Kerchak disagrees. Even when the jungle questions Tarzan’s place. Even when Tarzan begins to pull away, Kala never let’s go. She doesn’t demand he choose her. She supports him through discovery, heartbreak, and change. In one of the film’s most touching scenes, she takes Tarzan to the remains of the treehouse and shows him the truth about his past—not to push him toward the humans, but to help him understand himself.
Kala reminds us that family is often a choice—a sacred bond made through love, not blood. And in loving Tarzan so fiercely, she teaches all of us what it means to truly accept someone, just as they are.
Kerchak: The Leader with a Guarded Heart
Kerchak, the stoic and sometimes intimidating leader of the gorilla troop, plays the role of the reluctant father figure. While Kala opens her heart to Tarzan without hesitation, Kerchak builds walls. He’s not cruel. He’s scared. And that fear, born of a protector’s instinct, creates emotional tension that shapes Tarzan’s entire upbringing.
Kerchak’s journey is a quiet one. He’s not expressive or soft, but his presence looms large. Every glance, grunt, and sidelong look reveals his internal conflict. He wants to keep his family safe. He sees Tarzan as a threat—not because he doesn’t care, but because he’s terrified that loving this human boy could one day bring pain or danger to the gorillas he’s sworn to protect.
What makes Kerchak’s arc so powerful is that he doesn’t have a big moment of redemption until the very end. He resists, resists, resists—and then, in his final moments, tells Tarzan something he’s waited a lifetime to hear: “You’ve been one of us all along.” It’s a phrase that redefines everything. Tarzan was never truly outside the family. He just needed the leader’s blessing to believe it himself.
Kerchak represents the family members who take time to warm up. Who struggle with change. Who show love in guarded, complex ways. And his final acceptance is one of the film’s most emotional triumphs.
Terk and Tantor: Chosen Siblings in a Wild World
Every good Disney protagonist needs sidekicks, and Tarzan hit the jackpot with Terk and Tantor. But these two aren’t just comic relief—they’re chosen family in the truest sense. They’re the ones who stick by Tarzan through every phase of his life: from awkward tree-climber to full-on jungle legend.
Terk, the tough-talking, fast-moving gorilla with serious big sister energy, plays the role of loyal protector and enthusiastic instigator. She doesn’t always understand Tarzan’s identity struggles, but she never abandons him. She pokes fun. She gets impatient. But she also has his back when it matters most.
Tantor, the anxious elephant with a heart of gold, is all nerves and sincerity. He’s scared of germs, vines, and just about everything else, but he follows Tarzan into the wildest situations anyway. Why? Because they’re best friends. Because love outweighs fear.
Together, Terk and Tantor show that found family doesn’t have to be serious and solemn. Sometimes, it’s goofy and wild. It’s helping each other build tree contraptions and crashing jungle parties. It’s growing up together and learning that your bond doesn’t weaken when the world gets complicated—it deepens.
Jane: Finding Family in the Unknown
Jane Porter starts the story as an outsider—an English explorer dropped into the jungle with sketchpads, petticoats, and zero survival instincts. But she adapts quickly. And when she meets Tarzan, something awakens in her—not just romance, but wonder. A desire to connect, to learn, to understand someone so different from herself.
Jane’s love for Tarzan grows naturally, rooted in mutual curiosity and shared vulnerability. But her arc isn’t just about falling for the jungle man—it’s about discovering her own bravery. She chooses the wild. She chooses connection. She chooses ohana.
In the end, Jane doesn’t drag Tarzan back to civilization. She stays. She joins the jungle life. She makes her own found family, leaving behind the world she knew to become part of something wildly new. Her story reminds us that family doesn’t always mean staying with what’s familiar. Sometimes, it means leaping into the unknown and building something better.
Professor Porter: From Comical Father to Honorary Grandpa
Professor Archimedes Q. Porter is Jane’s lovable, absent-minded father, and while he brings a lot of laughs, his emotional significance shouldn’t be overlooked. At first, he’s just along for the ride, a bumbling academic chasing gorillas. But once he sees the bond between Tarzan and Jane—and the depth of emotion in the jungle—he evolves.
Like Jane, Professor Porter ultimately chooses the jungle. He realizes that love and belonging aren’t about location or tradition—they’re about connection. And when he chooses to stay with Jane, Tarzan, and the gorillas, he symbolically becomes part of their chosen tribe. He’s the grandfather figure this family didn’t know it needed, and his decision to stay isn’t just comedic—it’s heartwarming.
Clayton: The Antithesis of Family
Every good story about family needs a foil—someone who stands in opposition to everything our heroes believe in. Enter Clayton. Smooth-talking, musket-wielding, and dripping with menace, Clayton represents the exact opposite of found family. He sees creatures as property. Relationships as leverage. And connection as weakness.
Clayton’s downfall isn’t just about being evil—it’s about his complete inability to understand empathy or community. He mocks the gorillas. He manipulates Tarzan. He shatters trust. But ultimately, his isolation is his undoing. While the others grow stronger through love and loyalty, Clayton self-destructs in his pursuit of control.
He’s a reminder of what Tarzan truly values. In this world, strength isn’t brute force—it’s compassion. And belonging isn’t domination—it’s choice.
You’ll Be in Our Hearts: Why It Still Matters
More than two decades after its release, Tarzan still resonates. Its action is thrilling. Its soundtrack is unmatched. But its emotional core—the theme of found family—is what makes it unforgettable. We live in a world where traditional families are evolving. Where people are choosing new paths, new communities, new definitions of home. And Tarzan celebrates that.
It tells us that love can find us in the most unexpected places. That family can be built, one vine swing at a time. That acceptance might come from a gorilla mother, a neurotic elephant, or a curious explorer. And that no matter where we come from, we all deserve to hear those words Kala whispered to Tarzan: “You’ll be in my heart… always.”
