Akela initially leads the Seeonee wolf pack, revered for his wisdom and experience. As age encroaches, he arranges a leadership contest where Alexander triumphs over Vermillion under the Law of the Jungle. After Alexander perishes defending the pack from Shere Khan in a jungle fire, Akela resumes command temporarily. Vermillion later returns for a brief tenure before departing to lead plains wolves, prompting Akela’s return to leadership.

Increasing frailty limits his activity, confining him often to his lair. Acknowledging his physical decline, Akela formally transfers leadership to Luri, adopting an advisory role while retaining the honorific "The Wise Old Wolf." His counsel remains pivotal in pack decisions under Luri’s rule.

Near the series’ end, Akela suffers grave injuries battling jackals. Though he survives, the ordeal leaves him critically weakened, precipitating his eventual death.

Akela is Alexander’s father and Lala’s grandfather, anchoring the pack’s familial core. Physically, he possesses a dark bluish-grey coat with lighter fur on his eyebrows and upper body. His leadership and mentorship profoundly shape Mowgli’s assimilation into wolf society and grasp of jungle laws.