Sarabi (2019 film)

Sarabi is a female lion. She is the queen of Pride Rock who preceded Nala. She was the mate of Mufasa, with whom she had a son, Simba.
As Mufasa's queen, Sarabi led the pride's hunting party. However, when Mufasa and Simba purportedly died in a stampede, she was forced to serve Mufasa's adoptive younger brother, Scar, instead. Over time, Scar and his hyena allies devastated the Pride Lands by over-hunting, and the lionesses came to resent his rule. In an attempt to win them over, Scar asked Sarabi to be his queen, but she refused.
Later, when a full-grown Simba returned to the Pride Lands to reclaim his birthright, Sarabi and the rest of the lionesses supported his right to rule. They fought at his side in the battle of Pride Rock and emerged victorious over the hyenas. After the fight, the pride witnessed Simba's coronation and roared their assent of his reign.
==Biography==
===Early life===
When Sarabi was young, both Mufasa and his adoptive brother Scar fell in love with her. However, Sarabi ultimately chose Mufasa to be her mate, which embittered Scar. Later, Mufasa and Sarabi had a son named Simba, whom they betrothed to Nala.
===Simba's presentation===
At Pride Rock, Mufasa and Sarabi witnessed the presentation of their newborn son, Simba. After the ceremony, Mufasa confronted Scar for missing the ceremony, and Scar commented drily that he had not meant to offend Sarabi.
===Raising Simba===
Seasons passed, and Simba grew into a lively cub. One morning, he excitedly tried to wake up Mufasa, and Sarabi remarked that the cub was awake. However, Mufasa retorted that Simba was her son before sunrise.
Later, Simba approached his friend, Nala, who was being bathed by her mother, Sarafina. Sarabi, who was nearby, commented that it was time for Simba's bath, then began to clean him in spite of his struggles. After the bath, Simba asked for permission to go play with Nala, and Sarabi instructed him to go no farther than the water hole and to bring Zazu with him.
===Mufasa's death===
After Mufasa died in a stampede, Scar delivered a eulogy to the grief-stricken pride, during which he erroneously reported that Simba had perished as well. Sarabi grieved alongside the rest of her pride. At the end of his eulogy, Scar invited the hyenas into Pride Rock, and the lionesses reacted with apprehension and disapproval.
===Scar's reign===
As the seasons passed, the Pride Lands fell into disrepair due to the hyenas' over-hunting of the herds. One day, as Nala spectated the hyenas, Sarabi called her to come and sit with the rest of the lionesses. Nala approached and implored Sarabi to lead the pride out of the kingdom, but Sarabi refused out of a sense of duty to the Pride Lands.
Just then, Scar returned from his hunt and requested an audience with Sarabi. Though Nala protested the order, Sarabi claimed that she was not afraid of Scar, then strode toward where the king was feasting on his prey. Once she had approached, Scar asked her to join him and reminded her of how she had chosen Mufasa over him long ago. He then offered her a place at his side and remarked that the other lionesses would not accept him as long as she resisted his reign. Sarabi vehemently refused, and Scar subsequently allowed the hyenas to eat before the lionesses.
One night, Sarabi caught a glimpse of Nala leaving the Pride Lands.
===Battle for Pride Rock===
In Nala's absence, Scar confronted Sarabi again and demanded that she be his queen. This time, she rejected him and asserted that he would never be as good a king as Mufasa. This prompted him to attack her in a rage. Before he could seriously harm her, a full-grown Simba leaped to her defense and ordered Scar to stay away from her. Sarabi immediately recognized her son and embraced him.
Simba proceeded to challenge Scar's right to rule, and the lionesses supported his claim. However, Scar accused Simba of being responsible for Mufasa's death, and Sarabi begged Simba to deny the allegations. Sorrowfully, Simba admitted that it was true, and Scar lambasted him for having killed his own father. However, Scar let slip to Simba that he, in fact, had killed Mufasa, and Simba ordered him to confess before the pride. Though Scar tried to deny Simba's accusations, Sarabi noted that Scar had revealed a very specific memory about how Mufasa had looked before he had died. Realizing the lie, the lionesses attacked and, after an extended fight, emerged victorious.
===Simba's coronation===
After the battle, Sarabi embraced Simba and watched him take his place as the king of the Pride Lands.
==Physical appearance==
Sarabi is an exceptionally large lioness, with a solid build, a wide head, a square jaw, and a prominent white chin. She has short, sleek, glossy golden fur, black lips, dark-lined yellow eyes, rounded ears, a white chest, and a thin dark stripe on her forehead.
==Personality and traits==
Sarabi is fearless and commanding, with a strong sense of pride and justice. She is a natural leader and carries herself with dignity, a trait that demands respect from those around her. She is fiercely loyal to her family, as seen when she continued to reject Scar's advances despite Mufasa's death. Even so, she can sometimes be overcome by shock and uncertainty, such as when she did not stand up for Simba in the face of Scar's accusations.
Sarabi is kind and loving, and looks out for those in her care. In times of need, she encourages her pride to remain steadfast, most notably when she told them to remain hopeful for the future despite Scar's poor reign and treatment of his subjects. She is especially fond of Nala and was visibly concerned to see the younger lioness leaving Pride Rock on her own. Above all, Sarabi strives to protect the Pride Lands, even at the cost of her own wellbeing. She refused to leave the kingdom even in the midst of a famine and charged fearlessly into battle against the hyenas in the defense of her homeland.
==Appearances==
==Trivia==
* Sarabi was voiced by the following:
** In The Lion King, she was voiced by Alfre Woodard.
** In Mufasa: The Lion King, she will be voiced by Tiffany Boone.
* Sarabi's name means "mirage, optical illusion" in Swahili.
==References==
Category:Characters
Category:Females
Category:Leaders
Category:The Lion King (2019 film) characters
Category:Lions
Category:Mufasa: The Lion King characters
Category:Pride Landers
Category:Pride Lands royal family