Mufasa

**Mufasa** is a supporting character of *The Lion King*. He was the king of the Pride Lands and the father of Simba. In the midst of his reign, Mufasa was killed by his envious younger brother, Scar, in an effort to steal the throne. Despite his death, Mufasa endures in the memories of his loved ones. His spirit manifested in clouds and sunlight, which has occasionally appeared to guide his descendants.

### Personality

Despite his majestic exterior, Mufasa is kind-hearted and playful, showing respect for all the creatures, even those who are perceived as lower than himself. He is not strictly business, often playing games with his majordomo Zazu, and is unafraid of showing affection, as seen when he greets Rafiki with a hug prior to the presentation of Simba. As a king and a father, Mufasa is instructive and wise, borne down by years of experience and instruction. His rule over the Pride Lands results in a period of prosperity, reflecting his reasonable and responsible approach to kingship. His lessons leave a deep imprint on Simba, who learns from his father that every creature must be respected in order for balance to be maintained. His wisdom touches through on his understanding of responsibility and his willingness to set aside personal gain in order to better the Pride Lands.

If his family is endangered, Mufasa exposes his protective side, ready to throw himself into danger in order to keep those he loves safe. Ultimately, he is willing to sacrifice his life for his family, proving his love to be stronger for his family than for himself. He is happy to impart knowledge to his grandson when he is feeling confused and is willing to give Kion a step in the right direction. His courage and strength were emphasized during the wildebeest stampede when he leaped into the stampede to rescue Simba and later made a massive leap onto the wall of the gorge.

Mufasa was also very patient and optimistic. As a spirit, he is shown to give time for his plans to work and never give up hope on them, even with the obstacles that stand in the way of his goals being reached, waiting till Simba reaches adulthood to guide him back on the path as the rightful king and persuading Rafiki to bring together Kovu and Kiara. For all his positive traits, Mufasa was not flawless. His main flaw was being a poor judge of character. He was unable to recognize Scar's treachery until it was too late and at times he displayed a rather fierce temper.

Unlike Simba, Mufasa was *never* arrogant and gullible; according to Kiara, he would've never banished someone for supposedly betraying him, without hearing an explanation first, indirectly referring to the fact that Mufasa would have forgiven Kovu for his initial role in Zira's plan and would have seen that the ambush was not his fault, as Kovu had no knowledge of the ambush and was completely innocent, if he had been in Simba's position. This kind of trait is further supported when Mufasa told Kion that he still loves him and will always be there for him even though Kion looks like Scar now.

## Trivia

* Mufasa is voiced by the acting veteran, James Earl Jones who also portrayed Darth Vader in *Star Wars* and Mr. Mertle in *The Sandlot*.
* Mufasa became one of the characters in *Thomas and Twilight Sparkle's Adventures of The Lion King.*
* Mufasa appears in Thomas and Twilight Sparkle's Adventure Series as a spirit to guide them whenever they have problems.
* Mufasa is also great friends with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Lion since they're rulers of their own animal kingdoms and often talks to them about things.