Mufasa (King of the Jungle)

Sarabi (mate)

Diku (sister-in-law)

Dwala (sister-in-law)

Naanda (sister-in-law)

Nala (daughter-in-law)

Nunka (grandson-in-law)

Kopa (grandson)

Aisha (granddaughter)

Nuka (grandson-in-law)

Vitani (granddaughter-in-law)

Ahadi (father)

Uru (mother)

Kifalme (brother)

Mohatu (grandfather)

Ade (grandmother)

Tojo (nephew)

Kula (niece)

Chumvi (nephew)

Afua (nephew)

Tama (niece)

Neema (great granddaughter)

Roho (great grandson)

Ashiki (great grandson)

Nadra (great granddaughter)

Mheetu (son-in-law)

• Pumbaa

• Baasho

**Mufasa** is the protagonist of the 1994 Disney film, The Lion King. He’s also the protagonist of the film’d original draft, *King of the Jungle.*

## Biography

### King Of The Jungle (January 1990)

Banagi, a hyena, appears before Simba and Nala. The cubs run in different directions, and Banagi runs after Nala. Simba goes after the hyena until Kwashi, Mufasa, and Zazu arrive to scare off Banagi. Mufasa takes the cubs back home, and the narrator is revealed to be Kwashi.

Mufasa, Zazu, Simba, and Nala watch as Sarabi, Naanda, and other lionesses hunt down a zebra. Along with Diku and Dwala, Sarabi's sisters, the lionesses successfully pin the zebra down. After the pride finishes their fill, a vulture named Kobi, along with the hyenas Baasho and Banagi, charges in to eat the remains of the zebra.

The scene transitions to night, with the pride fast asleep. Simba approaches his father about why he stays up all night, and Mufasa replies that he stays awake to report all that he sees to the Great Lion. Simba goes to sleep with his mother, who sings him an African lullaby, assuring him that he will be the next king.

Simba awakens his sleeping father, and Mufasa answers by stating that male lions have to protect the pride from intruders. Despite Simba's dissatisfaction with the simplicity of his new role, Mufasa and Zazu escort Simba to the termite mounds, where Simba tries to hunt down Daabi and the now full-grown ostrich chicks. Kwashi approaches Mufasa and tells him that Simba will never learn how to hunt if he only hunts his friends. Zazu tells the young cub that if all else fails, he must follow the vultures for food and water. Mufasa scolds his son for showing favoritism when he hunts, but Simba rebels against his father's instructions, claiming that "nature is wrong".

Not long after this, Mufasa first catches wind of conflict when Naanda and her sisters emerge from the grasslands in a panic, clamoring about how Sarabi has been injured by a rogue lion who stole their kill. Though Sarabi insists that she's not injured, Mufasa seeks vengeance on the rogue and confronts him over the stolen prey. With Zazu serving as his spokesperson, the king warns Scar away from his mate's stolen prey, but the rogue refuses to back down, instead vouching for a conflict. Sensing coming fatalities, hyenas and vultures gather around the lions, thirsty for spilled blood.

As the fight begins, Zazu mocks Scar, distracting him, and Mufasa seizes the opportunity, bowling Scar to the ground with a single lunge. Spooked by the king's strength, Scar flees, and Mufasa sends Zazu after the rogue, instructing his tickbird to ensure that the thief crosses the boundary of their lands.

Once out of Mufasa's territory, Scar is confronted by Banagi, who compliments the lion on his lost fight. Thinking he is being mocked, a provoked Scar attempts to kill Banagi, but the hyena calms the rogue's nerves by blaming Zazu for the lost fight. Suddenly more inclined to listen, Scar allows Banagi to convince him that he could use a tickbird of his own. Banagi then offers himself to Scar, revealing his clan to the rogue, who agrees to an alliance with the hyenas.

Seeing the scavenger army behind Scar, Mufasa instinctively pins the crime on Banagi, who averts his gaze and sniggers nervously. Not wanting to be caught off guard, the king switches to offense and leaps at Scar, surprising the lion and his hyena allies. The fight goes underway, and Mufasa begins to hold the advantage until Banagi and his cronies leap into the fight, helping Scar force Mufasa over the edge of Pride Rock. Horrified, the lionesses watch as their beloved king falls to the earth, where the hyenas wolfishly tear him to pieces.

### King of the Beasts (May 1990)

Mufasa and three other male adolescent lions emerge from the fire. One of the lions approach Mufasa asking for a safe passage through his territory to which Mufasa agrees. As the fire rages on, an ancient acacia tree on the far side of the gorge topples over, crashing onto an arena-like plateau in the middle of the gorge. Mufasa grows concerned, worried that the sparks from the burning tree might leap from the plateau to the near side of the gorge. Soon, Mufasa gives his mate the signal to run, and the Ndona pride, the animals, Mufasa, and Zazu flee.

The lionesses of the Ndona pride come shortly after, and Mufasa arrives asking for Banagi. Banagi steps forward and Mufasa offers him a kill in payment of the debt. The hyenas viciously devour the meal while Simba sees a rogue lion named Scar, who is half the size of Mufasa. Sarabi holds her son back, and Zazu tells the lion to leave the territory. Scar ignores the warning, and enters into a fight with Mufasa. The rogue retreats leaving Banagi intrigued by him.

Mufasa takes his son to the grasslands, where Simba sees his friend, Lemuta, who has grown up. Mufasa tells his son that Lemuta can no longer be his friend. Simba questions this, and Mufasa replies that it is how the “Lion in the Moon” designed nature so lions can eat and zebras won’t overpopulate.

The two lions later go to take a drink, and at dusk, Mufasa is teaching Simba how to fight in the midst of a grove of fever trees. Simba throws himself at his father repeatedly, but always ends up on his back. Mufasa stresses the importance of knowing how to fight another lion, and informs Simba of a special, little-known maneuver which will defeat an opponent by biting the back of his neck. Mufasa demonstrates the move by standing at a 45-degree angle to Simba and telling Simba to charge him. As Simba does, Mufasa rolls into Simba's charge, springs to his feet as Simba whirls around to come after him, then leaps onto Simba's back and pushes him to the ground, ready to sink his teeth into his son's neck. He tells Simba to try the move, but predictably, Simba fails. He tries unsuccessfully two more times, but Mufasa tells him that he's doing well so far. By this time it is night, and they decide to stay where they are and sleep in shifts.

The next day, at a meerkat mound, Timon Vandmeer, headman of the meervillage, is approached by Mufasa, and is amazed by the new members in the Raiders. Timon introduces to the king to Desma, Jamila, Mandisa, Ozina, Lambida, and a meer baby named Nute. During a banquet with the meerkats, Mufasa is informed that the Mbala pride have recently reached the Ngoro ridge along the Ndona river. The lions leave the meerkat colony, and approach the edge of the river. After a quick chat, the lions dive into the Limpopo River (taken straight out of Runyard Kipling's ‘’Just-So Stories’’), and after brief encounters with crocodiles, they successfully cross over the river. At the Ngoro river, the three Mbala lions with three tickbirds quickly notices Mufasa and Simba. The three tickbirds approach Mufasa, and the Elder Lion of the Mbala pride dismisses them upon Mufasa’s request. Mufasa and the Elder Lion reach an agreement that the two prides can share the river peacefully giving the newly formed ridge over to his pride. As Mufasa and Simba leave, the Elder Lion tells Mufasa that they have the rogue, Scar. Mufasa thanks him for the notification.

Back at Pride Rock, Simba boasts to Nala how he “saved” his father from the crocodiles, while the lionesses question Mufasa about being away from the pride for so long. Mufasa replies he must in order to protect the pride from Scar.  The next morning, Banagi approaches Mufasa telling him that Scar has captured Baasho, and challenges him to a fight at the fire tree bridge. Simba suggests to his father that they could ambush Scar, but Mufasa disagrees with the strategy, and plans to challenge the rogue at high noon. At noon, the Ndona Pride arrives at the bridge formed by the huge acacia that fell across the gorge at the beginning of the story, forming a blackened, hollow bridge from the Ndona Pride's side of the gorge to a huge plateau in the center, bordered by rocks and bushes. During the fight, Mufasa, knowing he cannot win the fight, uses the 45-degree angle to Scar, in preparation for the move he taught to Simba, but the hyenas interfere in the fight in which Scar yells to stay out. The two lions continue the fight, and with Mufasa wore down, Scar leaps on top of Mufasa breaking his bones.

## Personality and traits

Mufasa has a similar personality to the final film.

## Physical Appearence

Much like his brother Scar in the final film, Mufasa was supposed to have a bi-colored mane. His red mane also featured some white or cream colors, but most of his conceptual art retained his reddish mane and golden fur as well as his thick mane and frame.

## Trivia

* Mufasa could have been the father of two, as Mel Shaw's concepts show him with two cubs fiddling with his tail. Mufasa is referred to as "Papa Lion."
* Mufasa was scripted to sing a song titled "To Be King" during the film's early production, but it didn't suit James Earl Jones's singing voice, so it was scrapped.
* In the Proud of Simba's Pride documentary, James Earl Jones is seen recording a line, "You have let your family break apart, and in doing so, you have broken the circle of life," for Mufasa.
* In King of the Kalahari, a character named King Brond appears. He is most likely an early version of Mufasa.