Rafiki

Background

It is revealed in the storybook A Tale of Two Brothers that Rafiki was not always a resident of the Pride Lands. Years before Mufasa's reign, Rafiki was a traveler studying the African lands who eventually stumbled upon the Pride Lands, where he was attacked by a young Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. The mandrill was saved by Ahadi, the then-ruler of the Pride Lands and father of Mufasa and Scar (then known as Taka). Eventually taking residence in the vast lands, Rafiki would soon become close companions with Mufasa and one day overheard Taka's plot to sabotage his brother's reputation, only to be foiled by the mandrill. The end results in Taka falling injured, with Rafiki using his abilities to tend to his wounds and heal him, though one mark remains on the lion's body - his scar, thus becoming the dangerously-envious Prince Scar. Rafiki's heroic performance throughout the event leads to Ahadi requesting that the mandrill serves as the adviser to all future kings, which Rafiki accepts. By the time of The Lion King, Rafiki lives in an ancient baobab tree, where he regularly performs shamanistic activities. He continues his role as Royal Mjuzi of the Pride Lands and remains a close friend to Mufasa and his family.

Personality

Rafiki is extremely sagacious and wise. However, his way of exploiting his intelligence is highly irregular; he prefers to teach his pupils (such as Simba) by bombarding them with cryptic metaphors, and typically in a way that purposely annoys them. He takes great joy in this, and though unconventional, the methods of his teaching have proven to be effective time and time again. It should be noted that part of the reason Rafiki's teachings are quite eccentric is the fact that Rafiki, himself, is fairly eccentric. He is excitable, energetic in spite of his age, and tends to fall into fits of hysterical laughter when something amuses him. He also tends to speak in third-person when speaking of himself. Despite this, much as his reputation would conceive, Rafiki does have a tamer side. He takes his role as a sage of the Pride Lands somberly and will act diligently to ensure the balance of the "Circle of Life" remains intact. Whenever the Circle of Life is broken, Rafiki would become very depressed about it, such as when Scar allowed the hyenas into the Pridelands, or when Simba banished Kovu, the only hope of redemption for the Outsiders, out of arrogance and paranoia. He is also deeply connected to the spiritual world, as he is seen communicating (both professionally and casually) with Mufasa's spirit in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.

Physical Appearance

Rafiki is shown as an elderly, slender mandrill. He is shown to be greying, and broken (shown as he walks with his staff, using it as a cane). He is shown to have a bent tail, is half bald with a white beard, black pupils. His face is shown as pale blue with a bright red nose showing.

Appearances

Rafiki is shown as a wise shaman figure of the Pride Lands, having a close relationship with his dear friend King Mufasa, where he is shown presenting his and Queen Sarabi's son, Simba during the future king's presentation. After the presentation, at his Baobab Tree, he is shown excitingly drawing a painting of Simba, pleasing him. Later on, when Scar tells the Pridelanders of the death of Mufasa and Simba (though unknown to Scar, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed hadn't killed Simba as he fled), and Scar ascends the throne, letting The Hyena Clan enter the Pride Lands, leading to disaster, Rafiki watches Scar's ascent to the throne from a distance, realizing the Circle of Life has been broken. Deeply saddened, back at his tree, Rafiki swipes his hand on his painting of young Simba, believing him to be dead. Years later, after picking up Simba's scent in the dust, pollen, and petals in the air, Rafiki realizes that Simba is still alive and joyfully restores the drawing, adding the full mane of an adult lion as a sign to seek him out and save the Pride Lands from Scar's tyranny. Journeying to the jungle where Simba lives with Timon and Pumbaa, Rafiki observes Simba and recognizes, at least in principle, that he is suffering from a ponderous emotional burden.

Appearances

To treat it, he approaches the young lion and teaches him a few playful (and sometimes painful) lessons about learning from the past, not running from it. He also points out that the spirit and values of Simba's late father Mufasa continue to live in Simba himself. During this scene, Rafiki incessantly repeats the Swahili phrase "Asante Sana, squash banana, we we nugu, mi mi apana," which roughly translates to "Thank you very much, squash banana, you are a baboon, and I am not." When Simba decides to return to Pride Rock and fight Scar for the kingship, Rafiki accompanies him, also making sure to inform Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa about Simba's decision to return to Pride Rock and confront Scar. Despite his age, he displayed his masterful combat abilities as a warrior in battle, by bashing one hyena in the head hard with his staff to save Simba, before effortlessly dispatching more in kung-fu like fashion. After Scar, and the hyenas are defeated, Simba approaches him, and he bows, but Simba grabs him into a tight, but gentle hug. Rafiki tells him it's time, and Simba ascends the throne. At the end of the film, he is then seen with the Pride Lands having returned to their former glory with Simba reclaiming his place as the rightful king. He is seen presenting Simba and Nala's newborn cub, reminiscing of the opening of the film.