Canon Characters

This is an article for canon characters as well as semi-canon characters. Canon or semi-canon characters are characters who appear in official media related to The Lion King. If you want to add information about a canon character, add it here.

Mufasa
Mufasa is the secondary deuteragonist of The Lion King, a minor character in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and a major character in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar and its following TV series The Lion Guard. He is Simba's father, Sarabi's mate, Scar's older brother, Ahadi and Uru's eldest son and king of the Pride Lands at the start of the film.

Appearance
Mufasa is a large, powerful male lion with distinctive golden-yellow fur inherited from his father, Ahadi, which he passes on to his son Simba. He is given broad shoulders and a pronounced jaw to make him seem king-like and the most powerful lion, according to his animators.

Personality
Despite his strong exterior, Mufasa is kind at heart 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. In family life, Mufasa is just as soft-hearted, treating his mate with gentle respect and treating his son fairly, even when the cub deliberately disobeys his parents' instruction.

Mufasa's wisdom is reinforced by his eternal bravery, seen from his first tussle with the hyenas to his final stand against a stampede of wildebeests. To Simba, he explains that he is only brave when the situation demands it, showing Mufasa to be rational with courage and level-headed enough to know when interference is needed. 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.

History
Mufasa watches his son Simba presented by Rafiki. Later on, he argues with his brother Scar, angry at him for not attending the ceremony. He wonders aloud what he is going to do with him. When Simba is an older cub, he awakens Mufasa, and the two sit atop Pride Rock. Mufasa teaches Simba about the kingdom that will soon belong to his and explains the Circle of Life. He receives the morning report from his majordomo, Zazu, and soon hears that hyenas are in the Pride Lands. He denies Simba's request to come and runs off. However, Simba gets into trouble when he enters the Elephant Graveyard. Mufasa roars and saves Simba, along with his friend Nala, from a trio of hungry hyenas. Mufasa scolds Simba, but ends up teaching him a lesson about the Great Kings of the Past and playing with him.

Not long after, Mufasa hears from Scar that Simba is in the Gorge where the wildebeests are stampeding. Mufasa pulls Simba out of the path of danger and tries to climb the sides of the ravine. However, he ends up beneath Scar. Mufasa asks Scar to help him, but instead, Scar sinks his claws into Mufasa's paws, eliciting a cry of pain, before flinging him into the midst of the running animals. Mufasa ends up dead, to his son's devestation.

He later appears as a spirit in the clouds, telling Simba that he had forgotten about him and who he is. He reminds him to remember before leaving.

Mufasa is present in the second film, watching over his family as his granddaughter is presented. He also appears in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, first in a cave painting as Rafiki tells his story, and later as a ghost to bolster his grandson Kion's spirit. Since then, he has appeared in multiple episodes of The Lion Guard to impart advice.

Voice Actors

 * James Earl Jones (The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, Kingdom Hearts II)
 * Gary Anthony Williams (The Lion Guard)
 * Samuel E. Wright (The Stage Musical)

Close Relations

 * Mate: Sarabi
 * Son: Simba
 * Dauguhter-in-law: Nala
 * Granddaughter: Kiara
 * Grandsons: Kopa and Kion
 * Parents: Ahadi and Uru
 * Brother: Scar

Appearances in Fanfictions
Here are all the fanfictions that this character makes an appearance in that are on this wiki:
 * Lion King IV: Rise and Fall of the Sun
 * The Second Scar: The Story of a What If
 * The Lion King: Kopa's Story (cameo in Simba's dream & flashback)
 * The Lion Guard: A Joyful Occasion
 * The Lion Guard: A Promising Friendship
 * The Lion Guard: A Romantic Getaway
 * The Lion Guard: Meeting Mufasa
 * The Lion Guard: Mufasa's Affection
 * The Lion Guard: Mufasa's Wisdom
 * The Lion Guard: Mufasa's Love

Nala
Nala is the deuteragonist of The Lion King, a secondary tritagonist of The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, a minor character in The Lion King 1 1/2 and The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar. She is the queen of the Pride Lands and the mate of Simba.

Appearance
As a cub, Nala is small and lithe with soft features. Her fur is colored a light tawny, while her muzzle, paws, and underbelly are all paler in contrast. Unlike most cubs her age, her paws are the same hue as her primary fur color, and her eye rims are lighter than her main pelt. Her eyebrows are also much thinner than those of her fellow cub, Simba, and her inner ears and the tip of her tail are brown in color. Her eyes appear to be glaucous green, though they change to teal in certain light, and her nose is pink. Unusually, the area between the bottom of her eye and her eyebrow is lighter in color than her main fur color, with the area beneath it being even paler.

Come young adulthood, Nala looks almost identical to her mother Sarafina. Her body has filled out to become sleeker and stronger, fitting the physique of a practiced hunter. She also proves herself to be exceptionally strong, able to hold her own against the much larger Simba, even managing to pin him on his back. Her fur darkens to an even tawny. She has brown paw pads and her nose is now dark pink-brown. The fur on her chin is shorter and smoother, though still slightly scruffy.

As a fully grown adult and queen, Nala's colors have been shown as either paling or continuing to grow darker. Her eyes become more blue, having been depicted as shifting to bright sky blue or teal, and she fills out, growing smoother and more muscular in stature.

Personality
As a cub, Nala is playful, spirited, and spunky. She and Simba are best friends, and the two are nearly inseparable. Unknown to them, they are betrothed at an early age, and both agree that friends marrying each other is too weird once they discover this fact.

As a young adult, Nala matures into a determined and assertive young lioness. Simba remarks that her words remind him of his wise father's, albeit in a derogatory manner. In the sequel, Nala has become much more mild-mannered and motherly. She acts as the voice of reason to Simba, who is now being very protective of Kiara, and reminds him that their daughter Kiara would be fine. She also is less judgmental than Simba, and is often able to persuade him to have more faith in their cubs.

Voice Actors

 * Niketa Calme (cub; The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, The Lion King 1½)
 * Moira Kelly (adult; The Lion King)
 * Laura Williams (cub singing; The Lion King)
 * Sally Dworsky (adult singing; The Lion King)
 * Gabrielle Union (The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, The Lion Guard)
 * Kajuana Shuford (cub; original actress, The Stage Musical)
 * Heather Headley (adult; original actress, The Stage Musical)
 * Vanessa Marshall (Kingdom Hearts II)

Close Relations

 * Mate: Simba
 * Mother: Sarafina 
 * Father: Nala's Father
 * Daughter: Kiara 
 * Sons: Kopa and Kion
 * Son-in-law: Kovu
 * Mother-in-law: Sarabi
 * Father-in-law: Mufasa

Appearances in Fanfictions

 * Pawtake
 * Lion King 3: Hyena Rules
 * Never Judge Anyone by Their Spots
 * The Lion King 2½: Timon's Colony
 * The Lion King 3: A New Menace
 * The Lion King IV: A Hero Falls
 * The Lion King: Kopa's Story
 * The Lion King V: Hidden Enemy
 * The Lion King VI: BloodTide
 * The Lion King VI: The Great Pride Migration
 * The Story Of Mungu (mentioned)
 * The Lion Guard: A Hunting Experience
 * The Lion Guard: A Problem in the Savannah (Part 2)
 * The Lion Guard: No Worries Vacation
 * The Lion Guard: A Romantic Getaway
 * The Lion Guard: A Promising Friendship
 * The Lion Guard: Nala's Promise
 * The Lion Guard: Marigold's Wish
 * Stay off the Cliff! (Cameo in final scene)