Mufasa

Regal, commanding and majestic, Mufasa is a great king with a kind, generous heart. Concerned with teaching his son Simba to be a wise, responsible adult and king, Mufasa can seem a bit stern at times, but it's only because he loves Simba and wants to keep the youngster on the right track. Mufasa's lineage is known only through A Tale of Two Brothers, a children's book published at about the same time as the original 1994 release of The Lion King. In this book, Mufasa's father is named Ahadi, his mother is Uru, and his brother Scar has the cubhood name of Taka. As a king and leader, Mufasa holds a deep understanding of the forces that make the Pride Lands balanced and healthy. His duties as King of Pride Rock include managing the hunting by his own pride and other creatures, and resolving disputes over feeding and watering grounds, to ensure the land's resources are not exhausted; he also must patrol the boundaries to drive out interlopers and prevent such crimes as killing for sport. Of course, he's also responsible for raising his son Simba to be a wise king like himself—a responsibility that Simba may not yet be ready for. Mufasa's greatest weakness is his trust and kindness, for because of it the bitterness and jealousy that Scar feels toward him appears as nothing more than common sibling rivalry. But Mufasa does not suspect his brother of being so consumed by these feelings that he would actually go so far as to plot Mufasa's murder in order to usurp the throne.