The Lion King: Who were Mufasa's parents?

Barry Jenkins' long-awaited prequel Mufasa: The Lion King explores the story of the lion cub who would become the regal and powerful Mufasa, and in doing so, reconnects some previously established information about his parents. The prequel clarified some unanswered questions about Mufasa's family tree, more specifically about Mufasa's relationship with his brother Scar. The film also provided new information about how exactly Mufasa became king of the Pride Lands seen in the original. The Lion Kingsome of which related to his parents.

Mufasa: The Lion King takes place as an extended flashback, told through the lens of a story Rafiki tells to Simba's daughter Kiara, Timon, and Pumbaa. The narrative begins with Mufasa as a puppy, when the audience is introduced to Mufasa's parents. The two lions are only in the story for a few minutes, but in that time their personality is fully communicated, along with a little history about them. This information conflicts with the past The Lion King canon, which raises the question of why it was changed for the film.

Mufasa's parents are Masego and Afia in Mufasa: The Lion King

Neither parent is of royal lineage

In Mufasa: The Lion KingMufasa's parents, Masego and Afia, are voiced by Keith David (The thing, Platoon) and Anika Noni-Rose (The Princess and the Frog, dream girls). While not much information is given about the two lions, the few minutes of screen time they do get make it clear that both lions are loving, kind-hearted parents to Mufasa. They are also not visibly of a royal lineagewhich is a big distinction from the original The Lion Kingwhich portrayed Mufasa, and later Simba, as the last in a long line of kings stretching back many years.

Shortly after Masego and Afia's introduction, a storm produces violent floods that trap Mufasa in the middle of a small pool that evolves into a raging whirlpool. His father, Masego, jumps in after him, in a direct echo of the scene where Mufasa jumps into the gorge to save Simba of the wildebeest in stampede The Lion King. Masego manages to throw Simba towards Afia, but the terrified cub is unable to climb up to his mother and is swept away by the water. Mufasa reunites with his mother in Milele, his father now deceased.

A Lion King book gave Mufasa different parents 30 years ago

Mufasa's original father was also the King of the Pride Lands

A short young adult novel published in 1994 titled A story of two brothers provided information about Mufasa's past shortly after the release of the original animated film The Lion Kingand has generally been accepted as canon. The book tells the story of Mufasa and his brother Taka (Scar) through a story told by Rafiki (just as happens in Mufasa) and introduces his father, Ahadi. Ahadi is already the king of the Pride Lands in the story, and Mufasa and Taka are biological brothers and princes of the abundant land.

The cubs' mother is briefly mentioned by the name of Uru, but little else is revealed about her. Obviously, the book contains a totally different story for Mufasa and Scar than what is represented Mufasa: The Lion Kingand a totally different lineage. The difference between Mufasa's literary parents and cinematic parents goes much deeper than just their names.

Why Mufasa: The Lion King Changes Who Mufasa's Parents Are

Mufasa's story was changed because of the movie

Mufasa: The Lion KingThe central adventure of Mufasa is Mufasa's journey from the lands in which he was rescued by Taka and his mother Eshe to the land of his birth, which he does not realize is the mythical Milele he has been told about his entire life. Throughout this journey, Mufasa demonstrates all of his most real qualities.: unquestionable bravery, altruism and kindness. The entire purpose of the prequel is to demonstrate how Mufasa's status as king is not the result of something as simple as a royal lineage; rather, his metaphorical crown is the result of his earning loyalty.

If Mufasa: The Lion King Had it stuck with Mufasa's origin story as the latest in a long line of kings who ruled out of perceived entitlement and unearned loyalty, the film would essentially be invalidated. The prequel was forced to retell who Mufasa's parents were in order to set him up as an ordinary non-royal lion who grows and evolves into the king that the public has loved since its origins in the original The Lion King for more than 30 years.