History Characters / TheLionKingFirstFilm

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:His decision to harmlessly call his brother Scar, which is obviously a playful comment, causes Scar to completely interpret said comment as an insult, and with a such glaring attack on his ego and pride, causes him to start scheming to get Mufasa off the throne well before the cobra venom begins to induce its SanitySlippage. This makes him indirectly responsible for his own death and the events of the franchise.]]

* AbusiveParent: Very downplayed. In Lion Guard, he makes the questionable decision to let his cub son run the Lion Guard without training him prior, despite the vast amounts of stress and danger such a position involves. Worse yet is he outright gets frustrated with Kion and chastises him for apparently not taking the role more seriously despite Kion being a child and not preparing him prior. Although he gives advice at times and worries for his safety, he still made Kion takes this role at a young age, while he paradoxically is protective of his daughter and trains her to be queen, only letting her do so when she is an adult.

* ParentalHypocrisy: At one point, Nala points out to Simba that Kiara's just like they were when they were cubs, and Simba explains that this is what worries him. This trait shows up again in "The Lion Guard" regarding his son Kion, leading him to be initially harsh on Kion for not apparently taking his new responsibilities as leader of the Lion Guard seriously. On a separate note, he is shown to be very protective of Kiara, and yet he is perfectly fine with putting his younger son in charge of the Lion Guard as a cub, despite the various dangers involved with that position.

* ParentalNeglect: She hardly appears at all to comfort Kiara throughout the second half of the film, and she makes no attempt to comfort her or confront Simba when he banishes Kovu despite it being an incredibly emotional moment. Also in Lion Guard, though she attends to him at times, she still implicitly (and often) lets Kion into the dangerous situations that comes iwth being leader of Guard without supervising him, even letting him wander outside of the Pridelands to deal with threats.

-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/JonathanTaylorThomas (cub, ''TLK''), Creator/MatthewBroderick (adult, films), Matt Weinberg (cub, ''1 1/2''), Creator/CamClarke (adult, ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'', ''Simba's Mighty Adventure'', ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', ''VideoGame/DisneyDreamlightValley''), Creator/RobLowe (adult, ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'')

-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/JamesEarlJones (films, ''Return of the Roar''), Creator/KeithDavid (House of Mouse, ''Simba's Mighty Adventure''), Creator/GaryAnthonyWilliams (''The Lion Guard'')

* AdaptationalJerkass: The ''Timon and Pumbaa'' series turns him from a loyal NiceGuy who serves a good king into a finicky and pompous JerkWithAHeartOfGold under pressure from his supervisors.

* BlueIsHeroic: He's a blue-feathered hornbill who is also a loyal follower and advisor of the royal family. He can seem stern, no-nonsense and irritable but he's also very smart and rational, and he always has the well-being of the Pride Lands at heart.

* TheComicallySerious: The prim and proper hornbill clearly takes his role as the king's royal advisor but he's constantly the ButtMonkey by the other lions (like Simba and Scar for example) and the 3 hyenas. He does have a bit of a sassy attitude when relating to such characters.

* TheFinickyOne: A much more positive example. Zazu is the stuffy, straight-laced and serious voice of reason who wants to keep the Pridelands in order, but is not a jerk about it.

* LovableCoward: Zazu is cowardly, neurotic and a little paranoid but still a caring and loyal friend to the lions (except Scar, understandably).

* NiceGuy: In the movie, he is generally very well mannered, dignified and friendly, only losing his patience or getting irritated with anyone who aggravates him.

* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Timon is the manly man to Pumbaa's sensitive guy. Timon is very brash, impulsive, and sometimes egotistical while Pumbaa is more cautious, kind, and emotional and in their own series is willing to cross-dress while Timon hates doing it.

* ParentalNeglect: She hardly appears at all to comfort Kiara throughout the second half of the film, and she makes no attempt to comfort her or confront Simba when he banishes Kovu despite it being an incredibly emotional moment.

* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: He near completely loses his will to live after feeling that he caused Mufasa's death until Timon and Pumbaa teach him their philosophy of Hakuna Matata: Sometimes bad things happen and you can't do anything about it, so just put it behind you and move on. Years later he meets up with Nala again and uses this as an excuse to keep running from his problems even though there ''is'' something he can and should do about it now. Of course, this only highlights how he's been missing the point the whole time given that he just stopped thinking about Mufasa's death rather than emotionally process it.

* HakunaMatata: Timon and Pumbaa teach him this philosophy as a cub, encouraging him to forget about his past and live a carefree lifestyle. Having just fled the Pride Lands under the (mistaken) belief that he caused his father's death, Simba takes to it like a duck to water. This gets {{deconstructed}} by the time he grows up, however - he clearly ''hasn't'' moved on from his past, but uses Hakuna Matata as an excuse to not deal with his issues or face his responsibility. It takes guidance from Mufasa's spirit and Rafiki (along with a [[DopeSlap stick to the head]]) for Simba to shake this mindset off.

[-'''First Film''' ([[Characters/TheLionKingSimba Simba]] | [[Characters/TheLionKingScar Scar]]) | [[Characters/TheLionKingSecondFilm Second Film]] | [[Characters/TheLionKingMidquelFilm Midquel Film]] | ''Characters/TimonAndPumbaa'' | ''Characters/TheLionGuard'' | [[Characters/TheLionKingExtendedMedia Extended Media]] | [[Characters/TheLionKing2019 2019 Film]]-]]]]]

-->See his [[Characters/TheLionKingSimba separate page]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mufasa]]
!!Mufasa
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mufasa_4275.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:"''Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king."'']]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[labelnote:Click here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mufasathelionguard.jpg[[/labelnote]] to see him in ''The Lion Guard'']]

-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/JamesEarlJones (films, ''Return of the Roar''), Creator/KeithDavid (House of Mouse, ''Simba's Mighty Adventure''), Creator/GaryAnthonyWilliams (''The Lion Guard'')
-->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Carlos Magaña (''TLK''), Héctor Lama Yazbek (DVD/BD version onwards)
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by''': Shinya Ohwada
-->'''Voiced in European French by''': Creator/JeanReno (''TLK''), Laurent Gamelon (''Simba's Pride''), Gilles Morvan (''The Lion Guard'')
-->'''Voiced in Brazilian Portuguese by:''' Paulo Flores (''TLK'')
-->'''Voiced in Hebrew by:''' Amnon Maskin
-->'''Voiced in Zulu by:''' Dominic Tyawa

The BigGood of ''The Lion King'' and Simba's father.

* TheAce: Wise, strong, compassionate.
* ActionDad: He's a dangerous lion and he sometimes has to save his son.
* AngerBornOfWorry: Mufasa is disappointed in Simba after the encounter with the hyenas for not understanding the difference between courage and foolhardiness and almost getting killed in the process.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:He's one of the few non-villains in a Disney animation to be killed off.]]
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Becomes one of the Great Kings of the Past.
* AuthoritySoundsDeep: James Earl Jones being his voice actor, he has a deep bass voice and it's fitting for the largest, strongest lion in the pride. That also goes for Gary Anthony Williams (who also lent his deep bass voice as Mufasa in ''The Lion Guard'').
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: The neatest, well-kept mane of all the lions, and the most good.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Not just with the hyenas, but Mufusa makes Simba feel genuinely guilty when he disobeys him. And he still stays levelheaded when scolding Simba. Also, he's pretty stern towards Scar for disrespecting his son at the beginning.
* BigDamnHeroes: Twice to Simba. First he saves Simba from the hyenas, and then from the stampede. Also to Zazu, showing up just in time to stop Scar from eating Zazu, which Zazu even lampshades ("Impeccable timing, Your Majesty.").
* BigGood: What comes with being the king of the Pridelands. Even after his death, Simba still looks towards his father for guidance, as do his grandson Kion and old friend Rafiki, making him the BigGood of the franchise.
* BloodlessCarnage: His death is bloodless, even though he was trampled to death.
* BreakoutCharacter: In a film already deemed a cultural landmark, Mufasa's scenes are widely agreed to be among the most iconic of the film due to his timeless lessons he teaches, and even people who haven't seen the movie know of his tragic demise. So iconic is Mufasa to the film that when the [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019 2019 remake]] was made, James Earl Jones was the only surviving cast member from the original film to be brought back to reprise their role. That incarnation of Mufasa is also due to receive his own prequel/spin-off film, ''Mufasa: The Lion King'' in 2024, proving the enduring popularity of the character.
* BrutalHonesty: He is very frank about using Zazu as a target for Simba's pouncing lesson.
-->'''Zazu:''' What's going on?\\
'''Mufasa:''' ''[candidly]'' A pouncing lesson.
* CainAndAbel: With Scar. Mufasa is the Abel to Scar's Cain.
* CharacterDeath: One of the most realistic and saddest ones in Disney history. He's one of the few main characters in a Disney movie to permanently die.
* DeadPersonConversation: His spirit appears before Simba to remind him he's the true king.
* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: He's one of the greatest fathers in animation who happens to pass on in the middle of the film.
* DisneyVillainDeath: Although he is not a villain, he falls into a vicious stampede at the hands of one.
* DisappearedDad: Becomes this in the first film, because he's, you know, no longer alive.
* TheDreaded: The hyenas scatter at the sight of him.
* EtTuBrute: He had this reaction on his face moments before he was thrown off the cliff by his brother.
* {{Expy}}: Of [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} King Hamlet/The Ghost]], albeit more unambiguously heroic.
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: Thrown off a cliff and trampled to death in a wildebeest stampede, albeit off-screen.
* FantasticRacism: Hyenas are not allowed in the Pride Lands during his rule. We never learn whether or not this was justified or simply the natural rivalry of lions and hyenas at play, but the fact that the hyenas are going hungry is the reason Scar is able to strike a bargain with them in the first place.
** Given that they ''strip the Pride Lands bare'' under Scar, it seems to be ''completely'' justified.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Mufasa learns the hard way that being nice to an ObviouslyEvil sibling, who was scheming right behind his back, is not going to change his heart. And not even entirely behind his back. Scar all but announces on the day of Simba's presentation that he hates the new cub, wants the throne, that Mufasa should beware of him, and that he won't attempt to seize it by challenging him directly.
* FatalFlaw: Naïveté. He was so convinced in the fundamental goodness of everyone that he failed to see the evil in his power-hungry brother. Said brother ends up having him slaughtered.
* FramedForHeroism: Scar made it look this way to Simba when Mufasa's death was because of his attempt to rescue the cub.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: He respects all the animals in the Pridelands, even the ones he eats, because he acknowledges that they all have an important role in the Circle of Life.
* GeniusBruiser: While his strength is unquestionable, Mufasa is also a very smart and competent leader barring his FatalFlaw, as evidenced by [[GhibliHills the Pridelands during his reign]] and [[{{Mordor}} the Pridelands during Scar's reign]].
* GentleGiant: He is one big kitty, and he has an even bigger heart.
* GoodCannotComprehendEvil: His FatalFlaw. Despite their disputes, he [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter underestimates]] his younger brother Scar's jealousy of him and desire for the throne, believing in the [[ThickerThanWater importance of family]] and that Scar couldn't do something heinous as fratricide. [[spoiler:Mufasa only learned in the ''moment'' before his death that this is ''NOT'' the case, as Scar [[TheFarmerAndTheViper pays]] his kindness back by tossing him off a gorge. To twist the knife even further, Scar even rubs it in his brother's face, sadistically gloating "long live the king" with a SlasherSmile and making sure that his brother fully realizes what [[CainAndAbel his true nature]] is]].
* GoodIsNotDumb: Despite his claims, Scar actually is no smarter than his brother, yet is resentful that Mufasa gets to be King instead of him. When Scar eventually becomes king, it becomes clear he is not as wise as Mufasa; Scar is a shiftless hedonist who is not even remotely interested in maintaining the Pridelands. Overall, the only foolish thing Mufasa ''actually'' did was trusting [[ObviouslyEvil Scar]] until it was too late.
* TheGoodKing: It's telling that all of the Pridelands (even the animals that are essentially his ''food'') come to the presentation of his son. The animals are happy, respect him, and he respects them back.
* GoodParents: One of the best fathers in cinematic history. He loves his son Simba very much, and he saved his life not once, but twice, the latter of which resulted in his own death afterwards.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Although they butt heads briefly at the beginning of the movie, he never stops trusting his ObviouslyEvil brother until it's too late.
* HotBlooded: He and his son share this trait as they both can lose their tempers easily and are very passionate. However, Mufasa is shown to keep his temper in constant control, and only hints at his anger when Scar threatens him, whereas Simba in the sequel has a huge temper control problem.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: [[spoiler:''The Lion Guard'' reveals that he was the one who gave Scar his nickname after Scar was injured by a cobra bite. Mufasa obviously meant it as a joke to lighten the mood, but Scar took it as an incredibly personal insult, which turned Scar against him for life.]]
* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne:
-->'''Scar:''' Oh, I was first in line to be king... until the little hairball was born.\\
'''Mufasa:''' That 'hairball' is ''my'' son... and ''your'' future king.
* KingOfBeasts: He's a lion. A lion king, if you will.
* LanternJawOfJustice: He boasts a very strongly pronounced chin to go with his overall imposing stature.
* LargeAndInCharge: Is the biggest and brawniest lion in the movie.
* {{Leitmotif}}: His haunting theme was re-written for the Broadway show as "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0xU6Pu3ifw Shadowland]]."
* ManHug: Isn't shy about this with Rafiki.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: One of the most tragic examples. Mufasa dies protecting Simba, his son, after being thrown off the cliff to his death by Scar, [[EvilUncle his brother]].
* MuggleInMageCustody: He is mentored by the shaman Rafiki.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: According to the Hyenas, this is what Mufasa is. They're right.
* NiceGuy: One of the friendliest and most easygoing characters in the film. He truly cares about maintaining the Pridelands and speaks to Simba about the importance of responsibility.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Mufasa has a very understated sense of humor. For instance, while Zazu delivers the morning report to Mufasa, Simba tries to pounce a bug, but to no avail. Mufasa does not reprimand him but rather decides to indulge him by teaching him how to pounce properly... using Zazu as the pouncing target. And he is so frank about it when Zazu asks.
* NotSoStoic: He is visibly (and understandably) frightened when Scar was about to throw him off the cliff to his death.
* OneManArmy: He took down '''three hyenas ''' who [[PapaWolf threatened his son]] and Nala.
* PaleFemalesDarkMales: Inverted, Mufasa's fur color is lighter than Sarabi's.
* PapaWolf: One of the best examples of this trope, bar none. Don't you ''dare'' cause ''any'' harm to his kid, or he will ''find'' you and he will ''kick your ass''. Just ask Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed.
-->''"IF YOU EVER COME NEAR MY SON AGAIN...!!!"''
* PoorCommunicationKills: When he appears as a SpiritAdvisor to Simba, he helps get him out of his HeroicBSOD by telling him he must retake his place in the Circle of Life as the true king. However, he neglects to tell Simba, who was grieving not just his father's death but the misbelief that he was the one who accidentally killed him, that Scar was the one who actually killed him, instead simply telling Simba he has "forgotten who he is". So, when Simba returns to Pride Rock he is still burdened by this misbelief, which Scar uses to his advantage to get the rest of the pride to temporarily turn on Simba by making him "confess".
* PosthumousCharacter: For the last half of ''The Lion King'' onward, Mufasa is dead but his influence remains strong.
* ProphetEyes: He has these in his spirit form when he appears in the clouds to speak to Simba.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Unlike his brother (and his son at first), he knows that there's more to being king than just power and glory, and takes the responsibilities that come with the job very seriously.
* RedIsHeroic: Has a red mane and was the BigGood.
* RoyalBrat: [[spoiler:Averted. Scar claimed that when he told Mufasa about him eliminating the strange lion, Mufasa teased him by calling him Scar. However, it is very obvious that Mufasa's comment was merely a playful nickname and Scar's interpretation of it as disrespect was a result of his own ego. The fact that Scar's memories paint Mufasa as gloating indicates that Scar seems to genuinely see it as disrespect, but that is due to obvious SelfServingMemory.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He's TheGoodKing ''because'' he takes care of his responsibilities.
* SacrificialLion: Literally. His death is what gets the plot started, even though he's probably the most ferocious fighter in the film.
* ShipperWithAnAgenda: In the sequel, Mufasa's spirit gives a message to Rafiki that he wants to pair up Kiara and Kovu to resolve the war between the two prides and finally bring the two clans as one.
* SpiritAdvisor: To Simba, appearing in the clouds to guide him. By virtue of the apparently true belief that the Lion Kings become stars in the sky upon death, he's this to not only Simba but any of his descendants. However, it appears that he mostly only "speaks" directly to Rafiki, the shaman of the Pride Lands. However, he takes this job full time for his grandson Kion in ''The Lion Guard''.
* TheStoic: He doesn't generally show much emotion, and when he actually gets mad he is still pretty calm about it. He has no trouble being warm and playful with his son, though, and he shows plenty of warmth towards his grandson Kion in ''The Lion Guard''.
* ThickerThanWater:
** Despite all their animosity and how much of a pain Scar could be, he truly believed in this trope in regards to his brother and only learned in the ''moment'' before his death that this wasn't the case.
** In the ''Lion Guard'' episode "Can't Wait To Be Queen," he told Kion he had to stand by Kiara no matter what, showing that he still believes in the importance of family, even after Scar's betrayal.
* TragicHero: His [[FatalFlaw misplaced trust]] in Scar leads to his downfall.
* TrampledUnderfoot: His death by wildebeest stampede.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:His decision to harmlessly call his brother Scar, which is obviously a playful comment, causes Scar to completely interpret said comment as an insult, and with a such glaring attack on his ego and pride, causes him to start scheming to get Mufasa off the throne well before the cobra venom begins to induce its SanitySlippage. This makes him indirectly responsible for his own death and the events of the franchise.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scar]]
-->See his [[Characters/TheLionKingScar separate page]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nala]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lion_king_disneyscreencapscom_8438.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Don't you understand? You're our only hope!"'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote: As a cub]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lion_king_disneyscreencapscom_2054.png[[/labelnote]]]]

-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/NiketaCalame (cub, ''TLK''), Creator/MoiraKelly (adult, films, ''VideoGame/DisneyDreamlightValley''), Creator/GabrielleUnion (adult, ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'')
-->'''Singing by:''' Laura Williams (cub, ''TLK''), Sally Dworsky (adult, ''TLK'')
-->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Creator/KarlaFalcon (cub), Creator/MariaFernandaMorales (adult)
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by''': Junko Yamamoto (cub,''TLK''), Risa Uchida (cub, theater play), RICO[[note]]Real name: Riko Hanamura[[/note]] (adult, both acting and songs)
-->'''Voiced in European French:''' Sybille Tureau (adult), Morganne Flahaut (cub, first movie)
-->'''Voiced in Brazilian Portuguese by:''' Carla Pompilio (adult), Roberta Madruga (cub), Kika Tristão (singing, adult), Nanná Tribuzy (singing, cub)
-->'''Voiced in Hebrew by:''' Rona Danieli (cub), Sarit Vino-Elad (adult)
-->'''Voiced in Zulu by:''' Khombi Sangweni (cub), Wendy Molefe (adult)

Simba's childhood playmate, best friend, and later, wife.
----
* ActionGirl: Simba has never won a fight against her, and she beats some hyenas in the climax.
* ActionMom: In the sequel to Kiara and she shows she can still kick ass despite being older.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: After Simba pulls her into an oasis, she immediately gets out, shivering and having an absolutely ''terrified'' expression, but once Simba gets out next to her she just smirks at him in amusement at his joke and his ridiculous appearance. She still takes revenge on him though by playfully shoving him back in.
* AdaptationDyeJob: Her eyes were originally green, but ''Simba's Pride'' colors them blue.
* AffectionHatingKid: Used to be one; she is completely grossed out at the notion of marrying and being lovey-dovey with Simba, finding it very weird at the time.
* ArrangedMarriage: Was betrothed to Simba when they were cubs.
* BabiesEverAfter: With Simba -- the ending of the first movie shows that they had a cub together, who turns out to be Kiara. Then, they have another child, a son, named Kion.
* BestHerToBedHer: Downplayed with her and Simba. The two of them were childhood friends that occasionally wrestled, with Nala always easily winning. After they reunite as adults (after Nala beat Simba once again), they were already falling in love with each other, with the two of them nuzzling together, going on what is essentially a date together, playfully teasing each other, and flirting together. But, at the climax of their FallingInLoveMontage, Simba ''finally'' manages to "beat" her when they start to playfully wrestle together, resulting in them [[LiterallyFallingInLove rolling down a hill together]] and him (accidentally) pinning her by landing on top of her. She noticeably becomes even more affectionate with Simba after this, immediately "rewarding" him with a [[SmoochOfVictory surprise lick on the cheek]] and [[HeldGaze gazing up at him seductively]] as he lays on top of her, and it is heavily implied that [[spoiler:they mated afterwards, resulting in her getting pregnant]].
* BlowingARaspberry: Young Nala does this to Zazu behind his back during "I Just Can't Wait to Be King."
* BrattyHalfPint: As a cub, she was just as cheeky and mischievous as Simba. She goes along with Simba's plan to ditch Zazu in a big musical number. Later she argues with Simba over whose idea it was, wrestles him and teases him when she beats him, even though Simba was prince of the Pridelands at the time.
* BrokenWinLossStreak: She successfully beat Simba three times times in a row, twice as cubs and once as adults, all by using the same move to flip him over and then slam him down to pin him. This ends up coming to an end during their FallingInLoveMontage, when the two of them tumble down a hill together and Simba finally ends up pinning her when he lands on top of her. Nala [[GracefulLoser accepts her defeat]] by rewarding Simba with a [[SmoochOfVictory lick on the cheek]] and a seductive stare.
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: Zigzagged with Simba. When they meet again as adults, Nala remains unaware of Simba's trauma and that he's still hurting from said trauma of his father's death and blaming himself for it. As such, she doesn't comfort him but gives him a WhatTheHellHero moment on him refusing to go home.
* ByTheHair: She does this to Simba during their fight in the jungle, clawing at his mane and managing to briefly pull it over his eyes.
* CatsHateWater: Shows this as an adult. When Simba surprises her and pulls her into a oasis they were just drinking from, she immediately gets out, shivering with a horrified expression and soaking wet. Then she smirks at Simba and playfully shoves him back in as revenge.
* CharacterDevelopment: In ''Simba's Pride'', Nala has become slightly more mild-mannered and motherly, but continues to act 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 seems to be less judgmental than Simba. When Simba refused to trust Kovu simply because of his outsider status, Nala and Rafiki are able to change his decision and Simba reserves his judgment to see if Kovu could be trusted.
* ChekhovsSkill: Her pin move is how Simba comes to recognize her as adults, since he remembers when she used it on him as cubs. [[spoiler:Simba later uses it himself to defeat Scar.]]
* {{Chickification}}: She easily defeats several hyenas at once in the first film, but needs Kion to save her with the roar in the TV series when fighting younger, less savage hyenas.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: With Simba, they even provide the page quote for the trope. They grew up playing around and then, after they finished growing up, they became the RulingCouple of the Pride Lands.
* CompositeCharacter: In terms of ''Hamlet'' parallels, although she is usually compared to and claimed to be based on Ophelia (love interest and token young female), Nala has more in common with Horatio (closest friend of the hero, acts as his conscience and voice of reason).
* CurbStompBattle: She easily beat Simba twice when they were just cubs, flipping and pinning him with no struggle even when he pounced first ''and'' surprised her. Subverted later when they fight more evenly as adults, though she still pins him the exact same way she did when they were cubs, though the fight ended because Simba realized who she was.
* DamselErrant: Nala is the one who goes out and gets Simba back from his banishment in order to save the pride and the Pridelands.
* DamselInDistress: When they were cubs Simba saved her from Shenzi when she was almost caught and eaten.
* DanceBattler: In the stage musical during the fight with the hyenas.
* DeadpanSnarker: While she had this trait primarily as a cub, she does show it on occasion as an adult, specifically when she mocks Simba with "I laugh in the face of danger" comment to note on his change in personality.
* DeathGlare: After pinning Simba during their fight in the jungle, she glares at him menacingly as she holds him down and growls at him, practically nose to nose with him. It is unknown if this was simply a warning for him not to interfere in her hunt again or if she would have killed him before he recognized her.
* DemotedToExtra: Averted, as her role in the first film was pretty small itself. She is also completely absent in the video games and ''Timon and Pumbaa'' TV series.
* DidntSeeThatComing: When she attacks Timon and Pumbaa and Simba lunges at her out of nowhere she pauses for a moment with a brief [[OhCrap look of shock]] on her face. She clearly did not expect to see another lion, or get attacked by one. Though she quickly regains focus by the time Simba gets her to the ground and quickly manages to break free from his grasp and fight back.
* DisappearedDad: Her father is never mentioned in the original movie. ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'' reveals that [[spoiler:Nala's father was once saved by the Lion Guard of his day when he fell out of a tree as a cub.]]
* EasilyForgiven: From Pumbaa's point of view - he immediately cozies up to Nala in spite of the fact that she tried to hunt him down and kill him as prey. Timon even lampshades this afterwards.
* EarlyBirdCameo: She can actually be seen sleeping in the den with the other lions when Simba goes to wake up Mufasa. She can be identified in the sleeping pile because she is noticeably smaller than the other lionesses.
* {{Expy}}: Of both [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Ophelia and Horatio]] in the first film, and of [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Lady Capulet]], if only by default, in the sequel.
* FascinatingEyebrow: Her response to Simba playfully pulling her into the oasis, after [[CatsHateWater overcoming her initial shock from it]], is to raise an eyebrow and smirk at Simba [[ActuallyPrettyFunny in amusement]] at both his prank on her and [[EndearinglyDorky his ridiculous appearance with his wet mane covering his face and giving her a goofy smile]]. This is immediately followed by [[RestrainedRevenge her playfully pushing him back into the water as revenge]] and running off for him to chase her.
* FormerlyFit: Inverted. In ''Simba's Pride'' she is shown to have gained a much bulkier, powerful frame compared to her appearance in the first film, due to eating better without the strain caused by Scar's famine.
* FourthDateMarriage: Zig-zagged with Simba. They were best friends in childhood, but after learning they were [[ArrangedMarriage betrothed to be married]] they were both disgusted, finding the idea of being married to their best friend too weird. When they reunite as adults after years apart, they fall in love almost instantly. Simba goes on a romantic walk with Nala around the jungle, serving as their "first date" together, with the two of them playing and flirting together, and heavily implied they [[spoiler:conceived a child together]]. Once when Simba becomes king, he and Nala are married as they were originally betrothed.
* FurryReminder: Though Simba, Mufasa, Sarabi, the background lionesses, and even Scar have moments of acting like real lions at times (such as roaring when fighting), she is the only to be shown not just roaring but also trying to hunt another animal while roaring and growling at the same time.
* GirlinessUpgrade: Loses her tomboyish traits as an adult and becomes more mature and regal.
* GoodParents: Unlike Simba, who overprotects and stifles Kiara, Nala actually treats Kiara as a mature adult.
* GracefulLoser: Once Simba finally manages to pin her as adults she just smiles and gives him a lick on the cheek as a reward and gazes seductively at him.
* GrinOfAudacity: She says Simba's line of "I laugh at the face of danger" when they return to The Pride Lands together. A lesser example when she was a cub. After Simba pounced her and accidentally sent them both down a hill, she just laughs the whole way like it was some kind of ride and has a smile the whole time while Simba is shown to be scared and struggling to stay on top of Nala. Once they reach the bottom with Simba landing on top, [[AllForNothing Nala immediately flips and pins him again]], and rubs it in his face.
* TheHeart: Best shown when she tries to inform Simba of what has happened to their home.

* {{Herald}}: Nala revealing to Simba what happened after Scar took over the Pridelands is the first step to get him to return home.
* TheHighQueen: Since she is Simba's mate, Nala is technically the Queen of the Pridelands.
* INeverToldYouMyName: When she fights the "mysterious lion" in the forest, she eventually beats him by flipping him over and pinning him. As she holds him down, growling at him and [[DeathGlare glaring menacingly at him]] nose to nose, all he can do is look up at her helplessly, until he suddenly says her name. This shocks Nala into getting off of him, and after cautiously asking him who he is, he reveals he's her childhood friend Simba.
%%* InnocentSoprano: Thanks to Sally Dworsky.

** As a cub, she thought it would be "too weird" to be engaged to Simba, something the other cub agreed with it. As adults, they fall in love and become mates.
** Simba was never able to beat her in a fight. She beat him both times they wrestled as cubs, even when he tried to cheat, and then again as adults. She only ever "lost" to him by complete accident, getting pinned by him after they both rolled down a hill together and he just happened to finally land on top of her without even trying.
* JerkassHasAPoint: [[KidHasAPoint As a cub]], though she does it in a snarky and sassy way, she does have a right to speak out against Simba when [[GladIThoughtOfIt he tries to give himself all the credit]] for the two of them working together to escape Zazu. Similarly, her [[UnsportsmanlikeGloating teasing Simba for beating him in their little play fights]] also comes off as justified due to him starting those fights himself when he couldn't beat her arguments, and she only becomes smug towards him once he tries to blatantly cheat after she initially wins fair and square.
-->'''Simba:''' I am a genius.\\
'''Nala:''' Hey "genius", it was ''my'' idea.\\
'''Simba:''' Yeah, but ''[[ItsAllAboutMe I]]'' pulled it off.\\
'''Nala:''' With ''me''!
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: As a cub - she was quite sassy and teasing of Simba during their sparring, but was ultimately kindhearted.
* KingOfBeasts: Nala is the ruler of the beasts as well.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: She briefly has a serious battle with Simba when he attacks her to protect Pumbaa. The battle ends with them recognizing each other before any serious harm comes to either of them, though Nala came the closest to winning by pinning Simba [[RunningGag again]].
* LiterallyFallingInLove: With Simba towards the end of their FallingInLoveMontage. When the two of them start playfully wrestling together in the jungle, Nala ends up falling backwards while they are grappling, causing the two of them to accidentally tumble down a hill together. Nala ends up pinned by Simba when he lands on top of her, to their mutual amusement.
* MamaBear: Nala loves both of her cubs and does not hesitate to rescue them when they are in danger.
* MeaningfulName: "Nala" means "gift" in Swahili. It can be speculated that's because she is a foreign princess given to the Pride during some diplomatic exchange, but there is no canon indications (although her father is now clearly established to not be Scar or Mufasa).
* NiceGirl: Even though she's still a little snarky, she lost the "jerk" bit and became a wholly warm-hearted and genuinely caring adult.
* NobleBigot: She is part of the feud in Simba's Pride, but is open-minded to Kovu proving his worth when he saves her daughter and clearly disapproving of her husband's aggressive behaviors.
* OhCrap: She has a startled face when Simba appears in the jungle and lunges at her from out of nowhere. Though she almost instantly overcomes this by the time Simba tackles her to the ground, quickly breaking free and fighting back.
* OnlySaneWoman: Whenever it comes to bringing Simba to his senses, either as the King or as a parent. Somewhat {{Justified|Trope}}, since it's the lionesses who hold the pride together in RealLife.
* OpenMindedParent: She's more accepting of Kovu than Simba, who still held a grudge against the Outsiders, best shown in that she is the only person aside from Kiara to disapprove of Simba's decision to banish him.
* OutOfFocus: She doesn't get a lot of screen time in the first two movies, barely any in the third and does not appear in the ''Timon & Pumbaa'' TV series.
* PaleFemalesDarkMales: Nala's fur is lighter than Simba's.
* ParentalNeglect: She hardly appears at all to comfort Kiara throughout the second half of the film, and she makes no attempt to comfort her or confront Simba when he banishes Kovu despite it being an incredibly emotional moment.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: With Simba. Though initially they are both ''disgusted'' by the thought of marrying each other, due to them being best friends and thinking it would be "too weird", by the time they reunite as adults they almost instantly fall in love with each other and suddenly find the idea of getting married not weird or disgusting at all.
* PluckyGirl: She '''never''' gives up.
* PregnantBadass: It is heavily implied that Kiara was conceived in the ''Can You Feel The Love Tonight'' sequence, so Nala was pregnant with her while she was beating up hyenas in the final battle.
* RestrainedRevenge: Downplayed and played for laughs between her and Simba, with both of them doing this to each other in quick succession. During her FallingInLoveMontage with Simba, after he pranks her by grabbing her and pulling her into the oasis they were just drinking from, she is shown to have a ''[[CatsHateWater terrified]]'' look on her face and gets out immediately. Though she ultimately thinks it is ActuallyPrettyFunny, she still takes her revenge on Simba by playfully shoving him back in before running off, leading to him chasing her through the jungle. She lets him catch up to her quickly and they begin to playfully wrestle with each other like when they were cubs. While wrestling though, she ends up falling backwards with him on top of her and they tumble down a hill together while holding on to each other, resulting in Simba ''finally'' beating her by landing on top of her as they land, pinning her and [[BrokenWinLossStreak putting an end to her winning streak against him]]. The two of them just chuckle together over these series of events before realizing they have fallen in love.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Not a perfect example, but she is often kept out of focus.
* SignatureMove: Though she doesn't announce it or make a big deal about it, she is easily able to pin her opponents by flipping them with her legs after they tackle her, and then slam them to the ground so she ends up on top of them, pinning them. She uses this move to beat Simba twice in a row when they are just cubs, and Simba is able to recognize Nala when she uses it to beat him again as adults. [[spoiler:It ends up being a ChekhovsGun when Simba uses it himself partly in his battle with Scar, flipping Scar over and throwing him over the edge of Pride Rock.]]
* SmoochOfVictory: Downplayed. After Simba finally "beats" Nala, by pinning her after they tumble down a hill together, she licks his cheek (an animal form of kissing), which surprises him. They then begin to rub heads affectionately, officially becoming a couple by that point. [[spoiler:It is also heavily implied that they mated at that point, which conceived Kiara.]]
* SmugSmiler: Was one as a cub. After beating Simba she playfully teases him and turns away with a smug smile on her face, clearly proud of herself. After she does it again she smirks down at her friend and has a more smug tone instead of her previous playful one.
-->'''Nala''': Pinned ya ''again''.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: As an adult lioness, Nala is shown to strongly look like her mother.
* TookALevelInKindness: Like Simba, in regards to her relationship with Zazu, by the end of the film, she's no longer mischievous towards him and respects him now as a grown up.
* TomboyPrincess: 90's-era [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon Disney movies]] were known for these, and Nala is perhaps the best example. Though not really a "princess" herself, she was engaged to Simba, the prince, and was just as mischievous and bratty as a cub as he was, with her proving to be stronger than him by beating him in several play-fights. By adulthood she is still just as strong, still being capable of beating Simba and several hyenas, and is eventually made Queen officially when she marries Simba. Though this trope is subverted in her later appearances, when she undergoes a GirlinessUpgrade and becomes more motherly.
* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Mainly as a child. She beat Simba in their two fights, and is very adventurous and restless, but still looks distinctly feminine and feels comfortable being bathed.
* UndyingLoyalty: Even under the brief point Scar has convinced everyone Simba killed Mufasa, she calls out in horror when he nearly falls to his death.
* UnsportsmanlikeGloating: Downplayed. As a cub after first pinning Simba she chuckles playfully and teases him "Pinned ya" with a happy smile, showing it is in good fun. After Simba shows to be a SoreLoser though, telling her to let him up and pushing her off him, she has a proud victorious smirk on her face and turns away from him holding her head high, proud of herself for her victory. Then, after immediately pinning Simba once again when he pounces on her when she has her back turned, she smirks down at him arrogantly and brags "Pinned ya ''again''" in a more smug tone than her previously playful one. Possibly justified though as Simba had just tried to [[GladIThoughtOfIt steal credit for her idea]] ''and'' was the one who started both of their fights, so she may have teased him to get back and him and put him in his place.
* WomenAreWiser: A more justified case, given Simba's inner demons and circumstances, Nala often ends up playing the voice of reason, especially in regards to being a parent. Subverted as a cub where she was just as mischievous as Simba.
* YourSizeMayVary: ''The Lion Guard'' bizarrely shows her much smaller than she is in previous films.

[[folder:Zazu]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/profile___zazu.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250: ''"Well, I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little hair!"'']]

-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/RowanAtkinson (original film), Creator/EdwardHibbert (''Simba's Pride'', ''1 1/2''), Creator/MichaelJGough (''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa''), Creator/JeffBennett (Creator/{{IMAX}} re-release ("The Morning Report"), ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'')
-->'''Voiced in German by:''' Eberhard Prüter (films, ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa''), Stefan Krause (''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'')
-->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Eduardo Tejedo
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Hideyuki Umezu
-->'''Voiced in European French by:''' Michel Prud'homme
-->'''Voiced in Brazilian Portuguese by:''' Pádua Moreira, Rodrigo Oliveira (''The Lion Guard'')
-->'''Voiced in Hebrew by:''' Ohad Shachar
-->'''Voiced in Zulu by:''' Mandla Buthelezi

An uptight but kindly red-billed hornbill serves as majordomo to Mufasa, Scar and Simba.

* ActorAllusion: A ServileSnarker who finds himself subject to all sorts of hijinks while serving the monarch? Not the first time Rowan Atkinson voiced [[Series/{{Blackadder}} such a character]].
* AdaptationalHeroism: His ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' counterpart Polonius is, though not exactly a villain, a much more negative character who is killed accidentally by the title character while spying on him for Claudius. Zazu, on the other hand, is genuinely loyal, hates Scar (Claudius), and survives the film.
* AdaptationalJerkass: The ''Timon and Pumbaa'' series turns him from a loyal NiceGuy who serves a good king into a finicky and pompous JerkWithAHeartOfGold under pressure from his supervisors.
* AmazingTechnicolorWildlife: Zazu has blue feathers, but actual red-billed hornbills are black and white.
* BadlyBatteredBabysitter: He goes through hell and back to keep Simba and Nala safe. Simba actually ''stages an extravagant musical number'' so he and Nala can visit the elephant graveyard without Zazu standing in the way.
** Early script drafts also reveal that he was Mufasa's babysitter too, and that Mufasa was just as rambunctious - if not worse - than Simba.
* BattleButler: In the final battle, he, Timon and Pumbaa all manage to beat up Shenzi and Banzai offscreen.
* {{Birdcaged}}: What Scar does to him when he takes over, apparently just because he doesn't like him. He ends up like this again in the episode "The Morning Report", after getting captured by Janja's clan under the orders by [[spoiler:Scar's spirit]].
* BlueIsHeroic: He's a blue-feathered hornbill who is also a loyal follower and advisor of the royal family. He can seem stern, no-nonsense and irritable but he's also very smart and rational, and he always has the well-being of the Pride Lands at heart.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: [[Theatre/TheLionKing On stage]], he does this a couple times:
** In "I Just Can't Wait To Be King", he comments that something "wasn't in the cartoon," before quipping that the curtain that falls after the song ends looks like a cheap shower curtain from <insert local store here>. During the song, Simba steals the puppet and the actor gets understandably upset with him about it.
** After that sequence, when Mufasa pretends to fire him, the puppet attacks its operator, with some productions having him growl "This is all ''your'' fault!" at him before doing so.
* ButtMonkey: Starts out as Mufasa's PR guy and constantly finds himself at the butt of Simba's antics, including a pouncing lesson initiated by Mufasa in which Zazu is ordered to be Simba's practice target. Taken up to eleven after Scar takes over, when he is essentially reduced to Scar's court jester. He is almost eaten by the hyenas on several occasions.
* TheComicallySerious: The prim and proper hornbill clearly takes his role as the king's royal advisor but he's constantly the ButtMonkey by the other lions (like Simba and Scar for example) and the 3 hyenas. He does have a bit of a sassy attitude when relating to such characters.
* CoolOldGuy: His age isn't mentioned much at all throughout the films and TV shows, but going by the film's early script drafts and by the stage version, he's old enough to have babysat Mufasa. ''The Lion Guard'' has Bunga admit that Zazu is getting old, so it is implied he is in at least advanced middle age for a hornbill. Later on in the second film, he is shown trying to relax Simba about Kiara's first hunt and it is indicated that he thinks the king should not need to be overprotective.
* ADayInTheLimelight: While ''Timon & Pumbaa'' mostly centered around the titular duo, he got two episodes with starring roles. In ''The Lion Guard'', he got his own major role in "The Morning Report".
* DeadpanSnarker: Especially when "babysitting" Nala and Simba.
* DemotedToExtra: During the second half of the first movie and its sequels.
* DesignatedMonkey: Is treated in-universe as pathetic for no real reason.
* {{Expy}}: Of [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Polonius]] as well as [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Sebastian]].
* FeatherFingers: He can grasp things as if he had hands.
* TheFinickyOne: A much more positive example. Zazu is the stuffy, straight-laced and serious voice of reason who wants to keep the Pridelands in order, but is not a jerk about it.
* TheGenieKnowsJackNicholson: Like Timon and Pumbaa, he's familiar with real-world songs and sings three of them when acting as Scar's jester.
* HeroicSacrifice: He once attempted to offer himself to be fed to the crocodiles in exchange for a younger Kion and Bunga, who challenged the crocodiles for no reason, to be let go, even placing himself into Makuu's jaws. This act of bravery and selflessness impressed Pua that he let all of them go.
* HurricaneOfPuns: His morning report, both the spoken and sung version.
-->'''Zazu:''' Well! The ''buzz'' from the bees is that the leopards are in a bit of a ''spot''. And the baboons are going ''ape'' over this. Of course, the giraffes are acting like they're ''above it all''. The tick birds are pecking on the elephants. I told the elephants to ''forget'' it, but they ''can't''. The cheetahs are hard up, but I always say...''cheetahs never prosper...''
* InkSuitActor: You can see something of Rowan Atkinson's nose and eyebrows in his appearance.
* IronButtMonkey: This little bird can take a beating.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: In the TV series, in which he is more of a finicky perfectionist, but has a heart.
* LovableCoward: Zazu is cowardly, neurotic and a little paranoid but still a caring and loyal friend to the lions (except Scar, understandably).
* MadeOfIron: He survives being in Scar's mouth (with all associated teeth, even if Scar doesn't bite him), being run over twice by a stampede of animals in "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" and being shoved into a volcanic vent by the hyenas. And being struck by lightning in the TV series.
* MediumAwareness: In the stage version, the Zazu puppet seems to be intended to show awareness that it's a puppet, mainly because of RuleOfFunny. It even gets mad at its operator at one point!
* NiceGuy: In the movie, he is generally very well mannered, dignified and friendly, only losing his patience or getting irritated with anyone who aggravates him.
* NonActionGuy: In the stage version, he's the only one who doesn't even attempt to fight during the final battle. Instead, we see him running/flying from a hyena in panic (likely because they don't want to risk damaging the puppet while simulating a struggle).
* NoodleIncident: Mentions having two troublesome relatives who "always manage to ruin special occasions".
* NoRespectGuy: Best in "I Just Can't Wait to Be King."
* NotSoAboveItAll: Hoots and hollers with Timon and Pumbaa after they kick some hyena butt.
* NumberTwo: To Mufasa as his number one advisor.
* OldRetainer: It's implied in the Broadway production that he's been with the royal family at least long enough to have known Mufasa when he was a cub. Supplementary (though probably non-canon, especially since there are two contradictory sources for it) works suggest that Zazu started working with Mufasa back when he was still a hatchling--one of them states that he inherited the majordomo position from his mother.
* OlderThanTheyLook: He hasn't aged much from Simba's birth to when Kiara is a young adult.
* OnlySaneMan: In "I Just Can't Wait to Be King."
* OutOfFocus: Especially in the third film.
* ServileSnarker: Even more so in the Broadway stage version, where he throws a lot of verbal jabs at Scar.
-->'''Scar''': [[LonelyAtTheTop Here I am at the pinnacle and yet the view is bleak]]. What is wrong with this picture?
-->'''Zazu''': [[RuleOfFunny You're in it, sire?]]
* ShipperOnDeck: For Simba and Nala. He appears to be delighted when he sees the two talking together, unaware that they're actually plotting to ditch him in the most humiliating way possible.
* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs:
-->"It's ''Mister'' Banana-Beak to you, Fuzzy!"
* TokenFlyer: While he doesn't do much in the films, Zazu is the only bird character among the main cast of animals.
* ToothyBird: Depending on the facial gesture he makes, sometimes he appears to have a beak full of teeth. This particularly shows in ''Timon and Pumbaa''.
* UndyingLoyalty: His loyalty to the royal family is unwavering. This even extends to Scar, until Simba returns; he hates him, but still tries to act as an advisor out of respect for the office and it's succession.
* VagueAge: It's unclear just how old Zazu's supposed to be in relation to the lion characters. Some sources (like the stage version and an early draft of the script) imply that he's older than Mufasa, having acted as his babysitter like he did for Simba, but others (including two likely non-canon storybooks) imply that he and Mufasa are fairly close in age, with Mufasa even being ''older'' than Zazu in one of these sources. Not helped at all by the fact that the average lifespan of a lion and a red-billed hornbill in real life are fairly similar (15 years at the oldest for both species).
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Stage version only; presumably due to the difficulty in translating the film version of events to the stage version, we never find out ''how'' Zazu escaped his cage in the final battle. The fact that he's being chased by a hyena in that sequence implies that it accidentally crashed into his cage, but it's not clear.

[[folder:Rafiki]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/profile___rafiki.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:''"It is time!"'']]

-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/RobertGuillaume (films, ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'', ''Kingdom Hearts II''), Creator/KharyPayton (''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'')
-->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Genaro Vásquez
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Ryuji Saikachi (until ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'''s first season), Masao Komaya (second season onwards)
-->'''Voiced in European French by:''' Creator/MedHondo
-->'''Voiced in Brazilian Portuguese by:''' Pietro Mário
-->'''Voiced in Hebrew by:''' Shlomo Bar-Shavit
-->'''Voiced in Zulu by:''' Jeremia Ndlovu

A mandrill (or baboon as he is referred to as in-universe) who is a wise, if eccentric friend to the lions.

* AscendedExtra: While Rafiki is a vital character he doesn't get much to do until the last third of the film, while in the stage show Rafiki is the one who sings two of the musical's [[ShowStopper Show Stoppers,]] "The Circle of Life" and the reprise of "He Lives In You".
* BewareTheSillyOnes: He looks like he's a useless doddery old senile ape, but in truth he gives Simba vital guidance; he's pivotal in persuading him to return home. The hyenas also find out the hard way that being old and silly doesn't mean he can't open a serious can of whoop-ass.
* BigGood: Rafiki takes this role in ''The Lion Guard'', providing the heroes guidance.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Although his weird antics might just be for Simba's benefit.
* CaneFu: Can kick serious butt with his staff.
* CartoonyTail: His tail can defy gravity. It's also shaped like a baboon tail rather than a short, stubby mandrill tail.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: The goofy rhyme cements it.
* CoolOldGuy: A cool primate who has a way of teaching his methods.
* CourtMage: Animal version. He doesn't do anything outright magical, but he's definitely some kind of Seer or Witch Doctor, able to sense that Simba's alive by reading certain signs, and seemingly communicate with Mufasa's spirit, even guiding Simba into a VisionQuest. His position is also well known and respected, seeing the animals bow as he makes his way during 'The Circle of Life'.
* {{Cuckoosnarker}}: Rafiki delivers this one towards Simba when the latter asks if he will cut it out when he makes annoying sounds.
-->'''Rafiki''': Can't cut it out. It grows right back.
* DelightingInRiddles: Takes great joy in annoying Simba with [[ProverbialWisdom his cryptic metaphors]].
* DopeSlap: Rafiki isn't afraid to crack someone over the head with his walking stick if they aren't catching on with his lessons well enough. He even uses the smack itself as the cornerstone of teaching Simba about learning from the past rather than running from it.
* EarlyBirdCameo: He appears a few times in the first half of the film, then he appears to Simba in adulthood and eventually inspires him to return to Pride Rock and take his rightful place as king.
* EccentricMentor: Looks like a crazy old monkey, but has great wisdom (and kung-fu skills). The way he teaches a lesson to Simba is...creative.
* {{Expy}}: In the ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''-esque ''Simba's Pride'', he becomes the equivalent of Friar Laurence.
* TheGadfly: He is very clearly having a lot of fun messing around with Simba; he interrupts his brooding before giving an ArmorPiercingResponse and then immediately running away, laughing the whole time.
* GenderFlip: Becomes female in the stage production, as the creators felt there was a serious dearth of female characters.
* InformedSpecies: Downplayed. Rafiki ''does'' look like a mandrill for the most part, but his thin lanky build, long tail, and his habitat being the savannah -- rather than a rainforest as is the case with real-life mandrills -- are more reminiscient of a baboon, hence why he's referred to as one or the other depending on context. According to the creators, Rafiki ''is'' supposed to be a mandrill and he deliberatly moved to the Pride Lands of his own accord rather than being from there, but the rest is likely just ArtisticLicense.
* IntelligentPrimate: A mandrill who, while still a [[SillySimian humorous character]], is shown to also be a BunnyEarsLawyer and a wise mentor. In the first film, he helps Simba get over the death of his father Mufasa by teaching him that he can either run from his past or learn from it.
* LargeHam: He is very exuberant and loud, especially when laughing.
* LetsGetDangerous: Kicks serious hyena butt during the battle.
* LongLived: Rafiki was old and doddering when Simba was born and continues to remain the same after Kiara grows up. He's survived at least 3 generations of lions and never seems to age.
* MagicalNegro: Only plays into this trope because he is the only character with an African accent and he is wise helpful and Magical.
* MageTower: He is the Pride Lands' resident WitchDoctor, and he lives in a tall, isolated tree - a sort of natural tower.
* TheMatchmaker: In ''Simba's Pride'' he does this to Kiara and Kovu.
* MeaningfulName: Rafiki means "friend" in Swahili.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Surprisingly {{averted}}. Rafiki doesn't die in any of the ''Lion King'' movies, though Simba's other mentor Mufasa does.
* MinoredInAsskicking: Doesn't actually partake in any fighting until the climax.
* MuggleInMageCustody: The "mage" who tutors the "muggle" Simba.
* NiceGuy: He can sometimes be mischievous and confusing, but he makes no secret of being an honorable, wise and genuinely helpful figure who wishes the best for anyone.
* ObfuscatingInsanity: Just whether Rafiki is actually mad is up for debate; is he mad and gone a little crackers... or does he just do it to unnerve everyone and get the upper hand? He's certainly dangerous when he wants to be, so the last might be the truth. Whatever the case is, Mufasa certainly trusts him enough to baptise his son and it seems that only Mufasa and Rafiki (and probably Sarabi) know the truth.
* OffhandBackhand: Pulls off this stunt on a hyena.
* OldMaster: An old teacher to Mufasa and eventually, Simba.
* OneManArmy: He beat several hyenas easily.
* ShipperOnDeck: Following urging from Mufasa's spirit, Rafiki helps strengthen the bond between Kiara and Kovu in the sequel.
* SillySimian: Though he is a wise master, he's also a LargeHam who enjoys messing with the characters he helps.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: May have been based on Yorick from ''Hamlet''. Yorick was dead before the start of the play.
* TenorBoy: Thanks to his voice actor Robert Guillaume.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. He functions as the Pridelands' therapist.
* ThirdPersonPerson: One of his many quirks.
* TricksterMentor: Rafiki looks like he's a useless doddery old senile primate but in truth gives vital guidance. And he can really open a can of whoopass on hyenas.
* UndyingLoyalty: Like Zazu, he displays this to the royal family.
* WarriorTherapist: He helps Simba to fully move on from his father's death.
* WhenEldersAttack: He smacks down a group of Hyenas with his stick during the final battle.
* WitchDoctor: He carries a staff decorated with rattling gourds, acknowledges Simba (and later Simba's son) as the rightful heir, [[DeadPersonConversation talks to Mufasa's spirit]], acts as Simba's wise mentor, and otherwise fills this role for the Pride Lands. However, the only actual magic he's seen to perform is a sort of scrying, when he discovers that Simba is still alive.

[[folder:Sarabi]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lion_king_disneyscreencapscom_8757.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Simba! You're alive?! How can that be?"]]

-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/MadgeSinclair
-->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Ángela Villanueva
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Haruko Kitahama
-->'''Voiced in European French by:''' Nicole Raucher
-->'''Voiced in Brazilian Portuguese by:''' Maria Helena Pader
-->'''Voiced in Hebrew by:''' Tami Spivak
-->'''Voiced in Zulu by:''' Lilian Dube

Simba's mother and Mufasa's mate.

* ActionMom: Not seen as much, but she doesn't back away from a fight, [[spoiler:as evidenced in the climax]].
* AdaptationalHeroism: Unlike her ''Hamlet'' counterpart, Gertrude, she doesn't marry her brother-in-law after her husband's death and refuses to kowtow to Scar's tyrannical manners.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: She doesn't take any of Scar's crap lying down, even though she is largely powerless to stop him. And once Simba forces the truth out of him, she rallies to the defense of her home and family.
* {{Expy}}: Of [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Gertrude]], albeit much less morally gray, just like her husband Mufasa.
* GoodParents: Though Mufasa gets more focus, Sarabi is portrayed as a nurturing mother to Simba during her bit of screentime.
* TheHighQueen: When Mufasa was alive, Sarabi was the Queen of the Pridelands.
* IdiotBall: It's ''very'' brief and [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]], but noticeable. [[spoiler:When Scar browbeats Simba into "confessing" to causing his father's death, Sarabi walks up to Simba and asks him if it's true in a rather worried, desperate tone of voice (as if she actually thinks both the accusation and "confession" are legitimate). The fact that Scar has been such a [[TheCaligula tyrannical ruler]] this whole time and the fact that he had just slapped her makes one wonder why Sarabi would take ''anything'' he says seriously. Also, it apparently didn't occur to Sarabi that Simba was ''only a child at the time''.]]
* LadyOfWar: Mufasa's queen and thus the leader of the lionesses.
* MamaBear: In the [[spoiler:climax, where she dashes to Simba's aid when he's under attack by hyenas]].
* MeaningfulName: Sarabi is Swahili for "mirage".
* NiceGirl: She is generally portrayed as tender, warm and friendly.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Her attempts to convince Scar to leave the Pride Lands in search of a better haven fall on his deaf ears, which also leads to her getting an undeserved BitchSlap from Scar.
* NotSoStoic: Upon finding out that [[spoiler:it was Scar who killed Mufasa, she is absolutely livid]].
* PaleFemalesDarkMales: Inverted with Sarabi as her fur color is darker than Mufasa's.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She at least ''tries'' to stand up to [[TheCaligula Scar]] when it becomes apparent that he is willing to let his pride starve.
* TheStoic: She is usually soft-spoken and collected. She stands up to Scar's verbal abuse (and the chomping maws of the hyena horde on her way to him) with dignity and calm, only raising her voice when telling Scar that his selfishness will bring about the pride's extinction.

[[folder:Timon and Pumbaa]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Timon_And_Pumbaa_8287.jpg]]

->''"Hakuna Matata!"''

-->'''Timon voiced in English by:''' Creator/NathanLane (films, ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'', season 1), Kevin Schon (''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'', ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard''), Creator/QuintonFlynn (''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'', season 1), Bruce Lanoil (Aladdin DVD, ''Kingdom Hearts II'')
-->'''Timon voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Raúl Aldana (acting), Raúl Carballeda (songs)
-->'''Timon voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/YujiMitsuya (acting and songs)
-->'''Timon voiced in European French by:''' Creator/JeanPhilippePuymartin
-->'''Pumbaa voiced in English by:''' Creator/ErnieSabella
-->'''Pumbaa voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Creator/FranciscoColmenero (acting and songs)
-->'''Pumbaa voiced in Japanese by:''' Atomu Kobayashi (films, ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'' and theater play), Hiroshi Hatanaka (''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'' from episode 5 onwards, ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'', ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'')
-->'''Pumbaa voiced in European French by:''' Michel Elias
-->'''Timon voiced in Brazilian Portuguese by:''' Pedro Lopes, Fernando Mendonça (''The Lion Guard'')
-->'''Pumbaa voiced in Brazilian Portuguese by:''' Creator/MauroRamos
-->'''Timon voiced in Hebrew by:''' Tomer Sharon
-->'''Pumbaa voiced in Hebrew by:''' Ami Mendelman
-->'''Timon voiced in Zulu by:''' Bham Ntabene
-->'''Pumbaa voiced in Zulu by:''' Thapelo Mofokeng

A meerkat and warthog who raised Simba after the latter ran away from the Pride Lands. When Simba returned to the Pride Lands, Timon and Pumbaa went with him.

* AmazingTechnicolorWildlife: Pumbaa is a red warthog.

* ToiletHumor: Pumbaa's farting.
%%ZCE * WhatTheHellHero: Pumbaa gives one to Timon in the midquel for refusing to help Simba. He also gives him one in the ''Timon & Pumbaa'' episode "To Kilimanjaro Bird" for stealing a bowl of grubs from an eaglet named Earl.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Part of Scar's downfall lies in him completely underestimating the hyenas. He considers them undignified, idiotic and insane, but Shenzi demands respect, Banzai has a strong sense of pride, and Ed is surprisingly coherent. It all backfires on him when he betrays them. Ed in particular--he appears to be the stupidest of them all, but his trademark dumb laughter turns bone-chillingly evil as they advance on Scar.

* ObfuscatingInsanity: Just whether Rafiki is actually mad is up for debate; is he mad and gone a little crackers... or does he just do it to unnerve everyone and get the upper hand? He's certainly dangerous when he wants to be, so the last might be the truth. Whatever the case is, Mufasa certainly trusts him enough to baptise his son.