Do we like Mufasa?
A character from The Lion King (1994)
Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, easily. He is a strong and fair king and a loving dad. His one real blind spot is that he trusts family too much.
Mufasa is the king of the Pride Lands at the start of The Lion King. He is a big, golden-furred lion who rules alongside his mate Sarabi. His son Simba is his heir, and Mufasa spends the early part of the film preparing the cub for that role. He shows Simba the kingdom and explains the responsibilities that come with it. He also sets the boundaries, such as which places are too dangerous to visit.
Mufasa is dignified without being cold. He respects every creature, including ones far below him in rank, and he has a playful side with his son. Fans sometimes call him an ideal king: powerful, but kind. He is strict with Simba when he has to be, and gentle when it counts. His main flaw is that he is a poor judge of character and is slow to see trouble coming from his own family. That is a small fault in a character who is otherwise very good.
That is why he scores a 9. He does almost no harm and a great deal of good. He is a model of how to rule and how to be a father. He loses a point only because his trusting nature leaves the people he protects exposed. We would back him without hesitation.
Mufasa is killed by his jealous brother Scar, who wants the throne. The death sets the rest of the story in motion. Mufasa returns as a ghost, appearing to the grown Simba in the sky to remind him of who he is and to urge him to take his place as king. His influence is felt through the rest of the film.