Do we like them?

Do we like Rafiki?

A character from The Lion King (1994)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Odd, funny and a bit cryptic, but he's wise, loyal and always nudging people toward doing the right thing. We'd back him, and we'd bring a stick.

Rafiki is a mandrill who lives in a baobab tree at the edge of the Pride Lands. He's a mystic and healer, and he presents the newborn heir to the kingdom to the gathered animals. He paints, chants and talks to himself, and nobody is quite sure how much he really knows.

What makes him lovable is that he's playful and silly on the surface but sharp underneath. He understands the story's big themes, like responsibility, where you come from and who you choose to be, and he teaches them through riddles, songs and the occasional whack with his staff.

He scores high because he does real good and almost no harm. He's the one who won't let a young lion hide from his past, and he does it with warmth and humour. The only things against him are his cryptic habits and a tendency to let people stumble toward the answer rather than just saying it.