Mufasarabi

Mufasarabi
GENERAL
The Lion King
Character	Mufasa
Character	Sarabi
Canonical?	Canon
Status of Relationship	Mates; Mufasa is dead
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Het

1

Mufasarabi is the het ship between Mufasa and Sarabi from The Lion King fandom.

Canon

1994 continuity

In The Lion King, Sarabi is first seen cradling her and Mufasa’s newborn son Simba. Mufasa greets her with an affectionate nuzzle, and repeats the action as both look lovingly upon their young son. They later share a loving look as Rafiki takes Simba for his presentation to the denizens of the Pride Lands. At some point afterwards, the pair agreed that Simba would be betrothed to Nala, a lioness of about the same age.

One morning, a somewhat older Simba came to wake his sleeping parents. Sarabi sleepily informed her mate that their son had arrived. Mufasa retorted, somewhat grumpily, that Simba wasn’t his son until the sun came up. Both parents got up, and Sarabi watched fondly as her mate and son walked off together.

Sadly, Sarabi would soon be left to mourn Mufasa after he was killed, supposedly in a stampede. The grief-stricken queen was seen being comforted by Mufasa’s majordomo as Mufasa’s brother Scar assumed the throne. Later, when Scar refused to heed her counsel to leave the Pride Lands so that the Pride could find food, she became disgusted. She accused Scar of not being even “half the king Mufasa was”, and was struck for her defiance.

When Simba, who had fled as a child and now returned home an adult, appeared, Sarabi briefly mistook him for Mufasa. When Scar accused Simba of being responsible for Mufasa’s death, and Simba-unaware of the true circumstances-confirmed it, Sarabi was horrified. She pleaded with Simba to deny it, unable to believe that her husband had been killed by their son. Her instincts would prove accurate, as Scar soon-foolishly-confessed that he had killed Mufasa.

2019 continuity

The 2019 remake of The Lion King plays out much the same as the original film, including Mufasa and Sarabi’s interactions and relationship. However, there is one fairly significant change. In this canon, Scar was also enamored of Sarabi. Sarabi chose Mufasa instead of Scar, which added to Scar’s resentment of his brother.

Mufasa: The Lion King expands upon this hinted at backstory. Whereas in the original continuity Mufasa and Sarabi’s interactions are implied to have been betrothed according to Pride Lands tradition, in this continuity they are the founders of the Pride Lands’ royal dynasty. Sarabi was the princess of her own pride prior to its destruction, but Mufasa was a lion of common parentage. The two first meet after both their prides-Sarabi’s and that of Mufasa’s adoptive brother Taka, the future Scar-have been slaughtered by a brutal pride known as the Outsiders.

Sarabi began tracking the two brothers, but Mufasa eventually became aware of her presence. Despite exchanging introductions, Sarabi dismisses the pair, hoping to locate survivors from her own pride. However, she ultimately chooses to travel with them. Mufasa later convinces Sarabi and Taka to accept the guidance of the mandrill Rafiki.

Having taken a liking to Sarabi, Taka sought to win her affection. All his successes, however, came from the advice of Mufasa. These included commenting on flowers from Sarabi’s home valley, the scent of which Mufasa had caught on her fur. Mufasa also encouraged Taka to listen to what Sarabi had to say. However, after Sarabi was knocked unconscious during an elephant stampede, it was Mufasa who pulled her to safety, repeating the reassurance “I got you” despite Sarabi’s condition.

Afterwards, when Sarabi wished to know who had saved her, Mufasa credited Taka with the deed. However, Sarabi later realized the truth after hearing Mufasa tell Rafiki “I got you” and recognizing his words and voice from her unconscious state. She confronts him over his deception, and through the song “Tell Me It’s You” the pair confess their feelings for one another.

In the film’s novelization, Mufasa initially considers himself unworthy of Sarabi. This leads him to move away from her when she attempts to comfort him during a restless night. However, he manages to impress Sarabi with his hunting skills, learned from Taka’s mother Eshe. Later, when Taka asks for advice about Sarabi, Mufasa is somewhat reluctant due to his own growing feelings for her.

He later starts to take his rightful credit for her rescue, but changes his mind for Taka's sake. Mufasa and Sarabi would then argue over her provoking the stampede in the first place. Despite Mufasa’s efforts to assist Taka, and guilt over his own continued interest, it is Mufasa who gains more and more of Sarabi’s admiration as their journey proceeds. She goes so far as to nuzzle him after his plan to throw the Outsiders off their trail proves successful.

Eventually, Sarabi spoke to Mufasa privately, offering compliments that he attempted to shrug off. Feeling that Mufasa was perceptive about everything but his own worth, Sarabi soon deduced that Mufasa was not only the source of Taka’s uncharacteristic insights, but the one who had actually saved her from the stampede. This led to a confrontation, and the pair admitting their feelings for one another.

After arriving in Milele, later known as the Pride Lands, Mufasa and Sarabi amused themselves in a newfound watering hole. When the Outsiders appeared, Sarabi volunteered to try and rally Milele’s resident lionesses to help fight the enemy lions. As Mufasa confronted Kiros, leader of the Outsiders, Sarabi was one of those he thought of. With their enemies defeated, Sarabi welcomed Mufasa, now king of Milele, to their new home.

Children

Simba

Fanon

This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.

Mufasarabi has support from being a canon ship, even though it wasn't explored in the film. Leaving fans to guess and assume what their relationship was like.

When Disney revealed that they will be making an origin story film on Mufasa, from the live-action remake universe, it got some fans to wonder if it would showcase moments between him and Sarabi. With fans wanting to learn more things about Simba's parents, the both of them not just Mufasa alone.

There are currently 76 works featuring the pairing on AO3, 8 of which are rated Mature or Explicit.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Mufasa/Sarabi tag on AO3

Trivia

• Mufasa's and Sarabi's relationship bares similarities to that of King Jaffe and Queen Aeoleon from the 1988 film Coming to America.
  • Both couples are the rulers of lands based around Africa.
  • Both couples are the parents of their respective film's main protagonist (Simba and Akeem Joffer).
  • Both couples share the same pair of (voice) actors (James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair, respectively).