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| Obasi | |
|---|---|
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| Physical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Species | |
| Hair color |
Brown and gold |
| Eye color |
Yellow |
| Biographical information | |
| Also known as |
Father (by Scar) |
| Status |
Deceased |
| Residence | |
| Affiliations | |
| Titles |
King of Obasi's pride |
| Relationship information | |
| Family | |
| Allies | |
| Enemies | |
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Obasi was a male lion. He was the mate of Eshe, with whom he had a son, Scar (born Taka). He was the king of a pride of lions in the Valley of Kings.
When Eshe and Taka brought a stray lion cub named Mufasa before him, Obasi resolved to eat him. With some persuasion from Eshe, he had Mufasa race Taka as an initiation rite; if Mufasa won, he could join the pride, but if he lost, he would get eaten. To Obasi's disapproval, Mufasa won, and Obasi forced him to live among the females of the pride.
Seasons later, a hostile pride of lions known as the Outsiders set their sights on Obasi's pride. In an effort to preserve his bloodline, Obasi sent Taka away to start a new life, with Mufasa serving as his protector. Shortly after the young lions had left, the Outsiders confronted Obasi's pride and slaughtered them.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Obasi lived in the Valley of Kings. At some point in his life, he became the king of a lion pride. He took on a mate, Eshe, with whom he had a son named Taka.[1]
Meeting Mufasa[]
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Obasi meets Mufasa.
One day, Eshe and Taka saved a young Mufasa from crocodiles and decided to bring him before Obasi. Upon seeing the cub, Obasi immediately identified him as a stray and tried to eat him. Instead of being afraid, Mufasa argued that he was the fastest cub who had ever lived. Obasi then proposed that Mufasa race Taka; if he won, he could join the pride, but if he lost, he would be eaten. The race began, and Mufasa ended up winning due to Taka deliberately slowing down. Furious, Obasi accused Mufasa of cheating and chastised Taka for having lost to a stray. He then forced Mufasa to live with the females of the pride rather than the males.
While Mufasa grew up with the lionesses, learning how to hunt and track, Taka was forced to lounge and laze around with the males of the pride.[1]
Slaughtered by the Outsiders[]
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One day, adolescents Mufasa and Taka pranked the males of the pride by falsely warning of an elephant stampede while they were napping. Panicked, they scaled a nearby tree, save Obasi, who cowered at its base. Upon realizing that it was a false alarm, Obasi blamed Mufasa and sent him away. Though Taka expressed interest in joining his mother and adoptive brother on their hunts, Obasi claimed that Mufasa would someday betray him and told him that he must learn how to act like a proper king.
Obasi and his pride are attacked by the Outsiders.
Shortly afterwards, two white lions attacked Eshe, and Mufasa leaped to her defense, killing one of them, while Taka fled. Once safe, Eshe and Mufasa reported back to Obasi, and he thanked Mufasa for having saved his mate's life. Though Taka tried to explain his behavior, Obasi dismissed him and walked away. That night, he urged Taka to lie that he had been brave and not run away from the Outsiders, emphasizing that deceit was a tool of a great king.
The next day, Chigaru reported that the Outsiders had twice their pride's numbers and were coming for them. Fearful that his bloodline would be snuffed out, Obasi sent Taka away and told Mufasa to accompany him and pledge loyalty to him. Shortly after the two young lions had fled, the Outsiders confronted Obasi's pride. Obasi told Kiros that he had no reason to challenge him and protested that there were rules among lions. Kiros, however, asserted that it was his intention to slaughter every pride in the Valley of Kings so he could rule it as the sole Lion King. He and his followers proceeded to kill off Obasi's pride.[1]
Legacy[]
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After Obasi's passing, Taka fell in love with a young lioness named Sarabi, only for Mufasa to earn her affections instead. Furious, Taka reflected on his father's distrust of Mufasa and came to realize that he had been right all along. Bent on revenge, he formed an alliance with the Outsiders, claiming that Mufasa was to blame for Obasi's death. Later, he accused Mufasa of having stolen everyone he loved from him, including Obasi, Eshe, and Sarabi.[1]
Physical appearance[]
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Obasi was a large, heavyset, and powerfully built lion. He had golden fur, with a thick, bi-colored mane of brown and gold. His eyes were yellow. Despite his build, he was not physically capable, as evidenced by his inability to climb a tree.[1]
Personality and traits[]
| “ | Obasi: This will all be yours, my son. You will be king! So, pay attention. Study every move I make. Taka: Sleeping...again. Obasi: That is what males do. We protect the pride as we nap. That's... Well, that's power.
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Obasi was considerably lazy and sedate, believing it was a king's job to do nothing and let others serve him. He was also willing to play dirty, as seen when he tripped Mufasa at the start of his race against Taka. Dishonest and selfish, he believed that deceit was a tool of a great king.
Obasi was loath to accept or trust outsiders.
Obasi was especially loath to accept outsiders and strays. Despite being borderline paranoid about outside threats, his fears ended up proving true when his entire pride got slaughtered by the Outsiders.
Obasi did genuinely care for his family, as he was relieved when Eshe emerged unharmed from the Outsiders' attack. Additionally, he was grateful to Mufasa for having saved her life, despite the tension in their relationship. He made a lasting impact on his son, Taka, who internalized his advice and let it guide his actions, even after Obasi's passing.[1]
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
General[]
- Obasi was voiced by Lennie James.[2]
- Obasi's name is of Igbo origin and means "the Almighty God who resides in the heavens."[3]
- In the official novelization of the 2019 remake of The Lion King, it is revealed that, after Scar got his scar, his father never took him on any more hunts, as he deemed Scar ineffectual.[4] This has since been contradicted by Mufasa: The Lion King, in which Scar receives his scar after his father's death.[1]
- In The Lion King: Six New Adventures, Mufasa and Scar are biological brothers, and their father's name is Ahadi.[5] However, in Mufasa: The Lion King, Obasi is Scar's biological father, while Masego is Mufasa's biological father.[1]
In development[]
- In an early draft of Mufasa: The Lion King, Taka had a dream in which Obasi reminded him that "Taka" meant "spirit" because he was Obasi's. He then implored Taka to honor his name and fulfill his destiny.[6] This scene remains in the official novelization of Mufasa: The Lion King.[7]
References[]
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