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| Ahadi | |
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| Physical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Species | |
| Biographical information | |
| Also known as |
The boss (by Banzai) |
| Status |
Deceased (presumably) |
| Affiliations | |
| Titles |
King of Pride Rock |
| Relationship information | |
| Family |
Uru (mate) |
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Ahadi is an adult male lion, a former king of Pride Rock, and the father of Mufasa and Scar.
It is suggested that after the birth of his sons, Ahadi showed strong favoritism for the eldest, Mufasa, due to his dutiful and responsible nature. This alienated Ahadi from his younger son, Taka, who grew to resent his father and elder brother.
During a drought, Ahadi watched over the kingdom while his mate, Uru, searched for water. He encountered a wandering baboon named Rafiki, whom he offered shelter to after learning of the simian's mission to collect knowledge. Shortly after this encounter, Ahadi struggled to manage the complaints of the Pride Landers, who suffered from lack of water, and was forced to break a promise to Taka in order to handle the kingdom's problems.
Driven by jealousy, Taka incited a cape buffalo's wrath in order to make Mufasa look bad in front of Ahadi, but the plan backfired, as the other cape buffalo attacked Taka instead. Ahadi arrived and ensured that his son was healed, and the party returned to Pride Rock. There, Ahadi appointed Zuzu the hornbill to be his majordomo and Rafiki to be his adviser.
Biography
Early life
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Ahadi is the third known king of the Pride Lands and the second to be formally named. Though his succession right is unknown, it's highly plausible that he was either the son or the son-in-law of Mohatu.
Throughout Taka's cubhood, Ahadi favored Mufasa, choosing him to be king over his younger brother. Despite Taka's clear hostility toward Mufasa, Ahadi failed to notice just how estranged his sons were.
Sometime during Ahadi's reign, when his sons were in their adolescence, a drought struck the Pride Lands. While Uru set out in search of a new source of water, Ahadi stayed behind to tend to the kingdom and keep an eye on his two sons.
The Lion King
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When Mufasa is teaching Simba about the Great Kings of the Past, he mentions his father, who had once told him the same superstition. It is unknown who relayed the stories to Ahadi himself.
The Lion King: Six New Adventures
A Tale of Two Brothers
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Toward the beginning of the story, a traveling baboon named Rafiki wanders into the Pride Lands in search of lore and wisdom. Upon entering the kingdom, he is attacked by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed and cornered at Five Stones. It is at this time that Ahadi, the Lion King, decides to intervene alongside his two sons, Mufasa and Taka. After questioning the hyenas on their intentions, he chides them for disrespecting the rules of the kingdom and orders them away from Five Stones.
Ahadi faces a crowd of malcontent Pride Landers
After the departure of the hyenas, Rafiki is introduced to Ahadi by Mufasa. The two have a brief conversation in which Ahadi learns that Rafiki is gaining much knowledge in the area of healing plants and their properties. Intrigued by the baboon's knowledge, Ahadi invites Rafiki to come to Pride Rock and share some of his wisdom with the kingdom, as help is desperately needed. The two end up talking for hours, and when night finally falls, Ahadi offers Rafiki a place to stay for the night.
The following morning, a crowd of angry Pride Landers comes before Ahadi, demanding to know how he will fix the various problems that are facing the Pride Lands. At first, the king doesn't get a word in edgewise, but when Zuzu, a flirtatious hornbill, supports an ostrich in her claim that the hyenas are causing trouble about the lands, Ahadi manages a promise to fix the problem.
Before he can set about doing this, Taka interjects, reminding his father that he had promised to take his sons hunting that morning. Regretfully, Ahadi is forced to postpone the trip, a change of events that does not settle well with Taka. When the young prince expresses frustration over his father's kingly duties, Ahadi is forced to remind Taka that ruling a kingdom requires great responsibility. He adds that Mufasa understands this, which makes Taka's anger flare. Now even more furious than before, he accuses Ahadi of playing favorites with Mufasa, and Mufasa growls at Taka to watch how he speaks.
Before the argument can escalate any further, the other Pride Landers demand the lions stop arguing about the throne and instead focus on the problems at hand. To satisfy their demands, Ahadi agrees to set about taming the hyenas. However, he promises nothing regarding the drought, as there is nothing he can do until the return of his mate, Uru, who is out searching for a new water supply.
As he turns to leave, Ahadi attempts an apology to his son about the misfortune, but Taka refuses to forgive his father for breaking his promise. The king then turns to Rafiki and comments that it would be much easier to learn about the little problems before they became big ones. He then sets off across the savanna. As he walks away, Zuzu flutters up to Rafiki and praises the king for his bravery, impressed by his strength despite the difficult situation.
Ahadi accepts Rafiki as his royal adviser
Some time later, Mufasa and Taka are attacked by cape buffalo, and Ahadi, having been notified by Zuzu, rushes to their aid at the head of a herd of elephants. After surrounding the buffalo with his band of loyal followers, the king demands an explanation from the cowering creatures. The buffalo are quick to blame Mufasa and Taka, but their accusations are soon interrupted by Mufasa himself, who warns his father that Taka is hurt. Though Rafiki promises to tend to the young lion, Ahadi threatens the buffalo that it had better not be a serious injury.
Under the careful direction of Rafiki, the party moves Taka to Pride Rock, where he is properly treated with herbs. Though Rafiki manages to patch up the young lion's wounds, he is unable to heal Taka's scar. Ahadi sheds light on the situation by telling his son that it will serve as a reminder throughout his life of his recklessness. When Taka admits his misgivings about Mufasa and his father's broken promise, Ahadi reprimands his son and expresses hope that the newly birthed scar will serve as a humble reminder of Taka's past mistakes.
After leaving Taka to think things through himself, Ahadi, Mufasa, and Rafiki converse with Zuzu atop Pride Rock. Together, the four discuss the kingdom's many problems, finally coming to the conclusion that Ahadi needs a majordomo to assist him in the matters of the Pride Lands. Right away, Ahadi offers the position to Zuzu, who proudly accepts. The king then asks Rafiki to be his adviser. Though the baboon is at first hesitant, he eventually concedes, so long as he can go on quests from time to time. As the decisions are brought to a close, Ahadi proclaims to the others that he can feel a great era beginning for the Pride Lands.
Follow the Leader
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At a point in the story in which Simba is offering to help Rafiki, he reminds the old baboon that his family has been watched over by Rafiki since the reign of Ahadi.
How True, Zazu?
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Ahadi is first mentioned by Zazu, who informs Kopa that his mother Zuzu had been steward to Ahadi, the cub's great-grandfather. Later, while debating the seriousness of an army ant attack, Mufasa mentions that Ahadi had once told him a story about an army ant attack that resulted in the deaths of Boma's grandparents and several zebras in Muwa's herd.
Other roles
The Brightest Star
Ahadi is mentioned by Simba, who merely refers to him as "Grandfather."
Friends for Life
When Zazu becomes exasperated with Kopa for not paying attention to his lessons, he reminds the cub that his father Simba had been king, his grandfather Mufasa had been king, and his great-grandfather Ahadi had been king.
Fight for the Throne
In answer to his son's question about why lions rule the Pride Lands, Simba explains that it's always been the way it is, as his many ancestors, including Ahadi, have ruled before him.
Physical appearance
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When it comes to size, Ahadi's exact stature is hard to measure, though he appears to be roughly the same size as his eldest son, Mufasa, if not larger. Like his son, Ahadi sports a sturdy body with broad shoulders, rounded muscles, and a magnificent mane. His face is broad and somewhat short, and his jaw is square and strong.
Unlike his fellow pride members, Ahadi sports a dark bronze pelt broken only by patches of lighter fur on his muzzle, paws, and underbelly. His mane is lighter in color, being a lush red with darker fur combing the tips. His reddish-brown eyes mirror those of his eldest son's, but his eye rims are highly unusual, with the top shade being dark, while the lower shade is red.
Ahadi passed many traits down to his sons, though the similarities differ depending on the source. According to the illustrations, Ahadi and Mufasa share body structure, eye and fur coloring, and colored paws. However, the text conflicts with the appearance described above, as the author depicts Ahadi as having a black mane and green eyes as opposed to a red mane and reddish-brown eyes. This description would make Ahadi's appearance akin to that of his younger son, Taka.
Personality and traits
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No doubt because of his great strength and kingly title, Ahadi is a force to contend with, intimidating and ferocious. As a king, he is not one to be talked down and is not above using force in order to maintain peace within his kingdom. When in a mindset to establish his laws, he is bold and resilient, though rightly so, a natural leader who is not afraid to demonstrate his own judicial power. He holds an air about him that commands respect, even from those who oppose him, and he is not easily knocked from his bold stance.
This clear strength is not without reason, for Ahadi only resorts to confrontation when the order of his kingdom is challenged. A fair king, he evenly distributes prosperity to all his subjects, especially in periods of social unrest such as the one in which he is depicted, using only good cause to keep his subjects in line. His wisdom is clear in his constant pursuit of knowledge and clear willingness to take the advice of lesser creatures, exposing a humility perhaps not expected of such a powerful king. Despite his position as leader of the Pride Lands, he is not abusive of his power, nor is he arrogant, always gracious to even the most griping subject and unafraid to ask for help.
Forever patient, Ahadi values his subjects above all, letting the path of duty guide his every pawstep. His mannerisms reflect a tendency toward sacrifice and selflessness, as he spends the majority of his time catering to the complaints of his subjects, taking massive efforts to keep their needs met. Wherever duty leads him, Ahadi will follow, no matter the cost on his physicality, his mental state, or even his family.
As a father, Ahadi is not without fault, though not due to lack of trying. Perhaps because of his constant need to follow duty, he is mostly absent in the lives of his sons, forfeiting personal time with them in order to keep his subjects in order. Ahadi's strength in knowing when to prioritize takes quite the toll on his family, opening a rift between him and his son Taka, and even between Taka and his brother Mufasa. Even when the signs are clear, he fails to notice the growing hostility between the two, presumably because he is so often not around to spend time with them.
However, Ahadi is not completely defective as a father, as he is forever patient with Taka and genuinely concerned about his role as a father. Whenever plans are cancelled, Ahadi shows legitimate regret for the circumstance, wanting to make matters better for his children. He can be fiercely protective of the two princes, showing particular viciousness when they are wrongfully treated. The king's patient exterior will crumble to give way to a protective side, a lesser controlled fierceness that makes a stark appearance whenever his sons are endangered.
Quotes
| “ | Ahadi: You have eaten already. Banzai and Shenzi: Yes, sire. Shenzi: But, Ahadi, there wasn't much meat on that little- Ahadi: Silence, Shenzi! You were going to kill for sport. That is not permitted in the Pride Lands. Now, go!
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| “ | Taka: Oh, father, dear, didn't you promise to take me, uh, Mufasa and me, hunting this morning? Ahadi: Yes, I did, but I'm afraid it will have to wait. Taka: I'm tired of waiting! Something more important always comes up when you're supposed to take me somewhere. Ahadi: That's not true. Besides, being the Lion King carries great responsibilities. Your brother seems to understand these things. Taka: Mufasa gets all the attention! After all, Daddy's favorite is going to be the next Lion King!
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References
Template:King
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