The trailer of Mufasa: The Lion King has left fans in utter confusion regarding the progression of the story. Fans are in awe of how Rafiki, the monkey managed to live so long. Some are jokingly remarking that Rafiki is the Morgan Freeman of The Lion King franchise. So today, we’ll try to clear the confusion and find out the age of Rafiki in Mufasa: The Lion King movie. We’ll also find out whether his age is true to that of the animal he represents. Or should fans suspend disbelief and just enjoy the movie?

Rafiki Age:-

Table of Contents

Does Rafiki Age in The Lion King movies?

Rafiki Mufasa: The Lion King — Rafiki using his mystical powers in Mufasa: The Lion King

Rafiki is the baboon who created the iconic scene of raising Simba high up with his arms stretched out at the edge of Pride Rock. He has been depicted as this spiritual shamanistic individual who uses mystical powers to determine the fate of animals. Rafiki made Simba believe in himself, find his purpose, and establish his position in the noble Circle of Life. Following are the movies in which Rafiki left a lasting impact:

The Lion King (1994 and 2019)
The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998)
The Lion King 1 & ½
The Lion Guard
The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa
Mufasa: The Lion King
Lion King: A Tale of Two Brothers (Storybook)

It does seem weird how an aged character/animal managed to live long enough to witness Mufasa, Simba, and Kiara as cubs, i.e., three generations apart. Keep reading to find out the current age of Rafiki, a beloved shaman baboon from Mufasa: The Lion King movie.

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Rafiki As Real-Life Animal And How Long Does It Live

Rafiki from The Mufasa: The Lion King as Mandrill — Rafiki is a cartoon version of a Mandrill

Some call Rafiki a “hallucinating baboon”, and some call him a mutated chimpanzee. Even Simba calls him a ‘creepy little monkey’ in Lion King (1994). So what sort of animal Rafiki is exactly? Well, a mandrill is the animal that you’re looking for when describing Rafiki. As the largest monkey in the world, a mandrill is a vulnerable creature due to hunting. A mandrill looks exactly like Rafiki; well, maybe it should be the other way around. It’s worthwhile to note that a mandrill can live almost up to 40 years. Thus its lifespan is twice that of a lion’s. This is enough evidence to explain why Rafiki has been around in every movie and TV series of the Lion King franchise.

Also Read: What is the age of Timon and Pumbaa?

The Humble Origin of Rafiki

Rafiki age Mufasa The Lion King — Lion King: A Tale of Two Brothers – Rafiki defending Mufasa from a cobra

Now before addressing Rafiki’s age, it is noteworthy to mention Rafiki’s origin. The storybook, Lion King: A Tale of Two Brothers discloses that Rafiki used to live in the Grass Walls before leaving his homeland. It is in the Grass Walls where he learned how to tame a snake. Later on, living life as an ever-wandering hermit, Rafiki stumbled upon Ahadi (the Lion King of the Pride Lands and the father of Simba and Scar) and his pride. The trailer of Mufasa: The Lion King has already revealed Ahadi and fans are excited to see the story unfold.

Current Age of Rafiki in The Lion King Franchise

Rafiki age in Mufasa: The Lion King — Rafiki in the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King movie

When Rafiki left his home, he was probably 16-17 years old. He met Ahadi, young Simba, and Taka (Scar) at around 22-23. Now fast-forward to the Lion King (1994) era, we come across a matured Rafiki. So we can say he was almost 30 years old, which is fairly old if you take into account that mandrills live up to 40 years. By the time Simba grew up and took over Scar as the new Lion King, Rafiki was 28 years old.

In Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998), we witnessed Simba’s daughter, Kiara grow up from a cub. It takes about 4-5 years for a lioness to fully mature. So at the end of Lion King II, Rafiki is likely 32 years old. Next, in The Lion Guard TV series, we witnessed the wedding of Kion (the second son of Simba and Nala) and Rani (a lioness from another pride). Rafiki was a part of this wedding as well. So if we do the math, Rafiki is currently 36 years old.

Age of Rafiki in Mufasa: The Lion King Movie

So how old do you think Rafiki is in Mufasa: The Lion King? Well, according to the trailer, we are likely going to see two versions of Rafiki in the movie: one in his prime as a wanderer and the other as an old shaman. The trailer revealed a young Kiara seeking advice from Rafiki. So in this period, Rafiki is around 30 years old. However, in the movie trailer, we also saw how young Mufasa and Scar inadvertently stumbled upon Rafiki. Hence, we can safely say that Rafiki is about 25 years old in Mufasa: The Lion King. If you enjoyed reading this article, feel free to subscribe to AnimeMangaToon for more insightful articles regarding animated movies, cartoons, webtoons and popular watch recommendations,

Quickies

In Mufasa: The Lion King, fans have been intrigued by Rafiki's seemingly ageless presence, given his depiction as an old shaman who has witnessed several generations of lions. Rafiki, though often mistaken for a baboon or chimpanzee, is actually a mandrill, the largest monkey species, which can live up to 40 years—double the lifespan of a lion. This lifespan is likely why Rafiki has appeared in multiple Lion King films and series across generations. Rafiki's journey began in the storybook Lion King: A Tale of Two Brothers, where he lived in the Grass Walls before meeting Ahadi, Simba's father. By the time he joined the Pride Lands, he was around 22-23 years old. Fast-forward to The Lion King (1994), Rafiki is in his 30s, making him around 36 years old by the time of The Lion Guard series. In Mufasa: The Lion King, the trailer suggests that Rafiki will appear in two stages: one as a 25-year-old wanderer and another as an older shaman. This explains his prolonged lifespan and role across the saga.

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