Rafiki

Rafiki is a mandrill and the shaman of the Pride Lands in Kingdom Hearts II. Therefore, he serves as the king's most trusted adviser, and his advice is always heeded.

Kingdom Hearts II
The Lion King (1994)

''A mandrill who lives in the Pride Lands. Rafiki is a wise old shaman.''

Rafiki was a trusted adviser to Mufasa, and has always looked forward to the day Simba would take his father's place as king.

Story
When Sora first arrives in the Pride Lands, Nala took him to see Rafiki, in the hope that Sora could save the Pride Lands and become king. Rafiki, however, saw that it was Simba's destiny, not Sora's, and reluctantly sent him on his way. Later, however, while communing with the spirits, he saw that Simba was still alive, and caught up with Sora and Nala and told them the news. When Simba succeeded in defeating Scar, Rafiki was there to officially induct him as the rightful king.

A while after Simba embraced the throne, a multiple number of ghosts of Scar began to appear around the Pride Lands and haunt the denizens. When Simba and Sora visited Rafiki for advice, he revealed that Scar's ghost is accessed from his evil power and Simba's insecure heart. Though it was hard at first, he eventually overcame his fears and saves the Pride Lands from Scar's ghost. When Simba asks Sora about the end of his quest, Rafiki informs them that the struggle will never end, because that is the circle of life, but also advices him to remember to be strong noting that it's the key to victory.

Personality
Rafiki is the wise shaman of the Pride Lands. He is held highly by all animals of the Pride Lands as possessing prophetic status. Although Rafiki is full of wisdom, the mandrill is also known to have silly moments which are often expressed through a mad fit of cackling. Rafiki provides important and necessary counsiling to those seeking his aid. This is shown in Kingdom Hearts II when Nala confronts Rafiki about Sora.

Appearance
Rafiki is a mandrill with mostly grey fur, with the exception of the fur on his forearms and lower legs, which is dark grey, and his belly, which is light grey. He also has a wild "mane" of long, shaggy, white fur on the back of his head and on his chin, creating a beard of sorts. Rafiki has tan skin and eight small, sharp teeth, four on his upper jaw and four on his lower jaw. He sports the distinctive mandrill facial features, including the upper half of his face being a light shade of blue, blue rings around his yellow eyes, and a very large nose. He also has a blue posterior. Rafiki always carries a staff made out of a long, bent tree branch with what appear to be two orange fruit tied to one end.

Origin
Rafiki first appeared appeared in the 1994 film The Lion King as a minor character. He presents Simba to all the animals in the Pride Lands at the very beginning of the film. Later on, he also helps Simba realize his destiny to become king, and assists the lionesses in fighting off the hyena. At the end of the film, he presents Simba and Nala's child, Kiara, in a similar fashion to what he did with Simba in the beginning of the film. It is also revealed in The Lion King 1½ that he gave Timon and Pumbaa their motto, hakuna matata, when Timon was looking for a better life. He also makes several appearances in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, listening to Mufasa's spirit, who tells him to get Kiara and Scar's successor, Kovu, to fall in love. Rafiki also makes several appearances in the animated television series Timon & Pumbaa.