Ahadi


 * "I can feel it. This is the beginning of a great era for all of us under the stars."
 * —Ahadi foresees a grand future for the Pride Lands.

Ahadi is the king of the Pride Lands in A Tale of Two Brothers. He is the father of Mufasa and Taka. He is the paternal grandfather of Simba.

Personality
"The Lion King is so brave. I've seen him go off to face many crises and dangers."

- Zuzu about Ahadi

Ahadi was well known for his bravery, having solved numerous crises and faced many dangers. Not much could be said about his usage of power; however, it was suggested that he was responsible and used his powers only to the benefit of his subjects rather than to achieve his own ends. This, in turn, benefits the kingdom as a whole, even if some subjects (namely the hyenas) were left unfulfilled or discontent.

When it comes to the will of his subjects, Ahadi will lend an ear, but did not tolerate being talked over and refuses to take the blame for problems that were not his fault. He caters to the complaints of the Pridelanders as best he could, but did not submit himself to subordinates and instead ensures that all laws were obeyed, evident when he reprimands the hyenas for attempting to kill for sport, an action not permitted in the Pride Lands.

Ahadi's firmness isn't limited to his subjects. Even in family matters, he remains firm. Refusing to submit to his own sons, Ahadi goes so far as to break a promise he made to Taka in order to attend to a more important problem. He apologizes, lets Taka take the apology as he will, and moves on, mostly ignoring any animosity Taka retaliates with. Despite this, Ahadi did care deeply for his children and was greatly angered with Boma's herd when they almost kill his son. Ahadi was, however, reprimanding of his son as well for almost getting his family killed.

Physical Appearance
"He had a long black mane and bright green eyes."

- A physical description of Ahadi

When it comes to size, Ahadi's exact stature was 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 an expansive chest with the added bulk of his mane. His face was broad and somewhat short, and his jaw is square and strong.

Though his muzzle, paws, and underbelly were all light in color, Ahadi's pelt is noticeably darker, being a dirty gold as opposed to the paler hues of his pride mates. Brighter in color, however, was Ahadi's mane, colored a lush red with darker fur combing the tips. His eyes mirror those of his eldest son's, being reddish-brown. His eye rims, however, 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, fur and eye coloring, and colored paws. However, the text of A Tale of Two Brothers 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.

Backstory
"Rafiki, I want to make the Pride Lands a place where all animals can thrive."

- Ahadi to Rafiki

Ahadi is the third known king of the Pride Lands and the second to be formally named. His succession right is unknown, though it's possible that he was the son of Mohatu.

The Lion King
"Simba, let me tell you something that my father told me..."

- Mufasa to Simba

When Mufasa is teaching Simba about the great kings of the past, he mentions his father, who once told him the same superstition. It is unknown who relayed the stories to Ahadi himself.

A Tale of Two Brothers
"It would be so much easier if I could learn of the little problems before they became big ones."

- Ahadi to Rafiki

Towards the beginning of the story, a traveling mandrill named Rafiki wanders into the Pride Lands in search of lore and wisdom. Upon entering the kingdom, however, 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 then orders them away without further hesitation.



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 mandrill'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 Pridelanders come before Ahadi, demanding to know how he will fix the various problems 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, however, 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 which does not settle well with Taka. When the young lion expresses great frustration over his father's kingly duties, Ahadi is forced to remind Taka that ruling a kingdom requires great responsibility, something which Mufasa seems to understand. At this, Taka angers greatly and proceeds to accuse Ahadi of showing favoritism toward his eldest son, which sparks defensive comments from Mufasa.

Before the argument can escalate any further, the other Pridelanders 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 comments on his bravery, praising him for being so strong in such a situation.



Some time later, Mufasa and Taka are attacked by a cape buffalo named Boma and his herd, 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 still 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, so he can be properly treated with herbs. After being patched up by Rafiki, Taka is informed that he will heal, though his scar will remain. Ahadi then adds that it will serve as a reminder for his recklessness. When Taka admits to his misgivings about Mufasa and his father's broken promise, Ahadi gently reprimands his son and expresses his hopes that the newly birthed scar will serve as a reminder throughout Taka's life.

After leaving Taka to think things through himself, Ahadi, Mufasa, and Rafiki converse with Zuzu, who had been hovering about throughout the ordeal. Together, the four discuss the problems of the kingdom, finally coming to the conclusion that Ahadi needs a majordomo to assist him in the matters of the kingdom. Right away, Ahadi offers the position to Zuzu, who proudly accepts. The king then asks Rafiki to be his adviser. Though the mandrill 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 all of the Pride Lands.

Follow the Leader
"Rafiki, you have watched over my family ever since my grandfather, Ahadi, was the Lion King."

- Simba to Rafiki

At a point in the story in which Simba is offering to help Rafiki, he reminds the old mandrill that his family has been watched over by Rafiki since the reign of Ahadi.

How True, Zazu?
"I remember my father telling me that sad story when I was young."

- Mufasa to Muwa

While debating the seriousness of the army ant situation, Mufasa mentions that Ahadi had once told him a story about an army ant attack, in which the fearsome creatures killed zebras in Muwa's herd.