Mufasa: The Lion King - Did Mufasa find his family again?

The animated musical drama film Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel and sequel to The Lion King, was released in theaters December 20, 2024. It was added to the streaming platform Disney+ on March 26, 2025 and was released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on April 1, 2025.

This 2024 movie sees Simba leave his daughter Kiara in the care of his friends, Timon and Pumbaa, so that he can join his pregnant wife, Nala at an oasis where she can give birth. Kiara, Timon and Pumbaa are soon joined by the wise mandrill, Rafiki, who was a close friend of Simba's father, Mufasa.

While they wait for Simba to return, Rafiki decides to tell them the story of Mufasa, who was once the king of the Pride Lands. Rafiki begins the story from when Simba's was a cub and was going to search for the mythical Milele with his parents, Afia and Masego.

After getting separated from his parents while on a journey, he luckily meets a young cub named Taka and his mother, Queen Eshe, who takes him in despite her husband's reluctance. As a young lion, he faces a huge challenge once again as he ends up on the run with his step-brother Taka after the Outsiders attack the wetlands.

Upon Queen Eshe's insistence, he and Taka embark on a journey to find Milele. At the end of the movie, Mufasa and his partners find Milele, which is the Pride Lands, and even reunites with his mother, Afia, but his father, Masego, is long dead.

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What happens to Mufasa’s parents when he is a cub?

According to Rafiki's story, Afia and Masego tell a very young Mufasa that they are going to find the mystical land of Milele. Unfortunately, before they can fulfill their dreams of finding Milele and settling down there, tragedy strikes the family of three in the form of a flood.

He gets trapped in a small pool and before his parents can save them, it turns into a whirlpool which threatens to drown the cub. Masego jumps into the water to save his son and succeeds. Masego throws his son towards Afia who helplessly tries to encourage their son to climb up to her.

In his terrified and nervous state, he fails to reach his mother and gets washed up in the flood. Consequently, he ends up lost and alone until a young Taka finds and befriends him. When a crocodile threatens to hurt the cub, Taka's mother, Queen Eshe, saves him and allows him to stay with them upon Taka's insistence.

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Why did Mufasa and Taka have to leave behind Queen Eshe?

Eshe's decision leaves her husband, King Obasi, unimpressed who is strictly against letting any outsider into their pack. He orders that the cub will stay with the lionesses. He and Taka grow up together under the guidance of Eshe, who loves them both equally. She teaches him how to hunt and use his survival skills.

Obasi, on the other hand, is a lazy king whose only concern is that his son Taka becomes the king, and has always considered the cub an outsider. One day, when Eshe and Mufasa are attacked by white lions, the latter ends up killing one of them after Eshe gets hurt. They drive the other lions away. Taka observes from afar but does not help because he is too afraid.

However, the lion he killed was the son of the Outsiders' pride's king, Kiros, who is determined to seek justice for his son's death. Mufasa's special senses allow him to inform Obasi's pride that the Outsiders are going to attack them soon. He and Taka are then ordered to leave.

They are reluctant to leave behind their loved ones. So, Eshe encourages them to go and find Milele while she, Obasi and the rest of the pride stays behind to defend their land from the Outsiders who were cast out from their own pride because of the colour of their fur.

The fight does not end well for Obasi and his pride. After defeating them, the Outsiders begin looking for Mufasa and Taka so that they can avenge the death of their prince.

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Mufasa: The Lion King is available to stream on Disney+.