Wise Rafiki Quotes That Teach Us Life’s Lessons

These Rafiki quotes sum up all of his wisdom.

They’ll surely inspire you in one way or another.

Rafiki is the shaman-like character in Disney’s The Lion King.

He is also the Royal Mjuzi of the pride.

He is the wise man, the keeper of knowledge, and one of my favorite characters.

I remember seeing the movie in theaters when I was 10 years old.

It made me want to be as sure of life as Rafiki seemed.

Rafiki is a mandril (not a baboon), which is a bit of an odd choice because they usually live in rainforests.

They also live in large groups, whereas Rafiki is the only one of his kind in the Pridelands.

In fact, Mandril ‘hordes’ can contain upwards of 600 primates.

Knowing this adds even a little more mystique to the kooky character.

How did he get in the desert all alone, providing knowledge to a pride of lions?

He imparts all kinds of wisdom and jokes throughout the first film, the sequels, and the subsequent TV show. 

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration.

Our inspirational quote category page has even more inspirational and educational quotes.

Rafiki quotes that make us laugh

1. “Asante Sana squash banana!” ― Rafiki

2. “You’re a baboon, and I’m not.” ― Rafiki

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3. “Can’t cut it out, it will grow right back.” ― Rafiki

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4. “No, no, no, no, not the stick! Hey, where you going?” ― Rafiki

5. “Hehehe.. It’s a girl.” ― Rafiki 

6. “Hey! You! How dare you save the King’s daughter!” ― Rafiki

7. “What? Kovu, Kiara together? This is the plan? Are you crazy? This will never work!” ― Rafiki

Profound Rafiki quotes

8. “The question is: who are you?” ― Rafiki

9. “Change is good.” ― Rafiki

10. “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” ― Rafiki

11. “I’m not the one who is confused, you’re the one who doesn’t even know who you are.” ― Rafiki

12. “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” ― Rafiki

13. “Ha. You see? So what are you going to do?” ― Rafiki

14. “Well, I know who you are! Shh. Come here, it’s a secret.” ― Rafiki

15. “You seek Hakuna Matata.” ― Rafiki

16. “Hakuna Matata. It means ‘no worries.'” ― Rafiki

17. “My work here is done.” ― Rafiki

Rafiki quotes with life advice

18. “Don’t dawdle. HURRY UP!” ― Rafiki

19. “Look harder.” ― Rafiki

20. “Any story worth telling is worth telling twice.” ― Rafiki

21. “Good! Go on! Get out of here!” ― Rafiki

22. “Look down there.” ― Rafiki

23. “Look beyond what you see.” ― Rafiki

Rafiki quotes about Mufasa and Simba

24. “He lives in you.” ― Rafiki

25. “Correction, I know your father… he’s alive and I’ll show him to you, follow old Rafiki he knows the way, c’mon.” ― Rafiki

Which of these Rafiki quotes is your favorite?

One scene I remember the most was when Rafiki was explaining to Simba the importance of leaving pain in the past.

Once the point is made, Simba grabs Rafiki’s staff and takes off running with it, while the Mandril gets agitated and wants his “stick” back. 

He then laughs, jumps around, and shouts while cheering Simba on.

We all need a Rafiki in our lives.

Someone who teaches us and shows us how to grow, and cheers like a maniacal mandril when we succeed. 

Which of these Rafiki quotes and lines is your favorite?

Let us know in the comment section below.