Rafiki's Bakora Staff serves as a walking stick for Rafiki, as well as a weapon though more often he uses it to smack someone over the head.
It is an old, long wooden stick with several African fruits tied to it. More prominently than being used to walk and knock sense into his pupils (literally), the staff also aids Rafiki in hearing the spirits of the Pride Lands former monarchs, such as Mufasa. Having a bakora staff for this purpose is essential for the kingdom's royal mjuzi.
Background[]
Powers[]
Rafiki's walking stick is shown enchanting objects (like a branch to work like a fan or trees to move of their own accord), controlling the forces of nature, calling down lightning, and dispelling magical forces. In The Lion Guard, the staff is used to bring the painting on the Lion Guard Lair walls to life. These paintings show past events that occurred an the staff must touch the paintings in the right order and long enough, for a full story to be seen.
Appearances[]
The Lion King[]
Rafiki carries the staff with him throughout the film; at one point, Rafiki strikes Simba with his stick telling that the past can hurt. When Simba dodges the strike Rafiki asks him what he is going to do. He responds by throwing the stick away before returning back home much to Rafiki's delight. During the battle at the Pride Rock after Scar reveals to Simba and the Pride that he is the one who really killed Mufasa, Rafiki notices a hyena attacking Simba. He then bashes the hyena in the head hard with his stick to knock it out before confronting and defeating several more hyenas with an impressive selection of martial arts.
Timon and Pumbaa[]
In "Rafiki's Apprentice", Rafiki's stick is shown to have magical powers. His nephew Nefu messes with it to accomplish a chore his uncle tasked him with. Things soon spiral out of control and Rafiki steps in to right Nefu's wrong. In this episode, Rafiki explains to Nefu that the gourds on his stick are the key to his mystical abilities and it is revealed that Rafiki got his staff from his grandfather. It is also revealed that Rafiki owns many more similar sticks for if the original becomes either broken or lost and gives part of his old one to Nefu once he's learned his lesson.
The Lion Guard[]
Makini finds her very own staff in the episode "The Rise of Scar". Throughout the series, she breaks it and keeps finding a new one.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the musical, Rafiki's stick is made out of carbon fiber. Instead of having 3-4 gourds, it has been simplified to just one gourd. The stick is also much bigger than its holder/user.