Another Sarafina Sighting?

[Akril]

I've noticed a couple of articles about potential Sarafina sightings in Simba's Pride, so I thought, why not toss in my own contribution: a short dissertation not on potential Sarafina sightings in Simba's Pride, but in the original movie?

Some fans have theorized that Sarafina doesn't appear when Simba returns to Pride Rock because she died during Scar's reign (I'd say that she might not have appeared because the animators didn't want there to be any confusion between her and adult Nala, but I digress). Still, Sarafina isn't seen in TLK after the scene where Scar tells the lionesses about Mufasa and Simba's deaths...

...or is she?

Look at this screenshot from Simba's return to Pride Rock. Notice the lioness on the far left, helping Sarabi to her feet:
http://www.mylionking.com/resources/sit ... ab_768.jpg
That certainly looks like Sarafina. Slightly darker than Nala, uncolored toes, and I think she even has light fur over her eyes. Too bad we can never get a good look at her face, though.

But check this out: aside from Nala and Sarabi, there are five lionesses in that screenshot, and no more appear over the course of this scene. Two are rust-colored, two are light brown, and one looks like Sarafina.

Now take a look at this scene, which appears shortly afterward:
http://www.mylionking.com/resources/sit ... ab_775.jpg
Let's see...two rust-colored lionesses and three light brown ones? Where did "Sarafina" go? Either she zipped out of there and had a Sarabi clone take her place between cuts, or she became a victim of one of the many design errors that plague this scene -- the lionesses gain and lose ear rims and toe coloring so often that it's difficult to say what they really look like.

Then there's the case of this lioness that Simba passes as he descends Pride Rock after his battle with Scar.

When I first saw a low-quality screenshot of this lioness, she also looked a lot like Sarafina: uncolored toes, light fur, and it seemed appropriate for her to be there to greet her future son-in-law as he returned victorious from the fight.

However, now that I've obtained a slightly less low-quality screenshot from my newly-purchased TLK DVD (I'm not sure why this image looks so bad. I guess my screen resolution is too low), I'm having second thoughts. Her eyes are much narrower than Sarafina's, and I don't see any lighter coloring on her inner forelegs either.

Anyway, I'm a supporter of the theory that Sarafina didn't die during TLK, and these screenshots (well, okay, just the first one) seem to lend credence to that theory. What does everybody else think of all this, though?

[daantje]

I think Sarafina is the light brown/goldish lioness standing next to Nala in the 1st and 2nd picture. But she is not mentioned in the movie after the scene where Scar tells the lionesses that Simba and Mufasa are goners. But I guess she is that lioness since her toes are uncoloured.

[PrincessKiara]

Unfortunatly, the animators have not put much work in giving the lionesses (except Nala and Sarabi) charecteristic looks. The design of the pride’s lionesses change from scene to scene, and finding a lioness that could be Sarafina is very difficult.

I for one believe that Sarafina survived the reign of Scar, and that she is indeed the lioness greeting Simba as he ascends from Pride Rock after defeating Scar.

[Nadra]

Hmm... I think the light-colored lioness helping Sarabi is Sarafina. Then she just disappeared and got replaced by another lioness.
But... does Sarafina actually have lighter fur on inner hind legs? In this picture she doesn't.
http://www.mylionking.com/resources/sit ... ab_449.jpg

I thought the lioness in the 3rd picture was Sarafina, but now I'm not so sure... Sarafina has a light nose gradient, this lioness doesn't. And her head shape is different.

[thelionpride556]

I think she DID die during Scar's Reign, but now after seeing this, I could be wrong.

[Skittakallista]

I don't think she died during Scars reign, so in my eyes those pictures could very well be of Sarafina! I mean they look like her. Maybe the darker lioness in the last picture is Kula? Her paws are uncoloured...

[Deeri]

I don't think Sarafina died during Scar's reign. I too (as PrincessKiara mentioned) believe that Sarafina was the one who met Simba after he had defeated Scar.

Alas, there isn't any absolute proof in the speculations of whether the Lioness who also helps Sarabi up is Sarafina or the Lioness who greets Simba after he defeated Scar (I'm aware that I may contridict myself here) as the Disney artists, with the exception of Sarabi and Nala...weren't really too bothered about the other lioness designs.

[Simba93]

I read that Sarafina was killed by the hyenas.
But now that I've seen these pictures, I also think that Sarafina is still alive.

[PrincessKiara]

Hmm according to those screenshots there are 7 lionesses in the pride.. not very many, lol.

Anyway, I have always been a huge Sarafina Fan, and I have always believed that she was there during Scars reign and even in SP. I firmly believe that she’s one of the lionesses helping Sarabi get up, f.ex. And that she is the lioness greeting Simba as he descends after the battle with Scar.

[Wereberess]

In that last screen, she DOES have coloring on her front legs unlike all the other screens you provided.

I do, however, believe Sarafina(death from starvation) didn't make it which is why Nala went to see Scar about the hyenas. Why else would she wait so late when the fact the lands were falling apart was so obvious before?