Aslan is the lion who serves as the central ruler and guide in C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books. He appears throughout the series as a powerful, wise, and compassionate figure connected with Narnia’s creation and destiny.
Aslan’s name comes from the Turkish word for “lion.” In the stories, he is the son of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea and is presented as greater than any earthly monarch. His role varies from book to book, but he repeatedly helps characters understand courage, responsibility, repentance, and loyalty.
Aslan is often discussed as a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ, especially because of his sacrificial death and return in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Lewis described the Narnia books as imaginative fiction rather than direct allegory, so readers should distinguish between symbolic interpretation and a one-to-one allegorical key.