Caesar, known as Panja in Japanese media, founded the white lion lineage and originally ruled the jungle. His reign focused on creating a sanctuary for animals facing human encroachment, though his practice of taking cattle from villages provoked human retaliation. The hunter Ham Egg (Viper Snakely in English dubs) orchestrated Caesar's demise, avoiding direct combat. He recorded Caesar's roar to lure and trap Caesar's mate, Eliza, using her as bait, and killed Caesar for his hide. With his final breath, Caesar directed Eliza to name their unborn cub Kimba. Caesar's legacy profoundly shaped his son, Kimba. While captive on a ship, Eliza taught Kimba his father's ideals of peace and leadership, core to Kimba's journey. Caesar's ghost later appeared at critical moments, offering guidance like urging Kimba to return to the jungle and claim his birthright as ruler. Historically, Caesar's ancestry stretches back 4,000 years to ancient Egypt. His progenitor, Androcles, revered as the "Spirit of the Sphinx," received enhanced intelligence from an Egyptian adviser. Androcles fled to Africa following political upheaval, founding the white lion dynasty Caesar would lead. Hieroglyphics chronicle this backstory, explored in episodes such as "Journey into Time." Across adaptations, Caesar's ideological influence endures, though narrative details differ. The 1989 series consistently featured his philosophy of animal-human coexistence, but adopted darker tones after creator Osamu Tezuka's death during production, emphasizing human poachers as the primary threat to Caesar's vision. The 1997 film closely followed the original manga, portraying Caesar's death as the catalyst for Kimba's quest and the struggle for interspecies harmony. Conversely, the 2009 television special reimagined Caesar's fate, allowing both him and Eliza to survive. They actively mentored Kimba, who initially lacked courage but ultimately embraced leadership to guide animals to a natural jungle.