Context

This line was spoken by Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume) in the film Lion King, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff (1994).

Rafiki is definitely the most underrated character in every 90s kid's favorite Disney movie, The Lion King. He's the one who wakes up Simba from his "Hakuna Matata"-inspired reverie with Timon and Pumbaa and literally beats him with a stick until Simba goes back to Pride Rock to reclaim the throne from his tyrannical, sneering Uncle Scar, who only cares about power.

This line kickstarts Rafiki's celebration as he tells Simba's friends that he's not here anymore, because he is finally embracing his destiny as king. "The king... has returned" is truly a turning point in the narrative of The Lion King as Simba gets his act together and teams up with his best friends to take down his evil uncle. Let the party begin!

Where you've heard it

You've heard this quote when someone who fancies themselves an authority figure shows up in your life after a long absence. And if they're not actually royalty, they probably have ego issues.

Additional Notable References:

• This article talks about how this quote is also a turning point in Nala's character arc, because it motivates her to rally the other lionesses to take down Scar's cronies while Simba deals with his evil uncle.
• This line gets used whenever something old comes back bigger and better than ever, from the Forza 6 racing game to Godzilla.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Unless you're LeBron James, Jay-Z, or your last name is King, please don't use this quote.