Rajah with his best friend, the lovely Princess Jasmine.
John Grant
Walt Disney Character Description of Rajah from "Aladdin" (1992)
The characterization of Rajah is one of the most pleasing in the movie; although the role is not a major one, the effect is neatly executed. Before Jasmine makes her escape to the souk, Rajah is the only true companion she has - her father, while loving, has no comprehension of her at all. This vast tiger, cleverly animated to give the full impression not just of size but of sheer weight - his shoulders bulge and his movements are ponderous - becomes like a kitten when he is in the presence of Jasmine: she hugs him as if he were a domestic cat in her times of sorrow. Even though a real tiger would probably opt to have her for lunch, the scenes between her and Rajah are completely convincing, most likely because of the depiction of his eyes: there is an empahty there of the type we all hope for (and probably we entirely misinterpret the expression) from our own pets. This is most evident when Jasmine tells the tiger that she must explore the world outside the palace, and then climbs over the wall into her temporary freedom: the big cat is sorrowful (he believes he is going to lose his best friend forever) but at the same timehe understands the misery she has been suffering.
Rajah's kittenishness is underlined toward the end of the movie, when the Genie has been forced to grant Jafar his wish of being the most powerful sorcerer in the world. With a bolt of light from his fingertips, Jafar turns the mighty tiger into a pathetic little tabby kitten, who gives a desperatly plaintive meow.
