- “Your Highness, Jafar has been controlling you with this!”
- ―Aladdin to the Sultan after destroying the staff.[src]
Jafar's Snake Staff is a cobra-headed scepter owned by Jafar, in Aladdin. Initially and primarily used as a means of hypnosis, the ruby eyes made those who gazed into them become susceptible to Jafar's suggestions and obey his every order. It was eventually destroyed by Aladdin when he discovered its true function. Once Jafar wishes to become the world's most powerful sorcerer, he gains a new staff that is imbued with various magical abilities.
Appearances[]
Aladdin[]
In the original film, before Jafar becomes a sorcerer, the staff is shown to have the ability to use hypnosis, as shown when Jafar uses the staff to get the Sultan to hand over his mystic blue diamond ring. He claims he needs it to "find the princess a suitor", when he actually needs it to discover the identity of "the diamond in the rough".
In another scene, Jafar attempts to use the staff's power to have the Sultan allow him to marry Jasmine. However, the fanfare caused by the arrival of Prince Ali (Aladdin) distracts the Sultan before he can finish his hypnotized response.
He later brainwashes the Sultan shortly after attempting to have Ali killed, trying to have him state that Jasmine must marry Jafar, and later after Ali reveals himself to have survived and exposes that Jafar had tried to have him killed, to claim that Ali is "obviously lying". However, Ali, deducing how Jafar is able to persuade the Sultan, snatches the staff and smashes it on the floor, exposing Jafar for his villainy as a result.
Later on, Jafar steals Aladdin's lamp, taking over his role as the Genie's master. He uses his second wish to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world. His staff is restored but it now has open fangs and was extremely powerful that uses many skills, including moving people and objects. During the final battle, the staff disappears when Jafar became a giant snake, and then an all-powerful genie.
The Return of Jafar[]
In the sequel, Jafar is freed from his lamp, and after transforming into his human form, he retains his staff and it is by his side throughout the entire film. Its original purpose is also alluded to by Iago and Aladdin, where the former claimed he had been a victim of the hypnotic properties, and Aladdin also believes it after he is saved by Iago and tries to tell the Sultan this is the case with them not believing him. It had its original look and shot laser bolts from the eyes. He was also shown holding it in his Genie form. It is unknown what happened to the staff after Jafar's death, but it could be assumed that it was destroyed along with or after his lamp.
Hercules and the Arabian Night[]
In the Aladdin and Hercules crossover, the staff was given its largest role and once again had its original look. In the episode, Hades, Lord of the Underworld, decided to revive Jafar from death after his demise in The Return of Jafar. The staff was used to keep Jafar alive, and if he ever lost it, he would become a lifeless spirit once more. Hades also enhanced the staff to be extremely powerful than before; creating things like live scorpions and shot fireballs. This staff was once confiscated by Hades after Jafar, in hysteria, started causing destruction in the underworld, as a means to force him to cooperate.
However, the creations of the staff can only exist as long as the staff exists, otherwise, the creatures will fade out of existence. Aladdin and Hercules took it from Jafar and the latter breaks it in half during their battle against Jafar and Hades, and with it, Jafar was turned back into a ghost once again and his soul was sucked into the River Styx for good.
Descendants[]
A replica of the staff is seen in the hands of a mannequin of Jafar in the Auradon Museum.
Descendants: Wicked World[]
The staff appears in "Steal Away" as an exhibit in the Museum of Cultural History. When Mal was possessed by her cursed Birthright Jewel, she stole it from the museum and handed it to Zevon. It is seen again when Zevon showed it to Jay, Carlos, Jane, and Freddie in "Options Are Shrinking". When Jay saw it in Zevon's hands, he knew right away that the staff was his Dad's and that it was kept in the museum.
In "Party Crashers" Zevon stole Jay, Carlos, Evie, and Freddie's Birthright Jewels so he could use them to power the staff with their own power. Zevon planned to use the jewel powered staff to turn everyone in Auradon evil. However, in "United We Stand" Mal was able to get ahold of the staff and used it to undo Zevon's "evil"; she also used its power to lift the curse from her jewel. It's possible that the Snake Staff was later returned to the museum.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
_-_Photography_-_Jafar.jpg "Aladdin (2019) - Photography - Jafar.jpg (4.21 MB)")
Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- Why Jafar never attempts to hypnotize Jasmine with the Snake Staff can be interpreted like this: it's vaguely implied that the Snake Staff only works on weak-willed people (e.g. the Sultan) and the rebellious Princess Jasmine is too strong-minded. Even the Sultan does manage to snap out of the hypnosis on his own at least once. It also only seems to affect the victim while he's actually holding it in their face, making it impractical for long-term work.
- After Genie grants Jafar's wish to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world, the Snake Staff's appearance changes slightly, with the mouth opening to reveal four fangs. It remains that way for the remainder of the film.
- In the concept art of the deleted song "Why Me?", it is shown that Jafar has multiple Snake Staffs. He takes only one Snake Staff to use, and keeps the others in a closet.
- The eyes of the staff are normally red, while in the short episode of Descendants: Wicked World they're green.
- In the 2019 remake of Aladdin, the staff's appearance is slightly altered with several jade green belly scales above the grip and a diamond on the top of its head. After Jafar becomes a sorcerer, his staff is primarily red and gold, with a gold lotus symbol beneath the mouth. When in use, the staff glows red and the head can move.
- The second staff was even a real cobra before taking its staff form.
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