Aslan the "Great Lion" is the main character in The Chronicles of Narnia a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. He appears in all seven books of the series. The word aslan is Turkish for "lion" and is used as a title for Ottoman/Seljukid and Persian Empire(Turkic) rulers. The figure of Aslan may have been suggested by a mysterious lion which suddenly appears and disappears at key moments in the novel The Place of the Lion, by Lewis' close friend Charles Williams.

Christological aspects

Throughout the series it is often repeated that he is "not a tame lion", since, despite his gentle and loving nature, he is powerful and can be dangerous. He takes the role of a Christ-like figure, though according to Lewis he is not an allegorical portrayal of Christ, but rather a different, hypothetical, incarnation of Christ himself:

If Aslan represented the immaterial Deity, he would be an allegorical figure. In reality however he is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, 'What might Christ become like if there really were a world like Narnia and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?' This is not allegory at all.

Thus, Lewis claimed that the Chronicles were not Christian allegory because they are not allegory, not because they are not Christian.

This interpretation is related to J. R. R. Tolkien's concept of "secondary creation" expounded in his 1947 essay On Fairy-Stories, reflecting discussions Lewis and Tolkien had in the Inklings group.

Role in the Narnia narrative
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In the course of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan is put to death by the White Witch on the Stone Table in the place of a traitor - symbolic of the Crucifixion. He subsequently rises from the dead, and makes appearances in the remaining books in the series. He appears as the creator of Narnia in the prequel The Magician's Nephew.

When Narnia is destroyed in The Last Battle, Aslan judges every creature who has died. It turns out his kingdom is the real Narnia and the one that was destroyed was merely a copy.

The books also make reference to an Emperor-Over-Sea, whose son Aslan is said to be; this further highlights his Christ-like status. The Emperor-over-the-Sea is similar to Eru Ilúvatar of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, in His separation from His creation.

At various points, Aslan's role as an evangelist for Christian beliefs becomes explicit. After turning from a lamb (Jesus was often said to be the Lamb of God in the Bible) back into a lion (Christ was often called the Lion of the Tribe of Judea) in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he announces he is known by another name in our world, and while that name is not mentioned specifically, the connotations and imagery in Aslan's story strongly suggest that he is referring to Christ. See the Wikipedia entry on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader for this description.
Spoilers end here.

Portrayals in film and television

In all three (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair) of the BBC television serial adaptations of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Aslan is voiced by Ronald Pickup, with the costume operated by William Todd Jones.

In the 2005 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he is voiced by Liam Neeson.