5 LESSONS FROM AFRICAN HISTORY THAT CAN INSPIRE FUTURE ANIMATED UNIVERSES
A new year is an opportunity to return to origins. Before trends, before tools, before technology, there were stories. Africa has never lacked them. What it has often lacked is the space to imagine its past as the foundation for expansive, cinematic futures. As we step into this year, it is worth looking backward, not out of nostalgia but with intention. African history offers powerful lessons for creators who want to build animated universes that are rich, coherent and enduring.
1. History Works Best When It Is Treated as a Living World
When we begin to think about building animated universes inspired by African history, it helps to treat history not as a static record of what happened but as a living world full of politics, belief systems, economies, conflict and evolving identities. The ancient Kingdom of Kush, for example, was far more than an archaeological footnote. Flourishing for over a thousand years in what is now Sudan, the Kushites developed a distinctive civilisation with royal dynasties, monumental architecture and rich craftsmanship, shaping a culture that at times rivalled its powerful northern neighbour, Egypt. Their society was shaped by trade, military prowess and religious practice, and these dynamic forces are precisely the kinds of elements that give depth and internal logic to any fictional worldbuilding project.
2. Power Does Not Come From Size Alone
History also teaches us that power and influence do not always come from size alone. In many parts of Africa, groups that were not vast empires still exercised tremendous regional influence through reputation, strategic alliances and specialised roles. This reminds us as creators that an animated universe does not need sprawling continents or grand armies to feel significant. Smaller factions, elite groups and specialised communities can carry enormous narrative weight when their purpose and philosophy are clearly defined. In this way, a story can explore layers of society that feel cohesive and textured without having to invent endless geography.
3. Myth and Reality Can Coexist Without Conflict
In many African societies, spiritual belief was not separate from daily life. Myth, ritual and governance often informed one another. This offers a powerful model for animation, where realism and symbolism can exist side by side. African history teaches that the supernatural does not have to undermine logic. Instead, it can deepen it. When belief systems are treated with respect and structure, they enhance narrative stakes and emotional resonance.
4. Conflict Is Most Compelling When It Is Moral, Not Just Physical
Conflict in African history is another powerful engine for narrative because it was rarely about spectacle alone. Wars, migrations and political struggles were driven by survival, identity, belief, territory and ideology. They were about choices with consequences, not just dramatic battles. This approach to conflict can help creators build animated universes where action scenes are meaningful and emerge organically from the moral dilemmas faced by characters. In such a universe, audiences witness not only physical confrontations but also the cultural and ethical forces that shape those conflicts.
5. Legacy Is a Story Engine
Finally, African history is deeply invested in the ideas of lineage, inheritance and remembrance. Who came before and what they left behind, matters profoundly. In his talk on African histories, cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford emphasises that Africa has fought hard to preserve its history and narrative against centuries of erasure and misrepresentation. He challenges the notion that Africa was a place without history and shows how storytelling itself has been a tool for cultural survival and continuity. This sense of continuity can be a powerful engine in storytelling, providing a historical chain that enriches character arcs and world mythology.
As we begin this year, we are reminded that African history is not material to be adapted cautiously or sparingly. It is a foundation strong enough to support entire worlds. For creators willing to study it deeply and treat it with seriousness, it offers stories that are ancient, yet endlessly renewable. At Nsibidi Fables, this is the tradition we continue to explore. Not by retelling history as it was but by learning from how it functioned and imagining what it can still become.