We get the answer to Jafar's unknown past in ABC's TV show, Once Upon a Time. Apparently, Jafar started off much like Aladdin did, a poor orphan who stole from the markets on the street. But unlike Aladdin, Jafar's father was secretly the sultan and he grew up angry that he was not recognized as royalty. He began to dabble in sorcery so that he could take back the throne, which he felt was rightfully his.