Sonni Ali was the first great king (1464-1492) of the Songhai Empire, and the 15th ruler of the Sonni dynasty. He was not a Muslim, but a believer in African animism. Under Sonni Ali, Songhai extended to cover a great chunk of the Niger River area and gained control of crucial trading areas such as Timbuktu. Under Sonni Ali, Songhai surpassed the height of the Mali Empire.

Sonni Ali was succeeded by Askia Mohammed.