How Mufasa Really Became The Lion King, Changing Everything We’ve Known For 30 Years

Warning: This article includes MAJOR SPOILERS for Mufasa: The Lion King!

The Lion King’s prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, massively changes the backstory of how Mufasa became king of the Pride Lands, retconning the story that audiences have loved for three decades. When Disney announced Mufasa: The Lion King, fans of the franchise grew in excitement about the idea of hearing Mufasa’s story. Between the late James Earl Jones’ voice acting and the writing, the movie presented Mufasa as lovable, warm, and strong.

However, concern grew when the preview for Mufasa: The Lion King made it known that Mufasa was “born without a drop of nobility in his blood,” retconning scenes in The Lion King. As expected from the trailer, the movie changes everything fans know about the original story. The prequel details how Mufasa came to know Scar, how they got to the Pride Lands, and how he became a king. The backstory is much more complex, explaining the motivations of The Lion King’s villain, Scar.

The Lion King Made People Believe Mufasa Was Chosen As King Over Scar

The Dialogue Sets Up Scar and Mufasa As Blood Brothers

The dialogue in the original 1994 movie, The Lion King, gave a very different impression of Scar and Mufasa’s origin story than what’s revealed in Mufasa: The Lion King. The introduction scene for Scar heavily implies that Mufasa and Scar are blood brothers, with one line:

“Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion’s share. But, when it comes to brute strength, I’m afraid I’m at the shallow end of the gene pool.”

Because this is said in the context of Scar refusing to fight Mufasa, it alludes to the idea that the duo are a part of the same gene pool, which they would be if they shared the same biological parents. This is furthered in the scene where Simba and Mufasa speak about the great kings in the sky. Mufasa says that one day, he will be up there, looking down on Simba.

Related

Are Mufasa & Scar Brothers? Their History & Relationship In Lion King Fully Explained

The original The Lion King sets up Mufasa and Scar as blood brothers, but are they really? Mufasa: The Lion King clarifies their relationship.

By connecting himself to the ancestors in the sky, the lion makes it seem like he was born with royal blood like Simba. If Mufasa and Scar were both born with royal blood, then someone, most likely their parents, must have chosen Mufasa as king over Scar. Despite this, the trailer wasn’t a fakeout, with the iconic character being born to ordinary parents before getting separated from them during a flood.

How Mufasa Really Became King Of The Pride Lands

Mufasa Was Chosen For The Throne By The Animals

Since Mufasa is born to an ordinary lion couple in Mufasa: The Lion King, the question naturally comes up about how he became king of the Pride Lands instead of Scar – whose real name is Taka. In the prequel live-action film, Mufasa gets separated from his parents during a flood, and Taka saves him from a crocodile. Even though Taka’s father has a rule against engaging with outsiders, Mufasa’s pride adopts him. This allows them to develop a close, brotherly bond, despite them coming from different parents.

After a rival pride arrives, King Obasi sends Taka away to keep the bloodline alive and sends Mufasa with him as protection. They decide to go to the mythical land of Milele. Along the way, they meet Sarabi, Zazu, and Rafiki, who join them on their quest. The five continue on their journey while being pursued by the enemy group.

Related

Mufasa: How Far Can A Lion Hear?

Mufasa is blessed with almost supernatural senses in Mufasa: The Lion King, which begs the question of how far a real lion can actually hear.

Unfortunately, Taka decides to secretly team up with the villains when he figures out that Mufasa and Sarabi have developed feelings for each other. The enemies follow them to Milele, and Mufasa gives a rousing speech, convincing the animals of the land to band together to save their home. The action of bringing everyone together is the reason why the animals decide to name him king at the end of Mufasa: The Lion King, despite him not having royal blood.

Scar’s Ambition & Desire To Be King Makes Sense After Mufasa’s Prequel Movie

Scar Feels Slighted Because Mufasa Doesn’t Have Royal Blood

The Lion King first introduces Scar as a bitter lion who’s upset that he won’t be king, leaning heavily on his feelings of betrayal towards Mufasa. His motivation never makes complete sense in that movie, as he’s a very black-and-white villain. He wants the throne because he thinks Mufasa stole it. Without the live-action prequel, there isn’t a deeper layer or explanation about why he believes that. Scar has a big personality, but his antagonistic ways exist simply to further the narrative, which is fine for a fairytale-esque story.

However, Mufasa: The Lion King adds nuance to the character, showing exactly why he feels like he deserves to be king instead of Mufasa. Of the two brothers, Scar is the one born with royal blood. He’s the one who should have ruled under normal circumstances, so the animals’ decision to give Mufasa the crown probably feels like a betrayal, even though he lost the right to the crown by working with the villains of the story.

Related

15 Mufasa: The Lion King Easter Eggs, References & Franchise Callbacks Explained

Mufasa: The Lion King is full of references and Easter eggs from not only the 2019 and 1994 movies, but the Broadway musical and book series as well.

Moreover, King Obasi primed him throughout his childhood to see himself as above others. No matter how much Scar speaks about Mufasa being his brother, he never considers the adopted lion an equal, recognizing that he is innately special in a way Mufasa isn’t. Ultimately, this belief is strong enough to motivate his scheme to take over the Pride Lands.

Does Mufasa Make The Lion King’s Brotherly Rivalry Better Or Worse?

Mufasa: The Lion King Doesn’t Better The Relationship Between Taka And Mufasa

When it comes to prequels, they can either improve the original story, not change it, or make it worse. Mufasa: The Lion King falls into the middle category. The narrative is much deeper and more clear after the backstory in the prequel, adding new details that explain character motivations. However, it didn’t feel necessary, which is one of the major complaints in the mixed reviews of Mufasa: The Lion King.

In the original movie, Mufasa is noble and strong, while Scar is smart and power-hungry. In Mufasa: The Lion King, Mufasa is noble and strong, while Taka is smart and power-hungry. The only time they behave differently is when they’re children. However, that portion of the movie lasts for such a short time that it doesn’t change the overall characterizations.

Ultimately, The Lion King: Mufasa is not necessary for fans of The Lion King to watch the prequel. It’s a nice add-on for those who want to know how Mufasa became king of the Pride Lands, but it doesn’t change the rivalry between the brothers.

Your changes have been saved

My List

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Release Date

December 20, 2024

Main Genre

Adventure

Director

Barry Jenkins

Writers

Jeff Nathanson

Expand