Mufasa Completely Turns The Core Of The Lion King And He's All The Better For It

The following contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion King, now in theatersMufasa: The Lion King reverses one of the main dynamics of The Lion Kingwhich helps distinguish the film from previous entries in the series while also adding new depth to the series' emotional throughline. Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to 2019 The Lion Kingexploring the story of how Mufasa went from a humble cub to King of the Pride Lands. One of the main relationships in this story is the adoption of Mufasa into Taka's pride, a sweet-natured but cowardly prince who will one day transform into the namipulative and nefarious Scar.

However, this isn't the only important character dynamic in the film. Disney's latest prequel also delves into the unlikely friendship between Mufasa and Rafiki, as well as the former's blossoming romance with Sarabi. Some of the The Lion KingThe most important family relationships serve as the key to Mufasa: The Lion Kingis ending. This highlights his nobility and focuses on relationships that were less used in the previous films in the franchise. In fact, this serves as a clever and subtle inversion of The Lion Kingthe greatest family bond, while also highlighting the importance of this previous relationship in the moral of the series.

Mufasa is about sons and mothers, not sons and fathers

Mufasa: The Lion King Highlights important maternal bonds

Mufasa: The Lion King explores themes about the importance of mothers to their childrensubverting The Lion KingThe historical focus on the bond between parents and children. Many of the most important emotional dynamics in Mufasa: The Lion King are centered on a mother figure, whose positive influence inspires positive character growth. Mufasa's biological mother, Afia, inspires Mufasa with dreams of a home where the various corners of the animal kingdom can thrive together, with her stories of Milele inspiring his eventual argument for the animals to unite against Kiros. Eshe becomes Mufasa's adoptive mother after he joins Taka's tribe.

Eshe's overall positive influence helps promote Mufasa's best qualities and teaches him to become a great tracker and a worthy leader. Even Rafiki receives a strong maternal connection, as it is revealed that it was his adoptive mother who ensured that he had the chance to grow up and become the spiritual figure necessary for Mufasa's journey. Each Mufasa: The Lion KingRafiki's parents prove to be noble in their own way, and their positive influence ensures that Mufasa and Rafiki become heroes. This contrasts sharply with the way Mufasa: The Lion KingFather figures influence the film's plot.

Parents are linked to Mufasa's villains

Mufasa: The Lion King Uses Bad Dads to play with the series' themes

There are three central father figures in Mufasa: The Lion Kingwith only one of them being portrayed in a positive light. Mufasa's biological father, Masego, proves to be a loving and supportive figure in the cub's life, sacrificing his life in an attempt to save his son from the flood that separates him from the others. However, Obasi and Kiros are both cruel parents who inspire the wrong lesson in their children and pride. Obasi believes that kings should focus on themselves, employing cruel and devious tactics to maintain power.

This ends up affecting Scar, who proves too cowardly to save his mother. Ultimately, it is Taka's father's influence that leads him to rely on his most nefarious attributeshelping to transform him into the villain Scar. Kiros is equally obsessed with his own power and prestige. Although he had a vendetta against Mufasa because the younger lion killed his son during a fight, this is partially inspired by the fact that it effectively ended his bloodline. Kiros' ruthless tactics inspired his son to be an assassin, an attitude that led to him ambushing Mufasa and being killed.

Mufasa's focus on mothers instead of fathers is genius after The Lion King

Mufasa: The Lion King Part of The Lion KingThe biggest titles

A thematic line of Mufasa: The Lion King it's a focus on strong mothers and toxic fathers. This is a good idea because contrasts with the idealized father-son dynamic at the heart of The Lion King. In the original animated film and the 2019 remake, the connection between Mufasa and Simba is central to the overall story. Mufasa's influence on his son lasts long after his death, with his memory living beyond him serving as the film's biggest emotional beat. Simply repeating the father/son dynamic would have felt inherently repetitive at the heart of the prequel.

Instead, the new film highlights the importance of Mufasa's stern but loving influence on Simba, showing how other parents treated their children poorly in this universe. Taka was similar to Simba as a cub, an enthusiastic and gentle child who quickly formed bonds. It is implied in the film that if Taka had been raised more by Eshe than by Obasi, he might have gained the same courage that elevated Mufasa. Instead, in moments of panic, Taka resorts to lessons from his bad father and in turn embraces a darker path, highlighting the dangers of toxic parents.

Mufasa's maternal history makes up for The Lion King's past

Mufasa: The Lion King Gives the Matriarchs more importance than any other Lion King History

Mufasa: The Lion King leaning into maternal figures addresses the lack of focus these characters had in the franchise. Sarabi plays only a minor role in The Lion King (although these scenes gain more depth thanks to his dynamic with Taka in the new film). Nala's role as a mother is small in Mufasa: The Lion King and equally smaller in Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. The sequel to the original animated film also featured Zira, a vengeful mother, as the central antagonist. That's what makes it refreshing to see Mufasa: The Lion King highlight strong maternal figures.

This helps Mufasa: The Lion King sets itself apart from the other films, giving it a more unique energy that helps it feel less repetitive than it would be if it had repeated the same father/son dynamic. Instead of, allows the series to further explore other forms of parental influence. This is one of the most successful attributes of the new Disney film on a narrative level, as it gives the film an original narrative focus. Mufasa: The Lion King benefits from this shift in focus, which highlights the themes of the overarching series while approaching it from a new perspective.