Mufasa: The Lion King is Disney's latest live-action film, serving as a direct prequel to the 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King. Mufasa tells the story of its titular character Mufasa, Simba's father from the original film, and how he became king of the Pride Lands. MufasaReviews for Simba were mixed, similar to the 2019 remake, but the film does a good job of explaining how Simba's father ended up taking on the mantle of king at the end of Mufasa.
Although the new prequel treads familiar ground, with a story centering on a young lion earning his title as king, and Mufasa has a lot of familiar characters, the film does a solid job of expanding the world of the first one, while also leaving room for more live-action entries The Lion King franchise, whenever these films will be released. The film's world-building goes a long way toward making the previous entry feel more natural and satisfyingshowing Mufasa becoming king and how his journey mirrored Simba's and probably Kiara's.
The Animal Kingdom Choosing Mufasa to Be King Explains Why All Animals Serve a Predator
In the real world, most animals would simply run away from a lion
While not necessarily a plot hole in the original film, the fact that every animal in the Pride Lands bows down to a lion, one of Africa's top predators, was always an odd choice. However, Mufasa turns some parts of The Lion Kingand it did what a good prequel always has to do, explaining some of the original's strange choices. The film showed that the animals specifically chose Mufasaand the title of king was bestowed upon him by his subjects, and not merely given to him as a result of his birth.
It wasn't a plot point that needed much explanation, but the reasons given Mufasa are sufficiently satisfactory.
Although most people assumed that Mufasa was simply a member of a long line of royalty that had ruled the Pride Lands for years, the film managed to give a unique and interesting explanation in itselfand does a solid job of explaining why the animal kingdom of The Lion King It’s structured the way it is. It wasn't a plot point that needed much explanation, but the reasons given Mufasa are sufficiently satisfactory.
Why the animals chose Mufasa to be king
Mufasa proved himself worthy of the title
During the film's third act, the eponymous lion inspires the animals that live Mufasathe forerunner of the Pride Lands, Milele, to rise up and fight against the Forsaken and Kiros, rallying all the creatures of the land to fight a common threat. The day is, of course, won at the end of the film, with Mufasa himself eliminating Kirossaving the day and allowing Milele's animals to continue living without fear of the Forsaken's violence and brutality.
After the film's climax, Mufasa stands atop the newly formed Pride Rock and roars, having proven his worth to be king of all of Milele's animals, and officially becomes leader of the Pride Lands. Mufasa was instrumental in the animal's victory over the Outsidersand it was the only reason they ended up winning, earning the respect of everyone around them. Even though there are more The Lion King stories to tell with Scar and Mufasa, this film serves as a beautiful expansion of both characters.
Mufasa's revelation makes his position as king more important than just the food chain
Mufasa didn't simply receive his title, he earned it
One of the theories surrounding why Mufasa was king in the original The Lion King it was due to the fact that he is an apex predator, and so the rest of the animal kingdom was bowing down to him more out of fear than anything else. A scene that would lend credence to this idea is when Timão, who reappears later Mufasasees Simba for the first time, and his initial reaction is to be afraid of him, even though he is just a cub, implying that lions are much more feared than respected.
However, Mufasa proves that this is not the case, as the lions were chosen not for their species, but for what they did to save everyone. It wasn't even the lions as a whole, as they were also the ones who threatened everyone's safety, but it was specifically what Mufasa did that earned him the title of king. While Mufasa: The Lion King makes a lot of mistakes, but the reveal of how Mufasa gained his title stands out as a solid addition to the franchise.