Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Mufasa: The Lion King!
Mufasa isn't the only character whose story is explored in Mufasa: The Lion Kingas the prequel film actually explains Scar's real name and the meaning behind it. All over The Lion King franchise, Scar has always been portrayed as the big bad, with him killing Mufasa, betraying Simba, overthrowing the Pride Lands, and then being thrown off Pride Rock. Interestingly, Mufasa: The Lion King takes a much more sympathetic look at Scar, finally trying to explain why Scar is the way he is in the original The Lion King and its 2019 remake.
Mufasa: The Lion King is the long-awaited prequel to the 2019 film The Lion King remake, with the film following Rafiki as he tells the story of Mufasa's origins to Simba's daughter Kiara. The story chronicles Mufasa's childhood until he became king of the Pride Lands, exploring how Mufasa lost his parents, was adopted by Scar's family, and then saved the Pride Lands from an evil pack of foreign lions. Although Mufasa is at the center of most of the prequel's big reveals, Scar also gets a lot of screen time, explaining his origins and how he got his scar.
Scar's real name is Taka: what does it mean
It has two different meanings
Although Taka has been cited as Scar's real name for some time, Mufasa: The Lion King finally confirms this, with Taka being the character's name for most of the film. However, the name Taka has as much meaning as his nickname Scar, because, like many others, The Lion King characters, the name has a meaning in Swahili. In Swahili, the word “takataka“means”trash“It is often said that the villainous lion was given a cruel name when he was a child.
However, Taka also has another meaning in Swahili. The word “kutaka“can also be translated into English as”to want“, giving Scar's real name a double meaning. All over The Lion KingScar's defining character trait is envy. Scar desires the throne so much that it drives him to kill Mufasa and blame Simba. Scar's musical number “Be Prepared” is further defined by its green color scheme, further emphasizing the jealousy Scar feels. The seeds of this envy are planted everywhere Mufasa: The Lion Kinghighlighting the character's name Taka.
Scar's name first appeared in a 1994 Lion King spinoff
& The Prequel confirms this as Canon
Mufasa: The Lion King This isn't the first time Scar has been given the name Taka, as it first appeared in a The Lion King 1994 spin-off. The Lion King: Six New Adventures was a collection of six short stories released around the same time as the original The Lion King filmwith the first tale, “A Tale of Two Brothers”, delving into Scar and Mufasa's childhood. It was here that it was first revealed that Scar's real name was actually Taka, with that name remaining until 2024. Mufasa: The Lion King.
“A Tale of Two Brothers” shares a surprising amount of similarities with Mufasa: The Lion Kingalthough there are also some big differences. Both stories feature Rafiki telling the story of Mufasa's childhood to one of Simba's sons. However, in the previous film it is Kiara, while in the short story it is a puppy called Kopa. The story also shows Rafiki befriending a young Mufasa, as well as a young Taka deciding to betray Mufasa out of jealousy.
How Scar Gets His Name From Mufasa and How It Changes The Lion King
The scar's scar comes from a sacrifice
Taka doesn't receive his iconic scar until the end of Mufasa: The Lion Kingwith him jumping in front of Mufasa and being scratched in the eye by Kiros. After defeating the white lions, Zazu tells Mufasa to banish Taka from the Pride Lands. However, Mufasa decides not to, with Taka telling him that he should refer to him as Scar as punishment. Mufasa agrees to this, with him promising that he will never speak Scar's real name again.
Apparently, Mufasa kept that promise, as he was still calling Taka Scar at the time of The Lion Kingthe story. Other characters, like Sarabi and Simba, also know Taka as Scar, meaning Mufasa is far from the only character who knows this demeaning nickname. Although Taka came up with the name, it's possible he was resentful of it, explaining why he became such a villain in the middle. Mufasa: The Lion King and The Lion King.