Notice! This post contains SPOILERS for Mufasa: The Lion King
The Lion King new Mufasa prequel confirms a major difference between Simba's rule as king compared to his father's. As seen in the new 2024 film, Mufasa and his brother Scar's origins are revealed, confirming how they met and what made Scar so bitter towards his brother when they grew up. As such, the prequel also highlights a key difference between how Simba ruled the Pride Lands compared to Mufasa at the beginning of their respective eras as king, specifically when it comes to Scar (and his legacy).
At the end of Mufasa: The Lion KingMufasa successfully defeats Kiros and his Outsider pride. He is then chosen to become the new king of the Pride Lands, although becoming king was always the supposedly destined destiny of Taka, Mufasa's brother who would come to be known as Scar. After Taka's betrayalMufasa is forced to make a decision, which would be mirrored by his own son Simba years later when his time to rule comes.. However, Simba ultimately makes a very different decision compared to his father, as seen in The Lion King II.
Mufasa and Simba deal with the consequences of Scar's betrayals very differently
To ban or not to ban
In Mufasa: The Lion KingTaka was angry that Sarabi chose Mufasa over himbelieving that the foster brother he saved when they were puppies had betrayed him. This led Taka to betray Mufasa by allying with Kiros and the Outsiders, wanting Mufasa dead. However, this first battle between the Pride Landers and the Outsiders saw Taka express some regret for his actions, teaming up with Mufasa against Kiros (who gave Taka his iconic scar).
IIn the aftermath, Mufasa faced pressure to banish Taka for what he had done. However, Mufasa decreed that his brother would always have a place at his side as long as he was king, although he renamed Taka Scar. This served as a permanent reminder of Taka's transgressions, although it presumably led to Scar's continued bitterness and resentment towards his brother.
Comparatively, Simba faced a similar decision when Scar was defeated at the end of The Lion King. As established in The Lion King II: Simba Pridethere was a whole sect of the pack that still supported Scar, led by the lioness Zira. These supporters were banished from the Pride Lands by Simba for years, becoming new Forsaken. As such, it was only up to Simba's daughter Kiara (who appears in Mufasa as a cub) and Scar's heir, Kovu, teamed up to unite the two prides of lions once again after Zira's defeat.
Why Mufasa didn't want to banish the scar
They were "brothers"
It's not too surprising why Mufasa wasn't willing to banish his brother at the end of the 2024 prequel.. After all, Taka saved his life when they were puppies, after Mufasa was separated from his parents. Joining Taka and his family, Mufasa owed a lot to his brother, not to mention Taka saved Mufasa once again after he deleted Kiros.
Unfortunately, it seems that Mufasa never fully understood how resentful Scar still was, even after this. Despite saving his brother, receiving his new name from Mufasa was too much for his pride and fragile ego, and the resentment and bitterness persisted until Scar was finally ready to betray his brother years later, as seen in the original. Lion King. Because Mufasa did not banish Scar, the result was his own death at the hands of his brother during the wildebeest stampede.
Simba made the decision that could have saved his father's life
Simba made a difficult choice in The Lion King II
The aforementioned sentiment was likely on Simba's mind when he decided to banish Scar's supporters years later after his uncle's defeat. Although the circumstances were different, Simba made the difficult choice that he felt was best for the pride he had long suffered under Scar's oppression. To that end, it's no wonder that removing the influence of Scar and those still loyal to him was a priority for Simba at the start of his new rule. After all, if Mufasa had done the same and banished Scar, he likely would have prevented his own death.
To that end, the only reason the Pride Landers and Outsiders reformed years later was through Kiara and Kovu's efforts in The Lion King II. That said, it also helped when Zira (and her influence) was no more. Although Simba initially sought justice for the safety of his pride, he later agreed to welcome back the Forsaken, expressing mercy to the lions who sought to redeem themselves and accept his rule.
Mufasa and Simba are great kings despite their differences
Justice and mercy are demonstrated by both rulers
Although they made very different decisions, Mufasa and Simba were great kings in their own times.. Mufasa felt it was right to show mercy towards his brother, an act that was gracious and more than Scar deserved at the time. Although it resulted in his death, that doesn't mean Mufasa made the wrong decision in the new prequel, and he still made sure there were consequences for what his brother had done.
Likewise, Simba also made the right decision for his circumstances. He was focused on justice and keeping those under his rule safe. Furthermore, it is also important to remember that Simba was eventually convinced to retract his original banishment from the Forsaken once circumstances changed, rather than stubbornly sticking to his original decree as he initially did at the beginning of The Lion King II.
Ultimately, father and son expressed wisdom, justice, and mercy during their time as kings of the Pride Lands.. As such, it's really cool to see the parallels between the two thanks to Disney's new film Mufasa prequel. Although it is a "live-action" adaptation of The Lion King Part II seems unlikely, it would be exciting to see the parallel come full circle too.
Mufasa: The Lion King is now showing in theaters.
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Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to the live-action remake of Disney's original animated film The Lion King. The film will follow Mufasa in his early days; Further plot details are currently under wraps. The film will likely explore Mufasa and Scar's relationship and how it became so strained. In the film, Timon and Pumbaa will return, with Billy Eicher and Seth Rogen reprising their roles.
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Jon Favreau directs this 2019 live-action adaptation of Walt Disney's popular film The Lion King. Starring Donald Glover, Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen and Chiwetel Ejiofor, this release follows young Simba as he grows up to become a powerful lion and get revenge on his cowardly uncle, Scar.
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The Lion King 2, also known as The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, is a direct-to-video release released in 1998 that acted as a direct sequel to Disney's original feature film. This title sees Simba and Nala's daughter, Kiara, rebelling against her father's overprotective nature and branching out where she meets another cub from a far away place.