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Scar ( The Lion King) Scar is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Disney 's The Lion King franchise. He was created by screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton, and animated by Andreas Deja. Scar is introduced in the first film as the ruthless, power-hungry younger brother of Mufasa, ruler of the Pride Lands.
- Overview
- Background
- Appearances
- Video games
- Musical
- Disney Parks
- Trivia
- References
Mufasa: "Don't turn your back on me, Scar!"
Scar: "Oh, no, Mufasa. Perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me."
―Mufasa and Scar
Scar is the main antagonist of Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King. As the brother of Mufasa and second-born Prince of the Pride Lands, Scar was next in line to assume the throne as king. However, his chances were lost at the birth of his nephew, Simba. This embittered Scar with jealousy and a sense of entitlement, prompting him to develop a regicidal plot to take over the Pride Lands, with the aid of his hyena minions.
A Tale of Two Brothers
According to A Tale of Two Brothers, Scar was the second born son of Ahadi and Uru. He was once named Taka (meaning "waste" or "want" in Swahili). He became upset when he learned his older brother Mufasa was chosen to be king over himself. Taka would come to meet three hyenas named Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, who tell him that if Mufasa is made to look like a failure, then he'll look kingly in comparison and take the throne soon enough. This leads to Taka tricking his big brother into going down to the waterhole, where a Cape buffalo called Boma is refusing to share the water with the rest of The Pride Lands which, at the time, is having a terrible drought. While there Mufasa starts to try to reason with Boma and Taka roars and tells Boma that he should move by order of the Lion King, or fight Mufasa, Boma charges out of the water at Mufasa afterwards. Mufasa gets away with the aid of a mandrill called Rafiki, and Boma goes after Taka instead. Mufasa runs back and looks for Taka being assaulted by Boma's herd. A large buffalo slashes Taka with his horns, causing him to be knocked unconscious. Mufasa leaps in to rescue his younger brother and the buffaloes make ready to attack again. Before they can do so, King Ahadi, father of Taka and Mufasa, appears with a large herd of animals that surrounds the buffaloes. It was during this attack that Taka got a scar on his eye, and renamed himself "Scar", as a reminder of his mistake, explaining his cruel name.
The Lion Guard
In The Lion Guard, Scar was born under the name "Askari" after his ancestor, the original Askari, and as the second-born cub of the king at the time, he was appointed the leader of the Lion Guard, a team of lions who would protect the Pride Lands and the Circle of Life, as part of a tradition that began with the ancestor he was named after. With this responsibility, Askari was given a power called the "Roar of the Elders", which allowed the Great Lions of the Past to roar along with him when used. However, the roar made Askari feel powerful, and that power went to his head, making him conceited. One day, on a solo patrol, Askari encountered a mysterious lion, who suggested that Askari should be the King of the Pride Lands instead of Mufasa; a thought that intrigued Askari. However, the lion led him to a trap where a cobra bit his left eye, giving him his infamous scar as well as poisoning Askari's mind. The lion offered to cure the cobra's venom in return for Askari's servitude afterwards, but Askari killed them both with the Roar in a fit of rage instead. He then reported the encounter to his brother, Mufasa, expecting to be praised for eliminating the villains. But instead, he was belittled and received the nickname "Scar" from his older brother, which would eventually become his only known name. After that, Scar began to grow jealous and loathsome of Mufasa (as the cobra venom in his body began to corrupt him by bringing out his darker thoughts and tendencies) and came to believe that he should be king of the Pride Lands instead of Mufasa. When the Lion Guard refused to help Scar usurp his brother, Scar infuriatingly used the Roar of the Elders to eliminate them. Due to using the Roar of the Elders for evil, the Great Lions of the Past took the roar away and Scar lost the power completely and descended into depression, becoming shriveled and weak.
Development
In an early treatment for an African-centered feature called King of the Jungle, a main point of conflict was a war between lions and baboons. In this iteration of the story, Scar was portrayed as a baboon and served as the leader of the baboons. Eventually, Scar became a rogue lion that was out for the throne with the J.T. Allen treatment of the story, as well as the King of the Beasts version by Allen and Ron Bass. This rendition of Scar was closer to a minion than the true main antagonist (being subservient to Banagi, the leader of the Hyena Clan, as well as a puppet king), and in the King of the Beasts version was also depicted as being a bit more honorable compared to the final version of the character, as he twice angrily denounces the Hyena Clan's attempts at aiding him when about to lose against Mufasa and later Simba, repeatedly insisting he fight his foes alone. The filmmakers, however, felt it would be more impactful if Scar had a deeper connection to the heroes; therefore, he was rewritten as Mufasa's envious, younger brother. Andreas Deja was assigned as Scar's supervising animator. Rather than working on Pocahontas, Deja chose to work on King of the Jungle due to his love for The Jungle Book and Milt Kahl's animation of Shere Khan. Despite this, Deja did not study Khal's animation when working on The Lion King, so to prevent himself from simply copying what was done before. He, instead, studied real lions (some of which were brought into the Disney studio) and relied on the vocal performance and facial features of Jeremy Irons. Scar was designed to stand out from the other lions and reflect his sinister nature—he was given dark fur, a black mane, and his claws are consistently featured as opposed to the other lions whose claws only appeared during points of contention. Scar's song, written by Elton John and Tim Rice, was originally titled "Thanks to Me" and was performed after Mufasa's death. As the development on the story progressed, the filmmakers felt that Scar's song was performed too late in the film. They also wanted to use Scar's number as a build up to his eventual takeover, thus it was renamed "Be Prepared" and featured Scar and his hyenas plotting to kill Mufasa and Simba and rule the Pride Lands. Infamously, a deleted plot point included Scar exiling Nala from Pride Rock because she ignored his "romantic" approaches, after which she finds Simba alive and well with Timon and Pumbaa. This idea was ultimately abandoned, presumably because sexual harassment (and sexual advances in particular) was considered improper in a family movie at the time. However, the stage musical adaptation includes this plot development as part of director Julie Taymor's efforts to expand the female characters' presence in the story.
The Lion King
On the day of Simba's presentation, Scar remains in his cave, where he laments his loss of the throne while he is trying to eat a mouse named Nobi. Suddenly, he receives a visit from Zazu, who reprimands Scar for not attending Simba's presentation. Scar wickedly attempts to eat Zazu out of irritation, but Mufasa intervenes and questions Scar's absence, but Scar shows no remorse and merely expresses disdain for the young prince before he departs Pride Rock, dejected, much to the chagrin of Mufasa. As some time passes, Scar rapidly becomes jealous of his nephew Simba's position as the next king of Pride Rock and starts plotting to kill him in order to take out the competition for the throne. He recruits hyenas—primarily Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed—to aid in his schemes to conquer Pride Rock, using bribery of food to get them on his side. In the first attempt, Scar lures Simba to the hyenas' domain at the elephant graveyard, where Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed were to kill Simba and his friend, Nala. When Mufasa foils that plan, Scar witnesses the whole scene with great fury. Later that night, Scar berates the hyenas for failing to kill Simba, but still he gives them food nonetheless. Knowing Simba will always be safe as long as Mufasa is around, Scar proposes they kill both Simba and Mufasa. To motivate and mobilize the hyenas, Scar promises that under his rule, the hyenas will never go hungry again (a promise he ultimately fails to keep). With their assistance, he engineers a wildebeest stampede meant to kill both his brother and nephew, tricking Simba into waiting in a gorge under the notion that Mufasa has a 'marvelous surprise' for him which is to "die for". Scar alerts Mufasa, who rushes to Simba's aid. Mufasa manages to rescue his son and ends up clinging to a cliff where he spots Scar and pleads with his brother to help him. However, Scar pierces Mufasa's paws with his claws and, grinning evilly, throws his brother off the cliff to his death after taunting the words "Long live the king" instead. When Scar sees Simba is still alive, he places the blame of Mufasa's death on his nephew to make him feel guilty. Simba asks him what he should do and he orders Simba to run away and never return as punishment. Simba briefly looks at Scar with terror upon hearing this and frantically runs away from him. Scar proudly watches Simba run from him with a wicked grin as the hyenas show up behind him, and sends them to kill Simba. However, they fail this task yet again due to Simba escaping into the desert through a bed of thorn bushes much too wide and dense for them to follow him through. Believing Simba will die in the wasteland anyway, the hyenas let the cub go, yet warn him with death should he return. With feigned grief, Scar announces that Mufasa and Simba were killed in the stampede (unaware that Simba survived the hyenas' attack), which saddens the lionesses, Zazu, and Rafiki and takes over the Pride Lands, using the hyena clan as muscle to ensure his reign goes undisputed. As king, Scar enacts a law that forbids the mention of Mufasa's name in his presence. He also locks Zazu in a cage made of rib bones and rocks and forces him to entertain him with singing and grants the hyenas unrestricted hunting rights, resulting in a shortage of food due to the hyenas' overhunting. Additionally, a drought deprives the kingdom of water, driving away most of the animals. Because of the conditions from Scar's lax rule, the lionesses despise Scar and refuse to hunt. Even Scar's minions, the hyenas, who are used to going hungry for days, start to complain to Scar about the land being bare. One day when Zazu accidentally slips Mufasa's name, Scar reacts with fury, ordering Zazu to never mention his brother's name in his presence. Shortly after this, the hyenas come before Scar, grousing. Scar, however, tells them to leave his cave when Banzai infuriates him by mentioning Mufasa's name as well. After receiving complaints from the hyenas once again, Scar summons Sarabi and questions her as to why she and the rest of the lionesses are not hunting for food, to which Sarabi explains the state of the kingdom. She suggests they leave Pride Rock to survive, but Scar uncompromisingly rejects the idea. Pushed beyond composure, Sarabi openly compares Scar to Mufasa in a superior manner, infuriating Scar to the point of ruthlessly striking her. Just as this occurs, an adult Simba reveals his return and confronts the horrified Scar, who initially mistakes him for Mufasa. However, after learning it's his nephew, Scar sarcastically expresses "joy" at seeing him alive and gives a dirty look at the hyenas, angry that they did not kill him like he ordered them to do, prompting them to nervously gulp and back away from him. Simba orders Scar to resign as king or engage in battle for the throne as Nala and the lionesses rise against the tyrant. Scar initiates a trial against Simba, blaming him for Mufasa's death in an attempt to turn the pride against him. Simba, still thinking he was responsible for his father's death, admits his "crime" and tries to explain he wasn't a murderer, but Scar backs him up until he's left dangling over the ledge of Pride Rock. As a lightning bolt strikes below Pride Rock and causes a wildfire due to the dry grass, Scar silently confesses to killing Mufasa. However, this act of cruelty and arrogance ultimately becomes Scar's downfall as Simba, after experiencing a flashback of watching Mufasa fall to his death, is infuriated by this revelation as he learns that Scar has been lying to him since cubhood. Empowered by his rage, Simba frees himself from Scar's grip before jumping from the edge of the cliff and pinning Scar down while accusing his evil uncle of being the true murderer. Scar pleads for mercy, but Simba angrily demands that he confess his crimes to the pride. Scar attempts to talk his way out of confessing, but Simba starts to choke his uncle by pressing his paw onto his throat, forcing Scar to announce the truth in a low tone. Simba demands that he speaks louder so that everyone can hear him, and, in a disdainful, frustrated, and bitter tone, Scar pubicly admits that he murdered Mufasa without remorse, which enrages the pride. This leads to a ferocious battle in which the lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki work together to defeat the hyenas. Scar tries to get away in the chaos, but he gets cornered by Simba at the top of Pride Rock. With nowhere to run, Scar begs Simba for mercy and even attempts to blame his crimes on the hyenas (unaware that Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed are listening nearby). Simba refuses to believe him as everything he ever told him was a lie, but he chooses to exile Scar rather than kill him. Initially, Scar appears to concede, but then viciously attacks Simba after pulling a cheap shot with sweeping some hot embers into Simba's eyes to blind him. Scar rams Simba and bites on his neck, but Simba violently slaps his face and pushes Scar away, beginning a battle. The two engage in a vicious fight. Scar eventually gains the upper hand by bashing Simba across the face and knocking him onto his back. However, as Scar leaps to deliver the deathblow, Simba uses his hind legs and a move Nala used on him to pin him down to hurl Scar over the edge of Pride Rock, sending him tumbling down a rocky slope to the base of the formation. Scar survives the fall, and as he slowly gets to his feet, the hyenas show up. Scar is relieved to see his "friends" at first, but they reveal that they overheard Scar calling them "the enemy" and begin to surround their fallen master with wide vicious grins. Realizing his mistake too late, Scar begs for mercy and attempts to justify what he said, but the hyenas, having had enough of his lies, derogatory treatment and broken promises, ignore his life plea as they leap upon him, eating him and brutally mauling him to death as flames surround them. With Scar overthrown and deceased, Simba ascends Pride Rock and reclaims the Pride Lands as the new king and the kingdom is restored to its former glory.
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Despite his ultimate demise, Scar maintained the loyalty of the Outsiders, a pride of lionesses led by a lioness named Zira, who were banished to the Outlands by Simba. Zira was fanatically loyal to Scar and intended to install her son Kovu as King of Pride Rock, as he was chosen by Scar personally to be his heir and successor. They would continue to create trouble for Simba in the following years. Scar appeared in Simba's nightmare in addition. Mufasa clings to the high cliff above the stampede and an adult Simba tries to rescue his father. However, Scar grabs Simba's paw, stopping from reaching him. As Mufasa falls off the cliff into the stampede, Scar transforms into Kovu and throws Simba into the stampede as well. In addition, Scar was also mentioned by Simba when he explains to Kovu the true history of Scar. He also implies during this time that, in addition to the hyenas exacting revenge on Scar, Scar also ended up burned alive by the wildfire. Scar makes another brief appearance when Kovu is exiled from the Pride Lands by Simba, he stops by a lake where he sees Scar's reflection instead of his own as Mufasa did to Simba and scared by this, he runs off. In the end, Scar's dying wish would be fulfilled (Kovu becoming the king of the Pride Lands) since Simba would choose Kovu to become the king consort of his daughter Kiara, Scar's great-niece. However, unlike Scar's plan, Kovu would rule for the sake of his subjects under the concept of the Circle of Life rather than his own sake.
The Lion King 1½
In the direct-to-video "parallel film" The Lion King 1½, Scar makes a few brief, non-speaking appearances in the scenes for which he was present in the original Lion King film. Scar's song ("Be Prepared") is heard briefly as Timon and Pumbaa tour Scar's lair as a possible new home, commenting on how it's quiet, secluded, and with no uninvited visitors. The shadows of the goose-stepping hyena army are seen marching in front of them afterwards, though they have not started singing yet. This convinces Timon and Pumbaa to look elsewhere. He is also mentioned by Nala when she tells Timon and Pumbaa that Simba needs their help in order to defeat Scar. Later, he is shown making Simba fall over Pride Rock's peak and fleeing from Simba after confessing he murdered Mufasa, where the hyenas were guarding him. Finally, after Timon, Ma, Pumbaa, and Uncle Max defeat the hyenas, Simba kicks Scar over the side of Pride Rock's summit, into the hole the hyenas fell into, and to his death by his minions' jaws.
The Lion King
Scar appeared in this video game as the final boss.
The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure
Scar appears as one of the bosses in this video game. He battles Simba and would jump onto a platform to roar, causing rocks to fall towards Simba which he has to dodge before he finally defeats Scar.
Kingdom Hearts II
Largely following the story of the film, Scar is the tyrannical ruler of the Pride Lands, after earning his throne through regicide (the murder of King Mufasa and supposedly Prince Simba). At some point, Scar meets Pete, who offers to impart him to become a Heartless whenever Scar is defeated, an invader on a quest to dominate the worlds using a legion of demons known as the Heartless. With Pete's help, Scar rules the pride with discipline until Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrive. With little food elsewhere, Scar attempts to devour the trio, only to be stopped by Nala, allowing them to escape. Once they do, they head out to find Simba, who was revealed to be alive by Sora. The group eventually finds him, and together, they return to Pride Rock to battle Scar. The tyrant is forced into revealing that he killed Mufasa, and a battle breaks loose, resulting in Scar's demise. However, the darkness of anger and jealousy in Scar's heart corrupts the lion and revives him in the form of a Heartless, drenching the Pride Lands in darkness as well. Sora and friends battle Scar, and he is eventually killed off. During the second visit, it is revealed an army of Scar's ghost is haunting the Pridelands. According to Rafiki, the ghosts feed off of Simba's insecurity towards being king. As a manifestation, Scar constantly tortures and taunts the new ruler, until a turn of events prompts Simba to stand up to the demon, finally having the courage necessary to send him off for good. However, the army then comes together and converges to create the massive Groundshaker Heartless to face Simba and Sora before the two are able to destroy it and the ghosts of Scar for good. This rendition of Scar is somewhat darker than in the original film since, aside from him becoming a full Heartless upon being defeated by Simba, he was also implied to be a cannibal due to his attempting to devour Sora, who at the time appeared as a lion cub.
Scar is the main villain in the Broadway musical adaptation of The Lion King. In the original run of the show, in 1997, the character of Scar was portrayed by John Vickery, and is generally portrayed as an intellectual, immature prince, with a heavy hint of comedic elements in an (arguably) more prominent light than his animated counterpart.
Scar's role is also expanded upon with the song "The Madness of King Scar". In it, Scar begins doubting his reign, fearing that he might be losing the respect of the lionesses and indirectly receives an idea from Zazu that he needs a queen to ensure that his family line continues for generations, thus giving him immortality. He attempts to seduce Nala when he chooses her as his queen, promising to share the throne with her, to bear many cubs and to love her dearly, but she rebukes him by scratching his face after realizing what this would truly mean for her. The musical also implies that he might harbor some guilt for murdering Mufasa, as he mentions that Mufasa's ghost kept on haunting him. The musical also implies that his main motives for wanting to become king were due to neglect that he suffered while he was young, especially in comparison to Mufasa.
Disneyland Resort
In World of Color, Scar can be briefly seen in the water projectors and heard vocally throughout a sequence based on the wildebeest stampede from the film. In addition, Scar was featured in the 2015 rendition of the show, during the brief montage celebrating villains.
Walt Disney World
Scar plays a role in Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. In Adventureland, Scar returns from the dead via Hades and is given a proposition to live forever in exchange for the crystal of the Magic Kingdom. Scar tricks the hyenas into believing he is invincible and forces them to work for him again. However, the park guests prove that Scar lied by injuring him in front of the hyenas, prompting them to leave their former boss. Scar consoles Hades for more power, but Hades refuses and leaves the lion to battle the park guests alone. Scar is defeated, but a recovered piece of the crystal imbues him with magic, allowing him to take on the guests once again. Scar is once again defeated, however, saving the kingdom from his wrath. Scar appears as one of the main villains in the live nighttime spectacular Fantasmic!. In the show, Scar is called forth by the Evil Queen to destroy Mickey Mouse once and for all. In the end, Scar is killed by Mickey along with the other villains. His only line was "Yes, perfect." In Happily Ever After, Scar is one of the villains featured during the adversity segment. He is seen battling Simba on Pride Rock as it is engulfed in flames. Scar's likeness is also featured in Disney's Art of Animation Resort.
Disneyland Paris
In France, Scar was featured on the villains' float in Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade.
•Scar is loosely based on Claudius from Hamlet, who was a prince who murdered his brother the king for the sake of his throne. However, unlike the diabolically evil Scar, Claudius had a kind side and genuinely believed that he could make the country a better place and was a highly competent king whereas Scar only cared for himself. Like Scar, Claudius was cunning, intelligent, manipulative, charismatic, and ruthless. Unlike Scar, Claudius repented from his wrongdoings and did not reveal the secret truth about his brother's murder to his family.
•He is also similar to the Shakespearean villain Iago from Othello, being sadistic, charming, smooth-talking, bitter, envious, and narcissistic.
•He also shares many similarities to the titular tragic antihero character in Macbeth. Although not directly related, he started out as an honorable soldier to King Duncan. Like Scar, he believed he would be next in line for the throne as the king's son Malcolm was too young. However, when it became official that Malcolm would take over as king, Macbeth then plotted to kill King Duncan in order to scare his children away from the kingdom over accusations of murder, thus taking the throne for himself (similar to what Scar had happened to Mufasa and Simba). Macbeth succeeded in this and became a ruthless greedy king like Scar, leading to corruption in his kingdom, as he also had many people whom he thought were suspicious of him all murdered. Eventually, Malcolm returned to the kingdom and got his revenge (though more indirectly as he let Macduff fight and kill Macbeth rather than facing the latter himself, like Simba did) and claimed his rightful place as king of Scotland.
•He is also similar to the Shakespearean villain, Richard III, who is the titular character from the play, Richard III. For example, both Richard and Scar are envious of their older brother and nephew and as a result covets the throne. Both Richard and Scar also both attempt to seduce younger women, Scar with Nala (in the musical version) and Richard with Anne Neville. (The difference being though that Richard succeeds in his endeavor while Scar fails in his endeavor.)
•In A Tale of Two Brothers, Scar's birth name, "Taka", is the Swahili word for "waste". It is also a derivation of the word "Kutaka" meaning "Wanted".
•In an early draft for the ending of The Lion King, Scar defeated Simba by outsmarting him and throwing him off of Pride Rock. Falsely believing that Simba has died and that he has won, Scar laughs in victory as the fire engulfs him, burning him alive. This ending was deemed to horrific for a Disney film, and thus it was rewritten to where Scar was defeated by Simba and killed by his minions.
1."Full The Lion King Live Cast Announced". IGN (November 1, 2017).
2."‘The Lion King’ Prequel: Kelvin Harrison Jr. & Aaron Pierre To Lead Cast For Disney & Barry Jenkins". Deadline Hollywood (August 26, 2021).
3.The Lion King: Audio commentary
4.https://youtu.be/Yq1PoqxSzUA?si=d9BlQ7aOugKXqjYd&t=1380
Scar was a male lion. He was the king of Pride Rock who succeeded Mufasa and preceded Simba. He was the younger brother of Mufasa and the uncle of Simba. In his youth, Scar was tasked with leading the Lion Guard, a legendary group of lions who defended the Circle of Life and protected the Pride Lands.
Scar. King Scar Uncle Scar (by Simba) Brother (by Mufasa) Fiery Lion (by Shujaa) Origin. The Lion King (1994) Occupation. Prince of the Pride Lands. Leader of the Lion Guard Illegitimate King of the Pride Lands Leader and boss of the Hyena Clan (all formerly) Evil Lion of the Past Supreme Leader of the Army of Scar.
Scar (birth name Taka) was a male lion. He was the king of Pride Rock who succeeded Mufasa and preceded Simba. He was the son of Obasi and Eshe, the adoptive younger brother of Mufasa, and the adoptive uncle of Simba. From a young age, Scar resented Mufasa for his position as the king of Pride Rock.
Full Name. Askari Jr. Aliases. Scar King Scar. Occupation. Evil Lion of the Past. Member of the Disney Villains. Alignment. Bad. Affiliations. Disney Villains. Hobby. Hunting. Manipulating others. Gaining power for his own ends. Abusing his hyena minions Forcing the lionesses to get eaten by hyenas. Bragging about how great he is.
Mar 20, 2020 · Learn about the history, design, and performance of Scar, one of Disney's most beloved and recognizable villains. From his tragic backstory to his musical talents, discover 15 facts about the fallen king of Pride Rock.
