Top 10 Things We Need Mufasa: The Lion King to Answer

In “The Lion King,” Mufasa gives Simba a glimpse of his future, pointing out the vast Savanna he’ll rule one day. But “everything the light touches”? That’s a bit vague, don’t you think? What happens when the sun sets or it’s cloudy? Do the borders just shift? And who decided sunlight was a reasonable marker for a kingdom’s boundaries? Was there some kind of royal summit where everyone agreed on this? Honestly, basing an entire kingdom on something as unpredictable as sunlight feels a little shaky. We just need someone to explain the logic behind this whole “light touches” rule because, as it stands, it raises more questions than it answers.

It’s hard to believe an entire species could be bad, but in “The Lion King,” all the hyenas are seemingly Team Scar. What went down between lions and hyenas to make the whole Cackle turn against the Pride? One theory suggests they symbolize marginalized groups in society, drawn to Scar’s promise of shaking up the “food chain.” It kind of tracks, especially with the movie’s subtle nods to darker moments in history. The 1994 film did hyenas dirty, describing them as “slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers.” Reportedly, that depiction offended some hyena biologists so much that one tried to sue Disney, and another called for a boycott. Here’s hoping the prequel finally unpacks this interspecies beef!

Okay, so in “The Lion King,” Mufasa explains the “Circle of Life” to Simba. The symbolism is nice and all, but it makes ZERO sense. And no, we’re not even talking about lions turning into grass. Lions are at the top of the food chain, and as Simba later confirms again, they’re carnivores. If our rulers were likely to eat us, we wouldn’t be lining up to celebrate their kid’s birth—you know, a new predator and another mouth to feed. So, how did lions manage to rule a kingdom made up largely of their prey? Also, they’re definitely outnumbered! What is this ruling minority doing that makes everyone else think, “Yeah, this is totally fine”?

There are a few theories about who Nala's father might be, and with so few males in the Pride, it usually comes down to an unnamed lion who's no longer around, Scar or Mufasa. There were apparently plans to introduce another male as Nala's dad in the original animation, but that idea got scrapped. The creators were clearly aware of the implications but perhaps hoped no one would catch on (we totally did). In “The Lion Guard,” Rafiki mentions another lion who could be Nala's father, but we don't get much more info. Since “Mufasa” could tie into “The Lion Guard” timeline, it's the perfect opportunity to finally clear this up once and for all.

From their first interaction in “The Lion King,” it’s clear there’s tension between the brothers. They argue about Scar skipping Simba’s presentation ceremony and his belief that he should be king. He even warns Mufasa not to “turn [his] back on him.” If we look at “The Lion Guard,” which shows Scar’s transformation into a villain after a snake bite, it’s clear his attempts to overthrow Mufasa started long before we met him. Given the brothers aren’t exactly close, and Scar’s feelings are pretty clear, why did no one think, “Hey, maybe we should keep an eye on this guy”? Instead, they traumatized generations of kids with one of Disney’s most devastating moments.

In the 2019 live-action remake, Scar casually drops the fact that he and Sarabi have a somewhat complicated history. Now that Mufasa’s out of the picture, he expects her to step up as his queen. Naturally, she turns him down. But seriously, they were just going to dangle that in front of us with no further explanation? Was it an unrequited love, or are we talking full-on love triangle? Scar claims she “chose” Mufasa over him—okay, but why? Or was it even a choice? Maybe this is just his take on a bitter rejection. Or are they telling us that Sarabi once had feelings for Scar, too? We need answers!

If you’ve only watched “The Lion King,” you’d think Scar’s grudge is just about being bumped down the royal line by Simba—or maybe he’s also salty that Mufasa ended up with the lioness of his dreams. However, “The Lion Guard” offers more backstory. Back when Scar was known as Askari (or Taka), a cobra bite filled him with venom—literally and figuratively. And what does Mufasa do? Be the loving big bro Scar needed? Nope, he mocks him and slaps him with the nickname “Scar.” That seems to be the moment Scar decided, “You know what? This family sucks.” So, will the prequel lean into this sibling drama or take us in a whole new direction?

The prequel reportedly follows Mufasa, an orphan who befriends and is taken in by Prince Taka’s family. Yep, that’s right, Mufasa bumped the natural-born heir from the line of succession. Yet, stories like “The Lion Guard” suggest they weren’t always at each other’s throats. Apparently, there was a time when the brothers worked together to protect the Pride. It does make us wonder how much their parents may have contributed to their eventual rivalry. Surely, the brothers were somewhat close before things fell apart, considering Mufasa tried to keep Scar in his life and never suspected he’d resort to fratricide. Hopefully, the prequel will show us happier times when they were best bros.

We’ve talked about “The Lion Guard” a lot—it’s essentially the only canon backstory we’ve had for Scar until now. It showed us how he went from being the leader of the Lion Guard to plotting against the king. Now, with “Mufasa,” we don’t know if they’ll draw from that story or take a totally different approach. Either way, it’s something we really want answers to. We know “The Lion King” is loosely based on “Hamlet,” but that still doesn’t explain Scar’s motives. Sure, the fact that Mufasa is his adopted brother does complicate matters. While we’ll never forgive Scar for what he did, we’re definitely curious about what pushed him to do it.

As we mentioned, Prince Taka befriends an orphaned cub named Mufasa, who’s then adopted into his family. Now, Mufasa must have been something really special for the king and queen to think, “Yeah, he’s probably better suited to reign one day.” We’re definitely curious to see that story unfold and watch Mufasa grow into the character we know. While Simba may have idolized his dad, there may be some who disagree. The prequel will likely show Mufasa’s trials and errors on his path to kingship, and we bet not every step will be so regal. Overall, we imagine this will be a tale of self-discovery as Mufasa finds his place in “The Circle of Life.”


What’s got you lion awake at night about Mufasa’s past? Let us know in the comments what’s the mane question you hope gets answered.