Mufasa: The Lion King
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion KingMufasa: The Lion Kingis the newest live-action Disney film, serving as a prequel to 2019’sThe Lion Kinglive-action remake.
The film differs from the previous entry in the series in that it doesn’t take anything from existing animated Disney stories, and tells a wholly original story about theorigins of Scarand Mufasa, and how they ascend to the positions we see duringThe Lion King.
One interesting note about this new backstory for Mufasa is that it shows a completely opposite character arc to Simba’s from the original story.
While thecharacters inMufasa: The Lion Kingare largely familiar, the story that is being told around them is entirely new, a departure from the nearly shot-for-shot remake that preceded it, thoughMufasa’s reviewsare mixed, very similar toThe Lion King’s.
While the film is by no means perfect,it was able to find a new story to tell in this world, taking Mufasa and making him different enough from Simba all the way through toMufasa’s ending.
The Lion King’s Prequel Confirms Mufasa Was Not Born As The Heir To The Throne Like Simba
Mufasa Was Born Without Any Notions Of Royalty, Unlike Simba
The majority ofMufasa’s storyrevolves around the fact that the titular lion was not born into royalty but was actually from a prideless pack, and wasput in the position to be king because of his actions and who he was, as opposed to the circumstances of his birth.
Simba, on the other hand, is obviously a very different story, as he was born when Mufasa was already king, and was going to be given the throne due to his parentage as opposed to what he had done.
Mufasa: The Lion King told a powerful story, but its own characters acknowledged that other stories, like Simba’s Pride, could have come first.
However,The Lion Kingeventually ends up showing that Simba earned the title of king just as much as his father had, which is a great parallel for the two stories, even if the way they got there was very different.Their births could not be more opposite, and their personal character arcs are very different from each other, but they end up in the same position, as kings who are beloved by their people not just because of who they are, but because of what they have accomplished.
Mufasa: The Lion King explores the origins of the beloved character Mufasa, focusing on his youth as a lost cub who encounters Taka, a royal heir. Their meeting initiates an epic journey of self-discovery and destiny, featuring a group of misfit companions navigating the challenges of their world.
Mufasa & Simba Had Opposite Thoughts On Being King Due To Their Different Upbringings
Mufasa Could Wait To Be King
Despite their eventual similarities, Mufasa and Simba had very different thoughts on the title of king when they were younger.
While Simba wanted to be king all his life, made obvious by one ofThe Lion King’s best songs, Mufasa never wanted the throne, andpart of his character’s arc is learning to accept that he needs to become kingin order to protect everyone he cares about.
Mufasa never saw the need for royalty due to his parents being outside of a pride, but eventually was forged into a king.
By making Mufasa the complete opposite of Simba in terms of upbringing,Mufasa: The Lion Kingmanaged to feel fresh while repeating some plot and character elements from the original.
This aspect of Mufasa’s personality makes his character much more interesting, especially when it is inevitably going to be compared to Simba’s arc from the original film and its remake.
IfMufasa and his parentswere as gung-ho about becoming royalty as Simba, thenhis character and the whole film’s story would simply feel repetitive and boring.
By making Mufasa the complete opposite of Simba in terms of upbringing,Mufasa: The Lion Kingmanaged to feel fresh while repeating some plot and character elements from the original.
Simba’s The Lion King Arc Is Very Different To His Father’s In Mufasa
Simba And Mufasa Manage To Have Different Arcs With The Same Outcome
While there are clearly similarities in Mufasa and Simba’s character arcs, they are very different from each other in a number of ways, even beyond the fact that their upbringings were very different.
Simba’s character arc inThe Lion Kingis mostly about him learning to accept responsibility after distancing himself from all his problems with Timon and Pumbaa, whereasMufasa remained more responsible throughout his entire film, caring for the people around him while the group was being chased byMufasa’s villain Kiros.
Mufasa: The Lion King’s version of Scar also accomplished a similar thing in the same movie, with Scar acting as Mufasa’s antithesis, becoming corrupted by his own failures, turning him evil.
Mufasa’s arc is also centered around leadership, but where Simba had to learn to accept responsibility, going back to Pride Rock to face Scar, Mufasa’s journey was a constant test of his abilities to lead people, as opposed to coming to terms with his own actions.
He also has to learn how to become king, but he has much more of a constant trial over the course ofMufasa: The Lion King, culminating in him being crowned king, where Simba had more of a single point in which he had to prove himself.
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Mufasa: The Lion King explores the origins of the beloved character Mufasa, focusing on his youth as a lost cub who encounters Taka, a royal heir.
Their meeting initiates an epic journey of self-discovery and destiny, featuring a group of misfit companions navigating the challenges of their world.
