Mufasa Proves Scar Never Would Have Been A Good Lion King

Mufasa: The Lion King examines Scar's origins, proving that he never had what it takes to be king. Scar has become an iconic movie villain from the original 1994 Disney masterpiece, portraying him as a conniving lion whose primary motive is jealousy over Mufasa and his power as the king. Scar, named Taka in his youth before being bestowed the nickname for his treachery, is voiced by Kelvin Harrison Jr. in the Mufasa movie's voice-acting cast, and the duality of the character is portrayed masterfully.

The Mufasa prequel's story sees Mufasa and Taka grow up together as brothers after Taka discovers Mufasa as a stray. Taka is the heir to a pride ruled by a lion named Obasi, a proud male who's immediately concerned by Mufasa, as having another male cub presents a potential threat to Taka's rule. Throughout the movie, Taka becomes envious of Mufasa, a lion who seemingly succeeds in every aspect while he struggles. The moment that Taka officially becomes Scar, however, is when Sarabi chooses Mufasa over him.

Mufasa Shows Scar Is Too Much Of A Coward To Be A King

Scar's Innate Qualities Made Him Unideal To Lead A Pride

The primary reason Sarabi chooses Mufasa over Taka is that Taka is a coward. During the horrific elephant stampede, it's Mufasa who protects Sarabi after she falls, despite Taka being the one who's been trying to develop a romantic connection with her. Mufasa, as noble as he is, even tries to give Taka credit for doing it, but Sarabi sees through the lie. Cowardliness is a consistent issue for Taka throughout the movie, even causing him to lose the respect of his mother and father when they're attacked by the Outsiders, the pride of White Lions.

Being a coward causes Taka to lose everything, and it's generally what makes him a villain. His birthright was to be king, but he's inherently flawed as a lion, lacking the one thing he must have in order to rule a pride. Aside from Mufasa's several other exceptional qualities, he's undoubtedly courageous, and his having the direct thing that Taka so desperately needs makes it easy to imagine why Taka goes bad. Even though Taka comes around in Mufasa's ending, his weaknesses prove he's not meant to be king.

Taka Had A Poor Example Of A King With His Father

Obasi's Leadership Limited His Pride's Potential

The difference in parentage is a major aspect of the story Mufasa: The Lion King is trying to tell, demonstrating the dichotomy between these characters. Mufasa wasn't raised to be king, but he came from a loving family of noble lions. His parents seemed kind and affectionate, even walking among other animals in peace. Taka's father, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be the most noble of lions. He comes around in the end, sacrificing himself to give Taka and Mufasa a headstart, but his parenting and ruling tactics are flawed.

Obasi is against the idea of his pride taking in Mufasa, as he's worried about the influence of outsiders and strays. This ideology leads to his pride being isolated and outnumbered, while Mufasa ends up defeating Kiros in the movie by requesting help from other animal species. Obasi raised Taka with an example of being uncompromising and lacking compassion, and it led to Taka growing up to be a shell of his father's ideals. Taka's mother seems to be a more noble lion, but their pride primarily divides the male and female lions, so Taka lacked her influence.

Mufasa Could Have Helped Scar Be A Serviceable King

Mufasa Would Have Helped Taka Reign If He Hadn't Betrayed Him

Had Taka not betrayed Mufasa, he would still have become king. Mufasa may have accidentally taken Sarabi's love, but he wasn't planning on overthrowing his brother's right to rule. Ultimately, Mufasa would have remained Taka's right-hand lion and could have helped him maintain a solid kingdom. Mufasa could have helped Taka navigate leadership, and even if he wasn't innately fit for the job, he could have improved over time to at least be serviceable.

Taka chose jealousy and anger over his option to rule, as he was never going to find himself in a position of power under Kiros. Mufasa: The Lion King reframes the story of Mufasa and Scar, but it doesn't necessarily make the latter more sympathetic. Mufasa doesn't take the kingdom from Taka; he's forced upon it when Taka betrays him. He didn't take Sarabi from Taka; Sarabi chose him. These dynamics are vital to what makes the new prequel a worthwhile story.