Since the original Disney movie was released in 1994, The Lion King has become a much bigger franchise, with two modern CGI adaptations. It is a well-known fact that The Lion King is based on the story of Hamlet – the young son of a king goes on a journey of self-discovery after his father is murdered by his power-hungry uncle. Naturally, there are plenty of similarities between Hamlet and The Lion King, some of which can also be found in the sequels and even Mufasa: The Lion King.

The Lion King to the Oscars, with both the 1994 original and the 2019 remake nominated for Academy Awards. Despite the success and cultural impact of the 1994 film, there are a few harsh realities when rewatching The Lion King. Although The Lion King was obviously never meant to be a faithful adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Hamlet, as the movie was merely inspired by the famous tragedy, there is one thing that could have been changed to suit the source material. Mufasa should have told Simba that Scar killed him when he returned as a ghost in The Lion King.

Mufasa Doesn’t Tell Simba Scar Killed Him — The Ghost In Hamlet Reveals He Was Murdered By His Brother

The Lion King Copies A Lot From Hamlet, But Emits The Ghost King’s Original Message

When Scar enacts his plan to take over as king of Pride Rock, Simba watches Mufasa fall into the gorge and become trampled by wildebeest, and the devastating scene is one of the most memorable moments in The Lion King. Unfortunately, despite witnessing Scar at the scene of his father’s death, Simba never realizes that Scar was the one who killed him. From Simba’s perspective, it appeared that his uncle was trying to save his father, as the relationship between Mufasa and Scar in The Lion King had never really seemed that tumultuous beyond Scar’s petty jealousy of his brother.

The Lion King copies Hamlet by having Mufasa return as a ghost later in the story to encourage his son along the correct path. However, one of the main differences between the two stories is that the ghost of Hamlet’s father actually reveals that he was murdered by his brother. Even though Scar had meticulously planned the death of the king so that Scar could take over Mufasa’s тιтle in The Lion King, Mufasa doesn’t reveal that his brother killed him when he returns as a ghost, despite the information being crucial to the movie’s final act.

Mufasa’s Message Is About Destiny While King Hamlet’s Is About Revenge — But Mufasa Still Could Have Told Simba About Scar

The Lion King Was Already Dark Enough Without A Revenge Arc

When Hamlet’s father appears in ghost form, he warns his son that his now-crowned uncle is not to be trusted, having been the cause of his death. This message inspires Hamlet’s mission for the rest of the Shakespeare play, as he eventually kills his uncle in revenge. While this storyline does seem too dark for a children’s movie, The Lion King does mirror Hamlet’s dark plotline as Simba also kills his uncle in an act of revenge. Therefore, it wouldn’t be such a stretch for The Lion King to include a scene where the ghost of Mufasa reveals his killer.

However, the main difference between the ghost scenes in Hamlet and The Lion King is that while Hamlet is about revenge, The Lion King is about destiny. Although telling Simba that Scar was Mufasa’s killer would have saved a lot of heartache, Mufasa’s reappearance aimed to give Simba an inspirational moment fitting of the light-hearted Disney movie. Furthermore, telling his son the truth could have led Simba down a darker path of revenge, and Mufasa may have wanted Simba to be a different type of king, which is why Hamlet’s dark revenge arc was missing from The Lion King movie.