Warning: this article contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion King
One of the last big movies of 2024 was a prequel to one of Disney’s most iconic franchises, Mufasa: The Lion King, which told the story of how Simba’s father, Mufasa, became the king of the Pride Lands that was seen in the original The Lion King. Mufasa received pretty mixed reviews, similar to the 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King, but the main positive takeaways were the fact that it effectively expanded the world, and made the тιтular Mufasa feel like a much stronger character.
While the film didn’t make too many changes to the lore of the Lion King franchise, Mufasa‘s legacy characters get a lot of much-needed characterization, chiefly Mufasa and his brother Scar. The main thrust of the film’s story is to explain how Mufasa ended up as king, as well as explain the origin of Scar’s hatred towards his brother, and that is one thing it managed to do successfully, making Mufasa’s rise to power at the end of Mufasa: The Lion King much more satisfying.
Mufasa Never Wanted To Be King Before The Lion King
He Never Expressed Interest In Ruling Over Others
Mufasa’s origin had never really been explained before this new prequel was released, and one of the most interesting things it did with his character was making him not actually want to become king. During the beginning of Mufasa: The Lion King, and throughout the film’s runtime, Mufasa is shown to actively work against the idea of becoming a leader. He doesn’t necessarily want that weight of responsibility upon him, but he still accepts the role, as he knows he is the best one for the job.
Mufasa was instrumental in their defeat, even as they had been aided by Taka, leading to him being pronounced ruler of the newly-formed Pride Lands, finally completing his journey and becoming the Lion King.
While Mufasa’s journey to becoming king happened throughout the entire film, with him being challenged to lead the small group that he found himself allied with, his true ascension happened during the climax of the film. When the Outsider lions attacked Milele, which would eventually become the Pride Lands, Mufasa was instrumental in their defeat, even as they had been aided by Taka, leading to him being pronounced ruler of the newly-formed Pride Lands, finally completing his journey and becoming the Lion King.
The Animals Selecting Mufasa As Their King Is Better Than It Being From His Bloodline
Mufasa’s Rise To Power Feels Much More Deserved
Image via Disney
The obvious ᴀssumption to be made by the first The Lion King movie was that Mufasa was just the latest regent in a long line of kings and queens, and that Simba’s legacy included many rulers throughout the land’s history. However, Mufasa makes it clear that the eponymous lion was chosen by his subjects to rule, and was not of any kind of royal descent. This is a much more interesting way to handle the character, especially because it makes him different from Simba, as this movie could’ve easily just felt like a retread of the previous entry in the franchise.
Unfortunately, this also has the effect of making Mufasa’s journey feel more interesting than Simba’s, especially in the 2019 remake, as Simba was only king because of his bloodline, while Mufasa had to work hard to earn the throne. It is also odd, looking back on the previous film, that Simba and Scar were so quickly accepted as the new rulers when the entire royal family had only amounted to a single king at that point, but that isn’t enough to ruin this movie.
Mufasa’s Reluctance To Be King Proves Why He Was A Great Leader
His Trepidation Makes Him The Best One For The Job
While Mufasa was always presented as very heroic and brave, someone who could absolutely become the figure that we saw in The Lion King, the fact that he didn’t want to be king was a big factor in his eventual worthiness of the тιтle. This idea is touched upon in the original The Lion King, as Simba’s classic song “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” symbolizes his naïveté, but it is greatly expanded upon in Mufasa as one of his core strengths as a ruler, as he fully understands the weight of what that would mean for him.
Mufasa: The Lion King arrives on premium video on demand services on February 18, 2025.
When he does eventually take the throne, Mufasa treats his new position with the respect and importance that it demands, which is a perfect lead-in to the character that we find him as during the events of The Lion King. Thankfully, Mufasa: The Lion King is able to serve as a good prequel, because the choices that Mufasa makes, and the king that he eventually becomes, feel extremely consistent with the character from the original story, and we see how his reluctance to claim the throne made him into that king.
