Mufasa Argues One Of The Lion King’s Core Beliefs Is A Lie & It’s Right

Mufasa: The Lion King challenges the franchise’s core belief about the Circle of Life, creating an interesting contrast to the idyllic narrative of The Lion King. While the 1994 movie presents this philosophy as a guiding truth, symbolizing balance and interconnectedness in the animal kingdom, the prequel reveals cracks in this ideal. Talking back to the longstanding The Lion King plot point that never made sense, the movie responds to the question of why the animals of the Pride Lands serve their predator, but the answer isn’t all good.

Mufasa: The Lion King’s ending, though claiming Mufasa earned his тιтle by protecting Milele, actually demonstrates the dark reality of the Circle of Life. The events leading to Simba’s father being crowned king of the Pride Lands explore the thin line between survival and power, underscoring The Lion King’s emphasis on nature’s balance. While Mufasa: The Lion King’s reviews praise Taka’s nuanced arc, it is the movie’s main villain who is charged with exposing the faults of The Lion King’s animal system and debunking the Circle of Life.

Kiros Says The Lion King’s Circle Of Life Is A Lie

Kiros Believes There Is No Balance, Only Survival

Notably, Mufasa changes The Lion King’s Outsiders, not only by giving them a valid reason to rebel, but also as their leader sees through the power dynamics that inform the Circle of Life. Despite the franchise’s newest villain’s many similarities to The Lion King’s Scar, Kiros’ reasoning and actions are rightly sustained by the harsh truths of the animal kingdom, mainly, that it boils down to survival of the fittest. Having been banished by their respective Prides, the white lions recognize that kings don’t stand for balance but power, and power wins in the Circle of Life.

The creatures of the Pride Lands chose Mufasa not exactly for balance, but for survival.

When examining Taka’s father as one of the few kings in the prequel, it’s inevitable to admit that his тιтle hurts natural balance more than it provokes it — as his obsession with maintaining power rather than doing what’s right for his Pride is what gets everyone killed. In what’s now one of the best songs in Mufasa: The Lion King, the villain states, “The circle of lifе is a lie / A pretty way to say therе are predators and prey.” It becomes hard to argue against Kiros’ claim, especially considering the reason why Milele crowns Mufasa as king.

Kiros Is Right About The Circle Of Life

The Animals Choose Mufasa To Ensure Their Survival


The animals from the Pride Lands bow down to Simba in The Lion King.

As Simba’s father defeats Kiros, he protects all creatures against a ruthless and insatiable predator. Although Mufasa becomes king because he seemingly establishes balance, a second reading of his crowning agrees with Kiros’ argument that the Circle of Life is a lie. The animals of Milele could have made him king because he is the least bad predator, one who doesn’t look down upon them, won’t kill them mindlessly, and will even protect them from abuse. Accordingly, the creatures of Milele (or the Pride Lands) chose Mufasa not exactly for balance, but for survival.

Arguably, if there was a true natural balance, power wouldn’t be used to maintain it, and a king wouldn’t be needed. Maybe without intending to, the prequel reframes the Circle of Life from an idealized philosophy about balance to a testament that the weak’s survival (prey) is dependent on the powerful (predator). This striking comment on one of the franchise’s core beliefs could respond to Mufasa: The Lion King’s mature point of view, as opposed to The Lion King, which has Simba’s immature perception guiding the narrative.

Related Posts

R-Rated Batman Movie Set PH๏τos Tease The New Joker’s Origin Story In James Gunn’s DCU

R-Rated Batman Movie Set PH๏τos Tease The New Joker’s Origin Story In James Gunn’s DCU

The new DC Universe has many plans for the Batman pocket of the franchise, and it seems like they will include the Dark Knight’s biggest villain, the…

Why The Man In My Basement Requires “Two Totally Different Gears Of Acting” Explained By Stars & Director

Why The Man In My Basement Requires “Two Totally Different Gears Of Acting” Explained By Stars & Director

The Man in my Basement stars Corey Hawkins, Anna Diop, and director Nadia Latif discuss the fascinating source material and its unique adaptation.

KPop Demon Hunters Star Recreates Mira’s Greatest Met Gala Dress In Real-Life

KPop Demon Hunters Star Recreates Mira’s Greatest Met Gala Dress In Real-Life

A striking KPop Demon Hunters look has made it into the real world, reimagined for one of the most prestigious events in the music industry for one…

New Peaky Blinders Movie Gets Major Release Update On Netflix, Cillian Murphy Says It‘s The “Proper Bookend”

New Peaky Blinders Movie Gets Major Release Update On Netflix, Cillian Murphy Says It‘s The “Proper Bookend”

The Immortal Man: A Peaky Blinders Film‘s Netflix release gets an update as Cillian Murphy teases what’s to come from the Peaky Blinders movie. Directed by Tom…

Warner Bros. Extends Historical Box Office Record After The Conjuring: Last Rites Release

Warner Bros. Extends Historical Box Office Record After The Conjuring: Last Rites Release

Warner Bros. has extended its historic box office record following the release of The Conjuring: Last Rites. Premiering on September 5, The Conjuring: Last Rites marks the…

5 Must-See Movies To Watch On Netflix This Week

5 Must-See Movies To Watch On Netflix This Week

Another week has come and gone, meaning there’s a whole new batch of intriguing movies to watch on Netflix. On top of the impressive catalog, the world’s…