Scar is an adult male lion who succeeds Mufasa as the king of Pride Rock. Scar has a hand-chosen heir named Kovu, who is the youngest son of Zira.
In his youth, Scar was tasked with leading the Lion Guard, a legendary group of protectors who defended the Circle of Life, and gifted with a powerful roar called the Roar of the Elders. Over time, his power and position led him to believe that he should be king instead of his brother, Mufasa, and he attempted to stage a coup with the rest of his Lion Guard. When the other members of the Lion Guard refused, Scar destroyed them with the power of the Roar, which cost him its use, for it could only be used for good.
In the years that followed the Lion Guard's downfall, Scar continued to vie for his brother's throne. After the birth of his nephew, Simba, Scar made plans to dispose of both Mufasa and Simba. With the help of his hyena minions, Scar staged a wildebeest stampede that endangered Simba's life, and Mufasa was drawn to the scene to rescue his son. Though Simba escaped to safety, Mufasa was heaved from a high cliff by Scar to his death. After Mufasa's fall, Scar convinced Simba that the death was his fault and drove the cub into self-exile, after which he laid claim to the throne of the Pride Lands.
As king, Scar allowed the hyenas to poach the land, and the Pride Lands slowly fell into ruin. The desolation of the kingdom eventually drew a full-grown Simba back to Pride Rock, where he challenged Scar for his throne. An epic battle ensued, in which Scar made one last attempt on Simba's life, but he was defeated and thrown from the summit of Pride Rock by Simba. He landed amidst his former minions, who swiftly turned on him and ate him alive amidst a fiery blaze at the base of Pride Rock.
After Scar's death, a small band of lionesses remained loyal to him and were exiled to the Outlands by Simba. One of the lionesses, Zira, had a son named Kovu, who had been Scar's chosen heir before his untimely demise. Zira trained Kovu to take back the throne of Pride Rock from Simba, but Kovu betrayed his pride, and the Outsiders were convinced to pledge their allegiance to Simba. Zira made one last attempt on Simba's life in Scar's honor, but she was thwarted by Kiara, Simba's daughter, and fell to her death.
According to A Tale of Two Brothers, Scar was born under the name "Taka" as the younger son of Ahadi and Uru. His older brother Mufasa was chosen to be king over him, a decision which caused the young lion much angst and distanced him from his father and older brother. Over time, Taka came to resent Ahadi for favoring Mufasa and for choosing kingly duties over spending time with his sons.
Taka with Ahadi and Mufasa
When Taka was an adolescent, he went on patrol with his father and brother. While patrolling the Pride Lands, the three ran into Rafiki, a traveling baboon who was being plagued by the hyena trio. Though Taka acted bored and commented that they should have just let the baboon die, Ahadi welcomed Rafiki into the Pride Lands and let him spend the night at Pride Rock. While Mufasa stayed by his father's side throughout the ordeal, Taka wandered off, unconcerned with his father's doings.
Later that night, Taka set a cobra on Mufasa, hoping to kill his brother in his sleep, but Rafiki thwarted the plan. The following day, Ahadi promised to take his sons hunting, but a group of angry Pride Landers stalled him, and he was forced to cut the hunting trip short. Though Mufasa understood, Taka reacted with outrage and accused his father of always finding other things to do when they were supposed to spend time together. In answer to his son's protests, Ahadi attempted to explain that Mufasa understood the pressures of ruling a kingdom, but Taka's temper only flared, and he accused Ahadi of favoring Mufasa. Despite the young lion's animosity, Ahadi decided to pursue his kingly duties, leaving Taka alone to hunt with Mufasa.
Before the hunt, Taka plotted with the hyenas to get his brother in trouble with Ahadi so that their father might have second thoughts about Mufasa becoming king. He lead Mufasa to a water hole, where an antagonistic buffalo named Boma was hogging one of the only water sources left after the start of the drought, and tricked Mufasa into angering Boma. When the buffalo began to chase Mufasa, Taka broke down with laughter until the other members of Boma's herd attacked the young lion and gave him his scar.
Just in time, Ahadi arrived to help his sons, and Taka was taken back to Pride Rock, where Rafiki cared for him until he was patched up enough to speak. Once recovered, Taka admitted that he had wanted to get even with Ahadi for breaking his promise, and Ahadi gently chastised his son, warning him to keep his anger at bay. Though at first angry, Taka at last accepted his father's words and asked to be called "Scar" from then on.
It has been revealed that, as is usual for the second-born cub of the monarch, Scar was tasked with leading the Lion Guard when he was younger and was given a power called the Roar of the Elders, which, when used, would cause the Great Kings of the Past to roar with him. However, the power got to Scar's head, and he believed that with this power, he should be king instead of Mufasa. When the rest of the Lion Guard refused to aid him in his plot, Scar destroyed them and thus lost his power, as the Roar of the Elders was not meant to be used for evil.
Scar makes his first appearance directly after the presentation of Simba, trapping an unsuspecting field mouse underneath his paw and lifting it slowly to eye level. He laments aloud how life isn't fair, as he will never be king. To make himself feel better, he tells the mouse that it will never see the light of another day, chuckles evilly, and then bids it adieu, lowering it slowly into his jaws.
Just before the mouse enters his mouth, Zazu interrupts, asking sarcastically if his mother ever taught him not to play with his food. Scar responds with annoyance and tries to devour the bird after he points out that Mufasa won't be pleased with Scar's absence at Simba's ceremony. Just as he traps Zazu in his jaws, Scar is stopped by Mufasa, who commands Scar to release Zazu. Begrudgingly, Scar does, leaving the hornbill drenched in saliva.
Scar speaks with Mufasa
He approaches Mufasa, carelessly invading the king's personal space as he mocks his brother, but Mufasa moves on to more pressing matters, accusing Scar of skipping the ceremony. Scar reacts again in sardonic surprise voice, pretending to feel "simply awful" for missing the presentation. Zazu points out that Scar should've been first in line at the ceremony, and Scar snaps his teeth at the bird, pointing out that before Simba was born, he had been first in line. Insulted, Mufasa meets his brother's eyes, clearly stating that the Simba is his son and the future king. Scar manages a sarcastic promise to practice his curtsy, turning his back and walking away from his brother. He veils a threat when Mufasa addresses him again, riling up the larger lion, who demands to know if he's been challenged. Scar reassures Mufasa that he wouldn't dare challenge the king, as he doesn't have the brawn to do it. He then navigates around Mufasa and Zazu, and strides off into the savannah.
Scar tricks Simba
Many seasons later, with Simba now a lively cub, Scar is visited by his nephew, who is excited about being given his first tour of the Pride Lands. Scar reacts with seething anger and annoyance as Simba gleefully points out he will be king one day. Not noticing his uncle's scowl, he asks Scar what he will be once he is king, to which Scar replies, "A monkey's uncle." Simba laughs, calling his uncle weird, and Scar moves on in the conversation, taking interest in the cub's previous statement about being shown the whole kingdom. Scar guesses aloud that Mufasa hadn't show Simba what's beyond the northern border, and Simba instantly saddens, explaining that he has been forbidden to go there. Scar immediately affirms Mufasa's decision and purposefully lets it slip that the forbidden land is an elephant graveyard. In reaction to Simba's amazement, Scar claims that Simba would've found out eventually. He then makes Simba promise to stay away from the graveyard and pushes the cub off with a paw, knowing that the young lion's curiosity will eventually draw him there.
Scar's plan to kill Simba is foiled by Mufasa when the lion comes to the cub's rescue and fights the hyenas off. From atop a knoll, Scar watches in seething anger as Simba and his friend Nala are led out of danger by their savior Mufasa. For this, he scolds the hyenas, debating whether to provide them with food or not, as he'd "practically
gift-wrapped the cubs for them." Still angry, he drops a zebra haunch to his minions, who devour the meat amid protests that they couldn't have killed the cubs with Mufasa in their defense. Banzai points out that the only thing they could do is kill Mufasa, a statement which makes Scar smile and launch into "Be Prepared." During the song, Scar plots to kill Mufasa and Simba and claim the throne with the help of the hyenas, who agree to his plan.
The following day, Scar lures Simba to the gorge and instructs him to wait on a rock for a "marvelous surprise" which Mufasa has planned. Simba is extremely curious, opting to go with Scar, but the lion abruptly refuses his request. He brings up the incident with the hyenas, making Simba a little more compliant about staying on the rock, and suggests that while he's there, he work on his roar. Scar begins to move off when Simba addresses him again, asking if he will like the surprise. The evil lion smirks, telling Simba that the surprise is "to die for."
Scar prepares to heave Mufasa to his death
From atop the gorge's walls, he gives the signal to the hyenas, and they start up a thunderous stampede, comprised of hundreds of startled wildebeests. Scar finds Mufasa and in a staged panic, tells him about Simba being trapped in the wildebeest stampede. Both lions run to the gorge, spotting Simba clinging desperately to a weak branch. Mufasa jumps into the sea of hooves, and Scar drops his act of panic, swatting Zazu into the wall of the gorge, rendering him unconscious. The dark lion slithers across the ridges of the gorge, never taking his eyes off Mufasa's position. After rescuing Simba, the king leaps onto the gorge's walls, clinging to the side of the cliff, but Scar meets him at the top. After taking time to drink in Mufasa's helpless form, he slams his claws into his brother's paws and reveals his treachery by sinisterly whispering, "Long live the king," before he throws Mufasa to his death.
The newly labeled murderer meets Simba at the bottom of the gorge, and upon seeing the cub curled up underneath Mufasa's broken body, he manipulates Simba into believing that Mufasa's death was his fault, because"the roar that Simba worked on caused the stampede." He then instructs Simba to run away and never return, setting the hyenas on him as the cub disappears down the gorge.
When Scar returns to the pride, he delivers the news of Mufasa and Simba's deaths, feigning grief. After this, he introduces the hyenas to the pride and ascends Pride Rock to truly assume the crown. Following the start of his reign, he allows the hyenas to over-hunt the Pride Lands and deplete the land of its plentiful resources. Slowly, the Pride Lands fall into decay, with Scar remaining in his cave with not a care in the world about the famine. Meanwhile, the lionesses continue to grieve for their lost king and prince.
As meals begin to become more skimpy, Scar traps Zazu in a bone cage and forces the hornbill to sing to him as he lazes on his throne. When Zazu accidentally slips Mufasa's name, Scar reacts with rage, demanding Zazu never mention his brother's name in his presence. Shortly after this, the hyenas come before Scar, complaining. Even Scar's minions, who are used to going hungry for days, start to complain
to Scar about the larder being bare. Scar, however, continues to pick his teeth with the bones of his previous meal, telling them to leave his cave when Banzai angers him by mentioning Mufasa's name as well.
Shortly after this, Scar calls Sarabi to him, asking her why the hunting party refuses to do its job, not accepting Sarabi's excuse that the herds have moved on. Scar merely passes their unsuccessful hunts off as the lionesses not looking hard enough. When Sarabi suggests they leave Pride Rock, Scar makes it clear that he isn't moving the pride anywhere. The former queen angrily points out that his decision will end in the deaths of them all. Scar turns his back on her, telling her that he's fine with this and that he is the king, so he can do whatever he wants. When she insinuates that he isn't half the king Mufasa was, he strikes her, causing a full-grown Simba, who was observing the entire scene in secret, to spring from hiding in his mother's defense. Scar at first mistakes him for Mufasa, but when it's made clear that it is Simba, he glares at the hyenas and cowers away as his nephew begins to back him into a corner.
Scar makes it clear that he isn't resigning and points to the many hyenas above him, reminding Simba that they think he is the king. However, Nala and the lionesses reject him, and Simba threatens to fight if his uncle doesn't step down. Scar slinks around Simba, hinting at Mufasa's death. The prince then tells Scar that his trick won't work, but the lionesses are curious as to what Scar is talking about. Pleasantly surprised, the king forces Simba to admit his responsibility for Mufasa's death and proceeds to back Simba over the edge of Pride Rock's peak. As Simba slips off the peak, using his forepaws to desperately cling for his life, Scar suddenly remembers Mufasa in a similar situation years ago. Slamming his claws into Simba's paws, Scar leans in and whispers to Simba that he is responsible for Mufasa's death.
Enraged, Simba hurls himself over the cliff and pins Scar down, a paw pressing down on his throat. Scar tries to weasel his way out of the situation, but his nephew's choking forces him to admit what really happened all those years ago. The hyenas then attack Simba, prompting the lionesses to rush in to fight off the hyenas, during which Scar slinks away. Simba spots him, however, and gives chase. Trapped at Pride Rock's summit, Scar begs Simba for mercy and even places the blame on the hyenas, unaware that they are listening nearby, but Simba refuses to believe him. He then asks Simba about his intentions, relieved when his nephew decides
not to kill him making it clear that Simba wasn't going to resort to killing a member of his own family like Scar had done. He is soon horrified when Simba gives him his own advice: to run away and never return.
Scar seemingly begins to cooperate, but then throws embers into Simba's eyes and attacks him while he is blinded. The two lions engage in a brutal fight, and at first they seem to be evenly matched, but Scar eventually knocks Simba onto his back. However, as Scar leaps to deliver the final blow, Simba uses his hind legs to flip Scar over the edge and send him tumbling down the cliff. Scar survives the fall, and as he struggles to his feet, the hyenas arrive; Scar greets them in a pleasing manner, but to his horror, they reveal they overheard Scar blaming his crimes on them, and they begin to surround their treacherous fallen master. Scar cowardly pleads for his life, but the hyenas have had enough of his treachery and broken promises. The hyenas surround Scar with wide grins. The shadows of the hyenas are seen leaping on Scar and mauling him to death as flames rise around them.
Scar does not return as the villain in the sequel, but it is revealed that he has a pride of loyal lionesses whom Simba banishes to the Outlands after Scar's death. They are led by Zira, who is still fiercely loyal to Scar and wishes to kill Simba to avenge his demise.
In the film, Zira tries to use her son Kovu (who was briefly raised by Scar as his hand-chosen heir) to kill Simba and become king. Though Kovu is not Scar's son, he was chosen to become the next king and can still feel Scar as "a part of him," which he explains to Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala.
Though mentioned many times, Scar only appears twice in the sequel.
The first time comes with Simba's nightmare. In the nightmare, Mufasa clings to the side of a cliff as Simba tries to reach down to help his father. Scar appears on the ledge above Simba and grabs his nephew's paw, preventing him from reaching Mufasa. Scar laughs evilly, telling Simba to trust him, and lets Mufasa fall. The cackling Scar then morphs into Kovu, who throws Simba into the stampede as well.
After Nuka's death, Scar is mentioned briefly when Zira prays to him over her son's dead body.
Scar appears again when Simba banishes Kovu from the Pride Lands. As Kovu looks dejectedly into a stream, he sees Scar's reflection take the place of his own. Given that Kovu has now rejected Scar's legacy, the young lion flees the vision in a panic.
In this film, Scar makes a few brief, non-speaking appearances in the scenes for which he was present in the original film.
Scar tries to escape Simba
Scar's song "Be Prepared" is heard briefly as Timon and Pumbaa tour Scar's lair as a possible new home, commenting on how it is quiet, secluded, and with no uninvited visitors. The shadows of the goose-stepping hyena army are then seen marching in front of them, though they haven't started singing yet.
Scar is later mentioned by Nala when she tells Timon and Pumbaa that Simba needs their help. He is shown making Simba fall over Pride Rock's peak and later fleeing from Simba after admitting that he murdered Mufasa. As Scar flees, the hyenas try to protect him. Just as Timon and Pumbaa as well as Timon's mother and uncle defeat the hyenas, Simba kicks Scar over the side of Pride Rock's summit, where he meets the hyenas at the base of Pride Rock.
When Kion learns that he has the Roar of the Elders, Rafiki takes him to the Lair of the Lion Guard, where he tells Kion that Scar once led the Lion Guard. Thinking himself better than Mufasa, Scar attempted to overthrow the monarchy, but his team refused to help him, and so he destroyed them with the power of the Roar. Seeing Scar's abuse of power, the Great Kings of the Past took it from him forever, and he was left deprived of his former glory.
When Ushari the snake learns that Kion can communicate with the Great Kings of the Past, he decides to find a way to contact Scar. He enlists the help of Janja's clan, and together, they spy on the Lion Guard and Rafiki, learning that ancient evil lions can be communicated with using the power of the bakora staff and the Roar of the Elders.
Ushari and Janja decide to use what they have learned to summon Scar. They decide to get the bakora staff of Rafiki's apprentice Makini, since she's too inexperienced to be a threat, and to attack one of Kion's loved ones and bring them there, since Kion's Roars are at their most powerful when he's angry.
The hyenas kidnap Kion's sister, Kiara, and take Makini's bakora staff. While the rest of the Guard rescues her, Janja tricks Kion by getting him to use the Roar out of anger, causing the volcano to erupt. When Janja throws Makini's staff into the volcano, Scar is successfully summoned, giving the Lion Guard's enemies their own spirit guide.
In the musical, Scar is portrayed by a human actor in an African-style costume with a lion-face headpiece mask that comes down over the actor's face using a hidden remote control. Scar also uses a cane. Scar was originally portrayed in the Broadway production by John Vickery.
Scar's role is much the same but expanded upon with the song "The Madness of King Scar." In the song, Scar begins to doubt his reign, fearing that he might be losing the respect of the lionesses and that he needs a queen. He attempts to seduce Nala, who rebukes him by scratching his face.
Scar is first mentioned by Rafiki, who cryptically refers to him by his scar. The animals who are gathered to hear his story immediately know who he is talking about, and recall how Scar had killed his brother Mufasa and blamed the crime on Simba. The Pride Lands had soon fallen into disrepair, and Simba had been forced to return and defeat his uncle, taking his place as the rightful king.
Taka plots with the hyenas
Before becoming chief adviser of the Pride Lands, Rafiki was a wanderer. After he is saved from hyenas by Ahadi, the king of the Pride Lands, he is taken to Pride Rock for safety. There, he gets to know Mufasa and his younger brother, Taka, who is resentful of his older brother for getting the title of future king. After overhearing Taka's plan to get Mufasa in trouble with his father, Rafiki rushes to set things straight. Before long, however, Taka has convinced a buffalo named Boma to attack Mufasa, who was just trying to help his father. While Boma is busy with Mufasa, the other buffalo in his herd attack Taka and give him a ravaging scar across his left eye. After trapping Boma in a ravine, Mufasa rushes back to help his brother. At the same moment, Ahadi comes with a group of Pride Landers and takes Taka back to Pride Rock. Under Rafiki's care, the young lion heals, though his scar remains. Burdened by what he's done, Taka asks to be called Scar from then on, and his family agrees. Relieved that his sons are safe, Ahadi decides to appoint Rafiki chief adviser of the Pride Lands. When the story is complete, Simba decides to take Kopa to the top of Pride Rock to fulfill his promise.
Scar is mentioned when Kopa recounts how his father had returned from self-exile to defeat Scar and take his place as the rightful king of the Pride Lands.
Video Games
Kingdom Hearts II
Besides appearing in various The Lion King video games, Scar (スカー, Sukā?) also appears in the Disney and Square Enix game Kingdom Hearts II as the main antagonist of the Pride Lands world, voiced by James Horan. Much like in the film, Scar murders Mufasa to become king, and under his reign, the Pride Lands suffer a drought, and food becomes scarce.
Prior to Sora, Donald, and Goofy's arrival at the Pride Lands, Pete (in the form of a lion) offers Scar use of the Heartless to maintain his hold on the throne. Sora (in the form of a lion cub, a change brought on by his magical clothes) attempts to confront Scar in order to save the world but is turned down by Rafiki due to the latter's prophecy. Soon afterwards, they are confronted by Scar. Scar attempts to persuade the lionesses to hunt and kill Sora, Donald, and Goofy, and nearly attacks them himself but is pinned down by Nala, allowing Sora and his friends some time to escape.
Scar's model in Kingdom Hearts II
Later, Sora locates Simba and brings him back to the Pride Lands so he can challenge his uncle for the throne. The confrontation between Scar and Simba that follows is almost identical to that in the original film, starting with Scar's overconfident confession that he killed Mufasa, the only noteworthy exceptions being no hyenas for most of it and Sora and his group replacing the lionesses. Sora's group saves Timon and Pumbaa from the hyenas, while Scar and Simba fight. As in the film, Simba eventually triumphs over his uncle. Though Donald initially wants to help him, Sora prevents him from doing so, believing that it is Simba's fight, and they should not interfere.
Thinking Scar to be defeated, the protagonists are surprised when, as Pete explains, Scar returns to battle once again as a Heartless. Scar's anger and jealousy were so strong that they lingered after death and consumed him. During the battle, Scar uses a series of swift and strong physical attacks and powerful magic against Sora and company. Sora and his friends defeat Scar again. Scar is the only character in the Kingdom Hearts universe - excluding Xehanort - to keep his original form as a Heartless. Whether or not a Nobody will be fleshed out in Kingdom Hearts continuity is debated.
By the time Sora returns to the Pride Lands to see how Simba is faring, rumors of Scar's ghost haunting the Pride Lands have driven Simba into doubt. But once he overcomes this problem, the "ghost" is revealed to be the interaction of Simba's lack of confidence and Scar's spirit. Multiple copies of Scar's "ghost" then combine to form a gigantic Heartless that is eventually killed by Simba and Sora.
Scar appears as a stained-glass portrait in the Mad Doctor's laboratory, along with Maleficent and Captain Hook. There are also two lion statues in the courtyard of Dark Beauty Castle that bear resemblance to Scar.
Scar appears as an unlockable costume character in the game. A mechanical version of him is the boss of the last level of the The Lion King universe, where you ride on a train for transportation to fight him with a cannon.
Scar appears as the main villain in The Lion King story of Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure. He is the only one of the main Disney villains that appears on each of the levels of his story. At Pride Rock, Scar has begun causing mischief by clogging up the springs on Pride Rock, cutting off the Pride Land's water supply. After unclogging the springs, the skater (either Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbbaa, Rafiki, or a custom skater) must grind a log holding back a huge boulder. Once this is completed, the rolling boulder chases Scar right out of the Pride Lands.
At the Elephant Graveyard, Scar returns to test the skater once more by scattering the letters of S-K-A-T-E around the Elephant Graveyard. Upon completion of this goal, Scar mocks the skater and leaves the Elephant Graveyard.
The final showdown with Scar occurs at the Gorge (known as Scar's Canyon in the game). After Nala revives an old, dried-out water hole, Scar makes his presence known once more. The skater must then grind away several boulders in order to scare away Scar's hyena guards. Once this is accomplished, Scar is left open. Thinking quickly, Scar challenges Simba (the player has no choice in the character for this goal) to a race for control of the Pride Lands. Scar is fast, but Simba's skating abilities are faster, and Simba is named the true king of the Pride Lands. Defeated, Scar runs away and never returns.
Scar is mentioned when Kion is talking about the crocodiles' leadership methods to his family, questioning why they must fight to secure the position of leader. Kion's mother, Nala, reminds Kion that Simba had had to fight Scar to reclaim his leadership, implying that sometimes fighting is the only way. Scar's name is mentioned again when Kion refrains from using the Roar of the Elders. He tells his friends that he doesn't want to lash out in anger with his power, as Scar had.
When Rafiki learns that Kion has encountered the Outsiders, he relates the story of Scar and Zira to the rest of the Lion Guard. He explains that Simba had banished the Outsiders to the Outlands after they had retained loyalties to Scar. Zira had insisted that her son, Kovu, be king since he was Scar's chosen heir, but Simba had asserted that Scar was not the true king. The two had engaged in a battle, and Simba had banished Zira and her followers to the Outlands after a crushing defeat. Rafiki warns the Lion Guard that there will be trouble if Zira finds out that Kion is Simba's son, and the team takes off to save their friend.
A cave painting of Scar and one of his loyal followers, Zira
Later, Zira tells Kion that he cannot use the Roar of the Elders against lions, or else he will lose it, as Scar did. She then blames Simba for Scar's fall from the throne of the Pride Lands, and Kion yells that Scar was never the real king. Furious, Zira orders an attack on Kion. However, just before the Outsiders can hurt him, Zira offers to forgive him if he will join her, and leaves him in the care of her pride while she goes to fetch her cubs.
During the final fight between the Outsiders and the Lion Guard, Bunga urges Kion to use his Roar, but Kion worries that he will lose the Roar as Scar did for using it against other lions. Despite Kion's fears, Bunga insists that Scar did not lose his Roar because he used it against other lions, but because he used it for evil. Kion then uses the Roar successfully and blows away all the Outsiders.
After Kion gets so angry that he uses the Roar of the Elders in a destructive manner, he takes to looking at Rafiki's paintings of Scar. Bunga comments that Scar is the worst lion ever and says that it is a good thing that Kion now possesses the Roar instead of Scar. Kion only reluctantly agrees.
Later, Kion seeks advice from his grandfather, Mufasa. He explains what had happened when he had used the Roar in anger and confesses his fear that he will turn out like Scar. In answer to this, Mufasa points out that Scar had only ever cared for himself. He then asks Kion why he had used the Roar, and Kion explains that his mother had been in danger. Mufasa reminds Kion that Scar had never cared for anyone the way Kion cares for Nala, and he encourages Kion to speak to her about the incident.
When Makuu leaves with the Lion Guard to speak to Simba about new sleeping arrangements, Kiburi seizes control of the float, inspiring them to join him in taking over the water holes in the Pride Lands. From afar, Shupavu the skink watches in fascination and resolves to speak with Ushari and Scar about the proceedings.
In Janja'sden, Scar praises Ushari for his spies' work and orders the skinks to continue monitoring the situation.
When Kiburi calls for a mashindano and Makuu accepts, Shupavu reports the proceedings to Scar, who questions Ushari as to whether the royal family will attend the event. When Ushari confirms that Simba will likely be present, Scar schemes to use the mashindano as a distraction. He orders Ushari to convince Kiburi that he can become ruler of the Pride Lands, and Ushari agrees to the plan.
Scar sings "I Have a Plan", during which he plots to take over the Pride Lands
However, the plot is thwarted by the Lion Guard, and Kiburi and his followers are banished to the Outlands.
As Kiburi and his followers leave the kingdom, Kiburi corners Ushari and accuses him of having caused his downfall. Ushari calmly promises Kiburi much more than he had before and leads the crocodiles to Janja's den, where they meet the ghost of Scar. With all his onlookers watching, Scar sings "I Have A Plan", in which he revels in his future plot to overtake the Pride Lands and become king.
Despite the fact that the series takes place after The Lion King, Scar makes a few cameos throughout the show. He is seen when Timon tries to revive Pumbaa's memories after the warthog is struck by lightning in Around the World with Timon & Pumbaa. Scar is later seen in "Zazu's Off-by-One Day" when Zazu cleans out his trash can. Though, it should be noted that in the series, Scar doesn't speak and he doesn't actually move. So it's possible that it might be his dead body.
Scar makes a few minor cameos. In "Ask Von Drake," Scar can be briefly seen being held by Rafiki just as Simba was in the first film. In "Jiminy Cricket," Jiminy used Scar as an example of temptations. In "Goofy's Valentine Date," Scar was seen along with the other guests.
In the bloopers, at the end credits of the Diamond Edition of The Lion King, Scar and other characters are represented as live actors. In this sequence, Scar appears twice. The first time, he prepares to bring Simba to remorse for Mufasa's death, before the final battle. He dramatically sneaks around Simba and the lionesses, but when he needs to say the word "responsible," he gets confused and starts to spit, trying to remember the correct pronunciation, but when it fails, he catches his forehead and says, "I don't know what I'm doing." The second time, he utters his line, "They think I'm the king," correct, but Nala then forgets her line.
In the Disney theme parks, Scar is usually seen in parades and shows, often based off The Lion King. On the Disney Cruise Line, Scar and the hyenas are featured in Villains Tonight!
Scar makes no appearance in the show, but his song, "Be Prepared," is sung by Kiume, one of the human MCs of the show in Disney's Animal Kingdom and Hong Kong Disneyland.
Scar appears as one of the main villains in Fantasmic! In the show, Scar is called forth by the queen to destroy Mickey Mouse once and for all. In the end, Scar is killed by Mickey, along with the other villains.
And this time, nothing can harm me! So if you wish to escape my wrath, you will obey me. Stampede the elephants, and chrush all who would stand in my way! When I find the Cristal, I shall be King... forever!
―Scar to the hyenas
”
Scar is seen on Hades' cards of Disney Villains at the beginning.
It is revealed that Scar has returned from the dead. Hades has given a proposition to live forever in exchange for the crystal of the Magic Kingdom. Scar plots to start a massive elephant stampede to create chaos in the Pride Lands. Scar tricks the hyenas into believing that he is invincible and forces them to work for him again. However, the park guest proves Scar's lies by injuring him in front of Shenzi and her clan, having them leave their former boss. Scar decides to battle himself but is soon defeated. Hades gives Scar a second chance and Scar transforms into a massive red storm. Scar battles the park guest yet again but is defeated once again which sends him back to the Underworld.
Scar and Hades in The Underworld in Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Game
Scar and the hyenas
Scar as a red cloud
Physical appearance
“
With Scar, I thought he should be all very smooth and very slick and kind of elegant, you know, so you work on patterns that are not like dancing, but they definitely have a slick, soothing sort of quality to it.
Despite being wiry in build, Scar is large in terms of stature. He is not as filled out as his brother and is well aware that he is physically inferior, commenting that he's at the "shallow end of the gene pool" where strength is concerned. He is taller and stronger than the pride lionesses, though, towering over even their largest member, Sarabi. Despite his supposed weak physical prowess, Scar is exceptionally strong, able to hold his own against the bigger and much younger Simba, and capable of knocking a full-grown Sarabi off her paws with a single hit and sending Ed the hyena flying through the air with a single kick.
Side-profile view of Scar
His thinner body size reinforces the slick movements that his animator intended him to portray. Scar was specifically designed to move with snake-like motions, having a sleek form and a slicked-back mane that were intended to enhance his smooth body motions. Unlike the larger males of the film, Scar was intended to slither and glide rather than walk with a strong step.
As far as coloring goes, Scar has dusty orange fur, while his muzzle, paws, and underbelly are all tan color. His mane is thinner and sleeker than those of the other males, colored a coal black that appears dark brown in the sunlight, with the fur on his elbow joints and the tuft of his tail matching the black of his mane. His chin fur is scruffier and pointed down in a distinctive goatee, while his eyebrows are black and considerably thick. Unlike most lions in his pride, Scar possesses dark scarlet eyeshades, an angular nose, and neon-green eyes. His claws are always extended, something the Outsiders later emulate. Finally, a small, thin, red scar runs over his left eye, earning him his name.
Sarabi: It's over. There is nothing left. We have only one choice: we must leave Pride Rock! Scar: We're not going anywhere! Sarabi: Then you have sentenced us to death! Scar: Then so be it. Sarabi: You can't do that! Scar: I am the king! I can do whatever I want! Sarabi: If you were half the king Mufasa was, you would nev- Scar: I am ten times the king Mufasa was!
—Scar harasses Sarabi
”
Even as an adolescent, Scar proves himself to be highly intelligent and manipulative, motivated by jealousy, though at this age it hasn't reached it's murderous heights yet. His ties to family only go so far when his own goals are in mind, and he sees no problem in endangering his brother's life in order to get the attention he so desires. The ends never justify the means for young Scar, who fails to see the importance in helping others. Despite his avid lust to be the favored son and the king of the Pride Lands, he is lazy and takes little interest in his subjects, willing to bend the rules and put his own interests above those of his subjects.
A screenshot of Scar, reflecting his crafty and domineering nature
In adulthood, Scar remains much the same, though his sense of plotting has taken a deadly turn. Still jealous and bogged down by feelings of inferiority, Scar is psychopathic and antisocial, and even less reliant on his family, willing to frame and murder the only family members he has left in order to steal the throne. Even when he is above Mufasa, having murdered and stolen the throne from him, he remains sensitive to his brother's mention, knowing full well that he can never be the king that Mufasa was. His brother's mention is one of the only subjects that can flare his temper, causing him to strike Sarabi and nearly devour Zazu. This reveals that Scar suffers from a lack of self-esteem, perhaps one of the main motivations behind his stealing of the throne. Even in a position of power, he remains vulnerable to bouts of indecision and insecurity, unable to accept criticism and too stubborn to take the advice of his advisers.
Despite his inner insecurities, Scar is a natural orator with charismatic charm, able to rally the hyenas to his cause and gain the fanatical loyalty of Zira and her pride of lionesses, even in death. His smooth talking is not easily overlooked, but when his walls are broken down, Scar is revealed to be a coward who would much more likely run from a conflict than turn to face it. When forced into a fight, he can hold his own and is not above cheating, as he lied to Simba and threw hot embers into his face in order to win. His natural charisma hides a cowardly nature that refuses to accept blame and takes no shame in shoving problems and troubles on other individuals.
Scar is most likely an archetype of King Claudius and inspired by Hitler. In the film, at one point during "Be Prepared," there is a scene where Scar sits on a high rock, watching the hyenas goose-step past him. This is very similar to Triumph of Will.
In Hamlet, King Claudius poisons the old King Hamlet, his own brother, in his sleep in order to usurp both the throne and the queen, and he tries to do the same by poisoning his nephew, Prince Hamlet. Similarly, Scar pushes Mufasa off a cliff to his death in order to become king, and he attempts to kill Simba. After Hamlet mortally wounds his uncle, he asks help from his "friends" (even though no one did anything) as Scar did before he was killed. Also he held a skull just like the picture to the right like in Hamlet. Scar didn't necessarily want Sarabi or any of the other lionesses to be his queen.
Concept art
On the bonus features on the 2003 DVD release, director Roger Allers revealed that Scar was originally a rogue lion who wasn't related to Mufasa.[2] Then the filmmakers decided that the story would be more emotional and scary if the bad guy was someone within the family. So they made him Mufasa's younger brother, a creepy uncle for Simba, and a threat from the inside. Before the animators heard Irons' performance and decided to work his features into Scar, he actually did have more obvious similarities to some of the other lions in the pride, noticeably his brother Mufasa.
His paws were colorless like those of Nala, Sarafina, and various other lionesses, and his jaw was prominent and square like Mufasa's as opposed to his final design where he boasted colored, clawed paws and a goatee. His build also seemed to be thicker in frame like that of his brother instead of lanky.
In some concepts, Scar looks almost like the finalized version except for his colorless paws and bi-colored mane. In many of his concepts, he is seen with a bi-colored mane, usually black and white or black and cream.
Scar is one of the most popular and well-known Disney villains of all time. He was chosen as the most interesting character from The Lion King by critics who were fascinated by him.[3] On Ultimate Disney's list of Top 10 Disney Villains, Scar claims third place. On the Top 10 Animated Disney Villains list made by WatchMojo.com, Scar wins first place, praised as "almost perfect" for having motive for being evil and nothing to stand in his way. He is the only villain from an animated movie to be nominated for the MTV Movie Awards for Best Villain.[4] His song, "Be Prepared," is almost always among the best Disney villain songs of all time.
Unlike the other lions in his pride, Scar's claws are always displayed throughout the film.
Tim Curry and Malcolm McDowell were both considered for the role of Scar.
The animators were so impressed with Jeremy Irons' performance that they worked Irons' features into Scar's face[6].
According to the audio commentary, Scar being in the shadow of Pride Rock while Mufasa and Simba are in the sunlight is symbolic of Scar being evil.
Simba says to his uncle, "You're so weird!" Scar replies, "You have no idea." Jeremy Irons gave this same response in Reversal of Fortune, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
In Hercules, the title character is seen wearing Scar's skin while he's posing for a painting on a Greek vase.
When Kovu sees Scar's reflection instead of his, it is exactly the same image used in the first film when Scar orders the hyenas to kill Simba after he himself kills Mufasa, merely distorted by the rippling water.
It was confirmed that Scar will be a new villain in Season 2 of The Lion Guard[8].
According to Rob Minkoff, Scar's name is a "really mean nickname" and that he believes that Mufasa was the one who gave Scar his scar when they were cubs. They never gave Scar an original name. [9]
In an early version of the movie, King of the Kalahari, Scar was the leader of the baboons, who were fighting against the lions[10].
Scar's eyes were originally going to be blue-gray like Nala's.
According to some concept sketches, Scar was not always a dark lion. He had golden fur or pale tan fur as well as bright red or blue eyes that were slit like snakes.
Scar originally had his own special territory, dubbed "Scar-land" by the concepts[12].
In the conceptual stages, Scar interacted with a mysterious lioness. Their relationship is completely unknown[13].
Scar was initially conceived as a rogue lion with no familial relation to either Mufasa or Simba. The connection between Scar and the latter two was changed because the story writers felt that having a threat inside the royal family would make the film more interesting. This explains why Scar looks very different from his brother and his nephew[14].
Scar with a striped hyena
There was going to be a scene in which Scar attempted to force Nala to be his mate, causing a conflict that ended in her leaving Pride Rock, after which she found Simba alive and well with Timon and Pumbaa. This scene was deleted out of concerns that Scar's behavior towards Nala bordered on real-life sexual harassment. The stage musical adaptation includes this scene as part of director Julie Taymor's efforts to expand the female characters' roles in the story[15].
In an earlier version of the original movie, Scar chases Simba out of the Pride Lands by himself[16].
In the 1992 script, during the final battle sequence between Simba and Scar, he defeats his nephew and throws him off Pride Rock. He is then engulfed in flames, and Simba takes control of the pride as the new king[17].
In some concepts, Scar is shown with brown or red fur[19].
In an original concept for the third film, Timon and Pumbaa were supposed to meet Scar. While searching for Mufasa, they encountered Scar and the hyenas, who had just finished the song "Be Prepared"[20].
In one deleted scene from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Zira says that Scar's dying wish had been for the Outsiders to train Kovu to become king. This suggests that the hyenas did not eat Scar[21].
Scar was originally supposed to be Kovu's father.
In the original version of "Circle of Life," Scar was supposed to watch the presentation from a rock in hatred[22].
Tim Curry and Malcolm McDowell were also considered for the role.
