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BigLovableChunkOfWarthogHere
"Do you see any other big, lovable chunk of warthog here?"
This article is about the concept.
You may be looking for the 1994 song, the 2019 song, the Elton John song, the stage musical song, the Circle of Stars song, the Disney Junior Wonderful World of Songs song, the Festival of The Lion King song, the book, or the short film.


Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.
Simba: But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?
Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.
Mufasa teaches Simba about the Circle of Life[src]

The Circle of Life (also known as the Great Circle of Life) is an ideology that allows predator and prey animals to live in peace with one another. It is held by many animals in the Pride Lands, Outlands, Back Lands, and Tree of Life.

Concept[]

You must take your place in the Circle of Life.
Mufasa to Simba[src]
Lion-king-disneyscreencaps

The spirit of Mufasa urges his son, Simba, to take his rightful place in the Circle of Life.

The Circle of Life is an ideology based on the belief that every living thing exists as part of a delicate balance. It decrees that every animal ought to treat all others with respect and refrain from consuming more than their fair share, as every animal will eventually be consumed by an animal lesser than it. Because of this, the Circle of Life is an integral part of several kingdoms, as it allows predator and prey animals to live harmoniously with one another. Predator animals in particular are encouraged to follow the principles of the Circle of Life.

Further, each animal has a particular role within the Circle of Life that they are expected to recognize, aspire to, and attain. To fail to do this is to disrespect the Circle of Life and disrupt its balance. The Circle of Life is also referred to as an ongoing individual experience unique to each animal.[1] When an animal dies, it is said that they have completed their journey in the Circle of Life.[2]

History[]

In the Pride Lands[]

Simba: You are part of the great Circle of-
Kiara: Circle of Life. I know.
Simba: Exactly. And you need to be careful. As future queen-
Kiara: What if I don't wanna be queen? It's no fun.
Simba: That's like saying you don't wanna be a lion. It's in your blood. As I am. We are part of each other.
Kiara and Simba[src]

In the Pride Lands monarchy, a ruler's royal title is intimately tied to their place in the Circle of Life. Therefore, instruction in the principles of the Circle of Life is a crucial part of a cub heir's training. When raising his young daughter Kiara, Simba chided her on her reluctance to be queen, asserting that to reject her destiny would be to reject her identity as a lion.[3]

Lion-king-disneyscreencaps

Simba receives teaching on the Circle of Life as part of his royal training.

The monarch is expected to uphold and protect the principles of the Circle of Life throughout the Pride Lands.[1] A divinely-appointed Lion Guard, led by either the second-born or the younger sibling of the monarch, is often instituted to assist the monarch with this task.[4] One of the Lion Guard's primary duties related to this task is to keep large foreign predators out of the Pride Lands so as to prevent conflict and imbalance.[5]

Pride Landers who do not respect the Circle of Life—either by overhunting or by disrespecting another animal's place in the Circle of Life—are usually exiled to the Elephant Graveyard or the Outlands.[1][3]

In the Outlands[]

Outlanders, I know we can all get along here in the Outlands. Just so long as we respect the Circle of Life.
Jasiri[src]
2019-08-15-22 28 21

As queen of the Outlands, Jasiri vows to respect the Circle of Life.

Historically, most of the animals who dwelt in the Outlands, such as hyenas, jackals, and skinks, did not respect the Circle of Life. As such, they often tried to hunt in the Pride Lands despite it not being allowed.[4]

However, there were a few exceptional Outlanders, such as Jasiri and her clan, who did respect the Circle of Life.[6] When Jasiri was appointed queen of the Outlands, she promised to usher in a new era of peace in the kingdom, provided that her subjects heeded the Circle of Life.[7]

At the Tree of Life[]

All are welcome here, as long as they respect the Circle of Life.
Rani[src]
Patience192

The Night Pride bands together to prevent Makucha's army from invading the Tree of Life.

At the Tree of Life, the Circle of Life is treated much like it is in the Pride Lands. As the Tree of Life is a place of peace and healing, the monarch of the Tree of Life is tasked with ensuring the Circle of Life stays in balance. Duties that fall under this task include regulating prey consumption, forbidding hunting for sport, and negotiating with prey animals who have concerns about living alongside predators.[8][9] A group of animals called the Night Pride assists the monarch in these duties.[10]

If the monarch decides that an animal is in violation of the Circle of Life, they may exile them from the Tree of Life or, if they are a visitor, deny them entry.[8]

Appearances[]

Films

Television series

Books

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Revealed in Disney's The Lion King (1994). Written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton, and directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
  2. Revealed in "Can't Wait to be Queen" from Disney Junior's The Lion Guard. Season 1, Episode 4. Written by John Loy, Jack Monaco, and Ford Riley, and directed by Howy Parkins. Originally aired January 29, 2016.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Revealed in Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998). Written by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus, and directed by Darrell Rooney. Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Revealed in Disney's The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2015). Written by Ford Riley and directed by Howy Parkins. Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  5. Revealed in "Ono and the Egg" from Disney Junior's The Lion Guard. Season 2, Episode 4. Written by Elise Allen and directed by Tom Derosier and Howy Parkins. Originally aired July 21, 2017.
  6. Revealed in "Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots" from Disney Junior's The Lion Guard. Season 1, Episode 1. Written by Kevin Hopps, John Loy, and Ford Riley, and directed by Howy Parkins. Originally aired January 15, 2016.
  7. Revealed in "Battle for the Pride Lands" from Disney Junior's The Lion Guard. Season 3, Episode 1. Written by Ford Riley and directed by Howy Parkins. Originally aired August 3, 2019.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Revealed in "The River of Patience" from Disney Junior's The Lion Guard. Season 3, Episode 12. Written by Jennifer Skelly and directed by Tom Derosier and Howy Parkins. Originally aired October 12, 2019.
  9. Revealed in "Long Live the Queen" from Disney Junior's The Lion Guard. Season 3, Episode 15. Written by Kendall Michele Haney and Ford Riley, and directed by Howy Parkins. Originally aired October 20, 2019.
  10. Revealed in "The Tree of Life" from Disney Junior's The Lion Guard. Season 3, Episode 11. Written by Kendall Michele Haney and directed by Howy Parkins. Originally aired October 6, 2019.
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