Scar is the True Protagonist of "The Lion King"

Definition:Protagonist: the main character in a novel, play, movie, etc. [1]Observation 1: As my opponent is moving for a change in the status quo of Simba being considered the protagonist, the burden of proof will be on Pro's shoulders. Observation 2: Since there is no record of pre-film time in The Lion King, all claims about what might have happened before the events in the movie must be backed up by solid logic, not assumptions. I will itemize my attacks for organizational purposes.1: Favoritism My opponent stated that Ahadi showed favoritism for strength over intelligence. He quoted Scar saying that he "got the lion's share" of brains, but not as much strength. However, there is no logic behind this claim other than Scar's word. It takes more than just brute strength to rule a kingdom, and Mufasa had managed to keep a very good rule over the Pridelands for his entire life. This fact directly contradicts Scar's anecdotal claim.2: Banishment of the Hyenas: Now we come to what I think will be one of the bigger points of this debate: the banishment of the hyenas. 2a: Over hunting: I would like to pose a question for my opponent: what is to say that the elephant graveyard was not once as rich as the Pridelands? It is distinctly possible that the king who banished the hyenas did so for what, apparently, my opponent considers a valid reason: sacrificing a few lives to save many. Based on what happens when Scar brings back the hyenas, there are massive amounts of over hunting. My opponent asked what the hyenas could have done to deserve banishment. Perhaps they did exactly what they do when Scar brings them back: ate too much. As the hyenas consumed all of the food in the Pridelands, they not only affect themselves, but the lions, and all other animals, predator and prey on the savannas. By eating all of the food, they are dooming not only themselves, but the lions to starvation. They were most likely banished so that the natural event of predators dying and balancing out the ecosystem that my opponent described could take place.2b: Scar's Motives: If Scar was, in fact, as intelligent as my opponent claims him to be, then he would have seen the obvious harms of bringing the hyenas back to the Pridelands. Knowing that his actions would most likely mean the downfall of the Pridelands, Scar still continues with his plan, purely to sate his own desire to rule. There is a scene in which Scar is asking Sarabi why the lionesses aren't hunting, and Sarabi says that they don't have enough food to hunt. She poses the ultimatum: leave Pride Rock or starve to death. Stubbornly, with no thought to those that he supposedly staged his coup to save, Scar retains his elitist regime, even at the cost of the entire Pridelands. This shows an amount of greed and selfishness unprecedented by neither Mufasa nor, apparently, Ahadi.2c: Elitism: By reinstating the hyenas to the Pridelands, and promising them all free food, Scar is establishing a massive elitist class. It is clear from the scene during which Scar sings "Be Prepared" that the hyenas far outnumber the lionesses. .. and yet Scar still forces them to do all of the hunting. This has obvious detriments. First of all, there is the enormous workload that Scar's actions put on the lionesses. Having to hunt for potentially hundreds of hyenas, plus themselves, and Scar, who, based on his lack of hunger complaints and the amount of bones strewn about his throne room, is not lacking in food. This again brings into question the "heroism" of Scar.3: Character Arc: My opponent brought up that Simba spent the approximately three years of his exile "frolicking through the jungle learning not to worry about anything". However, looking at this from a critical standpoint, the whole point of that space of time is to show how much Mufasa's death affected him, and how he coped with it. Besides that, it juxtaposes the carefree, happy-go-lucky king that Simba is projected to be in the song "I Just Can't Wait to be King" with the majestic, powerful, and just ruler that he turns out to be.4: Scar Maintaining Rule: My opponent stated that Scar has maintained his rule over the Pridelands for at least three years, with the confrontation with Sarabi being the only time there is conflict between him and the lionesses. First of all, I would like to point out that, based on the ruling system of the pride, only male lions can rule. So, for all we know, there could have been many conflicts between Scar and the lionesses. However, they could never openly revolt because they could not rule. This idea is reinforced because when Simba, the rightful heir to the throne returns, they do revolt; now they have someone who can rule in Scar's stead.5: Who Killed Mufasa: My opponent says that because both Simba and Scar confessing to killing Mufasa, and both while under threat from the other, there would be some confusion as to who actually did it from the lionesses' perspective. However, my opponent failed to mention the fact that the lionesses only started fighting after Scar confessed to being the killer. Besides disproving my opponent's point, this shows Simba's superior leadership and honesty.6: Banishment of Scar's Followers: If the Thirteen Colonies had been defeated by the British when they revolted, then all of the revolutionaries would have been charged with treason and executed. If we look at Simba's banishment that way, you can see that Simba was actually being merciful. He could have killed all of them for treason, and because they posed a threat to the throne. But instead, he only exiled them, resulting in them remaining alive long enough for them to revolt again. The fact that they revolted a second time perfectly illustrates my point that Simba was right in banishing them. If he had let them stay, it would have been that much easier for them to sow dissension among the lions and lionesses, and incite a full-scale rebellion, potentially toppling Simba from his rightful place on the throne. 7: Justification for Murder: There is no justification for murder. Even if Scar did do it to "save hundreds of lives", it is still murder. Lives cannot justly be weighed against other lives. It is not Scar's duty to decide who lives and who dies.8: Definition of "Protagonist": Even if my judges consider all of my other points to be invalid, the fact remains that morality does not determine the protagonist. Contrary to popular belief, the protagonist is not "the good guy", it is merely the main character. The fact that very little of the movie's story is focused around Scar, and almost all of it is centered around Simba shows that Simba is, in fact, the protagonist. However immoral Simba may have been, he is still the main character. [1] - . http://www.merriam-webster.com...