Mark of Evil

The Mark of Evil is an ancient symbol that represents great malevolence. It has been possessed by several lions, most notably Scar and Kion.
==Concept==
In the Pride Lands, the Mark of Evil is a symbol that represents the presence of great corruption. It takes the form of a vertical scar over an animal's eye. It can be inflicted on animals via the bite of a cobra, whose venom corrupts the bitten creature over time, making them unable to discern the difference between good and evil. The effects of the venom can be eased with tuliza, but in order to be fully healed, the animal must undergo healing rituals at the Tree of Life.
While the corrupting effects of the Mark can be eliminated, the physical scar will remain on the animal, even after death. The Mark of Evil is only known to have been borne by lions.
The Mark of Evil can also manifest itself in other ways. It appears in lava before and after an evil lion of the past appears in fire. When an evil lion of the past vanishes after making themselves present outside of a fiery environment, they leave the Mark of Evil scorched into the ground. This Mark is not permanent, however, and can be wiped away. The Mark of Evil is also used in cave paintings by Royal Mjuzis to represent an evil being.
==History==
===Invasion of the Pride Lands by evil lions===
The Mark of Evil was first observed in a pride of evil lions who waged an attack on the Pride lands. However, they were thwarted by Askari and his Lion Guard, who worked together to defeat them.
===Scar's reception of the Mark of Evil===
Despite this, there were still those who bore the Mark and continued its legacy. One such bearer was a mysterious lion who resided in the Outlands. This lion conspired with a cobra to conquer the Pride Lands. To do this, they lured the then-leader of the Lion Guard, Scar, into believing that he could rule the Pride Lands. However, after winning Scar's trust, the cobra bit Scar on his left eye, giving him the Mark of Evil and injecting him with venom. The strange lion offered to cure the venom in exchange for Scar's loyalty, but Scar turned on him and the cobra, using the Roar of the Elders to destroy them both.
Following the deaths of the lion and cobra, Scar returned to Pride Rock to inform Mufasa of his victory, expecting praise. Instead, Mufasa nicknamed his brother "Scar" after his new facial wound. Scar was outraged, and over time, the cobra venom further fueled his jealousy and desire for power until he plotted to overthrow Mufasa.
Scar's first attempt to dethrone Mufasa failed, as his Lion Guard refused to assist him, leading him to destroy them with the Roar. As a result, the Great Lions of the Past stripped him of the Roar and his position as leader of the Lion Guard. In the following years, Scar eventually succeeded in murdering Mufasa and ascending the throne of Pride Rock, and thus the Mark of Evil finally reigned over the Pride Lands. However, Scar's reign came to an end when his nephew Simba defeated him in battle and reclaimed the throne.
Years later, however, the spirit of Scar was resurrected in a volcano by Janja and Ushari. As he still bore the Mark of Evil, Scar plotted to overthrow Simba and the Lion Guard and reclaim possession of the Pride Lands.
===Kion's reception of the mark of evil===
During the battle for the Pride Lands, Kion was bitten by Scar's minion, Ushari, and thus received the Mark of Evil over his left eye. Shortly afterward, Scar was defeated by the Great Lions of the Past, but not before he warned Kion that they were the same. After he vanished, the Mark of Evil disappeared from the lava where he used to appear, which cooled into solid rock.
Despite Scar's defeat, Kion's scar tormented him, causing him to suffer pain, mood swings, and a lack of control over the Roar of the Elders. To ensure the Mark would not corrupt him as it did Scar, Kion and the Lion Guard traveled to the Tree of Life to seek healing.
On the way, Kion feared that he was turning evil due to the increasing frequency and violence of his mood swings. He gazed into a puddle, in which the spirit of Scar appeared and mocked him for bearing the Mark. In response, Kion asserted that though he looked like Scar, he would never act like him. 
Once the Lion Guard reached the Tree of Life, Kion underwent several healing rituals under Nirmala and trained with the Roar under the spirit of Askari. Months later, Nirmala declared Kion fully healed from the effects of the venom.
Upon the Lion Guard's return to the Pride Lands, Vitani observed that Kion bore the Mark of Evil. Thus believing that Kion wished harm on the Pride Lands, she led her Lion Guard against him and his team. However, they soon reconciled their differences.
==Bearers of the Mark of Evil==
Evil lions.png|The evil lions of the past
Kion.png|Kion
Scar.png|Scar
Strange lion.png|Strange lion
==Appearances==
==Trivia==
* In the episode "Cave of Secrets", the painting shows the evil lions of the past bearing the Mark of Evil; however, they do not have scars over their eyes. This indicates that one does not necessarily need to have a scar over their eye in order to bear the Mark of Evil.
* Though Kovu has a scar over his eye, it was inflicted by his mother Zira, not a cobra, and he is never explicitly acknowledged as bearing the Mark of Evil by the Pride Landers.
* The Mark of Evil takes a different appearance for each of the three lions who possess it: Scar's is a curved scar across his left eye; the strange lion's is a curved scar across the corner of his right eye; and Kion's is two curved scars on top of his left eye and one on the bottom.
* Kion is the only known bearer of the Mark of Evil who resisted its influence and remained on the side of good.
==Media==
The Lion Guard S3 'when i led the guard' song|Scar explains how he obtained the Mark of Evil, as depicted in The Lion Guard.
==References==
Category:Canon articles
Category:Culture
Category:Marks