Scar (King of the Jungle)

Nunka (son)

Nuka (son)

Vitani (daughter)

Kopa (son in-law)

Aisha (daughter in-law)

Choyo (father)

Amira (Mother)

• Nala

• Sarabi

• Diku

• Dwala

• Naanda

• Zazu

• Timon

• Pumbaa

• Kwashi/Rafiki

• Kopa

**Scar** is the main antagonist of the 1994 Disney film The Lion King. He also appeared as the main antagonist in the film's original script King of the Jungle.

## Biography

### King of the Kalahari

In the original draft, Scar was intended to be a baboon that led his clan in a war against the lions. However, this was later changed to him being a monstrous rogue lion that allied himself with the evil baboons and led them against the lions. The filmmakers later decided to give him a personal vendetta against the heroes, and made him Mufasa's envious younger brother.

In the original script, Scar tried to break Simba's neck after killing Mufasa. But before he could do that, several animals spotted him and fell under the mistaken belief that he was trying to save Simba. Subsequently, Scar was forced to raise Simba. Because of this, Simba grew up with Scar instead.

### King Of The Jungle (January 1990)

Naanda and Dwala approach Mufasa about an intruder who has attacked Sarabi. The intruder is discovered to be Scar, who is twice the size of Mufasa. He and Mufasa enter a brief battle, and Scar is defeated. Zazu escorts Scar to the border, and there, Banagi, who had watched the fight, compliments Scar and persuades him to be the next "king of the beasts".

Back among the pride, Nala has a quick conversation with Simba, but Scar returns to the pride with a pack of hyenas. Mufasa charges at them, but Scar and the hyenas overwhelm him as the pride looks on helplessly.

Back in the Serengeti, Nala grows tired of Scar and tells him that she wishes to go back to hunting. Scar refuses and slaps Nala, causing her to run from him. Nala then tells Scar that Banagi is controlling him, and Scar angrily objects to this, attacking a nearby Baasho.

Within the pride, Scar is told by Banagi and Baasho that Nala is responsible for rebelling against him. After Scar throws an angry outburst, the lionesses protect Nala, and when Scar breaks through their resistance, Nala flees into the marshy borderland, where she finds Simba. Simba asks Nala about Scar's weaknesses, and she replies that Scar is fearful of lightning. Along with Nala and the rhino, Daabi and her cousin aardvarks, and Kwashi and the baboons become Simba's allies. Simba orders the aardvarks and ratels to dig a tunnel for Scar to fall into, while the baboons gather rocks overhead.

A storm breaks, and Nala gets Scar to follow her into the trap tunnel. Because of his fear of lightning, Scar falls into the tunnel, and Nala springs out of the hole as Simba's allies bury Scar in dirt. The baboons throw rocks at the fleeing hyenas, and with the help of the lionesses, Simba disperses the hyena pack. However, lightning strikes, and Scar springs from the trap. Simba and Scar engage in a fight. Unable to defeat Scar, Simba stops at a dead tree, and there, a dead branch falls on Scar, crushing him.

### King of the Jungle (May 1990)

The hyenas viciously devour the meal while Simba sees a rogue lion named Scar, who is twice the size of Mufasa. Sarabi holds her son back, and Zazu tells the lion to leave the territory. Scar ignores the warning, and enters into a fight with Mufasa. The rogue retreats leaving Banagi intrigued by him.

The next morning, Banagi approaches Mufasa telling him that Scar has captured Baasho, and challenges him to a fight at the fire tree bridge. Simba suggests to his father that they could ambush Scar, but Mufasa disagrees with the strategy, and plans to challenge the rogue at high noon. At noon, the Ndona Pride arrives at the bridge formed by the huge acacia that fell across the gorge at the beginning of the story, forming a blackened, hollow bridge from the Ndona Pride's side of the gorge to a huge plateau in the center, bordered by rocks and bushes. During the fight, Mufasa, knowing he cannot win the fight, uses the 45-degree angle to Scar, in preparation for the move he taught to Simba, but the hyenas interfere in the fight in which Scar yells to stay out. The two lions continue the fight, and with Mufasa wore down, Scar leaps on top of Mufasa breaking his bones.

Back at Pride Rock, Nala complains about the hyenas wanting them to hunt when there’s not enough proof for them to eat. Soon, Scar approaches her, and asks her to sit down and talk about the situation. Suddenly, Baasho reports to Banagi and Scar confirming that Simba and Zazu are dead giving them Simba’s tail hair. The lionesses weep at the sad news of the “death” of the young prince until Sarabi tries to attack Baasho. Scar blocks Sarabi from attacking, and Naanda calms down her sister, and the lionesses live. At the bottom of Pride Rock, Nala complains why the lionesses tolerate Scar and the hyenas, and asks why not run away. Naanda replies because there is nowhere to go, as all of the surrounding territories are occupied by rogues and other prides.

The next morning, as Scar drinks a water spring, Nala approaches him. Scar thinks Banagi and the hyenas found her, but Nala tells the wicked king that another lion found her. Scared at the notion of this, Nala tells Scar that the new lion wants to challenge him in a match (without the hyenas) at the fire tree bridge come nighttime. Suddenly, Banagi arrives finding the two lions, and is told about the challenge by Scar. After being told he wants no interference from the hyenas, Scar orders Banagi to escort Nala back to Pride Rock. At Pride Rock, Nala tries to blockade the hyenas by starting a fight with the lionesses. Then, Zazu arrives to guide the hyenas to the fight, and the hyenas quickly follow him.

At the fire tree bridge, Scar waits to challenge the lion. Simba arrives telling Scar that this land belongs to his pride, and the fight quickly ensues. Zazu and the hyenas arrive to watch the fight angering Scar. The fight resumes with Scar and Simba giving each other vicious blows. Knocking Simba off his feet, Scar lunges at Simba, but Simba pins him down suffocating him until the last breath.

## Personality and traits

In *King of the Jungle*, Scar has an evil appearance, which is shown by his massive size, and scar on his eye, and at times is also described as a demonic being. He’s not related to Mufasa and nobody knows where he comes from.

## Trivia

* In an early version of the movie, King of the Kalahari, Scar was the leader of the baboons, who were fighting against the lions.
* 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 was originally bigger than Mufasa.
* Scar originally had his own special territory, dubbed "Scar-land" by the concepts.
* In the conceptual stages, Scar interacted with a mysterious lioness. Their relationship is completely unknown.
* 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.
* 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[14].
* In an earlier version of the original movie, Scar shows no sympathy to Simba after Mufasa's death, and chases him out of the Pride Lands himself.
* In the 1992 script, during the final battle sequence between Simba and Scar, he defeats his nephew and throws him off Pride Rock into the flames below. As Scar laughs in victory, he is engulfed by the flames, which burn him alive. Simba survives the fall, reunites with his mother, and soon takes control of the pride as the new king in the wake of Scar's death. This scene was cut, as it was deemed too horrific for a Disney film.
* Scar used to have a fear of lightning.
* In some concepts, Scar is shown with brown or red fur.
* In an original concept for the third film, Timon and Pumbaa were supposed to meet Scar. While searching for Mufasa, a plotline cut from the final version of the film, they encountered Scar and the hyenas, who had just finished the song "Be Prepared". After Timon noted that Scar was not Mufasa, Scar complained that he was always mistaken for Mufasa.
* 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.
* In an early draft of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Scar was written to be Kovu's father. However, due to the incestuous undertones Kovu's romance with Kiara had, Scar and Kovu's relationship changed in the middle of production so that they were not blood-related.
* In the original version of "Circle of Life", Scar was supposed to watch the presentation from a rock in hatred.
* Tim Curry and Malcolm McDowell were also considered for the role.