 ✓
| ||
|
This Villain was proposed and approved by Villains Wiki's Pure Evil Proposals Thread. Any act of removing this villain from the category without a Removal Proposal shall be considered vandalism (or a futile "heroic" attempt of redemption) and the user will have high chances of being | ||
|
| “ | Long... live... the KING!!! | „ |
| ~ Scar revealing his true nature to Mufasa before murdering him, and his most infamous quote. |
| “ | Simba: You can't win, Scar! Scar: This is MY kingdom! MY DESTINY! |
„ |
| ~ Scar’s villainous breakdown and his most famous quote as he battles against Simba. |
Taka, later known as Scar, is the main antagonist of the 2019 musical drama film The Lion King, a photorealistically animated remake of the 1994 traditionally animated film of the same name, and the deuteragonist of its upcoming 2024 prequel/sequel Mufasa: The Lion King.
He is the son of Obasi and Eshe, the adoptive younger brother and killer of Mufasa and the evil adoptive uncle and archenemy of Simba. He is also based on his original counterpart.
As an adult, he was voiced by Academy Award nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who also played Victor Sweet in Four Brothers, Luke in Children of Men, Karl Mordo and his Earth-838 counterpart in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Rex Strickland in Venom: The Last Dance. As a cub, he will be voiced by Theo Somolu and by Kelvin Harrison Jr. as a young adult. In the Japanese dub of the movie, he was voiced by Yosuke Eguchi. In the Standard Arabic Dub of the movie, he was voiced by Ahmad Khalil who also voiced his animated counterpart.
Description[]
Appearance[]
In contrast to his traditionally animated counterpart, this Scar has a more realistic, but less healthy appearance. He has grayish-tan, slightly bleached fur, and a rather emaciated frame separating him from the rest of the lion pride. His mane is thin and ragged, mostly dark brown, but paler around his face until his regime over the Pride Lands. By then, his mane is closer to the original's fuller black mane. As his name suggests, he has numerous scars, most notably a long, thin, vertical gash over his left eye, which is pink and slightly cloudy. He also has a notch in his right ear, a small cut on the right side of his muzzle, and several small scratch marks on his flanks. Scar also has amber eyes, a dark stripe down his forehead, and a tan muzzle complete with a goatee.
Personality[]
Like his traditionally animated counterpart, Scar is an extremely manipulative, heartless, persistent, callous, and cold-blooded lion who cares about nothing else but himself because he hated everyone. He desired the throne and being on top of everyone else. He committed unspeakable crimes to achieve his goals and is shown to be as if not even more spiteful than his animated counterpart. This version of Scar also lusts Sarabi for himself and he desires to be every bit like Mufasa but does the opposite. Though truly manipulative and deceitful, Scar has not been that good of a fibber, as proven by the contradictions in his story about Mufasa's death.
This Scar is also darker and less comedic, as his jokes are more malicious in nature, and his fury is more apparent. This is shown when he sings his song, singing at first in a nonchalant and normal way, but gradually becoming more and more intense until the end, as if his mask was slipping and all the hidden rage and loath appeared. Another example of this is when he pushes Mufasa off the cliff, saying "Long live the King" in a loathsomely infuriated tone rather than a gleefully malicious one like in the animated film. Scar has a lust for Sarabi as well, unlike the animated one, but he doesn’t love her genuinely because when she declines to be his queen, he punishes all the lions by giving all the food to hyenas first. Scar is a hypocrite in addition, begging Simba to spare him because they were in the same family, completely paying no attention to the fact he killed his older brother in cold blood.
Like his original counterpart, Scar is good at bribing others to get what he wants. The best example would be when he offered the hyenas all the food they can eat in return for their services. Unlike his original counterpart, however, Scar keeps his word by overseeing hunts for every one of them to earn their genuine faithfulness and permits them to eat before the lionesses, (albeit out of spite towards Sarabi for refusing to be his queen instead on honor) resulting in the hyenas becoming faithful to him until he turns traitor and he was less verbally abrasive towards them, which proves this Scar to be more pragmatic than the original. Other than that, Scar is also shown to be somewhat more valiant than his original counterpart, as he was ready to fight back against his foes if it was necessary. This is shown by the fact that he challenged Mufasa once in the past for the throne and did the same to Simba before his defeat; he even tried to fight back against the hyenas when they turned against him for a very short time.
Scar has a more flagrant disregard for his own species and family, as he not only murdered his older brother and tried to do the same with his nephew, but ordered the hyenas to kill all the lions as well when his lies are exposed by Simba and Sarabi.
When he was a young cub, it was shown that he was a very caring, polite and loving lion as shown as when him and Mufasa met, he says hello and starts begging his parents to take Mufasa in and admitting that he always wanted a brother.
Powers and Abilities[]
Like his original incarnation, Scar's primary and most dangerous weapon is his exceptionally sharp intellect. He is a cunning and deceitful planner who can easily get inside others' heads and manipulate them into doing his bidding, as well as come up with and execute complex strategies. This is shown when he easily rallies Shenzi and her entire clan to his side with a single speech and sets up the wildebeest stampede knowing full well that Mufasa will jump in to save Simba. He is less lazy and arguably even more effective than in the original, as he sent Zazu for help instead of knocking him out and made sure to keep the hyenas loyal to him by personally overseeing their hunts and letting them eat before the lionesses.
Also, as in the original, Scar is surprisingly strong, fast, and agile. This is shown when he sings "Be Prepared" and while he is being chased by Simba, where he performs impressive feats, such as leaping long distances and climbing up steep slopes gracefully and with no noticeable effort. His physical strength is again shown in his fight against Simba; although he ultimately loses, Scar manages to put up a considerable fight against his much younger and more strongly built nephew, as he strikes him three times across the face hard enough to make him reel in pain, briefly knocks him onto his back twice, and at one point very nearly manages to push him off the cliff while grappling with him. Scar was also durable enough to survive a long fall from a ledge near the top of Pride Rock with no major injuries.
Biography[]
Gaining his Scar[]
Scar was born under the name of Taka to Obasi and Eshe. In his cubhood, Taka meet another cub named Mufasa, who had gotten separated from his parents Masego and Afia. Mufasa was adopted by Obasi and Eshe and grew up with Taka. When Taka and Mufasa were young, they both fell in love with a lioness named Sarabi. However, Sarabi decided to choose Mufasa over Taka. This, coupled with his desire for the throne, led Taka to challenge Mufasa to a fight, from which Mufasa emerged victoriously. While unconfirmed, it is heavily implied that it was during this fight that Taka got his eye injury, which resulted in him changing his name to Scar. It marked him for life and increased his resentment towards his adoptive brother.
The novelization of the film also reveals that after Scar got his scar, his father refused to take him on any more hunts as he deemed him ineffectual. This, of course, likely led to Scar's hatred towards his own family to extend in a matter of time because of the feeling of rejection. It might also be what convinced him to go through with his plan of murdering Mufasa.
Despite his victory, Mufasa refused to banish Scar and allowed him to remain in the pride due to them being brothers, but Scar's desire to overthrow his brother and his undying lust for his sister-in-law secretly remained, searching for any ways to get rid of Mufasa to become king and have Sarabi for himself. Unfortunately, Scar's hopes to ever become king were seemingly crushed with the arrival of his nephew Simba. This led Scar to not attend the ceremony for Simba's birth.
Plotting Against Mufasa and Simba[]
Scar first appears speaking to a mouse about how unfair life is since he lived his entire life in the dark and he deserved to rule the kingdom of Pride Rock. But Zazu interjects and asks Scar angrily why he did not come to Mufasa's ceremony of Simba's birth. Scar tries to devour Zazu, but he is interjected when Mufasa arrives at his cave and makes an excuse that he did not remember the day of the ceremony. Mufasa tells him that Simba is going to be the king of Pride Rock one day and that he must obey Simba's orders by the time that he rules the lands. As unperturbed Scar leaves, Zazu suggested to Mufasa that he should have banished Scar when he had the chance, but Mufasa retorts this by saying that Scar is free to live in Pride Lands since he is still family.
A few months later, whilst Mufasa is busy chasing hyenas out of the Pride Lands, Scar witnesses Simba attempting to practice pouncing on a beetle. He tells Simba to go back to his den as he is not a babysitter, thus showing some cold hatred towards the young cub. And yet, Simba told him that someday he is going to be the king of Pride Rock, much to Scar's displeasure. Scar sarcastically told Simba not to go towards the abandoned areas beneath the light, but he tempted Simba into going there by mentioning it is an elephant graveyard and fibs that only the bravest lions go there. Scar watches Simba leave and mocks the cub behind his back.
Simba goes on a voyage with Nala and they manage to enter and escape the Elephant Graveyard with Mufasa's help. Scar realizes that Simba is still alive, and goes to the Elephant Graveyard to convince the Hyena Clan (led by Shenzi) that they should be teaming up to kill Mufasa and Simba.
Taking Over the Pride Lands[]
Scar meets the hyena clan at the graveyard. At first, they threaten to eat him as they thought that Scar is just another lion from Pride Rock. And yet, Scar reveals to them his ambitious plans and promises that they shall get unlimited food as their bellies are never full leading the clan to join him. Scar sets up a trap for both Simba and Mufasa at long last. He asks Simba to practice his roar in the middle of a vast gorge, and he tells his nephew he would be back later. In the meantime, he signals the hyenas to drive a massive herd of wildebeests into a stampede. Simba almost gets killed inside the stampede, but Scar calls Mufasa and Zazu for help. Scar orders Zazu to call the pride for help. Mufasa arrives on time and puts Simba onto a rock before he climbs up to ask Scar for help. However, Scar cruelly grabs Mufasa's paws and snarls "Long live the king" before he smacks his older brother in the face with his claws, thus causing Mufasa to lose his grip and fall back into the gorge, where he is trampled to death by the stampeding wildebeests.
Simba finds Mufasa's corpse and tearfully starts calling for help afterward. Scar shows up and convinces Simba that he is responsible for the death of Mufasa. He coldly orders Simba to run away and never return to Pride Rock. As Simba runs away, Scar sends Shenzi, Kamari, Azizi, and an unnamed hyena to kill him, but in the ensuing chase Simba and the unnamed hyena fall off a cliff. Then, Shenzi orders Kamari and Azizi to confirm Simba's death, but they are too frightened to try to climb down the cliff and instead lie to Scar and Shenzi that they ate Simba. As the pride and the citizens of Pride Rock gather up together, he delivered the news of Mufasa's and Simba's deaths, claiming he was too late to get to the gorge to save them and feigning grief. After this, he announced that as he was next in line, he must take the throne. Stating that ruling the Pride Lands was a task he couldn't manage on his own, he revealed that he had allowed the hyenas into the Pride Lands, much to the horror of the lionesses. A few years later Scar calls out to Sarabi for a meeting and asks her to become his queen, and join him so that the entire pride will obey him.
Sarabi angrily stated that she will never be the queen of such a selfish and ruthless lion. Scar gets mad, and out of anger and frustration, he announces that from now on the hyenas will hunt first and leave the lionesses with little to no food to eat afterward. Because of this act of over hunting, the Pride Lands become scarce in food and water, eventually becoming a barren land, much to the lionesses' distraught. One night, Nala attempts to slip away from Pride Rock to find help. Scar is awakened and bellows loudly, trying to scare off any intruders. He almost finds Nala during her escape attempt but is distracted by Zazu who gets chased by Scar and the hyenas.
Final Fight and Death[]
Eventually, an adult Simba returns to Pride Rock, and with the help of Nala, Zazu and his new friends Timon and Pumbaa, the young prince is ready to fight Scar for the throne. After Scar fights with Sarabi due to her once again rejecting his offer to be his queen and insulting him, Simba returns surprising his uncle who lies that he is so happy to see him while glaring at the Hyenas. Scar tries to convince the pride that Simba was responsible for Mufasa's death, and asks Simba to tell his secret and admit to "the truth". Simba finally confirms that he is responsible for Mufasa's death. Scar forces Simba onto the tip of Pride Rock afterward, where a lightning bolt strikes the ground and causes a wildfire.
Noticing how similar Simba is hanging just like Mufasa, Scar points out the similarity. He then lunges towards Simba and grabs hold of his paws before quietly admitting to him that he was the one who killed Mufasa. Realizing the horrible truth, Simba uses his jaws to grab Scar by the mane to pull himself up, berating him for his actions and ordering him to tell the truth to the other lions. At first, Scar denies by calling Simba a liar and accusing him of trying to kill his uncle, but Sarabi furiously states that she overheard Scar taunting Simba about the way Mufasa looked before he died, which contradicts Scar's previous claim that he didn't get to the gorge in time, catching him in a straight lie on how he saw the look in Mufasa's eyes when he claimed he never made it. Realizing too late that he inadvertently exposed himself, now everyone finally sees he’s responsible for Mufasa’s death, Scar furiously orders his hyena minions to kill the entire pride.
The hyenas are eventually defeated, however, and Simba chases after a fleeing Scar until the latter reaches a ledge near the top of Pride Rock where he cannot jump due to the height. Cornered, Scar begs for mercy and even double-crosses the hyenas in his desperation, lying that they forced him into committing Mufasa's murder and denouncing them as "revolting scavengers" he was planning to kill. Unfortunately, Shenzi, Kamari and Azizi overhear this nearby and angrily leave to inform the other hyenas of Scar's treachery knowing that they were just pawns. Simba won't have any of it, stating that Scar used the hyenas just like he used Simba a long time ago. Scar then asks if Simba is going to kill him to avenge Mufasa's death, to which Simba replies that he won't since he will be no better than the monster Scar is. Feigning gratitude, Scar asks what he could do to make up for all that he had done, possibly expecting to remain in the Pride Lands long enough to retake the throne.
Simba, knowing that Scar cannot be trusted at all, banishes him from the Pride Lands by coldly saying the same words that Scar said to Simba after Mufasa's death. Scar pretends to agree to that consequence, but then throws burning embers in Simba's face and attacks him while he is blinded. The two lions engage in a fierce duel for the throne of Pride Rock, with an outraged Simba declaring that he will not let Scar win, only for an angry Scar to declare that it's his destiny to rule the kingdom however he likes. Although Scar proves to be a surprisingly formidable opponent despite his weak appearance, Simba eventually manages to overpower his cruel evil uncle and slam him to the ground at the edge of Pride Rock. As Scar begins to slip, he grabs onto Simba’s mane for a brief second before sliding down and falling through a cloud of smoke.
Scar survives the fall and slowly gets to his feet after regaining consciousness. Just as Scar is about to leave the Pride Lands in defeat, Kamari, Azizi and several other surviving hyenas arrive and slowly encircle him. Scar pleasingly greets them, saying they will have to spend their time in exile to build a huge army so that they can take down the pride and reclaim Pride Rock. But, his relief turns to horror when the Kamari and Azizi angrily reveal that they overheard Scar's insults and plan to double-cross them when he called them "revolting scavengers" and how he was going to kill them. Realizing the hyenas have turned against him, Scar desperately tries to talk his way out of the situation, claiming that he only tried to fool Simba and promising that together, he and the hyenas will rule the Pride Lands. However, Shenzi appears through the smoke and coldly rejects Scar's empty promises by telling him that he was right only about one thing: a hyena's belly is never full. Cornered, outnumbered, and realizing he is doomed, Scar furiously attempts to fight off the hyenas as they attack him, but is quickly overwhelmed and screams in agony as he is devoured alive, ending his reign of terror on the Pride Lands for good. With Scar's death, Mufasa is avenged.
Following Scar's death, Simba takes his place as the rightful king of the Pride Lands and undo all of Scar's careless mistakes, restoring the land back to its former glory and leaving his uncle's plans for conquest and chaos in vain.
Reception[]
This version of Scar, while constantly compared with the original, is still generally well-received by both fans and critics. For example, many people such as Renaldo Matadeen from CBR Exclusives praised Scar's remake incarnation as being more frightening than the original, for having more motives behind his evil actions instead of simple jealousy and how Scar is more active in leading the hyenas.
Similarly, Chiwetel Ejiofor's performance as Scar is also well-received. Owen Gleiberman from Variety praised Ejiofor's voice acting, commenting that his Scar raised the film’s dramatic stakes, upping the ante on what Jeremy Irons did as Scar in the 1994 version. Also, Scott Mendelson from Forbes commented that while he preferred Jeremy Irons' Scar, he still praised Ejiofor's performance for making Scar "excellent" and "nuanced".
However, some people criticized Ejiofor's Scar, feeling he lacked the silkiness and humor of Irons' Scar. Also, many fans of the original criticized the new Scar's physical design, with many complaining about his lack of a full black mane, green eyes, prominent goatee, and sly facial expressions. However, others considered the redesign to be valid and some praised it as being more battle-worn and emaciated than the original, believing it better reflected Scar's inner trauma and unhealthy nature.
The remake version of Scar's song "Be Prepared" has received generally mixed to negative reception. For example, Fuller criticized the remake of the song, commenting "it feels like Scar is merely relaying some information to audiences that could have been delivered in a speech" and felt it would have been better if the song is not included at all. Similarly, Weldon criticized the song for cutting most of the verses, commenting the song sounds more like "if the Boy Scouts imposed martial law" and making Scar's character like "a mere feckless politician attempting to sway a potential ally". However, some people did like and enjoy the new version of the song, praising it as being more sinister and powerful than the original, and for better reflecting Scar's different relationship with the hyenas.
Relationships[]
Allies[]
- Hyena Clan (minions/enforcers/pawns; formerly)
- Shenzi (second-in-command/right-hand woman/pawns; formerly)
- Kamari (minion/pawn; formerly)
- Azizi (minion/pawn; formerly)
Enemies[]
- Mufasa (archenemy)
- Simba (archenemy)
- Sarabi (crush)
- Nala
- Sarafina
- Pride Land Animals (zebras, antelope, elephants, wildebeests, giraffes, etc.)
- Zazu
- Rafiki
- Timon
- Pumbaa
- Hyena Clan
Quotes[]
| “ | Life's not fair, is it, my little friend? While some are born to feast, others spend their lives in the dark, begging for scraps. The way I see it, you and I are exactly the same. We both want to find a way out. | „ |
| ~ Scar's opening line when he talks to a mouse he tries to eat. |
| “ | Scar: Zazu... you made me lose my lunch. Zazu: You will answer to Mufasa for missing the ceremony this morning. Scar: I answer to no one. |
„ |
| ~ Scar warning Zazu that he does not take orders. |
| “ | Scar: Well, look who's come down to mingle with the commoners. Mufasa: Sarabi and I didn't see you at the presentation of Simba. Scar: Was that today? Must've slipped my mind. Of course, I meant no disrespect towards His Majesty or Sarabi. As you know, I have tremendous... respect... for the queen. Zazu: As the king's brother, you should be first in line. Scar: I WAS first in line. Or don't you remember? That is, until the precious... prince... arrived. Mufasa: Don't turn your back on me, Scar. Scar: Oh, no, Mufasa, perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me. Mufasa: [roars] Is that a challenge?! Scar: I wouldn't dream of challenging you... again. Zazu: A wise decision. You are no match for His Royalness. Scar: Well, as far as brains go, I've got the lion's share, but when it comes to brute strength, I'm afraid my big brother will always rule. Mufasa: Not always, Scar. One day, it will be my son who rules. Simba will be your king. Scar: Then long live the king. |
„ |
| ~ Scar being chastised by his brother. |
| “ | Scar: If you wish to kill something, you might want to stay downwind. Simba: I know how to hunt, Uncle Scar. Scar: Well, let's hope we're never attacked by a beetle. Go back to your den, Simba. I don't babysit. Simba: Babysit? I'm gonna be the king of Pride Rock. My dad showed me the whole kingdom. Said I'm going to rule it all. Scar: Is that so? Simba: Think about it. When I'm king, I'll have to give you orders. Tell you what to do. How weird is that? Scar: You've no idea. So, your dad showed you the whole kingdom? Did he show you the shadows beyond the northern borders? Simba: No. He said I can't go there. Ever. Scar: And he's absolutely right. An elephant graveyard is no place for a young prince. Simba: An elephant graveyard? Whoa. Scar: Oh, dear. I've said too much. Though I suppose you'd have found out sooner or later, you being king and all. Simba: You've been there? Scar: We've all been there. And it's no place for a cub. All those rotting bones, and burning pools of oozing mud. Simba: Rotting bones? Oozing mud? Scar: Promise me you'll stay away, Simba! Now, you run along. And remember... it's our little secret... [Simba walks away] Scar: ...Your Majesty. |
„ |
| ~ Scar manipulates Simba so that he goes to be killed in the Elephant Graveyard. |
| “ | Scar: You fools have stripped your land of every living thing. And yet, I sent two little cubs your way and they come back alive. Kamari: I guess we'll have to eat you instead. Scar: Why eat one meal when you could be feasting the rest of your lives? Shenzi: What could you possibly offer us? Scar: A place where you can fill your bellies. Where everything the light touches is yours for the kill. Shenzi: The Pride Lands are not yours to give. The King controls those hunting grounds. Scar: That's why we're going to kill him. Mufasa has always shown too much restraint when it comes to hunting. When I am king, the mighty will be free to take whatever they want because a hyena's belly is never full. Shenzi: Mufasa's far too powerful to challenge. Scar: ♪ Mufasa is yesterday's message A clapped out, distracted regime Whose failings undoubtedly presage The need for a different dream ♪ |
„ |
| ~ Scar allies with the Hyenas. |
| “ | Scar: That's why we're here. Simba. I think I know a way for you to make it up to him… a gift that will make him forget it ever happened. Simba: But he's the king, what could I give him? Scar: Your roar. Simba: My roar? Scar: Yes! [his voice echos] Did you hear that? This gorge is where all lions come to find their roar. Simba: All lions? Even my dad? Scar: Even Mufasa came here when he was your age, refused to leave until his roar could be heard above the rim. Simba: All the way up there? Scar: That's when you know you've found it. With a little practice, you'll never be called a cub again. Simba: Watch this. [pushes a mediocre roar] Scar: You'll get it Simba. It just takes time. I'll check on you later. Simba: Dad will be so proud, huh? Scar: It's a gift he'll never forget. |
„ |
| ~ Scar tricks Simba into the gorge to assassinate him and Mufasa. |
| “ | Run. Run away, Simba. Run away… and NEVER RETURN!! | „ |
| ~ Scar banishing Simba after pinning the blame on the latter for Mufasa's death. |
| “ | Kill him. | „ |
| ~ Scar ordering the hyenas to chase down and kill Simba after banishing him. |
| “ | Mufasa and Simba are gone, which means I... am your king. | „ |
| ~ Scar rises to power as he becomes the new king of Pride Lands after the death of Mufasa. |
| “ | Scar: Won't you join me, Sarabi? There's plenty to go around. Sarabi: You're overhunting, Scar. Scar: I've simply perfected the kill, with the help of my army. Sarabi: You're killing everything. Scar: Don't you see? There is nobody to challenge me. We can finally take whatever we want. Sarabi: We? Scar: Long ago, you chose Mufasa over me, but now there is a new king, so stop being so selfish. Sarabi: You are the selfish one. Scar: The other lions look to you. As long as you resist, they will reject me. Take your place by my side, and we will feast together. Sarabi: I will never be your queen! Scar: Then from now on, the lions will eat after the hyenas. And they don't leave much behind. |
„ |
| ~ Scar first proposed to Sarabi to become his queen before condemning the lionesses to starve. |
| “ | Scar: Sarabi, why put yourself through this? All you have to do is be my queen. You're suffering for what? The memory of a life you once knew, a king you once loved? I tried to make you understand what a true king can be. Sarabi: Scar, a true king's power is his compassion. Scar: I AM TEN TIMES THE KING MUFASA WAS! Sarabi: You are nothing compared to Mufasa! |
„ |
| ~ Scar before he attacks Sarabi when he declares himself superior to Mufasa. |
| “ | Scar: Simba... I'm so happy to see you... [to Azizi and Kamari] ...alive. Simba: Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart. Scar: I can give you more than one. You see... [gestures to the hyenas] ...they think I'm king. |
„ |
| ~ Scar being confronted by an adult Simba after learning that he is alive. |
| “ | Scar: This looks familiar. Where have I seen this before? Oh, yes. I remember. This is the way Mufasa looked before he died. I looked down, saw the fear in his eyes. [The evil lion stabs his claws into Simba's paws, making him roar in pain] Scar: And here's my little secret: [whispers into Simba's ear] I killed Mufasa. |
„ |
| ~ Scar admitting his crime to Simba before attempting to throw him into the fire, only for Simba to become enraged and fight back. |
| “ | Simba: My father! Your own brother! How could you?! Scar: First, he kills Mufasa, and now he wants to kill me! Simba: YOU killed him! Tell them the truth! Scar: Don't believe his lies! Sarabi: Scar, you told us you didn't get to the gorge in time. Scar: That's true! Sarabi: Then how did you see the look in Mufasa's eyes?! [Scar stares speechless, realizing he accidentally exposed himself as the other lions overheard him gloating about killing Mufasa] Simba: Murderer! Scar: [to the hyenas] KILL THEM ALL! |
„ |
| ~ Scar realizing he had exposed himself to the Pride Landers for the villain he is and ordering the hyenas to slaughter them. |
| “ | Simba: It's over, Scar. Scar: Have mercy. I beg you. Simba: Mercy? After what you did? Scar: It was the hyenas! Those revolting scavengers made me do it. I was planning on killing them all. [Shenzi, Kamari and Azizi are nearby. They overhear and snarl with fury at Scar's betrayal] Simba: You fooled the hyenas just like you fooled me. Scar: Simba, you wouldn't kill your only uncle. Simba: No, Scar. I'm not like you. Scar: Oh, Simba. You are truly noble. And I will make it up to you. Just tell me how I can prove myself. Tell me what you want me to do. Simba: Run. Run away, Scar. Run away, and never return. Scar: Yes. Of course. As you wish... your Majesty. |
„ |
| ~ Scar betraying the hyenas before his final fight against Simba. |
| “ | Scar: My friends. It will take some time, but together, we will build our army! Kamari: "Friends," huh? I thought you said we were "revolting scavengers." Azizi: Yeah. That you wanted to "kill us". Scar: No. No, let me explain. I was trying to fool him. We will rule together! Shenzi: There's only one true thing you ever said, Scar. "A hyena's belly is never full." Scar: NO!!! |
„ |
| ~ Scar's last words before he gets mauled by the hyenas to make him pay with his life for his betrayal. |
Trivia[]
- Unlike other live-action/CGI remakes of Disney Villains, in terms of his actions and role, this Scar is the same as his traditionally animated counterpart as, story-wise, the film is basically the same as the original. But in terms of personality and character, there are several subtle differences between the two versions (listed below):
- In the original film, Scar was slightly effeminate in his mannerisms, which initially met a mild controversy back when the original film was released. In the remake, however, Scar never shows any kind of effeminate mannerisms, possibly to avoid further controversy. Likewise, rather than acting in a Machiavellian and elegant way like in the original film, Scar acts more like the rest of the lions in the remake.
- He does not perform his villain song "Be Prepared," rather reciting a few lines from it in the style of slam poetry, but then using a different speech to recruit the hyenas.
- In the original film, Scar's motivation to become king was because he was upset when Mufasa was chosen by their father to become king, as well as hating Simba because he was born. In the remake, Scar's motivation was also to have Sarabi for himself because she chose Mufasa when they were young, and it was implied that Scar fought against Mufasa both for the throne and Sarabi's affections and lost; even his voice actor Chiwetel Ejiofor stated that the Scar in the remake is far more "psychologically possessed" and "brutalized" than the original counterpart for this reason.
- In the original film, how Scar got his scar goes unexplained. It was since confirmed in The Lion Guard that he got it after being attacked by a black-necked spitting cobra despite Rob Minkoff's opinion that Mufasa probably gave it to him when they were cubs, whereas the book "A Tale of Two Brothers", which is disregarded from canon, says that Scar got his scar when he was attacked by a large buffalo. In the remake, it was implied that Mufasa gave him the scar during their fight over Sarabi's affections, which made it clear why Scar did the same to Mufasa when pushing him to his death in the gorge.
- In the original film, Scar was friends with the hyenas from the start, but neglected them by leaving them and the lions to do the hunting tasks for him due to his laziness, which made the hyenas question his reign (due to shortage of food and water) and contribute to his downfall. In the remake, he wasn't friends with the hyenas until he first met them in the graveyard, (meaning he never pre-arranged their murder of Simba with them and was simply hoping to take advantage of their natural behavior) but made good on his promise to them by personally overseeing hunts for them after taking over Pride Rock, which allowed him to earn the hyenas' genuine loyalty until the end when he tried to pin the blame of Mufasa's death on them. This makes him more pragmatic and (in some ways) more cunning than his original counterpart.
- In the original film, Scar was a bit reckless and didn't care in raising any possible suspicions; this was demonstrated when he knocked out Zazu in the gorge before proceeding to dispose of Mufasa. In the remake, Scar is more cunning and sends Zazu out for help and while he hurts Mufasa with his claws before pushing him to his death, whilst Simba doesn't notice it due to being just a cub. That said, he is also not as good at lying as he ended up contradicting what he said about his brother's death in the end when he tells Simba how his father had the same look in his eyes before he died.
- Although mentioning the name of Mufasa makes him angry, he didn't prohibit the mention of his brother's name in his presence.
- He keeps his word to the hyenas better than his animated counterpart did by allowing them to eat before the lionesses. (Even though it's done out of spite towards Sarabi instead of honor).
- In the original film, Scar was forced by Simba, who threatened to strangle him to death, to admit his role behind Mufasa's murder to the lionesses. In the remake, Scar furiously stands his ground by calling Simba a liar, only for his efforts to fall flat when Sarabi revealed that she overheard him saying how he saw the look in Mufasa's eyes, and asks him how he could have known that if he hadn't gotten to the gorge in time, thus exposing himself as the true murderer.
- In the original, Scar betrays the hyenas by calling them "the real enemy" and lying that all his crimes were their idea. In the remake, he blames them more harshly, as he calls them "revolting scavengers" and even threatens to kill them, and Simba calls him out on it saying that he fooled the hyenas just like he fooled his nephew.
- In the original, Scar was very cowardly in nature as he prefers to run rather than fight; this was shown when he just cowered in fear when the hyenas were about to kill him for his betrayal against them. In the remake, he is less cowardly, as even though he is not above begging for mercy, he is more willing to fight, as he challenged Mufasa in the past, and even tried to fight back against Simba and the hyenas.
- The original Scar was heavily inspired by King Claudius from Hamlet and Adolf Hitler. The remake Scar leans more to an abstract dictator archetype.
- In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Scar is shown to have a successor, Kovu, the son of his most loyal follower Zira. In the remake, Scar lusts after Sarabi, implying he wants to have children with her along with having her by his side, indicating there are no signs that Scar already has an heir (Kovu is also not Scar's biological son meaning he would not be born). Along with that, there are no signs of any lions who supported Scar, which was presumably to fill in a plot-hole in the sequel where it claims that groups of lions who supported Scar was in the original traditionally animated film, despite them not being seen at all throughout it, although this has been unconfirmed. So, among all the lions in the movie, he is the only one who is genuinely evil.
- When the original Scar became king, Zazu was his personal singer while in the remake, he is banished from the Pride Lands and chased away both by Scar and the hyenas whenever he came back, even being threatened to be eaten alive by Kamari at one point.
- In the original, Scar is Mufasa's biological brother. In the remake, Scar is only Mufasa's adoptive brother but this was only revealed five years after the release of the remake's prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King.
- Like in the traditionally animated version, this Scar serves as a foil to Simba. They are both princes at the beginning of the story and display the same carefree attitude towards being king, believing that everything depends on power and privilege and not on duties. However, Simba ends up going beyond these beliefs and is ready and willing to be the ruler that Mufasa taught him to be. Scar, on the other hand, never learned the responsibilities of being king and he thinks that everything is about him, that he is free to do whatever he wants, and he rules without caring for his subjects. His actions resemble what Simba could've ended up like if he had not learned the true meaning of being king and stayed as naive as he was when he was a cub.
- According to the French, Scar is the only character whose name is not from Swahili, but from English.
- Jeremy Irons, the actor who voiced Scar in the original film, was interested in reprising the role for the remake much like how James Earl Jones was brought back to reprise the role of Mufasa. However, Irons was never asked out nor contacted by Disney to reprise the role, most likely because of how different of a character this version of Scar is compared to his original counterpart.
- Scar's lust for Sarabi in the film is very similar to, and was inspired by, his lust for Nala in The Lion King Broadway musical (which was originally intended for the original film but taken out when it was deemed that sexual harassment wasn't suitable for a family film). When deciding to incorporate that subplot on the remake, Jon Favreau agreed that it would be creepy for Scar to try to court Nala so he opted to have Scar try to court Sarabi as it had more sense given that the two were closer in age.
- However, unlike the Broadway musical, he doesn't harass Sarabi as he does with Nala in the musical, yet he still threatens her.
- Scar's lust for Sarabi is also similar to King Claudius' lust for Queen Gertrude in the play Hamlet (since The Lion King is partly based on the play). In fact, the musical plot served as a model for Scar's relationship with Sarabi in the remake.
- However, unlike the Broadway musical, he doesn't harass Sarabi as he does with Nala in the musical, yet he still threatens her.
- Because his mane is much thinner than Mufasa and Simba's, some say Scar looks more like an Asian lion.
- Ironically, despite treating the hyenas better than his animated counterpart, his death at their hands is still more gruesome.
- Originally, Scar was going to have a fuller black mane in the computer-animated movie just like his traditionally animated counterpart, but his mane was changed from black to receding dark brown and light yellow in the final film because real black-maned lions attract much more lionesses and have more testosterone than a normal lion.
- Scar was the character that took the most work to design. His body had to look vulnerable but at the same time, his pose had to emphasize his cunning nature. The supervisor Adam Valdez said about him: "Scar needed to harken back to the older design from the original but couldn't look too different from the family, and couldn't be too wiry or thin. He needed to be a physical threat in his own way, a default menace in the way that he was designed in his entire physical presence". Despite that, Scar was the favorite part of the VFX team to work on. The animators of the original Lion King took inspiration from Irons' menacing vocal performance, exaggerating Scar's features and movements to make him eviler. It's an approach the MPC team tried to pay tribute to without upsetting the new film's focus on realism. The VFX supervisor Elliot Newman explained: "Whenever we were struggling with a shot, we would always say: It needs more Scar. He's such a good-looking character and worked in so many different lighting environments and framings. Every time we dropped him in a shot, the shot improved straightway. The voice of Scar lends itself to something that's a bit more pushed than the others. Out of all the characters, he's the least lion-like. His proportions are kind of exaggerated, although we did do a lot of reference and research. There can be huge differences in the proportions between real lions: We'd be looking at pictures, and the skull shapes would be so different, you'd think they're two different species".
- It has been recently confirmed that a follow-up to the 2019 remake of The Lion King is currently in the works. As such film has been stated to explore the origins of Mufasa, there may be a chance that Scar will make an appearance as well and possibly have his backstory expanded too. It was confirmed later that a young Scar will indeed make an appearance in the film and be known as Taka, possibly indicating that the A Tale of Two Brothers story from the non-canon novel series The Lion King: Six New Adventures will be adapted.
- Twice, Scar speaks the words foreshadowing his actions against his brother and nephew. At the beginning of the film, he sarcastically utters "Then long live the king." after Mufasa declares that Simba will be his king one day, so later Scar yells "Long... live... the king!" before throwing Mufasa to his death. When he tricks Simba into venturing to the elephant graveyard, Scar hatefully calls Simba behind his back "Your majesty", which is exactly what he says to him when he throws embers in his face to sneak attack him during their final fight.
- In the original movie, Scar whispered "Long live the king." But here in the live action movie he screams it out loud at the top of his lungs.
- According to some concept art, Scar was envisioned to have his scar over his right eye, unlike his original counterpart.
External Links[]
- Scar (2019) on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Scar (2019) on the Disney Wiki
- Scar (2019) on the The Lion King Wiki
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Movies Television Literature | ||