The synopsis for The Lion King, the 2019 remake of the 1994 film of the same name.
In the Pride Lands of Africa, a savannah kingdom ruled by a pride of lions, dawn breaks and the animals begin gathering at a rocky outcrop known as Pride Rock, the castle of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. Among those in attendance is the mandrill Rafiki, an old friend of the royal family, who baptizes the newborn cub Prince Simba. Rafiki presents the cub to the animals of the Pride Lands, who celebrate and pay tribute to their future ruler, as Mufasa and Sarabi look on with pride as their son is introduced to the kingdom.
Later that day, a mouse is going about its' business when it wanders into a dark cave in Pride Rock. Unfortunately, this cave is the lair of the Mufasa's younger brother, Scar, who picks that moment to appear and hunt down the little rodent. Scar sympathizes with the mouse as he captures him for lunch, since as far as Scar is concerned, he's just as trapped and underprivileged as the mouse he's tormenting. The king's hornbill advisor, Zazu, arrives and distracts Scar long enough for the mouse to flee, only to nearly get eaten himself. Mufasa arrives to stop Scar, however, and chastises his brother for missing the presentation of his nephew. Scar halfheartedly apologizes, and only because he greatly respects Sarabi. The conversation turns tense as Mufasa believes Scar is challenging his rule, but Scar admits he has no desire to challenge him again. Mufasa warns Scar that one day he will be ruled by his son as Scar skulks off. Zazu reminds Mufasa that he advised him to banish Scar after his challenge, but Mufasa remains firm that as his brother, Scar will never be forced to leave their family home.
That night, Rafiki is meditating in his baobab tree when fireflies alert him to some bugs forming a shape on his tree. Rafiki helps them reach their formation, and after blowing dust on them, finds the imprint of a portrait of the newborn Simba. Rafiki happily chants to the heavens with delight.
Time passes, and Simba grows into an adventurous little cub who wakes his parents up before sunrise, as Mufasa had promised to take him on patrol with him today. Mufasa surprises Simba by taking him to the top of Pride Rock as the sun rises over the horizon, illuminating the vast kingdom that will one day be Simba's to protect. Simba asks about a shadowy outcrop to the north, but Mufasa warns him to never go there. Simba is confused as he believed a king could take whatever they want, but Mufasa disagrees.
- Mufasa: While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give.
Mufasa takes Simba on a tour of the kingdom as the morning goes on, and explains that as king he must respect the "delicate balance" of nature, between predator and prey, and flora and fauna. Zazu arrives to give his morning report on the kingdom, but to his dismay, he is used as a target for Simba's latest pouncing lesson. Zazu flies off in a huff, only to quickly return to report that Sarabi is fending off a hyena invasion. Mufasa orders Simba to be returned to Pride Rock while he goes to assist his mate.
Upon getting home, Simba is disappointed to have to go join the other cubs in playtime, and tries his luck at unsuccessfully hunting a beetle, much to a watching Scar's bemusement. Simba tells his uncle how he toured the kingdom, and reflects on how weird it will be to one day give Scar orders. The incensed older lion can only give an unseen, devastating glare as he quietly agrees. Scar then tells Simba about the Elephant Graveyard and orders him to never go there, knowing the curious cub will ignore him and go anyway.
The lionesses are enjoying the morning sunlight as Sarafina gives her daughter, Nala, a bath. Simba arrives and asks Nala to accompany him to the Elephant Graveyard, or, as he claims to his mother, somewhere around the watering hole. After enduring a bath from Sarabi, Simba is permitted to go with Nala... if Zazu goes with him. The cubs quickly chafe under Zazu's overprotectiveness, and Simba confides in Nala where they're really going. Zazu tells the cubs that are betrothed to each other, and the cubs quickly turn their noses up at the idea of marrying each other. Simba and Nala begin frolicking around the visitors to the watering hole and are able to lose Zazu in the crowd of animals. They soon end up tussling into the premises of the Elephant Graveyard, which they find is a primordial wasteland ravaged by geothermal activity and littered with skeletons. Nala is timid, but Simba excitedly believes they won't be treated like cubs anymore.
At that moment, the pair are confronted by a group of hyenas who eye them hungrily, though they lose some of their bluster when some of their leaders, the skulking Kamari and the goofy Azizi, get into a bickering fest. The hyenas quickly shut up when the queen of the shadowlands arrives - Shenzi, the matriarch of the hyena clan. Shenzi eagerly prepares to eat Mufasa's progeny, even after Zazu arrives and warns her she will incur Mufasa's wrath should she eat his son. Zazu attacks Shenzi, giving the cubs an opening to flee, but they end up surrounded by the hyena horde anyway. With a volley of mighty roars, Mufasa arrives and tears the hyenas asunder to rescue the cubs. With her clan beaten into submission, Shenzi can only dejectedly swear to never come near the cubs again as Mufasa warns her that her life will not be spared if it happens again. Mufasa leaves the graveyard with the cubs and Zazu, as Shenzi bitterly watches.
As dusk turns to night, Mufasa orders Zazu to take Nala home while he disciplines his son. Zazu implores him to remember how he too was a rambunctious cub, but Mufasa remains resolute. The king chastises his son for disobeying him and endangering Nala, as well as the future of the pride. Mufasa confesses that he was afraid of losing his son, and this vulnerability shakes Simba, convincing him of the truth in Mufasa's words. Mufasa forgives his son and they begin to play, but when Simba asks if they'll always be together, Mufasa is initially silent. He then tells his son something his father told him:
- Mufasa: Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars.Simba: Really?Mufasa: Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be up there to guide you... and so will I.
Simba is a bit confused, as he says he can't see the kings in the night sky, but Mufasa gently asks his son to keep looking.
Back at the graveyard, the hyenas are licking their wounds from their defeat at Mufasa's hands when they are surprised by the arrival of Scar, who they recognize as the king's brother. Scar muses that the hyenas overhunted the graveyard's territories into ruin, but they couldn't kill two cubs. Scar offers a solution - getting to eat what they want in the Pride Lands. Shenzi scoffs that since he's not the king, he can offer them nothing... to which Scar agrees, and asks her to help him kill Mufasa. Scar posits that when he succeeds Mufasa as king, the hyenas may hunt in the Pride Lands without restraint. The starving, vengeful hyenas are easily swayed by Scar's words, and prepare for the coup of the century...
The next day, Simba has accompanied Scar to a gorge on the edge of the Pride Lands. Scar suggests Simba get back into Mufasa's graces by perfecting his roar, and that this gorge is a traditional training ground for such a thing. Simba agrees to stay in the gorge and work on his roar, and Scar leaves to give him some space... and nods to Shenzi, Kamari, Azizi, and a fourth hyena who are watching from top the gorge's walls. Simba lets out one more big growl that echoes throughout the gorge, only for it to be drowned out by an almighty rumbling. Simba looks up in horror to see a huge herd of wildebeest stampeding towards him, and runs for his life. The wildebeest have been spooked into the gorge by Shenzi and her hyenas, while Scar runs to alert Mufasa of Simba's peril.
Simba finds temporary refuge atop a dying tree, but it becomes clear the tree won't last long against the prolonged onslaught of charging wildebeest. Zazu finds him and reports his location to Mufasa and Scar when they arrive at the gorge. Mufasa traverses down the gorge's walls as Scar orders Zazu to go find help, and soon jumps into the swirling herd to reach Simba on his tree. Despite being plowed by a stray wildebeest, Mufasa is able to rescue his son and leave him on a safe rocky outcrop, only to be plowed back into the herd. Mufasa leaps out of the gorge as his son watches him until he's out of sight, and Mufasa summons all of his strength as he climbs to the top of the gorge's walls... only to be met by Scar. Instead of helping his brother, Scar sneers and strikes him in the eye, causing him to plummet to his death under the stampede's hooves, as Simba can only scream in horror.
After the wildebeest finally pass, leaving the gorge a silent, dusty void, Simba looks for his father, and finds him battered, still, and above all else, dead. When he fails to wake Mufasa, Simba cries for help, only to accept what has happened and curl up with him one last time. Scar arrives on the scene, and despite Simba asking his beloved uncle for comfort, Scar instead chastises him for killing his father. The poor, frightened cub is tricked into believing it was his fault, and at Scar's advice, runs away to flee in exile. Scar then orders Shenzi's group to kill Simba to eliminate the loose end. The hyenas chase Simba to the gorge's edge, only for their fourth member to fall off the cliff to his death seemingly along with Simba. Shenzi orders Kamari and Azizi to go down to confirm Simba's death, but the pair are unwilling to risk their lives to do so. Kamari tells Azizi they'll lie that they went down and ate Simba's corpse, insisting a cub couldn't have survived such a fall.
After the two leave, Simba, who had survived by sliding onto a ledge, slowly climbs down and walks away from the gorge. Taking a Long Last Look at his home, believing he can never go back after what he's done, poor Simba flees into the desert beyond the Pride Lands.
Back at Pride Rock, Scar announces the deaths of Mufasa and Simba, pretending to lament the loss of his brother and nephew. Scar claims he was unable to reach the gorge in time to save his family, but quickly moves on and declares himself king. The grieving lionesses are alarmed when Shenzi's clan moves into Pride Rock, as Scar claims they will help him keep the kingdom safe. At Rafiki's tree, Zazu and Rafiki watch Scar's ascension with sadness, and Rafiki forlornly wipes the portrait of Simba, grieving his death.
Simba weakly trudges across the desert until finally, he can go no further, and lies down for what is likely the last time. A flock of vultures swoop in, ready to eat, until suddenly, a warthog named Pumbaa eagerly charges at them, trying to strike them. Riding on Pumbaa is his best friend Timon, a meerkat, and the pair come across Simba's unconscious body. Timon is alarmed that Simba is a lion and thus their natural predator, but Pumbaa talks him into taking him in, reasoning that if they do so, when Simba is grown, he can protect them. Timon agrees, though they quickly get antsy when Simba wakes up. The pair are taken aback by Simba's depression, and suggest he take on their "Hakuna Matata" lifestyle. The idea of no worries and abandoning his past appeal all too well to the traumatized little cub, and he happily goes along to live with Timon and Pumbaa in their oasis. Timon and Pumbaa's neighbors in the jungle quickly ask what Simba will be eating, and Simba is convinced to switch to an all-bug diet to sate his hunger. The years pass, and Simba grows into adulthood enjoying a carefree lifestyle with Timon and Pumbaa.
The years haven't been as kind to the Pride Lands, however. The kingdom has become a drought-stricken wasteland, having been overhunted by Scar and his hyenas. The last of the herds are being driven off, and the only one actually eating well is Scar himself. There is debate amongst the lionesses; a now-grown Nala suggests that they rebel against Scar, but Sarabi points out that for all appearances, Scar is the rightful king, even if the lionesses and a banished Zazu report only to Sarabi herself. Nala then suggests they leave and find a new home elsewhere, but Sarabi remains adamant that they stay.
- Sarabi: We must all stay together and protect the Pride Lands; this is our home. We must never abandon it.
Shortly after Scar returns to Pride Rock, Shenzi summons Sarabi to meet with him. Sarabi goes to see Scar, who implores her to join him for dinner. Sarabi admonishes Scar for overhunting the kingdom into extinction, but Scar ignores her and instead proposes she become his queen - having long been jealous that she picked Mufasa over him. Sarabi is disgusted and refuses to ever be Scar's queen... and Scar responds by ordering that the hyenas will now eat before the lionesses. Shenzi and her clan quickly tear an antelope carcass to ribbons, making it all too clear to Sarabi what Scar as just ordered.
That night, Nala decides to sneak out of Pride Rock to go find help, despite Zazu's objections. However, Scar picks that moment to wake up from his slumber, and begins sniffing Nala out. Despite some close calls, Zazu manages to distract Scar and the hyenas long enough for Nala to make a run for it, as Sarabi watches in alarm.
Back in the jungle, a topi is frightened when Simba tries to catch some butterflies, mistaking him for an actually carnivorous lion. Simba is confused by the topi not wanting to hang out with him, and Timon and Pumbaa reluctantly begin to explain the relationship between predator and prey to him. When Timon mentions a "delicate balance", Simba agrees, remembering the lessons Mufasa taught him... but Timon and Pumbaa quickly shoot that down. According to them, life is meaningless and your life doesn't affect anyone else's, even as their efforts to find food at a termite mound turn up food for their friends. Simba is skeptical, but agrees to continue having fun with the group. After dinner, Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa are stargazing and think up explanations for the stars. Simba recounts how his father taught him about the great kings in the sky, only to be hurt when his friends laugh it off. Simba sadly wanders off to be alone, as Timon and Pumbaa realize they hurt his feelings.
Simba looks up at the stars before settling down to sleep. A tuft of his mane falls out, and over the course of several days, goes on a great journey, from a river, to a bird's nest, to a dung beetle's ball. But soon the wind whisks it across the desert until it's carried by a colony of ants at Rafiki's tree. The old mandrill finds the tuft of hair, and after examining it, realizes that Simba is alive. As he updates the portrait on his tree, Rafiki excitedly chants to the skies again and prepares to go on a journey.
Back at the oasis, Timon and Pumbaa are taking a fun stroll through the jungle with their other friends until a hungry lioness bursts out of hiding. She quickly selects Pumbaa as her dinner, and nearly pounces onto him for the kill until Simba intervenes. However, Simba is quickly overwhelmed, but recognizes the lioness as Nala due to her fighting style. The two lions happily reunite, despite Timon and Pumbaa's confusion. Nala tells Simba that Scar has taken over the kingdom with the hyenas and he must become king, but Simba refuses to listen. Caught up in the moment, the pair go for a romantic afternoon together in the jungle. But once the magic wears off, Nala again confronts Simba about how he hasn't returned home despite being the rightful king. Simba claims none of it matters and Nala angrily storms off to go home.
Night falls. Simba is walking by himself, angrily fuming about his conversation with Nala, until he encounters Rafiki waiting for him in the jungle. Rafiki begins teasing Simba about his identity, and tells him that he knows Mufasa and that he's alive. Simba follows Rafiki through the jungle until they reach a pond where Rafiki says Mufasa is waiting. However, upon seeing his reflection, Simba sadly says he sees nothing. Rafiki disagrees, saying Mufasa lives on in him. An electrical storm brews up, in which Simba sees the shape of Mufasa. The former king implores Simba to return home and take the throne, and when Simba says he can't be like his father, Mufasa makes clear that what he was most proud of in life was having Simba as his son. Mufasa's form begins to dissipate as morning rises, but he insists to Simba that he never left him... and never will.
Reinvigorated, Simba accepts his responsibility and leaves the oasis to return home. He reunites with Nala in the desert and the pair return to the Pride Lands, and Simba is aghast at the sorry state of the savannah. Zazu arrives and warmly reunites with the prince, and Timon and Pumbaa arrive, deciding to forgo their lifestyle to support their friend. The five journey into the kingdom and find a hyena patrol blocking their path, and Simba hits on the idea of live bait to distract them.
Live bait, as it turns out, being Timon and Pumbaa proudly presenting dinner to the hyenas. It works, and the screaming duo run off with the hyenas behind them. Simba, Nala, and Zazu sneak forward to make their way to Pride Rock. A watching Rafiki, sensing a fight is at hand, climbs into the depths of his tree and draws forth an old friend - the mighty, gnarled bakora staff, ready to serve its' master again in the fight for the Pride Lands that lies ahead.
At Pride Rock, storm clouds gather as Scar again harasses Sarabi to be his queen, insisting he is a true king that deserves her love. Sarabi begins to chide Scar like a child about how to be a true king. The slight does not go unnoticed, and Scar quickly snarls that he's ten times the king Mufasa was, but Sarabi spits back that he is nothing compared to Mufasa. The pair quickly come to blows, but before either side can claim victory, Simba roars in anger to announce his arrival. Sarabi recognizes him as her son and happily embraces her long-lost child. Scar is annoyed that Simba is alive, casting an ominous glare at Kamari and Azizi, and refuses to step down, citing the hyenas at his side. Nala rebukes him by rallying the lionesses to stand behind Simba, who again orders Scar to step down. Scar decides to pull out a trick that works all too well - he tricks Simba into confessing to Mufasa's murder, turning him from a rebel leader to an outcast in moments. Simba's poor self-image and guilt quickly overwhelm him as Scar backs him up to the peak of Pride Rock's outcrop, cursing himself as nothing as Scar leaves him dangling for dear life. Scar gloats aloud that this is how Mufasa looked before he died, before whispering into Simba's ear that he killed Mufasa intending to take the last sting of defeat to the grave with him.
- Scar: What are you? Say it!Simba: ... I'm nothing.Scar: Then BOW to your king!
Simba instead forces Scar to drag him back up to safety by biting his lip, and demands that Scar tell the truth. Scar insists that the pride not listen to Simba, but Sarabi calls him out, since his knowledge of Mufasa's last moments exposes his role in his death and ruins his cover story. Incensed, Scar orders the hyenas to wipe out Simba and his supporters. The battle is joined as the lionesses eagerly tear into Scar's army, aided by a staff-wielding Rafiki, Zazu, and a charging Timon and Pumbaa. Nala and Shenzi face off, having held each other in resentment since Mufasa rescued Nala from Shenzi's jaws as a cub, and Nala is able to get the better of the hyena matriarch and defeats her childhood fear. Scar watches in dismay as Simba, the lionesses, and his friends overcome the hyenas in battle. Both sides end up having to flee Pride Rock as the flames grow higher, but Scar, in a panic, ends up chased by Simba up the mountain.
Near the top, Scar is finally cornered and begs for mercy from his nephew. Simba scoffs, especially when Scar claims the hyenas forced him to kill Mufasa and he planned on killing them all anyway. Simba agrees to spare Scar's life, but only if he runs away and never returns. Scar's pride is stung by the ages-old taunt being thrown back at him... and quickly strikes back, refusing to give up his kingdom. Simba and Scar duel, but the younger lion is able to outmuscle his elder and sends him plummeting down the side of Pride Rock.
Scar finds himself at the base of Pride Rock, and is then met by the hyenas. Scar insists they will rebuild their army to challenge Simba again, but Kamari and Azizi confront him with the lies he told Simba, having overheard everything. Scar panics, realizing death is near, and frantically promises they will rule together again, but a wounded Shenzi sneers that Scar was only right about one thing - a hyena's belly is never full. Scar puts up a fight, but he can do little but scream as he quickly succumbs to the hyena clan's assault and as he's eaten alive.
Later that night, the thunderstorm finally lets loose a cleansing rain that puts out the fires of Pride Rock. Simba reunites with his family and friends: his mother Sarabi, who thought she'd lost everything; his mate Nala, who believed in him and brought him back; his best friends Timon and Pumbaa, who gave up their carefree lives to endanger their own to help him; Zazu, the hornbill who devoted his life to protecting his despite everything; and finally the mandrill Rafiki, the old shaman who finally helped him move on from his father's death. Mufasa's time is over... but now it is time for Simba's to begin.
As the assembled group watches in pride and awe, Simba ascends the outcrop of Pride Rock, the capital of the kingdom and their holy land ruled by the lion kings of old. With one last acknowledgement from Mufasa, Simba roars in triumph, becoming the King of Pride Rock.
- Mufasa: Remember.
The rains continue. The land becomes lush and green again. The herds return. And once again, dawn breaks and the animals begin gathering at Pride Rock, the castle of King Simba and Queen Nala. Timon and Pumbaa and their friends from the oasis, along with the lionesses, watch as Rafiki brings forth Simba and Nala's cub. Rafiki presents the cub to the animals of the Pride Lands, who celebrate and pay tribute to their future ruler, as Simba and Nala look on with pride as their child is introduced to the kingdom.
The circle of life continues.
