The Lion King 1994 / Tropes N to Z

The Lion King (1994) Trope Examples
A - C | D - M | N - Z

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N

• Nails on a Blackboard: Early on, Scar scrapes his nails on a rock face in order to annoy Zazu.
• Natural Spotlight: The future king being held to the sky is highlighted by focused sunbeams. There aren't even any clouds to justify the light slits.
• A Nazi by Any Other Name: Not so much in ideology, but in imagery: the song "Be Prepared", in which Scar rallies the Hyenas into setting up a new age in Pride Rock, ruled by Scar and the Hyenas. The Nazi symbolism is quite clear during a sequence when the Hyenas goose step (the most evilest march ever) by Scar. The scene is directly inspired by Triumph of the Will. This makes the song especially chilling if you watch it in either Hebrew or German.
• Never My Fault: Scar attempts to blame Mufasa's death of his hyena army, unaware that Banzai, Ed and Shenzi were overhearing him the whole time. Not only does Simba not buy it, but it sets the stage for the hyenas turning on Scar.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: When Mufasa's Ghost speaks to the Adult Simba later in the film, he chastises his son for abandoning Pride Rock and his responsibitlies as King. Mufasa does not, however, share with Simba the revelation of his final moments alive: That Scar, not the Stampede, killed the King. So Simba returns to the Pride Lands still believing he is responsible for Mufasa's death and it nearly derails his entire bid to dethrone Scar (see below) before Simba finally learns the truth.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
  • Young Simba had a massive ego and believed that being King allows one to do anything they want. It is scary to imagine just how easily he could have become a tyrant. By destroying his life, Scar sets in motion the events that proceed to turn Simba into a better person. Some may object that Mufasa would have curbed this trait by teaching him how to rule the kingdom; but it is debatable. One can find the admonition he gives to his son a little too short and light-hearted for the case of a child who nearly died with his friend by going into a place he was explicitly told not to by two people on the very day. In parallel, Sarabi seems careless enough to let the crown prince couple take a stroll under the lone supervision of a small powerless hornbill.
  • The Hyenas abandoning their pursuit of Simba after he flees the Pride Lands and letting Scar think Simba was dead when he actually wasn't, so Scar ended up leaving him alone, setting off the chain of events that will ultimately end both Scar's rule and the Hyenas running amok in the Pride Lands. In the Hyenas' defense, a lone wandering cub like Simba should have died in the wastelands under normal circumstances (be it by dehydration, starvation, or local predators). It was just dumb luck for them that Timon and Pumbaa went 'Bowling for Buzzards' when and where they did and ultimately rescued Simba.
  • Scar is being challenged by Simba's return, but he makes the pride turn against Simba by making him still believe he caused Mufasa's death. As he drives Simba towards the cliff, he decides to give a Just Between You and Me speech in which he tells him what really happened. This helps Simba shake off his guilt, and he gets his Heroic Second Wind against Scar, forcing him to confess his crimes in full view of everyone.
  • Scar does it again in the finale when he hastily tries to save his own skin by shifting all the blame onto the hyenas... within their hearing. This makes the hyenas back off to make him fight Simba alone... and they maul him to death later.
• "No. Just… No" Reaction: Scar wants Zazu to sing him something happy sounding instead of the downtrodden depressing songs he's been singing him.
  Scar: Come now, Zazu, sing something happy, with a little... Bounce!
  Zazu: (deadpan) Iiiit's a Small World Aaaafter Aaaaall-
  Scar: No, NO! ANYthing but that.

• Non-Standard Kiss: Simba and Nala nuzzle their faces together as a means of showing affection soon after they run into each other for the first time in years.
• No One Could Survive That!: The hyenas break off the chase after Simba manages to lose them in the briar patch. Shenzi had a point that Simba probably wouldn't survive in the desert. Needless to say, Scar pays for their lack of responsibility years later when Simba returns fully grown.
• No Ontological Inertia: Scar is killed and within what must be roughly a lion's gestation period ^note 110 days, if you care the Pridelands have gone from barren and burned back to Ghibli Hills.
• Not in Front of the Kid: Timon interrupts Pumbaa’s lyric while also Breaking the Fourth Wall.
  Pumbaa: And I felt downhearted / Ev'ry time that I...
  Timon: Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids.
• No, You: When Mufasa is confronting Scar for not coming to Simba's presentation and he starts to turn away.
  Mufasa: Don't turn your back on me, Scar!
  Scar: Oh, no, Mufasa. Perhaps YOU shouldn't turn YOUR back on me.

O

• Ocular Gushers: Timon and Pumbaa cry profusely when they realize they are losing Simba to Nala.
• Oddball in the Series: In 2017, The Lion King's everlasting fame and success earned it a spot in the Walt Disney Signature Collection, the third line Walt Disney Home Video created for the Animated Canon's most lucrative hand-drawn movies (and the first to release any of those movies, including TLK, on Ultra HD and Disney+). However, it remains the only entry neither supervised by Walt Disney, nor based on a story he made aborted plans to adapt. The press release states that the collection includes films either made or inspired by Walt, subtly turning Bambi's influence on TLK into grounds to include both movies.^note Bambi even joined the Signature Collection the same year that TLK did, as it marked Bambi's 75th anniversary.
• Odd Name Out:
  • On a grand scale. All members of the main cast have African names (except Scar). (Scar's real name is Askari). The only one to have a more European sounding name is Ed. He also seems to be, er, mentally challenged.
  • Also Timon, whose name is Greek in origin.
• Offhand Backhand: Rafiki takes out a hyena this way during the final battle.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: We do see the events leading up to it, but sadly for the fans, Timon, Pumbaa and Zazu teaming up to scare away Shenzi and Banzai takes place entirely offscreen. Still pretty epic for some, though.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Zazu at the beginning when he realizes Scar is about to try and eat him. Luckily for him, Mufasa enters Just in Time and Scar spits Zazu out.
  • After Simba confidently laughs in the face of danger, he gets this reaction after he hears danger (i.e. the hyenas) laugh back.
  • And when Simba says to the hyenas, "Pick on someone your own size!" to which Shenzi responds, "Like... you?" and Simba gets this reaction and says, "Oops."
  • The hyenas when they realized that Mufasa arrived.
  • Simba when he first sees the stampede heading straight for him, coupled with a very dramatic and iconic Vertigo Effect. One of the rare examples of this not being played for laughs at all, but instead for a dark kind of awesomeness. (Despite this, it provides the page image.)
  • Mufasa, when he realizes his son is in the middle of a wildebeest stampede, as well as, in his last moments of life, realizing how insane, dangerous, and power-hungry his brother really is.
  • After Mufasa is killed and Scar tells Simba to run away, Simba has one when he sees the hyenas are behind him and realises they intend to kill him.
  • Pumbaa, complete with Screams Like a Little Girl, when he happens to spot Nala lining up for a pounce - on him.
  • Nala gets one when Simba lunges at her when she's chasing Timon and Pumbaa. Though she quickly gets over it and begins fighting him evenly.
  • After smacking Sarabi to the ground for mentioning Mufasa in his presence, Scar notices a very angry looking Simba watching above. Punctuated since he actually thought it was Mufasa himself at first. Then, he realizes that Simba's returning to take his place as the rightful king.
  • The hyenas when Scar realizes that they hadn't finished Simba off after his escape from the Pride Lands.
  • Simba when Scar corners him on the cliff and whispers to him that Scar killed Mufasa. Seconds later, Scar has one of his own when Simba attacks him and has him tell the truth to the pride.
  • Banzai and Shenzi when they realize why calling Pumbaa a pig wasn't the smartest thing to do.
  • Scar when he realizes that he is about to be killed by his former mooks after being thrown off Pride Rock.
• "Oh, Crap!" Smile: Shenzi and Banzai smile awkwardly after Mufasa caught them preying on Simba and Nala.
• One-Man Army: Don't underestimate Pumbaa; he tears through several dozen hyeans without breaking a sweat.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Ed is usually seen laughing or goofing about. At the end, though, he is visibly pissed off and glaring straight at Scar. Even Shenzi and Banzai look worried at Ed's change of mood.
• Orphaned Etymology:
  • Scar uses several turns of phrase reliant on modern human society, such as the "shallow end of the gene pool" or "the lights are not all on upstairs."
  • When Banzai falls into the thorns and suffers some Amusing Injuries, Shenzi jokingly calls him "cactus butt". There are no traditional-looking cacti in Africa ^note  Except for those introduced by Europeans., and the plants that hurt Banzai don't look like cacti, so they probably just used this word because "cactus butt" sounds funnier than "thorn butt".
• Outliving One's Offspring: Subverted, as Sarabi believes for a large portion of the movie that she has outlived her only child — but he's alive all along.
• Overly Specific Afterlife: The film only mentions that the Great Kings live in the stars upon dying. Nothing is stated about other lions or non-lions.

P

• Pain-Powered Leap: Banzai the hyena jumps about 30 feet into the air after he is knocked into a bramble thicket by the other hyenas.
• Pale Females, Dark Males: Nearly all the lionesses are lighter compared to the lions, except Sarabi.
• Parents as People: Played for Laughs when Simba tries to wake up his dad before sunrise. Sarabi and Mufasa sleepily argue about who should answer their son's calls.
• Parents Suck at Matchmaking: Zazu tells Simba and Nala that their parents will thrilled when they'll learn the two are getting along so well, since they are to be betrothed. Simba is disgusted and Nala comments it would be weird they get married because they are just friends. Subverted when Nala reunites with Simba after his exile and the two find out they actually love each other.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: A roundabout example with Simba and Nala. As cubs, they are told by Zazu they are betrothed, meaning they will be married one day. This disgusts both of them, not because they dislike each other, but because they both think that marrying their best friend would be too weird. Though Simba says once he is king, he'll officially remove his and Nala's betrothment since he can do whatever he wants as king. When they meet again after several years when Nala thought Simba was dead, the two fall in love with each other and by the end of the film are married as they were originally betrothed to.
• Perma-Stubble: All male hyenas have dark patches around their muzzles that look remarkably like stubble. It's one of the few things that distinguish them from the females. In The Lion King 1½, there is another female hyena — you can tell because she has no stubble and a thick tuft of fringe.
• Pick on Someone Your Own Size: Simba yells this at the hyenas when they start picking on Zazu. Turns out, it wasn't a very good idea.
  Shenzi: [to Simba] Like... you?
• Platonic Co-Parenting: Timon and Pumbaa practically raise Simba from his early childhood. They also insist on helping him on finding out he needs to fight his uncle to reclaim his kingdom. He turned out pretty well, all things considered!
• Please Wake Up: In one of the most heartbreaking examples, Simba does this to Mufasa shortly after he dies. It even provides the trope image!
• Plummet Perspective: Several times stones are shown falling off a cliff for effect.
• Poor Communication Kills: When Mufasa's spirit confronts Simba during his Heroic BSoD, he simply tells him that he has "forgotten who he is" and must retake his place in the Circle of Life as the true king. While this does convince Simba to go back and confront Scar, it doesn't relieve Simba of the grief he feels from falsely believing he caused his father's death in the first place, and Scar uses this against him by forcing him to "confess" in front of the rest of the pride, turning everyone else against Simba. This could have been avoided if Mufasa hadn't been so vague with his guidance and told Simba that Scar was the one who actually killed him, not Simba.
• Pop-Star Composer: Elton John not only composed the songs for the film, but he also sang his own version of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", as featured in the ending credits.
• Population Control: Cleverly implied. Mufasa was a wise king, and learned 'the circle of life' means balance of predators, prey and the land's resources, and a king must understand, respect and maintain that balance. Scar on the other hand does not. In elevating the hyenas from scavengers to apex predators he creates an unholy union that overwhelms their food source. To sustain them, the prey must breed like wildfire, consequently resulting in overgrazing, turning the lush Pridelands into an arid wasteland. Resources exhausted, the herds have no choice but to leave. Scar however refuses to abandon his kingdom (as that would mean he's no longer king), thus condemning his subjects to death by starvation.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Simba attempts to use one against Nala during one of their play fights as cubs. When the two of them are arguing over who deserves credit for the idea of losing Zazu and Nala counters every argument Simba makes, Simba just smirks at her deviously and remarks "Oh yeah?" right before pouncing on top of her with a tiny roar as a surprise attack, intending to pin her and make her give him the credit. It ends up subverted though, when Nala easily flips him over and he ends up pinned by her instead.
• Predation Is Natural: Mufasa explains to Simba that hunting and eating other animals is part of the Circle of Life.
  Simba: But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?
  Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eats grass. So we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.
• Predator Turned Protector: Simba fiercely protects his surrogate parents, Pumbaa and Timon, from the hungry Nala. In fact, Timon, initially reluctant to adopt the orphaned Simba due to him being a predator, changes his mind after he realizes he can exploit this trope.
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
  • Scar says, "Long live the king", before he sends Mufasa to his death.
  • Banzai and Shenzi say, "Ed?...", when they are going to kill Scar for his betrayal.
• Previously Overlooked Paramour: Simba and Nala initially react to the notion of their betrothal with revulsion as cubs, since they are Just Friends. When they become adults, they realize that their familiarity as cubs makes them more compatible than they thought.
• Princeling Rivalry: Mufasa as the strong first born, and Scar as the smart, plotting second born who has been jealous of Mufasa for some time. He doesn't begin his betrayal in earnest until after Mufasa's son is born. Scar murders Mufasa and attempts to kill Simba, Mufasa's child son. Simba lives and leads a charge to defeat Scar in his adult years.
• Prodigal Hero: The film follows this with Simba, invoking Rightful King Returns since he was royalty before fleeing.
• Punctuated! For! Emphasis!:
  • As Scar is about to throw Mufasa to the stampede, he delivers the line "Long. Live. The king."
  • When he has Simba in a similar situation towards the end of the movie, he whispers "I. Killed. Mufasa."
  • Pumbaa's Pre Ass Kicking One Liner in response to Banzai calling him a pig. "They! Call! Me! MIS-ter Pig!"
• Putting on the Reich: The hyenas goose-stepping in grid formations. The animators based the sequence on Triumph of the Will. On top of that, Scar's rhetoric is right out of Hitler's mouth:
  Scar: I will be king! Stick with me, and you'll NEVER GO HUNGRY AGAIN!!!

R

• Rage Against the Heavens: After a brief fight with Nala about returning to the Pride Lands to take his place as king, an upset and conflicted Simba yells up to the skies where he knows his late father now rests ("You [Mufasa] always said you would be there for me! But you're not... and it's because of me. It's my fault").
• Rage Against the Mentor: Simba briefly has this towards his dead father, before it turns into rage against himself.
  Simba: You said you'd always be there for me! But you're not. It's because of me. It's my fault. It's my fault.
• Ragtag Band of Misfits: The group to take back the Pride Lands: Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa and although he comes in later, Rafiki. It's unknown exactly where Zazu fits in, however.
• Recruit the Muggles: The lionesses provide an animal version. They are victims of Scar's cruel misrule for most of the film, but rise up to help Simba fight it in the climax.
• Recurring Camera Shot: First it's Mufasa dangling from a cliff, later we see Simba in the exact same situation. Lampshaded by Scar:
  "Hmm, where have I seen this before? Let me think. Hmm. Oh yes. I remember. This is just the way your father looked before he died."
• Recycled In Space: The film is based on Hamlet, recycled in the Serengeti.
• Redemption in the Rain: It's raining when Simba climbs Pride Rock at the end. A clear case of the rain being "purifying" and symbolizing new life, as the sequence includes a gazelle's skull being dislodged and washed away.
• Relative Button: Simba is losing the fight against Scar, and about to die, when Scar makes the mistake of boasting that he killed Mufasa the same way, resolving Simba's guilt about being the cause of Mufasa's death and giving him the Heroic Second Wind to turn the tables.
• Request for Privacy: After Mufasa saves Simba from the hyenas, he requests Zazu to take Nala home so he can talk to his son alone. Simba tries to hide upon hearing this, fearing what his father will do to him, and Zazu wishes him good luck. Mufasa then gives him a stern talking-to about how he's disappointed with his behavior and how he irresponsibly put Nala in danger.
• The Resenter: Scar resents Mufasa and Simba being ahead of him in line for the throne, believing he should get it instead and bearing ill will against both of them because of it.
  "I was first in line - until the little hairball was born."

• Restrained Revenge: Downplayed and played for laughs; during "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" Simba pulls Nala into the oasis, which she is visibly shocked by. After getting out, she grins at Simba and playfully shoves him back in as revenge before running off. This is then followed by Simba chasing her into the forest, leading to them playfully wrestling like when they were cubs and Simba finally managing to beat Nala by pinning her, putting an end to her winning streak against him. The two just chuckle at this series of events before realizing they have fallen in love with each other.
• Revised Ending: The original ending to the movie would've had Scar actually throw Simba off Pride Rock at the end of the fight (after Simba tries to save his life). Scar then dies laughing hysterically as the fires surrounding Pride Rock engulf it, burning him to death. Simba survived the fall (ironically meaning Scar throwing him off Pride Rock saved his life) and then meets up with Nala after the fires are put out. This was changed as the filmmakers felt this wouldn't have really brought Scar to justice for his actions.
• Ribcage Ridge: The elephant graveyard is filled with elephant bones, mainly ribcages, often used as terrain.
• Right Behind Me: Scar doesn't realize the hyenas are close enough to hear him tell Simba that the hyenas were the real enemies. Unusually for this trope, Scar doesn't immediately find out they were right there. It's revealed to him a few minutes later when they decide to kill him.
• Rightful King Returns: After being convinced to return and claim his birthright, Simba engages King Scar in an epic Final Battle and defeats him. Then he climbs Pride Rock and majestically roars, cementing his destiny as king.
• Royal Harem: G Rated version. The lion king lives surrounded by females to mate with. They also qualify for Amazon Brigade, since they're the ones doing most of the hunting. Truth in Television in regard to lion behavior.
• Rule of Cool: The ground rising up beneath Scar in the last verse of "Be Prepared" doesn't really make any sense, but looks quite epic.
• Rule of Sexy: Zigzagged with Rule of Funny. From the standpoint of trichophilia, the ending of Hakuna Matata, where Adult Simba gets his mane completely drenched, shakes it dry (to the point it fluffs into a humongous ball of hair), and floats down back to normal on its own, functions on this. Even Cinema Wins used a clip of this very short scene twice in their Everything Great About The Lion King video when referring to “[Simba’s] sexy lion locks”. It also helps that Adult Simba has a smolder on his face during this scene and that he is (arguably) rather studly for a lion.
• Rule of Symbolism:
  • There are quite a number of Christian parallels, which is unsurprising considering lions being associated with God and Jesus for centuries. There's Simba's apparent resurrection—Nala says to him "It's like you're back from the dead" and is informed "The King has returned" in a manner rather reminiscent of Mary Magdalene in the garden with the open tomb, and both Scar and Sarabi think he is his father come back from the dead. There's the Fisher King analogy, with Simba's fight with Scar being easily related to Jesus combating Satan after his Second Coming. There's Simba's anointment by Rafiki, his reluctance to do his father's will, and Mufasa's divine image declaring Simba his son and the true king.
  • An example without the religious undertones, but still fraught with portent: the image of Simba's little paw stepping into his father's huge pawprint, that one he will one day fill as king. After much hardship, he does. The directors' commentary highlights it as the image that sums up the plot, to the point the remake used it on the first poster◊.
  • The story of Moses is heavily referenced, in that Simba, the would-be king, is driven into the desert where he spends years trying to forget his past until a God-like apparition appears and tells him to liberate his homeland.
  • Scar is killed by being thrown into a fiery chasm and then eaten by the hyenas he double crossed, akin to someone being thrown into hell and tortured by demons.
  • The directors' commentary says that the drought during Scar's reign is this, quoting "The King restoreth the land!"
• Running Gag: Simba's complete inability to beat Nala in a fight. She beats him twice in a row as cubs, even when he was the first to pounce, and later as adults he gets pinned throw the same trick. It's even given a Continuity Nod in the sequel. The only time Simba ever was able to beat Nala was by complete accident, landing on top of her after tumbling down a hill together and finally pinning her.

S

• Sad Battle Music: The stampede scene. It sounds like an epic battle, but tapers off into a melancholy dirge.
• Sapient Eat Sapient:
  • Part of Shenzi, Banzai and Ed’s failure to kill Simba and Nala is that they're too busy taunting them with their dinner plans to actually kill them.
  • Timon and Pumbaa save Simba only after agreeing that they can convince him not to eat them.
  • The only one even remotely upset with Nala's attempt to eat Pumbaa is Timon, and only for a moment. Though he is still afraid of her when she wakes him up.
  • While left ambiguous, it's implied the hyenas ate Scar after turning on him.
• Say My Name:
  • In the elephant graveyard, Nala calls out "Simba!" when she starts falling behind. Simba rushes back to save her from Shenzi.
  • Also Scar's yell of "SARABI!" when Simba returns to the Pridelands, before they realise he's still alive.
• Scared of What's Behind You: When the hyenas corner Simba, they encourage him to try to roar. He does, and it's a fearsome lion's roar. It's actually Mufasa.
• Scavengers Are Scum: Lions seem to only hunt (in Real Life lions scavenge as well). The series avoids Carnivore Confusion by presenting this as a normal part of "the Circle of Life". Despite this hyenas are the antagonists of the first film, and are portrayed as the constantly hungry and brutish lackeys of Scar.
• Scenery-Based Societal Barometer: though the effects of the king's leadership extend all over the Pride Lands, the narrative remains focussed primarily on Pride Rock itself. As such, the Rock serves a gauge for the health of the Pride lands as a whole: under Mufasa, the Rock is lit by bright sunshine under blue skies, and the surrounding area is lush and green; during Scar's tyrannical reign, the Rock has turned barren and the skies seem perpetually dark and overcast - reflecting the fact that the rest of the Pride Lands have been gripped by a massive famine. When Simba unseats Scar, the Rock is green and flourishing once again.
• Scenery Gorn: The Pride Lands are absolutely destroyed by the end of Scar's rule. When Simba returns home to challenge him for the throne, it has been reduced to a barren, lifeless wasteland riddled with the carcasses of the hyenas' dead prey, with not one patch of grass or a drop of water to be seen for miles around; all of it the result of unchecked consumption on the part of both Scar and his minions, who have driven all the herds away that once inhabited the lush plains. Even more so during the final battle, where a lightning storm sets the land aflame before the rains come to end the destruction.

• Screams Like a Little Girl: Pumbaa when he sees adult Nala about to pounce on him. Although Pumbaa screams quite a bit in this movie, he lets out a high girlish scream among catching sight of Nala instead of how he normally yells.
• Screw the Rules, I Make Them!:
  • Scar during his reign as king. He plainly states "I am the king! I can do whatever I want!"
  • Simba had this attitude as a cub too, though in a much more innocent way. He believed as king he could make or get rid of any rules with nobody to tell him what to do. He mainly wanted to get rid of his betrothal to Nala since neither of them wanted to marry their best friend, and later said he would fire Zazu.
• Self-Imposed Exile: Simba, on the "advice" of Scar, runs away from the Pridelands after he's convinced that he killed his father.
• Self-Made Orphan: Scar subverts this trope by framing Simba for Mufasa's death.
• Sequel Hook: The birth and presentation of Simba and Nala's cub at the end. Sure enough, the sequel features Simba's cub, who turns out to be a female much to Timon and Pumbaa's chagrin.
• Shadow Discretion Shot: The camera pans to Scar's shadow when the hyenas gang up on him. All the audience gets is a silhouette of him when the hyenas pounce him and eat him alive.
• Shout-Out:
  • To Hamlet: Scar talks briefly to the skull of a prey in what seems like a shout-out to the famous "Alas poor Yorrick" scene in Hamlet.
  • To In the Heat of the Night:
    Pumbaa: THEY CALL ME MR. PIG!
  • Pumbaa's repeated line of "Are you talking to me?" is reminiscent of Robert De Niro's in Taxi Driver.
  • There's a more subtle one as well: Timon riding Pumbaa out of a desert mirage in a manner very reminiscent of Don Quixote.
  • A quick, rather flippant one: While Scar is signing 'Lovely Bunch of Coconuts', he holds up a baboon skull and moves its jaw to the lyrics. While the context is very different from the original play, one can't help but be reminded by the Shakespearian inspiration of the film.
• Shown Their Work:
  • Yes, lion cubs can and do eat bugs, and live off them if necessary. (Though it's much more of a stretch to imagine an adult lion living off them).
  • The fight between Simba and Scar (rearing up and furiously cuffing each other) is based off of how male lions actually fight, as their manes provide some protection to the neck. The way they only swing one paw at a time is also accurate. Lions will hit with one paw and use the other for balance or support. Tigers use both at the same time.
  • Shenzi leads Banzai and Ed, and appears to hold high authority among the other hyenas in the climax. In Real Life, spotted hyenas have a complex matriarchal society: each hyena clan is led by a dominant female, and males are smaller and weaker than females.
  • Zazu briefly mentions elephants getting annoyed at tick birds pecking at them. Contrary to popular belief, tick birds/oxpeckers are thought by many zoologists to actually be parasitic birds that are really after an animal's blood (they typically eat ticks that are already bloated with blood, which seems contradictory to their supposed duties as custodians) and even when they do seem to be trying to help, it's clear from their hosts' reactions that they don't appreciate it. Elephants have actually been reported to try and dislodge tick birds, in fact, an occurrence which Zazu may well be referring to.
• Sibling Murder: Scar killed his brother Mufasa to take over the Pridelands. He made his nephew Simba believe he killed his father and let him run away, though Simba didn't end up dying like expected and came back after a Plot-Relevant Age-Up.
• Sickly Green Glow: Much of "Be Prepared" and the dialogue leading up to it is suffused with lime green light, before changing to a hellish red as the song comes to the final chorus.
• Sidekick Song: "Hakuna Matata", sung by the main character as well.
• Significant Name Shift: While little Simba was always excited to hang out with "Uncle Scar", grown-up Simba is furious at how Scar corrupted the Pride Lands and no longer calls him "Uncle".
• Sky Face: Simba sees his deceased father's face in the night sky, telling him, "Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king."
• Slasher Smile: One of the hyenas during Scar's final scene, complete with Blank White Eyes.
• Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism: Animals are anthropomorphised to varying extents. This even varies with animals of the same species — compare Timon with the meerkats that appear in the opening of "Circle of Life".
• Small Role, Big Impact: The random chameleon that just happens to be passing by when Simba is considering practicing his roar, which he then does on the chameleon, seemingly alarming the wildebeest and thus (in Simba's mind) kicking off the point when things go south for him.
• Smooch of Victory: During "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" Nala surprises Simba with a lick on the cheek after he finally pins her and the two begin to nuzzle shortly afterwards, the animal style of kissing.
• Smug Smiler: Downplayed. The first time Nala pins Simba, she giggles and playfully teases him "pinned ya", but after he tries pouncing her again and they roll down a hill, she once again beats him and smirks down at him and teases him for losing again, more smug than playful.
  Nala: Pinned ya again.
• Something Only They Would Say: A non-verbal example occurs when Simba first encounters Nala as an adult. When she uses her trademark flip-and-pin move on him, he realizes her identity.
• Sore Loser: When Simba and Nala are arguing over who deserves credit for losing Zazu, Simba pounces on top of Nala after she counters all his arguments, but ends up easily flipped and pinned by her. After she playfully teases him for his loss, he shoves her off him and tells her to let him up and glares at her silently, embarrassed over getting beaten by her in a fight that he started. Once she turns her back to him, he immediately tries to get revenge by pouncing on her from behind while she's distracted, essentially resorting to cheating. When Nala pins him again anyway despite this and smuggly rubs it in his face, all he can do is silently glare at her in defeat.
• Spared by the Adaptation: If the film is taken as an adaptation of Hamlet, then the equivalents of Hamlet himself (Simba), Gertrude (Sarabi), Polonius (Zazu), Laertes (Shenzi, Banzai and Ed) and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Timon and Pumbaa), all live, whereas the play has them all die in the end. Zigzagged with Nala, as she’s a Composite Character based on Ophelia and Horatio: Ophelia died, while Horatio was the only main character to survive.
• Spell My Name With An S: Is Pumba(a)'s name spelled with one or two A's? Official media uses "Pumbaa".
• Staredown Faceoff: While Simba and Nala are fighting each other in the jungle, the two at one point briefly pause from fighting to stare each other down while growling at each other. After a moment though, Nala ends the staredown by clawing at Simba's mane, briefly covering his eyes, and the fight continues.
• Stargazing Scene: Simba, Timon and Pumbaa spend a night staring at the stars and wondering exactly what they're made of. Timon guesses fireflies, Pumbaa guesses they're "giant balls of gas", and Simba mentions the story he was taught as a cub, that stars are really the ancient kings of the past watching over them, showing how he still hasn't fully moved on from his past.
• Stars Are Souls: Simba says he was taught that the stars are the spirits of the old kings, which gets a confirmation when he later receives a starry vision of his father. Timon, on the other hand, claims that stars are fireflies that got stuck in the sky. That also got confirmed... by The Princess and the Frog.
• Stealth Insult:
  • This exchange between Simba and Scar:
    Simba: When I'm king, what'll that make you?
    Scar: A monkey's uncle.
  • Maybe not an intentional example, but this bit when Shenzi, Bandai and Ed notice Scar.
    Banzai: Oh Scar. It's just you.
    Shenzi: We were afraid it was somebody important.
• Steamrolled Smart Guy: Zazu tries to teach a young Simba about the responsibilities of being a king. Simba is completely disinterested in these lessons. Zazu shows his frustration with birdlike screeches and squawks as he tries to keep Simba's attention.
• Stink Snub: In one scene, the hyenas are spitefully listing things they don't like about the lions and Shenzi calls them "stinky”
• Stopped Dead in Their Tracks: Trickster Mentor Rafiki taunts the exiled Simba by saying that he knows who he is. Simba, who thinks Rafiki is just a "creepy little monkey", starts to leave when Rafiki says, "You're Mufasa's boy!" Simba stops and looks back at Rafiki, who just says, "Bye!" and runs off, leading the now curious Simba to follow him.
• Stunned Silence: After Nala flips and pins Simba for the first time, Simba is so shocked by this that he looks up at Nala with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, unable to say anything. After Nala chuckles at him and playfully teases him for his loss though, he quickly overcomes his shock and rudely tells her to get off him while pushing her off. Simba has the same reaction years later when Nala pins him again, staring up at her in shock realizing who she is. After a moment of silence where she holds him down while growling at him, he says her name in shock, surprising her into getting off him.
• Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion:
  Pumbaa: And I got down-hearted...
  Timon: How did you feel?!
  Pumbaa: Every time that I—
  Timon: Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!
• Surrounded by Idiots: Scar says this exact quote about the hyenas. Interestingly, he said this about said hyenas playing their species' trope straight, more specifically them goofing around with Bonzai saying Mufasa's name to Shenzi's delight, and not the mission they had recently failed.
• Sustained Misunderstanding:
  Nala: Have you guys seen Simba?
  Timon: I thought he was with you.
  Nala: He was but now I can't find him. Where is he?
  Rafiki: [chuckles] You won't find him here. The King has returned.
  Nala: I can't believe it. He's gone back!
  Timon: "Gone back?" Whaddaya mean?
  [looks up and sees Rafiki has disappeared]
  Timon: Hey, what's going on here? Who's the monkey?
  Nala: Simba's gone back to challenge Scar.
  Timon: Who?
  Nala: Scar.
  Pumbaa: Who's got a scar?
  Nala: No, no, no. It's his uncle.
  Timon: The monkey's his uncle?
  Nala: No! Simba's gone back to challenge his uncle to take his place as king.
  Timon and Pumbaa: [beat] Oh.
• Switching P.O.V.: The scenes leading up to the wildebeest stampede seem to be from the perspective of Scar and the hyenas, but just before it begins, it shifts to Simba's perspective. The wildebeests arrive right after he pulls off a loud and impressive roar, making it appear as if his roar frightened the wildebeests into the gorge, leading up to Mufasa's death.

T

• Talks Like a Simile: When Zazu's intervention lets the field mouse Scar was going to eat escape, Scar dryly notes, "Now look, Zazu, you made me lose my lunch." Zazu replies, "You'll lose more than that when the king gets through with you! He's as mad as a hippo with a hernia."
• Tastes Like Chicken: Timon says this phrase while eating a grub as big as himself in the middle of "Hakuna Matata".
• Tempting Fate:
  • "Danger? I walk on the wild side! I laugh in the face of danger! Ha ha ha!" Cue the hyenas laughing back...
  • When Simba roars at the hyenas, Shenzi taunts him into doing it again. Then Mufasa shows up...
• That Man Is Dead:
  Nala: What's happened to you? You're not the Simba I remember.
  Simba: You're right, I'm not! Are you satisfied?
• That Reminds Me of a Song: Many fans old enough to remember when The Lion King first came to DVD find that "Morning Report" was an unneeded addition to the film, since the movie didn't have it originally^note and as such, the animation is distractingly different to the rest of the film, nor in prints and home video releases struck from 2011 onward. It isn't a terrible song, nor completely irrelevant (it's in the stage versions of the movie, too), but it didn't exactly advance the plot or provide much (if any) character development.
• The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Played With. No carnivorous characters are ever shown successfully killing any prey on screen (with the exception of some soulless bugs), but it's made clear that they do eat herbivores.
• They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!:
  • When Simba says "Banana Beak is scared", Zazu says "It's MISTER Banana Beak to you, fuzzy!"
  • Pumbaa does NOT like being called a "pig" (at least, not by strangers), and when the hyenas do so towards the end, he says "They call me MISTER PIG!" before kicking their butts.
• They Died Because of You: Right after murdering Mufasa, Scar tells Simba that he's responsible for Mufasa's "accidental" death.
• Think of the Censors!: "Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!"
• This Bear Was Framed: Scar uses stampeding wildebeests to murder Mufasa — an odd example of an animal using other animals to make the murder of another animal look like an (accidental) animal attack.
• This Cannot Be!: "Mufasa??? No, you're dead." Of course, Mufasa IS dead and we all already knew it at this point.
• This Is Gonna Suck:
  • Mufasa is angry at Simba after needing to save him at the elephant graveyard and says he needs to teach his son a lesson. Simba cowers and hesitates before coming to his father's side.
  • Timon points this out to Pumbaa after realizing Simba is more interested in Nala than them.
  • The hyenas cower in fear when Simba returns, since they now have a vengeful fully grown cub and their angry boss confronting them about not doing the job properly the first time.
• This Is Unforgivable!: Simba says "You don't deserve to live" to Scar as soon as he corners him after hitting him with a "Murderer" to which Scar had responded with "Simba, Simba, please. Please have mercy. I beg you."
• Those Two Guys: Timon and Pumbaa are close friends, contrast each other visually and personality-wise, and act as comic relief in an otherwise fairly serious story. They generally provide funny comments, such as singing about how they are aghast that Simba and Nala have reunited in "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".

• Too Dumb to Live: Scar really shouldn't have lied to Simba about Mufasa's death by blaming it on the hyenas. He pays for it dearly.

• Toxic Friend Influence: Timon and Pumbaa, while helpful in raising Simba and bringing him out of misery, convince him to ignore his past and responsibilities. Justified in that they didn't know he was the king; when Timon finds out, he wants to know why Simba didn't tell them. He and Pumbaa also come to Pride Rock to help Simba take it back, because he's family.
• Translated Cover Version: The songs got this in many countries. In the French version, Scar's voice actor Jean Piat also famously did his singing for "Be Prepared".
• Translation Convention
• Truck Driver's Gear Change:
  • "Circle of Life" begins in B-flat major, then shifts to B for the last part of the final chorus.
  • "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" starts in G-flat major, then shifts up to G for the final verse.
  • "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" begins in F major, shifting up to G for the final chorus and outro.
• Two-Act Structure: The first half of the movie is about Simba's childhood and Scar's plot to become King. The second half is adult Simba coming to terms with his guilt and grief and deciding to reclaim his throne from Scar. The musical similarly follows this thread by ending Act 1 with Hakuna Matata and the reveal of Adult Simba.
• Tyrannicide: At the end of the movie it is implied that the tyrannical Scar is killed (and devoured) by his own starving hyena henchmen.

U

• Underestimating Badassery: As cubs, Simba tries to pounce on Nala after they get into an argument over who deserves credit for the two of them losing Zazu, with Simba trying to give himself credit for both the plan and pulling it off but Nala saying it was her idea and he pulled it off with her. After pouncing Nala, she easily flips Simba and pins him with almost no effort, much to his shock and embarrassment. After shoving her off him he tries to pounce her again while she isn't looking but after sending them over a hill she ends up pinning him once again, and smugly rubs it in his face.
• Undying Loyalty: Zazu and Rafiki display unwavering loyalty to the royal family. Timon and Pumbaa develop the same loyalty through their friendship with Simba.
  Timon: Well Simba, if it's important to you, we're with you to the end!
• Unsportsman Like Gloating: Downplayed with Nala teasing Simba after pinning him as cubs. The first time she beats him she chuckles and playfully teases him "Pinned ya" with a big smile, showing it's in good fun. After he pushes her off him though she has a smug victorious smile on her face. After she immediately beats him again after he pounces her again, she smirks down at him and taunts him "pinned ya again" in a more smug and arrogant voice than her previous playful one. Possibly justified as Simba had previous tried to take credit for her idea^note Though it might actually not have been HER idea and he was the one who started both of the fights, but still noticeable as Simba is her best friend and was prince at the time.

V

• Verbal Backspace: A few examples:
  • When Scar is king, Zazu and Banzai have to back up from mentions of Mufasa, which Scar has forbidden.
  • Then at the end, Scar has to defend himself from the hyenas, whom he tried to scapegoat while bargaining for his life against Simba. They were too enraged and hungry to listen to him.
• Vertigo Effect: Used very effectively and iconically at the start of the wildebeest stampede, as Simba realizes they are heading straight for him.
• Villain Decay: Scar starts out as a Manipulative Bastard that manipulates everybody and actually achieves his goal by usurping the throne. And after that he degrades into a whiny oaf, a terrible leader, and a Manchild, as he acts like an overgrown toddler. Granted, that's the entire point: Scar wants the title and privileges of being king, not the responsibilities, and indeed only becomes a threat again when he's challenged.
• Villainous Badland, Heroic Arcadia: Scar and the hyenas lurk in the Elephant Graveyard, a grey, rocky wasteland filled with bones and massive skeletons and visible from Pride Rock as a patch of shadow on the horizon. Scar manages to turn the Pride Lands into a second version of this once he takes over — somehow, he's such a terrible ruler that the rain stops falling, the rivers dry up and all the animals leave; the first thing that happens when Simba kicks him out is that the rain starts falling again. A big part of the hyenas' motivation for following Scar to begin with is based on getting access to the Pride Lands and the abundant food there, which they normally can't get because the lions keep them out and their own home base has nothing to eat.
• Villainous Glutton: The hyenas were driven away from the Pride Lands prior to the film both due to the species' apparently innate sadism and because their over-eating habits are capable of throwing off the balance of the circle of life. Once Scar usurps the throne and allows them to hunt freely in his kingdom, it only takes a few years for the lush fields to be replaced by a wasteland, rivers to dry out and prey populations to decay.
• Villain Reveals the Secret: Scar exploits this trope to blame Simba for his father's death. Much to the latter's mother's horror and awe, the young lion publicly admits his crime. It turns out in the following Near-Villain Victory that Simba was innocent in the first place (well, the audience knew that since the first part of the movie).
• Villain Recruitment Song: Much of the song "Be Prepared" is Scar persuading the hyenas to support him.
• Villain Song: "Be Prepared" is a song about Scar's plans to take over the land.
• Virtuous Character Copy: As the story is largely based on Hamlet, Timon and Pumbaa are based on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. However, unlike their Hamlet counterparts, Timon and Pumbaa never betray their friend, the protagonist (Simba in The Lion King, Hamlet in Hamlet.) Instead, they are completely loyal to Simba.
• Visual Pun: In "I Just Can't Wait to be King", Simba says that "I'm gonna be the mane event" while he has a mane of leaves on his face.
• Vine Swing: Simba swings on vines, usually with his mouth, a few times.

W

• Walk Into Camera Obstruction: During the song "I Just Can't Wait to be King" where the giraffes are throwing Simba and Nala and Simba's stomach fills up the screen.
• Was It All a Lie?: Invoked; when Scar cowers before Simba and says the hyenas made him kill Mufasa, Simba doesn't buy it. He growls, "Why should I believe you? Everything you told me was a lie." That includes professing he cared about Simba as a cub, blaming him for his father's death, and calling him a murderer.
• Water Is Dry: Downplayed. At the end of Hakuna Matata, Timon and Pumbaa show no signs of being soaked and seemed to have dried instantly. Meanwhile, an Adult Simba climbs out with his mane drenched, waterlogged, and draping his eyes. Even then, Simba focuses more on getting his mane completely dry instead of any other part of his body.
• Weird Moon: There is a shot at night at Pride Rock where we see the moon and the horns of the crescent extending an average of three-quarters of a circle, essentially rendering Earth smaller than the moon.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: In an interesting variation, Simba becomes this for the second half of the movie. Although anything but an emotionally distant father, Mufasa is often preoccupied with the duties of the throne, and Simba certainly sees him as a hero, worshiping the ground his paws tread upon◊. But there is no indication Simba ever doubts he has his father's love or respect... until Scar convinces him he is to blame for his father's death. Then, overcome with remorse and believing no one could ever forgive him, he voluntarily goes into exile. It is Mufasa's ghost, chiding him for forgetting telling him "You are my son and the one true king," that sets him back on the right path again. And with a simple, single word, "Remember..." he lets his son know that while he was disappointed in him for abandoning the Pride Lands and forgetting who he used to be, as long as he is true to himself and who Mufasa raised him to be, his spirit will be very proud of him indeed.
• We Need a Distraction: When Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa sneak back to Pride Rock they encounter a pack of hyenas blocking their way leading to a classic Gilligan Cut.
  Simba: C'mon Timon, you guys have to create a diversion.
  Timon: What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?
• Wham Line:
  • When Scar shows up to feed the hyenas and chide them for not killing Simba or Nala. Banzai asks, "What were we supposed to do? Kill Mufasa?" Scar leans forward and smirks. "Precisely." Scar then starts explaining via "Be Prepared" his plan to get rid of Mufasa and Simba.
  • The hyenas approach Scar after Simba tosses him off Pride Rock. When he calls them friends, Shenzi laughs and says, "Friends? I thought he said we were the enemy." Cue a horde of hungry hyenas eating Scar alive.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: What did happen to Scar's hyenas after Scar was defeated? Of course, given the editing, it's possible that they were consumed in the wildfire around Pride Rock during the climax (the sequel implies Scar ultimately burned to death, lending credence to this).
• What Measure Is a Non-Cute?: While mammals and birds are shown to be intelligent and capable of speech and forming relationships, insects are treated like, well, insects, with the insectivores Timon and Pumbaa eating live insects at the same leisure as a herbivore eating grass.
• What's a Henway?: This bit from "Hakuna Matata":
  Pumbaa: It's our motto!
  Simba: What's a motto?
  Timon: Nothing, what's a-motto with you?
• What Song Was This Again?: "Be Prepared" gets changed a lot in foreign language dubs.
• Who's on First?: Nala's attempt to explain matters to Timon and Pumbaa after Simba decides to return home:
  Timon: Hey, what's going on here? Who's the monkey?
  Nala: Simba's gone back to challenge Scar.
  Timon: Who?
  Nala: Scar.
  Pumbaa: Who's got a scar?
  Nala: No, no, no. It's his uncle.
  Timon: The monkey's his uncle?
• Widely-Spaced Jail Bars: Scar has Zazu trapped in a cage that appears to be made of bones that it looks like he could easily walk right out of if he just tucked in his wings and sucked in his gut a little.
• Winds Of Change: After Simba is visited by his father's spirit, a large gust of wind blows over the plain, signaling Simba's newfound resolve to return home and take his rightful place as king.
  Rafiki: What was that?! (laughs) The weather, hah! Very peculiar, don't you think?
  Simba: Yeah... Looks like the winds are changing.
  Rafiki: Ah, change is good.
  Simba: Yeah, but it's not easy.
• Woken Up at an Ungodly Hour: The film has Mufasa being mildly exasperated with his energetic son Simba waking him up early in the morning.
  Sarabi: Your son is awake.
  Mufasa: Before sunrise, he's your son.
• A World Half Full: An excellent example given how dark some of the film can be. Simba loses his father and is convinced by his uncle that it was his fault. He goes into exile for a long time but eventually overcomes his guilt after his father's ghost chides him and goes back to tell his uncle to step down and take his place. He ends up triumphing, of course.

X

• Xylophones for Walking Bones: A xylophone can be heard throughout "Be Prepared", but while bones are seen throughout, there aren't any living skeletons. One quick scene does come close, though: two hyenas are playing with some skeletons, pretending to make them dance. There's also a hyena playing the xylophone part on a ribcage.

Y

• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: The reason why Simba goes into exile is that Scar tells him he is to blame for Mufasa's death. Rafiki shows him that Mufasa is alive — inside of Simba — and his memory makes it clear to Simba that he doesn't blame his son for what happened, but tells him the right thing to do is return to Pride Rock and retake his place. As Simba is still hesitating, Rafiki whacks him with a stick to demonstrate how the past can hurt, but he can learn from it and then confront his demons. Simba decides to toss away Rafiki's stick and return.
• You Killed My Father: When Simba realizes that Scar killed Mufasa, he pins him down and yells "Murderer!"

• You Won't Like How I Taste: When the hyenas complain to Scar about the lack of food, Scar just tells them to eat Zazu. Zazu gets terrified and tells the hyenas that he'd be too gamey and tough for them to chew. Scar snidely says he'll taste fine with some lemon.

Z

• Zen Slap: Shortly after the dialogue between Simba and his father's spirit, Rafiki smacks the former's head with his stick to teach him how to cope with the past. After dodging a second hit, Simba makes up his mind and decides to return to the Pride Lands (but not before snatching Rafiki's stick and throwing it away as a precaution).
• Zerg Rush:
  • At the climax of the movie, dozens of hyenas pounce on Scar and eat him alive. He barely gets time to struggle.
  • In the original script and some picture book adaptations, Scar doesn't make Simba "confess" to killing Mufasa. He sets the hyenas on him, nearly forcing Simba off the cliff. The reason why the lionesses don't help is because the ambush is too sudden, and they have a barricade of hyenas standing between them.

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