The Lion King: Scar / Characters

Scar

"Long live the king."

^{Click here to see him in The Lion Guard}

Voiced in English by: Jeremy Irons (The Lion King, Once Upon a Studio), Jim Cummings (Simba's Pride, Simba's Mighty Adventure)^note, James Horan (Kingdom Hearts II, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, Disney Dreamlight Valley), David Oyelowo (The Lion Guard)

Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Carlos Petrel (TLK), Sebastián Llapur (DVD/BD version onwards)

Voiced in Japanese by: Haruhiko Jo

Voiced in French by: Jean Piat; Guy Chapelier (Simba's Pride and The Lion Guard)

Voiced in Brazilian Portuguese by: Jorgeh Ramos; Ricardo Rossatt (The Lion Guard)

Voiced in Hebrew by: Eli Gorenstein

Voiced in Italian by: Tolo Solenghi (TLK), Neri Marcore (Simba's Pride),

Voiced in Zulu by: Robert Dlamini (speaking), Victor Masondo (singing)

Voiced in Swedish by: Rikard Wolff (TLK), Johan Hedenberg (Simba's Pride)

Singing by: Jim Cummings (TLK, final verse of "Be Prepared")

The Big Bad of The Lion King and Simba's paternal uncle. Displeased with being removed from the succession of rule by his elder brother and later his nephew, he starts the entire plot by killing his brother and attempting to do the same to his nephew. He then achieves his goal as being king- only to prove to be completely unfit for the title, as he has a child's understanding of being king, and leave his nephew to resume ruling, with events leading to Scar's death. He returns in The The Lion Guard as a spirit to plot his vengeance.

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#-F

0% Approval Rating: Downplayed. By the time Simba returns, even the hyenas of all animals confess that Mufasa was a much better king than Scar could ever be. Though, as revealed in the sequel and The Lion Guard, Scar did have some supporters, Zira included, all of whom were banished from the Pridelands when Simba took over.
Adaptation Personality Change: In the Broadway show, he's far more overtly insane. He's also portrayed as significantly more camp in demeanor, to the point of coming off like a psychopathic Paul Lynde at times.
The Alleged Boss: Prior to becoming king, he was this to the hyenas. His plan required recruiting them with the promise of good food and care and they had no problem snarking and back-talking him. After the plan goes through they seem more fearful of him, until his fateful double cross where they make quite clear he is still very much this.
Always Second Best: He subconsciously feels that he is this to Mufasa and utterly hates being compared to him.
- In the semi-canon book A Tale of Two Brothers (and in the numerous fanfics that have followed in the years since), it's implied that their father, King Ahadi, favors Mufasa because he understood the responsibilities that come with kingship, whereas Scar only cares about power and authority.
- Sarabi calls him out on this prior to the Battle of Pride Rock, stating that he is nowhere near the king that Mufasa was, causing Scar to knock her to the ground, roaring "I am ten times the king Mufasa was." Likewise, Zazu and Banzai were threatened when they mentioned Mufasa under their breath.
- What's more, in "The Madness of King Scar" (deleted from the movie, and resurrected for the Broadway show), the delusional tyrant laments, "Even in death, his shadow looms over me." In the same scene, Zazu lists all the things that Mufasa had which Scar lacks: "[A]doring subjects; the respect of his species; a loving family; a devoted queen..."^note"Shall I go on, sire?
Ambitious, but Lazy: His plan to become king essentially boils down to "make the hyenas do all of the hard work while I reap the benefits." During his tenure as king, the whole kingdom went to pot becomes he was too negligent to actually rule his kingdom.
And Now You Must Marry Me: Did not make it into the final version of the film, but this trope was very heavy in one scene that was cut from The Lion King. Scar was planning to attempt to force Nala to propose to him. Later, a similar scene found its way into the Broadway version.
And Then What?: Scar clearly did not think about what to do after taking over the Pridelands. It is clear he only cared about the title, not the responsibilities.
Animalistic Abomination: Became one in The Lion Guard. Now he's an incorporeal, destructive entity.
Annoying Younger Sibling: Mufasa regards him as this due to Scar's bitterness and lack of respect towards him. It proves to be a great underestimation.
Anything but That!: His reaction to Zazu singing "It's a Small World".
Appropriated Appellation: He was nicknamed "Scar" by Mufasa after being bitten by a snake. He took this as a great affront against him, driving him to overthrow his sibling, but he adopted the name for himself afterward permanently.
Arch-Enemy: To the Pridelanders in general after his time as king, but he is this especially to Simba and Mufasa due to his very personal connection to them.
Backing Away Slowly: After Scar realized the hyenas overheard his plot to double-cross them, he tries backing away, but the hyenas quickly maul him to death right away.
Backstab Backfire: He tries to blame the hyenas before his final confrontation with Simba. Unfortunately for him, they overheard him plotting and are NOT very pleased about it.
Bad Boss:
- Lets the hyenas run rampant over the Pridelands until even they run out of food, casually manipulates all of them into helping his selfish scheme, and eventually tries to pass the blame onto them when he tries to weasel his way out of justice. He also physically abuses them throughout his Villain Song.
- The Lion Guard shows that Scar was asking the other lions in his Lion Guard to assist him take down Mufasa. When they refused, he used The Roar to eliminate them.
Bait the Dog: While he comes across as being openly resentful of not being a ruler due to Mufasa and Simba's existence and even admits this to Mufasa's face, it initially seemed that he in his own way, had become a treasured uncle in Simba's eyes and had given up on his ambitions to support his family. However, it quickly becomes obvious that not only Scar hasn't given up on being king, but he is willing to stoop as low as to lure an unsuspecting Simba to his death via hyenas. When this plan fails, he then orchestrates the successful murder of his brother with a sadistic relish and then guilt trips Simba into accepting the blame for the crime, causing the young cub to be traumatized for years.
Batman Gambit: Scar pulls a fairly sadistic one on Mufasa when he puts Simba in danger. It ends up getting Mufasa killed.
Beard of Evil: His muzzle looks like a devilish goatee.
Being Evil Sucks: After killing Mufasa and usurping his throne, Scar finds that the power doesn't bring him nearly as much joy as he'd hoped. His vanity and short-sightedness lead him to quickly turn his newly-conquered territory into an uninhabitable wasteland, and he's haunted by the knowledge that his subjects will never respect him the same way he did his brother. By the time of his climactic confrontation with Simba, the stress has driven him to the brink of madness.
Beneath the Mask: Throughout the first act of the film, Scar gives off the façade of being a suave, charismatic, sophisticated lion. Once he becomes king, though, he starts acting like a child, throwing temper tantrums and whining about his lot in life, to show that, at heart, he saw being a king the way a child would. However, when trying to get Simba to "admit guilt" and later when he tries to get him to show mercy, he goes right back into being the suave character he was beforehand, implying the suave, sophisticated personality was no more than a mask for the Manchild he really was.^note Or he’s a manchild, who also happens to be very suave and sophisticated.
Berserk Button: When Scar takes over as the new king after announcing Simba's alleged death, just mentioning Mufasa' s name, much mentioning less how much better of a king his late brother was, enrages him; probably because deep down, he knows that it's true. He can't stand hearing his dead brother's name to the point of making a law against saying it in his presence. Zazu and Banzai were threatened by this after mentioning Mufasa under their breath, while Sarabi was struck by him for blatantly comparing the two lions.
Sarabi: If you were half the king Mufasa was...
Scar: I'M TEN TIMES THE KING MUFASA WAS!!!
Beware the Superman: As shown in The Lion Guard, he was once bestowed with the Roar of the Elders, but used it for malicious purposes, namely to usurp Mufasa's position as heir. Because the Roar was never meant to be used for evil, Scar was stripped of it.
Beyond Redemption:
- At first, Simba was content to force Scar to abdicate the throne for his perceived incompetence of ruling the Pridelands. But when Scar admitted that he killed Mufasa all this time, Simba flew into pure rage, declaring his uncle to be a murderer who doesn't deserve to live. Even when Simba ultimately decided to spare Scar's life, it's only to not stoop down to his level, and he still ordered Scar to be permanently banished from the Pridelands with an unforgiving Ironic Echo.
- Zigzagged in The Lion Guard. Kion has every reason to hate Scar and use the Roar of the Elders to destroy his spirit. But Mufasa warns Kion that fighting fire with fire is not the solution, and Scar's fiery spirit wants to corrupt Kion by making him give into his hate. Ultimately, Kion finds enough will and courage to do the unthinkable and forgives Scar for his evil actions. Then he uses the Roar to summon the Lions of the Past to pass judgement on Scar with gentle rain. This peaceful action is what ultimately destroys Scar as his entire spirit is completely made of fire, symbolizing that he's irredeemable to the core even when he's granted forgiveness and love.
Big Bad: The main antagonist of the first movie. Killing Mufasa and ruining the Pridelands. Returns as this again in The Lion Guard. He was the Greater-Scope Villain in Season 1, when Janja tries to finish what he started in the past. He returns as this in Season 2.
Big "NO!": Scar just before he is devoured by the hyenas. He has one in Season 3 of The Lion Guard when the kings of the past unleash a rainstorm which destroys his fiery spirit permanently.
Big "WHAT?!": He cries out, "You what?" when Kion tells him he forgives him, just before he defeats him permanently.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He pulled this off with Simba by pretending to be a caring uncle when Scar truly wanted Simba and Mufasa no longer alive so he would claim the throne.
Bitch Slap: He gives one to Sarabi when she attempts to compare him with Mufasa.
Bond Villain Stupidity: After telling Simba to exile himself from the Pride Lands, he orders the hyenas to kill him soon after rather than do it himself, and doesn't bother to make sure that they actually do the job. During the climax, his Breaking Speech toward Simba would have worked... had Scar not decided to twist the knife even further and confess to Simba that he was the one who killed Mufasa.
Brains Evil, Brawn Good: Zig-Zagged. He certainly is a great deal more fond of using manipulation and cunning to get what he wants, and he's very talented at both of these things. In addition, he admits that he is physically far weaker than Mufasa. Whenever it comes to actually ruling a kingdom, however, he has no idea what he is doing, and the Pride Lands goes from a lush savannah to a barren wasteland in a matter of a few years, all because of his shiftlessness. Upon Simba's return, however, he shows himself to be no less adept at the cunning manipulation that got him into power... and this trope is played with again when Scar proves himself to indeed be a viciously competent (if dirty) fighter whenever he's got no other options.
Brainy Brunette: His fur is dark brownish-red and he's quite the seasoned schemer.
Breaking Speech: Gives a nasty one to Simba upon his return. It's so effective, if he did not fall for the Villain Ball trap, he'd have won with only this.
Breakout Villain: Scar has been featured rather prominently in Disney's mobile games, to the point where he's appeared before Simba numerous times. These appearances include Disney Heroes: Battle Mode, Disney Sorcerer's Arena and Disney Mirrorverse. Even within the franchise itself, his ghost returns as the Greater-Scope Villain in The Lion Guard.
Briar Patching: He deliberately uses Reverse Psychology to trick a young Simba into visiting the elephant graveyard, knowing full well that Simba's ego and curiosity will get the better of him.
Brilliant, but Lazy: Deconstructed. While he provides the page quote for Brains Evil, Brawn Good and is clever enough using manipulation to overthrow and assassinate Mufasa, he doesn't even try being responsible once he becomes king, leaving his hyena minions to work with the lionesses. He even openly stated he only cares about the title of king out of pure vanity.
- He could have asked about a cure for the cobra bite he received, given that he knew that it existed. But because Mufasa called him a demeaning nickname, when said nickname was clearly playful and not intended to be malicious, Scar just left it.
Broken Pedestal: Zigzagged. When Simba interacted with Scar as a cub, it was clear he genuinely looked up to his uncle and found him eccentric. After learning Scar killed his father and turned the Pride Lands into a barren hellhole due to his ineffectual rule, Simba has nothing but distrust for him. Even then, Simba laments that his uncle couldn’t let go of his hate and it destroyed him in the end.
Brought Down to Normal: As revealed in The Lion Guard, he once had the Roar of the Elders, but after using it to kill his Lion Guard for refusing to help him overthrow Mufasa, the Great Kings of the Past stripped him of it, as the Roar was never meant to be used for evil. Of course, Mufasa did not think he would still be a threat after that.
The Caligula: He is an absolutely toxic ruler who threatens or intimidates anybody who tries to tell him so. The mere mention of Mufasa is enough to send him into a rage.
Can't Take Criticism: Whenever someone compares him to Mufasa or criticizes his rule, he promptly explodes in anger.
Card-Carrying Villain: He's aware of what he is and doesn't even try to justify his actions. For example, when Simba affectionately states "You're so weird", Scar tells Simba "You have no idea". In The Lion Guard, he refers to his scar as "the mark of evil", and taunts Kion after giving him a scar of his own by saying that now he too has the mark of evil.
Cats Are Mean: As the villain of a movie where most of the cast are cats anyway, he fits this trope to a T.
Cessation of Existence: In the season 3 premiere of The Lion Guard, Scar's spirit is destroyed when Kion summons the great kings of the past, who use spiritual water to extinguish his fiery spirit. Scar himself confirmed that this would cause him to cease to exist.
Character’s Most Hated Song: when Scar is in command, he commands Zazu to sing something more upbeat than "Nobody Knows". He begins singing "It's a Small World After All", and Scar yells, "NO! No. Anything but that!" It's a Take That! to the Disney World ride.
The Chessmaster: His whole plan of getting rid of Mufasa and Simba. In fact, the plan would've worked had the hyenas gone after Simba.
Childish Villain, Mature Hero: Unlike Simba or Kion, Scar is a spoiled toddler who proved inept in running a kingdom, let alone the Lion Guard.
The Chooser of the One: Scar chose Kovu to defeat Simba. Likely a lie as the creators have confirmed that Kovu is an orphan and has no biological connection to either Scar or Zira.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He betrays his own family, killing his brother and trying to do the same to his nephew, and later sells out the hyenas to save his own life. Heck, he even destroyed his own Lion Guard with the Roar of the Elders in rage when they didn't support his plot to overthrow Mufasa.
Circling Monologue: Scar does this in an effort to guilt-trip Simba as he confronts him for being responsible for Mufasa's death.
Classic Villain: Resentment, wrath, and pride, with a little Sloth in there as well. Enraged at Mufasa naming Simba as his successor, Scar kills his own brother and tricks Simba into believing he was responsible for his father's death. While he was cunning when it came to usurping the throne, he proved really inept at ruling a kingdom, as the Pride Lands become a hellhole through a mix of his shiftlessness and faint-heartedness. He knows his rule was disastrous, but his pride prevents him from fully acknowledging it and lashes out violently whenever someone compares him to Mufasa. When confronted by Simba for his crimes, Scar tried to weasel away by blaming his hyena minions, but they overheard his betrayal and mauled him to death.
Color Motifs: Green. First, he is the only character in the film (possibly the franchise) to have green eyes. Second, his Villain Song, "Be Prepared", has green in the form of lighting and smoke. And thirdly, green can represent envy, which is Scar's main reason for his evil deeds.
Combat Pragmatist: Starts off his fight with Simba by throwing burning embers into his eyes.
Composite Character: The feline equivalent of Claudius crossed with Macbeth. Though he shares a lot of similarities with Richard III as well: shunned by society for his physical weaknesses, conspires against his king, suave and manipulative, willing to kill little princes.
Cool Uncle: Scar plays himself up as this with Simba in one scene, telling him about the elephant graveyard and doting over his "favorite nephew". Except it's all just a front to send Simba to his demise with no actual affection on Scar's end.
Consummate Liar: Part of his backstabbing personality. He will double-cross family and lackeys to save his own skin.
Cornered Rattlesnake: He'd rather weasel his way out of a fight, but when he realizes he's fixing to lose his throne, he resorts to battling Simba with ferocious vigor.
Corrupted Character Copy: Of Claudius, believe it or not. Claudius, though still a villain, was a lot less wicked than Scar (or at least, a lot more pleasant). He's genuinely warm-hearted to the queen (whom he married after taking the throne), told Hamlet to stay in Denmark so that he can succeed him as king (although YMMV on whether Claudius was sincere or just trying to keep an eye on the rightful heir), apparently showed genuine concern for Hamlet's apparent madness, was a relatively competent ruler, and at least had the decency to feel ashamed over murdering his brother. Scar, on the other hand, mistreats Sarabi after taking the throne, tries to get Simba killed because he doesn't want the competition, proves to be an utterly poor king, and shows absolutely no remorse over murdering Mufasa. If anything, Scar’s personality has more in common with that of Richard III, another of Shakespeare's kingslayers who was more callous and merciless.
The Corrupter:
- To his nephew, Simba. Though it doesn't work when Simba becomes a grown up.
- The season 3 show of The Lion Guard shows him attempting to do this to Kion. It doesn’t work either.
- He himself was corrupted by the unknown lion in the past, though it is also made clear that his ideas for becoming king were constantly there and his mentor just caused them to emerge.
The Coup: Overthrows Mufasa in order to become the king of Pride Rock. Simba finally launches a counter-coup to regain his rightful status as king.
Cowardly Lion: No pun intended. While he favors brain over brawn to defeat his foes, and when his first instinct while confronted with a fight is to run, while he is backed on top of Pride Rock, he proves to be a strong Combat Pragmatist. Even though he's younger, Simba almost lost against him.
Cruel and Unusual Death: At the end, he is devoured alive by his former hench-hyenas, and if you know how hyenas murder in real life, it means they started devouring him while he was still alive. Given Scar's occasional cameos in the questionably-canon Timon and Pumbaa series, some fans think that he survived and is in hiding. In Lion Guard, he returns as a demonic fire spirit.
Dark Is Evil: Scar has the darkest fur of the lions and is the Big Bad. In Lion Guard, he returns as a demonic fire spirit, contrasting the more heavenly apparition of his brother.
Dark Messiah: The animals of the Outlands begin to see him as this in Season Two of The Lion Guard, remembering how he helped Shenzi's clan in the original film and seeking his aid to help them rise up against Simba and the Lion Guard.
Deader than Dead: In the season 3 premiere of The Lion Guard, his soul is permanently destroyed when the great kings of the past use spiritual waters to extinguish his fiery spirit.
Deadpan Snarker: This line stands out:
Simba: Uncle Scar, when I'm king, what will that make you?
Scar: A monkey's uncle.
Death by Cameo: His skin appears as a rug in Hercules.
Death by Irony: Scar won the loyalty of the hyenas by promising them they'd never go hungry again. He dies by getting eaten alive by them.
A Death in the Limelight: The same episode that Scar is defeated in The Lion Guard is the same one which actually reveals most of his backstory.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: He deconstructs The Caligula. Being king means enormous responsibilities and the possibility of a revolt if said duties are neglected. Scar gets a 0% Approval Rating for his incompetence, including the hyenas of all animals, for letting the Pridelands become a wasteland. As Mufasa tells Simba, "There's more to being King than getting your way all the time." Scar eventually ends up in major trouble as his final attempt to blame the hyenas for everything becomes the last straw for them.
Despotism Justifies the Means: Quite happy to let the Pridelands go to hell in a hand basket if that means he can be King. He's also pretty upfront that he wants the job for the power and refuses to even acknowledge that he's supposed to have duties to go with them.
Devil in Plain Sight: Mufasa has no idea that his brother is plotting against him, and by the time he realizes it, it's already checkmate.
Devoured by the Horde: After Simba defeats him in a fight, he gets surrounded by his former hyena henchmen and he gets eaten alive by them when they overheard that he betrayed them.
Deuteragonist: While the first movie is about Simba, it's also as much Scar's story as he's the Big Bad, especially the differences on the leaders they become.
Did I Say That Out Loud: Invoked by him when he "accidentally" mentions the Elephant Graveyard to Simba.
Didn't See That Coming: He's left bewildered when Kion forgives him despite his crimes.
Didn't Think This Through: He did not realize that there's more to being king than power and glory, as even the hyenas think Mufasa was a better ruler.
Diligent Hero, Slothful Villain: He's the lazy villain to Simba, Mufasa, and Kion's diligent heroes. Under Scar's rule, the Pridelands turn into Mordor once he lets the hyenas to run amok and overhunt, but turn back into the Ghibli Hills savanna they used to be once Simba reclaims the throne. Justified because Scar is a sleaze who lacked the maturity despite boastfully proclaiming he's "ten times the king" Mufasa was.
Dirty Coward: He does everything he can to snivel his way out of justice when confronted by Simba about Mufasa's murder, from making an inaudible "confession" to the lionesses to trying to pass the blame onto the hyenas to save himself. Played With in the sense that he's still a badass fighter despite all this.
Dirty Old Man: A deleted scene reveals that he makes moves on the young adult Nala, desiring to make her his queen and banishes her from the Pride Lands when she rejects him. Especially creepy considering he was already a full adult when she was just a cub. This scene is incorporated in the musical.
Disney Villain Death: Double Subverted. When he plummets from the summit of Pride Rock, the fall itself doesn't kill him. It's the creatures he falls among that do...
Dissonant Serenity: He is relatively calm and collected when he comes back as a spirit, despite having been mauled to death by hyenas.
Driven by Envy: Resents his brother for naming Simba as the heir to the throne. The Lion Guard reveals that he resented Mufasa for being the king even before Simba was born.
The Dreaded: Has firmly established himself as this in The Lion Guard. The animals fear him so much that they even consider leaving the Pride Lands to escape him after learning of his return.
Drunk with Power: According to The Lion Guard, this is why Scar tried to overthrow Mufasa; having the power of the Roar went to his head and led him to believe he should be king. The influence of the unknown lion just enabled his thoughts to emerge.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: He had this attitude when he led the Lion Guard, as he believed that he should have been given a hero's welcome for killing the strange lion, completely ignoring that the fact that his job was protecting the Pride Lands and he shouldn't have expected that treatment for doing his job.
Epic Fail: His entire tenure as king was even more disastrous than one would’ve easily predicted, with the hyenas having hunted everything into nothingness and the entire land now a barren wasteland. Not even the river was spared. As Sarabi stated, living under his rule had truly become a death sentence. His hyena lackeys bellyache that Mufasa was a better ruler even if he did not permit them to live in the Pridelands.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: Scar has no qualms about siding with hyenas. As shown in The Lion Guard, he assembles an army of various animals such as snakes, crocodiles, jackals, vultures, and lizards, in addition to hyneas once again, in order to take down Simba and Kion.
Establishing Character Moment: His first scene in the first movie has him capturing a mouse and planning to devour it. While this alone isn't evil, as lions have to eat meat to live, the way he toys with the mouse shows his sadistic nature, and Zazu seems noticeably freaked out by it.
Et Tu, Brute?: His treachery towards Mufasa, his sibling, by throwing him to his death. Judging by Mufasa's reaction, the latter had absolutely no idea that Scar was plotting against him.
Even Evil Has Standards: He can't stand "It's a Small World". It’s Played for Laughs.
Every Scar Has a Story: Season 3 of The Lion Guard explains how Scar obtained his trademark facial scar.
Evil All Along: Towards Simba and Mufasa, who only think of him as their loyal brother and uncle, respectively. Although the two of them do not realize his true intentions.
Evil Brit: He was voiced by Jeremy Irons in the first film. The Lion Guard has him voiced by David Oyelowo.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Being the sociopath that he is, Scar is full of this.
- He attempts to guilt-trip Simba into killing him by using the relative card, thinking it'll make him no better than the lion who assassinated his own brother. Simba instead makes it clear that he won't stoop so low to murder his own kin and asks Scar to leave the Pridelands forever.
- As discussed by Mufasa in the episode Never Roar Again of The Lion Guard. Despite being bestowed the Roar when he was the Fiercest of the Lion Guard, Scar thought of it as a tool for power, unaware he'd be stripped of it if used for evil.
- Even when he led the Lion Guard, he had a sense of entitlement, as he thought he deserved a hero's welcome for killing the strange lion, ignorant of the fact that his job was to protect the Pride Lands, which meant he shouldn't have expected that treatment for doing his job.
- In the episode The Scorpion's Sting, his entire plan relies on trapping Kion at the volcano, who can't use the Roar without causing an eruption. Scar never factored the idea of using the Roar with restraint as demonstrated by Kion.
- During the final battle in the Season 3 opener, he's baffled when Kion forgives him. Realizing he's doomed for good when the Great Kings of the Past permanently extinguish his fiery spirit, Scar even tells Kion that the Roar is a "curse".
Evil Counterpart:
- Scar serves as a "dark mirror" of sorts for Simba, with most of his flaws being exaggerated versions of Simba's own. One needs to just look at their big song numbers (I Just Can't Wait to be King and Be Prepared) next to each other to see this. Both crave becoming the king of the Pride Lands largely for the recognition that comes with it and gloat over how great they will be as king. Both are even showing not being above "bullying" so to speak, with Zazu being the biggest victim in that regard. However, Simba ultimately manages to "grow up" and accept responsibility, which leads to his ultimate victory, whilst Scar's apparent refusal to truly do either ultimately leads to both his downfall and death. The film seems to consciously acknowledge this during the climax where when tempted to kill him and Scar asks what he is going to do, Simba eventually refuses, asserting, "No, Scar. I'm not like you." Heck, both even have sidekicks in the form of outsiders with an obsession for food, but whereas Simba sees his sidekicks as true friends, Scar ill-treats his own like crud and double-crosses them to save his own skin at long last, which results in the hyenas crucifying him.
- While Mufasa is a selfless and responsible king who genuinely cares for his subjects and family, Scar only wants the power and glory of being king, not the duties that come with it. He would also abandon anybody at the drop of a hat to save his own hide, as shown by him pinning the blame on his hyena minions. The way they rule the Pridelands also shows the difference between the two, with the kingdom turning into a hellhole under Scar's disastrous reign. In The Lion Guard, Scar even comes returns as a demonic, malevolent entity who plans to destroy the Pridelands out of spite compared to his brother's Messianic appearance.
Evil Eyebrows: He has distinctly long and wicked-looking eyebrows, with one being marred by his scar.
Evil Genius: At least in the first part of the film on how he plotted to get rid of Simba and Mufasa.
Evil Gloating: During the climax, when Simba, still blaming himself for his father's death, is dangling from the edge of Pride Rock, Scar can't resist indulging in this and freely confesses to Simba that he killed Mufasa. At this revelation, Simba pulls off his Heroic Second Wind and literally chokes Scar to get him to admit the truth to everybody else.
Evil Is Burning Hot: In comparison to the much more heroic Simba and Mufasa, who are associated with the sun, Scar is associated with fire. "Be Prepared" takes place in an area with geysers and lava. During the final battle, Pride Rock is lit ablaze by lightning. Even when he returns in The Lion Guard, his spirit is coated in flames.
Evil Is Hammy: Zig-zagged. On the one hand, he can be very quiet and soft-spoken, which is more prominent throughout the first act (barring his Villain Song). On the other hand, he can chew the scenery as much as any other Disney villain, especially when excited or angry.
Evil Is Not a Toy:
- Implied when Scar is unimpressed with Ushari declaring his kind will rule the Pride Lands. Scar rather insincerely reassures him that they'll rule together before quickly vanishing.
- The lion who corrupted Scar offered to heal him if he did what he asked, but Scar simply killed him with the Roar of the Elders.
Evil Is Petty: The Season 3 opener has Scar arrange for Kion to get an identical scar to his one in order to corrupt him and become just like him out of nothing but sheer sadism. Scar also decided to commit regicide against Mufasa over a belittlement that evidently happened years ago, and it is made pretty clear that Mufasa's remark was likely just a joke rather than deliberate meanness.
- Already in the first film, Scar takes the time to manipulate Simba into thinking he is responsible for Mufasa's death, in spite of intending to send the hyenas after him immediately. He wasn't content to just murder his nephew for power; no, the poor kid had to go to his death believing he was responsible for his father's death.
Evil Is Sterile: While he proved to be competent in overthrowing Mufasa, he wasn't cut out for the job. He only cared about the personal glory and under his reign, the Pridelands became a corrupted wasteland.
Evil Laugh: Gives a pretty frightening one at the end of "Be Prepared." He also throws fits of laughter in The Lion Guard.
Evil Makes You Monstrous: He returns as a demonic entity in The Lion Guard.
Evil Overlord: His reign as king was quite disastrous, as the Pridelands quickly turned into Mordor. He even explodes in anger whenever others complain about his rule or compare him to Mufasa.
Evil Plan: Kill Mufasa and Simba, and take over the Pridelands. Once he came back as an evil spirit in The Lion Guard, Scar now wants to destroy the Pridelands and get his revenge on Simba.
The Evil Prince: Was evil even before taking over the Pridelands.
Evil Slinks: He moves in an almost serpentine manner.
Evil Sounds Deep: Thanks to the throaty baritone of Jeremy Irons. Of course, his voice is considerably less deep than Mufasa's. David Oyelowo in The Lion Guard also gives him a very deep voice.
Evil Sounds Raspy: He practically hisses some of his lines, including "Long live the king!"
Evil Uncle: To Simba, whom he tries to kill to get rid of Mufasa's sole heir.
Evil Will Fail: His plan turns out this way. He succeeds in becoming King, but the once-bountiful Pridelands quickly goes downhill under his disastrous and self-serving leadership. Even the hyenas of all animals think Mufasa's reign was better for them.
Face Palm: After all, he's Surrounded by Idiots.
Family-Unfriendly Death: The hyenas tear him apart and eat him. Of course, it's all shown in shadow.
Fascist, but Inefficient: He's an effective schemer right up until he actually gains power, at which point his disregard for anyone but himself runs the entire kingdom into the ground. Even the hyenas think Mufasa was a better ruler than Scar could ever be.
Fatal Flaw: Three.
- Envy. Scar's entire fall into villainy was caused by his jealousy towards Mufasa and Simba. He wanted everything his older brother had: kingship, respect, admiration, love. This pushed him to murder Mufasa and steal the throne for himself.
- Pride. Scar took great pride in himself, which was highly emphasized in his song 'Be Prepared', during which he simultaneously glorifies himself as a great leader and paints himself as a victim whose been wrongly denied what's his. When he becomes king, his pride has caused him to become delusional, refusing to see the severity of the damage his rule has done and instead stubbornly sticks to the belief that he is a mighty king. This cruel disregard for the Pride Lands pushes Nala to run away in search of help, knowing her homeland will die under Scar's reign.
- Sadism. Scar is monstrously sadistic and takes great joy in the suffering of others, shown when he smiles at Simba going to the Elephant Graveyard (knowing he'd be devoured by hyenas if not for the intervention of Mufasa) and taunts Mufasa before murdering him. However, in two instances did his sadism come back to bite him. The first is after Simba finds Mufasa's dead body, he manipulates Simba into thinking he's responsible for his father's death to torment him instead of sending the hyenas to kill Simba. By pushing Simba to run away after psychologically scarring him, Scar gave his nephew the head start he needed to outrun the hyenas. The second time is when Scar is about to kill Simba after he returns to Pride Rock; instead of simply killing him, Scar whispers in his ear that he killed Mufasa to sadistically torture his nephew. However, this backfired and Simba pounced onto Scar, forcing him to expose his lies and lead to his death.
Faux Affably Evil: He puts up a civilized Cool Uncle façade around Simba at first, but it's only to manipulate his nephew for his own benefit.
Fiery Lion: He returns in The Lion Guard as an enormous, flaming head in a volcano.
Fisher King: He turns Mufasa's lush and green Ghibli Hills into a barren hellhole. Justified in that he allowed hyenas into said lands, who over-hunted with the lions restrained by Scar from keeping them in check. Fewer grazing animals from overhunting means more leftover vegetation, more vegetation means more fuel for brush fires once the dry season sets in. One spark from lightning and the whole savannah went up during the climax.
Foil:
- Simba and Scar start the movie sharing the same goal, but over the course of the movie, Simba eventually learns to take responsibility and learn what it truly means to be a king, while Scar squanders his potential by being very unhelpful during his reign.
- He's also one to Mufasa, as while Mufasa is a wise king who genuinely cares for his subjects and family, Scar harbors no loyalty to anyone but himself. Scar's disastrous reign turned everything upside down in the Pridelands with every animal voicing their dissent about his ineptitude. In The Lion Guard, Scar even returns as a hellish abomination compared to his brother's Messianic theme.
- He's also one to Kion, as while both of them were gifted with the Roar of the Elders and led the Lion Guard, Kion genuinely cares for his friends and regulates the Roar's use after learning how Scar abused its power for selfish purposes. Scar sees others as beneath him and values power over anything else.
Foreboding Fleeing Flock: Invoked when Scar has the hyenas cause a wildebeest stampede as a trap for both Simba and Mufasa.
Freudian Excuse: The 2023 Scar comic establishes him as consumed with bitterness and jealousy at having been raised as Mufasa's Spare to the Throne, feelings that were only amplified once Simba was born and took what Scar believed should have been his spot.

G-N

The Generalissimo: Scar is your stereotypical fascist dictator. He murders his way to power, crushes all dissent, and annihilates his land's natural resources.
The Genie Knows Jack Nicholson: Unusual for a mostly serious villain; a lion in the savana with no (known) interaction with human culture; yet reacts with knowing disgust when Zazu sings "It's A Small World After All".
Genius Bruiser: Unlike his openly intimidating sibling, Scar seems physically unimpressive. However, when the chips are down, he mauls Simba in the last battle. He's also The Chessmaster.
Genre Blindness: He sends his amateurish minions to assassinate someone whom they've already failed to kill, and just look at the results of the aforementioned Evil Gloating.
Get Out!: Scar tells the hyenas this when they bellyache that they are hungry, showing how little he truly cares about them. Then he shortens it to "OUT!" when Banzai says they are still hungry and Scar has done nothing about it.
Glory Hound: He truly wanted to become king simply for the sake of glory, not interpreting what's required of being a ruler. Because of his disastrous reign and selfishness, the Pridelands turn into a hellhole, while he earns a 0% Approval Rating from all of the animals for his shiftlessness.
Good Hair, Evil Hair: The slicked-back variety which reveals his widow's peak.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Is the Big Bad and has a scar over his eye. In The Lion Guard, he describes said scar as the "mark of evil" and arranges for Kion to get an identical one. Of course, the "evil" part is largely due to the wound being inflicted by a cobra bite; the venom is seeping into the target's mind and corrupting their rational thought. However, while said bite can seep into the target's mind, the person bitten still possesses control of their actions and can voluntarily get a cure, so Scar's attempt to justify why he acts like he does falls flat, especially given how much he relishes in his actions.
Gory Discretion Shot: His death is shown only in shadow.
Greater-Scope Villain:
- In 1 1/2, where the main conflict is essentially the same as in the first movie, but because they're telling from Timon and Pumbaa's point of view, the primary villains are the hyenas, and Scar's machinations serve only as the background.
- The Lion Guard shows that even after his demise, his sinister influence still casts its shadow, as Kion fears he'll end up like Scar. He then appears as the Big Bad of Season 2.
- In turn, the unnamed lion who served as Scar's mentor planted the seeds which drove Scar to villainy in the first film (and, by extension, was behind all evil wrought by anyone allied with Scar).
Green-Eyed Monster: Several lines in "Be Prepared" show how he resents Mufasa's success as king and the "injustice" that he's no longer next in line for the throne after Simba's birth. He's a literal example as well since he really does have green eyes. Also notice that, in Real Life, lions don't have green eyes, making the use even more metaphorical.
A Handful for an Eye: During the last battle between himself and Simba, Scar kicks it off by throwing burning embers into Simba's eyes.
Hand Stomp: Scar claws Mufasa's paws while the latter is hanging from a cliff. He also does it to Simba during the last battle, but Simba gets the strength to lunge back after the "I killed Mufasa" revelation.
Hated by All: Downplayed. He's loathed by all animals for caring more about his power. Even the hyenas confess that Mufasa was a much better king than Scar ever could be. The sequel and The Lion Guard reveal that he did have some supporters, Zira included, all of whom were banished from the Pridelands when Simba took over.
The Hedonist: He simply became king for the prestige and gorges himself at the expense of others.
Hero's Evil Predecessor: He led the Lion Guard under Mufasa's regime and was blessed with the power of the Roar of the Elders one time. And yet, the power went to his head and he vainly believed he should be king instead of Mufasa. But when the rest of the Lion Guard said no, Scar angrily used the Roar to destroy them. Due to using his powers for evil, Scar lost his power completely and descended further into depression, becoming shriveled and horrible. Kion fears that he may end up becoming like Scar but regularly makes sure to regulate his use of the Roar.
Hero Killer: Kills Mufasa to become King.
Hidden Depths:
- It's heavily implied that killing Mufasa has consumed him with much insane grief, if his utterly losing it anytime his name is mentioned in his presence is any indication. Deep inside, Scar also knows that he'll always be second best to Mufasa no matter how many times he proclaims he's "10 times the king [his brother] was."
- Made more explicit in the musical when he begins to imagine Mufasa's ghost stalking him.
- In the sequel, he handpicked a cub who wasn't his biological son as an heir and despite his evil legacy, Kovu still sees Scar as a part of him. He also apparently loved Zira. ^note
His Own Worst Enemy: In The Lion King 2, both Simba and Kiara lament that Scar's hatred is what eventually consumed and destroyed him.
Hoist by His Own Petard:
- He is mauled to death by his own hyena minions after they overheard his betrayal.
- In The Lion Guard, it is revealed that he told Zira that if he roared directly at a cloud, it would rain. Zira later tells this to Kion, and he uses this to finish Scar off for good.
Hypocrite:
- He begs for mercy with Simba despite killing his older brother and tried killing his nephew without batting an eye.
- He has the nerve to call Sarabi and the other lionesses lazy for being unable to find any food on their hunts, when all he does as king is laze around instead of properly ruling. Additionally, the real reason they can't find any food is because there is no food left due to Scar allowing the hyenas to run rampant and eat it all, essentially blaming his subjects for his own decisions.
I Can Explain: When Scar faces his demise by the jaws of the hyenas, he tries the "Let me explain" line to no avail.
I Thought You Were Dead: The initial reaction of shock when Scar sees Simba return from exile, thinking him at first to be Mufasa. Then, the reaction of sadistic delight when he realizes it is his nephew, who he feels he can easily manipulate into confessing to a crime he did not commit.
Incoming Ham: He's introduced giving a soliloquy to a mouse he caught and would have eaten if not for Zazu's intervention.
Ink-Suit Actor: Animator Andreas Deja watched Jeremy Irons's movies to put more of him into Scar - "Not that he looks like a lion" - and even added the actor's baggy eyes.
Inferiority Superiority Complex: He always hated Mufasa for being the king even before Simba was born, though the semi-canon book A Tale of Two Brothers implies their father favored Mufasa, as Mufasa knew what's required of being a just ruler, while Scar only cared about the title. Deep inside, Scar also knows he'll always be second best to Mufasa no matter what despite claiming he's "10 times the king [his brother] was." This sense of inferiority drives Scar to lash out angrily whenever someone brings up Mufasa's name.
Internal Reveal: Scar, engaging in one last bit of Evil Gloating as he thinks he's finally about to kill Simba for good, leans in and finally tells him the truth: "I killed Mufasa!" This turns out to have been a mistake, as it gives Simba a Heroic Second Wind and he immediately pins Scar and forces him to repeat it to the rest of the pride.
Irony: In the movie, Scar is the runt of the litter and is self-admittedly not as strong as Mufasa. In real life, male lions with black manes are typically considered the alpha lions of all who also attract the most females and will more than likely rule the pride. The Lion Guard shows that Scar actually was more powerful than Mufasa, until he used the Roar for evil and lost the power forever.
I Reject Your Reality: Sarabi, the hyenas, and, by extension in the Broadway musical, Nala try to convince Scar to do better, but their pleas fall on his deaf ears. In what is perhaps his most stubborn moment, Scar refuses to leave Pride Rock for greener pastures, probably out of respect for his home.
I Shall Taunt You: Openly ridicules Simba for being naïve about his motives when he reveals himself in The Lion Guard.
I Surrender, Suckers: During the climax, he begs Simba for mercy. Simba agrees on the grounds that he goes into exile. Scar starts to leave... but then kicks burning embers into Simba's eyes and ambushes him.
It's All About Me:
- Deconstructed. "I am the king, I can do whatever I want" sums his rule up, but this view on life results in the Pridelands going to hell and him having a 0% Approval Rating. Whenever he claims his rule will be Utopia Justifies the Means, it's actually the opposite: he is perfectly willing to let everything go to hell just to cling on to power. He's also pretty upfront that he only cares about the title.
- The Lion Guard reveals that he took Mufasa's relatively playful and harmless decision to call him "Scar" as an insult and this caused him to begin to scheme to get Mufasa off the throne. Scar was also bestowed with the Roar of the Elders, but lost it permanently when he selfishly exploited it by destroying his own Lion Guard when they refused to back his plot to overthrow Mufasa.
I Work Alone: A Flashback in "Battle For The Pridelands" shows that Scar, despite being the leader of his Lion Guard, would often go on patrol by himself.
Jerkass: Even when he's not being manipulative, backstabbing, and self-centered, Scar is just plain spiteful and unpleasant overall. He tries to devour Zazu for chasing away a mouse Scar was trying to devour, and dismisses his own nephew as a "little hairball". After becoming king, he's even worse, being ready to let the Pride Lands go to hell, let all his subjects starve, and even physically assault Sarabi for comparing his rule unfavorably to Mufasa's.
Just Between You and Me: When Scar has Simba trapped on the ledge of a gorge, instead of simply throwing him to his death like he did with Mufasa, he gloats at the moment and, thinking he's finished him off and about to celebrate victory, whispers to him that he really masterminded Mufasa's death. Huge mistake and huge aversion as Simba gains a huge Heroic Second Wind, forces Scar to spill the beans to the lionesses, and eventually defeats him in a fight.
Just Desserts: He gets Eaten Alive in-shadow by the hyenas he abused for years, if not, decades.
Just Giving Orders: After Simba gets his Heroic Second Wind and corners Scar, the latter tries weaseling out of his comeuppance by placing all blame for the coup on Mufasa and the subsequent overrun of the Pridelands on the hyenas. "It was the hyenas - they're the enemy." While this excuse does avert being killed outright by Simba, this defense also proves to be quotable last words.
Karma Houdini: Played with. Not exactly his murder of Mufasa, as detailed in the below Karma Houdini Warranty but his apparent murder of his own Lion Guard in the past is a different matter. He was apparently able to get away with (seemingly) killing them prior to the original film, seeing as he was still present in the Pride Lands at the start of the film. He of course dies at the end of the first film, but it would seem no one knew about his murder of the guard until after the fact.
Karma Houdini Warranty: He finally pays for his fratricide and years of tyranny when Simba returns home. Ironically, it's not Simba who kills him, but the hyenas, whom he accused as the real enemy, this unintentionally restoring the natural balance.
Karmic Death:
- He's killed by the hyenas that he threw under the bus while pleading for his life to be spared.
- More specifically, he promised the hyenas that he'd ensure they'd never go hungry — they ensure Scar keeps up that bargain.
- In the Season 3 opener of The Lion Guard, he meets his final end when Kion forgives his great-uncle and uses the Roar to bring gentle rain to heal the land. Scar, whose spirit is made of fire and feeds on hatred, couldn't thrive under such forgiving rain and ends up being extinguished forever.
Kick the Dog: So many times, but these three moments stand out.
- When he backhands Sarabi just for standing up to him.
- When he gloats at Mufasa and rubs it in his face just before tossing him down the gorge.
- When he plays the "it's all your fault" card on Simba after Mufasa's death. He was planning on killing Simba anyway, but decided to break his nephew's spirit first just to be a dick.
Kill It with Fire: Scar's intent when he is about to throw Simba off Pride Rock, into a wall of fire; averted when Simba unexpectedly fights back. In the end, Scar is the one swallowed by a fireball, shortly after he is thrown off Pride Rock and is cornered and attacked by the hyenas.
The Kingslayer: Violently murders Mufasa to seize control of the throne.
Kinslaying Is a Special Kind of Evil: He assassinates his own brother in order to seize power and tries to have a young Simba killed off as well. Even after returning as a demonic entity in The Lion Guard, he shows a willingness to kill his own grandnephew Kion.
Knight of Cerebus: The tone of the preschool-aimed The Lion Guard usually darkens quite a bit whenever he is mentioned, and he is resurrected for the series as it began to delve into a much more serious storyline. The entire series takes a much darker turn, moving out of preschool territory when Kion and the Guard meet him in person.
Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Played with. He effectively manipulates Simba and the hyenas and is successful at staging a plan to kill Mufasa. However he claims his intelligence would automatically make him a much better king than Mufasa, but once he gets the job, he has no idea what to do with the power.
Lack of Empathy: You're looking at someone who's willing to murder his brother and cub nephew, as well as gorge himself at the expense of others without even a shred of remorse. He'll do anything and everything to maintain the crown.
Large Ham: In true Disney villain fashion. Producer Don Hahn even said part of Scar's hilarity is due to Irons adding disdain/insanity to lines that were by right delivered straight.
Last Villain Stand: By the end of the film, he's been outed as Mufasa's killer and has lost everything, but when Simba corners him on Pride Rock, he still makes one of these and attacks Simba.
Laziness Callout: He actually does this to Sarabi at one point, claiming that her hunting party's inability to find food is a result of them not looking hard enough. It's also untrue, since the real reason no one can find food is because Scar allowed the hyenas to gorge themselves without restraint, which naturally led to there being no food left.
Lazy Bum: When he becomes king, he slacks off and willingly lets the land go to waste, not caring if his subjects suffer. It's also implied that, when he wasn't planning on killing Mufasa and getting the throne or getting the hyenas on his side, he spent most of his time laying around in his cave.
Lean and Mean: In contrast to Mufasa's Heroic Build (and to a far lesser degree, Simba's).
Life Isn't Fair: Scar has this to say to a mouse he was catching:
Scar: Life's not fair, is it? You see, I ... well, I shall never be king. And you... shall never see the light of another day. Adieu.
Make an Example of Them: His Villain Song is punctuated at one point by him backing one of his hyenas into an open fissure in order to assert his dominance over them in his master plan ( which makes his later death at their hands as a result of his exploitation of them all the more ironic).
Make It Look Like an Accident: This is part of Scar's bastardry when he murders his brother Mufasa and convinces Simba that his father died in an accident for which Simba was to blame, then tells the rest of the pride that Simba also died in the same accident after driving him away.
- Before he reveals himself in the Lion Guard, he usually makes all of the events completely random, which is greatly aided by the fact no one in the show can make any connections to these strange occurrences.
Manipulative Bastard: One of the classic movie examples and fitting for a villain in a Shakespearean-style film. There are very few characters in the story whom he does not deceive, and he sometimes manipulates others purely for his own amusement.
Mark of Shame: The scar on his eye that even downright became his "name" because of this trope as punishment from his and Mufasa's father according to the books. In The Lion Guard, while it wasn't really a cause of shame for him, he became enraged after Mufasa nicknamed him "Scar" for it.
Mask of Sanity: In the first part, he's able to cover his sociopathic nature beneath a charming veneer. Once things start going awry, he undergoes a severe Sanity Slippage.
Meaningful Name: He was re-named "Scar" because of the permanent scar on his left eye. According to the books, his real name is Taka, which means "trash" or "wanting" in Swahili, though they weren't canon. The Lion Guard gave his real name as Askari, which is Swahili for "police", "guard", or "soldier".
Meaningless Villain Victory: Yes, Scar killed Mufasa, drove Simba into exile, and took over the Pride Lands as king, but what did he gain from it? Considering the Pride Lands' condition at the time of his reign, not much. Bringing lions and hyenas together only allowed the latter to eat practically everything in the land, leaving no food or water for anyone, putting everyone on the brink of starvation, and thus, Scar won't have a kingdom to rule. In fact, Scar's claims of being able to do whatever he wants as king during this period basically confirm that he wants to be king to be in charge and no other reason. His victory doesn't even last, as Simba returns many years later to take back the throne, which he eventually does.
Mighty Roar: As leader of the Lion Guard, he was bestowed with the Roar of the Elders, but he came to see it as another tool in his plan to overthrow Mufasa. Soon enough, the power went to his head and he asked his Lion Guard to assassinate Mufasa, but when they said no, Scar furiously used the Roar to destroy them. As a result, he was Brought Down to Normal, but that didn't stop Scar from plotting to overthrow Mufasa one way or another.
More than Mind Control: In Season 3 of The Lion Guard, he explains his scar was inflicted by a cobra bite, which corrupted him and drove him insane. However, it's implied the cobra venom merely removed his morals and brought out his darker impulses, since it's shown that even before being scarred, he was an arrogant warrior who thought himself the most powerful lion and was tempted by the idea of overthrowing Mufasa. It's also pointed out that said cobra venom has a known cure and he had the opportunity to take it but refused, so his fall into evil is still on him because he could've easily stopped it.
Motive Decay: In The Lion Guard, his new goal is to build an army to destroy the Pridelands. This is justified, though - as a spirit, he is no longer in a position to rule over the Pridelands, so he will simply wreck havoc as Revenge for his death.
Named After Somebody Famous: According to Ford Riley on Twitter, Scar's original name in canon was Askari, named after his ancestor who was the leader of the very first Lion Guard, and it was shortened down to "Scar" after he got his scar.
Named After the Injury: His full name is Askari, but everyone calls him 'Scar' for short after he got that eye injury.
Narcissist: He harbors deep resentment that Mufasa and not him has been named the heir to the throne of Pride Rock (even before Simba's birth and before Mufasa assumed the throne). He thinks he's a better king than Mufasa, but given his disastrous reign, he is really incapable of even realizing that he could be wrong. If he does, he'll instead accuse others. In The Lion Guard, it's revealed that his ego was so fragile and immense that he couldn't even handle Mufasa jokingly calling him "Scar" after he got wounded by a cobra bite, allowing its venom to turn him against his brother when he could've resisted its effects until he was cured. This verse from his Villain Song says it all:
Meticulous planning
Tenacity spanning
Decades of denial
Is simply why I'll
Be king undisputed
Respected, saluted
And seen for the wonder I am!
Near-Villain Victory: He gets everything he wants in the movie and would have gotten away with it if not for a moment of gloating self-indulgence.
New Era Speech: He gives one to the pride when he takes his position as leader. Originally delivered via a song that reprises "Be Prepared."
Never My Fault: Scar declines to own up to anything he does, even using the hyenas as a scapegoat while confronted by Simba for his wicked actions. He regrets it at long last.
Never Say That Again: He can't stand the mere mention of Mufasa's name, especially when his rule is compared to the former's, to the extent he made a law against saying it in his presence.
Non-Action Big Bad: Subverted. He complains early on about not having any of the "brawn" genes, relies on the hyenas to do most of the physical work, and he only attempts to kill those who have been incapacitated in some way. But at the climax, it turns out he can fight and is able to fend off the much younger and more muscular Simba.
Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Despite being brother to Mufasa, voiced by the American James Earl Jones, Scar speaks in Jeremy Irons' natural British accent.
Not So Above It All: Scar rolls his eyes at The Hyenas antics when we first see them with him, even saying he's "surrounded by idiots", but, once he becomes king, he proves to be just as if not more childish than they are.
"Not So Different" Remark:
- Gives one to Simba during the climax, but despite being tempted to kill him for Mufasa's death, Simba ultimately refuses, asserting that he will never be like Scar.
- In The Lion Guard, this is the reason why Kion frequently regulates the use of the Roar of the Elders, aware that Scar was stripped of it for destroying his own Lion Guard when they refused to help him overthrow Mufasa. Kion also asserts to Scar that he'll never be like the lion who murdered his own brother.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: Let's see, Scar kills Mufasa and is perfectly able to go toe-to-toe with Simba in the climax. A bit out of place considering that he groans about getting the brains and none of the brawn in the beginning, but makes some sense when you consider that Simba has apparently lived only on insects and has been in a total of one fight (that he lost). This plot point makes even more sense when taking into account Scar's original character design as a much more bulky and brawny lion.

O-Z

Obviously Evil: At the very beginning of the movie, he straight up tells Mufasa to his face that Mufasa should be wary of him, that he covets the throne and is bitter towards Simba, and that if he ever does try something, it won't be through a direct challenge. And then there's Scar's design itself, where it's hard to believe the two lions are even related.
Opportunistic Bastard: Finds every opportunity to deceive and manipulate Simba in order to have him murdered and calculated a whole wildebeest riot just so he would kill Mufasa.
Orphaned Etymology: Scar uses several turns of phrases reliant on modern human society, such as the "shallow end of the gene pool" or "the lights are not all on upstairs."
Only Known by Their Nickname: According to a storybook published following the film's release, his birth name was Taka (Swahili for "trash" or "want"). The Lion Guard renders this non-canon, though it is clarified that "Scar" is still not his true name. According to Ford Riley on Twitter, his real name was Askari (named after the original leader of the first Lion Guard), and it was shortened to "Scar" after he literally got his scar.
The Peter Principle: His strongest desire was to become king. However, while he proved deadly and conniving about setting that goal in motion, he proved completely amateurish in actually posing as king, only seeking the benefits and grandeur of the role rather than its important duties.
Playing the Family Card: During the battle against Simba, he has the audacity to try and guilt trip Simba by asking if he would kill his own uncle, despite the fact that Scar killed his own brother.
Playing with Fire: Initially during his reign, the Pridelands caught fire from a lightning spark hitting a dried out branch and were only put out when Simba regained his rightful place as ruler. When he's revived during The Lion Guard, he embraces it like Zinzolin embraces the cold, even showing up in fires across the Pridelands without having to be confined to his volcano hideout, as seen in "The Fall of Mizimu Grove".
The Power of Hate: Selfishness and resentment fueled his rage, darkened his heart, and drove him to kill Mufasa. If the Roar of the Elders is used with malice, the user loses it permanently, as this is exactly what happened to him when he abused its power to eliminate his own Lion Guard. Upon his return years later as a demonic entity, he is even more wrathful than before, getting enraged whenever Kion foils his schemes, whom he despises as much as he does hate Simba and Mufasa.
Pragmatic Villainy: The only reason in the Lion Guard that he settles the debates between the members of his army when they disagree is to keep them united on their common enemy, or else he risks them breaking apart through infighting and throwing away their numerical superiority over the Guard.
Predecessor Villain: Serves as this to almost the entire franchise, following the first movie and his death.
- Of Simba's Pride: the primary villain is Zira, who was one of his sympathizers and seeks to avenge him.
- The Lion Guard revolves around his great-nephew Kion forming a new Lion Guard and actively striving to not end up like Scar. He's later brought back from the dead as a spirit to lead the villains of the series, effectively becoming the Big Bad of Season Two.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
- "Long live the king!" He delivers this to Mufasa before killing him to seize control of the Pridelands.
- Scar tries to have a second with "I killed Mufasa" to Simba, but this gives Simba the Heroic Second Wind necessary to turn the tables.
Pride: His Fatal Flaw. This arrogance stops him from realizing that he's ill-suited to rule a kingdom or accepting responsibility.
Princeling Rivalry: He resents Simba for having a bigger claim to the throne than him, being Mufasa's son. To ensure he gets to be king, he plots the death of his sibling and then of his nephew so the throne would belong to him.
Psychopathic Manchild: Best exemplified by his "I am the King, I can do whatever I want!" excuse, because it is essentially the attitude of Simba as a cub, though it's doubtful that Simba would have ever condemned his own subjects to death. However even once you get past the immature reason he wanted to be king, there are some implications that he's actually very childish underneath his suave, charismatic demeanor:
- When he's introduced he's seen moping and complaining about not being king like a kid who didn't get what he wanted and is also seen playing with the mouse, his food. Even Zazu, once he sees him, literally compares him to a bratty child by mockingly asking him "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?"
- His nickname is literally Scar, which is more the kind of nickname a teenager would give themselves to sound cool.
- And his childishness is most clearly shown when he becomes king, throwing temper tantrums whenever Mufasa's name is said and shifting blame for why things aren't going right to others like a spoiled toddler would.
Putting on the Reich: Scar's musical number "Be Prepared" has the hyenas goose-stepping in front of Scar in a sequence inspired by the famous Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will. The German dub of that scene is rather unnerving because of the Nazi parallels.
Pyrrhic Victory: His original fate in the alternate ending. He wins the fight with Simba by throwing him off Pride Rock but is then burned to death himself when the fires surrounding Pride Rock engulf it. By throwing Simba off Pride Rock, he actually saves Simba from suffering that fate and allowing him to have his happy ending anyway, making Scar's victory in the fight meaningless.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: He has reddish-orange fur and a black mane.
Red Right Hand: His scar and his claws that are always bared (unlike the others).
Relative Button: The moment Scar's plans are derailed are when he has Simba at his mercy, savoring his impending fate before gloating that he was the one who killed Mufasa. Within seconds, a rip-roaringly pissed Simba fights back, pinning Scar down and choking him into confessing his crime.
The Resenter: Scar resents his sibling for being the King and also resents Simba because after his father, he will be king.
Reverse Psychology: How he tricks Simba into visiting the elephant graveyard.
Royal Brat: Beneath his charismatic and refined demeanor, he's a bratty lion who is too proud to realize the damage his ineffectual rule has caused despite the bluster.
Rule of Symbolism: Scar's defining trait is his envy of Mufasa being king. It's not a coincidence that he has ''green'' eyes.
Sadist: As much as it can be shown in a Disney film, at least.
- He doesn't devour the mouse he has trapped right away, preferring to play with him. Judging by Zazu's reaction, it seems that this behavior isn't seen as proper.
- He takes some moments to savor Mufasa's impending fate, gloating "Long live the king" and making certain his brother fully realizes what his true nature is instead of simply pushing Mufasa to his death. Also Mufasa's expression while this is happening.
  - Scar's behavior in this as well. At first, when Mufasa pleads for help, Scar is seemingly thinking about what to do, as if he knows that there's no reverse gear if he kills his sibling. But to twist the knife even further, he gleefully tosses Mufasa to his death, perhaps indicating that he already planned the events out and knew exactly what he did all along.
- This proves to be one of the causes of his demise, since attempting to do the same with Simba makes the latter fight back and reveal that he murdered Mufasa.
- In The Lion Guard, he goes out of his way multiple times to make Kion look like himself out of petty spite and sadism, and when he reveals that the Roar would destroy the Pridelands, he can't help but gloat about it and throw it in his face.
Sanity Slippage: More obvious in the musical, but still visible in the movie. The musical has a number called "The Madness of King Scar," where he begins to go completely insane.
- The Lion Guard reveals that the cobra bite he received sent him insane and caused him to become the monster that he was. However, the show also goes out of its way to emphasize that while the bite sent him insane, it is not a redeeming factor as he openly relishes in his darker instincts and he seemed quite happy at what the venom did to him.
Sanity Slippage Song: "The Madness Of King Scar" in the musical version. He grows more insane as the song goes on, eventually seeing the ghost of Mufasa everywhere and becoming desperate to have cubs to continue his line. He also becomes increasingly paranoid, believing that the lionesses hate him (which they probably do) and are plotting to murder him (which, again, they probably are).
Satanic Archetype: He turns the Pridelands into Hell after killing his sibling, gorges himself at the expense of others, and his personality embodies all of the Seven Deadly Sins. The Lion Guard pushes it further: he returns as an Animalistic Abomination in stark contrast to the heavenly apparition of his brother. His lust for power remained even when he was the Fiercest of the Lion Guard, having killed the remaining members when they refused to support his coup against Mufasa. Just as Satan led an army of evildoers to challenge God, Scar leads a cult of Outlanders to actively oppose Simba and Kion after he was resurrected as a demonic monstrosity.
Scars Are Forever: Even when brought back as a spirit in The Lion Guard, he retains the scar on his face.
Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Deconstructed. "I am the king, I can do whatever I want." sums up his critical attitude as king of Pride Rock. However, it also leads him to a 0% Approval Rating by all of the animals, including his own hyena minions, who even confess that Mufasa was a better king than Scar.
Self-Serving Memory: In his Villain Song "When I Led the Guard", he claims that if it weren't for Simba, he'd still be ruling Pride Rock, obviously forgetting that the Pridelands had become a wasteland and by refusing to allow himself or any of his subjects to leave, he was condemning them all to death by starvation, meaning he would have died anyway.
Seven Deadly Sins: Scar displays every single one of them at one point or another.
- He believes himself to be deserving of power. What’s more, he refuses to depart the Pridelands, even if it means the death of his subjects. (Pride)
- He acts shiftless even as the Pridelands fall into ruin. (Sloth)
- He enjoys food while letting the rest of his kingdom, including his loyal followers, starve. (Gluttony)
- He is envious of his brother and nephew for getting the throne and plots their deaths for it. (Envy)
- In a deleted scene, he tries to force himself on Nala just to produce more heirs. Going by the Biblical definition, he has a raw lust for power and would do anything to obtain it. (Lust)
- It is clear he only cared about being king for the title and nothing else. Family or lackeys don't mean anything to him. (Greed)
- He gets angry whenever someone compares him unfavorably to Mufasa. (Wrath)
Shadow Archetype:
- Scar's time as a tyrant shows what Simba could have been without the moral guidance on how to be king. Simba eventually outgrew his belief that being king is all about the power and prestige, but Scar embraced it to the full extent, not caring about the royal duties.
- Like Kion in The Lion Guard, Scar once led the Lion Guard during Mufasa's regime and was blessed with the power of the Roar of the Elders. But since the Roar was never meant to be used for evil, Scar was stripped of it when he killed his own Lion Guard for not supporting him in his coup against Mufasa. Due to this, Kion constantly regulates the use of the Roar, fearing he may end up becoming Scar should he let anger poison his mind. In Season 3 of The Lion Guard, Scar arranges for Kion to get an identical scar-like he received from a cobra out of pure spite. He represents a Kion who let his bestowed gifts corrupt his mind and seek more power.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Unlike Mufasa, Scar is a Manipulative Bastard and willing to off his nephew if it means he has a shot at the crown.
Sissy Villain: He's rather effeminate and theatrical and notes that he's not much for physical fighting. The latter point is downplayed however as he'll fight when he needs to and doesn't go down easily.
Sketchy Successor: Justified Trope. His rule over Pride Lands proved disastrous because of his apathy. As he wasn't properly raised to be king, he is unmindful that there's more to this than just showing off. Due to this, he's too proud to acknowledge the damage his ineffectual rule has caused and earns a 0% Approval Rating from all animals for his tyranny.
The Slacker: Rules with slackness, causing the Pridelands to turn into a literal hellhole. A Justified Trope as he was not properly raised to be king. He is too prideful and/or selfish to realize he had been unfit to rule a kingdom.
Slasher Smile: The creepy smile he gives before tossing Mufasa to his death.
Small Name, Big Ego: Deconstructed. An egomaniac, he thinks he's a better king than Mufasa, but in truth, he stubbornly refused to acknowledge what his dysfunctional rule had caused, lashing out violently anytime Mufasa's name is mentioned.
Smug Snake:
- After becoming king. Although Scar was a master of manipulating everybody around him to seize the power he craved, he proved to be utterly amateurish at actually using the power once he had it, though this was more due to laziness and selfishness than a lack of intelligence. He wasn't cut out to be a king, so he had no experience. Like Simba as a cub, he thought that it was just all about the title rather than actual hard work. He originally persuaded the hyenas to support him by promising that they'd never go hungry again. Although the drought in the Pride Lands leads to a famine and causes the hyenas to bellyache about Scar even before Simba returns.
- Even before becoming King, he showed signs of this. Like Jafar, he's a supposed Manipulative Bastard with the glaring flaw of being Obviously Evil and doing nothing to counteract it. Often meaning that the only reason he has any success whatsoever is that everyone in the movie is a Horrible Judge of Character.
The So-Called Coward:
- The film describes Scar as a skinny weakling, who openly confesses that he's no match for Mufasa in a fight. During the climax, he begs Simba for mercy, but as soon as said mercy is granted, Scar ambushes Simba at full force and nearly beats him.
- If you watch the shadows closely, you'll notice he goes down fighting when the hyenas assault him en masse.
The Social Darwinist: He never tried to work in concert with the rest of his Guard or appreciated their skills, boasting that he was so strong he did not need them. This backfired on him when he went out patrolling alone - without his peers around, he was easily distracted by The Corrupter, and he was scarred by a surprise attack of the kind that the Keenest of Sight is trained to see coming. Even then he did not learn his lesson.
The Sociopath: Family or lackeys, he'll abandon them at the drop of a hat. He's a highly functioning sociopath, able to hide his true self beneath a veneer of charming manners, by faking his sadness after letting Mufasa and seemingly Simba perish in the wildebeest stampede. However, he has the classic traits of a true sociopath, since he is lazy, irresponsible, uncaring, sadistic, greedy and selfish. The Lion Guard emphasizes it even more, since his supposed "Freudian Excuse" is nonexistent. He was always a monster.
Soft-Spoken Sadist: He likes to keep a low tone at times.
Strike Me Down with All of Your Hatred!: Attempts to invoke this on Simba during the climax, but despite being tempted to kill him for Mufasa's murder, Simba refuses, asserting that he won't be like the lion who killed his older brother.
Stronger Than They Look: He looks scrawny and admits that he's lacking in the physical strength department. However, while he is backed on top of Pride Rock with nowhere to run, he proves to be forceful enough (and cunning enough) to nearly defeat the younger Simba.
Stupid Evil:
- You know, Scar, telling your nephew about how you killed his father doesn't exactly scream brilliant.
- Also, pinning the blame on your hyena minions was NOT a good idea.
Suddenly Shouting:
- While addressing the hyenas in "Be Prepared."
  The future is littered with prizes
  And though I'm the main addressee,
  The point that I must emphasize is:
  You won't get a sniff without me! (A random hyena falls into the crack in the ground.)
- He loses his patience and starts yelling whenever Mufasa is mentioned.
- When Simba forces him to admit to the rest of the pride the truth about Mufasa's murder, Scar initially tries to weasel his way out of it by whispering an inaudible confession. But when Simba presses down harder on his neck and tells him to say it so they can hear it, Scar shouts "I KILLED MUFASA!" without any remorse.
Surrounded by Idiots: Stated word for word in regards to the hyenas. It's also his only line in Once Upon a Studio after witnessing Ralph trip over a garbage bin before being cut off when Mr. Toad flies by on Carpet.
Sympathy for the Devil: Posthumously. Both Simba and Kiara lament in Lion King 2 that Scar couldn't let go of his hatred, and when it eventually consumed and destroyed him, he was His Own Worst Enemy.
Taking You with Me: After coming back as a spirit in The Lion Guard, he decides that if he couldn't rule the Pridelands while alive, then the Pridelands cannot outlive him, so his endgame was to see the Pridelands burn before him.
Taught by Experience: He still remembers that blaming the hyenas for Mufasa's death was the final nail that cost him Pride Rock in the movie, so when Janja betrays Scar to help the Guard, he simply feeds him misinformation on how to defeat him, which he gives to Kion and the Lion Guard
They Died Because of You: Right after killing Mufasa, Scar tells Simba that he's responsible for Mufasa's "unintentional" death.
This Cannot Be!: Scar's reaction in Season 3 of The Lion Guard when Kion summons the Elders to bring clouds that rain on the volcano.
Too Clever by Half: Scar is very cunning and skilled at getting power but proves to be utterly useless at actually using said power for anything productive and quickly lets the kingdom fall into ruin with his laziness and hedonism.
Too Dumb to Live: Telling Simba he killed Mufasa sets up his downfall. If that is not bad enough, he fibs to Simba about Mufasa's death by blaming it on the hyenas. He pays for that dearly.
Treachery Is a Special Kind of Evil: Family or lackeys, he'll betray anyone and everyone to usurp power and/or save his skin.
Tyrant Takes the Helm: Once he ultimately takes over the Pridelands. His reign proved to be disastrous due to his apathy, and he's too proud to acknowledge that he isn't "ten times the king" Mufasa ever was. Even his hyena lackeys grumble about his rule, but the dam breaks when he pinned the blame on them.
The Un-Favourite: Considering that his parents gave him a name that means "wanting" or "trash," and gave his brother a name that means "king," it's pretty clear who was their favorite... Subverted in the books, where he thinks he's this but it's shown his parents actually do care about him.
Ungrateful Bastard: At the end of The Lion King, Simba chases Scar to the top of a cliff, causing the wicked lion to beg for mercy and pin the death of Mufasa on the hyenas, to which Simba actually tells Scar to "run away and never return", but Scar responds by throwing burning embers into Simba's face and ambushing him while he is blinded. He does survive after his fight with Simba, though thanks to his blame on them, the hyenas, mad at Scar for showing treachery toward them and the job was complete.
Unknown Rival: Simba genuinely liked Scar, and even all those years later has no idea how much his uncle resented him. Scar did not bother to hide his resentment and want for power from Mufasa, even though he did not know that his sibling really loathed and wanted him deceased.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Implied in The Lion Guard, where a flashback shows him to be brighter-eyed and was led into the path of evil by a mentor, who fed him the idea that him having the Roar shows that he's capable of having more power. But it’s also downplayed because even before meeting his mentor he was arrogant and was inclined to let his power go to his head, which was why his mentor led him into the path of evil.
The Usurper: He concocted his whole Evil Plan in order to take over the Pridelands.
Utopia Justifies the Means: Subverted. While he lured his hyena lackeys with the promise of good food and care, it's actually the opposite. Even they realized Mufasa was a better ruler than he could ever be.
Victory Is Boring: He learns this after he took care of Mufasa and Simba and claimed the throne.
Vile Villain, Laughable Lackey: His dynamic with the three stupid and constantly bickering hyena minions. Downplayed, as in the end they turn against their master and kill him.
Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: Simply put, he gets the honor of committing the first onscreen murder in a Disney film, among other things. He's also the darkest villain in The Lion Guard.
Villain Ball: Having Simba trapped at the edge of Pride Rock and precariously clinging to the side, an overconfident Scar gloats about his nephew's imminent fate and — sure he will never stand justice, after having coerced him into admitting responsibility for his father's death — whispers that he actually plotted to kill Mufasa. He never thinks to simply throw him off, and is taken by surprise when Simba gains a huge Heroic Second Wind and leaps over the edge of Pride Rock to gain the upper hand.
Villain Decay: A rare intentional example. Scar manipulates everyone to make sure he gets what he wants. As soon as he gets it, he acts like a child. This was done to exemplify that he's not as cut out for ruling a kingdom as he thinks he is.
Villain Has a Point: Scar "warning" Simba about the dangers of the elephant graveyard was an act of Reverse Psychology to lure him in, but if it were played straight, it is considerably helpful advice to stay out of trouble.
Villain Protagonist: The film is arguably just as much about him and his character development (or decay) as it is about Simba or any of the other characters. The title could even refer to him, as he's pretty much the king for the majority of the film.
Villainous Breakdown:
- "The Madness of King Scar" in the Broadway musical version, a song that really focuses on his shift from Magnificent Bastard to Smug Snake in his reign as king.
- After he seemingly turns to leave when ordered by Simba, he abruptly kicks burning embers onto Simba and attacks him.
- When he loses the fight with Simba and is thrown off of Pride Rock, he finds his hyena minions, who overheard his plot to betray them. He tries begging for his life again to no luck.
  - The original ending of the film had a far more pronounced one. After his fight with Simba, which ends with Simba being the one thrown off Pride Rock (but lives), Scar is last seen laughing insanely as the fires surrounding Pride Rock engulf and kill him.
- In season 3 of The Lion Guard, he is left baffled when Kion forgives him and finally breaks down when he is permanently destroyed by rain brought by the Elders.
  Scar: The roar is a curse, Kion! You'll see! SISI NI SAWAAAA!
Villainous Legacy: His sinister influence is still felt years after his death, since the primary villains in the sequel and TV show are his sympathizers wanting revenge. In The Lion Guard, Kion often fears that he'll end up becoming like Scar.
Villainous Widow's Peak: Scar has one that complements his dark, evil character.
Villain Song: "Be Prepared" were he explains to the Hyenas how he intended to murder his brother and nephew to become king. There is also a cut reprise to "Be Prepared" where he expresses his desire to make Nala his queen, and introduces the Hyenas as his 'executive staff.' The Lion Guard gives him two more: "I Have A Plan", in which he lays the groundwork for assembling a legion of antagonistic Outland animals to take over the Pride Lands, and "When I Led the Guard", in which he explains to Ushari how he got his scar.
Villains Want Mercy: The minute Simba corners him at the top of Pride Rock, Scar starts desperately begging him for mercy, pulling such cards as reminding him they're family and blaming the hyenas for his own actions. Simba ultimately opts to let Scar go on the condition that he go into exile; Scar turns to leave, but then kicks burning embers into Simba's eyes and attacks him. When he loses the subsequent fight and is thrown off of Pride Rock, he's met with the hyenas, who overheard everything, and tries begging for his life again. No such luck with the hyenas, and he's ripped apart for it..
Scar: No! Let- No, let-let-let-let me explain! No, you don't understand! No, I didn't mean- No! No! I-I-I'm sorry! I... N-No! NO! (camera pans up to show just Scar's shadow; the hyenas jump on Scar and tear him apart)
Wants a Prize for Basic Decency: As revealed in "Battle of the Pride Lands," Scar expected to receive praise "near and far" for killing the rogue lion and his cobra companion, only to be furious when Mufasa just playfully ruffled his mane and nicknamed him "Scar". This is despite the fact that protecting the Pride Lands from such threats was part of Scar's job in the first place.
Wanting Is Better Than Having: After killing Mufasa and finally becoming the King of Pride Rock, he ends up turning the paradise to ruins. Scar is obviously too proud to admit that he wasn't cut out for the job.
Weak, but Skilled: He freely admits to not measuring up to Mufasa's level of strength, but he is a good short-term schemer and Combat Pragmatist, and he is able to fight evenly with the younger Simba.
We Used to Be Friends: Scar and his Lion Guard trusted each other, only for Scar to become a Fallen Hero and destroy them.
What's He Got That I Ain't Got?!: A deleted scene in The Lion King has Scar asking Zazu what Mufasa has that he doesn't. Zazu then lists off some things that Scar lacks of, like "adoring subjects, respect of your species, a loving family, and a devoted queen."
While Rome Burns: Under his reign, the Pridelands have become a barren wasteland and everyone under his command is facing starvation. He is fully prepared to let everyone drop dead instead of allowing them to leave all for the sake of preserving his hold on power. And if that weren't enough, the Pridelands actually do burn as a violent storm sets fire to the long-dead savannah surrounding his domain, and he isn't the least bit fazed by it as he prepares to murder Simba.
Wicked Cultured: Not only does he have the most refined speech of any of the characters, but somehow he knows about the gene pool.
Would Hurt a Child: His sadism shows by putting the cub Simba in extreme danger thrice; first by tricking him into going to the Elephant Graveyard in hyena territory, then by engineering the wildebeest stampede, and finally by ordering the hyenas to kill him after Mufasa's death. Even worse, his original plan was for Simba to die in the stampede along with Mufasa. He was clearly perfectly okay with Nala being in the Elephant Graveyard too.
Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: Scar does this during the final battle with Simba, who was blaming himself all movie for the death of his father. Which is all the provocation Simba needs to turn the battle around and kick Scar's ass.
Xanatos Speed Chess: Details from the beginning of The Lion King strongly imply that his initial plan was to have Simba killed only, so he'd remove competition for the throne. It wasn't until the hyenas' failure to kill Simba due to Mufasa's interference, as well as Banzai's sardonic question of whether Scar should kill Mufasa to get the throne that Scar even considered the idea of killing Mufasa in the first place. Even more impressively, when Simba makes his big return, after getting over his initial shock at Simba being alive, Scar is able to improvise and nearly kill Simba.
Yellow Eyes of Sneakiness: While all the lions in the franchise have yellow sclerae, Scar's the only one who plays to the trope by being sneaky, crafty, and the main villain.

Characters / The Lion King: Scar

Scar

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Characters / The Lion King: Scar

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Scar

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