Scar (The Lion King)/Synopsis

Villain Overview Synopsis Gallery

The story of the wicked usurper Scar from the 1994 Disney film The Lion King and its sequels and television series.

The Lion King Franchise

Background

Early Years

Scar was born in the Pride Lands under the name Askari (according to The Lion Guard producer Ford Riley) to the then King and Queen of Pride Rock, who previously had another son named Mufasa. As the second-born child of the Lion King and/or Queen, Askari was traditionally assigned to lead the Lion Guard (whose first leader was Askari's namesake), a team of lions who protected the Pride Lands and defended the Circle of Life, while Mufasa, as the eldest cub, was destined to become the next king of the Pride Lands. Like all the previous leaders, Askari was granted a power known as the Roar of the Elders, which causes the lions of the past to roar along with him whenever he roared. However, having the Roar made Askari feel powerful, and that power eventually went to his head. Because of this, Askari grew to become quite arrogant and selfish, preferring to go out on patrols all alone instead of with his team and always expecting to be praised for all his actions. In addition, Askari was also jealous of Mufasa for being heir to the throne instead of him and secretly desired it for himself while carrying on with his duties.

Fall of Askari

Then one day while Askari was still an adolescent, during a solo scout in the Outlands, he encountered a mysterious lion who he'd never met before but apparently befriended quickly. The lion claimed to have wisdom and power, and believed that the most powerful lion should be the true ruler of the Pride Lands. He then stated that if he and Askari teamed up, then their alliance, along with the Roar, could overthrow Mufasa and enable them to rule in his place. Askari, who already had aspirations to be king, found this idea interesting, though he did not really plan on sharing his power with his new "friend". The lion then leads Askari deep into the Outlands, where, right next to an active volcano, he springs his trap by having his hidden ally, a mysterious blue cobra, strike at Askari's face, biting him on his left eye and giving him his trademark scar. The venomous bite had also poisoned Askari's mind, making him unable to control his darker emotions.

The lion then revealed his true plan: He and the cobra plan to use Askari as their pawn to take control of the Pride Lands for themselves by blackmailing him with a possible cure to the cobra's venom. But this plan ultimately backfired, as Askari was so enraged by the lion's deception, coupled by the venom, that he furiously roared at the lion and his cobra friend, blowing them away and causing the volcano to erupt, thus killing them both. Upon returning to Pride Rock, Askari told Mufasa about the ordeal and expected to be praised by all for vanquishing the two villains. But despite being impressed, rather than praising Askari, Mufasa instead patted his brother on the head, playfully mocked him by giving him a nickname based on his new facial scar and then walked away. Outraged at not being taken seriously, Mufasa's supposed lack of appreciation for him, and with the venom changing his personality for the worst, the furious and newly christened "Scar" grew to despise his brother completely and finally decided to overthrow him and become king of the Pride Lands.

Rise of Scar

Scar held a meeting near a rock in the Outlands with the rest of his Lion Guard to explain his plan, but they refused to be a part of such a scheme, and also likely planned to stop him themselves. Outraged at being "betrayed" again, Scar used the Roar on his former comrades, blowing them all away and thus murdered them without a shred of remorse (this event also created Broken Rock, where Janja would meet Scar's great-niece Kiara years later). Unbeknownst to Scar, however, the Roar of the Elders was only ever meant to be used for good, and so by using it for evil and losing what little remained of his previous nobler side, Scar was stripped of this power completely. Scar looked in surprise when the Lion Guard mark on his shoulder vanished, which symbolized his loss of the Roar. He somehow kept the actual reason of losing both his companions and the Roar a secret from everyone else for some time, as evidenced that he was not punished for his heinous crime (though this secret was later discovered later on through unknown means by Simba and Rafiki).

Without his Lion Guard or the Roar, Scar was forced to come up with another plan to usurp Mufasa. Over the years, his bitter jealousy further twisted him into the selfish, power-hungry tyrant he is remembered for. In time, he found new allies in the form of the hyena clan, who he promised food in exchange for their services. Eventually, his plan to take the throne was then made even more difficult by the birth of Mufasa's son, Simba, causing him to hate his newborn nephew as he did his brother and thus planned to dispose of him as well.

The Lion King

Birth of Simba

In his debut, Scar is first seen after the presentation of his nephew Simba, catching a mouse and telling it that life is not fair as he shall never be King and the mouse will never see the light of another day. Before Scar can eat the mouse, he is confronted by Zazu, giving the mouse time to escape. Annoyed at losing his lunch, Scar attempts to eat Zazu, but is stopped by Mufasa, who confronts Scar over missing the ceremony. Scar claims that it must have slipped his mind. Zazu tells Scar that as the King's brother, he should have been first in line, to which Scar replies that he "was" first in line until Simba (whom Scar refers to as "the little hairball") was born. Mufasa replies that the "hairball" is his son and Scar's future King, to which Scar sarcastically replies that he will practice his curtsy. Scar attempts to leave, causing Mufasa to warn him not to turn his back on him, to which Scar replies that perhaps Mufasa shouldn't turn his back on him. When Mufasa demands to know if Scar was challenging him, Scar assures that he wouldn't even consider challenging his older brother, as he knows he will lose in any contest of strength with him. After this, Scar exits Pride Rock.

Plot to Assassinate Simba

A few months later, Scar is visited by Simba, who tells him that Mufasa showed him around the whole kingdom. Scar, pretending to be a kind uncle asks Simba if Mufasa showed him the rise above the northern border, to which Simba says that Mufasa told him that he could not go there. Scar replies that only the bravest lions go there and reveal that the place is an elephant graveyard, but has Simba promise to not visit there, to which Simba says he won't. However, Scar, knowing that Simba will go to the Elephant Graveyard anyway just to prove his bravery, secretly orders his hyena minions, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed to kill the cub as part of his plan to overthrow Mufasa as king. But Simba and his friend Nala are saved by Mufasa, who scares off the hyenas and brings the cubs back home. It's then shown that Scar watched the whole thing on top and was very angry that his plan had failed.

Later that night, Scar goes to the hyenas and becomes quickly aggravated by their mentions of Mufasa being stronger than him and assumptions that they are actually friends. Though he is disappointed in their failure to murder Simba, he nonetheless gives them a zebra leg to eat for their services and loyalty. When the hyenas point out that killing the cub will be difficult as long as Mufasa is around, Scar agrees with them and sings his song "Be Prepared", revealing his intention to murder both Mufasa and Simba and claim the throne to himself. He also convinces the hyena trio and the rest of their clan to help him in his plan by promising that they will never go hungry again should he become king.

Scar has Simba stay inside the gorge, setting up another trap for him.

Death of Mufasa and Simba's Exile

“	Run away, Simba. Run. Run away, and never return.	„
	~ Scar banishing the young Simba after slyly incriminating the death of Mufasa on him.

Sometime later, Scar sets up another trap for Simba by convincing him stay inside a gorge by promising a surprise for him while ominously hinting his true intention by saying "it's to die for". He then approaches the hyena trio, who were secretly stalking a wildebeest herd just outside the gorge, giving the signal to chase them into the gorge, causing a stampede where Simba was. With that done, Scar alerts Mufasa to the incident and the two brothers along with Zazu race to the gorge to rescue him. Whilst Mufasa dives into the stampede to rescue Simba, Zazu declares that he will go and get help, but Scar knocks the hornbill out by hitting him against a wall to keep him quiet. He then watches Mufasa and Simba struggle to survive the stampede while following them on a ledge.

After Mufasa manages to get Simba and himself out of the stampede, he begins climbing to safety, but is unable to reach the ledge. Mufasa then looks up and spots Scar coldly staring at him and pleads for his brother to help him. However, Scar, seizing the opportunity presented by his usually powerful brother's helplessness, grabs hold of his paws and sinks his claws into them, which makes Mufasa roar in pain. Scar then leans over and gave his horrified brother a cruel smile before saying his most infamous line. He then heartlessly hurls Mufasa off the cliff back into the stampede, where he is trampled to death by the wildebeest while the horrified Simba watches.

Moments after the stampede is over, Scar goes into the gorge (most likely to make sure that Mufasa didn't survive) and finds the distraught Simba next to Mufasa's corpse, mourning his father's demise. As Simba did not see his uncle's action of throwing Mufasa, Scar manages to manipulate a devastated cub into thinking Mufasa's death was his fault (as Simba had roared seconds before the stampede started), and he tells him to run away and never return, implying that he would kill him if he doesn't. The minute Simba is out of earshot, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed appear and are ordered by Scar to kill Simba. However, Simba manages to escape the hyenas and they choose to not tell Scar of it, reasoning that Simba will die out in the desert anyway.

Believing Simba to be dead, Scar returns to Pride Rock and tells the pride that both their king and prince perished in the stampede, breaking the hearts of everyone present, especially Zazu, Nala and Queen Sarabi. He then "with a heavy heart", takes over Mufasa's throne, but promises that from this tragedy will rise a new era in where lions and hyenas shall live as one. As he makes this proclamation, the hyenas begin swarming Pride Rock as they make it their new home, thus breaking the Circle of Life.

Reign of Scar

Though Scar promised that the lions and hyenas would live in harmony, the hyenas mostly acted as enforcers of Scar's rule while the lionesses were forced to hunt for larger amounts of food than usual to satisfy both species. This over-hunting ultimately resulted in the various species of the Pridelands to wander off, causing a famine that turns the kingdom from a lush ecosystem into a barren wasteland. Drought also has stricken the lands, and both the lions and hyenas are complaining over the lack of food or water left for them to feed on, despite Scar's promise to the hyenas that they'd never go hungry again. However, Scar refuses to accept any responsibility or do anything about it, and in addition, he also forbade any mention of Mufasa's name in his presence.

Despite Scar's unpopularity among the other lions, he developed a close relationship with the lioness Zira and her two cubs Nuka and Vitani, and thus she became his strongest supporter with many other lionesses backing her up. At some point, she gave birth to a male cub named Kovu, who Scar chose to be his heir despite not being his actual son.

During the final days of Scar's rule, as meals begin to become more skimpy, he traps Zazu in a bone cage and forces the hornbill to sing to him as he lies on his throne, picking his teeth with the bones of his previous meal. When Zazu accidentally slips Mufasa's name, Scar reacts with fury. Shortly after this, the hyena trio come before Scar, grousing about the land being bare of any food or water. Scar, however, blames the lionesses and insists that they'd eat Zazu to tide themselves over. When Banzai whispers Mufasa's name, Scar slightly hears this and furiously demands them to leave immediately.

Return of Simba

When Simba returns to Pride Rock after being convinced by Nala, Rafiki and Mufasa's spirit, he arrives in time to witness Scar angrily summoning Simba's mother and his sister-in-law, Sarabi. After passing the snarling hyenas, she approaches Scar, and the false king demands to know why her hunting party hasn't brought any food back recently. Sarabi attempts to explain the famine situation and that in order to survive, they must leave Pride Rock in search of a new home. Scar, refusing to admit his fault, forbids anyone leave his kingdom. Sarabi states that he cannot do this as it would lead to the deaths of everyone in it, but Scar asserts that as the king, he has the privilege to do as he pleases. After Sarabi unfavorably compares Scar to her late husband, Mufasa, Scar loses his temper and brutally strikes Sarabi aside.

Just then, another lion appears and comes to Sarabi's defense. Scar initially mistakes the lion for the deceased Mufasa before discovering that he is in fact an older Simba. After realizing who the interloper truly was, the surprised Scar pretends to be happy to see Simba alive and well while also giving the hyena trio an angry glare for failing to kill Simba as ordered. When Simba threatens to kill Scar for striking his mother, Scar attempts to explain that the duties of being the king have been difficult for him to bear. Simba then tells Scar to abdicate the throne to him and let him bear the responsibility. Scar pretends to agree with Simba's statement, but then points out the army of hyenas looking down on him, saying that they firmly believe that Scar should remain as king, only to be rebuked by Nala, who states that Simba is the rightful ruler of the Pridelands with the other lionesses, including Sarabi backing her up (it's unknown where Zira and her followers were at this point).

Simba gives his uncle a choice: either resign the throne or fight for it. But Scar questions on must it all end in violence and how he would hate to be responsible for the death of a family member and asks Simba if he agrees. When Simba says that he has put it behind him, Scar questions on if the pride has put it behind them. When Nala asks what Scar is talking about, Scar acts surprised that Simba has not told the pride his little secret and says that now is his chance to tell them who is responsible for Mufasa's death. After Simba admits that he is responsible, Scar calls him a murderer and backs him off the edge of Pride Rock at the same time a rogue lightning bolt strikes the ground below and lights the surrounding area on fire. As Simba clings on to the rock, Scar says that the scene looks familiar to him and wonders why. Scar then remembers that it was the same way Mufasa looked before he died just as Simba loses his footing and starts to slide further down Pride Rock. Rather than allow Simba to simply lose his grip and fall to his death, Scar (hoping to taunt his nephew further and to presumably kill him personally) grabs hold of his paws and sinks his claws into them (like he did to Mufasa), before leaning over and whispering to Simba "his little secret", that it was he himself who really killed Mufasa.

Before Scar can throw Simba off Pride Rock into the flames as his punishment, the younger lion upon realizing the truth and Scar being a liar and should be the one to be punished manages to free himself from Scar's grip, jumping up and pinning him down. Simba angrily demands that he confesses to Mufasa's murder to the pride. When Scar is unwilling to confess, Simba starts to choke his uncle by pressing his paw onto his throat. Scar then announces the truth, though in a low tone until he is forced to say it aloud and this causes the rest of the pride to rebel against him for his treachery and falsely accusing Simba over Mufasa's demise. The hyenas come to the king's aid and attack Simba and a fierce battle ensues between the pride, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, and the hyena clan. Scar uses the ensuing discord to attempt to escape, but Simba manages to corner him at the top of Pride Rock and prepares to avenge his father. Scar pleads for his life, blaming his evil plot on the hyenas (not knowing that Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed overheard everything and realize Scar's true nature, causing them to angrily back away while snarling).

Fall of Scar

Simba at first ignores Scar's pleads. However, not wanting to become the monster Scar was, Simba refuses to kill Scar. Feigning gratitude, Scar asks what he could do to make up for all that he had done, possibly expecting to remain in the Pride Lands long enough to retake the throne. Simba, knowing that Scar cannot be trusted due to the lies he told him all his life, banishes him from the Pride Lands by saying the same words that Scar said to Simba after Mufasa's death. Recoiling on this, Scar pretends to obey Simba's demand at first, but then manages to ambush Simba by throwing burning embers into his face before attacking him. Scar rams Simba’s head and bites on his neck, but Simba violently slaps his face and rams into Scar, beginning the battle. The two engage in a vicious fight until Scar pushes Simba on his backside on the edge of Pride Rock. He then lunges at Simba, preparing to deal the final blow to his nephew, but Simba counters this and kicks his uncle off of Pride Rock to the ground below.

Scar survives the fall, and as he struggles to his feet, the hyenas arrive. Scar greets his "friends" in a pleasant matter, but, to his horror, the hyenas reveal that they overheard Scar blaming his crimes on them. In their hunger and vengeance, the hyenas, realizing that Scar had thrown them under the bus, begin to surround their treacherous former leader with wide grins. Realizing his mistake, Scar desperately pleads for his life and attempts to explain his earlier statements, but to no avail; the hyenas had enough of his treachery, lies, derogatory treatment, and broken promises. As they hyenas went in, they close in, leap upon Scar and rip him apart as flames rise around them. It's implied (based on Ed licking his lips) that Scar was eaten alive by the hungry hyenas both for his betrayal and his broken promises, although he could also just have been mauled by his former sidekicks and subsequently burned to death.

The Lion King 1 1/2

In the 2004 midquel, Scar is the overarching antagonist. Scar made a few cameo appearances and he has a silent cameo, as the story shows the viewpoints of Timon and Pumbaa while Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed take on the role of the main antagonists. Scar's first appearance is when he cornered Simba at the cliff of Pride Rock before the battle began. He is later seen being chased by Simba across the peak of Pride Rock, and he is last seen tumbling over the edge of the cliff after being defeated by Simba before being eaten alive by the jaws of the hyenas. Upon seeing Scar fall, Pumbaa says "I think Scar is down and out!".

The Lion Guard

Scar's spirit in The Lion Guard.

“	They thought I was defeated, but very soon we'll see. The shock as I rise from the flames so triumphantly. I never thought I'd have this chance. Oh, how long it's been. A second opportunity and this time I'll win.	„
	~ Scar about his return in The Lion Guard.

“	THE ROAR IS CURSE, KION! YOU'LL SEE! SISI NI SAWA!!!	„
	~ Scar's last words after being defeated by Kion

Though Scar is long dead, his legacy had a big effect on his great-nephew, Simba's son, Kion. After gaining the power of The Roar and learning of Scar's past and his misuse of the roar. Kion became more cautious about using the Roar for good instead of evil.

In the first season episode "Lions of the Outlands", Scar is mentioned to have had a close relationship with Zira and told her about the Roar of the Elders and how he lost it. This explains why she was so loyal to him in the second movie.

Scar eventually returns as a spirit summoned out from the realm of the dead and serves as the main antagonist in the second season of the series after Kion unintentionally helps Janja and Ushari to summon him by using the Roar of the Elders in anger.

In the special episode "The Rise of Scar", finally growing tired of being hurt anytime he is near the Lion Guard and after discovering Kion's secret of speaking to his grandfather Mufasa's spirit, the snake Ushari starts wondering how he can use that information for his own benefit. He eventually runs into Janja and his Clan and, in order to save himself from being eaten, Ushari starts trying to bargain with Janja, telling him of Kion's secret. The pair wonder if they can bring Scar back to life, and do some research. Eventually, they learn that to summon Scar, they need fire, a Bakora Staff, and Kion to use the Roar of the Elders. Knowing that Kion's roar is most powerful when his loved ones are threatened, Janja's clan kidnaps Kiara and steals the Bakora Staff of Rafiki's apprentice Makini and return to their volcano lair.

Although the Lion Guard rescue Kiara, Janja warns Kion that he and his clan will keep coming back again to harm his family, causing Kion to unleash the Roar of the Elders in anger in the lair, causing the volcano to erupt. After the Guard leaves, Ushari starts to use the Bakora Staff to try and summon Scar, but nothing happens. Furious, Janja grabs the staff and kicks it into the volcano. With a small eruption Scar suddenly appears and, after being questioned, introduces himself.

In the episode "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie", now that he's revived, Scar begins to plot to get his revenge on Simba and reclaim control over the Pride Lands, first forming an alliance with Ushari and Janja and his clan. Upon learning from Ushari's Skinks spies that the Lion Guard has accidentally awakened Makuu and his float from their hibernation during the dry season, Scar sees this as an opportunity to wreak havoc in the Pride Lands and orders the Skinks to keep watch on the situation and inform him of any changes. When informed that Kiburi, a rebellious member of Makuu's float, has challenged the latter to a Mashindano, Scar decides this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of Simba, knowing that many Pride Landers, as well as the royal family, will be in attendance. He orders Ushari to trick Kiburi into believing that if he killed Simba, he will rule the Pride Lands. However, while Ushari succeeds in tricking Kiburi, the plan ultimately fails, due to the Lion Guard's interference. This also causes Kiburi and his three crocodile followers to be banished from both the crocodile float and the Pride Lands forever.

On their way in the Outlands, Kiburi and his followers run into Ushari again, who takes them to the volcano, where Scar reveals himself to them. Singing "I Have A Plan", Scar explains his revenge plan to Janja, Ushari, Cheezi, Chungu, Kiburi and his followers, explaining his scheme to unify all of the animals in the Outlands. With an army of henchmen at his side once more, Scar seeks to ignite a hostile takeover of the Pride Lands to reclaim the kingdom as his own domain and break the Circle of Life for good.

In the episode "Swept Away", Upon learning from one of Ushari's Skinks spies that Beshte has ended up in the Outlands alone, Scar sees this as a good opportunity to eliminate the strongest of the Lion Guard, which would weaken it. When questioned by Cheezi and Chungu about how they're going to do that, Scar irritably reminds them that it is the dry season and too much sun weakens hippopotamuses. As Beshte already seems to trust Ushari's Skinks, Scar decides to take advantage of this and then explains his plan: the Skinks will lure Besthe to the Rocky Plateau where Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu could trap and crush him by dropping rocks.

The plan nearly succeeds but is ultimately thwarted when the rest of the Guard arrives just in time and Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to send the hyenas flying away. After landing near the volcano, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu decide not to return to Scar immediately, knowing that he will be so furious at them for their failure. Unfortunately for them, as they begin to walk away, Ushari arrives and coldly informs them that Scar wishes to speak to them now and he is not happy. A small eruption can be seen at the top of the volcano, apparently confirming this.

In the episode "Rescue in the Outlands", Scar sends Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu in search of Reirei's Pack, wanting to get them on his side. During their search for the jackals, Janja and his goons stumble on Jasiri, who marks the area as her turf (something which Janja forgot to do) and defeats and sends them back to the volcano when they try to get it back. Upon hearing about Jasiri, Scar, at first, sees her as a possible valuable ally, but Janja reveals that Jasiri is friends with the Lion Guard and also respects the Circle of Life, unlike the other Outlanders (singing "The Worst Hyena We Know" in the process). With this information, Scar changes his mind and decides that she is a threat. He orders Janja to get rid of her immediately and to do this with his entire clan, as he perfectly understands that Jasiri is too strong for only him, Cheezi, and Chungu. As they leave, Scar coldly warns Janja to not disappoint him again.

Janja and his clan nearly succeed in getting rid of Jasiri and also two hyena cubs named Tunu and Wema at the same time, but ultimately fails, as Madoa (Jasiri's sister) secretly escapes to warn the Lion Guard, who save Jasiri and the two cubs and chase Janja's clan away.

In the episode "The Bite of Kenge", Scar stops an argument between Janja, Cheezi, Chungu, and Ushari (the latter having been trampled on by the others) and learns from the hyenas that they have discovered a supply of watermelons intended for the elephants through the Dry Season. Scar sees this as the potential to break the Circle of Life by removing the watermelons from the Pride Lands as this will cause the elephants to become dehydrated as a result. He orders Janja and his goons to return and steal all of the watermelons. But Janja is hesitant as the Lion Guard had already prevented them from doing so earlier and will probably be waiting for them. Ushari then reveals having a friend who can help and will not disappoint them. Satisfied, Scar orders Ushari to find his friend Kenge and tell him to deal with the Lion Guard.

In the episode "The Morning Report", Scar orders Janja and his hyenas to kidnap Zazu. When Janja questions him on what to do next, Scar orders him to interrogate Zazu. Although this annoys Janja, Scar explains that being Simba's royal adviser, Zazu is "keeper of all the secrets of the Pride Lands", and that the information Zazu could disperse would make it easy for them to take over the Pride Lands. He then tells Janja to hurry as the Lion Guard must already be looking for Zazu. The bird is saved at the last moment by the guard.

In the episode "Divide and Conquer", Scar sends Janja's clan and Reirei's pack into the Pride Lands to eliminate Rafiki as he can sense Lions of the Past. Luckily, Rafiki and The Lion Guard are able to defeat the two groups. However, during the battle, Janja tries to escape, only for Scar to appear and berate him for being cowardly, unaware that they are being watched by Kion.

In the episode "The Scorpion's Sting", Scar gathers up all his minions at the volcano and reveals his plot to defeat Simba and the Lion Guard. When Janja asks how they are going to get rid of Simba and the Lion Guard on the same day, Scar reveals that he brought in some help and sends Sumu, a scorpion, to sting Simba. After Sumu accomplishes his job, the Lion Guard and Makini head to the Outlands to get volcanic ash to heal Simba, and Scar sends his minions to slow down the heroes. After beating Kiburi's float, Reirei's pack, and Janja's clan, the Lion Guard and Makini arrive at the volcano, where they gather some volcanic ash and get ready to leave, when suddenly, Scar appears from the volcano to greet them. Kion recognizes Scar, but decides not to fight him and prepares to leave, only to be surrounded by Scar's minions. When Kion decides to use the Roar, Scar warns him of the side-effects of using it in a volcano, but the lion cub surprises him by using the Roar in a way he never thought possible, and is able to clear a path, defeating Ushari, the skinks, Kenge, Kiburi's float, Reirei's pack and Janja's clan in the process. In a last resort, Scar orders Mzingo and his flock to get the gourd with the ash, but when the vultures are defeated, Scar states in frustration that the war has just begun.

In the episode "The Kilio Valley Fire", Scar orders his minions to set fire to the Kilio Valley (the Pride Lands's elephants' home). After they succeed in doing so, he rises from the small flame of a remaining flaming stick that was thrown to the ground by a member of Mzingo's flock named Mwoga and praises them for their victory before ordering them to remain in Kilio Valley. When being questioned by Kiburi and Reirei, Scar reveals that his plan is to take over the Pride Lands piece by piece so that the Lion Guard will have nothing left to defend the Circle of Life and protect the Pride Lands.

Later on, in the episode "Undercover Kinyonga", Scar summons Janja and his clan back to the volcano. He stops a brief argument from Ushari and Janja (as the cobra was berating the hyena for being late), stating he has no time for "these ridiculous arguments". He then orders Janja to enter the Pride Lands with his entire clan, enter the riverbank above Hakuna Matata Falls at night, and push the rocks into the river until it stops the water from flowing as this will cut off major water supply during the middle of the dry season, which will thus cause the Pride Landers to get thirsty and will plunge the Pride Lands into unrest, desperation, and chaos. However, Scar is unaware that a female chameleon named Kinyonga, who is spying on him by using her camouflage ability, has heard everything and is planning to expose it to the Lion Guard so they can foil his scheme.

Soon after the plan has been confirmed, however, Shupavu and her group notice Kinyonga's shadow against a wall, and brings her to the attention of Scar, who then asks to know who dares to spy on him. Ushari then commands them to stop the intruder, and the skinks pursues Kinyonga out of the volcano but ultimately fails to apprehend her.

In the episode "The Hyena Resistance", Scar orders a three-sided attack to take over Mizimu Grove, with Janja's leading. However, Janja's clan gets blocked by a rock slide caused and is forced to return to the volcano. When Janja tells Scar the bad news, the latter gets extremely angry and fiercely roars at the hyena, knocking him away. Scar almost grows angry at Kiburi too, who saves himself by stating that the problem was that the plan did not go as planned. Scar then orders another attack, this time on Big Springs, with Kiburi leading. Once again, the attack is thwarted. Scar then orders another attack under Reirei's leadership, but the same thing occurs.

After the three failed attacks, Jasiri celebrates the Hyena Resistance's success with Kion on the border of the Outlands and the Pride Lands. Unbeknownst to them, Njano and Shupavu overhear the conversation and report back to Scar. Scar then questions Janja on Jasiri's status, as Janja had previously reported that Jasiri had fallen into a lava pit along with some hyena cubs. Janja then fearfully confesses that the Lion Guard had come to save her meaning he lied. Furious, Scar then orders Janja to takes care of her and her clan for good, by playing them at their own game. He tells Janja to announce that he and his clan will be attacking Mizimu Grove again, but will instead attack her and her clan while the Lion Guard is at the grove. Janja gets confused initially, but Scar soon makes it clear. After telling him to also bring the jackals and crocodiles with him and his clan, Scar coldly warns Janja not to fail again.

In the episode "The Underground Adventure", after hearing From Shupavu and Njano that Kion, Bunga, Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri are at the mud pots at the edge of the Pridelands, Scar orders Njano to fetch him a vulture, who will be delivering a "gift of fire" to Kion and his companions.

In Beshte and the Beast, Scar is furious when he hears that Janja's clan, Reirei's pack and Kiburi's float were defeated again. They then explain that it was actually a very big and strong gorilla named Shujaa who defeated them, not the Lion Guard and that he was able to tear apart the landscape easily. Scar's fury turns into interest and excitement upon learning this. Since the gorilla is destroying the Pride Lands while he's trying to help the Lion Guard, Scar orders his army to keep attacking so the gorilla can make more damage.

In the episode titled "Pride Landers Unite!", Scar's spies Shupavu and Njano find out about Kion leading a small group of pridelands animals to help fight Scar's army. He orders the hyenas, jackals and crocodiles to go to Makuu's watering hole and they attempt to take it over which fails in the end.

In the episode "The Queen's Visit", Scar's spies discover a water treaty between the backlands and the pridelands with a rare leucistic/golden zebra named Dhahabu and demands that it must be put to an end, so he sends the jackals to try and kill Dhahabu but then Raha and Starahe, two zebra siblings that are Dhahabu's best friends, stop the jackals and Dahabu is saved.

In The Fall of Mizimu Grove, Scar orders his army to ruin the event after hearing the news of Makini's Mpando Mpaya from the skinks. During the battle, small flames fall from the sky, setting Mizimu Grove on fire and destroying it. Scar then appears in the flames, making himself known to of all the Pride Landers and confronts Simba for the first time since his return. When Simba demands to know what Scar wants, Scar taunts his nephew by calling him naïve and listing his success in destroying first the Kilio Valley, then the Mizimu Grove, and now Big Springs. He then leaves laughing after declaring that soon all the Pride Lands will be his again. However Simba tells him that he already lost his home by letting him take over a long time ago but he won't let him do it again. Scar disagrees because the Pride Lands will belong to him again. Terrified to learn that Scar has returned, the Pride Landers panic and consider leaving the Pride Lands.

In “Battle for the Pride Lands”, Ushari is talking to Scar saying that Janja might switch sides. Shupavu's Group comes to Scar with their news. When Janja walks in, Scar orders him to go to the Lair of the Lion Guard and block the guard from going out and mentions him that if Kion uses the Roar of the Elders on the volcano, then he will be destroyed for good. Janja believes this and goes to the Pride Lands to switch sides by telling Kion about how he can exterminate Scar's spirit. Unknown to Janja, Kion's use of the Roar inside the volcano would actually trigger a cataclysmic eruption that would destroy the Pride Lands as part of Scar's revenge. While waiting for Kion, Scar tells Ushari how he got his scar when he was attacked by the Strange lion and the Strange Cobra during his youth.

Scar's spirit is finally vanquished for good by the rain of the Great Kings of the Past, ceasing to exist

When the Lion Guard enters the volcano, Scar asks Ushari to charge at Kion. Ushari does so and gives Kion a scar of his own much like the one the Strange Cobra gave to Scar years ago. Kion soon says that he will never be like his great evil uncle. Scar then says that they're the same and there's no other choice but to accept it. Kion plans another choice and forgives Scar for what he's done, much to his great uncle's astonishment. Deciding that he can't judge Scar for his actions but that the Great Kings of the Past should do so, Kion blows on Scar to make it rain on him. Realizing now that he's doomed once again (and this time forever), Scar furiously tells Kion that he will eventually see that the Roar is a curse as Scar himself let the power of the Roar get to his head, and that Kion will suffer the same fate as Scar once had. With his last words, Scar declares that he and Kion will be the same before he vanishes away into steam, erased from existence.

Following Ushari's death, Kion soon learns that he's losing control of the Roar due to the venom, which makes him wonder whether Scar is right about the Roar being a curse or not. Fortunately, Kion and his friends head over to the Tree of Life, where he finds a cure to negate the venom. After Makucha, Mama Binturong and Zira were defeated, Kion passed down the title as leader of the Lion Guard to Zira's daughter Vitani while he becomes King of the Tree of Life, thus leaving Scar's plans for conquest and chaos in vain.

Despite the above events, Scar's actions still have an impact on the remaining Pride Landers. His selfish desire to rule the throne will forever scar his remaining family members for life.

The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride

“	GOTCHA!!! Trust me!	„
	~ Scar in Simba's nightmare.

Scar in Simba's nightmare

In the 1998 sequel, it is revealed that Scar has a pride of lionesses known as the Outsiders (led by his most loyal follower Zira) who were banished to the Outlands for their loyalty towards Scar. Also, Zira believes that Simba is responsible for Scar's death (unaware that the hyenas, not Simba, are the ones responsible) and plots to engineer Simba's downfall so that she can have her son Kovu take over as the new King as Scar had chosen the cub to be his successor, despite Kovu not being his biological son as confirmed by Nuka.

However, when becoming a young adult, Kovu has a change of heart after falling in love with Simba's daughter Kiara and soon learned about the truth about Scar's death and his true nature from Simba. Initially, Simba barely accepted Kovu in his pride, due to him being Scar's heir.

When Simba finally accepted Kovu, Zira and the other Outsiders ambushed him, leading Simba to hate Kovu again by believing that he was in on the ambush. In the final battle between the Pridelanders and Outsiders, Kiara and Kovu convinced the Outsiders to give up their grudge against the Pridelanders, except for Zira, who ends up falling to her death on the same gorge after she failed attempt to kill Simba. Despite Zira's death, both her and Scar's desire to have Kovu as their successor is most likely to come true, but not in the way as they expected as Kovu wants to carry on Mufasa's legacy and not Scar's, inspiring a touched Simba to accept Kovu as his new son-in-law and future successor. 

Aside from being mentioned, Scar makes two appearances in the film. The first being in Simba's nightmare where he stops Simba from saving Mufasa from falling into the stampede, before turning into Kovu and throws Simba into the stampede after Mufasa. His second and final appearance is when Kovu is banished from the Pride Lands and gazes into a puddle, only to see Scar's reflection instead of his own.

The Lion King (2019)

Main article: Scar (2019)

In other media

The Lion King: Six New Adventures

Young Taka/Scar

In the non-canon novel series The Lion King: Six New Adventures, Scar's real name is Taka, which is Swahili for "dirt", "trash", or "want".

In A Tale of Two Brothers, which takes place many years before the events of The Lion King, an adolescent Taka is annoyed that his older brother Mufasa is chosen to be the heir to the throne. He is first seen along with Mufasa watching their father King Ahadi save a mandrill named Rafiki from three young hyenas named Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Later at Pride Rock, Mufasa is almost attacked by a cobra, but Rafiki is able to get the cobra to leave in peace. Afterwards, Rafiki smells Taka's scent, thus meaning that he had put the cobra in Pride Rock to get it to attack Mufasa.

Taka is later annoyed when Ahadi breaks his promise to go hunting with him, choosing to solve the drought problems in the Pride Lands instead. Taka wanders off to talk to Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, who tells him that if Mufasa were to be made to look like a failure to Ahadi, then Taka himself will look good in comparison and take the throne.

Taka later tricks his brother into going down to the waterhole, where a Cape buffalo named Boma is refusing to share the water. Mufasa begins reasoning with Boma when Taka roars and says that Boma must move by order of the Lion King, or Mufasa will face Boma in combat. Boma charges out of the water at Mufasa. Mufasa escapes to safety with Rafiki, but Boma says that his herd will get Taka. Mufasa runs back to find Taka being attacked by Boma's herd. The largest of the buffaloes slashes Taka with his horns, knocking him unconscious. Mufasa leaps in to save his brother and the buffaloes ready themselves to attack again.

Before they can do so, however, Ahadi appears with a large herd of animals. The herd surrounds the buffaloes and ends the fight. Later on, Rafiki examines Taka and finds a deep cut on his left eye, which will never fully heal. When Taka reveals that he wished to get back at Ahadi for breaking his promise, he is scolded by Ahadi for letting his anger rule him. A remorseful Taka then requests that he be called "Scar" from now on, as a reminder of how he foolishly allowed his anger to rule him.

The Lion King (musical)

John Vickery as Scar in the musical.

“	Come, sweet Nala. It's written in the stars. (Nala: What are you doing? Are you listening to me?) We'll create a host of little Scars.	„
	~ Scar trying to seduce Nala into being his queen.

Within the musical of the same name, Scar's actions are relatively the same as compared to the original film, with a few exceptions: one of them being that he had any of his followers who had questioned his leadership put to death for doing so. The other being that he at one point tries and fails to make Nala become his queen and mother of his children (an act of his that was cut from the original film). He also becomes more and more paranoid as he feels he's being haunted by his deceased older brother.

Timon and Pumbaa

Scar makes a few cameo appearances meant for comedy purposes in the animated series Timon & Pumbaa, despite that he was already dead by that time. He is seen when Timon tries to revive Pumbaa's amnesia after being struck by lightning, and when Zazu cleans out his trash can.

House of Mouse

In House of Mouse, Scar made a few minor cameos. Despite the fact that he was dead. In the episode "Jiminy Cricket", Jiminy used Scar as an example of temptations. At the end of that same episode, Scar was seen aside from some of the other guests when they were arguing over Jiminy. In the episode "Ask Von Drake", Scar can be briefly seen being held by Rafiki just as Simba was in the film. In the episode "Goofy's Valentine Date", Scar was seen along with the other guests. Strangely enough, he (for some reason) does not appear in the show's tie-in film Mickey's House of Villains, not even as a cameo, and is, therefore, one of the only three Disney villains featured in that show who does not appear in that film at all, with other two beings Commander Rourke and Shere Khan because they are absent.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

In Adventure Land, Scar makes a deal with Hades, whereas if Scar could obtain the crystal of the magic kingdom, he would be granted immortality and rule over the Pride Lands forever.

He forces the hyenas to work for him again, deceptively convincing them that he is invincible. he tries to get them to start an elephant stampede to crush anyone who gets in his way, but they fail. When the Park guests injure Scar in front of the hyenas, Shenzi is the first to see through his lies, rallies up the pack and leaves.

After a conversation with Hades, Scar twice battles the park guests, the first time beating them, the next time, it's vice versa. Hades gives Scar one last chance and turns him into a devilish and destructive storm cloud, and battles the park guests again. Scar is ultimately defeated and the park guests win. Later, at the end, he is sucked into a snow globe with Hades and all of the other he recruited.

Scar appears as both the main antagonist and final boss of the 1994 videogame adaptation The Lion King on Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive.

Kingdom Hearts II

Scar in Kingdom Hearts II.

“	How does it feel to be king, hmm?	„
	~ Scar's Ghost taunting Simba.

Scar is a boss in the Pride Lands chapter and teams up with Pete. In the end, he faces Simba as in the movie, only he goes up the cliff and Pete reveals that Scar has become a Heartless. Sora, Donald, and Goofy join Simba to face the tyrannical lion who ends up losing before he was collapsing from exhaustion and dying.

His ghost was also a boss in Kingdom Hearts II. He looks like the living Scar, but he is darker in color and he has a dark aura around him.

Now a ghost-filled with hatred, he would haunt Simba, who was now king. This caused Simba to become extremely afraid. This made him the laughing stock of the hyenas, mainly Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Simba seeked help, and went to the hyenas, asking if they knew of Scar's Ghost. They knew nothing and said Scar's Ghost only hangs out around fraidy cats. Immediately, Scar's Ghost appeared. He taunted Simba, asking what it was like to be king. Simba retreated, causing the hyenas to laugh maniacally. Simba went to his paradise, where he met Timon and Pumbaa, but even there he was not safe from the ghost and was still tormented. He was having doubts and Sora tried to snap him out of it but it didn't work. Then Donald used his powers to create a fake ghost, and it taunted Simba until he overcame his fear and pounced on it.

Now facing his fears, he went back to the Pridelands. Scar's Ghost was already there, and it was now haunting Simba's wife Nala and Pumbaa. When Simba returned, the ghost confronted him, but Simba told it to get out, scaring it away. Soon after, all of the ghosts came and formed a giant Heartless beast called the Groundshaker. The beast attacked, and a large battle ensued. The Groundshaker took several hits, and it collapsed and disappeared. Simba claimed his place as king.