Some people consider The Lion Guard (TLG) and its lore to be part of an AU but if we incorporate it into
the existing canon, it helps explain and set up a lot of things that had
previously been unexplored or glossed-over. Scar, for example, seems to be left
out of a lot of the rest of the royal family’s activities, as evidenced not
only by his general separation from Mufasa and Simba in The Lion King (TLK) but
by the fact that Taka and Mufasa don’t spend much time together (and it would
seem that Taka spends even less time with Ahadi) in the Six New Adventures books. It’s not really clear why he uses the
hyenas to do his dirty work instead of just plotting against Mufasa directly. Nala’s
father, Serafina’s mate, is nowhere to be found in TLK. I’ll be discussing multiple fan theories based on TLG’s lore that fill in some of these
gaps.
Serafina’s Mate
One fan theory, which I discussed in
an earlier post, is that Serafina’s mate was on the Guard before Scar destroyed
it. This would be a logical explanation for why he’s not in TLK. He could have been around long
enough to father Nala (and possibly Mheetu) before he met his demise as a
result of Scar’s rage. Without the added element of the Guard in the canon,
this theory wouldn’t exist. This is an issue that TLK completely skips over so, if it weren’t for TLG, we would likely be stuck with the
same tired “he was a rogue” theory.
Why Scar Uses Hyenas
Another fan theory that sprang from TLG lore is that Scar was not only
physically weakened but emotionally defeated (and possibly insecure) after he
loses the power of the Roar of the Elders. In the cave animation from Return of the Roar, Scar appears to
shrivel up after he destroys the Guard. It’s possible that he realizes that
Mufasa could easily overpower him. He says in TLK that Mufasa “got the lion’s share” when it comes to brute strength
but what if he means that Mufasa is much stronger than he is after Scar loses
the Roar, which had previously made him the fiercest animal in the Pridelands?
This knowledge would likely make him frustrated and maybe a bit insecure about
his ability to carry out his plans for usurping Mufasa’s throne by himself. He
threatens the hyenas he works with, perhaps overcompensating for his weakened
state. There are other possible explanations for why Scar would use the hyenas,
including him being born weaker (though that would seem to contradict TLG lore so this theory would only work
if you disregard TLG) and him just
plain not wanting to do his own dirty work. These are just as valid but,
because of the legend of the Guard, we now have this third explanation.
Clear Job For the Second-born Cub
Scar, the only example of a second-born
royal cub we had as a reference before TLG,
seems to have neglected by his family. In A Tale Of Two Brothers (one of the Six New Adventures books), Mufasa says point-blank that “Taka doesn’t
like to do much of anything. He and [Ahadi] don’t get along” and goes on to say
that Taka doesn’t seem to like him much either. What if this is because he’s
resentful that Ahadi gives Mufasa so much attention and, as the future king,
Mufasa holds a more important position in the pride whereas Taka’s position is
unclear? He’s next-in-line for the throne if something happens to Mufasa
but other than he doesn’t seem to have a role.
With the addition of Scar leading
the Guard in TLG’s lore, we see that there is a distinct position for the second-born
royal cub to fill. This works even if we were to include the events in the Six New Adventures books because it
would be logical to assume that Taka was just bitter about not getting to
participate in his responsibilities as early as Mufasa did. The existence of
the Guard also introduces a new fan theory: the royal family always has at
least two cubs. While this isn’t necessarily true, it would make sense because
they would at least have one cub to succeed the throne and one cub to lead the
Guard. This way, the Pridelands would always be protected.
Great Lions Of the Past
The concept of the Great Kings of
the past appears multiple times in TLK
and Simba’s Pride (SP) but the references are very vague
and, with exception of Mufasa appearing to Simba in the clouds, seemingly metaphorical.
However, the lore in TLG not only
clarifies that there are actually lions in the sky but expands said lions from
just the Great Kings of the past to the Great Lions of the past. Presumably,
many of these lions were on the Guard but the fact that there are various paths
to greatness implies that some of them might just have been very honorable and
valiant Pridelanders. These are the kinds of lions who would want to help
protect the Pridelands even after their deaths
What do you think? Let me know in the comments!
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