Warning! Spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion King ahead!
Mufasa: The Lion Kinghas done the work to set up aThe Lion King II: Simba’s Prideremake, completely changing how audiences will see the “Outsider” villains. Disney’s 2019 photorealistic CGI remake ofThe Lion Kingwas a smash hit, so it was no surprise that another movie was added to the franchise. However, rather than remake the 1998 animated sequel to Simba’s initial story, the House of Mouse dived into a Mufasa prequel instead. Still,Mufasa: The Lion Kingdidn’t forget aboutSimba’s Prideentirely. Not only did it introduce Kiara, but it may have provided a stronger foundation for the sequel’s villains.
One of the bigsurprises ofMufasa: The Lion Kingis that Mufsa wasn’t born royal. He earned his place as king after a group of white lions known asthe Outsiders began eliminating the various prides across the Valley of Kings. Mufasa killed the leader of these Outsiders, Kiros, and united the animals of Milele—the Pride Lands—to form a singular kingdom under his wise rule. Some years after this is whenThe Lion Kingwas set, and Mufasa met his tragic end at the hand (paw) of his brother, Scar. Next wasthe story ofThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, along with the return of the Outsiders.
Mufasa Explains The History Of The Outsiders Before The Lion King 2
Mufasa: The Lion King Retcons The Outsiders' Origin
WhileScar and the hyenaswere the primary villains ofThe Lion King, bothMufasaandThe Lion King IIsaw “Outsiders” take the role of primary antagonists. This doesn’t seem to be a coincidence. Instead, it appears thatthe CGILion Kingfranchise has introduced a new origin story for the Pride Lands' Outsiders. If Disney proceeds with a remake ofThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, then it’s likely that the Outsiders with whom Simba and Kiara develop conflict will be the descendants of Kiro’s white lion pride, which tried, during Mufasa’s rule, to wipe out all other types of lions after they were rejected for their differences.
The Lion King 2’s Outsiders Are Very Different From Mufasa’s
Scar’s Followers Never Made Much Sense
Of course, while bothMufasaandThe Lion King IIfeature villains called Outsiders, these groups are very different from one another. In the 1998 animated movie,the Outsiders were lions from Mufasa’s pride who were loyal to Scarwhen he took over. After Simba fought and defeated Scar, these lions were banished from the Pride Lands. Over the years, their anger toward Simba grew, and finally, their leader, Zira, developed a plot for her son Kovu to usurp the lion king. There were some problems with this story, however.The Lion Kingnever featured any lions loyal to Scar, so these villains came out of nowhere inSimba’s Pride.
The Lion Kingnever featured any lions loyal to Scar, so these villains came out of nowhere inSimba’s Pride.
TheOutsiders inMufasa: The Lion Kinghave a significantly different story. Rather than a group of lions cast out only after Scar’s downfall,the white lions of the prequel movie are implied to have been around for several generations. Kiros and his lions came from several different prides and were each unfairly exiled because of their white fur. This led them to begin a campaign to eliminate all other prides until they were the last standing, but Mufasa foiled their plans. It’s unclear what became of Kiros' other followers afterMufasa: The Lion King’s ending, butThe Lion King IImay see them return to challenge Simba and Kiara.
The Outsiders' Story In The Lion King 2 Is More Sympathetic After Mufasa
Simba Bringing In The Outsiders Would Be A Heartwarming Full-Circle Moment
If Disney intends the outsiders ofMufasato be the same as those inThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, then this will make for a much stronger story if the sequel gets a remake in the future. While Kiros and his white lions are undeniably evil, they got that way because they were treated poorly for something they couldn’t control—their appearance. Still, there wasn’t much room for compassion in theLion Kingprequel. Mufasa had no choice but to fight them, but Simba may have a chance to grant them mercy. After all,the end ofThe Lion King IIsees the Outsiders become one with Simba’s Pride.
AThe Lion King II: Simba’s Prideremake has not yet been confirmed.
While the compassion Simba learned to show the Outsiders in the 1998The Lion King IImovie was heartwarming, it was a bit disjointed since the villains' motivations were never entirely clear. Audiences were expected to accept that Scar had lion followers who fought against their pride, even though this didn’t happen inThe Lion King. What’s more, it doesn’t make sense that any lions would choose to follow Scar since he was objectively a terrible king who starved his subjects.Mufasa: The Lion King's Outsiders, on the other hand, are far easier to empathize with.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Cast
Mufasa: The Lion King explores the origins of the beloved character Mufasa, focusing on his youth as a lost cub who encounters Taka, a royal heir. Their meeting initiates an epic journey of self-discovery and destiny, featuring a group of misfit companions navigating the challenges of their world.
