It is sunrise on the savanna. All the animals gather at
Pride Rock to see Mufasa, the Lion King, and his queen, Sarabi, introduce their
newborn son, Simba (Circle of Life). Meanwhile, Mufasa’s wicked brother,
Scar, laments the unfairness of his life. He resents the new prince and the
cub’s status as next in line to be king – a job he covets for himself.
Time passes, and Simba grows into a cocky young cub (The
Morning Report). Mufasa leads his son to the summit of Pride Rock where they
look down upon the Pridelands – the kingdom that one day, when he is king, Simba
will rule. Mufasa tells Simba that everything lives together in a delicate
balance called the Circle of Life, and warns him never to go beyond the
boundaries of the Pridelands and into the territories of the evil hyenas. Of
course, one of the first things Simba does is disobey this instruction, taking
lioness cub Nala on a dangerous adventure (I Just Can’t Wait to be King). They are rescued from a trio of hyenas that want to Chow Down on the cubs by Mufasa, who then reminds Simba of the responsibilties that await him as king (They Live in You).
Meanwhile, Scar has been plotting the deaths of Simba and
Mufasa so that he, along with his evil henchmen, the hyenas, can rule the
kingdom (Be Prepared). Scar orchestrates a stampede and in the tumult,
manages to kill Mufasa. He then convinces Simba that Mufasa’s death was all
Simba’s fault. Scar tells him to leave the Pridelands and never return. Scar
orders the hyenas to kill Simba, but the lazy beasts decide to let the cub go
and not tell Scar.
The animals mourn the loss of their king , and believe
that Simba has also been killed in the stampede. Scar, triumphant, climbs to the
top of Pride Rock with the hyenas and assumes the throne.
Convinced he is responsible for his father’s death, Simba
leaves the Pridelands. He escapes into the jungle where he meets Timon, a
wisecracking meerkat, and Pumbaa, a big-hearted warthog. Rather than ever return
to face the other lions, Simba decides to stay with his new friends in the
jungle, where he grows from a cub into a young lion (Hakuna Matata).
In the interim (One by One), under Scar’s cruel and
careless rule, the Pridelands become dry and lifeless (The Madness of King
Scar). Hyenas roam the territory picking clean whatever is left and
terrorizing the lionesses. Nala decides that she needs to flee to the jungle in
order to escape Scar’s clutches and help find a new land where the lionesses can
live in peace (Shadowland).
Meanwhile, Simba spends some time philosophising with his
new friends, remembering his father and his past (Endless Night). Later,
in the jungle, Pumbaa finds himself being hunted by a hungry lioness. Simba
comes between them to save his friend, and the two lions fight. The lioness
flips Simba, and he realizes that she is not just any lioness, but his old
friend – Nala. Nala is shocked to find Simba alive, and she tells Timon and
Pumbaa that he is the true king. When Simba and Nala are alone, they start to
realize the depth of their feelings for each other (Can You Feel the Love
Tonight?). Nala tells Simba of the Pridelands’ devastation, and that he must return and reclaim the throne from Scar (He Lives in You).
Simba returns to Pride Rock with his friends. Scar cannot
believe his eyes when he sees the young lion alive. In a panic, Scar forces
Simba to admit to the other lions that he had caused his father’s death. Scar
backs Simba to the edge of a cliff, and, in a moment of arrogance, whispers the
truth: He killed Mufasa. Overcome with rage, Simba leaps up and catches Scar by
the throat. He makes Scar tell the other lions the truth. A battle rages, with
Nala, Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa, and the lionesses fighting the hyenas. Finally,
Simba confronts Scar on the summit of Pride Rock. Scar begs Simba for his life,
blaming the hyenas for everything. Simba tells Scar to run away and never
return. In a final moment of treachery, Scar attacks Simba again, but Simba
manages to flip his uncle over the side of the cliff. Scar lands at the foot of
Pride Rock, surrounded by the hungry hyenas.
As the dawn breaks, Simba’s friends come forward,
acknowledging him as the new King of Pride Rock. He climbs to the top of
Pride Rock and lets loose with a mighty roar. Herds of animals come in answer to his call, rejoicing in his victory. Nala joins him. Rafiki holds up their
newborn cub for all to see as the animals dance and rejoice as the Circle of
Life continues.