Scar (The Lion King)
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Scar Taka |
| Occupation: | Former King of the Pridelands |
| Relationships: | Ahadi - Father Uru - Mother Mufasa - Brother Mohatu - Grandfather |
| Fandom: | The Lion King |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Scar, aka Taka or potentially Askari, is the main antagonist of Disney's The Lion King and has appeared in other related tie ins, such as The Lion Guard and Kingdom Hearts. He's an iconic and recognisable Disney Villain in both the mainstream and wider fandom, and is fairly popular in fanworks.
Canon
He dies at the end of the first film but is resurrected in The Lion Guard season 2's The Rise of Scar, where he serves as the main antagonist until season 3's two-parter opening Battle for the Pridelands.
Semi-Canon
Name
His name is up for debate. In the Six New Adventures books, his name is Taka, a name that has stuck around the fandom, and is usually the go to name in the fandom. In 2021, it was announced that Kelvin Harrison Jr. would be voicing 'Taka' in the prequel to the 2019 remake. Though the remake follows a different continuity to the animation, it does provide an interesting development if the name sticks.
Alternatively, one of the creators of The Lion Guard, Ford Riley, posted on Instagram that he believed Scar's birthname to be Askari, and named after a distant relative of his who was the first leader of the Lion Guard, and also appears as a ghost in the show.
The origin of his scar, and his resulting name change, changes depending on the work: in the Six New Adventures books it is given to him by a buffalo after a failed attempt on Mufasa's life. In The Lion Guard, it is from a cobra. In the 2019 storyline it is given to him by Mufasa.
Taka translates to Waste or That Which Is Unwanted (although it is implied that his parents meant for his name to mean Wish or Want)
Fandom
Fanon
Relationships/Pairings
- Scar/Sarafina
- Scar/Zira
- Scar/Strange Lion
- Scar/Sarabi
- Scar/Nala
- Scar & Mufasa
- Scar & Uru
- Scar & Ahadi
Crossover ships occasionally occur, including Scar/Shere Khan.
Parents
In popular fanon, Scar is usually portrayed as favouring, and having a better relationship with, his mother to his father. He's sometimes portrayed as being neglected, or even abused, by Ahadi.
Discussions are also often had as to why his parents would give him a name that in some contexts means 'trash', and often this impacts his relationships with his parents in fan headcanons.
Children
It seems to be a popular headcanon that Scar fathered at least one cub with the lionesses, with the most common appearing to be that Nuka, Zira's eldest son, is his. Vitani will occasionally be headcanoned to be his too, though many others will argue that it doesn't quite work in the timeline of the films. To combat this, some fans headcanon Vitani to be the daughter of Scar and Nala, rather than Scar and Zira - often influenced by the events of The Madness of King Scar.
Because of the seemingly relative popularity of Scar/Sarafina, some fans headcanon that he fathered Mheetu, Nala's younger brother who, though deleted in the final film, often appears in fanworks. Occasionally he'll also be headcanoned as Nala's father too, though many try and avoid this due to a squick towards the incestuous implications.
Origin of his scar
Headcanons regarding the origin of his scar vary:
- Cobra attack- Explanation given in The Lion Guard.
- Buffalo attack - Explanation given in The Lion King: Six New Adventures.
- Attacked by Mufasa - Explanation implied in the remake and given by the director Rob Minkoff when asked.
Depending on which source texts each fan counts as part of canon will very often influence their headcanons regarding the origins of his scar.
Common Tropes & Themes
- Good AU - Fanworks in which he was never a villain.
- Alive AU - In which he doesn't die at the end of the first film. This may be as simple as portraying an older version of the character in fanart.
- Abuse/Unhealthy Relationships - This can either be in the sense of him being abused by someone as a youngster, or him abusing someone as an adult, often Zira, Nala, Sarabi, Sarafina, or another lioness. This can be emotional, or physical, and can sometimes involve rape.
- Angst - Sometimes in the form of regret over his actions.
Queercoding
Scar is often used as an example of Disney queercoding their villains.
In Emerging Scholars Vol 2 2023, Sriya Veera [1] writes that:
Disney villains like The Lion King’s Scar and The Little Mermaid’s Ursula have never been openly queer in the films, but queer fans have still begun to identify with them. They identified the use of common queer stereotypes like the limp wrist in these characterisations, the very stereotypes that have been used to associate homosexuality with otherness.
Like Jafar, Scar fits into the ‘Sissy Villain’ trope. Furthermore, like Ursula, Scar has lived in exile. He is best known for the way he speaks and carries himself. Scar always speaks in drawls. He always has something witty to say, some sassy remark to retort with. The gay stereotype of a limp wrist – a limp paw in Scar’s case – is also heavily used in his characterisation
Fanworks
Vids
Fanart
Links
- Scar (Feb 2011) by SickRogue
- Guilt (November 2011) by TLK-Ileana
- Doubts (June 2012) by TLK-Ileana, featuring Scar confiding with his mother.
- You?... (Jun 2013) by Solri-Elara
- Scar (The Lion King) by australet789
- K I N G (May 2021) by sasamaru-lion
Gallery
Scar by ssneakyfoxx, featuring Scar as a cub, already possessing his scar.
same old scars by tuherrus featuring the 2019 Scar in the art style of the original.
Scar by elanordraws
When I Led The Guard by julis-rocks, featuring Scar as the leader of the Lion Guard, an example of an artist incorporating The Lion Guard canon.
