| Scar | |
|---|---|
| The Lion King character | |
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| First appearance | The Lion King (1994) |
| Created by | |
| Voiced by |
|
| Inspired by | King Claudius |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Taka (in Six New Adventures and Mufasa: The Lion King) Askari (in The Lion Guard) |
| Nickname | Scar |
| Species | African lion |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | King of Pride Rock (formerly) Heir to the Throne of Pride Rock (formerly) Leader of the Lion Guard (formerly) |
| Family | Mufasa (older brother) Ahadi (father; in Six New Adventures) Uru (mother; in Six New Adventures) Mohatu (grandfather; in The Brightest Star) |
| Relatives | Sarabi (sister-in-law) Simba (nephew) Nala (niece-in-law) Kiara (great-niece) Kion (great-nephew) Kovu (foster son) |
Scar is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Disney's The Lion King franchise. He was created by screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton and animated by Andreas Deja. Scar is introduced in the first film as the younger and envious brother of Mufasa, the ruler of the Pride Lands. Originally first in line to Mufasa's throne, until he is suddenly replaced by Mufasa's son, Simba, Scar decides to lead an army of hyenas in his plot to take the throne by killing Mufasa and Simba, who escapes into exile, ultimately blaming his brother's death on his nephew.
Loosely based on King Claudius, the main antagonist of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Scar's villainy was additionally inspired by German dictator Adolf Hitler, as well as stemming from lions' natural behaviors of pride takeovers. As the character's supervising animator, Deja based Scar's appearance on that of the original film voice actor Jeremy Irons, as well as the actor's performance as Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune. Chiwetel Ejiofor voices the photorealistic version of the character in the 2019 remake of the film with Kelvin Harrison Jr., voicing him in the upcoming 2024 film.
As a character, Scar has garnered widespread acclaim from film critics, who greeted Irons's vocal performance with equal enthusiasm. However, Scar's violence, dark color palette and allegedly effeminate mannerisms were initially met with mild controversy. Nevertheless, Scar continues to be revered as one of Disney's greatest villains by various media publications, topping The Huffington Post's list and ranking within the top ten of similar lists published by Yahoo! Movies, the Orlando Sentinel, E! and CNN. He has also been ranked among the greatest villains in film history by Digital Spy and Entertainment Weekly.