MUFASA: The Lion King

*CUT TO THE CHASE*

NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jeremy

The film opens with the voice of the elder Mufasa telling Simba about the Circle of Life, followed by the words: “In Remembrance of James Earl Jones”.

In the kingdom of Pride Rock, Simba (Donald Glover) addresses his subjects, announcing that something great is coming (“Ngomoso”). He calls out to Nala (Beyonce Knowles-Carter), who is waiting for Simba in an oasis.

Simba leaves his daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) in the care of Timon and Pumbaa (Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen), but he tells them not to tell Kiara any wild stories. Soon as Simba leaves, they do just that by recounting the Battle of Pride Rock, except Timon and Pumbaa pretend that they were the ones who defeated Scar (and ate him). Rafiki (John Kani) arrives to tell Kiara a different story, one about her grandfather.

As a cub, Mufasa (Braelyn and Brielle Rankins) lives with his mother Afia (Anika Noni Rose) and father Masego (Keith David) in a small area with other animals. Afia tells Mufasa about “milele” (“eternity”), a paradise that they might one day call home (“Milele”). It begins to rain, and while the animals rejoice after a drought, the water levels begin to rise, leading to a flood that starts to sweep everyone away. Masego rushes to save Mufasa, but an elephant crashes into a dam, causing Mufasa to be swept away from his parents.

Mufasa spends days floating on a log until he comes upon a river and sees another cub, Taka (Theo Somolu). Two crocodiles attempt to grab Mufasa, but Taka pulls him out of the river. They are found by Taka’s mother, Eshe (Thandiwe Newton), who scolds Taka for associating with someone viewed as a stray, but Taka convinces Eshe to let Mufasa follow them back home.

When they return to Taka’s home, Mufasa is met by Taka’s father, Obasi (Lennie James), who immediately insults Mufasa for being an outsider. Eshe stands up for Mufasa, but Obasi tells them that he must race Taka to the Dead Tree and win in order to stay, or else Obasi will eat him. Seeing that Mufasa is lagging behind, Taka lets him win so he can stay, but Mufasa is made to stay with Eshe and the other females. Taka, meanwhile, is happy to have someone like Mufasa since he has always wanted a brother (“I Always Wanted a Brother”).

Years pass, and Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and Taka (Kelvin Harrison, Jr) have become inseparable. Obasi still looks down upon Mufasa and tells Taka that he will eventually betray him and compromise his chance to succeed him as king of the pride. Mufasa remains close to Eshe, who has come to view him as a son, but he still longs to reunite with his real parents.

Later, the pride is attacked by two white lions belonging to a group known only as “The Outsiders”. Mufasa rushes in to defend Eshe, while Taka panics and flees. Mufasa also battles one of the lions, Sachu, and fatally wounds him, while the other lion retreats. Taka is ashamed of himself for running away, but Obasi finally shows Mufasa respect for saving Eshe. Obasi sends a scout to track down the Outsiders, and the scout finds the retreating lion going to his leader, Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), who rules with his two sisters, Akua (Joanna Jones) and Amara (Folake Olowofoyeku). Kiros is enraged to learn that the lion left Sachu, his son, for dead, and he has the other lions tear the surviving lion apart. The scout goes back to warn Obasi that the Outsiders have two lions for every one of them, and that they are heading their way.

The next day, Kiros and his lions show up to attack Obasi and his pride (“Bye Bye”), forcing Mufasa and Taka to flee. They go over a waterfall to safety, but another white lion jumps in after them. The two manage to escape safely and start to move on their own to find “Milele”. On their journey, they are found by a lioness, Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), who was quietly tracking them. They are joined by Sarabi’s personal scout, Zazu (Preston Nyman). Nearby, a younger Rafiki (Kasigo Lediga) is exiled from his community with the other monkeys due to his supposed visions. One of his friends, Junia (Thuso Mbedu), is sad to see him go, but Rafiki is hopeful for what comes next.

Rafiki encounters the lions and Zazu, joining them on their quest to find Milele, after the lions try to eat him. Mufasa later talks to Rafiki since he doesn’t immediately trust the mandrill, but they come to an understanding since Rafiki seems to know what Mufasa has been going through. Mufasa starts to lead the group toward Milele (“We Go Together”), while Kiros and the Outsiders start to track their scent after killing off Obasi, Eshe, and the rest of their pride.

Taka expresses a romantic interest in Sarabi, but he asks Mufasa for advice because he has not spent time around females as much as he did growing up. Mufasa tries to give him some words, such as pointing out the scent of flowers that she carries, but Taka ends up being awkward around Sarabi. Zazu soon spots the Outsiders coming for them, so Sarabi causes an elephant stampede by throwing a beehive onto the ground. She gets knocked over and is nearly trampled until Mufasa shields her body. After evading the Outsiders and surviving the stampede, Mufasa tries to give Taka the credit for saving Sarabi.

The group goes to hide out at some snowy mountains. They cover their tracks to ensure the Outsiders cannot locate them. At night, Sarabi tells Mufasa she knows it was him who saved her, as well as knowing the flowers of the land she originates from. They start to fall in love (“Tell Me It’s You”), but Taka sees this and feels betrayed by Mufasa (“Brother Betrayed”). He locates Kiros and the Outsiders and forms an alliance with them to bring Mufasa down.

The group eventually makes it to Milele, which is just as beautiful as Mufasa imagined it would be. Unfortunately, Kiros and the Outsiders have tracked them down thanks to Taka leaving clues behind. Mufasa learns Taka is responsible, with his justification being that Mufasa has taken everything that was meant for him (his chance to be king and Sarabi). After a brief scuffle with Kiros, Mufasa goes to rally the other animals in the valley to stand together in the face of adversity, even though some of them blame him for bringing the Outsiders to their land.

Mufasa falls down into a cave, where Kiros goes after him. The other lionesses, led by Sarabi, fight back against the Outsiders. Taka finds Mufasa and Kiros, then jumps in to take a swipe meant for Mufasa, causing Kiros to slash his face and give Taka his iconic scar. Just as Akua and Amara prepare to go for the kill, the rock they are standing on begins to collapse and crumble due to the larger animals charging all over the place, sending the Outsiders plummeting to their deaths (and also forming what is now Pride Rock). Mufasa and Kiros fall into the water, but Kiros is crushed by a falling boulder and dragged further into the water. Mufasa swims up, and Taka considers letting Mufasa drown (a pre-“long live the king” moment), but he pulls him up.

The other animals come to view Mufasa as their king, even though he initially declines the opportunity and doesn’t see himself as a leader. Rafiki convinces him that he brought the animals together, and they bow to him in respect. Zazu orders Mufasa to banish Taka, but Mufasa chooses to forgive him, though he refuses to call Taka by his name. He decides to go by “Scar” as a reminder of his crimes. Moments later, Mufasa is reunited with Afia, though she confirms that Masego is no longer living. Mufasa, now with a new family, ascends to Pride Rock and lets out a mighty roar.

Rafiki finishes the story in the present day (which Timon and Pumbaa have some “notes” for since they were barely in the story). Kiara tells Rafiki she wishes she met Mufasa, but he tells her that Mufasa lives within her. She looks up to the sky and starts roaring, just as Mufasa’s face appears in the clouds and seems to roar back. Simba and Nala come home to Kiara with their new cub, her brother Kion. Kiara then proceeds to tell her brother the story of a great king.

While Simba and Nala are away for a personal matter, their daughter Kiara is put in the care of Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki. The wise old mandrill begins to tell Kiara the story of how her grandfather became a legendary king.

As a cub, Mufasa is separated from his parents after a flood, and he comes into the care of a young cub prince named Taka, and his mother Eshe. Taka's father, King Obasi, despises Mufasa for being a stray and potentially compromising Taka's path to becoming king. However, Mufasa and Taka quickly become brothers. When they get older, their pride is attacked by a group called the Outsiders. Their leader, Kiros, seeks revenge against Mufasa for killing his son Sachu when he and another Outsider attacked the pride. The Outsiders kill Obasi and his pride while Mufasa and Taka escape.

On their journey to a paradise called "Milele", they meet Sarabi, Zazu, and Rafiki, who join their quest. Taka falls for Sarabi, but she starts to develop feelings for Mufasa after saving her life during a stampede caused to get the Outsiders off their trail. Taka sees this as a betrayal and goes to Kiros to team up to take down Mufasa.

The group makes it to Milele, but Kiros and the Outsiders attack. Mufasa rallies the other animals together in the fight against the Outsiders. Mufasa battles Kiros, while the animals cause an earthquake that kills the Outsiders and forms Pride Rock. Kiros is sent to his watery grave after a large boulder falls on him, while Taka pulls Mufasa out of the water after experiencing regret for his betrayal. Mufasa becomes king and reunites with his mother Afia (but his father didn't make it), and while he forgives Taka for his betrayal, he no longer chooses to call him by that name, so Taka dubs himself "Scar". Mufasa stands before the animals in the kingdom and lets out a mighty roar.

When the story finishes, Kiara sees Mufasa's face in the clouds roaring to her. Simba and Nala return home with their new cub, Kion, and Kiara proceeds to tell her new brother the story of their grandfather.