Handlung

In the Pride Lands of Tanzania, a pride of lions' rule over the kingdom from Pride Rock. A lion rules over the other animals as king. All the animals of the Pride Lands are summoned to Pride Rock, the home of the pride of lions. King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi's (Madge Sinclair) newborn son, Simba (Matthew Broderick), is presented to the gathering animals by Rafiki (Robert Guillaume) the mandrill, the kingdom's shaman and advisor. The animals cheer and then bow to the new future king. Mufasa's younger brother, Scar (Jeremy Irons), covets the throne. He is envious of his brother's position as king and is disgruntled at the fact that he will never be king now that Mufasa has an heir.

Simba rises early one morning and pesters his father to get up and show him the lands he's destined to rule over. Mufasa illustrates from the top of Pride Rock that everything the light touches is their kingdom, except for a place on the horizon that is covered in shadow. Mufasa tells Simba he's forbidden from ever going there. Mufasa explains to Simba the responsibilities of kingship and the "circle of life", which connects all living things.

Scar asks if Mufasa showed him the shadow place on their morning walk. When Simba replies no, Scar adds that it is a dangerous place where only the bravest lions venture. Simba perks up, saying he's brave, and begs his uncle to tell him what's there. Scar feigns an accidental slip of the tongue by revealing that it's an elephant graveyard but praises Simba's cleverness. He asks that Simba never explore the place, but as Simba reassures him and leaves, Scar smiles to himself knowing full well that Simba's curiosity will get the better of him.

Simba meets up with his friend Nala. He tells her about a cool place he has found, lying to Sarabi that it's around the water hole. Sarabi gives them permission to go as long as Zazu accompanies them. Along the way, Simba and Nala devise a plan together to get rid of Zazu, which works. There, Simba and his best friend, Nala (Moira Kelly), are chased by three spotted hyenas named Shenzi (Whoopi Goldberg), Banzai (Cheech Marin), and Ed (Jim Cummings).

Mufasa is alerted by his majordomo, the horn-bill Zazu (Rowan Atkinson), and rescues the cubs. Though disappointed with Simba for disobeying him and endangering himself and Nala, Mufasa forgives him. He explains that the great kings of the past watch over them from the night sky, from which he will one day watch over Simba. Scar visits the hyenas and convinces them to help him kill Mufasa and Simba in exchange for hunting rights in the Pride Lands.

Scar sets a trap for Simba and Mufasa. He lures Simba into a gorge and signals the hyenas to drive a large herd of wildebeest into a stampede to trample him. Scar alerts Mufasa, who saves Simba and tries to escape the gorge. Simba manages to grab hold of a broken tree, elevating himself above the wildebeests' horns while Mufasa climbs down and runs alongside the animals. He manages to grab Simba in his mouth and carries him to safety but is pulled back by the charging animals. After a tense moment, Simba watches his father leap onto the side of the gorge, digging his claws into the dirt and struggling up the hillside. As Mufasa nears the top, he sees Scar standing over him.

Mufasa begs for Scar's help, but Scar betrays Mufasa by throwing him into the stampede to his death. Scar then deceives Simba into believing that Mufasa's death was his fault and tells him to leave the kingdom and never return. He then orders the hyenas to kill Simba. The three hyenas chase Simba to the edge of an incline where he tumbles into a sea of brambles. Small enough to avoid the sharp spikes, Simba runs through them as the hyenas barely manage to stop near the base. Unaware of Simba's survival, Scar tells the pride that the stampede killed both Mufasa and Simba, and steps forward as the new king, allowing the hyenas into the Pride Lands. The lionesses look on in fear as a horde of hyenas arrives to live alongside Scar at Pride Rock. Rafiki watches sullenly from a distance and smears the image he had once created of Simba.

Simba collapses in a desert but is rescued by two outcasts, a meerkat and a warthog named Timon (Nathan Lane) a wisecracking and self-absorbed yet loyal bipedal meerkat and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) a naive warthog who suffers from uncontrollable flatulence. Timon is initially afraid of the young lion but Pumbaa asserts that he's still little and will grow up to be on their side instead of eating them. Pumbaa picks Simba up and carries him into the shade where he's revived. Simba grows up with his two new friends in their oasis, living a carefree life under their motto "Hakuna Matata" ("no worries" in Swahili). They then invite Simba to stay with them as a fellow outcast in their jungle paradise and teach him to eat bugs rather than meat.

Years later, the Pride Lands have been reduced to a wasteland under Scars rule. Zazu is confined to a bone cage singing while Scar lazily lies about chewing on bones. Zazu mutters under his breath that he never had to do this under Mufasa. Scar reels on the name, citing that the law is to never mention Mufasa's name. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed appear, complaining that food and water have become scarce and that the lionesses refuse to hunt.

An adult Simba wanders around with Timon and Pumbaa and remembers his father. He sighs and collapses onto a bunch of wildflowers, spreading their petals and leaves to the wind. The wind carries them back to the Pride Lands where Rafiki, sitting atop his tree, grabs them. He takes them back into the tree where he sniffs them and contemplates the apparent familiar smell. Suddenly it strikes him; Simba must be alive. Crazed with happiness, he quickly smears a mane around the head of his Simba drawing, stating that it is time.

Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa from a hungry lioness, who is revealed to be Nala. Simba introduces her to Pumbaa and Timon, who is less than happy about the reunion since Nala had tried to eat Pumbaa. Nala tells Simba that everyone in the Pride Lands thought he was dead after Scar told them about the stampede.

Simba and Nala fall in love, and she urges him to return home, telling him that the Pride Lands have become drought-stricken under Scar's reign. Still feeling guilty over Mufasa's death, Simba refuses and leaves angrily. She tells Simba that returning to the throne is his responsibility, but he storms off and walks out of the jungle to an open field. He tries to justify his decision before yelling at the night sky that Mufasa wasn't there for him and feeling solemn that it was his fault.

Simba encounters Rafiki, who tells Simba that Mufasa's spirit lives on in him. Simba is visited by the spirit of Mufasa in the night sky, who tells him that he must take his place as king. After Rafiki advises him to learn from the past instead of running from it, Simba decides to return to the Pride Lands.

Timon and Pumbaa are sleeping together as Nala approaches them and nudges them awake, frightening them at first. She asks if they've seen Simba, but Rafiki appears overhead and declares that the king has returned. Confused by this statement and Rafiki's mysterious arrival and departure, Timon and Pumbaa listen as Nala tries to explain that Simba has decided to go back to the Pride Lands to take his place as king.

Crossing the desert, Simba finally arrives in the Pride Lands to find it dark and barren. He eyes Pride Rock with a look of vengeance when Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa appear beside him. They all agree to help Simba reclaim the throne, though Timon is less than impressed by the landscape they're fighting for. Simba offers Timon and Pumbaa as live bait and they do put on a colorful performance for the hungry hyenas while he and Nala move closer. Simba instructs Nala to rally the lionesses while he looks for Scar.

Simba confronts Scar, who shames Simba over his supposed role in Mufasa's death. Sadly, Simba confesses that he was, though it was an accident. Scar uses this and accuses Simba of being a murderer, backing him up to the end of Pride Rock to the point where Simba slips over the edge, dangling by his paws. Lightning strikes and ignites a fire beneath him as Scar looks over him, remarking that this was just the way Mufasa looked before he died. Then Scar grabs Simba's paws and whispers in his ear that he was the one to kill Mufasa.

Enraged, Simba leaps over the edge and pins Scar, choking him to confess the truth to the lionesses. A battle ensues between Simba and his allies and the hyenas. When Timon is cornered by Shenzi and Banzai in the lion's den with Zazu, Pumbaa comes to the rescue, his fury provoked when Banzai accidentally calls him a pig.

Scar attempts to escape but is cornered by Simba at a ledge near the top of Pride Rock, with the grounds around ablaze with fire. Scar begs for mercy and attempts to deceive Simba by blaming his actions on the hyenas. Simba spares Scar's life but orders him to leave the Pride Lands forever. Scar refuses and attacks Simba. Following a brief battle, Simba throws Scar off the ledge. Scar survives the fall, but the hyenas, who overheard him betraying them, attack and maul him to death.

With Scar and the hyenas gone, Simba takes his place as king, and Nala becomes his queen. With the Pride Lands restored, Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub to the assembled animals, thus continuing the circle of life.