Plot

After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.

In Africa, lion cub Simba is the pride and joy of his parents King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. Mufasa prepares Simba to be the next king of the jungle. However, the naive Simba believes in his envious uncle Scar who wants to kill Mufasa and Simba to become the next king. He lures Simba and his friend Nala to a forbidden place and they are attacked by hyenas but they are rescued by Mufasa. Then Scar plots another scheme to kill Mufasa and Simba, but the cub escapes alive and leaves the kingdom believing he was responsible for his father's death. Now Scar becomes the king, supported by the evil hyenas, while Simba grows up in a distant land. Some time later, Nala meets Simba and tells him that the kingdom has become a creepy wasteland. What will Simba do?—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

After the death of his father, a young male lion cub flees the kingdom and ends up living with some friends. As time passes by, he is reunited with some old friends and learns the truth about what really happened. He must return to the kingdom to face his past.—RECB3

In this retelling of "The Lion King", Simba is born to Queen Sarabi and King Mufasa and will be next in line to the throne and betrothed to Nala. However, Scar, Mufasa's jealous brother and Simba's scheming uncle, wants to rule the Pride Lands for himself. Scar and the hyenas hatch a plan to eliminate Simba and Mufasa by causing a wildebeest stampede. Mufasa saves Simba from the stampede, but he is murdered by Scar. Devastated at his father's death, Simba goes into self-imposed exile and is taken in by Timon and Pumbaa. Years pass, but Simba's past still isn't behind him after he reunites with Nala and he struggles to come to terms with his past mistakes. Simba soon learns that he must take his place as the rightful ruler of Pride Rock in order to restore balance to the Circle of Life and put a stop to his greedy uncle's tyranny.—dawsonpersi

In the Pride Lands of Tanzania, a pride of lions' rule over the animal kingdom from Pride Rock. Animals from all corners of the kingdom head over to Pride Rock. King Mufasa's (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi's (Alfre Woodard) newborn son, Simba (Donald Glover), is presented to the gathering animals by Rafiki (John Kani) the mandrill, the kingdom's shaman and advisor. All the gathered animals bow before the new prince.

Mufasa's younger brother, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. Scar is frustrated at the unfairness of life and that he has to live on scraps thrown at him by Mufasa and his pride. Mufasa's horn-bill major-Domo Zazu warns Scar that Mufasa is on his way to chastise him for missing out on the ceremony for Simba.

Sure enough, Mufasa arrives to confront his brother, just as Scar is trying to make lunch out of Zazu. Scar expresses his dismay for not getting his place on the throne after Mufasa now that Simba is born. Scar acknowledges that he was defeated by Mufasa in a challenge for the throne in the past. Zazu wants Scar expelled from the Pride Lands, but Mufasa says that Scar is his brother and Pride Rock is his home.

Rafiki is by his tree, where he uses several bugs to form a drawing of Simba on the tree.

Mufasa shows Simba the Pride Lands and forbids him from exploring beyond its borders. Mufasa explains to him the responsibilities of kingship and the "circle of life", which connects all living things. Lions eat antelopes, but when Lions die, their bodies decompose and grow into grass, which is eaten by the antelopes and the Circle of Life continues.

Mufasa explains that everything in the jungle exists in a delicate balance, and it is the King's job to protect that balance and to protect the jungle. Zazu then flies in for the morning report before Mufasa teaches Simba how to pounce on the bird. Moments later, Zazu tells Mufasa that he has spotted hyenas. Mufasa orders Simba to go back home as Sarabi was leading the charge against the hyenas.

Simba is ordered to play with the other cubs but then chases an insect into Scar's cave. Scar rests alone on his own little rock. Simba tells Scar that one day he would be King and that Mufasa showed him the entire Kingdom. Scar asks if Mufasa showed him beyond the Northern borders, but Simba says that he is not allowed to go there. Scar tells him that it's an elephant graveyard and that it is no place for a young cub.

Scar uses Simba's curiosity against him and entices Simba to explore the graveyard. Simba takes his best friend Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) (to whom Simba is betrothed) to explore the forbidden elephants' graveyard. Sarabi had asked Simba to take Zuzu along with him as chaperon and to go no beyond the watering hole. But Simba doesn't tell her that they were going beyond the borders. Simba and Nala are attacked by spotted hyenas led by Shenzi (Florence Kasumba), Kamari (Keegan-Michael Key), and Azizi (Eric Andre). The pack then surrounds the cubs. Simba tries to roar at the hyenas but merely musters up simple growls.

Mufasa is alerted about the incident by Zazu (John Oliver) and rescues the cubs. Though upset with Simba, Mufasa forgives him and explains that the great kings of the past watch over them from the night sky, from which he will one day watch over Simba. Mufasa tells his son that he's only brave when he needs to be, and that he was afraid of losing Simba. Meanwhile, the hyenas return to their hideout, complaining about their lack of food. Scar visits the hyenas and manages to convince them to help him overthrow Mufasa in exchange for hunting rights in the Pride Lands.

Scar sets a trap for his brother and nephew, luring Simba into a gorge and having the hyenas drive a large herd of wildebeest into a stampede that will trample him. He informs Mufasa of Simba's peril, knowing that the king will rush to save his son. Mufasa saves Simba but ends up hanging perilously from the gorge's edge.

Mufasa then starts climbing up the hill, only to be caught by Scar, who sinks his claws into Mufasa's paws. Scar refuses to help Mufasa, instead sending him falling to his death with a smack to his face.

Simba watches helplessly as his father falls into the stampede. He runs down and discovers Mufasa's body, tearfully pleading with him to wake up. Scar then convinces Simba that the tragedy was Simba's own fault and advises him to leave the kingdom and never return. After Simba does so, he sends Shenzi, Kamari, and Azizi (plus a 4th hyena) to chase after Simba and kill him. Simba outruns the hyenas to the edge of a cliff where he and the fourth hyena fall over. Shenzi orders the other two to make sure Simba is dead, but they figure to themselves that he could not have survived the fall, and they are not eager to climb down and check. Simba is seen hiding before continuing his exile.

Scar announces Mufasa's death to the lionesses, and then says that Simba was also killed. He feigns his grief before walking up to Pride Rock to assume his new duties as king, and then brings the hyenas out. Zazu and Rafiki watch from a distance and mourn Mufasa and Simba.

Simba walks alone for miles before ending up in a desert, where he collapses in exhaustion before a flock of vultures' swoop in to try and eat him. Simba is rescued by Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), a meerkat and warthog, who are fellow outcasts. The two decide they should keep the cub so that when he grows into an adult lion, he will be on their side. Simba grows up in the oasis with his two new friends and other animals, living a carefree life under the motto "Hakuna Matata" ("no worries" in Swahili). Since the other animals are friends, Simba can't eat them and now feasts on bugs. He spends more time with Timon and Pumbaa, now growing into an adult.

Years later, Scar attempts to convince Sarabi to be his queen, but she refuses. Under Scar's reign, the Pride Lands become devoid of sufficient food and resources, since the hyenas are bleeding everything dry. Scar has the hyenas eat the rest of his kill, leaving barely scraps for the lionesses. Later that night, Nala tries to leave Pride Rock, but she is spotted by Zazu, who knows what Scar will do to her if he catches her leaving. Therefore, he creates a diversion to get Scar and the hyenas to chase him, allowing Nala to get away.

Now a young adult, Simba was laying in the grass with Timon and Pumbaa when some fur from his mane flies off. It is blown away and goes through a few animals before it finds its way to Rafiki. He senses that Simba is still alive, and he rejoices.

Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa from a hungry lioness, who turns out to be Nala. She and Simba reunite and fall in love, and she urges him to return home, telling him that the Pride Lands have become a drought-stricken wasteland under Scar's reign. Feeling guilty over his father's death, Simba refuses and storms off. He then encounters Rafiki, who tells him that Mufasa's spirit lives on in Simba. Simba is visited by the ghost of Mufasa in the night sky, who tells him that he must take his rightful place as king. Realizing that he can no longer run from his past, Simba decides to return to the Pride Lands and Timon and Pumbaa follow.

Simba has Timon and Pumbaa be "live bait" to distract the hyenas and to let them get to Pride Rock. Simba sees Scar hurting Sarabi when she defies him again. Simba confronts Scar, who was about to fight Sarabi. Scar taunts Simba over his role in Mufasa's death and backs him to the edge of the rock, where he reveals to him that he murdered Mufasa. Enraged, Simba reveals the truth to the rest of the pride. Scar attempts to defend himself, but his knowledge of Mufasa's last moment (despite having previously claimed that he arrived too late at the gorge) exposes his role in Mufasa's death.

Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Zazu, and the lionesses fend off the hyenas while Scar, attempting to escape, is cornered by Simba at the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs for mercy and attempts to blame the hyenas for his actions. Simba spares his life but orders him to leave the Pride Lands forever. Scar refuses and attacks his nephew, but Simba manages to toss him from the top of the rock. Scar survives the fall, but is attacked and killed by the hyenas, who overheard his attempt to betray them. Afterwards, Simba takes over the kingship and makes Nala his queen.

The rain falls over the Pride Lands to wash away the fire. With the hyenas gone, the lionesses gather around Pride Rock. Zazu and Rafiki allow Simba his chance to ascend. The Pride Lands return to their former glory, looking beautiful and prosperous once more. Timon and Pumbaa have moved in to be close to their friend. Simba and Nala are now king and queen, and Rafiki presents their cub Kiara to the rest of the animals, thereby continuing the circle of life.