Simba, a lion cub and the darling of his family, will someday take over the kingship of the Pride Lands from his father, Mufassa. Scar, the King's brother, delightfully evil to the extreme, is jealous of his brother and plots to kill the king and Simba so he can become king himself. Scar's first attempt on Simba's life is aided by three hyenas that also dislike Mufassa's rule since hyenas are barred from the good hunting grounds. Scar then sets a trap for Mufassa and Simba. Mufassa is trampled to death but Simba escapes. Depressed and believing he is the cause of his father's death, Simba runs away. Scar takes over the Pride Lands using the hyenas to enforce his dictatorship. Together they destroy the land. Meanwhile, after a long journey through the desert, Simba makes two friends, a warthog (Pumba) and a meercat (Timon), who take care of him. They live a life of freedom with little responsibilities. They are able to cheer Simba up. Under their freewheeling guidance, he grows into manhood. Nala, his childhood girlfriend, finds Simba and asks for his help, but he refuses, still feeling guilty for his father's death. Mufassa's ghost comes and tells Simba to go fight Scar. Simba returns and overthrows Scar in a bloody and violent fight. His cohorts, the hyenas, in turn kill Scar.
The Lion King is a great movie for children. This movie is able to teach important moral values while keeping children entertained. In addition, children can gain valuable insight to life's lessons. .
Throughout this movie, it teaches moral values. Simba learns that there is more to being king than getting your way. Mufassa explains that while the lions eat the antelope, when the lions die they become part of the grass that is then eaten by the antelopes. Pumba and Timon prescribe a life of irresponsibility that turns out to be bad advice. Raffiki, the baboon, plays the part of the medicine man, priest, artist, and martial arts fighter.