The Lion King (1994) is an animated film about the lion prince Simba, whos father is killed, and Simba is outcast by his traitor uncle, only to return to challenge and overthrow him after he grows up. This review will cover the archetypes of The Lion King’s hero’s journey.
Some of the characters hold several of known archetypes, but the one and only hero, ofcourse, is Simba the young lion prince, having been promised the kingdom, betrayed by his uncle, ran off, and returned to save pride rock from his treacherous uncle Scar. His heroism shines throughout the film. As a cub he was ready to be brave and face dangers like, protecting Nala and, ofcourse, his journey of atonement to his father, family and himself.
The shadow in this film without a doubt is Scar. He is filled with envy, anger and loathing, capable of doing the most despicable actions to have his way and revenge. Being the weaker and younger sibling of king Mufasa, he was, in a way, his brother’s shadow.
The herald, or the one to call to adventure, are both Mufasa and Rafiki. Rafiki begins the call in the opening sequence as he presents Simba to the world. It is his entrance into life and a show of his destiny that awaits him. The spectacular ceremony with all the animals there to witness is a clear sign that Simba is no ordinary lion and that there’s much more in store for him.
Mufasa is the herald when he brings Simba up to the top of pride rock to teach him about the responsibilities of being king. It is when it’s made clear to Simba, that he is destined to be king one day.
When Simba and Nala run off from Zazu they enter the dreadful elephant graveyard, outside of their territory, and there they meet the threshold guardians, the hyenas. They are confronted by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, who are keen on hunting the intruders down, leading into a suspenseful chase.
The tricksters in The Lion King took away Simbas worries and disconnected him from the troubles he had. Timon and Pumba were introduced as laid back and carefree characters, they distract Simba from his responsibilities, but not necessarily in a bad way. They help with comedic relief in the film and keep it light.
The biggest mentor to Simba was Mufasa. He taught him life lessons throughout the film, starting with the lesson on top of pride rock, to after delving into the elephant graveyard and even after his passing as he appears in the clouds when Simba has grown. Other than Mufasa, Rafiki also takes part as a mentor when Simba feels lost and doesn’t know who he is. He guides him through to reach the ultimate lesson from Mufasa so he can gather the strength to return home.
Simbas allies were any characters that weren’t Scar or the hyenas. Most prominently being Timon, Pumba, Nala, Zazu, his mother Sarabi, and the other lions.
The mother and father in the film are clearly Sarabi and Mufasa, both responsible for raising up Simba.
The child archetype in the film fits Zazu the most. He is Mufasa’s majordomo, with all the information, complaints and advice. He insists against Simba’s mischief, and is always worried.
Nala appears as the maiden in her and Simba’s reunion. Their previous friendship turns to love in the romantic sequence, but ends in them trying to convince each to no compromise. Simba refuses to reveal the secret he holds, and Nala fails to understand him. Reguardless she is the one to reintroduce him to the reality and kickstarts his return back home.
The shapeshifters of the movies are Scar and the three main hyenas. Scar all along the movie plays the ally all while plotting a coup at the same time. He continues his devious plans with convincing the lions of pride rock about Mufasa’s and Simba’s death and takes upon becoming king. But by the end of the movie, the hyenas also have a change of opinions. Starting off as allies with Scar, after him badmouthing them and their motives, they turn on him and end him off.
In conclusion, The Lion King follows all the typical archetypes fairly clearly, with several character's roles overlapping.
Illustration list:
Figure 1: The Lion King poster (1994). Available at: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwif0KXQ7bDlAhWJkxQKHRF8DlsQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAdvance-Rolled-Movie-Poster-27x40%2Fdp%2FB07SV41XR4&psig=AOvVaw3HFfO5T0qX8zevNsFbtHdy&ust=1571867633010365 (Accessed on 22 October 2019)
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