Tools of Characterization

Characterization in The Lion King

Actions

Actions, actions, actions. They speak louder than words. And they're the primary method of characterization in The Lion King.

We watch Simba develop from foolish baby cub to intelligent adult through his actions. When he's young, he saunters into the elephant graveyard like he owns the place. When he's a teenager, he chills in the jungle with Timon and Pumbaa, eating bugs and having belching contests. He only crosses over into adulthood when he fights and defeats Scar, claiming the throne from him.

We know Scar is evil by his actions. He plots the murder of his brother and nephew, after all. As king, he lets the Pride Lands go completely to waste. He lies, cheats, and manipulates everyone who gets close to him in order to get what he wants. By contrast, Mufasa is good: he rescues his son from bloodthirsty hyenas and then from a stampede of wildebeests, and he keeps the Pride Lands green and lush and the bellies of his subjects full of food.

Family Life

Since The Lion King is a drama about a dysfunctional lion family, it makes sense that there would be a lot of emphasis placed on family life when it comes to characterization.

Mufasa and Sarabi are gentle and loving parents. How do we know? They nurture Simba and try their best to keep him out of danger. Simba is a cheeky but loyal son: although he disobeys his father, he's remorseful afterward and respectful of his authority. Respect is sort of the watchword here: Mufasa, Sarabi, and Simba all have love and respect for each other.

Scar, on the other hand, has respect for no one but himself. To him, all of the other members of his family are pawns to be maneuvered (or dispensed with) in order to ensure his rise to power. He's pretty much the black sheep, too: he doesn't come to Simba's presentation ceremony even though Mufasa invited him, and he lives in a cave far away from Pride Rock. He barely socializes with his family members unless it's to undermine them—he's usually hanging out alone or with a pack of desperately hungry hyenas.

Physical Appearances

For better or worse, physical appearance is a big deal in all Disney movies. The Lion King is no exception.

Goodness tends to be earmarked by strength and health. Mufasa is large and strong, with an impressive mane and clear eyes. Simba is the same. Sarabi and Nala look pretty similar: healthy coats of fur, kind eyes, and broad smiles.

Evil, as you'd expect, looks a little different: Scar is weaker and smaller (he even says so!) and has a healed gash over his right eye.

The comic characters all tend to have more exaggerated features—the kind that make viewers more inclined to smile and laugh. Timon has giant eyes, and Pumbaa has a huge body and tiny legs. All of the hyenas have exaggerated facial expressions and very toothy smiles, allowing them to appear funny at some points and slightly sinister at others.

Social Status

Social status tells us a lot about who characters are and where they're going. Mufasa is a respect-commanding king, but Scar is an estranged pauper who commands no one's respect. Simba is a young prince, and Sarabi is a gentle queen.

Nala is a good friend of Simba's (and of the royal family's, in general), which means she's well-respected in the lion community. And although Timon and Pumbaa are jungle-dwelling outsiders, they're still likable. Why? Because they're outsiders by choice, not because of someone else's orders. The hyenas, by contrast, are not outsiders by choice, which suggests that some conflict in the past has resulted in their banishment from the kingdom.