The Lion King Coming of Age

Simba is so little and so excited to grow up that it's kind of adorable.

Silly little baby Simba assumes that being king means you get to have all the fun in the world all day long while Zazu chases you around, warning you not to slide down the neck of an ostrich.

After Simba is nearly devoured by hyenas, he learns an important lesson about growing up: you don't need to get yourself into danger in order to prove that you're brave.

As a teenager, Simba doubts himself, assuming he's the one responsible for his father's untimely death.

Ever perceptive, Nala wonders why moody teenage Simba won't just grow up already.

Armchair psychologist Rafiki analyzes the melancholy prince and gets right to the root of his problems: he's got to figure out his life before it passes him by.

Mufasa's ghost warns his son that it is time to step up to the plate and accept that he's got a life to live, no matter how difficult and fraught that life may be.

When Rafiki is trying to get Simba to go back to the Pride Lands and become a real adult, he utters the words that every teenager will probably be relieved to hear. Change, though terrifying, is ultimately good—it may be scary and awkward in the moment, but it'll pay off in the long run.

If anyone's got a difficult past, it's Simba. Rafiki helps him see that in order to grow up, he's got to learn from it and move on.

By the time Simba returns to the Pride Lands, he's grown up so much that Scar actually mistakes him for Mufasa. Circle of Life, bro.