“The Lion King” introduces viewers to the intricate relationship between Mufasa, the reigning king of the Pride Lands and leader of the lion pride, and his younger brother, Scar. The narrative follows Simba, Mufasa’s son, as he endeavors to reclaim the pride from Scar following his father’s demise. The bond between Mufasa and Scar is far more complex than simple sibling rivalry; it is a profound struggle for dominance that ultimately requires resolution by the succeeding generation.

Scar stands as the primary villain in the story, his name derived from the distinctive scar above his left eye. From the moment you notice it, it becomes clear that this lion is not a benevolent figure and harbors nefarious intentions. In the original 1994 animation, the origin of Scar’s mark remains a mystery, but subsequent franchise installments have explored the lion’s backstory.

Two differing explanations exist: one from an animated series involving an encounter with a snake, and another from a live-action adaptation involving a confrontation aimed at rescuing his brother. Although the snake tale emerged first, the fight narrative aligns more closely with the film universe and comes from a more credible source. Let’s delve into how Scar acquired his scar and the implications of each tale for his persona.

“The Lion Guard,” the Disney animated series set concurrently with the sequel film “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride,” gave the first hint to how Scar got the infamous scar that gave him his name. Though Scar is still dead when he appears in the show, in keeping with his death in 1994’s “The Lion King,” he appears as a spirit to continue to fight Simba from the grave.

In the first episode of season 3, Scar’s spirit reveals through song that, when he was on patrol as a teen lion, he met another lion who tells him that he, not Mufasa, should be king one day because of his roar. The lion suggests the two of them could even rule together. However, alongside this new lion is a cobra, who proceeds to bite Scar in his eye. The bite causes the scar, and the venom from the snake causes him to have evil thoughts, resulting in his efforts to become king. The mysterious other lion has a similar scar, implying he was also bitten by the snake.

Because the series takes place during the same time period of the “The Lion King” sequel, many fans of the franchise consider it canon or mostly canon. While there are some plot holes and unanswered questions with its connection to “The Lion King,” there aren’t more than other projects in the franchise have. It also ties into the plan Scar has in “The Lion Guard,” which is to have another young lion bit by a cobra so they can go against Simba.

However, with the release of “Mufasa: The Lion King” in 2024, Scar’s story was told again, this time through the eyes of Rafiki, the mandrill audiences first meet in “The Lion King.” He tells Simba and Nala’s cub Kiara everything he knows about Simba’s father, Scar, and the others, possibly being a more reliable narrator to Scar’s actual history. The mandrill presents a narrative that makes the lion’s scar heroic rather than an attempt to gain power, creating a bright spot in Scar’s otherwise dark history.

In Rafiki’s story, Scar receives his scar when he stops Kiros, a white lion, from killing Mufasa in a fight. Though Scar is the instigator of the situation, telling Kiros he will join his pride while letting Krios go after Mufasa as revenge for killing his cub, he regrets his choice when the altercation happens and steps in. This switch in the plan causes Kiros to attack Scar, cutting his eye in the process.

In this version of the story, Scar receives his namesake by protecting his brother, whereas the original story presented in “The Lion Guard” makes it the reason for his downfall. This provides some redemption for Scar that the first narrative does not offer, but also makes his attempt to beat his brother later on much more tragic and disappointing, knowing that he saved his brother previously.