The Lion King: The 8 Saddest Things That Happened To Simba

In 1994, Disney fans fell in love with The Lion King and the tale of Simba and his family. After the death of his father, Mufasa, Simba was run out of his territory by his rogue uncle, only to live a life on the run with Pumbaa and Timon.

Eventually, Simba did make his way back to Pride Rock to take his kingdom back from his uncle, but it came at a price. Throughout Simba’s life, he’s had incredibly sad things happen to him. From being separated by his parents at a young age to fighting for land that’s clearly his, Simba never had it easy.

Simba’s Dad Died At The Hands Of His Uncle

Mufasa was one of the best Disney characters because of his strength for his pride and love for his son. Mufasa did his best to teach Simba everything he knew as king but his time was cut short when he was killed in a stampede.

Little did Simba know, his father didn’t die naturally from the stampede; he died at the hands of his Uncle Scar. It was years before Simba put two and two together, but it was horrible that the little cub lost his dad at such a young age — as the result a family member no less.

Scar And The Hyenas Ran Simba Out Of The Pride Lands…

Scar was one of the more evil Disney villains because he went after his own family out of jealousy. After the death of Mufasa, Scar knew he couldn’t become king with Simba in the picture. To get his way, he pushed Simba out of the Pride Lands by forcing his hyenas on him.

Instead of grieving the loss of his dad and running back to be in the comfort of his mom, Simba felt the need to run for his safety because Scar told him his pride would turn their backs on him after hearing about Mufasa’s death.

…And Scar Tried Killing Simba

Unbeknownst to Simba, Scar instructed the hyenas to kill him, and the poor cub had to run for his life. As he ran off into the sunset, the hyenas warned that if he ever came back they’d kill him.

From there, Scar went back to the Pride Lands and told everyone that Simba had died in the stampede with Mufasa. Little did they know, it was all a lie, and Simba — the rightful king — was very much alive.

It Was Hard To Be Independent As The King’s Son

For Simba, it wasn’t always easy growing up in the shadows of his dad. Mufasa was beloved by his pride and the other animals in the kingdom, and it was hard for Simba to have an identity of his own.

More than that, Simba felt like he couldn’t be independent because Mufasa’s assistant Zazu was hired to watch over him. Simba wanted to grow and explore but it was hard to do so because of who his dad was. The cub’s desire for independence and to be king one day led to some of the movie’s best songs, like “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.”

Feeling Like He Had To Push Nala Away

As cubs, Simba and Nala were best friends. They enjoyed going on adventures together and deceiving Zazu if need be. But when Scar and the hyenas ran Simba out of the Pride Lands, Nala thought her friend had died.

It wasn’t until Nala went hunting that she became reacquainted with Simba yet again. Simba didn’t know it was Nala. Likewise, she was stunned he was still alive and begged him to go back to Pride Rock because he was the rightful king. However, Simba told her he didn’t want to be king and has no intention of returning. He had too much fear to tell her what really happened so instead he pushed her away.

The Battle Of The Elephant Graveyard

Before Simba left the Pride Lands, Scar had the intelligence to entice him to live dangerously. Scar talked about the elephant graveyard and what a mystery it was — but cub lions weren’t allowed to go there, especially not the son of the king.

With Nala’s help, the cubs escaped to the elephant graveyard to see what it was all about. Knowing Simba would go, Scar sent his hyenas there to wreak havoc. What was sad about this was that yet again, Scar put Simba’s life in danger and set him up in a planned attack. Luckily for him and Nala, Mufasa came to the rescue.

A Life Without Sarabi

Simba’s mom, Sarabi, wasn’t shown much in The Lion King but she went through an incomparable amount of tragedies. Her husband died in a stampede, she was led to believe her son died, and her pride was ripped apart and starved because of Scar.

As hard as it was for Sarabi, Simba grew up alone without the comfort of his mother. It was even sadder when Simba found out his mom wasn’t doing well because of Scar’s actions as king. When Simba finally saw Sarabi again, she was weak from being starved and thought Simba was a ghost.

The Rise Of The  Lionesses In The Outlands

Although this storyline wasn’t a part of the original The Lion King, it was in the sequel The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride. In the movie, Simba is king and has two cubs of his own. However, he still dealt with the aftermath of Scar’s death. There were a few lions who worshipped Scar and felt Simba wasn’t fit to be king.

When Simba found out the lionesses were going to avenge Scar’s death, Simba exiled them to the Outlands. Doing this was not easy but it was what was best for the pride. Even as king, Simba’s life was never easy and sad things continue to unfold in his path — especially when those outlaw lions sought their revenge.

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
(1645 Articles Published)

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Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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