The following contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion King, now playing in theatersMufasa: The Lion King reveals that one of Mufasa’s iconic lines was actually taken from a major villain. Mufasa: The Lion King delves into the early days of the titular lion, long before he became the ruler of the Pride Lands. This gives the film plenty of opportunities to retroactively seed the characters and events of The Lion King, such as the evolution of the kindly Taka into the villainous Scar or how Mufasa fell in love with his eventual queen, Sarabi.
One of the more interesting additions to the film is Kiros, the dangerous white lion who served as a major threat to the animals before Mufasa was able to unite them. Kiros has a very personal reason to go after Mufasa even beyond their conflicting views on power, building to their massive duel in Mufasa: The Lion King‘s ending. Kiros is effectively everything Mufasa isn’t, a heartless and brutal despot in contrast to Mufasa’s more noble approach to rule. Notably, Mufasa took one idea of Kiros’ and flipped it into one of his iconic approaches to ruling.
Kiros Uses The Lion King’s “Everything The Light Touches” Line In Mufasa
Kiros Openly Wanted To Rule “Everything The Light Touches”
Mufasa: The Lion King reveals that the villainous Kiros believed his kingdom would entail “everything the light touches” long before Mufasa told Simba the same thing about the Pride Lands. Mufasa: The Lion King explores the early days of Mufasa. The threat that united the animal kingdom behind him was Kiros, a ruthless white lion who held a deep-seated hatred for Mufasa after the latter killed his son in a fight. However, even before that, Kiros was on a path of violence, targeting the other lion prides in the area to cement his stranglehold on the kingdom.
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Kiros even tells other lions that he will control everything the light touches, highlighting his ambitions and his willingness to slaughter scores of innocent prides to achieve it. It stands in stark contrast to Mufasa’s motivations by the climax of the film, which reveals that Mufasa was actually reluctant to take the role of king. This willingness to forego power is why Mufasa is the perfect candidate for the role, leading to his well-respected tenure as monarch. However, this makes his decision to adopt the phrase when he’s king more interesting, as Mufasa naturally subverts Kiros’ motivations.
Why Mufasa Would Steal Kiros’ Description Of The Pride Lands
Mufasa Flips Kiros’ Plans For A More Noble Purpose
In 2019’s The Lion King, Mufasa talks to a young Simba about how he’ll eventually take over the Pride Lands as king from Mufasa, and that “everything the light touches” will be his kingdom after Mufasa’s death. However, he’s quick to correct Simba when he asks if that means the entire kingdom will belong to him. Instead, Mufasa explains the lands “belong to no one.” It is the responsibility of the king to take care of the lands and everyone the light touches. This is a direct reversal of Kiros’ motivations, with Mufasa taking the philosophy as a noble purpose.
It’s an interesting way to flip one of The Lion King‘s iconic lines into a crucial new aspect of Mufasa: The Lion King‘s thematic connections to the earlier film.
It’s an interesting expansion of Mufasa’s motivations in The Lion King, highlighting how he took his responsibility as monarch seriously. By contrast, Kiros and Scar were driven by the power the position afforded them. Simba in turn follows his father’s mentality and is seen in the opening song of Mufasa: The Lion King to have restored the Pride Lands as a home for the greater animal kingdom without ego or ambition. It’s an interesting way to flip one of The Lion King‘s iconic lines into a crucial new aspect of Mufasa: The Lion King‘s thematic connections to the earlier film.
Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to the live-action remake of the original Disney animated film, The Lion King. The film will follow Mufasa in his early days; further plot details are currently under wraps. The film will likely explore Mufasa and Scar’s relationship and how it became as strained as it did. In the film, Timon and Pumba will return, with Billy Eicher and Seth Rogen reprising their roles.
- Release Date
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December 20, 2024
- Director
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Barry Jenkins
- Writers
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Jeff Nathanson
, Linda Woolverton
, Irene Mecchi
, Jonathan Roberts