Scar (The Lion King)

Conception and influences The Lion King was first conceived in 1988. The film was eventually pitched to Disney executives, one of whom was among the first to observe similarities between author Thomas M. Disch's treatment and William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Although first citing these similarities as initially unintentional, director Rob Minkoff always felt it was essential "to anchor [the film] with something familiar." As directors, Minkoff and Roger Allers aspired to create "an animal picture based in a more natural setting," describing the film as "More true-life adventure than mythical epic." Although not the first Disney film to have been inspired by Shakespeare's work, The Lion King remains the studio's most prominent example, due to close parallels between its characters and Hamlet, while both stories revolve around main characters who struggle to come to terms with the reality that they must confront their treacherous uncles and avenge their fathers' deaths. Scar is based on King Claudius. According to Slate, while Claudius is mostly "a second-rate schemer, consumed by anxiety and guilt," Scar very much "delight[s] in his monstrosity;" both characters are motivated by jealousy. Meanwhile, The Week observed that although both characters ultimately die, Claudius is killed by protagonist, Prince Hamlet, while Scar dies "at the hand of his former hyena minions, and not Simba, himself." The original plot of The Lion King revolved around a rivalry between lions and baboons. A baboon himself, Scar was their leader. After this plot was abandoned, Scar was re-written into a rogue lion lacking any blood relation to both Mufasa and Simba. Lacking a pride of his own, he simply wanted what Mufasa had. At one point, Scar owned a pet python as a sidekick, but this character was abandoned. and consequentially banishing the character when she refuses. This concept was to have been further explored during a reprise of Scar's song "Be Prepared", but both the idea and the song were ultimately removed from the film, because they were deemed too "creepy." In addition to that, there was a scene in which Scar was originally going to defeat Simba and throw him off Pride Rock, before he is engulfed by flames. This ending was cut for being far too dark for young viewers. According to the directors, "[a] patronizing quality" was vital to Scar's role in the film. Minkoff told the Los Angeles Times, "When Scar puts the guilt trip on Simba, that's an intense idea and probably something that is not typical of the other Disney pictures, in terms of what the villain does." supervising animator Andreas Deja believed that "villains work really well when they're subtle," explaining, "to see them think and scheme and plot is much more interesting than showing them beating somebody up." However, the actor ultimately chosen for the role was Jeremy Irons, because of his classical theater training, because the directors had deliberately wanted Scar "to come across as a Shakespearean character." especially immediately after winning an Academy Award. nearly declined, because, in fear of jeopardizing his successful career, he was "[h]esitant to jump from a dramatic role to an animated feature." Prior to The Lion King, Irons was famous for starring as several villains and antagonists in live action films "geared towards adults." Although he had starred in a children's film before, the actor admitted that it did not mirror the success of The Lion King, which animation historian Jerry Beck referred to in his book The Animated Movie Guide as "the most impressive list of actors ever to grace an animated film." As directors, Minkoff and Allers "work[ed] very closely with the actors to create their performance." Describing Irons as "a gentleman and a brilliant actor," Allers revealed that the actor was constantly offering "extra interpretations of lines which were fantastic." In a reference to the role that earned Irons an Academy Award, Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune, the writers gave Scar one of von Bülow's lines, "You have no idea," which is uttered by Irons in a similar tone. According to author Rachel Stein of New Perspectives on Environmental Justice: Gender, Sexuality, and Activism, Irons relies "on his history of playing sexually perverse, socially dangerous male characters to animate his depiction of Scar." On the contrary, Irons revealed to Savannah, Georgia that the similarities between the voices of Scar and von Bülow were largely unintentional, explaining, "Whatever voice came was arrived at by looking at the initial sketches and from the freedom the directors gave me to try anything." Irons concluded, "The fact that he may occasionally remind you of Claus, comes from the fact that they both share the same voice box." While recording Scar's song, "Be Prepared," Irons encountered challenges with his singing voice. The actor reportedly "blew out his voice" upon belting the line "you won't get a sniff without me," rendering him incapable of completing the musical number. Consequently, Disney was forced to recruit American voice actor Jim Cummings, who had also been providing the voice of The Lion Kings laughing hyena Ed at the time, to impersonate Irons and record the rest of the song. On May 25th, 2024, Jeremy Irons performed "Be Prepared" live for the 30th anniversary of The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl. Jim Cummings told HuffPost that "[s]tunt singing" is actually something the actor continues to do regularly, having done the same for American actor Russell Means, voice of the Chief Powhatan in Disney's Pocahontas. Critics observed that Irons "fakes his way through 'Be Prepared' in the grand tradition of talk-singing," drawing similarities between him and American actor James Cagney and English actor Rex Harrison. Deja revealed that, during a recording session, Irons's stomach was grumbling. Deja joked, "The growling sound could be heard in his recording, so we had to record that part of his dialog all over again." As a result of Irons's prominent British accent, critics have compared both the actor and Scar to Shere Khan, the main antagonist of Disney's earlier film The Jungle Book, voiced by English actor George Sanders. Ejiofor said that "especially with Scar, whether it's a vocal quality that allows for a certain confidence or a certain aggression, to always know that at the end of it you're playing somebody who has the capacity to turn everything on its head in a split second with outrageous acts of violence—that can completely change the temperature of a scene". Favreau said of casting Ejiofor, "[He] is just a fantastic actor, who brings us a bit of the mid-Atlantic cadence and a new take on the character. He brings that feeling of a Shakespearean villain to bear because of his background as an actor. It's wonderful when you have somebody as experienced and seasoned as Chiwetel; he just breathes such wonderful life into this character." When Jeremy Irons was interviewed on Larry King Now on November 30, 2016, he expressed interest in reprising the role. In August 2021, it was announced that Kelvin Harrison Jr. would voice a young Scar (referred to by his born name "Taka") in Barry Jenkins' 2024 prequel and sequel of the remake, Mufasa: The Lion King. Design and characterization The studio originally dismissed The Lion King as a risk, because, at the time, it was believed that the greatest films starred people. Concerned about the novelty of the film, Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg decided to divide the studio into two separate animated films, The Lion King and Pocahontas, the latter of which was dubbed "the home run" because it was expected to be the more successful of the two projects. Disney's more seasoned and experienced animators gravitated towards Pocahontas, while the studio's newer animators were relegated to working on The Lion King, dubbing themselves the "B-team." However, Allers received Katzenberg's decision as an opportunity for "newer animators to step up to leadership roles", Deja summarized the experience as "more fun than drawing heroes" because "You have so much more to work with, in terms of expressions and acting and drawing-wise, than you would have with a nice princess or a prince, where you have to be ever so careful with the draftsmanship." Before becoming involved with The Lion King, Deja had already developed a reputation for animating Disney villains. However, Deja relented upon learning that Scar would be voiced by Irons, feeling that it would be "fun" to animate a character voiced by such a prestigious actor. Because Scar is an animal, as opposed to a human, Deja and the animators faced certain challenges and limitations when it came to instilling movement in the character, As the film's villain, Scar is the only lion drawn with claws. As an animator, Deja believes that "If you have a great voice to work with, your work is half done." Enjoying the way in which Irons "has a way with words and phrasing," Music Scar sings the musical number "Be Prepared," written by songwriters Elton John and Tim Rice, while contemplating Mufasa's death plot and bringing the hyenas along. Described as the film's "darkest" song, a "pompous," "fascistic paean to usurpers," According to Business Insider, in addition to loosely basing the character on Adolf Hitler, to further emphasize Scar's tyranny, the filmmakers directly based his song "Be Prepared," which references Nazism by having Scar's army of hyenas goose step, while addressing them from a high ledge, similar to the way in which Hitler would have from a balcony, which documents Nazi Germany during 1934. According to Entertainment Weekly, the concept originated from a sketch by story artist Jorgen Klubien, in which Scar was depicted as Hitler. Although hesitant that then-Disney Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg would approve, the filmmakers decided to pursue it, describing the sequence as a "Triumph of the Will-style mock-Nuremberg rally." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reviewed, "those goose-stepping hyenas seem a little much in hindsight," while Film School Rejects coined it a "hellish gathering." == Appearances ==

Animated films The Lion King (1994) Scar first appeared in The Lion King (1994) as the scheming younger brother of Mufasa. In the film, Scar was first in line to become king of the lion pride until his nephew Simba was born, becoming the new heir apparent. Determined to seize the throne, Scar devises a plan to kill both Simba and Mufasa. Scar's first plan was tricking Simba into going to the elephant graveyard where his spotted hyena minions, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, were to kill Simba and his best friend, Nala, only for Mufasa to intervene. Next, Scar traps Simba in a gorge and orders the hyenas to trigger a wildebeest stampede. Although Mufasa saves Simba, he is unable to climb out of the gorge to safety. When Mufasa begs Scar for help, Scar instead digs his claws into his brother's paws. Mufasa realizes that Scar is responsible for the stampede and that he has been betrayed by his brother. Scar says "long live the king" before sending Mufasa to his death. Deceiving Simba into believing that he is to blame for Mufasa's death, Scar advises Simba to leave the Pride Lands and never return, then orders the hyenas to kill Simba. Scar returns to Pride Rock and tells the pride that Mufasa and Simba died in the stampede. Scar assumes the throne and allows the hyenas into the Pride Lands. Unbeknownst to Scar, Simba escapes the hyenas. Years later, Scar has allowed the hyenas to wreak havoc upon the Pride Lands, which turn barren and starving under his tyranny. He has also forbidden the mention of Mufasa's name in his presence. Now an adult, Simba returns to Pride Rock aided by Nala and his new friends, Timon and Pumbaa. There, Simba witnesses Scar striking his mother, Sarabi. Simba confronts Scar, who persuades Simba to admit to the pride that he is responsible for Mufasa's death. Meanwhile, a lightning strike has caused a fire. As he prepares to throw Simba off Pride Rock into the fire, Scar tells Simba that he was the one who killed Mufasa, confident that the secret will die with Simba. Instead, Simba leaps up and tackles Scar, forcing him to confess to the pride that he murdered Mufasa. A battle erupts as the pride, Timon, and Pumbaa begin fighting the hyenas. Scar tries to flee but is cornered by Simba on the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs for mercy and attempts to blame his actions on the hyenas, unaware that they are listening nearby. Simba spares Scar on the condition that Scar permanently leaves the Pride Lands. Scar briefly pretends to do so, but then attacks Simba and they fight. Scar knocks Simba on his back, but as Scar lunges at Simba, Simba kicks Scar over the cliff ledge. Scar survives but is met by the hyenas, who kill and eat him for betraying them. ''The Lion King II: Simba's Pride'' Due to Scar's death in The Lion King, his presence in the sequel ''The Lion King II: Simba's Pride'' (1998) is limited. Scar briefly appears in a scene depicting Simba's nightmare. In the scene, Simba runs down a cliff, attempting to rescue his father from a stampede. Scar appears and transforms into Kovu, Scar's chosen heir, who throws Simba off the cliff. Scar makes another brief appearance as Kovu's reflection in a pool of water after Kovu is exiled from the Pride Lands. The Lion King 1½ In The Lion King 1½ (2004), Scar make a few brief appearances but does not speak. In the film, Nala, now queen, mentions Scar when she explains to Timon and Pumbaa why Simba left. Scar makes three cameo appearances at the film's climax. The first cameo is the scene where he backs Simba up against the ledge, right when lightning strikes the base of Pride Rock; the second is during the scene where he admits to murdering Mufasa, before being pinned down by Simba; and the third is when he is defeated by Simba and kicked off the edge of Pride Rock. He survives this fall, but is attacked and killed by the hyenas that he betrayed. Animated series ''The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa'' Despite his death in the original film, Scar makes a few brief, non-speaking appearances in the spin-off television series Timon & Pumbaa. He is seen in the season two episode "Zazu's Off-By-One Day" when Zazu cleans out his trash can in search for the jungle inspector, and the animated wraparound segment in the Around the World with Timon & Pumbaa international video when Timon drags him to try to restore Pumbaa's lost memories. The Lion Guard Scar is portrayed in paintings throughout season one of The Lion Guard television series, which expand on his backstory. When Scar was young, he led the Lion Guard, a traditional duty of the king's second child. In this role, Scar protected the Pride Lands and defended the "Circle of Life" from all enemies. Scar also had an ability called the Roar of the Elders, which summons the lions of the Pride Lands' past to roar with the lion using the ability. This power convinced Scar he should be the king instead of Mufasa. When his fellow Lion Guard members refused to help him dethrone Mufasa, Scar killed them using the Roar of the Elders. As a result, Scar was stripped of this ability, as he used it against its intended purpose. Scar appears as a fiery spirit in a volcano in season two (voiced by David Oyelowo) starting in the episode The Rise of Scar. In this episode, Kion, the current leader of the Lion Guard, uses the Roar of the Elders after Janja the hyena provokes him, and unknowingly summons Scar. Scar conspires with Janja and the other animals in the Outlands to take over the Pride Lands and defeat Simba and the new Lion Guard. Later in the season, the Lion Guard discovers that Scar has returned. Scar's army begins conquering various locations in the Pride Lands, causing unrest, until the Lion Guard trains the residents of the Pride Lands into a militia. In season three's one-hour premiere Battle for the Pride Lands, Scar battles the Lion Guard. He attempts to burn down Pride Rock and to kill Janja and his clan along for being tempted to defect. At the end of the episode, Kion defeats Scar by summoning the Great Kings of the Past to punish Scar for his actions. This results in Scar's evaporation. In a flashback during the season three premiere, it is revealed that as an adolescent, Scar (born Askari) met a rogue lion who had offered his help in overthrowing Mufasa. The rogue's cobra companion bit Askari on the eye, poisoning him and leaving a scar. Askari used the Roar of the Lion to throw the rogue lion and the cobra to their deaths in lava. This gradually increased Scar's jealousy of Mufasa, who gave his brother the nickname "Scar." Askari then adopted the nickname and began plotting to personally kill his brother. Wanting Kion to share his fate, Scar instructs the cobra Ushari to give Kion a similar scar; much of season three revolves around the results of this. Broadway musical The success of The Lion King spawned a Broadway musical based on the film, directed by Julie Taymor with a book written by The Lion King co-director, Roger Allers and screenwriter Irene Mecchi. American actor John Vickery originated the role of Scar. During the song "The Madness of King Scar," Scar attempts to seduce a young adult Nala and make her his queen and mother of his cubs. Nala rejects Scar's advances and leaves Pride Rock. Actors who have played the role worldwide include Gavin Lee, Stephen Carlile, Michael Hollick, Patrick Page, George Asprey and Rob Edwards and Salvatore Antonio. The Lion King remake films The Lion King (2019) In The Lion King (2019), Scar is described by his voice actor Chiwetel Ejiofor as more "psychologically possessed" and "brutalized" than in the original film. Ejiofor also said that "[Scar and Mufasa's] relationship is completely destroyed and brutalized by Scar's way of thinking. He's possessed with this disease of his own ego and his own want." Among the changes, Scar is stated to have challenged Mufasa in the past and lost (it is implied he got his scar in the fight), and that both brothers courted Sarabi, who chose Mufasa. In the 2019 film, Scar also has to earn the trust of the hyenas, whereas in the 1994 film, the hyenas were allied with Scar from the beginning. During his reign, Scar takes a more active role in hunting alongside the pack of hyenas, and is also seen trying to force Sarabi to become his mate and queen. He also restricts conversations about Mufasa, rather than banning his name entirely, as he did in the original film. Additionally, His scar also appears black instead of pink, and his general appearance is similar to that of an Asiatic lion, having a noticeably thinner mane and lighter physique. Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) In the prequel film, Scar is depicted in his youth under the name Taka, voiced by Kelvin Harrison Jr., with Theo Somolu voicing the cub version of the character. The film reveals that Scar, formerly known as Taka, is not Mufasa's biological brother, but a royal cub born to King Obasi and Queen Eshe. Taka's family adopts Mufasa after the latter is separated from his parents during a flood. Although Obasi reluctantly accepts the outsider cub, he disdains Mufasa as a "stray." Taka and Mufasa nonetheless grow up together, developing a close brotherly bond. Years later, a pride of white lions known as the Outsiders ambush the royal family. Queen Eshe is attacked, and Mufasa rushes to defend her, killing the son of Kiros, the Outsiders' leader. Instead of praising his courage, King Obasi harshly scolds Taka, ordering him to conceal his involvement in the conflict to preserve his reputation and political standing. When word spreads that the Outsiders are preparing to retaliate, Obasi instructs his sons to flee and establish a new home for the royal bloodline. The brothers set out to find a legendary land called Milele, which Mufasa remembers from stories his parents told him before their separation. Along the way, they meet Sarabi, a wandering lioness. Taka quickly becomes enamored with her and enlists Mufasa's help in winning her affection. In an effort to support his brother, Mufasa allows Taka to take credit for saving Sarabi from an elephant stampede. Despite Taka's attempts to woo her, Sarabi gradually grows closer to Mufasa, recognizing his quiet heroism and selflessness. This devastates Taka, who feels overshadowed and betrayed. Consumed by jealousy, he secretly conspires with Kiros, offering to lead the Outsiders to Mufasa's tracks in exchange for vengeance. When the brothers finally reach Milele, they are ambushed by Kiros and his pride. Kiros exposes Taka's betrayal, and Taka accuses Mufasa of stealing both Sarabi's love and his parents' affection. During the ensuing battle, Mufasa is cornered and nearly killed, but a remorseful Taka intervenes to save his life. In the struggle, Kiros slashes Taka across the face, leaving a deep wound that will become his namesake scar. Taka ultimately kills Kiros, helping Mufasa and the Pride defeat the Outsiders. With the conflict resolved, Mufasa ascends as the first King of Milele, later renamed the Pride Lands. He is reunited with his mother Eshe, though he learns of his father's death in exile. Filled with guilt, Taka begs Mufasa for forgiveness. Though Mufasa allows him to remain in the kingdom, he solemnly decrees that "Taka"—the name tainted by betrayal—shall never be spoken again. Accepting his new identity, Taka chooses to call himself "Scar", a symbol of his shame and the lessons of his past. As Mufasa climbs the newly christened Pride Rock to begin his reign, Scar lingers in the shadows, watching silently before retreating into bitterness, foreshadowing the darkness that will one day consume him. Other Books A Tale of Two Brothers Scar makes a few appearances in Six New Adventures, a book series that continued the story of the original Lion King film. Most prominently, Scar is the antagonist in A Tale of Two Brothers. In the story, Simba breaks a promise to Kopa, his son, and Rafiki warns against this, using Scar's relationship with his own father, Ahadi, as a warning. Feeling Mufasa is the favored child, Scar, then called Taka, tries to make his brother look foolish by pitting him against a Buffalo named Boma. However, the plan fails and Taka is given the name of Scar as a 'mark of shame'. The Circle of Ter-Roar Scar is the primary antagonist of The Circle of Ter-Roar, the seventh book of the Disney Chills series written by author Jennifer Brody under the name Vera Strange. The book was published on August 1, 2023. The novel follows twelve-year-old Silas, whose anxiousness causes him to be bullied by his classmates. Silas' family inherits Camp Pride Rock, a safari-themed summer camp in Arizona that was previously run by his Aunt Scarlet. Upon arriving at the camp, the family find the grounds in poor condition. Inside Silas's closet is an old, mysterious trunk that contains the spirit of Camp Pride Rock—the pelt of an old lion named Scar. After opening the trunk, Silas begins to think that things are looking up for the camp and for his family, until a terrifying accident and a series of scary animal encounters change his mind. Video games Scar appears at the end of the 1994 video game The Lion King when Simba battles Scar. Scar plays a similar role in the video game ''The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure ''(2000), with climactic battle between Simba and Scar occurring at the end of the sixth level. The game features the voices of the original film's cast, including Jeremy Irons as Scar. and Kingdom Hearts II as a villain who ultimately transforms into a Heartless as a result of the character's "hatred and jealousy." Scar is a payable character to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms. Scar, again voiced by James Horan, appears in the 2023 video game Disney Dreamlight Valley as one of the inhabitants of its titular valley, with his home inside an elephant's skull in the Sunlit Plateau biome. Cameos Scar's pelt is worn as a coat by Hercules in Disney's 1997 film Hercules, in reference to the Nemean lion. This may also be a reference to Zazu's remark in The Lion King (1994) that Scar would "make a very handsome throw rug." Scar's supervising animator Andreas Deja also served as the supervising animator for Hercules. In Plusaversary, an installation in The Simpsons Disney+ shorts series, Scar appears as an attendee at the party in Moe's Tavern. In another The Simpsons short, Welcome to the Club, Scar appears along with other Disney villains trying to convince Lisa Simpson how fun it is to be a villain. Scar is one of several Walt Disney Animation Studios characters to appear in the short film Once Upon a Studio, where he is again voiced by Jeremy Irons. == Reception ==

Critical response Scar has received widespread acclaim from film critics. In his book ''New York Times Essential Library: Children's Movies: A Critic's Guide to the Best Films Available on Video and DVD'' (2003), author Peter M. Nichols identified Scar as the film's most interesting character, describing Simba and Mufasa as "bores in comparison". Janet Maslin of The New York Times called Scar a "delectably wicked" villain and called Irons' voice acting a highlight. Leah Rozen of People described Scar as "a flawless realization of Irons's special talent". While Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune called Scar the film's best character, ComingSoon.net's Joshua Starnes called him "the best part of the film" and "a showcase for how to do an over-the-top villain right". Roger Ebert called Scar memorable and one of Disney's greatest animated villains, while James Berardinelli of ReelViews called him a welcome departure from "the buffoonery that has marked the recent trio" of Disney villains, specifically Ursula, Gaston, and Jafar. Critics have consistently singled out Irons' performance for praise, with Desson Howe of The Washington Post, Tom Hutchinson of the Radio Times, Annette Basile of FilmInk, and Terrence Rafferty of The New Yorker each calling him a standout. Cindy White of IGN called him "deliciously smarmy". For the same publication, Andy Patrizio said Irons voices Scar "in perfect Shakespearean villain mode". Rolling Stones Peter Travers hailed Irons for "deliver[ing] a triumphantly witty vocal performance that ranks with Robin Williams' in Aladdin". Graham Young of the Birmingham Mail and The Guardians Philip French called the actor "magnificent" and "excellent" in the role, respectively. David Sterritt of The Christian Science Monitor exalted Irons' acting, describing him as "positively brilliant". Both the Orlando Sentinels Jay Boyar and Mathew DeKinder of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch agreed that Irons excels in the film's dramatic moments. David Denby of New York, who otherwise criticized the film, felt that "Irons ... sounds like he's having a better time than he's ever had in movies before". In a rare lukewarm review, Anthony Quinn of The Independent found his work too campy: "more Liberace than George Sanders". Ejiofor's characterization of Scar, while constantly compared with the original, is still generally well received. Renaldo Matadeen from CBR Exclusives praised Scar's remake incarnation as being more frightening than the original for having more motives in his action instead of a simple jealousy and how Scar is more active in leading the hyenas. Similarly, Ejiofor's performance as Scar is also praised. Owen Gleiberman from Variety praised Ejiofor's voice acting, commenting that his Scar raises the film's dramatic stakes, upping the ante on what Jeremy Irons did as Scar in the 1994 version. Scott Mendelson from Forbes comments that while he prefers Jeremy Irons's Scar, he still praised Ejiofor's performance for making Scar excellent and nuanced. Criticism and controversy Some critics considered The Lion King to be the studio's "darkest" film at the time of its release, Hal Hinson of The Washington Post predicted that Scar's murder of Mufasa will be the most widely debated aspect of The Lion King. Referring to Scar murdering Mufasa, The New York Times questioned "whether this film really warranted a G rating." Some publications such as the Los Angeles Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer warned that Scar's on-screen murder of Mufasa and a violent climatic battle may disturb younger children. However, Chris Hicks of the Deseret News complained that filming Scar and Simba's final battle in slow motion undercut the serious implications of Scar's actions by making it "unintentionally comic". Scar has generated some controversy regarding the character's appearance and personality, specifically his darker-colored fur and alleged sexuality. However, David Parkinson, author of The Rough Guide to Film Musicals, noted that the general public has remained largely oblivious to such concerns. In 1994, Steve Twomey of The Washington Post reported that a Detroit Free Press columnist felt that "Scar, clearly, is meant to represent an evil African American, because, 'while Simba's mane is gloriously red, Scar's is, of course, black". According to Talib Visram of Fast Company, some critics pointed out that "the clever, cunning Scar" speaks disparagingly in a British accent, towards hyenas who use "street vernacular", while treating them as servants. Meanwhile, some writers have said Scar's effeminate mannerisms and voice can be perceived as perpetuating homophobic cliches and stereotypes, and has been cited as an example of queer coding villains in Disney media. Journalist Tre'vell Anderson said Scar embodies "the then-expected coded-as-gay villainy that came to define countless Disney properties. He's campy, catty, and effeminate, limp paws included -- characteristics that are stereotypically attributed to queer people", although beyond this his sexual identity "had no significant presence". Dan Hassler-Forest of The Washington Post said, "his effeminate gestures and apparent lack of interest in heterosexual reproduction mark him as queer, like Jafar, Ursula and many other villains in Disney's rigidly heterosexual world". A writer for Into said "There is much to be said about the fact that Scar's presentation can be reduced to a cowardly, gay man leading a comedic trio a Black woman, a Latino man and a mentally disabled 'liability'". Matthew Jacobs of HuffPost accused Disney of watering down Scar's personality in the 2019 remake to avoid accusations of queer coding, instead of "making Scar gay (imagine!) or else finding a unique angle on him" and establishing that Scar and Mufasa had once competed for the same mate, Sarabi. While some viewers expressed similar sentiments on social media, Anderson argued that while they understand why queer audiences would want to preserve Scar's "latent homosexuality", the author is more interested in having explicitly queer characters played by openly queer people, and therefore considers the remake's version of Scar not being subliminally gay "progress". Susan Mackey-Kallis, author of The Hero and the Perennial Journey Home in American Film, observed that Scar is "more effeminate [and] less brawny ... than" both Mufasa and Simba, while Georgia Vraketta pointed out that "Even though [Scar] would be expected to mate with one of the lioness, he is never seen intimated by any". Slant Magazine explained that Scar's black mane is simply an example of "the animators' elementary attempts to color-code evil for the film's target audience". Similarly, author Edward Schiappa wrote in his book Beyond Representational Correctness: Rethinking Criticism of Popular Media that Scar's voice was simply meant "to convey the sort of upper-class snobbishness evinced by George Sanders' performance as Shere Khan in The Jungle Book". == Cultural impact ==

According to IGN, Scar, Simba and Mufasa have since become "household names thanks to the [film's] enormous popularity". Scar is considered to be among Disney's greatest villains. Desmond Ryan of The Philadelphia Inquirer reviewed Scar as "the most vivid villain in Disney features in generations." Entertainment Weekly included the character in the article "10 Over-the-top Animated Movie Villains", explaining, "you could only expect over-the-top when you pair such a grasping, conniving character with Jeremy Irons' seductive voice." Likewise, Digital Spys Alex Fletcher wrote of Scar in his article "Who is Disney's greatest-ever villain?" that "The scene in which he lets Mufasa ... fall into a stampede of wildebeests left lasting emotional trauma on an entire generation." HuffPost ranked Scar first in its "Definitive Ranking of 25 Classic Disney Villains" countdown. Similarly, BuzzFeed also ranked Scar first in the website's "Definitive Ranking Of The Top 20 Disney Villains" list, with author Javi Moreno accusing the character of removing "the innocence of an entire generation." Scar also topped About.com's "Top 10 Disney Villains" countdown; author David Nusair concluded, "There are few figures within Disney's body of work that are as deliciously reprehensible and vile as Scar ... heightened by Jeremy Irons' gloriously smug voice work." Nusair also included Irons among the "Top 5 Celebrity Voice Performances in Animated Films", acknowledging the fact that although the actor "has played a lot of villains over the course of his career ... none have had the lasting impact as Scar from The Lion King." The Orlando Sentinel ranked Scar the "sixth-greatest Disney villain of all time". Similarly, Babble.com also placed the character at number six. Included in the website's "12 most famous Disney villains from worst to best" countdown, Yahoo! Movies ranked Scar second best, while Moviefone ranked the character sixth. E! ranked Scar fifth, with author John Boone writing that the character "plotted one of the most painful deaths in Disney history, so you know he'll never be forgotten." Animation World Network ranked Scar the sixth-best animated villain. While ranking the character fifth, The Stanford Daily wrote, "From his habit of sadistically toying with his prey to his dumb hyena coven to the way he leads the kingdom of Pride Rock into a period of starvation and sorrow, he's a backstabbing dictator of an uncle." Richard Crouse of Metro cited Scar's "Long live the King" as the character's "most evil line". Aside from Disney and animation, Scar is often revered as one of the greatest movie villains of all time. Digital Spy featured the character who, according to author Simon Reynolds, "underlined the sheer blackness of his heart by ruthlessly killing Simba's father," among the "25 greatest movie villains". Similarly, Entertainment Weekly ranked the character the "twenty-fifth-most vile movie villain" ever, while Total Film ranked Scar sixty-seventh. Deja remains best known for animating several of Disney's most famous villains, admitting to preferring animating villains over heroes. subsequently refusing to animate villain Judge Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame in favor of working on Hercules from Hercules, Comparing Scar to other villains that he has played, Irons said that he "measures very highly," having "charm," "Machiavellian qualities" and being "iconic in some of the things he says." == References ==