Warning: this article contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion KingMufasa: The Lion Kingwas one of the final few movies of 2024, and it is still going strong even as the 2025 movie slate begins to spin its wheels up. The film tells theorigin story of Scarand Mufasa before they became the royal family of the Pride Lands. It also explores how and why Mufasa became the leader that he was in the original movie.Mufasa’s reviewsare mixed, much like the 2019Lion Kingremake, but the film does contain a lot of cool ideas and moments that make the character of Mufasa more interesting.
While Mufasa’s eventual fate is very well-known and already tragic, getting a deeper look into the character makes his death in the original movie even more so.Mufasa’s death inThe Lion Kingis sad mostly because of how it affects Simba, as opposed to the death in and of itself, but thanks to the new prequel,Mufasa is a much more fleshed-out character, making his death scene that much more impactful. There is one detail in particular fromMufasathat cements the character’s death as one of the most devastating film deaths of all time.
Mufasa’s opening shows the young cub with his birth parents, living a very simple life away from any large pride of lions. When disaster strikes and a flood ravages the area they are living in, Mufasa is ripped away from his parents and stranded, not knowing whether they lived or died. After the major events of the film, duringMufasa’s ending, his mother reappears in the newly-formed Pride Lands and confirms that his father died in the flood, leaving her as the new king’s only surviving parent.
Unless Disney decides to make another movie set in between this film andThe Lion King, it likely won’t be confirmed, and this will remain the canon explanation.
The last timeMufasa’s father, Masego, was seen was during the aforementioned flood, where he tried desperately to protect his son from the torrent, but was obviously unsuccessful. When Afia, Mufasa’s mother, told her son that his father had died,the obvious assumption to make is that he was killed by the flood as he was trying to save Mufasa. Unless Disney decides to make another movie set in between this film andThe Lion King, it likely won’t be confirmed, and this will remain the canon explanation.
Mufasa Was Also Killed Trying To Save His Son
Mufasa’s father dying in this way is very significant, as it is essentially the same way that he himself died. Both parents saw their son in mortal danger, and, in trying to help, they lost their own lives. Knowing thatMasego’s death was so similar to Mufasa’s eventual end makes the tragic moment even more depressing, and shows a great symmetry in how these fathers act. Even though Mufasa had to live most of his life without his father,Mufasa: The Lion Kingshowed how much of an impact he had on his son.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Cast
Mufasa: The Lion King explores the origins of the beloved character Mufasa, focusing on his youth as a lost cub who encounters Taka, a royal heir. Their meeting initiates an epic journey of self-discovery and destiny, featuring a group of misfit companions navigating the challenges of their world.
