Simba's Journey: A Flawed Hero

Intro

We all know the story of the Lion King. Simba, a traumatized lion faces his past and becomes the hero of the pride lands, claiming his rightful place in the circle of life. But what if I told you that there is a lot more to uncover about our hero than you think? What if I told you that Simba is one of Disney's most emotionally, deeply flawed heroes?

Let me take you into the deep and explore his character and story fully as a writer. We will be exploring the full movie of the Lion King, following Simba’s journey and growth.

What we will explore in this analysis:

• Simba’s want to be brave like his father, and his fear of disappointing him, combined with his reckless behavior and ignorance of what bravery really means.
• His trauma at a young age, shaping him into how he is as an adult, while denying the past and using ‘Hakuna Matata’ as a coping mechanism
• His avoidance of responsibility; He knows what he has to do, but is still running from the past.
• Identity crisis; Realization that he doesn’t even know who he is anymore.
• Final Confrontation; Grown into a new hero, not only facing the enemy, but himself and his past as well.

 A Young, Care-free, And Reckless Lion Cub

Simba was born a prince, and already from a young age, he was told that he would rule everything the light touches. That would sound amazing to any child, wouldn't it? But though his father does his best to teach him there is more to it than getting your way all the time, Simba is set on that one thing: When he is king, everyone will have to do what he tells them too, and he can do whatever he wants too. He is also not hesitant to tell this to everyone, even to his own uncle.

"My Dad just showed me the whole kingdom, and I'm gonna rule it all!"

To him it is just excitement, but to others, it sounds more like a spoiled brat. He (unknowingly) rubs it in other's faces and already acts entitled. Especially when it comes to his father's own advisor, Zazu.

Of course, this can be considered child behavior. He isn't a horrible person, but he does have an awful lot to learn about life and responsibilities.

Simba's adventurous, but reckless character also makes it very easy for him to be manipulated if the right words are used. The moment Scar mentions that only the bravest go to that shadowy place, Simba's attention is caught. He is convinced he is brave, or he wants to prove that he is brave. Sadly he misunderstands bravery for recklessness. As Mufassa later tells him:

"Being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble..."

After Scar slips and mentions the elephant graveyard, off he goes. Not just to find the Elephant Graveyard himself, but to drag his own best friend into it as well. His reckless behavior and his wish to show everyone how brave he is almost got both of them killed.

At this point, Simba already feels guilt for what happened and is also already traumatized by it. This shows when Scar claims everyone knows about the event with the Hyena's. He shrinks down and lowers his head, clearly showing shame, especially now that he thinks everyone knows. This already shows growth to his character in the early stages.

Writer's note: This is already a perfect example of a deep and complex character, even when he is a cub. Simba has a want: to be brave like his father. He is adventurous and care-free, but that is exactly the reason he gets himself in trouble easily. This is the only dangerous thing we see him do, but I could imagine some reckless behavior before the events of the movie already.

It Means No Worries: A Mechanism To Cope With Trauma And Guilt

Simba's life quickly takes a very dark turn. Though we all know what happened was not his fault, Simba does not even need Scar to tell him that his father would have been alive if it weren't for him. He already thinks that himself. In his eyes, his reckless behavior caused the stampede and killed his father. Scar makes him even more traumatized and filled with guilt, telling him to run away. Run away and never return... What are you supposed to do when you're that young, and you think you killed your father? Anyone would do just that.

Writer's note: Though this wasn't because of him, this does showcase a meaningful plot point in a novel already. The hero sees the consequences of their actions. Though they meant well, their bad character traits failed them, and made it all go wrong.

After running away, Simba still hates himself. Even when Timon and Pumba find him, he wants to walk away and he doesn't want to talk about it. But soon Timon and Pumba teach him their own philosophy: Hakuna Matata. This is the first thing he learns after the traumatic event. After a short time he thinks that maybe it is in fact the way to go about it. He learns to live a completely new life. Living free and leaving his past behind.

But has he really left his past behind? His new friends' philosophy has only become a coping mechanism. He ran away from his troubles and guilt, instead of facing them and explaining what really happened to his mother and the rest of his pride. This is about the same as the Philosophy of 'Don't worry - Be Happy'. This only works for a while, but not forever.

He is still young, of course, but this is a flaw as well, which he keeps as he gets older. In the stargazing scene, we can clearly see how well the philosophy actually worked for him. He misses his father and deals with the guilt. Nothing can take that away, even if he pretends to be fine. Another part of this, is that he deals with his trauma alone. He never told Timon and Pumba what happened and bundled it all up inside of him. Simba's body grew into an adult, his emotional world stays frozen at the moment of the stampede, reliving that moment over and over again.

Writer’s note: This is another example of an understandable character flaw and action. Even if they are bad actions, the reader can understand the reason behind it. Simba has been traumatized, not knowing how he can ever live with himself. Then que two random strangers who try to cheer him up and tell him to put the past behind him. You can’t change the past, so why worry about it?

The past will always find you: Avoiding responsibilities

Years later, Simba's past catches up to him in the form of Nala. Nala, desperate for help because of the way the Pride Lands became, coincidentally finds Simba. Both Simba and Nala couldn't be happier. But when Nala mentions the fact that him being alive means he is king, Simba retrieves into his old self. He doesn't want to be king anymore. He doesn't want to go back to the place he has ran away from for so long.

Though he falls in love with Nala, he doesn't trust her. When Nala tries to talk to him again about why he left or the fact that he is king, he pushes her away. He tells her no one has to know he is still alive. Even when Nala tells him how scar rules the Pride Lands, he is still in denial. Nala tries to understand him, asking him to tell her what he went through, but even that, he can't seem to do. He believes he is all on his own and no one would understand. You can't change the past, so why bother?

This is still a part of his coping mechanism he has lived with for years. He doesn't want to face his past. He doesn't want to think about it. This is the only thing that allows him to stay sane.

Writer's Note: This could be considered as the refusal to the call to action if you think about it. Technically, Simba knows very well what is expected of him, and he knows what he has to do. But his trauma and coping mechanism hold him back from doing what he is supposed to do.

The Wise Old Monkey: A New Friend, And A New Lesson

Simba is back on his own once again, torn between the Lion he wants to be, and the Lion he is supposed to be. Finally, for the first time, he yells up to the stars, where his father said he would be watching from all those years ago.

"You said you'd always be there for me! But you're not... It's because of me..."

This might have been the first time he said it aloud. His coping mechanism doesn't work for him anymore, even though he wants it to. He cannot forget the past...

When Rafiki appears, he pesters him, getting under his skin. Simba is annoyed by him, but when Rafiki asks him who he is, he realizes it is a question he can't answer anymore.

"I thought I knew... Now I am not so sure..."

It could be considered that he finds himself in an identity crisis. He knew who he was as a cub. A prince, who would follow in the footsteps of his father, and become king. But who was he after that? Who had he really became when he ran away and started to live with Timon and Pumba? He doesn't know anymore.

After seeing his father and being told that he has to go back and remember who he is, he is still unsure. He finally admits that he knows what he has to do, but he has been running from it for so long already. Rafiki learns him a very important lesson here.

"The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it!"

This is a very strong moment of growth for Simba. He finally knows what he has to do. He finally let's go of his coping mechanism and goes back to his old home. He is ready to face his past and his fears.

Does this completely take away his trauma and doubt from the past few years? Of course it doesn't. They are still with him, and it will be with him for a very long time. But he is ready to face it. This isn't just about saving the Pride Lands from Scar. This is about facing himself.

Writer’s note: This scene is a perfect showcase of the lie vs truth. Simba has been telling himself to forget the past. You can’t change the past so don’t worry about it and move on with your life. This is the lie he has been told by Timon and Pumba, and he has been telling it himself ever since. Rafiki turns it around and shows him the truth. Yes, the past can hurt, and yes, you can’t change the past. But you CAN learn from the past, and you CAN change the future with what you’ve learned from the past. You however can’t run from it. This is the truth that Simba finally realizes after this scene. He can’t keep running from his past, and he has to face it to move on with his life.

The Final Battle: Confrontation With The Past

When Simba returns to the Pride Lands, he sees it in ruin. Dark, grey and everything completely dead. He finally realizes that what Nala had been saying was true all along. He feels guilt for not believing her... But he also feels anger. Of course, there is anger towards Scar, but as a writer, you could consider this in a different way too. He is angry with himself... For leaving his home behind, and letting it fall into ruin. Part of him realizes that if he had stayed, things could have been different. He is ready to go and face it all on his own.

This ties a little bit into his reckless behavior from when he was a child. This time he is not looking for trouble, or going somewhere where he isn't supposed too, but he also does not have a plan. His mind was changed, he went back, and saw the damage. That determined look on his face says it all.

Luckily, he is not alone, and he soon realizes it too. Though he tells her it could be dangerous, Nala throws back something that he said when he was a kid.

"Danger? I laugh in the face of danger! hahaha!"

Though we do not see his reaction to that, I could imagine him at least having a half-hearted smile. Nala remembers who he used to be, even when he forgot himself.

Even Timon and Pumba, who have been living the care-free life for longer than he has, are there to help him. This is a big moment for Simba. Finally he realizes he is not alone, and he can fight for his kingdom.

Scar once again tries to manipulate him, by saying he wouldn't want to be the cause of the death of a family member. But Simba has grown at least a little bit. He left the past behind him...

Or did he? The moment Scar tells him to tell everyone who was responsible for Mufasa's death, his trauma returns, and his confidence fades. He shifts back to his old traumatized and guilty self. Knowing he has to come clean about what he did.

Writer’s note: This is the dark moment before the real final confrontation. Simba is put on the spot by Scar. Already surrounded by Hyena’s, but that is not the hard part. The hard part is that he has to come clean to Nala and Sarabi. At this moment, his world crumbles. Especially when Sarabi is filled with disbelief and says: ‘It’s not true… Tell me that’s not true…’ This is Simba's darkest moment of his journey.

The moment he realizes what actually happened, his world changes completely. He is angry and enraged, realizing that his whole past was a lie. He does give Scar a chance to go, showing his good heart, and refusing to become like Scar himself. But when a fight is inevitable, he shows courage and doesn't back down.

Writer's note: This does not take away his trauma instantly. Even though he now knows that he was not the cause of his father's death, the damage is already done. Some things cannot be undone and shape a character to the way they are.

The Perfect Hero After The Journey?

Some people think that after a book or movie, the hero has grown to their fullest potential. But that isn’t really true, and Simba is the perfect example of it if you look at the second movie. I won’t go into full detail, but let me explain by showing a few traits of him during the second movie:

• Over-Protective: He loves his daughter, but because of his own trauma, he cannot leave her alone for a second. A lesson he needs to learn is to trust her and let her go.
• Judgemental: He can be quite judgemental when it comes to the outsiders, which is understandable since they were Scar’s followers. But there were at least two cubs banished with them. Imagine the better life they could have had.
• Hypocrisy: There is a light case of hypocrisy in there. He tells Kiara that she is a part of him, and he is a part of her. ‘We Are One’. But when it comes to the outsiders, all he sees are followers of Scar and it is Kiara who has to remind him of his own lesson.

This is just a short summary, showcasing how Simba’s past and trauma has shaped his character as a father.

Writer’s note: No character is perfect. Even when they go through a lot and face their demons by the end, it doesn’t take away their bad character traits. A Workaholic can still fall back into working too much, a thief will sometimes fall back into stealing. It’s who they are. Their bad characteristics won’t fade away after defeating the villain, and sometimes it even shapes new flaws.

Conclusion

Simba is a great hero and his story is one of the greatest I have ever known. His flaws don't make him any less of a hero or less of a likable character. If you ask me, it makes him more relatable and compelling. It is not simply about the traits a character has, but more about the reasons behind their traits. Traits develop from trauma or simply background.

So, this is everything I have to tell about one of Disney's greatest heroes. What do you think? Do you agree with my essay, or do you think there are some points I missed? Which character do you think is a flawed hero? Also, let me know if you’d like a part two of this, following the Lion King 2 in detail! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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