Alright, so I got thinking about The Lion King the other day. I hadn’t watched it in ages, but it popped into my head, and I suddenly remembered hearing someone, somewhere, mention Bible stuff in it. I was like, “Really? In a Disney movie?” So, I figured, why not check it out myself?
First thing I did was actually sit down and rewatch the movie. This time, though, I wasn’t just watching for the songs or the funny bits. I put my thinking cap on, trying to spot anything that felt… familiar, you know? Like something I’d heard about from the Bible.
Digging In
Pretty quickly, the whole Mufasa and Scar thing jumped out at me. Big time. You got the good brother, the king, Mufasa. Then you got the jealous brother, Scar, who feels overlooked. It just screamed Cain and Abel to me. Okay, maybe not exactly the same, but that vibe of brother betraying brother, leading to death? It felt pretty strong.
Then there’s Simba’s whole story arc.
- He’s the prince, destined to be king.
- He gets blamed for his father’s death (even though it wasn’t his fault) and basically runs away, exiled.
- He grows up somewhere else entirely, away from his kingdom.
- Later, he comes back to save his people from the bad guy who took over.
That whole exile and return thing? It made me think a bit about Moses. Not a perfect match, obviously – Simba wasn’t leading anyone through a desert – but the idea of a rightful leader being cast out and then returning to liberate his people felt similar. Escaping danger as a baby/cub, growing up elsewhere, returning to confront the oppressor… the parallels were kinda there.
I also started looking at Rafiki differently this time. He’s not just a quirky monkey. He’s kinda like a prophet figure, right? He shows up, talks sense into Simba, guides him back to his destiny. He even does that whole ‘presenting Simba to the kingdom’ thing at the start, which always felt kinda ceremonial and important, almost religious in a way.
Putting it Together
I wasn’t trying to write a thesis or anything, just jotting down thoughts as I watched. It wasn’t about proving Disney did it on purpose, more about seeing if those connections people talk about actually held up when I looked closely.
So, after watching and thinking it over, yeah, I can see it. Scar and Mufasa? Definitely got that Cain/Abel feel. Simba’s exile and return? Echoes of Moses, maybe Joseph too, being betrayed and then rising up. Rafiki as the spiritual guide? Sure. Even the barren land under Scar’s rule turning green again when Simba returns – feels like a restoration, a redemption kinda theme.
It’s not like a direct retelling, not at all. But the basic shapes of some famous Bible stories seem to be floating around in there. Makes you wonder if the writers intentionally drew on those classic, powerful narratives because they knew they’d resonate. Or maybe these are just common story themes found everywhere. Either way, it was kinda fun to look at an old favorite movie through this different lens. Made me appreciate the layers in the storytelling a bit more, even if it’s just my own interpretation.
