Plot Hole In Lion King: Why Didn't Scar Just Kill Simba?

[Bob Saget]

So Mufasa has just been trampled to death by a herd of wildebeests. Simba runs down, finds his father's body, and is mourning his loss. Scar emerges, blames Simba for the whole darn mess, and tells Simba he should run away and never return. Simba starts to run away. Scar then sends the 3 hyena's after him to finish him off.

My question is: Why didn't Scar just kill Simba right then & there? Rather than going through the whole mess of blaming him, telling him to run away, then sending the hyena's after him...why not just one-swipe-and-done? It's not like there were witnesses around. There wasn't some sort of forensics team out in the pride lands who could prove how Simba dies. So what was all that elaborate plot for? What's with all these villains relying on their henchmen to "finish the job", while they turn their back & assume everything went according to plan? No sir! Do it yourself. Mufasa's gets trampled. *Swipe* Simba's now dead...and Scar is king of pride rock. End of story.

 

[bsiev1977]

So Mufasa has just been trampled to death by a herd of wildebeests. Simba runs down, finds his father's body, and is mourning his loss. Scar emerges, blames Simba for the whole darn mess, and tells Simba he should run away and never return. Simba starts to run away. Scar then sends the 3 hyena's after him to finish him off.

My question is: Why didn't Scar just kill Simba right then & there? Rather than going through the whole mess of blaming him, telling him to run away, then sending the hyena's after him...why not just one-swipe-and-done? It's not like there were witnesses around. There wasn't some sort of forensics team out in the pride lands who could prove how Simba dies. So what was all that elaborate plot for? What's with all these villains relying on their henchmen to "finish the job", while they turn their back & assume everything went according to plan? No sir! Do it yourself. Mufasa's gets trampled. *Swipe* Simba's now dead...and Scar is king of pride rock. End of story.

The movie would have been twenty minutes long.
Plain and simple, movie villains have to do stupid things or movies wouldn't be very interesting.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

So Mufasa has just been trampled to death by a herd of wildebeests. Simba runs down, finds his father's body, and is mourning his loss. Scar emerges, blames Simba for the whole darn mess, and tells Simba he should run away and never return. Simba starts to run away. Scar then sends the 3 hyena's after him to finish him off.

My question is: Why didn't Scar just kill Simba right then & there? Rather than going through the whole mess of blaming him, telling him to run away, then sending the hyena's after him...why not just one-swipe-and-done? It's not like there were witnesses around. There wasn't some sort of forensics team out in the pride lands who could prove how Simba dies. So what was all that elaborate plot for? What's with all these villains relying on their henchmen to "finish the job", while they turn their back & assume everything went according to plan? No sir! Do it yourself. Mufasa's gets trampled. *Swipe* Simba's now dead...and Scar is king of pride rock. End of story.

Because Scar already got the marketing rights, ordered all kinds of merchandise, and besides, I think he was afraid if he killed Simba, Elton John would have kicked his a... um heiny LOL

 

[erasure fan1]

While we are on the subject of plot holes, why does Timon not know who Rafiki is when in the Lion King 1 1/2 he has a conversation with him about finding hakuna matata!

 

[GenerationX]

As they would say in The Incredibles, Scar was caught monologuing.

 

[plaz10]

In Aladdin he wishes to be a prince. First wish. Apparently he wished to be a pretend prince because here comes wish 3 and he again wishes to be a prince. Shouldn't he still have been a prince from wish 1???

 

[Magenta Panther]

So Mufasa has just been trampled to death by a herd of wildebeests. Simba runs down, finds his father's body, and is mourning his loss. Scar emerges, blames Simba for the whole darn mess, and tells Simba he should run away and never return. Simba starts to run away. Scar then sends the 3 hyena's after him to finish him off.

My question is: Why didn't Scar just kill Simba right then & there? Rather than going through the whole mess of blaming him, telling him to run away, then sending the hyena's after him...why not just one-swipe-and-done? It's not like there were witnesses around. There wasn't some sort of forensics team out in the pride lands who could prove how Simba dies. So what was all that elaborate plot for? What's with all these villains relying on their henchmen to "finish the job", while they turn their back & assume everything went according to plan? No sir! Do it yourself. Mufasa's gets trampled. *Swipe* Simba's now dead...and Scar is king of pride rock. End of story.

Well, think about it. Scar needed a perfect set-up in order to become king. He murdered Mufasa, but Mufasa's death could handily be blamed on the stampede. But if Scar killed Simba, and Simba were found with Scar's scent on him (guess we're getting into forensics here, but lions do have a sense of smell, after all), that would blow the whole scenario. Scar needed Simba dead, but in a way that let him off the hook, so he used the hyenas. Also...Scar was an *sshole. He obviously enjoyed making Simba feel responsible for his father's death, and delighted in sending him away, guilt-stricken and friendless. THEN he sent the hyenas after him. Scar, IMO, is the most evil of all the Disney villains, because of his cruelty, and penchant for psychological abuse. Even if you take into account that much of what he did jives with actual lion behavior, he's appalling. And thank goodness for that; "The Lion King" would be much less memorable and poignant without him.

 

[Magenta Panther]

In Aladdin he wishes to be a prince. First wish. Apparently he wished to be a pretend prince because here comes wish 3 and he again wishes to be a prince. Shouldn't he still have been a prince from wish 1???

But didn't Jafar undo that prince spell when he gained control of the genie?

 

[plaz10]

But didn't Jafar undo that prince spell when he gained control of the genie?

Mmm maybe that's it lol.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

A better question would be: why wish to be a fake Prince again, when the Sultan and Jasmine already know who you are? You could just keep up the same charade since his real identity wasn't "exposed" to everyone in the Kingdom.

 

[Bob Saget]

Another question I have about Aladdin is:

Jafar has his magic snake staff which can hypnotize the Sultan and make him do anything he is commanded. If Jafar wants the Sultan's prized ring...Done! Just ask & ye shall receive. If Jafar wants to marry the Sultan's daughter...Done! Quite simple, yes?
So, why didn't Jafar simply hypnotize the Sultan, and order him to give his leadership power to Jafar? Rather than going through all that trouble of finding the lamp, etc...why not use the snake staff & say "Make me the Sultan, and you step down." ?

That's what I would have done.

 

[mj_classics_fan]

In Aladdin he wishes to be a prince. First wish. Apparently he wished to be a pretend prince because here comes wish 3 and he again wishes to be a prince. Shouldn't he still have been a prince from wish 1???

Genie's first wish and the magic of it was undone by Jafar's magic, that stripped him of his recently gained riches. Jafar isn't as powerful as Genie, but some of his magic does rival Genie's, yet Jafar's drive for power never stops which is why he wanted the lamp in the first place. Hope this helps!