4. Scar The Lion King
Oh, we all know Scar looks evil, and if Disney teaches us anything, we shouldnt trust evil-looking things, but I think its about time we re-considered him and his quest to become King of the Pride Lands. Lets look at Mufasas reign technically, its run on violence and gives the lions hugely preferential treatment. Only theyre allowed to make decisions, and they can decide to eat whatever the hell they like to the extent that other animals are afraid of them. Not only that, but within Mufasas all-inclusive yet strangely lion-biased circle-of-life policy, theres no room for hyenas, a clearly sizeable contingent within his kingdom. Essentially, Mufasas operating a system of lion apartheid, where the lions rule everything and sizeable chunks of society are ostracised. Enter Scar and a newly egalitarian system. To the Hyenas, he must have seemed like a goddamned hero not only is he actually letting them into society, hes giving them equal ownership of the land with the lions. Really, Scars possibly the most tolerant individual in the entire film hes clearly willing to work with anyone, and though he murders his species-ist predecessor, he obviously had plans to reward his footsoldiers, like any good leader. Just because the lions didnt like it and he didnt have a long-term plan, this doesnt make him a bad guy. Indeed, after hes deposed, lion-racism starts up again if you watch the sequel, Simba banishes prides of lions for even associating with Scar. To think, if hed actually had a coherent policy, Scar mightve been one of the greatest inclusive rulers the Pride Lands had ever seen. As it is, hes unfairly pilloried as a monster.