10 Reasons Why The Hyenas Are The True Heroes Of The Lion King

There are scores of hyenas in The Lion King, but the audience gets to know a trio of them, who serve as Scar’s direct henchmen. There’s Shenzi (Whoopi Goldberg), the smooth talking, confident leader of the trio; there’s Banzai (Cheech Marin), an aggressive, impatient sort; and there’s Ed (Jim Cummings), a non-speaking hyena who communicates exclusively through laughs and pantomime.

Disney villains are not limited by their need to be role models, and they are allowed to have flaws - the types of flaws that make any great character compelling. Like The Princess and The Frog’s Dr. Facilier, with his bitterness towards the white, upper class establishment of New Orleans. Or Ursula, with her confidence tricks that manipulate Ariel’s insecurities. Or The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s Judge Claude Frollo, with his pious hypocrisy and sexual repression.

And obviously, The Lion King ‘forces’ viewers to side against the hyenas. Everything, from the film angles, through the musical score, to the editing, to their goosestepping casts them in the role of villains. But a closer examination of the hyenas - their oppressed status, their social hierarchy, and their pragmatic actions - depicts an egalitarian culture that is far from Nazism. 

The lions, on the other hand, are the real fascists in the ways they reinforce their elitism and superiority, maintain their power, and blame more ‘inferior’ creatures for their kingdom’s shortcomings.

The ‘Circle of Life,’ sounds really nice in theory, but it's actually a big lie. Here's how Mufasa explains it:

Mufasa: Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures - from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.

Simba: But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?

Mufasa: ::Laughs:: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.

So, Mufasa, since the lion fertilizes the grass with his dead corpse, that completes the circle? All’s fair and balanced? Try telling that to the antelope.

Antelopes, and for that matter, all herbivores, die and fertilize the grass as well. By Mufasa’s oversimplified viewpoint, the Circle could be complete without any lion involvement at all. What Mufasa ought to say is that the lions, which are big predators, keep the herbivore population in check. This, in turn, prevents overfeeding on the local vegetation, and preserves the biodiversity of the ecosystem.

But that wouldn’t be a Circle, would it? That would be an ecological pyramid, which places the lions on the very top.