Mufasa: The Lion King - The parallels with Christian Faith
1/5/20254 min read
Caution‼️ Spoilers Ahead‼️
If you haven’t seen the new Mufasa movie from 2024 yet, go watch it and come back to this post later.
I just watched Mufasa: The Lion King this past weekend, and I’ve already heard some people say it has a Christian feel to it. I didn’t quite know what they meant at first, but after watching it, it totally makes sense. While I’m definitely not saying the two stories are the same, there are some metaphors and parallels worth noting.
Milele and the Eternal Circle of Life
Let’s start with Milele, which is a big concept in the movie. Mufasa’s parents describe it as the “great circle of life,” a kind of eternal harmony and interconnectedness between all living beings. The word Milelecomes from Swahili and means “forever” or “eternity.”
To me, that sounded a lot like the eternal life we’re promised through Jesus Christ (see John 3:16). As Christians, we believe that our physical bodies might die, but our souls will live forever with God in heaven. Some people have even compared this interconnectedness or “circle of life” to the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—because they’re also an eternal and perfect union.
Mufasa’s Sacrifice
Now we have to look back at The Lion King (2019), where Mufasa sacrifices himself to save Simba. This totally feels like a metaphor for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for all of us.
While Mufasa died to save his son, Jesus died to save all of humanity and free us from sin. The parallel is pretty clear: both sacrifices are acts of love that leave a lasting impact.
Mufasa’s Trials and Humble Beginnings
At the beginning of Mufasa: The Lion King, we see how Mufasa lost his parents in a flood tragedy and ended up as an orphan. He had to start a new life with another lion tribe and his new “brother,” Taka. He wasn’t born into royalty; he had to fight his way to becoming king.
This reminded me of how Jesus was born in a stable, not into a rich or royal family. Both started out humble and faced a lot of challenges. Mufasa had to deal with fighting white lions, losing his father, and being pushed back by his new tribe’s leader. Similarly, Jesus faced the hatred of the world, temptations from the devil, and ultimately a cruel death.
Even though their stories are very different, there’s a similarity in their struggles and how they rose above them.
The White Lions as the Enemy
In the movie, Mufasa and his friends are hunted by a tribe of white lions. The leader of the white lions wants to eliminate Mufasa because he wants to be the ultimate king. At one point, the white lion says he wants to “eliminate everything that touches Milele’s light.”
Doesn’t that sound a lot like the devil? The enemy is always trying to tear down everything connected to God’s light and goodness. In the same way, Jesus faced constant opposition from the enemy, who tried to stop His mission.
Taka as Judas
In the movie, Taka (Scar) falls for Sarabi, the lioness who follows them along. Mufasa gives him advice on how to win her over, but it doesn’t work out. Instead, Sarabi and Mufasa fall in love, leaving Taka feeling betrayed.
This leads Taka to turn against Mufasa by betraying him to the white lions and revealing their hiding spot. Sound familiar? It’s a lot like Judas betraying Jesus to the Jewish leaders and Roman guards (see Matthew 26:14 and Mark 14:44).
Of course, the details are different. Judas betrayed Jesus for silver, while Taka acted out of jealousy and revenge. But the theme of betrayal is there, and it’s hard not to draw the comparison.
Forgiveness
Although Taka (who is now called Scar) betrayed Mufasa, Mufasa forgave him and gave him a place to stay. Scar asked Mufasa for forgiveness, but as we see, he remained bitter and ultimately killed Mufasa in The Lion King (2019). My friend made me realize that this shows what happens when you hold onto hurt and hatred instead of forgiving. It is up to us how we deal with hurt and betrayal. Mufasa chose to live happily among others, while Scar lived in darkness, alone. From this example, we can learn that we decide how to respond to the events in our lives. We choose how to live, and God gives us the free will to walk with Him.
Mufasa as King
By the end of the movie, Mufasa overcomes all his trials and defeats the white lion. He becomes the king of all beings, and everyone in Milele bows down to him.
This moment really reminded me of how Jesus, after defeating sin and death, is now the King of all kings. He reigns over heaven and earth, and one day, all creation will bow before Him.
As Romans 16:20 says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Evil is defeated, and Jesus is the King who brings peace to the world.
Conclusion
As you can see, you can find a lot of parallels between Mufasa: The Lion King and the Christian faith. I’m not saying they’re the same story—far from it—but it’s interesting to think that the writers might have been subconsciously inspired by elements of Jesus’ story. After all, Jesus’ life and sacrifice are the greatest story ever told, and His influence is everywhere, even in ways we might not expect. I loved the movie and recommend all of you to watch it too and keep your ears and eyes open for the christian interpretation. Also bring tissues if you are an emotional wreck like me, because I cried the whole time in the movie theatre.
Through Jesus, we’re free and can live in eternal love and light.
God bless you all.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
written by Letizia Maria
