The Lion King debuted in 1994 as one of Disney's successful animated films during the 1990s. The story shares a lot of similarities with other fictional works, but because of its look, cast and memorable songs, it stands alone. Along with being a cultural touchstone, the film was a massive hit and remains the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time. However, its legacy goes beyond how much money it made for the House of Mouse.

Disney reclaimed its status as powerhouse of animated storytelling with The Little Mermaid in 1989, and that continued throughout the 1990s. The Lion King is arguably the peak of that creative run. It won two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe, then spawed a beloved, long-running Broadway show, a photorealistic remake in 2019, plus sequel films and television series. While Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa and other characters have become genuine icons in the Disney pantheon of characters, The Lion King is itself a work of art akin to a magic trick. The meticulous work of the traditional animators holds up to modern standards. Similarly, the songs have a timeless quality that still resonates strongly with the kids it was made for and the generations that followed. But The Lion King is the grand sum of its parts, led first and foremost by the strength of its characters.

The Lion King Has Much in Common With Other Epic Stories

Simba's Story Shares Similarities With Bambi, Hamlet and Kimba the White Lion

The most controversial element of The Lion King's legacy is its similarity to Kimba the White Lion, a decades-old anime series. Disney's leadership at the time claimed no one was aware of the series by Osamu Tezuka. The Huffington Post reported that Matthew Broderick, who voiced the adult Simba, did know about the series and thought The Lion King was a straight-up adaptation of the same story. Takayuki Matsutani, the then-president of Tezuka Productions, let Disney off the hook. "[O]ur company saw a preview of The Lion King, discussed this subject and came to the conclusion that you cannot avoid having these similarities as long as you use animals as characters and try to draw images out of them," he said via the Los Angeles Times.

According to Disney, The Lion King was meant to be evocative of Bambi, but set in the plains of Africa rather than the forest. Like Disney's famous deer movie -- itself an adaptation of Bambi, a Life in the Woods by Felix Satten -- The Lion King shows Simba losing a parent and being forced to come of age in the wild with a found family. Just as Bambi became the "prince of the forest," Simba was royalty destined to become king of "everything the light touches."

Lastly, the revenge story in The Lion King shares a striking similarity to Shakespeare's Hamlet -- the concept of which was taken from an even older Norse poem. Simba is the son of a king murdered by his brother to usurp power and claim the queen as his own. Timon and Pumbaa share similarities with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, with both duoes serving as comic-relief allies to the central characters. Yet The Lion King rises above the stories with which it shares themes and plot elements. From the instantly iconic songs to the movie's comedy to it's coming-of-age arc, it offers something for all ages.

The Lion King Exists in Its Own Fascinating World

The Lack of People In Its Story Gives the Film Its Humanity

The major difference between The Lion King and Bambi is how the latter film deals with humanity's destructive relationship with nature. Man is the villain in that story -- from shooting Bambi's mother to the massive fire that almost razes the forest at the film's climax. The Lion King, on the other hand (or paw), has no human characters in its story. The villains are other animals, specifically Scar and the much-maligned hyenas who serve at his beck and call. Yet rather than creating distance between the audience and its characters, that's what makes the movie work so well.

Unlike Disney's Robin Hood film or Zootopia, the animals in The Lion King are not anthropomorphic. They are very clearly lions, meerkats, warthogs and other identifiable creatures found on Earth. However, they have language, a society complete with cultural rituals and, alas, the same emotional flaws as humans. Scar's jealousy of his brother and lust for power are common elements of many stories. In the world of The Lion King, the animals are not better than people like those found in Bambi or most of the creatures in Disney's The Jungle Book.

The humanity in The Lion King is found in its characters, particularly Simba's relationship with Timon and Pumbaa. In the natural order of things, the beloved meerkat and warthog should've been Simba's dinner, not his best friends. They still prey on other creatures, particularly the bugs and grubs Timon and Pumbaa love so much. Yet, just like with people, the circumstances of their lives change their relationship with each other. Simba would not have survived his exile without his friends, and once he becomes a full-grown lion, they don't start looking like a meal. Similarly, when Simba is born and presented at Pride Rock, predators and prey gather and bow to their "king." The Lion King presents a more complicated and nuanced society of animals than is found in the real world.

The Lion King Has a Stellar Cast That Elevates the Movie

The Voice Acting Adds to the Film's Rewatch Value

The 2019 Lion King remake voice cast consisted of mostly actors of color, unlike the 1994 film. Only one actor starred in both movies; casting James Earl Jones as Mufasa lent the character a commanding presence created almost solely by Jones' iconic voice. Sociocultural concerns aside, the actors in the original movie are still delightful and responsible for making the characters work. Jeremy Irons as Scar is particularly inspired casting, imbuing every line the villain utters with almost tangible menace. Both Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick provide Simba's charming speaking voice, though Jason Weaver and Joseph Williams sing his songs.

Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella deliver truly unbeatable performances, far surpassing the quirkier 2019 versions of Timon and Pumbaa, while also singing their own songs. The goofy yet villainous hyenas are played by Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and voice actor extraordinaire Jim Cummings. All three provide the perfect blend of comedy and menace for their characters... so much so that viewers can't help but feel sorry for them. Last but not least, the legendary Madge Sinclair provided the voice of Queen Sarabi, and she unfortunately passed away a year after The Lion King's release.

The cast of The Lion King transcended human demographics. The wise characters of Rafiki and Zazu -- voiced by the late Robert Guillaume and comedy legend Rowan Atkinson respectively -- are characters kids of any age find funny, but they and their castmates imbue the animals they portray with a grounded humanity that makes audiences adore them. The star power they carried in the 1990s was secondary to how fully-realized their characters were, and the film is still better for it 30 years later.

The Lion King's Music Is Central to Its Longevity

The Lion King Soundtrack Lives in Audiences' Hearts

Storied composer Hans Zimmer developed the score for The Lion King, along with his partners Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin. Zimmer also brought in Lebo M to supplement their work with traditional music from the African continent. Lyricist Tim Rice worked with Elton John to compose many of the narrative musical elements. The most famous of these is "Circle of Life," which John sings at the end of the film. An instrumental version known as "Nant's Ingonyama" is performed by Lebo M (who provides the Zulu language lyrics) and Carmen Twillie.

That song establishes as perfect an opening as the filmmakers could hope for, creating an immediately recognizable audio and visual synthesis that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. It was so perfect that in the 2019 remake, the sequence was almost shot-for-shot the same. The rest of the 1994 film's music is filled with timeless classics. "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a rousing pop song, while "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" is another Disney power ballad that earned radio play. Even the comedy songs work amazingly well; "Hakuna Matata" manages to make listeners laugh without detracting from the carefree message of its lyrics.

Even Jeremy Irons' solo song "Be Prepared" still works 30 years on. It's equally amusing and menacing as Scar sings about his desire to usurp the throne with the help of the hapless hyenas. While Disney is known for making plenty of successful musicals, The Lion King is arguably the strongest one they ever produced. The film's archetypal story helped it land with audiences initially, but the winning characters voiced by strong stars and unforgettable songs are what keeps the movie alive three decades after its release.

The Lion King is streaming on Disney+.