The Lion King: What Is Scar's Real Name?

Scar is the ultimate animated antagonist. First introduced in "The Lion King" in 1994, the dark lion is a topic of conversation in the fandom not just as the villain of the movie, but because of his appearance and name. One of the biggest unanswered questions of the movie is what Scar's real name is. There are several stories regarding how he received his namesake scar and two different names presented within other "The Lion King" franchise projects, causing fans to choose sides on which information is considered canonical.

While he's called Scar throughout the 1994 film, there's been curiosity surrounding his real name, since Scar is assumed to be a nickname due to the scar running through his eye. Two real names have popped up in the franchise over the last three decades: Taka and Askari. Taka appeared first in a series of six spin-off books that came out alongside the original movie in 1994, "The Lion King: Six New Adventures." In the first book, "A Tale of Two Brothers," Mufasa and Scar's past is on full display, and Scar's real name is said to be Taka.

Though that's the first time Taka is used as his name, it won't be the last. It comes up again in another movie, but not before an animated series presents another idea entirely of the name Scar was originally given, providing an opposing narrative behind his actual name.

The animated series "The Lion Guard" presented an option for Scar's original name rooted in his ancestry. The first leader of the Lion Guard, Askari, appears in the third season of the show as a spirit. Askari is the second-born son and ultimately not meant to take over for his father as King of the Pride Lands.

In an Instagram message, writer and executive producer of the series Ford Riley shared that he believed Scar was named after his ancestor Askari, but his name was shortened to "Scar" by his brother Mufasa, rather than as a nickname based on his injury. The show presents him obtaining his scar from a snake bite, while the Disney feature film "Mufasa: The Lion King" shows it was from a fight with a white lion.

Though parts of "The Lion Guard" are considered canon by the fan base, many agree that "Taka" makes more sense as Scar's original name due to its meaning in Swahili. It directly translates to "waste" in English, which could be commentary on his wasted potential as he becomes evil and turns against Mufasa.

The name Taka returns with the 2024 movie "Mufasa: The Lion King." The film serves to show Mufasa and Scar's lives when they were younger, and it not only shows how Scar received his namesake injury and reveals more of his dark history, but concurs with the book "A Tale of Two Brothers" that his real name is Taka.

Rafiki the mandrill shares with Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara how Mufasa and Taka met, identifying Scar's real name early on in the narrative (it isn't a small detail you'd miss). As the two grow up together, the audience learns about how Taka told Kiros, a white lion who leads the Outsiders, that he will join them and let Kiros fight Mufasa. Mufasa killed Kiros's son, and Kiros wants an eye for an eye. However, Taka changes his mind after the fight starts, and when he tries to intervene, Kiros injures his face, causing the scar across his eye. Mufasa won't say Taka's name after the incident, so Taka starts going by Scar instead.

The movie seemingly affirms that Scar's real name is Taka, like the book did. Even during the casting announcements for "Mufasa: The Lion King," the character was referred to as Taka and not Scar, providing confirmation before its release that they would continue using Taka as Scar's real name. With it used in two different projects, it's safe to say that Taka was the character's given name before he become known as Scar.