All 5 Lion King Movies, Ranked From Worst To Best

Just when you thought the Disney Renaissance couldn't get any bigger than it was in the early '90s with hits such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin", "The Lion King" hit an absolute home run for the company's reputation in 1994, paving the way for one of Disney's most lucrative franchises ever.

In addition to securing nearly $1 billion at the global box office across its theatrical release (and many reissues), the film won two Academy Awards from its four nominations (best original score and best original song), birthed one of the best-selling Broadway musicals of all time (complete with six Tony wins), and ushered in a franchise of follow-up films.

To date, "The Lion King" has expanded with an animated direct-to-video sequel, an animated direct-to-video midquel, a photorealistic animated remake, and a photorealistic animated prequel to the remake (all of which are streaming on Disney+). Its reach is so widespread that even Jon Favreau, director of the 2019 remake, is an executive producer on the National Geographic documentary miniseries "Lion," which sees a lion cub undertake a years-long journey to becoming a king. As for the mainline films themselves, there's a surprising sense of quality control, so let's rank all five of them and see where each lands. 

What set 2019's "The Lion King" apart from Disney's crop of live-action remakes is that it would be entirely animated with an advanced version of the photorealistic CGI from Jon Favreau's 2016 "The Jungle Book." After the shot-for-shot recreation of the "Circle of Life" sequence, it becomes immediately clear that this will be yet another soulless carbon copy.

"The Lion King" hits all the same beats as the 1994 animated film with young Simba (JD McCrary) primed to one day take over as the ruler of Pride Rock. The resentful Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) sets a trap that results in the death of his king brother Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and the young heir's exile. Adult Simba (Donald Glover) makes a home for himself with his adoptive parents Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen). But when childhood friend Nala (Beyoncé) informs him that Scar has turned the Pride Lands into a wasteland, the once-future king must face his responsibilities. If you've seen the '90s "Lion King," then you've seen this one too — despite an additional 30 minutes of material.

The photorealistic technology is the star, but the appeal wears off rather quickly. The uncanny valley sets in as soon as you realize that none of these animal characters can emote, rendering the emotional stakes moot. It doesn't help that the vocal performances are sleepy at best. Although, Mufasa's death is actually quite different because the iconic tragedy comes off as an unintentionally hilarious recreation.

Because "The Lion King" remake made over $1.6 billion, it was inevitable that Disney would want to keep the series going, with none other than acclaimed filmmaker Barry Jenkins in the director's seat. The result is 2024's "Mufasa: The Lion King," a standard prequel that explores the titular character's rise from orphan to the King of Pride Rock. The film is also a sequel of sorts, as the story is recounted to Simba's daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) by Rafiki (John Kani).

Separated from his parents as a child, a young Mufasa (Braelyn and Brielle Rankins) meets a cub of royalty named Taka (Theo Somolu), whom he bonds with. Danger sets in, however, when a deadly white lion named Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) vows vengeance on adult Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) for their part in the death of his son. Together, the pair set off on an adventure where they make new friends, elude the Outsiders, and seal their ultimate fate.

The uncanny CGI remains present, but considerably improved from the remake — if only because the characters actually show expression this time. Jenkins attempts to infuse these images with some cinematic flair. Mufasa and Taka's relationship, however predictable, strangely feels more like a prequel to the original animated film than its listless remake (which definitely makes the film feel a bit different now). "Mufasa" is ultimately an average prequel that could have been a lot worse. It's a shame that the unfunny Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) interruptions keep ruining narrative momentum.

After popularizing the phrase "hakuna matata,"  Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) received their own animated spin-off TV series in the year following "The Lion King." So giving them a direct-to-video prequel seemed about right. 2004's "The Lion King 1½" hilariously maintains the series' Shakespearean angle by doing a riff on Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead." The film is a sidequel about how Timon and Pumbaa met around the events of the first movie and the comedic ways they interact with its most iconic sequences. Pumbaa's deadly fart causing a chain reaction for the animals to bow before Simba's presentation in the "Circle of Life" is very on-brand.

The biggest detriment against "The Lion King 1½" is that there's no real surprise to their origins, nor the emotional stakes. But thankfully, the film is very self-aware in selling itself as a spoof, complete with a silhouetted "Mystery Science Theater 3000"-esque framework. The animation is good enough to the extent that comparisons of both movies are shockingly fluid.  

Considered one of the best direct-to-video movies ever made, "The Lion King 1½" doesn't set out to do anything more than show how naturally Timon, a failed meerkat digger in his colony, and Pumbaa, a lonely warthog with body odor issues, became a comedy pair. In that sense, the film illustrates the importance of found family, albeit with fourth wall breaks and a slug-eating competition set to Ennio Morricone.

Most of Disney's direct-to-video sequels serve as little more than cheaply made brand extensions, barring a few exceptions. 1998's "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" is one of those exceptions. The follow-up takes place years later, with Simba (Matthew Broderick) and Nala (Moira Kelly) raising their daughter Kiara (Michelle Horn) in peace. Things become complicated, however, when she befriends an outsider lion cub named Kovu (Ryan O'Donohue). In spite of Simba separating the two, they reunite as adults (Neve Campbell and Jason Marsden, respectively) in the hopes that their romantic bond can overcome any lasting prejudices.

"Simba's Pride" succeeds because it gives equal weight to the generational divide stewing within the the Pride Lands. On one end, you have Kiara and Kovu in a take on "Romeo and Juliet," as both factions have to go through hurdles by their families to demonstrate their love for one another. On the other is the antagonistic conflict between Simba and Kovu's mother and Scar loyalist Zira (Suzanne Pleshette). Like all good sequels, the film moves the story forward in showing that division only leads to further isolation and bloodshed.

While not quite on the same level as "The Lion King," the animation of "Simba's Pride" is much better than you would think, selling the intensity of its more memorable sequences. Likewise, the vocal performers lock into their roles as if they've been commissioned for a theatrical follow-up.

In 1994, "The Lion King" was one of the biggest films of the year. Over three decades later, it still stands supreme as a major benchmark of 2D animation, and a trademark film of the 1990s altogether. The "Circle of Life" opening alone became one of Disney's crowning achievements, conveying a sense of scope without a single word. In just four minutes, we're filled with the majesty of a new life being revealed to the world before taking their first steps into the unpredictable landscape they've been brought into. 

Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff's colorful masterwork effortlessly tells an epic story across two generations of lions defined by betrayal, tragedy, and the burden of responsibility. After all, what child wasn't traumatized by watching Mufasa (James Earl Jones) fall to his death through the eyes of young Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas)?

There isn't a single second of "The Lion King" that isn't breathtaking to look at, with these characters occupying spaces featuring the most beautiful horizons ever seen in an animated film. Hans Zimmer's sweeping score is matched by Tim Rice and Elton John's endlessly catchy musical numbers. Trying to decide whether the naive optimism of "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is better than the swooning tenor of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is practically a fool's errand. "The Lion King" continues to be a timeless treasure that will no doubt be passed around from one circle of life to the next.