Why didn't Scar just lay siege to pride rock?

[Archbob]

So, in "The Lion King", Scar schemes up a way to convertly kill Mufasa and pin the blame on Simba in order to claim the throne. However, I don't think this was necessary consider the army he had and since Scar is a pretty smart guy I was wondering this.

If you watch the part where Scar sings "be prepared", he has like a bajillion Hyenas under his command. There are like at most 20-25 lions guarding pride rock. Instead of going about sneakily trying to take over, why doesn't he declare war and lay siege to pride rock with his Hyena army?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Because that's not how it happened in Hamlet.

Also, presumably Mufasa et al could call on the rest of the savannah to rally to their defense. Remember, the lions ruled over all of them, who we saw kneel before them. It's reasonable to assume that the giraffes and water buffaloes would come to their rescue in the event of a Scarist-Hyena coup.

 

[Cheetah]

Each lioness could take a hundred hyenas. And the hyenas were cowards, so when they'd start to lose they would run away.

Scar wouldn't be able to keep his mutinous troops disciplined, and a siege would have been ineffective.

And why the hell am I helping you making sense of a children's movie at 23:39 in the evening!

 

[BvBPL]

He didn't have a valid casus belli.

 

[Kozmos]

Scar is like Kevin Spacey in House of Cards. Taking the smart way around.

 

[Hygro]

So, in "The Lion King", Scar schemes up a way to convertly kill Mufasa and pin the blame on Simba in order to claim the throne. However, I don't think this was necessary consider the army he had and since Scar is a pretty smart guy I was wondering this.

If you watch the part where Scar sings "be prepared", he has like a bajillion Hyenas under his command. There are like at most 20-25 lions guarding pride rock. Instead of going about sneakily trying to take over, why doesn't he declare war and lay siege to pride rock with his Hyena army?

Scar's motivation was not to be ruler but to be seen as the rightful ruler by the other lions.

 

[Dachs]

Scar's motivation was not to be ruler but to be seen as the rightful ruler by the other lions.

True, but he promptly screwed that up as soon as he got into power by mismanaging his military and by bringing in a huge new insatiable interest group and giving them considerable amounts of authority. Why privilege the hyenas over the lionesses if the point is to gain legitimacy in the lionesses' eyes?

 

[Hygro]

True, but he promptly screwed that up as soon as he got into power by mismanaging his military and by bringing in a huge new insatiable interest group and giving them considerable amounts of authority. Why privilege the hyenas over the lionesses if the point is to gain legitimacy in the lionesses' eyes?

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you".

I think Scar knew he never had a chance and undermined himself to prevent any opportunities for the lionesses to reject him when he tried his best. They weren't going to fall for it, and he couldn't bear that, so he brought in the Hyenas as goons, which simultaneously forced the lionesses to reject him on those impersonal grounds while also preventing anyone but Simba from formally overthrowing him. Plus he's a cronyist at heart.

 

[Dachs]

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you".

I think Scar knew he never had a chance and undermined himself to prevent any opportunities for the lionesses to reject him when he tried his best. They weren't going to fall for it, and he couldn't bear that, so he brought in the Hyenas as goons, which simultaneously forced the lionesses to reject him on those impersonal grounds while also preventing anyone but Simba from formally overthrowing him. Plus he's a cronyist at heart.

Link to video.

 

[Hygro]

Narcissism is a helluva drug.

 

[Radio Noer]

Well, let's just say that the numbers of hyenas in "Be Prepared" was merely artistic license, or they were running to the back of the line or used some other method to make their numbers seem larger. If we ignore the numbers presented here and instead estimate the numbers of hyenas based off the numbers shown when Simba returns to Pride Rock there are approximately 50 hyenas visible, so let's say there are 150 hyenas overall under Scar's command.

Now, let's say that 150 hyenas could siege Pride Rock. If the lionesses were to attack and kill maybe 1 hyena per week, or if 1 per week succumbed to starvation or some other cause, the lionesses would get approximately 60 kg of meat per week, and each lioness would consume approximately 5 kg of meat per day, so at most 12 lionesses could be sustained on this model, though for a while they would be ok before starvation set in. It is then fairly likely that the population of hyenas could keep the lionesses in check until they surrendered.

Now, if the lionesses refused to surrender, the hyenas may have to attack. If the lionesses were in the cave on Pride Rock, they may be able to offset the numerical advantage the hyenas have.

The more I think about it, the more likely it seems that it could be pulled off, but if Scar just inherits the throne, the lionesses have no real reason to distrust him (other than the whole "bringing in our enemies" thing).

However, sometimes the simplest explanation is the best

Because that's not how it happened in Hamlet.

Note: "Outlanders", or any other factor seen in either Lion King 2 or Lion King 1.5 but not the original were not accounted for.

tl;dr
Yeah, he probably could've done it

 

[Dachs]

Well, let's just say that the numbers of hyenas in "Be Prepared" was merely artistic license, or they were running to the back of the line or used some other method to make their numbers seem larger. If we ignore the numbers presented here and instead estimate the numbers of hyenas based off the numbers shown when Simba returns to Pride Rock there are approximately 50 hyenas visible, so let's say there are 150 hyenas overall under Scar's command.

Now, let's say that 150 hyenas could siege Pride Rock. If the lionesses were to attack and kill maybe 1 hyena per week, or if 1 per week succumbed to starvation or some other cause, the lionesses would get approximately 60 kg of meat per week, and each lioness would consume approximately 5 kg of meat per day, so at most 12 lionesses could be sustained on this model, though for a while they would be ok before starvation set in. It is then fairly likely that the population of hyenas could keep the lionesses in check until they surrendered.

Now, if the lionesses refused to surrender, the hyenas may have to attack. If the lionesses were in the cave on Pride Rock, they may be able to offset the numerical advantage the hyenas have.

The more I think about it, the more likely it seems that it could be pulled off, but if Scar just inherits the throne, the lionesses have no real reason to distrust him (other than the whole "bringing in our enemies" thing).

However, sometimes the simplest explanation is the best

none of this matters

scar couldn't keep his army supplied during the siege because although hyenas are hot [crap] in the real world at hunting apparently in tlk they suck dick at it so they wouldn't have anything to eat

with no prospective immediate victory in sight and deteriorating conditions among the besiegers, scar's army would melt away

also fal's initial dilemma is wrong and stupid because it's way easier to kill mufasa - one lion! - than it is to kill twenty or twenty-five lionesses

 

[cybrxkhan]

He didn't have a valid casus belli.

Since Scar is undoubtably a vassal of mufasa, it is likely he could have simply formed a faction as he is a claimant to the throne (and a pretender too, most likely, as assuming they have no other male siblings, or mufasa has no other male children, that mufasa was third in line when their father died), sent mufasa an ultimatum to hand over the throne, and begun a faction war to put Scar on the throne of Pride Rock.

Unless Pride Rock was following absolute cognatic inheritance, and scar had older sisters or mufasa had enough daughters.

Either that or he was too impatient to do some claim fabrication. Or his hyena chancellor's Diplomacy sucked.

 

[Hygro]

Since Scar is undoubtably a vassal of mufasa, it is likely he could have simply formed a faction as he is a claimant to the throne (and a pretender too, most likely, as assuming they have no other male siblings, or mufasa has no other male children, that mufasa was third in line when their father died), sent mufasa an ultimatum to hand over the throne, and begun a faction war to put Scar on the throne of Pride Rock.

Unless Pride Rock was following absolute cognatic inheritance, and scar had older sisters or mufasa had enough daughters.

Either that or he was too impatient to do some claim fabrication. Or his hyena chancellor's Diplomacy sucked.

I just think all the female lions knew he was a poser lion and so he didn't have a faction because it was an orgy commune.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Since Scar is undoubtably a vassal of mufasa, it is likely he could have simply formed a faction as he is a claimant to the throne (and a pretender too, most likely, as assuming they have no other male siblings, or mufasa has no other male children, that mufasa was third in line when their father died), sent mufasa an ultimatum to hand over the throne, and begun a faction war to put Scar on the throne of Pride Rock.

Unless Pride Rock was following absolute cognatic inheritance, and scar had older sisters or mufasa had enough daughters.

Either that or he was too impatient to do some claim fabrication. Or his hyena chancellor's Diplomacy sucked.

He should have tried to marry one of the more raunchy lionnesses, and then lay a claim on the throne.

Then again, he'll still have a Succession War, and frankly, those never end well.

 

[cybrxkhan]

He should have tried to marry one of the more raunchy lionnesses, and then lay a claim on the throne.

Then again, he'll still have a Succession War, and frankly, those never end well.

But some of those lionesses are probably his sisters or nieces or aunts or mom or something, you know, since there aren't that many males at pride rock to begin with. But then again Simba and Nala are half-siblings... so with all the incest around, that leads me to only one conclusion...

The lions of pride rock are Zoroastrian. Maybe all lions are Zoroastiran.

Heck, lions are a symbol of Persia/Iran! Look!

There's even that circle of iLife sun rising behind it!



So Mufasa and Simba ruled over a Zoroastrian animal empire that Scar attempted to take.

 

[bhsup]

Because Cylons don't give a crap about lion politics.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Pyunka: Archmaster of Zazaxon

 

[gay_Aleks]

But some of those lionesses are probably his sisters or nieces or aunts or mom or something, you know, since there aren't that many males at pride rock to begin with. But then again Simba and Nala are half-siblings... so with all the incest around, that leads me to only one conclusion...

The lions of pride rock are Zoroastrian. Maybe all lions are Zoroastiran.

Heck, lions are a symbol of Persia/Iran! Look!

There's even that circle of iLife sun rising behind it!



So Mufasa and Simba ruled over a Zoroastrian animal empire that Scar attempted to take.

He probably was a Catholic. Or even Spanish.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Maybe Scar's "army" consisted of Shinzi, Banzai, and Ed until he became king and the other hyenes joined up? Those three could have been the 'party faithful' as it were.