The Lion King Movie Facts

31 of the most interesting The Lion King facts you didn't know about. Handpicked and verified, these little-known details can be obscure enough most people will miss. These behind the scene easter eggs and hidden messages will give you another view of The Lion King movie message.

The lions retract/extend their claws as needed (even in subtle moments) . . . but Scar's claws are always out.

Timon told Pumbaa not to say "farted" because we were kids. In the Lion King (2019), he lets Pumbaa say it cause we're all adults
Timon told Pumbaa not to say "farted" because we were kids. In the Lion King (2019), he lets Pumbaa say it cause we're all adults

The Lion King Movie Trivia Facts

These trivia from Reddit and other sources can be used as questions with answers in quizzes or games.

  1. You can see the number 45 written between Simba's back and tail. It appears at 9:16, right as Mufasa says the word 'you' in the line "...and it will rise with you, as the new king". It lasts for only one frame.

  2. Pumbaa gets angry when he's called "pig" and screams "They call me MISTER PIG!" This is a reference to Sidney Poiter's line in "In the Heat of the Night" where he had just been insulted by a southern cop.

  3. The characters Timon and Pumbaa were only put in the movie because Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella auditioned so well together. They were originally auditioned for the hyenas, but were so funny that Timon and Pumbaa was created for them

  4. Before attacking the hyenas in the cave, Pumba shouts "They call me, Mr. Pig!" This is a reference to the 1967 "In the Heat of the Night" quote, "They call me Mr. Tibbs."

  5. When Simba is in front of the elephants' skull in the elephant graveyard he borrows a line from Bob Hope in Road to Bali (1952) "I laugh at danger (ha ha ha)"

The Lion King Easter Eggs

Hidden objects, characters, easter eggs, and their meanings are wonderful ways to discover the filmmaker's perspectives of any given movie.

  • (2019) omits lyrics from Circle of Life including the line "some have to live with the scars."

The Lion King Hidden Facts

1 - Shenzi the Hyena has no eyebrows, just like Whoopi Goldberg who lends her voice to the character.
Shenzi the Hyena has no eyebrows, just like Whoopi Goldberg who lends her voice to the character.
1 - Simba becomes the king of lions, or the Leijonakuningas as it's known in Finnish. Leijonakuningas translated to English is "Lion King" which is a quiet nod to the title of the movie.
Simba becomes the king of lions, or the Leijonakuningas as it's known in Finnish. Leijonakuningas translated to English is "Lion King" which is a quiet nod to the title of the movie.
1 - There are giant anteaters that appear in the I Just Can't Wait to Be King song. Giant anteaters, however, are native to South America and not Africa.
There are giant anteaters that appear in the I Just Can't Wait to Be King song. Giant anteaters, however, are native to South America and not Africa.
1 - Due to Jeremy Irons having vocal cord issues, Jim Cummings sang the last third of the song "Be Prepared."
Due to Jeremy Irons having vocal cord issues, Jim Cummings sang the last third of the song "Be Prepared."
1 - The hyenas fatten up once they're allowed into Scar's kingdom, since they eat much more regularly now.
The hyenas fatten up once they're allowed into Scar's kingdom, since they eat much more regularly now.
1 - Simba only leaves 2 pairs of footprints because cats walk by placing their rear legs where their front legs went.
Simba only leaves 2 pairs of footprints because cats walk by placing their rear legs where their front legs went.

At the end of "I Just Can't Wait to be King," Zazu says to the rhinoceros sitting on him: "I beg your pardon, madam, but get off!" He knew it was a female rhino because of what he was looking at while he was stuck under her.

Timon tells Pumbaa the stars are fireflies and not burning balls of gas. This mirrors a line from Hamlet, which the movie is based on: "Doubt thou the stars are fire." (Act 2, Scene 2)

Simba's claws are extended when he climbs a branch in 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King' - The Lion King (1994)

Zazu rhetorically asks Scar "Didnt Your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Later on, directly after Mufasa's death, Scar passes up his chance to kill Simba by essentially "playing with his food." In the end, this leads to his demise.

1 - During "Be Prepared," the hyenas' marching past Scar on the elevated rock was inspired by footage of Nazis marching by Adolf Hitler on a podium.
During "Be Prepared," the hyenas' marching past Scar on the elevated rock was inspired by footage of Nazis marching by Adolf Hitler on a podium.
1 - Timon talks directly into Pumbaa's ear (42:15) and the audio begins to echo, creating the effect that Timon is talking into an empty void (Pumbaa has no brain in his head).
Timon talks directly into Pumbaa's ear (42:15) and the audio begins to echo, creating the effect that Timon is talking into an empty void (Pumbaa has no brain in his head).

There a quick shot of a Wildabeast skull being washed away as Simba ascends Pride Rock

1 - After being attacked by Mufasa, Scars are visible on Banzai.
After being attacked by Mufasa, Scars are visible on Banzai.

Rafiki, played by John Kani, makes the same noise as the border tribe of Wakanda. Kani played T'Chaka in Black Panther.

Mufasa tells Sarabi, "before sunrise, he's your son" because he's king of everything the light touches.

1 - Zazu says that Simba is getting "wildly out of wing" instead of "out of hand" due to the fact that he is a bird and does therefore not have hands
Zazu says that Simba is getting "wildly out of wing" instead of "out of hand" due to the fact that he is a bird and does therefore not have hands
1 - Elephants walk past Mount Kilimanjaro . Therefore the film is based in Tanzania
Elephants walk past Mount Kilimanjaro . Therefore the film is based in Tanzania

When Silva descends to the Lionesses after Scar's defeat, you can see Zazu speak but no sound comes out from him. If you look closely, you can see he's saying "Your Majesty"

Vs 1994 vs 2019)

- Donald Glover, Seth Rogen - animation

1 - There is a dinosaur made of stone (probably Rex from Toy Story) on the right.
There is a dinosaur made of stone (probably Rex from Toy Story) on the right.

Cast and Details

Here are the full cast and crew of The Lion King. The goofs, crazy credits, and trivia they have performed may have not taken your attention. Some are hidden for a reason, while others randomly forgotten.

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