What Do You Think Really Killed Mufasa?

[Nalatchi]

I would say both played a significant role. The fall may have left him dazed with impaired reflexes - thus he could not get away from the stampeding wildebeest. I don't think the wildebeest would have managed to trample him to death if he didn't fall/just happened to run out in front of them. In my opinion the fall definitely weakened him enough for the stampede to result in his death. Also, wildebeest hooves are deceptively sharp and are effective weapons against predators like lions. I have seen a lioness's side slit open to the ribs by the continuous kicking of the hind legs of a wildebeest while she was trying to suffocate it - however she did not let go and the wildebeest became dinner. So, yes, in that department, Disney definitely softened it by not displaying outward injuries on Mufasa (except for a bent whisker ). But that's just my opinion........

[pitbullangel]

wow a....interesting converation..

anyway in short, it was both. the wildebeasts were a big part of what killed him, but if he didn't fall in the first place, he wouldn't have died. The impact was hard and it happened to be on the animals. if someone fell out of a plane and hit a rock would it be the fall or the rock? and the answer would be both because it was the force of the fall that would cause the rock to be deadly.

now for more detail.

for one, this is a movie, a cartoon movie, so they don't have to be super realistic, he could have just as easily died from falling. and the fact that Mufasa is a cat doesn't mean he would have landed ok. I know of real cats that have died landing wrong. And I've seen my own two cats miss landings before.

First, he was likely already injured before he got up to Scar, we see him getting hit by the wildebeasts before he makes the big leap. He was already exhausted and you could tell that in his plea to Scar.

Now, Scar was his brother. Mufasa was completely in shock when Scar pushed him off the cliff, therefore he wasn't likely to react with quick thinking to try to save his life. Plus, again he was drained.

He fell backwards, onto the herd, probably hitting several of them. horns have killed lions before. so he was either dead at this point or very hurt.

he then eventually fell to the ground, (and who knows how exactly he landed), and thus was trampled by probably a good number of the animals leaving him most certainly dead.

in the end, he would have been dead either way, because that's the plot, and Scar never would have stopped trying anyway. Disney didn't have to have the wildebeast there to kill him, but it adds to the drama of the scene.

[WindAnnWise]

I think it was from being trampled by the wildebeests.

[crystally]

I have to say the fall. Lions are heavy, he most likely didn't survive the impact from that height.

[hotCoco21]

I believe that the fall certainly stunned him, not only because of the height, but he was landing on the backs/horns of moving wildebeests. Remember when Scar was thrown off of Pride Rock? The fall dazed him. Mufasa's fall was most likely worse, as the wildebeests were running underneath him. Then, once he hit the ground as the wildebeests moved apart slightly, he was most likely heavily trampled.

[Regulus]

[quote="Regulus"]Let's just make some quick assumptions here. Let's say Mufasa's mass is 200kg (about average for a male lion), and the distance he fell is 30m. When he hits the bottom of the gorge, he would be falling at a speed of approximately 30 meters per second.[/quote]

My math here is wrong. (I don't know what I was thinking).

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/flobi.html

Using the same mass and height, the impact velocity would be 24.3m/s, or 54 mph.

Now, consider this. If he hit the ground, he would be stopped almost instantly, with little penetration. This would mean a force of 590kN, or 132 thousand pounds.

But, suppose he landed on a wildebeest. Let's say that the wildebeest he lands on is 1m above the ground, which helps to absorb the impact. That would be an average force of only 59kN, or 13 thousand pounds.

Under certain conditions, some bones can withstand thousands of pounds of force. But 13 thousand pounds is still quite a lot. Then again, you have to consider that the force would be spread out over the whole body. It's possible that he could survive, in that case, but I'd say it's unlikely.

If anything, the presence of the wildebeest helped. I still don't think he could have survived the fall, but he definitely would have died from the impact without the wildebeest; whereas, if he landed on one, his fall could be survivable.

[Awali]

^ That math is amazing and explains everything. Blew my mind, too.

[We1rdRaptor]

I think it was the fall that fatally wounded him to begin with and then the stampede just finished him off.

[Nalah]

I think both...
With the fall he was injured and weak, and the stampede killed him...

[Ozy]

[quote="hotCoco21"]I believe that the fall certainly stunned him, not only because of the height, but he was landing on the backs/horns of moving wildebeests. Remember when Scar was thrown off of Pride Rock? The fall dazed him. Mufasa's fall was most likely worse, as the wildebeests were running underneath him. Then, once he hit the ground as the wildebeests moved apart slightly, he was most likely heavily trampled.[/quote]

^ exactly what i was thinking