Are the hyenas evil?

[Gyramuur]

Anyone who sees the hyenas as evil, in my mind, has an extremely simplified "black and white" perception of the world. Ultimately there are no good guys and there are no bad guys; there are things which we perceive as good and bad, but just because someone does something bad doesn't make them "evil", and just because someone does something good doesn't make them "the good guy". Everything is varying shades of grey.

While it's easy to perceive the hyenas as evil--they're definitely portrayed as antagonists in the film--one has to understand that what they're doing is directly a subsequent result of the deplorable conditions in which they're subjected to constantly. They're just trying to keep themselves fed, doing whatever they can to survive. Of course, that's not an excuse and doesn't exempt them from the consequences of their actions, but it doesn't make them innately evil.

[Squeely]

I'd say sort of. They're morally gray to me. Not afraid to do some sinister things, but they have understandable reasons for doing them.

[BrianGriffinFan]

It strikes me as crazy that there's an option here for "yes, but they have a chance at redeeming themselves", yet no one has taken that option, instead most people having either black or white opinions, with the remaining 30% voting "sort of" or "I don't have an opinion".

I can't believe I'm going to be the first voting for option C. To me, that's clearly the answer. Yes, it's true that for almost all of the film, the hyenas are on the evil side of Scar, doing evil things for him, and showing no remorse. They even come close to killing two cubs, which, even though I don't care for them at all, is obviously evil.

Except for the fact that since they're carnivores, they get something of a pass.

Scar crossed the Moral Event Horizon when he killed Mufasa, and there's no getting around the fact that was cold-blooded murder. But the Hyenas? Sure, they were doing it on Scar's orders, but if they planned to eat to survive, it's different.

That, coupled with the fact that they never did hurt or kill any good guys, is the difference between them and Scar.

Unfortunately, they aren't given much depth, which doesn't allow for much sympathy. And the fact that they've hardly ever been used since the first movie (I assume this thread was about the main three) doesn't help.

[CrazyNuka]

Now that the new episode of The Lion Guard came out, we finally have our answer. Not all hyenas are evil, while Janja's clan are the evil ones. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed did redeem themselves at the end and finally turned on Scar.

[Squeely]

^I don't even blame Janja that much. He's starving, the Outlands have little food, and when he tries to hunt in the Pridelands, a lion stops him. I'd probably be against the whole "circle of life" thing if I was in his shoes.

[CrazyNuka]

^ Hmmm ... true true. That seems much more reasonable.

- Can me have some food??

- No ...

- You will pay for that!!!

- Join the club.

[Braveheart]

By following the laws of mother nature, it's hogwash to call hyenas good or evil. But this is Disney & not real life, some guy has to be bad, and Janga & co. fills that role.

In real life, hyena clans fought each other for land, and see lions as public enemy no. 1 (including killing their cubs as much as they can.)

P.S. I cannot believe the number of yes vote, lol.

[Squeely]

Perhaps the killing lion cubs thing explains why lions seem to be... racist? speciesist? against the hyenas. I'd certainly like an explanation as to why hyenas are so forbidden from entering the Pridelands. I mean yeah, I know giving them too much of a run of the place results in what we saw during Scar's reign, but I'd wager allowing some occasional hunting wouldn't hurt herds too much.

[Braveheart]

Possible but the killing of cubs work both ways. Hyenas aren't really welcomed because they compete with lions for food and both species are apex predators.

Fun fact: Lions steal more of Hyena's food, than the other way around.