Are the hyenas evil?

[Animal of the Wild]

Exactly what it says.

[Carl]

The hyenas are victims of Scar just like everyone else in the film. He manipulated them into helping him. Out in the Elephant Graveyard there isn't much to eat. The hyenas are starving out there. Scar promises them food. Of course they help him. That doesn't make them evil. It is shown that none of the lions liked the hyenas, except for Scar, and Mufasa runs them out of the Pridelands if they are seen there. They could have done something to deserve that treatment but the fact is we don't know. Most likely the hyenas we see in the film and the lions we see were born into this grudge, and probably neither knows what started it. In this case, neither the lions nor the hyenas are bad, while both believe the other to be.

The hyenas had a strong connection with each other, and they saw Scar as a friend. They weren't precisely nice to each other, but they clearly valued friendship. Evil beings don't care if they have friends or not. When Scar promised they'd never go hungry again, of course the hyenas would do anything he asked of them. The hostile nature between them and the lionesses would only be natural after years of holding a grudge, and with the drought setting in, tensions would only worsen.

From what we are given, the only definitively evil character is Scar. The hyenas just wanted a better life for themselves.

[Animal of the Wild]

Good explanation.

[juhouh]

For me they're evil as much as Scar was and that's not a bad thing. They're the best villain of all animations ever

[KentuckyWildcat]

Yes. They willing aided Scar's scheming, so I can't call their actions anything other than evil.

[EdtheHyena]

No, not really, or at least Ed isn't! To paraphrase an earlier topic:

"That's a good question. I don't consider Ed a villain, but I do consider the other two sort of villains, especially Shenzi. I think they turned good in the end, because they turned against Scar."

Personally, I consider Banzai the meanest one, and possibly evil. Shenzi is more neutral, in my opinion.

[Mike0908]

they're definitely evil.

they tried to kill simba, nala, and zazu when they were in the elephant graveyard. they were laughing and enjoying themselves. if mufasa hadn't shown up the two kids would have definitely be dead.

they later helped cause a stampede that kills mufasa and go after simba trying to kill him. Again they enjoy going after him and taunting him. when simba escapes into the desert they say he'll die in the desert or if he comes back he'll kill him. they even taunt him during the chase.

then later the help scar take over the pridelands. and later fight by his side until the truth's revealed.

sure they turn on scar but that's only AFTER he basically threw them under the bus when he tried to blame everything on the hyenas calling them the enemy. they killed him.

later in lion king 2 it's said they ran off after the battle.

they never really reformed to me. they just got revenge on scar after he tried to betray them.

now if they'd shown remorse over any of their actions. Or thought they might have gone too far. That'd be one thing. But they didn't. They sided with Scar and enjoyed acting out his plans.

[EdtheHyena]

I'm not saying they don't play their roles as bad guys, but they come across as genuinly cool characters, and I feel when people just dismiss them as evil they aren't really looking at them close enough.

Whether your post was a response or not to mine, Mike, I couldn't help but feel like you were telling me how I should feel. I know you weren't, but...I just want to say I really do like them, I honestly do, and feel that the sort of likeableness that comes from them is enough---for me---to believe that they are much better.

And at least they come across as funny as Poomba and Timone, without feeling as babyish. And they're sure as heck a lot more fun than Zazu.

[Ananda]

They're definitely evil. But I kinda think they were led by Scar because he'd bring them food and stuff.

[Mike0908]

Sorry. I didn't mean to write like I was trying to force my opinion on anyone. I just believe they're evil. They're comic relief evil. Like Pain & Panic or Kronk which can make them more likeable. They're just not as evil as their masters.