by InsaneSeagull » February 6th, 2014, 9:10 pm
Personally, I really missed Mufasa in the second half of the movie. But, was he needed then? And was he truly gone? I don't think so. His presence was felt in the air, Simba was feeling it all along, and so did we. The story was based on Hamlet, so it's quite interesting that they left him alive even this long (considering that Hamlet Sr. was dead from the start).
Just like people above me said, Mufasa was present quite enough for us to see what kind of ruler he was (really good one), and the relationship he shared with Simba, which was obviously really strong. That was probably convenient to the plot, since we could see WHY everyone was so devastated about the state in Pride Lands, and we could also see Simba's inner state, which was just as chaotic. He does appear later too, it's not like he totally disappeared (ghost scene), and he takes form as spiritual guide of Simba's. I think that was simply what his role was supposed to be in the movie, and they did it the best possible way.