The Hyenas - More Crucial than we Think?

[SnowyCheetah]

In TLK: SP the hyenas seem to have dropped from the face of the earth. So what happened to them?

There's probably already a thread about this somewhere, though I haven't seen it. However I haven't seen any articles about it, so I'm going to go ahead and post this.

In the first TLK film, the hyenas played a key role in the plot. They were essentially the bad guys, and it could almost be gathered that they were intended to be a species that was all bad. Some would even consider it was supposed to me a form of animal racism, though I'm not convinced it's quite like that. It was most likely supposed to give the Outsiders a rather Hitler-ish appearance, or at least an appearance of an evil regime. You'll notice that one of the most eerie scenes consists of a massive number of hyenas.





In TLK: SP, it was a completely different story. The hyenas were nowhere to be found anywhere in the film, it seems. This may be due to the fact that the creators of that film felt that the "racist" submessage of the first film wasn't something they wanted to have in the second film. After all, SP was largely based on "We are one" as a plot base.





Most likely, the hyenas were omitted due to the fact that they couldn't realistically, or very easily, be included in the "we are one" message. It could also be that they were generally stupid and had a gigantic population. Perhaps they didn't want to bring the hyenas back into the Pridelands in SP, as they had just been exiled in TLK1. Thoughts?

[PrincessKiara]

The way I see it, the Hyenas were assosciated with Scar. He was in a way their leader, and when he died, the Hyenas disappeared from the plot along with him.

Also, when Nuka and Vitani are at the Elephant Graveyard in SP, Nuka says that "the Hyenas ran off." I imagine some Hyenas perished in the fire/were killed by lionesses at the end of TLK, and the rest ran off, like Nuka said. Afterall, there wasn`t much reason for them to stay in the Pridelands anymore, as everything was destroyed and they lacked food and water.

The Hyenas simply doesn`t fit into the plot in SP. That story is about Kiara and Kovu, and the fight between the two prides. Also, as we learned in TLK, the Hyenas weren`t allowed in the Pridelands, and the idea of Zira leading her own army of Hyenas like Scar did is just silly.

So that simply leaves no way of including the Hyenas in the plot of SP, they just don`t fit in.

[atouchofgrace]

^^ I agree. The Hyenas just don't have a place in SP. What kind of role would they have?

[Pixie]

Yes, I agree, and I have never found it odd that they were not in the second film. Their reasons for leaving were very apparent. If they were in the second film, it would be too much like the first (an evil villan with hyenas as their henchmen) and then Scar and Zira would be stupidly similar.

[VitaniCubbeh]

If hyenas had joined to pridelands, Simba as their leader, that would be awful. <- My opinion, ofc.

[Malkia]

I agree that they weren't needed in SP. The role they played in TLK was really a comic relief with a villain's side kick flavor. I see where someone could pull the "animal racism" card, but to me it looks more simple than that. Almost like they represented those kinds of people that are followers and will do just about anything someone says. They are promised food and protection, in exchange for devotion and loyalty to do whatever it was Scar wanted.

In a way, the lionesses of Zira's "pride" were in the same role. Following their leader until they get a reality check. It just shows you should have the bravery to think for yourself. At least that's what I make of it.

[FlipMode]

The hyenas were not in Lion King 2 because they had no important role, their last plot with Scar had fallen to ruins so I would presume they went back to living off scraps of food and what not.

[Pixie]

They had no reason to be in SP. The villan character and the minions was already there. It they were there, it would outnumber the pridelanders and be a repeat of the first film.

[SummerSnowLeopard]

[quote="PrincessKiara"]The way I see it, the Hyenas were assosciated with Scar. He was in a way their leader, and when he died, the Hyenas disappeared from the plot along with him.

Also, when Nuka and Vitani are at the Elephant Graveyard in SP, Nuka says that "the Hyenas ran off." I imagine some Hyenas perished in the fire/were killed by lionesses at the end of TLK, and the rest ran off, like Nuka said. Afterall, there wasn`t much reason for them to stay in the Pridelands anymore, as everything was destroyed and they lacked food and water.

The Hyenas simply doesn`t fit into the plot in SP. That story is about Kiara and Kovu, and the fight between the two prides. Also, as we learned in TLK, the Hyenas weren`t allowed in the Pridelands, and the idea of Zira leading her own army of Hyenas like Scar did is just silly.

So that simply leaves no way of including the Hyenas in the plot of SP, they just don`t fit in.[/quote]
Yeah. Nuka mentions how the Hyenas ran off after Scar died. The Hyenas wouldn't be in SP because they ran off.