Watch Order (Release, by Continuity)Recommended
0 / 7 watchedAnimated branch then photoreal branch. Finish one before the other.
Animated continuity
- 1 The Lion King 1994 original. Simba exile and return.
- 2 The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Kiara and Kovu sequel.
- 3 The Lion King 1½ Timon and Pumbaa retelling. Before and during film 1.
- 4 Timon & Pumbaa Comedy series, 1995 to 1999. Optional extra.
- 5 The Lion Guard Kion series inside the Simba's Pride gap. Optional.
Photoreal continuity
- 6 The Lion King (2019) Photoreal remake of 1994. Branch restart.
- 7 Mufasa: The Lion King Mufasa youth tale. Prequel and sequel to 2019.
About The Lion King
The Lion King starts animated in 1994 with Simba's exile and return, then Simba's Pride in 1998 follows his daughter Kiara with Kovu. The 1½ film from 2004 retells the original from Timon and Pumbaa's view, set before and during it. Two series branch out: Timon & Pumbaa from 1995 to 1999 for comedy, and The Lion Guard from 2015 to 2019 about Simba's son Kion inside the Simba's Pride gap.
The photoreal run remakes the 1994 film in 2019 to $1.6 billion, then Mufasa in 2024 tells Taka and Mufasa's youth as both prequel and sequel through Rafiki's tale to Kiara. The two runs are separate continuities, so finish the animated branch before the photoreal one. Release order inside each branch matches story order closely.
Good to know
Watch each continuity straight through. The animated branch runs 1994, Simba's Pride, 1½, then the two series as extras. The photoreal branch is just the 2019 remake plus Mufasa, which assumes the remake seen. Mufasa is not a Simba's Pride remake, despite covering young Taka and Sarabi, so keep the branches apart. No new film has a date, which leaves both branches complete.
