Why didn't Zazu leave the Pridelands when Scar took over?

[FriendlyHyena]

"If this is where the monarchy is headed
Count me out!
Out of service, out of Africa!
I wouldn't hang about!"


Considering that he sang that when he thought of what kind of a leader Simba might be, why didn't he leave early on in Scar's reign? Yes, Zazu likes his position, but the lyrics above indicate that conditions existed where he'd be willing to give it up. You'd have thought Scar bringing in the hyenas would have been enough to cause Zazu to hand in his resignation.


Heck, they could have had Zazu do just that and then later be the one to find Simba instead of Nala. It would have been classic irony that Zazu ends up leaving because of Scar and ends up seeking the help of SIMBA to make things right.

Also, when arriving back in the Pridelands, instead of seeing Scar attack Sarabi, we could have seen Scar trying to make Nala be his queen and Simba arrive just in time to stop him. That would have been just as dramatic, if not more, than Scar attacking Sarabi.

Of course, this would cut out "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" and a lot of Nala's role in the movie, but it's doable.


Seriously, why did Zazu stay in the Pridelands? He's a bird. Scar can't capture him if he doesn't want to be captured.

[TheLionPrince]

He was contained in a ribcage although we are never told for how long. Maybe, he did try to escape, and when he did, Scar imprisoned him. As for your idea to have Zazu escape the Pride Lands and confuse Simba to go back home, it could have work as a "what if" fan fiction. However, I don't think Simba's reunion with Zazu would have been as emotional as his reunion with Nala.

[Elton John]

because he’s really loyal to the royal family. It’s as simple as that.

[TLK_Kid]

I feel like maybe he stayed there for the lionesses' sake; after all, he was still loyal to Sarabi and probably wanted to save the kingdom if at all possible. He's too loyal to simply run off when Scar took the throne.

[SimbasGuard]

[quote="TheLionPrince"]He was contained in a ribcage although we are never told for how long. Maybe, he did try to escape, and when he did, Scar imprisoned him.[/quote]

I never thought of that it actually makes a lot of sense.

[quote="TLK_Kid"]I feel like maybe he stayed there for the lionesses' sake; after all, he was still loyal to Sarabi and probably wanted to save the kingdom if at all possible. He's too loyal to simply run off when Scar took the throne.[/quote]

Agreed. He was at Sarabi's side during Mufasa and Simba's funeral. He likely knew the she needed all the help she could get, especially given what she had already been through.

[le0]

He definitely could've escaped. And he probably would've. Not too much logic to it except the narrative of the movie honestly.

[DGFone]

A sense of duty/loyalty/home perhaps?

To invoke a bit of Godwin's Law into this conversation, but how many jews in pre-WWII Germany did not leave even as it became clearer and clearer that they were no longer welcome in their own homes? Not the first time the unwillingness to leave one's home, even when able, has lead to someone's death.

[Littlefoot]

A lot of those theories do make a good bit of sense. I've always kinda dabbled between Elton John's and le0's, but I like some of these other ones, too.