Artist Recreates Disney’s "The Lion King" Characters As Humanoid Creatures

"I imagined these characters existing in a modern society with 21st-century hobbies and occupations."

Damjan

Published in Disney
7 Jul 2021

Artist Recreates Disney’s "The Lion King" Characters As Humanoid Creatures

We all love The Lion King, both the original cartoon and the remake. The animal characters are given human traits and behavior patterns to bring them closer to us. But what if the animals were even more humanized? Not only their traits but also their physiques?

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Marco Bernard, a freelance illustrator from Los Angeles, did more than just wonder. Inspired by shows like TaleSpin and Beastars, he gave the characters from The Lion King an interesting twist—making them look more human.

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He started working on a project called “Lion King: Pride Land Characters” during the pandemic lockdowns, and the results are amazing.

1. Shenzi

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2. Mufasa

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3. Timon And Pumbaa

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4. Rafiki

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"I got the idea when the world was on lockdown back in March. I had spent time watching shows like Beastars on Netflix and TaleSpin on Disney+, and I thought it would be cool to imagine what Scar would look like as an anthropomorphic character," the artist says.

"After seeing the positive reactions to the piece I posted on Instagram, I decided to start a series and drew a new character every day. The series was called 'Pridelands.' I imagined these characters existing in a modern society with 21st-century hobbies and occupations. I also placed them in a dramatic setting—a world riddled with crime and deception."