The Circle of Life is at an incomplete state because Simba's pride and the Outsiders were separated due to Simba's prejudice against Scar's followers and Zira's hatred for Simba even though they're supposed to be one and the same. In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, the Circle of Life song does not play throughout the entire movie, but the concept is still pivotal to the story. In The Lion King 1½, the song is used again. Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub, Kiara, recalling the opening. The song reprises at the end of the film after Simba has taken the throne, after the death of Scar, and avenging Mufasa, restoring the Circle of Life to its natural order. These combined factors cause the remaining herds to leave the kingdom, therefore leaving the lions and hyenas with no food and water. When Scar kills Mufasa and lets the hyenas run rampant on Pride Lands, the Circle of Life is broken, and the Pride Lands become decimated with droughts, famine, and overhunting from the hyenas, with animal skeletons lying all around with Scar as the king. After blessing their newborn cub, Simba, Rafiki lifts him up high for all the animals to see, and the animals bow before their future king. There, Rafiki meets up with the current King of the Pride Lands, Mufasa and his mate Sarabi. As the song progresses, various animal herds travel through the Pride Lands to gather at Pride Rock. The song takes place at the very beginning of the film, the dawn of Simba's presentation.

Circle of life