The Eight Stages of

The Hero’s Journey

In Disney’s The Lion King
 What is the Hero’s Journey?
● The pattern of human experience- life,
growth, and experience.
● Many events in our lives will follow a similar
pattern.
● In 1949 Joseph Campbell discovered a
common pattern in hero myths that became
known as the eight steps of “the hero’s
journey”.
● It is not just from myth- can be seen in
movies, books, tv shows, and real life.
 The Eight Step Transformation:
Phase 1: The Separation
Step 1: The Call
Step 2: The Threshold
Phase 2: The Initiation
Step 3: The Challenges
Step 4: The Abyss
Phase 3: Transformation
Step 5: The Transformation
Step 6: The Revelation
Step 7: The Atonement
Phase 4: Return
Step 8: The Return
 Phase 1: The Separation
Step 1: The Call
● Invites the hero into a new adventure.
● Presents a problem, threat, or opportunity.
● Hero has a new sense of awareness of the
unknown.
● This stage disrupts the comfort within the hero’s
world.

The Lion King:

Scar kills Mufasa and Simba is told to run
away and never return.

Never Return
 Phase 1: The Separation
Step 2: The Threshold

● “Crossing over point” where the hero must decide

between the known and the unknown, a world full
of dangers and challenges.
● Threshold guardians guide the hero in two ways:
protect him/her from taking a journey not ready for
AND step aside and point the way when ready. (ex:
Zazu)

Helpers Provide assistance throughout the journey.

The Lion King:

Simba adopts a new way of life through
Hakuna Matata.
 Phase 2: The Initiation
Step 3: The Challenges

● Hero faces series of challenges or

temptations.
● First they are easy to build up maturity, skill,
and confidence.
● Each challenge continues to get tougher and
tests the hero’s abilities.
● The hero must face their greatest weaknesses
in order for them to be overcome and for the
journey to continue.
The Lion King:
Hyenas, battling scar, beliefs about himself, letting
go of the past, eating bugs (gross).
 Phase 2: The Initiation
Step 4: The Abyss
● Hero faces their most difficult challenge.
● The point of no return.
● The hero must become one with the challenge
and overcome their biggest fear.

The Lion King:

After Simba learns the truth about the pride lands, he is
faced with his greatest fear of believing he killed his
father. He is stuck in his own darkness. He cannot move
forward.
 Phase 3: The Transformation
Step 5: The Transformation
● After conquering the Abyss, the transformation is
completed.
● There is often a moment of death and rebirth.
● Part of the hero dies so that a new part can be reborn.

Supernatural Aid gives the hero insight, strength, help that is

beyond the normal world. (ex: Rafiki)

Gifts→ Wisdom, inner strength

The Lion King:

Simba meets Rafiki and remembers who he is
and understands the circle of life. Simba and Rafiki
 Phase 3: The Transformation
Step 6: The Revelation

● A sudden, dramatic change in the way one

thinks or views life.
● This change in thinking is crucial because it
makes the initiate a truly different person.

The Lion King:

Simba realizes his place as King, and he makes
immediate plans to retake the throne and
overthrow scar.
 Phase 3: The Transformation
Step 7: The Atonement:
● He is “at-one” with his new self.
● He is at harmony with his life and the world.
● The imbalance that sent him on the journey has
been corrected.
● “Reborn” - Now is truly a “hero”

The Lion King:

Simba is told the truth about this father and
realizes the way to make his father proud is to
become king.
His beliefs about himself and his father have been
corrected. He is at harmony with himself
 Phase 4: The Return
Step 8: The Return:
● The final stage of the journey- returning to
everyday life.
● Sometimes as a huge hero
● Sometimes rejected

The Lion King:

Simba defeats Scar and lives in harmony
with himself as King of The Pride Lands.

Final Scene