I mean I don't think he was necessarily MISUNDERSTOOD because I'm p sure murdering your brother and usurping the throne is generally a bad decision

BUT I do love his backstory. My headcanon is generally that he didn't have the greatest of relationships with his father and ended up something of a momma's boy. Ahadi probably chose Mufasa because either the two were from different litters and Mufasa was a LOT older, or Muffy was simply born first of the same litter - either way Taka's the second-born. I always imagined Taka resented both his dad and brother for this which led to him doing some unsavory things in his adolescence (including the water buffalo incident that gained him his scar). I tend to think neither he nor his father were completely innocent when it comes to their conflicts.

As for his reign, I think he was dealt a seriously bad hand. As soon as he took the throne, extreme drought hit (a bad ruler alone doesn't cause the herds to move on and the water to dry up). Scar wanted it all but as soon as he had it, realized he lacked the ability to be a good ruler. He was probably overwhelmed and it took a toll on him; that plus the guilt of killing Mufasa eventually led him to become constantly on-edge and eventually made him progressively crueler.

Anyway SORRY FOR THE LONG UNSOLICITED SCAR HEADCANONS ROFL I JUST REALLY LOVE TLK A LOT