| Kion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical information | |||
| Gender |
Male | ||
| Species | |||
| Hair color |
Black, brown, gold, and red | ||
| Eye color |
Brown | ||
| Distinguishing features |
• Mark of the Night Pride on right shoulder | ||
| Biographical information | |||
| Also known as |
| ||
| Status |
Living | ||
| Residence |
• Tree of Life | ||
| Affiliations |
• Night Pride | ||
| Titles |
• King of the Tree of Life | ||
| Relationship information | |||
| Family |
| ||
| Allies |
Anga, Baliyo, Beshte, Bunga, Fuli, Janna, Jasiri, Kiara, Makini, Mufasa, Nala, Nirmala, Ono, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Rani, Simba, Surak, Timon, Vitani, Zazu | ||
| Enemies |
Chuluun, Makucha, Mama Binturong, Nuka, Ora, Scar, Ushari, Zira, Janja (formerly), Kiburi (formerly), Mzingo (formerly), Reirei (formerly), Vitani (formerly) | ||
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Kion is a male lion. He is a member of the Night Pride and the king of the Tree of Life through his marriage to Rani. Formerly, he was the leader of the Lion Guard and the prince of Pride Rock. He is the son of Simba and Nala, and the brother of Kiara.
Before becoming the leader of the Lion Guard, Kion witnessed his best friend, Bunga, being attacked by hyenas, and he reflexively used the Roar of the Elders to save him. This prompted his father, Simba, to teach him about the legendary Lion Guard and task him with gathering a team to defend the Pride Lands. Kion appointed each of his friends as a member: Bunga the honey badger as the bravest, Fuli the cheetah as the fastest, Ono the egret as the keenest of sight, and Beshte the hippopotamus as the strongest.
At first, Simba spurned Kion's new team, as none of its members were lions. Kion lamented his father's rejection, during which time he encountered the spirit of his grandfather, Mufasa, who encouraged him to trust his instincts. Inspired, Kion returned to his friends and gifted them each with the Mark of the Guard. Together, the team engaged in their first battle against Janja and his clan, and emerged victorious. As a result, Simba conceded Kion's point and accepted his new Lion Guard as the defenders of the Pride Lands.
Later, the Lion Guard faced a new threat: the revived spirit of Kion's great-uncle, Scar, who sought revenge on Simba. The Lion Guard engaged in many battles against an army of Outlanders whom Scar had gathered to execute his plans. During the final battle between the Outlanders and the Pride Landers, Scar ordered his cobra minion, Ushari, to attack Kion and inject him with snake venom. However, Kion summoned the Great Lions of the Past to judge and defeat Scar. Despite the Lion Guard's victory, Kion's scar remained, and the venom caused him to suffer violent mood swings and a loss of control over the Roar. With some advice from Rafiki, Kion departed Pride Rock to seek healing at the Tree of Life.
Along with the rest of the Lion Guard, Kion journeyed to the Tree of Life, where he met and fell in love with its queen, Rani. After being healed, he returned to the Pride Lands and relinquished the Roar as well as his role as the leader of the Lion Guard to Vitani. He then returned to the Tree of Life, where he married Rani and became king.
Biography
Early life
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An infant Kion with his mother, Nala.
Kion was born to Simba and Nala, the king and queen of Pride Rock. He was their second-born cub, being the younger brother of Kiara. At some point, he became best friends with a honey badger named Bunga, who was the adoptive nephew of Timon and Pumbaa.[1]
As infants, Kion and Bunga were playing when they stumbled upon Pua's float. Bunga recklessly challenged the crocodiles, and Kion backed his friend up. Though Pua gave the cubs a chance to leave the float's territory, they refused, and so, the crocodiles began to surround them, in the mind to eat them.
Kion, Beshte, Bunga, and Fuli rescue Ono's egg from hyenas.
At that moment, Zazu intervened and explained to Pua that Kion was the son of the king. Makuu argued that the cubs had challenged them; thus, the crocodiles had every reason to eat them. Acknowledging Makuu's point, Zazu offered himself in place of the cubs, only for Pua to let them go, impressed by Zazu's bravery and loath to anger Simba. Zazu then ushered Kion and Bunga away from the float before Pua could change his mind.[2]
Later, while Kion was playing with Beshte and Bunga, Fuli ran up and reported that a hyena was stealing an egg from the Pride Lands. Beshte suggested they inform Simba, but Kion pointed out that they did not have time and rallied his friends to follow him. Together, they confronted the hyena, Janja, as well as his cronies, Cheezi and Chungu. They then fought the hyenas off and rescued the egg, which hatched into Ono.[3]
Cubhood
Formation of the Lion Guard
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Kion reflexively uses the Roar of the Elders for the first time.
One morning, Kion and Bunga were playing Baobab Ball on Pride Rock while Simba was trying to deliver a royal lesson to Kiara. The friends' antics disturbed the royal lesson, so they took their game away from Pride Rock and into the heart of the Pride Lands. While playing, they managed to lose their ball in the Outlands, but Bunga resolved to retrieve it, despite Kion's warnings. However, once in the Outlands, Bunga got attacked by Cheezi and Chungu. Kion attempted to reason with the hyenas, but when they threatened to eat Bunga, he reflexively used the Roar of the Elders. This distracted the hyenas and allowed Bunga to escape. After the incident, Kion and Bunga reflected on the strange nature of Kion's roar.
Meanwhile, Rafiki and Simba overheard Kion's roar from Pride Rock, and Rafiki deduced that it was time for him to lead the Lion Guard. Simba was hesitant to place such a responsibility on a cub, but Nala encouraged him to listen to Rafiki. At that moment, Kion and Bunga returned to Pride Rock, and Rafiki led them into the Lair of the Lion Guard. There, he explained that Scar had once led the Lion Guard until he had lost his powers for trying to usurp Mufasa and destroying his own Lion Guard. Simba then tasked Kion with gathering a new Lion Guard to protect the Pride Lands.
Simba tasks Kion with assembling a new Lion Guard.
Once away from Pride Rock, Kion asked Bunga if he would join the Guard, and he accepted excitedly. At that moment, the two overheard Zuri crying for help and followed her voice to where her claws were stuck in a log. After Timon and Pumbaa freed her, Bunga shared that he was joining the Lion Guard, and Kiara expressed doubt and amusement at the prospect. Though at first reluctant to accept Bunga's appointment, Timon and Pumbaa eventually offered him their enthusiastic congratulations. Unbeknownst to the friends, they had been spied upon by Mzingo, a vulture ally of Janja's, who reported what he had learned to the hyenas in the Outlands. Upon hearing the news, Janja plotted to strike the Pride Lands that very night, before the Lion Guard could be fully assembled.
Later, Kion appointed Beshte, Fuli, and Ono to positions on the Guard. He gathered his team together and attempted to show them the Roar of the Elders, but all that came out was a squeak, to his confusion. Just then, Simba arrived and chastised Kion for his choice of teammates, insisting that the Guard must be composed of lions only. He then berated his son for treating his role as leader like a game and implored him to take his duties more seriously, as Kiara did hers.
Kion assembles his new Lion Guard.
Wanting to think things over, Kion isolated himself from his friends, where he encountered the spirit of his grandfather, Mufasa. The spirit reminded Kion that Simba was worried because his loved his son. He then encouraged Kion to trust his instincts and promised that he would always be there to guide him, until the Pride Lands' end.
No sooner had Mufasa faded from the sky when Kion heard Bunga shouting that Janja's clan was attacking a herd of gazelles in the Pride Lands. With no time to lose, Kion assembled his new Lion Guard, using his paw to gift each of them with the Mark of the Guard. Together, the five friends attacked the hyenas, driving them back into the Outlands. Kion finished the fight with the Roar of the Elders, and even Janja fled in terror. Bunga then saved Kiara from the stampeding gazelles. Simba happened to be watching from a nearby ridge and realized that Kion had been wise in his choice of teammates. He complimented his son on the victory and accepted his Lion Guard as the new protectors of the Pride Lands.[1]
Friendship with Jasiri
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Kion is swept downriver.
One day, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu were chasing a herd of oryxes in the Pride Lands. Before they could take down the herd, the Lion Guard arrived on the scene and chased them off. As the hyenas fled into the Outlands, Kion took chase, while the rest of the Lion Guard stayed behind to calm the oryx herd. As Kion chased the hyenas into the Outlands, however, he crossed a log that snapped beneath his weight, and he fell into the raging river below. The rest of the Lion Guard attempted to save him, to no avail.
Eventually, Kion pulled himself to safety on the opposite bank of the river, in the Outlands. Ono swept down to check on his winded friend, and Kion admitted that the river was too rough for crossing. He then instructed his friends to meet him at Flat Ridge Rock while he attempted to navigate the Outlands by himself. Bunga claimed to know where Flat Ridge Rock was, but Kion sent Ono after his friends to ensure that they made it safely.
Kion befriends Jasiri.
Kion was wandering through the Outlands when he ran into a mysterious hyena, Jasiri, who claimed that he was going the wrong way. Not trusting a hyena, Kion chose to ignore her advice and forged his own way through the Outlands. Along the way, he discovered that Jasiri was following him. Though suspicious, he did not attempt to stop her and continued making his way up a large pile of rocks. Despite Jasiri's continued warnings that he was going the wrong way, Kion climbed to the top, only to fall into a hedge of thorns. Jasiri leaped down after him, laughing.
As Kion struggled to untangle himself from the thorns, Jasiri teased him for being so foolish, then unexpectedly helped him out of the thorns. Though still suspicious, Kion was amused by her attempts at banter. After getting freed, he accused Jasiri of having not warned him that the trail was ending, and she agreed with him, laughing. She then pointed him in the right direction. As Kion moved to leave, she noticed that he was limping from his fall, and so, she decided to help him, since it was partially her fault that he had gotten injured.
Kion ensures that Janja's clan will leave Jasiri alone.
As Kion and Jasiri continued through the Outlands, he lectured her on the Circle of Life, but she pointed out that she knew all about the Circle of Life. She then explained that hyenas and lions were not so different, which solidified a tentative friendship between them. No longer so suspicious of one another, they reached Janja's territory, and Jasiri sent Kion on his way.
However, as Jasiri was walking back through the Outlands, Janja confronted her and surrounded her with his clanmates. Kion, still within earshot, overheard the confrontation and raced back to Jasiri's aid, chasing Janja's clan away with the Roar of the Elders. No sooner had he done this when the Lion Guard showed up, braced to fight Jasiri, but Kion insisted that she was a friend. Together, the friends walked to the border of the Pride Lands, where Jasiri and Kion exchanged fond farewells.[4]
Conflict with Makuu
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The Lion Guard visits Big Springs.
The Lion Guard raced through Ukuni Woods, following the sound of an animal crying for help. When they arrived on the scene, they found Pim stuck in a thorn bush. Though annoyed by the false alarm, they proceeded to free Pim, only for the hyrax to immediately get eaten by Ushari. The Guard then freed him again.
The friends carried on to Big Springs, where Beshte and Basi emphasized the Circle of Life. At that moment, the Guard overheard Makuu challenging his leader, Pua, to a mashindano. Kion was disturbed by this turn of events and asked Simba if he could do something about Makuu's challenge. Simba explained that he must recognize and respect the traditions of other species, even if he did not always agree with them, though Kion remained doubtful.
Kion nearly uses the Roar of the Elders out of anger at Makuu.
Later, the Pride Landers gathered to witness the mashindano, which Makuu promptly won due to Pua's old age. As the crocodile float strode away, now headed by Makuu, Kion looked after them worriedly, wondering if the Pride Lands were in danger. After Pua's defeat, the Lion Guard gathered in the Lair of the Lion Guard. However, in the midst of the gathering, Kiara approached and warned Kion that the giraffes had moved into the baboons' forest. Ono scoped out the area and quickly discovered that Makuu had invaded Big Springs, which had forced the other animals to switch habitats.
Kion confronted Makuu over his invasion and asked him to leave Big Springs, but he refused and mocked Kion for being unwilling to fight. Though Bunga encouraged Kion to use the Roar of the Elders, he decided against it, as he did not want to lash out in anger like Scar. Instead, he consulted with Pua and urged the older crocodile to call for another mashindano. Pua, however, reminded Kion that Makuu was much stronger than him and advised the cub to back down if he was not willing to fight.
Kion confronts Makuu once more.
The Guard returned to Pride Rock, only to find that it had been overrun by baboons. Overwhelmed by all his problems, Kion isolated himself. Mufasa interrupted his ruminations and, upon hearing him describe the problem, encouraged him to stand his ground. Inspired by his grandfather's words, Kion decided to demonstrate the Roar of the Elders on a grove of trees to show Makuu what he would be in for should he attempt a fight.
While Bunga, Fuli, and Ono checked that a nearby grove of trees was empty, Beshte and Kion confronted Makuu. Ono then gave the signal, and Kion roared into the trees, stripping them all of their leaves. Awed and intimidated, Makuu backed down and led his float out of Big Springs. After the crocodiles left, the animals returned to their usual habitats. Basi then invited the crocodiles to return to Big Springs once the fish population had spiked, while the Lion Guard watched in satisfaction.[5]
Bunga the Wise
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During a rainstorm, the Lion Guard attempted to convince a troop of baboons to climb down a tree before it uprooted and fell off a cliff, but the baboons refused to see reason. Desperate, Kion sent Bunga into the tree to scare the troop down. The plan worked, and the baboons fled down the tree shortly before it fell off the cliff.
Kion leads the Lion Guard in the midst of a flood.
After the rescue, the Lion Guard took a breather, while Kion consulted with his grandfather, Mufasa. The cub asked if he should use the Roar of the Elders to blow the big storms away, but Mufasa explained that rain was part of the Circle of Life and that the Pride Lands needed water to survive.
Upon rejoining his friends, Kion saw a wall of floodwater racing across the plains. Thinking fast, he ordered Ono to take a look, and the egret informed his teammates that Lake Kiziwa was flooding. Bunga proposed that they knock a pile of large rocks into the way of the floodwater, and the flood was momentarily stopped. As several Pride Landers gathered around, Rafiki approached and started to compliment honey badgers on their wisdom, only to accidentally drop the fruit he had been carrying and cut himself short. Without waiting for Rafiki to finish, Bunga proclaimed that he was the smartest animal in the Pride Lands and left to inform Timon and Pumbaa.
Kion tries to reason with Bunga.
As the Lion Guard raced after Bunga, intent on stopping him, they encountered animal after animal who had been affected by the floodwaters. As the team was checking on the cobras, Ono approached and proclaimed that they had to see what was going on at Hakuna Matata Falls. Upon arriving at the falls, the Guard saw animals lined up to meet Bunga, who had proclaimed himself to be a sage. Seeing the disaster for what it was, Kion attempted to talk Bunga out of his delusions, but he refused to rejoin the Lion Guard. Timon then ushered the Guard out of Bunga's lair, and they reluctantly left.
While walking through the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard freed Mbuni, whose head was stuck in the sand, and she explained that she had been advised to do so by Bunga the Wise. After this, the friends had to rescue more and more animals who were taking Bunga's bad advice and ending up in life-threatening situations. Finally, Kion admitted that they needed to stop Bunga before it was too late.
Kion's Roar repels the floodwaters, thus saving the animals trapped in the canyon.
Just then, the Guard spotted Bunga at the head of a parade, celebrating his great wisdom. They approached, and Kion once again attempted to make Bunga see reason, but the honey badger pointed out that everyone loved his advice. Timon added that Bunga had fixed the dam. No sooner had he said this when the dam broke, and the Pride Landers were forced to flee across the savanna.
With Kion in the lead, the animals ran into a canyon, where they found themselves at a dead-end. Trapped, the animals looked to Bunga for wisdom, but he implored them to listen to Kion, who truly did know how to handle bad situations. Thinking quickly, Kion ordered the others to stand behind him and used the Roar of the Elders to send the floodwaters splashing backward. With the Pride Lands saved, the Lion Guard relaxed at a new water hole that had been created by the flood.[6]
Kiara's temporary queenship
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Kion fights with Kiara over a tree.
One day, Kion and Kiara were arguing over who could use a tree to sharpen their claws when Simba approached and told Kion to back down, for Kiara was going to serve as queen for the day. In the face of Kion's confusion, Simba explained that his presence was required at a funeral in Kilio Valley for Aminifu, a wise old elephant who had passed away.
After his parents left, Kion readied to go on a morning patrol with the Lion Guard. However, Ono unexpectedly flew over his teammates en route to Pride Rock. The Lion Guard rushed to Pride Rock, where they witnessed Tiifu and Zuri giving Kiara a royal introduction. Annoyed, Kion asked Kiara what was going on, and she explained that she was getting the morning report from Ono, since Zazu was with Simba and Nala.
Kion expresses annoyance at Ono for flattering Kiara.
At Kiara's prompting, Ono reported that a herd of elands was moving along the river and that several new hives of bees had appeared on the same trail. Kiara quickly connected the dots, realizing that the elands would run right into the hives and incite chaos. She asked Kion to divert the herd, and he reluctantly agreed to the task.
Alongside his teammates, Kion made his way to the hives of bees. Instead of following his sister's orders, however, he decided to move the bees. His plan backfired, with the bees chasing the Lion Guard straight into the path of the elands. Bruised and stung, the Guard returned to Kiara, and Kion tried to make the best of his report, but she accused him of having disobeyed her orders. He admitted that not all of the elands had cooperated with them, and she implored him to listen to her next time.
Kion resents Kiara's disciplinary manner.
Later that day, as Kiara looked out over her kingdom, Mzingo landed on the peak of Pride Rock and offered her a peace proposal from Janja. Though suspicious, Kiara listened as Mzingo told her that Janja wished to meet her at Broken Rock, which served as neutral ground between the Pride Lands and the Outlands. Kiara promised to think the offer over, and Mzingo flew away. Upon learning about the proposal, Kion desperately tried to talk his sister out of it, but she pointed out that Janja had probably come to her because Kion was constantly running him off. Furious, Kion pointed out that she was not really the queen, but Kiara resolved to do things her own way. Refusing to take part in her plans, he fled Pride Rock.
As Kion stormed away from Kiara, he encountered Mufasa, who encouraged him to support his sister. He reminded Kion that Kiara needed his help, especially when she was wrong, and Kion realized that he could not abandon her. After thanking his grandfather, Kion raced off to rejoin Kiara. However, when he returned to Pride Rock, Tiifu and Zuri explained that she had already left to meet with Janja. Gathering the Lion Guard, Kion set out to stop her.
Kion arrives at Broken Rock to save Kiara from Janja's clan.
Meanwhile, Kiara reached Broken Rock, where Janja surrounded her with his clanmates. Just in time, Kion arrived with the Lion Guard, and Janja fled. Once the hyenas had gone, Kiara admitted that Kion had been right about Janja, and he reminded her that she had been right about the bees. With their quarrels settled, the siblings returned to Pride Rock.
When Simba and Nala returned home, Kiara asked how Simba's tribute had gone, and Nala answered that everything had turned out fine. She then asked how ruling the Pride Lands had gone, and though Kiara began to stumble over her words, Kion jumped in, proclaiming that she was going to make a great queen someday.[7]
Ono's injury
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The Lion Guard found themselves in the midst of a wildebeest stampede, unable to see through the thick dust. Kion called to Ono, who could see from overhead, and he helped his teammates chase off Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu, who had started the stampede. However, as Ono was ensuring that the hyenas had entered the Outlands, he got sand in his eye and fell heavily to the ground.
Bunga poses Kion so that he looks more "lion-like."
Acting quickly, the Lion Guard brought Ono to Rafiki, who constructed an eye patch for him and told him to stay out of action for three days. Though Kion reassured Ono that the Lion Guard could get by without him, Ono insisted on proving himself and attempted to show off his keen sight to his friends. However, as he was flying over the Pride Lands, he bumped into Mwoga, who decided to report the incident to Mzingo.
Later, Rafiki attempted to paint a picture of the Lion Guard but was dissatisfied with his work. Bunga attempted to pose Kion so that he was more "lion-like," to Kion's amusement. In the midst of the proceedings, Beshte rushed up to his friends and reported that Janja had been spotted on a ledge in the Pride Lands that was overlooking a herd of zebras. Kion led the Lion Guard out of the Lair to investigate, save Ono, who remained with Rafiki.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to break the Lion Guard out of a blocked-up ravine.
As Kion led the Lion Guard into a canyon, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu dropped rocks on either side of them, trapping them. After gloating to Kion, Janja left with Cheezi and Chungu to pick off the zebra herd. As the Lion Guard tried and failed to escape the ravine, Ono suddenly appeared, and Kion instructed him to move the zebras so that he could safely blast away the rocks with the Roar of the Elders.
Ono did as instructed, and Kion broke the Lion Guard free of the ravine. His plan a failure, Janja fled with his minions, and the Lion Guard returned to Pride Rock. There, they were met by Rafiki, who had redone his painting so that Kion was among his friends, not just his teammates.[8]
Kupatana
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On the day of Kupatana, the Lion Guard expressed their excitement over the upcoming event. Simba reminded them that Kupatana was a day of peace in which all the animals in the Pride Lands gathered together in harmony. At that moment, the Lion Guard overheard a jackal pup being chased by Janja and his clan in the Outlands. Though Kion was loath to interfere in Outlands business, Simba encouraged him to save the jackal in the spirit of Kupatana.
Kion welcomes Dogo to the Pride Lands.
With Kion in the lead, the Lion Guard entered the Outlands and fought off the hyenas. To Kion's surprise, instead of putting up a fight, Janja happily let the Guard take the jackal pup. Once the hyenas had gone, Kion checked on the pup, who introduced himself as Dogo and asked if he could accompany the Lion Guard back to the Pride Lands. Kion hesitated, but when Dogo made several cute expressions, he allowed the pup to join them. Once in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard explained Kupatana to Dogo and invited him to join in the celebration, despite Fuli's and Ono's protests. They then granted him a hillside to use as his new home, and Kion led the Lion Guard away on their daily patrol.
While on patrol, Beshte and Bunga spotted Dogo's brothers making themselves at home in aardvark warrens. When the amount of jackals became too much for them, they called out for Kion, who raced to the scene. Once there, he attempted to find Dogo among the jackal pups, and Reirei stepped forward, introducing herself and Goigoi as Dogo's parents. She then appealed to Kion to let them stay in the Pride Lands, for Dogo could not stay on his own, away from his family. Though miffed, Kion reluctantly agreed to her demands but made her promise to stop stealing the aardvarks' food.
Kion confronts Reirei.
After dealing with Reirei, the Lion Guard rescued Mbeya, who was stuck in a mud pit. Just as they were about to get cleaned up for Kupatana, they overheard the cries of several distressed Pride Landers. Upon following the noise, the Guard learned that the jackals were stealing food, and Kion lectured Reirei for her behavior. Reirei apologized and claimed that the customs of the Pride Lands were so different from the jackals', then asked if her family could participate in Kupatana. Still dubious, Kion allowed them to join in, but only if they treated the other Pride Landers with respect.
Later that day, the Kupatana celebration began, and the Pride Landers witnessed the blooming of the baobab blossoms. Suddenly, Reirei and her family broke through the crowd of animals, vicious and on the attack. Simba questioned what was going on, and Kion admitted that he had allowed Dogo's jackal family into the Pride Lands.
Kion apologizes to Simba for his mistake.
As chaos unfolded below, Kion and Simba implored the Pride Landers to work together to fight off the jackals. Kion then jumped down to join the Lion Guard in rounding up the jackal family. Together, they cornered Reirei and her family in the midst of Mizimu Grove, and Kion ordered them to return to the Outlands. At first, Reirei pleaded for a second chance, but when Simba ordered them to leave and roared, the jackals fled in terror.
Once the jackals had gone, Kion apologized for his mistake, and Simba reminded him that it had been he who had encouraged the Guard to rescue the jackal pup. He then pointed out that all the Pride Landers had stood together in fighting off the jackals, just as the spirit of Kupatana encouraged. At that moment, Bunga began to eat the fallen baobab blossoms, and many of the Pride Landers joined in. Kion and Simba then wished each other a happy Kupatana.[9]
Disturbing Fuli's hunting
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Kion and Ono worry over Bunga's condition.
While the Lion Guard was guiding a herd of cape buffalo away from a mudslide, Bunga got flung on top of Ushari. Out of pure reflex, Ushari bit him, and the Lion Guard panicked over the venomous bite. With Bunga riding on Beshte's back, the Lion Guard raced to Rafiki, only for the mandrill to proclaim that Bunga was immune to snake bites. Timon and Pumbaa were relieved and resolved to throw a feast in celebration of their nephew's immunity. However, none of the other Lion Guard members could attend, save Fuli, who had had plans to hunt by herself. Horrified, Timon and Pumbaa insisted that she join them, which made Beshte, Kion, and Ono wonder if they should involve Fuli more in their activities.
Later, Bunga was bragging about his immunity to Kion, who remained unconvinced. While they were talking, Kion spotted Fuli hunting by herself and interrupted her, inviting her to join his family on a hunt instead. Fuli accepted his offer excitedly, but when she arrived at the hunt, she expressed disinterest in hunting alongside Tiifu and Zuri. Despite this, she and Kiara snuck up on a gazelle and readied to pounce. At the last second, Nala called for a halt, and Kion explained that Kiara was simply learning how to track, not kill. Furious, Fuli declared that she liked being alone and ran away, to Kion's distress.
Kion and Fuli join in on a royal hunt.
After the incident, Beshte, Kion, and Ono met up and related how poorly trying to involve Fuli in their activities had gone. This made them realize that Fuli may just want to be left alone, and so, they resolved to find her and promise to let her be herself from then on.
Meanwhile, Bunga and Fuli got cornered by Janja and his clan in the Outlands volcano. Just in time, the rest of the Lion Guard arrived and helped their friends escape. Once safely back in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard resolved to cool off at the water hole. Suddenly sensitive, Kion reminded Fuli that she did not have to come, and she thanked him for understanding. She assured him that she still enjoyed the company of her friends and that she thought of them as her family. The five friends then shared in a group hug.[10]
Search for Utamu
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Kion argues with Fuli.
While the Lion Guard was checking on a herd of cape buffalo, they realized that the herd was grazing near a geyser. Suddenly, the geyser exploded, and the herd fled in a panic. As the Guard chased after them, Fuli rushed ahead of her teammates and calmed the cape buffalo on her own, to her friends' amazement. No sooner had the Guard abated the danger when three galagos cried out for help. Before Kion could instruct his team on what to do, Fuli sped away and saved the galagos on her own. Kion lectured her for having left her teammates in the dust, but Fuli reminded him that she had known she could handle it by herself.
Shortly afterward, the Guard stumbled across Mapema Rock, where Bunga resolved to hunt for Utamu grubs. At that moment, they heard a cry for help, and Ono reported that a serval had tried to jump across Big Ravine. Once again, without waiting for instruction, Fuli made the save on her own, and Kion confronted her in a fury. He reminded her that they were a team and that they were not as good if she got hurt or worn out from going solo, but she simply retorted that cheetahs did not get worn out.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders on Mzingo's parliament.
After the argument, Kion instructed Fuli to rest while the rest of the Lion Guard helped Bunga find Utamu grubs. When the group appeared to get lost in their search, Bunga instructed them to follow the dung beetles. While following some dung beetles with his friends, Bunga told them about the day he had met his uncles, Timon and Pumbaa. Before long, the team came across a tree that Bunga attempted to climb so as to fetch some Utamu grubs. However, the branch he was walking on broke, and the Utamu fell into a ravine below. As Bunga grieved, Kion reminded him that they had just spotted vultures circling over the savanna and that an animal may need their help.
As the Lion Guard approached the scene, they saw Fuli being attacked by Mzingo's parliament. Just in time, the Lion Guard fought them off, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blow them away. Once the vultures had gone, Fuli thanked her friends for the rescue and promised to wait for them on the next mission. Afterward, the Lion Guard traveled to Hakuna Matata Falls, where they shared in a feast of Utamu grubs with Timon and Pumbaa.[11]
Training with Mtoto
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Kion leads an obstacle course.
One day, the Lion Guard got alerted to a hyena attack and arrived on the scene, demanding to know where the hyenas were. At Kion's cry, a group of young animals emerged from the thicket, explaining that they had simply been playing "Lion Guard." Kion pointed out the dangers of pretending to be hyenas, and the young animals vowed to never play in such a way again. Afterward, a shy Mtoto approached his idol, Beshte, and suggested that the real Lion Guard play with them. The other young animals were excited by this idea, but Kion admitted that the Guard had business elsewhere. Mtoto begged Beshte to stay, and so, Beshte invited Mtoto to watch the Guard train.
Once at the training grounds, Beshte told his teammates that he had brought along Mtoto, and Kion agreed to let the young elephant train with them. First, the team ran an obstacle course. However, when it was Mtoto's turn to dash through the water, he got water in his trunk and sprayed it all over Fuli. After Mtoto's mistake, Kion decided to run a stealth-surround drill, during which the team attempted to sneak up on him without alerting him to their presence. However, as they were drilling, Mtoto accidentally fell down a steep cliff and landed on top of Bunga.
Kion gifts Mtoto with the Mark of the Guard.
Kion told Mtoto that he should head home, and Beshte offered to escort him. Kion then continued to train his team by pitting Bunga against Fuli in a race. After the race, Kion asked Ono to look for Beshte, who had not shown back up for training. When Ono returned with no leads, the Lion Guard set out in search of Beshte. In doing so, they stumbled across Mtoto's friends, who informed them that Beshte was saving Mtoto from the hyenas.
Ono happened to catch sight of Beshte and Mtoto trapped between the hyenas and a float of crocodiles, and alerted his teammates to the situation. As Beshte and Mtoto defended themselves, the rest of the Lion Guard appeared and dispatched of the crocodiles. In the chaos, the hyenas got knocked into the pool, where they were chased in circles by the crocodile float. Afterward, Mtoto related the tale to his friends, who reacted with amazement and awe. Kion approached and volunteered to give each of them a muddy Mark of the Lion Guard, and the young animals crowded around him eagerly.[12]
Encounter with Tamaa
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One day, several scared Pride Landers reported to the Lion Guard that Goigoi, Janja, and Makuu were threatening them. While Kion attempted to find Janja, Beshte and Bunga searched the river bank for Makuu, and Fuli and Ono tracked down Goigoi. Despite sniffing around the sites of the incidents, the Lion Guard failed to yield any results, save for the thievery of the victims' food. Confused, Kion pressed the Pride Landers for more information and discovered that Goigoi, Janja, and Makuu had all said the same thing to their victim.
Kion confronts Tamaa.
Just then, the Lion Guard overheard Janja and followed his voice to where a drongo named Tamaa was perching in a bush. The Lion Guard asked him for information on Janja's whereabouts, and he pointed them in the right direction. However, as they were following Tamaa's instructions, Ono suddenly instructed his teammates to turn back. Once they had returned to Tamaa, they witnessed him mimicking Janja's voice in order to scare off a hyrax and steal its food. Kion confronted Tamaa for his wrongdoing, and the drongo admitted that he had been the one scaring off animals in order to steal their food. He then explained his voice mimicry talent to the Lion Guard.
Despite Tamaa's impressive skills, Kion encouraged him to use his talent for good, then made him promise to only use his own voice from then on. No sooner had Tamaa made his promise when the Lion Guard overheard the real Janja chasing down a herd of impalas. They raced to the rescue and put a stop to the hyena's schemes, forcing him, Cheezi, and Chungu to return to the Outlands.
Kion orders the hyenas to return to the Outlands.
Shortly afterward, the Lion Guard happened across Thurston, who was fervently trying to escape danger. Upon being questioned, Thurston revealed that he and the impalas had heard Kion instructing them to go to the Outlands for safety. Suspicious, Kion surmised that Janja was forcing Tamaa to herd impalas into the Outlands for his own satisfaction, and the Lion Guard rushed to put a stop to the scheme.
Just as the hyenas were about to eat Tamaa and the impalas in the Outlands, the Lion Guard arrived and chased them away. They then escorted the impalas back into the Pride Lands, where Tamaa vowed to only use his voice for good from then on.[13]
Bunga's prediction
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One day, the Lion Guard found an infant gazelle whose hoof was stuck under a large rock. Beshte lifted the rock off the gazelle's hoof, and Bunga pulled the calf free, only for him and the gazelle to go tumbling over the edge of a steep drop. Just in time, Kion grabbed hold of Bunga and pulled him and the calf to safety.
Kion saves Bunga and an infant gazelle.
After the rescue, Ono escorted the gazelle home, while the rest of the Guard headed to the Lair of the Lion Guard. Before long, Ono entered the Lair, reporting a zebra stampede. Upon catching up to the zebras, the Guard raced alongside them and tried to calm them. While running, Bunga recognized a nearby pile of rocks from one of Rafiki's paintings. Horrified, he realized that the rocks were going to fall on the zebra herd. With the Lion Guard's help, he steered the zebras to safety, and the rocks fell harmlessly to the ground.
After the mission, Bunga showed Beshte Rafiki's paintings, while Kion stayed behind and questioned the zebras on why they had stampeded. Thurston explained that a loud "boom" – or thunder, as Kion figured out – had stirred them into a frenzy. The Lion Guard reassured the herd that they were safe, and Kion instructed Ono to guide the zebras home.
Bunga tackles Kion in order to "save" him from falling.
Meanwhile, Bunga showed Beshte the paintings that had supposedly predicted the future, and the two spotted another painting of Kion in a tree. When Bunga touched Rafiki's bakora staff to the wall, it showed Kion begin to plummet from the tree. Terrified for their friend, Beshte and Bunga resolved to warn him about the danger he was in. However, Kion merely scoffed at the notion that Rafiki's paintings could predict the future. At that moment, Ono warned his teammates of a hyena attack.
Once at the scene of the incident, Kion instructed his team to take on Cheezi and Chungu while he handled Janja. As Janja chased a zebra around a large rock, Kion decided to climb an overhanging tree branch in order to ambush him. Bunga, however, interrupted Kion by tackling him off the branch. The two ended up falling on top of Janja, who fled to the Outlands.
Kion wonders why his friends are acting oddly.
After the awkward rescue, Kion questioned Bunga as to why he had tackled him, but Bunga simply whispered to Beshte that Kion had fallen from the tree, just as the paintings had predicted. Beshte, however, noted that it had been Bunga who had knocked Kion from the tree, so the cub might still be in danger. Just then, Ono reported that three zebras were stranded on the other side of Maji Baridi Falls.
Along the way to the falls, Bunga attempted to save Kion from tripping over a tree branch, but the branch turned out to be Ushari. Suspicious, Fuli confronted Beshte and Bunga over their strange behavior, and they explained the danger they believed Kion was in. Though doubtful, Fuli decided to help them keep Kion safe.
Kion prepares to use the Roar of the Elders.
Just then, Ono called for Kion to climb a tree and take a look around, but Beshte, Bunga, and Fuli scrambled to save him, leaping up on the trunk so that the tree fell to the ground. Kion demanded to know what his friends had been doing, but Ono interrupted that he had spotted a shortcut to the falls that would take them through the trees. Bunga quickly suggested a different route, and Beshte and Fuli supported him. They then led Kion and Ono on a route through a neck-deep, muddy river. While paddling, Bunga explained to Ono the danger he believed Kion was in, and Ono agreed to help his friends.
Eventually, the Lion Guard arrived at Maji Baridi Falls, where Beshte, Bunga, Fuli, and Ono became so distracted worrying over Kion that they failed to notice him crossing a log over a raging river. In a panic, they crossed the log to save him, but the log tipped, throwing them to the other side of the river. Furious, Kion demanded to know why his friends were acting so strangely, and Bunga reminded him that Rafiki's paintings had predicted his fall from a tree branch. Kion, however, refused to believe Bunga.
Kion climbs to safety, to the relief of his friends.
As the team recovered from their fall, Beshte rose to his feet, inadvertently sending a rock rolling toward the zebras. They, in turn, panicked and fell into the river. The Lion Guard chased after them until they reached the end of the falls, where Kion resolved to climb onto an overhanging tree branch and roar the zebras to safety. Bunga protested adamantly, worried for his friend's safety, but Kion denounced Rafiki's paintings once and for all, and climbed down to save the zebras. From the tip of the tree branch, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blow the zebras to safety. On his way back up the tree, he slipped and fell but managed to catch himself at the last second, to his friends' relief.
After the rescue, the Guard returned to the Lair of the Lion Guard, where Rafiki showed them that the paintings had been depictions of the past, not the future. With his staff, he revealed that the zebra herd had not been running toward the rocks, but away from them after they had fallen. He then explained that the cub whom Beshte and Bunga had thought was Kion was actually the father of Nala, Kion's mother.[14]
Mbali Fields migration
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Kion takes charge of the Mbali Fields migration.
One day, Ono reported to Kion that a herd of gazelles was fighting with a herd of zebras. The Lion Guard arrived on the scene, and Beshte recognized the gazelles as being Swala's herd and the zebras as being Muhimu's herd. The Lion Guard rushed down the slope to put a stop to the fight, and Kion stepped forward, roaring for silence. With the herds now paying attention, he and Beshte pointed out that the grazing grounds in the Pride Lands were open to everyone, but Muhimu and Swala explained that there was only one small patch of grass left for them to share.
Kion consulted with his father, Simba, and the king advised him to take the herds to Mbali Fields, a grazing ground on the edge of the Pride Lands. Shocked, Kion wondered if he was adept enough to lead a migration, but Simba assured him that he would do fine. The next day, Kion returned to the herds, and Ono reported a route that they could take to Mbali Fields. After Ono's report, Kion announced to the herds that he would be leading them to Mbali Fields, and they cheered for him. They then set out on their migration, with the Lion Guard as their escort.
Kion saves Swala from a flash flood.
Eventually, the herds made it to a canyon, where Kion attempted to encourage the gazelles and zebras through their fatigue and hunger. Ono assured Kion that they were close, though he voiced his worries about an approaching storm. As the herds paused to behold Mbali Fields, Muhimu suddenly lost patience and began to charge down the canyon with her herd. Not to be outdone, Swala and her gazelles tore after them. The Lion Guard attempted to stop the stampeding herds, but, too late, a huge pile of rocks fell into the midst of the canyon, blocking the way into Mbali Fields. Realizing that they were trapped, Kion asked Ono to scout out another route, and Ono reported that the only other way to Mbali Fields would take them through the Outlands. Grimly, Kion accepted their fate.
As the herds set out, the storm broke over the canyon, and the gazelles and zebras began to complain about Kion's leadership. At that moment, a flash flood forced the herds to retreat to higher ground. While Ono led the herds to higher ground, the rest of the Guard rescued those still trapped in the rising waters, with Kion rescuing Swala.
Kion seeks counsel from Mufasa.
Once the herds were safe, they began to complain about Kion, criticizing his choice to take them through the canyon. Dejected and hurt, Kion sought counsel from Mufasa, who advised him to have confidence in himself and not depend on the opinions of others. After the conversation, Kion returned to the herds with renewed energy, but they continued to gripe against him, refusing to trust him. Just then, Muhimu spoke up and took the blame for having started the stampede. She then promised to make things easier from then on, and Kion thanked her for her loyalty.
Due to Muhimu's words of encouragement, the herds trusted Kion to lead them into the Outlands. However, just as they had entered the Outlands, Muhimu went into labor, and Kion was forced to make a difficult choice. While he sent Beshte, Fuli, and Ono ahead to keep leading the herds, he and Bunga stayed behind to help Muhimu give birth.
Kion sees the hyenas off.
Under the careful watch of Swala and several others, Muhimu gave birth to a son. No sooner had the zebra foal been born when he emitted a loud bray, which attracted the attention of Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu. The three plunged down the ridge in the hopes of scattering the gazelles and zebras, but Kion ordered his charges to protect Muhimu and her foal while he and Bunga took on the hyenas. Together, Bunga and Kion distracted Cheezi and Chungu, but Janja managed to break through their defenses to attack the zebras. However, Muhimu's foal kicked him in the face, and he retreated alongside his minions.
With the hyenas defeated, the Lion Guard led the rest of the gazelles and zebras to Mbali Fields. There, Bunga played happily with Muhimu's foal, while his teammates looked on happily.[15]
Sinkhole
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Kion worries over his father's fate.
One day, Kion prepared to attend an elephant concert in Mizimu Grove with his family. As they were walking to the concert, Ono approached and informed Kion that some antelope were stuck in the mud near Chekundu Cliffs. Simba and Nala encouraged their son to help the Lion Guard, as keeping the Pride Lands' animals safe was his job, and so, he left alongside Ono.
While the Guard was freeing the antelope, Ono reported that Simba had fallen into a sinkhole. Terrified for his father, Kion arrived on the scene and asked Nala if Simba was all right. Shortly afterward, Bunga recklessly jumped into the sinkhole to save Simba and ended up trapped as well. The rest of the Lion Guard fetched a log for Simba and Bunga to climb up on, but it smashed into pieces when it hit the bottom of the pit.
Kion and Kiara sing "Hakuna Matata".
Just then, Bunga noticed a tunnel in the side of the sinkhole, which Simba believed might lead to Nandembo Caverns. Simba shared his theory with Kion, who agreed to meet his father and Bunga in the underground tunnels. He decided to bring along Timon and Pumbaa in the hopes that Timon would be useful about tunneling, but the two merely cried over their lost "kids." Simba and Bunga overheard Timon and Pumbaa's cries and followed the noise to a ravine that separated them from Timon, Pumbaa, and the Guard. Simba and Bunga then jumped over the ravine and reunited with the others.
Together, the friends traveled to Mizimu Grove and reconvened with Nala and Kiara, just as the concert was finishing. Kion then joined his family, Timon, Pumbaa, and the Lion Guard in performing "Hakuna Matata" for the elephants.[16]
Beshte's imaginary friend
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Kion tags Fuli in hide-and-seek.
During a game of hide-and-seek, Kion tagged Fuli. Once tagged, Fuli asked why they were playing hide-and-seek to begin with, and Kion explained that it was a drill to help sharpen the Lion Guard's tracking skills. At that moment, he spotted Beshte hiding behind a rock and told Fuli that it was her turn to be "it."
As the game continued, Beshte met an okapi named Ajabu and did not reconvene with his teammates. Meanwhile, the Lion Guard continued to play hide-and-seek, unaware that Beshte was missing. While playing, Fuli spotted leopard tracks, and the Guard traced the leopard to where he was stalking a herd of gazelles. The Lion Guard attempted to chase him off, but he simply introduced himself as Makucha and declared that the team would have to catch him first. Fuli led the Guard in pursuit, but Makucha escaped by jumping across Big Ravine.
Kion encourages his friends to trust Beshte.
After Makucha got away, the Lion Guard resolved to stop him, since no one in the Pride Lands knew that leopards were predators. Kion started to break his team up into groups but realized that Beshte was still hiding. Bunga and Ono volunteered to find him and soon spotted him overlooking the savanna. Beshte started to introduce Bunga and Ono to his new friend, Ajabu, but the okapi disappeared before his eyes. Beshte tried to explain that Ajabu was half-giraffe and half-zebra, but Bunga and Ono theorized that he had made up an imaginary friend.
Just then, the rest of the Lion Guard showed up, and together, they set out in search of Makucha. As the team was searching, Beshte caught sight of Ajabu and led his teammates on a frenzied chase across the Pride Lands. When the chase ended in failure, Bunga and Ono criticized Beshte for trying to make them believe in such an unbelievable animal. Hurt, Beshte walked off by himself, and Kion chided Bunga and Ono for having hurt their friend's feelings. Bunga and Ono saw the wisdom in Kion's words and apologized to Beshte, proclaiming that they believed him now. With Beshte's feelings mended, the team set out in search of Ajabu so that they could warn him about Makucha.
Kion introduces Ajabu to his parents.
As the Guard searched, they overheard zebras crying out in terror from Makucha but arrived too late to spot Ajabu. After noticing that the zebras had been left unharmed, Kion theorized that Makucha was after Ajabu alone, and so, the Guard vowed to protect the okapi from harm. Just then, Ajabu raced past, with Makucha hard on his hooves, and the Guard took off in pursuit. Together, they forced Makucha to leave the Pride Lands, and the leopard departed in search of easier prey.
With Ajabu safe, Beshte introduced his friends to the okapi. He questioned Ajabu on what he would do next, and the okapi admitted that he must return home, even if Makucha was waiting for him there. Suddenly, Kion got an idea. Alongside his friends, he brought Ajabu before his parents, who allowed the okapi to take up residence in the Pride Lands. To celebrate Ajabu's new status as a Pride Lander, the Lion Guard decided to play hide-and-seek with him. No sooner had they made this suggestion when Ajabu vanished, and Bunga commented that he was quite good at disappearing.[17]
Termite infestation
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While patrolling the Pride Lands at night, the Lion Guard was approached by Muhangus and Muhanga, who informed them that a clan of hyenas was scrounging around the aardvark dens. With Kion in the lead, the Lion Guard confronted the hyenas, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to banish them back to the Outlands.
Kion mistakenly uses the Roar of the Elders on the aardwolves.
Several days later, the Lion Guard was lounging in the Lair of the Lion Guard when they noticed that the den had become overrun with termites. Just then, Ono flew in and informed his friends that a tree in Mekundu Cliffs was about to collapse with a colony of bats inside. Together, the team rushed out of the Lair to save the bats.
Along the way, the Lion Guard crossed a log, which snapped and fell into a ravine behind them. They wondered why it would do such a thing, since it had always been able to hold their weight before, but Kion reminded his friends that they had no time to lose. They proceeded to the tree, where Bunga climbed inside the trunk and awoke the bats. No sooner had the bats flown out when the tree collapsed, and the Lion Guard realized that termites had been the source of the collapsing trees. Just then, all the other trees in Mekundu Cliffs collapsed, and Kion resolved to ask his father about the situation.
Simba encourages Kion to make things right with the aardwolves.
At Pride Rock, Simba suggested that the Guard ask the aardwolves about the problem. When Fuli questioned what an aardwolf was, Simba explained that aardwolves kept the termite population under control. Kion asked where they could find the aardwolves, and Simba suggested that they look in old aardvark dens, since that was the aardwolf's favorite place to sleep. Fuli and Kion immediately began to suspect that the problem was their fault, and Kion learned from his father that aardwolves strongly resembled hyenas. This confirmed Kion's fears, and he admitted to his father that he had used the Roar of the Elders to drive the aardwolves out of the Pride Lands. Simba told his son that he had made a mistake and encouraged him to do his best to fix it.
After following the aardwolves' scent into the Outlands, the Lion Guard got spotted by the pack, who had taken shelter behind a large boulder. The aardwolves spied on the Lion Guard and overheard them musing over whether they should sneak up behind or surround the pack when they found them. Terrified, the aardwolves fled, and the Lion Guard chased after them. Eventually, the team gave up on the chase, for they realized that the aardwolves were afraid of them. Though the Lion Guard was shocked at being perceived as villains, Kion resolved to earn the pack's trust before he tried to lead them home.
Kion searches the Outlands for the aardwolves.
Just then, Ono spotted a nearby aardwolf, Mjomba, and yelled down to his team that the aardwolf was running straight for a cliff. Bunga raced ahead of his friends and tackled Mjomba to the ground, effectively saving his life. The rest of the Lion Guard approached, and Kion explained to Mjomba that they needed the aardwolves back in the Pride Lands to take care of the termite problem. Mjomba retorted that the Guard should never have driven the aardwolves out to begin with, and Kion apologized for his error, admitting that he had mistaken the aardwolves for hyenas. Mjomba was hesitant to comply with Kion's request until Bunga and Ono reminded him that he would get to return home and feast on a kingdom overrun with termites. Ravenous, Mjomba complied and raced ahead of the Lion Guard to find his pack.
Meanwhile, the other aardwolves hid in a cave. Goigoi and Reirei approached and tricked the aardwolves into trusting them. Shortly afterward, the Lion Guard reached the aardwolves' cave, and Kion sent Mjomba in to calm the aardwolves into trusting the Guard before they approached. Mjomba did as requested and told his pack that the Lion Guard could be trusted. Before the aardwolves could leave with him, however, Goigoi and Reirei trapped them in the cave and launched an attack.
Kion pins Reirei.
From outside the cave, Kion sensed that something was not right and ordered Ono to peek through the cracks in the rocks to see what was going on. Ono rushed back with a report that the jackals had attacked the aardwolves, and the Lion Guard forced their way into the cave to save the pack. While Fuli led the aardwolves to safety, Kion pinned Reirei to the cave floor and ordered her to go home. When he released her, she and Goigoi fled the cave in fear.
With the jackals defeated, the Lion Guard led the aardwolves home. Once back in the Lair of the Lion Guard, the team relaxed, while Bunga lamented the disappearance of the termites. As he lay in a defeated slump, Ono flew in and dropped a leaf full of termites on top of him, a thank you present from the aardwolves. Delighted, Bunga began to gobble the termites up and proclaimed that he was feeling much better now, to his friends' amusement.[18]
Training Badili
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While lounging at Hakuna Matata Falls, the Lion Guard watched Bunga perform several dives into a pool at the base of the falls. Suddenly, a group of galagos sprinted onto the scene, yelling for help. Beshte questioned Laini on why she was so upset, and she explained that a ferocious leopard had settled in the galagos' tree. Though the Guard resolved to help the galagos, Ono reported that Shingo was stuck in a tree in Ukuni Woods.
Kion reassures Laini.
After promising to come back for the galagos, the Lion Guard set out to free Shingo, whose neck was stuck in the branches of an acacia tree. After Shingo's rescue, the galagos reappeared, having been frightened away from the falls by Pumbaa's flatulence. The Lion Guard assured the galagos that they were safe and tried to convince them to return to the falls, but Laini insisted that they remain with the Guard.
With the galagos riding on Beshte's back, the Lion Guard proceeded to the galagos' tree, where they saw the leopard resting in its branches. While the galagos sheltered in a nearby bush, the Lion Guard confronted the leopard, who tried to put up a brave front until his courage failed him and he cowered before the team. Confused, the Guard questioned whether he was the ferocious leopard who had driven out the galagos, and the leopard, Badili, explained that he had not realized that he had been stealing someone's home.
Kion meets Badili.
The Lion Guard questioned whether Badili had territory of his own, and he admitted that he lived in Mirihi Forest, a patch of woodland in the Back Lands. He added that he would rather share the galagos' tree than leave, but Kion insisted that he must return to where he belonged. Though Badili tried several tactics to stay in the Pride Lands, he eventually gave in and followed the Lion Guard back to Mirihi Forest.
Along the way, Badili stalled for time, and Kion demanded to know why he was not keen on returning home. Instead of answering, Badili forged ahead of the Lion Guard and returned to his tree alone. As Badili disappeared into the brush, Kion decided to follow him and see why he was acting so strangely. Together, the Lion Guard hid in the bushes near Badili's tree and watched as he got bullied by a fellow leopard, Mapigano. Outraged by Mapigano's cruelty, the Lion Guard rushed to Badili's defense and forced Mapigano to give Badili his territory back. Mapigano begrudgingly left, and Badili thanked the Lion Guard profusely for their help.
The Lion Guard scares off Mapigano.
The next day, the Lion Guard was patrolling through Embamba Canyon when they were once more approached by terrified galagos. The team returned to the galagos' tree, where they found Badili once more resting in its branches. The Guard asked him why he had left his territory again, and he confessed that Mapigano had driven him out, just as before. Realizing that he had made a mistake, Kion informed his teammates that Badili must face Mapigano alone to show that he was not afraid. He then offered to teach Badili how to stand up for himself. Though hesitant, Badili agreed to train with the Lion Guard.
At the start of his training sessions, Badili struggled to act confidently, but over time, he learned to face his fears and be strong and swift. Once he was fully trained, the Lion Guard tested Badili, questioning him on what he would do if Mapigano challenged him. Badili passed every test, and the Lion Guard expressed their confidence in his newfound determination.
Kion trains Badili to stand up for himself.
Together, the Lion Guard and Badili returned to Mirihi Forest, where the Guard waited in hiding while Badili confronted Mapigano. With his newfound determination, Badili scared off Mapigano, and the Lion Guard cheered for his bravery. With Mapigano gone, Badili admitted that he had been terrified, but the Lion Guard assured him that he had looked nothing short of brave. Badili thanked the team for having believed in him, but Kion reminded him that he had believed in himself. The Lion Guard then left to inform the galagos that they were clear to return home.
Once back in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard took a break at Hakuna Matata Falls. However, they were interrupted by Laini, who informed them that someone else had invaded the galagos' tree. The Lion Guard rushed to the scene, only to find Bunga resting in the tree alongside several galagos. Upon seeing Laini, Bunga pulled her into a hug, and Laini declared that perhaps Badili had not been so bad after all. This made the rest of the Lion Guard laugh.[19]
Nne and Tano's attack
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After a rainstorm hit the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard patrolled for any signs of trail blockage. Unbeknownst to the team, Janja and his clan were watching from the shadows, waiting for the Lion Guard to travel out of sight. Once the Guard had left, Janja attempted to ambush a herd of wildebeests, but mid-attack, he slipped on the muddy ground and fell straight into the Lion Guard's paws. Though he attempted to lie his way out of trouble, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to banish him and his cronies back to the Outlands.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders on Janja's clan.
With Janja gone, the Lion Guard continued to patrol the Pride Lands for blocked trails. During their search, they got caught in a mudslide. Once safe, they resolved to clear the now-blocked trail from Big Springs to Mekundu Cliffs so that the other Pride Landers could use it once more. Kion ordered Bunga and Ono to keep other animals from using the trail while he, Beshte, and Fuli cleared scattered debris off the path.
Shortly afterward, Cheezi and Chungu got caught up in a mudslide in the Pride Lands, and the Lion Guard came to their aid, rescuing them from the fast-flowing mud. Once the two were revealed to be Cheezi and Chungu, Kion ordered Ono to search for Janja. Ono soon arrived with news that Janja was nowhere to be seen, and Kion ordered Cheezi and Chungu to return to the Outlands without him. The hyenas protested, reminding Kion that they would just get kicked out by Janja again, and the other members of the Lion Guard pointed out that Cheezi and Chungu were too dumb to cause much trouble. Kion questioned whether they would continue to attack the herds, but they declared that they only wanted to eat leftovers. Ono pointed out that this would benefit the Circle of Life, and so, Kion reluctantly agreed to let the two hyenas stay in the kingdom.
Kion helps rescue Cheezi and Chungu from a mudslide.
Just then, Ono spotted a herd of stampeding antelope, and the Lion Guard rushed off to calm the herd. In the midst of the stampede, Janja and his new cronies, Nne and Tano, scared the antelope off, until Nne and Tano pulled to a halt and forced Janja to hide from the Lion Guard with them. They then took off in a different direction, while the Lion Guard continued to pursue the herd of stampeding antelope.
After calming the antelope, Kion voiced his suspicions that a hyena was behind the stampede, as he had caught a whiff of hyena scent while pursuing the herd. He instructed Ono to find Cheezi and Chungu, and the Guard soon found them sleeping. Though the Guard questioned them on their involvement in the stampede, they denied having started it.
Kion learns of Nne and Tano's plans from Janja.
Just then, Kion overheard Janja yelling for Nne and Tano. The Lion Guard took off to investigate the situation, and Cheezi and Chungu pelted after them, excited at the prospect of seeing Janja again. Once the Lion Guard located Janja, they questioned him on why he had started the stampede, and Janja explained Nne and Tano's plan. As the Lion Guard left to rescue an oryx herd from Nne and Tano, Cheezi and Chungu bounded down the cliff to join Janja.
Meanwhile, Nne and Tano trapped the herd of oryxes and moved in for the kill. Just in time, the Lion Guard arrived, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to force Nne and Tano away from the herd. Across the Pride Lands, Janja rejoiced at the sound until the ledge beneath him gave way, and he and his cronies fell to the bottom of the cliff. The Lion Guard arrived to aid them, but Janja insisted that he was all right and prompted Cheezi and Chungu to follow him. Overjoyed, the hyenas took off after their master, and Beshte commented that he loved a happy ending.[20]
Rescuing Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri
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During the Lion Guard's patrol, Ono reported that rain clouds were moving in and that Mzingo and his parliament were circling in the distance. Suspicious, the Lion Guard ventured closer and found that the vultures were attacking a baby baboon. Though the team managed to rescue the baby baboon, he got swept away by floodwaters, and Kion ordered Fuli to follow him down the river and pull him to safety.
Kion instructs Fuli to return the baby baboon to his family.
Eventually, Fuli returned to her friends with the baby baboon, who was clinging to her affectionately. Kion instructed her to take him to Nyani Grove, where the baboons lived, but she protested that she should help the Guard save Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri from floodwaters. Kion, however, assured her that they could handle the island rescue on their own.
After Fuli departed with the baby baboon, Bunga encouraged Kion to use the Roar of the Elders to get rid of the floodwaters, but Kion pointed out that the island might get destroyed in the process. After a moment of thought, he told his teammates that they could try to make a bridge instead. Per Kion's orders, Beshte pushed a tree into the midst of the river, only for it to get swept away by the current. Kiara made her own effort to escape by pushing a rock into the floodwaters, but the rock simply rolled the other way and disappeared underwater.
Kion watches as Kiara executes her portion of their combined plans.
Ono reported Kiara's failed plan to Kion, and he began to wonder if they should combine their two plans. While he ordered Beshte and Bunga to push a large boulder into the floodwaters, Ono instructed Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri to collapse a dead tree. At the same time, the Lion Guard pushed their boulder into the water, and Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri pushed their dead tree onto the boulder. To the Lion Guard's delight, the bridge held, and Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri crossed safely to shore.
Later, as Kiara presided over the Royal Buffalo Wallow, Kion, Bunga, Ono, and Beshte watched in satisfaction. Just then, Fuli approached and reported that the baby baboon was home safe. The Guard then continued to watch the Wallow together.[21]
Hunting the Zimwi
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One night, Kion joined a group of young animals at Rafiki's tree for a story about the Zimwi, a legendary creature that supposedly stalked the Pride Lands during the full moon. To the young ones' horror, Bunga pointed out that the moon was full that very night, and Rafiki warned the group that they might soon hear the Zimwi's call. Just then, the group heard a loud bellowing noise, and Kion demanded that the maker of the noise show himself. After a moment, Beshte emerged from the brush and explained that he was practicing his bellowing for an audition with the Bellow Fellows.
Kion scoffs at the notion of the Zimwi.
With the young ones' fears abated, Rafiki continued his story, describing the Zimwi as being an eight-legged creature as tall as two giraffes, with long spikes and large teeth. Though the young animals were frightened by Rafiki's story, Kion scoffed at the notion of the Zimwi being anything more than a tall tale. Rafiki then bid the young ones good night and warned them not to let the Zimwi bite.
On his way home, Mtoto questioned whether the Zimwi could be real or not, and Kion pointed out the ludicrousness of a creature having eight legs. No sooner had he spoken when a gust of wind howled past, frightening the group. Kion assured his friends that it was just the wind and suggested that the little ones sleep together that night in order to feel safe. Beshte proposed that the Guard do the same, and Bunga invited his friends to sleep with him at Hakuna Matata Falls.
Kion assures the young animals that the Lion Guard will defeat the Zimwi.
Later that night, a rustling in the underbrush scared Mtoto and his friends, who awakened the Lion Guard and told them that they had sighted the Zimwi. Though Kion doubted their claims, Timon interrupted, explaining that his mother's cousin's friend had known an ox who had been eaten by the Zimwi. The young animals wondered what they should do, and Kion asserted that the Guard would sniff out the Zimwi in order to keep the Pride Lands safe.
Together, the Lion Guard set off in search of the Zimwi. Along the way, they debated whether the Zimwi was real or not, with Kion retaining his disbelief that such a creature could exist. As the team searched, they got startled by a group of genets, whom Bunga frightened with descriptions of the Zimwi. After the genets ran off, Kion chastised Bunga for having unnecessarily frightened the genets, then instructed him not to tell anyone else about the Zimwi.
Kion chides Bunga for spooking animals with tales of the Zimwi.
The Lion Guard continued their search, during which they ran into a panicked Thurston. Bunga assumed that Thurston was running from the Zimwi, but Thurston retorted that the Zimwi was nothing more than a story and explained that he had been spooked by some genets. The very thought of the genets spun him into a panic again, and he took off into the forest. As the Guard moved on, they got frightened by Beshte's bellowing practice. Kion reminded his teammates that there was still no sign of the Zimwi, and Ono joked that he did not know who was scarier: Beshte or the Zimwi.
As the search persisted, Kion paused and remarked that he felt like something was watching them from the bushes. He ordered his teammates to fan out, then yelled for them to move in. His shout frightened some gazelles who had been sheltering in the bushes, and they begged the Lion Guard not to hurt them, for they had simply been hiding. Beshte asked what they had been hiding from, and the gazelles replied that they had spotted the Zimwi and taken shelter in the vegetation.
Kion and Fuli surround a patch of underbrush.
At that moment, the Lion Guard saw the shadow of a tall, spiked figure in a nearby ravine. Together, they strode into the ravine, where they came face to face with what appeared to be the Zimwi. In a panic, they fled the ravine, startling the gazelles in the process. As the gazelles ran about in a panic, Kion instructed Beshte to flatten a patch of bushes so that the herd could escape from the glen. After Beshte did so, the gazelles poured out of the clearing and continued to run about without threat of hurting themselves.
With the gazelles safe, Kion expressed shame for having run from the Zimwi. He admitted that he had not been frightened of the monster because he had not believed it could exist, but the moment he had seen it for himself, he had reacted like a coward. He reminded his friends that they were the Lion Guard and therefore could not run away.
The Lion Guard catches sight of the fabled Zimwi.
As one, the Lion Guard entered the ravine and confronted the Zimwi once more. To their horror, the Zimwi's head fell off its body and split into two, revealing two young porcupines. Shocked, Kion asked if the porcupines had been hiding from the Zimwi, and the Guard quickly pieced together that Mtoto and his friends had seen the two porcupines huddling together and mistaken them for the Zimwi. Ono added that the Zimwi's "body" had been nothing more than a giant termite mound.
The next day, Beshte braced himself for his audition with the Bellow Fellows. He admitted to being scared, but Kion pointed out that he had been brave enough to face the Zimwi. In better spirits, Beshte auditioned for the Bellow Fellows, and they invited him to join their group. As the hippos bellowed together, the rest of the Lion Guard looked on happily.[22]
Conflict with the Outsiders
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While playing Baobab Ball, Kion and Bunga overheard some antelope shouting about a hyena in the Pride Lands. Bunga attempted to confront the hyena until Kion recognized her as his old friend, Jasiri. He questioned her as to why she was in the Pride Lands, and she admitted that lions had taken over her clan's watering hole and were refusing to share it. Though confused that lions were in the Outlands, he agreed to help her sort out the situation, then sent Bunga to explain what was going on to the rest of the Lion Guard.
Kion agrees to help Jasiri.
Once in the Outlands, Jasiri confessed that she had been afraid that Kion would not side against lions, but Kion pointed out that the lions likely did not know that Jasiri was a good hyena. Eventually, the two reached Jasiri's clan, and Jasiri introduced Kion to her sister, Madoa. Kion greeted Madoa, as well as two hyena cubs, but the young ones shied away from him in fear. Madoa explained that they were afraid because of what they knew about lions, and Jasiri added that their fright had only been reinforced by the lions who had stolen their watering hole.
As Jasiri and Kion ventured toward the watering hole, Jasiri got attacked by an adolescent lion named Nuka, who reprimanded her for having returned to the area. Kion fended off Nuka in order to protect Jasiri, which drew the attention of Nuka's younger brother, Kovu. Seeing his brother, Nuka declared that the fight had turned in his favor, but Jasiri sidled up to Kion and retorted that they were even.
Kion defends Jasiri from Nuka.
Slowly, the four began to circle each other, and Kion learned that Kovu and Nuka's family was not welcome in the Pride Lands. Confused, he asserted that his father would likely welcome them into the kingdom, and Nuka asked who his father was. Jasiri answered that Kion was the son of Simba, the king of Pride Rock, and a shocked Kovu and Nuka wondered if they really could return to the Pride Lands. Kovu pointed out that Kion must first speak with their mother, Zira, and Kion and Jasiri agreed to meet her at the watering hole.
Once there, Nuka announced Kion as Simba's son, and Zira introduced herself and her daughter, Vitani. She questioned Kion as to why he was in the Outlands, and Jasiri explained that she had brought Kion there to sort out the water dispute. When Zira wondered how Jasiri could be friends with royalty, Jasiri pointed out that Kion was more than royalty, for he was also the leader of the Lion Guard.
Kion watches in awe as the Roar of the Elders creates a rainstorm.
Kion asked Zira why she and her family lived in the Outlands instead of the Pride Lands, but she deflected the question by asking Kion why he had not used the Roar of the Elders to give his friend the water she needed. In the face of Kion's confusion, Zira explained that she knew all about the Roar of the Elders and that all Kion had to do to help Jasiri was roar at a small cloud. Though confused, Kion did as requested, and the cloud swelled into a brief rainstorm.
Awestruck, Kion asked Zira how she had known what his roar could do, but Zira commented that she would rather speak of the Roar without Jasiri listening. As Zira walked off to speak to Kion privately, Jasiri commented that she did not trust Zira. Kion agreed but pointed out that Zira knew more about the Roar than he did and that there was still a possibility that he could convince her to share the watering hole with the hyenas.
Kion faces off against Zira.
Once in private, Zira assured Kion that she was pleased to meet him, for it did not matter where they lived, only that they were both lions. She and Kion then argued over whether lions should harshly rule over other animals or be benevolent. Afterward, Kion told Zira that they had very different ideas about how lions should act. He insisted that Zira tell him more about the Roar, but she simply asked whether he would side with hyenas or lions. Kion argued that he was on the side of the Circle of Life, which prompted Zira to note the similarities between Kion and his father, Simba. She then led Kion into a large pit and lamented his decision to not side with lions.
Suddenly, Kion realized that he was surrounded by Zira's lionesses, and Zira explained that if he did not side with her pride, then he would never leave the Outlands. Kion challenged Zira to call off her lionesses, or else he would use the Roar of the Elders, but Zira pointed out that when Scar had used the Roar against his fellow lions, he had lost it. She then blamed Simba for Scar's fall. Kion yelled that Scar had never been the true king, and a furious Zira ordered her lionesses to attack. However, just before the Outsiders could hurt Kion, Zira offered to forgive him if he joined her. She then left to fetch her cubs.
Zira surrounds Kion with her lioness allies.
Upon returning to the watering hole, Zira lied to Jasiri that she and Kion had come to an agreement that the watering hole belonged to lions only. Jasiri retorted that Kion would never agree to such a thing, but Zira simply said that lions must stick together and intimidated Jasiri into leaving the watering hole. Back in the pit, Kion tried to reason with the lionesses, then launched a surprise attack. He nearly made it to the exit before he got pinned down by the Outsiders, who told him to wait for Zira to return.
Across the Outlands, Jasiri encountered the Lion Guard and informed them that Kion had joined forces with Zira and her family. The Lion Guard insisted that Kion would never be a part of Zira's family, and Jasiri berated herself for having believed Zira's lies. Meanwhile, Zira returned to Kion and mocked him for being unable to use the Roar. Kovu questioned his mother as to what was going on and wondered why they could not be friends with Kion. Zira countered that Kion had left her no choice, for he had sided with Jasiri and her clan over the Outsiders. Nuka asked whether they should be afraid of Kion's Roar, but Zira explained that Kion could not use his powers without losing them forever.
The Lion Guard corners the Outsiders.
Encouraged by Kion's weakness, Nuka tried to attack him, but Kion defeated him. Just as Zira warned Kion that this was his last chance to join her, he caught sight of Ono hovering over the pit. Filled with renewed confidence, he yelled out the start of the Lion Guard's catchphrase, which his team completed as they rushed into the pit. Together, the Lion Guard and Jasiri fended off the Outsiders and cornered them against a wall of the pit.
Realizing that this was Kion's team, Zira mocked the Lion Guard for only having one lion and rallied her lionesses. Bunga urged Kion to use his Roar, but Kion worried that he would lose it as Scar had for using it against other lions. Bunga, however, insisted that Scar had not lost his Roar because he had used it against other lions, but because he had used it for evil.
Kion and Jasiri return to the clan's watering hole.
Sensing Kion's change of heart, Zira claimed that she knew the Roar's powers better and that Kion must listen to her. This time, Kion was not swayed and told Zira that she was not welcome in the Pride Lands so long as he was around. As he stepped forward menacingly, Kovu began to back away slowly and ducked down just in time to avoid Kion's Roar. The force of the Roar blasted Zira and the other Outsiders out of the pit, and Kovu scrambled to catch up with them.
Back at the hyenas' watering hole, Madoa admitted that she was glad Jasiri had Kion for a friend. Just then, the two young hyena cubs ran up to Kion, who asked them if they were still scared of him. The cubs promptly raced away and hid, to Jasiri and Madoa's amusement. Jasiri encouraged Kion to take it as a compliment, for he was rather fierce.[23]
Refusal to use the Roar
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When Janja and his clan invaded the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard drove them back into the Outlands. However, once the Guard had departed, Janja led his clan back into the kingdom. Before long, the clan ran into Nala, who ordered them to return to their territory. Instead of heeding Nala's warning, Janja surrounded her with his cronies and ordered an attack. Just then, Kion arrived and, seeing his mother in danger, used the Roar of the Elders in a rage. The blast was so powerful that it not only knocked the hyenas back into the Outlands, but rebounded off a cliff and fractured the earth beneath Nala. As Nala struggled to keep from falling into the divide, Kion reached down and pulled her to safety.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to defend his mother.
Once on solid ground, Nala thanked Kion for having saved her life, but he lamented how he had nearly lost her. The rest of the Lion Guard approached and affirmed that they were all right. Kion then surveyed the damage done by the Roar and expressed shock that his rage had brought on such destruction.
Later, at the Lair of the Lion Guard, Kion studied Rafiki's paintings of Scar. Bunga commented that it was a good thing that Kion now possessed the Roar, but Kion only reluctantly agreed. Just then, Zazu flew into the Lair and reported that a rockslide had blocked up the giraffes' access to their watering hole. Once the Lion Guard arrived at the blockage, Bunga suggested that Kion use the Roar to clear the rocks, but Kion insisted that Beshte use his strength instead. The plan worked, and the giraffes gratefully flooded back into their cleared watering hole.
Kion studies Rafiki's paintings of Scar.
Shortly afterward, the Lion Guard encountered a klipspringer trapped on a rock in the midst of a raging river. Once again, Bunga told Kion to use the Roar to solve the problem, but Kion insisted that they use a different plan. He commanded Beshte to knock over a dead tree, then started to cross it in order to save the klipspringer. However, as he was walking across the log, the wood snapped beneath him, and he nearly fell into the river. The rest of the Lion Guard tried to save him, but their combined weight broke the log, which caused them to fall into the river. Startled, the klipspringer hopped safely to shore, and the Lion Guard rejoiced at their victory.
On their way back to Pride Rock, Bunga asked Kion why he was so reluctant to use the Roar. Kion admitted that he had nearly hurt his mother with the Roar, but Bunga pointed out that Kion had not done so on purpose. Despite this, Kion worried that he could not control the Roar and should therefore never use it again. Horrified, Bunga reminded Kion that he was the leader of the Lion Guard and the fiercest in the Pride Lands, and Kion begrudgingly agreed to take his friend's advice.
Kion admits to Bunga that he plans to never use the Roar of the Elders again.
As Bunga and Kion walked off, Makuu reflected on what he had overheard. With Kion unwilling to use his Roar, he decided to make his move against the Pride Lands. One of his crocodiles asked if he planned to invade Big Springs again, but he set his sights on overtaking the entire Flood Plains.
Meanwhile, Kion sought advice from Mufasa. He explained what had happened when he had used the Roar in anger and confessed his fear that he would turn out like Scar. In answer, Mufasa pointed out that Scar had only ever cared for himself. He then asked Kion why he had used the Roar, and Kion explained that his mother had been in danger. Mufasa reminded Kion that Scar had never cared for anyone the way Kion cared for Nala and encouraged him to speak to her about the incident. Across the savanna, Makuu and his crocodiles invaded the Flood Plains, driving the other Pride Landers away, and Kion's teammates resolved to stop them.
Kion reconciles with Nala.
Once at the Flood Plains, Fuli ordered Makuu to leave, but he simply laughed at the Guard for having a leader who refused to use the Roar. Despite her confusion, Fuli threatened the crocodiles that they did not need Kion's Roar to defend the Pride Lands. Though the Lion Guard attempted to fight the crocodiles, the float managed to overpower them and trap them in the midst of the water.
In the meantime, Kion explained to Nala what had happened with the Roar and begged for her forgiveness. Nala insisted that there was nothing to forgive and reminded Kion that he had saved her life, both from the hyenas and from the earthquake. Despite her reassurances, Kion confessed that he might never use the Roar again, but Nala reminded him that the Roar was a part of him and that she trusted him to use it responsibly.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to defeat Makuu.
As the two shared a brief embrace, Ono arrived with news that Makuu had taken over the Flood Plains. Together, Kion, Nala, and Ono hastened to the scene, where Kion and Nala commanded Makuu to share the Flood Plains with the other Pride Landers. In answer, two of Makuu's cronies knocked Nala into the water and carried her into the midst of the float. Seeing his mother in danger, Kion nearly used the Roar in fury but stopped himself at the last second. Nala then encouraged him to trust himself.
Heeding Nala's advice, Kion used the Roar to specifically target Makuu's float and keep Nala from being harmed. With the crocodiles defeated, the Guard praised Kion for his efforts, and Fuli commented that she had not known that he could use the Roar in such a way. Kion stated that he had just needed to have faith in himself, to which Nala asserted that she had always had faith in him.[24]
Journey to the Theluji Mountains
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Kion meets Hafifu and Majinuni.
When Zazu got his bill stuck in a beehive, Bunga climbed into the tree to free him. After the rescue, Zazu thanked the Lion Guard for their help and informed them that the pangolins had been spraying excessively elsewhere in the Pride Lands. Once at the scene, the Guard found two young gorillas holding the pangolins hostage and using them to spray each other with stink. Kion commanded the gorillas to let the pangolins go, but they insisted that the pangolins were too much fun to squeeze. Furious, Kion tackled them, which enabled the pangolins to escape, and refused to let them up until they promised not to hurt the pangolins anymore.
After the gorillas vowed to leave the pangolins alone, Kion let them up and demanded to know who they were. The two introduced themselves as brothers Hafifu and Majinuni, and told Kion that they were looking for a lion named "King Zimba." Bunga informed the gorillas that Kion was Simba's son, and the brothers reacted with shock, declaring excitedly that they were princes as well. Kion was confused, so Majinuni explained that they were there to deliver a message from their father, King Sokwe. Before the Lion Guard could question them, the brothers took hold of Ushari and tossed him at a baobab fruit for fun. Kion reprimanded them for their foolishness, but they simply replied with their catchphrase, "Kuishi ni kucheka," which meant "To live is to laugh."
Simba tasks Kion with returning Hafifu and Majinuni to the Theluji Mountains.
After the incident, the Lion Guard led Hafifu and Majinuni to Pride Rock, where Kion related the situation to Simba. To Kion's surprise, Simba agreed that the brothers' message was important and explained that, every wet season, King Sokwe informed him if their two kinds were still at peace or not. At that moment, the gorillas came before Simba, but when prompted to relay their message, they admitted that they had forgotten it. With this news, Simba turned to Kion to deliver the gorillas back home and find out what Sokwe's message was. Kion wondered if the brothers should return home themselves and bring back the message again, but Simba pointed out that peace with the gorillas should not rely on Hafifu and Majinuni.
Together, the Lion Guard and the gorilla princes set off on their journey to the Theluji Mountains, where King Sokwe and his troop lived. Once they reached the base of the mountain range, Kion asked Hafifu and Majinuni how to reach their father, but they admitted that they had only come down the mountain once: to deliver Sokwe's message to Simba. Kion instead looked to Ono for guidance, and he led them down a path through the trees at the base of the mountains.
Kion fends off a forest hog.
As the group traveled deeper into the woods, Kion questioned the gorillas once more on where they should go, but they remained as unhelpful as before. Just then, Beshte spotted a chameleon, which prompted Hafifu and Majinuni to launch into a game of "chameleon hide-and-seek." The Lion Guard attempted to locate the gorillas, but when their efforts proved unsuccessful, they decided to follow the sound of the brothers' voices instead. However, the gorillas deliberately circled around the Lion Guard, until Kion realized their game and yelled that the game was not working. Hafifu and Majinuni decided to change the game to "forest hog chase," in which the Lion Guard had to chase them while they snorted like forest hogs.
With the Lion Guard in pursuit, the gorillas raced away into the fog, where they encountered a real forest hog. The Lion Guard rushed to save the brothers, and Kion tackled the forest hog just before it could harm them. With the danger abated, Kion suggested that they continue up the mountain, but the gorillas tried one last tactic to stall the Lion Guard. The team then realized that Hafifu and Majinuni were deliberately prolonging the journey and confronted them over the matter. Trapped, the brothers admitted that they had originally agreed to deliver the message so that they could prove to their father that they were good prince material, but now that they had failed, they did not want to disappoint him. Kion confessed that he sometimes felt the same way about his father and encouraged the brothers to act like princes so that they felt like princes.
Hafifu and Majinuni save Kion from a perilous drop-off.
The journey continued until the Lion Guard arrived at the foot of the Theluji Mountains. To their shock, they saw the landscape covered in snow, a substance they had never encountered before. Hafifu and Majinuni encouraged the Lion Guard to play with them, and Kion allowed the team a brief reprieve in the snow. During the festivities, Bunga constructed a giant snowball for Timon.
Just then, Kion slipped on a steep patch of ice and began to slide down the mountain toward a perilous drop-off. Just before he could fall off, he grappled the edge of the cliff with his claws, and the gorillas pulled him to safety. After the rescue, Kion thanked them for having saved his life and told them that their bravery made for good prince material.
The Lion Guard delivers Sokwe's peace message to Simba.
The group continued on their journey, eventually meeting the brothers' father, King Sokwe. Though Sokwe initially appeared to be displeased with his sons, he suddenly threw snow over their heads and exclaimed, "Kuishi ni kucheka!" He then complimented the two on their bravery in saving Kion's life and told them that they were true gorilla princes. Kion interjected to ask about Sokwe's message for Simba, but Sokwe instead focused on the snowball that Bunga had collected for his uncle. Kion wondered if the souvenir was a problem, to which Sokwe replied that it was perfect.
When the Lion Guard returned to the Pride Lands, they reported back to Simba at Pride Rock. Simba prompted the Lion Guard to relate Sokwe's message, to which Kion said, "Kuishi ni kucheka," as Bunga threw a snowball over Simba's head. Instead of being angry, Simba laughed and commented that no one delivered a peace message quite like King Sokwe.[25]
Trail to Udugu
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One day, Kiara used her tracking skills to hunt down Kion, who was hiding from her. After finding him crouched behind a boulder, she tackled him to the ground and bragged about her impressive tracking skills. Kion retorted that she had simply gotten lucky, then playfully pounced on her, instigating a wrestling match between the two. From nearby, Simba and Nala watched proudly. Simba commented that Kiara had found Kion in record time, and Nala declared that they were ready for a special day.
Kion playfully squabbles with Kiara.
Together, Simba and Nala descended Pride Rock. Nala interrupted the cubs' playing to inform them that they were ready to accompany her on the Trail to Udugu, a special ceremony for royal siblings. Simba assured Kion that, in the absence of their leader, the Lion Guard would be led by Simba himself. Shortly afterward, in the Lair of the Lion Guard, Kion informed his team of Simba's intention to lead them while he was away. He then bid them goodbye and left to rejoin Kiara and Nala.
Once together, Kion, Kiara, and Nala embarked on the journey to Udugu. As they walked, Kion questioned Kiara as to what she thought would be waiting for them at the end of the trail, and she answered that it would probably be animals excited to meet their future queen and her little brother. Kion argued that, as leader of the Lion Guard, he would be received with such a reception, to which Kiara joked that they would have to see. The cubs then began to playfully race one another.
Kion and Kiara competitively take separate routes through a patch of thorns.
As they continued, Kion asked Nala how much farther they must travel, and she answered that Udugu was not an easy place to find. Kiara boasted that she would find Udugu first, and Kion took chase, unintentionally steering them both toward a steep cliff. Nala yelled a warning, but too late, the cubs tumbled over the edge and barely caught on with their claws. Just in time, Nala pulled them to safety and reminded them that they must find Udugu another way.
After the rescue, Nala led Kion and Kiara to a patch of thorns, which she insisted was part of the Trail to Udugu. The cubs rushed into the thorns and each tried to take a different path. However, both found themselves in too much pain to continue. Suddenly, the two realized that Nala was gone and began to cry out for her. Meanwhile, Nala watched them from the bushes and commented that they were now truly on the Trail to Udugu.
Kion and Kiara work together to track down Nala.
Together, Kion and Kiara searched for Nala. When neither cub turned up any leads, Kion lamented how they did not know where Udugu was and thus could not possibly know where to find Nala. This gave Kiara an idea, and she began sniffing for Nala's scent in the underbrush. She soon picked up her trail on a path through the trees, and she and Kion followed it through the woods. Shortly afterward, Kion spotted Nala's pawprints, and the cubs tracked them to the bottom of a steep cliff. Confused, they wondered where Nala could have possibly gone.
As they were thinking, Kion pointed out that Nala could have climbed up on a nearby ledge and followed a trail along the cliff. The cubs attempted to leap onto the ledge themselves but were unable to get a firm grasp on the edge of the cliff. Realizing that they could not reach the ledge on their own, Kion suggested that he give Kiara a boost so that she could continue tracking Nala on her own. Kiara asked Kion how he would reach the ledge, and he admitted that she was the better tracker and should therefore be the one to continue searching for their mother.
Kion and Kiara survey the Pride Lands.
Kiara clambered onto Kion's shoulders and strained to reach the edge of the cliff. Eventually, she got a firm hold on the ledge and pulled herself to the top of the cliff. There, she saw Nala, who greeted her cubs warmly and bounded to the ground. Confused, Kion questioned why Nala had left them and not helped them find Udugu, and she explained that they had found Udugu on their own. In the face of their puzzlement, she explained that "Udugu" was another word for "kinship" and that they had found Udugu while working together to find her.
Upon returning to Pride Rock, the three reunited with Simba. He asked whether they had found Udugu, and Kion and Kiara explained that they had learned to work together as brother and sister. Kion questioned how Simba had fared with the Guard, and Simba admitted that working with Kion's team had helped him find Udugu as well. He then stressed the importance of Udugu and reminded his cubs that they would one day be responsible for the entirety of the Pride Lands.[26]
Royal Mud Print Ceremony
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Kion spectates Hadithi's arrival in the Pride Lands.
When Kion, Beshte, Bunga, and Fuli spotted many birds flying overhead, they followed the flock to investigate. Ono, who was already among the crowd of birds, called the Guard up to the front, claiming that he had gotten them all a good spot. He then explained that Hadithi, a legendary eagle, was returning to the Pride Lands. The Guard watched as Hadithi arrived in the kingdom, to much cheering, followed by Simba and Nala inviting him to a Royal Mud Print Ceremony. Kion was surprised that his parents knew about Hadithi and remarked that, while he had seen prints from previous ceremonies, he had never actually witnessed the ceremony itself. He then urged his father to pick Ono as the young Pride Lander who would spend the day with Hadithi.
Upon being selected as Hadithi's charge, Ono volunteered the Guard to build a ceremonial nest for Hadithi, and they agreed to the task. To their confusion and irritation, Hadithi asked them to fetch leaves from the tallest tree in the Pride Lands. As the Guard searched for the tallest tree, Kion commented that it had not been such a good idea to leave Ono behind. Eventually, the team located the right tree, only to discover that there was a taller tree in the distance.
Kion and Bunga face off against Janja.
After completing their mission, the Lion Guard returned to the ceremonial clearing, where Kion marveled at how many animals were present for Hadithi's ceremony. When the eagle finally arrived, Kion questioned him on Ono's whereabouts, but he merely claimed that Ono would arrive soon. Simba then began the ceremony. At first, the Guard cheered for Hadithi, but then, he confessed that he was a fraud and urged the team to save Ono.
Following Hadithi, the Lion Guard found Ono with his wing trapped and Cheezi and Chungu moving in for the kill. While Fuli handled the hyenas, Kion and Bunga confronted Janja, who was approaching a herd of trapped klipspringers. When Janja refused to back off, Kion ordered Beshte to create a rock bridge, then urged the klipspringers to run across it. Kion started to follow the herd when Ono and Hadithi suddenly swept down and soared around the hyenas, scaring and confusing them. Awed, Kion commented that he was not sure who was more impressive: Ono or Hadithi. Before long, the dazed hyenas plummeted into the river below, and the Lion Guard returned to the Royal Mudprint Ceremony. This time, Ono was honored rather than Hadithi.[27]
Hippo lanes
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After Basi and Beshte rescued a young rhino in the Flood Plains, the rest of the Lion Guard approached, and Kion explained that they had heard an animal shouting for help. Beshte assured him that he and his father had saved the young rhino, and Basi commented that it was time for him to return to making hippo lanes. However, as he started to walk away, he found himself too injured to move. Kion insisted that he should not be putting weight on his injured leg, and Beshte added that it was just not possible for Basi to be making hippo lanes in his condition.
Kion encourages Basi to rest his injured leg.
At that moment, thunder rumbled in the distance. Because of the impending storm, Basi tasked Beshte with creating more hippo lanes, since he was too injured to walk. Though Beshte was hesitant to step up to the task, Kion reminded him that he was the strongest in the Pride Lands and that the Lion Guard believed in him. Heeding Kion's words, Beshte accepted the responsibility and headed out to clear paths through the Flood Plains, while the Lion Guard led Basi to solid ground.
After the Lion Guard delivered Basi to safety, Ono flew up with news that a herd of sable antelope was refusing to leave their grazing grounds, even though another storm was on the way. Basi suggested that they lead the antelope to the other side of the Flood Plains, but Ono wondered how they would be able to cross through the reeds. Basi reminded him that, by the time the antelope arrived at the Flood Plains, Beshte would be done creating hippo lanes. The Lion Guard thanked him for the idea, then left to save the antelope herd.
Kion convinces the antelope to leave their flooded grazing grounds.
Ono led his teammates to the sable antelope's grazing grounds, where Kion tried to order the herd to leave for their own safety. However, their leader, Bupu, pointed out that they did not wish to leave. In a last-ditch effort, Kion informed the antelope that there would be more food away from their drowned grazing grounds, and a female antelope named Boboka urged Bupu to reconsider the Guard's offer. Finally, he relented, and the herd followed the Lion Guard out of their grazing grounds.
On their way out of the grazing grounds, Ono spotted a rockslide, and Kion yelled for the herd to stay back. Too late, the rocks fell, separating the Lion Guard from their charges. Kion worried over the herd's condition, but Ono assured him that none of the antelope had been injured. He then warned Kion that there was no other way around the rocks and that the storm was closing in fast. In the face of this new setback, Fuli lamented Beshte's absence, but Bunga pointed out that Kion could still use the Roar of the Elders to blow the rocks away. Kion agreed and climbed to the other side of the rocks in order to avoid harming the antelope.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to clear a pile of boulders.
Though Kion urged the antelope to move, they refused to cooperate. Kion used the Roar of the Elders to clear the boulders, but even after the path was clear, the antelope stayed put. With some harsh insistence from Fuli, the herd reluctantly followed the Lion Guard to the edge of the Flood Plains. There, Ono spotted Beshte's hippo lanes and reacted with confusion and shock. As Beshte approached, Ono revealed that he had been making twisty paths throughout the area, not "straight and true" lanes like his father had instructed him to make. While Beshte left to speak with Basi, Ono resolved to warn Kion.
On the other side of the Flood Plains, the Lion Guard led the antelope to the edge of the water, where Boboka and her son entered one of Beshte's hippo lanes. No sooner had they started to cross the Flood Plains when Ono arrived, forbidding the herd to enter the hippo lanes. Bunga told Ono that Boboka and her son had already entered the Flood Plains, and Ono panicked that they would get lost in the reeds. Kion quickly took charge of the situation, entering the hippo lanes alongside Ono, while Bunga and Fuli stayed behind to tend to the herd.
Kion reunites Boboka and her son.
Once in the hippo lanes, Ono led Kion to Boboka's son, who was struggling to stay afloat in the rising water. Kion pushed the calf to safety and questioned him on the location of his mother. No sooner had he spoken when the three heard Boboka calling for help, and Kion rushed off to rescue her, leaving Ono to lead the calf to safety. Meanwhile, Beshte informed the Lion Guard that the hippo lanes were safe, and Bupu's herd entered the reeds. At the same moment, Boboka arrived alongside Kion and had a delighted reunion with her son. Kion asked for a report from Fuli, and she informed him that Beshte had created a functioning hippo lane for the herd to use.
Later, Basi and Beshte overlooked Bupu's herd grazing on the other side of the Flood Plains. Kion arrived and complimented the hippos on their work.[28]
Reconciling Kifaru and Mwenzi
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Kion helps free Kifaru.
One day, the Lion Guard followed a trail of devastated trees to where Kifaru the rhinoceros had his horn stuck in the baboons' tree. The Guard recognized him as being a well-tempered Pride Lander and wondered why he was acting so destructively. Together, they approached him, and Kion ordered him to stop shaking the baboons' tree. At first, Kifaru was defensive, but he softened at the appearance of Beshte, who calmed him long enough for the Guard to free his horn from the tree.
Once unstuck, Kifaru thanked the team for their help, and Kion asked why he had caused so much destruction. In the face of Kifaru's confusion, the Lion Guard explained that he had shaken the baboons out of their tree and trampled every tree in his path. Kifaru admitted that he had wondered why there were so many trees on the path to Lake Matope. He then ambled off, and the Lion Guard realized that he was heading straight for another tree. Ono shouted that Kifaru did not know where he was going because he did not have his tickbird with him. He then darted in front of the rhino and warned him to keep back.
Kion instructs Ono to serve as Kifaru's temporary tickbird.
Once Kifaru had halted, Ono asked him where his tickbird was, and he admitted that his tickbird, Mwenzi, had left him earlier that morning. Though the Lion Guard was confused, Ono explained that rhinos had poor eyesight and used tickbirds to help with navigation. In exchange, the tickbirds ate the ticks off the rhinos' backs. Kifaru lamented being unable to reach Tamasha, an event in which rhinos gathered near Lake Matope to spar together in the mud, and Kion resolved to find Mwenzi for him. Bunga volunteered to lead Kifaru to Lake Matope so that he could arrive in time to participate in Tamasha, and Kifaru hesitantly accepted the offer.
However, as Bunga was leading Kifaru away, he became so distracted by eating ticks that he failed to notice a cliff in their path. Just in time, Ono stepped in to halt Kifaru, which impressed the rest of the Lion Guard. Ono explained that birds and rhinos had a special connection, and Kion suggested that Ono become Kifaru's temporary tickbird instead of Bunga. In the meantime, the rest of the Guard would search for Mwenzi and convince him to return to his duties. At first, Ono protested the appointment, but he gave in when Kion reminded him that helping Kifaru would keep the Pride Lands safe. The Guard then left in search of Mwenzi, while Ono remained with Kifaru.
The Lion Guard meets Mwenzi.
As the Guard's search began, Kion and Fuli tracked Mwenzi's scent to a tree. Bunga climbed into the tree to search for Mwenzi but found it vacant. However, as he was skidding back down the trunk, he caught sight of a bird darting around nearby, and Beshte recognized the bird as Mwenzi. Though he called out to Mwenzi, the bird did not reply. Kion then got an idea, and Beshte lured Mwenzi into the open by pretending to be a rhino in need of a tickbird. When Mwenzi landed on Beshte's back, Bunga tackled him to the ground and held him hostage while the rest of the Lion Guard gathered around.
With Mwenzi trapped in Bunga's grip, Fuli explained that Kifaru was causing damage all over the Pride Lands, and Kion encouraged Mwenzi to return to his duties. Indignant, Mwenzi recounted how Kifaru had blamed him for running late to Tamasha and explained that, every year, it was Kifaru's fault for being late, yet he continuously blamed Mwenzi for their tardiness. Beshte reminded Mwenzi that Kifaru was his friend and pointed out that Kifaru was lost without his tickbird, with Kion adding that Mwenzi was not doing much better on his own. Mwenzi admitted that he was used to having a job to do, and Beshte encouraged him to talk to Kifaru. Reluctantly, Mwenzi conceded and left with the Lion Guard to speak with his old friend.
Kion volunteers to lead Kifaru to Tamasha.
Meanwhile, across the Pride Lands, Kifaru collapsed on the ground, panting. He commented that the constant walking had gotten him overheated and added that Mwenzi would always make sure to keep them near a source of mud while they were traveling. To Kifaru's delight, Ono began to use his wings as a fan. Kifaru commented that Mwenzi was too small to use his wings as a fan, and Ono wondered if Kifaru had finally found something that he was better at than Mwenzi. Kifaru agreed, unaware that Mwenzi and the Lion Guard were approaching from nearby.
Furious at what he had overheard, Mwenzi accused the Lion Guard of having misled him and confronted Kifaru in a fury. Though Kifaru begged him to stay, Mwenzi flew away in a rage. Kifaru remarked that Ono must serve as his tickbird from then on, and Ono frantically took off after Mwenzi, leaving Kifaru in the care of the Lion Guard. With Ono gone, Kion checked on Kifaru's well-being, and Kifaru admitted that, with both his tickbird and his back-up tickbird gone, he was not in a great mood. To cheer him up, Kion reminded him about Tamasha and volunteered to lead him there alongside his teammates.
Kion faces off against Makuu.
Together, the Guard led Kifaru to Tamasha. Before the rhino could take part in the activities, Ono arrived with news that Mwenzi was in trouble. In a panic, Kifaru rushed off to save his friend. After following Kifaru to where Mwenzi was being attacked by Makuu's float, the Lion Guard joined in the battle. During the commotion, Mwenzi hopped down from his tree and instructed Kifaru on how to free himself from a tree stump. Once free, Kifaru used the tree stump as a weapon, freeing the other Lion Guard members from their various fights. Finally, he rammed Makuu, knocking him and the tree stump into the swamp.
After the fight, Kion thanked Kifaru and Mwenzi for their help. The pair then reconciled their friendship. Kifaru informed Ono that he did not need him to serve as a tickbird anymore, and Ono happily obliged. Together, the friends returned to Tamasha, where the Lion Guard watched contentedly.[29]
Reirei's attack
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One day, Reirei's pack invaded the Pride Lands and attacked Muhimu's herd. Nearby, Kion picked up the pack's scent, and the Lion Guard rushed to rescue the zebras. As the pack's attack continued, Dogo and Kijana managed to isolate Muhimu's son, Hamu, from the rest of the herd. Ono noticed Hamu's peril, and Kion ordered Bunga and Ono to save the zebra colt while he, Beshte, and Fuli rescued the remainder of the herd. After Kion defeated Reirei, Muhimu realized that she had lost Hamu in the chaos. At that moment, Bunga and Hamu approached, and Bunga deposited Dogo and Kijana at their mother's paws. Reirei tried to blame Hamu for having harmed Dogo, but Kion exiled her and her pack back to the Outlands.
The Lion Guard practices their climbing skills in Bunga's absence.
With the danger abated, the Lion Guard readied to leave, but Muhimu begged them to stay and watch over the herd. Just then, she noticed Bunga playing with Hamu and suggested that he take care of her son for the day. Kion was receptive to the idea, and Bunga happily agreed to babysit Hamu.
Later that day, Ono told Kion that their team would be at a disadvantage without Bunga, as he was their best climber. This convinced Kion that the Guard should practice climbing while Bunga was away. However, despite their best efforts, they could not climb as well as Bunga. Meanwhile, the jackals re-entered the Pride Lands, and Reirei ordered Goigoi to distract the Lion Guard while the rest of the pack attacked Bunga and Hamu at Hakuna Matata Falls.
The Lion Guard interrogates Goigoi.
Once separated from Reirei, Goigoi frantically tried to come up with a plan. In the midst of his panic, he accidentally stepped on his own tail and howled in pain, alerting the Lion Guard to his presence. The team took chase, only for Goigoi to accidentally fall halfway into a pit. The Guard gathered around him, and he claimed that he had been chasing an antelope, but Ono assured Kion that there had been no other animals in the area. Suspecting Goigoi of foul intentions, Kion offered to help him out of the hole if he revealed where his pack was. Begrudgingly, he agreed and told the Guard that his family was at Hakuna Matata Falls. Fearful for Bunga and Hamu's safety, the Lion Guard charged off to rescue them.
Meanwhile, Bunga and his young charges managed to fight off the jackals. As the Guard approached, Fuli questioned how there could be so many young animals, and Bunga explained that word had been spreading that he was a fantastic babysitter. Reirei complained to Kion that she and her children had been severely abused, but Kion only agreed to let her go if she promised to never harm another young Pride Lander. Reirei agreed, and the jackals fled to the Outlands.[30]
Savannah Summit
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The Lion Guard was playing Baobab Ball when a dry ledge collapsed underneath Kion and Bunga. The rest of the Guard rushed forward to check that their friends were all right, and Kion assured them that they were fine. Just then, Mtoto approached with the Lion Guard's baobab fruit. Bunga started to chase Mtoto when the young elephant suddenly pulled to a halt, listening intently. He informed the Guard that his mother was communicating with him via infrasound, a low pitch that only some animals were able to hear. Mtoto then used his hearing to inform the Guard that several important Pride Landers were heading toward Pride Rock. This made Kion realize that it was time for the Savannah Summit, a yearly event in which Pride Lander leaders discussed how they would proceed during the dry season.
Kion orders Makuu to back off.
Just then, Mtoto overheard a crocodile heading to Pride Rock, and Ono spotted Makuu en route to the Summit. Deducing that Makuu was planning to ruin the Summit, Kion took off to warn his father. Once at Pride Rock, Kion tackled Makuu and swore that the Savannah Summit would proceed undisturbed. Makuu protested that he had been invited, and Simba confirmed that he had indeed invited Makuu to Pride Rock himself. With Simba's support, Makuu promised to take his duties seriously, though the other Pride Lander leaders remained uncomfortable and unconvinced. Kion attempted to persuade Simba that Makuu was untrustworthy, but Simba insisted that all animals must be treated equally in the Pride Lands, no matter their past transgressions. He then tasked Kion with watching over the event in case the other animals decided to treat Makuu unfairly.
Together, the Pride Landers proceeded to Mizimu Grove. Once there, the Lion Guard commented on how well the animals were behaving, though Kion remained unconvinced of Makuu's reformation. As they spoke, the Guard noticed that Makuu was missing. No sooner had they realized this when Mtoto ran up with news that Makuu was speaking angrily near the watering hole. The Lion Guard arrived on the scene to find that Makuu was arguing with Bupu. Without asking for an explanation, Kion ordered Makuu to back off. Bupu attacked Makuu, who attempted to defend himself, but Kion chastised Makuu again, claiming that he would not let anyone ruin the Savannah Summit, "especially" not Makuu. Though Makuu was bothered by Kion's bias, he backed off. After the fight, Kion thanked Mtoto for his help and conscripted him to keep his ears open for trouble. He then admitted his doubts about Makuu's intentions to his teammates and asserted that they must be braced for trouble.
The Lion Guard approaches Twiga and Vuruga Vuruga.
While patrolling the Pride Lands for trouble, Mtoto overheard Twiga speaking about Makuu and informed the Lion Guard. Kion worried that Makuu would ruin the Summit, and so, the Guard raced off to protect Twiga. However, when they arrived on the scene, Makuu was nowhere to be found, only Twiga and Vuruga Vuruga. Bunga explained that Mtoto had heard Makuu, but Mtoto clarified that he had only heard Twiga speaking about Makuu. Twiga hastily denied this assertion, and Vuruga Vuruga backed her up, with both acting suspiciously. Though unconvinced, the Guard left, privately deducing that Twiga and Vuruga Vuruga must be too afraid to tell the truth about Makuu because he had threatened them.
Just then, the Guard heard Zazu squawking for help and followed the noise to where Rafiki was attempting to paint a portrait of the baboon leader and Mbeya. Kion demanded an explanation, and Mbeya furiously explained that Zazu had called him "clumsy." The baboon leader clarified that it had been he who had called Mbeya "clumsy," then accused Mbeya of having bumped into him. As the baboon leader and Mbeya started to bicker again, Beshte stepped in-between them and encouraged them to get along with one another. They then apologized to one another.
Kion seeks advice from Mufasa.
At that moment, Mtoto rushed up to the Lion Guard and proclaimed that Makuu was yelling at Bupu again, this time at Pride Rock. The team rushed to Pride Rock, where Kion tackled Makuu to the ground. To Kion's surprise, Simba approached, furious, and exclaimed that Bupu and Makuu had been about to come to an agreement about sleeping situations for their respective species. Enraged, Makuu stalked off, ignoring Simba's calls for him to return. Once Makuu was gone, Simba turned on Kion and explained that he had included Makuu in the Summit to gain his trust and include the crocodiles in their proceedings. Kion insisted that Makuu was dishonest, but Simba accused Kion of having ruined the Summit, not Makuu.
Wounded by his father's criticism, Kion sought advice from Mufasa. Kion admitted that Simba was upset with him because of his distrust of Makuu, and Mufasa asked him what Makuu had done to deserve such distrust. Kion confessed that it was just a feeling he had. Mufasa then quoted Rafiki, who frequently said, "Leap to conclusions, and you leap to confusions." Kion understood his grandfather's suggestion and resolved to save the Summit without drawing his own conclusions.
The Lion Guard rescues Makuu from a trap.
After Kion's talk with Mufasa, the Lion Guard informed him that Mtoto had heard of another attack involving Makuu. Kion warned his friends to not jump to conclusions and asked Mtoto to listen more closely to what was being said. Mtoto did as he had been told and explained that someone was making a plan to strike just after sunset. Though the rest of the Guard suspected Makuu of foul intentions, Kion thought more deeply about the issue and realized that it may be the other Pride Lander leaders who were to blame. The Guard rushed to Mizimu Grove, where they saved Makuu from falling into a pit full of rotten fruit. Makuu realized that someone had set a trap for him, and Kion proclaimed that he knew how to find the perpetrators.
Later that day, Kion announced to the Summit that Makuu had fallen into a pit and lost his life in the struggle. Horrified, Twiga and Vuruga Vuruga exclaimed that they had never intended for Makuu to get hurt, only to fall into a pit of rotten fruit. Just then, Makuu revealed himself and announced to the gathered animals that he had come to the Summit with the intention of helping his float and the Pride Lands but had only received distrust and hostility in return. To the Pride Landers' surprise, he prompted Simba to let the Summit go on. With negotiations reinitiated, Simba praised Kion for his work.[31]
Traveling Baboon Show
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The Lion Guard watches the Traveling Baboon Show perform.
While patrolling the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard noticed several animals running in the same direction. They followed the commotion to where a large group of Pride Landers had gathered beneath a tree. Beshte questioned Mbeya about the ruckus, and he explained that the animals had gathered to see a troop of performing baboons. Just then, Mwevi and Mwizi leaped out of the tree and began performing impressive tricks for their spectators. Uroho soon joined them and formally introduced his troop as the Traveling Baboon Show. The group then performed multiple feats and tricks, to their audience's delight.
After the show, the Lion Guard approached Uroho and congratulated him on an entertaining show. At first, Uroho was receptive to their thanks, but when Kion mentioned that he was the son of King Simba, the baboon became uncomfortable and left in a hurry.
Ma Tembo tells Kion there is a food thief in the Pride Lands.
With the baboons otherwise occupied, the Lion Guard returned to their patrol. Along the way, they heard Ma Tembo crying for help and followed her voice to where a tree had been completely stripped of its flowers and leaves. Ma Tembo declared that there was a food thief in the Pride Lands, and Kion commented that stealing food offset the Circle of Life. The Guard then resolved to find the food thief and restore order to the Pride Lands.
After Ma Tembo and the other Pride Landers departed, the Lion Guard lingered to inspect the stripped tree but could not figure out which species might be behind the theft. Just then, they overheard the Traveling Baboon Show making a clamor in the distance and decided to watch the show to see if the thief was in attendance. While the rest of the Guard watched the show, Ono patrolled from the air and caught Mwevi and Mwizi stealing food from a nearby tree. Realizing that they had been caught, the baboons returned to Uroho.
Kion and Fuli halt their pursuit of the baboons in order to rescue two antelope from a river.
Ono attempted to tell Kion what he had discovered, but the baboons grabbed him from the audience and began tossing him back and forth, effectively cutting off his report. Eventually, Ono was able to wrest himself free and declared to the rest of the Lion Guard that the troop was guilty of stealing the Pride Landers' food. Kion commanded Beshte to shake the troop's tree, and he did so, revealing the mounds of fruit and leaves that the baboons had been stealing.
Caught red-handed, the troop fled, and the Lion Guard chased them across the Pride Lands. In the midst of the chase, the baboons scared a herd of antelope into scattering, and two antelope fell into a nearby river. The Lion Guard halted their chase in order to save the antelope, which allowed the baboons to escape into the Outlands.
Kion orders Janja and his clan to leave the baboons alone.
Later, the Lion Guard reflected on the Traveling Baboon Show and how the baboons had turned out to be thieves. Just then, Ono spotted Mwevi and Mwizi being chased by Janja in the Outlands and reported what he had seen to Kion. Kion was loath to get involved in another kingdom's problems, but Ono pointed out that the troop had only entered the Outlands because they had been chased there by the Lion Guard. Deciding to save the troop, the Lion Guard took off for the Outlands.
Once there, the Guard defeated Janja and his lackeys, and the baboons thanked the team for having saved their lives. As repayment for their past crimes, they agreed to hand out food to the Pride Landers. As the baboons followed through on their vow, distributing stolen food to the Pride Landers, the Guard watched contentedly.[32]
Saving Ona
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Kion tells Mpishi that hawks are not allowed to hunt in the Pride Lands.
While on patrol, the Lion Guard witnessed a stampede of hyraxes. They wondered what the source of the stampede was and looked up to see a harrier hawk circling overhead. Kion exclaimed that hawks were not allowed to hunt in the Pride Lands, as it was not their territory, and Ono volunteered to talk to the intruder. Ono eventually caught up to the hawk and distracted her so that she ran head-on into a cliff face. She subsequently let go of Pim, whom she'd been hunting, and he fell safely onto Beshte's back.
After the rescue, Kion approached the hawk, Mpishi, and told her that she must hunt in her own territory in order to uphold the Circle of Life. Though reluctant, she agreed to his demands. Once she was gone, the rest of the Lion Guard congratulated Ono on his heroic rescue. Together, they led him back to his nest and praised him for a hard day's work. However, as he was about to settle down in his nest, Ono realized that a hamerkop had left an egg in his nest. Confused, he wondered why a hamerkop would abandon its egg, and Kion resolved to find the mother bird and clear up the confusion. Ono commented that the egg was close to hatching and so decided to keep it warm himself.
Kion rescues a hare from a mudslide.
In the meantime, the rest of the Lion Guard tracked the mother's scent across the Pride Lands. In the midst of their search, they stumbled across a group of hares that was standing in the path of a dangerous mudslide. One of the hares approached Kion and informed him that the other hares were hiding in empty aardvark dens, and the team resolved to save them before they could get buried in mud. In the midst of the rescue, the Guard realized that one of the hares was still hiding in the aardvark dens, and Kion bravely dived into the mud to rescue her. The Lion Guard watched anxiously, fearing the worst, until Kion emerged from the mud, with the hare safe and sound.
The Lion Guard continued to follow the mother hamerkop's scent to where she was building a nest in a tree. Kion questioned her on why she had left her egg in Ono's nest, and she explained that she had been building a new nest in preparation for her egg hatching. She asked the Guard if her egg was all right, and they assured her that Ono was taking care of it. They then offered to escort her back to Ono's nest.
The Lion Guard watches from below as Ono and Kulinda attempt to rescue the baby hamerkop from Mpishi.
Alongside the mother hamerkop, Kulinda, the Lion Guard arrived at Ono's nest, only to find it empty. Kulinda began to frantically call for her baby, and the young hamerkop followed her mother's cries to Ono's nest, where the two finally met each other for the first time. Kulinda thanked Ono for his help, and he warned her that baby hamerkops could get very distracted by insects. No sooner had he said this when he realized that the baby had gone missing again, and the Lion Guard rushed to save her from danger. Ono scoped out the area and spotted the infant wandering near the river. Fuli attempted to save her from danger but arrived too late to stop her from falling into a river. With no time to lose, the Lion Guard and Kulinda pursued the baby hamerkop down the river, only to watch in horror as Mpishi swooped out of the sky and caught the baby in her talons.
Ono and Kulinda attempted to thwart Mpishi's plans, but she worked with Mwoga to keep the baby hamerkop from falling back into the Lion Guard's grasp. From the ground, Bunga worked out how he could help Kulinda and Ono, and climbed a tree in order to reach the feuding birds. He managed to knock Mwoga from the sky, but Mpishi only took the baby hamerkop from him and swept out of harm's way once more. Ono and Kulinda then flanked Mpishi from the front and the back, forcing her to drop the baby. Out of control, Mpishi crashed unceremoniously to the ground, where she was confronted by Kion and forced to return to her own territory. Afterward, Kulinda thanked the Lion Guard for having saved her baby.[33]
Scar's resurrection
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Kion defends Ma Tembo's herd from the hyenas.
As the dry season began, the Lion Guard became busier than ever. During a patrol, Ono informed Kion that Janja's clan was attacking Ma Tembo's herd. The Guard arrived on the scene and were shocked that the hyenas would risk hunting elephants. Together, they drove the hyenas away, and Ma Tembo explained that the hyenas had been desperate because of the dry season. She then revealed that she was trying to find a new water source for her herd.
Concerned at how quickly the start of the dry season had upended the Pride Lands, Kion told Ono to stay with the elephants. He then consulted with Mufasa, confessing that he and his team had been busy and wondering why the Pride Landers could not take care of themselves. Mufasa replied that the dry season was difficult because there was less food and water, which often caused animals to make poor decisions. He then cautioned Kion to not lose control of the Roar of the Elders. Unbeknownst to Kion, his conversation had been overheard by Makini. After he finished speaking with Mufasa, she introduced herself and informed Kion that she was Rafiki's new apprentice. She proceeded to gush over what she had heard, but Kion told her not to share what she knew with anyone else. From nearby, Ushari overheard the pair's discussion.
Kion speaks with Mufasa.
Suddenly, Ono approached and told Kion that Janja and his clan were in the Pride Lands once more, this time attacking the baboons who had begun to follow Ma Tembo's herd. The Lion Guard rushed to the rescue and directed the elephants into a rocky gorge. Kion then blasted the hyenas away with the Roar of the Elders. Afterward, the baboons revealed that they were following Ma Tembo to the new water source. With her herd safe once more, Ma Tembo resumed her search, while Kion decided to talk to his father.
Once with Simba, Kion confessed his concerns about Ma Tembo and asserted that he wished he could help her. Simba, in turn, assured his son that life was full of responsibilities and that one must face them head-on. The two discussed the joys and burdens of leadership, connecting over their similar roles in life.
Kion and Simba discuss the joys and burdens of leadership.
Later, in the Lair of the Lion Guard, Makini asked Rafiki if there was a way to talk to Scar, and Kion listened as Rafiki explained that it depended on if the Great Lion was good or bad. The Great Lions of the Past, he explained, were the lions that appeared when Kion used the Roar, while the Evil Lions of the Past, like Scar, appeared in fire if they were unleashed by the Roar and a bakora staff.
Afterward, Rafiki introduced the royal family to Makini, who accompanied Kiara to help Ma Tembo find a new water source. At the same time, Ushari and Janja schemed to summon the spirit of Scar in the Outlands. They decided to steal Makini's bakora staff and attack one of Kion's loved ones and bring them to the volcano, since Kion's Roars were at their most powerful when he was angry.
Janja provokes Kion into using the Roar of the Elders out of anger.
Later that day, the hyenas kidnapped Kiara and took Makini's bakora staff. The Lion Guard traveled to the volcano to rescue Kiara, where Janja threatened to kill Kion's loved ones in a deliberate attempt to provoke him. Enraged, Kion used the Roar out of anger, which caused the volcano to erupt. Afterward, Kion apologized to his teammates for having let his anger get the better of him and remarked that at least nothing bad had happened. Meanwhile, Janja threw Makini's staff into the volcano, and Scar emerged from the lava, effectively giving the Outlanders their own spiritual guide.
Back in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard looked on happily as Ma Tembo finally found a new water source for the Pride Landers.[34]
Attempted assassination of Simba
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Kion apologizes for having woken Makuu and his float.
When a rockslide caused a herd of antelope to stampede, the Lion Guard attempted to calm them down. From overhead, Ono spotted a canyon into which the Lion Guard could chase the antelope, and Kion led his team in herding the antelope into the canyon. Unbeknownst to the Lion Guard, Makuu and his float were slumbering underground and got woken up by the loud disturbance.
After the antelope calmed, Makuu and his float emerged from below and explained that crocodiles could not go back into hibernation after being awoken. Though Makuu was willing to reason with the Lion Guard, a particularly vicious crocodile named Kiburi blamed Ono for the dilemma and suggested that they deal with him in the "crocodile way." Makuu ordered Kiburi to back down, then agreed to meet with Simba in order to discuss water rations for his float.
Kion fights Kiburi.
At Pride Rock, Makuu spoke with Simba about the water situation. Kion tasked Ono with finding a new water hole for the crocodiles, but while overlooking the Pride Lands, Ono saw that Makuu's followers had invaded the kingdom's water holes. Makuu insisted that whoever was leading his float had defied a direct order from their leader and tried to leave in order to settle the situation. However, Simba ordered him to let the Lion Guard deal with the problem instead, and he begrudgingly agreed.
When Kion arrived on the scene, he attempted to stop Kiburi from hurting the animals in the water hole, but he refused and engaged Kion in a fight. In the midst of the brawl, Makuu arrived and chastised Kiburi for having defied his orders. Simba added that they had found a new water hole for the crocodiles to live in and tasked the Lion Guard with leading the float to their new home.
Ono informs Kion that three crocodiles are leaving the mashindano.
Once Makuu's float had settled into their water hole, Kiburi complained that the water hole was too crowded and uncomfortable. He challenged Makuu over the poor situation, but Makuu insisted that they must compromise with Simba in order to survive. Appalled at Makuu for being so willing to share with the other Pride Landers, Kiburi called for a mashindano, and Makuu accepted.
At sunset, the Pride Landers gathered at Lake Matope to watch the mashindano. After a while, Ono grew tired of the violence and flew away to avoid watching the fight. As he hovered over the battlefield, he noticed several crocodiles leaving the event and wondered why they would abandon such an important fight. He reported what he had seen to Kion, who led the rest of the Lion Guard in figuring out what was going on. Just then, Ono realized that the crocodiles were attempting to ambush Simba, and he warned Kion of the danger. Just in time, the Lion Guard arrived and thwarted the crocodiles' efforts to assassinate Simba.
Kion defeats Tamka.
Simba happened to overhear the fight and arrived to find Kiburi's lackeys defeated. He studied the crocodiles and recognized them as being too dim-witted to have come up with such a scheme on their own. Just then, Makuu defeated Kiburi in the mashindano. However, Kiburi declared to his onlookers that his followers had killed Simba and that he was now the ruler of the Pride Lands. Simba interrupted Kiburi's speech, and Kiburi realized that the Lion Guard had outsmarted him. Makuu declared that Kiburi was no longer a part of his float, so Simba banished Kiburi and his lackeys from the Pride Lands.
Afterward, Ono lamented having caused Makuu's float to awaken early. Though the rest of the Lion Guard attempted to reassure him, he refused to accept their comfort and went before Makuu to apologize. At first, Makuu seemed to be growing angry, but then, he forgave Ono, to the egret's relief. Kion then explained that Makuu had learned of Ono's part in foiling Kiburi's scheme, and Simba added that everyone made mistakes.[35]
Finding Beshte
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Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to create a rainstorm.
When Thurston and members of his herd got stuck in a dry riverbed, the Lion Guard arrived to help. Beshte warned his teammates that they must rescue the zebras quickly, else the sun would dry the mud faster, and so, Kion decided to use the Roar of the Elders to make a rainstorm that would loosen the mud. To his friends' shock, the Roar turned a cloud into a thunderstorm, and the falling rain loosened the mud, nearly freeing the zebras.
At first, the Lion Guard believed the zebras to be safe, but when the rain refused to stop and a flood began to rush down the riverbed, Kion ordered Beshte to stop the water flow while he and the rest of the Guard finished freeing the zebras. Though the Guard managed to rescue the zebras, Beshte got swept away by the floodwaters and found himself trapped in the Outlands.
Kion orders Ono to search for Beshte.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Lion Guard realized that Beshte was missing, and Kion ordered Ono to scope the area for their missing teammate. Ono did as commanded, following the dry riverbed to see if he could spot any signs of Beshte, while the rest of the Lion Guard followed. When Ono failed to turn up any leads, the team worried over Beshte's safety, especially under the intense heat of the sun. Kion expressed guilt over Beshte's predicament and told Ono to search for hippo footprints. Fuli suggested they track Beshte's scent, while Bunga attempted to yell for Beshte, to no avail.
Eventually, Ono spotted Beshte's tracks and led his friends into a cavern. Before long, the Lion Guard overheard Beshte's voice nearby and rushed forward. Through cracks in a rock wall, they saw that Janja and his clan were dropping rocks onto Beshte, who was trapped in a pit. Beshte explained his situation to his teammates through the rocks, and Ono pinpointed his exact location. The Guard then rushed off to deal with the hyenas, while Beshte continued to dodge the falling boulders.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to fend off the hyenas.
Ono guided the team to Rocky Plateau, where Fuli raced ahead to stop the hyenas from dropping a massive boulder onto Beshte. As she teetered carefully atop the boulder, keeping it from falling into the pit, the other Guard members rushed in and engaged the hyenas in a fight. Down below, Beshte started to clear a path through the fallen rocks. Eventually, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to clear the hyenas, and Beshte made his way to safety.
Back in the Pride Lands, Kion apologized to Beshte for having stranded him, but Beshte insisted that Kion had only been trying to help. Bunga started to place a comforting paw on Beshte, but the hippo reacted with pain and realized that his skin had been burned by the sun. He hastily leaped into a mud pool, accidentally showering his teammates in mud in doing so. Though Fuli was annoyed, the rest of the Lion Guard laughed.[36]
Dry lightning
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Near Pride Rock, the Lion Guard struggled to put out a brush fire. Together, they managed to dig trenches around the fire, and it fizzled itself out, ending the danger. Even so, the commotion frightened a herd of zebras into stampeding across the savanna. With Kion in the lead, the Lion Guard calmed the herd, and Ono learned from Thurston that dry lightning had caused the fire.
The Lion Guard struggles to put out a fire.
After the rescue, the Lion Guard noticed Rafiki meditating in a nearby tree. They asked him why he was not training Makini, and he admitted that he was trying to escape his noisy new neighbors. Kion wondered why three young animals would be on their own, and Rafiki suggested that the Lion Guard return them to their own kinds.
With Rafiki in the lead, the Lion Guard ventured to Rafiki's tree, where they found Makini having a bug-eating competition with the three young animals: Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha. The team broke up the commotion, and Kion questioned the trio on why they were not with their herds. The young animals confessed that they were outcasts, but Rafiki insisted that they must return to their families for the sake of the Circle of Life. Seeing the importance of Rafiki's words, the young animals agreed to return to their herds.
Kion encourages Ma Tembo to give Chama one more chance.
While Beshte and Ono escorted Furaha back to his troop, Fuli brought Mzaha back to Bupu, and Kion and Bunga accompanied Chama back to his herd. Upon hearing Kion's request, Ma Tembo explained that Chama was a disruption to the other elephants, but Kion encouraged her to give him one more chance. Remarking that she would only do so because it was Kion who had asked her, she accepted Chama back into her herd.
At Pride Rock, the Lion Guard regrouped and expressed relief that the three young animals were back with their herds. No sooner had they done this when Kion spotted a dry lightning storm in the distance and ordered his teammates to protect any nearby Pride Landers. Ono suggested that they clear the watering holes first, and the Lion Guard set off to do so. Upon reaching a watering hole, the Guard attempted to lead a pair of hippopotamuses and Zito the elephant to safety, only for dry lightning to strike and start a fire. Zito attempted to spray out the fire so they could escape, to no avail.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to put out a fire.
Sparks from the flames began to drift across the savanna, igniting the grass beneath Rafiki's tree. Ono noticed the distant fire and warned Kion about the situation. Beshte quickly pushed a boulder into the nearby flames, which allowed his teammates and their charges to safely cross the ring of fire. Kion then put out the fire using the Roar of the Elders, and the Pride Landers thanked him for saving them. With their charges safe, the Lion Guard rushed across the Pride Lands to save Makini and Rafiki. However, when they arrived at Rafiki's tree, they found that Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha were already battling the fire themselves. The Guard joined in, and together, the two groups put out the fire.
That night, Kion watched as Makini painted for the royal family.[37]
Rescuing Jasiri
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Kion leads a herd of cape buffalo to a water source.
One day, a herd of cape buffalo stampeded across the Pride Lands, fleeing a cloud of tsetse flies, while the Lion Guard attempted to calm them. In the midst of the chase, Ono pointed out that tsetse flies detested water, and so, Kion ordered his teammates to steer the herd into a nearby water source. After clearing Thurston and his herd from their path, the Lion Guard successfully led the cape buffalo into a watering hole, where the tsetse flies flew away. No sooner had they done this when Mbeya cried out for help from across the Pride Lands.
The Lion Guard eventually found Mbeya upside-down in a dry ditch, and Beshte freed him. Together, the Guard escorted him back to the watering hole, only to get plagued by tsetse flies once more. In frustration, Beshte ordered the flies to leave, and to the team's shock, the cloud disappeared. Just then, Thurston and his herd approached, seeking a new watering hole, and Ono realized that the zebras had been the ones driving off the tsetse flies. Per Kion's suggestion, the Lion Guard decided to escort Mbeya and the zebras to a new watering hole together.
Kion recruits Thurston to assist the Lion Guard.
Shortly afterward, Madoa approached the Lion Guard and informed them that Janja's clan had trapped Jasiri and two hyena cubs in a steam vent. Kion attempted to lead his team to the rescue, but they got caught in a cloud of tsetse flies, which prevented them from moving quickly. Kion suggested that Thurston accompany them to ward off the flies, and the zebra agreed to the mission.
Once in the Outlands, Kion realized that the tsetse flies had vanished and commanded Thurston to return to the Pride Lands. The zebra left, and Kion suggested that Madoa leave as well in order to protect her clan. She agreed and departed, leaving the Guard to assess Jasiri's predicament on their own. Before they could launch their rescue, however, Thurston reappeared, asking for directions, and the Guard pointed him in the right direction, to their frustration. Despite initially heading the right way, he got turned around again and continued to follow the Guard deeper into the Outlands.
Kion leads the Lion Guard into battle against Janja and his clan.
The Guard became irritated when they realized that Thurston was still with them and had no choice but to proceed with their attack. Together, they engaged in a fight with Janja's clan and steered them away from the edge of the steam vent in which Jasiri was trapped. With the hyenas out of the way, Kion ordered Beshte to push a large rock into the lava flow, which allowed Jasiri and the cubs to clamber to safety. By then, all of the hyenas had fled save Janja, who declared that he could still win so long as Jasiri was out of the fight. Just then, Jasiri emerged from the steam vent and challenged Janja to take on both herself and the Lion Guard. Reluctantly, Janja gave up the fight and fled. With Janja gone, Jasiri thanked the Lion Guard for their help, and Kion blamed the dry season for Janja's oddly aggressive behavior.
Back in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard thanked Thurston for his help, which led him to believe that he had been invited to join the Lion Guard. He excitedly announced his new status to his herd while the Lion Guard looked on in amusement. Just then, the tsetse flies reappeared, and the team decided to hang out with the zebras.[38]
Ukumbusho Tradition
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Kion practices his lines for the Ukumbusho Tradition.
In Mizimu Grove, Ma Tembo directed her herd in preparing for the Ukumbusho Tradition, a celebration that honored the peace established between the elephants and lions of the Pride Lands. Under Ma Tembo's direction, the Lion Guard began practicing their lines, while Makini mashed up various fruits to make paint. Just then, Timon and Pumbaa approached to help the Lion Guard with their lines. Before they could start, however, Ma Tembo pointed out that the Lion Guard was traditionally composed of lions only, and so, Makini suggested that she paint each Lion Guard member to resemble a lion. Using her paints and red leaf manes, Makini dressed up the Lion Guard as lions.
With the Lion Guard in costume, Timon and Pumbaa attempted to coach them on their lines, claiming that they knew best how lions acted, since they had raised Simba. Kion tried to protest that he knew better, but Timon silenced him. As their coaching continued, Timon grew frustrated with the Lion Guard for being unable to speak their lines while holding the symbolic Branch of Peace in their mouths. He suggested throwing the branch away, but Kion reminded him that it was essential for the ceremony.
The Lion Guard sings "May There Be Peace" for the Ukumbusho Tradition.
Just then, Simba arrived alongside his family and pride. The Lion Guard opened the ceremony by singing "May There Be Peace", during which they commemorated the peace established between the elephants and lions of the Pride Lands. After the song, Kion described how Askari, the first leader of the Lion Guard, had made peace with the elephants in order to keep the Circle of Life in balance.
At that moment, a horde of bees attacked the elephants, chasing them from the grove. Kion ordered his teammates to chase down the elephants before they could hurt anyone, and the Lion Guard took off to halt the stampede. While running, Beshte questioned why the herd would be so afraid, and Ono explained that elephants were scared of bees.
The Lion Guard attempts to calm Ma Tembo and her herd.
Just then, the Lion Guard ran into a group of elephants who had stopped being chased by the bees, and Kion, Fuli, and Ono pieced together that the bees were attracted to Makini's yellow paint. The team rushed off again, and Ono flew high above the commotion, where he spotted Vuruga Vuruga's herd grazing in the path of the stampede. Fuli volunteered to deal with the cape buffalo and managed to scare them away just in time for the elephants to thunder past.
The Lion Guard continued chasing the stampede, during which Beshte observed Mtoto attempting to blast away the bees with dust. Kion wondered if the same trick could work on the paint, and Fuli caught up to Mtoto, suggesting that he try to spray at the paint instead of the bees. Mtoto did as instructed, and the paint disappeared, prompting the bees to fly away. Seeing Mtoto's success, the Lion Guard resolved to use the same trick on the other elephants.
Kion suggests that the Ukumbusho Tradition continue without the elephants' ceremonial sunbursts.
From above, Ono reported that the elephants were racing into Sehemu Pass, where they could get stuck between the rocks. Kion, however, declared that this was a good development. The Lion Guard promptly gathered at the entrance of the pass, and when each elephant got stuck between the rocks, Mtoto sprayed their foreheads with dust, clearing away the paint and thus warding off the bees.
After returning to Mizimu Grove with her herd, Ma Tembo apologized to Simba for having panicked and explained that bee stings in the trunk could be very painful. Makini volunteered to collect more yellow fruit for the paint, but Kion suggested they continue the ceremony without any paint. Simba told Ma Tembo that this could simply be a new tradition for the elephants of the Pride Lands, and she agreed to the new plan.[39]
Skirmish with Kenge
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One day, the Lion Guard caught Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu attempting to steal a supply of tikiti melons from the Pride Lands' elephants, who needed the fruits' moisture to survive the dry season. The Guard managed to fend off the hyenas and save most of the melons, though Kion decided to keep watch on the melon patch to ensure that no more fruits got stolen.
Kion expresses confusion over his paralyzed legs.
Later that day, Ono spotted a skirmish at the watering hole, and the Lion Guard arrived to find a monitor lizard named Kenge making a scene. The team leaped into battle, but Kenge managed to bite Kion, Fuli, and Beshte, paralyzing their legs. Just in time, Bunga stepped in and broke wind in Kenge's face, which caused him and his hyena minions to retreat.
With the danger abated, Ono realized that Kenge was a monitor lizard and therefore had a venomous bite. The Lion Guard urged Ono to fetch Rafiki for healing, but when Ono arrived at Rafiki's tree to get help, only Makini was at home. She offered to accompany Ono instead and use her minimal healing skills to assist the Lion Guard. Hearing this news, Kion ordered Bunga and Ono to deal with the thieves while Makini collected the flowers she needed for the Guard's antidote.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to blast his enemies back into the Outlands.
After collecting some ponya flowers, Makini attempted to use them to heal the Lion Guard. At the same time, Bunga arrived and declared that he must face Kenge alone, but the Guard insisted that Makini accompany him to the fight. Though reluctant, Makini agreed, and Kion declared that he had a plan as to how they could defeat Kenge and the hyenas. Together, Bunga and Makini followed Kenge and the hyenas to Embamba Canyon, where Bunga distracted the thieves while Makini stole back the melons and hid them behind rocks.
In the midst of the fight, a fully healed Lion Guard approached. The hyenas attempted to run but got hindered by their paralyzed legs, as Kenge had bitten them while trying to attack Bunga. Taking advantage of this, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blast Kenge and the hyenas back to the Outlands. With their enemies defeated, the Lion Guard and Makini rolled the recovered melons back to their patch, where Bunga complained that the labor of moving the melons had been worse than taking on Kenge alone. The rest of the Lion Guard laughed at him.[40]
Christmas
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Kion resolves to throw a Christmas celebration for Timon and Pumbaa.
One day, Bunga assisted Timon and Pumbaa in decorating an acacia tree with colored gourds. Timon attempted to place a star fruit at the top of the tree but, in doing so, accidentally snapped a branch and began to plummet toward the ground. Coincidentally, the Lion Guard arrived at the base of the tree at that moment, and Beshte caught Timon on his back.
The Lion Guard inquired about the oddly decorated tree, and Bunga explained that they were decorating their tree in honor of Christmastime. Timon and Pumbaa added that Christmas was about gift-giving and that a mysterious creature called Dandy Claws often left presents for the animals of the savanna. Unexpectedly, Timon began to weep over Dandy Claws's continued absence, and Pumbaa explained that Dandy Claws only brought presents for animals if they performed a special song called "The Twelve Ways of Christmas" under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. This only worsened Timon's mood, and not even Bunga and Pumbaa could cheer him up. Kion called for Bunga to join their patrol, and he did so, somewhat unhappily.
Kion recruits his parents and sister to partake in Bunga's Christmas celebration.
While on patrol, Beshte noticed Bunga's somber mood, and Bunga admitted that he wished he could help his uncles meet Dandy Claws for Christmas. Kion asserted that the Lion Guard could help make that happen, to which Bunga excitedly began ticking off all the creatures and items that they must gather in order to properly perform "The Twelve Ways of Christmas". Though the list was vast, the Guard decided to split up in order to cover more ground and gather the necessary components more quickly.
Shortly afterward, Kion spoke to his family about partaking in the Christmas celebration. Nala and Kiara quickly agreed to the proceedings, while Simba showed little interest in attending. With some persuasion from his mate and daughter, he eventually agreed, as he felt that he owed it to Timon and Pumbaa for their help over the years.
The Lion Guard performs "The Twelve Ways of Christmas" for Timon and Pumbaa.
That night, the Lion Guard's animal recruits gathered in a canyon to practice for the celebration. Come sunrise, Kion expressed satisfaction with the animals' performances, but Bunga declared that they still needed more practice. Ma Tembo pointed out that they would never be able to live up to Bunga's expectations, and Simba agreed. The Pride Landers started to break up and leave, but Kion called them back. Simba questioned his son on why Christmas was so important, and Bunga explained that he wanted to make up for his uncles' good deeds over the years. This convinced Simba to devote himself back to the cause, and he called the other Pride Landers back to continue practicing their song.
Later that day, the Lion Guard and their animal recruits performed "The Twelve Ways of Christmas" for Timon and Pumbaa. After the song, Timon and Pumbaa wept with joy, and Timon thanked the gathered animals for making his Christmas vision come true. Just then, Pumbaa appeared dressed in white flowers and a gourd hat, and proclaimed that he had hoped to make Timon's Christmas better by dressing up as Dandy Claws. Timon assured Pumbaa that the Pride Landers' song and his costume were more than enough of a present, and the two concluded that this had been their best Christmas yet. The Lion Guard then decided to make Christmas an annual holiday in the Pride Lands, and the gathered Pride Landers yelled, "Merry Christmas!" in unison.[41]
Zazu's kidnapping
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One day, the Lion Guard gathered around Bupu, whose horns were stuck in the branches of a tree. Kion suggested that they break the branch off the tree, and Bupu reluctantly agreed. However, as Bunga began to bounce on the branch to weaken it, a weaver named Nyuni angrily revealed his presence and explained that his nest lay at the end of the branch. Beshte questioned Nyuni on why he had moved his home, and he explained that he liked to see different parts of the Pride Lands.
Kion resolves to track down Zazu.
Just then, Zazu arrived and commented that he would be including the incident in his Morning Report to Simba. Suddenly getting an idea, Kion suggested that they break the branch off at the end so that Bupu could free himself and also carry Nyuni's nest around in his horns. The solution seemed to work, and Bupu left to rejoin his herd, while Zazu flew off to continue patrolling the Pride Lands. Once Zazu was gone, Fuli critiqued his nosiness, but Kion reminded her that it was part of his job to know the business of the Pride Landers. He then reminded her of the time that he had saved him and Bunga from crocodiles.
At Pride Rock, Simba expressed concern that Zazu was late for his Morning Report, something that had never happened before. The Lion Guard questioned Bupu and Nyuni on Zazu's whereabouts, but they denied having seen him since earlier. After leaving Bupu and Nyuni behind, Ono located some of Zazu's tail feathers, which still carried his scent. The Lion Guard spotted hyena tracks nearby and followed the trail to the Outlands.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to prevent Zazu from falling into the lava.
As they neared the Outlands, the Lion Guard overheard Zazu's singing and rushed to save him. They arrived just in time to stop Janja's clan from eating him and engaged the hyenas in a fight. During the battle, Zazu managed to roll his cage down a hill in order to save Fuli from a pair of hyenas, but in doing so, he began to plummet toward a river of lava. Kion swiftly used the Roar of the Elders to clear a patch of rock in the middle of the lava, which allowed Zazu to land safely and break free of his cage. With Zazu free, the hyenas gave up and retreated.
Back at Pride Rock, Zazu delivered his Morning Report to Simba, despite it being nighttime. He lamented being late for the first time, but the Lion Guard assured him that he was not to blame. Fuli added that he had saved her life, and Kion reminded him of how he had saved him and Bunga from crocodiles when they were infants. His spirits lifted, Zazu acknowledged his part in saving Kion, then carried on with delivering his Morning Report to Simba.[2]
Water treaty with Dhahabu
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Due to a severe drought, the Lion Guard was forced to break up an argument between Twiga's herd and Vuruga Vuruga's herd. Kion took the problem to Simba, who questioned Rafiki on how past kings had dealt with a water shortage. Rafiki was doubtful that the paintings of the past would reveal anything to him, though one such painting depicted a king leading the Pride Landers to a mysterious watering hole. Makini recognized the watering hole as being in the Back Lands and belonging to a herd of zebras. Realizing that the herd must be Dhahabu's, Simba instructed Kion to ask Dhahabu for permission to use her watering hole in exchange for whatever boon she desired.
Kion tells Dhahabu of the Pride Lands' plight.
Kion led the Lion Guard into the Back Lands, where they were confronted by Makucha. The leopard attempted to force them out of his territory, but they defeated him easily, forcing him to back off and allow them to pass through. The Guard carried on until they encountered two zebra siblings named Raha and Starehe, who agreed to lead them to Dhahabu. The zebras then began to praise their leader for being so uniquely beautiful and special.
Afterward, Kion introduced himself to Dhahabu and revealed that he was from the Pride Lands. Dhahabu showed the Lion Guard the whole of Dhahabu Grove, which she pronounced as being the happiest place in the Back Lands. Kion explained to Dhahabu that the Pride Lands was experiencing a major drought and requested permission for his fellow Pride Landers to use her watering hole, but she was evasive and demanded that the Lion Guard first bring her her herd's favorite food, a tamboa plant.
The Lion Guard brings Dhahabu a tamboa plant in exchange for access to her watering hole.
The Lion Guard eventually located a tamboa plant, and Beshte carried it back to Dhahabu on his back. Kion presented it to her, remarking that they had fulfilled their end of the bargain. To the Guard's shock, Dhahabu called off the deal and even forbid her own herd from using their watering hole. Suspicious, Kion sent Ono to investigate, and he returned with news that the watering hole had dried up.
Caught red-handed, Dhahabu admitted to Kion that she had noticed the water disappearing several days ago but had not wanted to make her herd unhappy by sharing the bad news. Kion reminded her that leaders must tell the truth, even if the news was grave, and that they must help when there was a problem. He then offered to assist her with her water problem in exchange for the Pride Landers' access to her watering hole, to which she delightfully agreed.
Kion faces off against two leopards.
The Lion Guard followed Dhahabu to the watering hole, where she explained that there used to be a waterfall that spilled into the pool. Ono investigated the dried-up falls and informed Kion that a rockslide had caused a blockage downriver. Once at the scene of the blockage, the Lion Guard was confronted by Makucha and his leopard friends. The two groups engaged in a fight, during which the Lion Guard managed to chase away all of Makucha's minions. However, Makucha trapped Dhahabu and warned the Lion Guard that he would harm her if they did not surrender. In answer, the Lion Guard dropped hints to Dhahabu that she could be a good leader by fighting back, and she quickly took action, knocking Makucha over and kicking him into the dam.
The force of Makucha's crash caused the rocks to break apart, and the river swelled once more, filling Dhahabu's watering hole. After Makucha retreated, Dhahabu offered the Lion Guard access to her new watering hole, and Kion led the Pride Landers into Dhahabu Grove. Dhahabu invited the Lion Guard to enjoy the water, and they happily "frolicked and romped" with her and her herd in the watering hole.[42]
Saving Makuu from Kiburi
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One day, the Lion Guard saw Makuu training his float and mistook the sparring for a real fight. They started to break up the sparring when Hodari, a gecko, told them that the crocodiles were not really fighting. The Lion Guard quickly apologized to Makuu, who continued to train his float. Just then, Ono spotted a herd of cape buffalo stampeding toward the crocodiles, and Kion yelled for the float to take cover. Though the crocodiles managed to reach safety on a nearby cliff, the stampede caused a rockslide that injured Makuu. Even so, Makuu insisted that he was fine and continued to train his float.
Kion forces Kiburi and his float to leave the Pride Lands.
The Lion Guard started to continue on their patrol, but Beshte stayed behind to speak with Hodari. During the Guard's patrol, they saved Laini and two other galagos, who were trapped in a tree. Afterward, Beshte lamented how Makuu had turned down Hodari's request to join his float, and Kion encouraged him not to feel bad, for it had not been his fault.
At that moment, Ono spotted Kiburi's float marching through the Pride Lands, and the Lion Guard rushed to stop them. Once at the scene, the Lion Guard confronted Kiburi, who claimed to simply be visiting. He then introduced the team to his float's newest member, Hodari. He attempted to use Hodari's friendship with the Lion Guard to his advantage, but Kion was adamant about Kiburi's banishment and commanded the float to return to the Outlands. Kiburi reluctantly gave in, and the crocodiles left the Pride Lands.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to defeat Kiburi and his float.
The Lion Guard attempted to warn Makuu that Kiburi was lurking in the Pride Lands, but he insisted that his float could take care of itself. Kion submitted to Makuu's wishes and led his team away from the float, unaware that Kiburi was watching from the shadows. The moment the Lion Guard had left, he and his float attacked Makuu's watering hole, using Hodari's lessons to evade their enemies' attacks and seize an effortless victory.
Before long, Ono spotted the attack, and Kion led his team into battle against Kiburi's float. During the battle, Tamka prevented Kion from helping Makuu. However, with Hodari's help, Makuu overpowered Kiburi, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to banish Kiburi's float back to the Outlands.[43]
Alliance with Tamaa
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Kion prevents Cheezi from harming Twiga and Juhudi.
When Janja and his clan began to hunt Twiga and Juhudi, the Lion Guard rushed to their defense. In the midst of the chase, Ono spotted Reirei's pack attacking some pangolins on the other side of the Pride Lands, and Kion was forced to split up his team. While Beshte and Kion continued racing after the hyenas, Fuli, Bunga, and Ono veered off to handle the jackals.
Upon realizing that Beshte and Kion were still in pursuit, Janja ordered his lackeys to stop them. With four hyenas on the attack, Beshte and Kion quickly became overwhelmed, and Beshte suggested that Kion use the Roar of the Elders. Kion, however, refused, for fear of harming Twiga and Juhudi. Up ahead, Twiga halted and kicked Janja, and he called a surrender. The hyenas then retreated to the Outlands, to Beshte and Kion's confusion. Beshte and Kion checked that the giraffes were safe, then followed the hyenas to ensure that they had left the Pride Lands.
Kion expresses concern over Janja and Reirei's combined attack.
The Lion Guard regrouped at the edge of the Outlands, where they watched the jackals flee the Pride Lands. Kion expressed concern that his team was weaker when split up and wondered why both Outlander groups had given up so easily. Though Beshte tried to brush the scrapes off as a coincidence, Ono caught sight of the hyenas and jackals converging in the Outlands, which confirmed Kion's suspicions. Unaffected, Bunga commented that all they had to do was be in two places at once, which gave Kion an idea.
The Lion Guard traveled across the Pride Lands to where Tamaa was performing for a group of Pride Landers. Though Tamaa was nervous to see the Guard, he explained that he no longer stole food; rather, he earned food with his voice performances. Pleased by Tamaa's change of heart, Kion recruited him to help the Guard be in two places at once. Though hesitant to put himself in danger, Tamaa agreed to Kion's request.
Kion recruits Tamaa to help the Lion Guard be in two places at once.
Later, Ono spotted the jackals chasing down a herd of gazelles in the Pride Lands, and the Lion Guard rushed off to stop them. Shortly into the chase, Ono caught sight of the hyenas stalking Rafiki elsewhere in the Pride Lands. Kion quickly changed course, sending Tamaa ahead to deal with the jackals, while the Guard defended Rafiki from the hyenas. Once on the scene, the Lion Guard joined forces with Rafiki to defeat Janja's clan.
Upon being beaten by the Lion Guard, Janja attempted to flee the battlefield, but Scar arose from a nearby fire and demanded that Janja face his enemies instead of run like a coward. Kion happened to catch sight of Scar's spirit and was confused by what he had witnessed. Before Kion could investigate further, Tamaa arrived with a warning that the jackals were approaching, and Kion ordered him to reach safety while the Lion Guard and Rafiki took on Reirei's pack.
Kion witnesses Janja conversing with the spirit of Scar.
A fight instigated, during which the Lion Guard and Rafiki overcame the combined force of the hyenas and the jackals. In the midst of the battle, Tamaa managed to save Kion by imitating Beshte's voice and distracting Janja, which allowed Kion to get the drop on his enemy. In the face of their defeat, the hyenas and jackals retreated to the Outlands.
After the fight, Rafiki approached the Lion Guard and thanked them for their help in saving his life. Suddenly, he noticed Kion approaching the site of the fire, which had died down to embers and burned grass. Rafiki joined him and noticed a strange mark carved into the dirt, which he believed to represent a great evil.[44]
Sumu's attack
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In the Lair of the Lion Guard, Makini and the Lion Guard discussed how Simba had defeated Scar, which had inspired the Kumbuka celebration. Bunga tried to argue that Timon and Pumbaa were the true heroes, since they had distracted the hyenas, but the rest of the Lion Guard credited Simba with the victory.
Kion chases Sumu.
Later, at Pride Rock, the Pride Landers partook in the Kumbuka celebration, with the royal family spectating from the promontory. In the midst of the festivities, a scorpion named Sumu stung Simba's tail, then retreated as the king collapsed. Rafiki rushed to Simba's side and examined the sting, determining that it had been inflicted by a scorpion. Kion sent Ono to find the scorpion, and, once he had done so, the Lion Guard chased the scorpion into the Outlands.
With Sumu gone, the Lion Guard returned to Pride Rock, where Simba had weakened severely. Rafiki explained that the only cure was volcanic ash, which could be found in the Outlands, and tasked the Lion Guard with retrieving it. Bunga offered to carry the gourd that would hold the ash, but when he almost broke it, Rafiki ordered Makini to accompany the Guard to the Outlands.
The Lion Guard encounters Scar for the first time.
Meanwhile, Scar received word of Sumu's success and directed his army to intercept the Lion Guard when they entered the Outlands. The plan worked, with Kiburi, Reirei, Janja, and their respective allies slowing the Guard's progress through the Outlands. At last, the Lion Guard reached the volcano's caldera, where Makini placed a pinch of volcanic ash in her gourd. As the team turned to leave, however, Scar arose from the flames and revealed himself to Kion, admitting his part in the plot to kill Simba.
Despite Scar's admission, Kion ordered his teammates to leave, as he was worried about arriving too late to save his father. In answer, Scar called his army forward, and they cornered the Lion Guard at the edge of the lava. With no options left, Kion stepped forward to use the Roar of the Elders. Scar warned Kion that his roar would only cause the volcano to erupt, but Kion retorted that he knew more about the Roar than Scar ever had. He then used the Roar to carefully blow away Scar's army and clear a path of escape for his team. Scar sent the vultures after the Lion Guard to stop them, and they nearly wrestled the gourd from Makini. However, the Guard fended them off, and Kion used his roar to ensure that they were not delayed again.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to clear a path out of the volcano.
The Lion Guard continued racing across the Pride Lands, with Kion watching the sun worriedly. Fuli pointed out that she could reach Pride Rock in time but that she could not carry the gourd herself. Bunga volunteered to ride on Fuli and carry the gourd himself, and so, the two raced ahead of their friends to Pride Rock. Before long, the rest of the Guard arrived at Pride Rock, where Simba was weak but recovering. Rafiki ordered everyone to leave Simba to his recovery, but Kion insisted that he must speak with his father. He explained to Rafiki that Scar had returned, and Rafiki agreed that he must speak with Simba once he had recovered.
Afterward, Kion joined his friends on the promontory of Pride Rock and declared that their duty was to protect the Pride Lands. They then stared out over the kingdom together, as Kion reminded them that they could defeat Scar.[45]
Fire at Poromoko Crevasse
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One day, Kion and Simba consulted Mufasa about the troubling return of Scar. Though Mufasa had never experienced the return of an evil spirit, he assured his family that the strength to defeat Scar lay within themselves, as well as within the rest of the Pride Lands. After Mufasa had gone, Kion questioned his father on whether Mufasa had been referring to a specific animal, to which Simba remarked that he had someone in mind.
Kion and Simba consult Mufasa on how to defeat Scar.
Shortly afterward, at Pride Rock, Rafiki tasked Makini with finding Kongwe, the oldest and wisest animal in the Pride Lands. Beshte commented that Kongwe lived near the Urembo River, which was a half-day's walk from Pride Rock. Simba worried that this was too long of a delay, so Fuli volunteered to help speed up the trip. While she and Makini departed to find Kongwe, the rest of the Lion Guard set off on a patrol around the Pride Lands.
While on patrol, the Lion Guard spotted some hyraxes attempting to cross a rock bridge. Ono realized that the bridge was unstable, and the Guard warned the hyraxes to step back moments before the rocks gave way and collapsed. The team worried that the hyraxes would be unable to reach a water source, so Beshte made a bridge by hoisting a rock onto his back and holding it up for the hyraxes to cross. Just then, Ono spotted a herd of elands trapped in a wildfire at the Poromoko Crevasse, and the Guard rushed away to save them.
Kion helps rescue a herd of elands from a fire.
Ono guided his friends through the smoke to where the elands were. The Lion Guard started to lead the elands away from the fire toward a canyon, but a spark set some nearby bushes on fire, blocking their path. Ono worried that the narrowest part of the canyon was not short enough of a distance for the elands to jump across, so Kion ordered Beshte to make another bridge, just like he had for the hyraxes. Beshte did as instructed, and the elands crossed safely to the other side.
At sunset, Fuli, Makini, and Kongwe reconvened with the rest of the Lion Guard. Together, they went to Pride Rock, where Kongwe advised Simba and Kion to be patient. She then assured Simba and the Lion Guard that good always triumphed over evil in the end.[46]
Kilio Valley fire
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Kion attempts to contain a fire at Kilio Valley.
At Kilio Valley, the Lion Guard struggled to put out a widespread brush fire. As the flames continued to spread, the Guard fanned out, accepting help from several of Ma Tembo's herd members, while Ma Tembo led the rest of her herd out of the valley. However, she got cornered by Janja, Reirei, Kiburi, and their respective followers. Ono overheard Janja's cackling and passed on what he had learned to Kion, who suspected Scar of being behind the situation. He promptly ordered his teammates to protect the elephants, thus leaving Kilio Valley to the mercy of the fire.
Once safely out of the valley, Ma Tembo mourned her herd's destroyed home. Zito blamed the Lion Guard for having failed to save Kilio Valley, and Kion guiltily accepted his criticism. Ma Tembo appealed to Kion for help in finding a temporary home, and he resolved to find them a new place.
Kion accepts the blame for Kilio Valley's destruction.
First, Kion led the elephants to the galagos, but they turned the elephants away for being too heavy-footed. Next, Kion asked the giraffes for help, but they rejected the elephants for eating too much of their food. Frustrated, Kion ordered Bupu to be patient with the elephants until the Lion Guard could come up with another solution. He asked Ono for a report on Kilio Valley, and Ono informed him that Scar's army had remained in the valley. Guilty, Kion realized that he had played right into Scar's plan to take over the Pride Lands.
Just then, the Lion Guard discovered that Ma Tembo and her herd had been forcibly ousted by Bupu. Kion approached the herd and assured Ma Tembo that he would find them a new home, but she insisted that they must leave the Pride Lands, as no one else wanted them. With Ma Tembo gone, Kion sought advice from Mufasa, who encouraged him to not doubt himself. Mufasa added that how one dealt with defeat was just as important as how one dealt with victory.
Kion begs Ma Tembo to help put out a fire at Ndefu Grove.
At that moment, Ono alerted Kion to a new fire that had broken out at Ndefu Grove. The Lion Guard rushed to the grove, where Laini begged them to save her galagos. Bunga, Fuli, and Kion quickly pinpointed the galagos, who were trapped in a tree, and saved them from the flames. However, as they were delivering the galagos back to Laini, Beshte informed them that the fire was not being put out fast enough. Kion resolved to find help, while the rest of the Lion Guard stayed behind to combat the fire.
Kion raced across the Pride Lands to where Ma Tembo and her herd were still en route to another kingdom. He explained the situation to Ma Tembo, and she agreed to help the galagos, as she considered the other Pride Landers her family. Zito, however, refused to help and opted to stay behind to look after the mothers and their calves.
Kion assures Ma Tembo that Kilio Valley will be retaken.
With Kion and Ma Tembo in the lead, the elephants arrived at Ndefu Grove, where they promptly put out the fire. In the midst of the chaos, a tree nearly fell on Kion, when Zito suddenly appeared and caught it on his back. Kion was delighted by Zito's change of heart, and Zito explained that he should not turn his back on his family.
After the fire got put out, Laini thanked the elephants for their help and offered them a place in Ndefu Grove. Ma Tembo gratefully accepted her offer but lamented the loss of Kilio Valley. Kion promised her that they would retake her home, to which Ma Tembo stated that while Kilio Valley was just land, the Pride Lands was home.[47]
Alliance with Kinyonga
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Kion expreses concern for Ono.
One day, the Lion Guard was waiting on the border of the Outlands and the Pride Lands when Ono suddenly appeared, being chased by Mwoga and Mzingo. The vultures failed to catch him, and he landed safely among his teammates, reporting that Janja and his clan were paying a visit to Scar.
Just then, Thurston's frightened brays attracted the Lion Guard's attention, and they approached him and his herd, asking what the problem was. Thurston reported that a nearby rock had been talking to him, though the team had its doubts. However, when Twiga made a similar claim about a tree, Kion promised to figure out what was going on.
Kion accepts Kinyonga's offer to spy on Scar's army.
Together, the Lion Guard investigated Twiga's tree. A chameleon briefly appeared before their eyes, then raced away, blending in with her surroundings as she went. The Guard took chase, and Ono was able to spot her with his keen sight. Realizing that they were the Lion Guard, she lowered her disguise and introduced herself as Kinyonga. She then showed off her camouflage abilities.
After the Lion Guard had parted ways with Kinyonga, Ono apologized for having been spotted by the vultures. Kinyonga overheard the Guard's dilemma and offered to sneak into the Outlands to spy on its inhabitants for them. Kion was hesitant to place her in so much danger, but she insisted that she had ventured undetected into the Outlands before.
The Lion Guard uses camouflage to ambush the skinks.
After allowing Kinyonga to venture into the Outlands, the Lion Guard worried over what was keeping her. Eventually, Kion ordered Ono to look for Kinyonga, and he spotted her being chased by skinks in the Outlands. Upon hearing Ono's report, Bunga suggested that they storm the Outlands and take on any enemies who tried to stop them. Kion worried that a battle would not save Kinyonga and declared that he had an idea as to how they could enter the Outlands unseen.
As the chase continued, Kinyonga got cornered by the skinks in a dead-end. Just then, Shupavu heard a mysterious voice and turned to find that the Lion Guard had snuck up on her by using foliage and mud to conceal themselves. The skinks retreated, after which Kinyonga explained that Scar was planning to cut off a Pride Lands water source at Hakuna Matata Falls.
Kion scares Janja.
Come nighttime, Scar's hyena minions attempted to block up the river, but the Lion Guard once more camouflaged themselves and launched a surprise attack. As the hyenas retreated, Cheezi wondered how the Lion Guard had managed to learn such a trick, to which Kinyonga suddenly appeared and took the credit. Her unexpected appearance startled the hyenas, who fell into the river and careened over the edge of Hakuna Matata Falls. In the face of his defeat, Janja decided to lie to Scar that he and his clanmates had been scared away by rocks and foliage instead of the Lion Guard. From above, Kion ordered the clan to leave, and they fled to the Outlands. He turned, ready to thank Kinyonga for her help, but the chameleon had already disappeared.
The next morning, Ono reported that Kinyonga was still missing. At that moment, the Lion Guard noticed Thurston speaking to a rock and figured that it must be Kinyonga. They approached Kinyonga and questioned her on why she had disappeared, to which she expressed guilt over having scared Janja and his clan. Bunga assured her that it did not matter if the hyenas got spooked, but, even so, she vowed to never scare anyone again. At that moment, Thurston realized that she was a chameleon, and he and his herd fled in terror. The Lion Guard quickly took chase.[48]
Test in the Lair of the Lion Guard
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Kion discovers a hidden tunnel within the Lair of the Lion Guard.
One day, the Lion Guard examined paintings in the Lair of the Lion Guard in the hopes of finding a way to defeat Scar. During their search, Kion noticed a boulder that was blocking a painting and instructed Beshte to move it. With the boulder out of the way, the Lion Guard found a secret passage that led deep into the heart of the Lair. Makini used her bakora staff to bring a painting to life, which detailed how the original Lion Guard, led by Askari, had defeated a great evil by venturing deep into the Lair's chambers. Determined to find a means of defeating Scar, Kion led his teammates into the caverns, while Makini stayed behind for her own safety.
As the Lion Guard ventured deeper into the Lair, they reached a weak section of floor, which collapsed beneath them. After Beshte slowed their momentum, saving their lives, they set off in a new direction, only to continually run into dead-ends. Eventually, Ono led them to safety, and they realized that the underground chamber was a test in which a Lion Guard must prove its worth. Just then, Makini arrived, having followed the Guard's pawprints, and Kion reluctantly allowed her to join their quest.
Kion leads the Lion Guard into the final chamber.
Along the way to their destination, Bunga and Fuli each passed separate tests. Afterward, the Lion Guard and Makini entered another underground chamber, only for a rockfall to lock them in complete darkness. Kion roared softly to get a feel for his surroundings, then guided his teammates out of the dark by following the echoes.
Under Kion's guidance, the Lion Guard reached another chamber, where Makini led them to a painting. She explained that a group of evil lions had attempted to overtake the Pride Lands, but Askari and his Lion Guard had foiled their plans by using an unstoppable force. She then guided them into a chamber where there was a pool of water and yet another painting. At first, the Guard could not decipher where the unstoppable force was, but then, Kion realized that it was their reflection - or the Lion Guard itself - that was the unstoppable force. As one, the Guard looked up at the painting, which shifted into the symbol of the Guard, and cried out their catchphrase, determined to defeat Scar.[49]
Abnormal Outlander attacks
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Chungu attempts to make Kion sneeze.
One day, the Lion Guard saved a pair of hyraxes from a dust devil. Nearby, Thurston got aggravated by the storm and proclaimed that the Guard should be putting a stop to the dust devils. Just then, Ono spotted yet another dust devil, and Kion led his teammates to the site of the storm, where they rescued a pangolin.
Later, the Lion Guard was helping the pangolins when Cheezi and Chungu attacked them with red flowers. Beshte used his strength to dispatch of the two, after which Kion wondered why the attack had been so odd. The Guard then left to deal with another dust devil. Together, they rescued Mbuni and two other ostriches from sand that had filled up a gully. Just then, Goigoi approached with berry stripes painted on his fur, but the Lion Guard noticed him, to his disappointment. As he retreated, Fuli questioned the strange occurrences.
Kion leads the Lion Guard in rescuing Thurston.
Shortly afterward, Tamka and Nduli attempted to tickle the Lion Guard's bellies, only for Kion to blow them away with the Roar of the Elders. Kion voiced his concern that Scar was behind the odd attacks and ordered Ono to scout out the Outlands. In doing so, Ono spotted Thurston being attacked by Cheezi, Chungu, Goigoi, Nduli, and Tamka in the Outlands. Since he was a Pride Lander, Kion decided that it was the Lion Guard's duty to save him.
Upon entering the Outlands, the Lion Guard chased off the Outlanders. Thurston then revealed that he had been advising the Outlanders on how to defeat them, and they realized why they had been the butt-end of such strange attacks. Together, the Guard and Thurston departed the Outlands to return home.[50]
Hyena Resistance
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One day, the Lion Guard defended the Pride Lands from a three-way attack by Janja's clan, Kiburi's float, and Reirei's pack. Eventually, the Guard defeated the Outlanders and forced them to retreat to the Outlands. Just then, Jasiri tackled Kion, having been watching the skirmish from afar. She commented on how strange it was that all the Outlanders had been banding together, and Kion explained that they were all fighting under Scar's banner. He offered Jasiri and her clan a place in the Pride Lands for protection, but she insisted that they must defend their turf. She then got an idea.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to defeat Scar's army.
With the Lion Guard watching, Jasiri convinced her clan to form a Hyena Resistance against Scar and his minions. For their first mission, Jasiri overheard Janja plotting with his clan to take over Mizimu Grove with Kiburi and Reirei. She sent Madoa to warn the Lion Guard, while she and the rest of their clan intercepted Janja's clan. The plan worked, with the Lion Guard defeating Kiburi and Reirei in Mizimu Grove, while Jasiri and her clan blocked Janja's access to the Pride Lands with a rockslide.
After foiling three more attacks by Scar's army, Jasiri celebrated the Hyena Resistance's success with Kion on the border of the Outlands and the Pride Lands. Shortly afterward, Madoa informed the Lion Guard that Scar was planning his biggest attack yet on Mizimu Grove, unaware that it was actually a trap. She returned to Jasiri, only for their clan to get attacked by Janja, Kiburi, and Reirei. Across the Pride Lands, Ono scouted the Outlands and caught sight of Jasiri's clan being attacked. The Lion Guard rushed to the hyenas' aid and defeated the Outlanders. After the battle, Jasiri and Kion solidified their alliance against Scar.[51]
Trapped in the aardvark burrows
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The Lion Guard rushed to Pride Rock, following the sounds of Tiifu and Zuri yelling for help. Once they had arrived, they found that the cubs were simply distressed about how the heat was messing up their fur. Beshte suggested that Tiifu and Zuri visit the mudpots at the edge of the Pride Lands to moisturize their fur, and they agreed enthusiastically, inviting Kiara to join them. Concerned for the cubs' safety, Nala sent Kion and Bunga along to watch over them.
Kuchimba attacks Kion.
Together, the five traveled to the mudpots, where they played in the mud. Muhangus, who lived in a warren nearby, became annoyed by the noise and ordered them to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Njano and Shupavu watched from the sidelines and reported the cubs' situation to Scar. He, in turn, ordered Mzingo to set fire to the nearby savanna.
Mzingo did as commanded, and the cubs found themselves walled in by flames. Kion, Bunga, and Kiara attempted to create a fire line, but the flames spread too quickly. Eventually, the cubs were forced to escape into Muhangus's burrow. Once underground, they began to search for a way out. Along the way, they encountered Kuchimba, a golden mole, who tried to protect his tunnels from them. Once he realized that they were simply passing through, he offered to help them find their way out. Eventually, he led them to the end of his tunnel and instructed them to take the main tunnel toward the Pride Lands.
Kion recruits Muhangus to help them escape the underground tunnels.
Once Kuchimba had gone, Kion realized that there were several tunnels to choose from. As the friends continued navigating the tunnels, they heard nearby pounding hooves and ran into Thurston. They questioned him on which direction he had come from, but he was unable to recall where he had been.
Just then, Kion got the idea to track down Muhangus and ask him for directions. At first, Muhangus was loath to help the friends, but after Bunga threatened to stay in his den forever, he begrudgingly led them to the end of the tunnel. Once above-ground, the cubs reconvened with Beshte, Fuli, and Ono, who were putting out the fire and searching for their missing friends. In the face of their confusion, Bunga explained what had happened.[52]
Alliance with Shujaa
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At the watering hole, the Lion Guard regulated when the giraffes and zebras took turns drinking. Suddenly, a gorilla appeared, smashing everything in sight. While Beshte and Ono calmed the panicked giraffes and zebras, Kion, Bunga, and Fuli confronted the gorilla. At first, the gorilla was hostile, but when he learned that they were the Lion Guard, he backed down. He then introduced himself as Shujaa and explained that King Sokwe had sent him to assist them.
Kion confronts Shujaa.
Just then, Ono informed his teammates that the crocodiles, hyenas, and jackals were attacking Big Springs. Alongside Shujaa, the Lion Guard raced to the rescue and confronted the invaders. However, before the Guard could step in, Shujaa heaved boulders and trees at the Outlanders, effectively driving them away from Big Springs. In the process, he destroyed the nearby area, blocking aardvark dens, trapping hares in mud, and tangling oryxes' horns. Though Shujaa was upset, the Lion Guard resolved to clean up the mess.
No sooner had the Guard finished when Ono informed them that the crocodiles, hyenas, and jackals had returned to the Pride Lands to hunt a herd of sable antelope. Kion suggested they cut through Nyani Grove, which inspired Shujaa to charge through the grove and begin clearing a wide path. In doing so, he knocked the baboons from their trees, and they, in turn, charged into a herd of cape buffalo, inciting a stampede. While Beshte and Fuli headed off to calm the stampede, Kion, Bunga, and Ono followed Shujaa.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders on Scar's army.
As Shujaa approached the Outlanders, Kion ordered the sable antelope to move. He then used the Roar of the Elders to blast the Outlanders away. Afterward, Beshte and Fuli reconvened with their friends, and the Lion Guard lamented the state of Nyani Grove. Kion explained to Shujaa that he did not know his own strength, and Beshte offered to teach the gorilla what he knew. Shujaa agreed, and the two moved off together to train.
Later, the Lion Guard was forced to defend Big Springs from yet another attack by the Army of Scar. Together, the Lion Guard worked to put out a nearby fire and fight off the invading Outlanders. In the midst of the fight, Beshte injured his leg and became unable to move. Ono begged Shujaa for help, and the gorilla agreed to fight for the sake of Beshte. After Shujaa saved Beshte and defeated the remaining Outlanders, the Lion Guard praised him and commented that they were glad that Sokwe had sent him. Before leaving, Shujaa promised to help the Lion Guard, should they ever need him again.[53]
Training the Pride Landers
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One day, the Lion Guard rushed to stop Bupu's herd and the galagos from stampeding. Once calm, the animals admitted that they had been scared of a jackal attack, and the Lion Guard concluded that the Pride Landers must unite against the threat of the Outlanders. They proceeded to gather together Bupu's herd, Laini's group, Ma Tembo's herd, and Mbeya's crash. At first, the Pride Landers were tense, but Kion worked to defuse the tension. He instructed the animals to race toward Bunga. However, the event soon got out of hand, with the larger animals tripping over the galagos and ending up in a heap.
Kion rallies the Pride Landers against the Army of Scar.
Suddenly, Kion got the idea to call on Makuu for help. Makuu begrudgingly agreed to assist the Lion Guard, but his training proved to be too rigorous and ruthless for the other Pride Landers to master. Kion urged Makuu to be kinder to his fellow Pride Landers, but he left in a huff and vowed to only look out for his own float if trouble arose. Unbeknownst to the Pride Landers, Shupavu and Njano were spying on the proceedings and reported what they had learned to Scar. He, in turn, decided to attack Makuu's watering hole, since the crocodiles' alliance with Kion was fraying.
Per Scar's orders, the Army of Scar besieged Makuu's watering hole. Ono witnessed the battle from the sky and reported his findings to Kion. As one, the Lion Guard and their Pride Lander allies stormed the watering hole and fought off the Army of Scar. This convinced Makuu to stand by his fellow Pride Landers should trouble ever arise.[54]
Dhahabu's visit
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On the day Dhahabu visited the Pride Lands to discuss a water treaty with Simba, the Lion Guard worked crowd control. Afterward, Dhahabu was escorted on a tour around the kingdom by Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri, with the Lion Guard tagging along at Dhahabu's insistence. During the tour, dry lightning started a fire that endangered Dhahabu's life, but Fuli helped her escape the flames. Touched, Dhahabu insisted that Fuli join her personal Guard. Though Fuli was reluctant to leave the Lion Guard, Kion reminded her that they should appease Dhahabu for the sake of the water treaty.
Kion questions Raha and Starehe on their motives.
Later, the Lion Guard ran into Dhahabu's assistants, Raha and Starehe, who were depressed that their queen had no need of them. Ono offered to find her for them and soon discovered that she was being attacked by jackals. Along with Raha and Starehe, the Lion Guard rushed to the rescue and fought off the pack. During the ensuing fight, Tiifu and Zuri cowered behind Dhahabu, while Raha and Starehe fiercely fought off their queen's attackers. To the Lion Guard's surprise, Raha and Starehe did not correct Dhahabu when she praised Tiifu and Zuri instead of them. After the fight, Kion questioned Raha and Starehe on their motives, and they explained that Dhahabu kept them around to be a positive influence. If they were to become her bodyguards, they reasoned, they would lose that illusion of happiness.
Shortly afterward, Dhahabu was freshening up in a water hole when the jackals attacked again, this time with crocodile allies. Ono informed the Lion Guard of the situation, and Raha and Starehe raced off to defend their queen. This time, they fought in front of Dhahabu, who was awed by their skills. After the fight, Dhahabu relieved Fuli, Tiifu, and Zuri of their duties and appointed Raha and Starehe in their stead. Together, the friends returned to Pride Rock, where Dhahabu renewed her water treaty with the Pride Landers.[55]
Scar's attack on Mizimu Grove
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Kion faces off against Janja and his clan.
At Big Springs, Timon and Pumbaa wandered by on the trail of a slug. No sooner had they left when Makini approached the Lion Guard and showed off a plant root that would be part of her mpando mpaya, or the traditional planting of a new baobab tree by a Royal Mjuzi. Getting an idea, Kion chased after Timon and Pumbaa, and asked them to perform at Makini's mpando mpaya. That way, he reasoned, the Pride Landers would treat it like a celebratory event and have their spirits raised. Delighted, Timon and Pumbaa agreed.
Later, at Mizimu Grove, Rafiki and Simba announced the celebration, and Timon and Pumbaa performed "Tujiinue". In the midst of the celebration, the Army of Scar attacked, and the Pride Landers rose up to defend themselves. In the middle of the battle, Scar's spirit appeared in a fire and threatened to overtake the entirety of the Pride Lands. Frightened by Scar's unexpected appearance, the Pride Landers fled Mizimu Grove.
Kion inspires the Pride Landers to stand against Scar.
After Kion used the Roar of the Elders to defeat the Outlanders, Simba deliberated what to do with Ma Tembo. He approached the calmed Pride Landers and admitted that he had had knowledge of Scar's return for some time. The Pride Landers disapproved of his dishonesty, though Ma Tembo noted that she understood why he had kept it a secret. The herds deliberated whether they should leave the Pride Lands, and Simba told them to inform him of their decision the following morning at Pride Rock.
That night, Kion sought advice from Mufasa, who suggested that he hold on to hope even in the darkest of times. After their talk, Kion noticed something on the ground and rushed off to speak to the Pride Landers. Come morning, at Pride Rock, Kion interrupted Simba's somber opening statement and implored the Pride Landers to follow him to Mizimu Grove before they decided to leave the Pride Lands for good. The herds followed Kion to Mizimu Grove, where Makini's baobab tree seed had survived the fire. This inspired them to remain in the kingdom and work together to defeat Scar. Makini then planted her baobab tree as the Pride Landers looked on.[56]
Alliance with Anga
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When fiery sticks began raining from the sky, the Lion Guard rushed to protect Twiga's herd. Ono attempted to find the source of the fiery sticks, but the high altitude forced him to return to the ground. This gave Beshte the idea to talk to Anga, a high-flying martial eagle. The Lion Guard eventually found Anga in a grove of trees, and she agreed to help them figure out where the fiery sticks were coming from.
Kion thanks Hadithi for helping the Lion Guard.
Just then, another attack began, and Anga and Ono flew off to investigate. After flying high enough to discover the culprits, Anga reported to the Lion Guard that the vultures were behind the attacks, and Kion suggested that they rally the Pride Lands' birds to stop them. Ono decided to ask Hadithi for help, and he and Anga left to speak with him.
After agreeing to help the Lion Guard, Hadithi led his followers to where the Guard had gathered to plan their next move. Once the birds and the Lion Guard had convened, they rushed off to thwart another attack by the vultures, this time over the Maumivu Thorn Patch. The Pride Lander birds managed to round up the vultures, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to banish them back to the Outlands. After the fight, Kion thanked the Pride Lander birds for their help.[57]
Adolescence
Battle for the Pride Lands
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Kion and his allies chase Janja.
For several seasons, Kion led the Pride Landers in an extended struggle against Scar and his army as they attempted to overtake the Pride Lands. Over time, the Lion Guard grew into adolescents, and Kion's Roar became especially powerful. Eventually, Simba informed Kion that they must take the fight to Scar in the Outlands. Kion agreed, as did Jasiri and her clan. Together, the Lion Guard gathered the other Pride Landers at Pride Rock to prepare for an assault on Scar's volcano. Unbeknownst to the Pride Landers, Scar's skinks had overheard their plans.
As evening fell, the Pride Landers continued to train together. Kion doubted his abilities as a leader, but his teammates encouraged him and pledged their loyalty. That night, Janja and his clan baited the Lion Guard into following them into the Lair of the Lion Guard. At the same time, Kiburi, Goigoi, and their allies set fire to Pride Rock, trapping the Lion Guard and Janja's clan in the Lair. The Lion Guard managed to escape using an underground pool, taking Janja's clan with them.
The Lion Guard escapes a fire by using an underwater tunnel.
No sooner had the Lion Guard escaped when Scar appeared in the fire at Pride Rock and told the Pride Landers to abandon their home. Simba refused to surrender, but Scar merely mocked him for not having the power to defeat him. As the flames died down, so did Scar, with a final menacing laugh. After the fight, Jasiri arrived with Janja and implored the Pride Landers to trust him. With Simba and Kion listening, Janja explained that Kion could defeat Scar once and for all by using the Roar of the Elders inside the volcano. With this news, the Pride Landers resolved to assault the Outlands and use Kion's Roar to take down Scar.
The next day, the Pride Landers assaulted the Outlands, and the Lion Guard broke into the volcano's caldera. As Kion confronted Scar, Ushari snuck up behind him and slashed him in the eye, giving him a scar and injecting him with venom. Scar taunted Kion, asserting that he was marked by evil and had the same destiny as Scar himself. Instead of giving in to his anger, Kion summoned the Great Lions of the Past, who judged Scar by sending down rain that melted him away.
Kion receives a scar over his left eye.
After the fight, the Pride Landers celebrated their victory, and Jasiri became the queen of the Outlands. However, Ono mourned the loss of his sight due to too much exposure to smoke and volcanic fumes, and the Lion Guard decided to bring both him and Kion before Rafiki for healing. Along the way, Kion's scar caused him so much pain that he accidentally used the Roar on Bunga. Horrified, he hastened to Pride Rock and told Rafiki how much he had been suffering. Rafiki, in turn, encouraged the Lion Guard to travel to the Tree of Life for healing. In Ono's stead, Anga became the keenest of sight, while Kion reappointed Ono to the Guard as the Smartest.
Later, the Lion Guard and Makini left the Pride Lands to find the Tree of Life. Before the Guard left, the Pride Landers gathered to bid them farewell.[58]
Journey to the Tree of Life
Makucha's plot
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Kion loses his temper with Makucha due to the pain in his scar.
Once in the Back Lands, the Lion Guard arrived at the first landmark on their journey: a waterfall. With the help of Anga, they spotted the next landmark, an iroko tree, in the distance. The Guard started to head toward the tree, only for Makucha to block their path and demand that they leave his territory. He and his friends, Fahari and Jiona, attacked the Lion Guard until a dust storm called a harmattan interrupted the fight. As the storm intensified, Anga used her eyesight to guide her teammates to a cave by the waterfall.
Upon entering the cave, the Lion Guard realized that Makucha and his friends had already taken shelter there. Irritated by the pain in his scar, Kion nearly started a fight with Makucha, but his friends managed to calm him down. Makini encouraged him to chew on some tuliza in order to clear his head, and he did so. At peace once more, Kion implored his teammates to leave, but Makucha explained that a harmattan could last for weeks and added that he did not want them staying in his territory that long. He then offered to show them the way out. Despite Fuli's protests, Kion accepted Makucha's offer.
The Lion Guard struggles through a harmattan.
Together, the leopards and the Lion Guard ventured out into the harmattan. While they were taking shelter in a canyon, a loose rock tumbled toward Kion, but Makucha shoved him out of the way, saving his life. In the face of Fahari and Jiona's shock, Makucha claimed that he had only been trying to save himself.
As their journey continued, Makucha led the Lion Guard to a canyon that ended in a cliff. However, the Lion Guard could not see the danger through the dust. As they walked toward the drop-off, Ono got blown away in the storm and realized that the direction of the wind had changed, which meant that Makucha was leading them astray. He warned his teammates of the danger, and they turned to face Makucha and his friends. As a fight broke out, the winds began to pick up, and Ono warned his friends to take shelter behind some rocks. Not hearing Ono's warning, the leopards got blown away. Once the storm had cleared, the Guard continued their journey to the Tree of Life, unaware that Makucha had decided to follow them and get revenge.[59]
Befriending the snow monkeys
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Kion uses the Roar of the Elders on the mountain.
Continuing on their way, the Lion Guard struggled to climb up a mountain. They wondered if they should travel around the mountain, but Kion insisted that they climb over it to save time. However, he ended up slipping on snow and knocking the entire Lion Guard down the slope with him. After the fall, Fuli suggested that they take the route around the mountain, but Kion angrily insisted that they continue climbing. He pawed at his scar, and Fuli worried over his condition. Just then, Makini spotted a family of snow monkeys relaxing in a hot spring. Anga flew over to ask for directions but only succeeded in scaring the snow monkeys, as they were afraid of birds of prey. Kion scolded Anga for her failure, to her shock.
Impatient, Kion decided to use the Roar of the Elders on the mountain in order to blow a hole through it. Fuli warned him that he was not thinking clearly because of his scar, but he ordered her to follow his lead. He then used the Roar on the mountain, inadvertently starting an avalanche that came barreling toward him and his teammates. The Guard managed to rescue the snow monkeys from danger, but the troop's hot spring got buried in the process.
Kion offers to help the snow monkeys find a new home.
Once the avalanche had cleared, Kion apologized to the snow monkeys for his lapse in judgment and vowed to find them a new home as repayment. Yuki, the matriarch, explained that they wanted a hot spring with plenty of available food and no trees for large birds to nest in. Anga spotted a nearby hot spring but warned her friends that it was out of their way and had many nearby trees. Fuli cautioned Kion that they did not have time for such a delay, but he refused to see reason and insisted that they journey to the hot spring.
When the Lion Guard and the snow monkeys arrived at the hot spring, they were greeted by some flying squirrels. Mistaking the flying squirrels for birds of prey, the snow monkeys fled and ended up falling into a deep hole in the snow. Anga witnessed the troop's strange disappearance, and Kion ordered his teammates to investigate. Once more, Fuli warned Kion that he was not thinking clearly, but he brushed her concerns aside.
Kion implores Fuli to take command of the Lion Guard.
When the Lion Guard discovered the hole, Bunga accidentally fell in himself. Ono warned the others that they could not get too close, else they would fall in, and that any movement within the hole would cause the snow monkeys and Bunga to sink deeper. Though the Guard looked to Kion for direction, he appealed to Fuli for help, as he was not thinking clearly. She agreed and ordered Anga to lift the snow monkeys and Bunga out of the hole with her talons.
Once the snow monkeys and Bunga had been rescued, Fuli told Anga to find a new hot spring for the snow monkeys. Anga followed Fuli's orders, and the Lion Guard led the snow monkeys to a new hot spring. Once there, Fuli allowed her friends to take a brief reprieve, as they had earned it.[60]
Saving Domog's pack
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Kion attempts to catch Chuluun.
For the next step on their journey, the Lion Guard reached a bamboo forest. Anga spotted a patch of tuliza, and Bunga offered to fetch it for Kion. However, in climbing up a ledge to reach the tuliza, he slipped and fell to the snow below. Upon catching up to Bunga, the Lion Guard found him surrounded by a pack of red pandas, who were hailing him as "Songoson Khün." When Kion questioned the red pandas on what was going on, Dughi explained that a Chosen One was destined to fall from the sky and defeat the Ghost of the Mountain.
Just then, the pack's leader, Domog, approached and explained that their pack had been haunted by an invisible force that had driven them from their homes. Though they were not in the Pride Lands anymore, Kion agreed to help the red pandas so as to keep the Circle of Life in balance. Together, the Lion Guard journeyed up the mountain, where they were set upon by an invisible foe. The team struggled to catch the "ghost" until it leaped onto a rock, which allowed Anga to see that it was a cat-like creature. Ono identified the "ghost" as a snow leopard, and the Lion Guard tracked its footprints up the slope.
The Lion Guard and Domog's pack surround Chuluun.
Eventually, through teamwork, the Lion Guard cornered the snow leopard, Chuluun, against a rock. Kion ordered Chuluun to leave the red pandas alone, but she asserted that she followed her own rules. Before she could escape, Bunga tackled her, covering her in the orange paint that the red pandas had splattered on his fur. Chuluun managed to fight him off and escape. No sooner had she disappeared when the Lion Guard overheard fearful cries, and Anga spotted Chuluun attacking the red pandas in the bamboo forest. The Lion Guard raced to the rescue, only for Chuluun to evade them once more. Domog questioned if the Guard had found the Ghost of the Mountain, and they explained that Chuluun was behind the ghostly attacks. They then implored the pack to join them in defeating her.
Together, the Lion Guard and the red pandas followed Chuluun up the mountain and cornered her at the edge of a cliff. However, Chuluun rolled around in the snow to wash off Bunga's paint and turned invisible once more. Bunga ordered the red pandas to keep Chuluun surrounded, then released gas in her face. Shocked, Chuluun lost her footing and plummeted off the cliff. Back at the bamboo forest, the red pandas hailed Bunga as their hero, and Makini identified the next moja kwa moja stone on the Lion Guard's journey. Unbeknownst to the team, Makucha recruited Chuluun to join him on his revenge quest.[61]
Journey through the marsh
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Kion demands to know why the mongooses are attacking the Lion Guard.
While traveling through a marsh, the Lion Guard was suddenly attacked by a group of mongooses. In the middle of the fight, Makini ran off with Ono, getting them lost in the marsh. After easily defeating the mongooses, the Lion Guard resolved to find their missing friends. While searching, they got attacked by mongooses again and had to fend them off. Kion and Fuli then tracked Makini and Ono by scent and found Makini's footprints leading in circles.
Shortly afterward, the mongooses attacked again, and Kion pinned one down, demanding to know why they kept attacking the Lion Guard. The mongoose explained that Bunga was eating their snails. Kion apologized on Bunga's behalf, but the mongoose refused to accept his apology and demanded that Bunga leave their snails alone. Just then, Makini and Ono emerged from underground. In doing so, Makini uncovered a trove of snails, which appeased the mongooses. Together, the Lion Guard journeyed toward the next moja kwa moja stone.[62]
Dragon Island
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As their journey continued, the Lion Guard stumbled upon an island. Kion wondered where the next moja kwa moja stone was, and Anga explained that it was on a hill on the island. The Guard ventured toward it, only to stop at the edge of the sea, where they met a dolphin named Lumba-Lumba. As the team started to cross a land bridge toward the island, an old civet blocked their path and warned them about the dragons that inhabited the island. Brushing his warnings aside, the Lion Guard continued on their way.
The Lion Guard resolves to save Lumba-Lumba.
Once on the island, Makini bounded off to gather more tuliza for Kion. No sooner had she left when a Komodo dragon named Ora attacked, alongside his minions. Desperate, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blow away his foes, but in doing so, he caused the water to recede from the island, then come back as a tidal wave. The Lion Guard barely managed to escape the tidal wave, which decimated the island and caused Makini to lose her tuliza.
Just then, the Lion Guard heard Lumba-Lumba crying for help from the beach. They found her stranded on the sand and vowed to help her. As the team worked to free her, Kion admitted that he was not in the right head-space and so put Fuli in charge of the Lion Guard. She, in turn, commanded Anga, Makini, and Ono to find the next moja kwa moja stone while the rest of the Guard dug a tunnel from the sea to Lumba-Lumba.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to part the ocean.
While the Lion Guard worked to save Lumba-Lumba, a wave washed Ora and his friends back to shore. Nearby, Anga, Makini, and Ono identified the next landmark on their journey: a tree on a cliff. At that moment, they overheard the Komodo dragons attacking their teammates and rushed off to help. Together, the Lion Guard fended off their attackers.
After the fight, Makini explained that they could not leave the island, since Kion's Roar had destroyed the land bridge. Getting an idea, Kion used the Roar to create a path through the ocean. The resulting waves washed Lumba-Lumba back to sea, and she thanked the Guard for having saved her. The team started to journey along Kion's path through the waves, but Ora and his minions took chase. As soon as the Guard reached the shore, Kion stopped roaring, which caused the waves to sweep the Komodo dragons away. The Guard continued on to the next moja kwa moja stone, unaware that Makucha had recruited Ora to join him and Chuluun on their revenge quest.[63]
Crossing the desert
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Kion doubts the accuracy of Makini's memories.
As their journey continued, the Lion Guard found a moja kwa moja stone at a dry riverbed. Bunga questioned why the stone showed a river, and Ono explained that landscapes could change with the seasons. Makini recalled having visited the river before with her parents when they had journeyed to the Tree of Life to present her to Rafiki. As she began to unpack more memories, she asked if the team could take a short detour, and Kion acquiesced. However, when Makini's memories continually did not match their surroundings, the Lion Guard grew annoyed.
Eventually, the friends reached the next moja kwa moja stone, which was located at a dry pool. Ono explained that the next landmark was a patch of four flowers in the shape of a diamond. Anga reported that she could not find any white flowers, only a desert. Makini exclaimed that she had had to cross the desert in order to reach a series of cliffs. Though the Guard doubted the accuracy of her memories, they let her take the lead.
Makini shares her memories with the Lion Guard.
Together, the Lion Guard crossed the desert, enduring extreme heat and sandstorms. In the middle of their journey, they encountered a booming sand dune, or a sand dune that made a hollow, echoing noise when bounced on. Makini started to play on it but accidentally got sand in Kion's eye, which triggered his temper. Once Kion had seemingly calmed down, Bunga took a turn playing, but the disturbance awakened a jerboa named Tupp, who yelled at the Guard for having interrupted his sleep. Short-tempered, Kion growled at Tupp and scared him off.
After Tupp's departure, Kion decided that they should retrace their steps. However, another sandstorm struck, erasing the Lion Guard's footprints and shifting the landscape so that they did not recognize where they were. Makini offered Kion some tuliza to calm his sour mood, but he spit it out because it was full of sand. Ono then suggested that they build a shelter for the day and wait until nighttime to continue their journey.
The Lion Guard crosses a scorching desert.
That night, as the Lion Guard slept, Makini remembered her parents' life lessons. Beshte approached, and she vented her frustration about how poorly her memories had served her friends. Beshte reminded her that things had changed since her childhood, and Kion approached, agreeing.
Just then, Tupp appeared and led the Lion Guard to a plant with water on its leaves. The Guard drank their fill, while Makini washed off enough tuliza for Kion to eat. Anga questioned how Tupp had found the plant, and he explained that desert creatures used the sky to navigate their surroundings. This caused the Lion Guard to realize that the four white "flowers" were actually stars. They proceeded to follow the stars to a series of cliffs, thus confirming that Makini's memories had been right all along.[64]
Detour at Flamingo Beach
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The Lion Guard continued to struggle across the desert. As they walked, a fatigued Kion tripped, and Makini offered to help him. However, the irritation in Kion's scar caused him to snap at her and insist that he was fine. Fuli told Makini to give him a dose of tuliza, but she admitted that they were out. While Anga searched for more tuliza, Bunga inadvertently annoyed Kion. As Kion growled angrily at Bunga, Fuli reminded him that Bunga had simply been fooling around, with Beshte adding that Bunga was just being Bunga. Realizing his mistake, Kion apologized to Bunga, who immediately forgave him and remarked that he was good at being annoying.
Kion plays at Flamingo Beach with Beshte and Bunga.
Just then, Anga spotted a patch of tuliza past a nearby sea. The Lion Guard arrived at the sea, only to find that the water was extremely salty. Makini suggested that Kion relax in the water, and he relented. Once in the water, he calmed down and began to float on his back. In the meantime, Fuli left to collect more tuliza.
While the Lion Guard was relaxing in the water, a flock of boisterous flamingos arrived, and the Guard struggled to keep Kion calm. At one point, they got distracted and lost track of Kion, who got prodded awake by the flamingos. Irritated, he nearly used the Roar of the Elders on them, but Fuli returned just in time and gave him a dose of tuliza. Immediately, he calmed down and apologized to the flamingos for having snapped at them. The Lion Guard then continued on their way.[65]
Recovering Makini's staff
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Makini offers Kion tuliza.
For the next leg of their journey, the Lion Guard passed through a forest. After encountering several animals who were afraid of tuliza, they wondered what the reason could be. Unbeknownst to the team, they were being spied upon by a porcupine, who reported their presence to a binturong named Mama Binturong. She, in turn, declared that every tuliza flower belonged to her and that she would never let another animal have any.
Later, Anga rescued a civet from drowning, and the Lion Guard attempted to question him on why the forest animals were afraid to mention tuliza. However, he simply fled from them in fear. After the incident, Mama Binturong approached and watched the Lion Guard from afar. In doing so, she witnessed Makini fetching tuliza from her bakora staff and ordered her porcupine minions to steal the staff for her. The Lion Guard eventually noticed the theft, but only after Mama Binturong had taken the staff and retreated with it to her hideout.
The Lion Guard meets in secret with a gibbon.
The Lion Guard questioned a gibbon on where the staff could be, but he panicked when they mentioned tuliza. However, after being cornered by Anga and Bunga, he advised them to talk to a mongoose. The mongoose referred them to another animal, and he to another animal, and so on, until at last, the Lion Guard met up with the gibbon in a cave. The gibbon explained that he could not have talked to them earlier, lest Mama Binturong's spies catch on to his activities. He informed the team that Mama Binturong hoarded all the forest's tuliza in her hideout in the Stone Forest, and they resolved to get Makini's staff back.
Once at the Stone Forest, the Lion Guard struggled to fit between the pillars. Only Bunga was able to squeeze through, so they reluctantly sent him, alone, to retrieve Makini's staff. After a while, Bunga returned to the Lion Guard and gave Makini her staff back, after which the team moved on to find the next moja kwa moja stone.[66]
Breakdown
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As the Lion Guard neared the Tree of Life, Kion pushed them to travel as fast as they could. Eventually, the team stopped for a break at a watering hole, but Kion cut the break short, insisting that they must keep moving. Fuli asked Makini to give Kion some tuliza to calm him down, but the herb failed to soothe his bad temper.
Kion insists that he is not evil.
Eventually, the Lion Guard reached a canyon, where they spotted several goslings jumping off a cliff. To Kion's annoyance, Beshte insisted on saving them. Before long, the mother goose approached and lectured the Guard for having ruined her goslings' attempts to leave their nests. After the incident, Kion chastised Beshte and declared that they would no longer be helping animals who did not need assistance. Shortly afterward, the Lion Guard found their way blocked by a procession of peacocks. Impatient, Kion bulled his way through, purposefully knocking over one of the peacocks in the process. His friends were shocked by his behavior, and Bunga became convinced that he was turning evil.
After leaving the canyon, Beshte befriended a clouded leopard named Yun Mibu, who was skilled at hanging from his feet. Irritated by the delay, Kion growled at Yun Mibu until he fled. He then turned his ire on Beshte, but Fuli defended Beshte and reminded Kion that he was not thinking clearly because his scar hurt. She suggested that she take over for a while, but Kion insisted that he was the leader of the Lion Guard, not her. The two nearly got into a fight until Bunga broke it up and reminded Kion that Rafiki had warned them about the cobra venom's effects. As his friends ticked off all the mean things he had done that day, his anger turned to horror, and he fled into the nearby forest.
Yun Mibu rescues Kion.
Once alone, Kion lamented his awful behavior. While looking into a pool of water, he saw an image of Scar, which taunted him for his turn to evil. After the encounter, Kion resolved to apologize to his friends. However, as he turned to go back, he fell off a cliff and only barely managed to catch on to an overhanging branch. Meanwhile, Fuli worried over Kion's long absence and sent Anga to check on him. Anga soon spotted Kion hanging perilously from the branch but was unable to save him herself. Once she had brought the rest of the Guard to the scene, they tried and failed to think of a solution until Beshte got the idea to summon Yun Mibu for help.
At first, Yun Mibu was afraid to help Kion due to their earlier encounter, but with some encouragement, he agreed to the task. As Yun Mibu readied to rescue him, Kion apologized for his rude behavior and promised to never growl at a clouded leopard again. Yun Mibu then hung by his feet over the cliff and, with some help from Anga, pulled Kion to safety. Once on solid ground, Kion apologized for his behavior, and his friends forgave him, with Makini giving him some tuliza for good measure. Kion suggested that they head out again, but Fuli ordered him to get some rest first. He relented, and the Guard settled down for a much-needed break.[67]
Arrival at the Tree of Life
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Kion rescues Makini from falling through the ice.
For the last part of their journey, the Lion Guard crossed a frozen lake. As they were walking, the ice began to crack beneath their weight, and they scrambled to reach solid ground. Makini nearly fell into the water, but Fuli and Kion pulled her to safety. To the team's frustration, she lost her bakora staff in the process. Since they no longer had Makini's staff to activate the moja kwa moja stone, they relied on Ono's memory of Rafiki's map to find their way. Unbeknownst to the Lion Guard, Ullu the owl was spying on their activities.
The Lion Guard soon reached a mountain pass, but Bunga accidentally started a rockslide by climbing the walls to reach a beehive. The rocks subsequently trapped Bunga and blocked the pass, which frustrated Kion. Shortly afterward, the Night Pride arrived, having been warned by Ullu, and Baliyo attacked the Lion Guard. A fight ensued, during which Kion lost control and used the Roar of the Elders on Baliyo. The leader of the Night Pride, Rani, condemned Kion for his actions and forbid him entry to the Tree of Life.
Kion accepts that he may never be healed.
As the Lion Guard worked to free Bunga from the fallen rocks, Kion ventured off alone, lamenting his bad choices and resolving to rely on his friends instead of himself. After having some time to think, he returned to his teammates and admitted it was his fault that they could not enter the Tree of Life. Beshte suggested that they explain the situation to Rani, and Kion agreed, as he wanted Ono to receive healing for his sight.
Together, the Lion Guard worked to clear the pass, which impressed the Night Pride. Kion apologized to Rani and implored her to accept Ono for healing, since he had not been involved in their earlier fight. Impressed by Kion's selflessness, Rani allowed him and his friends entry to the Tree of Life, and the Night Pride escorted them through the pass. Upon seeing the Tree of Life for the first time, the Lion Guard was awed.[68]
Stay at the Tree of Life
Healing session at Dirisha
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Kion continually fails to jump onto a log due to his impatience.
Upon entering the Tree of Life, the Lion Guard met Queen Janna, who bid them welcome. Nirmala examined Kion's and Ono's injuries, and Janna instructed Nirmala to take Kion to Dirisha, the River of Patience, since his problem was more than just his scar. Once at the river, Nirmala told Kion to wait for a log to float past, ride it to a sandy beach, then climb up a cliff and fetch her a flower on the opposite bank. Kion worried that it would take a long time for a log to appear, but Nirmala assured him that they would wait as long as necessary, even days. Eventually, a log passed by, and Kion attempted to jump on it. However, his impatience caused the log to tip over.
Just then, Nirmala got called away to join the rest of the Night Pride on a mission, which concerned Kion. Shortly afterward, the rest of the Lion Guard joined Kion and related how Rani had been called away to face down a threat to the Tree of Life. Kion fretted that the Night Pride could be in danger, and the Lion Guard decided to lend the pride their assistance. However, once they had caught up to the Night Pride, they realized that the intruders had already been chased away. Baliyo mentioned Makucha by name, and Kion realized that Makucha and his allies had followed the Guard to the Tree of Life. In an attempt to make up for their mistake, Kion offered his team's services to Janna and the Night Pride, but Rani rebuked him and insisted that the Night Pride could handle things just fine on their own. Janna added that Kion had yet to finish his task, then told him to return to Dirisha.
Kion helps the Night Pride fight off Makucha's army.
Together, Nirmala and Kion returned to Dirisha, where Kion paced restlessly, waiting for a log to approach. Once more, a log floated down the river, but he was too impatient to land on it properly. This time, after falling into the river, he stubbornly decided to fetch the flower his way. While he struggled against the current and scaled the cliff face, Nirmala used her own path to beat him to the flower. Seeing Nirmala's success, Kion decided to follow her advice. The next morning, he used patience to properly land on a log, jump to the sandy beach, and climb the cliff trail. However, in the middle of the lesson, Nirmala got called away to deal with Makucha's army.
Nearby, the Night Pride battled against Makucha and his allies, but Baliyo got bitten and paralyzed by Ora. Kion spotted the disastrous battle but chose to finish his task first, like Nirmala had instructed. After fetching the flower, he rushed to help the Night Pride. Afraid of the Roar, Ora fled, while Makucha and Chuluun attempted to climb a nearby cliff to reach the Tree of Life. Kion cut them off using the cliff trail and, with Rani's help, defeated them. After the fight, Kion apologized to Nirmala, since his flower had gotten trampled in the fight, but she explained that it had been the task that was important, not the flower. She then reminded him that he had completed his first step on the path toward healing.[69]
Mama Binturong's plot
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Kion praises Ono for his intelligence.
While the rest of the Lion Guard, Baliyo, and Rani relaxed at a water hole, Kion washed off a layer of healing mud on his face. Nirmala explained that he still had much to do before he was fully healed but that Ono's eye remedy was ready. Excited to witness Ono's healing, the Guard promised that they would be there to support him during the procedure. Once he was ready, the Guard went to the Tree of Life, where they met Mama Binturong, who was posing as a sick animal. Since Bunga was the only member of the Guard who had met her, and since he was not with his friends, the Guard did not recognize her. Once inside the Tree of Life, the team watched as Janna restored Ono's eyesight. Afterward, they decided to share the good news with Bunga.
That afternoon, as the Night Pride was readying for their patrol, Ullu informed the Lion Guard that Mama Binturong was in peril. However, Ono deduced that Mama Binturong was tricking them, as she had called Chuluun by name, which proved that the two were familiar with one another. This prompted the Lion Guard to head to the Tree of Life instead. There, they found Makucha, Chuluun, and Ora about to enter and kill Janna, so they chased the predators off. After the fight, Kion noted that, while Ono was no longer the keenest of sight, his intelligence and sharp wit made him irreplaceable as a member of the Lion Guard. Ono was deeply touched by Kion's praise.[70]
Poa the Destroyer
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Kion undergoes a healing session involving frogs.
While on a break, the Lion Guard found amusement in watching Bunga talk about Binga in his sleep. After Bunga woke up, Nirmala told Kion that they should begin his next healing session, so he excused himself and left with her. Per her instructions, he sat on a tree branch while frogs jumped on top of him. He asked how long he would have to stay put, to which Nirmala answered that the frogs would decide. At that moment, Rani approached and asked Kion how well he knew Beshte. Confused, Kion worried that something bad had happened to Beshte.
Afterward, Rani gathered the Night Pride and the Lion Guard at the Tree of Life, where she explained that Beshte had earned a bad reputation due to his destructive tendencies. Realizing that the situation was a misunderstanding, the Lion Guard decided to host a meeting at the Tree of Life so that Beshte could earn the locals' trust back. When the animals had gathered, Kion and Rani explained that Beshte was friendly and did not mean to cause destruction. Just then, Beshte approached with Pinguino on his back, and Pinguino declared that Beshte had saved his life. This cleared the hippo's name.[71]
Rani's coronation
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One day, Mama Binturong and her army attacked a tiger named Varya and her cubs, who were seeking sanctuary at the Tree of Life. Just in time, the Lion Guard and the Night Pride arrived and saved the tigers from further harm. As the two teams were checking on the tigers, Ullu approached and informed Rani that Janna wished to see her, Kion, and the rest of the Night Pride immediately. While the Lion Guard stayed behind to tend to Varya and her cubs, the Night Pride and Kion followed Ullu to the Tree of Life. Once there, they saw a crowd of animals gathered outside and realized that Janna was dying.
Kion and Rani talk at Janna's funeral.
Together, the Night Pride and Kion entered the Tree of Life, where Janna lay in a weakened state. She expressed her gratitude to Kion and told him that she wanted him to stay at the Tree of Life. After Janna passed away, Kion comforted Rani. Makini then informed the gathered animals of Janna's passing and Rani's upcoming coronation. During Janna's funeral at the Willows, Kion comforted Rani once more. She expressed her doubts about becoming queen, and Kion admitted that he had felt the same when he had first become the leader of the Lion Guard. He mentioned having been encouraged by his grandfather, Mufasa, at the time. He added that, ever since he had gotten his scar, he had not spoken with Mufasa, as he felt that he did not have the right to face him while looking like Scar. Rani assured Kion that everyone had their scars and that he might actually feel better if he spoke with his grandfather. Kion thanked Rani for her advice and decided to follow it.
After the funeral, Kion finally spoke with Mufasa, who confessed that he had been worried, since it had been a long time since they had last talked. Kion apologized to his grandfather and admitted that he had been afraid to face him because his scar made him look like Scar. Mufasa, however, assured Kion that the scar did not matter to him and that Kion could always talk to him. Kion thanked his grandfather and promised that he would not be afraid to speak with him again. Afterward, Kion attended Rani's coronation at the Tree of Life.[72]
Healing session at Pratibimba
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One day, Mama Binturong and her army launched an attack on the Tree of Life. The Night Pride challenged them, though Baliyo's yawning exposed how exhausted they were from a night of patrolling. At that moment, the Lion Guard arrived to help, but Kion and Rani's dual leadership resulted in confusion. Eventually, the Lion Guard and the Night Pride succeeded in driving off the army, though Rani criticized Kion for having not followed her lead. Though Fuli jumped to Kion's defense, Kion admitted that he no longer had control of the Roar. Nevertheless, he offered to patrol the Tree of Life during the day so that the Night Pride had time to rest, and Rani gratefully accepted his offer.
Kion and Nirmala at Pratibimba.
Later, Nirmala led Kion to Pratibimba, where she explained that his scar did not define him and that he must reflect on his past and future actions in order to remember who he was. After he spent some time looking at his reflection in the lake, Rani approached, and the two took a walk together. Kion admitted his doubts about his scar and his ability to lead the Lion Guard without the Roar, and Rani wondered if the Roar should be returned to the Tree of Life. At that moment, they were interrupted by the Lion Guard, who brought a disputing Heng Heng and Kely before Rani. After Rani resolved the tension between the two animals, Kion was left alone to reflect once more. As he continued to lament his inability to lead without the Roar, his friends tried to convince him otherwise, with Anga reminding him of the time that he had saved Ono's egg from Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu.
Just then, Ullu arrived and warned the Lion Guard that Makucha's army was launching yet another attack on the Tree of Life. The Night Pride arrived on the scene, and Kion led the two teams in a united attack. This time, the teams succeeded in working together, and Rani praised Kion for his great leadership skills. The next morning, Kion told Mufasa that he wanted to return the Roar to the Tree of Life, as he had regained his confidence to lead the Lion Guard without the Roar. Mufasa advised him to go to Cikha Escarpment, where Askari had first discovered the Roar. Kion did so, but when he arrived, Askari's spirit offered to teach him everything he knew about the Roar.[3]
Battle for the Tree of Life
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One day, Mama Binturong and her army snuck into the Tree of Life due to Ullu falling asleep. The Night Pride approached, only for the Lion Guard to take over the shift and defeat the invaders. After the fight, Bunga complimented Kion on his leadership skills, and Nirmala agreed, adding that Kion's healing was complete. Rani worried that this would prompt Kion to return to the Pride Lands, but he assured her that he and the Lion Guard would help defend the Tree of Life from Mama Binturong's army first. Bunga urged Kion to use the Roar again, but he replied that he was not ready yet, which confused Bunga. He then left to speak with Askari, leaving Fuli in charge of the Lion Guard.
Kion trains with Askari to master the Roar of the Elders.
At Cikha Escarpment, Kion met with Askari for more training. Askari reminded Kion that only one who was willing to let go of the Roar of the Elders completely could master it, and Kion confirmed that he did not need the Roar to lead the Lion Guard. He then continued to train with Askari, learning to use the Roar in incredible ways, such as lifting rocks, creating pillars, and more. Bunga and Rani, who were suspicious about Kion's refusal to use the Roar despite being healed, visited Chika Escarpment. There, they witnessed him practicing his Roar and watched in amazement. Just then, Anga arrived with news that the Tree of Life was under attack by Mama Binturong and her allies. Before leaving to save the Tree of Life, Kion told Askari that he was ready.
Meanwhile, at the Tree of Life, Beshte attempted to move a rock that was trapping the Night Pride inside the tree but got thwarted by Ora and his minions. Just then, Kion, Bunga, and Rani arrived, and Kion used the Roar to defeat the invaders. He then struck the rock at the Tree of Life's entrance with lightning, destroying it and freeing the Night Pride. Finally, he swept Mama Binturong and her army into a tornado and sent them far away from the Tree of Life. With their enemies defeated, Nirmala declared that Kion was truly healed, and Rani thanked him for having saved the Tree of Life. She then told him that he should stay at the Tree of Life, which confused and shocked him.[73]
Journey back to the Pride Lands
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Kion and Rani confess their love for one another.
Torn between staying at the Tree of Life and returning to the Pride Lands, Kion sought advice from Mufasa. He explained that he could use more training with the Roar of the Elders and that the Night Pride needed help protecting the Tree of Life but added that his whole family was in the Pride Lands and that he had a duty to his homeland. Mufasa, in turn, encouraged him to choose the path that was best for him.
Just then, Rani approached and asked Kion if he had thought over her offer. He teasingly asked if she meant that the Lion Guard would never be welcome at the Tree of Life, to which she retorted that she had said that a long time ago. She continued that they made a good team. Kion agreed that the Lion Guard and the Night Pride worked well together, but Rani clarified that she meant the two of them. Kion agreed tenderly. Together, the pair traveled around the Tree of Life's territory, enjoying time together while helping troubled animals, and confessed their love for one another.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to widen a rocky pass.
Afterward, Kion assured Rani that she was a great queen and did not need anyone's help, but she remarked that a great queen could use a great king, like him. Before Kion could answer, the Lion Guard approached and declared that they were ready to return to the Pride Lands. To his friends' surprise, Kion admitted that he was considering staying at the Tree of Life in order to help Rani, since the Pride Lands should be safe from threats.
Just then, Ullu approached alongside Azaad, Janja, and Jasiri. In the face of Kion's confusion, Jasiri explained that Zira was invading the Pride Lands and that the royal family needed the Lion Guard's help. Since it was the Lion Guard's duty to protect the Pride Lands, Kion opted to return home. Though disappointed, Rani bid the Guard farewell and reaffirmed that they would always be welcome at the Tree of Life. Makini, however, opted to stay behind, as she had become Rani's Royal Mjuzi.
The Lion Guard heaves rocks into the path of Kion's Roar in order to block up a dam.
As their journey began, Azaad led his allies to the fastest route home: a narrow canyon pass. Since Beshte was too wide to squeeze through, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to widen the pass. Next, the team came across a canyon that was too wide to jump across, so Kion used the Roar to funnel his friends to the other side. Finally, he created a rainstorm that filled a dry riverbed, which allowed the group to hitch a ride on a floating log. The friends then continued on their way, passing familiar landmarks as they went.
Eventually, the team reached the Great Stone Wall. Unaware that the wall was a dam, Kion used the Roar on it and accidentally opened a fissure in the rock that began to spurt water. In an effort to hold the water back, Kion continued to Roar, while his friends rescued nearby animals. Suddenly, Ono got the idea to throw rocks into the path of Kion's Roar so as to cover the damaged section of the wall. The team worked together, heaving rocks into the Roar, until there were enough to fix the hole in the wall. Kion immediately stopped Roaring, and the rocks fell into place, effectively blocking the dam. He complimented his friends on their teamwork, and Azaad led them around the stone wall. Before long, the friends arrived in the Outlands, where they caught a glimpse of Pride Rock in the distance. They then entered the Pride Lands, determined to save their kingdom from the Outsiders.[74]
Battle of the Lion Guards
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Kion prepares to use the Roar of the Elders on Vitani's Lion Guard.
While crossing through the Outlands, the Lion Guard reunited with Madoa, Cheezi, Chungu, and Mzingo. Madoa informed the team that Zira's pride had already entered the Pride Lands, and Kion led his friends toward their homeland. However, they were intercepted at the border by Vitani and a strange pride of lionesses who called themselves "the Lion Guard." The two groups clashed and proved to be equally strong. At last, Kion readied to use the Roar on Vitani and her Lion Guard, only for Kiara to interrupt, begging him to stop. Upon seeing Kovu behind his sister, Kion warned her to get out of the way, but she revealed that the Outsiders had joined their pride, and Kovu added that Zira had died. Though confused, Kion backed down. He then thanked Jasiri for her help, and she told him that, should he ever need her, he knew where to find her.
Together, the Lion Guard returned to Pride Rock, and Kion reunited with his parents. They expressed concern that he still had his scar, but he assured them that, even though his scar would remain, he was fully healed, and the venom was gone. Rafiki, Kovu, and Kiara then explained everything that had transpired during the Lion Guard's absence, and Kion noted that they had sure missed a lot. That day, he spent time with his family and friends, who welcomed him back to the Pride Lands.
Kion competes against Vitani in the Battle of the Lion Guards.
That night, after the royal family spoke with Mufasa, Kion lingered on the promontory of Pride Rock, staring at the four stars that had led him and his friends to the Tree of Life. Kiara noticed her brother not returning to the den and sidled up beside him, asking if he was star-gazing. He confessed that seeing her with Kovu had reminded him of Rani. Realizing that Kion was in love, Kiara assured him that he might be able to return to the Tree of Life someday and that their parents would understand.
The next day, the Lion Guard returned to the Lair of the Lion Guard, only to discover that Vitani and her Lion Guard were already within. Vitani argued that she was the future king's older sister, so she and her lionesses should be the Lion Guard. Kion, however, retorted that he was the future queen's younger brother and had the Mark of the Guard, so he and his friends were the Lion Guard. At that moment, their argument got interrupted by Laini, who begged for their help. Upon following Laini across the Pride Lands, the two Guards found Thurston stuck in a hole and argued over who should save him. As they bickered, Azaad helped Thurston back out of the hole. Realizing their inability to help other animals, Kion commented that they must sort out their problems to avoid quarreling. Thurston suggested a formal competition to determine which team was better, and both Lion Guards agreed to the challenge.
Kion lifts Pride Rock with the power of the Roar.
Shortly afterward, Rafiki announced the Battle of the Lion Guards to a crowd of Pride Landers at Mizimu Grove. He explained that there would be five competitions to determine who was the fiercest, strongest, fastest, keenest of sight, and bravest in the Pride Lands. As the first smartest member of the Lion Guard, Ono would serve as the judge. The contest began, and the two Lion Guards competed until they reached a tie, which left Kion and Vitani's competition as the tie-breaker. Since she could choose their challenge, Vitani called for a mashindano, to Kion's shock. He warned her that she did not stand a chance against the Roar, but she asserted that she could be the fiercest in the Pride Lands without the Roar. Recalling Askari's statement that only one who could let go of the Roar completely could truly master it, Kion relinquished his team's duties to Vitani and her Lion Guard.
After Kion's decision, Askari appeared in the clouds overhead, praising him for a job well-done and remarking that he had truly mastered the Roar. Kion countered that he was no longer the leader of the Lion Guard, but Askari reminded him that the Tree of Life needed the Roar's protection as well. At his words, the Mark of the Night Pride appeared on Kion's shoulder. The rest of Kion's Lion Guard agreed to protect the Tree of Life alongside him, and instantly, the Mark of the Night Pride appeared on their shoulders as well. Vitani approached, questioning Kion on what it meant to master the Roar, and he demonstrated by lifting Pride Rock with the Roar. The gathered crowd watched in awe.[75]
Coronation and marriage to Rani
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Following his retirement from the Lion Guard, Kion returned to the Tree of Life to marry Rani. As their wedding began, Rani expressed that she was looking forward to ruling the Tree of Life with him, and he asserted that they would rule together. Makini then marked his forehead with ceremonial paint and announced him as the king of the Tree of Life. As the crowd cheered, Kion told Rani that they would make a great team, to which she asserted that they already did. They then roared together.[75]
Physical appearance
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As an infant, Kion was small but compact. He had a muted golden pelt, a red head tuft and tail tip, and a cream muzzle, paws, and underbelly. His ear rims were darker than his main pelt, with the tops being dark brown, the sides being pale brown, and the insides being pink. He also had a pale pink nose, white whiskers, and dark golden spots on the backs of his legs. His eye rims were dark golden on the top and cream on the bottom, and his eyes were orange with yellow sclerae.[2]
As an adolescent, Kion was large and well-built, with a partially grown red mane.
As a cub, Kion grew to be larger and more robust, with block-like facial features. His pelt darkened to a deeper gold, and his head tuft grew longer. Additionally, his ear rims darkened, with the tops becoming black, the sides becoming dark brown, and the insides becoming russet. Likewise, his nose darkened to orange, and his whiskers became black. Upon becoming the leader of the Lion Guard, he attained the Mark of the Guard on his left shoulder.[1]
As an adolescent, Kion attained a large, muscular build, and his coloring darkened slightly. His mane grew longer, coming down to the nape of his neck, and the spots on the backs of his legs faded considerably. He received a scar over his left eye from Ushari. Upon joining the Night Pride, his Mark of the Guard disappeared, and he attained the Mark of the Night Pride on his right shoulder. He also began to sport a painted blue marking on his forehead to symbolize his reign over the Tree of Life.[75]
Personality and traits
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Kion is a born leader who embraced his role as the leader of the Lion Guard.
Kion is a natural leader with a heart of gold. He is brave and strong, and does not hesitate to charge into danger in order to protect others.[1] Ever since infancy, he has been able to rally others together and face danger head-on. He knows how to balance his teammates' various strengths and can make wise decisions, even in the heat of battle.[26][3] Despite his strong leadership skills, he sometimes suffers bouts of insecurity and worries about failure. In these moments of weakness, he finds solace in those he trusts, most often Mufasa or his fellow Lion Guard members.[1][58] At one point, he doubted his ability to lead the Lion Guard without the Roar, but his friends reminded him that he had been a good leader even before he possessed the Roar, which restored his self-confidence.[3]
Kion is good-natured and patient, with a steady temperament. Even in the face of antics, complaints, or setbacks, he is flexible and adaptable, and does not lose his optimism.[15] He tends to be empathetic and understanding of others' problems and is especially loath to criticize his friends.[6][19] He is deeply loyal to his friends and will defend their integrity, no matter the counter-evidence.[17] Conversely, he tends to clash with his sister and can be unreasonably stubborn in attempts to defy her or show her up. Even so, the siblings are fiercely loyal to one another and often rely on each other during hard times.[7][26]
Under the influence of Ushari's venom, Kion became prone to wild mood swings and lapses in judgment.
Unlike his father, Kion tends to defy tradition and forge his own path, something both Rafiki and Zazu have commented upon.[1][2][58] Though he initially retained prejudices against hyenas due to his experiences with Janja's clan, his friendship with Jasiri caused him to become more open-minded and less hostile to hyenas as a species.[4] Sometimes, his welcoming nature and inability to discriminate leads him into trouble, as seen when he invited the jackals to live in the Pride Lands, with disastrous results.[9]
After being injected with Ushari's venom, Kion became prone to wild mood swings and lapses in judgment. What would have once unphased him became a trigger for his temper, and he had to rely on tuliza to soothe his unpredictable rage.[65][67] Though he was at first stubborn about his decisions and unwilling to admit that he had a problem, he eventually relied on Fuli to lead the Guard in his stead whenever he was not thinking clearly.[60] What Bunga considered his turn to "evil" deeply disturbed him, and he resisted bearing any similarities to Scar.[67] With encouragement from his friends and Mufasa, as well as healing at the Tree of Life, he eventually overcame the venom and shed its evil effects completely.[3][73][75]
Trivia
- Kion was voiced by Max Charles. His singing voice for the latter half of Season 3 was provided by Aaron Daniel Jacob.[76][77]
- Kion's name is likely short for "kiongozi," which means "leader" in Swahili.[78]
- Kion's catchphrase "Hevi kabisa!" means "Totally intense!" in Swahili.[78]
- During early development, Kion sported a pawprint mark on his shoulder, as opposed to the finalized lion head.[79]
- In The Lion King: Six New Adventures, a book series inspired by The Lion King, Simba has a son named Kopa,[80] whom Kion bears a striking resemblance to. Both cubs are male, have golden pelts and reddish head tufts, and make friends with a spunky female hyena.[4][81]
- Kion's Lion Guard is the first and only Lion Guard to have had non-lion members and six members in total.[1][58]
- Kion is the first leader of the Lion Guard to have created a new position: the smartest.[58]
- Kion is the only known lion to have fought off the influence of the Mark of Evil and remained good.[75]
References
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