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| Outsiders | |
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| Organizational information | |
| Leader | |
| Notable members | |
| Location | |
| Affiliation | |
| Purpose |
• To dethrone Simba |
| Status |
Disbanded |
| “ | Zazu: Nothing there but a bunch of back-stabbing, murderous Outsiders... Simba: Zazu's right. You can't turn your back on them. |
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The Outsiders were a pride of lions who lived in the Outlands. They were banished from the Pride Lands by King Simba due to their loyalty to Simba's predecessor, Scar. Later, they reconciled with the Pride Landers, disbanded, and reintegrated with Simba's pride.
History[]
Banishment from the Pride Lands[]
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During Scar's reign over the Pride Lands, a select number of lionesses supported his reign. Eventually, Simba returned to the Pride Lands, deposed Scar, and reclaimed the throne. Though most of the pride supported Simba's claim to the throne, several lionesses objected, and Zira argued that Scar had chosen her son, Kovu, to succeed him as king. Simba pointed out that Scar had never been the true king, and Zira attacked him in retribution. After defeating her, Simba banished her, her family, and her followers to the Outlands. There, they formed a pride and became known as the "Outsiders."[1]
Kovu and Kiara's friendship[]
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Despite their prides' enmity, Kovu and Kiara form a friendship.
One day, when Simba's young daughter, Kiara, wanted to play away from Pride Rock, Simba warned her to stay away from the Outlands. Zazu added that there was nothing there but "backstabbing, murderous" Outsiders, and Simba warned Kiara to never turn her back on an Outsider. Though she was confused, Simba refused to elaborate and sent her off to play.
Once on her own, Kiara ventured into the Outlands, where she encountered Kovu. Though at first hostile, Kovu quickly became confused by Kiara's refusal to turn her back on him. Kiara reiterated what Simba had told her about turning one's back on an Outsider, and Kovu mocked her for being "Daddy's little girl." He then bragged that, as an Outsider, he could take care of himself. Just then, the cubs got attacked by crocodiles and narrowly managed to escape into the Pride Lands.
Simba and Zira face off against one another.
Once to safety, Kovu and Kiara introduced themselves and started up a game of play-fighting. Just then, Simba and Zira intervened, roaring in the defense of their respective children. Zira readied to attack Simba but stopped when she realized that he had brought along his pride, Timon, and Pumbaa. When Timon ordered Zira to leave the Pride Lands, she insisted that the kingdom belonged to Scar. Simba, however, reminded her that he had banished her and ordered her to leave the Pride Lands with Kovu.
Instead of acquiescing to Simba's order, Zira introduced Kovu as Scar's hand-chosen heir. She then lamented that Kovu had been the last born before Simba had exiled her and her pride to the Outlands, where they suffered from lack of food and water. Simba reminded her of the penalty for returning to the Pride Lands, and Zira offered up Kovu to him as his "pound of flesh." Ignoring the bait, Simba ordered Zira to take Kovu and leave. He added that they were "finished," but Zira retorted that they had "barely begun." While Simba left with Kiara and his pride for Pride Rock, Zira left with Kovu for the Outlands.
Zira resolves to use Kovu as an infiltrator of Simba's pride.
Upon arriving in the Outlands, Zira lectured Kovu for having befriended Kiara and forced him to confess that Simba was to blame for the Outsiders' predicament as well as Scar's death. Kovu admitted that he had not thought so poorly of Kiara, and Zira mocked him for thinking that the two of them could be friends. However, as she continued to berate Kovu for thinking that he could use his relationship with Kiara to get past Simba's defenses, she paused and realized the brilliance of this line of thinking.
Zira proceeded to carry Kovu into the termite mounds, where she sang him a lullaby about his future reign as king and the Outsiders' revenge on Simba.[2]
Skirmish with the Lion Guard[]
| “ | Bunga: So, the lions in the Outlands might be Zira and her family? Rafiki: Most definitely. And if they find out that Kion is Simba's son, there could be trouble. Much trouble! |
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One day, the Outsiders forcibly drove Jasiri and her clan away from their watering hole. In a desperate bid for peace, Jasiri appealed to Kion for help, and he agreed to speak with the Outsiders on her behalf. Once in the Outlands, Kion got attacked by Zira's son, Nuka. Upon learning from Kovu and Nuka that the Outsiders were not welcome in the Pride Lands, Kion promised to discuss the situation with Simba, and the two agreed to bring him before Zira.
Kion meets Zira and her children.
Once at the watering hole, Kion questioned Zira on why she had stolen Jasiri's watering hole, to which Zira asked Kion why he had not simply used the Roar of the Elders to provide water to Jasiri's clan. In the face of Kion's confusion, Zira instructed him to roar at a cloud, and he did so, turning the cloud into a rainstorm. Incredulous, Kion asked Zira how she knew so much about the Roar, but she refused to divulge more in the presence of a hyena. In the hopes of learning more about the Roar and negotiating the return of Jasiri's watering hole, Kion agreed to speak with Zira alone.
Once the two were away from Jasiri, Zira told Kion that lions were the superior species and should rule with might and cruelty. He retorted that lions should not behave in such a way. Zira then led Kion into a dead-end clearing, where Kion demanded to know more about the Roar. However, Zira refused to tell him more unless he chose whose side he was on: lions or hyenas. In answer, Kion pledged his loyalty to those animals who respected and followed the Circle of Life. Disappointed in his answer, Zira ordered her pride to surround Kion and gave him one final chance to join her while she left to fetch her children.
Zira rallies her pride against the Lion Guard.
Eventually, Zira returned with Kovu, Nuka, and Vitani. A confused Kovu wondered why they could not be friends, and Zira blamed Kion for having chosen hyenas over them. Nuka worried that Kion would use the Roar against them, but Zira explained that Scar had lost the Roar for using it against his fellow lions. She then gave Kion a final chance to join her and her pride. At that moment, the Lion Guard arrived with Jasiri and attacked the Outsiders.
After an extended battle, Zira rallied her pride against the Lion Guard, asserting that they had the Guard outnumbered. Bunga implored Kion to use the Roar, but he lamented that he would lose it if he used it against other lions. In answer, Bunga clarified that Scar had lost the Roar because he had used it for evil, not because he had used it against lions. Though Zira protested that she knew more about the Roar, Kion used the Roar on her and her pride, blowing them all the way to the termite mounds. Nuka questioned where they had landed, and Zira replied, "Our new home."[1]
Kiara's first hunt[]
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Kovu requests permission to join Simba's pride.
Over the seasons, Zira trained Kovu to be a ruthless killer who harbored a bitter hatred against Simba and his pride. On the day of Kiara's first hunt, Nuka and Vitani set fire to the grasslands, trapping Kiara in fire. Meanwhile, Kovu and Zira spectated from above, and Zira sent Kovu in for his part in the plot. Following his mother's orders, Kovu rescued Kiara from the fire and brought her back to the Pride Lands. There, Simba confronted him, and Kovu presented himself as a rogue who had left the Outsiders and wished to join Simba's pride. Though initially reluctant to accept Kovu's change of heart, Simba agreed to reserve judgment on his character and temporarily allow him respite in the Pride Lands.
That night, Nuka and Zira watched Kovu speak with Kiara atop Pride Rock. Zira gloated about the success of the fire rescue and explained that Kovu could use his relationship with Kiara to win Simba's trust and then attack him.[2]
Zira's ambush[]
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The Outsiders ambush Simba.
Though Kovu attempted to kill Simba while the king was alone, he got interrupted by Kiara. With no choice but to play along, Kovu spent time with Kiara and slowly began to develop feelings for her. Eventually, his conflict became so intense that he resolved to confess his part in Zira's plot to her. However, before he could do so, Simba requested to speak with him and led him away from Pride Rock.
With Kovu in tow, Simba traveled to a fire-ravaged part of the Pride Lands and explained what Scar had done to the kingdom. He added that the next generation could "grow better than the generation before, if given the chance." Just then, the Outsiders surrounded Kovu and Simba, and Zira congratulated Kovu for having followed through on their plan. Simba rounded accusingly on Kovu, who protested that he had had nothing to do with the ambush.
Zira declares war on Simba's pride.
Before Simba could respond, Zira ordered her pride to attack, and they converged on Simba. Kovu leaped to Simba's defense, only to get kicked into a rock by Vitani. Eventually, the Outsiders chased Simba into the gorge, where he fled up a pile of logs. Kovu appeared at the top of the pile, and though Zira urged him to finish off Simba, he instead turned and ran away. In Kovu's place, Nuka climbed up the pile after Simba but ended up slipping and falling to his death.
Heartbroken, Zira prayed to Scar's spirit to watch over Nuka. She then turned on Kovu and slashed him across the eye, leaving him with a scar. She accused him of having betrayed Scar and told him that he could not escape his connection to Scar, as he had killed his own brother, just as Scar had. Horrified, Kovu fled, and Zira ordered her pride to let him go. Leaping atop a high ledge, she reminded the Outsiders that Simba was injured and weak. Therefore, she reasoned, it was the perfect time to attack and take the Pride Lands by force. In answer, the Outsiders reared onto their hind legs and roared their approval.[2]
Battle with Simba's pride[]
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As the Outsiders invaded the Pride Lands, Zazu caught wind of their arrival and warned Simba. Along with his pride, Simba gathered at the gorge to repel the Outsiders' invasion of the Pride Lands. Zira declared that it was "over" and that she had dreamed of nothing else for years. Simba gave Zira a final chance to return home, but she declared that she was already home. She then ordered her lionesses to attack, and a battle broke out between the two prides.
The Outsiders gather for battle against Simba's pride.
Eventually, Zira attacked Simba, and the battle stalled while Simba and Zira circled one another. Just as the two were raising their paws to fight, Kovu and Kiara leaped in-between them, and Kiara declared that the fight had to end. Kovu warned Zira that he would not let her hurt Kiara or Simba, but she simply snarled at him. Meanwhile, Kiara convinced Simba that the Outsiders and Simba's pride were "one" and that there were no differences between them.
Despite Simba's change of heart, Zira ordered Vitani to attack, but she refused and joined Simba's pride instead. Undeterred by her daughter's betrayal, Zira declared that if Vitani would not fight, then she would die as well. Disgusted, the remaining Outsiders abandoned Zira and joined up with Simba's pride. Simba urged Zira to put the past behind her, but out of loyalty to Scar, she lunged at him.
The Outsiders and Simba's pride formally unite for Kovu and Kiara's wedding ceremony.
Before Zira could hurt Simba, Kiara intercepted the attack, and both lionesses went tumbling into the gorge. While Kiara managed to catch hold of the side of the cliff, Zira dangled precariously over the raging river below. Kiara attempted to help Zira up the cliff, but Zira continually refused the princess' help, eventually losing her grip and falling to her death.
With Zira dead, the Outsiders rejoined Simba's pride and attended the wedding ceremony of Kovu and Kiara. As the royal couples roared over the Pride Lands, the combined prides responded with roars of their own.[2]
Legacy[]
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In Kion's absence, Vitani leads a Lion Guard comprised of former Outsiders.
Upon learning about the Outsiders' attack on the Pride Lands, Jasiri and her fellow hyena, Janja, journeyed to the Tree of Life to inform the Lion Guard of the situation. Alongside Janja and Jasiri, the Lion Guard returned to the Pride Lands in the hopes of defending it from the Outsiders.[3]
Upon arriving in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard got attacked by Vitani and her self-formed Lion Guard. Just as Kion was about to use the Roar of the Elders on them, Kiara intervened and explained that the Outsiders had rejoined Simba's pride. Kovu added that Zira had died. Together, Kovu and Kiara led the Lion Guard to Pride Rock, where they and Rafiki explained how peace had been brokered between the warring prides.[4]
Physical traits[]
The Outsiders were known to have angular noses, eye dots, and red eyes.
- Angular noses were a common Outsider trait. Unlike the Pride Lander nose, which is flat and rounded, an Outsider nose was thin and curved downward on either end.[2]
- Most Outsiders had dark eye rims, as compared to the lighter eye rims of the Pride Landers. Some of the Outsiders' eye rims were shaped like teardrops, such as Nuka's.[2]
- Elbow tufts were more common among male Outsiders than male Pride Landers.[2]
- Eye dots were a fairly common trait among Outsiders.[2]
- Lanky builds set the Outsiders apart from the Pride Landers. According to Zira, the Outsiders were severely malnourished and underfed.[2]
- Most Outsiders had red eyes. The only exceptions were Kovu and Vitani.[2]
- The Outsiders all had unsheathed claws. However, since joining Simba's pride, the Outsiders have begun to keep their claws sheathed like the Pride Landers.[2]
Temperament[]
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The Outsiders were vicious and unrelenting in their hatred of Simba.
The Outsiders had a reputation for being hostile, traitorous, and vengeful. The lions of Simba's pride took great care to avoid them, and Simba once advised Kiara to never turn her back on one. Having lived in exile for many seasons, the Outsiders were desperate for food and water, and did not take kindly to strangers. They learned to fend for themselves, even the cubs, and were taught to fight from a young age. Many Outsiders harbored a deep resentment of Simba, as they blamed him for their predicament and believed him to have killed Scar.
Despite their more aggressive tendencies, some Outsiders were known to show kinship and tenderness toward one another. For example, Zira displayed uncharacteristic grief at Nuka's death, and Kovu's temperament softened considerably upon his falling in love with Kiara.[2]
Notable members[]
Appearances[]
Films Television series
Short stories Comics |
Trivia[]
- The term "Outlander" is never used in reference to Zira's pride. However, the term is used to refer to Zira's pride on the back of the original VHS cover of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.[5]
References[]
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