| Fuli | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical information | |||
| Gender |
Female | ||
| Species | |||
| Eye color |
Green | ||
| 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 |
Fastest in the Pride Lands (formerly) | ||
| Relationship information | |||
| Romances | |||
| Allies |
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| Enemies |
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Fuli is a female cheetah. She is the former fastest of the Lion Guard. She currently serves as a member of the Night Pride.
When Kion became the leader of the Lion Guard, he selected Fuli to be its fastest member. Initially, Simba rejected Kion's choice of teammates, as they were not lions. However, after Kion's newly formed Lion Guard drove Janja's clan out of the Pride Lands, he accepted them as the official protectors of the Pride Lands.
Later, Janja and Ushari resurrected the spirit of Scar, who began to assemble an army of Outlanders to challenge the Lion Guard. Over the seasons, the Lion Guard repelled attacks by Scar's army with the help of their Pride Lander allies. Eventually, the conflict culminated in a Pride Lander invasion of the Outlands, during which Kion vanquished Scar's spirit and the Pride Landers defeated Scar's army.
In the wake of the battle, Kion and Ono sustained serious physical injuries. Along with the rest of the Lion Guard, they journeyed to the Tree of Life in search of healing. While at the Tree of Life, the Lion Guard assisted the Night Pride in protecting their territory from Makucha's army. Ultimately, the Lion Guard chose to forfeit their roles to Vitani and her self-formed Lion Guard, and joined the Night Pride instead.
Biography[]
Early life[]
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As an infant, Fuli befriended Beshte, Bunga, and Kion. One day, she spotted Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu stealing an egret egg and warned Kion about the situation. Though Beshte suggested that they inform Simba, Kion insisted that they did not have time. Together, the friends confronted the hyenas and drove them back to the Outlands. Afterward, the egg hatched into Ono.[1]
Cubhood[]
Dawn of the Lion Guard[]
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Fuli flees the baboon leader's troop.
When Bunga and Kion were racing through the Pride Lands, playing Baobab Ball, Fuli ran past them, and Bunga hitched a ride on her back. Annoyed, she flipped him into the grass.
Later, after Kion learned that he was the leader of the new Lion Guard, he decided to recruit Fuli as its fastest member. Upon searching for her, Kion found her being chased by the baboon leader and his troop. With help from Beshte, he subdued the baboons, and Fuli apologized to them for having insulted how they looked when they scratched their heads.
Fuli helps defeat Janja's clan.
After the rescue, Kion gathered with Beshte, Bunga, Fuli, and Ono, and informed them of his new position. He attempted to show them the Roar of the Elders, but all that came out was a squeak. Just then, Simba arrived and chastised Kion for his choice of teammates, insisting that the Guard must be made of lions only.
Shortly afterward, the friends learned that Janja's clan was attacking a herd of gazelles. Despite his father's disapproval, Kion gifted each of his friends with the Mark of the Guard and rallied them for battle against the hyenas. Together, the new Lion Guard attacked Janja's clan and drove them back into the Outlands. Fuli then carried Bunga into the gazelle herd so that he could save Kion's sister, Kiara, from being trampled. From afar, Simba spectated the rescue and, realizing that Kion had been wise in his choice of teammates, accepted the new Lion Guard as the official protectors of the Pride Lands.[2]
Journey to Flat Ridge Rock[]
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The Lion Guard searches for Flat Ridge Rock.
When Janja and his lackeys, Cheezi and Chungu, began chasing a herd of oryx in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard intercepted them and drove them off. As the hyenas fled, Kion took chase and commanded the rest of the Lion Guard to calm the oryx herd. However, while chasing the hyenas into the Outlands, Kion fell into a river. The rest of the Lion Guard attempted to save him, to no avail, and he was forced to reach dry ground in the Outlands. Deeming the river too rough for crossing, he instructed his friends to meet him at Flat Ridge Rock while he navigated the Outlands.
Bunga led the Lion Guard into an area of dense jungle, only to admit that he was lost. Beshte suggested that they talk to a rhinoceros, Mbeya, who might be familiar with Flat Ridge Rock, and the Lion Guard agreed to the new plan. While Beshte was talking to Mbeya at the watering hole, his friends waited on the edge of the water. Eventually, they grew impatient and insisted that Beshte wrap up his conversation. Realizing that he had forgotten to ask about Flat Ridge Rock, Beshte rushed back to ask Mbeya for directions.
Fuli faces off against Jasiri.
With Beshte in the lead, the Lion Guard continued to search for Flat Ridge Rock until Ono spotted it in the distance. Fuli sped ahead of her friends, and they scrambled to catch up. Once they reached Flat Ridge Rock, Beshte, Bunga, and Ono complained that Kion never would have left them behind, and Fuli apologized for being over-eager.
While at Flat Ridge Rock, the Lion Guard overheard Kion using the Roar of the Elders. Upon following the sound into the Outlands, the Lion Guard found Kion with a hyena named Jasiri and assumed that she was an enemy. However, when Kion clarified that she was a friend and complimented her battle prowess, Fuli proclaimed that she liked Jasiri already. Together, the Lion Guard and Jasiri walked to the border of the Pride Lands and parted ways.[3]
Conflict with Makuu[]
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One day, the Lion Guard raced to the rescue of an animal crying for help. When the five arrived on the scene, however, they found Pim stuck in a thorn bush. Annoyed by the false alarm, the Guard proceeded to free Pim, only for Ushari to eat him. Again, the Guard freed him, and he ran away in fear of Bunga's smell.
The Lion Guard watches the mashindano between Makuu and Pua.
The friends traveled to Big Springs, where Beshte showed off his home to his friends. While there, the Guard witnessed Makuu challenge Pua, the leader of the crocodiles, to a mashindano. The animals of the Pride Lands later gathered to witness the mashindano, and Makuu managed to pull a victory over the aged Pua.
After Pua's defeat, the Lion Guard gathered in the Lair of the Lion Guard, where Ono attempted to mask Bunga's stink. Fuli watched with bemusement and playfully mocked Ono's efforts. In the midst of the gathering, Kiara rushed up and warned Kion that the giraffes had moved into the baboons' forest. The Lion Guard rushed to Big Springs, where they discovered that Makuu had invaded and thus forced the other animals to switch habitats. The Lion Guard confronted Makuu and asked him to leave Big Springs, but he refused and mocked Kion for being unwilling to fight. Though his friends encouraged him to use the Roar of the Elders, Kion decided against it, as he did not want to lash out in anger like Scar.
Fuli checks that a grove of trees is clear of animals.
The friends returned to Pride Rock, where Kiara revealed that there had been an invasion of baboons. Eventually, the Guard decided to demonstrate the Roar of the Elders on a grove of trees to show Makuu what he would be in for if he should attempt a fight. While Bunga, Fuli, and Ono set out to clear the grove of animals, Beshte and Kion confronted Makuu. However, as they were clearing the grove, Bunga, Fuli, and Ono spotted Pim sitting peacefully in one of the trees, and Bunga climbed up to bring Pim to safety. Ono then gave the signal, and Kion roared into the trees, clearing them all of their branches. In awe, Makuu backed down and led his float out of Big Springs.
After Makuu left, the animals returned to their habitats. Basi invited the crocodiles to return to Big Springs once the fish population rose, while the Lion Guard watched in satisfaction.[4]
Bunga the Wise[]
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Fuli helps save the baboons from a collapsing tree.
During a storm, a troop of baboons sought shelter in a tree on a cliff, and the Lion Guard desperately tried to convince them to climb down to safety. When the baboons refused to see reason, Bunga used his stench to flush them out of the tree. In escaping Bunga's stink, several baboons landed on Fuli's back and refused to get off until the rain stopped, to Fuli's annoyance.
After the rescue, the Lion Guard took a breather. In the middle of their break, they spotted a wall of floodwater racing across the plains. Kion ordered Ono to take a look, and Ono informed his teammates that Lake Kiziwa was flooding. Bunga proposed they knock a pile of large rocks into the way of the floodwater, and the Guard did so, momentarily stopping the flood. As several Pride Landers gathered around, Rafiki approached and started to compliment honey badgers on their wisdom, only to not finish his sentence because he dropped some fruit. Without waiting for Rafiki to finish, Bunga proclaimed that he was the smartest animal in the Pride Lands and ran off to tell Timon and Pumbaa.
The Lion Guard discusses Bunga's purported wisdom.
The Lion Guard started to pursue Bunga, only to encounter animal after animal who needed their help. Just before the Guard could check on the cobras, Ono proclaimed that they had to see what was going on at Hakuna Matata Falls. When the Lion Guard arrived on the scene, they saw many animals lined up to meet Bunga, who had proclaimed himself to be a sage. Kion attempted to talk Bunga out of his idiocy, but the honey badger refused to rejoin the Lion Guard. After the friends left Bunga, Fuli commented that Bunga was the last animal who should be doling out advice, to which Beshte pointed out that Bunga had stopped the lake from flooding. Kion agreed but admitted that he had a bad feeling about the situation.
While walking the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard freed Mbuni's head from the sand, and she explained that she had been advised to do so by Bunga the Wise. After this, the friends encountered more and more animals who had taken Bunga's bad advice and were forced to rescue them. Throughout the ordeal, Fuli gave Kion pointed looks until he finally admitted that they needed to stop Bunga before it was too late.
Fuli saves a hedgehog from a flood.
Just then, the Guard saw Bunga at the head of a parade of animals celebrating his great wisdom. The Guard approached, and Kion attempted to reason with Bunga, but he pointed out that everyone loved his advice. Timon added that Bunga had fixed the dam. At that moment, the dam broke, and the Pride Landers were forced to flee. With Kion in the lead, the animals ran into a canyon, where they found themselves trapped at a dead end. The animals looked to Bunga for wisdom, but he told them to listen to Kion, who truly did know how to handle bad situations. Thinking quickly, Kion ordered the others to stand behind him while he used the Roar of the Elders to divert the floodwaters.
With the Pride Lands safe once more, the Lion Guard relaxed at a new water hole that had been created by the floodwaters.[5]
Kiara's temporary queenship[]
| “ | Kion: Did I just get an order from my sister? Fuli: No, you got an official decree.
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When Simba temporarily put Kiara in charge of the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard reacted with relative enthusiasm. Kion, however, was miffed. While the team waited for Ono to join them for their morning patrol, they spotted him flying toward Pride Rock and scrambled to catch up to him. Once at Pride Rock, the Guard witnessed Tiifu and Zuri giving Kiara a royal introduction.
The Lion Guard defends Kiara from Janja's clan.
After Kiara received the morning report from Ono, she sent the Lion Guard to divert a herd of elands from a path that was blocked by bees. Unwilling to obey his sister, Kion attempted to move the bees himself, but the plan backfired, and the bees chased the Lion Guard away. In running from the bees, the team crashed into the herd of elands.
After the disaster, Kion reported what had happened to Kiara, who chided him for having not listened to her. Later, she decided to meet up with Janja alone, for she believed that she knew best. Knowing that Kiara was making a mistake, Kion rallied the Lion Guard, and they helped save her from Janja and his clan.[6]
Ono's injury[]
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Fuli and Kion struggle to see in a wildebeest stampede.
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 watched the hyenas enter the Outlands, he got sand in his eye and fell to the ground.
Acting quickly, the Lion Guard brought Ono to Rafiki, who constructed an eye patch for the egret and told him to stay out of action for three days. Though Kion tried to reassure 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 observed the chaos of the Lion Guard down below and decided to report what he had seen to Mzingo.
The Lion Guard is trapped in a ravine.
Later, in the Lair of the Lion Guard, Beshte rushed up to his friends and reported that Janja had been spotted on a ledge overlooking a herd of zebras in the Pride Lands. Horrified, Kion took the Lion Guard to investigate, minus Ono, who stayed behind with Rafiki. As Kion led the Lion Guard into a canyon, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu dropped rocks on either side of them, trapping them in the ravine. After gloating to Kion, Janja rushed off to pick off the zebra herd, and the Lion Guard attempted to escape the rock walls. Just in time, Ono appeared, and Kion instructed him to move the zebras so that he could safely blast the rocks away with the Roar of the Elders.
Ono did as instructed, and Kion set the Lion Guard free. With the Lion Guard back in commission, Janja fled with his minions, and the Lion Guard returned to Pride Rock. There, they were met by Rafiki, who had redone his new painting so that Kion was among his friends, not just his teammates.[7]
Kupatana[]
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On the day of Kupatana, the Lion Guard expressed their excitement for the upcoming celebration, and Simba reminded them that Kupatana was a day of peace where all the animals in the Pride Lands gathered together. Just then, the Lion Guard overheard a jackal pup being chased in the Outlands by Janja and his clan. Though Kion was hesitant to interfere in Outlands business, Simba encouraged him to save the jackal for the sake of Kupatana.
The Lion Guard rescues Dogo.
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 simply let the Guard take the jackal pup. Though confused, Kion checked on the jackal pup, who introduced himself as Dogo and asked if he could return to the Pride Lands with the Guard. Kion was hesitant to grant the pup's request, but when Dogo made a pleading face, he allowed the pup to join them.
Once in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard explained Kupatana to Dogo and invited him to join, 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 for their daily patrol.
Fuli and Ono warn Kion not to invite Dogo to Kupatana.
While on patrol, Beshte and Bunga spotted Dogo's brothers making themselves at home in some aardvark warrens. When the amount of jackals became too much for them, they called out to Kion for help. Once at the scene, Kion 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. Kion reluctantly agreed to her demands but made her promise to stop stealing from the aardvarks.
After getting Reirei settled, the Lion Guard rushed to the rescue of Mbeya, who was stuck in a mud pit. While helping Mbeya, the Lion Guard overheard the cries of several animals who had been robbed by the jackals. Kion lectured Reirei for having stolen from other animals, but Reirei claimed that the customs of the Pride Lands were so different from their own and asked if her family could participate in Kupatana. Though still dubious, Kion allowed them to join, but only if they treated the other Pride Landers with respect.
Fuli fights Goigoi.
Later that day, the Kupatana celebration began, and the animals witnessed the blooming of the baobab blossoms. However, in the midst of the proceedings, Reirei and her family broke through the crowd of animals and began to hunt. As chaos broke out, Kion and Simba implored the Pride Landers to work together in fighting off the jackals, and Kion jumped down to join the Lion Guard. Together, the Pride Landers and the Guard cornered Reirei and her family, and Kion ordered them to return to the Outlands. Reirei pleaded for a second chance until Simba stepped forward and roared, frightening her and her family into fleeing.
With the jackals gone, Kion apologized for his mistake, and Simba reminded him that it had been he who had encouraged the Guard to rescue Dogo in the first place. He then pointed out that all the Pride Landers had stood together in fighting off the jackals, just as the spirit of Kupatana encouraged. Bunga then began to eat the fallen baobab blossoms, and many of the Pride Landers joined in.[8]
Hunting solo[]
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Timon and Pumbaa admire Fuli's soft fur.
The Lion Guard was directing a herd of cape buffalo away from a mudslide when 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 on Beshte's back, the Lion Guard raced to Rafiki, who proclaimed that Bunga was immune to snake bites. Timon and Pumbaa were relieved and resolved to throw a feast in celebration of Bunga's immunity, but none of the other Lion Guard members could attend. Fuli shared her plans to hunt by herself, but a horrified Timon and Pumbaa insisted that she must join them. As Fuli, Timon, Pumbaa, and Bunga walked away, Beshte, Kion, and Ono wondered if they should involve Fuli more in their activities.
Once Fuli arrived at Hakuna Matata Falls, Timon and Pumbaa offered her a platter of bugs, which she politely declined. Timon attempted to make conversation with her but soon became entranced by her soft fur. To her annoyance, he and Pumbaa began petting her. Meanwhile, Bunga attempted to climb into the mouth of a crocodile, since he had been proclaimed "immune" by Rafiki, and Fuli saved him at the last second.
Fuli spends time with Ono.
After saving Bunga, Fuli attempted to go hunting by herself but got interrupted by Ono, who invited her to a meal with his flock. Though at first elated, Fuli discovered with disappointment that Ono's flock merely ate bugs that were kicked up by elephants.
Shortly after leaving Ono, Fuli ran into Beshte, who convinced her to take a dip in the water with him. Despite her aversion to water, Fuli crept to the edge of a nearby water hole. Just as she was about to dip her paws in, Beshte accidentally shoved her into the water. Annoyed, Fuli returned to shore and said a hasty goodbye to Beshte.
Fuli hunts alongside Kiara.
Later, Kion spotted Fuli hunting by herself and invited her to join his family on a hunt. Fuli accepted happily, but when she arrived at the hunt, she was loath to hunt alongside Tiifu and Zuri. With Kiara at her side, Fuli snuck up on a nearby gazelle and started to pounce. However, Nala called for a halt, and the gazelle ran away. In the face of Fuli's confusion, Kion explained that Kiara was simply learning how to track, not kill. Fuli angrily declared that she liked hunting alone and that she had never wanted to be alone more than at that moment.
After leaving Kion, Fuli vented her frustration at her friends for not understanding her need to be alone. As she did so, Beshte, Kion, and Ono met up and related their separate experiences. After swapping stories, they realized that Fuli may just want to be left alone, and they resolved to find her and promise to let her be herself from then on.
Fuli and Bunga work together to escape Janja's clan.
Meanwhile, Bunga got cornered by Janja and his hyenas in the Outlands volcano. Despite Janja's threats, Bunga shouted that he was immune, and Fuli happened to overhear him. Upon following Bunga's voice inside the volcano, she saved him from Janja's clutches. In the process, the two got trapped on a rock in the midst of a lava stream. Janja and his cronies attempted to take advantage of their precarious position, but the rest of the Lion Guard arrived on the scene and helped Bunga and Fuli escape.
Once back in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard resolved to cool off at the water hole. Kion reminded Fuli that she did not have to come, and she thanked him for understanding. She reassured him that she still enjoyed the company of her friends and that she thought of them as her family. The five friends then joined in a group hug.[9]
Attack by Mzingo's parliament[]
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Fuli slows a herd of cape buffalo.
While checking on a herd of cape buffalo, the Lion Guard realized that the herd was grazing near a geyser. When the geyser exploded, the herd took off in a panic, but Fuli circled them until they calmed down. The rest of the Lion Guard caught up to her and expressed that they were impressed.
Just then, three galagos cried out for help. Before Kion could instruct his team, Fuli rushed to the rescue, saving the galagos from falling out of a tree. Afterward, Kion lectured Fuli for having rushed ahead, but she reminded him that she had known that she could handle the situation by herself.
Kion and Fuli argue over her stamina capabilities.
Shortly afterward, the team stumbled across Mapema Rock, and Bunga resolved to hunt for Utamu grubs. At that moment, the Lion Guard heard a cry for help. Ono scouted ahead and reported that a serval had tried to jump across Big Ravine and was struggling to climb up the cliff. Without waiting for instruction, Fuli saved the serval on her own, and Kion furiously berated her.
After the argument, Kion instructed Fuli to rest while the rest of the Lion Guard helped Bunga find Utamu grubs. While resting, Fuli decided to hunt instead. As she was hunting, she got interrupted by a duck, who begged her to drive off a pair of oryxes who were fighting near the ducks' nests. Fuli accepted the mission, and the duck questioned if she would need the rest of the Lion Guard. Fuli retorted that there was no time, and the two took off to save the eggs.
Mzingo's parliament attacks Fuli.
Upon reaching the ducks' nests, Fuli drove the oryxes away. Once they were gone, she became so exhausted that she collapsed beneath a tree where Mzingo's parliament was roosting. The vultures spotted Fuli resting beneath their tree and resolved to make her into their next meal. Descending from the tree, they surrounded and advanced upon her. Just in time, the Lion Guard arrived and fought them off, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blow them away.
Once the vultures were gone, Fuli thanked her friends for having saved her and promised to wait for them on the next mission. Together, the Lion Guard traveled to Hakuna Matata Falls, where they shared a feast of Utamu grubs with Timon and Pumbaa.[10]
Training with Mtoto[]
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The Lion Guard were 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 gently explained to them the dangers of pretending to be hyenas, and the young animals vowed to never play in such a way again.
Fuli runs an obstacle course.
After the young animals' promise, 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 Lion Guard had business elsewhere. However, Mtoto begged Beshte to stay, and he invited Mtoto to watch the Lion Guard train.
Once at the training grounds, Beshte told the team that he had brought along Mtoto, and Kion agreed to let the young elephant train with them. First, the team did an obstacle course, but 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 an unprepared Bunga.
Fuli and Bunga defeat the hyenas.
After Beshte left to walk Mtoto home, Kion continued to train his team by pitting Bunga against Fuli in a race. Though Bunga initially assumed that he had beaten Fuli, he discovered that she had dashed ahead of him during the race. After the results were sorted out, Kion asked Ono to look for Beshte, who had not shown back up for training. When Ono returned with no leads, the rest of the Lion Guard set out in search of Beshte and stumbled across Mtoto's friends. The young animals informed the team 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 he raced back to alert the team. As Beshte and Mtoto defended themselves, the rest of the Lion Guard appeared and dispatched of the crocodiles. During the chaos, the hyenas got knocked into the pool, where they were chased in circles by the crocodile float.[11]
Encounter with Tamaa[]
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Fuli and Ono investigate the river bank for Goigoi.
After hearing Makuu's, Goigoi's, and Janja's threatening voices, several animals rushed up to Kion, begging him for help. 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. A confused Kion pressed the animal victims for more information and discovered that Goigoi, Janja, and Makuu had all made the same threat word for word.
Just then, the Lion Guard overheard Janja and followed his voice to where a drongo named Tamaa sat perched in a bush. The Lion Guard pressed him for information, and the bird pointed them in the right direction. However, as they were following Tamaa's instructions, Ono suddenly instructed the Lion Guard to turn back.
Fuli glares at Tamaa.
Once they had returned to Tamaa, the Lion Guard witnessed him mimicking Janja's voice in order to scare off a hyrax. Furious, Kion confronted him for his wrongdoing, and Tamaa 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 remained unimpressed and made Tamaa 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 Janja and his cronies, Cheezi and Chungu, back into the Outlands.
Fuli advises Tamaa on how to mimic her voice.
Shortly afterward, the Lion Guard happened across Thurston, who was fervently trying to escape danger. Upon being questioned, he 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 off to put a stop to the danger.
Just as the hyenas were cornering Tamaa in the Outlands, the real Lion Guard arrived and chased the hyenas away from Tamaa and the herd of impalas. Together, they escorted the impalas back to the Pride Lands, where Tamaa vowed to only use his voice for good from then on. After making his promise, Tamaa imitated Bunga's voice as he swept away.[12]
Dangerous premonitions[]
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The Lion Guard attempted to rescue an infant gazelle whose hoof was stuck under a large rock. Beshte rushed down and lifted the rock off the gazelle's hoof, but the moment Bunga pulled him free, they both went tumbling over the edge of a steep drop. Fuli attempted to save Bunga, but he slipped out of her grasp at the last second. Just in time, Kion grabbed hold of Bunga and pulled him and the infant gazelle to safety.
Fuli attempts to save Bunga as he falls down a steep hill.
After the rescue, Ono escorted the gazelle home, while the rest of the team headed to the Lair of the Lion Guard. Shortly afterward, Ono reappeared and reported a zebra stampede. Once at the scene, 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 earth.
With the mission a success, Bunga left with Beshte to show him Rafiki's paintings, while Kion, Fuli, and Ono stayed behind to question 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 ordered Ono to guide the zebras home.
Fuli helps calm a stampeding zebra herd.
On the peak of Pride Rock, Beshte and Bunga attempted to warn Kion that one of Rafiki's paintings had predicted that he would fall out of a tree, but the cub scoffed at them, disbelieving their wild stories. No sooner had he denied their worries when Ono arrived, warning the team of a hyena attack. With no time left to wonder about Rafiki's paintings, the Lion Guard took off to deal with the problem.
Once at the scene, 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. Worried for his safety, Bunga raced after him and tackled him to the ground. Together, the two fell on top of Janja, who raced off to the Outlands.
Beshte and Fuli defeat Cheezi and Chungu.
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 zebras, Bunga attempted to save Kion from tripping over a tree branch, but the branch turned out to be Ushari. A suspicious Fuli confronted her friends, who explained the danger Kion was in. Though somewhat doubtful, she decided to help them. 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.
Fuli confronts Beshte and Bunga about their strange behavior.
Kion demanded to know what his friends had been doing, but he was interrupted when Ono spotted a shortcut through the trees. Bunga quickly suggested a different route, and Beshte and Fuli supported him until the team decided to take the new route. While wading through a neck-deep, muddy river, Bunga explained to Ono the danger that Kion was in, and Ono agreed to help the team.
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 large log over a raging river. In a panic, the friends crossed the log to save him, but the log tipped, throwing the team 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 him.
The Lion Guard falls in an attempt to save Kion.
Just then, Beshte rose to his feet and accidentally sent a rock rolling toward some zebras, who panicked and fell into the nearby river. The Lion Guard raced alongside the zebras until they reached the end of the falls, where Kion resolved to climb down on an overhanging tree branch and roar the zebras to safety. Bunga protested adamantly, 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, blowing the zebras to safety. On his way up, he slipped and fell, to his friends' horror, but managed to catch himself at the last second.
After the rescue, the team 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 demonstrated 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 they had thought was Kion was actually the father of Kion's mother, Nala.[13]
Mbali Fields migration[]
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The Lion Guard rushed to stop a herd of gazelles from fighting with a herd of zebras. Fuli commented that she had never seen gazelles and zebras act like this, while Beshte recognized the gazelles as being Swala's herd and the zebras as being Muhimu's herd.
The Lion Guard leads the Mbali Fields migration.
The Lion Guard rushed down the slope to put a stop to the fight, and Kion stepped forward, roaring for silence. With the herds 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.
After talking with his father, Simba, Kion agreed to lead the herds to Mbali Fields. Ono reported a route that they could take to Mbali Fields, and Kion announced to the herds that he would be leading them to a new home. With a proud Kion in the lead, the herds set out alongside the Lion Guard. During the trip, Fuli stopped a lone zebra from wandering away from the herds.
Fuli rescues a gazelle from a flood.
Eventually, the herds made it to a canyon, but Muhimu lost patience and began to charge through the canyon with her herd. Not to be outdone, Swala and her gazelles tore after them. A frantic Lion Guard attempted to stop them, but, too late, a huge pile of rocks fell into the midst of the canyon, blocking the way into Mbali Fields. Kion realized that they must scout out another route, for the rocks were unmovable. Ono rushed to fulfill this new command, but when he returned to Kion, he admitted that the only other way to Mbali Fields would take them through the Outlands. Grimly, Kion accepted their fate.
As the herds set out, a storm broke over the canyon, and the combined herds began to complain about Kion's leadership. At that moment, a flash flood forced the herds to race to higher ground. While Ono led the herds to higher ground, the rest of the Guard rescued those still trapped in the rising waters.
The Lion Guard regroups in Mbali Fields.
Once the herds were safe, they began to complain about Kion, criticizing his choice to take them through the canyon. 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.
Eventually, the Lion Guard regrouped in Mbali Fields, where they happily watched Muhimu's son play with Bunga.[14]
Sinkhole[]
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While helping a sable antelope out of the mud, the Lion Guard caught wind that Simba had fallen into a sinkhole. Kion raced ahead to check on his father, while the rest of the Lion Guard finished rescuing the sable antelope. Once they had reconvened at the sinkhole, Bunga foolishly jumped in, and the Lion Guard deliberated how they could free him and Simba.
Fuli and Kion peer into the sinkhole.
Beshte tried to get a better look at the sinkhole, but his weight caused the walls to crumble, and Nala ordered everyone to get back. Kiara nearly fell into the sinkhole, but Fuli saved her at the last second. The Lion Guard then tried to tip a log into the sinkhole for Bunga and Simba to climb on, but it splintered to pieces at the bottom of the sinkhole.
Eventually, Bunga and Simba discovered a tunnel to Nandembo Caverns, and the rest of the Lion Guard agreed to meet them in the tunnels. Along with Timon and Pumbaa, the Lion Guard entered Nandembo Caverns, where they reunited with Bunga and Simba. After the rescue, the team traveled to Mizimu Grove and performed "Hakuna Matata" for Ma Tembo's herd.[15]
Beshte's imaginary friend[]
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The Lion Guard was playing hide-and-seek when Fuli moved some grass, causing Kion to find and pin her. Fuli inquired as to why they were playing hide-and-seek, and Kion explained that it would improve their tracking skills. The rest of the Guard approached, and Fuli warned them that she was the fastest tracker in the Pride Lands. After counting, she located Bunga inside a hollow log.
Fuli plays hide-and-seek with her friends.
Before continuing, she noticed cat tracks, which she initially assumed were Kion's. However, she quickly realized that they belonged to a leopard. Anxious, she called for the Guard to leave their hiding places, and Kion and Ono emerged, while Beshte did not. Ono promptly left to look for the leopard, while the others inspected the tracks. Ono returned shortly, saying he had located the leopard stalking some gazelles, and the Lion Guard hurried off to stop him.
Together, they confronted the leopard, who introduced himself as Makucha and dared the Guard to catch him. Fuli eagerly dashed after Makucha and nearly caught him, but the leopard jumped over a large ravine that Fuli could not cross. She told the Guard about Makucha's great speed, and Kion pointed out that, since leopards were not native to the Pride Lands, the herds would not be afraid of Makucha. The Lion Guard then realized that Beshte was not with them, and Bunga and Ono left to find him while Kion and Fuli inspected more leopard tracks.
Fuli faces off against Makucha.
Ono and Bunga soon returned with Beshte, who told his teammates about a new friend he had made, describing him as looking like several different species of animal. The Guard began to dicuss whether Beshte's new friend was imaginary, until Fuli reminded them about Makucha. Later, the Guard hurt Beshte's feelings by doubting his story about his friend and apologized to him for their distrust. They later saw Makucha stalking a zebra herd and gave chase, only to notice that the leopard did not seem to be pursuing the zebras.
Suddenly, Ajabu the okapi ran past them, closely followed by Makucha. Beshte caught up to Makucha and protected Ajabu, while Fuli and Kion challenged Makucha to a fight. Outnumbered, the leopard fled, and Fuli told him not to stop until he was out of the Pride Lands. Beshte then introduced everyone to his friend, Ajabu. The Guard took Ajabu to Pride Rock, where Simba and Nala gave the okapi their blessing to live in the Pride Lands. To celebrate, the friends decided to play hide-and-seek, but no one could find Ajabu. Fuli then admitted that he was an excellent hider.[16]
Termite infestation[]
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The Lion Guard mistakes some aardwolves for hyenas.
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.
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. Ono flew in and informed the team that a tree in Mekundu Cliffs was about to collapse, with a colony of bats inside. Together, the Lion Guard rushed out of the Lair to save the bats.
Fuli avoids a cluster of termites.
Along the way, the Lion Guard crossed a log, which snapped and fell into a ravine after they had passed. The team 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 roused the bats. No sooner had the bats flown out when the tree collapsed, and the Lion Guard realized that termites were the source. Just then, all the other trees in Mekundu Cliffs collapsed, and Kion resolved to ask his father about the situation.
Once the Lion Guard reached Pride Rock, Simba suggested they 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 their 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 gently told his son that he had made a mistake and encouraged him to do his best to fix the problem.
Fuli asks Simba what aardwolves are.
After following the aardwolves' scent into the Outlands, the Lion Guard got spotted by the aardwolf pack, who had taken shelter behind a large boulder. The pack spied on the Lion Guard and overheard them musing over whether they should sneak up behind or surround the aardwolves. Terrified, the aardwolves fled, but they were found a moment later by Bunga, who fumbled into their midst. In a panic, the pack fled, and the Lion Guard raced after them.
Eventually, the team gave up on the chase, for they realized that the aardwolves were afraid of them. Though the friends were shocked at being perceived as villains, Kion resolved to earn the aardwolves' trust before trying to lead them home. Just then, Ono spotted a nearby aardwolf, Mjomba, and yelled down to his teammates 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.
Fuli and Kion pursue the aardwolf pack.
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 they should never have driven the pack out to begin with, and Kion apologized for the misunderstanding, admitting that he had mistaken the aardwolves for hyenas. He then told Mjomba that he needed the rest of his pack to return home, since the Pride Lands had become infested with termites. Mjomba was hesitant to comply until Bunga and Ono reminded him that he would get to come 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, alerting Reirei and Goigoi to their presence. Eventually, the Lion Guard reached the aardwolves' cave, and Kion sent Mjomba ahead to calm the aardwolves into trusting him and his friends. Mjomba arrived and told his friends that the Lion Guard could be trusted. Before the pack could leave with him, however, Reirei and Goigoi trapped the aardwolves in the cave and launched an attack.
Fuli leads the aardwolves to safety.
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 a frenzy.
With the jackals defeated, the Lion Guard led the aardwolves home. Once back in the Lair of the Lion Guard, the team relaxed, and Bunga lamented the disappearance of the termites. As he lay in a defeated slump, Ono flew in and dropped a leaf full of termites into Bunga's lap, 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.[17]
Training Badili[]
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Two galagos cling to Fuli.
While lounging at Hakuna Matata Falls, the Lion Guard contented themselves by watching Bunga perform dives into a nearby pool. In the middle of the game, a group of galagos sprinted onto the scene, yelling for help. Beshte questioned one of the galagos, Laini, on why they were so upset, and she explained that a ferocious leopard had settled into their tree. Kion resolved to help the helpless galagos. Before the group could leave, however, Ono informed the team that Shingo the giraffe was stuck in a tree in Ukuni Woods.
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. Bunga climbed up the trunk and carefully pried Shingo's neck and tongue free, allowing him to escape the branches of the acacia. Just then, the galagos reappeared, having been frightened away from the falls by Pumbaa's flatulence. The Lion Guard reassured the galagos that they were safe and tried to convince them to return to the falls, but Laini insisted that they remain with the Lion Guard.
The Lion Guard meets Badili.
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 Lion Guard questioned whether he was the ferocious leopard who had driven out the galagos, and the leopard, who introduced himself as Badili, explained that he had not realized that he had been stealing someone's home.
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 went on that he would rather share the galagos' tree than leave, but Kion insisted that Badili return to where he belonged. Though the leopard tried several tactics to remain in the Pride Lands, he eventually gave in and followed the Lion Guard back home to Mirihi Forest.
Fuli braces to fight Mapigano.
Along the way, Badili stalled for time, and Kion demanded to know why the leopard was not keen on returning home. Instead of answering, Badili forged ahead of the Lion Guard, returning to his tree alone. As the leopard 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 named 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 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 team asked him why he had left his territory again, and he confessed that Mapigano had driven him out again. At Badili's words, Kion realized that he had made a mistake in having chased off Mapigano himself. He informed his teammates that Badili must face Mapigano alone to show that he was not afraid, then offered to teach Badili how to stand up for himself. Though hesitant, Badili agreed to train with the Lion Guard.
Fuli teaches Badili how to run swiftly.
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. Fuli taught him how to run fast and not get distracted while doing so. Once fully trained, Badili was tested by the Lion Guard, who questioned him on what he would do if Mapigano challenged him. Badili answered every question with ease, and the Lion Guard expressed their confidence in his newfound determination.
Together, the Lion Guard and Badili returned to Mirihi Forest, where the Lion Guard waited in hiding while Badili confronted Mapigano. With his newfound determination, Badili demanded that Mapigano leave his territory, but Mapigano simply sprang into attack mode, laughing when Badili's confidence began to wither. The bigger leopard continued to taunt Badili until Badili took a deep breath and declared that he was not afraid. He then dodged all of Mapigano's attacks and roared for him to leave his territory. Thoroughly intimidated, Mapigano fled, and the Lion Guard cheered for Badili's bravery.
Fuli relaxes at Hakuna Matata Falls.
With Mapigano gone, Badili admitted that he had been terrified, but the Lion Guard reassured him that he had looked nothing short of brave. Ono praised Badili for having stood up for himself, and Badili thanked the Lion Guard for having believed in him. Kion quickly corrected him, reminding him that he had believed in himself. The Lion Guard then left to inform the galagos that they were free to return home.
Once back in the Pride Lands, the team took a break at Hakuna Matata Falls but were soon interrupted by Laini, who informed them that someone else had invaded the galagos' tree. The Lion Guard rushed to the scene, where they found Bunga resting in the tree branches with the galagos. Upon seeing Laini, Bunga pulled her into a hug, and Laini declared that perhaps Badili had not been so bad after all. This caused the other members of the Lion Guard to laugh.[18]
Nne and Tano's attack[]
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The Lion Guard confronts Janja for being in the Pride Lands.
After a rainstorm hit the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard patrolled the kingdom 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 walk out of sight. Once the Guard was gone, 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 Janja attempted to lie his way out of trouble, Kion stepped forward and used the Roar of the Elders to banish him and his cronies back to the Outlands.
Afterward, the Lion Guard continued to patrol the Pride Lands for blocked trails. During their search, they got caught in a mudslide and managed to escape to safety. Once out of the mudslide's path, 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, Fuli, and Beshte cleared scattered debris off the path.
Fuli helps clear debris from a mudslide.
Meanwhile, having been banished from the Outlands by Janja, Cheezi and Chungu decided to feast on leftovers in the Pride Lands. During the meal, the two got caught in a mudslide, and the Lion Guard rushed to their aid, rescuing them from the fast-flowing mud. Once the two's identities were revealed, Kion sent Ono to search for Janja, but Cheezi and Chungu explained that they were no longer affiliated with him.
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 that they would just get kicked out again, and Fuli pointed out that they were too dumb to cause much trouble. Kion questioned whether they would continue to attack the herds, but the hyenas 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 them stay in the Pride Lands.
Fuli remarks that Cheezi and Chungu are too stupid to cause trouble.
Just then, Ono spotted a herd of stampeding antelope, and the Lion Guard rushed off to help. In the midst of the stampede, Janja and his new cronies, Nne and Tano, stopped chasing the antelope and hid nearby. Once the Lion Guard had passed in pursuit of the stampede, the hyenas took off in a different direction.
After calming the herd, Kion voiced his suspicion that a hyena was behind the stampede, as he had caught a whiff of hyena scent while running. He instructed Ono to find Cheezi and Chungu, who were sleeping in a lazy heap in the path of the stampede. Cheezi and Chungu denied having started the stampede, then 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.
Fuli races toward Nne and Tano.
Once the Lion Guard had located Janja, who had been thrown off a cliff onto a ledge by Nne and Tano, they questioned him on why he had started the stampede, and Janja explained Nne and Tano's plan to hunt a herd of oryxes instead. As the Lion Guard left to rescue the oryxes, Cheezi and Chungu bounded down the cliff to join Janja.
At the end of a canyon, Nne and Tano trapped a 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 newfound master, and Beshte commented that he loved a happy ending.[19]
Befriending the baby baboon[]
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Fuli rescues a baby baboon from a flood.
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 of the vultures, Kion led his team to ensure that the parliament was not up to trouble. Upon reaching the vultures, the Lion Guard rescued a baby baboon from their clutches. Shortly after the rescue, the baby baboon got swept away by floodwaters, and Kion ordered Fuli to follow him down the river and pull him to safety.
Shortly afterward, Ono warned Kion that Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri were trapped on an island by floodwaters. At that moment, Fuli returned to her teammates with the baby baboon clinging to her affectionately. Kion instructed Fuli to take the infant to Nyani Grove, where the baboons lived, while the Lion Guard rescued Kiara and her friends. Fuli protested that she should help the Guard save Kiara, but Kion assured her that they could handle the rescue on their own.
Fuli vents her frustration at the baby baboon.
Though reluctant, Fuli relented and departed for Nyani Grove, with the baby baboon clinging to her back. Upon arriving at the grove, she spoke to the baboon leader, who informed her that the baby baboon did not belong to their group. Rather, he belonged to the baboons of Mapango Cliffs, who lived at the very top of a steep ridge. Though loath to travel so far, Fuli begrudgingly set out to return the baby baboon home. On her way out of the grove, the baboon leader told her to bring a message to their cliff neighbors, after which he and his fellows began to pelt her with fruit.
Once away from the tree baboons, Fuli started toward Mapango Cliffs. As she was running, the baby baboon escaped and began to pelt her with fruit from a nearby tree. Frustrated, Fuli lamented why the two of them could not get along, though she admitted that the infant was "kind of cute."
Fuli orders Mzingo to leave the cliff baboons alone.
After persuading the baby baboon to keep traveling with her, Fuli continued on her way, only to spot Mzingo and his parliament circling overhead. While attempting to sneak around the vultures, Fuli and the baby baboon attracted the parliament's attention, and Fuli formulated a plan to throw them off their scent. With the baby baboon clinging to her underbelly, she approached the vultures through a field of tall grass and told them that she was simply out hunting. She then threatened to eat Mzingo, and the parliament took off in fear.
With the vultures gone, Fuli reached Mapango Cliffs, where the baby baboon jumped excitedly from her back and began to scale the steep ridges. When he at last reached the top, he was embraced by his mother. Satisfied with her work, Fuli started to depart, only for Mzingo and his parliament to attack the baboons. Fuli scrambled up the side of the cliffs to reach the baboons, who began to throw fruit at the vultures to buy her time. Mzingo ordered his lackeys to get the baby baboon while he handled Fuli. Before he could hurt her, the baby baboon threw a fruit at him, which allowed Fuli to jump down the cliffs and pin Mzingo to the ground.
The baby baboon embraces Fuli.
With Mzingo in a prone position, Fuli ordered him to call off his parliament, and he did so, fleeing along with them. With the vultures gone, the baboons began to chant Fuli's name, and the mother baboon thanked Fuli for having saved her son. The baby baboon then clambered onto Fuli's back and repeated her favorite catchphrase, "Huwezi!"
Meanwhile, the rest of the Lion Guard delivered Kiara and her friends to safety. Fuli approached her teammates and reported that the baby baboon was home safe. Bunga commented that Fuli must be glad to be rid of the baby baboon, to which she looked back at Mapango Cliffs and wistfully said, "Baboons."[20]
Hunting the Zimwi[]
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A group of young animals, including the Lion Guard, gathered at Rafiki's tree for a story about the Zimwi, a legendary creature that stalked the Pride Lands during the full moon. To the young ones' horror, Bunga pointed out that the moon was full that night, and Rafiki warned the group that they may soon hear the Zimwi's call.
The Lion Guard listens to Rafiki's tale about the Zimwi.
Just then, the group heard a loud bellowing noise, and Kion demanded that the maker of the noise show himself. In answer, Beshte emerged from the brush and explained that he had been practicing his bellowing for an audition with the Bellow Fellows, a musical group of hippopotamuses.
With the young ones' fears abated, Rafiki described the Zimwi as being an eight-legged creature as tall as two giraffes, with long spikes and large teeth. Though the others young animals were frightened by Rafiki's story, Kion scoffed at the notion of the Zimwi being anything more than a tall tale. Rafiki bid the young ones good night and warned them to not let the Zimwi bite.
Fuli is awoken by Mtoto and his friends.
On the way home, Mtoto questioned whether the Zimwi was 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 they do the same, and Bunga invited the rest of the Lion Guard to sleep with him at Hakuna Matata Falls.
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. Kion doubted their claims but asserted that he and his team would hunt for the Zimwi anyway.
Fuli and Kion debate the Zimwi's existence.
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 were 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 them and instructed him to not tell anyone else about the Zimwi.
The Lion Guard's search continued, 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 the genets. He then took off again, disappearing into the forest.
The Lion Guard runs into Thurston.
The team moved on, but along the way, they were frightened by Beshte's continued bellowing practice. Kion reminded his friends that there was still no sign of the Zimwi, and Ono jokingly commented that he did not know who was scarier: Beshte or the Zimwi.
As the hunt persisted, Kion paused and remarked that he felt like something was watching them from the bushes. He ordered his team to fan out, then yelled for them to move in. His shout frightened some gazelles who were 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.
Fuli and Kion prepare to attack an unknown creature in the underbrush.
The gazelles pointed out a shadow against a nearby ravine, and the Lion Guard saw the outline of a tall, spiked figure. Together, the team strode into the gorge, where they came face to face with what appeared to be the Zimwi. In a panic, they fled the ravine and startled the gazelles, who began to gallop about the clearing in fear. Kion instructed Beshte to flatten a nearby patch of bushes so the gazelles could escape, and they poured out into the open, where they ran 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 could not run away, to which the others braced themselves for the coming confrontation with the Zimwi.
The Lion Guard encounters the Zimwi.
As one, the Lion Guard faced off against the Zimwi. To their horror, the Zimwi's head fell off its body and split into two, revealing two young porcupines. A shocked Kion asked if the porcupines had been hiding from the Zimwi, and the rest of the team 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, the Lion Guard looked on happily as Beshte passed his audition with the Bellow Fellows.[21]
Conflict with the Outsiders[]
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While playing Baobab Ball, Kion and Bunga encountered Jasiri, who begged Kion to drive out a strange pride of lions who had taken up residence in her clan's watering hole. Kion agreed and departed with Jasiri, while Bunga set off to the Lair of the Lion Guard with the news.
Fuli races Ono.
Once at the Lair, Bunga watched a race between Fuli and Ono. After Fuli won, Ono mused how he could fly faster next time. Though he tried to race her again, she won once more, and he gave up. Bunga asked Beshte and Rafiki if they would race Fuli instead, but they both refused, with Rafiki wondering who would be foolish enough to challenge the fastest in the Pride Lands to a race.
Just then, Rafiki noticed that Kion was missing, and Bunga explained that he had gone into the Outlands with Jasiri to help deal with a pride of lions. Rafiki reacted with horror and informed the Lion Guard that Kion had encountered the Outsiders. He took them to a wall of paintings and explained that Simba had banished the Outsiders to the Outlands after they had retained loyalties to Scar, Simba's evil uncle. Zira, the leader of the Outsiders, had insisted that her son, Kovu, be king since he was Scar's chosen heir, but Simba had asserted that Scar had not been the true king. The two had fought, and Simba had banished Zira and her followers to the Outlands after a crushing defeat. Rafiki warned the Lion Guard that there would be trouble if Zira found out that Kion was Simba's son, and so, the team took off to save their friend.
The Lion Guard listens to Rafiki's tale about the Outsiders.
Once in the Outlands, the Guard encountered Jasiri, who informed them that Kion had joined forces with Zira and her family. A shocked 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 and her pride surrounded Kion. Just then, Kion caught sight of Ono hovering over the pit. Filled with confidence, he yelled out the start of the Lion Guard's catchphrase, and his team completed his cry as they rushed into the pit. Together, the Lion Guard and Jasiri fended off the Outsiders and cornered them against a wall.
Fuli pins Vitani.
Realizing that this was Kion's team, Zira mocked the Lion Guard for only having one lion and rallied her lionesses with a cry that they outnumbered their enemies. Bunga urged Kion to use his Roar, but Kion worried that he would lose the Roar as Scar had for using it against other lions. Despite Kion's fears, Bunga insisted that Scar had not lost his Roar because he had used it against other lions, but because he had used it for evil.
Sensing Kion's change of heart, Zira claimed that she knew the Roar's powers better and that Kion must listen to her. Kion, however, was not swayed and told her that she was not welcome in the Pride Lands so long as he was around. He then used the Roar of the Elders to blast the Outsiders away.[22]
Makuu's invasion of the Flood Plains[]
| “ | Makuu: Oh, mighty Kion, leader of the Lion Guard, too much of a coward to use his Roar. Fuli: I don't know what you're talking about, Makuu. But if you think the Lion Guard needs the Roar to defeat you, you're sadly mistaken.
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Fuli surveys the damage caused by Kion's Roar.
When Janja and his clan invaded the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard drove them back into the Outlands. Once the Lion Guard had departed, however, Janja led his clan back into the kingdom, and the Guard rushed back to stop them. Before the team could reach the hyenas, the clan ran into Nala, who ordered Janja to return to his 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 the cliff and pulled her to safety.
Fuli, Bunga, and Beshte attempt to cheer up Ono.
Once on solid ground, Nala thanked Kion for having saved her life, but he lamented how close he had come to losing her. The rest of the Lion Guard approached and affirmed that they were all right, including Ono, who arrived with his crest feathers gone. Kion surveyed the damage done by his Roar and expressed shock that his rage had brought on such destruction.
Back at the Lair of the Lion Guard, the rest of the Lion Guard tried to comfort Ono for having lost his crest feathers. In an attempt to cheer Ono up, Fuli, Bunga, and Beshte encouraged him to embrace his new look. Kion, however, did not participate and instead took to looking at Rafiki's paintings of Scar, who had abused the Roar of the Elders. Bunga commented that it was a good thing that Kion now possessed the Roar, but Kion only reluctantly agreed.
Fuli emerges, soaking wet, from the river.
Just then, Zazu flew into the Lair and delivered news that a rockslide had blocked the giraffes' access to their water hole. The Lion Guard immediately set out to clear the wreckage. Once at the blockage, Bunga suggested that Kion use his 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 water hole.
Shortly after the rescue, 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 the river toward 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, and the team fell into the river with a splash. Startled, the klipspringer hopped safely to shore, and the Lion Guard rejoiced in their victory. As the Guard departed, Ono lamented having lost his tail feathers in the chaos, while a nearby Makuu resolved to take advantage of Kion's refusal to use the Roar.
Fuli fights Makuu.
Under Makuu's orders, the crocodiles invaded the Flood Plains, driving the other Pride Landers away in the process. A mongoose who had been chased away happened to run past Fuli, and she resolved to save the Flood Plains with the rest of her team. Hastening to the Lair of the Lion Guard, she related what had happened to the Pride Landers. While Ono flew off to fetch Kion, the rest of the Guard departed to save the Flood Plains.
Once at the scene, Fuli ordered Makuu to leave, but he simply laughed at the Guard for having a leader who refused to use the Roar of the Elders. Despite her confusion at Makuu's claim, Fuli threatened the crocodiles that they did not need Kion's Roar to defend the Pride Lands. She then attacked Makuu and ordered Beshte and Bunga to take on the rest of the float. There was a brief struggle, but Makuu and his float managed to overpower the Lion Guard and trap them in the midst of the water.
Fuli marvels at Kion's use of the Roar.
At that moment, Kion, Nala, and Ono arrived, and 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, prompting Kion to nearly use the Roar in fury. Before he could wreak havoc on the Flood Plains, he stopped himself from roaring, and Nala called for him to trust himself. Heeding his mother'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. Just then, Ono interrupted his friends, exclaiming excitedly that his crest feathers had begun to grow back.[23]
Journey to the Theluji Mountains[]
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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. The Lion Guard immediately departed to deal with the problem.
The Guard meets gorilla princes Hafifu and Majinuni.
Once the Lion Guard arrived at the scene, they 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 and refused to let them up until they promised not to hurt the pangolins again.
After the gorillas vowed to leave the pangolins alone, they introduced themselves as brothers Hafifu and Majinuni, and told Kion that they were looking for a lion named "King Zimba." In the face of Kion's confusion, Majinuni explained that they were there to deliver a message from their father, King Sokwe, to which Fuli was doubtful. 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 the gorillas simply replied with their catchphrase, "Kuishi ni kucheka," which meant "To live is to laugh."
Fuli looks on as Hafifu and Majinuni speak to Simba.
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 gorillas' message was important and explained that every wet season, King Sokwe informed Simba if their two kinds were still at peace or not. The brothers came before Simba, but when prompted to relay their message, they admitted that they had forgotten it. With this news, Simba was forced to ask Kion to deliver the gorillas back home and find out what Sokwe's message was.
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 had reached the base of the mountain range, Kion asked Hafifu and Majinuni how to reach their father, but the brothers admitted that they had only come down their mountain once: to deliver Sokwe's message to Simba. Kion looked instead to Ono for guidance, and he led them down a path through the trees at the base of the mountains.
Fuli and Kion navigate the mist.
As the group traveled deeper into the woods, Beshte spotted a chameleon, which prompted Hafifu and Majinuni to launch into a game of "chameleon hide-and-seek." The gorillas promptly disappeared into the woods, and the Lion Guard attempted to locate them. However, when the Guard's efforts proved unsuccessful, they decided to follow the sound of the brothers' voices instead. As the team searched for the brothers, Hafifu and Majinuni deliberately circled around the Lion Guard, until Kion realized their ploy and yelled that the game was not working. Hafifu and Majinuni decided to change the game to "forest hog chase," during which the Lion Guard had to chase the gorillas 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 Hafifu and Majinuni. With the danger abated, Kion suggested that they continue up the mountain, but the gorillas tried one last tactic to stall the Lion Guard. Realizing that Hafifu and Majinuni were deliberately prolonging the journey, the team confronted the gorillas over the matter. Cornered, the brothers admitted that they had originally agreed to deliver Sokwe's message in order to prove to him that they were good prince material, but now that they had failed, they did not want to disappoint him. Kion admitted that he sometimes felt the same way about his father.
Fuli plays in the snow of the Theluji Mountains.
The journey continued, and 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. Before he could fall, Hafifu and Majinuni pulled him to safety. After the rescue, Kion thanked the gorillas for having saved his life and told them that their bravery made for good prince material.
Fuli looks on as Bunga presents Simba with Sokwe's "peace message."
The group continued on their journey until they met the brothers' father, King Sokwe, who questioned his sons on their activities. Though Sokwe initially appeared to be displeased, he unexpectedly complimented the two on their bravery in having saved Kion's life and told them that they were true gorilla princes. Kion asked about Sokwe's message for Simba, but Sokwe instead focused on the snowball that Bunga had collected for Timon. Kion wondered if the souvenir was a problem, but Sokwe replied that the snowball 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 his snowball over Simba's head. Instead of being angry, Simba laughed and commented that no one delivered a peace message quite like King Sokwe.[24]
Simba's temporary leadership of the Lion Guard[]
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Kion informs his team of Simba's intent to lead them in Kion's absence.
In the Lair of the Lion Guard, Kion informed his teammates that Simba would lead the Lion Guard while Kion was away on a trip with Nala and Kiara. He then bid them goodbye and left them to wait for Simba. Though Ono began to anxiously preen and fret over the state of the Lair, Bunga assured him that he had nothing to worry about and described what Simba was like.
Simba happened to overhear Bunga's description and claimed that Bunga had gotten one thing right: that Simba was excited to lead the Lion Guard. Simba promptly gathered the Lion Guard for their morning patrol and led them out of the Lair. Along the way, Fuli tried to correct him on his route, but Simba insisted that they take the path that he had chosen. Though hesitant, the Guard agreed to the king's wishes, and the team veered off in a new direction.
The Lion Guard collides and slides down a muddy slope.
During the Guard's patrol, Ono spotted a mudslide heading toward a nest of ostrich eggs. Cutting off Ono's report, Simba instructed the Guard to follow him while he moved a log that was in the way of the falling mud. Though confused, the team followed him, and Simba ordered them to jump from rock to rock in order to avoid getting caught in the mud. Beshte commented that Kion usually had him walk through the mud, but Fuli reminded him that Simba was in charge, not Kion.
Beshte did as Simba had commanded but accidentally slipped on the rocks and fell into the mud, carrying Fuli, Bunga, and Ono with him. The four tumbled down the slope and dislodged Simba's log, causing it to roll toward the ostriches' nest. Before the log could reach the bottom of the slope, Beshte leaped forward and stopped it from crushing the eggs. Ono warned his friends that the eggs would now get caught up in the mud, and so, the Lion Guard rushed to save them. Upon rescuing the eggs, they returned them to the ostriches, who thanked them for their help.
Fuli criticizes Simba's leadership.
Simba expressed elation at the Guard's first rescue with the king and wondered what their next challenge would be. As he started to lead the Guard farther into the Pride Lands, Beshte commented to his teammates that at least Simba had not been mad about their nearly losing an ostrich egg, to which Fuli countered that it was not Beshte's fault that he could not jump like a lion. She asked why they were a team if they were all going to be tasked with doing the same thing, and Bunga reminded her that Simba was the king and knew what he was doing.
Just then, Ono flew up and started to report trouble, only for Simba to interrupt and declare that a herd of gazelles needed their help. The Lion Guard followed him down a slope to rescue the gazelles. Ono reported that the herd was trying to reach a patch of grass above an unstable pile of rocks, and Simba commented that the rocks would fall if the gazelles tried to ascend them. He then shouted for the Lion Guard to follow him and raced away. Beshte asked his friends if they should warn Simba that gazelles were easily spooked, but Bunga assured him that Simba knew what he was doing.
Fuli saves Bunga from a falling boulder.
The team streaked across the plains toward the gazelles, who shied away at their rapid advance. The herd began to climb the rock pile, dislodging stones, and Ono yelled for the Lion Guard to halt their approach. Simba, however, continued to run and got his tail stuck underneath a massive boulder. The rest of the Lion Guard gathered around him, and he assured them that he was uninjured.
Just then, the Lion Guard overheard ostriches crying out in fear, and Ono reported that the gazelles were stampeding toward the ostriches' nest. The Lion Guard turned to Simba for instructions, and he ordered them to leave him behind and save the ostrich eggs instead. Just then, a large boulder tumbled down from the top of the rock pile, and Fuli heroically saved Bunga from getting crushed.
Simba asserts that Kion would have been proud of the Lion Guard.
After the rescue, Fuli declared that they could not leave Simba, for he was in danger from the falling rocks. Simba told the Guard that he had been ordering them around all day when he should have figured out how their team worked. He then asked what they would do if Kion were in Simba's place, and Fuli explained that she and Ono would go after the herd, while Beshte and Bunga would stay behind to assist the king. Simba submitted to these orders and started the Lion Guard's chant as the team raced away to fulfill their separate duties.
Together, Fuli and Ono caught up to the gazelles, and Fuli ordered Ono to speak with Swala, while she calmed the ostriches. Both members were successful in their tasks, and the gazelles pulled to a halt before they could trample the ostrich eggs. At the same time, Beshte and Bunga worked together to free Simba. No sooner had they freed him when the rock pile began to collapse, and the three escaped to safety, where they reunited with Fuli and Ono. Simba complimented the Lion Guard on their success and declared that Kion would have been proud of them.[25]
Royal Mud Print Ceremony[]
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The Lion Guard looks on as Hadithi arrives in the Pride Lands.
Upon spotting a large flock of birds flying overhead, the Lion Guard decided to scout out the situation. From a nearby ridge, they spied the birds gathering in a clearing. Unexpectedly, Ono called to them from the audience of birds, inviting them to sit with him at the front. Once they had joined him, he explained that the birds had gathered for the return of Hadithi, a legendary eagle who was famous for his "Hadithi Spin."
Just then, Hadithi arrived, to much cheering from the gathered birds. As Ono explained Hadithi's feats to Bunga, Hadithi approached and bragged about his accomplishments. At that moment, Simba and Nala arrived and informed Hadithi that he was a hero to many animals in the Pride Lands, not just birds. Simba announced to the crowd that Hadithi was a selfless hero who never abandoned an animal in need and invited Hadithi to attend a Royal Mud Print Ceremony at Pride Rock. Bunga wondered what this ceremony was, and Ono explained that Hadithi would press his talons into mud and have his prints forever preserved alongside those of other heroes.
Fuli expresses irritation at Hadithi's request.
Simba continued that it was tradition for the hero to mentor a younger member of the Pride Lands. Kion nominated Ono for the position, and Simba accepted his suggestion. With business concluded, he and Nala began to depart, but Hadithi stopped them and requested that a ceremonial nest be built in his honor. Ono volunteered the Lion Guard to perform the service, and Kion agreed to the task.
After Simba and Nala had left, Hadithi thanked the Lion Guard for their acceptance of the job and told them to build his nest using leaves from the highest tree in the Pride Lands, as per tradition. Fuli expressed irritation at this latest request, but Ono defended his mentor by pointing out that the fronds at the top of the trees were the softest. The Lion Guard relented and left to fulfill Hadithi's request.
Fuli and Kion wait for Hadithi's arrival.
On the way to the tallest tree in the Pride Lands, Fuli wondered whether they should be doing more important work than building a ceremonial nest, but Beshte reminded her that Hadithi was Ono's hero. As the Guard's search continued, Kion lamented having left Ono behind with Hadithi, as the tallest tree in the Pride Lands was difficult to climb. In Ono's absence, Bunga volunteered for the task and clambered his way to the top of the tree. From there, he overlooked the Pride Lands and spotted an even taller tree across the savanna. Reluctantly, the Lion Guard resolved to find this tree instead.
That evening, Hadithi arrived for his ceremony and lied that Ono was still trying to perfect the Hadithi Spin. The ceremony began, and Simba praised Hadithi for his heroics, his bravery, and his selflessness. However, Hadithi suddenly confessed to the crowd that Ono had been trapped by hyenas and that he had abandoned him. He then called for the Lion Guard to follow him and help rescue Ono.
Fuli faces off against Cheezi and Chungu.
Once at the scene of the crisis, Fuli fended off Cheezi and Chungu. She started to help Ono free his wing from a boulder, but he urged her to save a group of klipspringers first. She relented and took off, just as Hadithi landed next to Ono to help free him. Meanwhile, Bunga and Kion confronted Janja, while Beshte pushed a boulder down for the klipspringers to use as a bridge across a ravine. As Fuli guided the klipspringers to safety, one slipped and fell, which prompted Janja and his minions to spring an attack. Just in time, Ono and Hadithi flew past and began to circle the hyenas, making them dizzy. Eventually, the hyenas toppled off the bridge and landed in the water below.
That night, Ono marked the mud at Pride Rock with his own talons, and Hadithi admitted that it had been Ono who had taught him, not the other way around. He then called Ono a natural hero, and the gathered Pride Landers cheered for him. To conclude the ceremony, Hadithi announced Ono as the creator of the Ono Spin.[26]
Hippo lanes[]
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The rest of the Lion Guard meets up with Basi and Beshte.
After Basi and Beshte rescued a young rhino from Makuu in the hippo lanes, the rest of the Lion Guard arrived, and Kion explained that they had heard an animal shouting for help. Beshte reassured him that he and his father had saved the young rhino, and Basi commented that it was time for him to keep making hippo lanes. However, as he started to walk away, he found himself too injured to move. Seeing how severely hurt Basi was, Kion insisted that he not put weight on his injured leg, with Beshte adding that it was just not possible for Basi to make hippo lanes in his condition.
Bunga commented that the Flood Plains would dry up soon, only for thunder to rumble in the distance. Because of the impending storm, Basi tasked Beshte with creating more hippo lanes, since Basi himself was too injured to walk. Though Beshte was hesitant to take on the task, Kion reminded him that he was the strongest in the Pride Lands and that the Lion Guard believed in him. Confidence restored, Beshte accepted the responsibility and headed out to make hippo lanes, while the Lion Guard led Basi to solid ground.
Fuli argues with Bupu.
After the Lion Guard delivered Basi to safety, Ono arrived 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 herd.
Ono led the Lion Guard to the sable antelope's grazing grounds. Once there, Kion ordered the antelope out of their grazing grounds, but their leader, Bupu, pointed out that they did not wish to leave. Fuli and Ono tried to encourage the herd to leave before the rainstorm came, to no avail. In a last-ditch effort, Kion informed the antelope that there would be more food away from their drowned grazing grounds, and Bupu finally relented.
Fuli expresses irritation at the antelopes' stubbornness.
On the way out of the grazing grounds, Ono spotted a rockslide, and Kion yelled for the antelope to stay back. Too late, the rocks fell, separating the Lion Guard from their charges. Kion worried over the herd's condition, but Ono reassured him that none of the antelope were 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 to the idea and climbed to the other side of the rocks in order to avoid harming the antelope. Though he urged the antelope to move, the herd refused to cooperate. Kion then used the Roar of the Elders to clear the boulders. Even after the path was clear, however, the antelope continued to stay put. With some harsh insistence from Fuli, the herd reluctantly followed after the Lion Guard.
Fuli leads the antelope to the edge of the Flood Plains.
Together, the group reached the edge of the Flood Plains. Once there, Ono spotted Beshte's hippo lanes and reacted with confusion and shock, as they were windy and crooked. As Beshte approached through the Flood Plains, Ono pointed out that he had been making twisty paths throughout the area. Distressed, Beshte decided to ask his father for help.
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 with Ono, while Bunga and Fuli stayed with the antelope herd.
Fuli tries to force Bupu to stand up.
With Kion gone, Bupu lamented not being in his home territory. Fuli attempted to quiet him, but he simply sunk to his knees, which prompted the rest of his herd to do the same. Furious, Fuli shoved Bupu from behind and ordered him to stand up. As she did so, Ono arrived, incredulous at her behavior, and she exclaimed that she was simply trying to make the antelope stand up.
At that moment, Beshte arrived, to the excitement of his teammates. He started to compliment his father on a job well-done when he noticed that Basi was missing. Concerned, he raced back into the hippo lane in search of his father. Ono monitored Beshte's progress and marveled at the perfectly straight and true hippo lane that had been created. Bunga then announced to the herd that they could cross the Flood Plains safely.
Fuli apologizes to the antelope for her impatience.
At Bunga's announcement, Bupu complained that the herd would get wet if they crossed the Flood Plains, to which Fuli shouted in exasperation that they were already wet. A stubborn Bupu dared her to continue yelling at them, and she backed off, apologizing for her behavior and politely asking if the herd would follow the Lion Guard into the hippo lane. To her surprise, Bupu relented and told her that they had only wanted the Lion Guard to be polite to them. He then rallied his herd to him, and they stampeded into the Flood Plains.
After saving Boboka and her son from the twisting hippo lanes, 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 water. Kion arrived and complimented the hippos, with Bunga adding that everyone loved the new hippo lanes.[27]
Reconciling Kifaru and Mwenzi[]
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The Lion Guard followed a trail of devastated trees to where Kifaru the rhinoceros had his horn stuck in the baboons' tree. The Lion Guard recognized him as a well-tempered Pride Lander and wondered why he was acting so destructively. Together, they approached Kifaru and freed his horn from the tree.
Fuli is tackled by a panicking baboon.
Once unstuck, Kifaru thanked the team for their help, and Kion asked why he had caused so much destruction. Kifaru reacted obliviously, and the Lion Guard explained that he had shaken the baboons out of their tree and trampled every tree in his path. Bewildered, 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, then darted in front of the rhino and warned him to keep back. He asked Kifaru where his tickbird was, and Kifaru 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 then explained the partnership between the two species.
Fuli wonders about the relationship between rhinos and tickbirds.
Afterward, Kifaru lamented being unable to reach Tamasha, an event in which rhinos gathered near Lake Matope to spar together in the mud. The Lion Guard was touched by his sorrow, and Kion resolved to find Mwenzi for Kifaru. Bunga volunteered to lead Kifaru to Lake Matope so that he could arrive in time to participate in Tamasha, and Kifaru hesitantly agreed to the plan. However, as he was leading Kifaru away, Bunga 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 he become Kifaru's temporary tickbird. In the meantime, they would search for Mwenzi and convince him to return to Kifaru. Ono protested the appointment but gave in when Kion reminded him that helping Kifaru would keep the Pride Lands safe.
Fuli and Kion track Mwenzi's scent.
Together, Fuli and Kion 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 him as Mwenzi. He called out to Mwenzi, but the bird did not reply. Per Kion's request, 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.
Fuli explained that Kifaru was causing damage all over the Pride Lands without Mwenzi, and Kion encouraged Mwenzi to return to his duties. An 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 explained that Kifaru was lost without his tickbird, to which Kion added 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 about the situation. Reluctantly, Mwenzi conceded and left with the Lion Guard to speak with Kifaru.
Kion chides Fuli for offering Mwenzi bad advice.
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. Thinking quickly, Ono began to use his wings as a fan, to Kifaru's delight. 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 listening from nearby.
Furious, Mwenzi accused the Lion Guard of having misled him and confronted Kifaru in a fury. Though Kifaru begged him to stay, Mwenzi flew off across the savanna, and Kifaru called after him despairingly. He then stated that Ono must serve as his tickbird from then on. Frantic, Ono took off after Mwenzi, leaving Kifaru in the Lion Guard's care.
Fuli and Beshte lead Kifaru to Tamasha.
With Ono gone, the Lion Guard gathered around Kifaru. While Bunga climbed atop his back and pondered where all the ticks had gone, Kion checked on the rhino's well-being. 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 of Tamasha and volunteered to lead him there, with the help of his team.
Together, the Lion Guard led Kifaru to Tamasha. At that moment, Ono arrived with news that Mwenzi was in trouble. In a panic, Kifaru raced away to save his friend. Following Kifaru, the Lion Guard fought off Makuu and his float, who were attacking Mwenzi. During the commotion, Mwenzi hopped down from a tree and helped Kifaru free himself from a tree stump. Once free, Kifaru used the tree stump as a weapon and helped free the other Lion Guard members from their separate fights. He rammed Makuu last, knocking him and the tree stump into a nearby swamp, and yelled after him that that was what he got for messing with Mwenzi.
Kifaru saves Fuli from a crocodile.
After the fight, Kion thanked Kifaru and Mwenzi for their help, and the two attributed their victory to each other. Kifaru informed Ono that he did not need him to serve as a tickbird anymore, and Ono happily obliged.
Back at Tamasha, Mwenzi helped Kifaru face in the right direction in order to watch the fight. As they surveyed the sparring, another tickbird questioned Mwenzi on his fight with Kifaru, and the two denied ever having fought. In the background, the Lion Guard watched contentedly.[28]
Reirei's attack[]
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Fuli halts Goigoi in his attempt to attack a zebra herd.
Reirei and her family plotted to attack a herd of zebras. Nearby, Kion picked up the pack's scent, and the Lion Guard rushed to rescue the zebras from their attackers. Too late, the pack struck, and Reirei's children, Dogo and Kijana, managed to isolate a young zebra named Hamu from the rest of the herd. Kion ordered Bunga and Ono to save Hamu while he, Fuli, and Beshte rescued the remainder of the herd. After stopping Reirei's attack, Kion exiled her and her pack back to the Outlands.
With the danger abated, the Lion Guard readied to depart, 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. Bunga agreed to the task, to Muhimu's relief.
Fuli tries and fails to climb a rock pillar in the Lair.
Later that day, Ono expressed his worry to Kion that their team would be at a disadvantage without Bunga, as Bunga was their best climber. Heeding Ono's warning, Kion decided that the team should practice climbing while Bunga was away. First, he ordered Fuli to climb a pillar of rock in the Lair of the Lion Guard, but she failed to reach the top, to Beshte's and Ono's amusement. Next, Ono and Beshte tried as well but similarly failed.
Meanwhile, Reirei and her pack overheard Muhimu and Twiga discussing Bunga's babysitting duties at Hakuna Matata Falls. Deducing that the little ones were separated from their parents, Reirei planned an attack on the falls and ordered Goigoi to think up a way to distract the Lion Guard. Once separated from Reirei, Goigoi overheard the Lion Guard heading to Hakuna Matata Falls. Panicking, he accidentally stepped on his own tail and howled in pain, alerting the Lion Guard to his presence. The team took chase, but in the midst of his escape, Goigoi accidentally fell halfway into a pit.
Fuli and Kion stare in bewilderment at the defeated jackals.
When questioned, Goigoi claimed that he had been chasing an antelope. Suspecting Goigoi of lying, Kion offered to help him out of the hole if he revealed where Reirei and the rest of his family were. Goigoi begrudgingly agreed and told the Lion Guard that his family was at Hakuna Matata Falls. Fearing for Bunga and Hamu's safety, the Lion Guard charged off to rescue them.
When the Guard arrived on the scene, they were shocked to find that the jackals had already been defeated by Bunga and his young charges. 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 claimed 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 again. Reirei reluctantly made the promise, and the jackals took off for the Outlands once more.[29]
Savannah Summit[]
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The Lion Guard was playing Baobab Ball when a dry ledge collapsed underneath Kion and Bunga. The other members of the Guard rushed forward and made sure their friends were all right. Kion assured them that they were fine, and Ono commented that the ledge was rather dry. Fuli added that the dry season was well on its way.
Fuli comments that the dry season is well on its way.
Just then, Mtoto approached with the Lion Guard's baobab fruit. He informed them that, via a special feature called infrasound, he could hear that several Pride Landers were heading toward Pride Rock. Kion realized that it was time for the Savannah Summit, an important yearly event in which leaders in the Pride Lands discussed how they would proceed during the dry season. No sooner had he said this when Mtoto overheard a crocodile heading toward Pride Rock, and Ono spotted Makuu en route to the Summit. Kion deduced that Makuu must be trying to spoil the event, and so, the Lion Guard took off to thwart the danger and warn Simba.
Once at Pride Rock, Kion tackled Makuu. Makuu protested that he had been invited, and Simba confirmed that he had invited Makuu to Pride Rock himself. With Simba's support, Makuu promised to take his duties seriously, to the discomfort of the other Pride Lander leaders and the Lion Guard. Kion attempted to convince his father 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 the Lion Guard with watching over the event. Together, the party proceeded to Mizimu Grove.
The Lion Guard presides over the Savannah Summit.
Once at the grove, the Lion Guard commented on how well the animals were behaving, though Kion remained unconvinced of Makuu's reformation. As they spoke, the Lion Guard noticed that Makuu was missing, and Mtoto ran up with news that Makuu was speaking angrily near the watering hole. The Lion Guard rushed off to stop the danger and arrived on the scene to find that Makuu was arguing with Bupu. Without asking for an explanation, Kion ordered Makuu to back off. Despite the Lion Guard's presence, Bupu attacked Makuu, who attempted to defend himself, until Kion chastised him again. Though Makuu was bothered by Kion's bias, he backed off. After the fight, Kion admitted his doubts to his teammates about Makuu's intentions and asserted that every member of the Lion Guard must be braced for trouble.
Later, Mtoto overheard Twiga speaking about Makuu and informed the Lion Guard. Together, the team took off to protect Twiga, but when they arrived on the scene, Makuu was nowhere to be found, only Twiga and Vuruga Vuruga. Bunga proclaimed that Mtoto had heard Makuu, but Mtoto clarified that he had only heard Twiga speaking about Makuu. Twiga was quick to deny this assertion, and Vuruga Vuruga backed her up, with both acting suspiciously. With no other leads, the Lion Guard left, though they privately deduced that Twiga and Vuruga Vuruga were too afraid to tell the truth about Makuu because he had threatened them.
Fuli and Kion deduce that Makuu must have threatened Twiga and Vuruga Vuruga.
Just then, the team heard Zazu squawking for help and followed the noise to where the baboon leader, Mbeya, and Zazu were having an argument, with an amused Rafiki looking on. After the situation was resolved, Mtoto rushed up to the Lion Guard and proclaimed that Makuu was yelling at Bupu again, this time at Pride Rock. The Guard rushed to Pride Rock, where Kion tackled Makuu to the ground. 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, and Simba accused Kion of having ruined the Summit.
After Kion spoke with his grandfather, Mufasa, the Lion Guard informed him that Mtoto had heard of another attack that most likely involved 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 asked and explained that someone was making a plan to strike just after sunset. Though the rest of the Lion 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 at the root of the problem.
The Lion Guard tells Kion of a plot that possibly involves Makuu.
The team 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 out who was to blame. That evening, Kion announced to the Summit that Makuu had fallen into a pit and lost his life in the struggle. A 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, the other animals acted kindly toward Makuu. Bunga commented that he was glad that he could not hear as well as Mtoto, else he would know everyone else's business. Fuli joked that he would look horrible with ears that big, and the rest of the Lion Guard laughed.[30]
Traveling Baboon Show[]
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Mwevi and Mwizi dance around an annoyed Fuli.
While patrolling the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard noticed several animals taking off in the same direction. They followed the commotion to where a large group of Pride Landers had gathered beneath a tree. Mbeya explained that the animals had gathered to see a troop of performing baboons. At that moment, 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 bragged about their amazing feats and talents.
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, he became uncomfortable and took off in a hurry.
Fuli, Beshte, and Bunga inspect an area that has been mysteriously stripped of all vegetation.
With the troop 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 the Lion Guard resolved to find the thief and restore order to the Pride Lands.
While the other Pride Landers vacated the area, the Lion Guard lingered to inspect the stripped tree. Ono flew to the topmost branches and declared that even the highest flowers and leaves had been taken, to which the other members of the Lion Guard made their best guesses as to which species could have pulled off such a feat.
Fuli pursues a fleeing Mwizi.
Just then, the Lion Guard heard the Traveling Baboon Show making a clamor in the distance and decided to watch the show in order to see if the thief was in attendance. While the other Lion Guard members gathered around the show, Ono patrolled from the air. He soon returned from his patrol, declaring to his teammates that the troop was guilty of stealing the Pride Landers' food.
In the face of their guilt, 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 of the antelope fell into a nearby river. The Lion Guard halted their chase in order to save the antelope, and the baboons managed to escape into the Outlands.
Fuli entertains the Traveling Baboon Show.
Later, the Lion Guard reflected on how the baboons had turned out to be thieves. In the midst of the conversation, Ono spotted Mwevi and Mwizi being chased by Janja in the Outlands and reported what he had seen to Kion. Ono pointed out that the troop had only entered the Outlands because they had been being chased by the Lion Guard, and Kion decided to save the troop.
Together, the Lion Guard entered the Outlands and defeated Janja and his lackeys. The baboons thanked the Lion Guard for having saved their lives and, in repayment for their past crimes, agreed to hand out the stolen food to the Pride Landers. Later, as the troop made good on their promise, the Guard watched in contentment.[31]
Saving Ona[]
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Fuli scolds Mpishi for hunting in the Pride Lands.
While on patrol, the Lion Guard witnessesed a stampede of hyraxes. They wondered what the source of the stampede was and looked up to see a harrier hawk circling overhead. Ono volunteered to talk to the intruder, during which he raced past Kulinda the hamerkop and her egg. Seeing the hawk, Kulinda worried over her egg's fate.
Meanwhile, Ono caught up to the hawk and distracted her long enough for her to run head-on into a cliff face and drop her prey, Pim. After the rescue, Fuli sympathized with the hawk, Mpishi, for wanting to try new foods but informed her that she could not hunt in the Pride Lands. Kion added that she must hunt in her own territory in order to uphold the Circle of Life. Though reluctant, Mpishi agreed to their request.
Fuli and Kion resolve to find the mother of the hamerkop egg.
With Mpishi gone, the Lion Guard congratulated Ono on his heroic rescue of Pim. Unbeknownst to the group, Kulinda was watching in fascination and decided that Ono would make the perfect babysitter for her egg. Without consulting him, she carried her egg to his nest and deposited it among the twigs.
Later that day, the Lion Guard led Ono back to his nest and praised him for a hard day's work. Ono was about to settle down when he felt Kulinda's egg and 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 and clear up the confusion. Bunga volunteered to keep the egg warm, but Ono worried that he would be too rough with it and so decided to sit on the egg himself.
Fuli rescues a hare from a mudslide.
In the meantime, the Lion Guard tracked Kulinda'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 the Lion Guard and informed them that the other hares were hiding in empty aardvark dens, and the team resolved to save them before they could get buried in mud.
After saving the hares, the Lion Guard followed Kulinda's scent to where she was building a new nest in a tree. Kion questioned Kulinda 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 team 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.
Fuli nearly falls off a cliff while chasing Mpishi.
The Lion Guard eventually arrived at Ono's nest, only to find it empty. Kulinda began to frantically call for her baby, and the baby 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 hamerkop had gone missing again, and the Lion Guard rushed to save her from danger.
Ono scoped out the area for the baby hamerkop and spotted her wandering near the river. Fuli attempted to save the baby hamerkop from danger but arrived too late to stop her from falling into the 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 swept down and grasped the baby in her talons.
Fuli looks on as Kulinda names her daughter "Ona" in Ono's honor.
Kulinda and Ono attempted to thwart Mpishi's plans, but she worked together with Mwoga to keep the baby from falling back into the Lion Guard's grasp. From the ground, Bunga climbed a tree in order to reach the feuding birds and managed to knock Mwoga from the sky. Mpishi, however, only took the baby hamerkop from him and swept out of harm's way once more. As Ono watched Mpishi fly away, he worked out how he and Kulinda could work together, and the two flanked her from the front and the back, forcing her to drop the baby. Mpishi crashed unceremoniously to the ground, where she got surrounded by the Lion Guard and was forced to return to her own territory.
After the rescue, Fuli watched in contentment as Kulinda gratefully embraced her daughter and named her "Ona" in Ono's honor.[32]
Scar's resurrection[]
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As the dry season went underway, the Lion Guard became busier than ever. During a patrol, Ono informed his friends that Janja's clan was attacking Ma Tembo's herd. The Lion Guard arrived on the scene and were shocked to find that the hyenas were indeed hunting elephants, despite the danger. Together, the Guard drove the hyenas away, and Ma Tembo explained that the hyenas had been desperate because of the dry season. She went on that she was trying to find a new water source for her herd.
Fuli meets Makini, Rafiki's apprentice.
Later, Ono informed the Guard that Janja and his crew were at it again. This time, they were attacking the baboons who had started following Ma Tembo's herd. The Lion Guard raced to the rescue, and Kion blasted the hyenas away with the Roar of the Elders. With the hyenas gone, the baboons revealed that they were following Ma Tembo to the new water source. With the hyenas gone, Ma Tembo resumed her search for water.
Later, at the Lair of the Lion Guard, the Guard met Rafiki's new apprentice, Makini. Makini asked Rafiki if there was a way to talk to Scar's spirit, and Rafiki explained that it depended on if the lion spirit was good or bad. He explained that the Great Lions of the Past were the lions who 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.
Fuli fends off Janja's cronies while the rest of the Lion Guard rescues Kiara.
Shortly afterward, Makini informed the Guard that hyenas had kidnapped Kiara. Together, the team journeyed to the Outlands and formed a plan to save Kiara. In the meantime, Janja tricked Kion into using the Roar out of anger, which caused the volcano to erupt. Just in time, the Guard escaped the Outlands, with an injured Kiara riding on Beshte's back.
Back in the Pride Lands, Kiara thanked the Lion Guard for their rescue efforts. The Guard then met up with Ma Tembo, who at last found a water source for the Pride Landers to use. The team looked on contentedly as the Pride Landers drank.[33]
Attempted assassination of Simba[]
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Fuli orders Kiburi to back off.
When a rockslide startled a herd of antelope into stampeding, the Lion Guard rushed to calm them down. From overhead, Ono spotted a canyon into which the Lion Guard could chase the antelope, and Kion led the Guard in herding the antelope into the canyon. Unbeknownst to the Lion Guard, Makuu and his float were slumbering underground and got awakened by the loud disturbance.
The Lion Guard managed to calm the antelope down, only for Makuu and his float to emerge and explain 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 the float deal with him in the "crocodile way." Makuu ordered Kiburi to back down and agreed to meet with Simba to discuss water rations for the crocodiles.
Fuli comforts Ono, who is afraid that Simba and Makuu are discussing him.
At Pride Rock, the Guard looked on as Makuu spoke with Simba about the water situation. Though Ono worried that they were angry at him, Fuli assured him that they were more worried about the lack of water. At that moment, Kion told Ono to help spy out a new water hole for the crocodiles. While overlooking the Pride Lands, Ono realized that Makuu's followers had invaded the Pride Lands' water holes. Upon hearing Ono's report, Makuu insisted that whoever was leading his float had defied a direct order from their leader. He tried to leave so he could settle the situation himself, but Simba ordered him to let the Lion Guard deal with the problem instead. Begrudgingly, Makuu agreed, and Kion led the Lion Guard to the rescue.
Once at the water hole, Kion attempted to stop Kiburi from hurting his fellow Pride Landers, but Kiburi 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 a found a new water hole for the crocodiles to live in. He then tasked the Lion Guard with leading the float to their new home.
Fuli watches the mashindano between Makuu and Kiburi.
The team obediently escorted Makuu and his float to their own private water hole, but the water hole proved to be too crowded and uncomfortable for the crocodiles. Kiburi challenged Makuu about 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.
At sunset, the Pride Landers gathered at Lake Matope to watch the mashindano. Ono eventually grew tired of the violence and flew away from the event. As he was hovering over the battlefield, he noticed several crocodiles leaving the mashindano. 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 hastened to warn Kion of the danger. Just in time, the Lion Guard arrived and thwarted the crocodiles' efforts to assassinate the king.
Fuli looks on as Simba assures Ono that everyone makes mistakes.
Simba overheard the fight and arrived on the scene to find Kiburi's lackeys defeated. After studying the crocodiles, he 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. Despite his loss, Kiburi declared to the crowd 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 him and his followers from the Pride Lands.
Later, 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. Kion explained that Makuu had learned of Ono's part in foiling Kiburi's scheme, and Simba added that everyone made mistakes.[34]
Finding Beshte[]
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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, and Kion decided to use the Roar of the Elders to make a rainstorm. To the rest of the Lion Guard's shock, the Roar turned a cloud into a thunderstorm, and the falling rain loosened the mud, freeing some of the zebras.
Fuli laments the rain.
At first, the Lion Guard believed the zebras to be safe. However, 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 freed the stuck zebras. Though the zebras were brought successfully to safety, Beshte got swept away by the floodwaters and found himself trapped in the Outlands.
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 sign of Beshte, while the rest of the Lion Guard followed. Though Ono attempted to search for Beshte from above, he found nothing, and the team worried over Beshte's safety under the intense heat of the sun.
Fuli and Kion attempt to catch Beshte's scent, to no avail.
Ono continued to scour the Outlands from above but found no traces of Beshte. He reported back to Kion, who expressed guilt over Beshte's predicament and told Ono to search for hippo footprints. Ono did as he had been asked, while Fuli suggested they trace Beshte's scent. Bunga attempted to help his friends search, but his antics only succeeded in irritating Fuli.
Eventually, Ono spotted Beshte's tracks and led the team into a cavern. Before long, the Lion Guard overheard Beshte crying, "Twende kiboko!" and rushed ahead to find him. Upon reuniting with Beshte, they saw that he was trapped in a pit and that Janja and his clan were attempting to drop rocks on him. Beshte explained his situation to his friends through the rocks, and Ono pinpointed his exact location. The rest of the Guard then rushed off to deal with the hyenas.
Fuli steadies a boulder in order to prevent it from falling onto Beshte.
Ono guided the team to Rocky Plateau, and 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 blow away the hyenas, and Beshte made his way to safety.
Back in the Pride Lands, Kion apologized to Beshte for having caused such a chaotic situation, 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. Thinking quickly, he leaped into a mud pool. In doing so, he accidentally showered his teammates with mud. Though Fuli was annoyed, the rest of the Lion Guard shared in a laugh.[35]
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, effectively ending the danger, but the commotion frightened a herd of zebras into stampeding across the savanna. The Lion Guard managed to slow the herd, and Ono learned from Thurston that dry lightning had caused the fire.
Fuli helps put out a brush fire.
After the rescue, the Lion Guard noticed Rafiki meditating in a nearby tree. They questioned him as to 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 kind.
With Rafiki in the lead, the Lion Guard ventured to Rafiki's tree, where they found Makini having a bug-eating competition with Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha. Fuli commented that Rafiki was living next to "three Bungas." Kion then questioned the three young animals as to why they were not with their herds, and they admitted that they were outcasts. Rafiki, however, insisted that they return to their families, and they begrudgingly agreed to return to their herds. While Beshte and Ono escorted Furaha back to his troop, Fuli brought Mzaha back to Bupu. At first, Bupu was reluctant to receive Mzaha back into the herd, but he gave in when Fuli asked politely.
Fuli convinces Bupu to accept Mzaha back into his herd.
The Lion Guard regrouped at Pride Rock 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 team to protect any nearby Pride Landers. Ono suggested they clear the watering holes first, and the Lion Guard set off to avert the danger.
Across the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard attempted to save a pair of hippopotamuses and Zito the elephant from dry lightning. As the team began to lead their charges away from the watering hole, dry lightning struck, trapping the animals in a ring of fire. Zito attempted to spray the fire out, to no avail.
Fuli orders a group of animals to step back from their water hole, for fear of dry lightning.
Sparks from the flames began to drift across the savanna, igniting the grass beneath Rafiki's tree. Ono happened to notice the danger and warned Kion of the situation. Beshte pushed a boulder into the flames, allowing his teammates and their charges to safely cross the ring of fire, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to put out the fire. With the danger abated, the Pride Landers thanked the Guard for having saved them.
The Lion Guard hastened to save Makini and Rafiki, only to find that Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha were battling the fire themselves. The Lion Guard joined in, and together, the two groups put out the fire. Afterward, Rafiki thanked them profusely for their help.
That night, Fuli watched as Makini painted for the royal family.[36]
Rescuing Jasiri[]
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The Lion Guard directs a herd of cape buffalo to a nearby 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 Kion ordered his teammates to steer the herd to a nearby water source. After clearing Thurston and his herd from their path, the Lion Guard successfully led the cape buffalo to a watering hole, where the tsetse flies flew away. No sooner had they done this when Mbeya cried out for help. The Lion Guard found the rhinoceros upside-down in a dry ditch, saved him, then escorted him back to the watering hole.
Shortly afterward, the team found themselves plagued by tsetse flies. In frustration, Beshte ordered the flies to leave, and to the Guard's shock, the cloud disappeared. Just then, Thurston and his herd appeared, seeking a new watering hole, and Ono realized that the zebras had been the ones driving off the tsetse flies. Getting an idea, Kion decided to escort both Mbeya and the zebras to a new watering hole.
Fuli expresses doubt over Kion's plan to recruit Thurston.
Later, Madoa approached the Lion Guard and informed them that Janja's clan had trapped Jasiri and two hyena pups in a steam vent in the Outlands. 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 any remaining flies, and the zebra agreed to the mission.
In the Outlands, Kion realized that the tsetse flies had vanished and ordered Thurston to return to the Pride Lands. The zebra departed, and Kion suggested that Madoa leave as well in order to protect her clan. She agreed and departed as well, leaving the Guard to assess Jasiri's predicament. Before they could launch their rescue mission, Thurston reappeared, asking for directions, and they frustratingly pointed him in the right direction. However, Thurston got turned around again and continued to follow the Guard deeper into the Outlands.
Fuli faces off against a member of Janja's clan.
The team became irritated when they realized that Thurston was still with them, but they had no choice but to proceed with their attack. Together, the Guard engaged in a fight with the hyenas, and Janja and his clan were effectively steered away from the edge of the steam vent. With the hyenas out of the way, Kion ordered Beshte to push a large rock into the lava flow, which allowed Jasiri and the pups to clamber to safety. By then, all of the hyenas had fled save Janja. Jasiri emerged from the steam vent and challenged Janja to take on both herself and the Lion Guard, and he reluctantly gave up the fight. 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.[37]
Ukumbusho Tradition[]
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In Mizimu Grove, the Lion Guard practiced their lines for the upcoming Ukumbusho Tradition. In the midst of their preparation, Timon and Pumbaa arrived to help them with their lines. However, before they could start, Ma Tembo pointed out that the Lion Guard was traditionally composed of lions only, to which Makini suggested that she paint each Lion Guard member to resemble a lion. Though Fuli was reluctant, Makini painted the Lion Guard yellow and gave each of them a red leaf mane.
Fuli performs "May There Be Peace" for the Ukumbusho Tradition.
Once Makini was gone, Timon and Pumbaa attempted to direct the Lion Guard on their lines, claiming that they knew best how lions acted, since they had raised Simba. Timon, however, became frustrated with the 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 protested that it was essential for the ceremony.
Just then, Simba arrived with the lionesses of his pride. The Lion Guard began to sing "May There Be Peace", during which they commemorated the peace established between the elephants and lions of the Pride Lands. However, in the midst of the ceremony, a swarm 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.
Fuli uses her lion costume to scare a herd of cape buffalo.
Seeing Vuruga Vuruga's herd in the path of the stampede, Fuli attempted to make them move, but Vuruga Vuruga did not recognize her because of her costume. Taking advantage of this, Fuli pretended she was an aggressive predator, and the cape buffalo herd fled in fear.
As the chase continued, the Lion Guard worked out that the bees were attracted to the flower paint on the elephants' foreheads. They then worked with Mtoto to spray the paint off each elephant. After the elephants had recovered from the bees, the animals returned to Mizimu Grove, and the Ukumbusho Tradition continued in a new vein.[38]
Skirmish with Kenge[]
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The Lion Guard caught Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu attempting to steal a supply of tikiti melons from the elephants, who needed the fruits' moisture to survive the dry season. The team managed to fend off the hyenas and save most of the melons, but the incident convinced Kion to set up a watch on the melon patch to ensure that no more fruits were stolen.
Fuli prevents Chungu from stealing one of the elephants' tikiti melons.
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, only for Kenge to paralyze Kion, Fuli, and Beshte with his bite. Just in time, Bunga stepped in and broke wind in Kenge's face, causing the lizard 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 team 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. However, once at the scene, she forgot what the antidote, ponya flowers, looked like. Ono recalled the flowers' appearance and managed to locate a nearby patch of them. At the same moment, he saw the hyenas returning to the melon patch with Kenge. Hearing this news, Kion ordered Bunga and Ono to deal with the thieves while Makini collected the flowers.
Fuli expresses confusion over her paralyzed legs.
Upon collecting the flowers, Makini attempted to heal the Lion Guard. At the same time, Bunga arrived and declared that he must face Kenge alone. The Lion Guard insisted that Makini accompany him to the fight, and she reluctantly agreed. Kion then declared that he had a plan as to how they could defeat Kenge and the hyenas. Bunga and Makini quickly followed Kenge and the hyenas to Embamba Canyon, where Bunga distracted them while Makini stole back the tikiti melons and hid them behind rocks.
Just then, a fully healed Lion Guard approached. The hyenas attempted to run but were hindered by their paralyzed legs, courtesy of Kenge mistakingly biting them. Taking advantage of this, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blast Kenge and the hyenas back to the Outlands. Together, the Lion Guard and Makini rolled the stolen tikiti melons back to the patch, where Bunga complained that the labor of moving the melons had been worse than taking on Kenge alone. The Lion Guard then shared in a laugh.[39]
Christmas[]
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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, only for a branch to snap beneath him. Coincidentally, the Lion Guard arrived at the base of the tree, and Beshte caught a falling Timon on his back.
Fuli expresses excitement over Christmas.
The Lion Guard inquired about the oddly-decorated tree, and Bunga explained that they were decorating their tree in honor of Christmas-time. Timon and Pumbaa added that Christmas was about gift-giving and that a mysterious creature called Dandy Claws left presents for the animals of the savanna on Christmas morning. Unexpectedly, Timon wept over Dandy Claws's continued absence, and Pumbaa explained that Dandy Claws only brought presents if animals 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.
While on patrol, 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 listing all the creatures and items that they must gather in order to properly perform the song. Though the list was vast, the team decided to split up in order to cover more ground and gather the necessary components quickly.
Fuli recruits Uroho, Mwevi, and Mwizi to perform in the Lion Guard's Christmas celebration.
Shortly afterward, Fuli tried to gather berries from a tree. Her failed efforts to reach them attracted the attention of Uroho, Mwevi, and Mwizi, who volunteered to fetch them for her. The baboons questioned Fuli as to why she needed the berries, and she explained that she was taking part in a great celebration. This reminded her that the song required baboons to take part, and so, she recruited the three to be involved in the show.
That night, the Lion Guard's animal recruits gathered in a canyon to practice for the celebration. Simba questioned Bunga as to what they needed to do in order to practice for the show, but Bunga remained unsure. Seeing the animals' confusion, Ono stated that it was going to be a long night.
The Lion Guard performs "The Twelve Ways of Christmas".
At 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 as to 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 others back to continue practice.
Later that day, the Lion Guard and the Pride Landers 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 having made 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. The two concluded that this had been their best Christmas yet, and the Lion Guard decided to make Christmas an annual holiday in the Pride Lands. The gathered Pride Landers then yelled, "Merry Christmas!"[40]
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 they break the branch off the tree, to which Bupu reluctantly agreed. However, as Bunga began to bounce on the branch to weaken it, Nyuni the weaver angrily revealed his presence and explained that his nest lay at the end of the branch. Beshte questioned Nyuni as to why he had moved his home, and Nyuni explained that he liked to see different parts of the Pride Lands.
Fuli remarks on Zazu's nosiness.
Just then, Zazu arrived and commented that he would be including the commotion in his Morning Report to Simba. Kion suddenly got the idea to break the branch off at the end so that Bupu could carry Nyuni's nest in his horns. After the Guard freed Bupu, he, Nyuni, and Zazu left. Fuli critiqued Zazu's nosiness, but Kion reminded her that it was part of his job to know the business of the Pride Landers. He reminded her of the time that Zazu had saved him and Bunga from crocodiles, but she remained unimpressed.
Later, at Pride Rock, Simba expressed concern that Zazu was late for his Morning Report, which had never happened before. The Lion Guard inquired about Zazu's whereabouts to Bupu and Nyuni, who had formed a partnership and were getting along famously. Both Pride Landers denied having seen Zazu since their earlier encounter, and Kion ordered his team to track Zazu through other methods.
Fuli faces off against two hyenas.
Before long, Ono located some of Zazu's tail feathers, which still carried his scent. The Lion Guard spotted hyena tracks nearby and took off along the trail, following them to the Outlands. Once near enough, the Lion Guard overheard Zazu's singing and rushed to the rescue. They arrived just in time to stop Janja's clan from eating Zazu and engaged the hyenas in a fight. During the battle, Zazu managed to roll down a hill in order to save Fuli from a pair of hyenas, but in doing so, he began to plummet toward a river lava. Kion swiftly used the Roar of the Elders to clear a section of rock, where Zazu landed safely, broke free of his cage, then took to the air. With Zazu free, the hyenas gave up and retreated farther into the Outlands.
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 Zazu had saved her life, and Kion reminded Zazu of how he had saved him and Bunga from the crocodiles all those seasons ago. Zazu acknowledged his part in saving Kion, then carried on with his Morning Report.[41]
Water treaty with Dhahabu[]
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Fuli faces off against Makucha.
Due to a severe drought, the Lion Guard was forced to break up a fight between Twiga's herd and Vuruga Vuruga's herd. Kion took the problem to Simba, who instructed the Lion Guard to journey to a watering hole in the Back Lands and ask the zebras there for permission to use it.
Kion led his team into the Back Lands, where they encountered a hostile Makucha. The leopard attempted to fend them off, but they defeated him easily, forcing him to back off and allow them to pass through his territory. The team carried on until they encountered two zebra siblings named Raha and Starehe, who led them to their leader, Dhahabu. Once the Lion Guard had reached the rest of the herd, the zebras began to praise their leader for being so uniquely beautiful and special.
Fuli helps unearth a massive tamboa plant.
Dhahabu drew the Lion Guard aside and showed them 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 the zebras' watering hole, but Dhahabu was evasive and demanded that the Lion Guard first bring her her herd's favorite food, a tamboa plant.
Despite a tamboa plant being incredibly difficult to find, Ono spotted one behind a tangle of thorns, and Beshte carried the plant back to Dhahabu. The Lion Guard presented it to her, adding that they had fulfilled their end of the bargain. To their shock, Dhahabu called off the deal and even forbade her own herd from using the watering hole. Suspicious, Kion sent Ono to investigate the situation, and he returned with news that the watering hole had dried up. 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 offered to assist her with her water problem in exchange for the Pride Landers' access to her watering hole, to which Dhahabu delightfully agreed.
Fuli and Bunga work together to take down a leopard.
The Lion Guard followed Dhahabu to the watering hole, where she explained that there had once been a waterfall that had 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 cornered 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 Dhahabu quickly took action, kicking Makucha into the dam. The force of Makucha's hit caused the rocks to break apart, and the river swelled once more, filling Dhahabu's watering hole. Makucha hastily retreated, while Dhahabu offered the Lion Guard access to her new watering hole.
With Dhahabu's permission, Kion led the Pride Landers into Dhahabu Grove, where they joined the zebras in enjoying the water. Dhahabu invited the Lion Guard to join in, but Fuli declined. However, at Bunga's insistence, she reluctantly began to "frolic and romp" behind a line of zebras.[42]
Saving Makuu from Kiburi[]
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One day, the Lion Guard spotted Makuu training his float to fight and mistook it for a real battle. They started to break up the sparring but were warned to stop by Hodari, a gecko who was spectating from a nearby tree. The Lion Guard quickly apologized to Makuu for the misunderstanding, and he carried on training his float.
Fuli breaks up a spar between two crocodiles.
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. Despite his injuries, Makuu insisted that he was fine and continued to train his float. The Lion Guard then continued on their patrol, during which they saved Laini and two other galagos who were trapped in a tree.
Later, Ono noticed Kiburi's float marching through the Pride Lands, and the Lion Guard rushed to stop them. Upon being confronted by the Guard, Kiburi claimed to simply be visiting. He then introduced the Guard 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. Reluctantly, Kiburi gave in, and the crocodiles left the Pride Lands.
The Lion Guard arrives to protect Makuu from Kiburi's float.
The Lion Guard tried to warn Makuu that Kiburi was lurking in the Pride Lands, but Makuu insisted that his float could care for 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 departed, Kiburi and his float attacked Makuu, using Hodari's tips to evade their attacks and claim an effortless victory.
Ono spotted the attack, and Kion led his team into battle against the hostile crocodiles. Eventually, with Hodari's help, Makuu overpowered Kiburi, and the latter's float backed off. With Kiburi's float incapacitated, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to banish them back to the Outlands, effectively saving Makuu and his float from further harm.[43]
Alliance with Tamaa[]
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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 and her pack attacking a group of pangolins on the other side of the Pride Lands, and Kion was forced to split up his team. While he and Beshte continued to pursue the hyenas, Fuli left with Bunga and Ono to take on the jackals.
Reirei's pack scatters in order to prevent Fuli from catching them.
During the ensuing fight, the jackals scattered around Fuli, making it impossible for her to catch them. Reirei then changed strategy, and the jackals began to pelt Fuli with the curled-up forms of the pangolins. However, when the pangolins landed, they unfurled and released gas into the faces of the jackals, which caused them to flee. Fuli and Ono checked on the pangolins, just as Bunga caught up, out of breath. Ono commented that the jackals were returning to the Outlands, and Fuli sped away to ensure that this was the case, leaving Bunga to catch up again.
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 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, confirming Kion's suspicions. Unaffected, Bunga commented that all they had to do was be in two places at once, which gave Kion the idea to recruit Tamaa to help them be in two places at once.
Fuli expresses concern over Janja and Reirei's combined attacks.
Later, Ono spotted the jackals chasing down a herd of gazelles, and Kion ordered his team to pursue them. Shortly into the chase, Ono caught sight of the hyenas stalking Rafiki, and Kion quickly changed course, sending Tamaa ahead to deal with the jackals, while the Lion Guard defended Rafiki from the hyenas.
Once at the scene of the hyena attack, the Guard joined forces with Rafiki and defeated the entirety of Janja's clan. Just then, however, Reirei's pack arrived to help, and a fight instigated, during which the Lion Guard and Rafiki overcame the combined force of the hyenas and the jackals. The hyenas and jackals eventually gave up and retreated. After the fight, Rafiki thanked the Guard for their help in saving his life.[44]
Sumu's attack[]
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In the Lair of the Lion Guard, Makini and the Lion Guard discussed how Scar had been defeated by Simba, 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.
Fuli, Bunga, and Beshte attempt to catch Sumu after he stings Simba.
Later, at Pride Rock, the Pride Landers partook in the Kumbuka celebration. In the midst of the festivities, the scorpion Sumu stung Simba's tail, then retreated as the king collapsed to the ground. 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 together, the Lion Guard chased him into the Outlands.
With the scorpion 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 team so she could carry the ash.
The Lion Guard encounters the spirit of Scar.
Meanwhile, Scar received word of Sumu's success and commanded his army to intercept the Guard when they entered the Outlands. The plan worked, with Kiburi, Reirei, Janja, and their respective clans slowing the Lion Guard's progress through the Outlands. At last, the team reached the inner volcano, where Makini placed a pinch of the ash in her gourd.
As the Guard started to leave, Scar arose from the flames and revealed himself to Kion, admitting his part in the attempt on Simba's life. Despite Scar's admission, Kion ordered his team to leave, as he was worried about arriving too late to save his father. Scar, however, called his army forward, and they cornered the Lion Guard at the edge of the lava. With no option left, Kion used the Roar to carefully blow away Scar's army, after which the Lion Guard made a quick escape. Scar sent Mzingo and his parliament after the Lion Guard, and the vultures nearly wrestled the gourd from Makini. However, the rest of the Guard fended off the vultures, and Kion used the Roar to ensure that they were not delayed again.
Fuli and Bunga deliver volcanic ash to Rafiki.
The Lion Guard continued racing across the savanna, with Kion watching the sun worriedly. Fuli informed Kion that she could reach Pride Rock in time but added that she could not carry the gourd herself. Bunga then volunteered to ride Fuli and carry the gourd himself, and the two raced ahead of the rest of the Lion Guard to deliver the ash.
Eventually, the rest of the Guard arrived at Pride Rock, where Simba was weak but recovering, and Rafiki ordered everyone to leave the king to his recovery. Kion rejoined the rest of the Lion Guard and declared that their duty was to protect the Pride Lands. They then stared out over the kingdom, as Kion reminded them that they could defeat Scar.[45]
Locating Kongwe[]
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At Pride Rock, Rafiki tasked Makini with finding Kongwe, the oldest and wisest animal in the Pride Lands, as Simba was seeking her wisdom on Scar's return. Beshte commented that Kongwe lived near the Urembo River, which was a half-day's walk from Pride Rock, and Simba worried that this was too long of a delay. Remarking that fast was what she did, Fuli volunteered to lend her assistance in speeding up the trip.
Fuli volunteers to help Makini escort Kongwe to Pride Rock.
Together, Fuli and Makini traveled to Urembo River, where Makini confessed that she did not know what Kongwe's species was. While searching for Kongwe, Fuli accidentally stepped on her shell, which alerted the tortoise to her presence. Realizing that they had found Kongwe, Makini informed her that Simba desired her presence at Pride Rock. Kongwe attempted to offer words of wisdom to her and Fuli, but only Makini was receptive to her advice.
Along the way to Pride Rock, Fuli attempted to hurry along Kongwe, as she made frequent stops to observe her surroundings. Fuli attempted to explain her fast-paced lifestyle to Kongwe, but the plan backfired when the tortoise withdrew into her shell to ponder Fuli's words. Impatient, Fuli attempted to move the tortoise herself. However, when she and Makini pushed on Kongwe's shell, the tortoise toppled down the side of a shallow ravine. With no choice but to lead Kongwe through the ravine, Fuli and Makini joined her on lower ground and continued to guide her toward Pride Rock.
Fuli explains her fast-paced lifestyle to Kongwe.
Along the way, Kongwe marveled at a dead tree, which was clinging weakly to the side of the ravine. As she watched, the tree's roots sprang free of the dirt, and the tree toppled to the ground. To Fuli's relief, Kongwe emerged unharmed. However, Fuli realized that they could not move Kongwe around the tree, and so, she and Makini were forced to lead the tortoise through the Back Lands.
Once in the Back Lands, the three were confronted by Makucha, who expressed interest in eating Kongwe. Fuli jumped to the tortoise's defense, and Makucha backed off, though he warned Fuli that they were in his territory. With Makucha gone, Fuli and Makini continued guiding Kongwe through the Back Lands. Suddenly, Makucha jumped out of the underbrush, and Fuli gave chase. However, Makucha skillfully evaded her and climbed into a tree. Fuli attempted to follow him into the branches but got her claws stuck in the tree trunk. Makucha took advantage of her prone position to attack Kongwe, but Fuli wrenched herself free just in time and fended him off.
Fuli catches Makucha and forces him to back off.
After the attack, Kongwe advised Fuli to observe Makucha in order to defeat him. At first, Fuli was adamant that she had already observed Makucha, but then, she realized that Makucha always zigzagged in order to outpace her. With this new wisdom, Fuli resolved to take him on once more. With renewed confidence, she approached Makucha and challenged him to another fight. This time, when he ran away, she anticipated his zigzagging strategy and managed to catch up to him and pin him down. She then ordered him to leave Kongwe alone, to which he begrudgingly agreed and left. Kongwe watched in amazement, as she had not expected a cheetah to listen to a tortoise.
At sunset, Fuli, Makini, and Kongwe reconvened with the rest of the Lion Guard. Together, they traveled to Pride Rock, where Kongwe advised Simba and Kion to be patient. Though Simba was confused by Kongwe's cryptic words, Fuli translated it to mean that they would find a solution eventually and that they just needed to continue searching. Kongwe then assured Simba and the Lion Guard that good always triumphed over evil in the end.[46]
Kilio Valley fire[]
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Fuli and Bunga prevent the jackals from harming Ma Tembo's herd.
In Kilio Valley, the Lion Guard struggled to put out a widespread brush fire. The Lion Guard spread out, accepting help from several of Ma Tembo's herd members, while Ma Tembo led the rest of the herd out of the valley. However, she got cornered among the flames by Janja, Reirei, Kiburi, and their respective followers. Ono overheard Janja's cackling and reported what he had heard to Kion, who suspected Scar of having caused the trouble. He then ordered his team to protect the elephants, leaving Kilio Valley to the mercy of the fire.
Once the herd was safe, Ma Tembo mourned their destroyed home. Zito blamed the Lion Guard for having failed to save Kilio Valley, and the Guard guiltily accepted the criticism. Ma Tembo then turned to Kion for help in finding a temporary home, and he agreed to the task.
Fuli orders the galagos to jump onto her back.
Kion led the elephants to the galagos, then the giraffes, but both groups turned them away. Frustrated, Kion ordered Bupu to be patient with the elephants until the Lion Guard could come up with another solution. He then asked Ono for a report on Kilio Valley. Ono did as instructed, informing Kion that Scar's army had remained in the valley. Overrun by guilt, Kion realized that he had helped enable Scar's plan to take over the Pride Lands.
At that moment, the Lion Guard discovered that Ma Tembo's herd had been forcibly ousted by Bupu. Kion approached the herd and assured Ma Tembo that he would find them a new home, but Ma Tembo insisted that they must leave the Pride Lands, as no one else wanted them.
Fuli expresses relief that Ma Tembo's herd has found a new home.
Just then, 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 them safely 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.
Eventually, Kion led the elephants to Ndefu Grove, where they promptly put out the fire. Grateful to the herd for having saved her home, Laini allowed them to stay in Ndefu Grove.[47]
Alliance with Kinyonga[]
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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. Ono managed to land safely among his teammates, where he reported that Janja and his clan were paying a visit to Scar.
Fuli listens to Thurston's claim that a rock spoke to him.
Just then, Thurston's frightened brays attracted the Lion Guard's attention, and the team 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, Twiga soon appeared, making a similar claim about a tree. Kion promptly calmed the animals and promised to figure out what was going on.
The Lion Guard investigated Twiga's tree. A chameleon briefly appeared before the team, then raced away, blending in with her surroundings as she went. The team took chase, and Ono was able to spot her with his keen sight. The chameleon then revealed herself to them, as she realized that they were the Lion Guard, and introduced herself as Kinyonga.
Fuli marvels at Kinyonga's color-changing abilities.
After the 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 and spy on its inhabitants for them. Kion reluctantly agreed to her plan. However, as the plan went underway, the Lion Guard worried over what was keeping Kinyonga for so long. Ono soon spotted her being pursued by the skinks in the Outlands. Kion pointed out that a battle would not save Kinyonga and declared that he had an idea as to how they could enter the Outlands unseen.
Shortly afterward, in the Outlands, Shupavu heard a mysterious voice and turned to find that the Lion Guard had snuck up on the skinks by using foliage and mud to conceal themselves. The skinks retreated, and Kinyonga explained that Scar was planning to cut off a Pride Lands water source at Hakuna Matata Falls.
Fuli and Bunga work together to scare Nne and Tano.
Come nighttime, the hyenas attempted to block up a river in the Pride Lands, but the Lion Guard once more camouflaged themselves and launched a surprise attack. Startled, especially by Kinyonga's appearance, the hyenas fell into the nearby river, defeated.
The next morning, the Lion Guard noticed Thurston speaking to a rock and figured that it must be Kinyonga at work. They approached Kinyonga and questioned her, to which she expressed guilt over having scared Janja and his clan into the river. Bunga assured her that it did not matter if the hyenas got spooked, but she vowed to never scare anyone again. However, Thurston was frightened by her appearance, and he and his herd fled from her in terror. The Lion Guard quickly took chase.[48]
Test in the Lair of the Lion Guard[]
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The Lion Guard explores a hidden tunnel within the Lair of the Lion Guard.
The Lion Guard examined paintings in the Lair of the Lion Guard in the hopes of finding a way to defeat Scar. Kion noticed a boulder 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 another 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.
As the Lion Guard ventured deeper into the Lair, they reached a weak section of floor, which collapsed beneath them. After being saved by Beshte, the Guard set off in a new direction, though they continually met dead-ends. With Ono's help, they were able to navigate out of the maze, 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.
Fuli passes the test of speed by slowing down an oncoming boulder.
In a different chamber, a large boulder came loose and started rolling toward the Guard. Thinking quickly, Fuli jumped on top of the boulder and dug her claws in it to slow it down. When that idea did not work, she used her speed to guide the boulder around her friends and out of harm's way.
Eventually, the 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 using an unstoppable force. She then led them into a chamber where there was a pool of water and yet another painting. At first, the team 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. Makini brought the painting to life, showing how Askari's Guard had worked together to defeat the evil lions. As one, the Guard looked up at the painting, which shifted into the symbol of the Guard, and cried out their catchphrase, determined to take down Scar.[49]
Abnormal Outlander attacks[]
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Fuli and Bunga tend to a pangolin.
One day, the Lion Guard saved a pair of hyraxes from a dust devil. Nearby, Thurston got aggravated by the storm and proclaimed to the Lion Guard that they should be putting a stop to the dust devils. Just then, Ono spotted another dust devil, and Kion led his team to the site of the storm. Once there, 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, and Kion wondered why the attack had been so odd. The team then took off to deal with another dust devil. As they rescued Mbuni and two other ostriches from sand that had filled up a gully, Goigoi approached with berry stripes painted on his fur. However, when the Guard noticed him, he retreated in disappointment, and Fuli questioned the strange occurrences.
Fuli expresses annoyance at Tamka's attempt to tickle her.
Next, Tamka and Nduli attempted to tickle the Lion Guard's bellies, only to be blown away by Kion's Roar of the Elders. Kion voiced his concern that Scar was behind the attacks and ordered Ono to scout out the Outlands. Ono soon spotted Thurston being attacked by Cheezi, Chungu, Goigoi, Nduli, and Tamka. Since he was a Pride Lander, Kion decided that it was their duty to save him.
Together, the Lion Guard chased off the Outlanders who were attacking Thurston. The zebra then revealed that he had been advising the Outlanders on how to defeat the Guard, and the team realized why they had been the butt-end of such strange attacks. Together, the Guard and Thurston left the Outlands to return home.[50]
Hyena Resistance[]
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Fuli pins Kiburi.
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, who retreated into the Outlands. Just then, Jasiri tackled Kion to the ground, having witnessed the skirmish. 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 sanctuary in the Pride Lands, but she insisted that her clan must protect their turf.
Back in the Outlands, Jasiri overheard Janja plotting with his clan to take over Mizimu Grove with Kiburi's and Reirei's groups. She sent Madoa to warn the Lion Guard, while she and the rest of the clan intercepted Janja's clan. Her plot 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.
Fuli and Ono work together to fend off the jackals.
After formally forming the Hyena Resistance with her clan and foiling more of Scar's schemes, Jasiri celebrated her clan's success with the Lion Guard on the border of the Outlands and the Pride Lands.
Later, Madoa informed the Lion Guard that Scar was planning their biggest attack yet on Mizimu Grove, unaware that it was a trap. She returned to Jasiri, only for the clan to be attacked by Janja, Kiburi, and Reirei. Across the Pride Lands, Ono scouted out the Outlands and caught sight of Jasiri's clan being attacked. The Lion Guard promptly rushed to the hyenas' aid and defeated the Outlanders.[51]
Kion and Bunga's mudpot trip[]
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Fuli expresses irritation at Tiifu and Zuri's false alarm.
The Lion Guard rushed to Pride Rock, following the sound of Tiifu and Zuri yelling for help. However, once they 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 accompany them. As a precaution, Nala sent Kion and Bunga along as bodyguards.
Later, Fuli, Beshte, and Ono had to put out a fire near the mudpots. Though they initially worried for their friends' safety, they reunited with them outside a cave, and Bunga explained that they had gotten caught in a maze of underground tunnels.[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 upon realizing that he was facing the Lion Guard, he backed down. Introducing himself as Shujaa, he explained that King Sokwe had sent him to assist the Lion Guard against the Outlanders.
Fuli is impressed by Shujaa's strength.
Just then, Ono informed the Lion Guard that the crocodiles, hyenas, and jackals were attacking Big Springs. Alongside Shujaa, the team raced to the rescue and confronted the invaders. Before the Lion Guard could step in, however, Shujaa heaved boulders and trees at the Outlanders, effectively driving them away from Big Springs but destroying the nearby area in the process. Though Shujaa was upset, the Lion Guard resolved to clean up his mess.
No sooner had the Guard finished when Ono informed them that the Outlanders had returned to hunt a herd of sable antelope. Kion suggested cutting 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 charged into a herd of cape buffalo, inciting a stampede. Beshte and Fuli rushed after the cape buffalo to calm them, while Kion, Bunga, and Ono followed Shujaa.
Fuli and Kion face off against Janja and Goigoi.
After Kion used the Roar of the Elders to defeat the Outlanders, Beshte and Fuli reconvened with their teammates, 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 defended Big Springs from yet another attack by the Army of Scar. Together, the Lion Guard put out a nearby fire and engaged the invading Outlanders in a fight. Ono begged Shujaa for help, and the gorilla agreed to fight for the sake of an injured Beshte. After the fight, the Lion Guard praised Shujaa and declared that they were glad that Sokwe had sent him.[53]
Training the Pride Landers[]
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The Lion Guard rushed to stop Bupu's herd and the galagos from stampeding. Once calm, the groups 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 gathered together Bupu's herd, Laini's group, Ma Tembo's herd, and Mbeya's crash, with Fuli recruiting the sable antelope.
Fuli recruits Bupu's herd to train against the Outlanders.
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 then got the idea to call Makuu for help. Makuu begrudgingly agreed to assist the 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 after his own float if trouble should arise. Unbeknownst to the Pride Landers, Shupavu and Njano were spying on the proceedings and reported what they had heard to Scar. Deducing that the crocodiles' alliance with Kion was fraying, Scar decided to attack Makuu's watering hole.
Per Scar's orders, the Army of Scar besieged Makuu's float at their watering hole. Ono witnessed the battle from above and reported his findings to Kion. Together, the Lion Guard and their Pride Lander allies stormed the watering hole and fought off the Army of Scar. Grateful for the rescue, Makuu pledged his support to his fellow Pride Landers should trouble arise in the future.[54]
Stint in Dhahabu's Queen's Guard[]
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After meeting with Simba atop Pride Rock to discuss a water treaty, Dhahabu got escorted on a tour around the kingdom by Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri. The Lion Guard tagged along at Dhahabu's insistence. In the middle of the tour, a bolt of dry lightning ignited the plains, endangering Dhahabu. While Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri managed to escape, Dhahabu hesitated, and Fuli was forced to shout at her to jolt her out of her panic. Together, the two jumped over the fire to safety, and the rest of the Lion Guard put out the fire.
Fuli rescues Dhahabu from a fire.
After the rescue, Dhahabu praised Fuli for her bravery, as well as Tiifu and Zuri for remaining by her side throughout the ordeal, and insisted that the three of them stay with her for the remainder of her visit. Though Fuli was reluctant to leave the Lion Guard, Kion reminded her that they must appease Dhahabu for the sake of the treaty.
Later, Dhahabu was freshening up in a water hole when jackals attacked alongside some crocodile allies. Ono informed the Lion Guard of the predicament, and Raha and Starehe raced off to defend their queen. After the fight, Dhahabu relieved Fuli, Tiifu, and Zuri of their duties and appointed Raha and Starehe in their stead. Together, the group 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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Fuli calms Bupu's herd.
At Big Springs, Timon and Pumbaa wandered past the Lion Guard on the trail of a slug. No sooner had they left when Makini approached and showed off a plant root that would be part of her mpando mpaya, the traditional planting of a new baobab tree by a Royal Mjuzi. This prompted Kion to chase after Timon and Pumbaa, and ask 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 be raised.
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. The battle paused when Scar appeared in a nearby fire and threatened to overtake the entirety of the Pride Lands. Terrified, the Pride Landers fled Mizimu Grove, and the Lion Guard pursued them and calmed them down.
Fuli performs "Tujiinue".
After Kion dispatched of the Outlanders with the Roar of the Elders, Simba deliberated what to do with Ma Tembo. He approached the other calmed Pride Landers and admitted that he had had knowledge of Scar's return for some time. The herds deliberated whether they should leave the Pride Lands for good, and Simba told them to inform him of their decision the following morning at Pride Rock.
The next morning, as the herds gathered at Pride Rock, Kion implored them to follow him to Mizimu Grove before they decided to leave the Pride Lands. The herds followed Kion to Mizimu Grove, where Makini's baobab tree seed had survived the fire. This inspired them to remain in the Pride Lands and work together to defeat Scar. Fuli then performed "Tujiinue" as Makini planted her baobab tree.[56]
Alliance with Anga[]
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When mysterious fiery sticks began raining from the sky, the Lion Guard rushed to protect Twiga's herd. In the midst of the attack, 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.
Fuli calms Twiga's herd.
The Lion Guard eventually found Anga in a grove of trees, and she agreed to help them find the source of the fiery sticks. Just then, another attack began, and Anga and Ono took off to investigate the problem. After figuring out who was behind the attacks, Anga reported to the Guard that Mzingo's parliament was to blame, and Kion suggested that they rally the Pride Lands' birds to help stop the vultures. Ono proposed that they ask Hadithi for help.
After Anga and Ono recruited Hadithi, the eagle led his followers to where the Lion Guard had gathered to plan their next move. Once the birds and the Lion Guard had rallied, they took off to thwart another attack, this time over the Maumivu Thorn Patch. The Pride Lander birds rounded up the vultures, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to banish Mzingo and his parliament back to the Outlands. Kion then thanked the Pride Lander birds for their help.[57]
Adolescence[]
Battle for the Pride Lands[]
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For several months, Kion led the Pride Landers in a prolonged struggle against Scar and his army as they attempted to overtake the Pride Lands. As the seasons passed, the Guard grew into adolescents. Eventually, Simba told Kion that they must take the fight to Scar in the Outlands, and Kion agreed. Together, the Lion Guard gathered the other Pride Landers at Pride Rock to prepare for an upcoming assault on the volcano. Unbeknownst to the Pride Landers, Scar's skinks overheard their plans to invade the Outlands and reported what they had learned to Scar.
As the seasons passed, the Lion Guard grew into adolescents.
In the Outlands, Scar summoned Janja and informed him that the only way for Kion to defeat him was to use the Roar in the volcano's inner chamber. He ordered Janja and his clan to distract the Lion Guard while Scar executed his plan against the Pride Landers. Meanwhile, at Pride Rock, the Pride Landers continued to train together. Kion doubted his abilities as a leader, but the rest of the Guard encouraged him to stand up and fight against Scar.
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. Janja managed to escape the fire and realized that he had been double-crossed by Scar. With no other options, he appealed to Jasiri for help. In the meantime, the Lion Guard and Janja's clan used an underground pool to escape the Lair, with Fuli riding on Beshte's back to avoid swimming.
The Lion Guard resolves to defeat Scar.
No sooner had the Lion Guard escaped when Scar appeared in the fire at Pride Rock and implored the Pride Landers to abandon their home. Simba refused to surrender, and Scar mocked him for not having the power to defeat him. As the flames died down, so did Scar, with a final menacing laugh. After Scar's disappearance, Jasiri arrived with Janja and encouraged the Pride Landers to trust him. Janja explained what Scar had told him about Kion's ability to defeat him with the Roar, and the Pride Landers resolved to assault the Outlands and use Kion's Roar to take down Scar. Back in the Outlands, however, Scar informed Ushari that he had lied to Janja, for if Kion used the Roar in the volcano, he would start a massive eruption that would destroy the Pride Lands.
The next morning, the Pride Landers assaulted the Outlands, and the Lion Guard broke into the volcano's inner chamber. Ushari snuck up on Kion and bit him across the eye, giving him a scar and injecting him with venom. Instead of giving in to his anger, Kion summoned the Great Kings of the Past, who judged Scar by sending down rain that melted him away. Ushari tried to avenge Scar by attacking Kion, but Bunga knocked them both into the lava pit. While Ono saved Bunga from falling to his death, Ushari met a fiery fate.
The Lion Guard confronts Scar in the volcano.
After the fight, the Pride Landers celebrated their victory over the Outlanders. Jasiri became the queen of the Outlands, with help from Janja and his clan. 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. He explained to Rafiki how much he had been suffering, and Rafiki told the Lion Guard that they must 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.
Shortly afterward, the Lion Guard and Makini left the Pride Lands to seek healing at the Tree of Life. Before leaving the kingdom, Fuli bid farewell to the baby baboon.[58]
Journey to the Tree of Life[]
Makucha's plot[]
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Fuli faces off against Jiona.
Eventually, the Lion Guard arrived at the first landmark on their journey: a waterfall in the Back Lands. With the help of Anga, they spotted the next landmark, an iroko tree, in the distance. The team started toward the tree, only to get intercepted by Makucha, who demanded 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. Through the storm, Anga used her keen eyesight to guide the Lion Guard to a cave by the waterfall.
Upon realizing that the leopards had already taken shelter in the cave, an irritated Kion nearly started a fight with Makucha, but his friends managed to calm him down. At peace once more, Kion implored his teammates to leave the cave, but Makucha explained that a harmattan could last for weeks. Remarking that he did not want them staying in his territory for so long, he offered to guide them out of his territory. Despite Fuli's protests, Kion accepted his offer.
Fuli expresses doubt at Makucha's intentions.
Together, the leopards and the Lion Guard ventured out into the harmattan. Along the way, Makini chattered with Anga about the Tree of Life and revealed that many sick animals journeyed there for healing. Makucha drew his friends aside and schemed to lead the Lion Guard off a cliff and force Makini to lead them to the Tree of Life.
Afterward, Makucha led the Lion Guard to a canyon that ended in a cliff, which the team could not see through the dust. At that moment, Ono got blown away by the storm and realized that the direction of the wind had changed, which meant that Makucha was leading them astray. Too late, Bunga fell off the cliff and only narrowly grabbed on to an overhanging branch.
Fuli and Bunga work together to defeat Fahari.
Ono arrived and warned his teammates, who turned to face Makucha and his friends. A brief scuffle broke out, during which Anga rescued Bunga from falling off the cliff. The winds began to pick up, and Ono warned the Lion Guard to take shelter behind some rocks. Not hearing Ono's warning, the leopards got blown away by the storm. Enraged, Makucha resolved to follow the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life, but his friends refused to join him.
With the danger abated, the Lion Guard arrived at the iroko tree. The team assured Ono that he was a valuable member of the team. They then set off for a two-peaked mountain, the next landmark on their journey.[59]
Befriending the snow monkeys[]
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As their journey continued, 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 in order to save time. However, he slipped on the snow and ended up knocking the entire Lion Guard down the mountain slope with him.
The Lion Guard slides down the mountainside.
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 him. 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 them, as they were afraid of birds of prey.
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, which triggered an avalanche that came barreling toward the Guard. In the chaos, they managed to rescue the snow monkeys from danger, but the troop's home got buried by the avalanche.
Fuli warns Kion that he is not thinking clearly.
After the avalanche had cleared, Kion apologized to the snow monkeys and vowed to find them a new home as repayment for his mistake. 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 hot spring in the distance but warned her teammates that it was out of their way and surrounded by 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 groups arrived at the hot spring, they were greeted by several flying squirrels. Scared that the flying squirrels were birds of prey, the snow monkeys fled and fell into a deep hole in the snow. Anga witnessed their disappearance, and Kion ordered his team to investigate. Once more, Fuli warned Kion that he was not thinking clearly, but he brushed her aside.
Fuli takes command of the Lion Guard in Kion's stead.
When the Lion Guard arrived on the scene, Bunga fell into the hole himself. Ono warned the others that they could not get too close, else they would fall in as well, and that any movement within the hole would cause the snow monkeys and Bunga to fall deeper. Though the team looked to Kion for instructions, he asked Fuli for help, as he was not thinking clearly. She agreed and ordered Anga to lift the snow monkeys out of the hole in her talons. After the rescue, 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 home. Once there, Fuli allowed the team to take a brief reprieve, as they had earned it.[60]
Saving Domog's pack[]
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The Lion Guard eventually reached a bamboo forest. Anga spotted a patch of tuliza, and Bunga offered to fetch some for Kion. He bounded up a cliff to reach the tuliza but ended up slipping and falling a great height to the snow below. After his fall, a pack of red pandas approached, hailing him as "Songoson Khün." They slathered him with orange paint, set him upon a stone, and presented him with grubs. The Lion Guard approached questioningly, and a red panda named Dughi explained that a Chosen One had been destined to fall from the sky and defeat the "Ghost of the Mountain."
Fuli encounters the "Ghost of the Mountain."
Just then, the pack's leader Domog approached and explained that their pack was being haunted by an invisible force that had driven them from their homes. Kion agreed to help the red pandas defeat the ghost in order to keep the Circle of Life in balance, adding that, even though they were not in the Pride Lands anymore, they were still the Lion Guard.
Together, the Guard journeyed up the mountain, where they were set upon by an invisible foe. Icicles began to fall on the team, and Makini lost her staff in the chaos. Fuli, however, raced back through the falling icicles to retrieve it. Afterward, 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.
Fuli retrieves Makini's bakora staff.
Eventually, through teamwork, the Lion Guard cornered the snow leopard, Chuluun, against a rock. Kion warned 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 his orange paint, but Chuluun managed to fight him off and escape.
No sooner had Chuluun disappeared when the Guard overheard faraway fearful cries, and Anga spotted Chuluun, marked by orange paint, attacking the red panda pack. 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 red pandas to join them in defeating her.
The Lion Guard corners Chuluun.
Together, the Lion Guard and the red pandas followed Chuluun and cornered her at the edge of a cliff. However, Chuluun rolled around in the snow to mask herself once more. Bunga ordered the red pandas to keep Chuluun surrounded, then released gas into her face. A shocked Chuluun lost her footing and plummeted off the cliff.
Back at the bamboo forest, Bunga was hailed as a hero by the pack. Domog explained that Bunga had taught them the importance of teamwork. Just then, Makini identified the next moja kwa moja stone, and the Lion Guard continued on their journey. Meanwhile, Makucha recruited Chuluun to follow the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life with him.[61]
Journey through the marsh[]
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Fuli easily fends off a mongoose.
While traveling, the Lion Guard passed through a marsh. Along the way, Bunga snacked on snails. At that moment, the team was attacked by mongooses. As the Lion Guard fought them off, Makini carried Ono to safety. After the fight, the Lion Guard realized that Makini and Ono were missing and resolved to find them. Along the way, Bunga snacked on more snails. Just then, the mongooses launched yet another attack on the Lion Guard but were swiftly defeated.
Kion and Fuli began to track Makini and Ono by scent. They found Makini's footprints and were baffled that the prints led in circles. Meanwhile, Bunga ate more snails. Shortly afterward, the mongooses attacked again, but Kion pinned one to the ground and demanded to know why they kept attacking the Guard. The mongoose explained that Bunga was eating their snails. Just then, Makini and Ono emerged from underground, where they had been trapped. Together, the Lion Guard journeyed toward the next moja kwa moja stone, with Bunga being forbidden to eat more snails.[62]
Dragon Island[]
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As their journey continued, the Lion Guard stumbled upon an island in the ocean. Kion wondered where the next moja kwa moja stone was, and Anga explained that it was on a hill on the island. The team ventured toward it, only to stop at the edge of the ocean. Bunga started to play in the waves when he got swept out to sea. However, he was rescued by a dolphin named Lumba-Lumba, who befriended the Guard and explained how much she loved the ocean. The team soon bid her farewell and continued toward the island.
Beshte saves Fuli from a tidal wave.
As the Guard started to cross a land bridge to the island, they were stopped by an old civet, who warned them about the dragons that inhabited the island. The Lion Guard brushed off his warnings and continued on their way. Once on the island, Makini bounded off to gather tuliza for Kion. No sooner had she left when a Komodo dragon named Ora attacked alongside two minions. Desperate, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blow his foes away, but when he did not stop Roaring, Fuli anxiously told him to stop. However, it was too late, as the waters receded from the island, then came back as a tidal wave.
The Lion Guard struggled to escape the tidal wave, which decimated the island and caused Makini to lose her tuliza. Fuli nearly drowned but was saved by Beshte. Just then, the team overheard Lumba-Lumba crying for help from the beach and found her stranded on the sand. Kion admitted that he was not in the right head-space and consequently put Fuli in charge of the Guard. She, in turn, commanded Anga, Makini, and Ono to find the next moja kwa moja stone while the rest of the team dug a tunnel from the sea to Lumba-Lumba.
Fuli oversees the rescue of Lumba-Lumba.
While the Lion Guard worked to save Lumba-Lumba, a wave washed Ora and his friends back to shore. From nearby, Anga, Makini, and Ono identified the next landmark: a tree on a cliff. They overheard the Komodo dragons attacking their teammates and raced to the rescue. Together, the 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 his Roar to create a path through the waters. The resulting waves washed Lumba-Lumba back out to sea, and she thanked the Guard for having saved her. The team then journeyed along Kion's path through the waves, with Ora and his minions in hot pursuit. Once the Guard reached the shore, Kion stopped roaring, and the waves crashed in on the Komodo dragons. While the Lion Guard continued on toward the next moja kwa moja stone, Makucha recruited Ora to join him on his quest to get revenge on the Lion Guard.[63]
Crossing the desert[]
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Fuli, Kion, and Ono express annoyance at Makini for her seemingly false memories.
On their way to the Tree of Life, 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, Fikiri and Kitendo, when they had journeyed to the Tree of Life to present Makini to Rafiki.
While reminiscing, Makini remembered a waterfall that she had visited with her parents. She implored the Lion Guard to take a brief detour to visit it, and Kion agreed. However, when the team arrived, they found that the waterfall had long since dried up. Anga spotted the next moja kwa moja stone, and the Lion Guard continued on its way.
Fuli braves a sandstorm.
Along the way, Makini excitedly pointed out a rock that had a hole in it. However, once she ventured closer, she realized that she must have made a mistake, for the rock had no hole. Bunga gave the rock a kick, and the Lion Guard moved on, missing how the rock cracked and revealed a hole once they had gone. Shortly afterward, Makini tried to point out a mountain that looked like a monkey's face, but the Lion Guard could not see it. It was only after they walked away that the sun revealed a face in the mountain.
Eventually, the Lion Guard 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. Makini admitted that she did not remember any flowers and started to tell a story about another subject, but Fuli, Kion, and Ono interrupted her in annoyance. Beshte comforted her and told her that her detours were fun, to which Makini recounted the first time her parents had told her that she might become a Royal Mjuzi.
Fuli drinks water off the leaf of a plant.
Just then, Anga reported that she could not find any white flowers, only a desert. Makini exclaimed that she had had to cross a desert in order to reach a series of cliffs. The team was doubtful of her memory, but with little else to go on, they let her take the lead.
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 severely irritated him. Once Kion had seemingly calmed, Bunga took a turn playing, but the disturbance awoke a jerboa named Tupp, who yelled at the Guard for having interrupted his sleep. A short-tempered Kion growled, scaring Tupp off.
The Lion Guard follows the stars.
After Tupp's departure, Kion decided to go back the way they had come. However, another sandstorm struck, erasing their footprints and shifting the landscape so that they did not recognize where they were. Ono suggested that they build a shelter for the day and wait until nighttime to continue their journey.
That night, Tupp appeared and led the Lion Guard to a plant with water on its leaves. The Lion Guard drank, and Makini washed off enough tuliza for Kion to have a dose. Anga questioned how Tupp had found the plant, and he explained that desert creatures used the sky to navigate their surroundings. This caused the Guard to realize that the four white "flowers" were actually stars. They followed the stars to a series of cliffs, thus confirming that Makini's memories had been right all along.[64]
Friendship with Azaad[]
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Fuli defends Bunga from Kion's wrath.
As their journey continued, the Lion Guard struggled to cross the desert. At one point, 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 Kion a dose of tuliza, but Makini confessed that they were out.
While Anga searched for more tuliza, Bunga started showing off by pretending to be thirsty, which disgusted Fuli. He tried to show off to Kion, but Kion snapped at him in anger. Jumping to Bunga's defense, Fuli pointed out that he was simply fooling around, with Beshte adding that Bunga was just being Bunga. Kion apologized to Bunga, who immediately forgave him and admitted that he was good at being annoying.
Fuli meets a lone cheetah named Azaad.
At that moment, Anga spotted a patch of tuliza past a nearby sea. The 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 began to calm and float on his back. In the meantime, Fuli left on her own to collect the tuliza.
Along the way, she got lost in a network of canyons and encountered a mysterious lone cheetah named Azaad. He warned her that she was in his territory, and she explained that she was simply helping a friend. Azaad scoffed at the idea of a cheetah having a friend, but Fuli did not back down, instead asking for Azaad's help in navigating the unfamiliar terrain. He agreed, but only if she bested him in a race.
Fuli saves Azaad from falling off a cliff.
Azaad and Fuli engaged in their first race, but Fuli lost, as she tripped on a patch of uneven ground. She accused Azaad of having cheated and insisted that they race again, to which Azaad reluctantly agreed. They started their rematch, and Fuli began to race ahead of Azaad. Refusing to be bested, he took a shortcut by jumping over a canyon but only barely caught on to the edge of the opposite cliff. Hearing Azaad's panicked cries, Fuli raced back to pull him to safety. A shocked Azaad questioned why she had not simply won the race, and Fuli explained that friends helped each other.
Meanwhile, at the sea, the Guard lost track of Kion, who got prodded by a flock of flamingos. He awakened, irritated, and nearly used the Roar of the Elders on the flock. Just in time, Fuli approached with the tuliza and gave him a dose. Immediately, Kion calmed, and the Guard continued on their journey. Before leaving, Fuli bid Azaad farewell and said that she hoped to see him again someday.[65]
Recovering Makini's staff[]
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For the next stop on their trip, the Lion Guard journeyed through a forest. Along the way, Beshte befriended a tapir named Tenuk. Though at first friendly, Tenuk panicked at the mention of tuliza and fled into the underbrush. Other animals reacted similarly, which confused the Lion Guard. Unbeknownst to the team, they were being watched by a porcupine, who reported the incidents to a binturong named Mama Binturong. Mama Binturong declared that every tuliza flower belonged to her and that she would never let another animal have any.
Fuli tracks suspicious paw prints.
Meanwhile, Bunga pulled a prank on a civet named Tompok by yelling, "Tuliza!" unexpectedly. Tompok fled into a nearby river in fear, but Anga rescued him from drowning. The Lion Guard attempted to question him on why the forest animals were afraid to mention tuliza, but he ran away once more.
After the incident, Mama Binturong approached and watched the Lion Guard from afar. She witnessed Makini fetching tuliza from her bakora staff and ordered her porcupine minions to steal the staff for her. The Lion Guard noticed the theft, but only after Mama Binturong had taken Makini's staff and retreated to her hideout.
The Lion Guard meets in secret with Seisou.
The Guard questioned a gibbon named Seisou 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, Bambun, referred them to another animal, and he to another animal, and so on, until at last, the Lion Guard met up with Seisou in a cave. Seisou 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. The Lion Guard promptly took off to recover their stolen property.
Once at the Stone Forest, the Lion Guard struggled to fit between the rock pillars, with only Bunga being able to squeeze through. As a result, he braved the mission alone, eventually reaching Mama Binturong's hideout and taking the staff from her. In the process, he ruined her tuliza stash with his stink. He then returned to the rest of the Lion Guard and gave Makini her staff back. With Makini's staff and their tuliza recovered, the Guard moved on to find the next moja kwa moja stone.[66]
Kion's breakdown[]
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As their journey continued, Kion pushed his teammates to travel as fast as they could. Eventually, they stopped for a break at a watering hole, but Kion cut the respite short, insisting that they must keep moving. Fuli asked Makini to give Kion some tuliza, but the herb failed to soothe his bad temper. As the Lion Guard started their journey again, Fuli worried about the tuliza's dwindling effects. Bunga suggested that the venom in Kion's scar was turning him evil, but Fuli adamantly denied this.
Fuli rebukes Bunga for suggesting that Kion is turning evil.
The Guard eventually reached a canyon, where they spotted several goslings jumping off a cliff. Beshte insisted on saving the goslings, to Kion's annoyance. Before long, the mother goose arrived and lectured the team for having ruined her goslings' attempts to leave their nests. After the incident, Kion chastised Beshte for the delay and declared that they would no longer be assisting animals who did not need their help.
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 doing so. The rest of the Lion Guard watched in shock, with Bunga repeating his suspicion that Kion was taking a turn for the worst. Fuli rebuked Bunga again, and the team continued on its way.
Fuli defends Kion's character to Bunga.
After leaving the canyon, Beshte befriended a clouded leopard named Yun Mibu, who was skilled at hanging from his feet. Kion got irritated by the delay and growled at Yun Mibu until he fled. Kion started to turn his ire on Beshte, but Fuli jumped to Beshte's defense and told Kion that he should let her take over, as he was not thinking clearly. The two nearly got into a fight until Bunga broke it up, reminding Kion that Rafiki had warned them about the effects of Ushari's venom. This horrified Kion, who ran off into the forest. With Kion gone, Fuli lectured Bunga for believing that their friend was turning evil. The rest of the Lion Guard agreed with Fuli, voicing their confidence in Kion's character.
Meanwhile, Kion accidentally fell off a cliff and only barely managed to catch on to an overhanging branch. Fuli began to worry about Kion's long absence and sent Anga to check on him. Before long, Anga spotted him hanging perilously from the branch but was unable to save him by herself. Following Anga to the scene, the Guard tried and failed to think of a solution until Beshte got the idea to summon Yun Mibu for help.
Fuli orders Kion to let the Lion Guard take a break.
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 leaned down to help him, Kion apologized for his rude behavior and promised to never growl at a clouded leopard again. Yun Mibu then pulled Kion to safety, with some help from Anga.
Once on solid ground, Kion apologized for having been so mean to his teammates. They forgave him, and Makini gave 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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As their journey neared an end, the Lion Guard crossed a frozen lake. However, while they were crossing, the ice began to crack beneath their weight, and they scrambled to reach solid ground. Makini nearly fell into the water, but Kion and Fuli rescued her in the nick of time. However, she lost her bakora staff to the freezing water.
Fuli and Kion rescue Makini from falling into a frozen lake.
Since the Lion Guard no longer had Makini's staff to activate the next moja kwa moja stone, they relied on Ono's memory of Rafiki's map to find their way. Ono stated that the next stop on their journey was a pass through the mountains, and Anga used her keen vision to lead the team to the right location. Unbeknownst to the Lion Guard, Ullu the owl was spying on their activities and left to inform the Night Pride.
The Lion Guard entered the pass, but Bunga accidentally started a rockslide by scaling the walls to reach a beehive. The rocks ended up trapping Bunga and blocking the pass, which frustrated Kion. As the Guard worked to free Bunga, the Night Pride arrived, and Baliyo attacked the Lion Guard. A fight ensued, during which Fuli took on the leader of the Night Pride, Rani, and desperately tried to clear up the misunderstanding. Eventually, Kion lost control of his emotions and used the Roar of the Elders on Baliyo. In response, Rani condemned Kion and forbid the Lion Guard entry to the Tree of Life.
The Lion Guard frees Bunga from some fallen rocks.
While Kion wandered off on his own, Fuli led the rest of the Guard in freeing Bunga from the fallen rocks. After a period of self-reflection, Kion returned to his team and admitted it was his fault that they could not enter the Tree of Life. Beshte suggested explaining their situation to Rani, and Kion agreed, as he wanted Ono at least to receive healing.
Shortly afterward, Rani returned to the Lion Guard, only to find that they had cleared the pass. Kion apologized to her and implored her to accept Ono for healing. Impressed by his selflessness, Rani allowed the Lion Guard to come to the Tree of Life. The team then followed the Night Pride through the pass until they beheld the Tree of Life for the first time.[68]
Stay at the Tree of Life[]
First skirmish with Makucha's army[]
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Fuli surveys the Tree of Life's territory.
The Lion Guard entered the Tree of Life, where they met its matriarch, Queen Janna. Nirmala, a gifted healer, examined them and came to the conclusion that Kion's injuries would be far more difficult to heal than Ono's. Janna then ordered Rani, her granddaughter, to give the Lion Guard a tour of the territory while Kion began his healing journey with Nirmala.
Acquiescing to her grandmother's request, Rani gave the Lion Guard a tour of the territory, which included a variety of habitats. Unbeknownst to Rani, Makucha and his allies were sneaking into the Tree of Life's territory. Ullu overheard the predators' activities and left to inform Rani. Together, the Night Pride took on Makucha and his allies, defeating them easily, as they did not work well together. At the same time, the rest of the Lion Guard reconvened with Kion and explained how Rani had been called away to face down a threat to the Tree of Life. Kion fretted that the Night Pride was in danger, and the Lion Guard headed off to help them.
The Lion Guard faces off against Makucha and Chuluun.
The Lion Guard arrived at the scene of the fight, only to find that the Night Pride had already defeated Makucha and his allies. Baliyo mentioned Makucha by name, and Kion apologetically admitted that Makucha and his allies had followed the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life. The Lion Guard and the Night Pride journeyed back to the Tree of Life, where a furious Rani accused Kion of having let in an army of predators. Kion apologized to Janna and offered his and the Guard's services in defeating Makucha's army, but Janna advised him to heal before he tried to help the Night Pride.
The next day, the Night Pride battled against Makucha and his allies again, but Baliyo got bitten and paralyzed by Ora. The Lion Guard arrived in time to chase the army away.[69]
Mama Binturong's plot[]
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Fuli expresses annoyance at Bunga's loud chewing.
One day, Fuli relaxed at a water hole with the rest of the Lion Guard, as well as Baliyo and Rani. As Bunga chomped loudly on grubs, she expressed her irritation. Just then, Kion arrived and 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. Together, Nirmala and Ono departed for the Tree of Life.
After Ono had gone, Bunga continued to chew loudly, to Fuli's annoyance, but Baliyo commented that Bunga was rather quiet for a honey badger. He then revealed that he was friends with another honey badger named Binga. As Baliyo led Bunga away to meet Binga, Fuli expressed irritation at the prospect of there being another honey badger.
The Lion Guard runs into Mama Binturong on their way to meet Binga.
Meanwhile, Mama Binturong plotted to invade the Tree of Life by pretending to seek sanctuary from Makucha and his army. She explained that she would have to avoid Bunga, as he was the only member of the Lion Guard who might recognize her. The army enacted the plan, and the Night Pride fell for it, accepting Mama Binturong for healing at the Tree of Life.
As the Lion Guard headed for the Tree of Life to check on Ono's healing, Bunga suddenly got inspired to challenge Binga to a stink contest. While Bunga left to convene with Binga, the rest of the Guard continued on their way. With Bunga gone, Mama Binturong entered the Tree of Life alongside the Guard, and Janna accepted her for healing. Afterward, Janna channeled the Tree of Life's powers to heal Ono's eyesight. Ono was delighted, but Janna warned him that his vision would never be as good as it once was. Outside, Ono saw that Janna was right, as he could no longer see in pristine detail. Anga instead used her vision to locate Bunga, who was still with Binga, and the Lion Guard left to go meet them.
Fuli tackles Chuluun.
On their way to meet Bunga and Binga, the Lion Guard ran into Mama Binturong. They invited her to accompany them, but she declined and climbed up a nearby tree to rest. The team proceeded to meet Binga, and Beshte explained that Kion was still healing with Nirmala. Having overheard critical information from the Lion Guard, Mama Binturong returned to her allies and instructed them to kill Janna while she distracted the Night Pride.
The plan went into motion, with the Night Pride falling for Mama Binturong's cries for help. In the meantime, Makucha, Chuluun, and Ora snuck over the border. Ullu informed the Lion Guard of Mama Binturong's peril, and they resolved to help her. However, Ono realized that Mama Binturong had called Chuluun by name in her cries for help, which indicated that they were working together. The Lion Guard headed to the Tree of Life instead and confronted Makucha, Chuluun, and Ora. In the ensuing fight, Fuli took on Chuluun, tackling her to the ground. After defeating the predators, the Lion Guard returned to the Tree of Life, where they praised Ono for having figured out Mama Binturong's deception.[70]
Poa the Destroyer[]
| “ | Kion: But his name's not really Poa. It's Beshte. Fuli: And he's not a bad guy either.
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One day, Fuli and her friends gathered around a sleeping Bunga, who was murmuring Binga's name in his sleep. After he woke up, he left to visit Binga, and Fuli teasingly told him to say hi to her for them. She then left for a run around the Tree of Life's territory.
Fuli teases Bunga about his crush on Binga.
Meanwhile, Beshte accidentally wreaked havoc around the Tree of Life's territory, which led its residents to believe that he was a menace. Baliyo and Rani soon figured out what was going on and called the Lion Guard to a meeting at the Tree of Life. Once the team had gathered, Rani explained that Beshte had been frightening the natives due to his accidents. Heartbroken and guilty, Beshte exiled himself from the Tree of Life, as he believed himself to be a true destroyer. The Lion Guard, however, resolved to host a meeting at the Tree of Life so that Beshte could earn the locals' trust back.
Once the Tree of Life's residents had been gathered, Kion and Rani explained that Beshte was friendly, not destructive. Fuli added that he was not a "bad guy." Just then, Beshte approached with Pinguino on his back, and Pinguino declared that Beshte had saved his life, which effectively cleared the hippo's name. The animals then started up a chant of "Poa!" as the Guard looked on happily.[71]
Rani's coronation[]
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Fuli, Anga, and Nirmala perform for Rani's coronation.
One day, Mama Binturong and her allies 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 fought off the army, with Fuli defeating Ora. Just then, Ullu arrived and informed Rani that Janna wished to see her, Kion, and the rest of the Night Pride immediately. While the rest of the Lion Guard stayed behind to tend to Varya and her cubs, the Night Pride and Kion followed Ullu to the Tree of Life.
Later, the Lion Guard attended Janna's funeral at the Willows. At sunset, Rani became the new queen of the Tree of Life. Fuli, Anga, and Nirmala performed a choral piece for the coronation.[72]
Working with the Night Pride[]
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Fuli challenges Rani for criticizing Kion's leadership.
When Makucha and his army launched another attack on the Tree of Life, the Night Pride challenged them, only for Baliyo's yawning to expose 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 caused confusion and disorder among their allies. In following Kion's orders, Fuli ended up running into Nirmala and knocking them both over.
Eventually, the Lion Guard and the Night Pride succeeded in driving off Makucha's army, though Rani criticized Kion for having not followed her lead. Fuli jumped to Kion's defense, only for Kion to confess that he no longer had control of the Roar. Nevertheless, he offered to patrol the Tree of Life during the day in order to give the Night Pride time to rest, and Rani gratefully accepted his offer. Unbeknownst to the two groups, Mama Binturong was spying on their conversation from a nearby tree.
Fuli encourages Kion to trust himself.
As the Lion Guard departed, Fuli told Rani that Kion did not appear to be healing, but Rani assured her that Nirmala knew what she was doing. However, as Rani reconvened with her pride, she admitted to them that Fuli may be right. Meanwhile, Mama Binturong schemed to attack the Tree of Life in-between the Lion Guard's and the Night Pride's shifts, at sunset.
Shortly afterward, the Lion Guard was patrolling the Tree of Life when they came across a dispute between Heng Heng the panda and Kely the lemur over a bamboo stand. The Guard brought them before Rani, who decreed that Heng Heng could have the bamboo stand when she was required to eat and that the lemurs could have it in-between those times.
Fuli charges into battle alongside Kion.
As Kion returned to his reflections, Rani told Fuli that Kion may be unable to heal any more. She then related what he had said about his inability to lead the Lion Guard without the Roar. The Lion Guard returned to Kion, and Anga reminded him of the time that a much younger Lion Guard had rescued Ono's egg from Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu. After the story, Kion felt inspired and revitalized, and declared that he did not need the Roar to lead his team.
Just then, Ullu approached and warned the Lion Guard that Makucha's army was launching another attack on the Tree of Life. The Night Pride arrived on the scene, and Kion led the two teams in an attack on the invading predators. They eventually succeeded, and Rani praised Kion for his great leadership skills.[1]
Battle for the Tree of Life[]
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Fuli leads the Lion Guard in Kion's absence.
One day, Makucha and his army snuck into the Tree of Life due to Ullu falling asleep. The Night Pride arrived, only for the Lion Guard to take over the shift and defeat the army, with Fuli overpowering Chuluun. After the fight, Bunga complimented Kion on his good leadership skills, and Nirmala agreed, adding that Kion's healing journey was complete. Rani worried that this would prompt the Guard to return to the Pride Lands, but Kion assured her that they would help defend the Tree of Life from Makucha's army first. He then departed to speak with Askari, leaving Fuli in charge of the Lion Guard.
While on duty, the Lion Guard freed a camel who was stuck in the sand. Bunga worried that Kion could be in trouble and left to ask Rani for answers.
Fuli challenges Makucha.
Later, Makucha's army invaded the Tree of Life. Ullu warned the Night Pride about the army's attack, and they rushed to the Tree of Life, only to get shut in by a giant rock pushed by Ora and his Komodo dragon minions. With the Night Pride out of commission, Makucha's army attacked the animals at the Tree of Life. The Lion Guard approached, having been warned by Ullu, and resolved to free the Night Pride from the army's trap.
As the battle raged on, Kion, Bunga, and Rani arrived, and Kion used the Roar to defeat the army of predators. He then struck the rock at the Tree of Life's entrance with lightning, destroying it and freeing the Night Pride. Finally, he swept Makucha and his army into a tornado and sent them far away from the Tree of Life.[73]
Journey back to the Pride Lands[]
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Fuli reunites with Azaad.
After the battle, the Lion Guard approached Kion and declared that they were ready to return home. Though the other Lion Guard members expressed interest in staying at the Tree of Life, Fuli was more hesitant. Just then, Ullu flew up, with Azaad, Janja, and Jasiri in tow, and Fuli had a delighted reunion with Azaad. Jasiri proceeded to inform Kion that Zira was invading the Pride Lands and that the royal family needed the Lion Guard's help. Recognizing the existential threat to their homeland, the Lion Guard decided to return home and help save their kingdom.
As the Guard departed the Tree of Life, Azaad expressed confusion as to why they were friends with hyenas, and Fuli explained that Janja and Jasiri had earned their trust. Azaad then led the Guard to the fastest route home: a narrow canyon pass. Beshte was too wide to squeeze through, so 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, and so, Kion used the Roar to funnel his teammates to the other side. However, Fuli and Azaad opted to jump across the divide. Finally, Kion created a rainstorm that filled a dry riverbed, which allowed the Guard to hitch a ride on a floating log. As they floated down the river, Fuli remarked that Azaad must not be having fun, but he countered that he was happy to be having an adventure with her.
The Lion Guard leads a herd of klipspringers to safety.
The Lion Guard continued on their journey, passing familiar landmarks, such as the marsh, the mountain, and more. Eventually, they reached the Great Stone Wall. Kion used the Roar to break apart the rock, not knowing that the wall functioned as a dam, and accidentally opened a fissure that began spurting water. As he continued to Roar in order to hold the water back, the rest of the Lion Guard rescued nearby animals. Suddenly, Ono got the idea to throw rocks into the path of Kion's Roar in order to cover the damaged section of the wall. The Guard and their allies worked together, heaving rocks into the Roar, until there were enough to fix the hole in the wall. Kion promptly stopped Roaring, and the rocks fell into place, effectively blocking the dam.
With the dam intact once more, Kion complimented his friends on their teamwork, and Azaad led the Guard around the stone wall. They eventually arrived in the Outlands, where they caught a glimpse of Pride Rock in the distance. They then started toward the Pride Lands, determined to save their kingdom.[74]
Battle of the Lion Guards[]
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Fuli struggles to reach Kasi.
Upon entering the Outlands, the Guard ran into Madoa, who had been in hiding with the rest of Jasiri's clan, and she explained that Zira's invasion of the Pride Lands had already begun. At that moment, Mzingo arrived and agreed to help the Guard and their allies, per Jasiri's request.
Just then, Anga spotted Zira's son, Kovu, standing atop Pride Rock. No sooner had Anga reported this when Zira's daughter, Vitani, arrived alongside a strange pride of lionesses and launched into battle against the Lion Guard. In the ensuing fight, Fuli attempted to fight Kasi, only for Kasi to climb a tree and evade her attacks. Eventually, Kion readied to use the Roar of the Elders on Vitani and her pride, but Kiara unexpectedly appeared alongside Kovu and explained that the Outsiders had joined Simba's pride. Though confused, Kion halted his attack.
Fuli introduces Azaad to Simba and Nala.
Back at Pride Rock, the Lion Guard reunited with Simba and Nala, to whom Fuli introduced Azaad. Rafiki then explained how Zira's pride had changed allegiance due to Kiara and Kovu's intervention. Zira, however, had clung to her hatred, and it had destroyed her. The Lion Guard then left to greet old friends and family around the kingdom. Fuli led Azaad to a scenic cliff overlook, only for the baby baboon and his troop to begin jumping excitedly on them.
The next morning, the Lion Guard entered the Lair of the Lion Guard to find that Vitani and her pride were already inside. Vitani argued that she should lead the Lion Guard, as she was the sister of the future king, but Kion argued that, as the future queen's brother, it was his duty to lead the Lion Guard. Just then, Laini approached, begging for help, and both Lion Guards agreed to assist her.
Fuli streaks ahead of Kasi.
The two Guards followed Laini to where Thurston was stuck in a hole. Instead of rescuing Thurston, they began to argue over who should rescue him, which left Azaad to guide Thurston out of the hole by himself. Afterward, Kion commented that they must sort out their problems in order to avoid quarreling, and Thurston suggested that they hold a competition to determine which team was better. Both Lion Guards agreed to the challenge.
Later, 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. The first competition was a battle of strength between Beshte and Imara, which Imara won. The next competition was a race. At first, Fuli allowed Kasi to run ahead, but at the last second, she streaked ahead to the finish line, winning the race. Next, Tazama beat Anga in a competition of sight. Then, Bunga defeated Shabaha.
Kion's Lion Guard decides to join the Night Pride.
Since the two teams were tied, Ono announced that the win would be determined by Kion and Vitani's challenge. To Kion's horror, Vitani called for a mashindano. He warned her that she did not stand a chance against the Roar, but Vitani asserted that she could be the fiercest without the Roar. This caused Kion to recall Askari's statement that only one who could let go of the Roar could truly master it. Realizing that Vitani was the true leader of the Lion Guard, Kion relinquished his team's duties to her and her pride.
At that moment, Askari appeared in the clouds overhead and praised Kion for his decision. He added that Kion had truly mastered the Roar, but Kion countered that he was no longer the leader of the Lion Guard. To this, Askari reminded him that the Tree of Life needed the Roar's protection as well. The rest of Kion's Lion Guard agreed to protect the Tree of Life alongside him, and the Marks of the Night Pride appeared on their shoulders.[75]
Kion's coronation[]
Fuli attended Kion's wedding to Rani at the Tree of Life.[75]
Physical appearance[]
As an infant, Fuli was small and slender, with soft, rounded features. Her pelt was a pale golden-yellow and covered in large brown spots and stripes, some of which were hollow and centered with pale golden-yellow. She had brown ear rims and a brown tail tip, as well as pink inner ears and a very pale tan, almost white, muzzle and underbelly. Her nose was pink, with a pale brown bridge. She had large green eyes, framed by pale golden-yellow eye rims. She also had a heart-shaped spot on her forehead, in-between her eyes.[1]
A side-profile view of adolescent Fuli.
As Fuli aged into a cub, she became larger and attained a lithe build. Her pelt brightened in color, and she gained more brown stripes, particularly on her forehead. Her inner ears darkened to a pale brown, and her chest became slightly darker as well. Upon joining the Lion Guard, she attained the Mark of the Guard on her left shoulder.[2]
As an adolescent, Fuli grew slightly larger and broader about the shoulders. Her spots and stripes darkened to be nearly black. Upon joining the Night Pride, she attained the Mark of the Night Pride on her right shoulder.[58]
Personality and traits[]
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Fuli enjoys a fast-paced, thrilling lifestyle.
Fuli has a need for speed. She lives a fast-paced, thrilling life and enjoys getting the most out of an experience that she possibly can. As a result, she can be somewhat impatient and impulsive, and does not always think before she acts.[46] She is quite confident, bordering on haughty, and takes pride in her abilities. She sometimes chafes at authority, being particularly resentful of lions for "lording over" the Pride Lands. It is quite difficult to earn her respect and trust; she did not even join the Lion Guard initially because Kion could not prove that he possessed the power of the Roar.[2]
Despite her arrogance, Fuli is brave, kind, and strong-willed. She habitually puts herself in danger to help others and dutifully follows Kion's orders, even if she does not always agree with them. However, she sometimes does bend the rules.[10] She does not shy away from speaking her mind and can be critical of those the Guard is helping. She is known to be sarcastic and derisive, and will sometimes openly insult or mock her charges for their foolishness.[27] She does not like when the Guard is sent to perform menial tasks and prefers when they cut to the chase.[26][42]
Kion came to rely on Fuli as his confidant, close friend, and temporary co-leader of the Lion Guard.
Fuli is exceptionally introverted and prefers to hunt solo. She enjoys the company of her friends but occasionally needs space to be on her own.[9] She has a special bond with her fellow Lion Guard members, especially Kion. Over time, as Kion suffered the effects of Ushari's venom, he came to rely on Fuli to make decisions and lead in his stead when he was not thinking clearly.[60] Fuli took this responsibility seriously, almost physically fighting Kion over his irrational behavior. Kion ultimately appreciated her brutal honesty and came to rely on her as a friend and temporary co-leader of the Guard.[67] Fuli remained fiercely loyal to him, despite his condition, even defending his leadership skills to the Night Pride.[1]
She enjoys hunting[9] and dislikes baboons and getting wet.[5]
Trivia[]
- Fuli was voiced by Diamond White.[76]
- Fuli's name means "very fast" or "very speedy" in Swahili.[77]
- Fuli's catchphrase "Huwezi!" means "You can't (catch me)!" in Swahili.[77]
- Fuli was the first female to ever join the Lion Guard.[33]
Early artwork of Fuli for Kion, Pride of the Pridelands indicates that she may have originally had blue eyes.
- In "Babysitter Bunga", it is revealed that Fuli cannot climb trees.[29]
- According to Timon, Pumbaa, and the other members of the Lion Guard, Fuli has exceptionally soft fur.[9]
- In "Journey to the Pride Lands", Beshte and Bunga comment that Fuli and Azaad get along well, like Kion and Rani. This implies that Fuli and Azaad have romantic feelings for each other.[74]
- Early artwork of Fuli in the Return of the Roar book (then-called Kion, Pride of the Pridelands) indicates that she may have had blue eyes during early production of The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar.[78]
- According to Ford Riley, Fuli does not have any family members and views Kion as a brother figure.[79]
- Fuli's name is misspelled "FuLi" on the official soundtrack for The Lion Guard.[80]
References[]
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