| Great-Fighter | |
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| Physical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Species | |
| Biographical information | |
| Also known as |
King Fearless (impersonation) |
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Great-Fighter is a male lion. He attempts to impersonate a former king of the Pride Lands.
Biography
Backstory
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The personal history of Great-Fighter remains a mystery throughout the comic, though it is heavily implied that his family is deceased. He first appears as a nameless rogue who has wandered into the Pride Lands in search of food.
A Gift from the Heavens
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At the start of the comic, Great-Fighter is a nameless rogue who has wandered into the Pride Lands in search of food. Decrepit and starving, he laments his current circumstances, as he hasn't eaten in days and has no family to take care of him. Enlightened by the prosperous kingdom of the Pride Lands, the rogue is soon convinced that he will be able to find a good way of feeding himself in such a lush new world.
As he's continuing to take in his surroundings and planning what to do next, a small meteor suddenly crashes down right on top of him. Simba, the prince of the Pride Lands, happens to see the crash and immediately rushes over to see what has happened. As he approaches the crater, he is just in time to see Great-Fighter climb out of the hole, muttering to himself about food. The cub excitedly comes to the conclusion that Great-Fighter is a star (or a Great King of the Past) who has fallen from the sky and then proceeds to welcome the rogue to earth.
Great-Fighter is hit by a meteor
As Simba bows low to the ground, Great-Fighter realizes that the cub thinks he's some sort of king. The uneasy rogue tries to slink away, but Simba protests and asks Great-Fighter if he can at least stay and have some lunch. The older lion's yearning for food stops him dead in his tracks, and Simba quickly offers to fetch him something to eat.
When the young cub returns with a hunk of meat, Great-Fighter immediately plunges into the meal and begins to make up a story about his false reign as king, hoping that more food will come his way with each story he tells. Simba is oblivious to this, however, and amazed at the things Great-Fighter has to say. He asks Great-Fighter his name, and Great-Fighter tells the cub that he's his great-great-grandfather, here on a very secret mission. He then warns the cub not to tell anyone about his visit to the Pride Lands. Simba asks if he can at least tell his father, but Great-Fighter exclaims, "Especially not your dad!"
A few days after the incident, Mufasa becomes suspicious of his son, for Simba has been distant the last couple of days. He sends Zazu to see where Simba has been lately. The hornbill soon spots Simba with Great-Fighter, who is telling another one of his made-up stories about being king. Great-Fighter brags about the great battles he's been in and claims that he is the bravest of all Simba's ancestors. Zazu soon figures out that Great-Fighter is lying and promptly goes back to report to Mufasa. At first, Mufasa is outraged and wants to drive Great-Fighter out for good, but Zazu advises against this, as Simba would see it as Mufasa driving out an ancient ancestor. He tells Mufasa that it would be best if Simba figured things out on his own.
Great-Fighter is questioned about his false reign
Meanwhile, two strange birds come to visit Great-Fighter. The pair ask him if he's an ancient king who has fallen from the stars, and Simba confirms this. Pleased, the two claim to know all about the Great Kings of the Past. After examining Great-Fighter, they come to the conclusion that he is the king who discovered the Elephant Graveyard and ruled during the time of the hyena invasion. The birds begin to pester Great-Fighter with questions, and the uncertain rogue is unable to answer them correctly.
Afraid that Simba will find out he's a fake, Great-Fighter starts to slink away, but the cub runs after him and begs him to stay. Great-Fighter insists that he must go and then leaps across a river in order to lose the cub. As Simba follows him across the stream, he is suddenly trapped by a vicious crocodile. Zazu, who happened to be flying overhead, rushes to get Mufasa, but when he returns with Mufasa at his side, Simba is standing on the bank of the river, smiling. The cub claims that his "great ancestor" had saved him from the crocodile before leaving the Pride Lands and then proceeds to tell his father all of Great-Fighter's stories. Even though Great-Fighter is a hero for saving Simba, he is never seen or heard from again.
Physical appearance
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Life as a rogue has affected Great-Fighter's physical demeanor in many ways. For one, he is very disheveled and scruffy, particularly in regions such as his chin, elbow joints, and base of the tail. For another, his skinniness and lack of physical prowess are very apparent in the way his ribs can be clearly seen through his chest fur.
A side-profile view of Great-Fighter
As far as coloring goes, Great-Fighter's main pelt is golden-brown, while his chest, muzzle, and paws are all sandy in color. His mane and tail-tip, both of which are quite scraggly, are russet-red, and his eyes are golden-brown. In addition, he has two unusual features, one of which is a freckled muzzle. The other can be seen in the distinctive way his frontward mane hairs curl. While the rest of his mane is somewhat slicked back, the two pieces of hair on his forehead curl forward in a meticulously deliberate way.
Personality and traits
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Reclusive and solitary by nature, Great-Fighter is a wanderer. His personal history remains a mystery throughout the comic, though it is heavily implied that his family is deceased. Such presumptions are supported by the fact that he has a natural instinct to be alone, except when the prospect of food is brought up, in which he will respond vigorously. However, despite this mild misery which comes from living alone, he remains thoroughly positive about his predicament, as he is enlightened by the sight of a prosperous land.
A panel of Great-Fighter, reflecting his dim and somewhat innocent nature
On the other hand, even though he is reclusive by nature, he has an overall friendly personality and doesn't seem to render any aggressive instincts, as would be expected of a rogue. His moral standards seem to be a bit low, however, as he takes no shame in lying to Simba in exchange for food. His hunger serves as a method of persuading him to do, essentially, anything, and often overlaps his good judgment.
Despite this, it's obvious by the end of the comic that he has a good heart, due to his heroic efforts in rescuing Simba from a crocodile. In addition, he has a certain degree of bravery to risk his own life in exchange for that of a cub he barely knows. It can be presumed that he formed a minor bond with Simba over the time they got to know each other.
Trivia
- Although his name translates to "King Joe" in the Swedish version of A Gift from the Heavens, Joe calls himself "Konig Gutus Kampfus" in the German version of the comic.[1] "Konig" means "King" in German, and although "Gutus Kampfus" has no meaning in German, it is similar to "Guter Kampfer," which means "Good Fighter."[2]
Quotes
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| “ | Joe: Well, it was nice to meet you, but now...I've gotta go! Simba: Wait! Can't you just stay and have some lunch? Joe: You said lunch? Like in...food?
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