Never Roar Again | |
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Attribution information | |
Director | |
Writer |
Jack Monaco |
Production information | |
Series | |
Season | |
Episode |
21 |
Production number |
116 |
Air date |
November 18, 2016 |
Episode guide | |
Previous | |
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"Never Roar Again" is the twenty-first episode of Season 1 of The Lion Guard, and the twenty-first episode of the series overall. It premiered on November 18, 2016.
Official synopsis[]
"While trying to save his mother from a group of hyenas, Kion fears that he has lost control of his Roar and vows to never use it again."[1]
Plot summary[]
When Janja and his clan invade the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard drives them back into the Outlands. However, once the Lion Guard departs, Janja leads his clan back into the kingdom, and the Lion Guard rushes back to stop them. Before the team can reach the hyenas, the clan runs into Kion's mother, Nala, who orders Janja to return to his territory.
Instead of heeding Nala's warning, Janja surrounds her with his cronies and orders an attack. Just then, Kion arrives and, seeing his mother in danger, uses the Roar of the Elders in a rage. The blast is so powerful that it not only knocks the hyenas back into the Outlands, but rebounds off a cliff and fractures the earth beneath Nala. As Nala struggles to keep from falling into the divide, Kion reaches down the cliff and pulls her to safety.
Once on solid ground, Nala thanks Kion for saving her life, but he laments having nearly lost her. The rest of the Lion Guard approaches and affirms that they are all right, including Ono, who arrives with his crest feathers gone. Kion surveys the damage done by his Roar and expresses shock that his rage had brought on such destruction.
Back at the Lair of the Lion Guard, the rest of the Lion Guard tries to comfort Ono for having lost his crest feathers. In an attempt to cheer Ono up, Bunga sings "Stand Up, Stand Out", in which he encourages Ono to embrace his new look. Kion, however, does not participate and instead takes to looking at Rafiki's paintings of Scar, who had abused the Roar of the Elders. Bunga comments that it is a good thing that Kion now possesses the Roar, but Kion only reluctantly agrees.
Just then, Zazu flies into the Lair and delivers news that a rock slide has blocked up the giraffes' access to their water hole. The Lion Guard sets out to clear the wreckage, but Ono is reluctant to go until Zazu forces him out of the cave. Once at the blockage, Bunga suggests that Kion use his Roar to clear the rocks, but Kion insists that Beshte use his strength instead. The plan works, and the giraffes gratefully flood back into their cleared water hole.
Shortly after the rescue, the Lion Guard encounters a klipspringer trapped on a rock in the midst of a raging river. Once again, Bunga tells Kion to use the Roar to solve the problem, but Kion insists that they use a different plan. He commands Beshte to knock over a dead tree and starts to cross to save the klipspringer. However, as he is walking across the log, the wood snaps beneath him, and he nearly falls into the river. The rest of the Lion Guard tries to save him, but their combined weight breaks the log, and the team falls into the river with a splash. Startled, the klipspringer hops safely to shore, and the Lion Guard rejoices in their victory.
As the team recovers on the shore, egrets from Ono's flock approach and ask Ono why he is "bald on both ends." Horrified, Ono realizes that a piece of stray wood had knocked off his tail feathers.
On their way back to Pride Rock, Bunga asks Kion why he is so reluctant to use the Roar of the Elders. Kion admits that he had nearly hurt his mother with the Roar, and Bunga points out that Kion had not done so on purpose. Despite this, Kion worries that he cannot control the Roar and should therefore never use it again. After reacting in horror to such a decision, Bunga reminds Kion that he is the leader of the Lion Guard and the fiercest in the Pride Lands, and Kion begrudgingly agrees to take his friend's advice.
As the two depart, Makuu the crocodile reflects on what he has overheard. With Kion unwilling to use his Roar, Makuu decides to make his move against the Pride Lands. One of his crocodiles asks if he plans to invade Big Springs again, but Makuu sets his sights on overtaking the entire Flood Plains.
Meanwhile, Kion seeks advice from his grandfather, Mufasa. He explains what had happened when he had used the Roar in anger and confesses his fear that he will turn out like Scar. In answer to this, Mufasa points out that Scar had only ever cared for himself. He then asks Kion why he had used the Roar, and Kion explains that his mother had been in danger. Mufasa reminds Kion that Scar had never cared for anyone the way Kion cares for Nala, and he encourages Kion to speak to her about the incident.
Across the savanna, Makuu and his crocodiles invade the Flood Plains, driving the other Pride Landers away. A mongoose who had been chased away happens to run past Fuli, who resolves to save the Flood Plains with the rest of her team. She hastens to the Lair of the Lion Guard, where Bunga has fashioned a headdress of flowers for Ono, and she relates what had happened to the Pride Landers. While Ono flies off to fetch Kion, the rest of the team departs to save the Flood Plains.
Once there, Fuli orders Makuu to leave, but he simply laughs at them for having a leader who refuses to use the Roar of the Elders. Despite her confusion at Makuu's claim, Fuli threatens the crocodiles that they do not need Kion's Roar to defend the Pride Lands. She then attacks Makuu and orders Beshte and Bunga to take on the rest of the float. There is a brief struggle, but Makuu and his float manage to overpower the Lion Guard and trap them in the midst of the water.
In the meantime, Kion explains to Nala what had happened with his Roar and begs for her forgiveness. Nala insists that there is nothing to forgive and reminds Kion that he had saved her life, both from the hyenas and from the earthquake. Despite her reassurances, Kion confesses that he might never use the Roar again, but Nala reminds him that the Roar is a part of him and that she trusts him to use it responsibly.
As the two share a brief embrace, Ono arrives with news that Makuu has taken over the Flood Plains. Together, Kion, Nala, and Ono hasten to the scene of the crime, where Kion and Nala command Makuu to share the Flood Plains with the other Pride Landers. In answer, two of Makuu's cronies knock Nala into the water and carry her into the midst of the float, prompting Kion to nearly use the Roar in his fury. Before he can wreak havoc on the Flood Plains, he stops himself from roaring, and Nala calls for him to trust himself.
Heeding his mother's advice, Kion uses the Roar to specifically target Makuu's float and keep Nala from being harmed. With the crocodiles defeated, the team praises Kion for his efforts, and Fuli comments that she had not known that he could use the Roar in such a way. Kion states that he had just needed to have faith in himself, to which Nala asserts that she has always had faith in him.
Ono interrupts the team and exclaims excitedly that his crest feathers have begun to grow back. No sooner has he said this when the other egrets in his flock show off their missing head and tail feathers, and Beshte comments that Ono has started a trend.
Voice cast[]
Starring[]
- Max Charles as Kion
- Dusan Brown as Beshte
- Joshua Rush as Bunga
- Diamond White as Fuli
- Atticus Shaffer as Ono
- Gabrielle Union as Nala
- Gary Anthony Williams as Mufasa
- Jeff Bennett as Zazu
- Andrew Kishino as Janja
- Vargus Mason as Cheezi
- Kevin Schon as Chungu
Guest Starring[]
- Blair Underwood as Makuu
- Alex Cartañá as Twiga
- Phil LaMarr as Shingo
- Kevin Schon as Thurston
Appearances[]
Characters
Species
Locations Organizations and Titles |
Trivia[]
- The episode was previously titled "Power of the Roar".[1]
- The episode's original air date was June 24, 2016. However, it was delayed.[2]
- The episode premiered on September 6, 2016, in Australia.
- The way Fuli brawls with a crocodile mirrors the way Kovu balances atop a crocodile's open mouth in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.[4]
Media[]
References[]