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Uncle Max | |
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Physical information | |
Gender |
Male |
Species | |
Eye color |
Black |
Distinguishing features |
• Anvil-shaped head |
Biographical information | |
Also known as |
Max |
Status |
Living |
Residence | |
Affiliations | |
Titles |
• Sentry |
Relationship information | |
Family |
Timon (nephew) |
Enemies |
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Uncle Max is a male meerkat. He is the uncle of Timon.
Uncle Max is a member of a meerkat colony, whom he serves as a sentry and tunnel builder. He attempts to teach his nephew, Timon, how to be a proper sentry, but Timon fails, allowing hyenas to nearly eat Uncle Max. However, when Timon is in need during the battle of Pride Rock, Uncle Max comes to his aid, along with Ma. Together, the meerkats dig a trap tunnel to defeat the hyenas. After the battle, Uncle Max joins his colony in moving to the jungle.
Biography
The Lion King 1½
“ | Uncle Max: She's right! We're food for other animals! Feared by no one and eaten by all! Timon: But when they die, they become the grass, and we eat the grass...right? Uncle Max: Not exactly. We can't eat grass. We're grass intolerant. |
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Uncle Max annoyed by Timon's clumsiness
Uncle Max lives in a colony of meerkats, far from the Pride Lands. Ma asks him where Timon is until the tunnel is collapsed by Timon's "handiwork". Because Ma wants Timon to fit in with the meerkat colony, she requests of Uncle Max to assign Timon to lead sentry duty. At first, he is very reluctant, but he ends up mentoring him. When Timon is caught off-guard singing "That's All I Need" while on sentry duty, Max is nearly eaten by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, but he recovers.
Later, Rafiki tells Ma that Timon is "looking beyond what he sees." Max follows Ma as they go look for Timon. Near the climax, he is reunited with Timon, and meets Pumbaa as well. Timon and Pumbaa make a plan with him and Ma to build a trap to keep the hyenas away from Simba.

Uncle Max during the battle of Pride Rock
Along with Ma, Max builds a tunnel while Timon and Pumbaa stall the hyenas. The tunnel he builds with Ma initially fails, leading to Timon to finish the tunnel. This leads to the downfall of Scar and the hyenas. When Timon finishes the tunnel, Max hugs him so hard that Timon feels nearly choked. Finally, he is present with Timon, Pumbaa, and Ma as they see Simba take back his throne.
Finally, Max is seen demonstrating a pose in a session of tai-chi with other meerkats in the oasis. When Pumbaa states he wants to watch the movie again, Max comments he has brought extra butter to go with his grubs.
Personality and traits
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Max is flinchy, irritable, easy to disappoint, a stickler for the rules, and very pessimistic about life in general. He is especially against the concept of being eaten.
Trivia
- Uncle Max is voiced by Jerry Stiller.[1]
- Originally, Uncle Max was not a character in the film. He ended up replacing the character of Timon's father.
- Ma refers to Max as "Uncle," implying that he may be her uncle.[2] However, according to the Timon: Behind the Legend featurette from the Lion King 1½ DVDs, he is Timon's uncle.[3]
References
- ↑ Jerry Stiller. IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved on October 7, 2020.
- ↑ Revealed in Disney's The Lion King 1½ (2004). Written by Tom Rogers, and directed by Bradley Raymond. Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc.
- ↑
Characters from The Lion King 1½ |
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Timon • Pumbaa • Simba • Nala • Ma • Uncle Max • Rafiki • Shenzi • Banzai • Ed • Scar • Zazu • Iron Joe |