The Lion Guard

Did You Know?

• In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Return of the Roar premiered on Disney Junior on February 8, 2016, and the series on April 13, 2016.
• In Southeast Asia, the pilot premiered on March 20, 2016, on Disney Channel and the series itself on April 17 on the Disney Junior block on Disney Channel.

Premise

The Lion Guard is a team tasked with safeguarding the circle of life, a role that traditionally falls to the second-born cub of the reigning king and queen. Kion, the son of Simba and Nala, assumes this position, which was previously held and corrupted by his great-uncle Scar. Breaking from tradition, which held that the Guard should consist only of lions, Kion selects his friends for the team: Bunga the honey badger, Beshte the hippopotamus, Fuli the cheetah, and Ono the western cattle egret. Together, they work to protect their home from animals that threaten the natural order. As their leader, Kion receives the Roar of the Elders, a formidable ability that can be twisted if used in anger and can be permanently lost if employed for deliberate evil.

In the second season, the Guard faces greater challenges when Scar returns as a fiery spirit intent on destroying the Pride Lands. He assembles an army from the Outlands, sparking a major conflict between the Pridelanders and the Outlanders. By the third season, the now-adolescent Guard manages to defeat Scar. Following this victory, they travel from Africa to Asia in search of the Tree of Life to heal injuries sustained in battle: Kion has a venomous scar from the cobra Ushari, and Ono has lost his eyesight due to volcanic fumes while rescuing Bunga. A new member, a martial eagle named Anga, joins the team, taking over Ono’s role as the keenest of sight, while Ono assumes a new position as the smartest.

At the Tree of Life, the Lion Guard helps defend the sanctuary alongside the Night Pride, the family that protects it. After Kion and Ono recover, the hyenas Jasiri and Janja—the latter having reformed during the final fight with Scar—arrive to warn them that Zira and her pride have returned. The Guard heads back to the Pride Lands only to discover the conflict is already resolved: Vitani, Zira’s daughter, has formed her own Lion Guard. After an initial disagreement, Kion recognizes Vitani’s leadership ability and allows her Guard to take over as the Pride Lands’ defenders. Kion and his friends then return to the Tree of Life, where he marries Queen Rani, the Night Pride’s leader, and is crowned king of the Tree of Life.

Characters

Kion, a lion voiced by Max Charles with singing by Aaron Daniel Jacob in most of season three, is the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, grandson of Mufasa, younger brother of Kiara, and Prince of the Pride Lands. As the leader of the Lion Guard, he is its fiercest member, known for being both rebellious and kind-hearted. He frequently says "Hevi kabisa!" and tends to lose his temper when angry. The Guard's shared catchphrase is "Till the Pride Lands end, Lion Guard defend!" In the season three premiere, Kion receives a scar over his left eye from a bite by the cobra Ushari, just before defeating his evil great-uncle Scar. He then travels with the Guard to the Tree of Life to recover. There, he meets the Night Pride and falls in love with their leader, Rani; they become rulers of the Tree of Life in the series finale. Bunga, voiced by Joshua Rush, is a honey badger and the bravest member of the Lion Guard. He is the adoptive nephew of Timon and Pumbaa and Kion's best friend. He often exclaims "Un-Bunga-lievable!" and uses the battle cry "Zuka Zama!" In season three, he falls in love with a honey badger named Binga. Fuli, voiced by Diamond White, is a cheetah who serves as the fastest member of the Guard, its only female member before Anga, and Kion's friend and second-in-command. She is noted as the first female animal to serve in the Guard. Her battle cry is "Huwezi!" In season three, she develops romantic feelings for a cheetah named Azaad. Beshte, voiced by Dusan Brown, is a hippopotamus and the strongest member of the Guard, as well as Kion's friend. He acts as a big brother to younger herd members, is friendly to all species, and protects the Pride Lands. He says "Poa!" and his battle cry is "Twende Kiboko!"

Production

Disney first announced the series on June 9, 2014, as the 20th anniversary of the original film approached. Nancy Kanter, the general manager of Disney Junior, described the concept as similar to "The Lion King meets The Avengers." The project began after Kanter met with Disney chief executive Robert Iger, who suggested creating content to mark the 20th anniversary of The Lion King in 2014. Early footage was shown to young test audiences, who offered feedback, including a request to change how the hyenas looked. Disney Consumer Products released a line of toys and several tie-in books, such as Return of the Roar, Can't-Wait to be Queen, Bunga the Wise, Meet the New Guard, Fuli Finds Her Place, Join the Lion Guard!, and Kion's Animal Alphabet. A preview was presented at the 2015 D23 Expo. On August 12, 2015, another sneak peek confirmed that a television movie would air in November 2015 under the title The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar. On October 9, 2015, the premiere date was set for November 22, 2015, on Disney Channel.

Series creator and executive producer Ford Riley explained that at the end of The Lion King, Simba and Nala are shown with a newborn cub. In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, that cub is identified as Kiara, who is destined to become queen. Riley became curious about what role a second-born cub would have if Kiara was already set to rule. He also drew inspiration from his eight-year-old son, who would go to the park with friends and pretend to be a superhero team. Riley confirmed the series' timeline: it takes place during the years between Kiara’s first meeting with Kovu as a cub and her first hunt as an adult. He also noted that Swahili is used throughout the series for character names, locations, songs, and catchphrases.

Reception

Max Nicholson from IGN gave the pilot episode a score of 7.7, describing it as 'a fun-filled, if younger-skewing, hour television' and praising its introduction of Lion King lore, animation, music, and new voice actors, though he found Janja and his clan lacked appeal as compelling villains. Ed Power of The Daily Telegraph scored the pilot two stars out of five, labeling it a 'Soggy, sentimental throwback'. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the series four out of five stars, noting strong messages about courage, responsibility, and friendship, and that parents would enjoy cameos from original The Lion King characters.