List of The Lion King (franchise) characters

The main characters in the first film. From left to right: Shenzi, Scar, Ed, Banzai, Rafiki, Mufasa, Simba, Sarabi, Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa. Bottom right: Nala and Sarafina.

Disney's The Lion King franchise is a series of animated feature films and cartoon spin-offs, centered around the adventures of Simba, a young lion cub, as he grows up in the Pride Lands, exploring and getting into trouble with his friends. While doing so he almost got killed by a herd of animals. Due to this his father, Mufasa, died due to being let off a cliff by his brother, Scar. During the course of the franchise, Simba grows and matures and later takes his father's place as King. As the series continued, an extensive cast of characters was introduced, including a new generation of the family of Pride Rock.

Introduced in The Lion King (1994)

Simba

Main article: Simba

Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick as adult Simba in the films; Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Simba when he is a cub in The Lion King; Matt Weinberg as Simba when he is a cub in The Lion King 1½; Cam Clarke in Timon & Pumbaa; Rob Lowe in The Lion Guard; in the live action film Donald Glover as adult Simba and JD McCrary voices Simba when he is a cub) is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, Scar's nephew, Nala's mate, and Kiara and Kion's father. After defeating Scar, Simba takes Mufasa's place as King of Pride Rock before marrying Nala and having Kiara and Kion with her.

In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Simba is an overprotective parent of Kiara, and obtains a great hatred of the Outsiders, a group of lions whom he exiled due to their loyalty to Scar, specifically Scar's protege Kovu, before learning to let go of his hate, and accepting Kovu as his son in law.

In The Lion Guard, Simba fathers Kion, and at first, refuses to accept Kion's decision to allow non-lion animals into the Lion Guard, but later accepts his proposal. Currently in the show, after a failed attempt on Simba's life, orchestrated by the spirit of Scar, Simba and Kion plot to defeat him once again and for all.

Nala

Main article: Nala (The Lion King)

Nala (voiced by Moira Kelly in the films; Niketa Calame as a cub in The Lion King, Gabrielle Union in The Lion Guard; in the live action film Beyoncé voices adult Nala and Shahadi Wright Joseph voices Nala when she is a cub) is the daughter of Sarafina, the best friend and later mate of Simba; she is also Kiara and Kion's mother. Although she is a prominent character in The Lion King, she makes minor appearances in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, The Lion King 1½, and The Lion Guard.

In The Lion King, she is portrayed as Simba's childhood friend. After helping Simba enter the elephant graveyard, she has to be rescued by Mufasa when the hyenas attack them. Several years later, Nala encounters Simba as a young adult and develops a romance with him. After returning to Pride Rock, she helps Simba defeat Scar and take his rightful place as King of Pride Rock. In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Nala is depicted as slightly older, calmer, and less overprotective of Kiara than her mate, Simba. In The Lion Guard, Nala is shown to be a supportive mother to Kion.

Timon and Pumbaa

Main article: Timon and Pumbaa

Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane in the films and the TV series; Quinton Flynn in earlier episodes of the TV series; Kevin Schon in both later episodes of the TV series and The Lion Guard; Bruce Lanoil in the video games; and Billy Eichner in the live action film) and Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella in the films, TV series, and The Lion Guard; Leslie Hedger in Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure; and Seth Rogen in the live action film) are a meerkat and common warthog duo; Timon being a wise-cracking, yet loyal friend, while Pumbaa is gluttonous, yet brave.

In the first film, they save an unconscious Simba from a flock of vultures. They take him in and bring him to their home in the oasis that is across the desert from the Pride Lands.

Although they are supporting characters in the first two films, they are featured as the main characters in The Lion King 1½ as well as in the Timon & Pumbaa TV series. In The Lion King they become friends with Simba and teach him the basics of life in the jungle. After helping Simba stop Scar's tyrannical reign, the two become Simba's royal advisors.

As revealed in the TV series The Lion Guard, they are the adoptive uncles of the honey badger Bunga and make their home at Hakuna Matata Falls.

Scar

Main article: Scar (The Lion King)

Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons in The Lion King; Jim Cummings in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride; James Horan in Kingdom Hearts II, Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, and Sorcerers Of The Magic Kingdom; David Oyelowo in The Lion Guard; Chiwetel Ejiofor in the live action film) is the main antagonist of The Lion King franchise. He is a black-maned lion who is Simba's paternal uncle and Mufasa's younger brother. In The Lion King, by murdering Mufasa and exiling Simba, he becomes "King of the Pride Lands". However, years later, Simba returns to Pride Rock and overthrows Scar to become King of the Pride Lands. Scar survives the fall, but is attacked and killed by the vengeful hyenas.

In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride it is revealed that Scar's wife Zira, and his protege were exiled from Pride Rock by Simba in the wake of Scar's death. Scar is mentioned several times by the characters, but makes two cameos. His first appearance is during Simba's nightmare, where he morphs into Kovu, and throws him into the stampede that killed Mufasa, in a similar manner to the first film. His second appearance is during Kovu's exile in which Kovu looks into his reflection and instead of his, he sees the image of his adoptive father. At the end of the film, Kovu marries Kiara, Simba's daughter and Scar's great niece, and becomes Simba's son in law and successor, so thus Scar's goal of Kovu becoming King would eventually come through following Simba's death or abdication to the throne, but not avenging his death by murdering Simba.

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar reveals that Scar was once the leader of the titular group and, like his great-nephew Kion, once possessed the Roar of the Elders. Scar lost the Roar after using it to destroy the other members of his Lion Guard, as the Roar is meant to be used for good and not evil.

In season 2 of The Lion Guard, Kion unknowingly summons Scar back as a fiery spirit in a volcano after using the Roar in anger when Janja the hyena provokes him. Scar then conspires with the animals in the Outlands to take over the Pride Lands and defeat the new Lion Guard and Simba, who were initially unaware that Scar had returned. Later in the season, Kion and the guard find out that Scar has returned while they are in the Outlands getting volcanic ash needed to cure Simba from a scorpion sting.

Mufasa

Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones in the films and Gary Anthony Williams in The Lion Guard) is Scar's older brother, Sarabi's mate, Simba's father and Kiara and Kion's paternal grandfather who is introduced as the King of the Pride Lands. The name "Mufasa" has an unknown origin, previously attributed to a fictional language called Manazoto. Mufasa is depicted as a just, wise, and responsible leader, a gentle but firm father, and strong and fierce protector when sufficiently provoked. In The Lion King, he teaches Simba on what a king is supposed to be, and how the king is responsible for protecting and maintaining the delicate balance of the ecosystem, and mediate problems between its creatures. However, Mufasa later dies after being thrown into a wildebeest stampede by Scar while rescuing Simba. He returns years later as a ghostly apparition in the clouds to help an older Simba return to the Pride Lands and remember who he truly is.

In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, he instructs Rafiki to bring Kiara, Simba's daughter, and Kovu, Scar's heir, together to reunite the two lion prides.

In The Lion Guard, Mufasa serves as a spirit guide to his grandson Kion.

According to Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, they knew that Jones' voice was powerful and similar to the roar of a lion.

Jones reprises his role in the live action adaptation of the film directed by Jon Favreau. According to Favreau, Jones' lines remain mostly the same from the original film. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays Scar in the film, said that "the comfort of [Jones reprising his role] is going to be very rewarding in taking [the audience] on this journey again. It’s a once-in-a-generation vocal quality".

Sarabi

"Sarabi" redirects here. For other uses, see Sarabi (disambiguation).

Sarabi (voiced by Madge Sinclair in The Lion King and Alfre Woodard in the live action film) is Mufasa's mate, Simba's mother and Kiara and Kion's paternal grandmother. Her name means "mirage" in Swahili. In The Lion King, she serves as the Queen of Pride Rock. Years after Scar usurps the throne, Sarabi helps Simba fight against Scar and his hyenas. When Simba defeats Scar, Nala becomes Queen and Sarabi becomes the Queen Dowager.

She does not appear in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, or the animated series, so it is unknown whether she lived to see the birth of her grandchildren or died after the events of the first film.

Sarafina

Sarafina (voiced by Zoe Leader in The Lion King and Penny Johnson Jerald in the live action film) is a lioness who is Nala's mother, Simba's mother-in-law and Kiara and Kion's maternal grandmother. She is first seen sleeping inside Pride Rock with Nala and the rest of the pride. She later cleans Nala before the latter leaves to go to the Elephant Graveyard with Simba. She makes her final appearance mourning the loss of Mufasa and Simba, unaware that Simba is still alive.

Zazu

Zazu (voiced by Rowan Atkinson in The Lion King; Jim Piddock in Timon and Pumbaa's Jungle Games and The Lion King Simba's Mighty Adventure; Michael Gough in Timon & Pumbaa; Edward Hibbert in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1½; Jeff Bennett in The Lion Guard; and John Oliver in the live action film) is a red-billed hornbill and majordomo to Mufasa and later Simba. After Mufasa's death, Zazu becomes a prisoner of Scar before Pumbaa breaks the bone cage releasing him when Simba returns to the Pride Lands. He eventually acts as a scout and advises Simba on royal protocol.

In Timon & Pumbaa, it is revealed that Zazu is not only a lion king's majordomo, he is a jungle administrator. In the episode "Zazu's Off-By-One Day", he is shown to be responsible for counting the population of the animals.

In the musical, Zazu is a puppet controlled by an actor dressed in blue striped clothes and a bowler hat, much like a stereotypical butler. Zazu's blue feathers have been replaced with white and the puppet is partially constructed from parachute silk with a slinky contained in the neck for ease in movement.

Rafiki

Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume in the films and Timon & Pumbaa; Khary Payton in The Lion Guard; and John Kani in the live action film), whose name means "friend" in Swahili, is a mandrill with an unnaturally long tail. He lives in a baobab tree in the Pride Lands and performs shamanistic services for the lions of Pride Rock. He's also shown to be a great martial artist.

In The Lion King, Rafiki is introduced in the opening scene when he travels to Pride Rock to perform newborn Simba's presentation ceremony. During the film, Rafiki sings a nonsense chant: "Asante sana, squash banana, wewe nugu, mimi hapana." This is a Swahili playground rhyme which translates to "Thank you very much (squash banana), you're a baboon and I'm not!" Like "hakuna matata" (no worries), the chant was heard by the filmmakers on their research trip to Kenya. Rafiki travels to the jungle where Simba lives with Timon and Pumbaa, and teaches him lessons about learning from the past: "Yes, the past can hurt but, the way I see it you can either run from it, or learn from it" and then whacks him with his stick. During the battle for Pride Rock, Rafiki saves Simba from Banzai by whacking him with his stick, while fighting many more hyenas. At the end of the film, Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub.

In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Rafiki is more closely involved with the affairs and politics of the pride and is often seen with the lions. Mufasa's spirit persuades him to bring Simba's daughter Kiara and Zira's son Kovu together as a way of uniting the Outsiders with the pride. Rafiki tries to make them fall in love by singing to them about a place called "Upendi", which means "love" in Swahili. In the end, he blesses the union of Kovu and Kiara, and Kovu is welcomed into the pride. Rafiki appears briefly in The Lion King 1½, teaching Timon the philosophy of "Hakuna Matata", talking to Timon's mother about her son, and later convincing Timon to follow Simba to Pride Rock to confront Scar.

In the musical, the character of Rafiki was significantly modified. Because director Julie Taymor felt that the story lacked a strong female character, Rafiki was changed into a female mandrill and sangoma. She acts as narrator throughout the story, at one point speaking to the audience in a click language for comic effect. She sings the opening song "Circle of Life", a keening song called "Rafiki Mourns" following Mufasa's death, and a brief part in Nala's song "Shadowland", when she blesses Nala for her journey to find help. Instead of detecting Simba's scent on dust, Rafiki hears Simba's song "Endless Night" on the wind. Rafiki finds Simba and shows him that his father lives on in him through the song "He Lives in You". She is present during the battle, fighting a hyena, and adorns Simba with the king's mantle after his victory; the play ends with her at the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.

Rafiki serves as a supporting character in the Timon and Pumbaa TV series, as well as a main character of said series as he has his own segments called "Rafiki Fables", where his shamanism is expanded. In the episode "Good Mousekeeping", it is revealed that Rafiki can grant wishes and can even take some of the wishes back. In another episode "Rafiki's Apprentice", Rafiki's stick is revealed to have magical powers. He explains to his nephew Nefu (voiced by Tahj Mowry) that the gourds on his stick are powerful for his magic.

Rafiki appears briefly in the Pride Lands world of Kingdom Hearts II.

Rafiki serves as a recurring character in The Lion Guard.

Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed

Shenzi (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg in the films; Tress MacNeille in Timon & Pumbaa and Kingdom Hearts II; Jennifer Lewis in Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom; and Florence Kasumba in the live action film), Banzai (voiced by Cheech Marin in the films, Kingdom Hearts II, and Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom; and Rob Paulsen in Timon & Pumbaa) and Ed (voiced by Jim Cummings) are the three spotted hyenas who make up Scar's henchmen that reside in the Elephant Graveyard. After Scar promises them and the rest of their fellow hyenas that they will have food in return for them helping him get rid of his brother Mufasa and nephew Simba in order to become King of the Pride Lands, the three hyenas trigger the wildebeest stampede which kills Mufasa and then chase Simba out of the Pride Lands on Scar's orders. When Simba returns to Pride Rock, Shenzi and Banzai are defeated by Pumbaa. The three turn on Scar when the latter tries to blame them for Mufasa's death and the ruin of the Pride Lands, and lead the rest of the hyenas into killing him during a wildfire, before running off.

Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed serve as recurring characters in Timon & Pumbaa. They are given their own segments titled "The Laughing Hyenas", where they wander around the Serengeti looking for food. At the end of the episode "TV Dinner", the hyenas replace television host Martin Pardon, which may indicate that they are living a new life as directors and stars of the wildlife documentary show Kingdom of the Creatures, where they get fed during their new career. In later seasons, they made minor appearances.

In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, it was only mentioned by Nuka that the hyenas have left the Elephant Graveyard. However, in the original draft of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed were going to return as Zira's henchmen, with Cheech Marin reprising his role as Banzai from the original film. Yet they were cut, presumably due to Scar's death being at the hands of the hyena trio. The fate of the three hyenas is unknown.

In The Lion King 1½ Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed act as the local predators who attacks Timon's meerkat colony before their allegiance with Scar.

In The Lion Guard, the three hyenas do not return; however, there are new hyenas, lead by Janja. It is noted that these new hyenas are descendants of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed.

While Shenzi (voiced by Florence Kasumba) appears in the CGI remake, Ed was renamed Azizi (who is voiced by Eric Andre) while Banzai was renamed Kamari (who is voiced by Keegan-Michael Key).

In the original draft of the film, the hyenas were African wild dogs, referred to as "Cape dogs" in the film. Their species may have been changed to illustrate the strong rivalry and competition between lions and hyenas in real life, the competition being much stronger than between lions and other predators.

Gopher

Gopher (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a gopher who works for Zazu as an informant. In the film he is seen warning Zazu that the hyenas have invaded the Pride Lands. His scene is expanded in the 2003 special edition. He appears during the song The Morning Report and is spotted by Simba who tries to pounce him, but Gopher pops back inside the dirt. Gopher reappears, trying to get Mufasa's attention, but Simba notices him again, to which the gopher hides back in the dirt. For the third time, Gopher reappears near a small rock, and Simba notices him again to try to pounce him, Gopher disappears to which Simba hits his head on the rock.

The character is expanded in the Timon & Pumbaa television series. He acts as Zazu's primary lieutenant, even sharing Zazu's home within a large tree. He is seen reporting to Zazu on the movements of elephants. In one episode, Gopher is temporarily given Zazu's job by the jungle inspector after Zazu makes an error while counting the animal population.

Introduced in Timon & Pumbaa (1995-1999)

Quint

Quint (voiced by Corey Burton) is a human who is Timon and Pumbaa's archenemy. He is a sneaky, muscular man with black hair, a pink nose, and a shaven face; he has varying roles. His wears different clothes in each episode because of the different jobs he has, but he is often seen wearing a hat. He also has different first names that show what his jobs are (in which they all happen to start with C).

Quint is a con artist who tricks Timon into stealing a gold nugget Pumbaa found in the episode "Yukon Con", a criminal who stole a suitcase that has $1,290,000 in the episode "How to Beat the High Costa Rica", an evil clock inspector who wants to get revenge on a timekeeper in the episode "Swiss Missed", a French chef who wants to make Speedy the Snail an escargot in the episode "French Fried", etc. In the episode "The Pain in Spain", two Quints are seen together which may prove that there is more than one of him.

In some episodes, Quint appears to be a respectable man with an honest job, but he still seems to annoy Timon and Pumbaa. Notably in Season 2, Quint's face appears to be clean-shaven except in the episode "Klondike Con" when he becomes a gold thief. Also in the episode "Escape From Newark", his nose is the same color as his body for the first time.

Speedy the Snail

Speedy (voiced by Corey Burton) is a talking grayish/bluish snail with a shiny red shell and a yellow fedora. Timon and Pumbaa plan to eat him at first, but his ability to speak and sing and his bon viveur, good-humored attitude gets him to become friends with them. Timon gives him the name "Speedy", because he thinks that it would be a brilliant incongruity. Speedy always finds himself in danger, such as becoming a French gourmet snail and an earring out of his shell, and it's always up for Timon and Pumbaa to save him.

In the episode "The Man from J.U.N.G.L.E.", Speedy is revealed to be a superhero called Super Duper Hero X after Timon and Pumbaa were captured by his nemesis Chromosome Quint. Every episode featuring Speedy end with Timon and Pumbaa saying bye to Speedy when they return him home, a seagull capturing Speedy, and then Timon and Pumbaa trying to save him once again. Speedy's voice was based on that of Bing Crosby. Speedy also makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the episode "Washington Applesauce".

Fred

Fred (voiced by S. Scott Bullock) is a meerkat who is Timon's other best friend back at the meerkat colony. He is a practical joker, employing such gags as the hand buzzer, the squirting flower, and the whoopee cushion. He also loved Timon's hyena jokes. When Fred visits Timon and Pumbaa, he pulls more practical jokes on the duo, such as impersonating Timon's mother or impersonating a Billy Goat guard. Timon and Pumbaa, however, don't find Fred's jokes very funny and they often overpower him. Aside from pulling practical jokes, Fred enjoys doing all sorts of activities, such as playing Turtle Tennis and Fishing for Flamingos. He also mentions that he and Timon have always gone Bowling for Buzzards.

At the meerkat colony, Fred's duty was to guard the Duke Meerkat's castle, although on the day the Duke left the colony, he snuck away to get a snack and convinced Timon that it was now his chance to go on a date with Princess Tatiana. When the Duke banished Timon from the colony after a cobra kidnapped the princess, Fred's new duty was to guard the back gate, which indicates that he has been demoted for failing to protect the castle.

Fred appears in a total of four episodes: "Tanzania Zany", "Mombasa-In-Law", "Once Upon a Timon", and "Mind Over Matterhorn".

Boss Beaver

Boss Beaver (voiced by Brad Garrett) is an ill-tempered and cantankerous beaver with a white hard hat. His lifestyle is the exact opposite of Timon and Pumbaa's Hakuna Matata lifestyle: Boss Beaver likes to work while Timon and Pumbaa like to relax. He owns a lumber mill and an amusement park called "Boss Beaver's Log Land". Boss Beaver also has three mottos: "Makuta Hamaka", which means "work real hard", "safety first" and "you break it, you buy it."

Boss Beaver's favorite quote is "I am Boss Beaver and the reason they call me Boss Beaver is that I am your boss and I am a beaver. Therefore, I am Boss Beaver." In the episode "Amusement Bark", it is revealed that he has a mischievous son named Boy Beaver, who keeps breaking things at his amusement park and getting Timon blamed for it.

Boss Beaver appears in a total of three episodes.

He also makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the episode "Washington Applesauce."

Irwin

Irwin (voiced by Charlie Adler) is a clumsy, accident-prone penguin with a green scarf and a brown hat. Timon and Pumbaa befriend him at a boat stop in Antarctica when they see that he has two extra tickets for the duo to get on the ship. When Irwin leaves his home with the duo, it is shown that he has obviously injured all of his penguin "friends", as they are all seen wearing bandages. Timon dislikes Irwin's clumsiness, and tries to get rid of him by tricking him into playing a game of Hide-and-Seek. Irwin accidentally causes the boat to sink and Timon and Pumbaa run into him on an island. Timon confronts the penguin and he tricks him into playing another game and Irwin accidentally causes the island to sink.

Irwin meets Timon and Pumbaa again at a Hakuna Matata Megamall. Due to his clumsiness, Timon and Pumbaa try to avoid him by hiding in various stores. Irwin appears in two episodes of the series: "Frantic Atlantic" and "Shopping Mauled."

Toucan Dan

Toucan Dan (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is a dangerously clever criminal mastermind lying toucan who wears a red fez. He is a convincing liar and impersonator and would also do anything to get someone in trouble. In his debut episode "I Don't Bolivia", he keeps tricking Timon into freeing him from his cage. Later in the episode, while Timon impersonates Toucan Dan in order to not be in trouble with the police, Toucan Dan impersonates Timon and this makes Pumbaa have to decide which one is the real Timon.

Toucan Dan makes his second and final appearance in the episode "Alcatraz Mataz". In that episode, he frames Timon and Pumbaa for stealing a train car full of beak polish and the police throw them in jail. Angry at Toucan Dan, Timon and Pumbaa escape to catch the toucan and make him tell the truth.

Rabbit

Rabbit (voiced by Charlie Adler) is a large and tall pink hare who appears to be very annoying, tiring. He made his debut in the episode "Mojave Desserted". In that episode, Timon and Pumbaa save his life when he was drowning in quicksand and he decides to repay the duo hand and foot. Annoyed by Rabbit, Timon and Pumbaa hatch a plan to put themselves in danger and have Rabbit save them and then leave them alone.

Rabbit makes his second and final appearance in the episode "Africa-Dabra!," this time appearing as an unsympathetic and ruthless magician. After Timon pulls him out of a hat, he teams up with the meerkat to become part of his magic act, telling him that he has been looking for a partner for years. When he gets annoyed by Pumbaa ruining the magic acts, he breaks up Timon and Pumbaa's friendship. When Pumbaa finds out that Timon never truly said anything mean about him, he gets revenge on Rabbit by trapping him in a cage and later skinning him for his disguise.

Vulture Police

The Vulture Police (voiced by Townsend Coleman and Brian Cummings) are recurring characters.

They make their first appearance in the episode "The Law of the Jungle," where they arrest Timon for using the Forbidden Stick to scratch his back and take him to Judge Rhino, who gives a number of tests to see whether he's innocent or guilty.

In the episode "Yosemite Remedy," Timon and Pumbaa go to the police after a criminal raccoon steals their suitcase full of valuables. When they handcuff the thief, he tells them that he didn't steal Timon and Pumbaa's suitcase, he found it. The police let him go, but later arrest him again when they find out that he really stole the duo's suitcase while catching him in the act.

In the episode "Alcatraz Mataz", the Vulture Police throw Timon and Pumbaa in jail after they were convinced by Toucan Dan that they stole the train car full of beak polish. After Timon and Pumbaa confront Toucan Dan, the police show up and realize that it was really Toucan Dan who stole the train car, so they arrest the toucan. However, they also throw Timon and Pumbaa back in jail since they escaped when they told them not to no matter if they were framed or not.

The Vulture Police make a brief appearance in the episode "Wide Awake in Wonderland" in the meerkat and warthog version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Cheetata and Cheetato

Cheetata (voiced by Rob Paulsen) and Cheetato (voiced by Jim Cummings) are a pair of sophisticated twin cheetahs, reminiscent of Warner Bros' Goofy Gophers, speaking in British accents and using similar phrases ("Indubitably," "How very kind of you"). In order to tell them apart, not only do they have different voices, they also have different personalities: Cheetata appears to be more eager and aggressive while Cheetato seems more likely to think things through.

The cheetahs first appear in the episode "Cooked Goose", where they are annoyed by Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed getting in the way of their wildebeest hunt, so they try sending them on various wild goose chases. They also appear in "Gabon with the Wind," where they are convinced by Timon that he is going to catch Pumbaa for them, when he is actually going to find his friend so that they can both run away to safety.

In the episode "Boary Glory Days", Timon and Pumbaa use Cheetata and Cheetato to play a game of Predator Tag. While the cheetahs are chasing Timon and Pumbaa, the duo outsmarts the brothers by having them jump over a mud pool and fall into it.

The Three Natives

The Three Natives (voiced by Jeff Bennett) are a trio of tribes who are really university students taking part in the "Be a Native" weekends. They have a leader (also voiced by Jeff Bennett) who is also a university student and who usually precedes what he says with "Bungala, bungala." The natives first appear in "Boara Boara". This episode shows that they used to have a warthog king of the island, which is unknown what might've happened to him. Therefore, the natives might have not seen their king in a really long time. When Timon and Pumbaa visit the island, the natives mistake Pumbaa for their long-lost king and they make Timon his servant. Everything goes well until they make Pumbaa relight the fire and realize that he's an impostor when they see that he is unable to do so. After Timon and Pumbaa escape, the three natives shed their disguises upon getting tired of being hit by the leader's staff and return to the university. The leader orders them to return or else they'll lose their deposit.

The natives also appear in the episode "New Guinea Pig," where Pumbaa decides to trade his tusks to them. After they fail to get the tusks, the three natives shed their disguises and return to the university

In "Beast of Eden", the three natives are shown with their leader again where they steal a golden magic tooth that belongs to a beast and Timon and Pumbaa have to retrieve it from them.

They also make a brief appearance in the episode "Mozam-Beaked" when Timon and Pumbaa go to Bora Bora to throw a woodpecker into the volcano.

Mr. Bear

Mr. Bear (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a grumpy, short-tempered, but nice grizzly bear, although he gets easily angered, such as when he is awoken from his nap or when someone gets his food order wrong. He also has a romantic interest in a beautiful supermodel named Leslie Lambeau (voiced by Grey DeLisle). He appears in seven episodes, from "Slalom Problem" to "It Runs Good".

In the episode "Jailhouse Shock," Mr. Bear becomes cell mates with Little Jimmy, who gets even with Timon and Pumbaa by taking advantage of him by convincing him that the duo hurt him so that he could beat them up.

Mr. Bear starts to show compassion for Timon and Pumbaa in the episodes "Ready, Aim, Fire" and "Stay Away from my Honey!" In the former, he operated as Smolder the Bear (a parody of Smokey Bear) who dislikes fires and saves Timon and Pumbaa from being cooked on Quint's fire.

Tatiana

Tatiana (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is the daughter of the Duke Meerkat and the princess of the meerkat colony. She only appears in one episode but she's vital for Timon's past. After Timon leaves his sentry duty post to prepare for his date with Tatiana, a king cobra enters the colony and kidnaps the princess, which makes everyone believe she's dead and which causes Timon to get banished. After Timon and Pumbaa meet for the first time, they see that Tatiana is still alive and rescue her from a cobra. When Tatiana returns to the colony with Timon and Pumbaa, Timon is offered her hand in marriage. When the Duke makes him choose between Tatiana or Pumbaa, he chooses to be Bestest Best friends with Pumbaa as they leave the Meerkat colony.

Although "Once Upon a Timon" was meant to be Tatiana's only appearance, there is a female meerkat who bears a striking resemblance to her in the episode "Timon in Love". The only difference is that Tatiana has blond hair while the other meerkat has red hair and she's not wearing a tiara.

Sharla

Sharla (voiced by Billy West) is a female warthog who is the leader of Pumbaa's former sounder as well as Pumbaa's former girlfriend. While she only appears in one episode, she is vital for Pumbaa's past. She and three other male warthogs of the sounder banished Pumbaa from the group due to his awful scent, which was appalling even by warthog standards.

Years later, Sharla and the three warthogs carry around a big bag of bugs for the rainy season, but come across a flock of Guinea fowl, who are their natural enemies and nightmares. Due to the birds' abilities to remove their furs in just a few seconds, the warthogs refuge in a hut and make a distress call, which Pumbaa answers. When Pumbaa reunites with his sounder, he has Timon come up with ideas on how they can get rid of the Guinea fowl. However, none of Timon's ideas work, so Pumbaa suggests that he and Timon use the jeep so that they carry a fake bag of bugs (which have firecrackers inside) to distract the Guinea fowl while Sharla and the other warthogs leave the hut with the real bag of bugs.

Although Sharla banished Pumbaa from the group, they still have romantic feelings for each other. When Pumbaa (and Timon) show up to the hut, they tell each other that they have never forgotten one another. Sharla tells Pumbaa that he should stay with the group, but Pumbaa decides to continue living his Hakuna Matata lifestyle with Timon, which the female warthog understands.

Ned the Elephant

Ned (voiced by Frank Welker) is a high and mighty African bush elephant who thinks he's wonderful at everything. He seems to enjoy teasing Timon and Pumbaa when they fail at proving their worth to him. In the episode "Uganda be an Elephant", Timon states that Ned is the most popular guy in the jungle and Pumbaa decides to turn himself into an elephant in order to be popular as well. Although Ned is selfish and sarcastic, he gets a change of heart after Pumbaa rescues him and his hippo henchmen from falling off a cliff.

In the episode "Unlucky in Lesotho", it is revealed that Ned has a Good Luck Club, which lost most of its members due to Ned bringing an unlucky jar. Because he gets attacked by piranhas (or tigerfish) upon falling into the river after a black panther cub crosses his path, Ned is never seen or heard from again after this episode, meaning that he was devoured offscreen.

Little Jimmy

Little Jimmy (voiced by Joe Alaskey) is a cute, yet dangerous bluebird. He is similar to Toucan Dan, with the fact that he is also a criminal mastermind and he can also be dishonest. He also has two voices: his fake cute, innocent voice to pass himself off as a hatchling and his criminal voice to show that he is truly an adult. Little Jimmy first appears in the episode "Nest Best Thing," where he tricks Pumbaa into building a birdhouse for him, which is actually a hideout. The pigeon police show up and arrest Little Jimmy.

In the episode "Jailhouse Shock," Little Jimmy is cell mates with Mr. Bear. In order to get revenge on Timon and Pumbaa for turning him in, he tricks Mr. Bear into thinking that Timon and Pumbaa hurt him so that he could hurt them back.

Pimon and Tumbaa

Pimon (voiced by Billy West) and Tumbaa (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) are a buff meerkat and warthog duo who are evil and buff counterparts of Timon and Pumbaa. They are shown to be bullies of the jungle, as they enjoy pushing Timon and Pumbaa around, giving them atomic wedgies, as well as being shown picking on a squirrel. They also have their own philosophy: Kahuna Potato, which means that they will never leave Timon and Pumbaa (or anyone) alone.

Pimon and Tumbaa make their first and only appearance in the episode "Kahuna Potato". After Timon and Pumbaa successfully catch some bugs, the bullies steal their bag of bugs, give the two wedgies, and walk off with the bugs. Fed up of being picked on by the bullies, Timon decides that it is time for himself and Pumbaa to learn how to fight. Timon and Pumbaa go to Rafiki to have him teach them self-defense, which Rafiki suggests that they should snatch some bugs off his palm and he will teach them the secret to Kung-Fu. After Timon and Pumbaa learn Kung-Fu from Rafiki, they go confront Pimon and Tumbaa, who show them that they also know Kung-Fu. While the two groups fight each other, the bullies give Timon and Pumbaa more atomic wedgies, causing the two to give up until Rafiki appears and tells the two to use Hakuna Matata to fight. Listening to Rafiki's advice, Timon and Pumbaa continue fighting Pimon and Tumbaa and they end up defeating the bullies.

Later that night, Pimon and Tumbaa get their hairs shaved off and feed Timon and Pumbaa the bugs they stole from them.

Introduced in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)

Kiara

Kiara (voiced by Neve Campbell as an adult; Michelle Horn as Kira when she is a cub in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride; and Eden Riegel in The Lion Guard) is the daughter of Simba and Nala, and Kion's older sister. She has a cameo appearance in The Lion King and is a major character in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion Guard. Kiara is also a descendant of Mufasa and Sarabi, who are Simba's parents.

Kiara is portrayed as a feisty, playful, and adventurous princess whom her over-protective father Simba easily fears for her safety. As a cub, Kiara befriends Kovu and rescues him from a group of crocodiles. As a young adult, Kiara is rescued by Kovu as part of Zira's plan to avenge Scar's death and the two lions eventually fall in love. When Kovu is exiled from the Pride Lands following Zira's ambush on Simba, Kiara helps him return to the Pride Lands to reunite the Pridelanders and Outsiders. Afterwards, she becomes Kovu's wife.

In The Lion Guard Kiara is seen being trained by her parents to be Queen.

At the end of the 2019 version of The Lion King, Simba's and Nala's cub, Kiara, was raised by Rafiki to the other animals.

Kovu

Kovu (voiced by Jason Marsden as an adult and Ryan O'Donohue as Kovu when he is a cub) is the youngest child of Zira, the brother of Nuka and Vitani, and Scar's chosen heir. Kovu means "scar" in Swahili, a reference to his character conception as Scar's son, which was changed due to the implications of him and Kiara being first cousins once removed and falling in love. Disney Magazine also listed Kovu as Scar's son during the development of the film before changers were made.

During his childhood, Zira trains Kovu to assassinate Simba and take his place as King of Pride Rock. As a young adult, Kovu rescues Kiara during a planned ambush and Simba reluctantly allows him to stay in the Pride Lands. While spending time with Kiara, Rafiki gets the two young lions to fall in love, and Kovu realizes he cannot hurt Simba. However, after Simba is ambushed by the Outsiders and Nuka is killed, Kovu angrily disowns Scar and leaves the Outlands. When Kovu states that he had no part in the attack and begs for his for forgiveness, Simba passes his judgement and exiles him from the Pride Lands. At an unknown area, Kiara caught up to Kovu and persuades him to unite both lion factions. Kovu returns to Pride Rock and stops the fighting between the Outsiders and Simba's Pride with the help of Kiara. Simba later pardons Kovu and allows him to become his eventual successor.

In The Lion Guard, Kovu (portrayed as an older cub) meets Kiara's brother Kion. Despite Kion's absence from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Kion will become Kovu's brother-in-law.

Outsiders

The Outsiders are a pride of offshoot lions that were loyal to Scar. After a failed takeover following Scar's death, Simba banished them to the Outlands.

In The Lion Guard, they tried to invade the territory that Jasiri's clan lives in. Kion was hesitant to use the Roar of the Elders because of what it did to Scar. After being told by the rest of the Lion Guard that Scar used the Roar for evil, Kion defeated the Outsiders with the Roar of the Elders which sent them flying to the Outlands' termite mound area which became their base of operations.

In The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, Zira prepared Kovu to get close to Kiara in order to target Simba only for Kovu to fall in love with Kiara. Following the death of Nuka, Zira led the Outsiders in a final fight with Simba's Pride. Kiara and Kovu broke up the fight, though Zira will not give up. After Zira perishes in the flash flood, the remaining Outsiders are pardoned and allowed to rejoin Simba's Pride.

Zira

Zira (voiced by Suzanne Pleshette in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and Nika Futterman in The Lion Guard), meaning "hate" in Swahili, is the mother of Nuka, Kovu, and Vitani. She is Scar's most loyal follower, and plots to avenge Scar's death by forming the Outsiders. However, after taking advantage of Kovu's friendship with Simba's daughter Kiara, she devises a plan to assassinate Simba. Eventually, the Pridelanders and the Outsiders fight each other, but with Kiara and Kovu's help, Vitani and the other Outsiders abandon Zira. Attempting to attack Simba, Zira is intercepted, battled, and defeated by Kiara and falls to her death into the flash flood despite the latter's attempt to rescue her.

Zira makes an appearance in The Lion Guard (which takes place in the middle of the film) alongside Kovu, Nuka, Vitani and the rest of her pride in the episode "Lions of the Outlands". She tries to convince Kion that using the Roar of the Elders against her and the other Outsiders would cause him to lose it just as Scar did, and to side with his fellow lions. However, Kion is eventually able to see through her deceptions and drives her and the others off with the Roar.

Nuka

Nuka (voiced by Andy Dick) is the eldest child of Zira and the older brother to Vitani and Kovu. His name means "stink" in Swahili. Jealous of Zira's greater relationship with Kovu, Nuka often attempts to gain his mother's approval. During the Outsiders' ambush, Nuka attempts to kill Simba to prove himself to his mother, but is crushed to death by the falling logs. Zira mourned his death and blamed Kovu for this incident.

Vitani

Vitani (voiced by Jennifer Lien as an adult, Lacey Chabert as Vitani when she is a cub, Crysta Macalush for her cub form's singing voice), a Swahili portmanteau of the words "Vita" ("War"), "Ni" ("I Am"), and "Shetani", is the middle child and only daughter of Zira. Although she has a prominent appearance in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, she makes a cameo appearance in The Lion Guard. As a young adult, Vitani is Zira's strongest lieutenant, supporting and acting on her mother's violent plans. With Kovu and Kiara's help, Vitani and the Outsiders turn on Zira and join the Pridelanders to stop the fighting between the two prides. After Zira's death, Vitani and the other Outsiders are pardoned by Simba and rejoin his pride.

She was originally named "Shetani" ("She-Demon" in Swahili) in early drafts of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, but this was softened to "Vitani", which is a portmanteau that can be roughly translated to "I Am War" or, more commonly, "Demon of War".

Introduced in The Lion King 1½ (2004)

Ma

Ma (voiced by Julie Kavner) is Timon's mother. Generally encouraging and optimistic, she believes in Timon and convinces Uncle Max to give him a job as a sentry or look-out. After Timon fails in his duty, she remains convinced that he can still find a place in the colony, but when he insists that he has to go, Ma supports him.

Later, she gets worried about Timon after speaking to Rafiki and searches for him. They finally reunite at Pride Rock and Ma helps in the battle against the hyenas by digging a long tunnel to trap them. After Simba becomes king, the death of Scar and avenging Mufasa, Timon takes them and the entire meerkat colony to the jungle paradise he and Pumbaa discovered.

Ma is mentioned several times in Timon & Pumbaa and in The Lion Guard episode "Beware the Zimwi" by Timon, who claims that her cousin's friend knew an ox that was eaten by the Zimwi.

Uncle Max

Uncle Max (voiced by Jerry Stiller) is a prominent member of the meerkat colony and relative of Timon and Ma. He has grey head-fur and a very large nose. Max is a pessimist by nature and very paranoid, believing that a meerkat's fate is to be "food for other animals! Feared by nothing and eaten by all!" Max reluctantly agrees to let Timon be a sentry for the colony and attempts to train him for the job, but is nearly eaten by the hyenas when they attack. He is glad to see Timon go but ends up going with Ma to find him. Max appears again towards the end of the film, where he and Ma encounter Timon and Pumbaa at Pride Rock, and helps Timon get rid of the hyenas by digging a tunnel. Max finally believes in Timon, and after Timon takes the meerkats to his jungle paradise, Max teaches the meerkats tai chi instead of how not to be eaten.

Some of Max's role was originally going to be filled by Timon's father who was considered for inclusion in the film, but ultimately dropped.

Introduced in The Lion Guard (2015–present)

Kion

Kion (voiced by Max Charles) is the son of Simba and Nala, Kiara's younger brother, Kovu's brother-in-law, Mufasa, Sarabi, Sarafina and Nala's father's grandson and Scar's great-nephew. His name is derived from the Swahili word "Kiongozi" ("leader"). Sometime after Kiara's encounter with Kovu, Kion is born as the second born son of Simba. In the series prequel and pilot The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, Simba has Kion organize the titular guard along with Bunga, Beshte, Fuli, and Ono. As leader of the Lion Guard and second-born to the throne, Kion is gifted with a power called the Roar of the Elders which when used, causes the great lion spirits of the Pride Lands past to roar with him.

Kion has a strong sense of responsibility, and does not want to end up like his great-uncle Scar, who used the Roar for evil and thus lost it forever. Because of this, Kion is mindful not to use the Roar in anger. Sometimes though his emotions get the better of him, as when Nala was once cornered by hyenas causing him to Roar in anger at them.

He also demonstrates a strong yet open sense of discernment, which warms him to scavengers like Jasiri the hyena and her clan. However, more cunning neighbors such as Zira of the Outsiders and Reirei's jackal pack have used his trusting spirit to exert their will, only to be soundly subdued when Kion's instincts come into play.

By the end of the episode The Rise of Scar, Kion travels to the Outlands to save Kiara, and unknowingly summons Scar after he uses the Roar in anger when Janja threatens his family. Later in the season, Kion and The Lion Guard find out that Scar has returned while they are in the Outlands getting volcanic ash needed to cure Simba from a scorpion sting. Upon returning to the Pride Lands, Kion acknowledges to his team that they have a tough fight ahead, but remains confident that they will be able to defeat Scar.

Bunga

Bunga (voiced by Joshua Rush) is a young honey badger, Kion's best friend and the bravest member of the Lion Guard. He is also the adoptive nephew of Timon and Pumbaa. Bunga is shown to be very adventurous and he rarely acts serious or even sits still, as he is always on the move, working off boundless energy and enthusiasm, and makes even the most dire of situations into a fantastic time. Though this makes him a great friend and playmate, it lands him into trouble more often than not. According to Kiara, Bunga is "brave, bordering on stupid," but a valued member of the Lion Guard nonetheless. His catchphrase is "Zuka Zama," which means "pop up, dive in" in Swahili. His name means "fool" in the same tongue. In Indonesian language his name means "flower".

Fuli

Fuli (voiced by Diamond White) is a cheetah, one of Kion's friends and the fastest member of the Lion Guard, as well as its only female member. She is quite prideful in her running abilities and shows extreme delight for being able to outpace a pursuer of any species. Despite being friends with Kion, she is somewhat resentful of the Lions for lording over the Pride Lands and was skeptical about Kion's Roar of the Elders. Despite these negative traits, she was willing to join the Lion Guard with her friends to defend the Circle of Life when Janja and his clan invaded the Pride Lands. Her catchphrase is "Huwezi", which means "you can't (catch me)" in Swahili. Her name means "very fast" in the same tongue.

Beshte

Beshte (voiced by Dusan Brown) is a hippopotamus, one of Kion's friends and the strongest member of the Lion Guard. Being one of the most popular animals of the Pridelands, Beshte is shown to be kind-hearted. His friendliness extends to everyone, as he acts like a big brother to the younger members of his herd, a friend to animals of all different species, and a protector of the Pride Lands at large. Beshte can also, however, be sensitive, being especially tactful when his friend Kion is unable to use the Roar of the Elders. For an animal so large and full of life, Beshte has an appropriately large heart and never fails to treat his friends with kindness. Beshte's catchphrase is "Twende Kiboko!", which means "let's go, hippo!" in Swahili. He also exclaims "Poa!" to express amazement or approval. His name means 'friend' in the same tongue.

Ono

Ono (voiced by Atticus Shaffer) is a cattle egret, one of Kion's friends and the keenest of sight of the Lion Guard, as well as its only non-mammal member. He is one of the more easygoing members of the group, being friendly and group-oriented. He is used to spending time around other animals and is content to be part of The Lion Guard. Ono is also shown to be blunt, as he is able to lay out his feelings without sugar-coating. He is by far the most realistic member of the group, as he always thinks things through before jumping in.

When it comes to his role on the Lion Guard, Ono is brave and has a knack for following the rules. He obeys Kion's orders without question and proves himself to be plucky and thrifty, considerably useful when it comes to scouting out a situation. His principles are clear in his willingness to fight with his full heart for the Circle of Life, and he is a valued member of the Lion Guard for his intelligence and ability to see things from afar. Ono's catchphrase is "Hapana!", which means "oh no!" in Swahili. His name means "passion" in the same tongue. It also means "good" in Hawaiian.

Zuri

Zuri (voiced by Madison Pettis) meaning "beautiful" in Swahili, is a lioness cub and one of Kiara's friends. She appears to be vain about her appearance, as she constantly sharpens her claws on trees in order to keep them shiny. Unlike her friends, Zuri is delicate and timid. She shows considerable anxiety and fear in the face of simple circumstances and harbors deep disgust for grubs.

Tiifu

Tiifu (voiced by Sarah Hyland in season 1 and The Rise of Scar; Bailey Gambertoglio in season 2) is a lioness cub, and a friend of Kiara's. She is shown to be kind and patient, as seen when she comforts an overreacting Zuri. She is a great rule-follower and trusts the judgment of her friends, showing faith when she leaves Kiara to fetch help as Janja invades the Pride Lands.

Janja's clan

Janja's clan is a small pack of male spotted hyenas that live in the Outlands. They are descendants of the hyenas from the original film. They are known to be the arch-enemies of The Lion Guard and serve as henchmen to Scar's spirit.

• Janja (voiced by Andrew Kishino) is the cunning and aggressive leader of the hyenas in the Outlands, descended from the hyenas from the original film and one of the main antagonists. In "The Hyena Resistance", Jasiri saves Janja from falling into a steam vent, and tells him that he and his clan are welcome to join her clan's hyena resistance to defeat Scar. After some hesitation, Janja dismisses her offer, but his hesitation causes Scar's skinks to question his loyalty and leaves Jasiri hopeful that he will come around eventually.

• Cheezi (voiced by Vargus Mason) is one of Janja's right-hand henchmen, an excitable hyena who is usually seen sticking his tongue out.

• Chungu (voiced by Kevin Schon) is one of Janja's right-hand henchmen, an unintelligent hyena who has a tough attitude and a slightly heavier build than the other hyenas.

• Nne (voiced by Beau Black) is a stout but sly and smart hyena.

• Tano (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) is a sloping but devious and smart hyena.

Mzingo's parliament

Mzingo's parliament is a parliament of white-backed vultures that live in the Outlands and is allied with Janja's clan and later they become members of Scar's army.

• Mzingo (voiced by Greg Ellis) is a vulture who is Janja's majordomo of the Outlands. He is the leader of a flock of vultures that is allied with Janja's clan.

• Mwoga (voiced by Cam Clarke) is a foolish and clumsy vulture who is the spy of the parliament.

Jasiri's clan

Jasiri's Clan is a clan of friendly hyenas that resides in the Outlands. Unlike Janja's clan, Jasiri and her hyena clan respect the Circle of Life and mostly scavenge for food. When Jasiri learns from Kion that Scar has returned, she and her clan form a hyena resistance to aid the Lion Guard and help defeat Scar.

• Jasiri (voiced by Maia Mitchell) is a friendly female spotted hyena who makes her first appearance in the episode "Never Judge a Hyena By Its Spots." She is open to making friends with lions. Bold and spunky, Jasiri is able to look past differences and focus on where different species have common ground. Unlike Janja and his clan, she dislikes selfishness and gluttony, and she respects the Circle of Life. She has blue eyes and mauve fur, unlike the other hyenas. She is the leader of the clan. In "The Hyena Resistance" when Jasiri learns from Kion that Scar has returned, she and her clan form a resistance to aid the Lion Guard and help defeat Scar.

• Madoa (voiced by Maisie Klompus) is a spotted hyena who is Jasiri's sister and is part of her clan.

• Tunu (voiced by Crimson Hart) is a spotted hyena cub and brother of Wema who is part of Jasiri's clan.

• Wema (voiced by Fiona Hart) is a spotted hyena cub and sister of Tunu who is part of Jasiri's clan.

Makini

Makini (voiced by Landry Bender) is a young mandrill who is Rafiki's new apprentice. She is free-spirited and loves to learn and look up to her mentor. However, she has trouble being calm and she is easy to deceive. Despite this, Makini takes pride in herself and her position, and is friendly and welcoming to everyone she meets.

Reirei's pack

Reirei's pack is a family of black-backed jackals who first appeared in the episode "The Kupatana Celebration". They trick the Lion Guard into letting them into the Pride Lands so that they can devour all the animals. At Kupatana, the jackals attack the Pridelanders until they are defeated by the Lion Guard. Simba himself approaches the jackal pack and roars, sending them scurrying back into the Outlands. Reirei and Goigoi reappear in the episode "Too Many Termites", where they attempt to eat a pack of aardwolves, but are stopped by the Lion Guard. In Season 2, they become members of Scar's army.

• Reirei (voiced by Ana Gasteyer) is a clever, scheming, and manipulative jackal who is the matriarch of her family pack.

• Goigoi (voiced by Phil LaMarr) is Reirei’s mate who only thinks with his stomach and has the tendency to fall asleep.

• Dogo (voiced by Jacob Guenther) is one of Reirei and Goigoi's sons who uses his innocent looks to his advantage to win the trust of others in order to take advantage of them.

• Dogo's Siblings (voiced by Jacob Guenther and Dee Bradley Baker) are Reirei and Goigoi's sons and brothers of Dogo.

• Kijana (voiced by Amber Hood) is Reirei and Goigoi's daughter.

Shupavu's group

Shupavu's group are a group of skinks who are friends with Ushari and serve as his spies in the Pride Lands.

• Shupavu (voiced by Meghan Strange) is a sneaky skink who is the leader of the group. She dislikes being close to Pride Rock.

• Njano (voiced by Ford Riley) is a crafty, blue-tongued skink who is Shupavu's second-in-command.

• Nyeusi (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) is a stealthy black skink who is a member of the group.

• Waza is an observant blue skink who is a member of the group.

• Nyata is a swift purple skink who is a member of the group.

Ushari

Ushari (voiced by Christian Slater) is an Egyptian cobra who often conflicted with Bunga and would get disturbed whenever the Lion Guard was near him. In The Rise of Scar, Ushari finally gets fed up with the Lion Guard disturbing his peace and inadvertently finds out that Kion talks to Mufasa's spirit. With this knowledge he decides to join forces with Janja's clan and ends up helping them orchestrate the events that allow them to summon Scar's spirit so that he can guide them in defeating the Lion Guard.

Aardvarks

The following aardvarks appear in The Lion Guard:

• Muhangus (voiced by Khary Payton) is an aardvark and the leader of his shoal.

• Muhanga (voiced by Russi Taylor) is an aardvark who is Muhangus' mate.

Aardwolves

The following aardwolves appear in The Lion Guard:

• Mjomba (voiced by Charlie Adler) is a grumpy and impatient aardwolf who is the leader of the pack. He has a hunched back, bushy black eyebrows, gray fur, and darker gray markings. His inner ears are pink, and his nose is black. Like the rest of the pack, he adores termites. His name in Swahili means "uncle".

• Ogopa (voiced by Marieve Herington) is a bright and cheerful aardwolf. She has blue-gray fur and black markings, as well as a narrow muzzle and a black nose. Her yellow eyes are large and framed by a few eyelashes, and her inner ears are pink with a couple of hairs sprouting from each. Like the rest of the pack, she adores termites. She is easily frightened and has a tendency to jump to conclusions. She also tends to add afterthoughts after she states her opinion on a subject.

• Haya (voiced by Ogie Banks) is a nervous and shy aardwolf. He has dark gray fur with longer fur on his cheeks and black markings, and his inner ears are pink with a few hairs sprouting from them. His upper teeth protrude from his dark muzzle. Like the rest of the pack, he adores termites. Like Ogopa, he tends to add afterthoughts after stating his opinion.

Baboons

The following baboons, whether they be olive baboons or yellow baboons, appear in The Lion Guard:

• Big Baboon (voiced by Ford Riley in Return of the Roar, Dee Bradley Baker in later appearances) is an olive baboon and leader of his troop.
  • Gumba (voiced by Jacquez Swanigan) is an young olive baboon who is part of Big Baboon's troop.

• Uroho (voiced by David Adkins) is a sneaky yellow baboon who is the leader of Traveling Baboon show.
  • Mwevi and Mwizi (Both voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) are a duo of yellow baboons who are part of Uroho's Traveling Baboon show.

Cape buffalo

• Vuruga Vuruga (voiced by Virginia Watson) a Cape buffalo who is the leader of her herd. Kiara once presided over their Royal Buffalo Wallow.

Chameleons

• Kinyonga (voiced by Meghan Strange) a veiled chameleon who once helped the Lion Guard by spying on Scar in the Outlands.

Crocodiles

The following crocodiles appear in The Lion Guard:

• Pua (voiced by Gerald C. Rivers) is a Nile crocodile who originally led the crocodile float, until he is defeated by Makuu in a "mashindano" battle for the position of alpha male. Upon defeat, Pua leaves the float.

• Makuu (voiced by Blair Underwood) is a young, sleek, and well-built Nile crocodile who leads the crocodile float that lives in the Pride Lands after defeating the previous leader Pua in battle. He is shown to be boastful and loves to bask in the attention of others. Unlike his predecessor, Makuu initially has no respect for tradition or the Circle of Life, and certainly not for authority (except his own), seeing both Pua and Kion as weak and cowardly. He appears to only respond to strength and power, as he was awestruck by the Roar of the Elders and gave into Kion's second demand to leave Big Springs while trying to save face. In Season 2, Makuu has decided to become a better leader for his float, reforming from his trouble-making ways.

• Kiburi (voiced by Common) is a former member of Makuu's float, much like a less experienced Makuu, saw no reason why the crocodiles should have regard for the other animals of the Pride Lands. After the crocodiles were accidentally awakened from dry season aestivation by the Lion Guard, Kiburi led most of the float in an effort to seize bodies of water. He later challenged Makuu to a mashindano, having made an alliance with Ushari and a plan to eliminate Simba. Upon being defeated, he and his three supporters were expelled from the Pride Lands, and became a part of Scar's growing collective in the Outlands.
  • Tamka (voiced by Nolan North) is a brutish, yet unintelligent crocodile loyal to Kiburi.
  • Nduli (voiced by Jorge Diaz) is an optimistic crocodile loyal to Kiburi.

Eagles

The following eagles appear in The Lion Guard:

• Hadithi (voiced by John O'Hurley) is a legendary African hawk-eagle who faked having invented the Hadithi Spin.

• Anga (voiced by Bryana Salaz) is a martial eagle who teams up with Ono to stop Mzingo's committee from setting fire to the Pride Lands.

Elephants

The following elephants appear in The Lion Guard:

• Ma Tembo (voiced by Lynette Dupree) is an adult African bush elephant with a broken right tusk, who attains leadership of her father Aminifu's herd after his death. Much like her father, she is always game for a laugh. Even when Simba makes a mistake at her father's funeral, she is gracious and kind, and makes light of the situation by dwelling on the good. She is similarly gracious to Nala and Kiara when they are the only members of their family to attend the elephant concert. Ma Tembo's herd resided in Kilio Valley until it was destroyed by a fire caused by the Outlanders in "The Kilio Valley Fire".
  • Mtoto (voiced by Natalie Coughlin in "Bunga the Wise," Justin Felbinger in later episodes) is an elephant calf who idolizes Beshte. He appears to be innocent with little understanding of the world. His playful nature often gets him into trouble, though his intentions are usually good.
  • Mtoto’s mom (voiced by Russi Taylor in "Follow That Hippo!," Virginia Watson in later episodes) – An unnamed African bush elephant who is part of Ma Tembo’s herd.
  • Zito (voiced by Nick Watt) – A grouchy and impatient African bush elephant who is part of Ma Tembo's herd.
  • Johari (voiced by Ace Gibson) – An African bush elephant who is part of Ma Tembo’s herd.
  • Zigo (voiced by Marieve Herington) – An African bush elephant who is part of Ma Tembo’s herd.
• Chama (voiced by Jacob Bertrand) is a young fun-loving African bush elephant who used to be part of Ma Tembo's herd. He, Mzaha, and Furaha are best friends and share a tree together near Big Springs.

Galagos

• Laini (voiced by Meghan Strange) is a galago who is the leader of her group in Ndefu Grove.

Gazelles

• Swala (voiced by Tunisia Hardison) is a Thomson's gazelle who is the leader of her herd.

Giraffes

The following giraffes appear in The Lion Guard:

• Twiga (voiced by Alex Cartana) is a Masai giraffe who is the leader of the herd.
  • Juhudi (voiced by Ivy Bishop) is a young Masai giraffe calf who is Twiga's daughter.
  • Shingo (voiced by Phil LaMarr) is a Masai giraffe who is part of Twiga's herd.

Gorillas

The following gorillas appear in The Lion Guard:

• King Sokwe (Voiced by John Rhys-Davies) is an adult mountain gorilla who is the king of the Theluji Mountains and leader of his troop. His name in Swahili means 'Ape' and is an ally to Simba. King Sokwe is also a father to two dimwitted princes Majinuni and Hafifu.
  • Majinuni (Voiced by Dan Howell) is a juvenile mountain gorilla prince and brother of Hafifu who came to the Pride Lands to deliver a message to Simba. His name in Swahili means'buffoon'. His catchphrase in the tongue "Kusihi Ni Kucheka" means "To live is to laugh".
  • Hafifu (Voiced by Phil Lester) is a juvenile mountain gorilla prince and brother of Majinuni who came to the Pride Lands to deliver a message to Simba. In Swahili his name means 'poor, weak and silly talk'. His catchphrase "Kuishi Ni Kucheka" in the tongue means "To live is to laugh".
  • Shujaa (voiced by Christopher Jackson) is a large adolescent mountain gorilla warrior who was sent to the Pride Lands by King Sokwe of the Theluji Mountains to help Kion, Fuli, Ono, Bunga and Beshte to fight and defeat the army of Scar. His name in Swahili means "The Hero or 'Warrior'. His catchphrase in the tongue "Shujaa Ponda" means "Hero Crush". He first appeared in the season 2 episode "Beshte and the Beast". He is colored blueish-grey and has canine teeth. After defeating the villainous outlanders, Shujaa also helped put out a wild fire and carried Beshte to safety.

Hippopotamuses

The following hippos appear in The Lion Guard:

• Basi (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is a hippopotamus who is Beshte's father and leader of his and his son's pod. He is amicable and open, willing to engage in conversation and negotiate according to the customs of the Pride Lands. Even in the face of adversity, such as Makuu's violent takeover of Big Springs, Basi maintains his temper and graciously offers the crocodile a chance to return once the fish have returned in plenty. Being so learned in the ways of the animals, Basi is knowledgeable and wise. Despite being an animal with a very different way of life, he understands the customs of the crocodiles and how this affects his pod's everyday life. Unlike the inexperienced young Makuu, Basi grasps an understanding of the Circle of Life and how every animal must give and take in order to keep it in balance.

• Bellow Fellows (voiced by Ace Gibson, Khary Payton, and Kevin Schon) are a group of hippos.

• Kiazi is a hippopotamus calf.

Leopards

Several African leopards appear in The Lion Guard. Two are antagonists while one is befriended by the Lion Guard:

• Makucha (voiced by Steven Blum) is an aggressive, powerful cream-colored leopard who comes to the Pridelands in pursuit of the okapi Ajabu, and who proves to be quite an adversary to the Lion Guard due to his speed and strength. Makucha is later revealed to be the leader of his leap which is first shown when the Lion Guard was looking for water in the Back Lands during a water shortage in the Pride Lands.

• Mapigano (voiced by Jorge Diaz) is a mean cream-colored leopard who attempts to take over Badili's territory until Badili gains confidence through training with the Lion Guard and drives him out.

• Badili (voiced by Jack McBrayer) is a friendly cream-colored leopard from Mirihi Forest in the Back Lands who was driven out of his territory by Mapigano. The Lion Guard trained him to have enough courage to drive off Mapigano.

Okapis

Several okapis who appear in the franchise include:

• Ajabu (Voiced by Ron Funches) is an okapi who came to the Pride Lands to get away from Makucha the leopard and made friends with Beshte.

Ostriches

The following ostriches appear in The Lion Guard:

• Mbuni (voiced by Russi Taylor) is a cheerful ostrich who is the leader of her flock.

• Kambuni (voiced by Mckenna Grace) is a young ostrich chick.

Rhinos

The following rhinos, whether they be either black or white rhinoceros, appear in The Lion Guard:

• Mbeya (voiced by Howy Parkins) is an old black rhinoceros who is the leader of his crash.

• Kifaru (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) is a white rhinoceros with a poor eyesight. His name in Swahili means "Rhino". He has a red-billed oxpecker named Mwenzi (voiced by Rhys Darby) as his tickbird and friend.

• Young Rhino (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) is an unnamed young black rhinoceros calf.

Sable antelopes

The following sable antelopes appear in The Lion Guard:

• Bupu (voiced by Michael Dorn) is a stubborn sable antelope who is the leader of the herd and values polite behavior.
  • Boboka (voiced by Erica Luttrell) is a sable antelope who is part of Bupu's herd.

• Mzaha (voiced by Cade Sutton) is a young fun-loving sable antelope who used to be part of Bupu's herd and is one of Chama's friends.

Zanzibar red colobuses

The following Zanzibar red colobuses appear in The Lion Guard:

• Tumbili (voiced by Ace Gibson) is the leader of his troop. His name in Swahili means "Monkey".

• Furaha (voiced by Mekai Curtis) is a young happy-go lucky Zanzibar red colobus and former member of Tumbili's troop who is one of Chama's friends. His name in Swahili means "Happiness'".

Zebras

The following zebras appear in The Lion Guard:

• Thurston (voiced by Kevin Schon impersonating Jim Backus) is a handsome yet dimwitted plains zebra who is the leader of his herd.
  • Kwato (voiced by Lyons Luke Mathias) is a young plains zebra foal who is part of Thurston's herd.

• Muhimu (voiced by Kari Wahlgren, Emma Bunton in the UK version of "The Mbali Fields Migration") is a plains zebra who is the leader of her herd.
  • Hamu (voiced by Lyons Luke Mathias) is a young plains zebra foal who is Muhimu's son. Shortly after being born, he helped the Lion Guard fend off Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu.

• Dhahabu (voiced by Renée Elise Goldsberry) is a plains zebra with golden stripes who is the leader of her herd. Bunga admires her greatly. Dhahabu is modeled after the late Zoe the Golden Zebra who resided in Hawaii's Three Ring Ranch.
  • Raha (voiced by Rico Rodriguez) is a plains zebra who is Starehe's brother and part of Dhahabu's herd.
  • Starehe (voiced by Raini Rodriguez) is a plains zebra who is Raha's sister and part of Dhahabu's herd.

Other supporting characters

• Shauku (voiced by Jacob Guenther) is a young banded mongoose pup.

• Tamaa (voiced by CJ Byrnes) is a fork-tailed drongo who can imitate the voice of any animal.

• Chura (voiced by Meghan Strange) is an African common toad.

• Kulinda (voiced by Elise Allen) is a hamerkop who leaves her egg in Ono's nest while she builds a new nest that is safe from predators. She considers Ono to be part of her family, due to him taking good care of her baby. She later names her baby Ona, in honor of Ono.

• Masikio (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) is a Natal red rock hare whose group and sister the Lion Guard saved from mudslides.

• Nyuni (voiced by Nolan North) is a western yellow wagtail who temporarily becomes an unofficial member of Bupu's herd.

• Hodari (voiced by Justin Hires) is an electric blue gecko who dreamed of being in a crocodile float. Makuu made him an honorary member of his float due to his bravery when confronting Kiburi.

• Kongwe (voiced by CCH Pounder) is an African spurred tortoise who is the oldest and wisest animal in the Pride Lands.

• Kuchimba (voiced by AJ McLean) is a golden mole who lives underground. He helped Kion, Bunga, Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri find part of their way back to Pride Rock when they were lost underground, and taught Tiifu that the dark is nothing to be afraid of.

Other villains

• Mpishi (voiced by Carla Hall) is an African harrier-hawk who leaves her hunting grounds from an unknown land and travels to the Pride Lands looking for a rare meal. She teamed up with Mwoga to target Kulinda's newly-hatched chick only to be driven off by the Lion Guard.

• Kenge (voiced by Kristofer Hivju) is an enormous and ferocious rock monitor, and acquaintance of Ushari who dislikes being called "little" or else it will infuriate him. His venomous bite - to everyone except Bunga - induces temporary paralysis.

• Sumu (voiced by Ford Riley) is a venomous scorpion who was ordered by Scar to sting Simba.

Introduced in The Lion King books

Kopa

Kopa is the son of Simba and Nala, appearing in the book series The Lion King: Six New Adventures, and is shown to look a lot like his father as a cub, except with a tuft of hair on top of his head. He debuts in the book "A Tale of Two Brothers" the first book in the series, which served as a prequel to the original film. The books were released before the film's production had finished, and thus, Alex Simmons (Kopa's creator) did not know that Simba and Nala would be given a cub at the end of the film. In the 1995 commentary tract based off of the film, Roger Allens and Rob Minkoff describe the cub at the end of the first film as "Fluffy" disowning Kopa, and as a result, he is non-canon to the films.

Ahadi

Ahadi is the father of Mufasa and Taka (Scar), the grandfather of Simba, the great-grandfather of Kopa, and the king of the Pride Lands during the events of The Lion King: Six New Adventures story A Tale of Two Brothers. He is shown to look a lot like Mufasa except with darker fur.

Uru

Uru is the mother of Mufasa and Taka (Scar), the grandmother of Simba, the great-grandmother of Kopa, and the queen of the Pride Lands during the events of The Lion King: Six New Adventures story A Tale of Two Brothers. She is absent from the book but is mentioned to have left to search for water to save the kingdom.

Mohatu

Mohatu is the father of Ahadi or Uru, the grandfather of Mufasa and Scar, the great-grandfather of Simba, and King of the Pride Lands during the events of the story The Brightest Star. He went to find water for the animals of the land during a drought and helped the animals get on with each other. When he died, he became a star which was brighter than the others. He is shown to look a lot like a darker furred version of Mufasa, having facial features like Simba's and was said to have been one of the greatest kings of the Pride Lands.

Ni

Ni is a character who appears in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story Nala's Dare. He is a young lion who has left his pride to start his own and travels through the Pride Lands during Scar's reign and saves Nala from hyenas before leaving after meeting the rest of the Pridelanders.

Kula

Kula is a character in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story Nala's Dare. She is one of Nala's friends and one of the cubs of the Pridelanders who lived during Scar's reign.

Chumvi

Chumvi is a character in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story Nala's Dare. He is one of Nala's friends and one of the cubs of the Pridelanders.

Joka

Joka is a giant python in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story A Snake in the Grass. He is extremely intelligent and is able to formulate complicated plans in a short amount of time. He has the power to twist his words into whatever he rightly wants and uses hypnotism to lure unsuspecting victims into believing his empty words. The name Joka translates as 'dragon' in the Swahili tongue

Jelani

Jelani is Rafiki's lazy cousin in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story Follow the Leader. Despite being considered leader of his troop, he is unconcerned about the suffering of his subjects, as he is often too concerned about his own welfare to lead them to a new home.

Kwaheri

Kwaheri is Kopa's monkey friend in The Lion King: Six New Adventures stories Nala's Dare and How True, Zazu? He is social, talkative, and critical to his friends. He often flaunts his talents around Kopa to either spark a reaction or just be a show-off.

Boma

Boma is a cape buffalo who appears in The Lion King: Six New Adventures stories A Tale of Two Brothers and How True, Zazu?. His grandparents were killed during an attack by ants. He is the leader of the cape buffalo and he is aggressive, controlling, selfish, strong, and short-tempered. He is also somewhat seclusive and gruff, as he doesn't seem to understand that there is a balance between species and refuses to share the last remaining water-hole during a draught, which can affect the whole of the Pride Lands. It is due to him that Taka got his scar after which he renamed himself to Scar. If challenged or insulted he becomes very angry. However he is mildly co-operative if not insulted or challenged. Taka tries to get Mufasa in trouble by telling him to talk with Boma to share the water-hole. Mufasa tries to reason with him to share the water-hole however he refuses. Scar then roars and tells him that he must obey or challenge Mufasa. He then chases after Mufasa who is rescued by Rafiki. Rafiki starts to grow tired while running but is picked up by Mufasa who then jumps across a ravine. Boma is unable to make the jumps and falls into it. Mufasa tells him that he doesn't have to fight but he keeps hurling thret while saying that the other buffaloes can still harm Taka. Taka is then attacked by three buffaloes during which he receives his scar. Ahadi stops this attack with a large herd of animals and has an elephant push Boma out of the ravine.

Zuzu

Zuzu is Ahadi's majordomo. She only appeared in A Tale of Two Brothers, though she was mentioned in How True, Zazu?. She turned out to be Zazu's mother. Flirtatious and gossipy, Zuzu is a very maternal bird who never passes up the chance for some juicy gossip, much like her son, Zazu. Her talkative nature and nosy habits often make her a bit of an annoyance to the other animals, though Ahadi puts her personality to good use in order to get a better grip on the doings of his kingdom. Zuzu is also known for being loyal and brave, as she was willing to help Rafiki even though she did not fully understand the danger Mufasa was in. It said that she retired, and gave Zazu her place as the king's majordomo.

Kataka

Kataka is a meerkat who appears in the "Hakuna Matata" magazine series in the story called "Falling in Love." She is part of a meerkat colony that lives in the same oasis that Timon and Pumbaa reside in.

Zak

Zak is a zebra who appears in the "Hakuna Matata" magazine series in the story called "Falling in Love." He resides in the same oasis that Timon and Pumbaa reside in. Timon enlisted Zak to help get Kataka back to her colony. Though Timon had to persuade Zak that Simba is with them.

Growler

Growler is a young warthog who appears in the "Hakuna Matata" magazine series in the story called "Pumbaa's New Friends." He is part of the warthog sounder that lives in the same oasis that Timon and Pumbaa reside in and considered Pumbaa a disgrace to all warthogs at the time when when his mother befriends Pumbaa. After Simba and Timon expose Growler's plot to dispose of Pumbaa, Growler's mother calls Growler a disgrace and banishes him from her sounder.