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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 7 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1462297502010928600 |
| 8 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
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| 10 | [[quoteright:280:[[VideoGame/{{Armello}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/king_of_beasts_4.jpg]]]] |
| 11 | [[caption-width-right:280:Atop the mane, there is a crown.]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ->''"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."'' |
| 14 | -->-- attributed to '''UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat''' |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Lions, with their huge manes and rather majestic appearance, have been considered the king of beasts since time immemorial. As with many cultural memes, this has found its way into fiction. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | If exotic animals play a major part in a story, it's likely that lions will be in a position of power or authority. They might command all the other animals, or just the carnivores, or even just the felines. They might not have any real authority, but the other animals (except possibly other big cats) will pay them due respect. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Alternatively, if there's a group of different animal heroes, it's common to see a lion as TheHero or TheLeader. This makes lions probably the biggest cultural exception to the CatsAreMean stereotype (though they are quite prone to GoodIsNotNice). |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Sometimes, this is portrayed as a profession (whether actually royal or not), especially in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals. Like with the [[MoleMiner miner moles]], [[FirehouseDalmatian firefighter Dalmatians]], and [[SemiaquaticSpeciesSailor semiaquatic animal sailors]], lions are higher ups and in positions of power in political, corporate, and military professions, making this a subtrope of AnimalOccupationStereotypes. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Medieval bestiaries go further by declaring lions to pretty much be the animal equivalent of Jesus Christ: according to them, lion cubs are stillborn, but after three days the lion brings them to life by breathing on them. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | The title "king of beasts" is often also rendered as "king of the jungle", [[MisplacedWildlife even though lions live on the savannah, not in the jungle.]][[note]] Asiatic lions did historically inhabit subtropical dry forests (today only found in the Gir Forest) but not quite proper rainforests.[[/note]] The fact that lions essentially never set foot in a jungle has done nothing to make this inaccurate version disappear. Though some quip that a lion can be the king of whatever he pleases, because are ''you'' going to argue with him? If we’re talking big cats, the title of “king of the jungle” would more accurately describe the rainforest-dwelling tiger and jaguar in south Asia and Latin America respectively, both of which are very close relatives of the lion, with all three being members of the ''Panthera'' genus (close enough to produce hybrid offspring), and all three are the top land predator in their personal domains. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | See also PantheraAwesome, CatsAreSuperior. NobleBirdOfPrey often serves as an equivalent among birds. When you combine a lion (king of the beasts) and an eagle (king of the birds) in the same creature, you get OurGryphonsAreDifferent. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | ---- |
| 31 | !!Examples: |
| 32 | |
| 33 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 34 | |
| 35 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 36 | * ''Anime/BeastWarsII'' had ''[[Characters/TransformersGeneration1Autobots Optimus Prime]]'' (Convoy in Japan) expy and white lion ''Lio Convoy'' leading that series' group of Maximals (Cybertrons). |
| 37 | * ''Anime/{{Daltanious}}'': The titular SuperRobot is an IconOfRebellion against the oppressive Zaal Empire, and has a lion on it's chest. It's name, Daltanious, is derived from D'Artagnan of ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers''. |
| 38 | * Liott in ''Manga/TheDarkQueenAndIStrikeBack'' is a lion inhuman and one of the top-ranking members of the inhuman army. But despite his fearsome appearance and strength, he's actually a GentleGiant and a doting father to his daughter. |
| 39 | * In ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'', lion Digimon are almost always powerful and heroic characters (the exception being [=MadLeomon=] of ''Xros Wars'', who is a StarterVillain). Leomon even has an attack called "Fist of the Beast King". Each continuity tends to have its own lion present in the plot (Leomon in ''Adventure'' and ''Tamers'', Löwemon in ''Frontier'', [=BanchoLeomon=] in ''Savers'', and Apollomon in ''Xros Wars''), but it's become a rather morbid RunningGag that said lion [[TheyKilledKennyAgain will perform a]] HeroicSacrifice for the protagonists at some point. |
| 40 | * ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'': The eponymous [[HumongousMecha mecha]] is partly made up of an [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot alien robot lion]], and the main character's last name roughly translates to "lion king". Lions show up in a few of the other Anime/BraveSeries shows as well. |
| 41 | * ''[[Anime/GoLion Hyakujuu-oh Go Lion]]'': The mech is made up of five lions, and the "Hyakujuu-oh" means "King of a Hundred Beasts". |
| 42 | * One chapter of ''Manga/HelenESP'' deals with the ghost of a lion who grew up in captivity and never got to see the savannah. |
| 43 | * ''Toys/{{Jewelpet}}'' has the white lion Jewelpet Granite. While he doesn't have any hint of leadership, he has the honour of being Ruby's boyfriend in [[spoiler:''Anime/JewelpetSunshine'' and]] ''Anime/JewelpetKiraDeco''. |
| 44 | * ''Anime/KemonoFriends'': Lion is the leader of a group of Friends on the plains, and is in a constant state of NonLethalWarfare with Moose, who's called "King of the Forests". In reality though, she's actually quite laid-back and reasonable and only pretends to be stern and serious in front of her followers. |
| 45 | * In ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion'', the title character's father was ''Emperor'' of the Jungle. |
| 46 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'' has the ''Thousand Sunny'' with its very prominent lion figurehead on the bow. It was even stated by Iceburg that it'll be the "King of the Beasts" in order to carry the "King of the Pirates" or something like that. |
| 47 | [[/folder]] |
| 48 | |
| 49 | [[folder:Asian Animation]] |
| 50 | * ''Animation/EenaMeenaDeeka'': In "Royal Mess", the king of the castle that the chickens are preparing food for is an anthropomorphic lion. |
| 51 | * The main character of ''Animation/KingShakir'' is an anthropomorphic lion and, while he's not a king, is referred to as such in the title. |
| 52 | [[/folder]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | [[folder:Card Games]] |
| 55 | * In ''Anime/CardfightVanguard'', the Gold Paladin Clan was originally composed of seven corps dedicated to gathering the seven Sacred Beast Armors, each themed after one of the armors: Red Lion, Silver Wolf, Black Horse, White Rabbit, Purple Elephant, Blue Falcon and Green Deer. Unsurprisingly, the Red Lion Corps and their leader, Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel got the [[{{Pun}} lion's share]] of screentime both in the anime and in the card game lore. Ezel himself was critical to the resolution of the War of Liberation in the lore via his SuperMode: Blazing Lion, Platina Ezel. |
| 56 | * ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' cards: |
| 57 | ** "King of Beasts", which resembles a lion. |
| 58 | ** "Behemoth the King of All Animals" who is much more of the humongous or elephant type. |
| 59 | [[/folder]] |
| 60 | |
| 61 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 62 | * Subverted in ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' comic strip ''Richard the Lion''. This lion instead of being King of Beasts is weedy, skinny and only 'king' of Lord Threadbare's Safari Park. |
| 63 | * ''{{ComicBook/Blacksad}}'': A rather crappy sci-fi movie Blacksad is watching features a lion as a US general (and a bald eagle as the president). |
| 64 | * ''ComicBook/ForgottenRealms'': The Akri tribe of [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent werecats]] are led by Los, the only werelion among them. |
| 65 | * In ''ComicBook/GodHatesAstronauts'' the leader of an interstellar empire, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin King Tiger Eating a Cheeseburger]] is served by the commander of his star fleet, his son Admiral Tiger Eating a Cheeseburger. Not even close to the strangest thing about the series... it's just that kind of comic. |
| 66 | * In ''Comicbook/{{Grandville}}'', set in a FunnyAnimal AlternateHistory 19th century French Empire, Napoleon is a lion. |
| 67 | * ''ComicBook/MonicasGang'': Lionel's Kingdom (called Turma da Mata in the original), is formed by several {{Civilized Animal}}s in a jungle, formally ruled by the aforementioned lion Lionel, who presents himself as a king. |
| 68 | * Guardd the lion-man is one of the most noble members of ''ComicBook/TheOthers1995'', such that King Skyglider's will names him as his heir, and is the team's leader. |
| 69 | [[/folder]] |
| 70 | |
| 71 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 72 | * Hobbes and a lion named Caesar argue about this in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries''. Calvin ends it by beating him up and proclaiming ''himself'' as king of the jungle. |
| 73 | * In ''Fanfic/TheBridge'', King Caesar is a kaiju sized ''Shisa'', a mythical golem creature from Okinowan lore that is a combination of a lion and a chow-chow dog. Fittingly this incarnation has a very leonine mane and claws, but is TheCape amongst the benign kaiju. [[spoiler:He's also been in Equestria the longest and apparently through time travel, was the one who broke King Sombra's horn and spirited an infant Princess Cadance to safety to give her to an adoptive family.]] |
| 74 | * Simba and Nala from ''Fanfic/PrehistoricParkReimagined'' are a pair of cave lions rescued for the titular park. And by virtue of lions being one of his all time favorite animals in the world, their primary keeper Leon treats them with a considerably high level of respect. |
| 75 | [[/folder]] |
| 76 | |
| 77 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 78 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleKing'' is built on this stereotype, being about a lion king who is a {{Jerkass}}, but is betrayed and captured, so his more benevolent brother has to impersonate him. |
| 79 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'', the lions are acknowledged as the kings of the savannah -- even by those species they generally prey upon. |
| 80 | * Alex in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''. When he was at the Central Park Zoo, he was known as the King of New York, and in the sequel he is revealed to be the son of the alpha male of a pride in Africa. |
| 81 | * The theatrical movie of ''Animation/MotuPatlu'' being named ''King of Kings'' is likely referring to Guddu the lion, who serves as one of the film's main characters. |
| 82 | * In ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'', King [[UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionHeart Richard]] and Prince [[UsefulNotes/KingJohnOfEngland John]] are lions. Richard (who also provides a StealthPun) fits the regal image perfectly. John, on the other hand, is scrawny and pathetic, and he notably lacks the typical majestic lion's mane to reflect this. |
| 83 | * The Mayor of ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' is a lion named Leodore Lionheart. While overall he is genuinely concerned about the well-being of the citizens of Zootopia, he does have overtones of being a SleazyPolitician. |
| 84 | [[/folder]] |
| 85 | |
| 86 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 87 | * King Leonidas of Naboombu from ''Film/BedknobsAndBroomsticks''. |
| 88 | * ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' features a zoo lion at the very end of the movie, just as Rexy the ''T. rex'' (whose name means "tyrant lizard king") breaks into the zoo. She spots the lion on a rock and roars at him, which causes the lion (an animal much smaller than a ''T. rex'') to stand his ground and roar right back at her. This is basically the first time that the king of beasts meets the queen of dinosaurs. |
| 89 | * The motif is invoked in ''Film/WarCraft2016'', where the kings of Stormwind use lion as their symbol. |
| 90 | * The Cowardly Lion from the Film version of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' apparently ''wants'' to be the king of the forest, but is having trouble because he isn't brave enough. Eventually he is appointed to rule all of Oz alongside the Scarecrow and the Tin Man after Dorothy and the Wizard leaves. |
| 91 | [[/folder]] |
| 92 | |
| 93 | [[folder:Gamebooks]] |
| 94 | * According to ''Titan: The Guide to the Literature/FightingFantasy World'', while the TopGod of the Animal Court is Kilanirax, the dragon god, Rogaar, the lion god, is one of his immediate subordinates and rules over all the gods of land mammals. |
| 95 | [[/folder]] |
| 96 | |
| 97 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 98 | * OlderThanFeudalism: ''Literature/AesopsFables'' have the lion as King of Beasts. Aesop was definitely the TropeCodifier. |
| 99 | * SixthRanger David from ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' chooses a male lion as his combat morph. ''The Threat'' ends with a climatic battle between his lion and Jake's tiger, which ends in a decisive victory for the lion. |
| 100 | * Aslan in ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' is [[CrystalDragonJesus Narnia's version of Jesus]] (same guy, another incarnation), and he's a lion. His name actually [[MeaningfulName means]] "lion" in Turkish. |
| 101 | * King Leonis in ''The Lion's Cavalcade'', a sequel to ''Literature/TheButterflyBallAndTheGrasshoppersFeast'', by Alan Aldridge and Ted Walker. |
| 102 | * Many Middle Eastern fables also have the lion as the king of animals, though he's often not a ''good'' king; in several stories he's overconfident, unwise, and easily outsmarted by his viziers, the [[ThoseWilyCoyotes jackals]] [[Literature/KalilaAndDimna Kalila and Dimna]]. |
| 103 | * In ''Literature/ThePrince'', Creator/NiccoloMachiavelli recommends being like this -- ''and'' CunningLikeAFox. |
| 104 | -->''A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about.'' |
| 105 | * ''Literature/TheReynardCycle'': Duke Nobel's coat of arms depicts a white lion, his father's name is Leo, and he aspires to be the King. [[spoiler:Later he has a son named Lionel.]] |
| 106 | * The ''[[Literature/ReynardTheFox Roman de Renart]]'' (''i.e.'', Reynard the [[CunningLikeAFox Fox]]) and la Fontaine's fables use this trope. The lion is called Noble the Lion in mediaeval beast fable. He was not always a ReasonableAuthorityFigure and indeed some fables are about his striking a LeonineContract. |
| 107 | * In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the sigil of House Lannister of Casterly Rock, the richest house in Westeros [[spoiler:and eventual royal house of the Seven Kingdoms for all intents and purposes]], is a lion, and their motto is "Hear Me Roar". Prior to the Targaryen conquest they were actually the ruling kings of the Westerlands, their official title being "King of the Rock". |
| 108 | * ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': There are no lions, and in fact [[BizarreAlienBiology there are very very few Earth animals of any kind]]. However, in [[Literature/WordsOfRadiance the second book]] Adolin sees a mural of a mythological creature that looks like a giant mink with a mane. He can't recall the name, though. |
| 109 | * ''Literature/TheWayOfKings2021'', a novel about lions, features folk tales about how their original ancestor became King of Beasts. |
| 110 | * After he gains courage, the Cowardly Lion becomes King of the Beasts in ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz''. |
| 111 | [[/folder]] |
| 112 | |
| 113 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 114 | * In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E5WarriorsGate Warriors' Gate]]'', the leonine Tharils had been kings in the past. |
| 115 | * ''Series/GameOfThrones'': House Lannister's sigil is a lion and they use AnimalStereotypes as dynastic propaganda. |
| 116 | -->'''Tywin:''' A lion does not concern himself with the opinions of a sheep. |
| 117 | * In ''Series/{{Grimm}}'', the Löwen (lion-like Wesen) were once kings, and still tend to be in positions of power over other Wesen, including running GladiatorGames. |
| 118 | * ''Franchise/SuperSentai''[=/=]''Franchise/PowerRangers'': As stated in PantheraAwesome, nearly every series with any kind of animal theme has a big cat somewhere, and nine times out of ten, it's a lion. Some highlights: |
| 119 | ** The Red Ranger has a lion theme in ''[[Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy Lost Galaxy]]''/''[[Series/SeijuuSentaiGingaman Gingaman]]'', ''[[Series/PowerRangersWildForce Wild Force]]''/''[[Series/HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger Gaoranger]]'', and ''[[Series/UchuuSentaiKyuranger Kyuranger]]'' (in which the lion theme represents the constellation Leo). The Red Ranger of ''[[Series/PowerRangersSamurai Samurai]]''/''[[Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger Shinkenger]]'', while being more associated with [[FieryLion the element of fire]], also has a lion mecha. |
| 120 | *** In ''Wild Force,'' the King of Beasts role is a plot point -- the lion is king of the jungle, so the Lion Zord's chosen Ranger is the leader of the team. This is why the RookieRedRanger is given ''full formal authority'' over the team despite the fact that he just arrived that morning with no clue as to what was going on or what a Power Ranger even ''was.'' Taylor, who'd had the leadership role before him and got it by ''knowing how to lead,'' was understandably displeased. |
| 121 | *** ''Kyuranger'' also directly ties its lion to royalty, as its Red Ranger is revealed late in the series to be a prince-in-exile. |
| 122 | ** In ''[[Series/PowerRangersJungleFury Jungle Fury]]''/''[[Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger Gekiranger]]'', it's the BigBad that's a lion in contrast to the Rangers' tiger, jaguar, and cheetah. |
| 123 | ** ''[[Series/PowerRangersMegaforce Megaforce]]''/''[[Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger Goseiger]]'' has the lion theme go to the SixthRanger, Robo Knight/Gosei Knight. |
| 124 | ** A lion theme is incorporated into the {{Mid Season Upgrade}}s in ''[[Series/PowerRangersMysticForce Mystic Force]]''/''[[Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger Magiranger]]'', ''[[Series/TokumeiSentaiGoBusters Go-Busters]]''/''[[Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers Beast Morphers]]'', and ''[[Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger Ninninger]]''/''[[Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel Ninja Steel]]'', including design motifs on the associated weapons and a corresponding lion mecha. |
| 125 | *** ''Power Rangers'' has twice played up the lion's connection to royalty where it didn't exist in ''Sentai'': in ''Ninja Steel'', the lion mecha and powerup was originally owned and granted to the Rangers by a warrior princess, while the lion mecha of ''Beast Morphers'' is named the Beast King Zord (following on how ''Beast Morphers''[='=] other mecha have "Beast [X] Zord" names). |
| 126 | ** In ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger'', all of the Zenkaigers are themed around popular ''Sentai'' motifs. Gaon, who represents the animal Sentai (and ''Gaoranger'' specifically), is naturally based on a lion. |
| 127 | ** Separate from the franchise preference for lions, ''Series/DoubutsuSentaiZyuohger'' themes itself completely after the concept of Kings of Beasts ("Zyuoh" even literally translates to "Beast King"). In their InTheNameOfTheMoon pronouncements, ''all'' of the Zyuohgers proclaim themselves supreme in their animals' respective environments: Zyuoh Eagle is "king of the skies", Zyuoh Shark is "queen of the seas", Zyuoh Lion is "king of the savannah", Zyuoh Elephant is "king of the forest", Zyuoh Tiger is "queen of the snowfield", and Zyuoh Gorilla is "king of the jungle" (SixthRanger Zyuoh The World is "king of the world", but his powerset is a mashup of multiple animals so no specific beast is actually given that title). The true King of Beasts in this case turns out to be Zyuoh ''Whale'', the Red Ranger's SuperMode and "king of the kings" (while Zyuoh Lion is only the Yellow Ranger). |
| 128 | ** In another case not involving lions, ''Series/OhsamaSentaiKingOhger'' is themed after kings and royalty while also having AnimalMotifs of insects and other bugs, implicitly identifying them as the ruling class of the animal kingdom. |
| 129 | * In ''Series/{{Zoo}}'', lions were the first species shown to turn against humans in an organized fashion, as if they were "leading" the mass animal uprising. |
| 130 | [[/folder]] |
| 131 | |
| 132 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 133 | * A winged lion sits majestically on top of a waterfall on the cover of the Music/{{Asia}} album ''Arena''. |
| 134 | * Subverted in "Last Lion of Albion" by Music/NekoCase, which is about the {{Irony}} of humans driving a species to extinction, then using that animal as a positive symbol. She notes that lions are among those animals that have been exterminated for whatever reason, then used as a national symbol representing heroism. |
| 135 | -->''Last lion of Albion\ |
| 136 | They'll use you for centuries to come\ |
| 137 | They'll steal your patents for the sun\ |
| 138 | And you'll feel extinction\ |
| 139 | When you see your face on their money'' |
| 140 | [[/folder]] |
| 141 | |
| 142 | [[folder:Myths & Religion]] |
| 143 | * ''Literature/TheBible'': |
| 144 | ** The tribe of Judah, progenitor of King David and his descendants, are represented by the image of a lion on their flag. Earlier on in [[Literature/BookOfGenesis Genesis]], Jacob refers to Judah as a young lion. |
| 145 | ** The Book of Revelation refers to Jesus as the Lion of Judah, although his appearance in that section resembles a rather fearsome ''[[SweetSheep lamb]]''. |
| 146 | ** 1 Peter compares the devil, who is acknowledged elsewhere in the Bible as the (temporary) ruler of the world, to a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. |
| 147 | * In Gujarat (home of the last surviving handful of Asiatic lions in the wild), the goddess Durga [[CoolMount rides on a lion]]. Elsewhere in India and the rest of the subcontinent, she rides a ''tiger'' instead. |
| 148 | [[/folder]] |
| 149 | |
| 150 | [[folder:Pro Wrestling]] |
| 151 | * Wrestling/GeorgeHackenschmidt's RedBaron was "The Russian Lion." He was born in UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}}, but it's not a case of FakeNationality, since, at the time he was born (1877), Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. |
| 152 | * Wrestling/ChrisJericho used the RedBaron "Lionheart" prior to coming to Wrestling/{{WWE}} in 1999. His Boston Crab FinishingMove, later renamed the "Walls of Jericho", was [[AnimalThemeNaming called]] the [=Liontamer=], and his second-rope moonsault is called the "[=Lionsault=]". |
| 153 | * DistaffCounterpart: The Japanese woman wrestler Wrestling/LionessAsuka. |
| 154 | * The logo of Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling prominently features a stylized lion's head to go with the company's tagline "King of Sports". |
| 155 | [[/folder]] |
| 156 | |
| 157 | [[folder:Puppet Shows]] |
| 158 | * The full-body Muppet in ''Galli Galli Sim Sim'', the Indian version of ''Series/SesameStreet'', is a purple lion named Boombah who is a member of "the royal family of Boombagarh". |
| 159 | [[/folder]] |
| 160 | |
| 161 | [[folder:Sports]] |
| 162 | * The mascot of the Kansas City Royals UsefulNotes/{{baseball}} team is a lion named Sluggerrr (yes, with three r's). His notable feature is [[CrownShapedHead his crown is somehow a part of his head]]. (As in, the points of the crown grow out the top of his "skull". [[ArtisticLicenseBiology Do not ask how this works.]]) |
| 163 | * Both major league teams called the "Kings" (the Usefulnotes/NationalHockeyLeague's Los Angeles Kings, and the Usefulnotes/NationalBasketballAssociation's Sacramento Kings) have lions as mascots, and Sacramento even has [[https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/240/Sacramento_Kings/ alternate logos mixing a crowned lion with a basketball]]. |
| 164 | * A number of national and club teams in UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball use the lion as an emblem, including the national sides of Netherlands and England ("Three lions on the shirt"), and English club teams Aston Villa, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Millwall. |
| 165 | [[/folder]] |
| 166 | |
| 167 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 168 | %%* ''TabletopGame/AnimaBeyondFantasy'': Arturia, the white lion(ess?) that accompanied Zhorne Giovanni, First Emperor of Abel, in his adventures. |
| 169 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': |
| 170 | ** The Simbasta are leonine humanoids from 2nd Edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' who see themselves as leaders and have a natural ability to "subdue" their foes. |
| 171 | ** ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'': The Beastlands is a wild place where animals rule, so it makes sense the most powerful subspecies of the Guardinals -- the dominant species -- are the leonals, which resemble lions. (The most powerful of ''them'' is Prince Talisid of the Five Companions, although he isn't technically the ruler of the place, although he's likely the most influential being there other than deities.) |
| 172 | ** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'': The patron deities for sentient monstrous beasts and various TalkingAnimal species are Nobanion the Lion and Lurue the Unicorn. He's their King and passionately hailed as leader by the predators, while she's their Queen and protects the gentler, more thoughtful sorts. |
| 173 | ** ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'': The (short-lived) rebellion of Broken Ones against their [[Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau Dr. Moreau]]-{{Expy}} creator, Frantisek Markov, was led by an ambitious lion-man. |
| 174 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Ironclaw}}'': A DownplayedTrope. The royal family are grey foxes, the other Great Houses are horses, wolves, and boars, but it's noted that lions' charisma means they do well in local politics, and often manage to get some kind of leadership position. |
| 175 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': In the ''Path of War'' expansion, the Golden Lion discipline is focused on leadership and teamwork. |
| 176 | * ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'': Lions appear in several contexts. |
| 177 | ** The Simba, or werelions, claim authority over all of the Bastet werecats (although most Bastet would rather follow the Khan, or tiger tribe). |
| 178 | ** Lion was the tribal totem of the White Howlers. When the White Howlers fell to the Wyrm, Griffin accepted Lion into his brood. Lion now extends totemic patronage to Red Talons. |
| 179 | [[/folder]] |
| 180 | |
| 181 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 182 | * In Medieval Times' dinner theatre shows, the emblem of the Red Knight is a lion rampant, so if he wins the tournament and becomes champion of the kingdom, this trope applies. His introduction by [[TheHost the Lord Marshal]] emphasizes this, describing the knight with a lot of leonine imagery. |
| 183 | [[/folder]] |
| 184 | |
| 185 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 186 | * In ''WesternAnimation/LegendsOfChima'', the Lion tribe has a place of authority as the guardians of the world's Chi and the ones who distribute it to the other tribes. |
| 187 | [[/folder]] |
| 188 | |
| 189 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 190 | * The King of ''VideoGame/{{Armello}}'' is a lion, who is dying and going insane as a result of TheCorruption. The players compete to try and succeed him, one way, or [[KlingonPromotion another]]. |
| 191 | * Toyed with in ''VideoGame/AviaryAttorney'', where the first lion you meet is a wealthy, intimidating captain of industry. The second you meet, actually a lioness, comes from grinding poverty and is the furious RebelLeader debating whether to put RevengeBeforeReason and trying to set up the Second Republic, which she wants to be a fair and equal society. The King of France, meanwhile, is a penguin. |
| 192 | * ''VideoGame/CampfireCatCafeAndSnackBar'': |
| 193 | ** Parodied. CEO Leo, as his name indicates, is a lion who works as a corporate executive. His character bio calls him "king of the concrete jungle." |
| 194 | ** Averted with Witty Bran, a standup comedian lion. He's one of the few special [=NPCs=], but he doesn't seem to have any sort of high position. |
| 195 | * ''VideoGame/CatQuest'': King Lionardo of Felingard is, of course, a lion. |
| 196 | * The [=KingLeo=] monsters from the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series seemed to be designed with this trope in mind. They have eight limbs. |
| 197 | * Averted hilariously in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', in which the [[http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:King_of_beasts King of Beasts]] as a title has been awarded to rather unintuitive candidates such as elephants (most famously seen in Boatmurdered), giant sponges, unicorns, and recently, giant dingos. |
| 198 | * ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': The "beast regent", Serosh, is an anthropomorphic lion who rides the shoulder of Godfrey, the first Elden Lord -- royalty by marriage to the GodEmperor Queen Marika the Eternal. Serosh restrains Godfrey's bloodlust so he can be a proper ruler, and is said to have provided wise counsel to his descendants. |
| 199 | * ''VideoGame/{{Extrapower}}'': King Leo is described as the king of beasts, and is unique among animals in being blessed by the phoenix Eternya herself to elevate him into a talking, sentient, 200 year old lion of great wisdom. |
| 200 | * In ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVIII'', Squall Leonhart is very well remembered for his omnipresent lion motif. |
| 201 | * In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', it's the Lion Clan of Laguz that rule Gallia. The lions are also the strongest of the beast tribe. In the backstory, a member of the Lion Clan ruled about eighty percent of the continent. The setting's [[HybridDiscrimination ostracized]] [[HalfHumanHybrid beorc-laguz hybrids]] eventually fall under the lead of a half-lion. |
| 202 | * Leo Whitefang from ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' fashions himself after a lion, with his blond mane, fur coat and sharpened teeth. Fittingly, he's also the Second King of Illyria. |
| 203 | * ''VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft'' has the King of Beasts card, which is naturally a lion. Stat-wise, however, this card's nowhere near as impressive as the hunter legendary King Krush (who is a devilsaur, the fantastic version of a ''T. rex''). And then in a meta-based DoubleSubversion, neither card is as commonly used or well regarded by the players as the Savannah Highmane -- which is another lion-based card. |
| 204 | * The Aura Lion Dream Eaters in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' are referred as the kings of beasts, and fittingly, are one of the most powerful enemies or allies you'll encounter. |
| 205 | * Leongar from ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' is an [[UpliftedAnimal anthropomorphic lion]] who rules over the militaristic [[ArmiesAreEvil Beast Pack]]. His BossSubtitles, "King of the Beasts, Leongar", even namedrop the trope. He was once TheGoodKing, but [[spoiler:years of MindControl from contact with [[EldritchAbomination Fecto Forgo]]]] turned him into a no-nonsense military general who kidnaps the Waddle Dees for his own ends. |
| 206 | * Slash Beast from ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'' is based off a lion (his Japanese name is "Slash Beast'''leo'''"). He's also the captain of Repliforce's army and gets really pissed off when you attack his unit on his [[TraintopBattle military train]]. |
| 207 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter2Dos'': Teostra and its female counterpart Lunastra combine the power and majesty of the lion with OurDragonsAreDifferent. They're both highly resilient, very quick, very strong and possess a lot of devastating flame-based attacks, including a Supernova move that launches a powerful blastwave outwards, the bane of any [[CloseRangeCombatant Blademaster hunters]]. In ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'', there's a chance to meet and fight the two on the same quest; beware their special CombinationAttack! |
| 208 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': |
| 209 | ** Solgaleo, the version mascot of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Pokémon Sun]]'', is a very large, stark white and powerful (and muscular) leonine being whose mane is evocative of a sun's rays, and hailed in Alola as being an emissary of the sun. The fact that it can rip holes leading to parallel universes as well as to [[EldritchLocation Ultra Space]] only adds to its regal awesomeness. |
| 210 | ** [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY The 6th generation]] features Pyroar, a [[FieryLion Fire-type lion]] Pokémon categorized as the "Royal Pokémon". It is the signature of the BigBad's team. |
| 211 | * ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'': The Sunset Savanna, a country that references ''Franchise/TheLionKing'', is currently ruled by a lion beastman. |
| 212 | * ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': |
| 213 | ** A regular quest type involves hunting down the King of Beasts in a particular zone, which is sometimes a lion, though it can just as easily be a tiger, raptor, primitive dragon, or most any sufficiently impressive creature. |
| 214 | ** The Cataclysm expansion introduced a rare spawn named Sambas, a lion with a unique model that's tameable by Hunters. |
| 215 | ** The lion is the AnimalMotif of the human kingdom of Stormwind and thus the Alliance as a whole, playing into the imagery of pride and protectiveness. |
| 216 | [[/folder]] |
| 217 | |
| 218 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 219 | * Reinhard, the BigBad of ''VisualNovel/DiesIrae'', is a man with unparalleled charisma and leadership abilities who is said to be next in line to become the God of the universe and rule all of reality. Fittingly, he rocks a strong lion motif and is known among other titles as The Golden Beast. |
| 220 | * ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': |
| 221 | ** [[LadyOfWar Saber]] apparently once took care of a lion cub as a child. She also likes [[GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals the lion doll]] that Shirou gives her in Fate. With her true identity being [[spoiler:Myth/KingArthur]], it's not all that surprising that she likes the King Of Beasts. |
| 222 | ** And then there's [[http://typemoon.wikia.com/wiki/Saber_Lion Saber Lion]] in ''[=Fate/tiger colosseum=]'', which is as adorable as this trope can get. |
| 223 | ** Heracles also gets this, as his design seems very reminiscent of one. |
| 224 | [[/folder]] |
| 225 | |
| 226 | [[folder:Web Comics]] |
| 227 | * In ''Webcomic/{{minus}}'', a GreatWhiteHunter shoots a lion. His assistant is sent to check on the animal and comes back with boxing gloves and the lion's request for a proper match. Cue Lion Boxing. [[spoiler:Disagreement on the result led to an all out war between the animal kingdom and human kind, which Minus solved by summoning a giant octopus.]] |
| 228 | * ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'': The second-strongest fighter in the House of Evolution is Beast King, a human/lion hybrid with claws sharp enough to cut through buildings. Unfortunately for him, he tried to pick a fight with [[ComicallyInvincibleHero Saitama]], and got splattered before he could show off properly. |
| 229 | * In the ''Webcomic/LittleTales'' AnthropomorphicAnimalAdaptation of ''Literature/TheManWhoWasThursday'', Sunday, the leader of the Council of Seven Days [[spoiler: and the superior of the undercover police, and possibly God]] is a lion. |
| 230 | [[/folder]] |
| 231 | |
| 232 | [[folder:Web Videos]] |
| 233 | * WebVideo/CGPGrey uses the conceit of the "Animal Kingdom" in his "[[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7679C7ACE93A5638 Politics in the Animal Kingdom]]" video series explaining various kinds of voting systems. And who's the monarch in this system? Why the Lion and Lioness of course! (The Lion abdicates, but the Lioness stays on to monitor the election system.) |
| 234 | [[/folder]] |
| 235 | |
| 236 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 237 | * On ''WesternAnimation/AlfredJKwak'', the king was a lion, though a somewhat feckless one who constantly needed shouting at from Alfred. |
| 238 | * The [[CharacterTitle eponymous character]] of ''WesternAnimation/AroundTheWorldWithWillyFog'' (based upon Creator/JulesVerne's ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'') is an anthropomorphic lion. While he is not a ruler of anything,[[note]]at least nothing the audience knows of -- the setting being VictorianLondon, there is still the possibility that he is of lower nobility and reigns over a small piece of rural land somewhere,[[/note]] he seems to be of relatively high social status, and is filthy rich. Also, due to the facts that he is the one who made the bet that leads to the journey, and that Rigodon and Tico are his employees, he is logically the leader of this travel party. |
| 239 | * Spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/{{Babar}}'', in which each animal species represents a particular nation with its own monarch. Naturally, the lion nation would have its own king, but the king of the lions is shown to be one of the most cowardly of all the monarchs. |
| 240 | * Dandi Andi from ''WesternAnimation/BabarAndTheAdventuresOfBadou'' is a lion known as the "king of the savannah" and a friend of the royal elephant family. Though he is normally a CoolCat, he has the job of keeping the savannah in order and protecting it from intruders. |
| 241 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheBusyWorldOfRichardScarry'', royal figures are often portrayed as lions. The Queen of England in particular is portrayed as a lioness [[AnimalGenderBender with a mane]]. |
| 242 | * The King of Vampires in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' is a lion. Being a vampire made him highly intelligent and anthropomorphic (and gave him chicken feet and lizard talons for some reason), but without it, he isn't even sapient, just a big kitty. |
| 243 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheCrumpets'', one of the Crumpets being named King references the trope, since he pretends to be a lion. |
| 244 | * Kikoumba from ''WesternAnimation/KikoumbaCrownDown'' is a lion who defends his title of king from different challengers who attempt to take it from him, in a tradition that happens every 1,000 years. |
| 245 | * Referenced in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan''. In her debut episode, Queen La describes Tarzan as fighting with the strength of ten lions after seeing him effortlessly defeat several of her Leopardmen. The fact that Tarzan is known as "The King of the Jungle" makes the comparison more apparent. |
| 246 | * In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons'' most of the cast think that the royal family (it's a Canadian cartoon) is visiting the Evergreen Forest. As it's a show with anthropomorphic animals, the King is represented by a Lion (imagined by Bert as [[spoiler:it turns out it was just a play that Ralph and Melissa were rehearsing).]] |
| 247 | * In ''WesternAnimation/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer'', the Island of Misfit Toys is ruled by a sentient, winged lion called "King Moonracer." |
| 248 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Snagglepuss}}'' frequently cites himself as being king of the jungle, even though strictly speaking, he's not that kind of lion; he's a mountain lion. |
| 249 | * ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' has his own pink [[ADogNamedDog lion named Lion]], who can [[WalkOnWater run on water]], create portals by roaring, and [[BagOfHolding store things inside his mane]] (there's a pocket dimension in there). It apparently belonged to Steven's mother, Rose Quartz, who was leader of the Crystal Gems. [[spoiler:It's revealed that Lion [[TouchedByVorlons gained his powers]] when Rose brought him BackFromTheDead.]] |
| 250 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{ThunderCats|1985}}'' |
| 251 | ** Lion-O, Lord of the [=ThunderCats=]. |
| 252 | ** In ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'', the {{catfolk}} have a FantasticCasteSystem, and as you might expect the royal family are lions. |
| 253 | * ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': |
| 254 | ** ''[[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation 1]]'' has the Predacons, whose leader, Razorclaw, has a mechanical lion for an altmode. |
| 255 | ** Beast Wars Prowl is (The central component of the (toy-only) combiner Magnaboss). |
| 256 | %%** [[Anime/TransformersCybertron Overhaul]]-into-Leobreaker. |
| 257 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{Visionaries}}'', Leoric has the ability to shapeshift into a Lion, reflecting his heroic qualities. Also, he is the ruler of New Valarak and is referred to as "Prince Leoric" in one episode. |
| 258 | * On ''WesternAnimation/TheWuzzles'', Bumblelion (he's [[MixAndMatchCritters half lion]], so it counts) is the ''de facto'' leader of the group. At the very least he's the one who takes the initiative. |
| 259 | [[/folder]] |
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