Awesome / The Lion Guard

• In the preview, Simba tells Kion that the Lion Guard can only have lion members, basically rendering the Lion Guard useless just as the hyenas decide to attack the Pridelands. What's Kion's response?
  So what if we're not all lions? It's up to us to stop them!
• Kion's song towards the end of "Return of the Roar", especially the Triumphant Reprise he sings after his You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech from his grandfather Mufasa.
  • And one for the entire, newly minted Lion Guard during the ending climax, both for coming together and succeeding with driving off the hyenas and for Bunga's quick thinking in scattering the stampeding Gazelles away from an injured Kiara. With his "fart"!
  • Kion using The Roar, with the sky itself roaring with him.
• Jasiri's calling out of Kion for assuming all hyenas are bad guys. She then explains that her species are supposed to be scavengers AKA "nature's cleaning crew". ^note In real life, spotted hyenas are superb hunters (though they'll scavenge whenever possible) and really do have a fierce rivalry with lions.
• The mashindano between Pua and Makuu. Despite Pua not being the young and fit crocodile he used to be, he puts up one heck of a fight against his younger rival.
• In "Bunga the Wise", Kion uses the Roar to turn back a flood. Perhaps the most specactular use of the Roar at that point in the show, with the musical score underpinning the sheer scale of that feat.
• Kiara being able to dodge and maneuver around Janja's pack before the Lion Guard arrives. Shows she has some fighting skills, as Foreshadowed at the beginning of the episode as Kiara and Kion looked like they were ready to fight. This implies that the two are at least equal in combat skills.
  Kion: Until the Pridelands end...
  Kiara: The Lion Guard Defend!
  • It does add some Fridge Brilliance to the whole situation with the two siblings however; one is meant to be ruler, the other is meant to be the guardian. Meaning that both would have to be equally skilled in combat, and it also explains why Scar needed to injure Mufasa in the movie; the Ruler of the Pridelands and the Fiercest of the Lion Guard are equally matched. It's no wonder Janja ran for the hills when the two got ready to fight him.
• In "Kupatana Celebration", we have Simba asserting his authority as king and using his Mighty Roar to drive away Reirei and her jackal family.
• In "Fuli's New Family", what it means to be a healthy introvert is showcased beautifully, as detailed in this fan analysis. Fuli is fine with socializing and even hugging...on her terms; she also prefers for her friends to give her space when she needs it. She's comfortable in her own fur and considers her friends her family.
• In Bunga's flashback to get the Utamu, he climbed up a VERY tall tree that Timon was afraid to climb up. Now...to put it into perspective; Bunga was an INFANT at this time! He definitely deserves the Mark of the Brave for that.
  • Also in "Search for Utamu", Ono attacks one of the Vultures. This is one of the first time we've seen him fight.
• In "The Mbali Fields Migration", the Lion Guard is barely able to stop Janja from getting his jaws on the zebra herd. But just as he approaches them, Muhimu's newborn foal already takes action by kicking the hyena away.
• The return of the classic Hakuna Matata in "Bunga and the King", especially when everyone sings the reprise at the end.
  • Adding to this is Bunga calling out Simba's behavior throughout the early parts of the series. One can maybe chalk it up to stress as a ruler, but it's nice for SOMEONE to call him out. Even if Bunga was originally The Scrappy, it was kinda needed to wake up Simba.
• Badili finally managing to stand up to Mapigano in "The Trouble with Galagos". After initially faltering, he puts on a show of confidence and assertiveness that actually unnerves the bullying leopard, topping it off with a roar that sends Mapigano running.
  Badili: I'm not scared of you, Mapigano. And I'll never be scared of you again. So you should go.
  (Mapigano, although clearly unnerved, stands his ground)
  Badili: Now.
  Mapigano: Oh, yeah? Well, y-
  Badili: I said NOW!
  (Badili lets loose a Mighty Roar into Mapigano's face, which sends Mapigano fleeing with a scared whimper)
  Badili: And stay out!
  • There's also the fact that Badili was able to take on the lessons the Lion Guard taught him in different ways. He uses Beshte's strength to knock Mapigano out of his tree, Bunga's bravery to taunt Mapigano into attacking him, Fuli's speed to avoid the other leopard's attacks, Ono's staring contests to look his foe in the eye and get up in his space to intimidate him, and finally Kion's fierceness for his Mighty Roar that seals the deal.
• In "Janja's New Crew" Nne and Tano get one not only for their high intelligence, but also for a plan that throws Hollywood Tactics to the wind, but one that would have worked if Janja hadn't thrown them under the bus.
• In "Baboons!" Fuli beats the daylights out of Mzingo to protect a baby baboon.
  • On a related note, when Kiara, Tiffu and Zuri are trapped in a flood, Tiffu and Zuri sit around and cower. What does Kiara do? Try to make a path of stepping stones. Sure it fails, but it shows that unlike Tiffu and Zuri, she doesn't care about appearances if it means getting her friends to safety.
• In "Lions of the Outlands" Zira finally making an appearance. And while in a Lighter and Softer series, Zira is still as fierce as ever and is showing more of her manipulative side as she shows how she can make Kion doubt himself. Shows how similar she is to her mate, Scar. She's even willing to try and manipulate Kion.
  • We also get more insight into Zira's mindset; she is calculating and straight to the point with telling Kion how she thinks one should rule with an iron paw, and Kion is left defenseless under her after she tricks him into thinking that his most powerful weapon, the Roar, wouldn't effect her without him losing power.
  • At the end of the episode, Kovu realizes what is going to happen and hides. The fact that he actually had the sense to get out of the Roar's path while everyone else just stood there shows he is strategic. And he doesn't even argue with Kion when he has been spotted. It also reveals a major flaw in the Roar, in that while powerful, if someone is able to avoid it, it cannot be used again immediately.
  • One for Kovu earlier. He actually tries to stop Zira from attacking Kion. Let's have that repeated. Kovu tried to stop Zira from attacking Kion and this was when he was still a cub. Shows how moral he is, to the point he is a Hero Antagonist.
• The Rise of Scar. Just by reading the title and the merchandise inspired from this upcoming TV special, signalling the return of one of Disney's most diabolical villains, we can tell we're in for a ride.
  • And he returns in a truly glorious fashion.
  • One for Mufasa, even years after his death. Many animals still regard him as the Pride Lands "greatest" king.
• Kion diving into a mudslide to save a red rock hare in "Ono and the Egg".
  • Ono and Kulinda working together to save Kulinda's daughter and fight off Mpishi. Meanwhile, Bunga takes out Mwoga by using his tree-climbing skills.
• The second mashindano in "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie", this time between Makuu and Kiburi. Makuu wins again.
  • And meanwhile, with everyone distracted by the fight, Kiburi's three henchmen sneaks off to ambush Simba from behind. Which Ono quickly notices and gets the Guard to take out the trio before they could strike the king.
  Kiburi: This mashindano means nothing. While you are all watching us fight, my loyal crocodiles took down King Simba. Yeah. Yeah, you heard me. And with the lion king gone, all of you answer to us crocodiles.
  Simba: (offscreen) Really? Is that how it works?
  (cut to Simba revealing himself to be alive, unharmed and quite angry, to Kiburi's astonishment)
  Kiburi: What? But, how did...
  Kion: The Lion Guard. That's how.
  • Scar's "I Have a Plan" number also had a nice, more of an understated awesomeness to it.
• In "Rafiki's New Neighbors", the newly gelled family unit of Chama, Mzaha, and Furaha, after having been directly told to leave from Rafiki's tree due to their noisiness, return in glorious fashion to rescue Rafiki and Makini from the now burning tree (caused by dry lightning). Once they do, without a lick of hesitation and sans taking what transpired prior personally, the trio then begins to work selflessly to put out the fire and save Rafiki's tree. The Lion Guard finally arrive, and they all work together to put out the fire, successfully saving Rafiki's home. Thereafter, in the words to the trio from the wise but now humbled and gracious Rafiki...
  Rafiki: There are no words.
• In "The Bite of Kenge", Bunga becomes the only one of the Guard not to be affected by Kenge's venom, so he takes the time to rub it in the rock monitor's face to distract him and the hyenas while Makini sneaks to get the elephants' melons back. And then Bunga finally drives Kenge into a mad fury by calling him a little lizard, using the lizard's rage to trick him into biting the hyenas and paralyzing them.
  • Makini also gets one by throwing a melon at Kenge when Bunga gets ensnared by Janja, so Kenge can bite Janja instead.
  • Kenge earlier gets a villainous one by attacking the zebras and gazelles so the Guard will find him, and then biting Fuli, Kion, and Beshte leaving them paralyzed by his venom.
• "The Morning Report" is all about Zazu showing grit and unflappable courage in the face of danger, including a flashback in which Kion remembers a time Zazu saved him as a cub from a horde of angry crocodiles by offering himself instead and jumping into Makuu's mouth without a single trace of fear, which impressed the crocodiles so much that Pua let them all go in respect.
• From "The Golden Zebra", Makucha the leopard is back. And this time he's brought his own leap of leopards which turn out to be quite formidable against the Guard (though that doesn't last long).
  • When Makucha has Dhahabu at his mercy, the Guard gives a Rousing Speech on what a good leader does which gives Dhahabu confidence. She then proceeds to headbutt Makucha and then kick him away into the rock dam, wrecking it and letting the water loose.
• The final battle in "The Little Guy", which is significantly more brutal than the one in "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie". Especially when Hodari stops Kiburi from killing Makuu by jumping onto his snout to distract him, giving Makuu a Heroic Second Wind which he uses to tail-slap Kiburi and defeat him. Kion, being done with Kiburi for the day, decisively blows him and his float clear out of the Pridelands.
  • During the croc battle, Kion fights even more like a lion than usual, including slashing one of the crocs with his claws.
• In "Divide And Conquer", Rafiki gets to fight hyenas by himself once again, even using almost the same kung-fu moves he used on Scar's hyenas in The Lion King (1994). This old monkey's still up and kicking butt.
• Scar does not disappoint in the series. Whenever he appears, the mood is considerably darker, and he manages to avoid making serious errors. While he is initially confined to his volcano, his scheming has not fallen in death, and many of the plans fail primarily due to Janja's errors, and he does a remarkably good job of actually staying in the shadows and working through his minions. In the original film, no one knew he was evil, but he doesn't have that facade up now, and given how much of a narcissist he was, the fact he does not go crazy immediately with charging in head on, is a massive achievement.
• In "The Scorpion's Sting", Lion Guard (along with Makini) finally come face-to-face with Scar upon entering the volcano. Soon they find themselves surrounded on all sides by many of their previous foes - including the hyenas, jackals, crocs, vultures, skinks, Ushari and Kenge - all teaming up as part of Scar's army. Worse still, they had to return to Pride Rock by sundown in time to save Simba from succumbing to Sumu the scorpion's deadly venom. Even knowing the Foregone Conclusion, you know the stakes have definitely gotten higher.
  • To top it off, Scar's last line in the episode:
    "Well, it seems the war has just begun."
• In "Undercover Kinyonga", Kinyonga does a pretty good job evading and outsmarting the skinks as they pursue her through the Outlands for spying on Scar. But then she gets cornered against a dead end, at which the Guard save her by learning from her camouflage abilities and launching a surprise on the skinks with their own disguises. And then later, the Guard and Kinyonga all use their camouflage tactics to ambush the hyenas and stop them from blocking Hakuna Matata Falls.
• Jasiri forming a hyena resistance against Scar, to both help the Lion Guard and protect her clan's home in the Outlands.
• Doubles as Funny. Just the fact Shujaa is strong enough to lift Beshte on a slab of ground. With one arm.
  • Not to mention the climax of the final battle, where Shujaa grabs both Kiburi and Tamka by their tails and throws them right onto the other Outlanders as they retreat.
• The premise of "Pridelanders Unite!" and the Season 2 endgame arc in general is pretty awesome. Over the course of Seasons 1 and 2, Kion, Fuli, Ono, Beshte and Bunga have helped so many one-shot characters and supporting characters, saving them from being killed unjustly or having their territory stolen. Now, for once, the Pridelanders get to repay the favor to their Lion Guard by helping them fight the one problem too big for them to handle on their own - protecting the Pridelands from the Outlanders.
• In "The Queen's Visit", the normally upbeat Starehe and Raha become ferocious fighting machines when they see Dhahabu get menaced by Scar's minions.
  "Kick and stomp!"
• Ono and Anga rallying the birds to gather up and surround the vultures when Hadithi gets trapped in thorns and unable to lead them.
• The entirety of "Battle For the Pride Lands".
• How does the Lion Guard cross the ocean between them and the Tree of Life? Kion parts it, a la Moses, with the Roar.
• Anga is trying to lift a family of monkeys out of a crevice when it collapses, covering them with snow. She manages to burst out anyway, carrying them all in one go!
• In "The Race to Tuliza", the cheetah Azaad managing to outpace Fuli in a race. Even if he did have to cheat thanks to a shortcut in his territory.
• After his training with Askari, Kion learns new skills with the Roar, using it against Makucha and the others when they attack the Tree of Life for the last time and revealing the ability to fire lightning and create tornadoes.
• In the series finale, Kion demonstrates that he has mastered the Roar by using it to lift Pride Rock.
• Janja's Evil Laugh is very well done in almost every version, but the Japanese dub version has to be heard to be believed, especially in the middle of "Tonight We Strike." It's not that often that an evil laugh has this much power and energy put into it. The lung capacity of this voice actor is astonishing.

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