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Makucha's allies
Makucha
- Voiced by: Steve Blum
A leopard who originally lived in the same jungle as Ajabu, but has since taken up residence in the Back Lands.
- Arch-Enemy: To Fuli and later Kion.
- Ascended Extra: He only appeared once in Season 1, and he only served as a guest character in Season 2 twice. In Season 3, he becomes a main character, serving as the main antagonist, even when Mama Binturong attempts to take command.
- Big Bad: After Scar's defeat, and the Lion Guard sojourn to the Tree of Life, Makucha becomes the main antagonist, following them on their way in order to feast on the rare animals the Guard will encounter. Although Mama Binturong later tries to take leadership away, he is still portrayed as the one in charge, and as a result, remains the main antagonist.
- Cats Are Mean: The first feline foe the Guard faces, and is unpleasant to boot. As if Africa didn't have enough evil cats.
- Deadpan Snarker: He has his moment of this (usually in regards to situations involving The Lion Guard).
- The Determinator: He's been trailing an okapi from his original home all the way to the Pride Lands. In his third appearance, he continuously menaces Kongwe because he also likes the taste of tortoise, not caring if she retracts into her shell. It's because of his persistence that the Lion Guard will stay alert for him if he retreats on the first try, knowing he will keep striking until he's beaten.
- Evil Counterpart: He fits as this for Fuli, as they are both spotted cats and leopards tend to be portrayed as the Unpleasant Animal Counterpart to cheetahs.
- Evil Sounds Deep: With the voice of Steve Blum, this is a given.
- Faux Affably Evil: He can feign politeness whenever he has to, but it is merely an act.
- Final Boss: He is the last major antagonist in The Lion Guard.
- Hidden Depths: While he initially appears to be your average greedy loner villain, Season 3 shows he is quite capable of manipulation when he has to do so, as shown when he pretends to offer the Guard refuge, and then tries to kill them.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: He decides that hunting Ajabu isn't worth the trouble when Beshte charges him. He also decides not to eat Kongwe after Fuli manages to catch him.
- Legion of Doom: As he stalks the Guard, all of the predatory animals the Guard has humiliated begin to join him for revenge against them.
- Manipulative Bastard: He convinces the animals the Guard has humiliated by playing on the fact that they are wanting revenge, and promising them a large amount of food in return for joining him.
- Meaningful Name: "Makucha" is Swahili for "claws," of which he has an impressive set.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: His secret stalking of the Guard has Rani absolutely livid, and very likely could have gotten the Night Pride very willing to kick the Guard out permanently, had he not foolishly decided to attack right in the middle of the day, giving the Guard a chance to prove they are not involved in his schemes.
- Pet the Dog: He saves Kion from being crushed by falling rocks in The Harmattan. Although he denies it after, it’s clear he intentionally saved his life.
- Spanner in the Works: He very nearly became this for the already bad relationship between the Lion Guard and the Night Pride, managing to infuriate an already suspicious Rani, who believed the Guard deliberately brought them to the Tree of Life. Then he fouls it when he launches an attack in broad daylight.
- Super-Persistent Predator: He tracks Ajabu all the way from the Back Lands to the Pride Lands, then fights the Lion Guard before deciding to retreat. In general, if he has his eye on a particular prey animal, he won't stop until he either gets his meal or is beaten. This becomes a plot point in Season 3 as he begins to stalk the Guard on the way to the Tree of Life so he can feast on the animals they find.
- The Unseen: He usually shows up at the end of an episode in Season 3, recruiting the villain of that episode into his army, usually by offering them a chance to get revenge on the Guard for humiliating them.
- Would Hurt a Child: He tries to attack Vayra along with her cubs.
- Villain Song: The Tree of Life
- Villainous Glutton: His main motivation is to eat rare animals.
- Villainous Rescue: He saves Kion from a rockslide in The Harmattan.
Chuluun
- Voiced by: Kimiko Glenn
A cunning snow leopard who joins forces with Makucha.
- Cats Are Mean: She pretends to be a ghost to scare the red pandas out of their homes for her own amusement. After being foiled by the Lion Guard, she joins Makucha in a quest to get revenge on them and feast on the animals at the Tree of Life.
- The Dreaded: The red pandas in the Bamboo Forest are very afraid of her.
- For the Evulz: Why she scares the pandas, merely for her own amusement. Minus the "evulz" part, this is somewhat Truth in Television, as snow leopards are one of the main predators of red pandas.
- Icy Blue Eyes: They highlight her cold-hearted demeanor.
- Light Is Not Good: She may be pale in coloration, but she is by no means benevolent.
- Meaningful Name: Chuluun means "stone" in Mongolian.
- Red Baron: The Ghost of the Mountain
- Slasher Smile: A single glance at her profile picture is telling enough.
- Would Hurt a Child: She goes after Varya's cubs with the intention of eating them.
Ora
- Voiced by: Andrew Kishino
A vicious and ravenous Komodo dragon.
- A Dog Named "Dog": A Komodo dragon named Ora (ora is one of the native names for the Komodo dragon).
- Evil Sounds Deep: He has a low, gravelly voice.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: If he suspects Kion will use the Roar, he will break off from the battle and retreat.
- Malicious Monitor Lizard: He's aggressive and has a ravenous appetite, as well as a venomous bite.
- Poisonous Person: He has a venomous bite, just like Komodo dragons in real life. Like with Kenge, his venom induces temporary paralysis, although it's implied to be lethal in large amounts.
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: The main reptile villain of Season 3. He's just as nasty as Kenge, if not more so.
- Sadist: He likes to "play with his food", as he tells the Guard.
- Somewhere, a Herpetologist Is Crying: Despite Komodo dragons being cold-blooded, he doesn't seem to be affected by the snowy climate surrounding the entrance to the Tree of Life.
- Tail Slap: Like real Komodo dragons, he will lash his whip-like tail out at opponents.
- Would Hurt a Child: He threatens Vayra that he will attack her cubs along with her.
Mama Binturong
- Voiced by: Rachel House
A mob boss-like binturong with an obsession for tuliza.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: In "The Triumph of the Roar", she begs for mercy as the tornado Kion created drags her away.
- Berserk Button: Anyone doing anything to her tuliza besides handing it over is likely to make her flip her lid. She speaks in a calm and smug tone most of the time, even during her battle with Bunga, but when he threatens to eat all the tuliza in her massive stash, she promptly loses whatever cool she had left. Lampshaded in her song:"And if you mess with my tuliza, you know that's just as bad,There's nothing else that you can do to make Mama more mad!"
- Big Bad Wannabe: Is first introduced as a terrifying mob boss-like figure that essentially rules the jungle she lives in with an iron paw. And when she later ends up joining forces with Makucha, Chuluun, and Ora after her defeat by Bunga in her debut episode, she's able to come up with some incredibly clever plots that very nearly allow her and her new companions to achieve their mutual goal of hunting the various rare animals at the Tree of Life (and even goes so far as to privately plot to try to wrest control of the group from Makucha). But while she is able to put up a fairly decent fight against Bunga in particular so long as she's made to lose her temper, her small size, elderly age, and lack of true combat ability prevents her from being a credible threat in combat to any member of the Lion Guard that isn't Bunga. And these same traits that prevent her from being a truly serious threat in combat also force her to rely on bigger and stronger animals such as her porcupine mooks in her debut episode and Makucha, Chuluun, and Ora in all her subsequent episodes. And for all her ambition to take control of the Legion of Doom for herself, the narrative always makes it painfully clear that Makucha is the one who remains well and truly in charge.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Pulls this off successfully to the Night Pride, who take her to the Tree of Life, falling for her ruse of victimhood.
- Character Catchphrase: She sometimes says "Mama's got a plan" When she has an idea for how to get to the Tree of Life. It's only said three times in the series, however.
- A Dog Named "Dog": Her name is also her species (and not even in the Bilingual Bonus way like many other characters). It helps that her species' name already sounds exotic.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Her possessiveness over her stash of tuliza, and her trying to steal it from Makini's reserves, not so subtly reflects the behavior of a drug addict.
- Dragon-in-Chief: Makucha may be the face of the villains in season 3, but neither he, Chuluun or Ora ever managed to enter the Tree of Life on their own. It's only when Mama Binturong joins their group that they become much harder to beat, and it's only her plans that ever come close to working.
- The Dreaded: The inhabitants of the forest she lived in are terrified of her, because of her terrible attitude especially when it comes to tuliza. In fact, mentioning tuliza is enough to scare them.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: In spite of being a ruthless mob boss, she's still shown to genuinely care for her porcupines. Lampshaded in her villain song:Now mama loves her boys. They know that she knows best.
- Evil Genius: Why she's such a valuable asset to Makucha's group - she's the main strategist and it's only her plans that come close to working
- Evil Old Folks: She is notably older than the other members of the gang.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: She has a very coarse voice.
- Faux Affably Evil: She generally keeps a calm, polite demeanour. However, she is also a sadistic crime boss who is willing to attack even young animals, and will completely snap if you so much as touch her tuliza.
- Greed: She never shares her tuliza with anyone and will keep wanting more.
- Kick the Dog: Threatens to kill Binga just to get back at Bunga.
- One Bad Mother: A villainous mob boss with "mamma" in her name.
- The Queenpin: She terrorizes the jungle like a mafia boss, with her porcupine henchmen collecting all the tuliza flowers for her. The fact that she uses the familial title "Mama" only reinforces this. The visuals for her villain song are even visualised to look like an old gangster movie.
- Revenge: Wants one against Bunga, for ruining her tuliza.
- Sadist: She enjoys seeing other animals get hurt.
- Small Taxonomy Pools: Probably the first binturong seen in a cartoon.
- Villain Ball:
- Her decision to use Chullun's name when she feigns being attacked is the last piece of the puzzle for Ono to deduce she was working with her.
- She also ruins her cover by attacking Bunga on sight, allowing him to identify her to the others.
- Villain Song: You Best Not Mess with Mama
- Would Hurt a Child: She orders Makucha and others to attack Varya's cubs along with the adult tiger.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: She infiltrates the Tree of Life by pretending to be an injured animal.
Theluji Mountains' mountain gorillas
King Sokwe
- Voiced by: John Rhys-Davies
The king of the mountain gorillas who live on Theluji Mountains.
- Artistic License – Biology: He resembles a Western lowland gorilla much more so than a mountain gorilla.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Sokwe is described as a respected king of the gorillas by both his sons and Simba. When we get to meet him, he's shown to have the image of a powerful silverback gorilla, but immediately it turns out he also loves to have fun and shares his sons' philosophy in "to live is to laugh" (without a doubt he's the one who taught them that). His idea of a peace message is revealed to be dumping snow onto others' heads.
- Expy: Appearance wise, he bears a striking resemblance to Kerchak as well as Tublat. His personality is distinct from both, though, as he's nowhere near as harsh as the former or, thankfully, malicious as the latter.
- Gentle Gorilla: He is every bit as composed and gentle as real-life gorillas.
- The Good King: To the mountain gorillas.
- Large and in Charge: As expected from a silverback gorilla. However, he's not the largest member of his troop - that honor goes to Shujaa.
- Large Ham: What else did you expect from John Rhys-Davies?
- Meaningful Name: Sokwe means "ape" in Swahili.
Majinuni and Hafifu
Hafifu (left) and Majinuni (right)
- Voiced by: Dan Howell (Majinuni) and Phil Lester (Haifufu)
A clownish pair of gorilla princes from the snowy Theluji Mountains.
- "Ass" in Ambassador: Although Majinuni and Hafifu are generally sweet, their diplomatic skill are... well, nonexistent. They volunteered to deliver a message to Simba, only to have forgotten it along the way and instead decided to goof off.
- Catchphrase: "Kuishi Ni Kucheka!"
- Expy: Due to being a comedic pair of gorillas in which one is bulkier and the other is more slender, they fit as this for Flynt and Mungo.
- Gentle Gorilla: Both of them are very playful and friendly, and when Kion is about to fall off a cliff, they immediately come to his rescue.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Their fur forms Dan and Phil's trademark hairstyles.
- Kindhearted Simpleton: Both are friendly like real gorillas, in spite of their clownish personalities.
- Meaningful Name: Majinuni and Hafifu means "buffonish" and "poorly", respectively; this highlights their incredibly silly nature.
- Mythology Gag: They're a comedic duo with a Swahili life motto. But nobody else is interested, and they refuse a musical number about it.
- Sarcasm-Blind: They thought Fuli's sarcastic "Thanks for the help" was a genuine thanks.
- Silly Simian: They are young primates who are playful pranksters, with the life philosophy "to live is to laugh".
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: They took up the duty to deliver Simba the peace message to show their father that they are prince material, and become worried about disappointing him when they fail.
Shujaa
- Voiced by: Christopher Jackson
A massively-strong gorilla warrior from Sokwe's troop.
- Animals Not to Scale: He's way too big for a gorilla, comparable to hippos and rhinos. He's even bigger than the other gorillas seen including his king, who are more or less sized like real gorillas, suggesting he could be just abnormally big for his kind.
- Blue Is Heroic: He has bluish-gray fur.
- Boisterous Bruiser: He's a friendly and cheerful fellow who happens to enjoy smashing and crashing.
- Catchphrase: "Shujaa Ponda! (Shujaa Smash!)"
- Clothing Appendage: Shujaa's sagittal crest has a pattern of dark and light fur resembling a headdress worn by warriors in a number of African tribes, befitting his name. Furthermore, he has silvery fur on his legs that resemble a pair of shorts, perhaps as a subtle nod to The Incredible Hulk.
- Destructive Savior: He was sent to the Pride Lands so that the Lion Guard would have a powerful ally in their battle against Scar, but he causes a lot of damage while helping them.
- Does Not Know His Own Strength: Shujaa is aware that he's very strong - what he isn't aware is how much destruction it causes. Kion even has to point this out to him.
- Dumb Muscle: He's not the brightest gorilla around.
- Expy: As the Lion Guard have been compared to The Avengers, Shujaa is their equivalent to the Hulk. It helps that Shujaa speaks just like Hulk (complete with the same Catchphrase, albeit in a different language), and his fur color patterns matches Hulk's clothing.
- Gentle Giant: Although he has trouble controlling his strength, Shujaa is generally friendly and well-meaning. It's also very accurate; gorillas are normally docile and passive despite their large size and immense strength, in stark contrast to their feared reputation in media.
- Gentle Gorilla: Despite his intimidating size and strength, Shujaa is a benevolent gorilla.
- Ground Punch: He often slams the ground before attacking, which is accurate gorilla behavior. It's mostly for intimidation purposes, but due to Shujaa's massive size it actually shakes the ground.
- Heroic BSoD: When he accidentally destroys the home of a rock hyrax pair while helping Kifaru, Shujaa starts believing all his strength does is cause trouble and refuses to do anything so he won't damage the Pride Lands anymore. Thankfully, it took Ono informing him that Beshte is injured and needs his help to snap him out of it.
- Hulk Speak: It's even in his Catchphrase.
- Killer Gorilla: In his first scene, Shujaa seems to be one of these, chasing away a herd of zebras and giraffes from the watering hole. As the Lion Guard get ready to fight him, he reveals that he is actually quite friendly, and came to help the Lion Guard and believed that the zebras and giraffes were the enemies. He causes a lot of destruction later in the episode, but it is either accidental or targeted at Scar's minions.
- Meaningful Name: Shujaa is Swahili for "warrior" or "hero", fitting for a heroic gorilla who is good at fighting.
- My God, What Have I Done?: He has this moment when he smashes a hole through a rock wall for Kifaru to pass through, destroying the home of a hyrax in the process, resulting in a Heroic BSoD.
- Primal Chest-Pound: What did you expect from a powerful gorilla? He does it with his fists like typical cartoon gorillas, rather than open hands like real ones.
- Super-Strength: While it helps that he's a gorilla, he can lift Beshte with one arm. Justified, however, in that he's much bigger than a normal gorilla.
- Third-Person Person: He rarely refers to himself in the first person.
- Would Hurt a Child: Well, an evil child; he has no qualms throwing a boulder at Dogo, Kijana, and their young siblings since they tried to crush his allies.
Dhahabu's Herd
Dhahabu
- Voiced by: Renée Elise Goldsberry
A golden zebra who is the leader of a zebra herd in the Back Lands.
- The Atoner: After upsetting her herd for not telling them about the watering hole drying up, Dhahabu tries to make up for her failure as leader by going to bring back the water and break the dam holding it back.
- Broken Pedestal: Her herd becomes upset with her when they find out she has been keeping their dried-out watering hole a secret, in order to avoid making them unhappy. She wins back their respect when she and the Guard manages to bring back the water.
- Casting Gag: Her voice actress once played Nala as an adult in a Broadway adaptation of "The Lion King".
- Catchphrase: "Frolic and romp, frolic and romp!"
- Gold and White Are Divine: Her coat is colored gold and white.
- I Am Not Weasel: She mistakes Bunga for a mongoose. He allows it.
- "I Am" Song: "Fabulous Dhahabu".
- Meaningful Name: Dhahabu means "gold" in Swahili.
- Rebuilt Pedestal: After losing her herd's respect for not telling them about their watering hole being dried up, Dhahabu gains it back when she helps the Guard destroy the rock dam that was holding back the water.
- Red Baron: "The Fabulous Golden Zebra"
- Took a Level in Badass: She starts off as timid when facing against Makucha and his leap. But after a Rousing Speech from the Guard, she headbutts and kicks Makucha against the rock dam, destroying it and setting the water loose.
Starehe and Raha
Raha on the left, Starehe on the right
- Voiced by: Raini Rodriguez (Starehe), Rico Rodriguez (Raha)
Two zebra siblings who are members of Dhahabu's herd.
- Berserk Button: Just don't threaten their queen in front of them. Unless if you want to get kicked in the head.
- Catchphrase:
- "Frolic and romp!"
- When angered: "Kick and stomp!"
- Genki Girl: Starehe is one. Her brother Raha is a Genki Guy.
- Sibling Team: A brother and sister pair of zebras, which is fitting since their respective voice actor and actress are
siblings in real life. - Those Two Guys: They are never seen apart.
Night Pride
In general
- Dark Is Not Evil: Even though they're nocturnal lions with the same color as Scar, they're benevolent.
- Hidden Elf Village: The pride is just one family, serendipitously renewed by whatever wanderers happen to reach them. Since the Tree of Life is so isolated, that doesn't happen often.
Rani
"With strength and respect, Night Pride protect!"
- Voiced by: Peyton Elizabeth Lee
A young lioness who leads the Night Pride and protectors of the Tree of Life after the passing of Queen Janna.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: It is made pretty clear that the moment that Rani really began to develop feelings for Kion was when he comforted her after her grandmother dies.
- Big Sister Instinct: She initially refuses to allow the Lion Guard to travel to the Tree of Life when Kion uses the Roar on Baliyo out of anger, rejecting their apology as well.
- Birds of a Feather: She and Kion bond over being mature but still young kids with a lot of responsibility placed on them.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: She's about Kiara and Kion's age, yet she's the leader of a group of lion protectors (with at least two members who are older than her) and later becomes the Queen of Night Pride.
- Cooldown Hug: When Kion offers her comfort after her grandmother dies, Rani throws herself into his neck and weeps into it.
- Deadpan Snarker: She shows this side often around Bunga, especially when he ruins any moments she has with Kion.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Initially cold, aloof and distrustful of the Lion Guard, but once they prove themselves to be allies and not enemies, the frostiness melts away.
- Fatal Flaw: Her firm belief in actions speaking louder than words led to her refusing to let the Lion Guard clear up any misunderstandings. Thankfully, she eventually gets over it.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Despite initially believing the Lion Guard to be hostile invaders, the Lion Guard proves to be friendly allies. Lampshaded in the finale by Kion and Rani, where the former jokingly reminds the latter that she told them they weren't welcome at the Tree of Life.
- Foil: To Kiara. Both are "princesses" to their prides and they initially do not have the best relationship with their respective love interests. However, Kiara in the beginning of the second film really did not want to be queen, and seemed to have inherited her father's immaturity before she grew out of it. Rani by stark contrast embraces her role as a leader, but shows a kinder and gentler side.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Rani is the "Responsible", as she's more level-headed and cautious than her hot-headed brother, Baliyo.
- Get Out!: When the Lion Guard accidentally blocks the pass to the Tree of Life with a rockslide and the venom-influenced Kion blows Baliyo away with the Roar, she rejects their apologies and attempts at explaining the situation and tells them that they're not welcome at the Tree of Life. She later changes her mind.
- Hot-Blooded: She is shown initially to be a bit impulsive, before she breaks out of it.
- High-School Sweethearts: Lion equivalent with Kion.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's shown to be quite rude and dismissive at first, but her heart is very much in the right place. By the end of the third season, the "jerk" part has completely disappeared.
- Love Confession: Just about. When Kion considers returning to the Pride Lands, Rani asks Kion to stay as her King. The Lion Guard is completely shocked at the fact Kion truly considers staying.
- Meaningful Name: In Hindi and other related languages, "Rani" means "queen". Alternatively, in Kiswahili, "Rani" is short for "jirani", which means neighbor.
- Not So Above It All: During her and Kion's love song, she shows a playful side of herself when she ruffles Kion's mane, partly pushes him into the water and later takes him pulling her into the water in stride.
- Official Couple: She and Kion become one in the series finale.
- Pale Females, Dark Males: Inverted. Rani has much darker fur than Kion.
- Parental Abandonment: Played with. Rani's parents are both deceased, putting her first in line for the throne. But she can still seek their counsel in the same way Kion can seek counsel from Mufasa.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: She tearfully pleads with her grandmother not to leave her, despite knowing that her death was inevitable.
- Riddle for the Ages: She has a scar on her right front leg, but it's never revealed how or when how she got it.
- Ship Tease: With Kion. They become an Official Couple in the finale.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Despite his poor first impression, Kion wins Rani's heart once she sees how brave, kind and upstanding he is."Funny how things can change once you get to know someone."
- Took a Level in Kindness: After spending time with the Lion Guard, she begins to mellow out while still keeping her protective demeanor.
- Tsundere: Was initially Type A towards Kion due to a bad first impression, but later on becomes Type B.
- "Well Done, Daughter!" Girl: She has this attitude with Janna, and it comes out full force as her grandmother is dying.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Non-villainous example. Rani truly is a heroic lioness, and her forbidding the Lion Guard from traveling to the Tree of Life wasn't out of malice, but out of a genuine belief that they were a threat due to a misunderstanding. She takes it back once she realizes she misjudged them.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: She receives this from Janna as she is dying.
- You Are in Command Now: She initially served as a field leader due to Janna being unable to leave the Tree of Life, but becomes the new Queen when Janna dies.
Janna
- Voiced by: Shohreh Aghdashloo
The Queen of the Night Pride, the mother of Sahasi and Surak and the grandmother of Rani and Baliyo.
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: As is the norm for people (well, at least lions) who die in this franchise.
- Authority Sounds Deep: Has a deep, gravelly voice, as is very fitting a wise old female leader.
- Big Good: To the Night Pride, and later on with Kion, or at least one of three of them.
- Be Yourself: As she is dying, she encourages her children to be themselves instead of attempting to follow in her shadow.
- Cool Old Lady: She is very old and a nice, caring and reasonable queen and grandmother.
- Foil: Her death scene makes her one to Mufasa's. Both are reasonable authority figures to their children, resulting in prosperous times for their realms, who reassure their children. However, Mufasa was brutally murdered in front of Simba, and Simba spends his childhood wracked with guilt, and many of his actions as king are badly marred by the fact he feels like he is living in his father's shadow. Janna lives well into old age, encourages her descendants to be themselves instead of live in her shadow, and dies peacefully from old age. Perhaps Mufasa would also have encouraged Simba not to live in his shadow but he never got the chance, because Scar murdered him.
- Good Parents: She was obviously this to her family, given how firm they are.
- The High Queen: She is the Queen of the Tree of Life.
- Last Request: As she is dying, she asks Kion to stay and help protect the Tree of Life. He later fulfills that request by marrying Rani.
- The Mentor: To Rani, Nirmala and ultimately Kion as well.
- Mentor Occupational Hazard: She dies of old age in Long Live the Queen, causing Rani to get thrown into the role, something she really feels is not ready for.
- Nice Girl: She is a very nice lioness, willing to offer aid to people in need.
- Outliving One's Offspring: She outlived one of her children, Rani's father.
- Peaceful in Death: As she begins to die of old age, she expresses regret that she could not complete her training of her fellow Night Pride Lions, and she later asks Kion to stay as a protector of the Tree of Life. She then dies peacefully of old age, content she has done her work, and that the Tree of Life is in capable hands.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: She kindly corrects Rani's decision to kick out the Lion Guard, seems to temper her more impulsive actions, and is generally a kind and caring lioness.
- Secretly Dying: It is made clear in the episode of her death that the Night Pride knew her age was catching up to her, and as a result, she spent all the episodes of the present approaching her death.
- Shipper on Deck: She subtly encourages Kion and Rani to get to know each other better. It is her death that ultimately kicks off their romance.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: She gives this response to Rani as she is dying.
Surak
- Voiced by: Lou Diamond Phillips
Rani and Baliyo's uncle, Sahasi's brother, and one of Janna's sons.
- Cool Uncle: Serves as this for Rani and Baliyo.
- Cooldown Hug: He is seen comforting Baliyo when he breaks into tears after Janna's passing.
- Good Counterpart: To Scar, in spades. Unlike Scar, Surak is shown to genuinely love his niece and nephew, is indicated to have had a completely healthy relationship with his brother, and clearly accepts his position as member of the Night Pride.
- Manly Tears: Even though he holds them back for quite a while, he takes his mother dying of old age pretty badly.
- Non-Standard Character Design: His mane is kite-shaped and much different from any other lion seen in the show.
- The Smart Guy: He's a very wise lion and provides guidance to his niece when she feels lost.
- The Stoic: He is usually soft-spoken and collected.
Baliyo
- Voiced by: Hudson D. Yang
Rani's little brother.
- Big Little Brother: Despite appearing to be older (since we only have Kion to compare to and male lions being bigger than female lions), he's actually Rani's younger brother.
- The Big Guy: He's certainly strong...
- Dumb Muscle: ...but not too smart.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Baliyo is the "Foolish" as he's shown to be more rash and hot-headed than his more calm sister, Rani.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be brash and impulsive, but he's a good lion underneath it all.
- Karma Houdini: Baliyo was the one who started the fight between the Lion Guard and the Night Pride, leading to Kion roaring at him and getting himself and the guard (temporarily) banned from entering the Tree of Life. Though Kion sincerely apologizes for doing that, none of the guard even bother to explain that Baliyo attacked them first, and the lion in question gets away scot-free. Somewhat downplayed though, as he does end up getting Kion's Mighty Roar to the face for his troubles.
- Leeroy Jenkins: When he and the others mistake the Lion Guard for invaders, he goes off to attack them without a plan and ends up getting blown away by Kion's Roar.
- Manly Tears: He is the most choked up when Janna dies. He even initially balks at going to see her in her final moments, unable to handle the emotion of the moment. When she actually dies, he collapses into a flood of tears.
- Never My Fault: He and the rest of the Night Pride are initially against the guard entering the Tree of Life because Kion used the roar against him. He seems to forget the fact that it was he who instigated the entire fight between the two groups, and that none of it would've happened had he not jumped to conclusions and just assumed that the guard was malicious.
- Parental Abandonment: Both his parents died before we meet him, and as a result he is very close to his grandmother.
- Youthful Freckles: To signify him being the youngest of the Night Pride.
Nirmala
- Voiced by: Miki Yamashima
A healer for the Tree of Life.
- Happily Adopted: Seems to be this, as Janna says Nirmala came to the Tree of Life years before to join their pride.
- The Medic: She's the one who helps heal both Kion and Ono, and later assumes position of chief healer after queen Janna passes away.
- Nice Girl: Nirmala is generally calm, polite and friendly. She also the only member of the Night Pride who is consistently friendly toward the Lion Guard even before they really accept them.
- Team Mom: A motherly figure to the team, as she directs Baliyo to getting healed after he gets injured in a fight with the Lion Guard and suggests peacefully talking with them when Rani is unsure about allowing them entrance to the Tree.
- Tuft of Head Fur: She has a small one.
Ullu
- Voiced by: Vyvan Pham
A snowy-white owl and an ally of Night Pride.
- Diurnal Nocturnal Animal: Deconstructed. She has to work day times with the Night Pride thanks to Makucha and his posse showing up, but this ends up making her feel tired.
- Exorcist Head: As expected from an owl. She uses this ability to scare Smun and the porcupines into freeing her. Unlike with most cartoon owls, her head turns for a realistic 180 degrees rather than 360.
- Noble Bird of Prey: A heroic owl.
- The Owl-Knowing One: She is a clever lookout for the Night Pride.
Sâhasí and Ãnanda
- Voiced by: James Sie (Sâhasí), Grace Young (Ãnanda)
Rani and Baliyo's late parents. Sâhasí is a son of Janna and is also Surak's brother.
- Deceased Parents Are the Best: Rani looked up to them, and she would contact their spirits when she needs advice.
Inhabitants of the Tree of Life
Binga
- Voiced by: Fiona Riley
A honey badger who lives at the Tree of Life. She quickly befriends Bunga when he arrives.
- Always Someone Better: She wins most of the dares she and Bunga have.
- Bad Ol' Badger: Inverted. Like Bunga, Binga is a honey badger but is a friendly and heroic example.
- Big Eater: She eats as much as Bunga does.
- Birds of a Feather: She is just as goofy, fearless, energetic, competitive, food-loving, athletic, and stinky as Bunga.
- Distaff Counterpart: Binga is basically a female version of Bunga. Their names are even similar to each other.
- Fartillery: Bunga even comments that she's even stinkier than him.
- Fearless Fool: Binga is remarkably brave and never afraid of a challenge.
- Genki Girl: She's quite excitable.
- Implied Love Interest: It's never stated outright if she's Bunga's main romance but their are hints. First, she's an obvious Distaff Counterpart to Bunga. Second, Bunga has never shown any interest in other females before (sans a brief Precocious Crush on Dhahabu). Third, they share an accidental kiss but neither are disgusted by it; they only smile. Fourth, Bunga mentions in "Journey to the Pride Lands" that the two have become good friends and he doesn't want to leave because he wants to spend more time with Binga. Fifthly, at Kion and Rani's wedding, the duo are seen together.
- Nice Girl: Binga is a friendly honey badger.
- Maybe Ever After: It's only implied, but the series finale have both her and Bunga standing next to each other at Kion and Rani's wedding.
- Pale Females, Dark Males: Binga has bright purple fur while Bunga has dark blue.
- Pintsized Powerhouse: When she and Bunga are competing in a strength test, Bunga lifts a boulder bigger than him with both hands. On the other hand, Binga lifts two rocks bigger than her, a panda, and three monkeys combined with one hand.
- Satellite Love Interest: Binga is Bunga's Distaff Counterpart and Implied Love Interest, but doesn't have a lot of character depth or backstory.
Pinguino
- Voiced by: Jaime Camil
- Comically Missing the Point: He think's Beshte's true name is Poa, due to that word being Beshte's catchphrase.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: He repeatedly interprets Beshte's mistakes as misdeeds and when Beshte confronts him directly to clear up any misunderstandings, Pinguino won't hear of it.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: His constant arrogance and tendency to exaggerate details make him at best a nuisance to the other animals.
- A Lizard Named "Liz": A penguin named "Pinguino".
- Meaningful Name: His name means Penguin in both Italian and Spanish. Also a case of A Dog Named "Dog".
- Small Name, Big Ego: He's quite full of himself despite being a simple penguin.
Tangaagim
- Voiced by: Rafael Petardi
- Beary Friendly: He's a friendly polar bear.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He gave Beshte advice on how to walk on the snow, which caused him to ruin the penguins' rock slide.
Heng-Heng
- Voiced by: Tiffany Espensen
- Beary Friendly: She's quite a Nice Girl and a Panda.
- Damsel in Distress: She is at one point chased by a Komodo Dragon.
Kely
- Voiced by: David S. Jung
- Captain Obvious: When the Lion Guard introduce themselves to the lemures, Kely points out that they're not really lions.
Astuto
- Voiced by: Meghan Strange
- Mama Bear: Or rather Mama Fox, in which she protects her kits from Beshte when she thinks he's about to hurt them.
Cek and Rama
- Voiced by: Jeremy Ray Valdez (Cek) and Tiffany Espensen (Rama)
- Sweet Sheep: Apart from spreading false rumors abotu Beshte, they are pretty good-natured goats.
Tsah and Sasem
- Voiced by: David S. Jung (Tsah) and GK Bowes (Sasem)
- Nice Mice: Apart from spreading false rumors about Beshte, they are pretty good shrews.
Kiril
- Voiced by: Danny Jacobs
- Meaningful Name: His name means 'ruler' in Russian, which is fitting since he leads the Musk Deer.
Others
Badili
- Voiced by: Jack McBrayer
A friendly leopard that the Lion Guard helps stand up to a bully.
- All Your Powers Combined: Downplayed. Badili learns the various strengths of the Lion Guard - Kion's fierceness, Fuli's speed, Bunga's bravery and Beshte's strength - as part of his self-confidence training. While he naturally cannot match their feats, it's enough to help him stand up to Mapigano.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Once the Lion Guard teaches him how to stand up for himself, Badili becomes intimidating enough to send his tormentor fleeing.
- Cowardly Lion: Or cowardly leopard in this case. Badili is a peace-loving leopard that doesn't like fighting and is afraid to stand up for himself. But after some training he musters up the courage to stand up to Mapigano. While he is scared deep down, he's willing to stand up himself in the end and send Mapigano packing.Badili: Could you tell how scared I was?
Bunga: Are you kidding? You looked nothing but brave. - Lovable Coward: Even though leopards are expected to be able to defend their territory from others, Badili is too timid and gentle hearted. But Lion Guard see his kind heart and help him stand up for himself.
- Meaningful Name: Badili is Swahili for "changed"; he goes from being incredibly shy to confident enough to stand up to his bully.
- Mighty Roar: Badili earns to master his roar with help from Kion and uses it stand up to and chase off Mapigano.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Leopards in this series are territorial and fierce, but Badili is friendly, cowardly and prefers to live peacefully. But as the Guard teaches him, fierceness is not a negative trait.
- Nice Guy: A very friendly, peace-loving leopard.
- Not Afraid of You Anymore: Says this right to Mapigano's face and gets the point across with a Mighty Roar.
- Predators Are Mean: Averted with Badili. He's a big, friendly leopard who just wants to be left in peace. But he barges into the galagos' tree when Mapigano, who plays the trope straight, takes his home.
- Shrinking Violet: He's extremely shy, so much so that he gets intimidated by his own reflection in the water during the Training Montage.
- Took a Level in Badass: Badili starts off timid and meek. But with help from the Lion Guard, he becomes brave enough, strong enough, fast enough, confident enough, and fierce enough to take his home back.
Mapigano
- Voiced by: Jorge Diaz
The leopard who bullies Badili.
- The Bully: He pushes around Badili, forcing him out of his own territory.
- Cats Are Mean: While averted with Badili, Mapingano plays this straight.
- Dirty Coward: He likes to act all high and mighty before a timid Badili, but he folds quickly when the Lion Guard confront him. And after Badili gains some confidence and shows that he's not scared of him anymore, Mapigano is easily scared off.
- Meaningful Name: Mapigano means "fight" in Swahili, and he's a violent bully who stole Badili's turf after winning a fight.
- Predators Are Mean: Plays this completely straight, forcing Badili out of his home and generally acting like a violent bully.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Does this twice when confronted by the Lion Guard and Badili separately.
Hadithi
- Voiced by: John O'Hurley
An African hawk-eagle famed for his exploits and Ono's greatest idol.
- Conscience Makes You Go Back: He leaves Ono to deal with Janja's clan by himself out of fear, but he soon feels guilty about it and goes back to help him while bringing rest of the Guard along.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: All of his legendary exploits are fabrications.
- Good Counterpart: While they never meet until "Fire from the Sky", he appears to be one to Mzingo. While Hadithi is a Noble Bird of Prey who is well-loved by the Pride Lands (even if he turns out to be a Fake Ultimate Hero), Mzingo is a Feathered Fiend intent on wreaking havoc there. Not to mention vultures are often portrayed being the Unpleasant Animal Counterpart to eagles.
- It's All About Me: His song, "Hadithi The Hero" is all about him bragging about how great he is, and actually saying "It's all about me!"
- Meaningful Name: Hadithi is Swahili for "story" or "myth", a reference to his Fake Ultimate Hero status.
- Noble Bird of Prey: Was expected to be this at first (especially considering he's an eagle), but turns out to be a Fake Ultimate Hero. He still plays this straight by ultimately helping the Guard deal with Janja's clan and hailing Ono as a true hero. And then in his second appearance in "Fire from the Sky", he leads a flock of birds on an attack against the vultures.
- Red Baron: "Hadithi the Hero", "The Legendary Eagle", "Raven Rescuer from Red Rocks", "Starling Savior at Summer Springs", and "Guardian of the Great Egret Escape"
- Warts and All: Not at all the hero he's reputed to be, but he eventually realizes that Ono is a real one and says that he could learn a thing or two from Ono.
The Travelling Baboon Show
Uroho in the center, flanked by Mwevi and Mwizi
- Voiced by: Sinbad (Uroho), Dee Bradley Baker (Mwevi and Mwizi)
A trio of baboon performers. Uroho is the leader, and Mwevi and Mwizi are his two accomplices.
- Heel–Face Turn: After the Guard save them from being eaten by Janja's clan, the baboons feel guilty about stealing from the animals and make up by giving away food as they performed.
- Meaningful Name:
- Uroho means "gluttony" in Swahili.
- Mwizi means "thief" in Swahili.
- Mischief-Making Monkey: A trio of mischievous baboons. They even use smaller animals (including Ono, much to his chagrin) as props.
- Those Two Guys: Mwevi and Mwizi are usually seen together.
Mpishi
- Voiced by: Carla Hall
An African harrier-hawk who invades the Pride Lands in search of new prey to eat.
- Artistic License – Ornithology: Besides the Taxonomic Term Confusion mentioned below, she also makes the noises of a red-tailed hawk.
- Big Eater: She has been described as a "foodie", and it's clear she wants to eat the different prey in the Pride Lands not to satisfy her hunger but simply for the thrill of eating.
- Brutal Bird of Prey: A harrier hawk who plans on hunting in the Pride Lands despite the fact hawks aren't allowed to have territories there, just because she's a glutton.
- Does Not Like Spam: She dislikes carrion, preferring her food fresh.
- Feathered Fiend: The second avian villain after the vultures.
- Kidnapping Bird of Prey: As a harrier-hawk, she snatches up small animals to eat them. Does a literal kidnapping when she picks up Kulinda's daughter.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: She decides new food is not worth it when beaten by the Lion Guard (and an angry mother hamerkop).
- Pragmatic Villainy: In order to outwit the Lion Guard, she asks for Mwoga's assistance while promising him he can eat all the remains she leaves behind.
- Taxonomic Term Confusion: She's simply referred to as a hawk by everyone including herself. While harrier-hawks are diurnal birds of prey they're in a unique family all their own, separate from other hawks.
- Truth in Television: Harrier-hawks are pretty much the only accipitrid birds of prey that aren't obligate carnivores. Their diet is incredibly varied, which lends some truth to Mpishi's culinary adventurism.
- Villain Song: "A Real Meal" (which she sings with Mwoga).
- Villainous Glutton: Despite the Guard warning her that hawks do not have a territory in the Pride Lands, she sneakily insists hunting there because there's all sorts of new foods she cannot find where she's from.
- Would Hurt a Child: She attempts to eat Kulinda's newly-hatched chick due to hamerkops being rare from where she's from.
Fikiri and Kitendo
Fikiri on the left, Kitendo on the right
- Voiced by: Christopher Jackson (Kitendo), Heather Headly (Fikiri)
Makini's parents.
- Cartoony Tail: Averted. They have proper stubby tails for mandrills.
- Casting Gag: Fikiri is voiced by Heather Headley, who originated Adult Nala on Broadway. Likewise, Christopher Jackson, who voices Kitendo, is one of several actors who took over for Adult Simba after Jason Raize's death.
- Generation Xerox: Fikiri looks like an older version of her daughter.
- Genki Guy: It turns out Makini inherited her cheerfulness from her dad.
- Good Parents: The flashbacks show they were very loving parents to Makini.
- Nice Guy: Both are as nice as their daughter.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Just like Makini, they look more like real mandrills than Rafiki does.
- Women Are Wiser: Fikiri is more level-headed than Kitendo, who even points out that Makini inherited her wisdom from her mother.
Yuki, Hitashi, Nabasu, and Kimyo
- Voiced by: J. Elaine Marcos (Yuki), Andrew Kishino (Hitashi), Evan Kishiyama (Nabasu), Ai-Chan Carrier (Kimyo)
A family of Japanese macaques.
- Cheerful Child: Nabasu and Kimyo are both cheerful and playful youngsters.
- Meaningful Name: "Yuki" means "snow" in Japanese.
- Nice Guy: All of them are friendly and kind monkeys.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: They are terrified of large birds, which made it hard for them to trust Anga.
Domog
- Voiced by: Clyde Kusatsu
An elderly red panda who became the leader of a red panda group that formed when they were driven away from their homes.
- Cool Old Guy: The eldest member of the red panda community, and their oral historian.
- Meaningful Name: Domog means "legend" in Mongolian.
Dughi
- Voiced by: Matthew Yang King
A member of Domog's pack
- Berserk Button: Don't claim that Bunga isn't the chosen one
- Nice Guy: He becomes friendly towards the Lion Guard the instant he meets them
- Not So Above It All: Despite generally having a serious demeanor, he still has a fun-loving side to him
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: He's a red panda, which are often considered one of (if not the) cutest animals out there.
Lumba-Lumba
- Voiced by: Tania Gunadi
A pink Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin.
- Birds of a Feather: With Beshte. Both are friendly, cheerful, water-based mammals with extreme sensitivity to heat. It's even more fitting when you remember cetaceans and hippos are very closely related.
- Damsel in Distress: She gets washed up onto land by a tidal wave accidentally caused by Kion when he lost control of the Roar. Being a dolphin, she ends up beached and in danger of drying up, with the arrival of Ora and his fellow Komodo dragons escalating things further.
- A Dog Named "Dog": "Lumba-Lumba" means "dolphin" in Indonesian.
- Friendly, Playful Dolphin: So much that she sings a song about why she loves to frolic and play in the ocean.
- Heroic Dolphin: She makes her first appearance saving Bunga after he got swept into the ocean by a wave.
- Nice Girl: She is very friendly and happy to help a land animal that drifts away from the shore.
Varya, Feliks, Polina, and Pasha
- Voiced by: Iris Bhar (Varya)
A family of Siberian tigers who came to the Tree of Life to find a safe place to live. Varya is the mother, Feliks is her son, and Polina and Pasha are her daughters.
- Big "NO!": Vayra lets one out when Chuluun goes after her cubs.
- Damsel in Distress: Vayra gets surrounded by Makucha and his allies, so the Lion Guard and the Night Pride come to save her while protecting her cubs.
- Disappeared Dad: The father is nowhere to be seen. This is actually realistic in that only the female tigers raise their cubs, while males are for reproductive purposes.
- Good Parents: Varya is shown to be a caring mother to her cubs. When surrounded by Makucha and his allies, the first thing she does is tell her cubs to run to safety.
- Mama Bear: As a tigress, Varya fiercely protects her cubs from Makucha's gang. Unfortunately, she gets overwhelmed due to being outnumbered, forcing the Lion Guard and the Night Pride to come her aide.
- Meaningful Name: Varya means "stranger" in Russian.
- Panthera Awesome: She is a Siberian tiger — the largest living felid.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: The cubs. Bunga and Beshte certainly think so.
Scar's mentor
A mysterious scarred lion from the Outlands who mentored Scar.
- Asshole Victim: Arranges for his cobra friend to bite an incredibly dangerous lion with a powerful supernatural roar, and explicitly offers said cure for the venom only if Scar obeys him. Scar predictably, simply kills them both for their actions.
- Bullying a Dragon: He already knew that Scar had the Roar of the Elders, and he decides to blackmail Scar by offering to cure him if he serves him. Scar just kills him with the Roar of the Elders.
- The Corrupter: He corrupted Scar into falling for his power-hungry tendencies that he'll become known for in his adulthood, including suggesting to him to overthrow Mufasa, though to be fair, it is made clear that said tendencies were always there and he just caused them to emerge.
- Evil Mentor: To Scar, until his blackmail attempt went disastrously wrong, which gets him killed.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: His attempt to blackmail Scar simply gets him killed by Scar, as Scar has no loyalty except to himself.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a scar on his eye, just like Scar, and even has his cobra friend give Scar's scar.
- Greater-Scope Villain: He planted the seeds which ultimately caused Scar to become a villain in the first film (and, by extension, behind all evil wrought by anyone allied with him).
- Hoist by His Own Petard: He lured Scar to be bitten by his cobra friend so that he could blackmail Scar, but Scar ends up killing them both in a fit of rage.
- Mysterious Past: We never learn his origins. Like how he got his scar, if the Dark Cobra is the same cobra that gave him the scar or not, or if he got banished to the Outlands or if he just made regular trips there. However, Word of God hints that he may have some ties with Zira.
- No Name Given: Scar doesn't give his name and he's only credited as "Strange Lion".
- Small Role, Big Impact: He has less than a few minutes of screentime, but his actions are what ultimately kick off the entire franchise to begin with.
- Villainous Friendship: With his cobra ally.
- The Voiceless: He never speaks during his brief appearance.
Dark cobra
The mysterious lion's cobra friend who was responsible for giving Scar his scar.
- Asshole Victim: He ends up being killed by Scar along with the scarred lion for their attempt in blackmailing Scar.
- The Corrupter: He bites Scar so that his venom would drive him to insanity.
- Dark Is Evil: An evil cobra with dark scales.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: He helps his lion friend blackmail Scar by biting him, but a furious Scar kills them both with the Roar.
- No Name Given: Like his lion friend, he is unnamed.
- Poison Is Evil: His venom is what brought out Scar's dark instincts.
- Poisonous Person: Well, Venomous Person in his case, since he's a cobra.
- Slasher Smile: He gives one after biting Scar.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He has less than a few minutes of screentime, even less so than his lion friend, but his actions are what ultimately kick off the entire franchise to begin with.
- Snakes Are Sinister: As usual with cobras in fiction.
- Villainous Friendship: With his lion ally.
- The Voiceless: He never speaks during his brief appearance.
