History Fridge / TheLionGuard

* It is established that hyenas and leopards don't live in the Pridelands. These animals are known to compete fiercely with lions over food and territory. So InUniverse, the three species could have settled a pact to stay on their own lands in order to preserve what little food remained after Scar's reign - lions in the Pridelands, hyenas in the Outlands, and leopards in the Backlands. It could explain why Janja and Makucha aren't allowed to hunt within the Pridelands' borders. Cheetahs, on the other hand, are nowhere as powerful or intimidating and frequently lose their kills to the larger predators. Let's just say the lions were generous enough to share their land with them. Other predators such as crocodiles, snakes, and eagles fill in their own ecological niche, and thus the lions allow them to live in the Pridelands as well.

* Kion forgiving Scar in the "Battle for the Pride Lands" seems to be contradictory considering that he summons the Great Kings of the Past to extinguish Scar's spirit forever, but it actually makes perfect sense. The Great Kings judge Scar by bringing gentle rain to the volcano. Not thunderstorms or hurricanes but gentle, soothly rain that puts out the fires of hatred and enables the scarred lands to heal and regrow back again. If Scar has good inside of him, that portion of his spirit will survive judgement and ultimately be redeemed as a good lion spirit. But since Scar is so full of hatred and irredeemable to the core, his fiery spirit ends up being extinguished because he cannot thrive in the rain (due to being made out of fire) or a world where animals no longer hate him anymore.

* It is established that hyenas and leopards don't live in the Pridelands. These animals are known to compete fiercely with lions over food and territory. So InUniverse, the three species could have settled a pact to stay on their own lands in order to preserve food - lions in the Pridelands, hyenas in the Outlands, and leopards in the Backlands. It could explain why Janja and Makucha aren't allowed to hunt within the Pridelands' borders. Cheetahs, on the other hand, are nowhere as powerful or intimidating and frequently lose their kills to the larger predators. Let's just say the lions were generous enough to share their land with them. Other predators such as crocodiles, snakes, and eagles fill in their own ecological niche, and thus the lions allow them to live in the Pridelands as well.

* It is established that hyenas and leopards don't live in the Pridelands. These animals are known to compete fiercely with lions over food and territory. So InUniverse, the three species could have settled a pact to stay on their own lands - lions in the Pridelands, hyenas in the Outlands, and leopards in the Backlands. It could explain why Janja and Makucha aren't allowed to hunt within the Pridelands' borders. Cheetahs, on the other hand, are nowhere as powerful or intimidating and frequently lose their kills to the larger predators. Let's just say the lions were generous enough to share their land with them. Other predators such as crocodiles, snakes, and eagles fill in their own ecological niche, and thus the lions allow them to live in the Pridelands as well.

** In contrast to the Guard, many of the antagonists could fit the representation of an EvilPoacher. For example Makucha, while he may be a predator, is known to especially go after rare animals - such as an okapi, a golden zebra and a tortoise - and thus seems to target endangered species. The same would go for Mpishi, who came to the Pridelands for rare prey to eat. And of course, Janja, Reirei and their respective groups are set on overhunting.

** The question now is why the vultures are allowed in the Pride lands when the hyenas aren't. Vultures happen to provide a very important role by scavenging carcasses and thus limiting the spread of diseases, fitting squarely within the Circle of Life.

* Fuli is the first female to ever join the Lion Guard. This fits perfectly with RealLife lions' behavior; the males protect the territory while the lionesses do most of the hunting. That's why the previous Lion Guards- which only had lion members- never had any females.

* Why is it Simba letting his son lead the guard as a cub? Kion had practically no lesson in how to be a leader before he got the roar, and Simba seemed to have expected Kion to be able to handle himself right from the get-go? Why is it he is fine with putting his younger son in all these dangerous situations and thrusting this massive responsibility on his back at such an early age with little actual training or lessons to prepare him, while he protects his elder daughter fiercely and his giving her lessons as she grows up to prepare her to be queen, while not forcing her to take the over as leader until she is an adult(with the exception of the episode "Can't-Wait to be Queen" but that was only a temporary, roughly one day thing)?

!!FridgeLogic
* According to Simba's pride, the cub presented in the ending of the Lion King (officiously named "Fluffy" in the production, who didn't intend a sequel initially) reveals to be Kiara in Simba's Pride. And yet, almost every tie-in materials of the first film mentioned "Fluffy" as a boy, logical in the context of the scene: since the ending repeats the beginning scene with the Circle of Life theme, anyone would assume it is a boy like his father was in the first place. So, Kiara as a girl was a bit of a gender RetCon, and the film even gives a nod to this gender bias with Timon and Pumbaa's reaction when they learn it. However, some fans complained that the differences between Kiara's and Fluffy's presentation (which are supposed to be the exact same scene) are too blatant to make it the same, and still stuck with the first boy theory (in fact, every character of the previous film was redesigned because of the change of animation team, but it is more flagrant for the little cub). A first, previously common explanation was that it was actually Kopa, a spin-off character from the Children Books "The Lion King: 6 New Adventures" presented as the grown "Fluffy" of the film, and who disappeared in the events of the official sequel for a reason that some linked to the true motive of the Outlanders banishment. Alex Simmonds, creator of the character, even asserted that the 6 New Adventures were an interquel between the two films, thus making it in line with the universe continuity, but without explaining what happened to his character, in this case. However, the fact the new series "The Lion Guard" stated Kion as the second prince cub made this statement wrong, thus destroying every "canon Kopa" theory. Nevertheless, the introduction of Kion as a son of Simba and Nala brings a new perspective on the debate: since they have approximately the same size and age, they are certainly from the same litter (They look like cubs aged of a few months. A lioness gestation being four months, their sibling-ship would be impossible otherwise, if we suppose the anthropomorphism is reasonable in the series and Nala is the true mother for both).
** Then, it is possible that Kion is indeed the "Fluffy" of the first film, giving an in-universe explanation of the scenes differences and tie-in materials confusion about the gender. Kiara can still be the heir to the throne if she is born a few minutes before her twin brother, but they were both presented to the people in the same ceremony, cut in half throughout the two movies. However, that still raises the question why Kion would have been presented in first, and why he was still nowhere to be seen during Kiara's presentation.
*** "''Return of the Roar''" makes specific more than once that Kion is in fact Kiara's ''younger'' brother in a manner that suits more to a brother of a different pregnancy than a twin brother younger by ''a few minutes''. Either this is the way for characters to keep in mind the order of succession, as unfair as it is for a few minutes (which is a TruthInTelevision for twin princes), either it means Disney anthropomorphised the age/size difference like it did with Kovu and Kiara in Simba's Pride.
*** Kion may not have been presented first. Kiara's presentation takes place at sunrise, while Fluffy's takes place a bit later in the morning. If Kion ''is'' Fluffy, his presentation could be either immediately after Kiara's as a twin (what means Nala awkwardly left newborn Kion in the cave (in the care of another lioness with no doubt) just to watch the presentation of the crown princess), either months later as a separate pregnancy brother, Kiara being mysteriously absent in both cases, as a newborn or as young cub. Anyway, this remains a retroactive fan reinterpretation of the scene more precarious than for Kopa's since it inverts the order of the scenes for no other reason that to fit in. Canonically, Fluffy will stay to be Kiara.
* The hyenas' song is about attacking in the night, but they strike in the afternoon.
** Given how the hyenas are practically starving, who could blame them for attacking earlier than planned?
** If you are a primarily nocturnal species, maybe the definitions of day and night are also reversed.
** Janja and his clan aren't the brightest bulbs in the box.
** For a meta explanation, it's been said that the plot of the pilot changed but they didn't have time to write a new song, so they kept it in.
* The fact that the Guard under Scar's command was destroyed (and Scar himself stripped of his powers) means that the Pridelands were practically defenseless for quite sometime. The beginning of the first film fits into a context where Mufasa is alone to defend the country and has to face an increased harassment from the neighbouring hyenas' land that takes all his attention; what didn't allow him to find out Scar's plot in time. Maybe they could have prevented Mufasa's death, Simba's exile and Scar's ascension to power in the original movie if it weren't for their demise.
* "The Imaginary Okapi" introduces us to Makucha the leopard, who (according to the Guard) aren't native to the Pridelands. The premise of the episode "The Trouble With Galagos," which is ''two'' episodes later, is the Guard helping a leopard reclaim his territory... even though leopards supposedly don't live in the Pridelands.
** The leopard's proper territory is in a forest, in the '''''Backlands''''' which are right next to the Pridelands. It's right that technically, this place is not within the Guard's jurisdiction, but they may help him for diplomatic motives. In a meta way, it is also a good thing they create different characters from the same species on both sides, so they avoid stereotyping like they initially did with the hyenas.
* In "Return of the Roar," Simba initially tells Kion that there are plenty of lions to choose for the guard right in their own pride... have we ''seen'' any other lions at Pride Rock? We've got the royal family, Kiara's friends, and that's it aside from the Outlander lions. They've got to be there, since canonically in the second movie all the lionesses from the first film are still around. Obviously they haven't been integral to the story so far, but for there to not even be so much as a background appearance or any shots of the pride just mingling about or anything still seems odd.
** They're most likely hunting while the main plot of every episode takes place. A few new lionesses appear in "The Ukumbusho Tradition". Likewise, Zira has noticeably less lionesses in her pride than in the movie, though it can be assumed they went off to search for new territories.
* All the previous Lion Guards really wouldn't have been able to fully live up to their reputation. While it is possible for lions to hold the titles of "fiercest" and "bravest" in the Pridelands, the others would have been unable to back up their positions of "fastest", "strongest" and "keenest of sight", since (as the modern-day Guard proves), there are other animals in the Pridelands who are far faster, stronger, and keen of sight than lions.

* Had Kion never met Jasiri, he would most likely remain [[FantasticRacism thinking that]] ''[[AlwaysChaoticEvil all hyenas'' are as bad]] [[HeinousHyena as Janja's clan]].

** In contrast to the Guard, many of the antagonists could fit the representation of an EvilPoacher. For example Makucha, while he may be a predator, is known to especially go after okapis due to their rarity and thus seems to target endangered species. The same would go for Mpishi, who came to the Pridelands for rare prey to eat. And of course, Janja, Reirei and their respective groups are set on overhunting.

** There's a certain logic to this. A magical roar that instantly knockouts if not kills enemies or summons the dead is considerably more awe-inspiring than "was born first". [[PlotInducedStupidity It's a wonder]] why the Elders didn't anticipate the temptation of the holder to use this power to frame a coup against his first-born sibling.

* Makuu's criticism of Pua for fearing hippos, as described under WhatAnIdiot on the YMMV page, demonstrates how unfit he is as a leader.

* The Outsiders are seen to have FantasticRacism against hyenas UpToEleven, despite the fact that Scar employed a large army of loyal hyenas during his reign. While it may be seen as strange at first glance considering Scar's alliance with the hyenas, it's possible that Zira knows of the hyenas' part in Scar's death and thus painted the hyenas as having betrayed Scar, brainwashing her pride. This is one reason they're so hell-bent on antagonizing Jasiri's family, since they can't do anything about Shenzi's clan since they fled the Pride Lands after Scar's death.

* While several fans have accused [[spoiler: Vitani's Lion Guard being made of all lions and ultimately succeeding Kion's Lion Guard as the show breaking its own moral that the best person of the job shouldn't depend on species, this actually makes quite a bit of sense. While Simba, Nala, Kiara and Kovu are willing to forgive Vitani and the Outsiders, the rest of the kingdom wouldn't. Vitani and her lionesses tried to kill the king in an ambush, and later on attacked the Pride Lands with explicit intent to conquer it that night. Suffice it to say, probably no animal in the Pride Lands would trust Vitani that she wouldn't attack them if they joined the Lion Guard, especially given that unlike Kovu, who was adopted by Zira and really disliked Zira's ideology, Vitani was Zira's biological daughter and believed in the cause completely. Similarly, while people have wondered why there are no Pride Lander lionesses, Vitani and her friends tried to kill them just a few weeks ago, and Vitani probably didn't trust them exactly either, as she doesn't know them personally. Just because the members of the Royal Family are willing to invoke EasilyForgiven doesn't meant everyone else will.]]

* Although Badili is a friendly leopard, keep in mind he is ''still'' a predator. And when you consider that leopards store their food in trees, it isn't hard to imagine why the galagos wouldn't want to share a tree with him (besides the obvious fear that they themselves could get eaten).

* We see that all the Pride Land animals introduced in this series did survive the battle against the battle against Zira, and it was for the best that they didn't participate in that one as their absence in the second film would suggest. Lions are capable of defeating heavy hitters like crocodiles and elephants, and we know Zira is more than willing to ''lacerate'' enemies. Factoring that in, even without Makuu and his crocodiles holding back, these lions come from the worst parts of the Outlands and are far larger more hardened than the last Outlanders they fought, and the elephants though bigger would stand only a tiny chance, but wouldn't be fast enough to land a hit on any the Outlander lions before or without getting seriously injured.

** Note that it would be a big misinterpretation of the Roar of the Elders on her part. Scar was the custodian of this power ''because'' he was the youngest of the royal siblings. It means that per se, he had this mark of respect because he only played the supporting role in the kingdom (like a consolation prize), so it is far-stretched to pretend it would be a valid argument in Zira's view without outing the joker of her madness. It is right that the series does not mention if the youngest keeps his powers in the case he inherits ''legally'' the crown.

*** His connection to the Roar also shows that Scar's personality is what always was the problem. The roar, when used for good, can do amazing things...but when used for evil, it can cause a lot of problems. Meaning that the Elders KNEW of the risks but felt that anyone who gets it is worthy until proven otherwise...such as when Scar murdered his fellow Guardsmen, that is when this power was stripped.

* Janja and Jasiri not only act different, but look different as well. Janja and his clan are confirmed descendants of the hyenas from the Elephant Graveyard and as such, they bear the same physical features like YellowEyesOfSneakiness and sickly-grey fur, whereas the animals in Jasiri's clan have more cream-colored eyes and a more purple fur tone to make them distinguishable from the "bad hyenas".
* Fuli is the first female to ever join the Lion Guard. This fits perfectly with RealLife lions' behavior; the males protect the territory while the lionesses do most of the hunting. That's why the previous Lion Guards, that only had lion members, never had any females.

*

** This isn't the only form of religious symbolism to appear in the series. The Guard in Season 3 are, in effect, on a journey to a holy site to where pilgrims from all over come for healing and safety, where one of their number can be healed from an evil influence that seeks to corrupt him. Said holy site is a place with a sacred tree at its center and where all creatures live in harmony. [[GardenOfEden Sound familiar?]]

* Season 3 already gives an implication of looming tragedy as Kion's family expects him to return for Kiara's first hunt...[[ForegoneConclusion which he doesn't]]. If something did indeed happen to the Guard while they were away, it would explain why Simba was so overly protective of Kiara in ''Disney/TheLionKingIISimbasPride''; he didn't want to lose another of his cubs especially with the Pridelands' defenders missing. And especially if Kion succumbs to corruption like Scar intended, it would explain why Simba was so distrusting and paranoid of Kovu.

** This isn't the only form of religious symbolism to appear in the series. The Guard in Season 3 are, in effect, on a journey to a holy site to where pilgrims from all over come for healing and safety, where one of their number can be healed from an evil influence that seeks to corrupt him. Said holy site is a place with a sacred tree at its center and where all creatures live in harmony. [[TheGardenOfEden Sound familiar?]]