List of The Lion King (franchise) characters facts for kids
This page lists the amazing characters from Disney's Lion King stories. You'll find characters from the original 1994 movie, its sequels like Simba's Pride and Lion King 1½, the TV shows Timon & Pumbaa and The Lion Guard, and even some books.
Contents
Characters from The Lion King (1994)
Simba
Simba is the main hero of the Lion King stories. He is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, and Scar's nephew. Later, he becomes Nala's mate and the father of Kiara and Kion. His name means "lion" in Swahili.
In the first movie, Simba is a young cub who is supposed to be the next king. But his evil uncle Scar causes Mufasa's death and makes Simba run away. Simba grows up with his new friends, Timon and Pumbaa. When he's older, he returns to fight Scar and becomes the rightful King of Pride Rock. He then marries Nala.
In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Simba is a very protective dad to his daughter, Kiara. He doesn't trust the Outsiders, a group of lions led by Zira, because they were loyal to Scar. But when Kiara and Kovu, an Outsider, fall in love, Simba learns to let go of his hate and welcomes the Outsiders back.
In The Lion Guard, Simba is Kion's father. At first, he doesn't want Kion to let non-lion animals join the Lion Guard. But he soon agrees. Later, Simba and Kion work together to defeat Scar's ghost. After Kion gets hurt, Simba says goodbye as his son leaves to find healing. He is very happy when Kion returns and accepts Rani as his daughter-in-law.
Nala
Nala is Sarafina’s daughter and Simba’s best friend. She later becomes his mate and the mother of Kiara and Kion. She is also Rani and Kovu's mother-in-law. Nala is an important character in the first movie but has smaller roles in the sequels and TV show.
In The Lion King, Nala is Simba's childhood friend. They are even promised to each other when they are born. As cubs, she helps Simba explore the elephant graveyard. Years later, she finds Simba as an adult and they fall in love. She helps him defeat Scar and become king. She then becomes Simba's wife and Queen of the Pride Lands.
In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Nala is older and calmer than Simba. She supports Kiara's love for Kovu. At the end of the movie, she is happy to see Kiara marry Kovu and welcomes him into their family.
In The Lion Guard, Nala has a second cub, Kion. By the end of the series, she accepts Kion's marriage to Queen Rani.
Timon and Pumbaa
Timon (a meerkat) and Pumbaa (a warthog) are a funny and loyal duo. Timon is carefree but a good friend, while Pumbaa is kind and brave, sometimes a bit naive. They often provide laughs and help Simba.
When they first meet Simba in The Lion King, they save him from vultures. They take him to their home in an oasis and teach him their motto, "Hakuna Matata," which means "no worries." Later, they help Simba fight Scar and become his royal advisors.
In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Timon and Pumbaa are asked by Simba to watch over Kiara. They also help Simba and his pride fight against Zira and the Outsiders. After the Outsiders join Simba's pride, Timon and Pumbaa watch Kiara marry Kovu.
They are the main characters in The Lion King 1½ and their own TV show, Timon & Pumbaa. In The Lion Guard, they are the adoptive uncles of a honey badger named Bunga.
Scar
Scar is the main villain of The Lion King stories. He is Mufasa's younger brother and Simba's uncle. His name means "scar" in Swahili. In The Lion King, he causes Mufasa's death and makes Simba run away. Scar then becomes King of the Pride Lands. Years later, Simba returns and defeats Scar. Scar is then attacked and killed by his hyena followers.
In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, we learn that Scar had loyal followers called the Outsiders. Simba exiled them after Scar's death. Scar appears in Simba's nightmare and in Kovu's reflection.
In The Lion Guard, it's shown that Scar used to lead the Lion Guard and had a special power called the Roar of the Elders. He lost this power when he used it for evil. Later, Kion accidentally brings Scar back as a fiery spirit in a volcano. Scar then tries to take over the Pride Lands. Kion eventually defeats Scar's spirit for good.
Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed
Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed are three spotted hyenas who work for Scar. They live in the Elephant Graveyard. Scar promises them food if they help him get rid of Mufasa and Simba. They cause the wildebeest stampede that leads to Mufasa's death and chase Simba away. When Simba returns, Shenzi and Banzai are defeated by Pumbaa. The three hyenas turn on Scar when he tries to blame them for everything.
They appear often in the Timon & Pumbaa TV show. In The Lion King 1½, they attack Timon's meerkat colony before they team up with Scar. Timon and Pumbaa, with Timon’s family, distract the hyenas so Simba can fight Scar.
In the 2019 movie, Shenzi is a tough leader. Ed is replaced by Azizi, and Banzai by Kamari. They still turn on Scar in the end.
Mufasa
Mufasa is Scar's older brother, Sarabi's mate, and Simba's father. He is also Kion and Kiara's grandfather. He is introduced as the wise and strong King of the Pride Lands. Mufasa teaches Simba about being a good king and protecting the balance of nature. Sadly, Mufasa dies after Scar throws him into a wildebeest stampede while he is saving Simba. Years later, Mufasa returns as a spirit in the clouds to encourage Simba to go back and reclaim his throne.
In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Mufasa's spirit tells Rafiki to bring his granddaughter Kiara and Kovu together. This helps unite the two lion prides.
In The Lion Guard, Mufasa acts as a spirit guide for his grandson Kion, giving him advice. He reassures Kion that he will always be there for him, no matter what.
Zazu
Zazu is a red-billed hornbill who works as Mufasa's, and later Simba's, royal assistant. After Mufasa's death, Scar keeps Zazu as a prisoner. Pumbaa frees him when Simba returns. Zazu helps Simba by scouting and advising him on royal manners.
In Timon & Pumbaa, Zazu is also shown to be a jungle administrator. He is responsible for counting the animals.
Rafiki
Rafiki is a mandrill whose name means "friend" in Swahili. He lives in a baobab tree and performs ceremonies for the lions. He is also a great fighter.
In The Lion King, Rafiki introduces newborn Simba to the Pride Lands. He later finds Simba in the jungle and teaches him important lessons about learning from the past. During the battle for Pride Rock, Rafiki helps Simba fight the hyenas. At the end, he presents Simba and Nala's new cub.
In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Mufasa's spirit asks Rafiki to bring Kiara and Kovu together to unite the prides. Rafiki sings to them about "Upendi," which means "love."
Rafiki also appears in The Lion King 1½, teaching Timon about "Hakuna Matata" and convincing him to help Simba.
Sarabi
Sarabi is Mufasa's wife, Simba's mother, and Kiara and Kion's grandmother. Her name means "mirage" in Swahili. In The Lion King, she is the Queen of Pride Rock. After Scar takes over, Sarabi helps Simba fight against Scar and his hyenas. When Simba wins, Nala becomes Queen, and Sarabi becomes the Queen Mother.
Sarafina
Sarafina is Nala's mother and Simba's mother-in-law. She is also Kiara and Kion's grandmother. She is seen cleaning Nala before Nala goes to the Elephant Graveyard with Simba. She is later seen mourning Mufasa and Simba, not knowing Simba is still alive.
Characters from The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa (1995–1999)
Quint
Quint is a human who is often Timon and Pumbaa's enemy. He is a sneaky man who has many different jobs in the series. He often tricks Timon and Pumbaa or gets in their way. Sometimes, he even wins against them.
Speedy
Speedy is a talking and singing snail. Timon and Pumbaa first plan to eat him, but he becomes their friend because he can talk and sing. Timon names him "Speedy" as a joke because snails are slow. Speedy often gets into trouble and needs Timon and Pumbaa to save him. He is also a superhero called Super Duper Hero X.
Fred
Fred is a meerkat who was Timon's best friend in the meerkat colony. He loves playing jokes on others. When he visits Timon and Pumbaa, his jokes often annoy them. Fred used to guard the Duke Meerkat's castle but was demoted after a cobra kidnapped the princess.
Boss Beaver
Boss Beaver is a grumpy beaver who owns a lumber mill and an amusement park. He believes in hard work, which is the opposite of Timon and Pumbaa's "Hakuna Matata" lifestyle. He is very strict about rules and safety. He has a son named Boy Beaver who can be mischievous.
Irwin
Irwin is a clumsy penguin whom Timon and Pumbaa meet. He often causes accidents, which makes Timon try to get away from him. Despite his clumsiness, he tries to be friendly.
Toucan Dan
Toucan Dan is a very clever toucan and a criminal. He is good at lying and pretending to be someone else to get away with his crimes. He often tricks Timon and Pumbaa and even frames them for his crimes.
Rabbit
Rabbit is a large, annoying pink hare. Timon and Pumbaa save his life, and he insists on repaying them. They try to get rid of him by pretending to be in danger, but it doesn't work. He later appears as a magician.
Vulture Police
The Vulture Police are two vultures who work as policemen in the jungle. They believe in fairness and justice. They will help victims but only arrest someone if they are proven guilty. They once arrested Timon and Pumbaa for escaping prison, even though they were innocent of the original crime.
Cheetata and Cheetato
Cheetata and Cheetato are two sophisticated twin cheetahs. They are villains who hunt and scare their victims in a fancy way. They are clever but often get outsmarted by Timon and Pumbaa.
The Three Natives
The Three Natives are a group of university students pretending to be tribesmen. They mistake Pumbaa for a warthog king and make Timon his servant. They are aggressive and will throw people into a volcano if the "king" is not respected.
Mr. Bear
Mr. Bear is a grumpy grizzly bear who gets angry easily. He often gets annoyed by Timon and Pumbaa. Despite his tough appearance, he can be kind and even becomes friends with the duo in some episodes. He also has a secret love for toys.
Tatiana
Tatiana is the daughter of Duke Meerkat and the princess of Timon's old meerkat colony. Timon had a crush on her. She is kidnapped by a cobra, which leads to Timon being banished. Timon and Pumbaa later rescue her.
Sharla
Sharla is a female warthog and Pumbaa's ex-girlfriend. She was the leader of Pumbaa's old group of warthogs. She and the others banished Pumbaa because of his smell. She still cares for Pumbaa and offers him a chance to rejoin the group.
Ned
Ned is a popular African bush elephant who looks down on smaller animals. He makes fun of Timon and Pumbaa. However, after Pumbaa saves him, Ned changes his mind and offers Pumbaa a place in his group.
Little Jimmy
Little Jimmy is a dangerous bluebird who is a master criminal. He has two voices: a fake innocent one and a deep criminal one. He often tricks Pumbaa and even tries to get Mr. Bear to hurt Timon and Pumbaa.
Gopher
Gopher is a mole who works as Zazu's assistant. He helps Zazu with jungle tasks and reports news from underground.
Characters from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
Kiara
Kiara is Simba and Nala's daughter and Kion's older sister. She is the main character in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. As Simba's first cub, she is next in line to be Queen of the Pride Lands.
Kiara is curious, playful, and loves adventure, which worries her father. As a cub, she doesn't want to be queen. She becomes friends with Kovu, an Outsider, but they are separated by their parents. As an adult, she falls in love with Kovu. She helps bring peace between the Pride Landers and the Outsiders.
In The Lion Guard, Kiara is more accepting of her future role as queen. She and Kion have typical sibling arguments but are very close. She is more mature than her friends and isn't afraid to get dirty.
Kovu
Kovu is Zira's youngest child and Scar's adopted son. He is Kiara's mate. His name means "scar" in Swahili, like Scar's. He seems tough at first but is honorable. As a cub, he becomes friends with Kiara. Zira plans to use this friendship to get Kovu to kill Simba.
Kovu is trained to assassinate Simba, but he falls in love with Kiara instead. After Simba is attacked, Kovu is blamed and exiled. He reunites with Kiara and helps convince the Pride Landers and Outsiders to stop fighting. Simba then forgives Kovu and welcomes him as Kiara's mate and future king.
In The Lion Guard, Kovu appears as a cub and later as an adult. He and the Outsiders join Simba's pride after Zira's death.
Outsiders
The Outsiders are a group of lions loyal to Scar. Simba exiled them to the Outlands after Scar's death. In The Lion Guard, they try to take over Jasiri's territory. Kion defeats them using the Roar of the Elders. After Zira's death, the Outsiders join Simba's pride. Vitani forms a new Lion Guard with some of them.
Zira
Zira is the mother of Nuka, Kovu, and Vitani. She is Scar's most loyal follower and wants to get revenge for his death. She leads the Outsiders and plans to use Kovu to kill Simba. When her plan fails, she starts a war against Simba's pride. Kiara and Kovu stop the fight, and Vitani and the other Outsiders join Simba. Zira tries to attack Simba but falls to her death.
In The Lion Guard, Zira tries to trick Kion into losing his Roar of the Elders. Kion sees through her tricks and drives her away.
Nuka
Nuka was Zira's oldest child and Kovu and Vitani's older brother. His name means "stink" in Swahili. He always wanted his mother's approval. During an ambush, Nuka tries to kill Simba but is crushed by falling logs. Zira blames Kovu for his death.
Vitani
Vitani is Zira's middle child and only daughter. She is Nuka and Kovu’s sister and Kiara's sister-in-law. As an adult, Vitani is Zira's strong helper. With Kiara and Kovu's help, Vitani and the Outsiders turn against Zira and join the Pride Landers. After Zira's death, Simba forgives Vitani and the others.
In The Lion Guard, Vitani helps her mother try to take over Jasiri's territory. Later, she forms her own Lion Guard to protect the Pride Lands while Kion is away. Kion eventually gives her the role of leader of the Lion Guard. Her name means "I Am War" or "Demon of War" in Swahili.
Characters from The Lion King 1½ (2004)
Ma
Ma is Timon's mother. She is encouraging and believes in Timon. She supports him when he leaves the colony and later helps him fight the hyenas at Pride Rock. After Simba becomes king, Timon brings her and the meerkat colony to his jungle paradise.
Uncle Max
Uncle Max is Timon's uncle. He is a pessimist and very worried about meerkats being eaten by other animals. He reluctantly tries to train Timon as a lookout. He later helps Ma find Timon and helps fight the hyenas by digging a tunnel. He eventually believes in Timon.
Characters from The Lion Guard (2015–2019)
Lion Guard
- Kion is Simba and Nala's son and Kiara's younger brother. He is the leader of the Lion Guard and has a special power called the Roar of the Elders. Kion is kind and responsible. He talks to his grandfather Mufasa's spirit for advice. He defeats Scar's spirit but gets a scar from a snake bite. He travels to the Tree of Life to heal, where he falls in love with Rani. He later marries Rani and becomes King of the Tree of Life. He passes the Lion Guard role to Vitani.
- Bunga is a honey badger and Kion's best friend. He is the bravest member of the Lion Guard and Timon and Pumbaa's adoptive nephew. Bunga is adventurous and always full of energy. His catchphrase is "Zuka Zama!" which means "Pop up, dive in!" in Swahili.
- Fuli is a King cheetah and the fastest member of the Lion Guard. She is proud of her speed. She is the first female animal to be in the Lion Guard. In season three, she sometimes leads the Guard when Kion is not well. Her catchphrase is "Huwezi!" which means "You can't (catch me)!" in Swahili.
- Beshte is a hippopotamus and the strongest member of the Lion Guard. He is kind and acts like a big brother to younger animals. He has a big heart and is always friendly. His catchphrase is "Twende kiboko!" which means "Let's go, hippo!" in Swahili.
- Ono is a cattle egret and the keenest of sight in the Lion Guard. He is friendly and thinks things through carefully. He is very smart and can see things from far away. He gets hurt during the fight with Scar and loses some of his eyesight. He later regains his sight at the Tree of Life.
- Anga is a martial eagle who joins the Lion Guard as the keenest of sight after Ono gets hurt. She is calm and serious but also kind. Her catchphrase is "Anga lenga!" which means "Aim for the sky!" in Swahili.
Night Pride
- Rani is the leader of the Night Pride, a group of lions who protect the Tree of Life. She is Kion's love interest and later his mate. She initially thinks the Lion Guard are intruders but welcomes them. She becomes Queen of the Tree of Life. Her name means "Queen" in Hindi.
- Baliyo is Rani's younger brother. His name means "Strong" in Nepali.
- Surak is Rani and Baliyo's uncle.
- Nirmala is the Night Pride's healer. She helps Kion recover. Her name means "Pure" in Hindi.
Outlanders
- Janja is the cunning leader of the hyenas in the Outlands. He is a main villain. He helps summon Scar's spirit. Later, he reforms and joins Jasiri's hyena clan.
- Jasiri is a friendly hyena who is different from most of her kind. She is open to being friends with lions and respects the Circle of Life. She forms a resistance to fight Scar. After Scar's defeat, she becomes the leader of the Outlands.
- Ushari is an Egyptian cobra who often bothers Bunga. He helps Janja summon Scar's spirit. He attacks Kion, giving him a scar, but is defeated by Bunga and falls into lava.
- Mzingo is the sophisticated leader of a group of vultures. He joins Scar.
- Reirei is a clever and manipulative jackal. She and her family join Scar.
- Kiburi is a Nile crocodile who used to be in Makuu's group. He joins Scar.
Makucha’s Army
- Makucha is a cunning leopard. He follows the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life to hunt rare animals. He is the main villain of season three.
- Chuluun is a sneaky snow leopard who joins Makucha.
- Ora is a ferocious Komodo dragon who joins Makucha.
- Mama Binturong is a sneaky binturong who loves eating tuliza. She joins Makucha's group.
Characters from The Lion King books
Kopa
Kopa is Simba and Nala's son, who appears in the book series The Lion King: Six New Adventures. He looks like a young Simba.
Ahadi
Ahadi is Mufasa and Scar's father and Simba's grandfather. He was King of the Pride Lands before Mufasa.
Uru
Uru is Mufasa and Scar's mother and Simba's grandmother. She is mentioned in the books as a queen who searched for water during a drought.
Mohatu
Mohatu was a great King of the Pride Lands, Mufasa and Scar's grandfather, and Simba's great-grandfather. He helped animals during a drought. When he died, he became a bright star.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Personajes de El rey león para niños
