document_title: Cinema of Sri Lanka

question_text: who is considered as the first film actress of sinhala cinema

question_tokens: who is considered as the first film actress of sinhala cinema

text: Cinema of Sri Lanka

text: History[edit]

text: A 1997 government committee identified the following 10 films as the best of the first 50 years of Sri Lankan cinema:

text:
Rank

Film title

Director

Year released

1

Nidhanaya

Lester James Peiris

1972

2

Gamperaliya

Lester James Peiris

1963

3

Viragaya

Tissa Abeysekara

1987

4

Bambaru Awith

Dharmasena Pathiraja

1978

5

Sath Samudura

Siri Gunasinghe

1967

6

Thun Mang Handiya

Mahagama Sekara

1970

7

Palangettiyo

Vasantha Obeysekera

1979

8

Dadayama

Vasantha Obeysekera

1984

9

Rekava

Lester James Peiris

1956

10

Parasathumal

Gamini Fonseka

1966

10

Welikathara

D. B. Nihalsinghe

1970

text: Early development (1901–1947)[edit]

text: 1901 marked the introduction of film to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) when a film was shown for the first time in the country at a private screening for the British governor West Ridgeway and prisoners of the Second Boer War. It was a short film that documented the British victory in the Boer War, the burial of Queen Victoria and the coronation of Edward VII. More English screenings followed and attracted British settlers and Anglicized Sinhalese.

text: Cinema in Sri Lanka became a public affair due to the efforts of Warwick Major, an Englishman who developed "bioscope" showings. These were films screened out in open areas and makeshift tents. The first permanent theaters were built by Madan Theaters in 1903. The company showed Indian films and achieved success, prompting the development of theaters by the rival Olympia.

text: In 1925 Rajakeeya Wickremaya (English:Royal Adventure) became the first film to be made in Sri Lanka. Dr. N.M. Perera played the lead in the film which was shown in India and Singapore. However this film reels got burnt before they were shown in Sri Lanka. In 1933 the film Paliganeema was screened in Colombo.

text: During the 1920s and 1930s films with American stars like Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Rudolph Valentino, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. were popular in Sri Lanka. The Shiek and The Thief of Bagdad were especially popular. in 1932, the first sound film to be screened was shown at the Regal Cinema, titled "The Dream." By the 1930s Indian films started to surpass English films in popularity. Bilwa Mangal set an early record for Sri Lankan box office earning.

text: The beginnings of cinemas spread was seen when the Indian Madan circuit established Elphinstone cinema in Colombo as a part of his extensive cinema chain in Asia. Empire cinema, which became the longest functioning cinema in Sri Lanka was established in 1915 and continued to function till 2003 when it was demolished to make way for a commercial building in Colombo

text: Inauguration (1947)[edit]

text: South Indian producer S. M. Nayagam played an important role in the development of the first Sri Lankan film. In 1945, Nayagam founded a company named Chitrakala Movietone and constructed a studio in Madurai, India for the purpose of making a Sinhala film. After considering several options, he decided to build the film around the historical love story of Saliya and Asokamala and held a contest to find a suitable screenplay; the winner was budding artist Shanthi Kumar. Due to disagreements however this project fell through and Nayagam broke a deal with dramatist B. A. W. Jayamanne to film his popular play Kadawunu Poronduwa.[1]

text: Kumar[2] determined to film his script left Nayagam's company and convinced the Ceylon Theaters group to fund his film. Faced with a more daunting task of putting together the film from scratch, the Ashokamala project began filming in Coimbatore about two months after the production of Kadawunu Poronduwa had initiated. Naygam's film would win out screening at the Mylan Theater on January 21, 1947.[3] Ashokamala was screened three months later in April 1947 at the Elphinstone Theater.[1]

text: Both films were popular with audiences but derided by critics who found them to be derivative of South Indian cinema.[2]

text: Primitive stage (1947–1955)[edit]

text: Following the success of Kadawunu Poronduwa, B. A. W. Jayamanne produced a string of popular movies based on his plays. These were Peralena Iranama, Kapati Arakshakaya, Weradunu Kurumanama (1948), Hadisi Vinischaya (1950, first film directed by Jayamanne; he handled the post on all his subsequent films), Sangavunu Pilithura (1951), Umathu Wishwasaya (1952), Kele Handa (1953), Iranganie (1954), Mathabedaya (1954), Daiva Wipakaya (1956), Wanaliya (1958), Hadisi Vivahaya (1959), Kawata Andare (1960), Jeewithe Pujawa (1961), Mangalika (1963) and Magul Poruwa (1967; completed after his death by another director). Jayamanne mostly adhered to a formula derived from South Indian cinema and didn't contribute to the development of artistic film.[4] Most of his films featured the couple Rukmani Devi and Eddie Jayamanne (though never as lovers on screen) which allowed them to become the first stars of Sri Lankan cinema.[1]

text: Following the dawn of independence, Sri Lanka instituted restrictions on travel to and from India causing Nayagam to move his business into the island to cut costs. He purchased land outside of Kandana and built the Sri Murugan Navakala studios (later known as the S. P. M. studios) which would for a time be the most developed studio in the country. His first production was Banda Nagarayata Pamine (1952) which was successful among local audiences. It was the first locally produced Sinhalese film though in technique it still remained South Indian. Nayagam followed the film with Prema Tharangaya (1953) and Ahankara Sthree (1954). Due to the low quality of the studio (Nayagam resisted buying high tech equipment), these films failed to match the standards of Bollywood imports. They were also highly formulaic based extensively on South Indian cinema (the technicians were all from India) featuring a combination of exaggerated melodrama, lowbrow comedy, scuffles and dance numbers.[1]

text: Of the few filmmakers interested in pursuing a truly indigenous art form in these early years, Sirisena Wimalaweera was the most prominent.[5] In his work, Wimalaweera researched Sri Lankan history when depicting historical characters like King Asoka, who oversaw the introduction of Buddhism to the island and Saradiel, a Robin Hood-like character.[1]

text: K. Gunaratnam was another major producer in this period[6] breaking into the scene with the technically skilled Sujatha made at the state of the art Modern Theaters studio in Salem, India. It was highly successful and influenced popular cinema over the following decade. It was revolutionary in its high production values and incorporation of North Indian cinema into the accepted South Indian model. Still it failed to capture the true nature of Sinhalese life or create anything uniquely Sri Lankan.[1]

text: Rekava (1956)[edit]

text: In 1956 documentary filmmaker Lester James Peries and his fellow film technicians William Blake and Titus Thotawatte broke away from the Government Film Unit to produce what they hoped would be a truly Sinhalese film that would revolutionize Sri Lankan cinema.[7] In all facets of the creation of Rekava, the trio strayed from tradition shooting completely outside of the studio, creating an original story with no basis in literary or historical material and utilizing a mostly inexperienced cast[8] (with a few exceptions i.e. D. R. Nanayakkara).

text: The story paid great attention to Sinhalese village life giving equal time to marriage traditions, village customs and folk beliefs in a non obstructive documentary-esque manner. The main plot revolved around a young boy named Sena who becomes touted as a miracle worker after he is said to cure the blindness of his friend Anula. Though some viewed the plot as a bit naive due to the filmmakers being from the city and the attribution of superstition belief in an exaggerated manner to village folk, it was a critical success and was shown at the Cannes International Film Festival drawing praise from foreign critics. It is widely considered in Sri Lanka to be the birth of true Sinhala cinema.[9][10] Audiences at the time were unresponsive however and the film was a box office failure. They were unaccustomed to the documentary like nature of the film and its avoidance of common melodramatic features common in cinema of the time. The lack of a major romantic plot for example was a grievance to some.

text: Following in the path of Rekava (1957–1963)[edit]

text: Popular film continued in the Indian mould. There was great interest in the cinema. The Sinhala daily, "Lankadipa" launched the first Film Festival where "Deepasika" awards were given out.

text: Though Rekava failed to influence popular cinema which continued to imitate Indian cinema, it did draw out the efforts of some small independent filmmakers who coalesced into units. The most important group in this period, Kurulu Rana, was led by screenwriter P. K. D. Seneviratne, producer John Amaratunga and actress Punya Heendeniya.

text: Amaratunga in his pursuit to follow up Rekava came across Seneviratne's radio drama Kurulubedde and enlisted him to adapt it into a film. Though it maintained certain formulaic elements, the film was free of overt Indian influence and contained various elements of Sinhalese culture. Actress Punya Heendeniya broke ground in her role portraying a truly Sinhalese character in contrast with the female roles of popular films modeled after Indian actresses. It was a critical success within Sri Lanka and was praised for its realistic portrayal of Sinhala village life. The group followed up with the thematically similar Sikuru Tharuwa in 1963.[1]

text: At this time, the Government Film Unit productions were making their mark, particularly, Pragnasoma Hettiarchi's "Makers, Material and Motiffs" which won the Gold Medal at Venice International Film Festival in 1952. Hettiarchi was to repeat this feat again in 1972 with "Centenary of Ceylon Tea".

text: Gamperaliya (1963)[edit]

text: In 1963, Lester James Peries with the help of producer Anton Wickremasinghe made and released Gamperaliya based on a novel by critically acclaimed writer Martin Wickramasinghe. Starring Punya Heendeniya, Henry Jayasena and Gamini Fonseka. It was a turning point in Sri Lankan cinema doing away with all formulaic elements (songs, dance, comic relief and fights) present in popular cinema and achieving commercial success.[11] It proved the viability of artistic cinema in the country and gave Sri Lankan cinema a before absent sense of prestige when Producer Anton Wicremasinghe was awarded the Golden Peacock Award and the Critics' Prize at the Third International Film Festival held in New Delhi and the Golden Head of Palanque at the Eighth World Review of Film Festivals held in Acapulco, Mexico.[12]

text: Artistic boom (1964–1970)[edit]

text: The success of Gamperaliya changed the course of Sri Lankan cinema significantly. Following its release, many films attempted to adapt the realistic style of the film and took up location shooting previously shunned.

text: Seneviratne again emerged in this period with a script about village life titled Parasathu Mal. This time he had the support of the wealthy producer Chitra Balasooriya[13] who would not fall prey to financial difficulties encountered by Amaratunga. Balasooriya was deeply interested in creating an artistic film in the vein of Gamperaliya and enlisted Lester's wife Sumithra Peries as technical director and gave the budding actor Gamini Fonseka a chance to direct. Fonseka had served in a similar capacity on Rekawa. Also among the crew was cameraman Sumitta Amarsinghe who had trained with the GFU and was adapt at outdoor shooting.[1] The film would be a critical and popular success.[13]

text: Serendib Productions responded to the artistic mood in the air in 1965 with Saravita[14] starring a comedic actor, Joe Abeywickrema, for the first time in Sri Lankan cinema. It dealt with slum life and the criminal element within it and was awarded most of the national awards that year for film. Titus Thotawatte who had broken away from Lester James Peries after Sandesaya directed Chandiya the same year avoiding overt crudities prevalent in the action genre made within the country.[1]

text: G. D. L. Perera with his Kala Pela Society headed in a radically different way in this period dealing with rural life with his first film "Sama"

text: Siri Gunasinghe's Sath Samudura released in 1966 was the biggest critical success in the wake of Gamperaliya. The film was praised for its realistic portrayal of a fishing community and acting from a cast that included Denawaka Hamine, Edmund Wijesinghe and Cyril Wickremage. Also drawing acclaim were Gunasinghe's novel film techniques such as his extensive use of close-ups. Working close with Gunasinghe on the script and the direction was Vasantha Obeysekera. The editing and photography was handled by D. B. Nihalsinghe. Both would go on to be major filmmakers on their own.[1]

text: GDL Perera's "Sama" was followed by a film on contemporary city settings in Dahasak Sithuvili. GDL joined up with the D.B. Nihalsingha's famously fluid hand-held camera work of the "Sath Samudura" fame, utilizing subjective camera and a sepiatone filter for the first time in Sri Lankan cinema.[15] Perera and his group had first came to fame with Saama, a stylized but faithful observance of village life.[1]

text: Other major films of this period include the debut directorial efforts of Obeysekera (Vesgatho) and Nihalsinghe lanadmark film, (Welikathara).

text: "Welikathara" was Tissa Abeysekara's first screenplay- he was billed as "Additional Dialolgue Writer" up to that time. Nihalsingha's recognition of Tissa Abeysekara's superlative writings skills launched him on a career as the foremost screenplay writer in Sri Lanka. "Welikathara" was to become one of the 10 top films of Sri Lankan cinema. Nihalsingha's refershingly fluid camera work was noted by this time. He combined the facets of Direction, Cinematography and Editing in "Welikathara" to create an epic in CinemaScope for the first time in Sri Lanka."Welikatara" was to become one of the "10 Best" films of Sri Lanka.

text: An independent student production overseen by Ranjith Lal (Nim Wallala), songwriter Mahagama Sekera's autobiographical effort (Tun Man Handiya), the maiden production of Piyasiri Gunaratne (Mokade Une) and Sugathapala Senerath Yapa's Hanthane Kathawa which introduced the to be matinee idol Vijaya Kumaratunga.

text: Apart from that, the movie Soorayangeth Sooraya(English Title:-The River of Love) is a landmark film for the Sri Lankan(Helawood) cinema where a trend of Thriller, Action and Musical films emerged. These commercial movies, although foreign transliterations, discuss the problems of poverty, blind law, injustice & love. Hence, critics are in a zoom lens against these movies.

text: Government-instituted development and individual achievement (1971–1979); unprecedented surge in yearly admissions[edit]

text: In 1971, a socialist government which sought to overcome the dominance of screen time in Sri Lanka by Tamil and Hindi films came to power in the country. Foreign film domination had resulted in domestically produced films being relegated to 20% of the screen time while foreign films occupied 80% (60% Tamil, 10% Hindi, 10% English). The government which won power had promised to redress this imbalance. It established the State Film Corporation by Act no 47 of 1971, charged with the promotion of national film and giving and making available a wide variety of films to the public.

text: The State Film Corporation (SFC) established a unique credit scheme for film production. Loans were given on the basis of a script evaluation and those taking part with credit given on the collateral of the negatives. This was at a time when bank lending was very conventional and such a 'collateral' was unheard of in the banking industry. The directors and main technicians had to have prior training to obtain loans via a system of registration. Prior to these measures, films produced domestically were transliterations of Tamil and Hindi films, to the extent that there was no credit for screenplay. The only credit was for dialogues as the "screenplay" was a transliterations of the Hindi or Tamil original. The credit scheme ensured original screen writing for the first time and stories which were copies of Hindi and Tamil were not entitled to receive loans. Thus a professional film production industry was established.

text: The SFC instituted a film distribution system through which all films produced in the country were ensured exhibition according to system of precedence. Quality control of the cinemas was established by a system of inspection and checks on equipment.

text: The cost of imported film was reduced by 75% because of the monopoly buying by the SFC: the same number of Tamil films continued, albeit at greatly reduced prices.

text: The result of the measures was that the film admissions which were 30 million in 1972 grew to 74.4 million by 1979. The domestic film screen time share grew from 20% to 58%. The number of cinemas grew to 365 by 1978 – the highest number. By 2010, this number was down to 147.

text: This was the best evidence that the system prior to the SFC was not market-oriented and that the demand was suppressed. It required the SFC to cater to the suppressed and pent-up demand, resulting in an unprecedented surge in yearly admissions within seven years.

text: After 1979, the Chairman of the SFC, Anton Wicremesinghe, reversed all the measures of the SFC, giving unlimited loans to "anyone to direct films". Some hundreds of films were made by those who had no knowledge of film making. The result was that so many were produced that there was a waiting list of films awaiting release to the cinemas of 5 years, by 1982. The audiences responded to shoddy films by staying away. Admissions began declining alarmingly. Yearly admissions, which peaked in 1979 at 79.4 million, are now (2009) down to a mere 7.2 million admissions. The SFC, a profitable institution till that time, began sliding into bankruptcy and had to be sustained by infusions of funds from the government.

text: Titus Thotawatte and Lester James Peries were the most prominent artists during this period making artistic films. Thotawatte directed such films as Hara Lakshe, Sihasuna, Sagarika and Mangala which united technical skill with themes that appealed to mainstream audiences. Lester James Peries was more successful in his work in this period, creating some of his most important work despite the restrictions instituted by the government.[16]

text: Peries' Nidhanaya, released in 1972, is considered his masterpiece[17] and was adjusted the best Sri Lankan film of the first 50 years in 1997 by a government board. It was praised for its skillful direction by Peries' and the inspired acting by Gamini and Malini Fonseka. It was another international success for Peries' winning the Silver Lion of St. Mark award at the Venice International Film Festival and being selected one of the outstanding films of the year, receiving a Diploma, at the London Film Festival.[18] His subsequent works of the period were also critical successes (Desa Nisa and Madol Duwa).

text: Dharmasena Pathiraja, who had worked on Yapa's Hanthane Kathawa,[19] emerged with his debut directorial effort, Ahas Gauwa, in 1974. It served to capture the spirit of the dissolute urban youth and provided a major artistic venture for actors like Cyril Wickremage to prosper in. Obeysekera pursued a similar theme in his work Valmathvuvo.

text: Beginning of decline (1979–1983)[edit]

text: This section  possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: With the 1977 elections a more capitalist[according to whom?] party came to power and some of the restrictions instilled earlier were removed. But this removal only in respect of production, which resulted in a flood of shoddily made films under the unrestricted credit given by Anton Wicremasinghe to anyone. Some 100 films were waiting for release as cinemas, in a curious contradiction, was forced to show each and every film so made.

text: As a result, the peak film attendance of 74.4 admissions of 1979, began to drop and has been declining uncontrollably till now.[when?] It is popularly held that television was the cause of this decline. But Sri Lanka television broadcaster Rupavahini Corporation commenced transmission only in 1982, by which time island-wide cinema attendance had dropped to 51 million, from the peak of 74.4 million of 1979. The Presidential Committee to Investigate the Film Industry in 1985 established that there was a major drop in attendance for Tamil films in 1980. Since television went islandwide only in 1983, this drop in film admission was due not to television but to new Tamil films not being screened.

text: Sumitra Peries, Lester James Peries' wife, made her directorial debut with Gehenu Lamai in 1978. It examined the effects of societal constraints on a rural girl and secured some critical applause in addition to box office success being selected as an outstanding film of the year to be presented at the London Film Festival and receiving the Jury Award at the Carthage International Film Festival. In her first film appearance, Vasantha Chathurani was praised for her restrained portrayal of the lead role.

text: Peries' next film Ganga Addara (1980) captured the imagination of Sri Lankan audiences becoming a huge box office hit and breaking earning records in the country. Critics were also impressed with the film as it went on to capture many of the national awards given to film in the country and was awarded a diploma at the South Asian Film Festival.

text: Pathiraja was most active in this period directing Eya Dan Loku Lamayek (1977), Bambaru Awith (1978), Ponmani and Soldadu Unnahe (1981). Bambaru Awith is widely held to be his pivotal work dealing with social tensions between fishing folk and city youth. Pathiraja's film Ponmani was made in Tamil intending to contribute to the development of cinema featuring that language in the country. Though well made,[according to whom?] the film was ignored by Tamil audiences distrustful of the Sinhalese director. Soldadu Unnahe followed the dreary lives of an old soldier, a prostitute, an alcoholic and a thief intending to cast light on their plight. Pathiraja went into hiatus following the making of the film.[20]

text: Obeysekera made his most highly regarded[according to whom?] film Palengetiyo in 1979. It dealt with the difficulties of urban youth. His next film Dadayama (1983) was also well received. The star of Palengetiyo, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake broke out as a director with his highly stylized debut Hansa Vilak in 1980.

text: Decline (1983–1990)[edit]

text: With the flooding of films directed by "anyone" under the National Film Corporation Chairman Anton Wicremesighe during which hundreds of films were produced creating a 5-year line of films waiting for release, being no match for the increasing rise of television coupled with the beginning of a civil war, film earnings began to drop as Sri Lankans took to staying at home instead of frequenting the theater.

text: The significant films of the era include Sumitra Peries' Sagara Jalaya Madi Heduwa Oba Sanda, Tissa Abeysekara's Viragaya (1988) and D. B. Nihalsinghe's Ridi Nimnaya (1983), and Producer Vijaya Ramanayake's Maldeniye Simiyon (1986). Maldeniye Simion" won the Silver Peacock for Anoja Weerasinghe at the 11th New Delhi International Film Festival in 1987. Nihalsinghe infused his films with his skillful combination of technical excellence with artistry. Keli Madala (1991) was a creative success winning no less than 14 national film awards- perhaps the highest number ever won by one film to date.

text: Rise of independent filmmakers (1990–2000)[edit]

text: One of the most important filmmakers of Sri Lankan cinema, Prasanna Vithanage directed his first feature film Sisila Gini Ganee in 1992 and his second Anantha Rathriya in 1995. The latter was a large critical hit being shown at several international festival and securing several awards. Vithanage's followed the work two years later with Pawuru Walalu a mature drama that featured a performance by former star Nita Fernando after a long hiatus. It was also lauded by critics. His final feature of the decade was Purahanda Kaluwara that examined how the Sri Lankan civil war affects families of soldiers. Featuring a contemplative performance by Joe Abeywickrema in the main role, the film is considered Vithanage's finest work.

text: Chandran Rutnam is another award-winning film maker directed and edited the film The Road from Elephant Pass, which was a Finalist Award Winner at the New York International Television and Film Awards in 2011 and A Common Man with Academy Award Winner Sir Ben Kingsley and Ben Cross. The film was nominated for the four main awards at the Madrid International Film Festival in 2013. The film won the Best Picture, Best Director and the Best Actor Awards in that year.[21][22]

text: Modern era (2000-present)[edit]

text: Director Vimukthi Jayasundara became the first Sri Lankan to ever win the prestigious Caméra d'Or award for Best First Film at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival for his film Sulanga Enu Pinisa.[23]

text: Controversial filmmaker Asoka Handagama's films are considered by many prestigious names in the Sri Lankan film world to be the best films of honest response to the civil war.

text:
Sanda Dadayama,
Chanda Kinnarie,
Me mage sandai,
Tani tatuwen piyabanna,
Aksharaya.
Vidu
Ini Awan

text: Those films won awards at lots of international film festivals. He has faced lot of censorship problems with his creation; his film Aksharaya was banned by the Sri Lankan government.[24]

text:
Recent releases include:
Sooriya Arana, Aadaraneeya Wassaanaya,
Samanala thatu, Aloko Udapadi,
Hiripoda wessa, have attracted Sri Lankans to cinemas.

text: Sooriya Arana was replaced by Jackson Anthony's Aba (film) as the highest-grossing film in Sri Lankan cinema history, generating Rs.185 million at the box office. Aba, also became the most expensive film produced in Sri Lanka costing over 60 million Rupees to produce as well as being the first Sri Lankan film to be finished via Digital Intermediate technology. Several other countries such as China, Italy and Australia have shown interest in screening this film after its trailer was released. Among them China has shown special interest by considering dubbing it in Chinese. Aba was released on 8 August 2008.

text: In 2009 Prasanna Vithanage's Akasa Kusum (Flowers in the Sky) ran at 22 screens to packed audiences for over 70 days. The film which premiered at the Pusan International Film Festival in late 2008 also won several awards and was invited to numerous international film festivals.

text: While Sri Lankan films were winning international awards, and while Aba (film) attracted an unprecedented Rs.185 million in income and over 1 million admsisons sold, in yearly admissions continued to fall without let.

text: By 2009 it had dwindled to a mere trickle of 7.2 million attendances a year. The number of cinemas which was 365 in 1979 had fallen to a mere 147. By end of 2010, the yearly cinema attendance had fallen to 5.5 million, the lowest in the history of Sri Lankan cinema. A hapless National Film Corporation was seen to be lost, frozen in inaction while the 4 private sector distributors who had taken over the reins to run the film industry since 2001, were waiting for the audience to fall into their laps.

text: Since privatization of film distribution in 2001 among 4 "distributors" without calling for any bids, as is customary when a government gives up a monopoly, by the Chandrika Bandaranayake government, 111 cinemas have closed by July 2010- an average of one per month, signifying a failure of that process.

text: The number of domestically produced films screened for 2009 was 15 according to statistics released by the National Film Corporation.

text: The future of Sri Lankan cinema on the basis of unremitting fall of yearly attendance and a clueless National Film Corporation which had been rendered ineffective by President Chandrika Kumaratunga's privatization of distribution and film import. The private sector distributor foursome which she entrused the future of the Sri Lankan cinema seems to be asleep at the wheel, as the unrelenting downward slide in attendance continues. The future is clearly bleak.

text: In the recent years several high budget films like Aloko Udapadi, Aba (film), Paththini (2016 film) and Maharaja Gemunu produced and gain huge success. Most of them are based on Sinhalese epic historical stories gain huge success.

text: Short-film culture[edit]

text: In the context of Sri-Lankan cinema, this remembrance of the short film could easily be related to its history. Here, the short film has retained its status only as an exercise for the film-makers who rose to fame with the feature film. Dr.Lester James Peries, the realist film-maker, began his career, first, creating a short film titled “Soliloquy”. Another towering figure in country’s cinema, Dr. Dharmasena Pathiraja, also created a short film titled “Enemies” as his first cinematic experience. The State Film Corporation, which was established in the 1971, instituted a requirement for aspiring cinema-artists to make a short film prior to debut as a feature film-maker, and making them entitled to receive public fundded production credit.

text: However, problem was not that one made a short film before his long-length film, but the abandonment of the short-film as cinematic-medium thereafter by Anton Wicremesinghe after 1979 by making public funds available to "anyone" with disastrous results.

text: Young filmmaker Malaka Dewapriya was screened his ‘‘Life Circle’’ Short Film in the international competition in 2004, at the 10th International Student Film Festival in Tel Aviv, Israel. This was the first time a Sri Lankan student's film was chosen in an internationally recognized festival. And the selection was a big step to re-establish short film culture in Sri Lanka.

text: The addition of annual short film festivals to the local cinematic calendar, like the Agenda 14 Short Film Festival conducted by Anoma Rajakaruna, continue to motivate and enable talented young filmmakers to engage in the tradition of short-film making. It must be noted that a number of these programs have acquired support from international sources, like the European Film Academy in the case of Agenda 14, and that a number of short films by emerging filmmakers like Rehan Muddanayake, Hiran Balasuriya and Prabuddha Dihkwaththa have had their short-films receive some international recognition as well.

text: Leading actors and actresses[edit]

text: The stars of the first Sinhalese film Kadavunu Poronduwa, Rukmani Devi and Eddie Jayamanne, were the first to achieve popularity across the country. They had gained a certain fame through their roles in the plays of the Minerva group which contributed to their emergence in the film industry. They continued to star in films through the 1950s and the early 1960s.

text: In 1960, Gamini Fonseka emerged as a star in the historical film Sandesaya. Though the main role of the film was played by Ananda Jayaratne, Fonseka outshone the actor in his first major role. Fonseka had his next hit role in Ran Muthu Duwa where he found a popular co-star in actress Jeevarani Kurukalasooriya. Fonseka's other major films of the 1960s include Deewarayo, Adata Wadiya Heta Hondai and Chandiya.

text: In 1969, Vijaya Kumaratunga emerged as a star with a lead role in Hanthane Kathawa. Over the next decade he was the most popular leading actor next to Gamini Fonseka. In addition to foreign transliterated commercial films, he also acted in artistic films like Bambaru Awith, Eya Dan Loku Lamayek and Ganga Addara. His death in 1989 had a huge effect on popular cinema.

text: Notable actors and actress[edit]

text: Notable filmmakers[edit]

text:
Lester James Peries
Dharmasena Pathiraja
Tissa Abeysekara
Siri Gunasinghe
Mahagama Sekara
Vasantha Obeysekera
D. B. Nihalsinghe
Gamini Fonseka
Sunil Ariyaratne
Sugath Samarakoon
Somaratne Dissanayake
Chandran Rutnam
Roy de Silva
Prasanna Vithanage
Prasanna Jayakody
Asoka Handagama
Vimukthi Jayasundara
Jackson Anthony
Jayantha Chandrasiri
Udayakantha Warnasuriya
Boodee Keerthisena
Priyantha Colombage
Sumitra Peries
Sanjeewa Pushpakumara
Nalaka Vithanage
Sudesh Wasantha Pieris
Indika Fernando
Surange de Alwis

text: Award Ceremonies[edit]

text:
Sarasaviya Awards
Hiru Golden Film Award
Presidential Film Awards
SIGNIS Awards (Sri Lanka)

text: Leading Film Score Composers In Sri Lanka[edit]

text: Veterans Living & Dead[edit]

text:
R. Muttusamy
Sunil Santha
Somadasa Alwitigala
Mohomada Sali
Premasiri Khemadasa
Nimal Mendis
W. D. Amaradeva
Sarath Dasanayaka
Somapala Rathnayaka

Dr.Rohana Weerasinghe
Gunadasa Kapuge
Victor Rathnayaka
Sarath De Alwis
Lakshman Joseph de Saram
Dilup Gabadamaudalige
Nawarathna Gamage
Harsha Makalanda

text: New Age Composers[edit]

text:
Nadeeka Guruge
Kasun Kalhara
Dinesh Subasinghe
Dharshana Ruwan Disanayaka
Pradeep Rathnayaka
Mahesh Denipitiya
Ranga Dasanayaka
Gayathree Khemadasa
Ajith Kumarasiri
Sanka Dineth
Bathiya and Santhush


document_title: List of The Lion King characters

question_text: what's the monkeys name in the lion king

question_tokens: what 's the monkeys name in the lion king

root

text: List of The Lion King characters

text: Introduced in The Lion King (1994)[edit]

text: Simba[edit]

text: Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick in the films, Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a cub in the original film, Matt Weinberg as a cub in The Lion King 1½ , Cam Clarke in Timon & Pumbaa, Rob Lowe in The Lion Guard, and Donald Glover in the 2019 remake) is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, Scar's nephew, Nala's mate, and Kiara and Kion's father. After defeating Scar, Simba take's Mufasa's place as King of Pride Rock before marrying Nala and having Kiara and Kion with her.

tag: p

text: Nala[edit]

text: Nala (voiced by Moira Kelly in The Lion King, The Lion King ll: Simba's Pride, and The Lion King 1½, Niketa Calame as a cub in the original film, Gabrielle Union in The Lion Guard, Beyoncé in the live-action film) is the daughter of Sarafina, the best friend and later mate of Simba and Kiara and Kion's mother. Although she is a prominent character in The Lion King, she makes minor appearances in Simba's Pride, The Lion King 1½, and The Lion Guard.

text: In the first film, she is portrayed as Simba's childhood friend. After helping Simba enter the elephant graveyard, she has to be rescued by Mufasa when the hyenas attack them. Several years later, Nala encounters Simba as a young adult and develops a romance with him. After returning to Pride Rock, she helps Simba defeat Scar and take his rightful place as King of Pride Rock. In Simba's Pride, Nala is depicted as slightly older, calmer and less overprotective than her mate.

text: Timon and Pumbaa[edit]

text: Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane in the films, Quinton Flynn in earlier episodes of the TV series, Kevin Schon in later episodes of the TV series and The Lion Guard, Billy Eichner in the live-action film) and Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella in the films and TV series, Seth Rogen in the live-action film) are a meerkat and warthog duo. Although they are supporting characters in the first two films, they are featured as the main characters in The Lion King 1½ as well as in the Timon & Pumbaa TV series. In the first film they become friends with Simba and teach him the basics of life in the jungle. After helping Simba stop Scar's tyrannical reign, the two become Simba's royal advisors, and as revealed in the TV series The Lion Guard, the adoptive uncles of the honey badger, Bunga.

text: Scar[edit]

text: Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons in The Lion King, Jim Cummings in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, David Oyelowo in The Lion Guard, Chiwetel Ejiofor in the live-action film) is the main antagonist of The Lion King franchise. He is a black-maned lion who is Simba's paternal uncle and Mufasa's younger brother. In The Lion King, after he commits a coup d'état by murdering Mufasa and exiling Simba, he becomes "King of the Pride Lands". However, years later, Simba returns to Pride Rock and overthrows Scar to become King of the Pride Lands.

text: The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar reveals that Scar was once the leader of the titular group and, like his great-nephew Kion, once possessed the Roar of the Elders. Scar lost the Roar after using it to destroy the other members of his Lion Guard, as the Roar is meant to be used for good and not evil.

text: In season 2 of The Lion Guard, Kion unknowingly summons Scar back as a fiery spirit in a volcano after using the Roar in anger when Janja the hyena provokes him. Scar then conspires with the animals in the Outlands to take over the Pride Lands and defeat the new Lion Guard and Simba, who were initially unaware that Scar had returned. Later in the season, Kion and the guard find out that Scar has returned while they are in the Outlands getting volcanic ash needed to cure Simba from a scorpion sting.

text: Mufasa[edit]

text: Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones in the films, Gary Anthony Williams in The Lion Guard) is Scar's older brother, Sarabi's mate, Simba's father and Kiara and Kion's paternal grandfather who is introduced as the King of the Pride Lands. The name "Mufasa" means "King" in the Manazoto language. In The Lion King, he teaches Simba on what a king is supposed to be. However, Mufasa later dies after being thrown into a wildebeest stampede by Scar while rescuing Simba. He returns years later as a ghostly apparition in the clouds to help an older Simba return to the Pride Lands and remember who he truly is.

text: In The Lion Guard, Mufasa serves as a spirit guide to his grandson Kion.

text: According to Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, they knew that Jones' voice was powerful and similar to the roar of a lion. Jones is scheduled to reprise his role in the upcoming live-action adaptation of the film directed by Jon Favreau.[1]

text: Sarabi[edit]

text: Sarabi (voiced by Madge Sinclair in the first film, Alfre Woodard in the live-action film) is Mufasa's mate,  Simba's mother and Kiara and Kion's paternal grandmother. Her name means "mirage" in Swahili. In The Lion King, she serves as the Queen of Pride Rock. Years after Scar usurps the throne, Sarabi helps Simba fight against Scar and his hyenas. When Simba defeats Scar, Nala becomes Queen and Sarabi becomes the Queen Dowager.

text: Zazu[edit]

text: Zazu (voiced by Rowan Atkinson in The Lion King, Edward Hibbert in Timon & Pumbaa, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and The Lion King 1½, Jeff Bennett in The Lion Guard, John Oliver in the live-action film) is a red-billed hornbill[2] and majordomo to Mufasa and later Simba. After Mufasa's death, Zazu becomes a prisoner of Scar before Pumbaa breaks the bone cage releasing him when Simba returns to the Pride Lands. He eventually acts as a scout and advises Simba on royal protocol. In the musical, Zazu is a puppet controlled by an actor dressed in blue striped clothes and a bowler hat, much like a stereotypical butler. Zazu's blue feathers have been replaced with white and the puppet is partially constructed from parachute silk with a slinky contained in the neck for ease in movement.[3]

text: Rafiki[edit]

text: Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume in the films and Timon & Pumbaa , Khary Payton in The Lion Guard, John Kani in the live-action film), whose name means "friend" in Swahili, is a mandrill with an unnaturally long tail. He lives in a baobab tree in the Pride Lands and performs shamanistic services for the lions of Pride Rock.

text: In The Lion King, Rafiki is introduced in the opening scene when he travels to Pride Rock to perform newborn Simba's presentation ceremony. During the film, Rafiki sings a nonsense chant: "Asante sana, squash banana, wewe nugu, mimi hapana." This is a Swahili playground rhyme which translates to "Thank you very much (squash banana), you're a baboon and I'm not!" Like "hakuna matata" (no worries), the chant was heard by the filmmakers on their research trip to Kenya. Rafiki travels to the jungle where Simba lives with Timon and Pumbaa, and teaches him lessons about learning from the past: "Yes, the past can hurt but, the way I see it you can either run from  it, or learn from it". During the battle for Pride Rock, Rafiki saves Simba from a hyena. At the end of the film, Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub.

text: In the sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Rafiki is more closely involved with the affairs and politics of the pride and is often seen with the lions. Mufasa's spirit persuades him to bring Simba's daughter Kiara and Zira's son Kovu together as a way of uniting the Outsiders with the pride. Rafiki tries to make them fall in love by singing to them about a place called "Upendi", which means "love" in Swahili. In the end, he blesses the union of Kovu and Kiara, and Kovu is welcomed into the pride. Rafiki appears briefly in The Lion King 1½, teaching Timon the philosophy of "Hakuna Matata", talking to Timon's mother about her son, and later convincing Timon to follow Simba to Pride Rock to confront Scar.

text: In the musical, the character of Rafiki was significantly modified. Because director Julie Taymor felt that the story lacked a strong female character, Rafiki was changed into a female mandrill and sangoma. She acts as narrator throughout the story, at one point speaking to the audience in a click language for comic effect. She sings the opening song "Circle of Life", a keening song called "Rafiki Mourns" following Mufasa's death, and a brief part in Nala's song "Shadowland", when she blesses Nala for her journey to find help. Instead of detecting Simba's scent on dust, Rafiki hears Simba's song "Endless Night" on the wind. Rafiki finds Simba and shows him that his father lives on in him through the song "He Lives in You". She is present during the battle, fighting a hyena, and adorns Simba with the king's mantle after his victory; the play ends with her at the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.

text: Rafiki makes occasional appearances in the Timon and Pumbaa TV series and has his own segments called "Rafiki Fables" in the same show. He appears briefly in the Pride Lands world of Kingdom Hearts II.

text: Rafiki serves as a recurring character in The Lion Guard, and takes on an apprentice named Makini in season 2.

text: Shenzi, Banzai and Ed[edit]

text: Shenzi (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg in the films, Tress MacNeille in Timon & Pumbaa and Kingdom Hearts II, Florence Kasumba in the live-action film), Banzai (voiced by Cheech Marin in the films and Kingdom Hearts II and Rob Paulsen in Timon & Pumbaa) and Ed (voiced by Jim Cummings) are the three spotted hyenas who make up Scar's henchmen that reside in the Elephant Graveyard. After Scar promises them and the rest of their fellow hyenas that they will have food, the three hyenas trigger the wildebeest stampede and chase Simba out of Pride Rock. When Simba returns to Pride Rock, Shenzi and Banzai are defeated by Pumbaa. The three turn on Scar when the latter tries to blame them for Mufasa's death and the ruin of the Pride Lands, and maul him alive during a thunderstorm.

text: In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, it was mentioned by Nuka that the hyenas have left the Elephant Graveyard.

text: Gopher[edit]

text: Gopher (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a gopher who works for Zazu as an informant. In the film he is seen warning Zazu that the hyenas have invaded the Pride Lands. His scene is expanded in the 2003 special edition. He appears during the song The Morning Report and is spotted by Simba who tries to pounce him, but Gopher pops back inside the dirt. Gopher reappears, trying to get Mufasa's attention, but Simba notices him again, to which the gopher hides back in the dirt. For the third time, Gopher reappears near a small rock, and Simba notices him again to try to pounce him, Gopher disappears to which Simba hits his head on the rock.

text: The character is expanded in the Timon & Pumbaa television series. He acts as Zazu's primary lieutenant, even sharing Zazu's home within a large tree. He is seen reporting to Zazu on the movements of elephants. In one episode, Gopher is temporarily given Zazu's job by the jungle inspector after Zazu makes an error while counting the animal population.

text: Introduced in Timon & Pumbaa (1995–99)[edit]

text: Quint[edit]

text: Quint (voiced by Corey Burton) is Timon and Pumbaa's archenemy, a sneaky, muscular man with black hair, a pink nose, and a shaven face, and he has varying roles. His wears different clothes in each episode because of the different jobs he has, but he is often seen wearing a hat. He also has different first names that show what his jobs are (in which they all happen to start with C).

text: Quint is a con artist who tricks Timon into stealing a gold nugget Pumbaa found in the episode "Yukon Con", a criminal who stole a suitcase that has $1,290,000 in the episode "How to Beat the High Costa Rica", an evil clock inspector who wants to get revenge on a timekeeper in the episode "Swiss Missed", a French chef who wants to make Speedy the Snail an escargot in the episode "French Fried", etc. In the episode "The Pain in Spain", two Quints are seen together, which may prove that there is more than one of him.

text: In some episodes, Quint appears to be a respectable man with an honest job, but he still seems to annoy Timon and Pumbaa. Notably in Season 2, Quint's face appears to be clean-shaven, except in the episode "Klondike Con" when he becomes a gold thief. Also, in the episode "Escape From Newark", his nose is the same color as his body for the first time.

text: Speedy the Snail[edit]

text: Speedy (voiced by Corey Burton) is a talking grayish/bluish snail with a shiny red shell and a yellow fedora. Timon and Pumbaa plan to eat him at first, but his ability to speak and sing and his bon viveur, good-humored attitude gets him to become friends with them. Timon gives him the name "Speedy", because he thinks that it would be a brilliant incongruity. Speedy always finds himself in danger, such as becoming a French gourmet snail and an earring out of his shell, and it's always up for Timon and Pumbaa to save him.

text: In the episode "The Man from J.U.N.G.L.E.", Speedy is revealed to be a superhero called Super Duper Hero X after Timon and Pumbaa were captured by his nemesis Chromosome Quint. Every episode featuring Speedy end with Timon and Pumbaa saying bye to Speedy when they return him home, a seagull capturing Speedy, and then Timon and Pumbaa trying to save him once again. Speedy's voice was based on that of Bing Crosby. Speedy also makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the episode "Washington Applesauce".

text: Fred[edit]

text: Fred (voiced by S. Scott Bullock) is a meerkat who is Timon's other best friend back at the meerkat colony. He is a practical joker, employing such gags as the hand buzzer, the squirting flower, and the whoopee cushion. He also loved Timon's hyena jokes. When Fred visits Timon and Pumbaa, he pulls more practical jokes on the duo, such as impersonating Timon's mother or impersonating a Billy Goat guard. Timon and Pumbaa, however, don't find Fred's jokes very funny and they often overpower him. Aside from pulling practical jokes, Fred enjoys doing all sorts of activities, such as playing Turtle Tennis and Fishing for Flamingos. He also mentions that he and Timon have always gone Bowling for Buzzards.

text: At the meerkat colony, Fred's duty was to guard the Duke Meerkat's castle, although on the day the Duke left the colony, he snuck away to get a snack and convinced Timon that it was now his chance to go on a date with Princess Tatiana. When the Duke banished Timon from the colony after a cobra kidnapped the princess, Fred's new duty was to guard the back gate, which indicates that he has been demoted for failing to protect the castle.

text: Fred appears in a total of four episodes: "Tanzania Zany", "Mombasa-In-Law", "Once Upon a Timon", and "Mind Over Matterhorn".

text: Boss Beaver[edit]

text: Boss Beaver (voiced by Brad Garrett) is an ill-tempered and cantankerous beaver with a white hard hat. His lifestyle is the exact opposite of Timon and Pumbaa's Hakuna Matata lifestyle: Boss Beaver likes to work while Timon and Pumbaa like to relax. He owns a lumber mill and an amusement park called "Boss Beaver's Log Land". Boss Beaver also has three mottos: "Makuta Hamaka", which means "work real hard", "safety first" and "you break it, you buy it."

text: Boss Beaver's favorite quote is "I am Boss Beaver and the reason they call me Boss Beaver is that I am your boss and I am a beaver. Therefore, I am Boss Beaver." In the episode "Amusement Bark", it is revealed that he has a mischievous son named Boy Beaver, who keeps breaking things at his amusement park and getting Timon blamed for it. Boss Beaver appears in a total of three episodes. He also makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the episode "Washington Applesauce."

text: Irwin[edit]

text: Irwin (voiced by Charlie Adler) is a clumsy, accident-prone penguin with a green scarf and a brown hat. Timon and Pumbaa befriend him at a boat stop in Antarctica when they see that he has two extra tickets for the duo to get on the ship. When Irwin leaves his home with the duo, it is shown that he has obviously injured all of his penguin "friends", as they are all seen wearing bandages. Timon dislikes Irwin's clumsiness, and tries to get rid of him by tricking him into playing a game of Hide-and-Seek. Irwin accidentally causes the boat to sink and Timon and Pumbaa run into him on an island. Timon confronts the penguin and he tricks him into playing another game and Irwin accidentally causes the island to sink.

text: Irwin meets Timon and Pumbaa again at a Hakuna Matata Megamall. Due to his clumsiness, Timon and Pumbaa try to avoid him by hiding in various stores. Irwin appears in two episodes of the series: "Frantic Atlantic" and "Shopping Mauled."

text: Toucan Dan[edit]

text: Toucan Dan (Jeff Bennett) is a dangerously clever criminal mastermind lying toucan who wears a red fez. He is a convincing liar and impersonator and would also do anything to get someone in trouble. In his debut episode "I Don't Bolivia", he keeps tricking Timon into freeing him from his cage. Later in the episode, while Timon impersonates Toucan Dan in order to not be in trouble with the police, Toucan Dan impersonates Timon and this makes Pumbaa have to decide which one is the real Timon.

text: Toucan Dan makes his second and final appearance in the episode "Alcatraz Mataz". In that episode, he frames Timon and Pumbaa for stealing a train car full of beak polish and the police throw them in jail. Angry at Toucan Dan, Timon and Pumbaa escape to catch the toucan and make him tell the truth.

text: Rabbit[edit]

text: Rabbit (voiced by Charlie Adler) is a large and tall pink hare who appears to be very annoying, tiring. He made his debut in the episode "Mojave Desserted". In that episode, Timon and Pumbaa save his life when he was drowning in quicksand and he decides to repay the duo hand and foot. Annoyed by Rabbit, Timon and Pumbaa hatch a plan to put themselves in danger and have Rabbit save them and then leave them alone.

text: Rabbit makes his second and final appearance in the episode "Africa-Dabra!," this time appearing as an unsympathetic and ruthless magician. After Timon pulls him out of a hat, he teams up with the meerkat to become part of his magic act, telling him that he has been looking for a partner for years. When he gets annoyed by Pumbaa ruining the magic acts, he breaks up Timon and Pumbaa's friendship. When Pumbaa finds out that Timon would never truly said anything mean about him, he gets revenge on Rabbit by trapping him in a cage and later skinning him for his disguise.

text: Vulture Police[edit]

text: The Vulture Police (voiced by Townsend Coleman and Brian Cummings) are recurring characters in the Timon & Pumbaa series. They appear in a total of six episodes.

text: They make their first appearance in the episode "The Law of the Jungle," where they arrest Timon for using the Forbidden Stick to scratch his back and take him to Judge Rhino, who gives a number of tests to see whether he's innocent or guilty.

text: In the episode "Yosemite Remedy," Timon and Pumbaa go to the police after a criminal raccoon steals their suitcase full of valuables. When they handcuff the thief, he tells them that he didn't steal Timon and Pumbaa's suitcase, he found it. The police let him go, but later arrest him again when they find out that he really stole the duo's suitcase while catching him in the act.

text: In the episode "Alcatraz Mataz", the Vulture Police throw Timon and Pumbaa in jail after they were convinced by Toucan Dan that they stole the train car full of beak polish. After Timon and Pumbaa confront Toucan Dan, the police show up and realize that it was really Toucan Dan who stole the train car, so they arrest the toucan. However, they also throw Timon and Pumbaa back in jail since they escaped when they told them not to no matter if they were framed or not.

text: The Vulture Police make a brief appearance in the episode "Wide Awake in Wonderland," in the meerkat and warthog version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

text: Cheetata and Cheetato[edit]

text: Cheetata (voiced by Rob Paulsen) and Cheetato (voiced by Jim Cummings) are a pair of sophisticated twin cheetahs, reminiscent of Warner Bros' Goofy Gophers, speaking in British accents and using similar phrases ("Indubitably," "How very kind of you"). In order to tell them apart, not only do they have different voices, they also have different personalities: Cheetata appears to be more eager and aggressive while Cheetato seems more likely to think things through.

text: The cheetahs first appear in the episode "Cooked Goose", where they are annoyed by Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed getting in the way of their wildebeest hunt, so they try sending them on various wild goose chases. They also appear in "Gabon with the Wind," where they are convinced by Timon that he is going to catch Pumbaa for them, when he is actually going to find his friend so that they can both run away to safety.

text: In the episode "Boary Glory Days", Timon and Pumbaa use Cheetata and Cheetato to play a game of Predator Tag. While the cheetahs are chasing Timon and Pumbaa, the duo outsmarts the brothers by having them jump over a mud pool and fall into it.

text: The Three Natives[edit]

text: The Three Natives (voiced by Jeff Bennett) are a trio of tribes who are really university students taking part in the "Be a Native" weekends. They have a leader (also voiced by Jeff Bennett) who is also a university student and who usually precedes what he says with "Bungala, bungala." The natives first appear in "Boara Boara". This episode shows that they used to have a warthog king of the island, which is unknown what might've happened to him. Therefore, the natives might have not seen their king in a really long time. When Timon and Pumbaa visit the island, the natives mistake Pumbaa for their long-lost king and they make Timon his servant. Everything goes well until they make Pumbaa relight the fire and realize that he's an impostor when they see that he is unable to do so. After Timon and Pumbaa escape, the three natives shed their disguises upon getting tired of being hit by the leader's staff and return to the university. The leader orders them to return or else they'll lose their deposit.

text: The natives also appear in the episode "New Guinea Pig," where Pumbaa decides to trade his tusks to them. After they fail to get the tusks, the three natives shed their disguises and return to the university

text: In "Beast of Eden", the three natives are shown with their leader again where they steal a golden magic tooth that belongs to a beast and Timon and Pumbaa have to retrieve it from them.

text: They also make a brief appearance in the episode "Mozam-Beaked" when Timon and Pumbaa go to Bora Bora to throw a woodpecker into the volcano.

text: Mr. Bear[edit]

text: Mr. Bear (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a grumpy, short-tempered, but nice grizzly bear, although he gets easily angered, such as when he is awoken from his nap or when someone gets his food order wrong. He also has a romantic interest in a beautiful supermodel named Leslie Lambeau (voiced by Grey DeLisle). He appears in seven episodes, from "Slalom Problem" to "It Runs Good".

text: In the episode "Jailhouse Shock," Smolder becomes cell mates with Little Jimmy, who gets even with Timon and Pumbaa by taking advantage of him by convincing him that the duo hurt him so that he could beat them up.

text: Mr. starts to show compassion for Timon and Pumbaa in the episodes "Ready, Aim, Fire" and "Stay Away from my Honey!" In the former, he operated as Smolder the Bear (a parody of Smokey Bear) who dislikes fires and saves Timon and Pumbaa from being cooked on Quint's fire.

text: Tatiana[edit]

text: Tatiana (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is the daughter of the Duke Meerkat and the princess of the meerkat colony. She only appears in one episode but she's vital for Timon's past. After Timon leaves his sentry duty post to prepare for his date with Tatiana, a king cobra enters the colony and kidnaps the princess, which makes everyone believe she's dead and which causes Timon to get banished. After Timon and Pumbaa meet for the first time, they see that Tatiana is still alive and rescue her from a cobra. When Tatiana returns to the colony with Timon and Pumbaa, Timon is offered her hand in marriage. When the Duke makes him choose between Tatiana or Pumbaa, he chooses to be Bestest Best friends with Pumbaa as they leave the Meerkat colony.

text: Although "Once Upon a Timon" was meant to be Tatiana's only appearance, there is a female meerkat who bears a striking resemblance to her in the episode "Timon in Love". The only difference is that Tatiana has blond hair while the other meerkat has red hair and she's not wearing a tiara.

text: Sharla[edit]

text: Sharla (voiced by Billy West) is a female warthog who is the leader of Pumbaa's former sounder as well as Pumbaa's former girlfriend. While she only appears in one episode, she is vital for Pumbaa's past. She and three other male warthogs of the sounder banished Pumbaa from the group due to his awful scent, which was appalling even by warthog standards.

text: Years later, Sharla and the three warthogs carry around a big bag of bugs for the rainy season, but come across a flock of Guinea fowl, who are their natural enemies and nightmares. Due to the birds' abilities to remove their furs in just a few seconds, the warthogs refuge in a hut and make a distress call, which Pumbaa answers. When Pumbaa reunites with his sounder, he has Timon come up with ideas on how they can get rid of the Guinea fowl. However, none of Timon's ideas work, so Pumbaa suggests that he and Timon use the jeep so that they carry a fake bag of bugs (which have firecrackers inside) to distract the Guinea fowl while Sharla and the other warthogs leave the hut with the real bag of bugs.

text: Although Sharla banished Pumbaa from the group, they still have romantic feelings for each other. When Pumbaa (and Timon) show up to the hut, they tell each other that they have never forgotten one another. Sharla tells Pumbaa that he should stay with the group, but Pumbaa decides to continue living his Hakuna Matata lifestyle with Timon, which the female warthog understands.

text: Ned the Elephant[edit]

text: Ned (voiced by Frank Welker) is a high and mighty elephant who thinks he's wonderful at everything. He seems to enjoy teasing Timon and Pumbaa when they fail at proving their worth to him. In the episode "Uganda be an Elephant", Timon states that Ned is the most popular guy in the jungle and Pumbaa decides to turn himself into an elephant in order to be popular as well. Although Ned is selfish and sarcastic, he gets a change of heart after Pumbaa rescues him and his hippo henchmen from falling off a cliff.

text: In the episode "Unlucky in Lesotho", it is revealed that Ned has a Good Luck Club, which lost most of its members due to Ned bringing an unlucky jar. Because he gets attacked by piranhas (or tigerfish) upon falling into the river after a black panther cub crosses his path, Ned is never seen or heard from again after this episode.

text: Little Jimmy[edit]

text: Little Jimmy (voiced by Joe Alaskey) is a cute, yet dangerous bluebird. He is similar to Toucan Dan, with the fact that he is also a criminal mastermind and he can also be dishonest. He also has two voices: his fake cute, innocent voice to pass himself off as a hatchling and his criminal voice to show that he is truly an adult. Little Jimmy first appears in the episode "Nest Best Thing," where he tricks Pumbaa into building a birdhouse for him, which is actually a hideout. The pigeon police show up and arrest Little Jimmy.

text: In the episode "Jailhouse Shock," Little Jimmy is cell mates with Mr. Bear. In order to get revenge on Timon and Pumbaa for turning him in, he tricks Mr. Bear into thinking that Timon and Pumbaa hurt him so that he could hurt them back.

text: Pimon and Tumbaa[edit]

text: Pimon (voiced by Billy West) and Tumbaa (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) are a buff meerkat and warthog duo who are evil counterparts of Timon and Pumbaa. They are shown to be bullies of the jungle, as they enjoy pushing Timon and Pumbaa around, giving them atomic wedgies, as well as being shown picking on a squirrel. They also have their own philosophy: Kahuna Potato, which means that they will never leave Timon and Pumbaa (or anyone) alone.

text: Pimon and Tumbaa make their first and only appearance in the episode "Kahuna Potato". After Timon and Pumbaa successfully catch some bugs, the bullies steal their bag of bugs, give the two wedgies, and walk off with the bugs. Fed up of being picked on by the bullies, Timon decides that it is time for himself and Pumbaa to learn how to fight. Timon and Pumbaa go to Rafiki to have him teach them self-defense, which Rafiki suggests that they should snatch some bugs off his palm and he will teach them the secret to Kung-Fu. After Timon and Pumbaa learn Kung-Fu from Rafiki, they go confront Pimon and Tumbaa, who show them that they also know Kung-Fu. While the two groups fight each other, the bullies give Timon and Pumbaa more atomic wedgies, causing the two to give up until Rafiki appears and tells the two to use Hakuna Matata to fight. Listening to Rafiki's advice, Timon and Pumbaa continue fighting Pimon and Tumbaa and they end up defeating the bullies.

text: Later that night, Pimon and Tumbaa get their hairs shaved off and feed Timon and Pumbaa the bugs they stole from them.

text: Introduced in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)[edit]

text: Kiara[edit]

text: Kiara (voiced by Neve Campbell as a young adult and Michelle Horn as a cub in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and Eden Riegel in The Lion Guard) is the only daughter of Simba and Nala, Kion's older sister and Kovu's mate. She makes a cameo appearance at the very end of The Lion King when Rafiki holds up the newborn cub of Simba and Nala. She is a major character in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion Guard. Kiara is also a descendant of Mufasa and Sarabi, who are Simba's parents and Sarafina, who is Nala's mother.

text: Kiara is portrayed as a feisty, playful, and adventurous princess whom Simba easily fears for her safety. As a cub, Kiara befriends Kovu and rescues him from a group of nile crocodiles. As a young adult, Kiara is rescued by Kovu as part of Zira's plan to avenge Scar's death and the two lions eventually fall in love. When Kovu is exiled from the Pride Lands following Zira's ambush on Simba, Kiara helps him return to the Pride Lands to reunite the Pridelanders and Outsiders. Afterwards, she becomes Kovu's wife.

text: Kovu[edit]

text: Kovu (voiced by Jason Marsden as a young adult and Ryan O'Donohue as a cub in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Marsden in The Lion Guard) is the youngest child of Zira, Nuka and Vitani's younger brother, Scar's chosen heir and Kiara's mate. Kovu means "scar" in Swahili, a reference to his character conception as Scar's son, which was changed due to the implications of him and Kiara being first cousins once removed and falling in love.

text: During his childhood, Zira trains Kovu to assassinate Simba and take his place as King of Pride Rock. As a young adult, Kovu rescues Kiara during a planned ambush and Simba reluctantly allows him to stay in the Pride Lands. While spending time with Kiara, Rafiki gets the two young lions to fall in love, and Kovu realizes he cannot hurt Simba. However, after Simba is ambushed by the Outsiders and Nuka is killed, Kovu angrily disowns Scar and leaves the Outlands. When he tries to explain to Simba that he had no involvement in the attack and begs for Simba's forgiveness, Kovu quickly exiled from the Pride Lands as a traitor by Simba with help from the Pride Lands' inhabitants. Kovu returns to Pride Rock and stops the fighting between the Outsiders and Pridelanders with the help of Kiara. Simba later reconciles with Kovu and allows him to become his eventual successor.

text: Zira[edit]

text: Zira (voiced by Suzanne Pleshette in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Nika Futterman in The Lion Guard), meaning "hate" in Swahili, is the mother of Nuka, Kovu and Vitani. She was Scar's most loyal follower, and plots to avenge Scar's death by forming the Outsiders. However, after taking advantage of Kovu's friendship with Simba's daughter Kiara, she devises a plan to assassinate Simba. Eventually, the Pridelanders and the Outsiders fight each other, but with Kiara and Kovu's help, Vitani and the other Outsiders abandon Zira. Attempting to attack Simba, Zira is intercepted by Kiara and falls to her death despite the latter's attempt to rescue her.

text: Zira made an appearance in The Lion Guard (which takes place in the middle of the film) alongside Kovu, Nuka, Vitani and the rest of her pride in the episode "Lions of the Outlands". It is revealed in this episode that Zira attacked Simba after he defeated Scar and denied Kovu's position as the next king, resulting in the Outsiders' exile. She tries to convince Simba's son Kion that using the Roar of the Elders against her and the other Outsiders would cause him to lose it just as Scar did (in reality, he lost it because he used it for evil), and to side with his fellow lions. However, Kion is eventually able to see through her deceptions and drives her and the others off with the Roar.

text: Nuka[edit]

text: Nuka (voiced by Andy Dick) is the eldest child of Zira and Kovu and Vitani's older brother. His name means "stink" in Swahili. Jealous of Zira's greater relationship with Kovu, Nuka often attempts to gain his mother's approval. During the Outsiders' ambush, Nuka attempts to kill Simba to prove himself to his mother, but is crushed to death.

text: Vitani[edit]

text: Vitani (voiced by Jennifer Lien as a young adult, Lacey Chabert as a cub), a Swahili portmanteau of the words Vita ("War"), Ni ("I Am"), and Shetani, is the middle child and only daughter of Zira and Kovu and Nuka's sister. Although she has a prominent appearance in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, she makes a cameo appearance in The Lion Guard. As a young adult, Vitani is Zira's strongest lieutenant, supporting and acting on her mother's violent plans. With Kovu and Kiara's help, Vitani and the Outsiders turn on Zira and join the Pridelanders to stop the fighting between the two prides.

text: She was originally named "Shetani" ("She-Demon" in Swahili) in early drafts of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, but this was softened to "Vitani", which is a portmanteau that can be roughly translated to "I Am War" or, more commonly, "Demon of War".

text: Introduced in The Lion King 1½ (2004)[edit]

text: Ma[edit]

text: Ma (voiced by Julie Kavner) is Timon's mother. Generally encouraging and optimistic, she believes in Timon convinces Uncle Max to give him a job as a sentry or look-out. After Timon fails in his duty, she remains convinced that he can still find a place in the colony, but when he insists that he has to go, Ma supports him.

text: Later, she gets worried about Timon after speaking to Rafiki and searches for him. They finally reunite at Pride Rock and Ma helps in the battle against the hyenas by digging a long tunnel to trap them. After Simba becomes king, the death of Scar and avenging Mufasa, Timon takes them and the entire meerkat colony to the jungle paradise he and Pumbaa discovered.

text: She is mentioned in The Lion Guard episode "Beware the Zimwi" by Timon, who claims that her cousin's friend knew an ox that was eaten by the Zimwi.

text: Uncle Max[edit]

text: Uncle Max (voiced by Jerry Stiller) is a prominent member of the meerkat colony and relative of Timon and Ma. He has grey head-fur and a very large nose. Max is a pessimist by nature and very paranoid, believing that a meerkat's fate is to be "food for other animals! Feared by nothing and eaten by all!" Max reluctantly agrees to let Timon be a sentry for the colony and attempts to train him for the job, but is nearly eaten by the hyenas when they attack. He is glad to see Timon go but ends up going with Ma to find him. Max appears again towards the end of the film, where he and Ma encounter Timon and Pumbaa at Pride Rock, and helps Timon get rid of the hyenas by digging a tunnel. Max finally believes in Timon, and after Timon takes the meerkats to his jungle paradise, Max teaches the meerkats tai chi instead of how not to be eaten.

text: Some of Max's role was originally going to be filled by Timon's father, who was considered for inclusion in the film but ultimately dropped.

text: Introduced in The Lion Guard (2015–present)[edit]

text: Kion[edit]

text: Kion (voiced by Max Charles[4]) is the son of Simba and Nala, Kiara's younger brother, Mufasa, Sarabi, Sarafina and Nala's father's grandson and Scar's great-nephew. His name is derived from the Swahili word "Kiongozi" ("leader"). His catchphrase is "Hevi kabisa!" which means "totally intense!" in the same tongue. In the series pilot The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, Simba has Kion organize the titular guard along with Bunga, Beshte, Fuli, and Ono. As leader of the Lion Guard and second-born to the throne, Kion is gifted with a power called the Roar of the Elders which when used, causes the great lion spirits of the Pride Lands past to roar with him.

text: Kion has a strong sense of responsibility, and does not want to end up like his great-uncle Scar, who used the Roar for evil and lost it forever. Because of this, Kion is mindful not to use the Roar in anger. Sometimes though his emotions get the better of him, as when Nala was once cornered by hyenas causing him to Roar in anger at them.

text: He also demonstrates a strong yet open sense of discernment, which warms him to scavengers like Jasiri the hyena and her clan. However, more cunning neighbors such as Zira of the Outsiders and Reirei's jackal pack have used his trusting spirit to exert their will, only to be soundly subdued when Kion's instincts come into play.

text: By the end of the hour-long season 2 special The Rise of Scar, Kion travels to the Outlands to save Kiara, and unknowingly summons Scar back as a fiery spirit in the hyenas' volcano after he uses the Roar in anger when Janja taunts him. Later in the season, Kion and The Lion Guard find out that Scar has returned while they are in the Outlands getting volcanic ash needed to cure Simba from a scorpion sting. Upon returning to the Pride Lands, Kion acknowledges to his team that they have a tough fight ahead, but remains confident that they will be able to defeat Scar.

text: Bunga[edit]

text: Bunga (voiced by  Joshua Rush) is a young honey badger, Kion's best friend and the bravest member of the Lion Guard. He is also the adoptive nephew of Timon and Pumbaa. Bunga is shown to be very adventurous and he rarely acts serious or even sits still, as he is always on the move, working off boundless energy and enthusiasm, and makes even the most dire of situations into a fantastic time. Though this makes him a great friend and playmate, it lands him into trouble more often than not. Not only is he willing to put himself in bodily harm, such as his stunt in leaping off Pride Rock, but he will face down predators such as the hyenas in order to save his friends. According to Kiara, Bunga is "brave, bordering on stupid," but a valued member of the Lion Guard nonetheless. His catchphrase is "Zuka Zama," which means "pop up, dive in" in Swahili. His name means 'fool' in the same tongue.

text: Fuli[edit]

text: Fuli (voiced by Diamond White[4]) is a cheetah, one of Kion's friends and the fastest member of the Lion Guard, as well as its only female member. She is quite prideful in her running abilities and shows extreme delight for being able to outpace a pursuer of any species. Despite being friends with Kion, she is somewhat resentful of the Lions for lording over the Pride Lands and was skeptical about Kion's Roar of the Elders. Despite these negative traits, she was willing to join the Lion Guard with her friends to defend the Circle of Life when Janja and his clan invaded the Pride Lands. Her catchphrase is "Huwezi," which means "you can't (catch me)" in Swahili. Her name means 'very fast' in the same tongue.

text: Beshte[edit]

text: Beshte (voiced by Dusan Brown[4]) is a hippo, one of Kion's friends and the strongest member of the Lion Guard. Being one of the most popular animals of the Pridelands, Beshte is shown to be kind-hearted. His friendliness extends to everyone, as he acts like a big brother to the younger members of his herd, a friend to animals of all different species, and a protector of the Pride Lands at large. Beshte can also, however, be sensitive, being especially tactful when his friend Kion is unable to use the Roar of the Elders. For an animal so large and full of life, Beshte has an appropriately large heart and never fails to treat his friends with kindness. Beshte's catchphrase is "Twende Kiboko!", which means "let's go, hippo!" in Swahili. He also exclaims "Poa!" to express amazement or approval. His name means 'friend' in the same tongue.

text: Ono[edit]

text: Ono (voiced by Atticus Shaffer[4]) is a cattle egret, one of Kion's friends and the keenest of sight of the Lion Guard, as well as its only non-mammal member. He is one of the more easygoing members of the group, being friendly and group-oriented. He is used to spending time around other animals and is content to be part of The Lion Guard. Ono is also shown to be blunt, as he is able to lay out his feelings without sugar-coating. He is by far the most realistic member of the group, as he always thinks things through before jumping in.

text: When it comes to his role on the Lion Guard, Ono is brave and has a knack for following the rules. He obeys Kion's orders without question and proves himself to be plucky and thrifty, considerably useful when it comes to scouting out a situation. His principles are clear in his willingness to fight with his full heart for the Circle of Life, and he is a valued member of the Lion Guard for his intelligence and ability to see things from afar. Ono's catchphrase is "Hapana!", which means "oh no!" in Swahili. His name means "passion" in the same tongue. It also means "good" in Hawaiian.

text: Zuri[edit]

text: Zuri (voiced by Madison Pettis) meaning "beautiful" in Swahili, is a lioness cub and one of Kiara's friends. She appears to be vain about her appearance, as she constantly sharpens her claws on trees in order to keep them shiny. Unlike her friends, Zuri is delicate and timid. She shows considerable anxiety and fear in the face of simple circumstances and harbors deep disgust for grubs.

text: Tiifu[edit]

text: Tiifu (voiced by Sarah Hyland) is a lioness cub, and a friend of Kiara's. She is shown to be kind and patient, as seen when she comforts an overreacting Zuri. She is a great rule-follower and trusts the judgment of her friends, showing faith when she leaves Kiara to fetch help as Janja invades the Pride Lands.

text: Janja's clan[edit]

text: Janja's clan is a small pack of male spotted hyenas that live in the Outlands.

text:
Janja (voiced by Andrew Kishino) is the cunning and ruthless leader of the hyenas in the Outlands and one of the main antagonists.
Cheezi (voiced by Vargus Mason) is one of Janja's right-hand henchmen, an excitable hyena who is usually seen sticking his tongue out. He looks similar to Ed.
Chungu (voiced by Kevin Schon) is one of Janja's right-hand henchmen, an unintelligent hyena who has a tough attitude and a slightly heavier build than Janja.
Nne (voiced by Beau Black) is a sly and stout but smart spotted hyena.
Tano (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) is a devious and sloping but smart hyena.

tag: ul

text: Mzingo[edit]

text: Mzingo (voiced by Greg Ellis) is a white-backed vulture who is one of Janja's majordomo of the Outlands. He is the leader of a flock of vultures that is allied with Janja's clan.

text: Jasiri[edit]

text: Jasiri (voiced by Maia Mitchell) is a friendly female spotted hyena who makes her first appearance in the episode "Never Judge a Hyena By Its Spots." She is open to making friends with lions. Bold and spunky, Jasiri is able to look past differences and focus on where different species have common ground. Unlike Janja and his clan, she dislikes selfishness and gluttony, and she respects the Circle of Life. She has blue eyes and mauve fur, unlike the other hyenas.

text: Makini[edit]

text: Makini (voiced by Landry Bender) is a young mandrill who is Rafiki's new apprentice. She is free-spirited and loves to learn and look up to her mentor. However, she has trouble being calm and she is easy to deceive. Despite this, Makini takes pride in herself and her position, and is friendly and welcoming to everyone she meets.

text: Mtoto[edit]

text: Mtoto (voiced by Jason Felbinger) is an elephant calf who idolizes Beshte. He appears to be innocent with little understanding of the world. His playful nature often gets him into trouble, though his intentions are usually good.

text: Ma Tembo[edit]

text: Ma Tembo (voiced by Lynette Dupree) is an adult elephant who attains leadership of her father Aminifu's herd after his death. Much like her father, she is always game for a laugh. Even when Simba makes a mistake at her father's funeral, she is gracious and kind, and makes light of the situation by dwelling on the good. She is similarly gracious to Nala and Kiara when they are the only members of their family to attend the elephant concert.

text: Crocodiles[edit]

text: There are a number of crocodiles who appear in The Lion Guard:

text:
Pua (voiced by Gerald C. Rivers) is a Nile crocodile who originally led the crocodile float, until he is defeated by Makuu in a "mashindano" battle for the position of alpha male. Upon defeat, Pua leaves the float.
Makuu (voiced by Blair Underwood) is a young, sleek, and well-built Nile crocodile who leads the crocodile float that lives in The Pride Lands after defeating the previous leader Pua in battle. He is shown to be boastful and loves to bask in the attention of others. Unlike his predecessor, Makuu initially has no respect for tradition or the Circle of Life, and certainly not for authority (except his own), seeing both Pua and Kion as weak and cowardly. He appears to only respond to strength and power, as he was awestruck by the Roar of the Elders and gave into Kion's second demand to leave Big Springs while trying to save face. In Season 2, Makuu has decided to become a better leader for his float, reforming from his trouble-making ways.
Kiburi (voiced by Common) is a former member of Makuu's float who, much like a less experienced Makuu, saw no reason why the crocodiles should have regard for the other animals of the Pride Lands. After the crocodiles were accidentally awakened from dry season Aestivation by the Lion Guard, Kiburi led most of the float in an effort to seize bodies of water. He later challenged Makuu to a mashindano, having made an alliance with Ushari and a plan to eliminate Simba. Upon being defeated, he and his supporters were expelled from the Pride Lands, and became a part of Scar's growing collective in the Outlands.
Tamka (voiced by Nolan North) is a brutish crocodile loyal to Kiburi.
Nduli (voiced by Jorge Diaz) is a crocodile loyal to Kiburi.

text: Reirei's pack[edit]

text: Reirei's pack is a pack of black-backed jackals who first appeared in the episode "The Kupatana Celebration". They trick the Lion Guard into letting them into the Pride Lands so that they can devour all the animals. At Kupatana, the jackals attack the Pridelanders until they are defeated by the Lion Guard. Simba himself approaches the jackal pack and roars, sending them scurrying back into the Outlands. Reirei and Goigoi reappear in the episode "Too Many Termites", where they attempt to eat a pack of aardwolves, but are stopped by the Lion Guard. They are the first canine villains to appear in the Lion Guard. In Season 2, they become members of Scar's army.

text:
Reirei (voiced by Ana Gasteyer) is a clever, scheming, and manipulative jackal who is the leader of her pack and wreaks havoc in the Pride Lands.
Goigoi (voiced by Phil LaMarr) is Reirei’s mate who only thinks with his stomach and has the tendency to fall asleep.
Dogo (voiced by Jacob Guenther) is one of Reirei and Goigoi's sons who uses his innocent looks to his advantage to win the trust of others in order to take advantage of them.
Kijana (voiced by Amber Hood) first appeared in the episode "Babysitter Bunga" and is Reirei and Goigoi's daughter.

text: Ushari[edit]

text: Ushari (voiced by Christian Slater) is an Egyptian cobra who often conflicted with Bunga and would get disturbed whenever the Lion Guard was near him. In The Rise of Scar, Ushari finally gets fed up with the Lion Guard disturbing his peace and inadvertently finds out that Kion talks to Mufasa's spirit. With this knowledge he decides to join forces with Janja's clan and ends up helping them orchestrate the events that allow them to summon Scar's spirit so that he can guide them in defeating the Lion Guard.

text: Basi[edit]

text: Basi (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is Beshte's father and leader of his and his son's pod. He is amicable and open, willing to engage in conversation and negotiate according to the customs of the Pride Lands. Even in the face of adversity, such as Makuu's violent takeover of Big Springs, Basi maintains his temper and graciously offers the crocodile a chance to return once the fish have returned in plenty.

text: Being so learned in the ways of the animals, Basi is knowledgeable and wise. Despite being an animal with a very different way of life, he understands the customs of the crocodiles and how this affects his pod's everyday life. Unlike the inexperienced young Makuu, Basi grasps an understanding of the Circle of Life and how every animal must give and take in order to keep it in balance.

text: Leopards[edit]

text: Several African leopards appear in the series; two are antagonists, while one is an ally of the Lion Guard:

text:
Makucha (voiced by Steven Blum): an aggressive, powerful leopard who comes to the Pridelands in pursuit of the okapi Ajabu, and who proves to be quite an adversary to the Lion Guard due to his speed and strength. He becomes a leader of his leap.
Badili (voiced by Jack McBrayer): a friendly leopard who was initially too timid to stand up to Mapigano, who tried to take over his territory.
Mapigano (voiced by Jorge Diaz): a mean leopard who attempts to take over Badili's territory until Badili gains confidence through training with the Lion Guard and drives him out.

text: Aardwolves[edit]

text:
Mjomba (voiced by Charlie Adler) is a grumpy and impatient aardwolf who is the leader of the pack. He has a hunched back, bushy black eyebrows, gray fur, and darker gray markings. His inner ears are pink, and his nose is black. Like the rest of the pack, he adores termites.
Ogopa (voiced by Marieve Herington) is a bright and cheerful aardwolf. She has blue-gray fur and black markings, as well as a narrow muzzle and a black nose. Her yellow eyes are large and framed by a few eyelashes, and her inner ears are pink with a couple of hairs sprouting from each. Like the rest of the pack, she adores termites. She is easily frightened and has a tendency to jump to conclusions. She also tends to add afterthoughts after she states her opinion on a subject.
Haya (voiced by Ogie Banks) is a nervous and shy aardwolf. He has dark gray fur with longer fur on his cheeks and black markings, and his inner ears are pink with a few hairs sprouting from them. His upper teeth protrude from his dark muzzle. Like the rest of the pack, he adores termites. Like Ogopa, he tends to add afterthoughts after stating his opinion.

text: Introduced in The Lion King books[edit]

text: Kopa[edit]

text: Kopa is the son of Simba and Nala, appearing in the book series The Lion King: Six New Adventures, and is shown to look a lot like his father as a cub, except with a tuft of hair on top of his head. The book series was released before Simba's Pride, therefore Kopa does not appear in the film.

text: Ahadi[edit]

text: Ahadi is the father of Mufasa and Taka (Scar), the grandfather of Simba, the great-grandfather of Kopa, Kiara and Kion and the king of the Pride Lands during the events of The Lion King: Six New Adventures story A Tale of Two Brothers. He is shown to look a lot like Mufasa except with darker fur.

text: Uru[edit]

text: Uru is the mother of Mufasa and Taka (Scar), the grandmother of Simba, the great-grandmother of Kopa, Kiara and Kion and the queen of the Pride Lands during the events of The Lion King: Six New Adventures story A Tale of Two Brothers. She is absent from the book but is mentioned to have left to search for water to save the kingdom.

text: Mohatu[edit]

text: Mohatu is the father of Ahadi or Uru, the grandfather of Mufasa and Scar, the great-grandfather of Simba, and King of the Pride Lands during the events of the story The Brightest Star. He went to find water for the animals of the land during a drought and helped the animals get on with each other. When he died, he became a star which was brighter than the others. He is shown to look a lot like a darker furred version of Mufasa, having facial features like Simba's and was said to have been one of the greatest kings of the Pride Lands.

text: Ni[edit]

text: Ni is a character who appears in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story Nala's Dare. He is a young lion who has left his pride to start his own and travels through the Pride Lands during Scar's reign and saves Nala from hyenas before leaving after meeting the rest of the Pridelanders.

text: Kula[edit]

text: Kula is a character in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story Nala's Dare. She is one of Nala's friends and one of the cubs of the Pridelanders who lived during Scar's reign.

text: Chumvi[edit]

text: Chumvi is a character in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story Nala's Dare. He is one of Nala's friends and one of the cubs of the Pridelanders.

text: Joka[edit]

text: Joka is a giant python in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story A Snake in the Grass. He is extremely intelligent and is able to formulate complicated plans in a short amount of time. He has the power to twist his words into whatever he rightly wants and uses hypnotism to lure unsuspecting victims into believing his empty words. The name Joka translates as 'dragon' in the Swahili tongue

text: Jelani[edit]

text: Jelani is Rafiki's lazy cousin in The Lion King: Six New Adventures story Follow the Leader. Despite being considered leader of his troop, he is unconcerned about the suffering of his subjects, as he is often too concerned about his own welfare to lead them to a new home.

text: Kwaheri[edit]

text: Kwaheri is Kopa's monkey friend in The Lion King: Six New Adventures stories Nala's Dare and How True, Zazu? He is social, talkative, and critical to his friends. He often flaunts his talents around Kopa to either spark a reaction or just be a show-off.

text: Boma[edit]

text: Boma is a cape buffalo who appears in The Lion King: Six New Adventures stories A Tale of Two Brothers and How True, Zazu?. His grandparents were killed during an attack by army ants. He is the leader of the cape buffalo and he is aggressive, controlling, selfish, strong, and short-tempered. He is also somewhat seclusive and gruff, as he doesn't seem to understand that there is a balance between species and refuses to share the last remaining water-hole during a draught, which can affect the whole of the Pride Lands. It is due to him that Taka got his scar after which he renamed himself to Scar. If challenged or insulted he becomes very angry. However he is mildly co-operative if not insulted or challenged. Taka tries to get Mufasa in trouble by telling him to talk with Boma to share the water-hole. Mufasa tries to reason with him to share the water-hole however he refuses. Scar then roars and tells him that he must obey or challenge Mufasa. He then chases after Mufasa who is rescued by Rafiki. Rafiki starts to grow tired while running but is picked up by Mufasa who then jumps across a ravine. Boma is unable to make the jumps and falls into it. Mufasa tells him that he doesn't have to fight but he keeps hurling thret[clarification needed] while saying that the other buffaloes can still harm Taka. Taka is then attacked by three buffaloes during which he receives his scar. Ahadi stops this attack with a large herd of animals and has an elephant push Boma out of the ravine.

text: Zuzu[edit]

text: Zuzu is Ahadi's majordomo. She only appeared in A Tale of Two Brothers, though she was mentioned in How True, Zazu?. She turned out to be Zazu's mother. Flirtatious and gossipy, Zuzu is a very maternal bird who never passes up the chance for some juicy gossip, much like her son, Zazu. Her talkative nature and nosy habits often make her a bit of an annoyance to the other animals, though Ahadi puts her personality to good use in order to get a better grip on the doings of his kingdom. Zuzu is also known for being loyal and brave, as she was willing to help Rafiki even though she did not fully understand the danger Mufasa was in. It said that she retired, and gave Zazu her place as the king's majordomo.