Shujaa

Shujaa is a male gorilla. He is a member of Sokwe's troop.
Sokwe sent Shujaa to assist the Lion Guard in protecting the Pride Lands from Outlander attacks. However, Shujaa proved to be unintentionally destructive and incapable of managing his own strength. Beshte attempted to teach Shujaa how to control himself, but when all their training attempts failed, Shujaa gave up and refused to help anymore for fear of hurting more animals. Only when Beshte got hurt during a battle did Shujaa reemerge to help the Lion Guard defeat their foes. Afterward, he declared that he would show off his new knowledge to Sokwe and promised to return to the Pride Lands should the Lion Guard need him.
Later, Sokwe helped the Pride Landers defeat Scar and his army.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Shujaa lived in the Theluji Mountains. He was a member of Sokwe's troop.
===Assisting the Lion Guard===
At the watering hole, the Lion Guard regulated when the giraffes and zebras would drink. Suddenly, a gorilla appeared and smashed everything in sight. At first, the gorilla was hostile, but he backed down upon realizing that he was facing the Lion Guard.
The gorilla introduced himself as Shujaa and explained that the king of the Theluji Mountains, Sokwe, had sent him to assist the Lion Guard. He then demonstrated his ability to destroy things with his strength. The Lion Guard revealed that Beshte was the strongest in the Pride Lands, and Shujaa eagerly asked for a demonstration. Although reluctant, Beshte threw a large boulder at Shujaa. The gorilla caught it, then threw it back, only to narrowly avoid hitting Beshte and Ono.
Just then, Ono informed the Lion Guard that the crocodiles, hyenas, and jackals were attacking Big Springs. Alongside Shujaa, the team raced to the rescue and confronted the invaders. Before the Lion Guard could step in, Shujaa heaved boulders and trees at the Outlanders, which effectively drove them away from Big Springs. However, in the process, he destroyed the nearby area, blocked several aardvark dens, trapped some hares in mud, and tangled up a few oryx's horns. Though Shujaa was upset, the Lion Guard assured him that they could clean up the mess.
No sooner had they finished when Ono informed them that the crocodiles, hyenas, and jackals had returned to hunt a herd of sable antelope. Kion suggested cutting through Nyani Grove, which inspired Shujaa to charge through the grove and begin clearing a wide path. In doing so, he knocked the baboons from their trees, and they charged into a herd of cape buffalo, which incited a stampede.
As Shujaa approached the Outlanders, Kion entered the scene behind him and ordered the sable antelope to move. He then used the Roar of the Elders to blast the Outlanders away. Kion explained to Shujaa that he did not know his own strength, and Beshte offered to teach the gorilla what he knew. Shujaa agreed, and the two moved off together to train.
Beshte and Shujaa encountered Laini and her fellow galagos in a tree, where they were suspicious of a serval on the opposite branch. The serval admitted to being stuck, and Beshte questioned Shujaa on what they should do. Shujaa suggested uprooting the tree, but Beshte urged him to think more closely about the problem. This led Shujaa to bend the branch of the tree down to the ground so that the serval could clamber to safety. The plan worked until Shujaa let go of the branch, which catapulted Laini and the galagos into another tree.
Despite Shujaa's disappointment, the two moved on to help a butterfly whose wing was stuck under a mound of rocks. Shujaa thought on the problem, then removed the stones from around the butterfly's wing, which effectively freed it. Elated at his victory, Shujaa pounded on the rest of the rock mound, which freed a large boulder and sent it careening into the ground. Beshte saved Shujaa just in the nick of time.
The two moved on to where Kifaru was wandering in a canyon, blind and lost without the assistance of his tickbird, Mwenzi. Shujaa realized that Kifaru wanted to reach a watering hole, which was just on the other side of the canyon, so he punched a hole through the rock to allow Kifaru easy access. However, the rock gave way to reveal two hyraxes whose home had been built in the destroyed canyon wall. Beshte reminded Shujaa that they could find a new home for the hyraxes, but Shujaa despaired over his inability to help other animals.
As Beshte delivered the hyraxes to their new home, Shujaa lamented his destructive nature and resolved to never help again, lest he hurt more animals. Beshte urged Shujaa to not give up, but the gorilla refused to move, even when Ono arrived with news that Big Springs was under attack and had been set ablaze. Beshte was forced to leave for Big Springs on his own.
Once at the scene of the fight, Beshte ordered his pod to stay in the water while he dealt with the fire. However, in the midst of the fight, he injured his leg and was unable to move. Ono begged Shujaa for help, and the gorilla agreed to fight for the sake of Beshte.
Shujaa arrived at Big Springs to find Beshte collapsed on the ground. He thought carefully on the solution, then lifted Beshte in his arms and set him next to the water. He then defeated the Outlanders with his strength and used dust to put out the last of the fire.
The Lion Guard praised Shujaa for his quick thinking and commented that they were glad that Sokwe had sent him. This made Shujaa realize that he had never demonstrated his ability to think to Sokwe, so he resolved to return and show his leader what he had learned. Before leaving, he promised to help the Lion Guard if they ever needed him again.
===Battle for the Pride Lands===
After Simba declared total war on Scar and his army, Shujaa and Hadithi arrived at Pride Rock to train for the upcoming Pride Lander invasion of the Outlands. That night, the Pride Landers witnessed Scar's spirit manifesting in a fire at Pride Rock and warning them to leave before his army conquered the Pride Lands.
As the flames died down, Scar disappeared, and the Pride Landers grew worried about their chances against him. In the panic, Shujaa expressed fear at Scar's ability to predict what the Pride Landers were planning. Just then, Jasiri and Janja arrived, and Janja told the Pride Landers how they could defeat Scar. Heeding Janja's advice, Simba readied an invasion force for the following morning and sent the Pride Landers to get some rest.
The next morning, Shujaa assembled with the Pride Landers to assault the Outlands. In the midst of the battle, Dogo's brothers threw stones at Bupu's herd, but Shujaa threw a rock at the jackal pups, scattering them. Eventually, Kion defeated Scar, and the Pride Landers triumphed over the Army of Scar. In the wake of the battle, Shujaa watched Jasiri become the queen of the Outlands.
===Kion's coronation===
Shujaa attended Kion's wedding to Rani at the Tree of Life.
==Physical appearance==
Shujaa is a massive, broad-shouldered, and muscular gorilla. He has blue-gray fur and brown eyes.
==Personality and traits==
Shujaa is friendly, helpful, and well-meaning. Though he longs to help others, he often unintentionally harms his allies and enemies alike because of his pure destructive power and inability to control himself. Eventually, with the help of Beshte, he learned to think before he acted and so became far less dangerous. Shujaa is quite dim and slow-witted, and speaks in broken English. Additionally, he uses the third person to refer to himself.
==Appearances==
* The Lion Guard
** "Beshte and the Beast"
** "Battle for the Pride Lands"
** "Return to the Pride Lands"
==Trivia==
* Shujaa was voiced by Christopher Jackson.
** Jackson also voiced Kitendo in The Lion Guard and was the original understudy for Simba in the stage musical version of The Lion King.
* Shujaa's name means "hero, brave person, fighter" in Swahili.
* Shujaa's battle cry, "Shujaa ponda!" means "Hero smash!" in Swahili.
* Shujaa frequently refers to himself in the third person.
==References==
Category:Canon articles
Category:Characters
Category:Gorillas
Category:The Lion Guard characters
Category:Males