Kariuki

Kariuki is a male lion. He is a member of Reth's Pride.
He is an antagonist in Legends of the Lion Guard.
==Appearance==
Kariuki has a reddish-gray pelt, with a lighter muzzle, chest, underbelly, and paws. He has a dark brown mane and tail-tip, and a red streak going down the sides of his mane. His ears are rimmed in a darker shade of brown compared to the pelt, and he has orange eyes and yellow sclerae. A scar runs between his eyes and down to the side of his muzzle. He has a gray nose and brown ear rims, the top rims being darker than the bottom rims.
==Personality==
Kariuki has a laid back and calm personality even in battle. He takes his next decisions very carefully and tries to anticipate what his enemies will do next. He is a much more logical and methodical thinker than any of the other antagonists in the series. He is also sneaky and misleading.
==History==
===Legends of the Lion Guard: Protectors of the Pride Lands===
====A Celebration in the Pride Lands====
Kariuki and the rest of Reth's Pride attempt to crash the Kupatana celebration. However, Kion quickly defeats them and uses the Roar to send them back.
===Legends of the Lion Guard: Battle for the Pride Lands===
Reth orders Shupavu to gather the rest of the pride for an attack. Later, Kariuki and his pride attack Nguruma, Timon, and Pumbaa at Lake Shangaza. The Lion Guard, Mhina, and Anga arrive on the scene, and Kion soon roars the pride out of the Pride Lands. Kariuki and his pride soon attack Wema at the watering hole, but they are roared away by Kion. After that, they meet with Ushari, Shupavu's Group, Janja's Clan, and Kucha's Clan at Broken Rock, where Ushari reveals that they can bring Scar back. When he hears that everything is going according to plan, Ushari orders Shupavu to fetch Reth's Pride. When Scar commences his war on the Pride Lands, Reth's Pride is gathered inside the volcano. Shortly after, Reth's Pride lures Ayana away from Pride Rock, kidnapping her and taking her to Rocky Plateau. Zazu warns Fuli, who speeds to Rocky Plateau and confronts the pride.
Kariuki dangles Ayana over the crevasse, then throws her over it. However, Hadithi's bird army appears, and while the birds swarm Reth's Pride, Hadithi and Anga rescue Ayana. Fuli takes her back to Pride Rock, informing her grandparents of what happened, and repeating this same information to Kion. Despite their defeat at Rocky Plateau, Reth's Pride does not give up, and they proceed to attack Maumivu Thorn Patch. Ono warns Kion, and Mhina immediately offers for him and his siblings to fight them. Although he has reservations, Kion agrees, and they rush off. Upon arriving, they find mass chaos at Maumivu Thorn Patch. Mhina slams into Kariuki, and he chuckles, kicking him off. Mhina scrambles back onto his paws, determined, and he warns Reth's Pride to leave before they battle him and his siblings. Kariuki retorts that it's a challenge, and without warning, he slashes Mhina's right eye, permanently scarring him.
He and Slash pin him down, and he tells him that he now has the Mark of Evil - meaning that he'll eventually turn into someone like Scar. Mhina vows to never be like him, and Tatu and Kicheko drag Kariuki and Slash off of their brother, and Kicheko snarls at them to get out. With their mission complete, Reth's Pride retreats. At Flat Ridge Rock, Tatu explains to Rafiki that Kariuki and Slash attacked Mhina. Mhina reveals that Kariuki said he had the Mark of Evil, wondering if he will become a villain, though Rafiki reassures him that the Mark only comes from a cobra bite, so he'll be fine. Rani arrives, questioning what happened, and Mhina dismissively replies that Kariuki attacked him. Following their defeat in the final battle, Reth gathers his pride, and vows revenge against the Lion Guard and Mhina.
===Legends of the Lion Guard: The Dark Prophecy===
Nyeusi informs Reth's Pride that the Lion Guard and their friends are traveling to the Tree of Life, pleasing Kariuki, who wishes to fight Mhina again. Delighted with this information, Reth decides that they'll follow the Guard in order to get revenge on them, and he begins to lead the pride to the border. Soon, the pride meets Makucha's Leap and Ora's Bank at the waterfall. When Makucha presents Ora and Reth with an offer for their respective groups to join the leap in their quest to go the Tree of Life, Reth declines, wishing for his pride to remain independent in their quest for revenge. The next day, Reth's Pride meets outside the Mountain Pass, and Kariuki expresses doubts about beating the Lion Guard and Mhina. However, Reth is certain they will win. Later, the pride attacks in two places at once, Marsh Forest and the Tundra; Nirmala and Ullu rush off to stop them. Eventually, Reth calls a retreat, and the pride runs off.
Later, after advancing through the Mountain Pass, Reth's Pride prepares to attack Saumu's Pounce, and Kariuki demands what they are waiting for. Reth immediately enters the camp, catching the cats off guard, which allows him to command his pride to attack. During the battle, Kariuki stalks toward a terrified Kea and Zera, menace in his eyes. He knocks Zera away, pinning her down and pressing against her throat. In a desperate effort to protect the kits, Jurni launches herself at Kariuki, digging her claws into his pelt. However, this does nothing to deter him, as he easily throws her into the ground and continues making his way toward the kits. Jurni pleads with him to leave Kea and Zera alone, but Kariuki chuckles, taunting her by saying that there is nothing they can do to stop them. Just before he can attack the kits, Addae and Mbamba leap in front of them, with Addae snarling that he won't do any damage. Kariuki snorts that their little group can't stop his pride, aiming his claws at his throat, but Addae dodges the attack. He scratches the lion's muzzle while Mbamba slides under Kariuki's belly, slicing into it. Kariuki retaliates, kicking Mbamba away from him easily and sending him flying into a tree.
Ullu and Cara, seeing the attack, quickly notify the Lion Guard, Night Pride, and Kingiza, who rush to the scene. When Kion arrives at Marsh Forest, he finds Mhina attacking Kariuki and Slash on his own. Glaring at Kariuki in rage, Mhina growls that he's been waiting for a chance to avenge his prior attack on him, to which Kariuki responds that they've been waiting for a chance to give him more scars. He lunges toward Mhina, aiming for his throat with his paw, but he dodges and only feels it scrape his fur. Mhina taunts Kariuki for missing, saying that he's going to need to be quicker than that to best him. Kariuki and Slash then charge at him, pinning him, and although the leopon attempts to scramble free of them, their weight pins him down. Mhina rasps that they can't take his life, and Slash laughs, remarking that he's wrong - he is weak, scarred, and should accept his fate. Before she can take his life; however, Kion intervenes and saves him. Kariuki, angered, calls him a fool and pins him, but the younger lion quickly escapes him by clawing under his eyelid. He and Mhina then vigorously fight Kariuki and Slash together. Fighting the pain in his shoulder, Kion goes after Kariuki, leaving scratches across his muzzle. Kariuki asks if he can really win this since they're not playing games with him, promising that the Tree of Life will be completely destroyed.
Kion growls that he hurt someone he cares about and won't let him ravage the Tree of Life, but Kariuki retorts that he should surrender, not going to be defeated that easy. However, Mhina joins Kion's side, snarling that Kariuki and his pride will be defeated before they destroy the Tree of Life. Kariuki, deeming this a challenge, looks forward to dueling the leopon again. Eventually, Reth retreats with his pride, but not before warning everyone that their next attack will be far more violent. Many days later, Reth rallies his pride and prepares them for their biggest attack., and Kariuki anticipates fighting Mhina again. They soon target Saumu's Pounce before switching to polar bears and Registaan's Herd. Rani nips Slash's heels, inviting her to tango with her, and she snaps at Kariuki and Alasiri that they're dealing with the "petty princess." They are quick to surround her on all sides, and Slash taunts Rani for sacrificing her dignity just to get murdered by the four of them. When Kingiza arrives and rescues Rani, Kariuki mutters that this is sad, but just before Slash can kill her, Kingiza attacks the pride. Eventually, Reth's Pride is sucked up in the tornado created by Kion and sent away with the rest of the predators.
==Trivia==
* Kariuki is voiced by Johnny Rees.
* It is unknown what happened to Kariuki nor his pride following the events of The Dark Prophecy. However, they will not be returning as antagonists in the series.
Category:Princess ava15
Category:Legends of the Lion Guard: Protectors of the Pride Lands
Category:Antagonists
Category:Legends of the Lion Guard: The Dark Prophecy
Category:Lions
Category:Outlanders
Category:Princess ava15's Characters
Category:Characters
Category:Adults