Sal Mander

Sal Mander is a male salamander. He is the host of a game show called You Bet Your Tuhkus.
Sal Mander brought Timon and Pumbaa on as contestants for You Bet Your Tuhkus. Once backstage, he told them that he would give them the questions and answer sheets in advance, as he only cared about his show's ratings. However, throughout the show, Pumbaa refused to cheat until Mander threatened Timon's life. An enraged Timon confronted Mander over the abuse, which prompted the salamander to send both contestants into the next challenge. To Mander's shock, Pumbaa answered the next question correctly, which won him and Timon the Tuhkus Trophy. Mander attempted to kill the duo, but his plan backfired, as Timon threw the Tuhkus Trophy at him and knocked him onto a bed of pointy sticks.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Sal Mander became the host of a game show called You Bet Your Tuhkus.
===You Bet Your Tuhkus===
Pumbaa watched You Bet Your Tuhkus, which was hosted by Sal Mander. After disqualifying two contestants for cheating, Mander announced that Timon and Pumbaa would be his contestants for the next week. Pumbaa revealed to Timon that he had sent in their names, but Timon refused to participate in the show. However, he changed his mind when Mander announced that the contestants would compete for the Tuhkus Trophy, which was worth a lot of money.
When Timon and Pumbaa arrived at the game show, they met Mander backstage. To the duo's surprise, Mander told them that he would give them easy questions as well as answer sheets in advance. He went on that he only disliked cheaters who got caught and that his only concern was his show's ratings. Timon quickly agreed to Mander's terms, but Pumbaa was uncomfortable with the idea of cheating.
When the game began, Mander asked Timon and Pumbaa two questions, but they both answered wrong. Mander then revealed that if a contestant got an answer right or wrong, good or bad things would happen to their partner respectively. While they were on a commercial break, Pumbaa told Timon that he was against the idea of him and Mander cheating, even if it was to win money. Timon replied that it was not about money, but the Tuhkus Trophy, which was worth a lot of money. Even so, Pumbaa refused to cheat.
During the second round, Mander announced the Tuhkus Challenge and introduced Tuhkus Mountain, which had two heart-pounding levels of do-or-die obstacles. Timon volunteered to go up the mountain while Pumbaa answered the questions. Mander told a concerned Timon that he would ask Pumbaa very easy questions, but he gave Timon a helmet and pads just in case. While Timon climbed the waterfall of delicious food, Mander asked Pumbaa what color blueberries were. Pumbaa, who was still refusing to cheat, replied that he did not know, which caused Timon to get bitten by piranhas.
Timon made it to Level 2, which was the hilltop of horsey rides. During this level, Timon was surrounded by two horses, one of which gave a happy ride and one of which did not. In order for Timon to ride on the happy horse, Pumbaa had to answer the question right. Mander asked Pumbaa what horses ate, and Timon threw his helmet at Pumbaa, which made the warthog answer the question correctly. This enabled Timon to ride the happy horse and make it across.
For the last challenge, Timon had to cross a gorge of pointy sticks, which was especially challenging for him because he hated pointy sticks. When it was time for another commercial break, Mander warned Pumbaa that if he did not cheat like they had agreed, Timon would get killed by the pointy sticks. This caused the warthog to cry and agree to cheat for the sake of his best friend.
Timon saw what was unfolding between Mander and Pumbaa. In a rage, he confronted Mander over the abuse, but the salamander used the opportunity to force both contestants to face the gorge of pointy sticks. When Timon and Pumbaa got sent to the top of the gorge, they apologized to one another. Pumbaa remarked that he knew how much Timon hated pointy sticks, while Timon remarked that he knew how much Pumbaa hated cheating.
When Mander resumed the game, he told Timon and Pumbaa that they would fall off the flaming gorge of pointy sticks if they did not answer the next question right. He then asked the duo what the little-known name of Beethoven's last concerto in D-minor was. Pumbaa replied that there was no way for them to know the answer, which, to Mander's surprise, turned out to be the correct answer. Timon and Pumbaa rejoiced over their victory and grabbed the Tuhkus Trophy. However, Timon admitted to Pumbaa that they had not won the trophy fair and square. A vengeful Mander prepared to kill Timon and Pumbaa with a pointy stick, but Timon threw the trophy at him, which caused him to fall and land on the pointy sticks. Timon then told Pumbaa that he had not only learned that cheating was wrong and hurtful, but that friendship was more important than winning.
==Physical appearance==
Sal Mander is a tall and thin salamander. He has dark green skin, with dark stripes on his back, swept-back blond hair, and light blue eyes. He wears a fuchsia suit and a black bowtie.
==Personality and traits==
Sal Mander appears to be a fair-minded and charming game show host who hates cheating. However, when Timon and Pumbaa participated in his show, Mander revealed that he actually supports cheaters and only dislikes when they get caught because his main concern is his show's ratings. To get what he wants, Mander can be cruel and vengeful, as he forced Pumbaa to cheat by threatening Timon's life. He will even go so far as to murder his enemies. Mander has a habit of licking his lips and winking whenever his show starts or stops for a commercial break.
==Appearances==
* The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa
** "You Bet Your Tuhkus"
==Trivia==
* Sal Mander was voiced by David Leisure.
** Leisure also voiced the genie.
* Sal Mander's name is a play on his species, as he is a salamander.
==References==
Category:Antagonists
Category:Characters
Category:The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa characters
Category:Males