Makucha

Makucha is a male leopard. He is a member of an army of predators who frequently assault the Tree of Life.
Originally from the Back Lands, Makucha chased an okapi named Ajabu all the way to the Pride Lands. Though Ajabu continually evaded him, Makucha eventually caught up to him, only to be driven off by the Lion Guard. This would be the first of many clashes between Makucha and the Lion Guard.
Later, Makucha trailed the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life, where he attacked relentlessly with the help of his allies, Chuluun, Mama Binturong, and Ora. Eventually, Kion used the Roar of the Elders to funnel Makucha and his allies away from the Tree of Life.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Makucha lived in the Back Lands, where he relentlessly hunted an okapi named Ajabu. Eventually, Ajabu fled to the Pride Lands, but Makucha followed him there.
===Hunting Ajabu===
Shortly after following Ajabu into the Pride Lands, Makucha left tracks that were spotted by Fuli, who alerted the Lion Guard to his presence. Ono scoped him out and led the rest of the Lion Guard to his location, where Kion demanded that Makucha leave the kingdom. Makucha simply introduced himself to the team and challenged them to catch him first. Fuli led the team in pursuit, but when Makucha leaped across Big Ravine, the Lion Guard lost him.
After the chase, the Lion Guard resolved to drive Makucha out of the Pride Lands since none of the Pride Landers knew that leopards were predators. They met up with Beshte, who had been busy befriending Ajabu, and the team set out in search of Makucha.
Meanwhile, Makucha found Ajabu among a herd of zebras and made an attempt on his life. Just before he could catch his prey, Makucha was thwarted by Thurston, who collided with him in a panic and begged the leopard not to eat him. Makucha simply declared that he had tastier prey to pursue and continued after Ajabu.
Just before Makucha could kill Ajabu, the Lion Guard showed up in the okapi's defense. At first, Makucha was willing to take on Kion and Fuli, but when Beshte, Bunga, and Ono joined in the fight, he gave up, deciding to seek easier prey elsewhere.
===Attack on Dhahabu===
Makucha appeared when Kion and the Lion Guard were passing through his territory in the Back Lands. He tried to drive them off but, after a fight, reluctantly allowed them to pass through his territory.
Later, when the Lion Guard was trying to break a dam that was blocking the water hole for Dhahabu's herd, Makucha revealed that they were in his territory once again and that he had brought reinforcements. The Lion Guard managed to fend off Makucha's minions, but Makucha threatened to harm Dhahabu if they got any closer to the water hole. Realizing what she must do, Dhahabu kicked Makucha, and he was knocked into the dam. The impact of his hit caused the dam to break, and Makucha retreated.
===Attack on Kongwe===
Fuli and Makini were confronted by Makucha while leading Kongwe through the Back Lands. Fuli jumped to the tortoise's defense, and Makucha backed off, though he warned Fuli that they were in his territory.
Fuli and Makini continued guiding Kongwe through the Back Lands. Suddenly, Makucha jumped out of the underbrush, and Fuli gave chase. However, Makucha skillfully evaded her and climbed into a tree. Fuli attempted to follow him into the branches but got her claws stuck in the tree trunk. Makucha took advantage of her prone position to attack Kongwe, but Fuli wrenched herself free just in time and fended him off.
After the attack, Kongwe advised Fuli to observe Makucha in order to defeat him. At first, Fuli was adamant that she had already observed Makucha, but then she realized that Makucha always zig-zagged in order to outpace her. With this new wisdom, Fuli resolved to take him on once more. Shortly afterward, Fuli approached Makucha and challenged him to another fight. This time, she anticipated his zig-zagging strategy and managed to catch up to him and pin him down. She ordered him away from Kongwe, and he begrudgingly backed off and left.
===Kidnapping Makini===
Makucha attacked the Lion Guard as they were making their way through the Back Lands. Joined by fellow leopards Fahari and Jiona, he was surprised to discover that Anga was a new member of the Lion Guard. The combatants were then caught in a harmattan and forced to take cover in a nearby cave.
Eager to see the Lion Guard leave his territory, Makucha reluctantly agreed to guide them through the storm. While traveling through the Back Lands, he saved Kion, though only as a consequence of trying to save his own life. Upon overhearing Makini talking about the Tree of Life, Makucha became eager to reach it.
Leading the Lion Guard toward a sheer cliff, Makucha attempted to abduct Makini while his friends pushed the others over the edge. However, his treachery was discovered, and the Guard was able to save themselves and Makini. Makucha and his allies were then caught in a powerful wind that blew them out of their territory. Fahari and Jiona realized that the Lion Guard was too strong for them, which left Makucha to embark on his journey alone.
===Makucha's army===
====Recruiting allies====
Makucha approached Chuluun after her first battle with the Lion Guard and invited her to join him in seeking the Tree of Life and revenge. Chuluun accepted eagerly, and the two began to tail the Guard together.
After observing Ora's first loss to the Lion Guard, Makucha and Chuluun offered him a place in their army. He accepted their offer eagerly.
====Arrival at the Tree of Life====
Makucha and his army successfully arrived at the border of the Tree of Life's territory. However, they disagreed on who should take the lead. They were engaged by the Night Pride, who informed the Lion Guard of the army's arrival after defeating them. Chuluun led the group's next attempt at infiltration, but after they were driven off again, Ora assumed command.
The following day, they engaged with the Night Pride again and briefly evened the odds until Kion appeared. Makucha and Chuluun tried to reach the Tree of Life by an alternate route but were intercepted by Kion and forced to retreat when the rest of the Lion Guard arrived. Frustrated, the three were unexpectedly joined by Mama Binturong, who appointed herself as their leader.
====Mama Binturong's plot====
At Mama Binturong's suggestion, Makucha and the others pretended to chase her into the mountain pass, then retreated when the Night Pride came to her aid. With the Night Pride fooled, Mama Binturong informed the others of her plan to distract the lions while they killed Queen Janna. However, her true identity was discovered, and the Lion Guard halted Makucha and the others from harming Janna.
====Attack on Varya====
Makucha's army attacked a tiger named Varya and her cubs as they were trying to reach the Tree of Life. Varya fought with Makucha himself, but Kion soon arrived to defend the beleaguered tiger. Faced with the combined forces of the Lion Guard and the Night Pride, Makucha retreated with his allies.
====Sunset attack====
Makucha's army made another attempt to invade the Tree of Life, only to be met by a tired Night Pride. The Lion Guard appeared to reinforce them, and despite a lack of coordination, the groups succeeded in driving Makucha and his allies out again. After learning that the defenders would be watching the Tree of Life in shifts, the army planned to wait until the Lion Guard went off-duty and then strike. They made their move, but Kion appeared and led both the Lion Guard and the Night Pride in opposing them.
====Battle for the Tree of Life====
Makucha's army managed to infiltrate the Tree of Life but were driven off by the Lion Guard yet again. The group was frustrated, but Mama Binturong hatched a final scheme and revealed that Smun's prickle had retrieved Fahari, Jiona, and Ora's fellow Komodo dragons to help with the invasion. The expanded army succeeded in reaching the Tree of Life itself and began terrorizing the inhabitants after trapping the Night Pride inside the Tree of Life. Kion, having achieved a much greater mastery of his Roar, thwarted the attack and created a funnel that carried Makucha's army away.
==Physical appearance==
Makucha is a large and powerfully built leopard. He is adept in agility, speed, and strength, being able to outpace the Lion Guard, leap wide distances, and hold his own in fights against larger opponents. Compared to other leopards, Makucha is quite large, with wider shoulders, a more compact build, and squarer features.
Makucha's main pelt is pale yellow, while his chest, muzzle, and paws are white. His back and sides are spotted with brown dots rimmed with black, and his cheeks, head, and limbs are covered in smaller, pure black dots. His inner ears are gray rimmed with black, and his tail is striped with black and white. He has bright green eyes with yellow sclerae, which are framed by dark brown eye rims and thick black eyebrows.
==Personality and traits==
Confident and cunning, Makucha is a determined predator. Once he locks on a target, he is hard to shake off and will take days to bring down his prey. Even in the face of fierce opposition, he is assertive and self-assured, willing to fight for what he believes is his. However, his confidence is not to the point of overconfidence, as he will back down if he is severely outnumbered.
Makucha is authoritative and commanding, and often assumes control over the groups he joins. He can be charismatic and persuasive, though his zealotry sometimes backfires and causes his allies to back off. Despite his natural need to be in control, Makucha will listen to authority if he stands to benefit from it. Even so, he remains a fierce fighter with a need to succeed.
==Appearances==
==Trivia==
* Makucha was voiced by Steve Blum.
* Makucha's name means "nails, claws" in Swahili.
==References==
Category:Antagonists
Category:Back Landers
Category:Canon articles
Category:Characters
Category:Leopards
Category:The Lion Guard characters
Category:Males