Mark of the Guard

The Mark of the Guard is a symbol that is bestowed on the members of the Lion Guard. It is currently borne by the members of Vitani's Guard.
==Concept==
===Function===
The Mark of the Guard serves as a symbol of the Lion Guard and therefore must be borne by each member of the Guard. The Mark is initially bestowed on the leader of the Guard by the Great Lions of the Past, who can also remove the Mark if its bearer abuses their power. Once the leader has the Mark, they can gift it to the animals they want to constitute their Guard. 
When an animal is inducted into the Lion Guard, the leader places their paw on their left shoulder. This causes the Mark to appear on the new member's shoulder, a phenomenon that is accompanied by the faint sound of a lion roaring. While the Mark of the Guard always appears as the head of a roaring lion, it takes a different size and color so as to complement the species of its bearer. 
When the duties of the Lion Guard are transferred to different animals, the Marks will fade from the shoulders of the old Guard and reappear on the shoulders of the new Guard. Any animal that bears the Mark of the Guard has a duty to protect the Pride Lands. 
===Ceremonial purposes===
To recognize heroic actions, the leader of the Lion Guard may gift non-Guard members with "honorary" Marks of the Guard by marking their shoulders with a muddy paw print. This is usually done with young animals and does not signify the official bestowal of the Mark.
===Special cases===
If the leader of the Lion Guard is otherwise occupied, the monarch may fill in for them. As their leadership of the Guard is temporary, they are not gifted with the Mark of the Guard.
==History==
===Origin and Askari's Lion Guard===
At some point during his life, Askari, the second-born royal of Pride Rock, traveled to the Tree of Life, where he discovered and subsequently mastered the Roar of the Elders at Cikha Escarpment. Due to his prowess with the Roar, Askari became the leader of the first Lion Guard and assembled a team of worthy lions to constitute it. Thus, the Mark of the Guard was born.
===Unknown Lion Guard===
The Mark of the Guard was bestowed on the members of an unknown Lion Guard who were active when Nala's father was a cub.
===Scar's Lion Guard===
The Mark of the Guard was bestowed on Scar, the younger son of the monarch, when he ascended to the position of leader of the Lion Guard. He likewise bestowed the Mark on the lions he wished to be on his Guard. 
However, Scar allowed his power to corrupt his purpose, and he ordered his Lion Guard to help him take down his older brother, Mufasa. When his Guard refused, Scar destroyed them with the Roar of the Elders. Because Scar had abused his power, the Great Lions of the Past stripped him of his position of leader of the Lion Guard and likewise his Mark of the Guard.
===Kion's Lion Guard===
When Simba and Nala's second-born cub, Kion, accidentally used the Roar of the Elders on Cheezi and Chungu—causing his Mark of the Guard to briefly appear—Rafiki determined that he was ready to lead the Lion Guard. Simba informed Kion of his new responsibility and tasked him with assembling the new Lion Guard. Later, when Kion presented his choices to Simba, the latter chided him for selecting animals who were not lions.
A disappointed Kion went for a walk, where he encountered the spirit of his grandfather, Mufasa. The spirit urged him to trust his instincts. Encouraged, no sooner had Kion accepted his destiny than the Mark of the Guard appeared on his shoulder. 
Just then, Bunga informed him that Janja and his clan were attacking a herd of gazelles. Kion rushed to join Bunga, Beshte, Fuli, and Ono, who were observing the attack from a nearby hill. Kion gifted his friends with the Mark of the Guard, officializing their places on the Lion Guard, then led them into battle. Kion and his friends emerged victorious, and Simba acknowledged that it was time for a new Lion Guard.
Seasons later, Ono's vision was impaired during a battle with the Army of Scar. As a result, Kion transferred the position of Keenest of Sight to Anga, causing Ono to briefly lose his Mark of the Guard. However, his Mark reappeared when Kion declared Ono the recipient of a new position on the Guard: that of the Smartest.
===Vitani's Lion Guard===
Following the reunification of the Outsiders and Simba's pride, Vitani assembled a new Lion Guard, since Kion's Lion Guard was away seeking healing at the Tree of Life. They proceeded to carry out the duties of the Lion Guard despite not having been officialized with the Mark of the Guard.
When Kion and his Guard returned from the Tree of Life, the two Lion Guards briefly faced off, with each group asserting that they reserved the right to enact the duties of the Lion Guard. Thus, a Battle of the Lion Guards was held to determine which group was better suited for the job. Of the first four competitions, Vitani's Guard won two and Kion's Guard won two. Thus, the final competition—that of the Fiercest—would determine the winner.
Vitani called for a mashindano, but Kion warned her that he would easily win with the Roar of the Elders. However, Vitani asserted that she could prove the fiercer even without the Roar, which prompted Kion to recall what the spirit of Askari had told him at the Tree of Life: that only one who could let go of the Roar could truly master it. Realizing that Vitani deserved to be the leader of the Lion Guard, Kion officially relinquished his team's duties and gifted Vitani and her friends with the Mark of the Guard, officializing them as the new Lion Guard.
==Bearers of the Mark of the Guard==
Current bearers
Imara.png|Imara
Kasi.png|Kasi
Shabaha.png|Shabaha
Tazama.png|Tazama
Vitani with Lion Guard mark.png|Vitani
Former bearers
Anga.png|Anga
Askari.png|Askari
Beshte.png|Beshte
Bunga.png|Bunga
Fuliprofile.png|Fuli
Kion.png|Kion
OnoInfobox1.png|Ono
Scar.png|Scar
==Appearances==
==Trivia==
* In some early concept art for books inspired by The Lion Guard, the Mark of the Guard was portrayed as a paw print rather than a lion's head.
* According to Ford Riley, the scene in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar in which Kion gives the Mark of the Guard to his friends was meant to echo the ceremonial "laying of hands" depicted in the Bible.
* The Mark of the Guard was often incorrectly portrayed in The Lion Guard.
** The Mark was frequently shown on the wrong shoulder, facing the wrong direction, missing entirely, as present in multiple places on one character, or as replaced by or overlapping with another marking.
==Media==
The Lion Cubs - Kion's Choice - Official Disney Junior Africa|Kion gifts his friends with the Mark of the Guard, as depicted in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar.
==References==
Category:Canon articles
Category:Culture
Category:Marks