The Lake of Reflection

"The Lake of Reflection" is the sixteenth episode of Season 3 of The Lion Guard, and the seventy-first episode of the series overall. It premiered on October 26, 2019.
==Official synopsis==
"When Kion's confidence as a leader is lacking, The Lake of Reflection flashes back to a young Lion Guard, helping Kion remember his past and embrace his role as a leader." Accessed 12 November 2019.
==Plot summary==
Makucha and his army launch an attack on the Tree of Life. The Night Pride challenges them, though Baliyo's yawning exposes how exhausted they are from a night of patrolling. The Lion Guard arrives in time to help, but Kion and Rani's dual leadership results in confusion.
Eventually, the Lion Guard and the Night Pride succeed in driving off the army, though Rani criticizes Kion for not following her lead. Fuli jumps to Kion's defense, but Kion admits that he no longer has control of the Roar. Nevertheless, he offers to patrol the Tree of Life during the day in order to give the Night Pride time to rest, and Rani gratefully accepts his offer. Unbeknownst to the team, Mama Binturong is spying on their conversation from a nearby tree.
As the Lion Guard departs, Fuli tells Rani that Kion does not appear to be healing, but Rani assures her that the Tree of Life's healer, Nirmala, knows what she is doing. However, as Rani joins back up with Baliyo and Surak, she admits that Fuli may be right.
Meanwhile, Nirmala leads Kion to Pratibimba, also called the Lake of Reflection. Nirmala explains that Kion's scar does not define him and that he must reflect on his past and future actions in order to remember who he is.
At the same time, Mama Binturong schemes with her allies against the Lion Guard and the Night Pride, ordering the army to attack in-between shifts at sunset.
The Lion Guard patrols the Tree of Life, coming across a dispute between Heng Heng the panda and Kely the lemur over a bamboo stand. The team decides to bring the two before Rani, who will decide who can claim the bamboo stand.
At Pratibimba, Rani approaches Kion. The two walk around the area as Kion admits his doubts about his scar and his ability to lead the Lion Guard without the Roar. Rani wonders if the Roar is necessary and considers if the Roar should be returned to the Tree of Life. Just then, the Lion Guard approaches with Heng Heng and Kely. After hearing the two's stories, Rani decides that Heng Heng can have the bamboo stand when she is required to eat and that the lemurs can have it in-between those times.
As Kion returns to his reflections, Rani tells Fuli that Kion may be unable to heal any more. She then relates what Kion had said about his inability to lead the Lion Guard without the Roar. The Lion Guard returns to Kion, and Anga relates the time that a much younger Lion Guard had rescued Ono's egg from Janja's clan ("Remember What Makes You You"). After the story, Kion feels inspired and revitalized, having realized that he does not need the Roar to lead his team.
After the story, Ullu arrives and warns the Lion Guard that Makucha's army is launching another attack. The Night Pride arrives, and Kion leads the two teams in their attack. The teams succeed, and Rani praises Kion for his great leadership skills.
The next morning, Kion tells his grandfather, Mufasa, that he wants to return the Roar to the Tree of Life. Mufasa advises him to go to Cikha Escarpment, where Askari discovered the Roar. Kion does so, but when he arrives, Askari appears and offers to teach Kion everything he knows about the Roar.
==Voice cast==
===Starring===
* Max Charles as Kion
* Joshua Rush as Bunga
* Diamond White as Fuli
* Atticus Shaffer as Ono
* Dusan Brown as Beshte
* Bryana Salaz as Anga
===Guest starring===
* Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Rani
* Lou Diamond Phillips as Surak
* Hudson Yang as Baliyo
* Miki Yamashita as Nirmala
* Vyvan Pham as Ullu
* Michael Luwoye as Askari
* Gary Anthony Williams as Mufasa
* Andrew Kishino as Ora and Janja
* Kimiko Glenn as Chuluun
* Steve Blum as Makucha
* Rachel House as Mama Binturong
* Vargus Mason as Little Cheezi
* Kevin Schon as Little Chungu
* Tiffany Espensen as Heng Heng
* David S. Jung as Kely
==Appearances==
==Trivia==
* The episode was released early on September 2, 2019, on DisneyNOW.
* This episode marks the first time the series showed blood, this being when Ora coughs out Beshte's blood after biting him when Bunga uses his stink on him. Thus, the episode marks the first time, not only in The Lion Guard, but in a Disney Junior show that blood is shown. However, the episode has since been edited so that Ora merely spits out saliva.
==References==
Category:Episodes
Category:The Lion Guard Episodes
Category:The Lion Guard: Season 3
Category:Real world