Zazu (The Lion King 2019)

Zazu is a major character of the 2019 photorealistic CGI remake of The Lion King. This incarnation of Zazu has a plumage of darker feathers instead of blue feathers to make him resemble his real-life counterpart. However, he retains his whitish underparts to resemble his real-life counterpart.
He is based on the hand drawn character from the character of the same name from the original 1994 animated film.
== Background ==
=== Personality ===
As a young adult, Zazu was high-strung and petulant. He was fiercely devoted to Sarabi and took his duties as her protector quite seriously. He could be somewhat chatty and oblivious, to the point that his friends would sometimes ignore him. Even so, he was brave bordering on stupid, willing to take on full-grown lions in a fight.
Now an adult, Zazu has a strong sense of duty and reveres tradition. He is exceptionally loyal to Mufasa, to the point that he continued to deliver morning reports to Mufasa's widow, Sarabi, even under the threat of death. At times, Zazu can be snobby and vain, as he takes great pride in his majordomo title and does not tolerate being talked down to. Despite his more serious nature, he does occasionally enjoy a good jest and likes to tell funny stories about his family.
Zazu is especially protective of Simba and Nala, even into their adulthood. He continued to shield an adult Nala from Scar and the hyenas, and vowed his loyalty to Simba upon the young lion's return to the Pride Lands. Brave and determined, Zazu will defend the Pride Lands with his life and is unwaveringly loyal to those whom he trusts and respects.
=== Physical appearance ===
As a young adult, Zazu was small and delicately built. He had feathers with blue, gray, and white hues, with white spots on his wings. He also had a long, curved, orange beak; black talons; and beady yellow eyes. Upon growing into adulthood, Zazu retained his coloring, though the feathers on his head smoothed down considerably, and he gained a ridge of black on the top of his head.
==Appearances==
===The Lion King (2019)===
Zazu is first seen flying to Pride Rock where he greets Mufasa at the beginning of the film where Simba is about to be presented to the animals. After the ceremony, Zazu tells Scar that Mufasa is coming to scold him because he is furious that Scar was not present during Simba's presentation. Scar tries to eat him, but Mufasa stops him as he and Mufasa argue over Scar's right in becoming the king, with Zazu becoming supportive with Mufasa. After Scar walks off, Zazu then tells a story about his cousin whom he thinks he's a woodpecker (Zazu's cousin was not mentioned in the animated version).
Zazu later appears giving Mufasa and Simba a morning report. Giving the report, Mufasa teaches Simba how to pounce while Zazu flies around to know if there is news in the Pride Lands. Returning to Simba and Mufasa, Zazu gives the news that there are hyenas invading the Pride Lands. Mufasa plans to take care of the hyenas while telling Zazu to bring Simba back home.
Meanwhile, when Simba talks to his best friend Nala about taking her to the water hole, Sarabi then asks the two cubs can only go if they bring Zazu to protect them. Zazu then takes the two cubs to the location Simba requested where he tells them that the two will be married in the future. Simba and Nala, however, are disgusted when Zazu tells the two that they will be married. Simba explains that he does not have to marry Nala, but Zazu explains that a wedding is a tradition that cannot be broken. During the musical number "I Just Can't Wait to Be King", Simba and Nala plan on losing Zazu in which the two successfully lose him where he is chased by weaverbirds instead of being crushed by a rhino in the animated version.
Meanwhile, at the Elephant Graveyard, Zazu finds the cubs exploring the area Simba shouldn't go to and protects the two from Shenzi. He then gives Shenzi a warning that if she attacks Simba, it can lead to a war between Mufasa and Scar; Shenzi tells her clan to attack the cubs but Mufasa arrives and saves Simba and Nala from the ambush. Soon as Mufasa takes Simba and Nala back to the Pride Lands, he tells Zazu to bring Nala back to her mother while Zazu tells Simba's father to go easy on him, reminding him what "he" was like as a cub.
At the gorge when Zazu sees the wildebeest stampede, Scar tells Zazu to alert the lions that Simba is in danger while he tells Mufasa to save Simba clinging on a dead tree in which Mufasa could not return to Pride Rock back in time as Scar leaves Mufasa to die in the stampede. Back at Pride Rock, Zazu and Rafiki listen to Scar's plan on becoming the new king from a distance instead of standing near the mourning lionesses listening to Scar telling them that Mufasa and Simba are both dead.
Years later after Scar becomes king, one notable difference in this film was instead of being his pet while imprisoned in a rib-cage after Scar took reign, Scar banished him under penalty of being eaten by the hyenas. While banished, Zazu then notices the hyena clan is overhunting and destroying the Pride Lands where he sees the disaster Scar is doing, but he still snuck into Pride Rock to report to Sarabi, who he considered the true ruler much to Sarabi calling her daughter-in-law to get used to living in Pride Rock with Scar as the new king. Later that night, Zazu tells Nala to return to Pride Rock before the hyenas eat her but Nala refuses to listen as she notices Scar approaching her. Just as Scar and the hyenas prepare to bring Nala back to Pride Rock, Zazu also helped Nala escape by distracting Scar (which did not happen in the original animated version) so that Scar wouldn't keep forcing her to hunt for more food due to Scar's plan on overhunting to destroy the Pride Lands much to Sarabi's worry that she might lose her.
When Simba returns to Pride Rock, Zazu feels proud that Simba is back to his home. During the final battle against Scar, Zazu is also seen present in helping fight against the hyenas whereas, in the animated version, Zazu is still imprisoned until Pumbaa charges into the cage after the hyenas bother him. Also, in that scene, Rafiki helps save Zazu being attacked by the hyenas whereas, in the animated version, it was Simba.
After Scar's death, Zazu and everyone else in the Pride Lands is proud of Simba's victory against Scar. He is last seen at the end of the film where he attends the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.
===Mufasa: The Lion King===
==Gallery==
===Promotional===
The Lion King (2019) - Zazu.jpg
The Lion King 2019 still 16.jpg
The Lion King 2019 still 6.jpg
The Lion King (2019) - Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner and John Oliver with Pumbaa, Timon and Zazu.jpg
File:Mufasa- The Lion King theater standee.jpg|Young Zazu appears in Mufasa: The Lion King Theater Standee
File:Mufasa The Lion King - Official Poster.jpg
File:New Horizons.png
File:Mufasa TLK Cinema Poster.png
File:Mufasa The Lion King Norwegian Poster.png
File:Zazu international poster.png
File:Mufasa-The-Lion-King French poster of Zazu.jpg
File:Mufasa The Lion King - Zazu and Rafiki Poster.png
File:Zazu English Poster.png
File:Mufasa TLK FB banner.png
Mufasa The Lion King - RealD 3D Poster.jpg
Mufasa The Lion King - IMAX Poster.jpg
===Screenshots===
====The Lion King (2019 film)====
File:Zazu about to bow before mufasa 2019.png
Lionking2019-animationscreencaps.com-663.jpg
File:Zazu scar scar scar 2019.png
File:Mufasa scar zazu 2019.png
File:Zazu we both know he should have been expelled 2019.png
File:Mufasa and zazu 2019.png
File:Zazu delivering the morning report 2019.png
The Lion King (2019 film) (14).png
The Lion King (2019 film) (4).png
Lionking2019-animationscreencaps.com-2383.jpg
Lionking2019-animationscreencaps.com-2438.jpg
Let them go shenzi they made a mistake a horrible mistake but if you do this you will start a war with mufasa.jpg|"Let them go Shenzi they made a mistake a horrible mistake But if you do this you will start a war with Mufasa!"
Rafiki and zazu watch pride rock 2019.png
Rafiki and zazu 2019.png
Lionking2019-animationscreencaps.com-7781.jpg
File:Zazu welcome home 2019.png
Zazu timon and pumbaa 2019.png
File:Zazu your majesty 2019.png
File:Rafiki overlooking heroes 2019.png
====Mufasa: The Lion King====
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 20.png|"She does indeed have someone!"
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 23.png|"You heard her. Do not eat me!"
File:Sarabi clip 5.png|"As a recent addition to the king's royal guard,"
File:Sarabi clip 6.png|"I must kindly ask you both to move on."
File:Sarabi clip 7.png|"Thank you for stopping by."
File:Sarabi clip 8.png
File:Sarabi clip 9.png
File:Sarabi clip 10.png|"Well, next to last between Albert the iguana and I... "
File:Sarabi clip 11.png|"His majesty decided on the underling..."
File:Sarabi clip 21.png|"... with wings!"
File:Sarabi clip 12.png|"... And thus, I became the lead scout for the princess."
File:Sarabi clip 13.png|"It's my third day, going swimmingly, if I may say so myself."
File:Sarabi clip 14.png
File:Sarabi clip 15.png
File:Sarabi clip 16.png|"Sarabi, if I may, he makes a valid point to your highness."
File:Sarabi clip 17.png|"On the other hand, he's a starving lion..."
File:Sarabi clip 19.png|"... who wants to eat me, so I am slightly torn."
File:Sarabi clip 20.png|"I think that went quite well, all things considered."
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 32.png
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 46.png|"Why am I running?!"
File:Mufasa the Lion King teaser (20).png
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 47.png
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 50.png
File:Mufasa TLK promo 3.png
File:Mufasa, Scar, Rafiki and Sarabi reaches the snowy mountains.png
File:Mufasa The Lion King - Mufasa, Rafiki, Taka and Sarabi.png
File:Mufasa and Sarabi in mountains.png
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 53.png
File:Mufasa- The Lion King - Final Trailer - Zazu v.s Kiros' Pride.png|"Oh! Stand down!"
File:Mufasa The Lion King - Zazu.png|"I am highly trained and occasionally offen..."
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 61.png|"Woah!"
File:Mufasa - The Lion King Final trailer 62.png|Zazu being carried off to safety by a Shoebill
==See also==
*Zazu
==External links==
* Zazu (2019) on Lion King Wiki.
Category:Disney characters
Category:The Lion King characters
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