Hadithi

Hadithi is a male eagle.
Hadithi gained a reputation of bravery and heroism among the birds of the Pride Lands. Because of his good deeds, he was invited by the royal family to a Royal Mud Print Ceremony so that he could preserve his prints in mud alongside those of other heroes. He accepted, and Ono became his pupil for the day, as was tradition. During their time together, Hadithi abandoned Ono to save a herd of klipspringers on his own. After leaving Ono behind, Hadithi became overrun with guilt and led the Lion Guard to the rescue. The klipspringers were saved, and Hadithi honored Ono with the Royal Mud Print Ceremony instead.
Later, Hadithi and his friend, Anga, helped rescue the royal family from a fire at Pride Rock. Shortly afterward, he participated in the final battle between the Pride Landers and Scar's army, from which the Pride Landers emerged victorious.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Hadithi lived in the Pride Lands. He gained a reputation among the birds of the Pride Lands for being a brave and heroic fighter. He pretended that he had invented a fighting move called "the Hadithi Spin."
===Royal Mud Print Ceremony===
When the Lion Guard spied a large flock of birds gathering in a clearing, Ono called his friends over to a spot at the front. He explained that the birds had gathered for the return of Hadithi, the legendary eagle, who was famous for his "Hadithi Spin."
Just then, Hadithi arrived, to much cheering from the gathered birds. A raven called for Hadithi to say something wise, and he replied, "The higher you fly, the more they'll look up to you." Though Ono was awed, the rest of the Lion Guard was unimpressed. Bunga decided to ask Hadithi about his famous spin, but Ono blocked his path, insisting that no one could simply talk to Hadithi. He then began to list off Hadithi's accomplishments to Bunga, which prompted Hadithi himself to chime in with another example.
Hadithi commented that Ono seemed to know a lot about him, and a shocked Ono agreed, declaring that he was Hadithi's biggest fan. Hadithi admired Ono's devotion but pointed out that he had many adoring fans. He then boasted about his past accomplishments and popularity among the Pride Landers.
Afterward, Simba and Nala arrived and informed Hadithi that he was a hero to many animals in the Pride Lands, not just birds. Kion was surprised that his parents had heard of Hadithi, and Nala explained that Hadithi was a hero to many animals in the kingdom. Simba then announced to the crowd that Hadithi was a selfless hero who never abandoned an animal in need, after which he invited Hadithi to attend a Royal Mud Print Ceremony. Bunga wondered what this ceremony was, and Ono explained that Hadithi would press his talons into mud and have his prints forever preserved alongside those of other heroes.
Simba continued that it was tradition for the hero to mentor a younger member of the Pride Lands. Kion nominated Ono to the position, and Simba accepted the suggestion. With business concluded, he and Nala began to depart, but Hadithi stopped them and requested that a ceremonial nest be built in his honor. Ono volunteered the Lion Guard to perform the service, and Kion assented.
After Simba and Nala left, Hadithi thanked the Lion Guard for accepting the job and told them to build his nest using leaves from the highest tree in the Pride Lands, as per tradition. Fuli expressed irritation at this latest request, but Ono defended his mentor by pointing out that the fronds at the top of the trees were the softest. The Lion Guard then relented and took off to perform their latest duty.
On the way to the tallest tree in the Pride Lands, Fuli wondered whether they should be doing more important work than building a ceremonial nest, but Beshte defended the task by reminding her that Hadithi was Ono's hero.
Meanwhile, Hadithi preached to a crowd of Pride Landers and repeated his earlier words of wisdom. Though the birds were impressed, an elephant named Zito pointed out that elephants could not fly. Ono explained that Hadithi was trying to say that all animals had challenges in their lives that required them to rise above themselves.
Later, Hadithi finished delivering another speech, and Ono stepped up to handle crowd control. Hadithi watched, impressed, and told Ono that he was a natural. In awe, Ono requested that he be taught the Hadithi Spin, but Hadithi refused promptly, claiming that he did not wish to ruffle his feathers before the Royal Mud Print Ceremony. However, he volunteered to watch Ono attempt the trick and correct him if he was wrong.
Though nervous, Ono attempted the spin but ended up crashing into the ground. He admitted that he had forgotten to compensate for the wind, but Hadithi commented that the wind had always compensated for him. However, he encouraged Ono to try again, and Ono boldly declared that he would get it right this time.
Ono continued to attempt the Hadithi Spin and managed to work himself up to two and a half loops. He excitedly related his progress to Hadithi but got deflated when he realized that his mentor had not even been watching. Hadithi explained that he must look his best for the ceremony, then told Ono that he doubted the egret would ever be able to achieve the spin.
As Hadithi took off for the ceremony, Ono followed him and protested that Hadithi had called him a natural earlier. Hadithi explained that he had meant Ono was a natural with the crowd and that he gave the animals exactly what they wanted to hear. Ono protested that he had simply been being honest, which made Hadithi scoff.
The two continued flying, and Ono spotted a group of klipspringers being trapped on the edge of a cliff by Janja and his minions, Cheezi and Chungu. He suggested that they use the Hadithi Spin to thwart the hyenas, but Hadithi argued that Ono was not ready for such a feat. He then took off for the ceremony, leaving Ono behind to deal with the crisis.
At Pride Rock, Hadithi arrived for the ceremony and lied that Ono was still trying to perfect the Hadithi Spin. The ceremony continued, and Simba praised Hadithi for his heroics, bravery, and selflessness. Hadithi then became so overrun with guilt that he confessed his cowardice to the crowd and admitted that Ono was the true hero. He then called the Lion Guard to follow him and help rescue Ono. Once at the scene of the crisis, Fuli fended off Cheezi and Chungu, and started to help a trapped Ono, but Ono urged her to save the klipspringers first. Fuli relented and took off, just as Hadithi landed next to Ono. He praised Ono for his selflessness, even in the face of being trapped, and admitted that he could learn much from Ono's example.
As Hadithi pried the boulder off Ono's wing, he apologized for having abandoned Ono to the hyenas and admitted that he was not a true hero. He then confessed that the Hadithi Spin was not real, to which Ono stated that he had figured this was the case. However, he boldly declared that they could still try the Hadithi Spin and called for Hadithi to follow him.
Meanwhile, Bunga and Kion confronted Janja, while Beshte pushed a boulder down for the klipspringers to use as an escape. As Fuli guided the klipspringers to safety, one slipped and fell, which prompted Janja and his minions to spring an attack. Just in time, Ono and Hadithi flew past and began to circle the hyenas, making them dizzy. Eventually, the hyenas toppled off the cliffs and landed in the water below.
That night, Ono marked the mud at Pride Rock with his own talons, and Hadithi admitted that it had been Ono who had taught him, not the other way around. He then called Ono a natural hero, and the gathered Pride Landers cheered for him. To conclude the ceremony, Hadithi announced Ono as the creator of the "Ono Spin."
===Fight with Mzingo's parliament===
When fire sticks began raining down from the sky, Kion suggested that they rally the kingdom's birds to help stop the vultures. Ono suggested asking Hadithi for help, which excited Anga. Together, Anga and Ono departed to ask Hadithi for help.
Eventually, Anga and Ono found Hadithi surrounded by his adoring fans. At first, Ono worried that Hadithi was still taking credit for the doings of others. However, he soon realized that Hadithi was humbly attributing his successes to those who deserved it. Ono implored Hadithi to help the Lion Guard, and Hadithi agreed, leading his followers to where the Lion Guard had gathered to plan their next move.
Once the birds and the Lion Guard had rallied, Hadithi inspired his followers to help stop the vultures. Together, they took off to thwart another attack, this time over the Maumivu Thorn Patch. During the fight, Anga got wounded, and Hadithi and Ono rushed to save her. However, Hadithi got attacked by vultures and ended up falling into the thorn patch below.
With no Hadithi to rally the birds, Ono took up the mantle of leader and managed to lead the birds in another assault. They rounded up the vultures, and Kion used the Roar of the Elders to banish them back to the Outlands. Hadithi was pulled from the thorn patch, and Kion thanked the birds of the Pride Lands for their help.
===Battle for the Pride Lands===
After Simba declared total war on Scar and his army, Hadithi and Shujaa arrived at Pride Rock to train for the upcoming Pride Lander invasion of the Outlands.
That night, Mzingo's parliament set fire to Pride Rock, trapping the royal family on the promontory. After Anga bore Kiara to safety, she fetched Hadithi, and the two eagles carried Simba and Nala to safety as well. Once the royal family had been rescued, Simba thanked Anga and Hadithi for their help. Just then, Scar's spirit emerged from the smoke and claimed that Kion had died in the fire. However, Kion emerged, unscathed, from the flames, and Scar disappeared with a final threat against the Pride Landers.
Once Scar had gone, the flames died down, but the Pride Landers grew concerned about their chances against him. In the panic, Hadithi asked what would they do. Before long, Janja and Jasiri arrived, and Janja informed Kion that he could destroy Scar's spirit by using the Roar of the Elders inside the volcano. Heeding Janja's advice, Simba readied an invasion force for the following morning, and Kion sent the Pride Landers, including Hadithi, to get some rest.
The next morning, Hadithi assembled with the Pride Landers to assault the Outlands. In the ensuing battle, Anga and Hadithi fought with Mzingo's parliament. After defeating the vultures, Hadithi complimented Anga on her work. Eventually, Kion vanquished Scar's spirit, and the Pride Landers emerged triumphant over the Outlanders.
===Reunited with Anga===
When Anga returned to the Pride Lands after her trip to the Tree of Life, she had a delighted reunion with Hadithi.
==Physical appearance==
Hadithi is a large, brawny eagle. He has brown feathers, with a white chest, a yellow beak tipped with black, yellow talons, and black eyes.
==Personality and traits==
Initially, Hadithi was proud and conceited, and often spoke condescendingly to those he believed were inferior to him. He took great pride in his past accomplishments, even going so far as to say that his fans worshipped him. However, after being humbled by Ono, Hadithi became more modest and showed a willingness to give more credit to others. He is brave and noble, as seen when he helped the Lion Guard combat the Army of Scar, and shows respect to those who put the needs of others above themselves.
==Appearances==
* The Lion Guard
** "Ono's Idol"
** "Fire from the Sky"
** "Battle for the Pride Lands"
** "Return to the Pride Lands"
==Trivia==
* Hadithi was voiced by John O'Hurley.
* Hadithi's name means "story, myth, legend" in Swahili.
==References==
Category:Canon articles
Category:Characters
Category:Eagles
Category:The Lion Guard characters
Category:Males
Category:Pride Landers