Zimwi

The Zimwi is a legendary creature that roams the Pride Lands on the night of the full moon.
When Rafiki told a group of young animals a story about the Zimwi, the young ones inadvertently spread false rumors that the creature had been seen in the Pride Lands. The Lion Guard resolved to put a stop to the beast, but their fear led them to mistake two young porcupines for the Zimwi. The matter soon got cleared up, and the Lion Guard realized that the Zimwi had never truly been a danger.
==Biography==
===Early life===
The Zimwi lived in the Pride Lands. It earned a reputation for being bloodthirsty and fearsome, and was purported to only emerge during the full moon.
===Legacy===
On the night of the full moon, a group of young animals gathered at Rafiki's tree, where Rafiki told them the story of the Zimwi. The young ones were unfamiliar with the tale, so Rafiki informed them that the Zimwi was a terrifying beast that only emerged on the night of the full moon. To the young animals' horror, Bunga pointed out that a full moon was out that very night.
Rafiki continued his story by describing the Zimwi as an eight-legged creature that was as tall as two giraffes, with long spikes and large teeth. Though the others young animals were frightened by Rafiki's story, Kion scoffed at the notion of the Zimwi being anything more than a tall tale. Rafiki bid the young ones good night and warned them to not let the Zimwi bite.
On the way home, Mtoto questioned whether the Zimwi was real or not, and Kion pointed out the ludicrousness of a creature having eight legs. No sooner had he spoken when a gust of wind howled past, which frightened the group. Kion assured his friends that it was just the wind and suggested that the little ones sleep together that night in order to feel safe.
Later that night, a rustling in the underbrush scared Mtoto and his friends. They rushed to the Lion Guard, awoke them, and told them that they had sighted the Zimwi. Kion doubted their claims, but Timon interrupted that his mother's cousin's friend had known an ox who had been eaten by the Zimwi. The young animals wondered what they should do, and Kion asserted that he and his team would find the Zimwi in order to keep the Pride Lands safe.
Together, the Lion Guard set off in search of the Zimwi. Along the way, they debated whether the Zimwi was real or not, with Kion retaining his disbelief that such a creature could exist. As the team searched, they got startled by a group of genets, whom Bunga frightened with descriptions of the Zimwi. After the genets ran off, Kion chastised Bunga for unnecessarily frightening the genets and instructed him not to tell anyone else about the Zimwi.
The Lion Guard's search continued, during which they ran into a panicked Thurston. Bunga assumed that Thurston was running from the Zimwi, but Thurston stated that the Zimwi was nothing more than a story and explained that he had been spooked by the genets. The very thought of the genets spun him into another panic, and he took off into the forest.
The Lion Guard moved on. Along the way, they got frightened by Beshte's continued bellowing practice. Kion reminded the team that there was still no sign of the Zimwi, and Ono commented jokingly that he did not know who was scarier: Beshte or the Zimwi.
As the hunt persisted, Kion remarked that he felt like something was watching them from the bushes and ordered his team to fan out. Once they had the underbrush surrounded, Kion yelled for them to move in. His shout frightened some gazelles who were sheltering in the bushes, and they begged the Lion Guard not to hurt them, for they had been hiding. Beshte asked what they had been hiding from, and the gazelles replied that they had spotted the Zimwi and taken shelter in the vegetation.
The gazelles pointed out a nearby shadow in a nearby ravine, and the Lion Guard spotted the outline of a tall, spiked figure. The team bravely strode into the gorge, where they came face-to-face with what appeared to be the Zimwi. In a panic, they fled the ravine and startled the gazelles, who began to gallop about the clearing.
After the fright, Kion expressed shame for having run from the Zimwi. He admitted that he had initially not been frightened of the monster because he had not believed that it could exist. However, once he had seen it for himself, he had reacted like a coward. He reminded his friends that they were the Lion Guard and could not run away, to which the others braced themselves for the coming confrontation with the Zimwi.
As one, the Lion Guard faced off against the Zimwi. To their horror, the Zimwi's head fell off its body and split into two, revealing two young porcupines. A shocked Kion asked if the porcupines had been hiding from the Zimwi, and the rest of the team pieced together that Mtoto and his friends had seen the two porcupines huddling together and mistaken them for the Zimwi. Ono added that the Zimwi's "body" had been nothing more than a giant termite mound.
==Physical appearance==
The Zimwi is said to be an enormous creature. It is as tall as two giraffes, with eight legs that are each bigger than the last. Its body is covered in long spikes, and its teeth are said to be sharper than a crocodile's.
== Personality and traits ==
The Zimwi is said to be clever and sneaky.
==Appearances==
* The Lion Guard
** "Beware the Zimwi" (mentioned)
==Trivia==
* "Zimwi" means "ghost" or "ogre" or "demon" in Swahili.
==References==
Category:Antagonists
Category:Canon articles
Category:Characters
Category:Culture
Category:Monsters
Category:Pride Landers