Kifaru

Kifaru is a male rhinoceros. He is a member of Mbeya's crash.
When Kifaru had a falling out with his tickbird, Mwenzi, he began to wander around blindly, wrecking havoc on the Pride Lands. The Lion Guard attempted to put a stop to the chaos by assigning Ono the egret as Kifaru's new tickbird. The two struggled to get along, and Kifaru mourned the loss of Mwenzi. Eventually, Mwenzi got into trouble with Makuu the crocodile, and Kifaru teamed up with the Lion Guard to save him. After the fight, Kifaru and Mwenzi reconciled and attended Tamasha together.
Later, when Scar's resurrected spirit threatened the Pride Lands, Kifaru allied with his fellow Pride Landers in an invasion of the Outlands, from which they emerged victorious.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Kifaru lived in the Pride Lands. At some point in his life, he befriended Mwenzi, who became his tickbird.
===Fall-out with Mwenzi===
The Lion Guard followed a trail of devastated trees to where Kifaru the rhinoceros had his horn stuck in the baboons' tree. The Lion Guard recognized him as a well-tempered Pride Lander and wondered why he was acting so destructively. Together, they approached Kifaru, and Kion ordered the rhinoceros to stop shaking the baboons' tree.
At first, Kifaru was defensive, but he softened at the appearance of Beshte, who calmed him long enough for the Lion Guard to free his horn from the tree. Once unstuck, Kifaru thanked the team for their help, and Kion questioned him as to why he had caused so much destruction. Kifaru reacted obliviously, and the Lion Guard explained that he had shaken the baboons out of their tree and trampled every tree in his path.
Bewildered, Kifaru admitted that he had wondered why there were so many trees on the path to Lake Matope. He then ambled off, and the Lion Guard realized that he was heading straight for another tree. Ono shouted that Kifaru did not know where he was going because he did not have his tickbird, then darted in front of the rhinoceros, warning him to keep back.
Ono asked Kifaru where his tickbird was, and Kifaru admitted that his tickbird, Mwenzi, had left him earlier that morning. Though the Lion Guard was confused, Ono explained that rhinoceroses had poor eyesight and used tickbirds to help with navigation. In exchange, the tickbirds ate the ticks off the rhinoceroses' backs. Kifaru then explained the partnership between the two species.
Afterward, Kifaru lamented being unable to reach Tamasha, an event in which rhinoceroses gathered near Lake Matope to spar together in the mud. The Lion Guard was touched by his sorrow, and Kion resolved to find Mwenzi for Kifaru. Bunga volunteered to lead Kifaru to Lake Matope so that he would arrive in time to participate in Tamasha, and Kifaru hesitantly accepted.
However, as he was leading Kifaru, Bunga became so distracted by eating ticks that he failed to notice a cliff in their path. Just in time, Ono stepped in to halt Kifaru, which impressed the rest of the Lion Guard. Ono explained that birds and rhinoceroses had a special connection, and Kion suggested that he become Kifaru's temporary tickbird. In the meantime, they would search for Mwenzi and convince him to return to Kifaru. Ono protested the appointment but gave in when Kion reminded him that helping Kifaru would keep the Pride Lands safe.
As the Lion Guard took off in search of Mwenzi, Ono began to guide Kifaru toward Lake Matope. He told Kifaru to take a right turn, but the rhinoceros instead took a left turn, which prompted Ono to frantically correct him. The two continued on their journey, and Kifaru began to grunt and snort loudly, which irritated Ono. Eventually, Ono told Kifaru to turn right, but the rhinoceros once more veered to the left, and Ono shouted at him to move in the right direction.
An upset Kifaru commented that Mwenzi had never shouted at him. He then grew so emotional that he walked away, sobbing, and Ono was forced to apologize to him. Kifaru then asked Ono if he would itch inside his ear, and Ono agreed, though he completed the job half-heartedly. Kifaru remarked that Mwenzi would never stop itching until he had been instructed to, but Ono reminded him that he was not Mwenzi. Kifaru agreed sorrowfully, then belched loudly, to which Ono muttered under his breath that he hoped the Lion Guard would find Mwenzi soon. Kifaru overheard him and chastised him for muttering under his breath, which Mwenzi had never done.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Lion Guard tracked down Mwenzi. Fuli explained to Mwenzi that Kifaru was causing damage all over the Pride Lands without his tickbird, and Kion encouraged Mwenzi to return to his duties. An indignant Mwenzi recounted how Kifaru had blamed him for running late to Tamasha and explained that every year, it was Kifaru's fault for being late, yet he continuously blamed Mwenzi for their tardiness.
Beshte reminded Mwenzi that Kifaru was his friend and explained that Kifaru was lost without his tickbird, to which Kion added that Mwenzi was not doing much better on his own. Mwenzi admitted that he was used to having a job to do, and Beshte encouraged him to talk to Kifaru about the situation. Reluctantly, Mwenzi conceded and left with the Lion Guard to speak to Kifaru.
Meanwhile, Ono brought jackalberry leaves to Kifaru, but the rhinoceros complained that he only liked dark green jackalberry leaves. He then compared Ono to Mwenzi, which infuriated Ono. After a moment of cold silence, Kifaru told Ono that he should thank him, for if Ono had not been so bad at being a tickbird, Kifaru would never have realized how good a tickbird Mwenzi was.
Kifaru started to amble off but collapsed on the ground, panting. He commented that the constant walking had gotten him overheated and added that Mwenzi would always make sure to keep them near a source of mud while they were traveling. Thinking quickly, Ono began to use his wings as a fan, much to Kifaru's delight. Kifaru commented that Mwenzi was too small to be able to use his wings as a fan, and Ono wondered if Kifaru had finally found something that Ono was better at than Mwenzi. Kifaru agreed, not knowing that Mwenzi and the Lion Guard were listening from nearby.
Mwenzi angrily accused the Lion Guard of having misled him and confronted Kifaru in a fury. Though Kifaru begged him to stay, Mwenzi flew off across the savanna, and Kifaru called after him despairingly. He then stated that Ono must serve as his tickbird from then on, and Ono took off after Mwenzi, leaving Kifaru in the care of the Lion Guard.
With Ono gone, the Lion Guard gathered around Kifaru. While Bunga climbed atop his back and pondered where all the ticks had gone, Kion checked on Kifaru's well-being. Kifaru admitted that with both his tickbird and his back-up tickbird gone, he was not in a great mood. To cheer him up, Kion reminded him of Tamasha and volunteered to lead him there with the help of the other members of the Lion Guard.
Across the savanna, Mwenzi alighted near a swamp, and Ono warned him that Makuu and his float frequented the area. Despite Ono's warning, Mwenzi refused to trust him and accused him of having taken his place in Kifaru's life. Ono protested that throughout their time together, Kifaru had done nothing but complain about Ono and compare him to Mwenzi. Ono then questioned Mwenzi on how he had gotten Kifaru to make a right turn, and Mwenzi explained that he had simply told Kifaru to make three left turns.
Slowly, Mwenzi began to warm up to Ono and thought back wistfully on his time with Kifaru. He then reflected on the partnership between rhinoceroses and tickbirds. Afterward, Mwenzi agreed to reconcile with Kifaru. However, Makuu attacked, hurting Mwenzi's wing and knocking him into the branches of a tree. Ono managed to save him from Makuu, then left to fetch the Lion Guard for help.
In the meantime, the Lion Guard finished leading Kifaru to Tamasha. Before he could take part in the activities, Ono arrived with news that Mwenzi was in trouble. In a panic, Kifaru took off to save his friend.
Across the savanna, Makuu continually knocked his tail against Mwenzi's tree in an attempt to dislodge him. He managed to jump up and bite Mwenzi's branch in half, leaving him with little room to maneuver. Before he could try again, Kifaru arrived and charged at him. However, Kifaru misjudged Makuu's location and rammed into a tree stump, trapping his horn in bark. Makuu saw Kifaru's prone position as an opportunity for larger prey and rallied his float to take down the rhinoceros.
Just then, the Lion Guard arrived and fought Makuu off. During the commotion, Mwenzi hopped down from his tree and instructed Kifaru on how to free himself from the tree stump. Once free, Kifaru used the tree stump as a weapon and helped free the other Lion Guard members from their entanglements. He rammed Makuu last, knocking him and the tree stump into the swamp, and yelled after him that that was what he got for messing with Mwenzi.
After the fight, Kion thanked Kifaru and Mwenzi for their help, and the two attributed their victory to each other. They then reconciled their friendship. Kifaru informed Ono that he did not need him to serve as a tickbird anymore, and Ono happily obliged.
Back at Tamasha, Mwenzi helped Kifaru face in the direction of the fight. As they surveyed the sparring, another tickbird questioned Mwenzi on his fight with Kifaru, and the two denied ever having fought.
===Assisted by Shujaa===
Beshte and Shujaa found Kifaru in a canyon, blind and lost without the assistance of his tickbird. Shujaa realized that Kifaru wanted to reach a watering hole, which was just on the other side of the canyon, and so punched a hole through the rock. This allowed Kifaru easy access.
===Training with the Pride Landers===
The Lion Guard concluded that the Pride Landers must unite against the threat of the Outlanders. They gathered Bupu's herd, Laini's group, Ma Tembo's herd, and Mbeya's crash.
At first, the Pride Landers were tense, but Kion worked to defuse the tension. He instructed the animals to race toward Bunga. However, the event soon got out of hand, for the animals tripped over the galagos and ended up in a heap. Kion then got the idea to call Makuu for help. Makuu begrudgingly agreed to help, but his training was too rigorous and ruthless for the other Pride Landers to master.
Later, the Army of Scar besieged Makuu's float. Ono witnessed the battle and reported his findings to Kion. Together, the Lion Guard and their Pride Lander allies stormed the watering hole and fought off the Army of Scar. After the fight, Makuu thanked Kifaru and his crash for their help and vowed to do the same for them should the need ever arise.
===Battle for the Pride Lands===
Kifaru arrived at Pride Rock for training against an attack on the Outlands. That night, Kifaru witnessed Scar's appearance in the flames at Pride Rock. After Scar disappeared, the Pride Landers resolved to launch an attack on the Outlanders.
The day of the attack, Kifaru charged into battle but was challenged by his own newfound allies, Cheezi and Chungu. Janja arrived and reminded his teammates that they had formed an alliance with the Pride Landers. Eventually, the Pride Landers won the battle.
===Lion Guard's departure===
Later, when the Lion Guard departed for the Tree of Life, Kifaru arrived to watch them leave.
==Physical appearance==
Kifaru is a large, muscular rhinoceros with a silvery-gray hide. He has several darker patches on his muzzle and hooves, two white horns, and a round hump on his back. His eyes are pale blue.
==Personality and traits==
Kifaru is a creature of habit who likes things to be done his way. Being slow and dopey, he struggles to take correction and is quite clumsy. He can be vocal about his complaints and does not always behave tactfully. He is sensitive and does not like being shouted at, as seen when he reacted negatively when Ono raised his voice. However, he is a loyal friend and will fight fiercely for those he cares about.
==Appearances==
* The Lion Guard
** "Ono the Tickbird"
** "Beshte and the Beast"
** "Pride Landers Unite!"
** "Battle for the Pride Lands"
* Ono the Tickbird
==Trivia==
* Kifaru was voiced by Maurice LaMarche.
** LaMarche also voiced the king of Pluto and Torgo.
* Kifaru's name means "rhino, rhinoceros" or "tank (war)" in Swahili.
* Another character named Kifaru appears in Rhino Trouble.
==References==
Category:Canon articles
Category:Characters
Category:The Lion Guard characters
Category:Males
Category:Pride Landers
Category:Rhinoceroses