Zazu (The Lion King)

Zazu is a feisty red-billed hornbill and a major character in Disney's The Lion King franchise.
He has served as the majordomo to Mufasa and currently Simba.
Zazu has had several voice actors portray him. (who played Edmund Blackadder, Mr. Bean, and Johnny English) voiced him in . Edward Hibbert voiced him in and . Michael Gough voiced Zazu in . Jeff Bennett provided Zazu's singing voice during the Morning Report sequence on The Lion King DVD Platinum Edition, and currently voices Zazu in (sequel to the first film and midquel to the second). 
==Personality==
As the king's majordomo, Zazu is knowledgeable, diplomatic, and stern. He takes his position as a royal advisor very seriously, and carries himself in a no-nonsense—and oftentimes, pompous—manner. Unfortunately, the demanding, and sometimes dangerous nature of his job has left Zazu with a considerable amount of anxiety and emotional instability; he is prone to falling into a panic when things go wrong, and he can be rather irritable and snappish.
Because of his fragile temper and high opinion of himself, Zazu is not taken very seriously by the other characters, specifically Simba and Nala who would often tease the majordomo as children. Similarly, Scar saw Zazu as nothing more than a pest and repeatedly sought to torment the hornbill when given the chance. Even Mufasa has had his share of fun in teasing Zazu. Nevertheless, Zazu is undoubtedly loyal to the king and has proven his usefulness on numerous occasions. As the king's "eyes and ears", Zazu knows all and tells all, especially when trouble arises. If not for Zazu, Simba and Nala would have very well have been killed, as it was he who had informed Mufasa of the danger before things could take a turn for the worse.
Zazu is also shown to have a sense of humor, as he was able to make a joke about turning Scar into a throw rug (to which he adds that Mufasa can "take him out and beat him whenever he gets dirty"). He also has a quirky habit of sliding blatant puns into his morning reports. 
==Appearance==
Zazu is a moderately sized hornbill. He has blue feathers, with navy blue wingtips, a white chest and neck, a navy blue crest, and a bright red beak. His eyes are black 
==History==
===Backstory===
Zazu has two different backstories.
According to The Lion King: Six New Adventures book series, Zazu had gained the title of majordomo after his mother Zuzu retired.
However, according to the book Friends In Need (which takes place years before The Lion King), an adolescent Zazu is about to be eaten by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed (in the same steam vent that they would place him in the film) but is saved by a the Crown Prince, Mufasa.. As thanks for being rescued, Zazu hopes that he can be of service to the future king.
Zazu starts to follow Mufasa around, much to the young lion's annoyance as Zazu keeps disrupting his hunts and his time with his betrothed Sarabi. One day, Zazu notices vultures circling and questions Mufasa about it. However the young prince does not wish to deal with it and has a nap. Zazu goes to see what the vultures are interested in and discovers Sarabi trapped in a gorge. He goes to alert Mufasa, who uses a tree trunk Zazu points out to him to rescue his love interest.
Afterwards, Mufasa accepts that Zazu is useful and declares that when he becomes King, Zazu will be his majordomo, which happened when Mufasa became the new King of Pride Rock.
===The Lion King===
Zazu first appears when he reaches Pride Rock and bows to King Mufasa during Mufasa's son Prince Simba's presentation. Later that day, he goes to an area of Pride Rock where Mufasa's younger brother Scar is. He berates Scar for playing with an innocent mouse whilst attempting to eat it. He then tells Scar that Mufasa is on his way to question him on why he was not at the ceremony. 
After the mouse escapes, an annoyed Scar tries to eat Zazu, but is stopped by Mufasa who confronts Scar over missing Simba's presentation. After Scar leaves, Zazu tells Mufasa that there's one (two in Zazu's case) in every family who manage to ruin special occasions. When Mufasa wonders what to do about Scar, Zazu jokes that Scar would make a "very handsome throw rug".
He is later seen months later giving news to Mufasa in the morning. He explains about the animals until he is pounced by Simba, who was being given a pouncing lesson by Mufasa. (In the 2002 IMAX re-release, Zazu sings his signature song "The Morning Report". During the song, he sings about what animals do, like in the scrapped song "To Be King"). Just then, a gopher appears and tells Zazu about hyenas in the Pride Lands, which the latter tells Mufasa. Zazu is then instructed by Mufasa to take Simba back to Pride Rock. When Simba expresses annoyance at not getting to go anywhere, Zazu tells him that one day he will be king and he can chase the hyenas (which he refers to as "slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers") from dawn until dusk.
Later that day, Queen Sarabi assigns Zazu to watch over Simba and his friend Nala on their journey to the watering hole (though Simba secretly plans to go with Nala to The Elephant Graveyard) to avoid getting lost. During the journey, Zazu tells the cubs that they are betrothed, meaning one day they will be married, much to their disgust. However, Simba and Nala are able to escape from Zazu by singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King".
At the Elephant Graveyard, Zazu tries to stop the cubs from checking a big elephant's skull. Just then, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed arrive and try to eat the trio. They capture Zazu and put him in a geyser, blasting him into the air like a rocket. Though not seen, it is known that Zazu ended up back in the Pride Lands and went to Mufasa and told him that the hyenas were going to harm Simba and Nala. Later, after saving the cubs from the hyenas, Mufasa tells Zazu to take Nala home while he teaches Simba a lesson.
The next day, Zazu is out with Mufasa and notices dust coming out of the gorge, meaning that wildebeest herd are on the move, which Mufasa finds odd. Just then, Scar arrives and tells Mufasa that a stampede is in the gorge and Simba is there. Zazu flies on ahead and into the gorge and finds Simba clinging to a tree. Zazu tells the cub that Mufasa is on the way, before going back to inform Mufasa (who has arrived at the gorge with Scar) of Simba's position. As Mufasa dives into the stampede, Zazu suggests to Scar about going back for help. However, Scar (who along with Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, planned the stampede to kill both Mufasa and Simba in order to become king), knocks him out, before killing Mufasa then sending his hyena minions to kill Simba.
That night, Zazu is seen comforting Sarabi as Scar tells the pride that Mufasa and Simba perished in the stampede (unaware Simba actually survived and escaped), before announcing himself as the king and allows the hyenas into the Pride Lands much to Zazu and the lionesses’ horror.
Years later, Zazu is seen inside Pride Rock locked up in a ribcage and forced to entertain Scar with singing. He is then berated by Scar for mentioning Mufasa (as Scar had banned anyone from mentioning his brother's name in his presence). When Shenzi, Banzai and Ed arrive, complaining about lack of food, Scar tells them to eat Zazu who replies that he's too rough and gamey. Fortunately for him, Banzai mentions Mufasa which angers Scar to the point where he yells at the hyenas to get out.
A few days later, after Simba returns to defeat Scar and reclaim his throne, Zazu begs Simba's meerkat friend Timon to let him out of his cage, but Timon goes into the cage to escape Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Luckily, Simba's other friend; a warthog named Pumbaa arrives and frees Zazu and Timon and attacks Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed.
After Scar's death, Zazu is happy that peace is restored and bows to Simba and watches him ascend Pride Rock and roar in victory. Zazu is later seen flying in the air during Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara's presentation.
===The Lion King Musical===
In the stage adaptation of the film, Zazu's role remains almost the same as in the film. In one scene, which takes place shortly before the stampede, Zazu talks with Mufasa over Simba with Zazu pointing out that Mufasa was like Simba when he was a cub.
During the song "The Madness of King Scar", Zazu (imprisoned in his cage) listens to Scar lament over not being as great a king as Mufasa. Zazu lists the things Mufasa had, such as a loving family and a queen. Upon hearing queen, Scar declares that he must have one to have cubs with to carry on his bloodline. Zazu witnesses Scar trying to seduce a young adult Nala into becoming his queen, but fails.
Unlike his animated self, the musical's Zazu is white and is controlled by a man with blue facepaint and clothes along with a bowler hat. At one point in the musical, Zazu attacks and berates his controller for getting him "fired".
===The Lion King II: Simba's Pride===
Zazu is given a very minor role in the sequel. He is the advisor of Simba and Nala. He is first seen attending Kiara's presentation. He next appears a few months lated telling Kiara about the Outsiders calling them backstabbing and murderous. Though not seen, Zazu accompanies Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa and two of the pride's lionesses to find Kiara after she left Timon and Pumbaa's care as he is seen travelling back with them after they find Kiara near the Outlands with a young Outsider cub named Kovu and his mother Zira. He along with Nala, Timon, Pumbaa and the two lionesses go back to Pride Rock whilst Simba stays behind to scold Kiara for disobeying his orders to not go to the Outlands.
A few years later when Kiara is a teenager, Zazu is present at her first hunt and later assures Simba thought Kiara was going to be safe on the grasslands, but is sent to find Kiara when Simba notices fire in the distance and spots her being saved by Kovu and goes to tell Simba this. Afterwards, Zazu reminds Simba that due to Kovu saving Kiara, all depts must be payed.
When Kiara sees Simba return from an ambush sent on him by Zira and the Outsiders, she tells Zazu to get help. That night, after Simba discovers that Kiara has ran away to find Kovu (following his exile), Zazu appears and tells him that the Outsiders are coming for war. Simba sends Zazu to find Kiara whilst he prepares the pride for battle. 
Zazu appears again along with the reunited pride at the end of the film watching Kiara and Kovu getting married.
===The Lion King 1½===
Zazu makes brief appearances in this film, which centres on Timon and Pumbaa's point of view of the first film. Zazu's first appears at Simba's presentation where he tells Mufasa that the animals are kneeling where in fact, they passed out after Pumbaa farted.
His second appearance was when he accompanied Mufasa in going to The Elephant Graveyard to save Simba and Nala from Shenzi, Banzai and Ed.
===The Lion Guard===
Zazu makes a brief appearance in the TV film The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, which takes place in the middle of the second film and focuses on Simba and Nala's son Kion.
Zazu leads Simba, Kiara and Tiifu to Kion after Kiara told Simba that Kion put Bunga in The Lion Guard. Zazu looks on as Simba scolds Kion for not putting other lions in The Lion Guard and for treating his role as leader as a game. Following this, Zazu leaves with Simba.
Zazu makes recurring appearances in the film's follow up series The Lion Guard.
In the episode "Can't Wait to Be Queen", Zazu accompanies Simba and Nala in attending the funeral of an elephant named Amanifu (who along with his herd, where the first animals to return to the Pride Lands after Simba defeated Scar). Simba is expected to speak a line of elephantese in his tribute, but has difficulty in learning, but Zazu says he will help as he knows the language. At the funeral, Zazu and Nala become worried when Simba accidentally says "he had poop on him" instead of "he had good on him" in elephantese. Luckily Amanifu's daughter Ma Tembo and the rest of the herd don't take offence. After this, Zazu returns to Pride Rock with Simba and Nala.
==Trivia==
*Originally, Zazu was not always going to be kept by Scar in a ribcage as in a deleted scene of the film (which would later be used in the musical for The Madness of King Scar scene) he is seen walking and flying freely in the royal den. In the scene, he is questioned by Scar on what Mufasa had that he doesn't, to which Zazu lists many things. When Zazu mentions that Mufasa had a queen, Scar decides that he should have one too to have children with to carry on his legecy. Just then, Nala appears, resulting in Scar dismissing Zazu from the den so he can attempt to seduce Nala into becoming his queen.
*In the early drafts of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Zazu was accompanied by a female hornbill known as Binti, who would have been his girlfriend-turned-wife, of whom they would have reared eight chicks with. Binti and her chicks were cut from the film.
*Zazu was voiced by German voice actor the late Eberhard Pruter who also voiced Squidward Tentacles and Ludwig Von Drake.
*Zazu is only character voiced by Rowan Atkinson first animated voice acting role (also who voiced Mr. Bean in Mr. Bean: Animated Series).
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