Kiya & The Kimoja Heroes

## Chronology

***Kiya & The Kimoja Heroes*** (previously known as ***Kiya***; also known as ***Kiya Ninja Princess***) is an animated preschool adventure series created by Kelly Dillon and Marc Dey, and developed for television by Robert Vargas for Disney Junior. It is produced by Triggerfish, eOne and Frog Box, being distributed by Disney Platform Distribution. It premiered on March 22, 2023 on Disney Junior and Disney+.

## Premise

*KIYA AND THE KIMOJA HEROES follows the story of a seven-year-old South African girl, Kiya, and her best friends, Jay and Motsie. The upbeat crew are also known by their superhero names and special powers, inspired by their passions, "Dance Ninja," "Flying Rockstar," and "Tech Racer." They all rely on their mystical Kimoja crystal headbands for their strength, "crystal power, supercharge". The trio breaks out high-flying moves while they pirouette, guitar strum, and rollerblade their way into saving the day. All of their adventures have one goal: to unite their community by restoring harmony. While the superheroes go on adventures, South Africa's beautiful landscape and culture is spotlighted. Whether they're battling wicked technology or dealing with difficult emotions, the superheroes always prioritize their friendship.*

## Content

### Seasons

 Follow the high-action adventures of dance and martial arts-loving Kiya, and her best friends Jay and Motsie. Together, with their crystal-charged powers, they are superheroes shining bright to make things right until harmony and unity is restored in their community.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Kiya (voiced by Dineo du Toit): The titular character and one of the main superheroes.
* Jay (voiced by Ian Ho): Motsie's older brother, one of Kiya's friends and fellow superheroes.
* Motsie (voiced by Fontina Fourtounes): Jay's little sister, one of Kiya's friends and fellow superheroes.

## Production notes

### Development

On February 25, 2021, eOne, Hasbro’s entertainment studio, had greenlit a new series for preschoolers set to launch in multiple markets globally in 2023. *Kiya*, about a young superhero and her two best friends, will debut with 26 x 11-minute episodes across linear and digital broadcast platforms including Disney Junior and Disney+ globally and France Télévisions. Kiya’s world features a diverse cast of characters inspired by the varied landscape, natural beauty and culture of Southern Africa. Produced by eOne, Triggerfish and Frog Box, in partnership with Disney Junior and France Télévisions, the series is based on an original concept from South African-based production company Triggerfish and developed for television by Frog Box and eOne.

On June 17, 2021, it was announced that Disney Junior and Disney+ had picked up *Kiya & The Kimoja Heroes*, a pre-school series created by South African duo Kelly Dillon and Marc Dey and produced by eOne and Frog Box.

### Books

On April 6, 2023, it was revealed that Random House Children's Books had acquired publishing rights from Hasbro for *Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes*. Random House becomes the first licensed publisher and first licensee overall for the property. The books are expected to be released starting in summer 2024.

## Broadcast

The first season of *Kiya & The Kimoja Heroes* premiered on Disney Junior on March 22, 2023. The first three episodes were also released onto Disney+. The season is also available to stream on DisneyNow.

On April 5, 2023, the first four episode were released onto UK Disney+.

## Trivia

* The series was announced on February 25, 2021, and picked up June 17, 2021.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 ENTERTAINMENT ONE GREENLIGHTS NEW PRESCHOOL SERIES *KIYA* ABOUT A NEW SUPERHERO WHO SAVES THE DAY WITH MARTIAL ARTS AND DANCE
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 “Kiya & The Kimoja Heroes” Coming Soon To Disney+ (US)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Disney+ Sets Animated Sci-Fi Anthology ‘Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire’, Picks Up ‘Kiya And The Kimoja Heroes’ – Annecy
4. ↑ Random House Partners with Hasbro on 'Kiya'
5. ↑ "Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes" is available to watch on Disney+ in the UK!