The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar

Produced by
 Written by
 Starring
Rob Lowe
Gabrielle Union
Eden Riegel
Khary Payton
Kevin Schon
Ernie Sabella
James Earl Jones
 Music by
Beau Black
 Editors
 Cinematography
 Studios
 Distributors
 Release date (s)
 Language
 Preceded by
 Followed by

“*It is time.*”

―Promotional tagline

***The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar*** is an animated television movie that premiered on November 22, 2015. It is the pilot for the animated series *The Lion Guard*.

## Plot

At sunrise in Africa, Simba is teaching Kiara how to be Queen of the Pride Lands when her little brother Kion and his honey badger friend Bunga interupt them. After apologizing, the boys take their game elsewhere: The Savannah. Suddenly, their ball is knocked into the Outlands. Kion doesn't want to go in because his father said not to but Bunga goes in anyway. Unfortanately, he bumps into the Hyena Clan lead by Janja. Kion saves him with a very powerful roar. After making the roar, a mark shaped like a lion appears on his fur.

Back at Pride Rock, it's revealed that Simba, Nala, and Rafiki heard the roar. Despite Simba's reservation, Rafiki declares Kion ready for his destiny. Rafiki tells Kion his roar is the Roar of the Elders and Simba tels him it means he's destinied to be the leader of the new Lion Guard. He takes Kion to the cave and gives him the history of the Lion Guard: It's composed of the bravest, strongest, fastest, friecest, and keenest of sight in the Pride Lands to protect the Pride Lands. He also tells his son that the old Lion Guards end is was not happy: When Mufasa was heir to the throne, Scar was head of the Lion Guard due to having the gift of the Roar. However, Scar let the power go to his head and lead to him to desire to become King. After he failed to convince the Lion Guard to help him take down Mufasa, He used the Roar to destrory the old Lion Guard. However, for using the Roar for evil, Scar lost the Roar forever. Rafiki tells Kion that the Roar can be used for great good but can lead to terrible evil. Kion vows that he will never be like Scar and begins devoting himself to the task of assembling a new Lion Guard. He picks Bunga as it's first member since he's the bravest animal he knows. However, they are overheard by a vulture named Mzingo who flies off to tell Janja.

Meanwhile, Kion and Bunga help Kiara's friend Zuri get unstuck and meet up with Timon and Pumbaa. Kion tells them about the new Lion Guard. Bunga tells them it gonna live by the philosophy of Zuka Zama. He gives a musical explaination of what that is. They then leave to assemble the rest of the Lion Guard.

Meanwhile in the Outlands, Mzingo tells Janja what Kion is doing. Janja decides a new Lion Guard will be trouble for Outlanders and decides to launch a preempitive strike. Meanwhile, Kion recruits Ono, Beshte, and Fuli to be part of the Lion Guard. However, Simba tells Kion that the Lion Guard has always been made up of lions and that it's not a game he plays with his friends and that he needs his son to take his new responsiblities seriously.

Meanwhile, Kiara and a gazelle herd are being attacked by the Hyena Clan. Elsewhere, Kion is feeling discoraged because of what his father said. The spirit of Mufasa and encorages him to trust his insticts. Kion finds new inspiration in his grandfather's words. After learning about the Hyenas' attack, he comes up with an idea to stop them. Together, the new Lion Guard defeats the hyenas. Then, Bunga saves Kiara with a Pumbaa worthy fart. Kion then sends the hyenas packing with the Roar.

## Cast

* **Kion** (Max Charles) - The protagonist, Simba and Nala's son, Kiara's younger brother and Prince of the Pride Lands.
* **Simba** (Rob Lowe) - Nala's husband, Kion and Kiara's father and King of the Pride Lands.
* **Nala** (Gabrielle Union) - Simba's wife, Kion and Kiara's mother and Queen of the Pride Lands.
* **Kiara** (Eden Riegel) - Simba and Nala's daughter, Kion's older sister and Princess of the Pride Lands.
* **Rafiki** (Khary Payton) - a mandrill who serves as shaman to the Pride Lands.
* **Timon** (Kevin Schon) - Simba's meerkat friend and Bunga's adoptive uncle.
* **Pumbaa** (Ernie Sabella) - Simba's warthog friend and Bunga's adoptive uncle.
* **Mufasa** (James Earl Jones) - Simba's father and Kion and Kiara's grandfather who died in the first film.
* **Bunga** (Joshua Rush) - Kion's honey badger friend and Timon and Pumbaa's adoptive nephew.
* **Fuli** (Diamond White) - Kion's cheetah friend.
* **Beshte** (Dusan Brown) - Kion's hippo friend.
* **Ono** (Atticus Shaffer) - Kion's egret friend.
* **Tiifu** (Sarah Hyland) - A Pridelander cub and a friend of Kiara's.
* **Zuri** (Madison Pettis) - A Pridelander cub and a friend of Kiara's.
* **Janja** (Andrew Kishino) - The teenage leader of the hyenas who live in the Outlands.
* **Mzingo** (Greg Ellis) - A hungry Rüppell's griffon vulture and Janja's majordomo
* **Cheezi** (Vargus Mason) - A crazy hyena and a member of Janja's clan.
* **Chungu** (Kevin Schon) - A touchy hyena and a member of Janja's clan.

## Songs

* A Beautiful Day (Ni Siku Nzuri)
* Kion's Lament
* Zuka Zama
* Tonight We Strike
* It Is Time

## Trivia

Judging by Kiara's age, the film takes place during the first act events of *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*, during Kiara's childhood.