Pride Lands

**Mufasa:** "Look, Simba, everything the light touches is our kingdom."

**Simba:** "Wow."

**Mufasa:** "A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Simba, the sun will set on my time here and will rise with you as the new king."

**Simba:** "And this will all be mine?"

**Mufasa:** "Everything."

**Simba:** "Everything The Light Touches."

*— Mufasa and Simba survey the Pride Lands from Pride Rock*

The **Pride Lands** is a vast savanna territory controlled by a pride of lions known as the Pride Landers.

## Information

### History

#### Mufasa's reign

##### Simba's presentation

Following the birth of his son, Mufasa holds a ceremony in honor of Simba's birth. During the ceremony, Simba is anointed as the next rightful ruler of Pride Rock, and held up for all the Pride Landers to see.

##### Stampede

Mufasa's conniving younger brother Scar devises a plan to assassinate the king. Using his hyena cronies, Scar instigates a wildebeest stampede that chases Simba through the Gorge. Drawn by the endangerment of his son, Mufasa rescues the cub and climbs a steep cliff, only to be betrayed and thrown to his death by his brother. Upon hitting the ground, Mufasa dies, and Scar convinces Simba to run away from the Pride Lands.

#### Scar's reign

##### Scar's coronation

Following Mufasa's death, Scar lies to the pride that Simba is dead and "humbly" accepts the crown from his dead brother. With this new power, he invites the hyenas from their shadowy home in the Elephant Graveyard to the lush world of the Pride Lands and stomps out every law Mufasa has kept so carefully in place.

##### Famine

Due to the hyenas' over-hunting the herds, the Pride Lands fall into disrepair. The herds move on, and the water dries up, leaving behind a graveyard of brittle bones and dry dust. Scar is unconcerned with the landscape change, despite much urging from the lionesses to move to a different land. During this time, whilst Sarabi, Mufasa's widow, retains her loyalty to her late mate, several lionesses begin to favor the rule of Scar, such as Zira and her Outsiders.

##### Battle for Pride Rock

Scar's sovereignty is challenged by the return of Simba, now a young adult and bent on taking back his rightful title. After forcing Simba to admit that he was the cause of Mufasa's death, Scar corners him at the point of Pride Rock, though he makes a fatal error in revealing the truth behind Mufasa's death. Fueled by rage, Simba leaps into battle, followed by the lionesses, Timon, and Pumbaa, and throws Scar off Pride Rock into the flames below after beating him in a fight.

Though Scar survives his fall from Pride Rock, he is met at the bottom by his hyenas, who feel betrayed by his accusation that Mufasa's death and the decimated condition of the Pride Lands is entirely their fault. Enraged and fueled by hunger, they devour him alive amongst the flames that engulf Pride Rock.

#### Simba's reign

##### Simba's coronation

Following the Battle for Pride Rock, rain falls on the land, cleansing the fire and chasing away the last of the surviving hyenas. With his uncle defeated, Simba emerges from the flames to greet the lionesses, who have defeated the hyenas. Urged on by his followers as well as Zazu, Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa, Simba ascends Pride Rock and roars, claiming his title as king. Under his reign, the Pride Lands are restored to their former glory.

##### Zira's exile

At some point following Simba's ascension on Pride Rock, Scar's most loyal follower, Zira, rebels against Simba's reign by battling him and is subsequently defeated and exiled with her band of loyal followers, known as the Outsiders.

##### Battle for the Pride Lands

During the dry season, the ghost of Scar returns to the Pride Lands and plots revenge against Simba by gathering up an army of Outlanders to battle the Lion Guard, which is led by Simba's son Kion. After seasons of conflict between the Outlands and the Pride Lands, the Pride Landers end his threat to the Pride Lands. After the war, Jasiri is elected by Janja to be Scar's successor as the leader of the surviving Outlanders, while Kion and Ono depart on a journey to the Tree of Life to heal from the battle.

##### Kiara's first hunt

In order to prove her status as a young adult, Kiara embarks on her first hunt, though she is later caught in a rampaging fire that was started by Zira's cubs, Nuka and Vitani. Kovu, Zira's youngest child, Scar's adoptive son and heir, and the disinherited, exiled prince of Pride Rock, rescues Kiara from the flames under the direction of his mother, Zira. As a result, Simba reluctantly inducts him into the pride.

##### Zira's ambush

When Simba leaves the shelter of Pride Rock with Kovu, Zira and her followers surround him and attempt to kill him. Instead, Enraged, Zira scars Kovu, blaming him for not killing Simba when he had the chance, and as a result, betraying his pride and adoptive father, Scar. Kovu runs away, but Zira lets him go and instead directs her pride in waging war against the Pride Landers.

##### Kovu's exile

Following Zira's ambush, Simba accuses Kovu of being a traitor and expels him from the Pride Lands. Together, the Pride Landers sing "One of Us" and drive Kovu from their lands while Kiara watches in horror.

##### Pride Lander-Outsider battle

Simba forbids Kiara to leave Pride Rock unescorted, but she disobeys him and leaves to find Kovu. Enraged by her son's death, Zira wages war against the Pride Landers, hoping to take advantage of Simba's recent injuries. A bloody battle breaks out between the two prides. The battle is soon stopped by Kovu and Kiara, who convince the prides to end their conflict and unite as one. While Vitani and the other lionesses accept Kiara's reasoning, Zira refuses to give up and makes a final attempt on Simba's life. Kiara gets in the way of Zira's attack at the last second, and the two roll down a steep embankment. Kiara survives the fall, only to watch Zira refuse her help and fall to her death in the river below.

##### Marriage of Kiara and Kovu

After the Outsiders are inducted into the pride, the Pride Landers hold a marriage ceremony for Kovu and Kiara, where the rulers of Pride Rock reaffirm their power and announce Kovu and Kiara's succession to Pride Rock by roaring over a gathered crowd of animals.

##### Battle of the Lion Guards

Sometime after Kovu and Kiara are anointed as Simba's successors, Kion and the Lion Guard return from their healing at the Tree of Life. The Lion Guard arrives in the Pride Lands only to discover that Vitani has formed a Lion Guard consisting of Outsider lionesses in Kion's absence. To settle their dispute, the two groups host different contests to see which Guard is more worthy. Although Kion's Guard nearly wins, Vitani calls for a mashindano, revealing she's fierce enough to lead the Lion Guard without the Roar. Remembering his ancestor Askari's words, Kion gives up the challenge, and hands over his duties to Vitani, who gains the Roar and becomes the Pride Lands' new Lion Guard leader. Sometime later, Kion leaves Pride Rock and marries Queen Rani of the Tree of Life and becomes the new ruler.

### Government

The Pride Lands operate as a monarchy in which the sovereign's will is law. Regarding the order of succession, the Pride Lands monarchy appears to favor absolute primogeniture in which the eldest child of the current ruler will inherit, regardless of gender. The king or queen can hand-choose who they want to succeed them, however, as Scar apparently hand-chose Kovu to succeed him despite them having no relation.

#### Laws of the Land

The monarchs of the land have absolute power, and with that power, they create laws that benefit themselves and their pride.

##### Banning the Use of Mufasa's Name (in Scar's presence)

*"You know the law! Never, ever mention that name in my presence! I am the king!"*
―Scar to Zazu
At an unknown time during his reign, Scar made it illegal for anyone to utter Mufasa's name in his presence. It isn't exactly clear why he made this law, but he presumably grew tired of his pride comparing him to his superior brother. Fortunately, this law permanently died immediately alongside Scar, for Mufasa's name is said freely during Simba's reign.
#### Penalty for Trespassing

**Simba:** "*You know the penalty for returning to the Pride Lands!"*

**Zira:** "*But the child does not! However...if you* need *your pound of flesh, here."*

—Simba to Zira about Kovu
After banishing Zira and her followers from the Pride Lands, Simba puts in place a law that discourages them from defying his decree and returning anyway. Should an outsider be found within his lands, they must pay with their lives. Kovu is offered up to Simba for recompense, as Zira had broken the law, but both she and the king knew Kovu was in no real danger. In the end, Simba spares Kovu -- either because he was too soft or because his young daughter was watching -- thus fails in enforcing his own law. This law is rendered dysfunctional and ineffectual when Simba inducts the exiles back into his pride.
##### Royal Protocol and Debts

**Zazu**: "*Mmm, yes, sire. Clearly we are in his debt, and royal protocol demands that all debts be paid. Though in this case you* might *want to make an exception."*
**Simba**: "*Hmmm... (looks at Kovu) My father's law will prevail. We'll see who you really are."*

—Zazu and Simba
According to Zazu, the Majordomo, all debts must be repaid (though exception can be made) somehow. Simba goes on to say that this is a law put in place by his deceased father.
#### Anti-Poaching Laws

*"Oh young master, one day you will be king. Then you can chase those slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers from dawn until dusk."*
―Zazu to young Simba
It is unknown who put this law into place, but Mufasa is seen enforcing it. Likely, Zira was poaching in the Pride Lands as well when she just happened to spot Kovu and Kiara, even going on to mention the lack of resources in the Outlands, so Simba enforces it as well. Presumably, the law has been enforced since the territory's creation. Simba's son Kion is also shown enforcing this law, as he protects the Pride Lands from predators who over-hunt and poach in the Pride Lands.
#### Banishment of Hyenas

*"Sire! Hyenas! In the Pride Lands!"*
―Zazu to Mufasa
Due to how the hyenas overhunt the Pride Lands, they are banned from entering the kingdom, specifically affiliates with Shenzi and her clan. This law is also set upon the clan led by Janja. For unknown reasons, Jasiri's clan lives outside the Pride Lands despite having no affiliations with Janja or Shenzi. Despite Janja's eventual reformation, he still resides in the Outlands, presumably following this law. It is unknown whether or not this law was broken after Jasiri's alliance with the the Lion Guard.

##### Engagement in Childhood

**Simba**: "*I can't marry her. She's my friend."*
**Nala**: "*Yeah, it'd be too weird."*

**Zazu**: "*Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you two turtle-doves have no choice. It's a tradition...going back generations."*
**Simba**: "*Well, when I'm king, that'll be the first thing to go."*

—Zazu to the cubs about engagement
It is unknown who put this law into place many generations ago, but according to Zazu, a king's marriage is contracted during the king's childhood. As a cub, Simba says that he will abolish the law when he becomes king, but it is unknown whether he did this or not. It appears likely that he followed through on this promise.
#### Geographical Features

The Pride Lands is a very fertile place and is diverse in the way of fauna.

Its exact size is unknown, but since it borders the desert of northern Africa and encompasses Mount Kilimanjaro as well, one could say it is quite large. The Pride Lands is also very well watered, a long river of water lying not to far from Pride Rock.

* Pride Rock
* Gorge
* Water hole
* Mount Kilimanjaro
* Big Springs
* Lake Matope
* Ukuni Woods
* Lake Kiziwa
* Kilio Valley
* Chakula Plains
* Mizimu Grove
* Mapema Rock
* Big Ravine
* Hakuna Matata Falls
* Flat Ridge Rock
* Ndefu Grove
* Maji Baridi Falls
* Nandembo Caverns
* Chekundu Cliffs
* Watering hole
* Mekundu Cliffs
* Imbamba Canyon
* Mapango Cliffs

### Fauna

* Lions
* Zebras
* Elephants
* Hyenas
* Mandrills
* Hornbills
* Giraffes
* Antelope
* Warthogs
* Meerkats
* Rhinoceroses
* Hippopotamuses
* Wildebeests
* Leopards
* Cheetahs
* Flamingos
* Monkeys
* Crocodiles
* Chimpanzees
* Baboons
* Gorillas
* Ostriches
* Frogs
* Egrets
* Mice
* Ants
* Okapis