Can't Wait to be Queen

Ford Riley

"**Can't Wait to be Queen**" is the fourth episode of the Disney Junior animated series, *The Lion Guard*. It premiered on January 29, 2016.

## Synopsis

"When Simba leaves Kiara in charge of Pride Rock for the first time,Kion reluctantly agrees to obey her, which proves difficult when Janjatries to take advantage of Kiara's inexperience and hatches a plot to take over the Pride Lands."

## Plot

"Can't Wait to be Queen" begins by introducing Kion, the prince of the Pride Lands, and his sister, Kiara. At the start of the episode, the siblings are arguing over a tree when Simba approaches and tells Kion to back away, for Kiara is going to serve as queen for the day. When Kion reacts with confusion, Simba gently explains that his presence is needed at a funeral in Kilio Valley for Aminifu, a wise oldelephant who has passed away. Though Kiara is unsure of herself in acting as queen, Simba reminds her that he had been nervous to rule the Pride Lands on his own, too.

While Kiara stays behind to watch over the Pride Lands, Simba meets with Nala and Zazu to begin his journey to Kilio Valley. Along the way, he worries over having to give a tribute in the elephant language, and Zazu brags over his own skill in mastering animal languages. Unbeknownst to the trio, they have been spied on by Mzingo, who resolves to keep an eye on the doings of the Pridelanders.

As Mzingo flies away, Simba begins to lament having kingly responsibilities, and Zazu reminds him of the perks of the job, singing "Duties of the King". After the song, he begins to coach Simba on his elephantese accent.

Back in the Pride Lands, Kion is ready to go on morning patrol with the Lion Guard, but instead of joining his team, Ono simply flies over them en route to Pride Rock. The Lion Guard rushes after their friend, but when they arrive at Pride Rock, Kiara is given a royal announcement by her friends, Tiifu and Zuri. A thoroughly annoyed Kion asks Kiara what's going on, and she explains that she is getting the morning report from Ono, since Zazu is off with the king and queen.

Ono then reports that a herd of elands are moving along the river and that several new hives of bees have appeared on the trail along the river. Kiara quickly connects the dots and realizes that the elands will run right into the hives, inciting chaos. She asks Kion to divert the herd rather than move the bees, and Kion reluctantly agrees.

Meanwhile, Zazu is attempting to teach Simba elephantese, but the king loses his patience and roars at Zazu, blowing him into a patch of grass. Nala dashes to her mate's side and reminds him that though he may not be an elephant, he is a king and that it is his duty to carry out this tribute to an old friend.

Eventually, Kion makes his way to the hives of bees, but instead of following Kiara's orders, he decides to move the bees rather than redirect the herd. His plan backfires, and the bees chase the Lion Guard straight into the path of the elands, who panic and run away in fear. A bruised, defeated, and stung Kion returns to Kiara and tries to make the best of his report, but Kiara accuses him of not having listened to her orders. He is then forced to admit that not all of the elands cooperated with them, and Kiara implores him to listen to her next time.

As the cubs squabble, Mzingo reports back to Janja, explaining that Kion and Kiara are fighting in the wake of Simba's departure. Janja decides to take advantage of the family struggles and instructs Mzingo to take a special message to Kiara.

Meanwhile, Simba and Nala have arrived at Kilio Valley, where they witness the elephant herd placing flowers on Aminifu's body. Though saddened by the passing of his friend, Simba resolves to give a proper tribute.

As Kiara looks out over her kingdom, Mzingo lands on the peak of Pride Rock and offers a peace proposal to the young queen. Though suspicious, Kiara listens as Mzingo tells her that Janja wishes to meet her at Broken Rock, which serves as neutral ground between the Pride Lands and the Outlands. Kiara promises to think the offer over, and Mzingo flies away.

When Kion hears about the proposal, he desperately tries to talk his sister out of it, but Kiara points out that Janja probably came to her because Kion is constantly running him off. Furious, Kion points out that she's not really the queen, but Kiara resolves to do things her own way. A frustrated Kion refuses to take part in her plan and runs off into the savanna.

As Kion storms away from his sister, he encounters Mufasa, who encourages him to support Kiara. He gently reminds the cub that Kiara needs his help, especially when she's wrong, and Kion realizes that he was wrong to have abandoned his sister. After thanking his grandfather, Kion races off to rejoin Kiara, but when he returns to Pride Rock, Tiifu and Zuri explain that Kiara has already gone off to meet with Janja. Gathering the Lion Guard, Kion sets out to stop her.

Across the savanna, Simba gives his tribute to the elephants, but instead of saying, "He had good on him," the standard elephantese tribute, he says, "He had poop on him." Though Simba is horrified at this turn of events, the elephants begin to laugh, and Aminifu's daughter, Ma Tembo, explains that her father always used to have poop on him and that it was often the cause of much laughter. She then tells Simba that it is good to remember the fun times.

Having gotten a good head start, Kiara reaches Broken Rock, where Janja surrounds her with his cronies, but just in time, Kion arrives with the Lion Guard, and Janja flees. As the hyenas scurry away, Kiara admits that Kion had been right about Janja, and he reminds his sister that she had been right about the bees. With their argument settled, the siblings return home.

When Simba and Nala return home, Kiara asks how the tribute had gone, and Nala answers that everything had turned out fine. She then asks how ruling the Pride Lands had gone, and though Kiara begins to stumble over her words, Kion jumps in, proclaiming that Kiara is going to make a great queen someday.

## Cast

* **Max Charles** as **Kion**
* **Joshua Rush** as **Bunga**
* **Diamond White** as **Fuli**
* **Atticus Shaffer** as **Ono**
* **Dusan Brown** as **Beshte**
* **James Earl Jones** as **Mufasa**
* **Rob Lowe as Simba**
* **Gabrielle Union as Nala**
* **Sarah Hyland** as **Tiifu**
* **Madison Pettis** as **Zuri**
* **Eden Riegel** as **Kiara**
* **Andrew Kishino** as **Janja**
* **Jeff Bennett** as **Zazu**
* **Vargus Mason** as **Cheezi**
* **Jonny Rees** as **Mzingo**
* **Kevin Schon** as **Chungu**
* **Lynette DuPree** as **Ma Tembo** (debut)
* **Alex Cartañá** as **Twiga**

## Appearance Character

* **Kion**
* **Kiara**
* **Simba**
* **Scar** (mention)
* **Nala**
* **Zazu**
* **Mzingo**
* **Twiga** (silent debut)
* **Pim** (cameo)
* **Gumba** (cameo)
* **Mbuni** (cameo)
* **Male Mongoose** (cameo)
* **Muhanga** (cameo)
* **Muhangus** (silent debut)
* **Shingo** (cameo)
* **Bunga**
* **Fuli**
* **Beshte**
* **Ono**
* **Tiifu**
* **Zuri**
* **Male Eland** (silent debut)
* **Janja**
* **Cheezi**
* **Chungu**
* **Aminifu** (silent debut)
* **Ma Tembo** (debut)
* **Zito**
* **Mtoto's Mom**
* **Mufasa**
* **Nne** (cameo)
* **Tano** (cameo)

## Groups

* **The Lion Guard**
* **Simba's Pride**
* **Ma Tembo's Herd**
* **Janja's Clan**
* **Mbuni's Flock** (debut/cameo)
* **Twiga's Herd**
* **Thurston's Herd** (no leader)
* **Muhangus' Armory** (debut)

## Locations

* **Pride Lands**
	+ **Pride Rock**
	+ **Mekundu Cliffs** (mention)
	+ **Ukuni Woods** (mention)
	+ **Kilio Valley** (debut)
	+ **Lair of the Lion Guard**
* **Outlands**
	+ **Outlands Volcano**
	+ **Broken Rock** (debut)

## Animals

* **Lions**
* **Honey Badgers**
* **Cheetahs**
* **Hippopotamuses**
* **Egrets**
* **Hornbills**
* **Hyenas**
* **Vultures**
* **Elephants**
* **Gorillas** (mention)
* **Chimpanzees** (debut)
* **Bushbucks**
* **Giraffes**
* **Hyraxes**
* **Tickbirds**
* **Baboons**
* **Ostriches**
* **Mongooses**
* **Fishes**
* **Bee-eaters**
* **Grey-Headed Bushshrikes** (debut)
* **Yellow Wagtails** (debut)
* **Gazelles**
* **Turacos**
* **Aardvarks**
* **Zebras**
* **Crocodiles**
* **Bees**
* **Porcupines**
* **Fleas** (debut)
* **Elands**
* **Oryxes** (mention)

## Trivia

* A book of this episode has also been released.

* The episode title is a reference to the song "I Just Can't Wait to be King" from *The Lion King* movie.
* There are 10 known mistakes in this episode.
* The episode had an average of 1,455,000 viewers.
* Simba's ending quote, "*I never had any doubt,*" is the same thing Basi said to Beshte at the very end of *Beshte and the Hippo Lanes*.
* This episode was rated TV-Y7 (although it still says TV-Y in the opening).