Makucha

### Friends

Chuluun, Fahari, Jiona, Mama Binturong, Ora, Smun, Kiburi, Tamka, Nduli, Kondo , Shupavu, Reth and his Pride, Spike, Putra, Meracuni, Kenge, Julisha, Khurdan, Chungwa

### Enemies

Anga, Baliyo, Beshte, Bunga, Dhahabu, Fuli, Kion, Kongwe, Makini, Nirmala, Ono, Rani, Surak, Nguruma, Orji, Uheri

**Makucha** is an adult male leopard who is the son of One-Eye, the brother of Orji, the former mate of Uheri, the mate of Chuluun, and the father of Mapigano, Khurdan, and Chungwa. He lives in the Back Lands and is the leader of his leap, in addition to serving as a co-leader of Mama Binturong's Army.

He is an antagonist in Legends of the Lion Guard.

## Appearance

Makucha is a stocky, well-built leopard with incredible agility and physical strength. His fur is a pale lemon color, and his rosettes are brown outlined with black. The spots on his face and neck are smaller and solid colored. His sclerae are dark yellow, with his irises being green. His inner ears are light pink, rimmed with black and a single rosette on the back of each. Half of his long tail is banded in white, and his underbelly and paws are white in color. He has thick, bushy dark brown eyebrows, long black whiskers, black claws, white teeth, and a black nose. His paw pads are red-brown.

## Personality

Confident and cunning, Makucha is a determined predator. Once he locks on a target, he is hard to shake off and will take days to bring down his prey. Even in the face of fierce opposition, he is assertive and self-assured, willing to fight for what he believes is his. However, his confidence is not to the point of overconfidence, as he will back down if he is severely outnumbered. Makucha is authoritative and commanding, and often assumes control over the groups he joins. He can be charismatic and persuasive, though his zealotry sometimes backfires and causes his allies to back off. Despite his natural need to be in control, Makucha will listen to authority if he stands to benefit from it. Even so, he remains a fierce fighter with a need to succeed.

## History

### Backstory

Makucha and his brother, Orji, were born to One-Eye and a unnamed female leopard in Leopon Plains during the rule of Atiena. Makucha was raised to hate others who worked for good, and only befriend those bad. He eventually left his family and joined another leap, commanding them. He became mates with Uheri and had one son, Mapigano. However, Makucha's brutal parenting eventually caused them to break up, and Uheri took Mapigano away from his father. Makucha traveled for many seasons afterward. He met a pretty and evil snow leopard, Chuluun, and he raised two children with her: Khurdan and Chungwa.

### Legends of the Lion Guard: Protectors of the Pride Lands

#### Nguruma and the Bully

Uheri indirectly mentions Makucha when she scolds Mapigano, saying that he was not raised to be like his father.

#### Kion and Nguruma's Birthday

Shupavu brings Makucha and his leap to Kiburi's Float, saying that they have skills to help them take down rare animals. While the crocodiles are initially skeptical of the leopards, Kiburi allows them to help crash the birthday celebration. Later, the attack is launched, and the crocodiles and leopards refuse to leave. The leopards then attack Binga and Chausiku, but are quickly forced into the center of Mizimu Grove. Once again, the groups refuse to leave, so Kion blasts them out of the grove with the Roar of the Elders.

### Legends of the Lion Guard: The Dark Prophecy

Makucha and his leap spy on the Lion Guard, Mhina, Makini, and Nguruma as they travel to the Tree of Life. He shares an intrigued glance with Chuluun as Makini excitedly talks about the Tree, and forming an idea, he chuckles darkly. He informs the leap that they will follow the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life, adding that rare animals go there to be safe - which is what he likes. Suddenly, Orji approaches Makucha, warning him that he's aware of his plan. Makucha asks if he's finally come to rejoin the leap, but Orji vehemently denies this, not wanting to stand around while he is killing innocent animals. Scoffing, Makucha growls that he should've known, as he acts like Uheri and Mapigano. Orji retorts that he made the right decision leaving the leap, having found his own path in life to follow, and he bounds off. Makucha questions if anyone else is willing to follow Orji, but they pledge their loyalty to him. Soon, the leap reaches the waterfall, and Chuluun questions if this is even the right way, but Makucha affirms that he's correct, proclaiming that those rare animals will be theirs. Fahari worries about the Lion Guard defeating them again, but his leader dismisses this, believing they'll have no chance this time.

Suddenly, they are approached by Reth's Pride and a group consisting of komodo dragons and a monitor lizard, and Makucha asks who they are. Reth introduces himself, explaining that they are following the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life; a komodo dragon named Ora reveals that his bank is going to the Tree to feast on its animals. Makucha introduces himself in turn, sharing his leap's quest to follow the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life in order to eat the rare and delicious residents living there. He presents Ora with an offer to join his leap in their mission, and he accepts. However, when the same offer is given to Reth, he refuses, affirming his pride's independence. Later, Makucha's Leap and Ora's Bank arrive at the Mountain Pass. Chuluun asks if this is worth it, and Makucha affirms that it is, promising that there will be rare animals for them to take. Jiona questions how they can be sure this plan will succeed, and he says that the Lion Guard will have no chance of defeating them when they're united. Suddenly, a binturong named Mama Binturong arrives, remarking that they are too flawed in their attacks and effectively taking over as leader, much to Makucha and Chuluun's shock. Shortly after, Mama Binturong says that it is time for their first attack, and Makucha asks what they're waiting for.

Ullu sees them enter the Mountain Pass, and upon watching them target Cek's Flock at Winter Woods, she decides to warn the Night Pride; Rani recognizes Makucha and his leap. Once they find out everything, the Night Pride, along with Ullu, Kingiza, Mhina, and the Lion Guard, dash to Winter Woods and engage in a fight with the predators. Makucha approaches Cek and Rama, but Mhina attacks him, snarling and growling. Makucha strikes his muzzle, unbalancing him, but Mhina slides under him and rakes his belly deeply enough to draw blood. Kion soon joins the fight, and he and Mhina fight Makucha and Fahari back to back. Kion claws Makucha across the muzzle hard, making him retaliate by slicing his flank. Kion leaps backwards, proceeding to knock Makucha's paws out from under him. After Mama Binturong is sprayed with Bunga's stink, she orders the army to retreat, and they run away from Winter Woods. Kion realizes that Makucha and his friends followed the Lion Guard as well, much to Rani's ire, and Mhina points out that they never asked to be followed by them or Reth's Pride. Later, Kion admits to Mhina that he still feels responsible for leading Makucha's Leap and Reth's Pride to the Tree of Life, but Mhina reminds him that they followed them on their own free will.

On another patrol, Rani remarks that just because it's peaceful doesn't mean Makucha and Reth aren't going to attack again soon. Some time after, the army of predators argues amongst themselves over what to attack next. Julisha suggests taking down the king and queen, but Makucha instantly rejects the idea, noting that they'll be immediately killed. Mama Binturong angrily silences them, revealing her intentions to get revenge on Bunga - which don't sell with the army until she clarifies that they'll also have a chance to pursue rare animals. Makucha agrees, declaring that they're in. Meanwhile, Mhina tells Lenga that Kion still has threats from Reth and Makucha to deal with. As they travel to Bamboo Woods, Makucha's Leap is observed by Ullu and Cara, and they fly off to warn the Lion Guard and Night Pride. Upon arriving, Makucha explains that Mama wants revenge against Bunga and they want to go after rare animals - so they're going to attack the elephants and golden wolves living here. He assigns Chuluun, Khurdan, and Chungwa to help him take on the wolves and Fahari and Jiona to target the elephants. Makucha then creeps up to a few golden wolves, focusing on one bathing in the sunlight, but a soft breeze drifts by and exposes his scent to the wolf. It growls, springing upward and slashing at Makucha's muzzle, drawing blood in the process. Angered, he attempts to strike the wolf with his paw, but misses, and it instead rips open the flesh on his flank, drawing even more blood.

The Lion Guard and a few members of the Night Pride then arrive on the scene. Fuli dives into the battle, crashing into Makucha and knocking him into the ground, only to be kicked off. Makucha scrambles to his paws just as Fuli sinks her teeth into his tail, leaving him off his balance. He attempts to retaliate by slashing at her cheek, but misses, and Fuli scratches his own cheek enough to leave a few deep cuts. Makucha quickly turns, and sliding underneath her belly, he tears through the flesh enough to create a few cuts which begin to bleed. Despite being in pain, she dazes him with a blow to the head, but Makucha taunts that she isn't fast enough to catch him, dashing toward Aminia and Danyal. Exhausted, Fuli resolves to help Aminia and Danyal, though she doesn't know how much she is able to help them. Pushing herself toward Makucha, she tries to stop him, but he zigzags away, causing her to fall to the ground. She tries again, only to just barely miss him, and Makucha says that she'll never catch up to him. Determined to win, she gets back up again, but she finally succumbs to her exhaustion and collapses on the ground. Makucha cuffs Fuli's ear roughly, calling her pathetic for not thinking tactically like he does and for using up her speed. Makucha then climbs up a tall tree, watching as Bunga fights his family below, and when he's least suspecting it, he jumps down on him and captures him. Bunga tries to free himself, but it is no use, and Mama Binturong arrives alongside Smun's Prickle. The porcupines trap Bunga just as he kicks Makucha away and begin to lead him out of Bamboo Woods, but using his catchphrase and stink, he tricks the army and drives them off.

A day later, Rani snaps that just because Reth and Makucha haven't attacked doesn't mean that they've given up. Later, Mama Binturong rallies her army and prepares for their final attack, but Makucha snorts that every single attack of theirs failed and she's convinced she can capture the Tree of Life. Irritated, she rebukes him. Meanwhile, Orji arrives at the Tree of Life, and Nguruma mistakes him for Makucha, but he clarifies that he's not. He reveals that he came to warn Janna of Makucha's plans to attack the rare animals at the Tree, only to be told by Makini that he has already done so, causing him to panic. Sympathizing with him, Janna urges him to calm himself and sit in front of her, and trusting the elderly lioness, he obliges. She murmurs that they're going to interrogate him, as he has valuable information on Makucha that could prove useful, and accepting the terms, Janna begins. She questions why he came so late if he knew Makucha was planning attacks, and Orji explains that he was going to come sooner - but a harmattan hit the Back Lands - and after it, the territory experienced days of heavy rain. Kenene murmurs that it's understandable, asking if he knows what species of animals Makucha wants to attack, and he responds that it's any animal Makucha can get his teeth on. Nguruma inquires as to why he didn't stop his brother's plans from the start, and Orji confesses that he was up against his whole leap and a brother who hated him for not following in their father's pawsteps. However, what he does now is for the good of the Tree.

He asks Janna for permission to stay at the Tree indefinitely in order to stop Makucha, which she grants, citing that his information will aid them. Ullu flies up to Orji, stating that he can stay in Marsh Forest for the time being. As they head there, they hear voices, and wondering what's going on, Ullu flies up. She notices Mama Binturong and her army of predators, Makucha among them, and she reports her findings to Orji, who asks what she heard, but she replies that she didn't get close enough to hear anything. He says that this is their chance to see what they're planning, and the two rush to the Mountain Pass, hiding behind a boulder. Upon hearing that the predators want to overthrow the monarchy, Orji whispers that they have to do something, but in the process, he accidentally gives them away. Chuluun shrieks that they're spying, startling Ullu out of her spot. Angered, Mama orders Makucha and the others to proceed with the attack, and snarling, Fahari demands why Orji thinks he's welcome here after shaming Makucha. At the battlefield, Makucha's Leap chases Astuto's Leash, but soon switch to chasing Amur leopards. Makucha prepares to strike one, but Fuli intervenes, trying to slice his underbelly, but he dodges and scratches her cheek. Rising to her paws, Fuli attempts to target him again, but Makucha pulls on her tail, throwing off her balance and going back to the Amur leopards, slicing one of them across its flank.

When Kion arrives and begins to use the Roar of the Elders on the predators, Ora wonders what that noise is, and Makucha retorts that he needs to act like a komodo dragon. Kion, aiming at him and Chuluun, strikes them directly with the Roar, sending them toppling backwards. He then finishes Makucha by using the Roar's levitation power to throw Beshte onto him, flattening him, and he groans that his back hurts. With all of the predators dealt with, Kion summons a tornado that sucks them up and flings them far away from the Tree of Life - back to where they belong.

## Family

* **Father:** One-Eye
* **Mother:** Unnamed leopard
* **Brother:** Orji
* **Former Mate:** Uheri
* **Mate:** Chuluun
* **Sons:** Mapigano and Khurdan
* **Daughter:** Chungwa

## Trivia

* Makucha is voiced by Steve Blum.
* His name means "claws" or "nails" in Swahili.
* It is unknown what happened to Makucha nor his comrades following the events of The Dark Prophecy. However, they will not be returning as antagonists in the series.