Summary: After the Lion Guard accidentally wakes a group of hibernating crocodiles who become furious that they now have to suffer through the dry season in the Savanna, Scar seizes the opportunity to wreak havoc in the Pride Lands.
This episode contains examples of:
- The Atoner: Throughout the episode, Ono feels terrible about waking the crocs from their hibernation and forcing them to endure the dry season. Ono later goes to personally apologize to Makuu, despite clearly being terrified of the crocs and their 'crocodile violence'.
- Bittersweet Ending: Makuu and his float will now have to endure the dry season, but their survival is guaranteed as Simba has found them a watering hole offering enough water and foodnote for the whole season; also, Kiburi has joined Scar's army as he begins his plan to destroy the Pride Lands.
- Blood Sport: The crocodile mashindano, which pits Makuu against Kiburi this time.
- Brutal Honesty:
- Bunga outright tells Ono that he messed up in waking up the crocodiles from their dry season sleep.
- Makuu doesn't do anything to sugarcoat the conditions in the dry season, and bluntly tells Kiburi that they should accept what amount of water they can get or he should get out.
- Character Development: After the crocs are woken from their hibernation a few months too early and forced to deal with the harsh conditions of the dry season, Kion, Simba and Makuu have to team up and pool ideas to try to find a solution so the float can survive. The matter is actually resolved pretty quickly and efficiently, with only the odd mutiny from Kiburi slowing the trio down. Between Kion's lack of experience, Simba's lack of faith in his son, and Makuu's lack of restraint (and ethics in general), if an incident like this had occurred in early Season 1, it would have been a complete trainwreck.
- Continuity Nod: Makuu mentioned that the crocodiles were going to begin hibernation back in "The Savannah Summit", and they are seen beginning their hibernation briefly during the opening of "Rise of Scar".
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The Guard take on Kiburi's three followers for attempting to ambush Simba, and it doesn't take long for the Guard to dispatch all three crocs.
- Everyone Has Standards: Makuu was already angry enough at the Guard as it is that he and his float were awoken from hibernation, but to resort to attacking the king is even more deplorable. He was rather taken aback when he found out Kiburi would use the Mashindano as a distraction to do that.
- From Bad to Worse: Ever since Scar's spirit has been brought out, every antagonistic animal is coordinating together for something big. This is rather unprecedented.
- Foreshadowing: Before Kiburi challenges Makuu to a Mashindano, Makuu says that the shallow watering hole that becomes cramped is the best they could get to go through the dry season and if Kiburi doesn't like it, he could try his luck in The Outlands, which eventually led to the exile of Kiburi and his followers to The Outlands after he lost the Mashindano and his plan to assassinate Simba was foiled by the Lion Guard.
- History Repeats: Makuu finds himself on the same boat as Pua back in "The Rise of Makuu". By having an arrogant and antagonistic crocodile disrespect his authority and challenge him to a mashindano. Although, he wins the mashindano again, thankfully, but it was far easier than he expected; Kiburi was only trying to distract him and was attempting to assassinate King Simba, and gets dishonorably exiled for it all.
- Legion of Doom: With Scar's guidance, it looks like Janja is trying to create one—it consists of him and his clan, Ushari and his skinks, and now, Kiburi and his followers have joined the mix. Scar's song has vultures as part of the legion, which could mean Mzingo and his committee might be joining them soon enough.
- Meaningful Name: Kiburi means "pride" in Swahili. Like Makuu before him (but even more so), he's a very arrogant croc.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Ono, after he accidentally awakens the crocodiles.
- Never Smile at a Crocodile: Though Makuu has reformed back in "The Savannah Summit", he's not necessarily the nicest animal around, but this episode introduces a new crocodile antagonist named Kiburi. And he's even worse than Makuu because he's trying to get rid of him and the king.
- No Sympathy: Since Makuu is trying to be pragmatic about his float's situation during the dry season, he has no patience for Kiburi's complaints about their new arrangement, and tells him to take what they can get, or leave.
- Noodle Incident: Scar hints to Ushari that someone, strongly implied to be himself, has used the Mashindano as a distraction before.
- Oh, Crap!: Once the kids see that Makuu is awake from hibernation, that is not a good sign.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The normally proud Makuu stops basking in his second Mashindano victory the moment he finds out Kiburi and his followers tried to murder Simba while using said Mashindano as a distraction, to the point he doesn't give them a parting acknowledgement with their exile like he did with Pua.
- Start of Darkness: Kiburi replaces Makuu as the new crocodile villain as he joins Scar's legion to get revenge against the Pridelands, after a failed attempt at getting rid of both Makuu and Simba.
- Status Quo Is God: Played straight this time around, and Makuu doesn't lose leadership of his float. Kiburi's short-sightedness was very self-destructive to begin with, so Makuu had nothing to worry about.
- This Is Unforgivable!:
- Simba's reaction towards Kiburi and his followers attempting to assassinate him is to banish them from the Pridelands, but not before he allows Makuu to exile them from the crocodile float first. Given what happened to his own father, his anger is understandable. Likewise, Makuu also seems to feel this way when he dishonorably banishes Kiburi and his followers from his float, not even bothering to tell them how serious their offense is.
- Ono worries that he could be punished greatly when he wakes up the crocs during the dry season by accident, thinking he could be banished from the Pride Lands or eaten by the crocs. He learns this is not the case after Makuu forgives him in the end, especially after he did a big gesture having his keen eye become pivotal in stopping Kiburi's scheme.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Although Makuu is clearly upset with the Guard (particularly Ono) for waking him and his float, his animosity with them has still dissipated and he works with them in finding a suitable watering hole for the crocs to settle in. He even scolds Kiburi for attempting to attack Ono, trying to take over the watering holes in the Pride Lands (something his pre-reformed self would have approved of) and outright fighting with Kion. At the end, his response to Ono apologizing to him for waking his float is to accept his apology, as Ono was responsible for discovering Kiburi's heinous deed in attacking Simba.
- Villain Song: "I Have a Plan," sung by Scar.
- Wham Episode: Scar reveals his plan to attack the Pride Lands, by gathering a Legion of Doom. Also, Makuu's redemption becomes official, while Kiburi takes his place as the main crocodile villain.
- Xanatos Gambit: After finding out a Mashindano will take place, Scar has Ushari convince Kiburi believe he can rule the Pride Lands by assassinating Simba while being occupied with Makuu. After that, any and all possible scenarios will give something beneficial to the outlanders: 1). Kiburi's followers take out Simba, and it will not matter if he wins or loses because it will give the Outlanders the opportunity to attack the Pride Lands with impunity, or 2). Which actually happens, Simba survives, Kiburi and his followers are exiled for treason, convincing him he needs to join Ushari and Janja under Scar's guidance to defeat the Lion Guard.
