WMG / The Lion Guard

General

The Pridelands are in Disney's Animal Kingdom

• It would certainly explain how the devil we suddenly have Asian animals seemingly not that far from Pride Rock.

This will become the Disney equivalent of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

A show aimed at young kids that ends up having a large adult fan base. Considering the cultural impact The Lion King has had on us the past few decades, this sounds like a possibility.

• Most likely jossed, as this show doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of becoming as popular as MLP unless they make it available to all audiences, as MLP is. As things stand now, the only guarantee you have of being able to watch it is if you have cable.
  • Not counting "Internet Availability", of course.
    • There are two DVDs out with more to come. Since this is a Disney Junior show, it is guaranteed to be streaming on Netflix if it isn't already. This doesn't include the episodes that Disney makes available for free on their website without any cable verification.
• It's too early to say, but I think that's doubtful. This show is nowhere near the quality of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. It's also resulted in quite a Broken Base due to elements such as Plot Holes, Retcons and Canon Defilement.
  • In terms of critical reception, the show, while not as well received as MLP, is still generally seen as a good show. In terms of commercial success, it was renewed for both a second and third season before the first even finished, and the merchandise sells like hot cakes.

A Sixth Ranger will eventually join whose trait is intelligence/wisdom

Possibly a primate, hopefully a hyena. Hyenas are among the most intelligent animals in real life, so it would fit more than it might seem.

• Maybe Jasiri will eventually join the group. After all, they need another girl.
• Confirmed, Sort of. After losing his sight, the Keenest of sight is given to the Martial's Eagle Anga, and Ono is given a new position as the Smartest

The members of the previous Lion Guard will appear as spirits

• Similar to how Mufasa guides Kion, the spirits of the former Guard will occasionally appear and guide the other members of Kion's Guard in times of need.

Jasiri won't become a Sixth Ranger for the Lion Guard

• She'd probably work with Kion and the others, but not as a full-fledged member. Maybe she could act as The Mole, warning the Guard of Janja's schemes.

A future episode will use Makuu (the upstart who took over the crocodiles) to deliver an Aesop against pride/arrogance

It seemed odd to me that "The Rise of Makuu" skipped this Aesop. I think they are saving it for later.

Dogo will eventually pull a Heel–Face Turn

When Dogo first met the Lion Guard in "The Kupatana Celebration", he actually seemed to like them and was even a bit hesitant about his family's plot to attack the animals. His young age, corruption by his parents, and unfamiliarity to Prideland law serve as reasons why he went through with it. Later on in the series, he will come to realize the errors of his ways and make things right, joining the other Pridelanders for another Kupatana (or whatever other holidays they celebrate).

There will be an evil counterpart to the Lion Guard

Thus far the show has introduced potential arch-nemesis to four out of five members of the Lion Guard. Kion's is obviously Janja; this is well established already. Mzingo is basically an evil Ono, being flight-capable, keen eyed, and already is Janja's eyes on the sky. Beshte's could very well be Maaku the crocodile. And Ushari the cobra is bound to become fed up with the constant humiliation he suffers at the hand of Bunga (seriously, tho, I would be pissed too if someone stole my hard-earned food, especially if I already ate it. I don't care if it's cute). Also note that he's voiced by Christian Slater (I doubt they would've hired him if he wasn't meant for a larger role later on), and that going by his appearance he seems to be a red spitting cobra. Honey badgers may be resistant to injected snake venom but a spitting cobra would still be able to blind any enemy by spraying, so there's that. All we need now is an arch-nemesis for Fuli, which will probably be introduced in one of the two upcoming Fuli-centered episodes. The first season will probably end with the five villains joining forces against the Lion Guard.

• Fuli's evil counterpart could potentially be an African wild dog, since although they're nowhere near as fast as cheetahs, they have a lot more stamina. Or maybe even Vitani...
  • Or a leopard - to differentiate between leopards and cheetahs. This character, unlike Fuli, will be more stealth than speed, and be able to climb trees as real leopards do. And now we have the leopard named Makucha.
• Or the evil counterpart will be made of lions who hoped to be chosen for the Lion Guard and became upset when some non-lions were chosen over them. Simba did say there were many his son could have chosen.

The real reason Simba made Kiara queen while he was away

A lot of people have noticed that Simba leaving the young Kiara in charge of the entire Pridelands in "Can't Wait to be Queen" seems really dumb, since she's a child. However, I think Kiara wasn't really in charge while Simba and Nala were gone. Rafiki or someone else was, in fact, taking care of the important nitty-gritty behind the scenes. Simba told Kiara she was in charge because he wanted to see how she would handle the responsibility and the duties of being in charge. He acted as if she would really be in charge because he wanted her to take it seriously. After all, he doesn't like his kids treating their duties like games! But really, someone important was watching from the shadows the whole time. He just wanted to know how Kiara would handle real responsibility, and perhaps get her used to duties like the morning report. She never should have gone to meet with Janja, but she didn't tell the older lions/Rafiki what she was doing because she knew they'd be suspicious of Janja, and they just thought she was going out to play or something.

Then again, this is the same lion who put his even younger son in charge of defending the Pridelands from evil, so who knows.

There will be an episode about scavengers

The Lion King series was given quite a bit of criticism for its portrayal of hyenas (and more recently vultures and jackals). Jasiri once talked about the importance of hyenas 'picking up after the sloppy eaters' in the Circle of Life. This could be the focus of a future episode - though considering its demographic I'm not sure how it would work.

The Lion Guard is basically a group of glorified shepherds

The animals of the Pridelands live there under the agreement that, while they'll still be hunted, the royal family will offer them a greater degree of protection than they would receive elsewhere in the world. It would explain why they're all so soft, docile, and frankly sort of dense — they're used to a fairly comfortable existence in which their defenders are the only ones allowed to eat them, and any other predators are aggressively driven off. A comment from zebra Punda Milia ("What is the point of living in the Pride Lands if we have to run from hyenas all the time?") actually makes this seem kind of plausible.

Bunga's biological parents will appear

Backstory: While under attack from pack of hungry hyenas, Bunga's father decided to fight off the predators, and provide a distraction as Bunga's mother looked for a place to hide their newborn son. Then they lead the hyenas away from Bunga in order to keep him safe. After finally losing sight of the hyenas, Bunga's parents returned to the hiding spot to discover that Bunga had vanished.

Since then, they have spent years trying to search for their son, until wounding up at the Pridelands and hearing about the Lion Guard. Bunga happily reunites with his parents, but then has to decide whether to stay in the Pridelands or go with his parents and leave his friends. Janja and his pack attempts to make a meal out of Bunga's parents, only to be stopped by Bunga himself. Bunga's parents realize the Lion Guard needs him around and promise to visit again.

The series will tie into Shakespeare at some point

The first movie was Hamlet, the second movie was Romeo and Juliet, the third movie was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, so it stands to reason that the show may attempt to follow a Shakespeare play as well. It obviously hasn't been doing that so far, but it could attempt to do it later on in possibly a special or a story arc.

Why the episode "Never Roar Again" was delayed.

The episode's premise seemed pretty serious: Kion seemingly going too far with his power, possibly causing him to think he's becoming like Scar. Maybe the episode was pushed back so that more light-hearted episodes get aired first, with a more mature arc occurring near the end of the first season.

• Sounds logical. I can see the "Scar tempting Kion" theory happening here.

There are other Pridelands holidays besides Kupatana...

And we will wind up seeing more of them.

Janja will get a rap musical number

He's voiced by Andrew Kishino, who is known for his rapping and voice acting talents. Beshte already got to rap in "The Imaginary Okapi".

For every villainous animal, there will be a good animal of the same or similar species to prevent stereotypes

The most popular case being the good hyena Jasiri versus the bad hyena Janja. For crocodiles, there's Pua versus Makuu in season 1, and Makuu versus Kiburi in season 2. For leopards, Badilli versus Makucha and Mapigano. For lizards, Hodari and Kinyonga versus Shupavu and Kenge. Soon there could also be a good counterpart for the other villains.

• For Mzingo, a good vulture (probably a Ruppell's griffon vulture or a lappet-faced vulture) who could serve as the Hyena Resistance's version of Ono
• For Reirei, a good jackal
• For Mpishi, a good harrier-hawk
  • Anga, the heroic martial eagle, can be considered a good counterpart for Mpishi.
• For Ushari, a good snake (probably an African rock python)
• For Sumu, a good arachnid (probably a baboon spider)

There will be a villainous herbivore at some point

All the villains who appeared so far are predatory animals. There are also good predators and good herbivores. So far, we haven't had any evil herbivores. Something like a cape buffalo would be a good choice for this. He could lead a herd of other bully buffalo and push a bunch of gazelle around, trying to steal their grass.

• Sounds like a fitting choice, perhaps as a homage to an antagonistic buffalo named Boma from the book A Tale of Two Brothers.
• Alternate theory: What if this villain herbivore harbors a hatred against all predators, showing distrust towards Kion and Fuli, and also plans to usurp Simba and drive all the predatory animals out of the Pridelands.
  • If that scenario happens, then that would probably lead to the other prey animals eventually taking Simba's side, which would add to the Carnivore Confusion in this show because why would any sane prey animal defend predators that eat them and their loved ones? Yet, I can see this very thing playing out despite it making no sense just because of the nature and tone of the show.
    • Here's how it would play out. The prey animals gorge themselves until realizing they have eaten much of the plant life in the Pridelands. They realize that predators help keep the prey population in balance, which leads to the predators returning and the Pridelands being restored... again.
• Most of the carnivores are shown to disregard the Circle of Life by hunting more than they need. This of course can apply to all animals. A herbivore's way of doing this would be to eat more vegetation and drink more water than needed without leaving any for the other plant-eating animals ^note and with Season 2 confirmed to involve a serious drought, that's not good news. This could work in addition to the hatred of predators above.
• The first villainous herbivore in the series is Mama Binturong (although binturongs are technically omnivores), along with her porcupine henchmen. She's a greedy mafia boss type, unwilling to share her delicious Tuliza flowers with other herbivores.

Humans will appear, or at least be implied to exist

They may meet an animal who was given a collar or a tag by scientists or one who had a terrifying encounter with poachers, or one who was born in captivity. Not counting the non-canon Timon & Pumbaa cartoons, the existence of humans was implied through cave paintings (being referred to as Watu) in the Lion King magazine story "Two-Legged Creatures".

• Possible, but extremely unlikely. We have had no traces of any human activity, and the magazines are not canon.
  • "Timon and Pumbaa's Christmas" is probably the closest evidence so far. Disregarding the fact that animals learned about a human holiday, Pumbaa mentions hearing about it third-hand from a flying reindeer, implying Santa Claus may exist.

Fuli is a cheetah-leopard hybrid

People have claimed that Fuli's rosette styles can indicate that she might be a king cheetah but even a king cheetah's rosette style isn't as close to being like Fuli's. So she could have been the child of a father leopard and a mother cheetah and feline hybrids do exist. The cheetah traits of Fuli is her medium sized slender body, some of her spots most notably the more circular spots on her body, her inability to climb trees, and of course her speed. Her leopard traits are her more blotchier and bigger spots, and her lack of tear marks.

Much like Simba, Kion will grow up to eat bugs

Kion has clearly made friends with a lot of animals that his kind would normally hunt and kill. It wouldn't be a surprise that he wouldn't want to do away with them, especially considering all the other predators he's dealt with and his morality struggles. He's even got a bug-eating best friend around, raised by the same bug-eating duo who raised his father no doubt.

We will learn about Scar's Lion Guard and they will be instrumental in defeating Scar.

Sarabi will appear at one point

We've heard about the Great Kings of the Past being in the sky, but why has nobody ever mentioned the Great Queens, let alone what became of Sarabi?^note Aside from Madge Sinclair's passing retconning her out of the series Perhaps there will be a moment where Kiara doubts herself about being future queen, when Sarabi - in addition to her maternal grandmother Sarafina - appear in spiritual form to give her confidence.

• Kind of confirmed. She appears briefly as a cave painting in "Cave of Secrets", but isn't mentioned at all.

There will be a grand battle and many of the characters seen thus far will appear

Ok, it seems maybe a bit unlikely, seeing as it's a kids show, but considering Scar's plans include creating a "league" of Outlanders (which presumably will include crocodiles, hyenas, vultures, lions (Zira and her pride), jackals, and perhaps others), it doesn´t seem far-fetched that the Lion guard will have to recruit many animals, not only lions, to counter them. This includes the gorillas, for example, as well as the eagle Ono was a fan of, who could take on the vultures, and the good leopard, as well as Jasiri and many others.The fight would end in a sort of Lord of the Rings-esque way, with Kion or some other Lion Guard member climbing to the volcano as the other animals fight, and reverting the ritual that was used to bring Scar back, thus causing him to be killed, captured or banished to the spirit world or what have you.

• An upcoming episode titled "The Ultimate Showdown" seems to be hinting this.

Ushari didn't turn evil, he was Evil All Along

Considering his out-of-the-blue plot to take over the Pride Lands and the fact that he's friends with sinister reptiles. He always had that plot in mind and his initial "normal cobra" portrayal was all just a facade. Perhaps they'll introduce another character who knows about Ushari and comment that he was never to be trusted.

If African wild dogs appear in the show...

They will be mostly Heroic Dogs with some Noble Wolf traits (since African wild dogs are also known as painted wolves), with villainous ones being a rival pack that the Guard must help in defeating. The heroic dogs will also serve as Good Counterparts for Reirei's pack, since jackals are often portrayed as the Unpleasant Animal Counterpart of African wild dogs.

The Outlanders are responsible for the scarcity of food in their territory

In "The Rise of Scar", Ma Tembo points out that the hyenas may be running out of food in the Outlands, to which Kion responds by saying they wouldn't be in this situation had they followed the circle of life. This would imply that the Outlands may have once been once plentiful, but the senseless hunting by predators such as Janja and Reirei gradually reduced the place to the barren wasteland it is now.

The Outlanders (except Zira's pride) will reform by the end of the series

In "The Kilio Valley Fire", Scar reveals his plot to the hyenas, jackals, crocodiles and vultures - to eliminate the Pridelands until nothing is left - which leaves them all noticeably shocked and speechless. Scar also prevents them from going back to the Outlands, presumably to make way for his exiled pride. Janja, Cheezi and Chungu will be the first ones to reform after learning the truth of Scar (perhaps from a certain trio), then they will convince the other Outlanders to help defeat Scar.

There will be a good snake character

Since the other reptiles in Scar's Legion of Doom have their own Good Counterpart, it would be fitting if they added a heroic snake to oppose Ushari. As well as avert the snake stereotype just like how the show did with the hyena stereotype with Jasiri.

Scar's ultimate plan and how it will lead to his final defeat

In the final episode, Scar will erupt his volcano in order to completely destroy the Prideland. Kion will then use the Roar to collapse the volcano in on itself, and in doing so, traps Scar's spirit inside and cuts him off from the living world.

• Eons later there will be an earthquake which will free Scar, allowing Scar to rule over the Pridelands again, except the Pridelands will be empty of animals and plants, leading Scar to be a King with nothing to rule over.

Kiburi is responsible for Makuu's Heel–Face Turn

When Kiburi became a part of Makuu's float, Makuu would have a Heel Realization by observing the new crocodile's arrogant behavior and comparing that to his own.

Season Three

The third season will involve the Lion Guard going on adventures outside the Pridelands

Pretty much like season 2 of Tangled: The Series. After defeating Scar, Kion and the rest of the guard will decide to spread awareness of the Circle of Life to other places besides the Pridelands. Simba agrees, knowing that it will help Kiara prepare for her future rule by solving problems on her own. Rafiki will also let Makini go with the Guard in case one of them gets hurt.

• Confirmed. The reason why they leave the Pridelands is different (thanks to Scar's machinations, Kion is inflicted with a mind-corrupting venom and they need to Find the Cure!), but otherwise they are leaving the Pridelands (with Makini tagging along) and encountering Asiatic animals, from snow leopards to komodo dragons.

The Tree of Life mentioned in the Season 3 teaser is in Asia.

There's a snow leopard and a Japanese snow monkey among the new, confirmed characters. They are not Misplaced Wildlife. The Lion Guard will travel to Asia to find the Tree of Life and cure Kion, and that's where they'll meet these two animals.

• Confirmed, more or less. Not only do these episodes feature Asian animals, they also notably don't feature any African animals aside from the main protagonists. So they are most likely outside of Africa.

Rani is Kovu's long-lost biological sister

Kovu and Kiara will end up together and Kion and Rani are already being shipped. Is there more to these brown-furred lions than their potential partnership with Simba's kin? It got me pondering and then it hit me! When we first meet Rani, she will have no idea of her brother's whereabouts or identity apart from "losing him" years ago. In fact, they were separated as young cubs when Kovu was kidnapped to be Scar's future heir. Kion will eventually leave the Pridelands and subsequently form his own pride with Rani. They will return to the Pridelands one day for a family reunion, where Rani unexpectedly reunites with her long-lost brother and Kovu regains the memories of his birth family.

Rani is the daughter of one of Scar's Lion Guard teammates.

• I doubt it. Rani would have to be well into her adult years for this to be likely. Yet she appears to be around the same age as Kion and Kiara.

Rani will become a love interest to Kion

With the announcement of a female lioness who is the leader of a pride in the third season called Rani, it appears as though this could be a potential love interest to Kion. Her name, meaning "Queen" in Hindu, raises the specter. Time will tell, but it is a possible way things could go.

• Confirmed. At the end of season 3, Kion stays at the Tree of Life to rule beside Rani as the King to her Queen.

Rani and her family are Asiatic lions

This season has the main characters travelling to locations that are distinctly in Asia. It wouldn't make sense to go on a cross-continental trek and end up back in Africa.

One of the new animals the Guard meets will be a tiger.

So far, the Guard already met a broad range of Asiatic species, from snow monkeys to red pandas and komodo dragons. Why would they leave out one of the most iconic species of Asia, the tiger? Likely, the tiger will be some kind of monarch, something of a counterpart to Simba.

• Confirmed. Except the tigers are not a monarch, just a mother and her cubs seeking refuge at the Tree of Life.

The season will end with an epilogue episode, set after the events of Simba's Pride.

After Kion and Ono are cured and the Guard return to the Pridelands, they will find Kovu and the former Outsiders living amongst the other lions, with the rest of the episode focusing on Kion and his friends adjusting to the new status quo.

• Confirmed, sort of. The end of season 3 sees Kion being crowned King of the Tree of Life, with his family (including a grown-up Kovu and Kiara) looking on.

The Tree of Life is in the Garden of Eden

It's a place containing every type of habitat and animals from all over the world come to seek refuge. Where else?

The Lion King Continuity

The series will end with Kion heading off to start his own Pride

Since Kiara, being Kion's older sister, is still a cub in the show, Kion leaving the Pride Lands to start his own pride would be the best way to explain his absence (or lack-of-existence, given he's a newly introduced character) from "Simba's Pride" when Kiara is all grown up.

• If that does happen, it would be accurate to real lion prides, because the sons of the lead male(s) leave or are driven off.
  • Kiara is only shown as an adult in the second half of Simba's Pride. Kion would therefore still live with the pride, since any male cubs remain with their birth pride until they start growing manes or until the pride undergoes a change of leadership.

All the main characters are Doomed by Canon

This show takes place before The Lion King 2. The members of the Lion Guard were neither seen nor mentioned in The Lion King 2. Maybe something happened to them in between the events of the show and the events of the movie.

• While that would be a most entertaining end to this show, I think it's more likely they've just been Retconed in without regard for the disrupting of previous continuity, and likely without any plans to rectify the issue. They would never truly do an "Everybody Dies" Ending for a show geared at preschoolers, even just an implied one. At most, I can see Kion leaving at the end to form his own pride or go on a journey, if the show does decide to address this issue.

Alternately, Kion and the rest of the Guard were on a Walkabout during the latter part of "Simba's Pride".

They all realized that they couldn't become the best they could be staying in the Pridelands and realizing that the Pridelands needed the absolute best, Kion lead his friends on a trip to reach their full potential. They returned some time after the end of "Simba's Pride". Kion likely then served as his new brother-in-law's adviser until Kovu got a better feel for the Pridelands and its inhabitants, at which point Kion resumed leadership of the Lion Guard (possibly leaving it in Bunga or Fuli's paws until he was available again).

Kion will end up exactly like Scar.

Although it may be dark, the series will end with Kion betraying (or potentially killing) the Lion Guard and Simba having to defeat and exile Kion. Would explain why he's not in or even mentioned in "Simba's Pride".

• I doubt it. Kion may do some questionable things, but he's a good kid on the whole with standards. A more logical explanation would be that the show ends with Kion and the rest of the Lion Guard leaving to increase the strength of the guard.

Kion won't end up like Scar, but will come close to it...

"Never Roar Again" demonstrates just how destructive the roar can be (and that was just because Kion saw his mother in danger). As the series progresses, the power will go to Kion's head and he'll have more struggles controlling it. Eventually he'll do something that not only strips him of the power, but jeopardizes his friendship with the others. Then Kion decides to leave the Pridelands, ashamed of what he's become, to prevent himself from causing anymore harm. His friends, on the other hand, still think there is good in him - and this is my idea for a resolution story that happens after "Simba's Pride".

Kopa will be given a Discontinuity Nod.

Possibly with Kion using the name as an alias for some reason, or appearing as a Freeze-Frame Bonus in a crowd shot or a background painting.

Kopa wasn't born yet

The Roar of the Elders is a power given to the second-born cub, in this case Kion. Which means, if Kopa is to be tied into the canon, he'd be at least the third-born cub of Simba and Nala. Which would mean the books featuring him take place after the events of Simba's Pride.

In the series finale, the Lion Guard will leave the Pridelands.

Which would explain why they are not present in Simba's Pride. Perhaps they need to go on some kind of quest in a far part of the world, such as finding some kind of artifact that is essential to defend the Pridelands. Bonus point if they show Zira saying that the Lion Guard leaving the Pridelands is the perfect opportunity to send Kovu to infiltrate Simba's pride and kill Simba.

The Lion Guard takes place in an alternate universe.

The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride take place in universe #1. The Lion King 1 ½ and the 1995 Timon & Pumbaa TV series take place in universe #2. Lion Guard is from universe #3. There's no way they can all take place in the same universe. Too many continuity errors, not to mention Timon and Pumbaa is too slapsticky and cartoony.

The Outlands were created during the reign of Scar

Before Scar's reign, there was no mention of these lands and exiled animals apparently lived in the Elephant Graveyard. Once Simba returned, the hyenas fled into a certain stretch of land outside the Pridelands' borders. Whereas the Pridelands replenished and recovered, that aforementioned new territory would remain a desolate wasteland because its inhabitants never learned of Scar's betrayal and still despise the Circle of Life.

The Hyenas

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed will appear

The hyenas in the sneak peek share similar designs as them and the other hyenas from The Lion King. Since some other characters from the films are or will be making appearances, it could be just a matter of time before they do too.

• Included in this board game set, there are two hyena figures that very much resemble Shenzi and Banzai, which further fuels the possibility that the trio could return.

The hyenas in this series are all males who were all kicked out of their groups and banded together out of spite of both the matriarchal nature of their species and the lions of the Pridelands.

It would explain what a male is doing leading them. If they're all rejected males, they might not have any other choice.

• Janja and his lackeys appear to be juvenile hyenas. They must have been banished by their clans in the Elephant Graveyard for the above reasons. In addition, hyenas such as Jasiri were also banished for following the Circle of Life and turning away from Scar's ways, unlike the Graveyard hyenas.

Janja is actually a female.

Halfway through the first season (or even the first episode), she'll reveal she was a girl all along, and be rather irritated that her fellow hyenas couldn't tell the difference. When they try to defend themselves, saying she looks and sounds like a dude, she'll point out that ALL female hyenas look and sound like males. This will provide a learning point for kids, as well as a Funny Moment.

• I want this to be canon so badly.
• While this would be amusing, Shenzi clearly has a feminine voice so it would create a Plot Hole.
  • Not necessarily. As a child, I didn't think Shenzi's voice sounded all that feminine because of how deep it is. Some women have disturbingly deep voices. In cartoons, it is not uncommon to have a man voice a female character for comedic effect.
    • Besides, TLK sequels exist for no other reason than to create plotholes.
    • Unlikely now that the obviously female Jasiri has been introduced.

The hyenas are all that remain of the clan seen in The Lion King.

The hyena's number seem vastly smaller when compared to the original movie. Janja's clan most likely escaped from Pride Rock during the battle between Simba and Scar, and weren't around to witness Scar's betrayal (and subsequently die in the flames).

Most of the hyenas who followed Scar blindly in the first movie had a Heel–Face Turn after Simba came back and started following the Circle of Life, and Jasiri is part of the next generation of those hyenas who grew up with that philosophy.

The reason most hyenas now follow the Circle of Life is because they or their parents saw first-hand how bad things could get during Scar's reign when the Circle was disregarded. They peacefully agreed to respect Simba's wish that they stick to the Outlands. The Chaotic Evil Janja and his gang really are the exceptions nowadays.

Janja and his gang are the kids of the original Terrible Trio that worked for Scar directly.

Because it would be another nice tie-in to the original movie. And that one guy acts a lot like Ed.

The reason all hyenas live in the Outlands...

Is because the Pridelanders are prejudiced against them. Jasiri mentions that most hyenas who aren't part of Janja's clan actually respect the circle of life. But most Pridelanders don't know that, heck, even the Guard was prepared to fight her off until Kion stopped them. Granted, the hyenas did apparently ruin the Pridelands during Scar's reign (but they eventually realized their mistake and decided to leave the lands, or it was simply due to a long drought and the hyenas were scapegoats).

• This theory could go back as far as the first movie, if we count the Elephant Graveyard as part of the Outlands. The Fantastic Racism still applies; it just goes back a lot further.
  • At some point in time, everyone else will come to see that most hyenas aren't that bad. It is implied in one of the books that the hyenas were reintegrated back into the Pridelands.

Jasiri and Janja are related

Both appear to be young hyenas, so one must wonder where their families are. It could be possible that they came from the same clan - maybe even being siblings. Maybe their mother is the leader of the clan (as real spotted hyena clans are) and Jasiri was next in line for the seat of power. A jealously-driven Janja was kicked out for attempting to kill his sister (not unlike what Scar did to his sibling) along with Cheezi, Chungu and his other followers. The banished group then decided to form their own all-male clan and neglect the circle of life that is respected by their former clan and the Pridelanders.

Janja, Cheezi and Chungu are orphans

Chungu says at one point in "Janja's New Crew" that Janja is the only family he and Cheezi know. Perhaps their parents were among the hyenas who served Scar and then died in the flames, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Jasiri's clan will take over Janja's clan.

Janja's clan is all-male. Jasiri's clan seems to be mostly female, though it has pups, though we haven't seen where they come from. They've been shown to be at odds, presumably because even the lowest ranking female still ranks above the highest ranking male. I mean, we know it, and they know it, but Disney haven't ever said it. Janja might not like it but he doesn't have much choice if he wants a mate when he matures a bit. And if he doesn't like thinking of it as the Circle of Life, he could think of it as a Unique Promotion Opportunity.

• And since male hyenas have to do everything females tell them, they'll become good guys too - though they still won't like Kion. After all, Kion did rescue Janja that time.
• Better still, Banzai will turn up and, as Janja's father, tell him that the best woman is a really tough woman - just like Janja's mom. With The Power of Rock.

Jasiri's Clan are Striped Hyenas

Jasiri mentions hyenas being mostly good and scavengers, even though every single hyena we've ever seen in the series, including supplements, up to this point has been bad and a hunter. Of course, brown and striped hyenas are frequent scavengers, while aardwolves (still part of the family) are insectivores, so that's kind of three-quarters, which does count as a majority. And Jasiri is weaker than Janja, needs protecting from his Clan rather than them joining, and her clan just looks so different from his, with her fur being almost purple-grey. Other species of hyenas don't fight lions, either. Disney was just too lazy to bring this up. Or too desperate to prove that they had NOT created an Always Chaotic Evil race in hyenas. Even though they did.

• Perhaps the hyenas in the series are spotted-striped hyena hybrids, given that their coat patterns can include either stripes, spots or both.
• Jasiri is not weaker than Janja. She's shown to be more than capable of taking him on and winning. As for why her clan looks different than Janja's, let's be honest here: Disney just wanted to make the good hyenas look cute.

Janja's clan does not follow the Circle of Life because they have no comprehension of it

In "Janja's New Crew" it is revealed that Cheezi and Chungu (at least) don't know that it is. The same might be said for the other hyenas in Janja's gang. They still have respect for Scar and wish to spread chaos, unlike say Jasiri's clan, possibly because their ancestors have learned from their sins and developed a new respect for the Circle of Life. If both clans descended from Scar's hyenas, they might have been told different stories about the evil lion's reign. Perhaps Janja and his clan will eventually find the true meaning of the Circle of Life and side with the Pridelanders.

Jasiri and her clan will become Pridelanders

As seen in "Rescue in the Outlands", Scar clearly does not want Jasiri in the Outlands, her being an ally of the Lion Guard. It will come to the point where he gets one of his more powerful allies - instead of Janja's inept clan - to chase them out. Jasiri and her clan will have no choice but to seek refuge in the Pridelands. Simba will quickly show disapproval to his son befriending hyenas. When Kion tries to convince his father "Sisi Ni Sawa", Simba tells Kion about Scar's relationship with the hyenas, which makes Kion more worried that he'll end up like his evil great uncle. Kion seeks help from Mufasa and is told that every creature deserves a second chance. In an attempt to show his father that hyenas can be good, Kion is thrown into danger and ends up being saved by Jasiri. Simba finally shows gratitude to Jasiri for saving Kion's life by allowing her into the Pridelands along with her family.

• Kion did offer Jasiri and her clan a place to stay in the Pride Lands in "The Hyena Resistance", but they declined because the Outlands is their home.

Both Jasiri and Janja descended from Scar's hyenas. However...

Janja and his clan were descended from the hyenas who fled Pride Rock before Scar's demise. Because this group never stayed to hear of Scar's betrayal, they still hold faith in him. The hyenas who did hear about it would eventually sire Jasiri and her clan. After Simba reclaimed his throne, he ordered his lionesses to chase any remaining hyenas out of the Pridelands, leaving Janja, Jasiri and their respective clans to fend for themselves in the Outlands.

How Janja, Cheezi and Chungu are connected to the original hyena trio

Shortly after mauling Scar and fleeing Pride Rock, Shenzi meets up with Banzai and Ed - bringing three young hyena pups with her. Shenzi explains that she found the pups all alone, but Banzai and Ed are not willing to share the little remaining food with extra mouths. They ultimately decide to dump the pups in the Outlands, where (at the time) there was more food for them. They then came across another clan of hyenas who were not part of Scar's alliance (possibly Jasiri's parents) who decide to adopt Janja, Cheezi and Chungu in hopes of teaching them the circle of life. Unfortunately, they would later reintroduce the Pridelands' hyena bias by attacking Kion.

• In addition, the "furbrains" nickname should have come from somewhere. It does sound like something Shenzi and Banzai would call Ed.

Jasiri and her hyena resistance will serve as the Outlands equivalent of the Lion Guard

One of the upcoming episodes, according to iTunes, involves Jasiri forming a hyena resistance in the Outlands after finding out about Scar's return. Perhaps she and her allies will protect the circle of life there as Kion and the Guard do in the Pridelands.

Scar and the Outsiders

Kion and Scar were not so different

Both were assigned as leader of the Lion Guard while their older siblings were destined to rule the Pridelands. All Kion knows as of now is that Scar was a traitor. But as the season delves further into Scar's mysterious past, Kion will come to realize his great uncle used to be just like him. However, Scar was faced with insecurities when compared to the more "superior" Mufasa and this ultimately drove him to the dark side. This same problem will begin affecting Kion.

Zira and the Outlanders were Scar's Lion Guard

With Zira being the leader of Scar's Lion guard.

• Also they were sent away by Scar, so if anything happened to him, his heir would be safe. Then later his heir Kovu could return and take over the Pridelands.
• It is said in Return of the Roar that Scar destroyed his Lion Guard. Zira was obviously not destroyed.
  • Simba mentions that Scar destroyed his Lion Guard after they refused to help him take down Mufasa as crown prince. This all happened, therefore, when Scar and Mufasa were cubs and not adults.
• Well, in "Return of the Roar", Mzingo questions that Scar destroyed the Lion Guard, to which Janja replies "Or so the story goes". Hmmm...
• I meant they were Scar's Lion Guard when Scar was King, not the Lion Guard Scar led when Mufasa was King.

Scar's intelligence

When Scar used the Roar against his own Guard, he lost its power forever, and therefore lost the only thing that came close to physical strength. It's possible that, as a result of this loss of power, Scar had to adapt and become more shrewd and cunning, relying on deceit and trickery to eventually murder Mufasa so as to compensate for his lack of power.

Scar will serve as The Corrupter

He will first target the other antagonists . It seems Ushari will be the first to tempted into a Face–Heel Turn, then bringing the hyenas into the picture. In "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie", Scar could very well bring the crocodiles to join in his plot. And then there's Kion: Scar will get to his great nephew in a number of ways: 1) Telling him to usurp Kiara for the throne 2) Working his way through each of the Lion Guard members and eventually breaking them apart 3) Telling Kion he's already ruining the Circle of Life by driving off other predators, subsequently leading to some Character Development.

• By the time of "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie", Scar has recruited Ushari and the hyenas to his cause. In this episode, the crocodiles (or rather, crocodiles that were exiled both from Makuu's float and the Pride Lands) join him. At the end, he sings about how he has a plan to bring about the end of Simba's reign, which is to recruit more animals to his cause.

Simba will realize Kovu is good, but forget due to having amnesia.

• Alternatively: Simba actually knows Kovu is good, but since he is Zira's son, he cannot let him stay in the Pridelands. I mean, Zira is a psychotic leader of vengeful followers of Simba's treacherous uncle and she is training Kovu to assassinate him, so it makes sense Simba wouldn't trust the kid.

The other evil lions of the past will appear or be referenced

The dialogue of "The Rise of Scar" suggests that Scar wasn't the only evil lion of the Pridelands, maybe not even the first.

• Well, there is Zira, who is quite an evil lion, although not an evil lion of the past.

Kion and Kovu will become somewhat of allies

When you think about it, Kovu and Kion play the Foil to each other. Kion's biggest fear is ending up like Scar, while Kovu is expected to become Scar's heir, but his morality is what makes him similar to Kion. It could start with the Outsiders kidnapping Kiara, and Kovu approaching the guard to help with a rescue. After a tough encounter, the guard (particularly Kion) grow to trust Kovu. Unfortunately, their prides' bitter rivalry won't do any good. Then eventually something tragic happens that Kovu is blamed for; the pain warps him into the cold-hearted adult lion we see in the film.

Kovu's siblings will get Character Development

Let's start with Vitani. She isn't as developed as Kovu or Nuka but is quite popular with the fanbase. Let's imagine what would happen if she met up with Kiara, Tiifu and Zuri.

Nuka, despite the large amount of screen time he got in both the film and "Lions of the Outlands", is still a character shrouded in mystery ^note (Is he Scar's son? Why was he not chosen as Scar's heir?). There could be a whole subplot where he attempts to take down the Pridelands himself - revealing just what he could have been capable (or incapable) of had he been given a chance. Surely I can't be the only one who wants to see that.

Kovu's parentage will be revealed at last

• Kovu will be revealed as the biological son of one of Scar's (deceased?) Lion Guard's members. If you remember, the wall paintings of said lions are seen at Rafiki's lair, and one of them even has bright green eyes, like Kovu, so there's that. Maybe if the Outlanders make contact with Scar, which seems likely, Kovu will want to know more about his own origins and either interrogate Scar, or his mother, Zira, who may or may not try and convince him that he IS, in fact, Scar's.
  • Also, Nuka may have plenty of questions to ask Scar...

Zira's supremacist ideology will spell doom for Scar's plans

It seems very likely that Zira's pride will make contact with Scar's ghost, since he revealed during his song he plans to gather "all animals in the Outlands". However, as we saw in "Lions of the Outlands", Zira is a lion supremacist and believes all other animals are meant to be ruled. She certainly feels no sympathy for hyenas as seen in her treatment of Jasiri. While it is possible that she will be open to using Janja, Ushari and Kiburi (and maybe the vultures, jackals etc) as a means to an end, there's also very high chances that she will dislike the idea of working together with them, perhaps deciding lions are good enough for the job, and either kicking out the other animals or acting on her own. This could potentially cause Scar's plans to fail somehow, and perhaps even cause his demise (again). Of course, this being Zira, she would never accept her fault and continue her plans to put Scar's heir in the throne as seen in Simba's Pride.

Scar did not choose Kovu, Zira did

Scar's plan to take over the Pridelands with a league of Outsiders seems to contradict the fact that he has chosen an heir to succeed him (or perhaps the lions will be a part of his plan as several above theories suggest). But let's just say maybe Scar didn't choose Kovu after all. If anything, he would have chosen his (apparent) son Nuka, as lion males tend to kill cubs outside their bloodline. Zira did not like the idea of the dimwitted, scrawny Nuka being the successor to the mighty Scar, so she went and took in another cub to fill the position. Then she convinced everyone that Scar chose him and she got trapped in her own delusions as well. If one thing's for certain, Nuka's jealousy would make a heck of a lot more sense.

• The fact that Scar is back as a ghost changes everything. One could argue that Scar (in the original movie) knew he wouldn't live forever, and that his only way of achieving immortality would've been to name a heir to carry on with his legacy. Things go awry for him, he dies, and then after a while, he's summoned back to the world of the living, which he admits "I never thought I'd have... a second opportunity" during his song in TLG. So, apparently, he wasn't really expecting to still exist after his physical death. Question is, will he still feel that he needs a heir to rule the Pridelands in his name (Kovu?), or will he think, what the hell, I don't NEED to be alive to rule again?

Scar did choose Kovu... but not to be his heir.

Okay, this one is really a stretch but, Scar somehow knew he would be brought back after his death, and he did choose Kovu but not to become his heir. Instead, he plans to take over Kovu's body. This is why he chose Kovu instead of Nuka; Nuka is scrawny and physically weak for a lion, which is what he used to be as well (why repeat the same story?). Kovu, instead, is healthy and physically strong (just look at his arms when he's just a cub!). So he plans to possess or transmigrate into Kovu's body, take a few years to grow into a powerful young adult, and then easily take out old Simba and become king. Of course Zira knows nothing about this...

Scar will get to Kion using The Power of Hate

Kion's attitude seems to be a recurring theme in the show. He knows not to use his powers irresponsibly, but he has a weak spot in seeing his family and friends under threat. And unfortunately Janja's clan has recognized this and they could potentially use it to trigger the young lion. It took Kion's anger to summon Scar in the first place, so if Kion does this again, he could unknowingly be making Scar more powerful, until the point where the volcano finally erupts and Scar is released.

• "Divide and Conquer" reveals that Scar can pop up in any place where there's a fire.

Vitani will turn out to possess the roar as well

If we assume Zira was Scar's queen, then this would make Vitani the second born royal cub at the time. As such, she could have been given the power of the roar sometime before being banished along with the rest of Scar's pride. Eventually Vitani will unleash her power, discovering it for the first time, and Zira will use it to her advantage. Of course, since the roar of the elders can only be used for good, it won't last.

• Highly unlikely, for several reasons. First of all, Scar had lost the Roar when he met Zira, and its highly unlikely the kings of the past would give it to someone who was the descendant of a being who willingly used the roar for evil. Secondly, Vitani's age makes that almost impossible that she is Scar's child. The age for Kiara and Kovu makes the idea that Kovu was born around Simba's return nearly impossible given that he and Kiara are the same age, and given that Vitani are in their same age group, it is obvious she is only maybe a year older than them. Thirdly, it is implied the kings only give the roar to the legitimate king's second born. Since the kings of the past are blatantly aware that Scar had no trouble killing his own soldiers, they know that Scar happily committed fratricide to get the throne, so they know his ascension was done immorally. So it is highly unlikely that Vitani could get the Roar.
  • Confirmed, but in a different manner. Vitani formed a new Lion Guard in Kion's absence. When Kion eventually returned, he bestowed upon her the power of the roar along with the mark of the guard.

Zira and her pride are the (unknowingly) reason as to why Janja's clan exist

Since I don't have time to write a fic about this, here is my (somewhat long) theory:

After the battle between Zira and Simba, the lioness decided to kidnap some of the hyena cubs with the help of her pride as a form of payback for being responsible for the death of Scar. They took advantage that the hyenas were weak after the fight against Simba's pack and the fire at Pride Rock and decided to kidnap only male cubs since they were less aggressive than the females. Some of those cubs were Janja, Chungu, Cheezi, Nne, Tano, among others.Zira's pack ran away deep into the Outlands and let Nuka to 'babysit' the cubs before eating them. Then, thanks to cub Janja, the hyenas managed to escape and get in other part of the Outlands, far away from Zira. Because of that, the little clan of hyenas decided to make Janja their new leader, even though he is a male.A little later, when Zira was scolding Nuka for letting the cubs escape, the older hyenas (including the original trio) arrive and demand the locations of their lost cubs. The situation would go like this:

Shenzi: Zira you psychopath! Where are our cubs? Tell us where are they right now unless you want to join your fallen king.

Zira: Or maybe you might get out of here unless you want to join your dearest cubs. (Evil laugh)

Banzai: Wha.. what did you do with them?

Zira: We just had a feast with them. JUST LIKE YOU DID IT WITH MY BELOVED SCAR!

Knowing that a battle with the lions could be dangerous, the heartbroken hyenas ran away from the Pridelands and the Outlands, since those places only brought them disappointment and pain.

In the meantime, Janja and his new clan managed to survive thanks to an alliance with Mzingo and his committee, but little by little (for time or trauma) they forgot who were their parents and don't know what really happened to Scar that night. Because of that, they only care about surviving at any cost, since they didn't have someone who can teach them about the Circle of Life.

It fits with all the drama of the original Lion King movie. Since in the Lion Guard they showed mass murder, a dead body, battles between crocodiles and even an evil soul rising from hell, I don't think that kidnapping cubs is that strong or impossible.

• Alternatively, I assume that the vengeful Zira and her pride decided to chase the adult hyenas out of the Outlands, unknowingly leaving behind the then young pups to fend for themselves.

Scar's mentor was Zira's lover and the subsequent father of her cubs.

• Counterpoint: His fur is too light/different to be Kovu, Nuka, and/or Vitani's father.

Scar's mentor is Zira's father or brother

As shown in the previews and trailers of the third season, the lion who instigates Scar's treacherous ambitions looks a lot like Zira (similar build, eyes and nose/mouth shape). He even has Zira's distinctive stripe (which ironically was missing from her design in the previous season). Moreover, the lion is hanging out at Zira's cave from "Lions of the Outlands", making it very likely that he is related to her somehow, either being her father or her brother. It is very likely that Scar and Zira will meet each other through this lion, thus giving Zira much needed backstory.

Scar's scar is a sort of Dark Mark, signifying his belonging to an evil coalition

It seems very likely that the "strange lion" Scar meets is an Outlander- part of what will later become Zira's pride. As seen in the previews, he has a scar across his right eye, and he is responsible (through his snake "friend") for giving Scar his own. Taking this and the fact that Scar's spirit leaves a burn mark shaped like a scarred eye in the previous season, it seems likely that the scar is some sort of distinctive "badge" to signify their alliance, or Scar's induction into a new group of "evil" lions- a sort of Dark Mark if you will.

Nala's father didn't get killed

He was actually driven away by Scar, just like Simba was. He was forced to find a mate and had a cub with her, but they were caught by poachers and shipped to a circus (excluding his new mate, who was taken to the black market). There, his son, now named Samson, was mocked by the audience and sent to the Central Park Zoo due to his inability to roar right. In fact, this theory could explain why he was so bitter towards Samson.

Confirmed

Kovu will make an appearance

As of now it has been stated otherwise. But maybe further in the series, who knows? At least Kiara will be in it.

• Confirmed! Kovu, along with Nuka and Vitani, will appear as their voice actors are set to reprise their roles for an upcoming episode (possibly more).
  • The reason Zira hasn't been mentioned could be because her original voice actor Suzanne Pleshette died in 2008. Maybe they're looking for a replacement?
• Confirmed. Nika Futterman is her replacement.

Scar will return, albeit as a spirit, sometime during the show's run.

During Return of the Roar, several cave paintings are seen adorning the walls of the Lion Guard's lair. One in particular stands out; Scar appears in the clouds, looking down at the Outlands (specifically, the volcano where the hyenas reside). Perhaps at some point, he will play some role in their scheme (acting as a counterpart to Mufasa, whose spirit aids Kion and his friends).

• Reasonable, though it is a tad odd that Scar would be helping the hyenas considering several ate him alive at the end of the original film.
  • Maybe he'll be helping some other animals or trying to tempt Kion into going bad.
    • I can actually see the idea of Scar tempting Kion. He'll tell Kion that the Pridelands will be made a safer place if he used the roar to destroy the hyenas, which Kion is obviously against since that would be wrong and would mean losing the power. But Scar convinces him otherwise; since Mufasa is now among the Great Kings of the Past, he couldn't find it in his heart to deprive his grandson of the roar.
• Confirmed, with the introduction of the Rise of Scar playset, that he will appear in the second season.

A good guy hyena who is portrayed as The Woobie will be introduced in a future episode to show not all hyenas are bad guys

Most likely Kion or Bunga will act like a total Jerkass towards the good hyena and there will be Fantastic Racism tension in the episode but in the end, the hyena winds up saving one of the lion guards' lives and becomes a friend of the lion guard, possibly even joining as a Sixth Ranger ^note  much like Shifty Dingo did in Blinky Bill (an Australian cartoon series where dingoes were shown as bad guys except one of them had a Heel–Face Turn and joined the main gang of good guys).

• There is actually a book based on The Lion Guard in which Kion befriends a hyena after getting lost in the Outlands. It is quite possible this story will be adapted into an episode.
• They did this plot before, so it wouldn't surprise me if it becomes a episode. There's a book where Kopa (firstborn son of Simba in some books who was probably retconned away or less likely died/left off screen) befriends a good hyena named Asante. She's not much of a Woobie, though, going by the plot summary. I haven't read the book.
  • CONFIRMED; the episode "Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots" introduces Jasiri.

Cub Kiara is slightly older here than she was in "Simba's Pride"

The first act of "Simba's Pride" took place before Kion's birth. This could explain why Kiara is now suddenly interested in becoming queen, and why her voice sounds different than in the film. Since Kovu's adult voice actor will be voicing him in the series, the same would apply for him.

• Word of God confirms that the series takes place between Kiara's first encounter with Kovu and her first hunt as an adult.

The series will go through Cerebus Syndrome

Considering the franchise it came from, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if this show became more dramatic. A possible clue being that Zira's three cubs are already slated to appear in a future episode. A few entries above (such as Scar tempting Kion, or Zira making an appearance) also provide potential.

• Kevin Schon said Season 2 is much darker and that we "will be shocked," so this appears to be confirmed.
  • "The Scorpion's Sting" pretty much solidifies this fact.

The part of the Outlands where the hyenas live is not the same as the part where Zira and her pride live

The Outlands seems to refer to any area not owned/protected by the royal lion family. In Never Judge a Hyena By Its Spots, Janja asks Jasiri what she is doing in his part of the Outlands. This shows that the Outlands are divided into territories and one of these territories could belong to Zira. We haven't seen her yet because the part of the Outlands the Guard keeps running into is hyena territory, and because the hyenas sneak into the Pridelands to hunt more often.

• This would make sense: while the hyena's main territory lies near a volcano (giving some resemblance to the Elephant Graveyard), the Outlander lions settle out in a desert-like area filled with termite mounds. Given how big the Outlands are, it wouldn't be surprising to see the animals dividing up land.
  • Confirmed. In "Lions of the Outlands", Zira and her pride invade Jasiri's part of the Outlands before Kion sends them back to their own turf.

The show is a midquel to The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.

Kion is born after that film's Minor Kidroduction and dies before Kiara's first hunt. This probably requires tweaking lions' life spans in this universe, but plenty aspects of their life(style) have already been anthropomorphized (ex. lion cub siblings in real life would more likely be from the same litter).

• Mostly confirmed. Kion's fate remains unknown.
  • In "Lions of the Outlands", Kion uses the Roar on the Outlanders, causing them to blast off to the termite-infested area we see when Nuka and Vitani are introduced.

The plot of "Lions of the Outlands"

From the few clips that are available, it's pretty obvious that Zira is intrigued that Kion has the Roar. Thus, the plot will go something like this: Jasiri requests Kion's help in dealing with some rogue lions. The two return to the Outlands, where they run into Zira and the Outsiders. After settling whatever issues they have with Jasiri, Zira will take interest in the Roar of the Elders, and begin telling Kion about how she knew Scar when he had the Roar. Kion puts two and two together and decides to book it out of there: at the same time, Zira figures out that Kion is Simba's son, and will try to convince him to use the Roar against his own father (no different than Scar using it against his Guard). Kion tries to escape, the rest of the Guard and Jasiri come to the rescue (and maybe Kovu will get in a heroic deed or two), and the Guard will escape with Zira swearing vengeance on Kion and the Pridelands as a whole.

• Confirmed.
  • Except that Jasiri told Kovu that Kion was Simba's son, and he told Zira. Also, Zira already knows about the Roar, and tries to convince Kion to join her side. Kovu is basically a coward throughout the episode, even diving to the side when Kion uses the Roar.

They'll bring back Makucha

Because, uh, he's an interesting character. They shouldn't use this villain one time. And yes, also because he's voiced by goddamn Steven Blum.

• Confirmed. He reappears in "The Golden Zebra" as a resident of the Backlands.

Scar will get a musical number.

Because I want to hear David Oyelowo sing.

• Confirmed. In Episode: Let Sleeping Crocs Lie, he will sing "I Have a Plan".

Jossed

Bunga was adopted by Simba and Nala

Why else would Timon and Pumbaa be considered his uncles?

• Actually it's apparently been hinted they adopted him like they did cub!Simba, helped by the fact that he feels the need to get their permission to be part of the Lion Guard, but instead of either of them taking the title "Dad", they went with uncles.

The hyenas will be more of Anti Villains by the end of the first season

Because a bigger threat is coming: Zira's pride! The hyenas, possibly after a clash with the lionesses, are given no choice but to flee the Outlands and seek help from the Pridelanders. When Janja and Kion eventually come to an Enemy Mine, their teams work together to stop Zira's plan. Since the hyenas are still up to no good, they end up being sent to the Elephant Graveyard, where they meet up with the Comic Trio of the original movie.

• At the end of the series, the hyenas come to a full Heel–Face Turn and move onto other pastures, explaining why they don't appear in the sequel.
  • Jossed.

Janja's New Crew...

Judging by the name of this upcoming episode, it will involve Janja replacing his old henchman. Who bets his 'new crew' will be Shenzi, Banzai and Ed? Or even Kovu, Nuka and Vitani?

• Alternatively, it could tie in with the 'evil Lion Guard counterpart' theory above.
  • Partially jossed: while it is confirmed that his "new crew" is just two hyenas replacing Cheezi and Chungu (jossing the Outlander lions theory), we still don't know if the hyenas are the ones from the movie or original characters.
  • Fully jossed. They are original characters named Nne and Tano.

That wasn't Mufasa in Return of the Roar

Think about it. The last time Mufasa appeared before anyone, it was when the Pride Lands were in immediate danger. Why would he show up just because Kion was feeling unsure about himself? Something seems a bit off. Sure, you could just shrug it off as just a plot hole, but what if it isn't?

• To be fair, the Pride Lands are still under the threat of hyena invasion (albeit a minor one, but their intentions warrant immediate action), not to mention Zira's off plotting Simba's death. Besides, wasn't Mufasa's famous "Remember" speech made because Simba was unsure about himself?

• Simba is also able to see and talk to Mufasa as shown in "The Wisdom of Kongwe", while others like Makini are unable to do so. This would suggest Mufasa is only visible to the royal family.

Kion killed Nne and Tano at the end of Janja's New Crew

We never saw what happened to them when Kion used the Roar on them. We also never saw them reunite with Janja, so it is possible Kion used the Roar lethally on them.

• Using the roar for destruction would lead to the power being taken away, as it was when Scar used it on the former Lion Guard. And the upcoming "Never Roar Again" (which is going to touch upon this subject) states that Kion still has the roar. So I say unlikely.
• On the other hand, it could be depending on intent. Kion only uses it in an emergency, whereas Scar used it to intentionally kill. The Roar can be removed if it is used intentionally to kill someone just for the fun of it, but if a person dies because of the Roar making them crash into something or it was used in an emergency, they say "Not our problem".
  • That makes sense, considering in "Too Many Termites" when Kion used it on the aardwolves thinking they were hyenas. The fact that it was a misunderstanding means he still has the roar.

Jossed. Nne and Tano are somehow back in Janja's clan, as shown by images of "Never Roar Again".

• That primarily is due to the fact that originally Never Roar Again was supposed to air well before "Janja's New Crew" and they didn't bother to update the script, so that is an error on the part of the showmakers.
  • Anyways, "The Rise of Scar" solidifies that they are once again with Janja, possibly out of desperation on Janja's terms.

One episode in Season 2 will show that Kopa canonically existed, but passed away at some point.

Kevin Schon said Season 2 is much darker and that we "will be shocked" on twitter. This is one of the most obvious ways of doing that. Perhaps Simba will be shown remembering and mourning, and/or Kion decides it's time to tell his friends about the brother he lost and we get a flashback episode, or something.

• Jossed. Kopa never existed canonically in the universe.

"The Ukumbusho Tradition" will be a Wham Episode.

Since it's about remembrance, we may learn about the past, like maybe what happened to Nala's father or what exactly was going on with Scar's Lion Guard.

• Jossed.

"The Morning Report" will include the song of the same name

"The Morning Report" (the song) was featured in the musical but not included in the film.

• Jossed

Scar and his army will win at the end of Season 2

With the show getting a third season, it's possible that Scar will have the Pride Lands destroyed as revenge for his death in the second season finale, and the Lion Guard will be forced to go into hiding while the rest of the Pridelanders flee to parts elsewhere. Season 3, meanwhile, will pick up with the Guard getting themselves back together and gaining the courage and strength to rebuild the Pride Lands and defeat Scar and his army for good. Hey, it could happen.

• Jossed.

Zira and the Outsiders will learn of Scar's volcano spirit

Here's how I think it will go down: Zira and her pride enter Janja's territory for a hostile takeover. Cheezi and Chungu accidentally reveal the fact that Scar is present and Janja - assuming Scar will side with them - leads the lions into the volcano. Once Scar emerges however, he will betray the hyenas, order the Outsiders to chase them off, and now have the pride be a part of his plan.

• Makes sense, considering Scar was never really respectful of hyenas- making demeaning comments about their (according to him) poor intelligence, physically abusing them, and eventually blaming his crimes on them-, and it makes sense that he would share Zira's "Lions Over All" philosophy. Of course, that would give Janja and his crew a good reason to finally turn "good" and help the Guard fight Scar and the Outsiders, even if out of spite only.
• There's also the fact that since Scar and Zira were mates, it's only natural that Scar would side with his own family over some hyenas and reptiles who summoned him for their own agenda.
  • Huh? Scar and Zira were never stated to be mates. However, Scar does seem rather unreliable about letting reptiles rule beside him, which could hint at him betraying Ushari and the skinks at least.
  • Even though it has never been explicitly said, there's very strong implication that Zira was indeed Scar's mate. The original Simba's Pride concept certainly meant for them to be a couple; the only reason their relationship was "obscured" (suggested rather than outright stated) was that they didn´t want to distract the audience with the whole "Kovu is related to Kiara" thing, but the intent was certainly that. Most importantly, Rafiki's paintings in "Lions of the Outlands" clearly depict Zira sitting besides Scar on Pride Rock during his reign, which would seem out of place unless she was his queen. Zira in the same episode states that she was "very close" to Scar (and notice the way she says it), and that he taught her all about the roar (which seems unlikely he would have, unless they were indeed as close as she implies). That being said, it seems almost a sure thing that Scar will betray Ushari, Janja and Kiburi; he certainly wasn´t impressed by Ushari's "rule the Pridelands" pretensions. Chances are high he'll turn on them once he has made contact with Zira and her pride.

• Jossed.

Ushari will eventually rejoin the good guys.

Ushari will fall into some sort of danger. Perhaps an overprotective elephant mother will push a rock onto his tail, then attempt to crush his head as she feels snakes are far too dangerous. Ushari is sure he's dead when Kion manages to grab him and defend him from the aggressor. Ushari awkwardly thanks him, but Kion assures him it's alright, as he is a Pridelander. Ushari is quite shaken by this act of kindness and starts showing some remorse for his actions. He's eventually outed as one of Scar's minions, but redeems himself by saving Kion.

• Jossed. Ushari stays on Scar's side all the way to his death.

Ushari will be exiled from the Pride Lands

And he will either vow to get revenge against not just the Guard but all of the Pride Lands, cementing him as both villain and Outlander, or have no choice but to accept his punishment, if he has a Heel–Face Turn.

• Perhaps this will set up a deconstruction of the Reptiles Are Abhorrent trope, by having Ushari become hated by the other cobras (and, perhaps, other snakes) when they learn of his misdeeds.
• Jossed. Ushari is Killed Off for Real, with no mention of banishment.

The Guard will eventually apologize to Ushari

Quite a few episodes taught lessons about manners and being nice. All the times Ushari was hurt by the Lion Guard, they never apologized to him - granted most of these were accidents and Kion even scolded Bunga once for attacking the snake. Soon they will realize this and apologize to him, leading to either Ushari's Heel–Face Turn, or more likely a Heel–Face Revolving Door, or even a Redemption Rejection and a Rejected Apology, assuming if the idea that he was Evil All Along turns out to be true.

• Jossed.

Fuli's family will appear

IN Fuli's New Family, Timon asked if Fuli was gonna go hunting with her "cheetah" family, though she says she hunts alone. This is an ambiguous statement and if it were the case she doesnt have a family anymore, it would make her very mature and independent for her age.

• Bonus theory: If Fuli's family members do appear, they will be shown with more typical cheetah patterns as opposed to Fuli's rosettes, indicating that Fuli is a king cheetah^note a rare genetic mutation in cheetahs and possibly providing a theory that Fuli ran away from home because of her condition.
• Jossed.

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