Kion

Kion (pronounced "Kye-on") is the son and youngest child of Simba and Nala, the younger brother of Kiara and the main protagonist of The Lion Guard, a movie and television series inspired by The Lion King. As the second born child of The Lion King, Kion serves as leader of The Lion Guard, a team of animals who protect the Circle of Life. He is the fiercest member of the team.

Personality
Kion is described as one who "defies tradition", as he has assembled a guard that consists of creatures other than lions. In this way, he is open to other species and willing to give underdogs a chance at making a difference. He also shows signs of being level-headed, such as being reluctant to enter the Outlands, possibly due to the danger of it or his father's rule about not entering it. He is also brave but at the same time cautious. In some ways he too shows the makings of a great ruler.

Unlike his father when he was a cub, Kion is a stickerler for rules and quite mature for his age, as he takes his duties as the Prince of the Pride Lands, and the Leader of the Lion Guard very seriously, far more then his sister Kiara does with her duties, when off duty, he is playful, cheerful, carefree, and laid back.

Like his grandfather Mufasa, Kion is a firm believer in the Circle of Life and is wary of anyone who treats it like a joke like the Hyena Clan and is prejudiced against the Outlanders due to this.

Physical Appearance
Kion bears a striking resemblance to his father Simba. Small and lithe, Kion is in good shape, bearing slight shoulders, pronounced chest and a moderately well-muscled build. His fur is light gold (which is resulted by Simba's gold fur mixing with Nala's tawny shades), while his muzzle, paws, and underbelly are all lighter in color. Although his lower eye shades are also light, his upper eye shades are chestnut. He has light brown eyes and a maroon nose. His most distinctive features are his ear rims (which were inherited from his father) and a tuft of red fur on his head that is the beginnings of his mane. Unlike cub Simba's tuft, it is swept back in a style similar to that of his great-uncle Scar's. Kion has a mark on one shoulder in the shape of a lion's head, and bears spots on the backs of his lower front and back legs.

Powers

 * Roar of the Elders: Like Scar until he lost it, Kion possesses the Roar of the Elders. When he uses the Roar of the Elders, all the ancient lion kings roar along with him, instilling real power in the roar.

Abilities

 * High-Level Intellect/Skilled Tactician/Leader: Kion is highly intelligent for his age, as the new leader of the Lion Guard, he is also a capable leader and tactician.
 * Animal Strength: Kion is the second strongest member of Lion Guard.
 * Animal Speed: Kion is the second fastest member of Lion Guard.
 * Animal Eyesight: Kion has the second best eyesight in the Lion Guard.

"The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar"
Kion first appears when he and his best friend Bunga are goofing around on Pride Rock, where Simba is teaching Kiara about life as a future monarch. Kion's antics with Bunga disturb the two, so they take their game away from Pride Rock and into the heart of the Pride Lands.

While playing, the two manage to lose their baobab ball in the Outlands. When Bunga goes to retrieve it, he is attacked by two hyenas, Cheezi and Chungu, who are under Janja's command. Before the hyenas can hurt Bunga, Kion steps in, roaring so loudly that the hyenas drop Bunga, who climbs to safety.

Meanwhile, Rafiki and Simba overhear Kion's roar, and the two come to realize that it is time for him to lead the Lion Guard. When Bunga and Kion return to Pride Rock, Rafiki leads them to the Lair of the Lion Guard, where he explains that Scar used to lead the Lion Guard until he lost his powers. Simba then tasks Kion with gathering a new Lion Guard to protect the Pride Lands. Bunga and Kion set out right away, and Kion asks the honey badger if he will join the team. Bunga accepts, and his adopted uncles, Timon and Pumbaa, offer him enthusiastic congratulations.

Unbeknownst to the friends, they have been spied on by Mzingo, a vulture minion of Janja's, who reports back to his leader about the newly formed Guard. When Janja hears the news, he announces to his clan that they will strike that very night. On the other side of the savanna, Kion has appointed Beshte, Fuli, and Ono to positions on the Guard. He gathers the team together and attempts to show them the Roar of the Elders, but all that comes out is a squeak. Just then, Simba arrives and reacts in horror to Kion's choice of teammates. He insists that the Guard must be made of lions only and then berates Kion for treating his role as leader like a game.

Wanting to be alone, Kion isolates himself from his friends, where he encounters the ghost of his grandfather, Mufasa. The wise king tells Kion to trust his instincts and promises that he will always be there to guide him.

No sooner has he faded from the sky when Kion hears Bunga calling for him, shouting that the hyenas are attacking a herd of gazelles. With no time to lose, Kion assembles the Lion Guard, using his paw to gift each of them with a special shoulder marking.

Together, the five friends attack the hyenas, driving them back into the Outlands. Kion finishes the fight with the powerful Roar of the Elders, and even Janja flees in terror. Simba happens to be watching from a nearby ridge and realizes that his son was wise to have chosen whom he chose. He congratulates his son on the victory and accepts this new, brilliant assembling of loyal animals.

"Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots"
Kion and The Lion Guard come to the rescue of a antelope herd when they are attacked by Janja and his clan. Kion orders the rest of the Lion Guard to calm the herd while he pursues the hyenas. During the pursuit, a log snaps under Kion's feet and he falls in a river. The river's current sweeps Kion into the Outlands. Kion orders the Lion Guard to meet him at Flat Ridge Rock where he plans to cross the river. Bunga leads the way but he doesn't know the way to Flat Ridge Rock. Later Kion is traveling through a gorge when suddenly, rocks start crumbling and a hyena appears. She reveals that she's not with Janja's clan and that she knows who he is and where Flat Ridge Rock is and her name is Jasiri. Dispite distrusting her, Kion follows her.

Kion remains distrustful of Jasiri and gets himself caught in a thorn bush. Jasiri gets him out of the bush and then leads the way to Flat Ridge Rock. Jasiri reveals that most hyenas actually respect the Circle of Life and voices how similar hyenas and lions are. When they get to Janja's territory, they part ways. After Kion leaves, Janja and his Clan show up to attack Jasiri. Kion comes back to help Jasiri. Kion drives them off using the Roar of the Elders. The Lion Guard arrive to pick Kion up and take him back into the Pride Lands.

"The Rise of Makuu"
Kion and his friends are first seen racing to the rescue of an animal crying for help. However, when the five arrive at the scene, they find a little hyrax stuck in a thorn bush. Annoyed at the false alarm, the Guard proceeds to free the hyrax, who is soon swallowed by Ushari. Again, the Guard frees him, and he runs away in terror of Bunga's smell.

The friends travel to Big Springs, where Beshte shows off his home to his friends. While there, the friends overhear a crocodile named Makuu challenge his leader, Pua, to a mashindano. Kion is disturbed by this turn of events and asks his father about Makuu's challenge. Simba explains that he must recognize and respect the traditions of other species, even if he doesn't always agree with them.

Later, the animals of the Pride Lands gather to witness the mashindano, and Makuu manages to pull a victory over the aged Pua. As the crocodiles stride away, Kion looks after them worriedly, wondering if the Pride Lands are in danger. After Pua's defeat, the Lion Guard gathers in the Lair of the Lion Guard, but in the midst of the gathering, Kiara rushes up and warns Kion that the giraffes have moved into the baboon's forest. The Lion Guard rushes to the rescue, and Kion discovers that Makuu has invaded Big Springs, which has forced the other animals to switch habitats.

Kion confronts Makuu, asking him to leave Big Springs, but the crocodile refuses, mocking Kion for being unwilling to fight. Though Bunga encourages Kion to use the Roar of the Elders, the cub decides against it, not wanting to be like Scar and lash out in anger. Instead, Kion goes to Pua, asking for him to call for another mashindano, but Pua reminds Kion that Makuu is much stronger than him. He then advises Kion to back down if he's not willing to fight Makuu.

The five return to Pride Rock, where Kiara reveals that there's been an invasion of baboons. Overwhelmed by all the problems, Kion moves off to think and encounters Mufasa, who advises him to stand his ground.

Inspired by the words of his grandfather, Kion and his friends decide to demonstrate the Roar of the Elders on a grove of trees to show Makuu what he would be in for if he should attempt a fight. While Bunga, Fuli, and Ono set out to clear the grove of animals, Beshte and Kion confront Makuu. When Ono gives the signal, Kion roars into the trees, clearing them all of their branches. In awe, Makuu backs down and leads his float out of Big Springs.

After Makuu leaves, the animals return to their habitats, and Beshte's father Basi invites the crocodiles to return to Big Springs once the fish population spikes. The Lion Guard watches in satisfaction.

"Bunga the Wise"
In Bunga the Wise, Kion and the Lion Guard are out in a storm, trying to save some baboons in a tree that is gradually breaking. Kion has an idea, and orders Bunga to scare the baboons out of the tree. Kion's plan works, and the Guard manages to save the baboons.

With the storm subsided, the Lion Guard decide to rest nearby. Kion leaves the group briefly to seek advice from his grandfather, saving a butterfly along the way. When Mufasa appears, he tells Kion that often a quick fix is not the best solution. When Kion returns to the guard, he sees a large stream of water heading straight for them. He wakes them up, and asks Ono to check out what's going on. He informs him that Lake Kaziwa is too full, causing a leak which is getting worse. Kion realises that they need to do something, and Bunga has the idea of blocking the water with rocks.

Other animals arrive and compliment Bunga on his good idea. Kion, however, is not so sure that the quick fix is a good idea. A small amount of water leaks out, and Bunga is quick to stick a stick in it. Rafiki overhears this nearby, and mentions that honey badgers are the smartest animals, before his baobab fall from his hands. As Bunga rushes off to tell his uncles, Kion and the rest of the Lion Guard chase after him, and miss the final part of Rafiki's wisdom as well as the stick becoming loose.

Kion and the rest of the Lion Guard continue chasing after Bunga, but halt when they realise that they forgot the turtles. They turn them the right way up, and then rush off to help the Porcupine Brothers. They push their log over to release the water contained within, then set off to help Ushari and the other cobras. Unfortunately, only Bunga is small enough to get in the hole. Just then, Ono flies over, telling the gang to get to Hakuna Matata Falls.

When they arrive, many animals have gathered together. Timon and Pumbaa explain that Bunga is giving out advice, though Bunga proceeds to give them terrible advice. Kion tells Timon that they need to speak with Bunga. Annoyed, Timon allows them access. They speak with Bunga, who reminds them of Rafiki's words, and that he is now the smartest and bravest animal in the Pride Lands, and that he plans on giving all the animals advice. Timon then ushers Kion and the rest of the Lion Guard out, since other animals are waiting for Bunga's advice.

The Lion Guard sans Bunga are roaming the Pride Lands, when they see an ostrich with her head stuck in the ground, and help her out. They ask what she's doing, and she informs them that she's following Bunga's advice. Ono then sees some Brushbacks eating some pink flowers, and Beshte rushes over to destroy them. Once again, it turns out that they were following advice from Bunga. They then hear a distress call, and find an oryx trapped near a cliff. After Kion and Fuli rescue him, it again turns out to be Bunga's bad advice, having told him the quickest way to the other side was to jump down.

A herd of animals singing 'Make way for Bunga the Wise' grabs their attention. They run over, to find out that Bunga is taking his advice all over the Pride Lands. As they're talking, the temporary dam bursts and the animals run. Kion tells the Lion Guard to follow him, as he rushes to save some nearby animals.

Kion orders the buffalo and zebras to follow him as they race away from the water. At a junction point, Kion asks Ono which way to go. As Ono sees one route leading outside where the water can follow, he tells them left, though soon realises that he has sent them to a dead end. The other animals look to Bunga for advice, but he confesses that Kion knows best. Kion tells everyone to get behind him, and performs the Roar of the Elders, which pushes the water back and out the other way, with rocks falling down to secure their safety.

The animals and the Lion Guard are finally able to relax near a waterfall that was created when Kion used his roar. Kion is seen lying contentedly next to Fuli.

Trivia

 * Kion is the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, after Kiara, who is his only official sibling.
 * Interestingly, all of Simba's children's names begin with "K" (Kopa, Kiara, Kion).
 * He resembles his unoffical brother Kopa.
 * The mark on his shoulder used to be a paw print, but a sizzle reel showed that this was swapped out for the current lion head.
 * Kion isn't the first second born child of the Lion King to take on the role of leader of the Lion Guard. As his great uncle Scar was leader of the Lion Guard before the events of the first film, but he tried to use his power to overthrow Mufasa. But when the rest of The Lion Guard refused to help him, Scar used the Roar of the Elders to destroy them and because he used his powers for evil, Scar lost his Roar of the Elders.
 * It is currently unknown what the age gap between Kion and Kiara is. Whether they are twins (with Kiara being the elder twin) or they were born a few months apart from each other, it has not yet been confirmed.