Pridelanders

Pridelanders are minor characters in the 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King. They are the lions of the Pride Lands who are ruled by a reigning monarch lion.

The Lion King
Pridelanders are first seen during the "Circle of Life" sequence at the start of the film. As Mufasa and Sarabi nuzzle each other, lionesses watch from the shadows of Pride Rock, delighted that their new prince is about to be anointed.

They are later seen resting near Pride Rock as young Simba comes racing to get his friend Nala and appear again during Scar's eulogy, during which they grieve the double losses of their king and prince. Their mourning is soon shattered when Scar welcomes his hyena minions into the Pride Lands, and the lionesses are helpless to watch as their kingdom is swarmed by scavengers.

Years later, the pride has noticeably dwindled, with only a few members remaining, and prey is scarce, prompting the exhausted lionesses to cease hunting for Scar. Angered at their lack of activity, Scar challenges Sarabi, who rebukes him as king, and he strikes her, prompting a young adult Simba, who has been watching from the shadows, to run to his mother's aid and roars thunderously at Scar.

With Simba at their head, the small band of Pridelanders returns, showing their disloyalty to Scar. A battle for Pride Rock soon begins, and the lionesses fight in favor of Simba. They also realize it was Scar who actually really did kill Mufasa and Simba was being framed by Scar. Following the defeat of Scar, avenging Mufasa, the lionesses watch joyfully as Simba ascends Pride Rock, and every lioness roars her approval as he takes back his father's throne.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Pridelanders make their first appearance when Simba challenges Zira, whose son Kovu has encountered the princess of the Pride Lands and Simba's daughter, Kiara. Two Pridelanders join Simba and Nala in challenging Zira, who attempts to win her way back into the Pride Lands, but Simba stands firm, and the added bulk of the Pridelanders convinces Zira to walk away peacefully.



Pridelanders are later seen at the onset of Kiara's first hunt, during which they express confidence in their future queen. They follow Simba when he sees smoke rising from where Kiara is hunting and can be seen later that night, entering the royal den while Kovu is intimidated away from the entrance. Not long after this, Simba believes Kovu to have betrayed him, and the Pridelanders assist their king in exiling him from the Pridelands and preventing Kiara from interfering. When Kiara tells Simba that he will never be Mufasa suggesting that Mufasa would have forgiven Kovu and the ambush is not his fault, they are shocked and saddened at this comment meaning that Simba has completely defied his father's paw prints and watch a heartbroken Kiara running inside the den weeping and not knowing she managed to sneak out through a hole in the den.

During the film's climax, the Pridelanders follow Simba into battle against the Outsiders. The pride is seen fighting fiercely against their foes, holding their own despite the obvious strength among the Outsiders. They then see Kiara and Kovu jump between Simba and Zira to stop them from fighting. Toward the end of the battle, they realize the error of their ways and welcome the Outsiders back into the pride.

At the very end of the film, they gather at Pride Rock for the union of Kovu and Kiara. Once the two are married, they bow their heads in respect as their monarchs stride past and roar out over their kingdom.

The Lion Guard
So far, there have been no adult Pridelander lionesses in the series besides Nala. However, there are two Pridelander lioness cubs named Tiifu and Zuri who serve as friends of Kiara.

Trivia

 * The lionesses are responsible for providing the pride with prey.


 * In some concepts, the Pridelanders believe in a deity called the Great Spirit.


 * In King of the Jungle, the Pridelanders are called the Ndona Pride.